Chap.4%. .4» Expofition upon the Book of J o B. Verf. 2. 8es -nor counfel againß the Lord. Let mennit' ake or give counfel as long as they will againft the Lord, theycannot avoid the effe& of his counfels. We have both thefe, the tending of the Lords coup- fel, and theoverthrowing of all counfels that are againfi him, in that one Scripture (Pfal. 33. to, t r.) The Lord bringetb the counfel of the heathen to nought, he maketh the devices of the people of none offet ; The counfel of the Lord fiandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. God never loft a thought: allcome topats. This fheweth the mighty efficacyof the coun- fel of God; this is more than can be faìd of any man or men in the world;thewifet andgreatet, have had many thoughts with- holden from them. They have thought to do this and thar, bu* could not effe& ir, nor bring it about (Pfal. 546. q..) Their thoughts perifh; they have a great manyplots in their heads, but they prove nor; they often live to ice their own thoughtsdye. Their thoughts perifh, not only when they dye, but they live to feethem perifh and dye. TheProphet (Ifa. 44.2ç.) fheweth how the Lord frutrates the counfels of men, and rurneth them backward ; he thews alfo, that without him they cannot go for- ward (Lames. 3. 37.) Who is be that faith and it cometh to pats, when the Lordcommandeth it not ? But fome may obje&, the Lord fpeaketb of the builders of Ba.. bel,asPbherefpeakethof him(Gen. t t .6.)Behold the people is one, and theyhave all one language, and this they begin to do, andnow nothing will be refirained f om them whichthey have imagined to do ; as if he had Paid, there will be nowith-holdingof them from their thoughts. 'Tis verytrue, amongt men there was nothing to top them ; they being all as one man, and of one mind, would have accom- plifhed any thing that they did imagine : but though there was nothingupon earth, nothing among men,that could retrain them, yet God could do it, and he did it ; he confounded their lan- bguage, and one brought morter, when he fhould have brought rick ; and another brought tones; when he íhould have brought timber; they thought to build a tower that thould reach as high as heaven, theywould be drowned no more ; but they and their thoughts were loon fcattered and blown away. Thispoint hathin it alto abundance of comfort (as the former) for take thought for the thought of God, and it runs parallel with Kkkkk what
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