Chap. 5. An Expoftion upsn the Book of J O R. Vetf. t 2. 79 The craftyare full of hopes, that their devifes will/mecca' and full of trouble, becaufe they fucceed net. Other wife it could not be laid, that God difappointeth the devwfee of the crafty , difap- ptintment impltet expe;latton; And it is no afflic}ing affiidion to nails of that, which we never looked for.Thefe thought all lure. Thefe doubted not to over- wit,and over-power all at laf}. This brought them fomwhat beyond hope,even to the borders ofaf- furance,at leaf! it fo endeared them their hopes,that they would rather hazzard their Souls,thau loofe their plots,they were bur- then'd to bedelivered.Flaving conceived m;fchie; they were in tra- vel with iniguity,Pfal.7.tg.. As the Lord fuffets his own people to fear much, that when deliverancecomes, their joy maybe full fo,he fuffers wicked men to hope much,that theirlorrows may be full,when they cannot be delivered. Awoman forgets the pains of her travel, for joy that a manchild is born into the world;And thefe men (hall remember the painsof their travel, for forrow that a monf}er(fuch are their defignes ) is not born into the world.7hat their mifchiefcomes not (-in their fiefs) to light, leaves them in defperatt darknefs. Fourthly Obierve, what fach plot and devife , they labour to a and off a ; Them bands cannot perform their enterprife, which intimates, that they put their hands to the work, as well as their heads s as foot] as (they have laid their plot, they fall to acting. We fhould in this imitate our enemies, not to (land deviling and confulting,±is is agood way,and t'others a good way, and then do neither , or then fit Rill and moulder away in txpettation; love t',and zeal for Chrifl,and his truth (hould render us as full of a&ion, as of invention,of execution as of dc(ìgn: Fifthly,though they did attempt it with their hands,yet they could nit effeEt it with their hands, Their hands drd mt perform their enterprife, Hence note, That Crafty - -menmaydevifeßrongly,buttheyhave not ffrength fifficient to accompli(h their devices. The Pharifees,after all their confederacies again(} Chri(},wete foret (without any rack, but that of their own conlciences) to make this confeon, Job. t a. t 9. Perceive ye how we prevail nothing, At this day,they have many finedevicesandldæat,ready framed in their heads;but the hand (hakes, They ca-snot perform their enterprife. Theywant not counfel, nor craft, nor skill, nor will,nor defires,uorcndeavours,onlythey- wantGod with them: Hence
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