r.84 Chap. 9. An Expof Lion reran the Book of J 9 B. Vert'. 6. 010 Íle fkíakcth the earth [ out] ofher place. Whereas an earthquake (hakes the earth in her place , and can fes it to tremble upon the pillars thereof. But did God ever thake the earth out of her place ? We mull underhand the text conditionally.We have not any infiance that the Lord hath actually done fo, but this fufpition may be put. The Lord can remove mountains and (hake the earth, not only in, but out of her place; We finde fuch conditionals exprell-ions often errifilam ea- t put in Scripture, not as if the things ever had been, or ever thould iin concut P P g terq; quater_ be done, but if the Lord will,he is able to doe them (Amos 9.5.) :que; caTarieu2 The LordGod of HoJfr is he that toucheth the Land, and it fhall melt; cum qua ter.: that is, if the Lord doe but touch the land he can melt it. As the ram mare threechildren cafi into a fiery furnace, had not fo much as agar- met. ment, or a.thread about them touched with it, becaufe the Lord "Ovid. met. > forbad the fire toburn : So, ifthe Lord bid a fpark but touch us,it fhall melt and confume us,asif we were call intoand continued in a fiery furnace. As a word made, fo a`touch thall mar the world, when God will ; yet he hath not done thus unto this day. So in the text,He fhakes the earth out of her place,imports whatGod can, not what he hath or will do. Note from it, That the Lord is able to doe greater things, thenever he ativally bath done. He hath not put the earth out ofher place, the earth is where it was, but he can difplace it. God hath never a&ed any ofhis attri- butes to the height, for they are infinite ; he never a&ed power fo high, but he is able to a& it higher He hath never a&ed mercy in pardoning fo far,but he is able toa& it further ;a greater finner then ever yet was pardoned, may be pardoned. A greaterenemy thenever was' overcome, may be overcome. He hath run with foot-men, and they have not weariedhim, and he is able to con- tend with horfes:in a landof peace he was never wearied liatii,and he knows how towade thorow the fwellings of yordan.lt is com- fortable to confider, that the Lord cannot only do the fame 'things again, which he hath done, but he bath never done to the utmofi of what he is able to doe : he can out-doe all that he hath done,as muchas the thaking ofthe whole earth out ofher place,is more, then to remove a mountain, yea, or a mole-hill ofearth. And
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