Chap. 9. An Expofation.upon the Bookof J.O B. Verf. 7. forbidden. When the ancient people of God werefew in number, yea, very few,andffrangers in the land, when they went from one Na- tion to another, from one Kingdome to another people, one would think, that all the world would have been upon them ; but here was their protec ion, God had a negativevoice ( Pfal. i 05. s 5 . ) Hefufered no man to doe them wrong. Many had (as we fay ) an aking tooth at the peopleofGod, their fingers itcht to be dealing with them, and the text thews four advantages the world had a- gainft them: Firft, theywere few. Secondly, Very few. Thirdly, Strangers.Fourthly,Unfetled.Whát hindered their enemies?It was the Lords negative voice. He reprovedKings for their fake, flying, ?ouch not mine anointed,anddoe my prophets no harm. We fee an inftanceof this ( Gen. 35.5.) when Jacob and his family journeyed, the terreur of Godwas upon theCities that were round about them, and they didnot purfue after thefoes of Jacob they had a tninde topurfue after them, to revenge the (laughter ofthe Sichemites, but God faid Purfue not, and then they could not purfue, they mutt flay at home. And when all his people the Jews were fafe in Canaan,he incourages them to come up freely to worship at 1eru- falem,by this affurance, No man {hall defire thy Land, when thou (halt go up to appear before the Lord thy God, thrice in the year (Exod. 24.34. ) God can flop not only hands horn (polling, but hearts from defiring. Our appetite,whether concupifcible or iraf- cible, is under his command, as well as our aftions. The Pro- phet afferts this by wayofqueftion ( Lam. a,.3 7.) Who it he that faith,and it cometh topafs, when the Lord commandetb it not?That is,if the Lord doth not concur, ifthe Lordvote againft the laying or commandof any man in the world, what hefaith (hall' never come to paffe. We (hould confider this to helpour faith in thefe times. God bath a negative voiceluponthofe counfels'and conclufions, which are carried with owe content ofmen,' And the wrath ofmanfhall either turn to his praife,or all that is.beyone that'l he w'i'l ^l flop, the re- mainder ofwrath, (namely, fo much as remains over and above what turns to the praife ofGod)jhalt thou reftruin, Pfa1.76.6.The fword is in motion amongft us, even as-the Sun, and the fword feemeth to have received a chal'ge' to pàf's from one end of t ie Land to the other; yet acounter-command from God will slop this fword: from going on. If hefpeak to the fword, the f word (hall wound no more. We may entreat the fword to wound no` C e 2 more, 195
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