32o Chap.12. An-Expoßtionupon the t<ookofJub. Verf.23. The juáÿwen: of G.ttï c,yt a t he out ward effare be.;ins at a judg. men, upon the untie' Itat ding. Seldom hat h ar:y Nation perifh- ed but they lee they have been befouled, an,i [hit they refufed tht it owngood betcri e thew wet e tie; ried of ir. As the teat may Lesr this conflation, Co the ti ui h fi wing from i:,is very ufefut. But beeauie the ordinary acception of the word rums faireff, He increafeth the Nations, &c., t ihallinFiff only upon that. whet, uodmale the World,he laid toman,l ea to every thing that had life in, i, and fo power of increaling, Increafe and multiply : A wo,d from God makes the creature multiply. Tne crcate of every thit.g is from God, as well as the cattttitution of it. Ttte:e is a threerold i :create. Firff, In number: God raid co- Abraham, Iwill muttipfy thy feedas thefandof the Sea, and as the Starsof Heaven,and it w» to: Secorìoty, He increafethNa- tions in riches and plenty; he b:eflèth their basket and their [ion e ; thei lend to others and do not borrow. Thirdly, He luctca erh Nations in honcurand reputation, they ai e the head, and not the tail, the (heaves of their Neighbours round about, fall down to their (heave. Such honour is promifed the Jews, That tenmen 'hall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations, evenfhall take holdof theshirt of him that is a lea?, faying, ;re will go with you, fer we have heard that God is with you, ( Zach.8. 23.) Thus the N Lions ate increated by a word of from th'e mouthof God. And as he increafeth, fo he defiroyeth. The decaies of Nations are fromGtd, as well as their improvementsare. God decla- reth his power by pulling down, as well as by railing up, by kil- ling, as well as by makingalive, by deftroying, as well as by in- creating. This de(lru&ion is wrought two ways, openly, or fecrctly. Sometimes God is a Moth and rottennefs to a Nation, he def}roies them fìiently, and unfeen (Hof 5.12.) they decline and moulder away,theyknow not how. Sometimes he is a Lyon and as ayoung Lyon unto a Nation, he will tear andgo away. andnone 'hall refcue (Hof5.t4.) he deftroyeth them vifìbly,by Dítrafes and Plagues, by Famine and the Sword. By (time nne,or by all there, he de- ftroyeth chem,til l,as he threatned the Jews (I fa.6.t t.) The Cities bewafted without Inhabitants, and the houfes without man, and the Landbe utterly defolate. The
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