Chap. I4. An Expofition upon the Boot ofJo n , Veif. 5. 5 Ch rift, but they could not accomplifh it, till his hour was come. Aryl when his hour was come, hewould not paffe it. What was faid of Ch rift is true of every man, he lives not after, nor dies before his hour is come. Man is apt to think himfelf Mailer of his own life, if not to continue it, yet to end it : And we have a Paying (which fonie count a fubtle and a wile one) He that cares notfor his own life, is mailer of anothers mans life ; But both (peak falfeDoftrine, and are confuted by 706s Divinity. What God fpeaks of that Law which is the rule of our lives in Grace, (Matth. 5. i8.) Till Heaven andEarth pa/}, are jot or titlejhall innowifepafs from the Law, tillallde fulfilled; The fame may we fpeak,of this Law, which is the limit of our lives inNature, one jot or title of this Law (hall not paffe unfulfilled, and when once this Law is fulfilled, the life of man cannot paffe on jot or title further, SomeScriptures teem to fpeakagainfl yobs Doe trine of the cer- tain determinationof mans dayes by the Decree of God. I (hall briefly clear them. lira, When Hezekiahwas tick, and (as he thought) dying, did not God fend him a Meffageby the Prophet Ifaiah, (z Kint s 20, 5.) Titrn again and toll the Captain of my People, thusfaith the Lord, the Godof .David thy Father, &c, !will heal thee, and (nor onlyfo, but) I spill add to thy life fifteen years. If fifteen years were added, then furely his dayes were not determined : Ei;h:r God had not appointed hima Pet time, or he changed his' mind andcame to anew iip,pointment : And Hezeklah did either paffe thebounds which God once flied, or he might have fallen Mort óf them. I anfwer; The fifteen years added to Hezekiahs life , were added to Hezakjahs date, not to Gods. Hrzekiah looked upon himfelf as a dead man t He was fick,and Pick to death inhis owl; opinion, . pollibly alto in the opinion of all his Servants and Phyfitians, yet he, and they toowere deceived Godhad determined him a longer timc,and tells himhe had, Thotsfalt live yet fifteenyears.: This addition Both not imply any alteration in the purpofe of God, as if having, once decreed that Hezekiah fhould live but fourty yyears, he afterwards (upon his Prayer) granted that he f(hould live fifty fives For as liedetermined Heze&iah flould be PickuntoDeath, and thathe íhould receive fcntence of Death in _.., Ffff . ,himfelf,`
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