Chap. q.. An Expoftion upon the BookofJos. Vert-. 5: 589 yet whenEfau came out againft himwith four hundred men, he lothnot fay, Lord, thou haft undertaken (or my proteilion, what' I trouble myfell ? ` I will fit down under that Banner of thy pro wife: and providence, which thou haft difplaid over me, let Efau rage and threaten, let him !kfufrer and leadall hisforce againfp me if he will, what care F ? Ifearhim not, he muff break through the truthof God before hebreaks inupon me ; the Word of Godmull fa& before Ifall : I am under the charge of Heaven. Doth 7acob make thisufe of the Promife.? No, he falls a praying like a Saint, and he falls a providing for his Defence like a Souldier (Gen. 32.) Had not David a lure word from God, that he fhould live to wear the Crown of Ifrael and /ttdah? Yea,he had not only a word but a sign, he was anointed by Samuel, which Ceremony afï'üred him hé shouldbe King, yet- how Both he-improve all Aids and Friends to fave his life : He doth not fay, Samuel' bath told"me from the Lord, that I 'ball be King, therefore I will not flit a foot fromSaul, /et him do his worff : No, he withdraws from Court, and gathers an Army ; he defends hitnfelf by power, he doth not nand to thenaked defence of the Promife, And if it be ourdu_ to. labour after the:prefervation ofa Temporal life, though, Godbathdecreed the bounds of it, then much more. fhould ivy do thus in reference to Spiritual and Eternal life. Some will fay, Godbath made a Decree which cannot pals, who (hall be Paved and who damned, therefore what need we ufe the means of ,Salvation .? What need we avoid the ways of damnation? & t betïrtember,' the fame word commands us to depart from inigraitj,' svhirhrfaith, Thefoundation of Godflandeth fore, andhe lznoweth whñ arthsi í ' lisas much our duty to give all diligence tomake our Calling and Election fore, as it is to believe thattheElectionand Callingof God areffure. Thirdly, Obferve, if our dayesaredetermined by God, then we7bould not be afraid (when we have a due call) of fhortening our dale:, '4y running ha- zards andhardadventures for God. Our life is in Gods hand, he bath fet the bounds, which no mans malice can shorten, nor any cowardife c' our own lengthen, As none.couldbring us into the World,, fo ì1one.can thruf} us out, tilhthetime appointed. Let not Perfecutors=take away the Truth from:us, 'which God hithgiven unto believe, for they cannot take away -,a day from o, Which God. bath given is to live, 1fff3 Th4 ìl It
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