zaz Chap. 18. e...ln E'xpofition upen the Tookof j o s. Verf.t6u Hence note ; Wicked men may befully furnifhhcd with eneanesfor the attaining oftheir ends. Here are roots, and branches , deep counfels high actings, trimly frerigths, which are to the wicked man as the foundation is to the house, and as root and branches to the tree. TheProphet ( mfal. 37. 3 5.) fpeaks under this fimilitude ; I beheld the wicked likengreene Bay-tree, Ohow he flourifhed ! yea you maybehold him fometimes, as anOak of Bafhan, as a Cedar of Lebanon; He ca(ts forth his roots (in worldly and civili things, as a godly man doth his fpiritualls,) as Lebanon (Hofea 14.5. ) that is, migh- ty roots : and his branches fliallfpread,andhis beautyfhall be as the Olive tree, and his finell ás Lebanon. It is no unufuall thing to fee the wort} ofmen thus rooted thus branched, yea and ( for a while) fruited too. Secondly , Obferve ; when wicked men are in their greateft ftrength and beautie, when they have both roote andbranches, thenjudgement comes upon them,. The ftrength of man cannot proteít againfi the taflice of God, finners fhalt feele the impreflìonsof his anger; not onely (hall their goodly branches feele it, but their frongeft rootes. What rote cankeepe its earth, when God raifeth a winde, and fends out his forme ? What branch can keepe either leaves or fruit, whenGod fends out his Wafting mildew, (Pfal. 37. 35. ) Davidpeaks of fuch a goodly flourifhingtree; I have feene the wicked in great power, there is his roote; fpreading himfelfe likea greene Bay-tree, there are his branches ; yet he palfed away, and toe he was not, yea Ifought him, yet Icouldnot find him ; And thevery interpretation which the Pfalmif makes (in another place ) ofall the flourifhing ofwicked men, of their frong roots, and goodlybranches is, that they fhall be rooted up; when the wick- edfpring asgraffe, and all the workers of iniquitieflourifh. What is themeaning ofthis? howmay we interpret this ? It is that they (hall be deftroyedfor ever, (Pfal. 92. 6, 7.) And that which is fpo- ken of mankinde in general!, is moft true of this fort of man- kinde. In the morning they are like graffe thatgroweth up. In the morning itflourifheth,andgrovesup ; in the evening it is cut dowse, and
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