Chap. ein Expofition Upon the Book of J o s. Wert. 16. 707 we come not to the groffeneffe ofthe Papilla we would have fomewhat of our owne gaining and fetching in, for life and glory. But if the things of theworld be not in our hand, then much leffe are the things ofheaven ; if not temporalls, then Pure; y= not fpirituals and eternals (Pf4. 76.6, 7.) `Promotion is not frot.. the Eafl, or Weft, or South, but it is of cod whom! leth down one, and fetteth up another. It is a peice of our fpiritu- alneffe to confeffe God the giver ofour temporals. It is anaft ofgrace tofay, Lo, ourgood íe not inour band. That principleof policy,Everi man is the contriver ofhis own condition,is false in Divinitie. Man may be confidered in a threefold capacity or R.f"f , fort. and God the Author of them all. In hisnatural Elate as a living roan , In his fpirituall Date, at a holy man ; in his civil! Date, as a rich man or great man ; all that he is in anyofor al thefe is all fromGod. Secondly, obferve; It is not in the power of man to holdorperpetuate his owne profperitie. As our good is not got by our hand, fonot held, it will run or flip out between our fingers, if we only hold it; we put ourearnings into a purfe with holes (Hag. i. 6.) if God doe but blow upon it. As theLord gives, fo he can take away, let us hold as fail aswe will ; unleffe theLord holdwhat we have for us, we cannot hold it. The creature is a flitting thing ; unleffe God eläblifh it to us it may be gone every momenr, Our fpirituals are not in our owne keeping we cannot bring grace into our ownehearts, and we cannot keepe grace in our own hearts ; our goodofgrace is in the handof Jefus Chril, it is he that preferves his own graces bellowed upon us. Were it not for the hand ofChriD holding our hearts, we fhould let out all the grace we hive quickly ; our faith and love with all thofe fpirituall treafures would Toonebe fcattered, were not we kept by the power of God , Lo, their good is not intheir hand. Thirdly, When ?ob faith, Their good it not in their band, He feemes to intend, that though thefe men had a great deale in their hands ; yet their good, or that which indeedwill do them goodwas not in their hand, Themenoftheworld have their X x x -x 2 portiotá
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