z 6 Chap. 22. An Expofrtion upon the BookofJO B. Verf. 28 Iwillnot let thee goe, except thou bleJ(e me; I,wiII have a blefhng; and it is laid, at et Prince hag thou power roith God, andwith men, and hag prevailedlacob had what he would in prayer,he decreed a thing, and it was eftablifhed to him. The prayers of Saints are decrees with god:and'tis but reafon they fhould be fo ; becaufe their prayersanfwer the decrees ofGod, or they pray for that which God hath decreed; and indeed there is no Saint,or Godly manwouldpray any other prayer, or aske any thing ofGod,but whatGodbath determined and decreed before to give : + 4s a Godlyman would doe nothing but what Godbath commanded, fake would ask nothing beet what Gad loath decreed.This is a-comfortäble truth, yet I rather conceive the fenceofthis place more general!, and not tyedup to that ofprayer; and therefore Secondly, Tbou/halt decree a thing; that is, thou (halt take up a refolve, or a purpofe ; thou in thywtfdome and prudence !halt fay in thy heart, I will doe fuch a thing, or I would bring fuch a ©rdita5 e per thingto paffe, and it Mall come to paffe or be eftablìfhed.For as tuernprovrden many men met together in Conned], makeDecrees ; fo any man eiam j,t5urursa in himfelfe may make a decree ; and we alwa es make decrees in arTa,qa1L Y Y rem ta°n fiu. our ownminds beforewe /Dyne in any decree with others; full, ram & meet- we fpeake inour minds, then we fpeak out our minds i Thou tam, fed quaff 'halt decree a thing; that is, thou (halt refolve to goe fuch a way, tnaam v0 junta, or g, do fuch a thing, it (hall be done. Now, this Cafe ofde- c?nffitu to ram lam ha-, treeing-muff beunderftood with a'Caution, fuppofe the thing it *ebie. Aquin. felfe be ¡aft and lawful! (as we touched before) yet a manmuff not make abfolute decrees, (that's the priviledgeofGod,he only can makeperemptory decrees,who hath all things in his power) we mutt decree fubmiflìvely to thewill ofGod, and fay ifthe Lord will, ifthe Lordpleare we will doe fuch a thing. The Apo- file (tam(s 4. iz, 13, 14.) reproves thofe that wouldmake pe- 'remptory decrees of what they would do in reference tooutward affaires : Goe to nowye thatfay to day or tomorrow we will got in- tofucha Citie, here is a decree, we wiligo tofuch a place, or doe fuch a thing, we willcontinue there ayeare, and buy andjell, and getgaine. It is lawful' for men to take up a purpofe to go to fuch a place, and follow their trade tobuy and fell, and getgain inan honeft way, but no man muá be peremptory in this, becaufe we know not what (hall be on the morrow ; therefore, the Apoftle directs ; Te ought tofay, ifthe Lord will we"ball live, anddo this or
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