278 Chap. 22. An expofition upon the Bookof J O S. Verf. 28. go od, he Thal i have the comfort and benefit of them, while he aimes at the Glory of God in them.. He ce note Fírft, The fucceffe ofour Councells and Decrees is agreat mercy. Eliphaz brings it in by wayof p:omife,Thoufhale decree a thing and itlhall be eff:41111 rd unto thee.Succefs in any ofour right Qui- oas is to be acknowledged as a mercy;& therefore the Lord doth fo diftinet ly fpeci.fie the fucce(slefnes of the %ergs after their return fromLbylon in their rural and houfholdbufinefTes for negleétbng to build his houfe ( Hag. i. 6. ) to thew that he had a Contro- vetfiewith them; Te have [crane much,and brought in little(no fucceffe )yee ease, but havenot enough, ye drinke but ye are not fi6'ed with drinke ( that is, ye are not fatisfied) ye cloath you, but there u no warmth ( which is the effect of cloathing ) and he that carnet's wager, earnetb wages to put it into a bag with holes.Which is a proverbial fpeech,implyingthat nothingfticks,nothing Hayes by a man, no more then mony doth in a bag that hath holes in it, or water in a fieve, or in a leaking veffell, Succefsleünes attended them in all they did, and that was their affh&ion. So when our Councels profper, when what we advife to be done thrives in the doing ; when the directing word ofa man proves like the Crea- tingword ofGod (Gen. firfl) who did but fay; Let there be light, and there was light, let there be aftrmantent,and there was a fioma- ment,&c. Thus when a man ¡hall fay,let fuch a thing be done and it is done, when every things come forth at a word, like a new Creation, how great both a mercy and honour is this? When he faith, let there bedeliverarce,and there is deliverance,let there be vidory,and there is vidory,let there be peace,and there is peace; when in cafes ofgreateft difficulty and utter impoflibility to flefb and blond, he fpeaks like magnanimous yofhua (Jolla io, i 3) in a commanding language to the creature, while with ftrongeft confidence in and humble[t dependance upon God ,.funHandth.0 gillupon Gibeah d- thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon, & the Sun foodfrill, and the Moone flayed until) the people bad avenged them- ¡elves upon-their enemies. Who of the Ionsofmen (whowere not alto the tons ofGod) were ever crowned with Inch anhonour ? Secondly, He doth not fay, he (hall decree a thing and eftaa bli(h it, for man may decree a thing, but mancannot eftablifh the.
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