7 Chap. 26. tinExpojition upon the Brlee( jOB Verf. iz. lures for evtrinore (P ál, 16. t z.) fo there is a pretence of God that is very terrible to the creature ; yea that pretence of God which is comfortable to his people, is terrible to his cnemies;for when the Püalmilt had Paid ( ver. 2.) 7udah mac hie Sarf.inary, and I /rael ire dorrinà:n ; that is, a people fanc`i ified to him,and governed and proted;d by him ; prefently it followeth; Thetea taw it and fl-d, forlon was driven backe; The mountaines skipped /ik. rarns,ard the little i,iís like lambs,The Pfalaaift perceiving all things in fuch a trembling fit and confufion, fames to wonder what the matter was,and therefore puts the quefíion what ailed thee, O thou (ea, that thou {l: dd, f yea mountain(' that ye skipped, &c ? And prefer,tly maketh anfwer, Tremble thou earth. at the pretence of the Lord;As if he had Paid, the cau1e ofall this terror & trouble among the creatures,was nothing elle but the pretence ofGod. And if the very fence-leffe creatures were fer.cible of his wrathful) peefence,howmuch more mull man both be fencible of it,and Hoop unto it.This the Lord infnuates by a cutting quefti- on(Ez ( 22. t 4. )Can thy heart indure,or can thy hands be ffreng in the day that If, Q d-al with thee,) the Lord have %pokers it,and pill doe it. The Lnrd by his Prophet (peaks there to a people that had a double ftrength ; they were f rong hearted, and they were f rung handed, they had much forceor outward power, and they had much courage or inward power ; but neither hand- ftrength, nor heartftrength, neither force nor courage Mall a- vaile you in that day (faith the Lord) that Ißall deale withyou after the dealings of an enemy in wrath and Judgement. God ftrengthens the hands ofhis fervants & encourageth their hearts to endure his fevereft dealings with them. But when he cometh to deale feverely with thofe who are rebellious and wicked,eheir hearts who are iouteft among them fhall not be able to endures nor can they flrengthen their hands, They who have f rengtbned their hearts andbands mot! to commit finne. (hall be leaf able to /trengtben them; for the bearing of the puniAmen: offin. And hence by way ofCorolary or inference confider. Firft, Ifthe pillars ofheaven tremble before God, if pillars (whole nature is to ft hnd Rill) move at the prefence ofGod, what fhall become of weak man, of man who is a worme? if the pillars ofheaven tremble at the reproofe ofGod, then certainly thepillars of the earth cannot Eland fait at his reproof,Thepillars of
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