,Chap. 26. Lon come tojet a man at varianceagain; hiefather,& the elategb ter with her maser, and the dat hter in law agairfi her masher in law ;and a mans enemies Loll be they of his ',Tyne houle. Such divi- lions the Lord makes on the earth that it may appeare how ftrongly and immoveably his faithful! ones are united unto him. Mwe are to afcribe our union, fo our disiftons to God; it is he that ordereth all thefe things, though they flow from the cor- ruption, pride, and felffhnefs of men.When there are divisions and emulations among us, we thewour (elves (as the Apoftie fpeaks,i C'or:3. 3 )andwalk as men ; But God fbeweth himfelfe righteous, and aE}eth as God; He divideth the lea by his power, And by his underffanding he fmitetb through theproud. Thedividing of the fea was afcribed co the power of God in vin the former part of the verse, and here his fmiting through the xm. ac,ii proud is afcribed to his under [landing. The word fggnifie:to fir i ke ¿(atop orsJoir- lo, as to deftroy, or kill, to ftrike dead (I/a: 30. 26, 1llnmb:24. di irnp;i,irar® 8. ) god ffriketh home when hehikes b the proud. But who or what are the proud ones , whom God fmite:h through ? The word is Rakab, (as was toucht before in the ge- neral' interpretation of the verfe) liignifies two things ; f6 ff, ftrength , fo forte render it here; By his underf anding he [mite:hi through firength;that is, thofe things which are firergeff.The very weakneffeofGod is ftronger then man, and therefore there is nothing lo ftrong, but God can quickly fin lee it through or de- ftroy it. Secondly, it fignifyech pride, becaufe men ulually are proud of their ftrength; whence that caution ( Jer. 9. 23. ) Let not the mighty etanglory in his might. Any kind of ftrength is at to make man proud; the ftrength of his eftate,and purfe,is a great temptation to pride; ftrength ofbody,ftrengrh of parts, ftrength of wit and anderftandhng (which is the higheft, and nobleft natu- ral! ftrength) puts on co pride, yea( fo (rangeare the wayes and methods of temptation) the very fircngrh of grace or fpirituaii ftrength hath blowne up tome with pride; For though humility flow properly from the ftrengthofgrace,and the more grace the more humility, yet upon a prefumptionof the greatneffe and ftrength of their graces,fome have been proud and high minded, that is, they have not lived in fuch dependance upon Chriff as theyought Our ftrength !yes much in the fence of ourweaknes, An $xpefltion upon rise Rookaf JO B. Verf r2. 797
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