Chap. 28, 4n Expofition upon the Book, of J o s, Verf. z4. 267. formç,God bath locked out the holyefl of men God bath lock- edmatt not onlyout of the fecrets of his couniel, as the Apofiles challenge proves ( Roma a i . 34.) Who bath known the mind of the Lord, and who loath been his counfeller?But he hath alto locked out man from the fecrets of his providence. Though manyprovi- dences of God are plain, and it is our duty to fearcb them with a he,ly and modefl diligence, as David intimates (Pfeil. i at. z.) The (providential) works of God are great, fought ont, ofthem, that take pleafore therein ; yet manby fearching cannot find them out fully, or to the bottom. Thy righteonfnefs (faith the fame Da- vid, Pial. 36. 6.) is like thegreat Mountains, thy judgments are agreat deep. Some of the Judgments of God are a (hallow, or a foard over which a Lamb may wade ; every child may read the meaningof them ; and a man (any ordinary.man) may fay, veri- ly there is a rewardfor the righteous,verily there is a Cyod tharjudg- eth in the earth, (Pfal. 58. i r.) The Lord many times as fo le- gibly and intelligibly, that a man, a common man, who bath but natural reafon (hall be forced to acknowledge the Lords hand, and fay, there isa God in Heaven that judgeth in the earth. Tho Lord is knownby the judgement whichbe executetb (Pfaff. 9. 16.) That is, every one who feed) fuch a judgement, may know 6aat God bath executed it ; fuch power, fuch holynefs, fuch juflice, fuch hatred of fin appeares in ir, as none can fo much aspretend to,but God himfelf. But there are unpaffable depths in Tome of the judgements of God, depths in which the Elephant may fwim , and which the moll judicious and reaching heads have not line enough ofunderflanding to fathom. The Apoflte fpeak- ing not only of the counfells of God from eternity, but of the dealings of God intime, and in - particular of his dealings with Jews and Gentiles, in calling off the one people,and taking in the other , (He, I fay, fpeaking of there) is forced to cry out (Rom. y I.3 z, 33.) as a man amazed, and at his wits end, as a man whole reafon is over-Mafler'd, and himfelfat a lots in his under- (landing, as a man who had laidall he knew, and knew no more what to fay, O thedepth of the riches both ofthe rufffdom and know- ledge of Gad ! bow unfcarcbable are his fudgensents, andhis wages findingout!Though he could not fee the reafon of what God h a ad done, yet he law he had reafon to be amazed at whathe had done. Ohow was Paul afionifbed to fee thole who were not a M m 2 people,
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