4 58 Chap. 2.9. afri Expofition papon the BookofJ o B. Verf. g,' dead, if God be with his people to foften,to enlarge and quicken them ? 1 anfwer ; Fir(i, Thefe queryings favour more of flefh then fpi- rit, more of unbeleif,then of faith ; were we more inbcle iving, we (hould be lets in queflioniog and complaining. They who have faith do not alwayes [peak, no nor att-accordingto it. The flefh will (peak fometimes without the Spirit, evetsiní thofe who have theSpirit. Nor may it fccm flange that the flefh Cpeaks tome- times alone in thofe who have the Spirit, teeing Satan hirrifelf fpeaks fometimes alone in thofe who have the Spirit, or they fpeak fo like Satan that they are called fo (Math, i 6. 22, 23.) And therefore when Gideon hadmade that query;'cis faid(zi.r..) The Lord lookedon him, (we may conceive) chidingly and rebu- kingly, though eff'tcacioufly (as Chrifl did upon Peter, Luk. 22. 61.) Andfaid,go in this thy might; that is, the might whichi have now given thee, by my prorirc to h.. with .hcc. Secondly, I anfwer ; it is the Lords will it (hould be thus with thee while he is with thee. What if the Lord anfwer, I amwith thee,and yet 'cis my plcafure to leave thee in wsaknefs,anddark- neft, and wants, &c. Is not theLords will melon enough for any titan, and ought it not tobe the moll fatisfying realer? for though inman will and reafon are often oppofed, yet never in God. His will is the highefl reafon,theperfe&ion of reafon,tbough we per- ceive it nor. And it were the mot+ irrational thing in the world, as well as the molt impoflïble, that things (l,auld go oth -rwife in the world then God would have them. But though the preroga= cive will of God be enough to flop every mouth, and to make all fiefh íilent before God, yet I anfwer. Thirdly, The reafon why God who is alwayes with Mspeo; ple doch yet let them lye under great troubles both inward and outward, is fometimes to corre& and chaflen them for theirneg lefts and undervaluing' of his former preface with, and appear- ings for them. For this caufe he is a 4 man aftonied, as a mighty man that cannot fave,thouuh hi be in the m:dfi ofthem,as the-Pro- phet fluke (fer,i4.9.) We often depart from the livingGod through that evil heart of unbelief that is in su (H rf .3, T 2.) No wonder then if God be as one departed from us. We oft leave God by our unevenwalkings and finningt againft hut; no wonder then if God be now and then as one that.hath left us, Weare rea- dy
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