98 hap.3o. An - Expofitien upen the Boot; of Jo a. Verf.tr underftanding then children; fecondly, as having no morepower then children; that is, having very little ofeither : yet 'cis more eligible to have a Prince who is but achild, and a Ruler like a babe, then to bequite bereft ofPrinces and Rulers. For then the child will behave himfelfe proudly againft the ancient and the people will Toone be oppreffed every one by his neighbour. Which is one of the fevereft curies that God can threaten a peo- ple with, in reIpeet of outward things; they who arenot gover- ned by lawes,fhall be oppreffed by oneanothers lufts,and where- as theycomplained ofoppreffion by thole that were in power; they (hall find themfelves oppreffed ten times more by thofe that have no power(exce.pt force)but fia,.d in a level with themfelves, Thirdly, Whereas Yob afcribes the looting of his cord to God ; Obferve; It is of ÿ3d that Magifitrates retaine or leofe the reverence that is due unto themfrom thepeople. God loofeth their cord in difpleafure, and he knitts and holds qya,ndiu fa. it fart (as long as he pleafeth ),in mercy. The favour ofGod vet glicui dew, ts the the of all true affeftion and refpe& between man and o cuha gealorn man. He bath the love and the hatred , the good will and the vi honunes in ill will of men at his difpofe ; He commands feare, and it re- lc" cenrinee moves at his command. He can caufe the terror ofhis people to Merl: fall upon fierce and ftrong Nations, fo that they (hall not rife up againfl them. His terror reuraines their wrath and rage as with a bridle. When 7acob and his fmall companies marched through the Enemies Country, after theyhad provoked them greatly by the flaughter of the Shechemites, whom Simeon and Levi flew for defiling their fitter Dinah, it is fayd, (Gen.35..5. )The ter- ror ofGod wasupon the Cities that were round about tbem,and they did not purfue after the Ions of 7acob. Thus God promifed his people ( Dome. 2.25. ) Thisday will I begin to put the dreadof thee, and thefeare of thee upon thenations,that are under the whole heaven, who (hall heart report ofthee, and!hall tremble and be in angesilh becaufeofthee. See what an influence God hath upon the . fpirits ofmen; he canput the feareand dread ofhis people upon all the people under the whole heavens, he can make thofe who are more andgreater,to dread the fewer and the leffe. This was pgrformedáifo to David, (a Chron. 14. i 7.) Thefaine of Da- vid
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