1Ì 116 Chap. 30. 4n Expofition upon the Booke of Jos. Verf. his deare friend Epaphroditue, who was very fick, fick unto death, but faith he, the Lord bath hadmercy on him, and not on him onely, but on mealto ; why ? left I /bould have forrow upon forrow. 'Paul had force forrowupon him at that time,and there- fore the Lord wouldnot take away his friend, left he fhould fet forward his forrow, and caufe the wound to bleed afrefh. But chefe,wretches pat forrow upon forrow ; where the Lord fends forrow, they heepe on forrow ; if they have the handling of the matter, they will he lure to make the forrowfull know forrow. There are two fpecia]i grow: ds ofthis;Firft,as the nature ofman is cruel and unnatural], fo the very mercies of the wicked are Cruel ; no marvaile then if they urge Calamities, where the Lord lays any Calamity. Secondly The Lord and they have diffe- rent ends ; the ends whichGod bath are topurge or humble and try his people, that theymay come forth gold And therefore he moderates their Calamity to ch fe bleffed ends. But the ends t,fwicked men, are either to revenge tht mfelves, andBale their fpleen, or to enrich themfelves, and fill their purfes. Theyde- figue the rayfing of themfelves on the ruines of thofe whom God is afñi6ting, and therefore they doe into the utmoft line of their power and opportunity. This ftirr'd the of ieted Jewes to awaken the vengeance of God upon their infatiable enemies, (71fal. 137. 7.) Remember, D Lord, the children of ¿'dom, in the . day of?erufalem, whoPaid(in the day of yerufalemo calamity) rafe it,rafe it even to thefoundations thereof. Well. might David make that election (2, Sam. 24. I.4. Let mefall now into the band ofthe Lord (for his mercies are great) and let not mefad into the handofman. As ifhe,had Loyd, Seeing there is no avoyding ir, but I and my people mutt fuffer,I defire we may íuffer by the im- mediate hand of God, who in judgement remembers mercy; Whereas men will be altogether unmercifull;if God give meup into their hands, there will be noho with ibero, therefore'let the deftroyingAngel flay with the (word ofpeflilence, rather then men with the (word ofwarre. They will be fuse to help forward mine affietion, and the affliction ofmy people. Ir God did not fet bounds to the wrathof man towards man, it wouldat once overflow all the bounds of reafon and moderation. There is another reading ofthis part of the verfe,which I (hall a little touch upon before I paffe from it. For the word fignifies, not
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