Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

Chap. 31. An expo (ticn upon the Took of J OE. Verl. 40 767 will fo worke for his people one day, that where th, re were none but bryars and thornes (cheheft ofmen in degenerate times have been as a bryar,& the molt upright ofthem (harper thena thorne hedge, Mich. 7, 4. ) filch as trouble and vex his people, there (hall come up in stead ofchore thornes firre trees, that is,(uch as (hall be very ufefu!l, and in ¡lead of the bryar a mirtle tree, that is, a godly man (hall be in place and power. Mirtle trees fignifie the people ofGod (Zeck: 1.8. ("brigwas in the botocme among thelllirtletree.r,tüat is,with the Church) O howwill this rejo)ce the Saints when they fee fuch changes as chefe in the world ; and Poch they (hall fee : As the Prophet fhewes in another Allegory (Ifa. 60. 17.) For braffe 1will bring Gold, and for iron Iwill bring !jiver. andfor wood brag'', and for Honer iron. I will ahó make thy Officers peace, and thine exalors righteoufoufTe ; that isA things (hall mend beyond expectation, your changes for the bet- ter (hall exceed your hopes. O how good is it to us when things grow better then we lookt for 1 AndO how fad is it to be look. ing for good, and to fee all grow nought, or waxing worfe and worfe ! Thiftles in placeof wheat,and cockle in place of barley ;as . they fayd ( Per. 8. 15. ) %$fee lookedfor peace, andno good came, andfora time of health, and behold trouble. Thefe doleful' words are expounded two wayes. Firft, Tome conceave themto be a re. buhe of the peoples groundleffe expeetationofgood dayes,and a profperous condition ; As ifthe holyProphet had thus befpoken them rote may lookeforpeaceau long, and see confidently asyore pleafe, but I4 ireyou,that ye only pleafe orflatteryour (elves with vaine hope, indoingfo;for while youare thus bad nogood will come, andwhileyour wayes and lives are not amended, the times will not, cannot mend ; lookealto ( ifyou wiß)for health or healing, that the prelimcrp.t.yticky fíate ofthingsJbould recoverftrengtb, and that your divi ions and breaches Jhouldbe storedand cured, but in thin alto you will isndyour(elves difappoynted, foryou Jba/l behold no-, thing but breaking anddividing among yourfelvet, tillye returne and are reconciled unto Clod. This is a good fence of the text, though a fad one to the people both ofchofe times and ours ; Nor is the Second, any whit morecomfortable,which (according to our tranflation) makes it the peoples complaint to or of their falle and flattering Prophets. As if they had fayd : wee (having been often encouragedandwarranted byJew to expeFíffree

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