z E pH. ll. I, :2, 3· Thirdly,A Meek Soul will not forfake God,but ferve and obey him flill,let God do what he will with it. Pja/.44- r7 ,r8, At! this is come upon m,yet we h,nJetJol forgottm thu, tuither have Wf dt!l!t fatjly ill thy Covmant. Our heart is llot tur11ed back, 11either havt our f1eps declinedfrom thy way, though thou haftfore broken ur. for a Meek hearc.flill knows that Obedience is due,that Imprifonment fatisfies not for the debt. Now fuch a Soul therefore God cannot find in his heart long to punifu, and therefore the Promife is made to them. Now to exhort to this, confider but this one Motive, That befides, that a Man is obnoxious; God alfo hath an unlimitted Prerogative to bring on thee what he will. And if he will bring a Judgment on thee, all the World cannot hinder it, nor take it off. So as there is no dealing with him, but fubmitting; for he keeps l'rofperity_and Adverjity under lock and key, and fuurs and none can open; men mufl lle clofe Pnfoners till he wrll let them out. ]ob I2. r4· 'Tis Jobs exprefiion in this very cafe, Behold hibreaketh down, and 11011e cmtbuild 11p; He/httls 11p a mrm, andthere ca11 be 110 optning, and fo on to the end of that Chapter. And upon this ground fee what Counfel Etihu gives, Job l4· 29,10d I. He having the prerogative togive quutmfs, fo as then 11011e ca" gJVe trouble, and when he h1des hts face, who ca" beholdhim; whether it be done again!! a Man, and not only fo, but a whole Narion. They cannot all keep an Affliction off, nor all!he World cannot hurt them, if. he will give qt~iet11ejs; if he will fot all Hypocrite over them to en{nar• them, they cannot all get him down till he will, v.3c. And what then? Surely it is mut to h Jaid, I have6or11 Chajli(mmt, and I wilt not offrtidany more. No way but to kifs the Rod, and fay, I wilt do {ono more. And if a man fees not caufe why God fuoul<f thus chaflife h im, and fo be apt to repine, yet let him think there is a caufe, therefore in v. p. That which I Jn not, teach thou me; Jj I have do11e I1tiqt1ity, I wilt do Jo 110 more. And to fay as 1eremy upon the like occafion, or the Church in his perfon, "]a.ro.22,23,24. when there w~s the noife of the Bruitof an invafion from the North, to make the Cities defolate, what fay t v . 13. 0 Lord, I know that the w ,ryof Mmt is not ill himj'etj; it is not i14 n that walketh to dire[/ hi& f1eps, whether he fh•ll have fair way,or foul, to walk; neithar do I know whi- . therro run for fafety, my life and all is in thy hands, therefore, 0 Lord, corre[/ me, lmt with Judgme~~t. The Church is willing in {uch a cafe to be whipt, only defires God to deal gently with her; and fo mu(\ we. F I · N I s.
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