on the tt9.P%alme. 47 Verf.98: By thy nmmaundemen's thou haft made mewifer than mine e, emiei:for theyore ,tiler with me. Hefirft of the particular effe&s,is contained in thefewords: By thy commaúndementi' tbouhafE madememiferthanmine enemies. Wee feehow men now adates ftraine their witsto match their enemies in policiesanddenifes, but few thinke on thisfound meanes, wherebywefhallfurelypreuaileagain (}them. Now iffobe that whatfoeuer is written, is written forour inftru&fon and comfort,in snaking mention of the meanes, the Prophet ofthe Lord doth teach vs, that it was none extraordinarie worke,of theLord proper to bint,but a meanesappointed ofGod forvs al co follow.Whereby heteacheth vs,thatGod willblelfe vs to atcalneto the likewifedoine,ifwe wtllendeuour toviethe likemeones. Ro lieation. Toappl ie thistoour profit, wee muttgather theparticular out of the generalldearine P on thismanner : Whofoeuer (hall haue the commandements of Godester with him, bee flail be wifcr thenhis enemies,than Isis teachers, than the ancient : but Dauiddidfo, or wedoe fo: thereforeDauidand we(hall findethis wifedome. But tome manwill fay; Ex- a5iec uy. perience teacheth vs a Beane contrarie do&nine, that Gods children are not fo wile in their light , as tite children of this world are in their generation. I anlwere : That an ¡mere, it is true, that experienceproueth, and our Sauiour Chrif}teacheth, but this Iadde,that this experience commeth from our (mall fight of the word, andnot for anywant-of the worditfelfe, whenGodschildren haue iton their fide. And our Sauiour Chris} his fpeechtendeth rather tofhewwhat itis,throughour corru tion,thenwhatitoughttobe; fothat iuftlie he vfeth it toour Shame. Indeede ciuillwifedomewhichchoked] in them all temptations, with worldlydelightes, liaising the diuell to be their Schoolemalter, doth worko in them. acontentation ofrnind,whilefor a feafon,they{Mother as they thinks:,the judgements of God breathingvpon them. And becaufe onthe contrariethe Spirits of Gods childrenareoccupied inheauenly things,yet often the Beth fo laboureth again(}the fpiritthatwhiles} they would bewiferthen the Lord, or would vie any indire&meanes a- garnfttheirenemies,orm vftnggoodmeanesfayleinprayer,orin not ftayingthemfelues onGods prouidence,andappointedtimeofdeliuerance, it commeth co paffethat they areouermme. But *whilcft theyrenounce themfelues,auatheir owne wifedome, &crane *Row mrssiet counfaile of God in his word, & the dire&ionof his fpirit yprayer,whileft they vfè good areourrrnme. meanes in agood caufe, andkeeping a good confcience wasteon the hand of the Lorde, they (hall be fure tohaue the ouerthrow of theirenemies. Proofe doth teach vsthat aFee - ly foule in the countrie,which walkethin thefe wayesof theLord, will boondifcouer the Shifting poiicïes olaworldly learnedman, broughtvp in the Vniuerfitie; becaufe the wrathoftheLordhangethouerone, andhismercifullfpiritwatchethouertheother:But folongas wewill Shootwith Sathan in Isis own bow,and repellpolicie with policie, what follie fhallbefound in vs,though we canhoule loftily with wolfe,and dealtcunning- ly withthe Grecians, whenas theLordwill neuerbuffer a good caufeto bemaintained by ut meanes .Soeofvsfeeke the word, but in licking itwereftinour ownegood tnea- ning,not humbling our fettlesbefore the Lord, but our wifdome herein muff come from the fpirit. Forwecan no snoreby the eyesofreafon,fee thelight oftheword,thenHowlets looke vpon thebright funne. Wherefore the Lord will haue vs in all controuerues with our aduerfaries, todepend on him, and to know, thatthe caufemuff notdepend onout owne Shoulders, thenmutt the by faith in the blood fheddingg of Christ, beleeue that our finnes,neithernow-nor olde,fhall hinder the helpinghand oftheLord. We muff trufton Godsprouidence and promilès,andStayour fettles by prayer onhis wifedome,ifwe Tooke tobewifer then our aduerfaries. An excellent example hereofwehaueto proue, that bettetfinnes not-repented of, may Seaetpies hinderthe Lords dealingwith vs againftour enemies. We readthat after that filthy mceft notrepentéd mentioned in Iodg. x-. which made the Leuke (whofèwife was abufed) to cut het in of. tweluepeeces, and fend her throughall theparts-of Ifraell; there was warre betweene the Beniamiterandyfrael, and the Beniannerbeingbut fewin number, andmaintainingan e- Aaa 4 uill
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