Contemplations. Lra.XVIII. Future things arcprcfenc ro the Etcrnall: [t was lomc two hundred and fixty yeares A ere this prophecy lhouldbcfulfilled;yertbemanofGod fpeaks ofit as now inading What arc fome Centuries ofyearcs totheAncienrof dayes~How flow and yet ho1; fureis thepace ofGods revenge! It is not in the powerofrimeto fru!lr~te Gods de: terminations; Therds no lt!fc jufticc, nor feveriry in a delayed puoifhmenr. What a pcrfettRecord there is ofall na~es in the roll of~eave~;~efore they be, aftertbey are paft~what ever feemmg commgency there IS 10 theiilmpofition yet they fall under the certainty ofa decree, and ate better koowne in heaven, ere 'they be, then on earth whiles they are.He that knowes what names we !hall have, before weor the world have a being, doth not oft reveale this peece ofhis knowledge to bis crearure;here he dotb,naming the man rbatlhould be two hundred yeares a!ter· formore alfurance ofthe evenr, that Jfrael may fay, this man fpeakes from a God B who knowes what !hallb.:There cannot bea more lureevidenceofa true Godhead then the foreknowledge oft.hllferhinj;s, whofe caufcs hav~ yet no hope of being; But becaufe the proofeof tb1spred1~bon was no more ccrrame, then remote; aprc. fentdemooftration!hall convince the future; The vf !tAt [h•H rmd in putts, the A/hu fh•O he fc411trttl: Howamazedly mu[\ the feduced Ifraelues needeslooke upon this miraclc1tnd why doe they not think with themfclves1whilrs thde ftones rend,why arc our hearts whole?Ofwhat an over.ruling powrr is the God whom we have forfaktn,thatcao thus teare the Altarsofhis corrivals ~ How !hallwe !land be: fore his vengeance, when thevery !tones break at theword of his Prophet! Perhaps, fome beholderswere thus a!fectcdrbut Ier~~••m, whom it mofi cone<rned,infiead ofbowiog his knees for humiliation, ltretchcth forth his hand for revcnj:e. and cryes, Lay C holdon bi111.Refolutewickedne!fe is impatient ofareproofe,and 10ftead ofyeeldiog to the voice ofGod,rcbdleth:]ull anddifcreet reprehenfion doth notmore refocmc fome !inners, th<o cxafperateothers. Howeafie it is for God to coole the courageofproud Imi,.•~The hand which hisragdhetches out, dryes up, ond cannot bepulled back againe : and now ftands the Kmgoflfraellike fome anncke ftatue, in apofture of impotent tndeavour , fo difab!cd ro the burr ofthe Prophcc,rbat he cannot command that peece ofhimfrlfc; Whatare the great potentates ofthe world,in the powerfull hand of the Almighty~ Tyrants cannot befo harmtfulla! they aremalicious. Theftroogcfi heart may be brought down with a!llitHon1Now the llout llomacb ofler~h••m is fallen to an humble deprecation, lntrw """the ft<tlf the Lmlthy D G1tl, •ndpr•J fot me, thAimJ h•ndm•J hertjl~red mug•ine. It mu[\n<edcsbeea grcatfiraight tharcould drive a proud heart to begge mercy, where he bent his per. fecution:fo dcth ltrDh~Am holding ic RO fcorneto be beholding to an enemy: In ex. tremities,the worft men can bee content ro fue for favour, where they have fpcnt their malice. It well becomes the Prophets of Godto be merciful! : I doe not fee this Setr ro ftand upon termes ofcxprobrarion, andoverly conrrllations with lmhDAM, to fay, Thine intemionstome were crudl; Had thine hand prevailed, I lhould have fued to thee in vaioe: Continue ever a fpdlaclcoftbdcarcfull ju[\ice oftb~ Ma~er, whom rbou haft provoktd by thine Idolatry, whom thou wouldlt have fnutl~n an my perfecution:but he mtekly fues for lmh•Jr!IS rdeafc: and (chat God mighr abundaotly E magnific both his power a~d merry) is heard and anfwered withfu~ce!ft: We doe nowhit fovour ofheaven, 1f we have not learntd todoe good far <VIII. When both winde and Sunoe,the bl•lls ofjudgcmenr, and the beames offavour mrttogetberro work< upon Ier•,,.m, who would notlooke that hte !hould have caft offhis cumbrous, and mif-befeeming cloak<ofhis Idolatry; a~ have faid,Lord thou haft firickcn me in ju!lic~, thou halt healed me mmercy! I wdl provo~e thee no motel This hand which thou hafhelt<md lhaU bre con{ccrated to thee mpul· ling downc rhefe bnldabominatio.ns~Y<t now,bchol.d hegoes oni~ his old courfes, and, as ifGod had nrirher done h1m good nor cvill,hvcs, and dyes1dolarrous : No non'e is more hard or infenfatcrhcn a finfull heart : The chang<S of judgement and mercy doe bur obdwc it,io [\ead of meltings. The
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