[ontempl11tionr. L1s.VIIJ. fordan di'llidtd, • He two Spies returned with newtos ofthe vittory that lhould b~: I doe not he~re themfay, The Land is unpeopled, orthe people are unfurnifhed with armes;unskilfull in the difcipline ofwarre; but(The 1 f4inr ~<- A ZI C411fo oft~r; therefore thtlr LAndu ourr.) E1ther fucce!fe or di(comfiture begins ever at theheart. A_mans inward difpofit!on doth more then _prefage the event. Asaman ra1fes up h1s own heart before his fall, anddeprelfes lt before his ~lory; fo Go_d r~ifes it up ~,fore his :xaltation,and cafrs it dqw~ before_his ruine.It IS no otherw1fe m ourfptntuall conA1.Ss; IfSatan fee us once f.11nt,he g1ves himfelf the day. _There is noway to fafety, but that our heartS be the bfr that lhall yeeld. B That which theHeathens artnbuted to Fortune,wemay jufrl y to the hand ofGodthat he fpeederh thofe that are forward. All the groundthat we lofe,is given toou; adverfanes. This newes is brought but over-night; lofou•ison his wayby morning,and pre. vetits the Sun for hafr.Delaies,whether in the bufine!feofGod or our own,arehatefulland prejudiciaii.Many a onel<ifes the Land of Promife by lingring; if we neo. !eel Gods time,it is jufr with him tocroffe us in ours. b Iofou• hafrens tiU he have brought Ifrael to the verge ofthe promifed Land:Nothing parts them now butthe river of}ordan.'there he frai<s a rime; that the Ifraelites might feed themfelves a while with the fight oftlm,which they fhould afterwards enjoy. That whichthey had bin forty yeares in fe.king, may not be feized c upon too fuddenly: God loves to giveus cooles andheats in ourdefires;andwill fo allay our joyes, that thc;ir fruition hurt us not. fie knowes, thlt as it is in =ats, the long forbearancewhereofcaufes a furfet,when we come to full feed: fait fares in the conrenrments oftheminde; therefore he feeds us not withthedilh,bur with the fpoone; andwill have us·neither cloyed nor famifhed. Ifthe mercy of God have brought us within fight ofheaven, let us be content to paYfe a wbile, and upon the banks of]ordan,fit our felves for our entrance. ~ · Nowrhat Ifrael is broughttothebrimofCanaan,thecloud is ~anilhed which led them all theway: and as foon as they have butcrolfed Jordan, the Manna ceafeth, which nourifht themall theway. The cloudand Manna werdor their paffage, nor for rhcir re!l:; for the wildeme!fe,norfor C:maan.It were as eJfiefor God to work D miracles alwaies; but he knows,that cufrome were thewa'y to make them nomiracles. He goesby-waiesbut rill hehave brought us into the Road,Jnd then he refers us to his ordioary/.roceedings. That Ifraelire lhould have bin very fooliib, rhar would !l:ill have !ai ,Iwill not !l:irre rill I feerhecloud,I will noteateunleffe I may havethat foodofAngels.Whereforeferves the Ark bur for theirdire.Sion ~wherefore ferves theWheat ofCanaan bur for bread~ So,fond is that Chrifrian,thltwill frill depend upon expeCtation ofmiracles, after the fulneffe ofGods Kingddme. If Godbeare us in his armes when wear~ chi)dr~n, yet whep we are well grown he Ioo'kswefhoul<lgoe on our own feet~ 1t is enough that he >lpholds us, though be catty us nor. · . ,. , Itethat hitherto hadgone before thelJl in'.the cloud,dothoowgoe befon! them in li the Ark; the fameJ;Uide,_in two tilvers fignes'i>fhis prefenc~. Th,e do!'d ,was'for M•- Jir, the Ark for Jojbua's nme: the cloud was fir for Mojis;tbe Law offered us Chr1fr, but enwrapped inmmy obfcurirks.Ifhe were feen in the eloud;he was llbrd from the cover ofthe Ark. Why W3S it theArkofrhe'fefrimony,:bur becaufe it-wimoffed both his prefelice and love~ And within it,were his Word,the Law;and•brs Sal cramen~,the Manna.Who can wdh a bett<r Guide, then the God ofHeav~, 10 h1s Word,and Sacraments~ Who can know theway into the Land ofPromife,fowell as he that owes it? And what meane> can better direct us thirher,then thofe ofh1s Infiiturion ~ That Ark whichbeforew3s as the heart ,is nowas the head;Itwas in the middefr tlflfrael,whiles they camped in the Defart;now when the cloud is removed, it is in . . . . . . ' th~
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