Book II. T H E A R M 0 F G 0 D. MET A PH 0 R. I. THE Arm of a Man is an Arm of Flefh, and con– fequently may decay, grow weak, or be withered. D IS PAR IT Y. I. THE Arm of God is a fpiritual Arm, and cannot decay; all the Attributes of God abide, and change not. II. The Arm of Man is fhort, II. God's Arm is not fhort; he can help and and cannot hdp at a Diftance; fave afar off, as well a~. near; and ten Thoufands fuch as is a Man, fuch is his Arm at once, though they live in fo manyNations : and Power. ' 'fbe Lord's Arm is not jbortencd, that be cannot fave, Ifa. lv. 1. Ill. The Arm of Man is weak, Ill. God's Arm is very ftrong, too ftrong for and may be broken down by a the Mighty of the Earth; what is the Arm of greater Force ; cannot engage ot Man to the Arm of God ? Abs! what can they encounter with the Powers of Hell. do? He is able with his little Finger to crufh and break them to P ieces ; nay, he is able to defttoy all the Powers of Hell and Devils in a Moment, Pfal. lxxxix. IO, I3· Job xl. 9· IV. The Arm of a Man may IV. God's Arm cannot be broke, nor cut off. be broke, or cut off, and fo become ufelefs. V. The Arm of Man helps but for a Time; he lives not always, and fo cannot help always. V. The Arms of God can help at all Times, and in every Condition; hence called the ever!aft– ing Arms, Deut. xxxiii. 27. A P P L I C A T I 0 N. 1. JF God hath fuch a ftrong Arm, let Sinners take heed how they provoke him againft them ; it is a dreadful Thing (you may petceive from hence) to fall into the Hands of the living God. Do ye provoke the Lord to Anger? Areye ftronger than he, I Cor. x. 22. 2. If God hath fuch a ftrong Arm, wo to the Enemies of the Church? This may make Baby/on tremble : Her Plagues jball come upo11 her in one Day, Death, and Mourn– ing, and Famine, and foe /hall be utterly burnt with Fire; for jlrong is the Lord that judgeth her, Rev. xviii. 3· If the Church of God hath fuch Arms as you have heard, doubtlefs her Enemi~ !hall never prevail againft her; it !hews forth the Security and Safety of God's People; God is able to fave and deliver his Church when he pleafes. 4· Why fhould Saints be afraid of Man, and tremble at the Arm of Flefh, who have an Arm of God to help them? Job xl. 9· Have Men an Arm like him? Alas! their Power is weak and vain. 'fhere is no King faved by the Multitude of an Haft ; a mighty Man is not delivered by much Strength. . As it is a great Sin to truft in an Arm of Flefh, Curfed is the Man that truftet.h in Man: So it is a great Evil and Folly to fear what they can do. What hurt can the Arm of Man do llS? They cari only kill the Body, that is the moft; and fo far they are not able to go neither, unlefs God gives them Commiffion. 5· How foon can God, if he hath fuch an Arm, break the Arm ofthe Mighty; God can deal with the ftrongeft Arm of Flefh. Son of Man, faith the Lord, I have broken the Arm of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and lo, it jballnot be bound up to be healed, to put a Roller to bind it, to make ftrong to hold a Sword, Ezek. xxx. 2 I. When God breaks the Arm of an haughty King, it is beyond the Skill of his Surgeons to fet the Bones, and make it whole again. 'fbe Horn of Moab is cut off, and his Arm is broke, Jer: xlviii. 25. A favage Beaft (faith one) cannot hurt us, when the Horn is broke; no more can a cruel Tyrant, when his Atm of Power is burft afunder• .6. If this be fo, let us engage the Arm of God for us: If we can but get the Al– rmghty to be on our Side, we will not fear what Hell or Romecan do unto us. Let us humble ourfelves before him, aod depart from Iniquity; let us truft in _God alone, and offend him (as we have done) no more. 7. I~ God bath fuch a mighty Arm, then let us all labor to truft in him. We can– not (faith a godly Minifter *) truft Creatures too little (as to Succefs) nor can we trufr God too much; let us truft in God alont>, aud in no other Strength but his. • Caryl. B. This
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