··14pon the Epijfte of JAM 1 s. P/41. 30. r5 . My times art i1J th7 ha;zd. SoProv . 27. I. Boaft not thy-/elf of to morrow, for thou /z_noweft not what a d-ry may bringf~rth. To day we are, and to morrow not: 'Ne cannot tdl what may be in the womb of the next morning : So for our Acti– ons; Their U>ork..s ttre in the hand of God, Ecdef. 9· r. the per– formance of them, and the fuccefs of them ; we need counfel and a6/ejfiNg: The Prophet fpeaksof it, as of a known cafe, {ercm. 10. ·2.3· 0 Lord, I k!Jow that theWay of mtf11 is noti12 himfe_lj': 'tu not in the fons of men to direCl their jleps. But when do men pro– mife themfe ves great nutters without tbe leave of Providence ? I anfwer, Many ways; The principal are thefe: 1. When they un– dertake things wichout prayer; you may fpeak of fuccefs when you have asked Gods leave: Job 2.2., 28 Acqkaint thy '(e!f 'with God, then thou jh.-dt decree a thing, and it foal/ be ·eflablifhcd. 2. When they are too confident of future contingencies and events~ without any fubmiffion and refervation of the Will of God, and boafr upon meer humane likelyhoods: See Ex'od. 15 .u. and Judl· 5· 28, 29, 30. Sot King. 20. IO, I i. The Gods do {o to me, and -m(jre 11fj'o, if thc •duft of Sam~triafujfice fr;r handfuls: for all the people ;r,nd the King of i{rael fail, Let not him that girdcth on hu harnefs boaff .u he that putteth it off. He would plunder Samari~ fo bare,that he would not leave any dufr there, but God difappoint– ed him. 3. When mens tndeavors are fet up in Gods !lead ; we think all dependeth upon the courfe bffublunary caures, and fo neg- . lea God. 4· When men promife thcmfelves a time to repent here- r Audt:s ple– a~'cer : r Many chink within themfelves l Will follow mv pleafure rofq; . the~us, . , . ' . .. : . . . . a q!tmquapfiand proft.ts, a~d thenJPend mJ old age ~n adevaut and rdm4prs- rl}() i;u 1 tfTJm fe· vaq: F1rfi bUild, and trade, and buOe m thi world, and adJourn cedam, fc.r:age– God to the aches and dull Hegm of their age. Foolifh man decreeth flmt!!_ mmu ab aU future events, as rf all were in his own hands. Well then, In all o!f!ctts me dt– cafes remember <?od ! 'tis u!eful ~or Princes and men employed in ;:~: :t a;;;em Counfds for publtque welfare ; how ofren do they prov~ unhappy, tu 11 g;oris vit.e . beeau re they do not feek God l We 0.1ould ask counfel of theOracle pr,erlem acci– before we take it from one another: rThe Heathens faw a need eo pu ? qui5 ifla · begin with God. So for Souldiers; how Ioon is aBattel turned! _fcuti .df~.a~is · ·r· f r. ·n .r:. . 11 t. . 1 · .repaua,tt, . · .1s nor or you to 1ay, I 'Wt1' purJue, I 'W1 overta\,f,&C. So omon Seneca de ' btt • faith, Th·e Battel is not alwap to the ftrong, Ecclef. 9• So for v:tatc vit;e. Trader~; you mufi not fay, I will fend out a Ship, and get G?-in : f.A. Juvep1in~, . howoftenare ·c~n~l prefump,tions chfcked.} So tor ,Chriftians; do cipwn , . cverJ. ,
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