Ifa.qo.2,,z8,&c. Opened. C APAI. 4: U. intereft in all the things,whereby their ftate and Glory is fafegarded. My way 35 ( fay they ) is hid from the Lord: The Lord takes no more notice, fets his heart no more upon myway, mywalking, but lets me goe and pafle onas a ftranger tohim: And farther, Myjudgement is paledoverfrommy God: Mine enemies prevaile, perhaps Lufts,and Corruptions are firong, and God doth not appeare inmy behalfe: judgment is not executed on them, andwhat will be the iffueofthis my fadeftate? What the Lord .propofeth andholdeth out unto them for their Eftablifhment in this condition, and to affure their that what they feared fhould not come upon them , he utliers inby an effe&uall expoftulation, v. 27. Haft thounot heard? Haft not thoubeen taught it by the Saints thatwent before thee? Hail thou not knowne? Haft thou not found it true by experience ? What it ishe would have them takenotice of, and which he fo Pathetically infinuates into their underftandingsand affe&i- ors, for their eftablifhment, is an Exurgency ofthat Defcription of him- felfe, which he gives v.28. (z.) From his Eternity, he is the Everlafting God: (a. ) From his Power, he is the Creator o f theends of theEarth: (3.) From vnchangeableneffe, hefainteth not , he waxeth not weary, and therfore there is no reafon, hefhould relinquifhor giveover any defigne that he hath under- taken; efpecially confidering that he layes all his purpofes in that, whereby he defcribes himfelfe in theTaft place, even hisWifdonie, thereis no endofhis 2lnderlanding. He efiablifheth(Ifay) their Faith upon this fourefold defcrip- tionofhimfelfe, orRevelation of thefe foure Attributesof his Nature,as in- gaged foì the effefing ofthat,whichhe incourageth thé toexpe&.Who is it 8 :acob,with whom thou haftto doe,that thou fhouldefi feare or complain that thou art reje&ed ?He isEternall,Ahnighty,Vnchangeable, InfinitelyWife, & ifhe be ingagedin any way of doing thee good; who can turnehim afide,that he fhould not accomplith all his pleafure towards thee? He will work; who fhall let -him? It muff be either want of Wifdome , and fote fight tolay a defigne, or want of Power toexecute it, that expofethany one tovariable_ nefle inany undertaking.. Therefore that they may fee howUnlikely, how impoffìble a thing itis, that their wayes fhouldbe hidfrom theLord, and their judgment patted overfrom their God, he accquaints them, who and what he is, who bath undertaken to thecontrary; but al.affe ! They are poore faint Creatures, they have no might, no .rength to walke with God;VniIable as water, they cannot excell: It is impoffible they fhould hold out in the way wherein they are ingaged, unto the end. Toobviate or remove fuch fears, and mifgivingthoughts,he lets them know,v.2p.That though they have, or may have many decayes (for they often faint they often faite, wherof we have Examplesand Complaints in the scripture, made lively by our owne experience)yet from him they (hall have fupplyes,to preferve them from that which they feare: He is Eternal], Almighty , Unchangeable and infinitely Wife,hewill give out Power,& increafe strength, when they Faint & (in them- felves )have no might at all; TheLord Both not propofe himfelfe under all thefe confiderations, to let them know what heis in himfelfe, only, butalto that hewill expert' and a& futably to thefe Properties, indealing with them, and making out fupplyes unto them , notwithftanding all their mifgiving thoughts, which arife from theconfideration oftheir owne_faintings andto- tall want ofmight; Though in themfelves they are weake and faint, vet their fpringsare inhim, and their fupplyes from him, who is fuchas he hathhere defcribed himfelfe to be. Hereupon ahfo he anticipates an -Obje&ion, by wayofConceffìon, v. 3o. Even theyouthfhallfaint andbe weary, and theyoung men jballutterly faile. Men that feeme to have a greatflock offftrength and Ability, Mayyet faile and perifh utterly: An objeéiion which, as I formerly F 3 obferved,
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