472 The NATURE and POWER [2.] God dolt it not to leave them to wreftle with fin, and to attempt other ways of its accomplishment upon the failure of that which they were engaged in, but by their diappointment awakens them to confider their condition, and what they are doing, and fo confumes fin in the womb by the ways that fliall afterwards be infifted on. Some men's deprivation of power for the committingof conceived contrived fin, bath been fanclified to the changing of their hearts from all dalliances with that or other tins. (3.) God providentially hinders the bringing forth of conceiveN,Ia, by oppofing an external hindring power unto linnets. He leaves them their lives, and leaves them power to do what they intend, only he rai- feth up an oppoSte power to coerce, forbid, and refrain them. An in- fiance hereof we have, t Sam. xiv. 45. Saul had fworn that Jonathan thould be put to death, and as far as appears went on refolutely to have fain him; God ftirs up the fpirit ofthe people,they oppofe themfelves to the wrath and fury of Saul, and Jonathan is delivered. Soalfo a Chron. xxvi. s 7, t8, 19. When king Uziah would have in his own perfon offered incenfe contrary to the law, eighty men of the priefts refitted him, and drove him out of the temple. And to tisis head are to be referred all the afìftances which God flirtedup for deliverance of his peopleagainft the fury of per- fecutors. He raifeth up faviours or deliverers on mount Sion, to judge the mount of Edam, fo Rev. xii. 16. The Dragon, and thofe ailing under him, fpirited by him, were in a furious endeavour for the deftru&ion of the church; God ftirs up the earth to her affiance, even men of the world, not engaged with others in the defign of fatan, and by their oppofition hinders them from the execution of their defigned rage. Of this nature, feems to be that dealing of God with his own People, Hof. ii. 6, 7. They were in the purfuit of their iniquities, following after their lovers; God leaves them for a while to all in the follyof their fpirits, but he fets a hedge, and a wall before them that they flail not be able to fulfill their deflgns and infs. (4.) God obviates the accompliflunent of conceived fin, by removing, or taking away the objeds on whom, or about whom, the lin conceived was to be committed, Ads xii. rt. yields us, a'fgnal inftance of this iffue of providence: when the day was coining wherein Herod thought to have Hain Peter, who was flint up in prifon, God fends and takes him away from their rage and lyingn wait. So alfo was our Saviour hiinfelf taken away from the murderous rage of the Jews before his hour was come, John viii. 59. chap. X. 39. Both primitive and latter times are full of fortes to this purpofe: prifon doors have been opened, and poor creatures appointed to dye have been frequently refcued from the jaws of death. In the world itfelf arnong4 the men thereof, adulterers, and adultereffes, the fin of the one is often hindred andRifled by the takingawayof the other. So wings were given to the woman to carry her into the wildernefs and to difap- point the world in the execution of their rage, Rev. xii. 14. (5.) God dons tisis by fomeeminent diverftons of the thoughts of men who had conceived fn; Gen. xxxvü. 24. The brethren of Jofeph caft him into a pit, with anintent to famifhhim there; whilft they were, as it feems, pleafing themfelves with what they had done, God orders a company of merchants to come by, and diverts their thoughts with that new object from the killing, to the felling, of their brother, verf. 26, 27. And how far therein they were fubfervient to the infinitely wife council of God, we know. Titus alfo when Saul was in the purfuit of David, and was even ready to prevail againft him to his deftrudion, God flies up the Philiflines to invade the land, which both diverted his thoughts, and drew the courfe of his adings another way, h Sam. xxvii. 27. And
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