The Lord is merd{Hll to the _~umble. 12 5 not beefaved and f~t, he hath r-efPeC! to the low ejl~tte of hiJ hAndmttiden, fo faith Mary the bleffed Virgin:~ Luke I .48. Sohee_ deal~witll Naomi,hee was long· , inhu!ij,bJing'bcr, aba then raifedher up/o with lob, Wh.en hee was humbled, then God doubled his efiate ~ thus God deale~ with the .humhle and that conftailtly, hee never does any great things for :my man, _till hee hath firft humbled him; howmuch ~- .. was Iofiph humbled, ere heemade that promife to - hinll that the: Sunn~, Moone,andSrarres{hould bow to him, that is, bis father, and mother·and bFe- .'(hren, fhouldobeyhim, and yet againebefore Go~ made gpod thef~ promifes tohii11, what adoe there · was tohumble him funher-~ whichdoubtldfemade him.more.to prjzethefe mercies,apd fomore thank full to God forthem• So alfo in his glorious ap– pearan'e to v!hrAhllm; Ifo4c, and lacob, hee \vould frill before hand hm~1ble them, ·and make them low by fome affiietion ·or other Jlill before .hee wouldmakeanygracious promifesto rhrm. ·When l~tcob was flying from the face of his brother and , was in great fi:reigkts and fo made low in his owne , -, eyes, then did G0d firfi appeare to him: when a man is humbled , it is th.enext doore to preferment one way or other. Therefore it ilioddbeour wile~ dome to hurnbie-----ou_r felves more and more, fince there is fo much bene11t tobee gottenby it. Prov. 22~4. Byhumility and the[tareofthe Lordare r.ichu, , . ~tnd honours, 4nd.life :the rule,holds conftanr, the Lord makes it good; let a-man be humble, and . feare God. too, that is, allow himfelfe in no finnc, · ~nd. t~e Lord will make it good one wayor other, · mh1s tar.e. . Bur
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