y It is the real Acknowledgment of God's Providence, and the Dependance of ail our Afffairs upon him, which 1s here required ; and this is to be done, cither exprefly with the Mouth in ſuch like Forms of Speech as this is, ſo tar as 1s needful for our glorifying God, and diſtinguiſhing our ſelves from thoſe that are prophane, as hath been cuſtomary with the Saints in Scripture, Ads 18.21. Rom. I. 19. and cther Places, but always inwardly, and in the Heart. 2 7.e, With his providential, or direQive Will, which as yet we do not know, and therctore we ſay, If the Lord will : For all our C:unicls and Determinations muſt be regulated by his preceptive, or diretiive Will, which we do know ; and therefore with reſpe&t to that Will, we are not to ſay, We will do this, or that, if God will, 7.c. commands it, but we muſt firſt ſee that it be commanded, and then retolve to do it, if God will, that is, if in his Providence te ſha permit us. a Some read the words, if the Lord will, and we ſral! le, we will & this, or that; and then the latter Copula-
* Mat. 7.1. Luke 5.37. R 0m.2.1. t CUI 3.5
+ Prov.27. 3.Luke 12. 18%,
* Job 7. 7. See ch. 1. IO
T 1 Coreg.
19,
FUMES.
permit us to live, and yet not permit us to do this or that. Bus ;c we take the words according to our reading, if the Lord will _ ſhall live, and ds this, or that ; the meaning is, That both our Life and Attions depend upon the Will of God, not the one, nor the other, is in our Power. And ſo here is a double Check to the vain Boaſts of thoſe that were ſo peremptory in their Reſolutions, wit). out conſidering the frailty of their own Lives, or the Dependance of their Ations upon God's Will, when both the one, and the other are at his diſpoſe, ;
16 But now ye rejoice þ in your hoaſtings- : {ſuch rejoicing is evil d.
b Or, Glory, Ye pleaſe your ſelves with them. c Vj-, 0: vour carnal Proje&ts, and Hopes of what you intend to do, and cp<& to get, 9. d. you vainly boaſt of your Defigns and Succefles, without taking notice of God's Providence, under the Government of whic! you and your Affeairs all are. d Both as being contrary to the Word: which afſures us ſo often, that it is vain to promiſe our ſelves long Lite or Proſperity in our worldly Bufineſs, without God's leave and bleſſing, P/al. 127. 1. Prov. 16. 9, 33. and likewiſe as proceed- ing from Pride and Security. |
and doth it not, to him it is fin f.
you know what you are to do ; and therefore it you do it not, jt will be your fin : Or, it may refer t# what he was immediatcly ye- fore diſcourſing of, and may be ſpoken'to prevent an Objection. They might ſay, he taught them no more than what they knew al- ready, and that they acknowledged God's Providence in all thinzs, To this he replies, That it they knew their Duty, they ou: hit t9 pradtiſe it, and ſo aftually ſubmit themſelves, and their Atfairs to the Condutt of that Providence ; aud their not doing it, now that they knew it, would the rather be their fin. f 2. e. Sin indeed, 0: (as we ſay) Sin with a Witneſs, a greater Sin, and which hath more of the nature of fin in it, or is more highly aggravated by be- ing againſt Knowledge, and fo is puniſhable with the feverer Ven: geance than if done out of Ignorance, Luke 12. 47, See the lik: expreſſion, Fohn 9. 41. and 15. 22, 24.
CHAT. V-
Dreadful Judgments will come on thoſe Rich who ave unjuſt, volupts- ous, oppreſſive, I=——6, The Oppreſſed are admimniſhed to Patience by the coming of Chriſt, and the Examples of an Husbandman, Prophets, and eſpecially of Job, 59-—12. Againſt Swearing :
Prayer in Faith, and Duty of Confeſſimm ; and of reducing thoſe wh! are gone aſtray, 13—20,
your miſcries that ſhall come upon you /.
only wallowing in Wealth, but abuſing it to Pride, Luxury, Op- prefſion and Cruelty, Againſt theſe, either as looking on them as incurable, or upon ſuppoſition of their Impenitency, he denoun- ceth God's Judgments; and that whether they were unconvertc1 Jews vexing the believing Fews; or Gentiles, oppreſſinz the Chri- ſtian Fews ; or Chriſtians 1n Profeſſion and Name, who yet were ſo vile in their PraRice, as to condemn, ard kill the Fuft ; and that they might more ſpeciouſly do it, to draw them before the Judgment-Seats, @&c. 17 To denot? the extremity of the Calam!- ties coming upon them, in which they ſhould not only weep like Men, but how! like wild Beaſts. See Fer. 4. 8. Mic, 1. 8. 7! I. 10, 13. k Or, are coming upon you ; to fignifie the certainty and nearneſs of them. The Miſeries he means, may be both temporz! and eternal.
7 are moth-caten.
| Either by Riches, he means the general, and by Garments, Gold and Silver, the Particulars in which their Riches confiſted ; and then being corrupted, is to be taken generally, as comprehend- ing the ſeveral ways whereby the ſeveral kinds of their Riches were ſpoiled : Or elſe, by Riches he underſtands ſuch things as were liable to Corruption or Putreta&ion, as Corn, Wine, Oyl, which were 2 great part of their Riches. m Coſtly Garments, in which Rich Men are wont to pride themſelves ; and under them may be com- prehended all ſuch Cloaths as may be eaten by Worms, or Moths.
3 7 Your gold and filver is cankred, and the ruit of them ſhall be a witneſs againſt you o,and ſhall eat your fleſh pas it were fire 9: Ye have heaped trealure together for the laſt days 7. |