Reas. 3. God doth heighten our difficulties, that he might heighten our deliverances. So much as comes into a trouble to heighten that, so much shall again come into a deliverance to increase that. bThe water ariseth as high as it doth fall low: we say, The lower the ebb, the higher is the tide. God will make the rises of his people proportionable to their castings down. The lower the foundation, the more high and eminent will be the structure; a shallow foundation will serve the turn for an ordinary structure; but he that goes about to raise an eminent structure, lays his foundation low. The same proportion God observes in difficulties before, the same will he observe in deliverances afterward. The darker the morning, the clearer will be the day; the sadder the Week, the more ⟨p. 106⟩joyful the Sabbath. When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, you see how their difficulties were enlarged; but if you read the story, you shall find, what ever came in for an addition to their trouble, came in also as an addition to their deliverance. The power, greatness, rage and malice of the Adversary in pursuing them unto the Red Sea, was a great heightening of their difficulty, and you see it was a great enlargement of their deliverance, by this means they were rid of all their enemies at once. If their straits had not bin so great, their enlargements had not been so glorious. God delights to make the enlargements of his people as visible as their straits have bin. The like you have in the story of the five Kings, 2whose hearts God hardened, says the Text, to come out against Joshua: it must needs be a great heightening of their difficulty, when five potent Kings of Canaan united all their power and forces together against them; but you know, it was as great a heightening of their deliverance, for by that means they had all their enemies slain at once, struck off at one blow.3
Reas. 3. God doth heighten our difficulties, that he might heighten our deliverances. So much as comes into a trouble to heighten that, so much shall again come into a deliverance to increase that. bThe water ariseth as high as it doth fall low: we say, The lower the ebbe, the higher is the tyde. God will make the rises of his people proportionable to their castings downe. The lower the foundation, the more high and eminent will be the structure; a shallow foundation will serve the turne for an ordinary structure; but he that goes about to raise an eminent structure, layes his foundation low. The same proportion God observes in difficulties before, the same will he observe in deliverances afterward. The darker the morning, the cleerer will be the day; the sadder the Week, the more ⟨p. 106⟩joyfull the Sabbath. When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt, you see how their difficulties were inlarged; but if you read the story, you shall find, what ever came in for an addition to their trouble, came in also as an addition to their deliverance. The power, greatnesse, rage and malice of the Adversary in pursuing them unto the Red Sea, was a great heightning of their difficulty, and you see it was a great inlargement of their deliverance, by this meanes they were rid of all their enemies at once. If their straits had not bin so great, their inlargements had not been so glorious. God delights to make the inlargements of his people as visible as their straits have bin. The like you have in the story of the five Kings, 2whose hearts God hardned, sayes the Text, to come out against Joshuah: it must needs be a great heightning of their difficulty, when five potent Kings of Canaan united all their power and forces together against them; but you know, it was as great a heightning of their deliverance, for by that meanes they had all their enemies slaine at once, strook off at one blow.3
- bAqua •in quantum descendit, in tantum ascendit.
- 2Josh. 9.1.2. Josh. 10.3, 4, 5, 6, &c.
- 3[…] 4.11.12, ••.〈…〉 4.11.12, ••.
