An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of…

And besides,¹ There's a Judgment of God upon mens ⟨p. 397⟩spirits, that if they will set upon their own Counsels, I say, there's ordinarily a Judgment of God upon men to leave them to folly when they rest upon their own Counsels: and it's threatened in Psal. 81. 12. as a great Judgment of God upon men,² to give them up to their Counsels. Saith God, They would not hearken to my Counsel, therefore did I give them up to their own Counsel: Oh! it's a terrible place: I beseech you consider of it; These are times wherein every one is plotting, Oh! tremble at that text; I gave them up unto their OWN COUNSELS: Mens own Counsels bring them to shame, often times they come to nothing; after they have made a great deal of do, and they will do this, and they will go on; at length it comes to nothing, so that they are fain to sit down and there's an end of all their labour and stir, perhaps they have laboured to put on their Counsels by much evil, much sin, much heart burning, and when it comes to all, there it lies, there's an end of it; thus they are ashamed of their counsels.³ Yea, many times the Counsels of men work quite contrary; God doth much glory in this, in making use of mens own Counsels to bring them into snares. What hath brought our Adversaries into snares but their own Counsels? What brought the Prelates down but their own Counsels? So that they would bite their very fingers for what they did in their Protestation. God hath been pleased to deal thus graciously for us, to bring our enemies into snares by their own Counsels:⁴ In Job, 18. 7. 'tis verified of many that their own Counsels have cast them down.⁵ And