My brethren we have found it so by experience,1 as it was here in this people, for it was spoken of their wicked Idolatry, and their carnal policy. And hath it not been so with our Adversaries? some of their actions God hath crushed them presently, and then they have grown up to a blade, and they have seemed to have meal in them, but then the Curse of God hath come upon them: Oh! the uncertainty & the vanity of the comforts of ungodly men! When can they bless themselves in any one project? When it comes up to the blade? No saith God, it shall not come to a stalk: God watches there that it seldom comes so far. Well, but then, will they bless themselves if it hath gotten up to a stalk? No, not then neither, God curses them. But if it bud, now may they not bless themselves? Oh! our projects begin to bud, and they thrive bravely, may they ⟨p. 45⟩not bless themselves now? No, God watches them there, and curses them in the very bud. I but what if it comes to meal, that it's ready now to come to a full issue, and ready even to come to be eaten, now that they come to feed upon their projects, and they think all is sure? No, the curse of God is upon them there, strangers shall devour it. Blessed be that God who hath followed our Adversaries this way, How often have they blest themselves, and when they have had one design, this will do it, Oh how finely it works! and perhaps they get the very advantage that they themselves desire, and think all is well, and then Gods Curse comes upon them. We are my brethren too unbelieving, we are ready to fear if we hear but of any thriving of any plot and project of our Adversaries, if any stalk doth appear, and especially if they begin to bud, Oh! then we think they ripen; & we do not look up to the great God who doth take delight in blasting the projects of the Adversaries; as the Blessing of God is upon the good actions of his people, so the Curse of God is upon the wicked projects of his enemies. God may seem many times to leave many a good action, but God doth carry it through at length, though it seems to have many things that would crush it in the very bud, yet God carries good projects through many difficulties, and God crushes wicked projects through much prosperity.
My brethren we have found it so by experience,1 as it was here in this people, for it was spoken of their wicked Idolatry, and their carnal policy. And hath it not been so with our Adversaries? some of their actions God hath crush'd them presently, and then they have grown up to a blade, and they have seemed to have meal in them, but then the Curse of God hath come upon them: Oh! the uncertainty & the vanity of the comforts of ungodly men! When can they bless themselves in any one project? When it comes up to the blade? No saith God, it shal not come to a stalk: God watches there that it seldom comes so far. Well, but then, will they bless themselves if it hath gotten up to a stalk? No, not then neither, God curses them. But if it bud, now may they not bless themselves? Oh! our projects begin to bud, and they thrive bravely, may they ⟨p. 45⟩not bless themselves now? No, God watches them there, and curses them in the very bud. I but what if it comes to meal, that it's ready now to come to a full issue, and ready even to come to be eaten, now that they come to feed upon their projects, and they think all is sure? No, the curse of God is upon them there, strangers shall devour it. Blessed be that God who hath followed our Adversaries this way, How often have they blest themselves, and when they have had one design, this will do it, Oh how finely it works! and perhaps they get the very advantage that they themselves desire, and think all is well, and then Gods Curse comes upon them. We are my brethren too unbeleeving, we are ready to fear if we hear but of any thriving of any plot and project of our Adversaries, if any stalk doth appear, and especially if they begin to bud, Oh! then we think they ripen; & we do not look up to the great God who doth take delight in blasting the projects of the Adversaries; as the Blessing of God is upon the good actions of his people, so the Curse of God is upon the wicked projects of his enemies. God may seem many times to leave many a good action, but God doth carry it through at length, though it seems to have many things that would crush it in the very bud, yet God carries good projects through many difficulties, and God crushes wicked projects through much prosperity.
- 1England.
