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

We may ask the Lord (in one sense) what he doth? Yea, the Lord doth nothing in the world, but his Saints and servants are enquiring of him about it. He invites them to petition for what they would have, Ask of me things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me, (Isa. 45.11.) Though man cannot order or enjoin the least thing upon God, yet at the entreaty of his people, he is as ready to do, as if he were at their command. And as we are thus invited to ask things to come, so we are not totally denied to ask about things already done. We may ask him in an humble way for information, not in a bold way of contradiction. We may in zeal to his glory, not in discontent with our own condition, expostulate with him about what he hath done. So Joshua (Chap. 7.7, 8.) Alas O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan, &c. but how durst Joshua speak thus? What if God would destroy them, was it not his duty to bear it, and let God alone? Yes doubtless, and such I doubt not was the frame of Joshuas spirit. If Israel only had been to suffer, Joshua had held his peace, at least from such language; but he saw a further matter in it; the glory of God was like to suffer in their sufferings: the close of his prayer betrays this holy disposition of his heart, vers. 9. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name? As if he had said, Lord, the matter were not much, though the ⟨p. 241⟩name of Israel were blotted out from under heaven, so thy Name were written in fairer characters. But I fear a blow to Israel will be a blot to thy name, and therefore I have taken upon me to pray this prayer unto thee, and I have prayed rather for thee, than to thee. All prayers are made to God, and yet some are made for him. Not that he hath any want, or is in any the remotest possibility of any danger, but only for the promoting of his glory, and that the world may not have occasion of a dishonourable thought of him, whose honour never abates in it self, or in the eyes of his own people. Thus we may ask him what he hath done, and why he hath brought such desolations upon his people. But we may not ask him what he hath done, either to question his right to do it, or to question his righteousness in doing of it.

We may ask the Lord (in one sense) what he doth? Yea, the Lord doth nothing in the world, but his Saints and servants are enquiring of him about it. He invites them to petition for what they would have, Ask of me things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me, (