Secondly, We should be hence raised up in our hearts, to magnify the power, wisdom and goodness of God, who doth thus over-rule these things for his people: for certainly this doth declare the wonderful work of God. In Isa. 28. where he hath a ⟨p. 116⟩notable Allegory, and speaks of the troubles and sufferings of the faithful people of God: For all that that is spoken of the Ploughman, and of the Thresher, and of the bruising of the Corn with threshing Instruments, they do respect affliction and troubles which come upon the people of God, (as is clear.) But now, saith he, in the close of that Chapter, This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. We may wonder at the counsel and wisdom of God, who doth his people good by threshing them, and bringing the wheel over them. Here are several sorts of afflictions and sufferings, some lesser, and some greater. Now all this is but to separate the good seed from the chaff, and to make it more fit for use: for while the Corn is in the ear, it is not fit for use, and we cannot make bread of it until it be threshed. Now the Lord hath several ways to do it. But saith he, ⟨p. 117⟩This cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Truly we may say, How wonderful is the counsel of the Lord! How excellent is his working, that he makes the Righteous to flourish like the Palm-tree; to grow upwards, by that which one would think should bring them down! As when we fee the Corn laid at, and threshed with a Flail, one would think there were great hurt intended to the Corn; but it is only to separate it from the chaff, that it may appear in its own beauty and usefulness. So the Lord hath a flail of tribulation, to separate the Chaff from the Wheat. Those acts of Providence towards Gods people, which seem to be for their hurt and undoing, when they are threshed as it were by the world, it is only to make them appear what they are. That which we find in Psal. 69. 22. concerning the wicked, by that we may observe the wonderful ⟨p. 118⟩difference, and dealings of God with the wicked, who flourish as the Grass, and the righteous. David speaks there of such, and saith he, Let their table become a snare, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap: that is, the Lord doth curse their Comforts.
Secondly, We should be hence raised up in our hearts, to magnifie the power, wisdom and goodness of God, who doth thus over-rule these things for his people: for certainly this doth declare the wonderful work of God. In Isa. 28. where he hath a ⟨p. 116⟩notable Allegory, and speaks of the troubles and sufferings of the faithful people of God: For all that that is spoken of the Plowman, and of the Thresher, and of the bruising of the Corn with threshing Instruments, they do respect affliction and troubles which come upon the people of God, (as is clear.) But now, saith he, in the close of that Chapter, This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. We may wonder at the counsel and wisdom of God, who doth his people good by threshing them, and bringing the wheel over them. Here are several sorts of afflictions and sufferings, some lesser, and some greater. Now all this is but to separate the good seed from the chaff, and to make it more fit for use: for while the Corn is in the ear, it is not fit for use, and we cannot make bread of it untill it be thresht. Now the Lord hath several wayes to do it. But saith he, ⟨p. 117⟩This cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Truly we may say, How wonderful is the counsel of the Lord! How excellent is his working, that he makes the Righteous to flourish like the Palm-tree; to grow upwards, by that which one would think should bring them down! As when we fee the Corn laid at, and thresht with a Flail, one would think there were great hurt intended to the Corn; but it is only to separate it from the chaff, that it may appear in its own beauty and usefulness. So the Lord hath a flail of tribulation, to separate the Chaff from the Wheat. Those acts of Providence towards Gods people, which seem to be for their hurt and undoing, when they are thresht as it were by the world, it is only to make them appear what they are. That which we find in Psal. 69. 22. concerning the wicked, by that we may observe the wonderful ⟨p. 118⟩difference, and dealings of God with the wicked, who flourish as the Grass, and the righteous. David speaks there of such, and saith he, Let their table become a snare, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap: that is, the Lord doth curse their Comforts.
