Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the…

First, That there is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. That's a Scripture assertion, which receives a mighty confirmation by this point. Prov. 21. 30. This point doth mightily confirm it. Why, what's the Counsel, what's the purpose of the world, when they hang their weights upon the Palm-trees, upon the righteous, ⟨p. 111⟩what's the meaning? You shall understand their meaning: when the first weights that we read of in the Scripture were ever hung upon these Palm-trees, in the place before quoted, Exod. 1. 10. Come on, saith he, Let us deal wisely with them. The Wise man saith in the Proverbs, There is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. Well, saith he here, Let us deal wisely with them. To what purpose? Why, saith he, Lest they multiply. We will keep them down; keep them down, that their persons multiply not; and we will keep them down too, that their Graces multiply not. Truly this is the design of the Counsels of men, in hanging their weights upon the Palm-trees; and so it hath been all along in the sufferings of the Church. What hath been their wisdoms? They thought by their sufferings to keep down those truths which they profest, which it may be they called Heresy: As Paul saith, After the ⟨p. 112⟩way which you call Heresy, so worship▪ I the God of my Fathers. Heresies, they thought to suppress them as Errors and Heresies.

First, That there is no wisdom, nor counsel against the Lord. That's a Scripture assertion, which receives a mighty confirmation by this point. Prov. 21. 30. This point doth mightily confirm it. Why, what's the Counsel, what's the purpose of the world, when they hang their weights upon the Palm-trees, upon the righteous, ⟨p. 111⟩what's the meaning? You shall understand their meaning: when the first weights that we read of in the Scripture were ever hung upon these Palm-trees, in the place before quoted,