Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances and appointments the best means to preserve…

2.¹ The Lord is various in working, as he is wonderful and hath divers ways or means of bondage, he hath more prisons and chains than one.

2.¹ The Lord is various in working, as he is wonderfull and hath divers wayes or means of bondage, he hath more prisons and chaines than one.

1. 1Answ. 2.

First, sometimes the Lord opens the door of a Kingdom or State, for the inroad of some foreign, or it may be barbarous Enemy, breaking in sometime by power, coming in sometime by craft, and then ruling like Lions, which the Lord makes to vex and prick the people of God; thus here their lives were spared, but liberties lost. Thus Judg. 2. 13, 14. They forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And in vers. 14. The anger of the Lord waxed hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them. Ver. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil. And this the Lord doth many •imes suddenly, that one would never think that ever the Lord should be so sudden; the Lord can be as quick to punish, as man to sin, and that unexpectedly. Eccl, 9. 12. Man knows […] his time but are taken like fish in an evil net suddenly, Lam. 4. 12. The kingdoms of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed, Judg. 5. 8. They set up new gods, and war was in the gate.

First, sometimes the Lord opens the door of a Kingdom or State, for the inrode of some forraign, or it may be barbarous Enemy, breaking in sometime by power, comming in sometime by craft, and then ruling like Lions, which the Lord makes to vex and prick the people of God; thus here their lives were spared, but liberties lost. Thus