The child's portion, or, The unseen glory of the children of God asserted and…

USE, I. For information in a few conclusions that follow from hence.

1. This shows us what great fools the Worlds wise-men and great politicians are; and what objects they be of laughter and scorn: They take ⟨p. 218⟩themselves indeed for the only wise men, and all others are in their account but a company of silly things; but can there be supposed a greater piece of rank folly in men, than to undertake, and engage in an enterprise, which not only they shall never accomplish, but contrarily will of certainty be their ruin? They are laying their heads together, and taking counsel as one against that God that will be above them in despite of all their endeavours: They are gnawing at a bone that will certainly break out all their teeth; they are lifting at a stone that will undoubtedly fall upon them and crush them to pieces, Zech. 12. 3. I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all People; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the People of the earth be gathered together against it. If men would study the readiest, and nearest way to their own destruction, they can never find out one more certain and dreadful, than to set their wits, and engage their time and power against God in his Church and People. How ridiculous then must they needs be? Well may God be brought in as laughing at, and deriding of them, Psal. 2. 4. How can God look upon them any otherwise than in an holy scorn, to see a company of Pygmies come armed with pride and confidence, presuming to obtain a victory over the great God? To see a few light Atoms of dust, promising themselves to turn the scale of ⟨p. 219⟩Divine Providence with their ludibrious weight? Oh! with what sedateness doth God sit, and with how much holy contempt doth he behold an Army of Pismires and Moles, trying to undermine the brazen walls of his providence, and blow up that rock on which his Church is built? and with how much satisfaction and pleasure doth he sit, and see them digging their own graves, and shooting up of those Arrows against Heaven, which in the fall shall light upon their own heads, and become their ruin?