3. They readily mistake him, when he moves in their deliverance in some strange and unbeaten path; and so is it here, for Christ came to them walking on the Sea, which was an uncouth way. Think ye but Jonah doubted his delivery, when he was swallowed-up by the whale? It is natural for all men to mistake the God of heaven, for his ways are not like our ways; for men savour of the things of the earth, they take up every thing in a natural way: so that, except they be helped by God, they cannot take up any thing aright that he doth, there is such a natural inclination in them to expound all things wrong. So it is no strange thing that people do not take him up. The truth is, it is a more strange thing that they take him up in any thing right, because of the bensil of their natural spirits. 2. We have a miserable way of shaping God by the creature, and all his ways like the creatures ways: the Disciples think it can not be a man who walks upon the water, it is some phantasma or Devil. He was a wise man, who said Is this the manner of men? Indeed not, David, there is not a man in all the world that would have taken you from the sheep-keeping, and ⟨p. 13⟩made you a King. And if that principle were out of the hearts of the People of God, they might come to much sweetness; no doubt that is the thing that always speaks within them there is no man that would do this with me. Indeed that is true, but yet it is the way of God for all that: and ye must conceive his ways are far above mens ways, as the heavens are above the earth. The Third thing wherein we mistake, is, We are ready to lay down a way for him to come, and if he come not that way, then we mistake him. This was the great part of the mistake in Christ's Disciples at the resurrection, they thought he should have risen so glorious, that all the world should have fallen-down before him presently: And now, say they, he is three days dead, and they had not seen him. Yes they saw him, but they thought they would have seen him another way, and so they mistook him, they look sometimes for him in such a mercy, and he comes in another way than they look for him; they look sometimes for him in a temporal mercy, and he comes in a spiritual mercy, in loosing the bonds of the spirits of his People, they think he will come in such a mean, and he comes in another that is as good. For Use
3. They readily mistake him, when he moves in their deliverance in some strange and unbeaten path; and so is it here, for Christ came to them walking on the Sea, which was an uncouth way. Think ye but Jonah doubted his delivery, when he was swallowed-up by the whale? It is natural for all men to mistake the God of heaven, for his wayes are not like our wayes; for men savour of the things of the earth, they take up every thing in a natural way: so that, except they be helped by God, they cannot take up any thing aright that he doth, there is such a natural inclination in them to expound all things wrong. So it is no strange thing that people do not take him up. The truth is, it is a more strange thing that they take him up in any thing right, because of the bensil of their natural spirits. 2. We have a miserable way of shaping God by the creatur, and all his wayes like the creaturs wayes: the Disciples think it can not be a man who walks upon the water, it is some phantasma or Devil. He was a wise man, who said Is this the manner of men? Indeed not, David, there is not a man in all the world that would have taken you from the sheep-keeping, and ⟨p. 13⟩made you a King. And if that principle were out of the hearts of the People of God, they might come to much sweetness; no doubt that is the thing that alwayes speaks within them there is no man that would do this with me. Indeed that is true, but yet it is the way of God for all that: and ye must conceive his wayes are far above mens wayes, as the heavens are above the earth. The Third thing wherein we mistake, is, We are ready to lay down a way for him to come, and if he come not that way, then we mistake him. This was the great part of the mistake in Christ's Disciples at the resurrection, they thought he should have risen so glorious, that all the world should have fallen-down before him presently: And now, say they, he is three dayes dead, and they had not seen him. Yes they saw him, but they thought they would have seen him another way, and so they mistook him, they look sometimes for him in such a mercy, and he comes in another way than they look for him; they look sometimes for him in a temporal mercy, and he comes in a spiritual mercy, in loosing the bonds of the spirits of his People, they think he will come in such a mean, and he comes in another that is as good. For Use
