2. The very intention & appointment of God speaks so much: God hath ordained heavenly dispositions for heavenly actings as he hath appointed the plant to be a tree, the seed to be growing corn & bread; the Lord sends a praying disposition on David, as a seed of praying; & a praising disposition that ⟨p. 299⟩he must rise at midnight and praise, Psalm 119. 62. and prevent the dawning and the night-watches to cry and pray, v. 147, 148. And an hoping disposition on Job, that when he is dead bones lying in a bed, he must profess his persuasion to see his living Redeemer stand the last man on the earth, and desires his words were printed in a book, and graven with a pen of iron and lead in the rock for ever, Job 19. 24, 25, 26, 27. And dispositions on Elihu to plead for the Lords Sovereignty, so as if he should hold his tongue, he should give up the ghost, his belly should burst like new wine-bottles, Job 32. 19. And Job must plead for God, and for his own integrity, that he was not an hypocrite, as his friends slanderously said, his disposition pressing him, so as he saith, Job 13. 19. Who is he that will plead with me? for now if I hold my tongue, 1I shall give up the ghost. And the Lord gives such a disposition of zeal for God to Moses, though he was a man of a meek disposition, that he breaks the two Tables of stone containing the written law, when he heard of the peoples worshipping of the golden calf; and such a heavenly self-denying disposition to prophesy on Jacob that in his testament he curses his two sons Simeon and Levi, for their unjust anger against the Sichemites; and there is such an impression of zeal, and a fever against Idolatry on Pauls spirit at Athens, Acts 17. that he must dispute against their false gods. Nor are we to think that holy dispositions are but as sails to the ship, and wings to the bird,2 which add no strength to the ship or bird: for they are such principles as do actively render the soul able for works of grace; and in nothing do we fail more then in not striking on the flint to bring out fire. We improve not heavenly dispositions, as the Prophet complains, Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirs up himself to take hold on thee.
2. The very intention & apointment of God speaks so much: God hath ordained heavenly dispositions for heavenly actings as he hath appointed the plant to be a tree, the seed to be growing corn & bread; the Lord sends a praying disposition on David, as a seed of praying; & a praising disposition that ⟨p. 299⟩he must rise at midnight and praise, Psalm 119. 62. and prevent the dawning and the night-watches to cry and pray, v. 147, 148. And an hoping disposition on Job, that when he is dead bones lying in a bed, he must profess his perswasion to see his living Redeemer stand the last man on the earth, and desires his words were printed in a book, and graven with a pen of iron and lead in the rock for ever, Job 19. 24, 25, 26, 27. And dispositions on Elihu to plead for the Lords Soveraignty, so as if he should hold his tongue, he should give up the ghost, his belly should burst like new wine-bottles, Job 32. 19. And Job must plead for God, and for his own integrity, that he was not an hypocrite, as his friends slanderously said, his disposition pressing him, so as he saith, Job 13. 19. Who is he that will plead with me? for now if I hold my tongue, 1I shall give up the ghost. And the Lord gives such a disposition of zeal for God to Moses, though he was a man of a meek disposition, that he breaks the two Tables of stone containing the written law, when he heard of the peoples worshipping of the golden calfe; and such a heavenly self-denying disposition to prophecie on Jacob that in his testament he curses his two sons Simeon and Levi, for their unjust anger against the Sichemites; and there is such an impression of zeal, and a feaver against Idolatry on Pauls spirit at Athens, Acts 17. that he must dispute against their false gods. Nor are we to think that holy dispositions are but as sailes to the ship, and wings to the bird,2 which adde no strength to the ship or bird: for they are such principles as doe actively render the soul able for works of grace; and in nothing doe we fail more then in not striking on the flint to bring out fire. We improve not heavenly dispositions, as the Prophet complaines,
- 1Zeal bringeth forth holy actings.
- 2Heavenly dispositions are real helps to holy actings.
