IX. EXPOSTULATION.
MY God, my God, allow me a just indignation, a N holy detestation of the insolency of that man who, because he was of that high rank, of whom thou hast said, They are gods, thought himself more than equal to thee; that king of Araoron, Alphonsus, so perfect in the motions of the heavenly bodies as that he adventured to say, that if he had been of counsel with thee, in the making of the heavens, the heavens should have been disposed in a better order than they are. The king Amaziah would not endure thy prophet to reprchend him, but asked him in anger, At thou made of the king's counsel[1]? When thy prophet Esaias asks that question, Who hath divected the spirit of the Lovd, or being his counsellor, hath tavght him[2]? it is after he had settled and determined that office upon thy Son, and him only, when he joins with those great titles, the mighty God, and the Prince of peace, this also, the Counsellor[3]; and after he had settled upon him the spirit of might and of counsel[4]. So that then thou, O God, though thou have no counsel from man, yet dost nothing upon man without counsel. In the making of man there was a consultation; ZLet ws make man[5]. In the preserving of man, O thow great Preserver of men[6], thou proceedest by counsel; for all thy external works are the works of the whole Trinity, and their hand is to every action. How much more must I apprehend, that all you blessed and glorious persons of the Trinity are in consultation now, what you will do with this infirm body, with this leprous soul, that attends guiltily, but yet comfortably, your determination upon it. I offer not to counsel them who meet in consulta-
