Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37. v1

Chap. g. An,Expofition uponáhe BookofJ OB. Verf. 9. aax the fear ofHell and the avoiding ofmiferyon the Ieft hand, we may fet our delires of enjoying outward comforts here in the world at the foot- llool.Thus wemull martial and rank refpefts to God and our fclves.And thus we may look upon .outward things, as motives andencouragements ; wemull notmake thersi endsand caufes ; we may make them as occaíons,but not as grounds ofour obedience. Lain y,We may look upon them asfruits and confcquents ofho- linefs, yea as encouragements unto holinefs, but not as caufes of our holinefs; or we may eye thefe as media, through which to fèe the bountyand goodnefs ofGod, not as anobjebi, on which to fix and terminate our defires.So much for the clearing ofthe hill part ofSatans anfwer, Doth Job ferve God for naught ? Wherein you fee he calls dirt upon Job's fincereft duties, and howwe may carry our, refpc s in the fervice ofGod to outward blefliings, whether received or promifed. It followeth. Verf. zo. Haft thou not made an hedge about him, andabout his houfe, and about aU¡that he bath on every fide? Zhost haft bleffed the zrorkof his hands, and hisfebftance is increaJedin the Land. HereSatan more fully expounds himfelf, and what he meaneth by fob's not fervingGod for nought. You (hall fee it is not for nought. He calls up the particulars of Gods benefits conferred on Job, and they amount to a great fum. z. He hath an hedge about him, that is fomewhat. 2. He hath bleffed him, that's snore. a,. He doth increafe and multiply, there's the highcft degree of outward happinefs. Here are three degrees of Gods dealing with fob. Thefe Satan reckons up in this verfe,that he may make Jobs goodnefs ofno account, and leave his perfon.in no degree of ac- ceptancewith God. Here is firft Frotatiott in the hedge, Haft thou not made an hedge about him? Secondly, Here is a Bertediüion upon that which was proteéted. It was not a bare keeping of that from fpoylin g, but it was a Nei:. fing ofit. Thirdly, here is alto an increafe or multiplication ; he was not only bleffed, to keep himfelfand all he had in the flare and plight wherein he fiood;but therewas a daily increafe and an augmenta- tion.

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