26 Chap. r. An Expofition upon the .800kofJ O B. VerCi F n ics, Ifeb, I o. 3 I . It it a f arJul thing tofall into the hands of the living, God. David dcfircth to fall into the hands of God, fcil. into his cornding hand, bccaufe he knew there was mercy, but it is a fearfuf thing to fall into the hands ofGod, when he cometh in wrath to take vengeance of thofe who contemptuoully defpife his mercy, as there it isexpreffed. Now here when Satan faith, Put forth thy hand, that is, hand ofpower : Satan intendeth not that God Mould put forth the hand ofhis power to proteo, nor barely to correct ï He defi- rcth m)ré then barely a correCing or chaflifinghand upon Job,he would have his revenging hand,his breaking,his deftroyinghand, as we [hall fee afterward. Further, 2hy,hand, that is, Gods own hand, as ifhedid delire that God himfelfwould take,fob into his own hand to chaften and punifh him. The hand of God, his correEting or chaftifing hand, fometimes is an immediate,and fometimesa mediate hand.Sometimes it is im- mediate, when God by himfelf loth chaften or punifh or afflif , when no fecond caufè dothappear onintervene. So it may feern Satanheremeans, when he faith, put forth thine hand, that is, do it thine ownfelf, let no other have the handling ofYob, but thy felt. God doth fend fuch immediate affl_Cions ; a man is affliCed in his body, in his eftate,and many other ways, and he cannot find any thing in the creature whence it fhould come; it is an imme- diate ftroak ofGod, he cannot fee how, orwhich way, or at what door this evil came inupon him: therefore it is Called a creating of evil, 7fä. 45. 7.. I make peace, and create evil. Now Creation is out of nothing, there is nothing out of which it is wrought. So many times God bringeth evil upon a people or perfon, when there is no appearance of fecond caufes, nomatter out ofwhich it is made, but it comes as a creature, formed by the only hand of God. Sometimes likewife it is called Gods hand, when it is the hand ofa creature, it is Godshand in a.creatures hand; Gods hand when it is the hand of wicked men; Gods hand when it is Satan$ hand. So that place is tranflated ; PJä1. i7. 14. Deliver mySoul from the wicked.which is thyfword (you fee a wicked man is Gods Sword) andfrommen which are thy hand. So that thy handmay be underftood ofan inftrument ; Satan himfelfis Gods hand to punifh in that fence,as wicked men here are faid to be Gods hand; from the men that are thy hand ; Though there be other readings of
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