132 Verf. a AnExpofitionupon the Book,of J O B. Chap._ dcfire that Tome evil may befall him. This Satan means when he undertakes that Jobbeing afflicted will curie God.So then,tocure God is to blafpheme God in our thoughts and words, to think or (peak unworthily ofGod, and the wayesof God ; fee, if hecurfl thee not to thy face,that is,feeif his heart be nòtimbittered againfl thee,fee ifhis tongue be not fharpened to wound thy honour, to, reproach thy goodnefs, to accufè thy providence : As it is Paid of thofe, Ifa. S. 2a, They 'hallbe hungry and hard bej?ead; and. what then ? Theyfhalifret themfelves,andcurfe their King,and their God, and look upward ; that is, they thail (peak bafelyof. their King and of their God,in whom they,have trufied,and whom they have followed ; he fpeaks of thofe wretches that did leek to falfe gods, or worfhip the true God falfly, they fhall,curfe their King and their God. It is the very fame, that Satan here promileth him- felfand undertakes with God that Job will do do but make him hungry (faith he) and hard beflead, and he will fret.himfelf, and curte thee, It was very ordinary among the Heathen to do fo : when.their . gods did ,not pleafe them, then they would curfe their gods. The Poets bring them in often raging againfi their gods,as he fpcaks of the mother that found her fon dead ; the calls the gods and the cum Comptexa liars cruel, the flies in the face of Heaven ,preftntly, Who would ftábilenaNmfe ferve ffich'gods as there are,that thus flay my, for, ? Ú c..S,atan Ague deos, ar. terprets Jkb to be a man of the fame temper. quo affra vocar Aquinas takes the word properly , Touch all .that he.hath, and crudeliamarer: he will bleJs thee to thy face : And _iudeavotar-s-to' make out the Virg. Ectog, 5. fence thus , touch all th-at-he bath, and thou/haltfee he bath bl f ayes,' non in 1 rufavi.omens fdthee to thy face , he reads it in the Preterperfeel tenfe, that hominumque is, ifthou arHia him thou Ihall find that all .his, former Religion deumque. was nothing but wear outline formality : that he ferved thee on- Idea, lib. ly from the teeth outward, ferved thee to thy face,he blefTed thee, a ìneid.` pray'd unto thee, and honoured thee only to thy face : He had no regard to thy worfhipin his heart ; he did not worfhip thee ex a- , nimo, becaufe he loved thee,or delighted in thee,but gave thee an outward complemental bleffiing, becaufe thou did(' biefs him outwardly. As the Apofile directs fervants, Epb. 6. 6. Not with eye ferviceas menpleafers.Satanmakes Job an eye-fervant to God, or as if, like thofe of whom Chrift complaineth, Matthew 15, in the words oftheProphet,he had drawn nigh to Godwith-his lips, while his heart wasfar from him. The heart offob hath been far
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