Chap. I. holds forth tous a glorious opportunity. Surelywe may prefent this day untoyou, as a day to be doing in. Let us therefore be as quick in this our day to do good, as Satan was in that day to do hurt.This is a day wherein great things are a doing, and grievous things area futl'ering by many ofour brethren,theretòre you fhould be working this day, make a day on't. This is a day, in which fons of Bella!, men that will not bear Chritl's yoke, are combi- ning to break it, and tocati his cords from them. Then joyn this á . q. day, tohelp Chriti ; eltè, as Mordecai Paid to Either ; If thoual- together holde¡l thy peace at this time (this was a day.for Either to work in) then.fhall their enlargement and deliveranee arifé to the Jews from another place , but thou and thy fathers houfe£hall, be deftroyed : So I may fayto you in reference, ro the prefent op- portunity, if you .altogether hold your peace, hold your purfes, and hold your hands at this time,at fuch a day as this,enlargement will come to the Church Tome other way,but you may be defiroy- ed, who think tohold and keep your peace either by fáyingor do- ing nothing : if ever you will appear, this is a day to appear into do göod. Let us bewife to manage and improve our day ; that if may never be laid ofus, as our Lord Chrit} did of Jerufalem ; If j e had known, even ye, in this your day, the things which belong untoyour peace,Luk. i 9.42.I t is a £adder thing to have had a fea- fon,and not to know it ; (fc.not to ufe it,) thennot to have had it. Solomon tells us, Ecclef. 8. 6. That, Becaufe to every purpofe there r1 a time andjudgment, therefore the mifery of man is great upon him. Mifery cannot be great to a man, becaufe there is a time for every purpofe, but becaufe men are either fo blind that they cannot fee,or fo 1luggifh that they will not make ufe of the proper time for every purpofe.Thus thePreacher himfelf expounds it, Chap. 9. I2. For man alfo knoweth not hit time:as thefifties that are taken in an evil net, andas the Birds are taken in afhare, fo are thefons ofmenfnaredon an evil time, when it falleth fuddenly upon them. Confider what Solomons experience taught him : Let not your inadvertency ofthefe times, make youa new experiment of that ancient truth, and leave men that would be wife, efpeciallq that pretend to wifdom, tobe numbred among and compared with a filly bird, a filent kith. Then again, Forafmuch asit was the day of their great feats, of their feati with wine,uponwhich this great affliction af¢aulted»ob, Obferve, Vat y3 An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Verf.i3
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