Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37. v1

156 Vert 14. An Expofition<upon the Sook.of J Q ~ of job : he doth not call in the Sabeans and the Chaldean to this work, becaufe he could not do it . himfelf no, it is becaule'he. would work by others, he wouldhave,initruments) Notre from. hence ; That.Satan lovetb,to. draw others to be partakers with;him:in his. defigns. Though he can do his work alone, yet he will have than joyn with him in it, if he can : And in this he imitates. God himfelf, whobath an almighty power, is able to do all th ing alone if he pie-aie, . yet he ufually calleth in .inftruments:. He is able to convertalone by the motionofhis Spirit,but he will have Preachers to convert by the miniftry ofthe word :. He is. able to protect. hispeople. from. their enemies by his own ftrength, yet he will have Armies muttered todo it by. And why Both God chufe to work thus ? There is a double good in it. He Both it that he may do good two wayes at. once Firft, His Creature is faved and relieved, that's one good. Secondly, Men who are employed asi'nftruments are honoured and .refpeCted; they having given . helpto God in fuch a caufe, (fo he interprets it, a coming forth to help the Lordagainft the mighty) God gives them honour in the eyes of all his fèrvants ; there is another good. So. Satan, while he `fettcth men awork . Sabeans Chaldeans and others- to do mifchief, he Both a double mifchie#at: once ; ;,lie loth mil: chief to Joborothers whom he affliLls,and.he' cloth mi(chief to his infiruments; he makes thefe fin, as he makes-others futfer : If he carry on the work alone,they futfer,but others donot partake. in the guilt ofthe tin; butnow 'when he u.feth inftrumencstoef- feGt his wicked defigns, he .makes one miferable,.and the other wicked.This is one ofSatans-methods,he-will work by rneans,and do his bulinefs by the hands ofmen, that he may at once do a double mifchief: Thirdly, in that thefe Sabeans and Chaldean are obferved in Iiiftories tobe a.people given niuch.to robberies and fpoyl, and there are the men whom Satan picks out -for this <bufinefs. Ob. ferve That Satan fuitethhis temptations to mans natural temper and inclination. Whenfoever.he tempeth, he takes this advantage ifhe can difcover or obtain it. He is wifer.then to let fail againft wind and ..tyde, to row, againft the fream ; therefore ïhe labours- ;all he can to -find which way the ftreampofevery mans affe¿tions run; and to what fins his relations, his -calling, Or his opportu- nities,

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