Chap.t. din .Expofitim up,n the B7o4,1 J O B. Vert _ 16. know their bodies were not confumcd, for they were carriedout to their burial and their garments were upon them. So tha this confuni ngdoth not note the burning ofthings to ath -s,but a firi- king of them to death; it is a devouring tire, becaufe it is a deítroying fire, it takes away life : and thus lightnings kill ra- ther by piercing and penetrating than by confuming and devou- ring. But now here it will be queflioned for the fu ther opening of this,why Satan choofes thus toconfume the íheep with tire? why doth he not rather ufe ípoyler.s to take them away ? he could doubtlefs have got the Saoeanr to have fetched a,vay the fluci s of (beep, as well as the droves ofgreater cattel, he could have pro- cured themeafily : why then doth he caufe fire from Heaven to come down, the fire ofGod to confume them ? I anfwer,his reafon for this was toput thegreater fling is t:. the afifion:He would not have the íheep takenaway after the fame manner that the Oxen andCaramels were, that he might aggra- vate Job's trouble,and provokehim if hecould to be pallionate a- gainit God, yea, and (forthat was his great defign) to blafpheme God;therefore he procures fire from heaven to fall.upon the Cheep, thereby to beget an opinion in job that God was nowbecome his enemy as well as man. When we fuller fromman,then the afi(ued foul flies to God,makes his complaint and moan to him; as doubt- lefs lobdid when he heard of thofe cruel Sabeanr,and what they had done ; but lcfl Job thould refort in his thoughts to Heaven, and comfort himfelf inGod again,the next meífenger telleth him that God is his enemy too,that the fire ofGod is fallen upon the fheep,anextraordinary fire;as ifhe íhould fay,God fighteth againfi thee as well as theSabeans Alas, now to who íhould Job make his moan ! Tnat fpeechof Eli concerning fin may well be applied to fuffcring If one man fsnagainjt another the Judge(hall Judge him, isam. but if a manfin againJt the Lord,who Jhall intreat for him?So ifa man fuffer from men,he may go unto God ; but if Godhimfelfdo appear to be an enemy,and to fight against us, to whom thall we go? Indeed Job knewhow togo to God,though he did appear as an enemy but that is thegreatest flraight,andto do thusnotes the greateft fpiritual both skill and flrength. Hence obferve, That Satan: great defign againft :be people of God or aiy fer= -Vitnt1of God,ir to provoke :hem to ill thoughts. ofGod, to perfwadc 2 them i63
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