Chap. r. An Expofttion upon the Bookof J O B. Verf.21. 205 hearts are yet ready to fay, that they have gotten this wealth, they have gotten this honour. It is a fweet thing when a man looks upward for there lower things, and can fay on good grounds that his earth lath dropt down to him from Heaven, The Lord bath given. Further, when Job faith, The Lord loath given, it is an argu- ment of his own ju(tice and equity in getting : Job did not enrich himfelfby wrong, by grinding thefaces of the poor: If he had done fo, he could not have laid, The Lord bath given. So much as weget honefily, we may lookupon asafruit of Gods boun- ty. Look into your eltates, and whatfoever you have got by wrong dealing, take heed of faying, this is of Gods giving, for fo you make God himfelfa partner in your fins. God fometimes gives when we ufe no means, but he never gives when we ufe unlawful means. What God laid concerning the fettiug up of thole Kings, Hof. 8. 4. They have fet up Kings, but not by me, he faith ofall, who enrich themfelves by wrong, they have gotten riches,but not by me.When men leave the rule of ju tice, God leaves them. And though unlawful acts arc under the eye of Gods provi- dence, yet they are not under the influence of his blefling. Wicked men thriveoften, but they are never bleffed Their profperity ás their curfe. Thirdly,it is obfervable,that when fobwould fupport 'himfell in the lofs of his eftate, he calls to mind how he came by his eftate; and finding it all given in by the blefling of God. upon his honeft labours and endeavours,he isfatisfied. Note, That what weget honefily, that we canpart with contentedly. He that hathgot his eliatc by injuflice, can never leave it with pati- ence. Honefiy in getting caufeth quietnefs of fpirit in loan outward things. Keepagood confcience in getting the World, and youDull have peace when you cannot keep the world. Where- as awrong-doer and a wrongdealer,is in filch a day under a double afia`tion, he is afflicted with his prefent lofs, and heought to be of flifked for his former gain. Fourthly, Thefewords,tbe Lordbathgiven,being: rightly hand- led, will be as a fword to cut off-four monfters or mentirous lulls, which annoy all the world ; or as a medicine to cure four difeafes about worldly things. Two of thefe lulls are firongeft in the rich : and the other pair affault the poor. The poor pine either with difcontent, becaufe theyhave fo little ; or with'envie, becaufe o- P d 3 tilers
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