aso Verf. 6. An Expofition upon the Eookof J OB. Chap.6. havehelp for the cure ofyour foules, by the difeafes of your bo, dies: ufually we find, that either fick perlons repent not, or theirs is but a fickly repentance. At the molt, paine can but reftraine your lufts,it can never heal them. The aétings ofTome finnes are quickned by difeafes. At the molt, a difeafe can but abate the as of fin, it cannever defiroy the life ofit. Death it fclf earn of kill fin: The finnes ofwicked men live when they are dead: the grave cannót confume them, no, nor the fire of Hell wall their ftrength: the (Miles ofunbelievers fhall remain not onely in their guilt, but in their power to all eternity. So much ofSatans notion ; But putforth thine hand now and touch his bone andhis flefh, andhe will curfe thee to thyface. Verf..6.. And the Lordfaidunto Satan, Rehold,be is in tip;, band,1ut fave his life. Here we have the Lords grant unto that motion ofSatan, He is in thine band, but fave his life : Thou mayeft do with his bone and his flefh what thou wilt,lleis in thinehand.We have opened what it is to have a thing put into the hand , in the former Chapter , where the fame exprcflion is ufed , therefore I than paiTe thofe words here. Note onely this, that the Lord faith here,He i6 in thy hand, to prevent Satans cavil : as ifhe had laid, Thou moveft are to touch his bone and his flefh ; weIl, left thou (houldeft fay, that I have dealt too gently with him; and have fmitten himwith favour, I will put the rod or ítalTe into thine hand, do thouwith his boneand his flefh what thou cania, (pare him not. We know the Lord isable to ftrike ftronger ftrokes, and give deeper wounds infinitely then Satan can, ifhe pleafeth;yet, the love ofGod to his children, flops his hand,and breakes the blow : He correas in judgement, and debates in meafure,Ifa.27.8. when he 'hikes his children, he fIrikes them as children, gently; Thus (2 Sam. 7 14.) fpeaking ofDavids family, If be commit iniquity (faith God) I zwil<' chaften him with the rodofmen : the word thereufed is Enofh, which lignifies a weak man , I will chaften him with the rod of a weak man , of one that bath but a weak armeor hand, the hand ofa fickly frail tuan; A weak,a ficklyman cannotftrike very hard. Thus faith God, I will chaffen thy children,ifthey commit iniquity : they frail rather fee my care, then feel my power in their correCfions. Now (I fay) left Satan fhould pretend partia- li;: y, God puts job into Satans hand, and giveshim liberty to lay 011
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