Chap. 3. Lxpofition upon the Book of J OB. Verf. i . ed the curfe into a bleffing unto thee , beeaufe the Lord thy God loved thee. And what David prayed about Shimei's curfe, we have feen come to pafs : TheLord bath requited us good fór his curling, 2 Sam. 16.12. We have far greater cuff; to fear the bieffing of Rome, then the curfe of Rome : But to return. The refrlt of all is this , When Godpronounceth a curfe,he makes it to be a curje man at the worfl, can but swig) a curfè -andpronounce it. Man io but the Minifter , God is theMatter of the curfe ; God can inbi it, man can but think or with it. Another thing here queffionable is , Whether it be lawful to, curie the creature ? job curfeth his day The ruleof the Apotlle is, Rom. 12. q.. Biel 's' and curfe not. InCome cafes,to curfe is Gods command and our duty,ánd then we are Gods Minifters for wrath againfi the wicked. Many times man (though forbidden) curies, then it is his fin, and he is Satans Minifter for evil againfi his brother. There are force cafes whereinwe may curie. When the Patriark Jacobwas upon his death-bed,and bed of bleffing,yet he pronoun- ced a curie upon the rage and anger of his two foils, Sineoì: and Levi, Gen.4.9.7. Curledbe their anger for it was fierce, and their wrathfor it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and fatter thera in Ifrael. We may curfe the plots;and counfelsof wicked men, enemies of Chrift and of his people : we may eurfè the perfòns of wicked men, as implacable enemies of Chrift, and_of hispeo- ple : SoDavidmore then once in the buókof Plaints ; yet it is to be confidered,that fome of, thofe Pfalms are Prophehies of a curfe, not pronunciations of a curie. And in all lawful curlings we met obferve thefe two rules. Firft,To aim the curfe at the deítnití- on of the fin, notof the firmer. Secondly, Where the lìuner ap- pears incorrigible, yet to defire the clearing up of Gods juflice in punifhing, not thepunimhment it felt: To curfe any thing or per- fon paffionately , is infirmity : To curiaany thingor perfón ma- licioù9ly, is grofs impiety. There is a third doubt,the rlfolvingof which will further clear the Scripture to us, that is, Whether a day be an objet capable of a curfe or no ? It is a queíiion moved by the 'School-meb,whe- ther a blefling and a. c.. riè do belong to any but a reafonable crea- tu're ? or whether any thing elfe be a fib)ed capable of a b(cfling), 7'. era. z or a curfe?And. they refolve it,that nothing is properly the fubjed uenedrflio polo ofblcflïmg and curling, but a reafonable creature. Therefore a day r.aledc.?ào. ,U u 2 which 331
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