408 Chapa. An Expofition upon the Book, of J OB. Verf.r3 The Apotlies fpirit was railed to this heroick pitch , and fome.- what above it when he Paid, I rejoyce inmy fzofferings,Colof.'I.24. ( Joy is a degree beyond love ) when h. _laid, I takepleafïtre in reproaches, in neceffit,ies, perf ecutions , in diftreffes for Ghrifls Me., 2 Cord 2.IO. (Pleafure is a degree beyond joy.) But efpe- daily when he laid , Iglory in tribulation, Rom. 5. 3. And God forbid that I fhouldglory (in any thing elle) fave in the Groff of ourLord jefeis ChriJl,, Galat. 6. 14. To glory in a thing is more -then to take pleafure in ir. Again, Take heed your complaints and bewailings do not arife out of diftruft and unbelief fuck corn- , plainings are provocations. It was called theprovocation , when the people of Ifrael made Inch diflrufting complaints, Pfal. 95.8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day óf temp- tation in the rvildernefs. And -that the provocation lay in their un- belief, the Apoftle is exprefs, Hebr. 3. where quoting this Text . of the Pfalm, he concludes his whole difcourfe thus, Verf,-zg, Bo we fee they could not enter in becaufe of unbelief. If we ,mix Fa fib with our Tears, and while we bemoanour condition, yet believe, that God is good,and good tous, that God is all-fuffici- ent, and all-fuflicient todeliver us ; wemay with that the things that are, were not, and that God who changes not, would make a change in our eflate. For the clofe-of this -Point , .1 [hall lay down thefe three Con - clulions. Firi, A man ma'y defire that,whichGod wills not, andnot fin in that delire : As the deliverance ofa people whom God will defiroy. Secondly, A man may fin in defiring-that which God wills: When it Is the Will of God that the father [hall dye , the child finsin defiring it. Thirdly, A man may without fin delire that not tobe, which .God wills ; or which is the fame, that not to be which is ; filch defires being qualified according to the cautions before given. -There is a fecond queftion arifing upon a part of this complaint : For job complains not only ofhis troubles, but ofhis life : And .fecros to have been angry with his very Being ; while he willies he had never been conceived, or that his 'mother had been denyed the ()Idling ofconception. The queflion then is,Whether an evil or a.teoublefomBeing be worfe then no Being ? ,Or whether it be better net to be then to be miferable ?
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