Chap.3. ,E1n Expoftion upon the Book of J0 Bá VerC23. 456 from God, fo (I conceive) it did not trouble him, that this way was hid from man; As there are in God certain (Arcana Conf lü) fecret.myfleries , and hidden wayes ofcounfel, which he will not communicate to holy men : fo there are in holy men (Arcana pie- ta:is) Come fecrets,fome mytteries ofgodlinefs,which they do not communicate to the world ; and therefore the complaint loth not lie in either of thefe refpeefs. The Church complained, but the was check'd for complaining, that her way was hid from God, Ifai. 4.o. 27. WhyJfi thou, O Jacob, and;peakeff , O Ifrael, My way is hidfrom the Lord, andmy judgment ispafl'edoverfrommy God ? Yet that place is not to be undextlood ofa hiding from the eye of Gods infpedlion , as if the Church had any fufpicion that the Lord did not know, or didnot fee, how matters went with them, or in what condition they were ; but it is to be undertlood of the eye of Gods compaflìon ; There is a feting éye,or a contemplating eye, and a compatfionating or fuccouring eye. So the meaning of that complaint is onely this, Whyfayft thou, my way is hi díenfrom the Lord ? that is, why doll thou fpeakvtas if God did not regard thee in thy troubles, as if God hadno pity nor compaflion on thee, no bowels toward thee ? Why fayji thou, myWay is hidf rom the Lord ? In the thirdofExodus, when God comes to help the Peo- ple of Ifrael, he telleth Mofes, I havefeen, I havefeen ; or Ihave Purely feen, namely, withan eye compaflionating their condition, as the next words thew, for Iknow their forrores. Now when the Church complained that her way was hidfromGod, her mean- ing was , that God did not take notice, fo, as to pity and deliver her. Excepting in that fence,the could not conceive that her way was hidden from God ; neither is the way of the Church, fo, hid- den from God, but as to our fenfe : for the Lord pities his people whenhe'correds them, and therefore jacob is chidden for raying fo, Whyfayft thouO Jacob,my way is hiddenfrom the Lord? There- fore this text is íiot to be undertlood of Jobs way in refpcf cf . God , but of the hidingof Gods way , or the hidden dealings of God toward Job. My way is hid, faith job, that I cannot under- ftand, nor interpret, nor expound the meaningofGods dealing with me : I amnot able to give an interpretation ofit,I know not what this thingmeaneth : lely way is laid. The way of Gods dealing with himwas a hidden way, in two refpe ts. Nnn 2
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