ÍI {;I 44. Chap. I. AnExpafition upon the BookofJ pB. Verf. 3. to cafi the world out ofour affections, not out ofour poffeflion. To hold and poffefs great riches is not evil, it is evil to let our hearts upon them. Secondly, Job was defcribed before,a Juft man,an upright man, that is,a man jolt in his dealing, a man that gave every one his own;he did not decline, no not a hairs breadth (if poilibly he could)from the lineofJuftice,Commutative or Difiributive; yet this Job is exceeding rich. Hence obferve, that Plain and1,4- dealing is no hinderance to thegainingor prefer - ving ofan eftate. Honeft dealing is rio flop, no bar togetting. There is a tur- fedProverb amongft us, which force ufe, and it is to be feared fettle walk by it, That he which ufeth plain dealing fhall dye a Beggar. You fee Job, that was a plain man, a juft dealing man, yet is full ofriches;the nigheft and the fafeft way to get riches, is the wayofjuftiçe. Woe to thole who"by getting riches get a wound in their; ownConfciences. What'iil it advantage any one to gather many goods, when in the mean time his heart tells him, that all have a bad Matter ? What willit advantage any to. load, to fraught his Shipby trading on forbidden Coafts,whent.by doing this he fplits and makes Shipwrack of his foul ? Ifyou would go the ready way to attain the things of this life, walk in the ways ofGod. Honeflyand Juflice, Uprightnefs and Truth, will lead you to the higheft and greateft eftate,withGods blefiing.. All other riches are poverty, all other gain is lofs : There is a fire iar án. eftate ill gotten, which will at laft conflime it. A man builds with timber that hath a fire in it, that lays the foundation of his elate by fn,' he lays up iniquityfor bis children. And fo do.th God, Job 21.19. It is commonly laid likewife,Dives aut inzquus,aut inique hares; A rich Man is either an unjug man, or heir of an unjuft man. In Pfal. 82. the wicked areput for the rich, How long willyou judge unjuftly, and accept theperfgn ofthe wicked? That is, the perfons (Divitum aut Potentum) ofrich or great men ; fo it is to be un derftood ; for Judges would never accept the perfons ofwicked ínen,ifthey were poor, if they be in equal ballance with others,in regard of outward things:and then the,oppofition that is made in the next words,Defend the poor andfatherlefs,fhews that the rich are there tneant.Thefe great ones are calledwicked,becaufe (faith the Glofs)they ufually get and uphold theirgr"eatnefs by wicked. pets,
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