46 Chap. ,i. An Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Vern q. ly a man that is taken notice of for his extraordinary zeal and con- rftancy in holy duties": Then the clamour is, O you fee what hear- ing of Sermonsbath brought him unto,you fee what comes of his prayingand fafling,he bath followed thefe things you fee till he is undone. I fay two things unto there men. Firft,Many are thought togo backward in their outwardeflate, bccaufe they do fo much in fpiritual duties,when indeed they are fo far from doing toomuch, that they do too little ; and that ra- ther is the reafon why they thrive not. The body may be exer cured often, when the fpirit works but feldome, if at all in holy things; and this indeedprovokes God many times to blaft anout- wardcitate. It is a common fault, that whenwe fee thole whom we conceivegodly,failing in outward things,weare taken up on- ly in finding out anfwers how to acquit the Juftice of God in his promifes.What (hall we fay to fuch a promife, Seekfirs} the King- dome ofGod andhit righteoufnefs, and all thefe things(hall be added ,untoyou ? We trouble our felves often to fatisfie the point in re- ference to the Juflice ofGod, and the truth of his promife. We fcldom fufpef#whether or how they have performed the condi- tion of the promife. We fhould rather doubt that they have not evangelically performed the condition, then trouble our felves fo much with feeking how to fatisfie the jufíce ofGod in anfwering the engagement andpromife on his part.For without all queftion, they thatdo Peek according tò the tenor of that condition, God' will adminifter all things unto them. Or fecondly, We fhould fay thus rather, that they who are fo much exercifed in ways of communion with God, have furely gained a great fpiritual eftate.; and thatnow God brings them to the proofof it by loffes in their temporal eftates. There or "the kc 4nterpretations weought to make,ifwe fee them going back- ward in outward things,whohave beenvery forward in fpiritual things. And fomuch concerning Jobs outward eftate, in regard of his riches, bothwhat they were in the kind, and in the number. In the next place his outward happinefs is defcribed by the`un-` ity and concord ofhischildren. Verft
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