29S Chap. 33. An E,xpofttion upon the Book,of J o B. Verf. a7ä ed, and defiroyeth the conception of thofe Babylonifh brats that they may never come CO the birth. ( Mic. 2. i. ) woe to them that dcv.fe mi(chiefon their beds, when the morning is light they, praCiice;tt,becarsfe it is in thepower of their hand. The work begins at the heart, there 'Cis piottèd and contrived ; the ilkIrt is the workhoafe-of fn; now. the Lord withdraws man frothlhs purpofe, and will not fuller the inward work tobe accomplifhed by the. outward work. Further, we may refer thefe words either tòwhat is part, or ro what is to come.; fore tranflate (referring it to what is pail). 7t averiar ho- that he may turn, or withdrawman from thofe things which he bath mine ab ¡it done ; that is, from thofe evills ro which he hath already fet his gusfecit.Yulg. hand ;..this isdoneby giving man repentance, which is our being humbled for, and turning away from any evill alreadycommitted: Our tranflation refers it to what is intended tobe done, for that's a purpofe. So the meaning is,.God cloth thefe things that he . maykeepman from doing that evill or mifchiefwhichhe hash re- folved upon,or at leaf+ is forming and hammering¢inhis thoughts. .Abtmelech had an evill purpofe for the matter ( though poflibly the purpofe of hisheart was not evil!, for he laid toGod ( and God faid he fpake true) in the integrity ofmy heart, and innocen- cy of my hands haveI ¿me this, Gen. 2o, 5 6. (he was I fay a- bout mi evil' purpofe for the matter) , when he thought to take Abrams wife from him, but the Lord carne to him in adream,and withdrew him from the evill of his purpofe. Laban intended evill,. or hard dealing to acob, but the Lord met him alto in a. dreame,and withdrewhim from his purpoiè,faying,(.Gen. 3 1.24.) Take heed thou fpeaknot to 'acob, neithergood,nor. bad,rhat is, hin- der him not in his journey, either by threatnings or by promifes. Thus man is taken offor withdrawn from evillpurpofes by pre- venting grace, and from evill workes by repenting grace. I fhall profecute the words according to our reading only, which imports that when man bath fume evill purpofe upon his heart, theLordvifits him indreamesand vifionsof the night, to withdraw him fromthat purpofe. Hence obferveFirf , Man is veryforward and eager upon evillpurpofes. God himfelfmupt come owithdraw and fetch him off, or o ther-
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