3o4 Chap. 33. An Expofition upon the Book,of J o B. Verf. 17. hide pride from man. D7 textro- The word which we render to hide, is to hide bycalling a co- ru`t' imp °' vering, a vayle, agarment, or anyother thing, over what we de- quodr.. l7' fire fhould behid, (Prov: 12. 23. ) 4 pruddnt man concealed; knowledge; it is this word ; he doth not pretend to know fo much as he knoweth ; he puts a vayle upon his ownabilities, (asMo- fes upon his face when there was fuch a fhining beautyimprinted there) ratherthen reveales them unneceffarily or uncalled. 'Tit the foolrfh man, or he that .bathbut afhesv of wrfdome, who loves and affeEls to befhewing it. But to the text. Theword'is ufed al- fo, to note that gracious aEt of God, his pardoning the finof man. ( Pfal: 32. 1.) Bleffed is the man whoferranfgrefon isforgiven, andwhofefin is covered. Godcovers our fins in the riches of his grace, by the perfeót righteoufneffeofJefus Chrift. Now there are twowayesbywhichGodhidethpridefrom man. `Firlt, by pardoningit Secondly , preventing it. Here to hide pride from man, properly, is not topardon it when aEted, but to prevent or keep man from the a&ìing of it; God indeed hides the pride ofmanby pardoning it ( and that's ahigh a&vt of grace) and he hideth pride from manby keeping man fromdoing proud- ly, or 'from'íhewinghis pride in hisdoings. rti juperbia The word rendred pride, lignifies Eminency, or Excellency, sxcelieni%t. becaufe men are ufuallyproud of that wherein they are eminent and excel! there lyes the Temptation to pride. And therefore as a man fhould turne away hiseyes from a "beautifull harlot, left fhe fhould enfnarehim, foGod hides mansowne beauties, emi- nencies, and excellencies, even`hisbeft workes from him, left he fhould be proud of them, andfo goe a whoring after them : or as God did with the bodyof Mofes, he not only buryed him , but 'hid him ( for 'cis fayd, Dent: 34.6.) Na man k,powerh of his fepilcher to this day) and 'tis well conceived that the reafon why God hid his fepuicher, was, leihbe people of Ifrael fhould be drawneafide to fome undue or fuperftitious veneration of him. 'So God hideth (byfome meanes or other) thatwhich is molt -eminent in us, from us,lefl it fhoulddraw usafide to fome undue eltimation of ir, and fo prove but matter or fewel for pride to kindle upon.Thus the Lord hideth pride from us,when he hideth that from us, which (cotifidering our corruption) may probably )make us proud. And
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