Chap. 3 3. An expafinon upon the Book of j o s. vert. i S. 331 wounds the fief!), but to be kept from that everlatlingwoe which . goal' overwhelme the wicked in that bottomle[fie pit or lakeof fireand brimflone, this is the highefi favourof God to loft man. This is the pit, this the perifhingfromwhich (faith Elihu) the Lord keepethbackthefoul and life of man. Firfl, from the emphafis of the word, he keepethback,, import- ing, that God, as itwere by ftrong hand or abiolute authority and cornmand,keepeth the foul of man from the pit. Note. Man is very forward to run upon his own ruine,even to rutsupon tternallruine, ifthe Lard didnot hold,fiay,andflophim. Man would tumble into the pit,at thevery next flep,ifGod did not keep him. The way ofman naturally is downe to thepit, and all that he doth ofhis own felf is for his own undoing : And as he is keptback from the pit, fo (asthe ApofllePeter hath it,' Epifl, ,. 5.) he iskept by thepower ofGod, through faith untofalvation. Secondly, confidermg the fealon fignified in the former verfe, that when man is going upon an evill work, or walking in the prideof his heart, God iskeeping himfrom the pit. Note. Whileman bathfinfull purpofes andpride in his heart, .'sll that while he is going on todeftru£tion, both temporal! and eternal!. Every fiep in fin is a ftep to mifery, and the further anyman proceedeth on in fin, the further he wanders fromGod ; and the further he wanders from God, the neerer he comes to mifery. As the further we goe from the Sun, the neerer weare to the cold, and the further wego from the fountaine, the nearer we are todrought ; fo they that haft to fin, haft to forrow, yea to hell. Solomon faith of fuch, they love death. There is noman loves death under the notionofdeath,there is nobeauty,no amiablenefs in death but all they maybefail to love death,who lovefin, and live in it.Every motion towardsfin,is ahafting into the armes and embracesof death, finners wooe and invitedeath and the grave, yeahell and defiruelion. Thirdly, note. The warnings and admonitions which Godgives tofinfu!lman, whetherwal ng or fleeping are to keephimfrom perifbing,, to keephimfrom temporal!, to keep himfrom eternal! pertflung. 11 11 z This
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