Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v10

t.ó Chap. 3 2. An E.rpó&tion upon the Book, of Jos, fi'erf, p Gourd; is an argumentofundue love to felfe. When God fpared Ninevc/rthe Prot:het was exceeding angry,(.'on. 4. a. )But his -was fîntull anger ;becauf he. was angry for his ownefake,fearinú ro be calieda tall , Prophet ; He fet himfelfe donne tofee what tvoúld become of the City, that he mighthave 'a perfonall glory, and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed. Andwhen God hadEmit- ten his Gourd, he was angry and angry unto the death (Ter. 8. ) and all becaufe hemiffed that which plea-fed himfelfe. Many can be angry when they themfelves are.difcredited, but when dilho- now. 'is cal}upon -God,or his interefl flighted, howquiet and tame, how cold and dull are their fpirits ! The anger of this man was a noble anger, as to the occafion and rife of ir, Jobs felfe -:ju- flirication, or- Becaufe 6ìe jugifed himfelfe rather ¡ben God. This is a high parr; and May juflly provoke our anger, EChi was not angry Sob becaufe he 'juflified himfelfe;againll his friends, but becaufe hé juflified himfelfe rather then God. Here.a queftion will arife, and it will ask fome paints tode- termine it; Was this true? did 7'ob ;uflifie himfelfe rather then God ? Wasit poffible Tob should do fo'? I (hull give only a gene= ral'1 antwer to this queflion;7ob'didnotjuflifie himfelf ratherthen- God,either explicitely, or intentionally, but 'byconfequents` he did. And though irbegranted that lob gave jufl ocóofiorí of this fharp reproofe by his rash and paflìonate fpeeches,uttered in the `heateof difpi te, and in the grief of his heart,yet it cannot be de- ',tiled that Elhu'ìd foiiaewhat flrain fobs words, though not be- yond-their lence, yet beyondhis fence,andgave them the hardefl interpretation( fomewhat befide the rule of charity ) which they could'beare, -nor did he cbferve that meeknefíe and moderation 'Which might well havebecome him, to a man in that cafe. O how :hard ie it not to of e;rd or doe ill; while.we are doinf well ! . To cleare this á little :further confider , There is a twofold ftraining of Words ; Firíl,beyond thefenceof the words fpoken; Secondly,beyond the fence of the fpeaker. I doe not fay Elihia in affirming thisofJob, flrained his words beyond their fence, but he flrained them beyond fobs fence. fob fpake ~Words which 'might'lay him underthis cenfure, that hejufi-ified himfelfe rather tkenGod ; But this was-far froth his intention; For doubtlefle he had

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