468 Chap. 33.' xpofition opon the Boakof J o A. Verf:-3©.a atvayes give them meanes of repentance,, but powre out;wrath, upon ,hèin;,co Elibufaith,, God worketh twice and thrice bur if. menw i ll fn three or foue times, where is their warrantthat God will pardon or pile bytheir fns ? The Propher,did not bindeup. Rabbi seim% the mercy of God precifely.to two or three tran[greliions, but if: calligit tertan- men fin without bounds,he flames theyhave no ground to expe& tun horaiui tg- God,lhould be mercîfulL.,(3ne of the JewishRabbins ( as fome noftere ileum e expound him concludes peremptorily, ifman firìtwice or thrice., et quarto i ád p ) perçandun re- God will fpare, but if.fo;are,tìmesGod will punish. We.doe not, diaiit efe quad c rcumfcribe the grace of,God,.to a,fpeciall number, and poflibl.y. f'lbi à gehenna that;Rabbin did not intend it fo, but only, that, all . fl3ould take, timeat ;:err id heed they doe not abwfe the grace of God. That God multiply- b; áuo áb pod eth toparlor, or ( as we render, ifa: 5 5.7.) Pardoneth aboun bu dìcatu,. tla;Itly,is no,fecurity for anyman to finaboundantly,or tomul:iply tranfgreffions. feint(hall not alwoiyes (drive with man ( faith the Lord, ("en:, 6. 3. ) I have driven long already, and I will yet firivelonder, even an.hundredand twenty yeares, but I will not #irive.altvayes. God,;gaveYezebela,fpace to, repent ,(Rep; x,. as. )but when fbe repented nor, he did not promife her,anew fpace to repent its, but. threatned her, with wrath to the utmoft . if the repented nor.,There is a frequency in the workeofGod to reduce (inners, but not aperpetuity. Andas in this verfe Llihit. re:(orxs this frequencyof his.worise, fo in the next he reports that, tobe the defigne..of ir, Verf. 3o, Yo bring back,hisfoulefrom thepit, to be enlishtneet4 with the light ofthe. living. This verle (I fay) fheweth the purpofe, of God in working twice,,thrice, oroftentime.t,withman. This .purpofe Os was toil, ,.hed before) is two- fold. Firf}, to free and deliver him, from evill, the worfi.of evills, a horrible,pit: Secondly, e(}= him inand give him poffeffon.of not only thatwhich isgood,but bets of all, the li4ht ofthe living. Nor, is this purpofe; of God a bare defire ( that soften fruitlefs and fucceislefs) but a f}rongó: fet- led refolution, to bring backthe fick.manr foulefrom the p t. And E1ih ( we may fuppofe) fpake thus, as topreffe Job to halldn he,worke ofhis re Cane ; fo to put him in hope (upon cone- Wieratioof thisdefi of God in affi ing him) thát he fhould bé.:
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