.Chap. 34. An txpofition upon the Boo(, of j o s.. then 'tis taken away for a time. To have judgement long delay- ed, isalwayes nex t degree to the deniall of ic,and fomettmes de- lay is more cruciatingand grievous then a deniall. Thirdly, A mans judgement is fayd tobe taken away,when the ground, or caufe, of Gods proceeding with him injudgement, is hid, or unmanifeft ; judgement as to us, is nor,when the reafonof it doth not apyeare to us, or whenwe fee not the reafon of it To kel Judgement and not to fee the caufeof ir, turnes it into a for ment ; we fay commonly , Things thanappeare not, are as if the) were not. When the reafonor ground of our fufferings is not un - derftood,'ris as if we fuffered-withoutany ground of reafon. When lob complained, God !with taken away my Judgement, we are not to underhand him, as ifElihas intended it in the firft or grofleft fence, that God had fubverted his judgement, or had donehim wrong. Elihascould not fufpeet he had anyfuch blaf- phemous opinion of God; for,that had fullfilled the Devil's pro-2 phecyof him ; He will carte thee to thy face. But whenhe fayd, Godboth taken awaymy judgemenr; he meant it according to the two latter interpretations, either that God deferred long to re- {tore him, and anfwer his prayer, or that God hadhid from him' the reafon of his dealing with him, fo that he couldnotmake it our, how, or why he was fo, forely and grievouflÿhandled. 7'06 knewwell his owne innoceacy,but he did not well confider Gods foveraignty, which alone anfWers enough for hire, how much foe- ver- he in this world af1lias the innocent. And therefore foeas much as God held him long hi that fad condition, and in the mean time hid his judgement, or the reafon of it from him, this was Jobs grievance, and theburden of it preffed him tocry out, god bath taken awaymy Judgement. In this hewas too bold withGod, and'rherefore he juttly fell under this cenfure ofEli ;ha As if he had fayd, It doth not at all become thee , O fob, as acreature, as a man, much leffe as anew creature,or as a god- ly man, to cry out (as thouhaft done) that God hath taken away thy Judgement, bec`ufe he doth not give thee an account, nor tell thee, why he judgeth thee.; therefore humble thy felfe that ever thou liáft fayd ( and take heed thou fay it no more) God hath taken awaymy Judgement, -Hence note. Verf.S., 5a9. Firft,
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