Chap.14. An Expoftion upon the Book_ of Jo.n. Verf. 9. corfentedt with hire, &c. Thou hadli a mind to be a thiefe as well as he. One wicked manminds andwills the facie thinswith ano- ther, and-all godly men will the fame things With God. Yet ( faith lob.).itJ1ra ll not profit aman, though he have the fame will with God, or though;he willeth the fame good things which God himfelfe willeih Thirdly , The word ( accordingto our tranflation) fignifeth more then barely to will,it.takes,in the affections and joycs ofthe foule. He that delighteth in God, bath fweet conteur and com- placency in God, he not only approves of all the fayings and do- ings cef God, he not only'foliowethhis counfell, and his conduct}, but ishighly pleafed and fully fatisfìed in God. Delight is the rea of the foule. When we delight in God,and find every ad of obedienceour joy,and our fong, our meat andour drink, then the heatt iswound up to thehighel+ pitchofholinefs. And therefore as his heart is fallen down to the towel+pitch of unholinefs, who fayth, it profiteth aman nothing to ferve God, fo is his much more who .faith , what (hall it profit aman though he delight in God? But here againe it may be queried, Where did fob fay, that it Jl9ouidprofit a man nothing though hedelight himfelfe with God ? Ifyou read his difcourfe all over, he never fpake thefe words dire&lyor expliciteiy, they are the language of hell. ButJob had fpoken words, which,( unlef's taken in a very faw urable coci(lru- &ion ) might beare this cen.ure. Eie fpake thus,in a manner,while he at once juftified himfelfe fo much, and cryed out as much of thehard dealings of God with him. And while in many paflàges of thisTooke he denieth that the godly have a prefent reward in this life , and alto af#irnieth that manywicked men in;oy out- ward profperity, and gaffe unpunished. There fpeeches might eafly be interpreted (by common, and carnal men ,efpecially ) that, fob thought it an unprofitable thing to delight in Cod. For if All things inthis life come alike toall, to the godly, and to the wicked, what doch it profit a nun ( asro this life ) that he should delight himfelfe in God ? who among the tons of men(rhat know- eth of noprofit beyond this life) can delight himfelfe in thar, til hick bins noprofit ?Job alto fayd(Chap: 9. 22.-)GoddefJray- eth the wicked and the rrghteetas, that is, he afilids the good as muchas the bad,thiswas a principle which he held 'out all along. A a a a Now 545
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