Chap. 34. An Expofition upon the Book of J o B. Verf. 19. 6; S_, there be a righteous hand of God upon them in leaving or giving them up to the lulls of their own heart, their lazinefs, or lavish- nefs, whichproduce their utter undoing, and bring them to a morfel of bread. So that let men be in what condition they will, the Lord is the former of ir. The diligent hand maketh rich, but it is with thebleffing ofGod;andwhen an indiligent manbecomes poor,ic is the curie of God upon him for his Gn,is well as the con- fequent of his fin. Yea, when an honeft diligent man becomes poor, (that's the cafe of force) it is the Lords with-holding of his tylefiiing, which makes all his labours fruitlefs and fuccefslefs ; fuch a man is indeed one of God's poor, or a poorman of God's making ; andGod will furely make the poverty of fuch a man (if he continue in a believing dependence upon him, and in an humble fubmiffiion to him, if he know how to want as well as to abound, how tobe hungryas well as tobe full,and in every eflare path learned therewith to be content, as the holy Apol}le had, then (I fay) Godwill fitrely make the poverty of fuch a man bet- ter to him then riches,or the largefl portion of this worlds enjoy- ment. The poor of God's fpecial making, are under his fpecial keeping andbletlmg: As theyhave but little, fo they want no- thing;God himfelf will always be not onlyenough,but all to them. Take two further inferences from the whole verfe. Firf}, Princes,great and rich menmm,ft not expert tofare better with Godbecaufeof theirgreatnefs or riches. For, He Both not regard thé richmore then the poor. Secondly, Themeane.fT man needs notfear that he fhaïl fare the worfe before God for his meannefs. The mot+ highGod will nor overlook thole in a low efface, he regardeth the poor as well as the rich ; and that's matter of great comfort to the poor, whendifregarded by the rich. Though the Lord dorhnot make all men of an equal refpea in the world, 'cis his will that Tome men íhould be more regarded by men then o- thers are, yet himfelf (in the fence opened) bearethan equal re- fpe& to them all ; Hereardeth not the richmore then thepoor, for they areall the work ofhis hands. Mmmm 3 JOB,
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