7o4 Chap. 34 AnE.xpoftion upon the Book of J o B. Verf.27, tion to the Church, fearch your (elves, left there be foundin any of you an evill heart of unbelief, &c. Where unbelief remaines in any meafure unrnortihed, it may quickly doe a great dealeof milchiefe. And where it remaines in full power or altogether un- mortified, it doth all manner ofmilchiefe. All which is wrapt up in that one word, a departurefrom the livingGod. Unbelief is the root ofApoftacy ; The reafon why fanners turn fromGod, is, be- caule they give no Credit to the wordof God ; theyare not per - fwaded God is fucha one as he hath declared himfelfe to be, and will either doe that for the obedient which he bath promifed, or that againft the rebellious which he bath threatned.They whobe- lieve not inGod cannotbut depart fromGod; And therefore the life ofan unbeliever is a continuall departure fromGod. He Pets out wirh his back uponGod ; the very iirft Rep he takes into the world is fromGod. As loon as we are borne we naturally goe a- flray fpeaking lyes ; we are ever our of our way , till we look to- wardGod, and ayme at him ; which we never doe, till heby his mighty power changeth our hearts, turneth our courfe, andbring- eth us home to himfelfe. Further, Confider, how did thefe mighty men turn back from God ? they might fay, wheredid we fee God ? where did God appeare tous ? that we are thus charged with turning back from him ? I anfwer ; Firft, God manifefts himfelfeto man in his workes, or in his providences. Secondly, He manifefts himfelfe in every part of his word, efpecially in his Commands, in his promifes,and in his thrèatenings ; in his Commands,he manifetts himfelfe a ho- ly God ; in his promifes, a gracious and bounrifull God ; in his threateninys, a juft and righteous God,who will neither dowrong ón l.Eixivey nor futrer himfelfe tobe wronged. TheSeptuagint make this Ex- " 148 '5$7 pofition the text, tranflating thefe words of Elihu , thus ; Re- 'WWII de age cattle they have turned from theLaw of God. dei. Sept: Hence note. Theywho turn from the word ofGod, turo back fromGod. When a Command comes, if you flight the authority andobli- gation of ir, you turnback fromGod; when a promife comes, if you doe not believe the truth of ir, and hone for the good of ir, you turn back fromGod ; look what of the mind of God is mani- felted
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