Chap. 34. An Expofition upon the Book of J o a. Verf.z7. 711 pollïbly take the covenant of God in his mouth, he will betalking of it, his tonguemay be tipt with ir, but (verf. 17.) he hateth in- flruttion, and cafteththe words ofGod bebindehis-back He that would confider a thing, holds it before his eye, and keeps it, as much as he can in fight ; therefore the Lord, when he would af- fure Zion howmuch he did confider her cafe, though fhehad Paid a little before, God bath forfaken me, and my God bath forgotten me, yet prefently rho Lord faith, (I( a. 49. 1 g, i6.) Canawo- man forget her fucking childe thatfhe fhould not have compafon on thefon of herwombe ? Tea,:hey may, yet will not Iforget thee; (what follows? ) Behold Ihavegraven thee upon the Palms ofmy hands, thy walls are continually before me. M if the Lord had faid, you may be Pure I will confider your cafe,for I have youhere pourtrayedupon the palms of my hands, and am alwayes viewing your walls, either as rum d and demolifbed, tomoveme topity, or in that flrong & beautiful-model according towhich I purpofe to raife them up again, or re-build them. Thus I fay, both God and man intending to confider any thing, have it alwayes before them ; but what a man hathno minde to confider, he cafes it be- hinde his back ; thou callamy words behinde thy back, faithGod to the hypocrite, and when once the hypocritehath got the word behinde him, thenhe is ready for any wickednefs (verf. 18, 19, so.) When thou faweft a thief, thou confentedit with him, and haft been partaker with the adulterer, &c. Whence was all this ? hehad caíl the word behinde his back. It is David's queflion, (Pfal. 119. 6.) wherewithal (ball a young man cleanfe his way ? The anfwer is, By taking heed thereto according to thy word ; that is, by continual eying of the word, and of his way, and by corn- paring them together. They that will make right work, mull be alwayes eying the rule ; if once you lay by the rule,yau will make but crooked, or bungling work r When the rule of righteoufnefs is laid by, righteoufnefs is laid by too Thefe mightymen of whom Elihu fpeaketh would not confider any the holy wayes of God and you fee what ill favour'd work they made, what ftul wayes they walked irr. Fourthly, The Text loth not faytheywould not confider fome, . or fuch and fuch of hiswayes, but any ofhis wages. Hence Note. t1w%eked man liketh, delighteth in, or lovethno one wayofGod' ¿'st tri or more then another. He
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