Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v10

Chap. 34. An Expofstion upon the Book, of J o B. Verf. ;o. 769 light,and will doe nothingwillingly, but as he may be taken no- tice of, and feene of men ; as for thofe ads or exercifes of reli- gion, which are private retirements between God and hisowne foule, he is a great ]}ranger to them, he,cannot delight in them, but any thing that may fall under publick obfervation, he can be forward enough in. Chrifl ( Math. 6. ç.) gives us this plaine difcoveryof the hypocricall Pharifees ; 7hty love topray )banding in the Synagogues, and in the corners ofthe fireets, that they may be feene ofmen. This was fo much in3ehu'rheart , that he could not but blab k out withhis tongue (a Kings ro. )'Come fee my z.eale; Afalfe firekindled his zeale, elfehe had notmade fuck a blaze. It was, infincere rotten-hearted Saul that fayd ( Sam: z S 13. )Come thou beef ed ofthe. Lord, Ihave performed thecom- mandement of the Lord ; he was his owne trumpeter, and would needs tell the fieryof his doings himfelfe , though he had done his bufineffeto halves ; Come thoubleffedofthe Lord, Ihaveper- formed the commandement ofthe Lord ; as if it would nor ferve him todoe his duty, ualefie Samuel had feene and taken notice of him. Abraham gaveproofeof the highefl ao} of faith that e- ver was in the world, yet did Abraham fay, Comefee my faith ? t ytofes led the people of Ifrael forty yeares in the'wilderneffe through a feries of wonderful) tryalls and temptations,to the very borders of Canaan ( which was one of the higher fervices that e- ver man undertook) andwas faithfull in all his houfe (Heb: 4. a.) _. yet did he fay, Come fee myfidelity ? 3ofhna viélorioufly expelled the Cananiter,and divided their land by lot among the tribes of Ifrael, yet did he fay , Come fee myfortitude ? We heare not a word of any of their doings from thofe whowere fingiere. When we fee men forward to invite the approbationof others by mak- ing reports of their good deeds, it givesa f+rong argument offuf- picion,that they have done whatthey havedone with a badheart, er, that ( as it is fayd of Phu) they have notfought god with alt their hearts. But fame may obje& , Did notSamuel proclaime his own in- tegrity before all the people ( t Sam: al. 3. ) whofe oxe have I taken ? or whole af fe have I taken ? or whom have 1defrauded ? whom have Iopprefed ? or ofwhofe handhaveI received any bribe, toblind mine eyes therewith ? I anfwer ; Samuel fpake this to upbraid their ingratitude and Fffff dif-

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