794 Chap. 34. .4n Expoftion upon the Book, of J o B. Verf.3 r; aimeth at in chaflening us. Thirdly, That we may have fre'fh .power to bear his chaflenings Fourthly, That Cod would be pleafed to remove our challenmbs. While we bear chaflenings, we may pray, and pray hard that God would take them away. Da- vid had no fooner laid, Iopenednot mymouth, (that is, complain- ingly) becaufe thotà did.f it (Pal. 39. 9.) but prefently he open -' edhismouth in prayer (verf io.) Remove thy flrokeaway from me. While we bear our`crofspatienttly and willingly, it would -be our fin not topray fordeliverance from it, To fay I am under a chaflifenienr, and- let the Lord keep it upon me as long as he will, I will never ask him to take it off, were a moft unbecoming frame of fpirit. They that bear aflßiaionmoll cheerfully, fhould pray noflearneflly tobe eared of it ; we mull be willing tobear them alwayes, yet we mull pray that we may not bear them long. If a childe under the -rod ofaparen, íhould not fay, pray father flay .your hand, it is enough, but let himgo on ftriking, and never inti- mate a defire of his forbearance, this were a figne_offtubbornnefs, not of patience and fubmiflion. 'Tis as badnot to ask releafe from our troubles, as to murmure at them, or to be unquiet under them. Remember then, you mull beas much in the exercife of prayer as of patience under the croîs, and that in there four re- fpe&s. Thus you have the anfwrerto thafquellion ; bywhich it appears, that 'Lis no eafie matter to faywhat Elihu faith, It is meet ye belaidauto God, Ihave born cha, ii fement ? There is yet another queflion, (for force may demand) why fhould chaflifementsbe thus born ? I anfwer, Firl1, We mull bear them, according to all the rules before given, becaufe they conic fromGod. Our alflic`lions are Gods al- lotment, we mull bear what he appoints :therefore oldEli,though he had failed, and finned greatly, and fo brought a cloud of cala- mity upon himfelf and hisfamily (thevery report whereof, as Sa- muel told him, would make both ears of every one that heard ir, to tingle) yet he composed his fpirit to a fubmiflìve hearing ofir, upon thislingie cQnfideration,lr is the Lord,and there is enough in- that conlideration tomake all men fubmit. For firfi, The Lord is füpream, and therefore what he dothmull be born. Secondly, He isa Father, a childe mull bear what a Father layeth upon him; and as the Lord is a father, fohe isnot a hafly, imprudent, or pal- fìonate father,but a moll wife and judicious father therefore 'tis our
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