Chap. 37. an 6xp.,rtion upon the Book of J o B. Verf. 23. Ca3 r Saith not the Scripture every where, afflition comes down from heaven, or that'tis of God ? did not 706 fay (Chap r. 21.) The Lordbath taken, that is, affliaed me, by taking away my all of this world ? and dothnot God himfelf fay ( Pfsl. 89. 3o, 31, 3 a.) Ifhis children forget my Law, I willpussfh their trayfgref- on with rod, and their iniquity with fizripes ? How then faith Eli- hu, God will rot affil ? anCwer , Fir[f, fn general, Woo fpeaks thus in anfwer to a doubt-, or to remo\re a feare arifingupon the whole, of what had been faid of God. For if God be fuch a God , fo excellent in power, ant in'udgment,and'in plenty ofJußice, then Purely our cafe is very fad , may forme fay , who can abide tobe neere or fland before fuch a God ? O, faith Elihu,feare not , He will not af;EF. More particularly, J anfwer, " Fir(}, Though God beexcellent in Judgment,and plenty of Ju- ffice, yet it may be faid,he will not afptl,becaufe in fume fenfe, he bath not awill to affli&,or he loth not atllia with hiswill,t hat is, he delights not to afilia, he bath declaredhimfelf more ready to (hew mercy, than to execute judgment. In one Prophet he faith, E2 araímoa- 1 have nopleafare in thedeathof hire that dyetk (Ezek. 18. 3 2. ) bens. vatabfi and another P ophet faith of him, He doti, not willingly affliE7, nor grieve the children ofmen (Lam. 3. 33.) This Piophet was there bemoaning the greateft affliaion that ever befell the peo- ple of God, yet-, faith he , God doth not afjflitt willingly, he doily not affiìt with his heart, as the word there is expret%d: in the Margin when he afflìts, itis as it were a work of his hand, not of his heart yea a work that he would gladly rid his hands of. What once that cruel Tyrant Nero faid when he wit to f gne a Warrant for the Execu:ion of anoffender, Howglad could 1 be if ö E'm vct- I could not write my name 1 This fake he ollibl ,when his heart lem n;-ire.li- Y ( P p Y teror was as full of blood as it could hold ) yet thus he fpake to fignihe a great unwillin;nefs to afflia. This is moil true of the great God; though he be a God of excellentpower and judgetnent,and plen- ty of jutfice, yet he lothnot affii&c willingly ; he couldbe glad, . that he might never have an occafion to affiï , that he might ne- ver be provoked todraw his fivord, no no fo much as to ufe his rod in this wold. Sec-ir '1y, It may be Paid, Gad will not 4E, becaufe hs ne- ver afið without a juff caufe; his unlimited power never tempts.
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