Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v12

Chap. 3 S. - e,1n"Expofitionupon the Boo(of J o B. Vert. 2. by words without knowledge ; Thou wilt Jay then unto me, why doch he yetfind fault ? who hath r f jled his will ? WhenGod, to Phew his urqueftionable Soveraignry, faith, Jacob have I loved, and Efatehave 1hated : Iwillhave mercy on whom I w;11have mer- cy ; Then man begins to complain of God, and thinks he bath caule for it : But faith the Apoille, who art thou thaw replief a gainff God ? ¡hall the thingformed fay to him that formed it, why haft thoumade me thus? When -ever man gives occafion to fay, that he fears man too much, or God too little ; he is like to hear thefe rebuking and humbling queflions, who is this, or, Whoart thou? Many have too high thoughts of others, and moll of them- felves , as if they were (as we fay) Tome -body, that is, more than any-body, as if they were of Come greater worth, or had Come greater worthinefs, than their neighbours. Now, whofoever have todhigh thoughts either of others or of themfelves, they aiwayes have roo low thoughts ofGod; and therefore God, to fhew them their vanity, that all men are but emptinefs, yea very nothinD atefs compared with him, makes the bell of men ffrike fail,or,God ¡hoots down their top-fail, with fuch queflions as thefe, Who ire you ? and, who is this ? Thirdly Note ; We may quickly darken the cotsnfels of God while we thin{¿,te explain them. Job had no intent to darken the counfel of God, yet he did ir; Some make it their bufinefs ( when they fpeak of the counfels of God ) to darken them and rape a dull ; thefe are either angry with the light, or envious at it, and unwilling that others fhould enjoy it. Some Patrons of Popery, the better tomake their own excufe for obfcuring or hiding the Scriptures in darknefs from the People,have not feared to charge them with darknefs&obCcurity. And others by their ill and unskilful handling oftheScriptureshave brought darknefs and obfcu;iry upon them. Though the Scrip- tureshave many dark places in them, yet woe to chore who fay the Scriptures are dark; and let all take heed of darkening them, for they are the counfel of God. It is an eafiematter to paddle in a clear fiream, till it runs muddily; but it will not be for any mans eafe or peace to do fo in the clear cry¡?al (#reams of the holy Scriptures. It is the unhappinefs of force that they cannot but fpeak

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