Chap.4©. cAn Expo ition ispon the Book of o B. Ver1.2. degree of contending with God about them. Any ferret rifingof heart againti what GodBoth, is, in this fencc,a dirtying with God; yea our being notfully pleated and fatisfied with what God doth, is in force fenfe a contending withGod o And if all this be to con- tend with God,how many are these that contend with God l and who almofi is there that doth not ?. Who can fay in this thing,my heart is clean ? Whocan fay , butat one time or other , he hash contended withGod. Remember, when we would have things after our mind and mode , whenwe are not free to comply with the will of God,this is to contend with God. There are twoCa- fes, as to thecommon Rate of the world, in which the hearts even of good men,ire very apt to rifeagainft the work of God. Firfl, When they fee the wicked profper, and carry all before them in the world ;thenthey are ready to fay,Why dothGodfuffer this ? 3eremiah had much adoe tokeep his heart from contending with God in this cafe (er. a r. s. ) And David could hardly keep his from it ('Pf4l.7 3, e,; .) As for me , myfeet were almoft' gone, my fleps hadwell nighApt ; for Iwas envious at the foolifh, whenI taw theproJperityof thewicked. And for this he befooled himfelf (verf. 2z,) So fool, was I, and ignorant ; ¡was a a beafb before thee. Thus Davidwas, and manymore have been offend-. ed at the workof God, in giving good to badmen; and that's the firl+Cafe. Secondly , When good men are vexed, oppreifed, and trod- denunder feet, as mire in the firears; what ridings of heart, and what unfatisfedrefs of fpirit is there in manygood men ! In both theft Cafes there is muchcontending with God, though in both, our hearts (upon many accounts) fhould acquiefceand rea in the will of God ; who , in the former, doth not declare him- fell a friend to evil men ; nor doth he in the lacter,declare hitn- fell an enemy to chofe who are good. But feeing there is a fpirit in man , even to contend with Gods lei us watch our felves in this thing , that (itch thoughts rifenot a or let us carefully fupprefs thetn as foon as they are rifen. Ic is good for us, and our duty; tokeep down the Conrendings of our hearts with nr.en , for we are very apt to be out with one another. Tis 'ad to fee breaches, the fruit of heart burningt, between man . and man. But much more fhould we keepdown chorecontend- ing, yra q, ench the fiift fparkr.s which may kindle heart-burn- 0 ..:,.' inns
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