804 Chap. 42. LAn Expofation upon the Book of J o B. Verf 2. Lord knoweth oar thoughts afar of He knew what thoughts there were in the hearts ofthe Jews (jer.4,14.)OJerufalem,xafhthine heartfromwscb,ednefs, that thoumail be laved:hsw long (hall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee!Theevain thoughts,were thoughts about their contwuance in that peaceable condition, that the ene- my füould never come to moled them, or they fhould never come into the hand of the enemy ; as others afterwards had vain thoughts, that they fhould be fpeedily. delivered.out of their hands. Firf, They had vain thoughts, that they fhould never,,"go into captivity. And Secondly, They had as vain thoughts, that they (hould be prefently delivered out of captivity :Thefe are your vain thoughts, and these I know, faith God. Our thoughts areas open toGod, as our. works ; all our thoughts, good and bad, are alike known to God He knoweth our good thoughts, and the thoughtswhich we have to do good. If we have a thought of good to anyman, the Lord knoweth it ;. and if we have athought for evil to any man, the Lord knoweth it... The Lord .knoweth not only what thoughts are evil in their own nature, but what are dettimencally evil unto others. Thus fpake di(}refedJeremy, in the perfon of the wholeJcmrfi Church (Lament. 3. 6o,61, 6z.) Thouhail feen all their vengeance, and all their Imaginati- ens aping. me. Thou haft heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations againft me, and their devicesagainft meal the day long. The Lordknoweth all the good thoughts that others have for us,and all the evil thoughtswhich they have again(+ us : Now, If no thought of ours can be with- holden fromGod , then keep guard, and watch over your thoughts; hold your thoughts in good order, for youcannot with-hold your diforderly thoughts from.God ; bring every thought into captivity. to the obedience of Chrifi; (1Cor, to. 5.) Secondly, If the Lord knoweth all our thoughts ? thencertain- ly all good thoughts (hall be rewarded, as well as good words, yea,evenas well as gooddeeds. As the Lord will not lofe agood thought ( which was(hewed in the former point) fowe (hall not lore agood thought; Godwill reward them fully,.forhe knowech them fully. There was good thought inDavid' heart, to build the Lord a temple,.and the Lord faid (asSolomon his Son reports it, t Kings z 8.) Whereat it was in thyheart to build a boufe to rosy nano, thou didfi well that it mu, in tbiue, bearta,I take it as, wells
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