908 Chap. 42. an Expofition upon the Book of J 0 8. Verf. 8. Secondly, Obferve; When God dealetb mcff feverelypith 'inners, be dealeth All- !), with them. What rod foever he layeth upon their backs, what flume, what poverty, what ficknets he :fl as them with, It kbut according to their folly, they have but their own, they haveno reafon to com- plain. The Prophet told the people of *at!, as one man, when under grievous affl liens (jerem, 4. 18.) Thy ways and thy doings, have procured there things unto thee :Thouhaft no rea- fon to complain, for thy punifhment is of thyownprocurement, that is, thy fin is vifible in thy punifhment, thou circa but the fruit of thy own doings, how bitter foever it is. Another Scrip- ture faith (.ilqm. 3 2. 2 3.) Tour fin (hall find you out, that is, you (hall suffer according to what you have done, and reap what ye have fowed. And is it not folly to few to the (corrupt) flip', whenof the ßefh we ¡hall reap corruption (Gal. 6. 8.) The 1eíh is a corrupt thing, and can yield us no bettera thing than it is (the effe& is like the caufe) corruption, that is, a miferable condition both here and hereafter, now and for ever. Thirdly, Note; The Lord will not pafr by, nor [pare, no not godly man, when be fnneth and reportethnot. All this is included in the goingof there men to fob. As if the Lord had faid, I mil! eunifb you Eliphaz, and Bildad, and Zophar for yam folly, unlefs ye repent. They that are in a (fate of grace, cannot expea favour from the Lord, unlefa they tura from their fin, and give him glory by repenting and believing. Good men doing evil may buffer fo it, as well u the worft of men. The Lord will fee a work of repentance and felf-hum bling, a work of faith, looking to Chrifi the facrifce, elfe he will deal with them, even with them (as he threarned theft good Armen) according to their folly. But what was the folly of Eliphaz, and his two friends, for which the Lord threa'ned ro d&al to feverely with thin; ? The latter part of the verle tells us, what cod accounted and called their folly, 14
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