To the Reader. fcund of the other three, e makes their praife, almoft f lent. But Jobs three friends proceed to a fourth principle ; which, Heutterly denies, about which, fo muchofhis aniwer, as is contradi&5ory to their objellions & rejoinders, wholly con f ft's. That, their fourthprinciplefeems to 1)e bottom'd up. on two grounds- Firf, That whofoever is good, and dothgood, fhall )eceive a prefent good reward, according to the mea- lure of the good he hathdone; and, That whofoever is wic ied and dothwickedly, fhaH be paid with prefent punífhtnent, according to the meafure of his deme- rits. secondly, That ifCat any time a wicked man flourifh inoutward profperity g yet, his flourifhing is very mo- mentary, and fuddenly (in this life) turnes to, or ends in vifible judgments. And, That, if (at any time) a god Iy man be wither'd with adverfity, yet, his withering is very fhort, ai d fuddenly (in this life) turnes to, or ends . invifible bleflings. upon thrfe two grounds or fuppofitions, They raife and $wild their fourth principle, from which, They threemake continual batteries upon the innocency of Job. We may con- ceive the pofition in this frame. That whofoever is greatly afflicted, and is held long under the preffure of his afIli ion, that man is to be numbred with the wicked, -though, noother evidence or wítnefs appear or fpeak a word ' against him. Hence, The peculiar opinionof Eliphaz rifes thus ; That all the outward evils, which over-take man in the courfe of this life, are the pro ceeds of his own fin, and fo from the procefs of Gods jufiice. Hegives us thisfence, for his in ex'pref termes,Chap.4.. 8". They that plow iniquity and fow wickednefs reap the fame ; which he applies pvr¡o_. orally to yob (Chap. 22, vcr f 5, 6,) Is not thy wick ednefs
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