Chap. 4. An Expofttion upon the Bo®kof J OB. Verf. xi. ruption) cannot inherit incorruption; hence it was , that when but a little of God broke forth, the holieft and belt ofmen in the world,fell a flaking and,trembling,as not being able to bear that tranfcendent majefly,fhining out in thole weaker refraáedbearoes ofglory. Secondly, Seeing God coming at this time to inflruft Eliphaz, and reveal a great truth to him, was pleafed to deal thus with him, to make him (hake and tremble, we may note, That God tefuallyhumbles a man, and layes him very low, before he exalts him in the manifeftations of his truth or power. Humiliations prepare and pofture the heart for revelations. The reafon is, be- cauf God deli Its to have a man humbled,beforehe be inftrucied, aul (thouJ ; ac humble a foul as lived) was in danger to be ex. alted aavaze me.rfure, through the aboundance of revelations, (2 Cor, t a.) Even knowledg (through our corruption) is apr to p.itl'up, and therefore we had need to-have the bladder prickt, and our fpirits laid flat, for the receiving of knowledg Only Mumble ones are fit to be Gods Scholars ; he will teach none elfe, ht refi(teth a proud man, then furely he will never teach a pt' ud man ; The meek, mill he teach bis way ; Ye breaks our pfal. will, before he truflsas with the ferrets of his Will When the fpirits of men lie in the dull;, when they tremble and íhake,when all their bones are afraids and rottennefs enters into them, then they ate prepared veífels, to receiveand take in the dew and in- fluences of divine Revelation. When God made that molt memo- rable manifetlation of hind-elf, to the ancient Church, ingiving the Law ; we read how he terrified theta], how he humbled and abated them: How dreadful was the preparation to the giving of the Law ? The Apoflfle defcribes it, (fhb. 12. i8, 20, 2z.,/ by blacknefr, and darkjefr, and to;npeft, fo that they could not en- dure that Which w er commanded ; and fo terrible was the fight, that Moles fail, I exceedingly fear andquake ; ï confefs the Law ni it fell, wasa terrible, a ,'filling letter; and that, which might,, well make the world to fluke, and men to tremble : If (as Lu- ther faith) but one precept or fentence of the Lawfhouldbe left. in its full power and ftrengtb (mans fin) it would defiroy mankind, andmake all the world (beeaufeguilt)) tremble and fallbefore it.; yet it was not barely the matter of the Law revealed, which caufed this trembling : that was written in the heart of man before. and was now publifhed to theJews, withgracious, with O Gap el 97
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