I.2 Chap.-4. r> Expofition upon the Book of J O B. VerCi7. man ; what prcfumption is it then, for a weak min to compare with the mighty God ? 'fora reed to compare in tirengthwith a rock? for darknefs to compare with light? fora cloud to compare with .the Sun? for death to compare with life ? for folly to corn- pare with wifdom? for uncicannefs to compare with holinefs? for nothing to compare with All, how prefumptuous? Trill y provoke the Lord : faith the 'Apoftle, t Gar. I o .)are ye flronger then he'? It implies, that Cotne fuch thoughts lodge in man, as if he could make his párty good, with God, or might be flronger then he. And it is cquai folly in us, and provocation againtl the Lord, to think our felves jufter, as to think our felves tironger then he. And then mark the other terms of oppofition ; Man andNs Maker.: Shall the great man,compare with, or be morepure thenhis Maker ? as if he fhould fay, how great and excellent (Dever this man is, he was made,and made by God, withwhom he thus com- par,s, then whom he thinks himfelfmore pure. And (hall the thing formed, (land upon terms with him that formed it? fhali the potfheard or the pot, contend with the Potter ? what though it be anexcellent veffel, a veffel determined for the moll excellent ends and ufes ? whatfoever it is, it was made to be, and made to be by God, both in its conttitution and ufes. Shall it then boat' it felfagainft its Maker? The Lord made Geber as wellasEnq , the thong man, as well as the weak, the wife and learned man, as well as the fóolifhand ignorant, the noble as well as the bafe,the holy ánd righteous as well as the wicked and pro- phane ; in a word, Theveffels of honour are as much, yea more of hip marking then theveffcls of difbonour, thalt they then be more purethen their Maker? hath the Lord given more to others, then he hath an himfelf? haft} he -made a.creature his fuperiour,or h , Peer ? hath his bounty itnpaired his Own flock, or bath he made man more then God ? That God, hath made the belt out of t ,z duft,is enough to lay all.our pride and boafling as low äs the duff, That,what we are,we arefram another,fhould ever keepus hums late in our felves. Thirdly, Take this Conclufion, That God in I. mJe f` it moll jxi4 andpure. Shallntorta:f man be more jeefi then Gad? The que- Ilion bath this pofition in it, that God is infinitely juli, infinitely pure, therefore heisperfeálypure,perfeily juft. God is efï'en- tial Juftice, e1iential purity ; Juthce and purity are not quali- ties
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