Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v2

IC$ Chap. 4. A;t.Expaf,-tion upon the Book of j O B. VcrC i7. the more pride lofes,the more we àin, And we feldom or never lofè any thing, but by pride. Now faith God, Deut, 8. r. If you would have au account, why I brought my people about in the wildcrnefs, through fo many difficulties; know,this was my de- ligne, It :rds to humble them. God refills pride wherefoever he finds it (they in whom pride totally prevailes, are Gods enemies and he refills thern; they in whom pride bath force yea great pre - valency, may be Gods friends, and God will refill pride in them: the difference is obfervable between refilling ofpride,and refilling the proud ; the refillingof the perfon, and the refilling of the fin, The great affitlance,ívhich Godmakes againft the pride of mans heart, is by the rods of afif ion ; he whips them into humility, and by taking away carnal comforts, takes them off from carnal confidence. And 0 bleffed afflibion which makes ur l is to ourfelves, and all creatures lefr to us. We are never fo much in Gods eye, as when we are leafl in our own : nor have we ever fo much of God, as 'when weexpet little, or lean fromman; fay therefore it is well with the righteous, when they are in the deeps of afiiLion ; for it is but tobring them offtheir Mountains ofpride, that they may be exalted in the fcrength and love of God, even upon the Mountains of his Holincfs and their glory for ever. Thirdly, AfRitions bring the Saints nearer to God. Troubles abroad caufe the Soul to look inwards and homewards. It there any hurt in being brought nearer to God? It it goodfor me to draw near unto God,fayesDavid; and it is good for us to be drawn near unto God,ifwe will not come ofour felves:Jt is a defireable vio, knee, which compels us Heaven-ward. Heaven is but our neareft being unto God;and by how much we are nearer God on Earth,fó much the more we have ofHeaven, upon Earth.ArEidions(as in the Prodigals example )put us upon thoughts ofrerurning toGod, and themore we return, thenearer weare unto him ; returning thoughts will not retl, but under our fathers roof: yea, returning thoughts will not reft,till we aregot intoour fathers arrnes,orun- der the fhadowof his wing, and this a happy condition indeed. As it was withMeths Dove (Gen. 8. g.) when the was lent forth of the Ark, fhe could find no place for the foal cf her foot to real on ; the knew not whether to go,for the waters were on the face of the whole earth; therefore the returneth back, and comes ho -, vering about the Ark,as deliring to be taken in. but a fter the wa- ters were affwaged,he fent out a Dove,whicli returned to himno more

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