Chap. 5, AnExpofition upon the Book of J O B. ver. ;. i89 Further, he gives them leave to take root and flourifh (whom he could blab and root up everymoment) that all may fee ahat is in their hearts. If God did not permit them to take root, yea, and Cometimes togrow up and flourifh, we thould never fee what fruit they would bring forth : we thould never fee thole grapes of gall, thofe bitter clutters ; if thefe vines of Sodome, and fields of Gomoerah,werenot watered with the dew,and warmed with the Sun of outward profperity. Latily, The profperity of wicked men, is a great tryalof good men; Thefiourifhing ofthe ungodly is asffrong an exercife of their graces, as their eren withering:. Obferve fecondly, That wicked men may not only flourifh and grow, but they may flourifh andgrow a great while. I ground it upon this, the text faith that they take root, I have feen the feolifh' taking root, and the word notes a deep rooting. In the parable of the fower train .,. (Matt. ia,. zr.) it is Paid, that the feed which fell into flony ground withered, becaufe it bad no root, noting, that the caule of a fudden decayor withering in any plant, is the want ofrooting ; whereas a tree well rooted, will endure many a blafl, and Rand out a florin. Some wickedmen Rand out many ¡formes, like old Okes, like trees deeply rooted, they Rand many a blaft, yea many a blow : fpec`.fators are ready to fay, fuch and fuch Itormes will certainly overthrow them, and yet !till they Hand : but though they (land fo long, that all wonder, yet they (hall fall, that many may rejoyce ; and take up this proverb againjt them (as of old againft the King of Babylon) How loath the oppreffor ceafed ?The Lord bathbroken the fíaffe of the wicked, and the fcepterof the Ru- ler: : He who fmote the people in wrath,with a continuedjiroke, he that ruled in the Nationwith anger is perfecuted, and none hindreth. Thereforemany fhall breakforth intoftnging, yea the Fir-tree: float' rejoyce at him,and the Cedar: of faying, finee thou art laid - down nofeller it come upamongfi us, Ifa. 14. Third:y obferve, Outward good things are not good in themfelves. The fooli(la take root,The worn of men may enjoy the bell of outward com- forts. Outward thing: are unto u:, aswe are. If the man be good, then they are good. And though the Preacher tells us; Ecclef, g. That all thing: come alike unto all, yet all things are not alike unto all There is a great difference between the flourithing of a wife mean, and the flourifhing of a fool , all his flouri(hing and"fafi ning.;
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