194 Chap, , An Expofition upon the Boole of ] Q B. Verf. 3. When a wicked man is in health God curfeth him,when he is rich God curfeth him, when all men honour admire and flatter him, God abhorreth,hatesand detefis him ; he can be inno condition, but he is lure to meet with the curie of God. As a foolith man, a wicked man, gives God many things,but he never gives God his love, or his affection ; A.wicked man may give God prayers, but he dothnot give him his love ; he may give him praiCes, but he never gives him any lovc;he may give God his purfe, but he gives not his love or his heart ; whether fuch a fool praifeth God, or prayeth to God,or.giveth unto God, he:hatethGod. So likewife, whatfoever God gives to a wicked man he hates him, whatfoever he beftowes on him he curfeth him This fhould awake men roo- ted in the earth, to confider whether they are under theinfluences of Gods eternal love, as well as under the influenceof temporal blethings : This is the ground of Davidr conclufion, Pfal. 37.16. A little that the righteous bath, it better than the riches of many wicked : the reafon is this, becaufe many ungodly ones, fwim- -nning in a full fea ofriches, have not fo much as onedrop of the love of God, nor onebeam or ray ofthe light of his countenance fhiningupomthem: but a godly man,if he have but a final] eftate, he hath much love mixed with it, if he have but a little purfe, he hath a largeportion ofthe favour of God in it,and this makes it fo out-worthand out value a wicked mans eftate,this puts the price and ffamps an excellency upon his little. The love of GodBoth fo far exceed,the fatners of the earth, in the efteem of Saints, that they in rating their effates, reckon not upon earthly things at all, ithey fee nothing to value themfelves by, but their intereffs in the loveof God. As when God gives his people their portion, he looks uponoutward things, as meer additionals, or as an over plus given in by way of vantage: All other things ¡hall be added (Math. 6. 33.) when a man calls in a handful of wheat after the bathe! is full, or gives a fingers breadth after the due meafure of the cloath; fo it is in the cafeof all temporals bellowed upon the Saims : Then fourthlynote ; Outward good things, are no argument of thefavour of God. As we (hewed _before, that, theyare no evidences ofthe good refs ofa perfon, fo neither are they .any evidences ofthe grace and favour of God .unto: a .perfon, . A man cannotfind an evi. deuce of Gods love in hispurfi in hit land, in his honour, in bit cre- dit: Y ea a man may flourifh in better things than.thefe I fpeak of, and
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