Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v2

Chap. ¢. An Expofrtion upon the Bookof J O B. 'lit,1.6, finely but an hypocrite, for if thy fear were true, it would have preferved thee from there impatient complainingsand diftempers. Hence obferve , :That, true fear, h9ly fear, prefersles sloe foul,and,keeps it holy. Holy fear; is as a.golden bridle to the foul, when it would run out to any evil : It is like the banks to the fen, which keeps in the raging waves of corruption, when they would overflow all. If thou hadí fear indeed, thou wouldefl never thus break the hounds of patience. The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil, that's the definition of it therefore if thou hadtl any tear of God indeed, thou wouldefi never have 'done this evil, Curfe thy day. Prov. 14. 27. The fear of the Lord is afountain ofl;fè,to de- partfrom the Jitares of death ; that is, either from fin, which is fpiritual death, or fromdamnation,which is perpetual death; the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from both theft fuares of death ; where this fear is not, we are ready to joyne with every evil, and fo to fall into the jaws of every death. Abraham (Gen. 20. i 1.) argues fo, The fear of the Lord is not in thisplace, therefore they trill kill me ; when we perceive a bent of fpirit, todcvife evil, and a readinefs of the hand to praaifs it,- (we may conclude) the fear of the Lord is not lodged in that heart. Fourthly, °bferve, That trufi, or confidence in God, fettles the heart inall conditions. Is not this thy confidence ? Thyconfidence certainly is but a íhidow, for if it had been real, thouhaft been eflablifhed and upheld,notwithflauding all that weight ofafifi- on that lies upon thee. When there was an unquietncfs upon the foul of David, he fittI queflions his foul 3boat it, Why art thou. difquieted0 myettl ; and then direCl:s,truff in God, Pfal. 42.11. So the Prophet promifeth, ( Ifá. 26.3.) Him wilt thou egtablifh in f e, fret peace, whofe heart cloth truft upon thee. They that trujt in the Lordfhall be as Mount Zion, Pfal. 125, 1. He that is carried and toa thusabout, with every wind of trouble and gufl of for- row,1hcws he hath not call out this anchor ofhope upon th Rock Jefos Chrift. But here a queflion mull be anfwered, for the cicarin ofall,and liketvtfe for difcovering the f rength or weaknefs cf this argu- ment brought by Eliphaz, in this particular cafe of Job. Eliphaz taxed Job with hypocrifie, becaufe his graces did not ac ;'or they <l,id;not ad like tliemfelvcs,hke graces, he gave not proof of them at

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