Chap, 6. An Expofician upon the Book of JOB. Verf, io. 463 concealed the words ofthe holy One, There is a double hiding, or concealment of the truth. There is fiat a hiding from danger ; Secondly,la hiding from ufe. Theis is a hiding to keepa thing Cafe, that others (hall not take it from us;and there isa hiding to keep a thing clofe,that others may not take the benefit of it,withus.When is faid,that Mary, and David, 'and the wife Merchant, hid the word ofGod, it was, leati they themfelves fhould lofe it, leaf} any one fhould deprive them of ir, they hid it fromdanger : they laid it up as a treafure in their hearts, but they did not hide it from the knowledge, or ufeofo- thers ; and that is+it which lob affirmes of himfelf,lhavenot con- cealed thewords ofthe holy One. And there are four wayes by which the word ofGod is finfully hid or concealed, ¡ from all which lob feemes to acquit himfelf. The firti is,when we conceal the word ofGood by our own f- lence; when we know the word and truth ofGod, and yet we draw a vail over them, by not revealing them:The Apoftic Paul As 20. 27.) acquits himfelfin this, to the Church of Ephe- fur, I have notfhunned to declare untoyou the whole counjelof God; and verfe 2o. You know how I kfpt backnothing, that was profitable untoyou. Silence, to velaat is fp:,ke4, is content : and fitence when we f,ouldfpeak, is concealment. There is a fecond way ofconcealing the -word ofGod, and that is by ulencing others Some conceal the words of the holy One themfelves, and they cannot endure that others fhould publifh them: The chief Pridts tor,-: Rulers (Aalsq,. 18.) charged, Peter and John, that they Jhauld not (peak at all, nor teach any more in the name ofJefits : They would hop the Apoftles mouths from fpeakiag the words of the holy One : There keep the truth lockt up (as Chritt charges the Lawyers, Task 1 t. 52.) by taking away the key of knowledge, Thirdly,There is a concealing of the word ofGod, under falfe glares and.mif interpre tations,ora hiding ofit under errours and mif conetru6ions;this is a very dangerous way of concealing the words ofthe holy One:thePharifees made the LawofGod ofnone effect, by thLir xpofitions, as well as by their traditions, by the fence they endde ofit,as well as by the additions they madeunto it Ftoárthly, ThL wordof the holy One,may be concealed in our praEtile and convezfations. The -poftle exhorts (Phil,.2416.) To hol-dforth the word oflife ina pure eonverfation. The lives of Chràdtà-
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