516 Chap. 6. An Expefition upon the Boohof J 'O'B. Verf. 21 ends for which he had received life. Ne was a prodigal, and had deferred his fathers fervice,thereforehis father looked upon him as if (all that while)he had not been at all. That's the defcription of the dead, as f acob laid of Jofeph (when he concluded him torn by a wild beall) jofepb is not, andRachel would not be-com- fortedfor her children, becaufe they were not ; So faith the Father of the Prodigal, This my fon was dead, or he was not ; he was no help nor comfort to me. We no longer deferve the name, or reputation ofAny thing, than we do thole things for which we are. Ifwe leave our duty (upon the matter) we lofe our na- ture, and are as if we had no being, while we reach not Cat lealì whilewe reach not after the end of our being. AHeathen con- cludesof fucha man, He bath only been, be bath not lived. But Fuit,nontiaú, we may from the warrant ofjobs Rhetorick,go a degree further, and-deny that he bath been,For be is, as ifhe hadneverbeen,a meer nothing. From thofe words [ Ye fee my caftiug down, andare afraid. Note, That forxe man is able to bear more than another is able to be- bold.The tight of fearful things caufeth fear;further obferve from it, Afearful man will never be a helpful man. Courage in a day of trouble, either ofour own or others, is a great cure oftrouble,yea a victoryover it. There is one fear very good, when we fee the calling down ofour friends; To be afraid ofprovoki,ngGod, to calk us down (Deut. 17. 13.) they /hall bear andfear, and do no moreprefumptuoufly;What fhall they hear ?they Thal! hear how God hath call men down, or call down a Nation by his judgments, they (hall hear of this and fear. How (hall they fear ? they !hall fear to do prefumptuoully, fear to provoke that God whocan thus call'down menand Kingdoms : it is good to be thus afraid, but these is a finful fear, when fear diforders or unfits us to put our hands to the help ofthofe,whoare call down, and to adminiller comfort to thofe who are in fo.rrow ; filcha was the calling down and the fear here meant; they were fo afraid that they could not lend job a.hand, or give him advifed counfel tofupporthis fpirit. !hall add one obfervation fromhe general rope of the fmi liitude. That an unfaithful friend faller us mot, when we have moff need
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