Chap. 9. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Verf r t. 229 workof jxfiification bygrace,in the dark, For (faith he) Godgoet, .elierrjfuae by us, andwe fee bim not ; hepafJ"eth on, and we perceive him not : bun, locue èi- That is,' as his glofs fpeaks ) God cometh in favour to juftifie, tat ßetlartni- or he leaveth under wrath, and yet man remains ignorant both of nus,ut prober the one, and of the other (late. Surely he was at agreat pinch to nulluat ftde!era finde a proof for his point, when he was forced to repair to this ciaetu "ttc. Scripture to Peek one. Providence toward mankinde ( not the ju[lification of a (inner) is the proper fubjeff of this text. And as there is nothing for a blind-fold juftitìcation here, fo many other Scriptures are exprefly againft it. To fay that a man cannot know when God loveth him, or fhineth upon him, is to contradiF.f what our Saviour afferts, Joh.14.i,ß.1 willfend the Spirit oftruth, whom the werld cannot receive, becaufe it feet, him not, neither knowethhim; butye knewhim,for be dwellethwithyou, andjhall be inyox. Te knowhim, faithChrift to his people; the Saints fee Gad in a fpirituall fenfe, or in his workings upon their fpirits. And though God works much upon our fpirits, which we know not, yet we have apromife of the Spirit, by whom we know God in his workings. Fewknow when God is nigh, or when he is afar off what his goings away mean, ar what,his comings. But whex he cometh to the Saints, they know he cometh , and when he hideth or departeth from them, they know his hidings are de- partures. Hence their joyesand over- flowings ofcomfort,when he mauifefls his pretence; and hence their bitter complainings and cryings after him, where he feems to abfentJimfelf and hide his face : yet this Text bath a truth in it, in reference to the inward and fpirituall, as well as the outward providential! dealings of God, that fometimes, He goeth by .ut, and wefee him not ;hepafreth onalto, and we perceive him not. Hence' learn, Firft, That God is invifrble in his efrence, and incomprebenfible in many ofhis allions. Mans eye cannot fee him : Mans underftanding cannot comprehendwhat he doth. But why fpeaks Job this,as a matter ofwonder,ifit be the com- mon condition of man-kinde ? Behold, hepafreth by, and Ifee him not ; who can fee him, who can perceive or comprehend him ? When Mofe: ( Exod.33.2c.) defired to fee his face, the Lord an fwers, Noman can fee myface snd live; God fpake to Mof eiface to face, that is, familiarly, as a man fpeaketh to his friend, yet Mo- f: did not, could not fee the face of God. No man can fee God in
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