Chap. g. An Expoftion upon theBoek of J OB. Verf. 12. 235 ing ofaprey, or in making a man reflore, we flop and flay his (iet, vassals- I courfe,,ttherefore the word is indifferently applied to both. psrabttaurtre Others underfland it in this fence, If he taketh away, who Ail) d" pr t auto hïnder him ? that is, who can turn him from his purpofe ?who can idam sonde, flop him in the thing he hath a mind to do ? The vulgar tranila- vaea fed do tion varies much, If hefuddenlyasks man a queffion, who fhall be info Dao intel- able to an firer him? The Hebrew word which fì nities to return, gunt. f g rievorsbit enuir im lignifies to anfwer,anfwering is the returnofa word(Prov 8.130 àpropofiro? He that aufwereth (or returneth a word) before he beareth a matter. Si repente in But I (hall lay that by,though the abettours ofthe Vulgar make a !roger quit r,- great flore of it ; interpreting theirmeaning thus, if. the Lord fu,jdebit ei. cite a man to judgement, and bringhim to tryal, man is not able Pet quod re- 'to anfwer him,or plead his own caufe. Man cannot Stand before fpondens tow_ the Lord. Obferve hence, vertupod in. Fill, that, All our comforts are in the power ofGod ? ter'roganrem Ifhe taketh`away,fuppofeth he can take away, and he can take fpóÿ f ,od all away, and do us no wrong. It is no robbery if God rob us, ,,,WY,re¡liru. his roblçry is no wrong:why?becaufe he comcs not as a thief,but aturq; ranquam as aLord andMailer ofour ef#ates;he may come and rake them a- debitum inter- way as he pleafeth, and when he pleafeth. roganti. Secondly, Note this from it, He taketb away. That which Goddoth by the handofthecreature, is to be reckoned as his ownail. He takethaway when creatures take away. It is feldome that God dealeth immediately with,us in thefeoutward providences; he fends men,flirsinflruwents to4owhat is done.But that which mandoth, the Lord doth (Ifa. 42. 24.) Who gave Jacob to the fpoylers, and Ifrael to the robbers ? Did-ízot I the Lord? Men fpoil'd and robbed them, yet it was the Lords aa to fend thofe fpoilers, Didnot I the Lord? As that which man doth in fpirituals is the Lords ac`s, whenman convertethand faveth, it is the Lord that faveth and converteth ; when man comforteth and refrefhethby, applying the promifes,it is the Lord that comforteth and refreih- eth ; when man gives refolution in doubts,it is the Lord that re- folveth doubts ; mans as is the Lords. So here, when man rob- beth and fpoyleth us, the at is from the Lord, though the wick= ednefsofthe aá is from the man.TheLord fuffers men to fpoyl & undous,yea the Lordorders them to fpoyl us:it is done not only by his permiflìon,but by his commitfion;not only with 'his leave, but by his appointment, I will fend him ag,iniï stn hypocritical H h 2 .Nation,
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