Chap. to. AnExpofrtion upon the Book, of J O B. Verf. 7. 475 fourty years in the wildernefs to humble thee, and prove thee, to knot' what was in thins heart, whether th;r wouldeft keep his Com- mandments or no. The Lord r3cedednot fourty years no nor one tninutcs experience to make up his thoughts concerning that pep- plc ', he knew what they were at 4ír11 right; and what theywould prove (even a (lubborn, an unbelieving and a back- tliding peo- ple) before thcy were, God proved then,?, not to know what was m their hearts, but that we might know it : that what he knew by his internal, immediate infpedión, others allo fright know by external oblervatiou.' It wouldnot have been believed, that they were fo bad, if God had not drawn it out by that fourty years variety of his difpenfati.ons towards them. Or BZfs dcfcribes God after the manner of men, who prove things that they may know them, wwhcteas indeed God knows, and then proves them. Thirdly, Confidering how fob comes in with this affurance [Thou knoweff that I am not wicked] to relieve hitnfelf in his firefs, we may obfirve, ,. That it is matter of bighe1 confelatiox to remember that God knows them. That God knows their hearts and lives, it the joy of their hearts and lives. How rejoycingly cloth David fpeak (Pfal.t 39 I, 2.) 0Lord, thou haft fearchedme and known me, thou knoùett my down -fitting andmine up- riling, &c. He Teems tobe as glad that God knew him, as that God would fave him. My nitnefs is in besven, and my record is on high, was fobs retort again, when his friends fcorned him (chap. I.6. 19 ) There arc no tniftakei in God ; he will give right evidence, as a wituefs, and a righte- ous fentcnce, as a Judge. Again, That God knows us, antes us, Firíl, That what we have done (hall not be forgotten; God it not unrighteous toforget our workand labour of love, &c. Heb.6. to. Itaffçtres u`a Secondly, That we (hall not be mif-interpreted for what we have done. The reafòn why many men have fo ill an opinionof others, is,becaufc they have fo little knowledge of them. Igno- rance makes as corrupt gloffes,as unfound defcilions upon perlons and af# ions,; as it loth upon texts or queflions. Some pervert knowingly and againfi light, but moll pervert ignorantly and for want of Iight. -God knows us. perfectly, and he never ads a- Lainit his knowledge. It ail'ures us, Pp p 2 Thirdly, the Saints, to know.and
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