Chap. to. Bn Expof!ion upon the Bookof.I O B. Verf.t6. 553 See thon mine afjáiaton, for it encreifetb. This is a-clear and a fair .fenf:: job intending to-defcribe his efîate more-fully, fheweth it,fiill upon,tfaeencreafe, waxing wade and worfe, greater and greater. As if he had laid, mint are a pile-or heap of afllidions, Effarr fete dr. and (till more are piled, and heaped on. fliúia mea Ete- There i, an elegancy in it, as taking in theother fence, for pride RantiaatemJr- or lifting up. See my a(llidion, it waxetbpoud. For as thewaves guru dies, of the fea are called.proud waves, when they fwell and encreafe-: quoEefasreffee So an affliction encreaLing and fwelling maybe calledaproud af- er rat. diction. Some afflictions like a great tea rife above us, and (land morbo'er dolo- overus ; or like a cruel mailer domineer and infùlt upon us. yob's ri tribuit, cam afflictions were proud ones, they came upon himwith a kinde of`t °t°raboninem authority, as if they would lay him at their very feet. Hence pVdtt.;Mere. obferve, Thywho have endxredverygreat oflielioof, may yet finde .their a$ritiansgreatning and encreaftng. He had Paid before,l am-JO ofconfufion,and .yet herehe faith,my afielion encr,eafeth.Wlien we have as much as we think our backs can bear, yet (poliìbly) more weight may be laid on. When we hope our affliction is upon the declining hand, that thofe wa- tersare at an, ebbe, and the fire flicking, then they may flow higher, and the .Furnace maybe heated !even times hotter then before. The Lord threatneth obfinate and rebellious finners (Levit. 26.) I will punifh youyet feven timer more for yourfind: Though I have brought fuck calamities upon you, that ye have been ready to fay, Purely, nowGod [bath done his worff, we are in as bad a cafe as] we can be ; no, faith the Lord (who bath . infinite wifdome to finde out wayes ofafilicting,as well as of(hew- ing mercy) I will punifb,you yet feven times .more for your fins ; na man knower howmuch more God canpunifh him; his judgements in the executing of them , as well as in the laying ofthem, are pail finding out. We know not the.bginning of them, neither do weknow when they will end. Now as the Lord atliQ'eth force (even times more for the punifhment of their fins, fo others feven times more for the tryall of their graces : fufferiugs are feat in perfection, to make us moreperfect thorow fufferings ; afflicti- ons fwell with pride, to abate the fwellings ofour pride, or to thew how thofe fweliings are abated into humility. Gad hath unfearchabie riches and treafures of cha(lenings, as well as of wrathor of love. And as when we think we have received as E b b b much
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=