Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v3

Chap.8 An Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Verf 8, to their Children. God path al wayshad a book ofhis aets and mo- i uments; as wellas of his laws and inflitutions. Names given to children and yearly feafls, to Hones and pillars, have been the pre- fervatives and memorials ofhis wonderful works. The works of coda.re his Holinefs, Juflice, Power, Mercy, Truth made vifble, Thead áinif}.rations of God in one àge,are for the inflruffion ofall ages God fpa ke with Jacob only in perfon at Bethel, yet there the .Scripture faith he fpake with all his profperity, Hof, 12.4. He foundhian in Bethel, and there he fpake with us. It is then a debt to poiierity, to .thew them what God bath ddne for us. Ob- `erve., Secondly, That itis our duty to enquire into the dealingsof Gádint all ages. It was their dutybefore the wordwas written, and it is a duty dill. The works of God are tobe fludiedand read over as well as his word, Deut,420. & 32. Asknow ofthe days that are paJt;whieh were before thee, fince the day that Godcreated manupon earth ; and askfrom one fideofheaven to another, enquireevery way to fee whe- ther ,ever Gad dealt with a people, a he bath dealt with thee, whe- ther God didever affay to take to himfelf a Nation from the mid- deft of another Nation by temptations, and by ftgns, andby wonders, ec. Enquire thisofall the former times. So,lleut. 32. 7, Remem- berthe days of old, confider theyears ofmany generations,askthyfa- ther and be willPhew thee, thy Eldei r,and they will tell thee. The 1PfaItnikl promif:es to rehearfe what there were enjoyned to record, . Ffal. 7-. 3, r. I will open my mouth in aparable, Iwill utter dark jayings ofold, which we.have-heard andknown, andourfathers have told its. Our fpeaking of,and enquiring into, what Godbath done,. Thews the harmony between his word and works. And the for- mer . providences of God are food for our faith, as well as the pro- aifes of God. Thirdly, That which I íhall rather infili upon, is this, Trueantiquity ever gives a teftimony to the truth. Hence theProphets fend the people back to antiquity, ityjer.6. t 6a Enquire for the good did-way. Every old way is not a good way, but in every good old way we may walk fafely and fee the foot oa àïntigui; fleps of truth. it isa received rule, That ,;:s trueft which is ancient- iare ..eft, I-tiscertainlyfo, fortruth is not only ancient, but eternal. Trut is as old as God himfelf , for Truth is nothing elfe but the Mindof G,od, truthWaswith.God from everlafting. Truth is com- monly

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