23 Chap.12. An Expofition upon theBookof JOB. Verf. fq., and ifêc:'orn will attempt to better his condition, andbuild again, I will main make dellate:asfaft as Edom repaires,I will pull down. ManJhall never make up .the ivork_s which Godhathfigbted, rill Joe hath leavefor itfrom heaven.' (Pfal.2S.5.) Becauf they regard not the works ofthe Lord, hefha11 deftroy them, andnot build them ttip,that is,he !hall deftroy them,& they thall not be built. For un- lefs God himfelf will buid what he bath deftrayed, no man can, (140f.6.1.) Let ue return unto the Lord, for hebath torn, andhe. will heal us ; If God make the wound,, it is not in the skill or Chirurgery of man to give a plaifter : Hebathfnitten asp and he will bindus up, when you have got a wound fromGod , you cannot get your cure from the creature ; . man tears and God heals, man fmites , and God binds us up ; but if God tear and (mite, he mutt bind. up and heal, or elfe we can never be healed : our wound and our falve come from the famehand. When Je- richo was deftroyed, the Lord faid by Iofhua, Ç'urfedbe the man that raifeth upand buildeth this City Jericho, hefhall lay thefaun- dation thereofin hisfirfl born, and in hisyoungeft fonpall he fa tip thegates of it, (Jo.h.6.a6.) We find that for five hundred years none attempted to build this City, the curieofGod lay fo heavy upon it ; but after five hundred years, whether the man forget- ting what was fpoken , or prefuming that now after fo long a time , God would forget what be had fpoken and not make it good : One Hilethe Bethelite (as you may read it King 16.34.) built it, but how ? By building that,he pulled downhimfelf for faith the Text, He laid thefoundation thereof inAbiramhis frfta born, andfet up thegates thereof in'his youngeft fnSegub, actor.. ding to the wordof the Lordwhich he fpake by Jofhua the fonof Nun, The meaning is this ; when he laid the foundation of that City,the curieof God fell upon him,and his eldeft fon died,God pui'd down the belt part ofhis living thoufe , his eldeft fon, and yet be would not be warned of the judgement of God, but went on to finith Jericho (for letting up the gates notes the accomplifh- ment °f ins work , as laying the foundation lignifies the begin- ning ofit) and what came of that? then the Lord flew his young- ell fon , r:elit up thegates thereofin his ycemmefi finSegub., he built Jericho but he could not deliver himlelffrom the curie ; Gad did not fay, this city (hall never be built but curled be be that builds it , and this curie (hall be upon him , He fhalllry the fortndation thereofin his firft born , and in hisyoungelftonpall he fit
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