Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

r o a Chap. 3. An Expofätion upon the Bock of JóB Verf. ia; unwilling tobe at the pains and trouble of reproving ; But the Lord will net forbear his reproof; God is nor afraid of any mans great looks, nor doth he want ability to reproveand con- vince the íloutetl tanners. He will convince the whole world, and ftop every mouth, hewill make-every one knowwhat he bath done , and acknowledge that he bath done amifs. Ordinary men, yea Minifters may flatter a people in their lins; and the Lord may leave them to Inch a judgement, that when they hate thofe that reprove it the gate, at lait they (hall have none to re- prove in the gate : TheyTai! have none but flatterers, even filch as daubewith.untempered morter, and few pillows under their elbows, crying peace,peace, wherethere is no peace ; Thus they Thall fatten them up with flatteries agairdid the flaughter of the great day ; a mans own heart and confcience is not alwa ys ina cafe to reprove him. It is fail of D,evid,as loon as he hadcut off the lap of Sauls garment, his heartfntor him , that is, his con- fcience reproved and checked him ; It is a happinefs, that when others reprove not, confcience both : But though confcience fail too, yet God will not , God is greater then our confciences ; and when confcience is afleep, God neither flumbretli nor fleepeth, and at tail hewill awaken confcience too. So that which way foeverwe. are flattered, whether by men or Satan, or byourown conicierices, yet God will furely reprove. Many are upheldby falle teilimonies in an opinion of their good eftate, when as their eflate is (lark naught :For as there ii a three- fold teilimony for the foul to affure it of a true peace, Thew4ter, the blood, and the fpirit ; fo in an allufion we may fay, that to flatter a man into an unfoundpeace, there is athreefold t&cinio- ny, a. from the world, i. from Satan, 3. from a man's own heart, thefe three joyn together to deceive the foul into a molt danger. ous fecurity ; but when theyhave done their belt ( which is in- deed wortt for us) to hide us from ourfelvesa the Lord difcovers all; no (inner (hall efcape his reproof, or if he efcapeit a while here, it is in judgement, and he fhalt not efcape it when the Lord comes as Judge. Secondly , Take itfor reprovingby puni(hment, and then Note , Thai no impenitent fiinner(hallefcape thevengeance of rod. The tvrseth ofGod :s revealedfraniheaven all tengodlinefs and unrighteonfnefsof men (Rom,i.a8.) Tri6ulat¡on ßnd onguifh upon

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