66a Chap. t 4, AnExpofition span the Book of JOB. Verf.2o; He deflroieth alto the vainhopes ofgood men ('tis poffible for fuch to have vain hopes) hopes of long life, of profperous daies, ofriches, and ofgreat things for themfelves : They Tome times prl3jef as vainly as the world', and jóiit with thole in a- ílion, from whom they are feparated by profeflion. The Lord in mercy blafleth thefe hopes of good men, that they maybe taught to fix their hopes on better things. He thews how weak and withering the creature is , though in their hands that their hearts may be wholy fet on him, We enjoy God molt when we hope leaf} in man , and God doth therefore defiroy the vain hopes of fomemen, that they may enjoy himfelf more. As all the hope of hypocrites (hall be deflroied fo (hall fame hopes of thofe who are fincere. Thou defiroiefi the hope, of man , that is , in deflroying thofe things upon which man hopes , thou deflrotefl the hope of man the as or habit of hope is often put for the objea of it. Man hopes in mountains material and metaphorical he trufls in the rocks and none's of the earth , or in the things that grow out of the earth , riches and plenty. All thefe things are deflroyable, and when thefe are deflroied , the hope of tnoft men is deflroi- ed : if the matter upon which our hopes are fixed be perifhing, our hopes (hall perilh : we cannot raife a 'fife or a firm buil- ding upon arotten or an unfound foundatior. Eat thly things, the mountains of the earth cannot make a pillar to prop up the hope ofman, when God will pull it down. I'have from former paffages in this book fhewed how great a poffeflion hope is , and that even the light of nature in fome hath preferred it before all their poifefiïons. I have alto (hewed that it is the lafl peece which man quits the poffeflion of in his greateft extremities and that when that's gone, all is gone. Man bath nothing more to be deflroied , when once his hope is de- flroied: if our hope be prevailed over, we are prevailed over for ever : Jobs difcourfe leads us to this conclufion in the next verfe. Yerfe zo. Thou prevailef for ever againfi bina, andhepaffeth, thou changefi his countenance, and fendef him away. Thisverle explains the applicationof the fimilitude, when the Lord deflroieth the hope of man, heprevaileth againft him for ever. Thou
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