Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

56 Chap. t t. esin 6xpoftion upon the 73o&of J B. Verf.7. ( Verse 7. Canfl thou by fearching finde out God npri The word implies exafteft diligence to finde. Cant thou by Peifirutatua fearching finde ? that is; Cana thou finde by all thy ftudies and eft iuitjivit endeavours ? There is a findingby chance or accident , as well as enuta aut ab- a finding by fearch. Some cannot finde what they fearch for : o thers finde what they fearch not for (Pfal.tx6. 3.) The for- rows ofdeath compaffedme, andthe pains of hell got hold upon me, I found trouble and forrow, I found trouble which I lookt not for, I was not fearching after furrow, but I found it. Ther's an elegan- cy in the original (note that by the way) Thepains ofhell got holdupon me ; fo we read ; the Hebrew is Tne pains ofhellfound one (one word dignifies both) they found me, I did not finde them. But no sooner had the pains of hell found me , but I found trouble and borrowenough, and loon enough. But uftially the word noteth a finding (as here) upon enqui- ring. Canfl thou by fearching finde-? Cant} thou finde out God, by thy exa&tefl fcrutiny, by the trial ofall thy wits, or by the im- provement of all thy abilities ? That which is eafie, is found with little fearch ; That which is hardeft cannot be found with all our fearch. When God would thew the obvioufnes and opennefs of the fin of man , he faith , I have not found it by fecret fearch, but upon all thefe, Jer.z. 34. Their lins are evident to every eye. Here when Zophar would Phew the myfterioufnes of the wildom of God , he faith , Thou canfl not finde it by the moil fe- cret fearch. Freafentuonque But you will fay , Cannot God -be found by fearching ? refers qualibet God is every where, The invifible God is every where vibble. herba Doom. Senfe fees fomewhat of him , though faith fees molt (Ty faith Mofes raw him that is invifible, Heb.i t.) Senfe thews fomewhat of him to thofe who have no faith. You might read much of God in the book ofnature if youhad not the book of Scripture to read. Thus the Apoftie convinceth the Gentiles (Rom.'.z,o.) The invifible things of Cod, to wit, his eternalpower and God - head, are feen in the things that are made ; And how are they seen ? What ? by opening their bowels, or by looking into their heart ? No, If you look but upon the face, the furface of the creature, if but upon the rináe theout- fide of the things that are made , e- ;ven their external form and fashion , their beauty and order -draw goodly lines , and make fair reprelentations of God hirnfeif, even

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