Chap. t t. An Expoftion upon the Book. of JOB. Verf. i t., ing but he knoweth only force (and then heknew butone fa- milyof the earth , that of the Jews) as ta_know is a work ofthe afeEtions, fruited with works of fpeciall mercy ; When the Lord faith to Ifrael,You have I known,hemeans,1 have Ihew'dyou mercy, I have done you good above all the families of the earth; but now Twill bring evil upon you.Abufed mercy turns to wrath, and the greater the mercy abufed is, the greater is the wrath. The Lord will not cocker his own children His neareft people, who lie in his bofome , Anil have firipes for their fins and broken comforts for broken Commandments. Will the Lord thus confi- der the failings and backflidings ofhis profeffed friends, and will he not confider the wickedneffes ofhis profeffed enemies ?When lehu was upon the execution of Gods deuign againíf the haufe of Ahab, and had (lain Joranì`his fon, he thus befpoke BidkZar his Captain, I rememberhow the Lord laidthis burdenoponhim_ Sure- ly 1havefeen the bloudofNaboth, andthe bloodofhis fans, faidthe Lord, and Iwill requite theein thisplot, 2 King 9. z9. 1have feen. God Taw , and he lawwith an eyeof vengeance. He law blond to requite it with blond (Pfah r o. i i .) The wickedbathfaidin his heart, God bathforgotten, he l ideth hisface, he will neverfee it. There's Pelf-flattery at thehigher Hence the conclufion'is ready verf.:3. The wicked contemns God, he bath[aid in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. This is the language of a wicked heart. But what faith the heart of .`David, the next words are the language ofhis heart, Thou haftfeen it, for thou beholdei in fchief,andfpight; to requite it with thyhand: As the hearts of men differ, fo du their opinions : An evil heart, will not allowGod to be a beholder of evil : A good heart is allured that he is,not only a beholder, but an avenger of evil. Let no man deceiveyou (faith the Apoítle, Ephef. $. 6.) with vain words (And let no man deceive himfelf, fay I, with vain hopes) for becaufeof theft things the wrathofGod cometh upon the children ofdifobedience. Difobedience is the fore- runner of wrath , where fin opens the door , judgement will en- ter (Pfal. 34. 160. The face ofthe Lord is againff them thatdoe evil. The face ofthe Lord is either his anger or his knowledge, The face of the Lord is againfl them that is, He Teeth, and his wrath goeth forth againíf what he feeth. Seeing them , he is a- gainft them ; They (perhaps) have cart their own fins, as well as the word of God behinde their backs. But God path riot caf their fins behinde his back, hisface is againíf them; and what to do? 3í
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