Chap.' 5. An Expofition upon the Bork, of J O B. Verf.35. 203 mans fpirit is drawn upon the things he doth ; his works are the image of his heart: As it is faid ofAdam in nature , He be. gat a SO4 in hif own likenefs; fo doth every man inmorals. Our aóìcions are as our felves are,they are begotten andbrought forth in our own likenefs , whether good or evil, only with this difference, Good aftionsare born inour fupernatural like- nefs ,evil anions in our natur¡l likenefs. Fourthly, As to bring forth vanity, imports , as was inter preted,either no fruit, or that which is not finable to the de. "ligns and defires of wicked men : Obferve. Sinful conceptions oftenprove abortive, and mifcarry ; they bring forth nothing, or nothing as they wouldhave it, who have conceived them. The birth is fometirnes fhort in degree., and not feldom contrary in kinde ; they have not what they ex- pea, yea, they havewhat they leaft expect (Pfa1.2.r.) Thy, do the heathen rage , and the people imagine a vain thing ? Why a vain thing ? Becaufe they cannot obtain their deute : it is vain to imagine the pulling downof Chrilts Kingdom , which mutt Rand for ever. Pharaoh defigned mifchief , Let us work zvife?y; (here is the language ofconceivers )"but he brought forthvanity, in all the notions fpoken of : ,vanity , as it was a finful and wicked aCt , vanity , as he failed in the thing he did expe t ; he thought to bring deftruaion upon Ifrael, but he could not ; he thought to fubdue the peopleofIfrael, and make them ¡laves for ever, but he could not He brought forth vanity alfo in the worfe fenfe, theiffue was contrary to his expectation, himfelf and his Army were fwallowed in the Red Sea_, and Ifrael was faved. Haman devifedmif- chief againl1 the Jews , but he brought forth vanity ; he did not effeCt what he intended againfl them, this was vanity;nay, it wrought the contrary way, himfelf was hanged on the ,Gibbet he had prepared for Mordecai , this was vanity and vexation too ; every wicked manbrings forth vanity in fome Perféverante one , ifnot in all thefe notions of it , after all his conceptions alega v ter fumúoriur ea en- ofmifchief, confueto io- que>ulí tnoda font And their bellyprepareth deceit, fermons pro intelligena The belly is taken here metaphorically , for the underftan- di facultate. D d 2 ding, - à33'
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=