Chap,td. An Expofitionupon the Book, of J OB. Verfid, 3a3 Father which is in Heaven (Math. 5.16.) So allo fhould the light ofour paffive obedience thine before men,that they may fee our holy fufferings, and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven. It is as great a fin to boat ofour poverty, as it is to boaa of our riches, and as great a vanity tobe proud ofa crois, as to be proudofa Crown ; yet it is an honour to God,when menfee that we are not afhamed eiiher ofpoverty or of a crois,The crois fhould be carried upon our fhoulders, not put up in our pockets : God loves to fee us own our troubles as well as our comforts ; and as he will condemn thofe who wrap the Talent of their gifts and abillities in a Napkin, and hide it from the ufe of others ;. fo he doth not approve thofe who wrap up theircroffes and aflliff.ons`in aNapkin, and hide them from the fight of others :efpecially confidering, that even thefe are Talents for which we Rand accountable how we have ufed them,both for our own good, and the good ofothers, Ihave Purelyheard Ephraim bemoan- ing . himfelfthus (faith the Lord) Thou haft chafifedme, and 1was chafiifed (Jer, 3t. i S. ) Ephraim: outward moanes were as mufick in the cares of God Ephraim did not mur- mureagain(} God , but he bemoaned himfclf ; Ephraim was not angry at his chaflifement, but Ephraim mourned being chafiifed ; God heard this fully , in hearing he heard it, 'or, it pleafed him to hear it.It is our duty to teflifie our for. row by the faddefi notes óf a troubled fpi rit, and it is a de- light to God when we do fo ; not that he delights in our forrows but he delights in thewitness which we bear to his wifdom, righteoufnefs, and faithfulness , in fending thofe forrows. I beard Ephraim bemone himfëif, Will an offender that looks for mercy come before the Judge in rich apparrel, or in tome aflec`ed drefs ? Comes he not rather in his Prifon clothes, putshe noton the garments ofheavinefs I Themeffengers ofBenhadad,put dull on their headstand ropes about their necks, and lack cloth on their loynes, when they came to meditate for the life of their Mailer, And thus the Lord fpeakes to the Ifraelites iExo&' 33, j , when they had fr.nned,& hewas wroth Put ofyour0,-,tamQnrs that I may knowwhat to do withyou:Ornametits are .cnconrct whenGod is threatning judgments:It is time for u, lay by our bra- very,when God is about to make us,.al ,Sack-cloth fowed T t 2 apon
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