Chap,t7. An Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Verf.6. danced and skipped about him, as Childern doe about a bla- zing fire in the ftreets , but this was only for a feafon himfelffound the World achangling; his followers keept ne, confiant tenour towards him, how confiant foever his tenour was. How great a change did Chrifi himfelf find ? He it yefferday,to day, and the famefor ever, Yet one day the Jews cry Hofanna,they will needs make him a King, he had much ado to keep himfelf froma Crown ; the aireccoes with Blef, fed it he that cometh in the name ofthe Lord : yet prefently after, the cry was, Crucifiehim, crucifie him, he it not worthy to live, he could not keep himfelf ( by all his power as man ) horn a Crofs, a murtherer is preferred before him, Not this man, but Barrabbar. We read, Mir 14. how fuddenly the. Tide and S.ream of affcthons turned, and how opinions varied about Paul ; when he and Barnabar had wrought a great cure, the people came and would needs adore them and offer Sa- crifice, and faid,TheGods are come down in the lil¿enefr of men; They brought Oxen and Garlands,and would needs worfhip them, There was much ado to (lave them off from Deifying, or making. Gods of them, and yet before that Chapter is at an end, their acceptationofhim was atan end ; and Paul was fioned as unworthy the focietyofinen, by the fame men,and in the fame place where he was faluted- as a God. It is nonew thing in the World, to tee thofc a byword of the people, who', even nowwere their labret : to adore one while, and to de fpife another, to applaud to day, and to diflike to morrow, . now to fmile and anon to frown, is the confiant inconftan- cy of the creature. Therefore, Live not upon the breath ofmen, upon popular air, . or the fpeech ofpeople : Though to have credit with men be a bkfling, yet let us live upon the credit which we have with God, and rejoyce only inhis efl;eem. Mod men are full of change, 'andare apt to vary their afpec s every moment;their a fedions areas movable as theiroutward condition is. Only God never alters his opinion of any man, he never rejetais wherehe hath accepted, nor calls off where he hath imbraced, oncea friend and al'wayes a friend, once pleafed with us and alwayes pleafed with us; yea God is pleafed with his while he manifefis aFatherly difpleafitre againfi them ; and theyare as aTabret to him while he makes them a By-word among the. 453
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