Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v6

220 Chap. to. 4nExpofytion.capon. the ßpok of J. O. B. Verf...r.r,. him, and the greateft evill too little for ,him. As it implyes the . greateít manifeftation of love and tendtrneffe, when it is laid, God deales withus, ae with former, (Heb. 12. 7. ) And (pares us ás afather[pareshis ownSon, that ferveth hit), ( Mal. 3. r7. A fon may expect by the lawes of nature, the moft gentle ufage, and klnde acceptance from a father) fo it implyes the hotteft re -. velation of wrath and dilpleafute, when it is laid, that God counts us, or deales with us, as with an enemy. God keepes bis friends as the apple ofbù eye, (Tfal. 17.) which notes their fa- fell keeping ; but as for the perlons and lives of his enemies, he caíts them out as out of the midil ofa Sling, which notes their ut- ter perifhing.' Hence obferve.; That it is a moll" dangerous condition to be in aJst e a entnitie againfiGod. Who 'would live in fueh a condition as Aire .him of no- thing but death ? What doe enemies expeel lef eat our hands, and what can the enemies of God expect lefie at his hand, in whale hand the breath of his enemies alwayes is, anct all their wayes ?Godbath given us arule to love our ceemies, If thine enemy bangerfeed him, ifhe tdhirfi give himdrink,,,(i?oa).12.20.) And in doing this we obey God, fo we imitate him, and de- clare ourfelves the children ofourfather which is in heaven ; for he nakethhis Sunne to rife on the evill and on thegopd : andfendeth raineon the juft andon the unj4, (;vlatth. 5.45. ) But though God Both this -often and long yet he doth not this aiwages or ever ; nor doth hee,tpec`t that we fhould doe this alvoave,, or to all ourenemies. It may be finne to us not to take venaeançe on . fome who are our enemies, even as it would he finre to avenge our felves on any. And if men fnould quite fticKein Jufhce and not take vengeance'on ;thofe who are Gods enemies and tf eirr, yet God will. But if we bè found continuing under a fkate.of enmitieagaint. God will not .ad tou.ards us according to that lawwhich he injiTnes us-, he will not feed filch enemies, nor will he give themwater to drir.,ke He a i;l. n t Make. his Simile to- flume-upop them, but cp tm nd his f r to.confute them; and he will.,raine, not fatting t r.d ref,e,} ir,g fbowers, but fnares, f re. and beimfione, tivsj 44..be ( »fair dr.inxe) she pot- tion

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