296 Chap. 19. An Expofition upon the Booke of JO B. Verf. 22. It is very dreadfuhl tofall into the band of God. Ifit made ?ob complaine when he did but fall under the chaftifing hand of God, how will it make thofe complaine who (hall fall under hisrevenging hand ? Who knower the power ofthineanger ? ( faith the Pfalmi(t ,) I may fay ( and it is the fame) who knowes the weight of thy hand? God can ftrike deepe, he can make his fword enter and paffe into the very bones and bowels; as it is in fpirituall, fo in outward fmi- tings; when the hand of God goes forth with the word, it makes deepe imprellïon upon the confcience ; Je is quicke and powerfull,and'harper then any two-edgedfwerd, peircingeven to the dividing afunderof thefoule and fpirit, andof thepoynts andmar- row, and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, (Heb .4. 12.) So when the hand ofGod finites the body, or the $ate, it cuts thorough, and lay es all our outward comforts waft. Ifthe Lord doe but touch the mountaines ( that is, the higheft and the ftronge[t ofworldly powers( theyJhallfmoakc(Pfal. 14.4.5. ) then in what flames and combuftions 'hall they be, ifhe lay the weightof his hand upon them, and fuller his whole dif- pleafure to arife again[t them. How fearefull a thing will it be (for unbeleevers and contemners of the Gofpel) to fall into the hands ofthe livingGod (Heb. io. 31. ) when we heare a godly man thus lamenting the touchofhis hand ? They who fall in- to the hand ofGod, (hall certainly fall under it. Verf. 22. Why doeyeeperfeeute me as god, andare notfatis- fled withmyfiejh. Some expound this Verfe as a correaion of the former, Implying that yob had petitioned his friends in vaine, as if he had faid, Idefiredyou to pittie me,yetfrillyouperfecute me, why are ye founmercifull?Canyeegive me any reafon, whyyougive me fo much ofyour anger ? Indeed we finde his friends as (harpe upon him as ever, as if they little regarded, or werenot at all mo- ved with his cry. But why were they thus inexorable? Why were their bowels 'hut up, and their hearts (till hardned again[t him ? Surely they werenot voydof humanitie, no nor ofpittie; yet whenhe begs for pittie ofthem, he found none, what fhould the reafon df this be? I anfwer,
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