Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v6

688 Chap. 2 tk, ation upon the Book of J O a. Verf. r4. come and befeech him, that he will depart out of their coatis, that fo if it were po(ìîule,they might never more heareofhim, nor from him. Mid: is plainly imported in the next claufe of the Verle. For we defrenet the knowledge cfthy wayes. Though God in himfelfeconfidered, be the firll: and chiefeft obje& ofa wicked mans enmity,yet this quarrel ufually breaks out at thedifcoveries ofhis will and wayes. Thus in the Text, they reject God becaufe ofhis wayes., The wayes ofa wicked man (as the Pfalmift háth it) are alwayes grievcus to God as well as man, and fo are the wayes of God grievous to wicked men, atad therefore they delire no acquaintance with,no know- ledge of them. As if lob had thus fpoken in their perfon. if the :fefland thus O Jod,that we cannot have thee,& the goed things which thou haft' promifed , unleffe wealfo learn & fubmit to thy wayes, then begone, for thy wayes area loathing toour fouler, thy wayes are rough, JZZ arp,fadandunfutable tapirfpirits andgenius. If we lhouldfafhion our felves, andfhape our courfe according to the rules which thou jrefcribefl, _Mould we not be expofed to the laughter, ifnot to thedanger ofall the world ? Shouldwe not bury curPelves alive, andbedeprivedofall the comforts of our live, ? muff we not[pend our time in forroworfelence, and neverfeegood day more f As for ou, we knowfo muchof thy ways already, that we have no defire to the knowledgeof them; we are provided of better wayes, of wayes more eafie,fmooth, plaine andpleafant ;& therefore what defire can we have to thine ? For we deftre not. Bart non tam The word fignifieth to take pleafure or delight in, as well as vale fgnift<at to delire; becaufe thole thingswhich we delight in, are molt quarn dtteílari defired by us fo we readeit, Pfal. 1.z. Etat his delight is in the re atiqua, lawofthe Lord.knd (Pfal. 5. 4.) Thou art not a God that takefl pleafure in(or a de rreunto)wickednes.So here, We defare not (or we have nopleafure in)theknowledgeoftby wayes.Andwhen they fay, We deftre not, &c.more is intended then the bare Negative oftheirdelire; we may refolve this Negative, into an Affirma- tive, we diflike, yea we hate the knowledgeofthywayes. He that is not withme(faithChrift)is againfl me; We alto may fay, He that is not a wel-wither to, and defi.rous of thewayes of God,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=