76 C1ïap: i8: An Expofition upon the Took of J O B. VerL 12. Hence Obferve ; Dirt, God hath defiruElion readyfor ovill men; he hathbent his bow,and made it ready; he bathal f prepared f o r him the in- ftrsinoet is of death ; he ordaineth his arrows a ain f t the per- fect-- tters, (Pal. 7. 1 2 1 3 . ) Whenwe fee a bow bent, and the Chart puld out of the qui- ver, and put upon the ftring, then a man is ready to fhoote; Divine deftrudions may be aéred as foone as threatned, they are not to prepare, but prepared. When the Lord denounceth eternal! judgement upon wick- ed men he faith ; Gee to the fire that is prepared'for the Devill andhis Angels The fire is made, the treafzre of wrath is full. As the mercy of God is a readymercy, and as his pardons are ready forhis people ; his pardons and mercies are not to feeke, he bath them at hand ;he isgoadami ready toforgive, (Pfal.86.5.) Whereas molt men, though they will forgive, yet they are not ready to forgive, they are hardly brought to it,, though they doe it at laft. But God isready to forgive; he bath (as it were) pardons ready drawne (as a manwho would be ready to doe a bufineffe, he will have fuch writings as concerne the palling of it ready) there is nothing to doe, but to put in the date and the name yea indeed the date and tl.e name are put in fromall eternity. Thus the Scripture fpeakes to (hew how forward, God is to doe good ; Heneeds not fit his heart. to it, his heart is ever in the exac`teft fitnes. Now as God hath mercies ready for his own people,, fo he hath deftru&ions as ready for the wicked. They are as ready as ifhe hadmade, and kept them by him ready madefrom everlafting. Againe, As a godly man is usually ready to doe good, oGod, my heart is prepared ( faith David) fo God is ready to bring evil! upon them who continue to do evil! ; and therefore feare notwhen you fee men ready bent and fet to doe mifchiefe, their deftrut}ion is more ready then they are to deftroy,, and God canbring deftru5tion upon them inamoment. Secondly, Note.. TeftruEtin comesfuddainly upon wicked men, andfterprizes them unawares. Chrift will come at last upon all the world fuddainly, but the furprizall shall onely be opon wicked men. The Apo{tle (hadowes
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