Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v7

Chap. u. An Expofitionupan the Bocktf JOB. Verf 17. i65 cannotferve godfor nought, that is, freely, as Satan chargedlob in theb.ginning of this bool:e ; 761, ferveth thee, laid Satan, besaufe thou haft done fo much for him, besaufe thou haft ferved his turne, and made a hedge about him ; this was Satans flander upon that good man ; but 'tis no [under to fay fo ofcarnal! men; Doe theyferve Codfor nought ? They doe nor, they cannot ; if they may gaine by godlineffe, they will doe fomewhat, which (hall have a (hew of godlineffe ; profit will make any thing paffewith and pleafing to a carnal mind,though in it felfe it be never fodifp:eafing. Such is the nobleneffeof the peopleof God, that though there be a reward in ferving ofhim, yet they are ready to fervehim without reward, they can ferve him upon a bare command, abftratt from promifes and profits , They can obey God as a Creator, though he (hotald not be a re- warder. Godlineffe is profitable for all things,andbath the pro mileboth of this life, and ofthat which is ro come, yet a graci- ous heart loves Godlineffe more then profitableneffe,and eyzs the worke ofGod more then his reward . Further, for the opening of thefe words ; Sorne reade thus VYhat can the Almighty dceagainft them ? The Hebrew particle ftands indifferently to both and may be trarflared for, or a- gainft, in which fenfc we finde it in the 35thof this Booke, ver. 6, 7. Ifehoufnneff what dolt thy, againft him? That is, what hurt doft thou to God ? thy finne cannot reach, or wound him, what doft thouagainft him ?Thus here ; They fay to the Almigh- ty departfra n au,and what can the Almighty da againft them?Sure. ly the Almighty is not able to hurt us ., from him we expá no good, and from himwe fear no evill.Werenot thefe mighty men thinke you, who thought the Almighty could not match them ? Thefe were mighty men indeed, Giants, foes of Anakno doubt they were, but Giants in wickedneffe. And fo this read- ing gives us a further character or difcovery of a wicked mans, Spirit. Hence Obferve. Some wicked men have this prefumption, that let god doe his worfi, he cannot hurt them. z finde in Scripture a threefold felfe and prefumptuous ap- pro, Si pecca-rc,is quid ei n(Tc, his, propri^, quidei (2eits,.

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