416 Chap. 2 3 An expofîtion upon the Bookof J OB. Vert i 3 . unalterable, thereforedoe not thinke, that becaufe hecontinueth thefe afli&ions and burdens upon me, that therefore all muff be refolved into my fin. No, we may refolve all this into the fove= raígn y and unchangeableneffe ofGod,he is in one mind, and he will doe what his minde is, and none !hall turne him. "` view Thirdly, (which futes the former) That lab here fhewes his citv:narn pram- eíemiam nam friends, the true way of reconciling his owne innocency, with the cum amici iva (harp afflidtions and troubles which were upon him, lab felt and santum ratìone faw(and others either did or might)that he was forely affli&ed, pro divina pro- And lob knew (thoughothers did not) that he was innocent, as vtdenría pug. a to the charge brow ht aínfl him. Then how fh:all he reconcile nent,quod feel g g g ra /Junior, at the juflice of divine providence, with his owne innocence ? His yob illarn ags friends knew not how to reconcile, the innocencyofan aillic`ted fcttawn arum- man and the Juftice ofan affteting God.This was a riddle which ,iaJ role immix proper the } = couldnot unfold. And therefore when they lawGod thus tit pia- Y claros fines no- af}liding him, theyconcluded as ftrongly as if they had feene ir, his occultes foli that lob had greatly offendedGod. $ut 7obknew how to unlock dea notos, this fecret, and expound this riddle; He knew how to maintaine Pined. and affert his owne na integrity while he fuffered and t acquit the turf do tatì dei afg t J office ofGod in laying fufferings upon him. He could fay, *Moms, God isfupreame Be to in one minde ; And what he loth, he may qua, amid pee- doe becaufe he ?lath a mind to doe it, He hathdeep purpofes and to Coc. delgnes, which I am not able to reach orfathome : Therefore though I complaine, I doe not cotnpla ine as ifGod had done me wrong, but becaufe I fmart, becaufe I feel rueh paints,and fo hea- vie a preflure upon me. I am far from Paying that he hath injured me, thoughhe hath thus of ided me ; nor can any thing which he bath done or (hall further do, bean injury to me,for I confeffe that he hath a right to doe whatfoever he pleafeth to doe. Thus we have an excellentdefence made by lob in thefe words,tovindi- cate the Lords (harp dealings with him from the leaft fufpition of injufiice, and toaccord the affertion of his owne afro eted inno- cence, with a beleeving reverence oftherighreouineffe ofGod; and fo there words ofhisare the breathings ofa very gracious fpi- rit:teaching us far better then his friends had done,how toanfwer for God in his faddeil difpenfations towards man.Theyknew no other way todoe it, but by rendering lab a notorious hypocrite, an haynousoffender, and thefe his fufferings to be the punifh- ventsofhis bypocrifie and offences. But lob refolves all into the un-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=