Chap. 23. An Expofition upon the Boob,, of J OB. Vert. 14 Chaftning ; as he path many Comforts,fo hebathmany forrows ready at his hand;; as he is the god ofall Confolation, fo he is the God all()ofall tribulation ; and as he canmake all Confolation -toabound, fo he can make all tribulation to abound ; many fuck things are withhim. Whenyou have fuffered one afiïidion, doe not thinke that you have fuffered all, there may be a fecond at hand.They are ufually twin- borne, and fometimes we may fay (as Leah in anothercafe, gen. 3o. i i.) A troupe comet h, Troubles come by Troupes. We read the Lord threatninghis ancient peo.. ple the fews after great fufferirgs,andJudgementshadbeen upon them, witha fucceffionofnew Judgements. Thewhole twenty eight Chapter ofDeutrinomie is but a continued decription of that variety bot+1 of bleffings a d curies which God hath at hand ftored up in his Treafures. Read how various his Judgements are (i Kings8. 37.2, Cloron.6. 28.) I will puniJhyese erleaven times morefor yourfins (Lev: z6. 18. 24.) And thatfeaven times more may be underflood; Fiat, in reference to the variety of their pu- nifhments,you (hall have feaven kindes ofpunifhments more then you had ; fecondly, in reference to the degrees oftheir punifh- ment ; I will make them leaven times greater then they were. As 2Cebuchadnezar commanded the fiery furnace to beheated (even times hotter : fo the Lord can command the furnaceto beheated feaven timeshotter : And as the Lord can chaften and afflift his people feaven times more both in kinde and degree, fo they may need feaven forts ofafffitions more, anda furnace heated leaven times more then formeriy,eìther for the purging out of theirfins, or for theexercife and proofe of their Graces. For though the Lord hath a great varietyofafffiâions at his command, yet he never layeth any oneofthem uponus, but when there is need. The Apoftle Peter gives us affurance ofthis fromGod (r Fp: r. 6.)Forhavingfaid,that Saints are kept by thepower of god through faithuntofalvation,wherein theygreatly rejoyce, he prefently adds, though nowforfeafon (ifneedbe)ye are in keavineffe through mani- fold temptatians.We fee the temptations wherewith the Lord ex- ercifeth the heiresof heaven hereon earth, are many, yet they never feele thefe butwhen need ¿e ; And many have as much need ofthe rod for their fpirituall eftate,as theyhave ofbread for their natural!. Manyfuck things are with him. Secondly, Note. Mmeta we 449
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