4$ Chap. 24. An Expojition upon the BookofJ OB. VerC re Lail ly, Confider the text as a queftion, why feeing times are net hidden from the Almighty, doe they that knots him, not fee hi (byes'? What is the reafon of this?lob here anfwers Eliphae.,who thought that the judgments of God were ever open,and obvious to all beholders ; but as it is not fo, fo what is the realon of this ? why is it not fo ? I have heretofore given an account of theee whys and wherefores ,of theee quefiions about the difpenfationsof God. Yet here I anfwer further, God is pleafed tocover or defer his Judgement dayes. ruff, becaufe it is his pleafure todoe fo, that'sanfwer enough for man,it is his pleafure.Times are nothid. den fromGod, but mull he needs make us acquainted with all times, or Phew us the way ofhis judgements prefently ;no,it is his pleafure to doe otherwife, and it is his priviledge to difpofe of times, feafons, aftions, and udgements as he pleafeth = who may fay to him, what doff thou ? or why doti thou fo? he is fupream; and foveraígne, Ube. will have it fo, why fhould any one oppofe it, or rife up againft it? Secondly, If it be demanded,Why are not thewicked prefene- 1y punifhed, fèeing God knoweth times, and feafons,and hoer all things paffeamong the Ions of men ? I anfwer, God will leave wicked men more inexcufable, the more patience is exercifed to- wards them, the more long.fuffering God is to them, the more evident will the juttice ofGod be in their fuff.rings,and theywill have the leffe, or rather nothing at all to plead for rhemfelves. The leaf# fin committed by man may flop his mouth, howmuch foever he is pun-:flied by God;how much more may their mouths be flopped, who continued to fingreatly, while God. continued to (pare them long in their fin ? Thirdly, The day of the wicked mans fuffering comesnot fuddainly, that the patience of the Saints may be tryed, and cur- cited. There are three things which chiefly exercife the patience ofthe Saints. Fitt#, the Greatnefs of their own troubles:Second - ly, the flownefs oftheir deliverance out of trouble : Thirdly, the long profperity ofwicked men, or the long deferringof their pu- aifhrnent.Thefe delayes and flops in the vindicative adminittrati- ons of God towards evill men, give the graces of his fervants pre- fent worke, and God often forbears purpofely to put forth his power,that Saints may put forth their patience,or that it may be (Aid of them as in thebooke of the Revelations, Here it thepari- err4
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