Chap. 24. An Exp.fttion upon the Book of J OB. Vert. t. 483 ence ofthe Saints,in this the patience ofthe Saints is vifible.Faith and patience can never have fo fit anopportunity to be teen, as when the Juftice of God in avenging them, and in punifbing the wicked is leaft feene.Yea therefore it is that they do not fee thole his dayes with an eyeof fence, that they might fee themwith an eye offaith.While the Prophet faith (Hab; 2.4.) The :lull fhall live by his faith ; He fpeakes in reference to the deferring and delaying of judgements upon the enemies ofthe Church asap- peares fully in the first Chapter (ver, 12,13. ) 0 Lord, thou haft ordained them (namely, the Chaldean Empire )for judge- ment, (that is, to puhifh and aflüft thy Church, theJewifh Nati- on) anddmighty god, thou haft eflablilhed themfor eorrrllion ; .As if he had Paid, Thou O Lord, didfl not intend the ruine andde- ßrutiionof thy people, by arming andfending tbkbitter and bah Wátion againfg them, but onely their amendment and repentance ; yea thouhat# nopleafureat all in thefeChaldeans,by whom thou haft powred out thy diffileoftere upon thineown people. For, as it fol- lows ; Thou art .fpurer eyes then to behold evil!, and canfl not looke on iniquity, to approve ofit, or to be pleatedwith it, andPeeing thou canfî not ; wherefore lookefl thou upon them that deale treache- roufly, andholdefi thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous then be ?That is,why eof# not thou OLord take vengeance fpeedily upon thefe evill and treacherous ones? TheProphet having propofed & urged this queftion to the Lord, What doth henest ? you may fee that at the firft verle of the fecond Chapter ; Iwill hand upon the watch andfet me upon the tower, and Iwill watch tofee what he willfay untome, and what !'hall anfwer when I am reproved,or (as the Hebrew bath it) ar- gued with, by carnal) men, or the turbulent pallions of my own fpirit ? The Lord giveth him his anfwer at large (ver. 2, 3.) which is farmedup (v. 4.) in this brief direâionor af er- tion, But the Pall 'hall live by hrafaith. As ifhehad Paid, proud men will be querying, yeaquarrelling, when they fee myprovi- dences croffe my promifes, or myworkes carrying a prefent face ofunfutablenefs tomy word.When things goe thus,they are pre- fently offended & nonplus'd, they know not what to make ofir, unlefs it be to make me a lyar, as fpeaking, what I meant not to do,or impotent,as fpeaking more then I had ability to do;But,my people know how to fatisfie thefe doubts with a laying tomy Q_q q 2 Yio!
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