Chap. 27. An Expofition upon the Book. of J o B. Verf.sq; 14a. fwold are a fvsord upon the father. The Prophet threatens,(Mal, °' 2. 1) a.) if,le will not heare,and ifye will not lay it to beart,togive glory unto myname, faith the Lord ofHofts, Iwill even fendacurie upon you,andwill tole your bïe ngs:yea,l have curled them alrea dy, becaufe ye doe not lay it to heart. To laya thing to the heart, is to chink of it with greateft earneftnefsand ferioufnefs.Now faith the Lord by the Prophet. Though ye haremyword, or take it in at the care, yet if ye doe not ponder my word,ard la, it tì, h<;arr, both as to your efieeme,and for your pracckicc, i 441 ev.-ncarte your bleflìngs ; that is, I will make thof° things a cu-f1 to you which in themfelves are bleffings. It is nor fo bad r ~:Y o cave Z blef iing,as to have it curfed ; not to have chid ;ran is an affl ¿tion, but when we have them, that the fwordor plague fhouid rake them, efpecially thefin-Plague, or corruption of the world, this goes deepe, and isa dreadful' afFli&ion. As Chriil fairly, Iffait have loft its favour, wherewith fball it be feafaned ? Sowe may fay, if our bleffings make us miferable , what (hall make us happy ? Howmiferable are wicked menwhen they kettle co be molt hap- py , feting there is a curfe in their bleffings ? When we fee the faireft clufter of their grapes, we cannot fay as k is in the prophet (Ifa. 6S. S. ) Hurt it not,for there is a blefng in it. There is a bleflingin forceduffers of childrennotoniy as they are bleffed of God, but as they arebleffed untous ; yet when wicked men have children like duffersof grapes,their wives being like aVine upon the walls of their houfe , yet you cannot fay, there is blef- fing in it,hurt it not. I know the clutters of good men, even their children,many times prove a croffe to them ; feverall of David: childrenwere fo tohim;yet thisis a fpeciallthreat againft wicked men ; their ch.fters have no bleffing in them. Though a wicked man nave children and riches, yet a curfe hangs over his head ; whereas the affliaions of a godly man are fanc°tified,and his evills madegood unto him ; when he is inwant of all outward bleffings, yet he wants not a bleflìng,becaufeheenjoyes the favourable pre- fenceof God.Thus the Prophet triumphedin beleeving,(Ha6.3. 17. )Although the fig-tree 9a!1not bloJf ome,neither fhallfruit 6e in abs Vines,tbe labour ofthe olive (hall faile,and the field1124yield no meat, the floor,fhall6e cut offrom thefold, and there (ball be no beard in theRails. Thefe are hard cafes; but is the godlyman mi- l-cable in any of there cafes ? no ; be bathebiding in all, and he mss,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=