Chap. 28. An Expofition upon the Book ofJ o a. Verf. z. 2 x 7 Natural things are level to natural wifdom , and the proper fphere of its a&ivity. He that is reprobate to every good work or a very bungler at it, may yet be ready hearted, and ready - handed two, and go throughflitch with all there works. He may mailer all the mifteries of them by the f'crength of his underf{and. inn, and all the difficulties of them by the ftrength of his arm. Thirdly, job having afferted mans ability to find cut the veins of Salver, and the place ofGold, yet denieth his ability to reach the depth of Divine Adminif+rations. Whence Note ; 7bey whobave the greatefl natural parts and accomplifhments' cannot difcern the fccret wifdom of God , or the fecrets of his wifdom. This is the principle theam or fubjecfl, of the whole Chapter. Godbath force ridles in his works of providence, which the heft lighted among the foes of men cannot fee into nor refolve. They cannot give the whole reafon why a&ive and able men for pub- lick good, are taken away by death in their prime and flourifhing age,while many dull heads and droanes live to old age and wither upon the flails. They cannot give a reafon, why God makes fuch changes in the vifible face of things. Why he affli&s the Godly, and lets the wicked profper,is more then a Davidor ajererny can give anaccount of, till fpecially taught and inflru&ed by God himfelf. And hence it is, that the hearts of mot+ are unquiet and uncompofed, and their fpirirs fo full of boylings and turn- blings up and down. They who can neither fee the reafon of Gods dealings, nor fubmìt purely CO his will in them, mull needs be full of troubled and tempelluous thoughts about them. As thereare force Mao #hut their own eyes, and will not fee the meaning of thole providential works of God , which are writ- ten as with a beam of the Sun, fo there are force providential workes of God written in fuch dark and illegible chara&ers, that they who are good and do their bell to fee and fpel out the meaningof them, cannot r much lefs can theywho are not only men ofan evil mind, but men who have no mind toPeek and find out the mind of God,teafl of all to honour him,in his workes. And as the providences and diÍpenfations ofGod in civil things are full of parabies,whicb the Natural man bath neither eyes CO F £ 5ee,
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