Chap. 28. an expo/ition upon the Book of J o B. Verf.2 t . which isa great convi 9 ion of the finfullnefs of IdolMakers, and Idol-worfhippers, as /Wafer warned the Yews (Dour. 4. r 5, t 6.) re fay no manner offimilitude on the day that the Lordfpake toyou inHoreb, out ofthe midft ofthefire.Take ye therefore goodheedun- toyour felves, thatye corrupt not your felves, andmakeyou aIra. ven image, thefimilitude of anyfigure, &c. And that the Prophet may have force aim at this, in the wordsnow cited, Thouart a God that bideft thy felf (even in the fpirituallity of thy nature) may have a probable ground from the oppofition which he makes in the next (or 16th) verfe. Verily theypallbe afbamed and con- founded all ofthem: they (hallgoe to confufon together that are ma leers ofIdols. Nov as Clod hideth himfelf in the invifibility of his nature,fo in the fecrecy of his works; God doth,as it were,arti- ficially bide his workes, thoughnot in thematter of them, yet in the caufes and reafons, in the dfignsand purpofes of them. For thus the Prophet fpeaks, in a holy aUonithment at the depths of Gods difpenfations towards that people. Or again, God doth hide himfelf from his people twowayes ; fir(t, bywithdrawing . his comfortable prefençe and powerful afíìllance, as if he would take no morecare or of, nor do anymore for them. Secondly, the Lord hided) himfelf from bis people by drawing a curtainof fe- crecy and concealment over that which he bath already done or is in doing, fo that his Judgementsand intentions in them are un- fearchable and paft finding our. Therefore as the vain curiofity ofman appears inprying into thefe fecrets whichGodpath kept clofe, fo his rafhnefs and madnefs in cenfuring of or murmuring:. at (whichis alto a cenfuringof) thole wayes and workes of God, which hisdull eyes cannot fee, not his (hallow brain apprehend in the divine reafons and reaches of them. There are two great vanities in men in reference toknow- ledge. Firfl, a negle& to know what we ought,, and what is our du- ty. There are many things which God bath revealed and fet o-- pen to all living, which few care to look into. There is awif dom which God bath not only given us leave to fearch after,. but cryeth to us from day to day to fearch after ir, (Prov. r. 20, , 21.) wvifdim cryeth without, fhe uttereth her voice in thefireets,.. fhecryetb in the chiefplace of concourfe, in the opening of thegates, utbcCityfireutteretb her wards, feying; how long ye(ample ones mod. 29$
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