Chap. 29. .44 E.xpofrtion upon tbe Book of jo B. Verf. 2: 429 Secondly, I anfwer,tbat not onlycommon, but even godly men are apt co think that Cod hath withdrawn his pretence, and pre- fervation from them, when trouble is upon them. Hence thofe bitter complaints andvehement expofiuiations (Pfal.22. t.)My God, My .god,wby haft thole forfakenme ? Why art tbòu fo far from b elping me, anot from roe words of my roaring ? Again ('l'fal. 77. 7.) Will the Lord call 'o fffor ever r and well be be favourable no pnare ? (As if hehad laid, furely theLordbath call . fffor the pre,. fent, he takes no carelofmenow) is his mercy cleangonefor ever ? dodo bo promi fefailfor evermore?bath god forgotten to be gracious? bath be en angerPhut up his tender mercies r What tumultuating thoughts were chete ? yet chefs were the thoughtsof ilfapha godly man, or rather of David, a man after Gods own heart, in theday of hisdifireffe. And thus (poflìbly) Yob thought him- felf out of covert when his enemies laid his efiare,and' his friends, his credit, wall. The bell of men can hardly bete e that God tales care of them,when theyare hardly dealt withby men. Feirhads g10- rioufl y,when though we fee our felves defir eyed , pet we canbe- lei veour felves preferved. pi, faith was fometimes at this pitch, yet now, itfeemes, it was not, when he criedout, O that it were' with me as in the days when godpreferved me. Thitdiy, t answer ; the wo-k of prefervation maybe confide- red either abfolutely, or comparatively. When a man is fallen' intog eat troubles, be may lo'k upon himfelf as unpreferved is conparifon of that prefervation which he h ad in-;thofe days when' God tuff;red no evil to befall him, or come veer his dwelling. He that is not fo compleatly preferved as formerly he was or:' found himfelf to be , may be fail to want divine prefervation. 0 that it were withme as when Godprefervedme. Fourthly, I anfwer ; there is !`twofold prefervation; farfi, viable ; fecondly, invifible. That's viable prefervation,whenGod keeperh us from outward evil ; inviable prefervation is when God keeps our fpirics up under the refute of all thofe evils. God`doth notwithdraw from hispeople at any citric, his inviable' prefervatior,but his viable heoften doth. That word of promife (lands fall or ever , how much foever the world fhakes,or we aro' shaken ìnthe wnrid ($eb. r 3. 5, 6.) 1 will never leave thee non forfake thee f, that we may- boldlyfay (venwhen toappearance mare tnoti helplefs)The Lord is myhelper. God once preferved 7.4
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