Cha an Expofition upon the Book of J o B. Verf. 4. 451 righteous. A little that we have, by the fecret influence of a blef- fing from above, is better then aboundance without it : and a lit- tle that we doe, by the fecret influence or a biding upon it, will bring inaboundance : fo that a G'>dly man faith fotnetimes in re- gard of his temporal increafe,as it is prophefied,the Church (hall in regard of her tpirirual (Ifa. 49. 20,2r.) 1 be place is toofirait for me, giveplace tome that I may dwell ; and he is ready to fay admiringly, as it follows there, who bath begotten me there ? or who bathbegotten me all this ? Thirdly, Obferve; Secret communion andconverfe with god to very defireable toa gracious foul, and the fweeteftpríviledge of this prefeat life. O that it were withme as in the days ofmyyoutb,wben thefecret of Clod was upon my Tabernacle. That is, when God snd I were often in fecret converfe, and even walked together as familiar friends. What David laid of his falfc friend, who at !aft (hewed himfelf an open enemy (P[al. 55. 14.) A godly man can fay of his real and cordial frìend(hipwith God, we took Tweet counsel together, and walked (both) unto the houle of god (and in my own houle, God owning me there) in company. God vifited me, and g ?, ó 3tic I rejoyced in hie vifits. TheSeptuagint render the text fo our of Ë,r,cieoorñv the Hebrew ; when God made bee visitation of my honre or family. i iroa;7o Tä6 God vifits force in wrath,or in fatherly dilplcafure at the beft,to 'orzo chafien them for their unevenand diforderly walkings,to reprove Sept. and check them for what they have done amiffe ;he eifies others in love or in a friendly pleafure, to encourage them in their ho- ly and upright walkings,toapprove and commend them for what theyhave done well. I know not whether they are more highly honoured, or more sweetly refrefhed, who are thus vifited.A gra- cious foul bath many Soliloquies about God ; he hub elfo many Colloquies, conferences or difcourfes with God. He tells God his mind in prayer and meditation, andGod tells him what his mind is, by the Spirit in his word, and all other Gofpel difpenfa- tions. He fpeakes toGod, and he is harkning what the Lord God will fpeak (P(al. 8. 5.) And what he fpeaks is well worth the bearkning after, for (as it follows there) He will (peak peace to his people, and tobù Saints. It i5 raid of Isaac, that, be went out in- to the fields to mmditatá at eventide (Gen. 24.63.)God and he kept M m m z fecret
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