Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

Chap. 27. An Expafition upon the Book of J o B. Verf, 5. 49 juTl, our junification cannot make him fo. As the termes of Gods ele&ingman are quite different from thofe upon which manought to elc&or choofc, fo alfo are they in¡unification ; God ele&eth thofe in whom he feethno good, nor Both he elea any for their goodncfle, either becaufe he feeth them good, or forefeeth they will be good. He `eholdeth no excellency, beauty, or worthi- neffe in them ; He cle&s according to the pleafure of his own will; mans goodneffe is not the cauie,but theefts:& of Gods ele- &ion;the elec°kionofGod maketh mengood,it doth not find them fo. Butif man ele&s,hemuff ele& thole that are good,thofe that have fomevvhat in them tocommend them tohim;Hemuff choofe them becaufe they are learned and Skilful' in reference to the em- ployments and bufineífes, to which they are called, or becaufe he feeth they are honed,fober, gracious ; man mull not eledl, as God ele&s, neiter muff he jutlife as God juftiñes ; therefore ( faith job) goerforbid fhouldjufiifieyou; I mull fpeak plainely according to what I find you. Solomon bath given us the deter- mination of this poynt in full and downe-right language ( Pro,a7, z ,.)He that juflifeeth the wicked,and be that condemnéth the righ- teous, even they bothare abominationto the Lord. Ofwhich wicked pra&ice the Lord complainesby the prophet (Ezek, I 3. 19, ) Will ye pollute meamong my peoplefor handfulls of Barley, andfor piece; ofbread, toflay thefouls thatfleouldnot dye ( that is, to con- demne the righteous ) and to rave the fouls alive that fhould not live(that is,to juflifie the wicked) by your lying to mypeople,that hearsyour lye;. God juflifieth whom he will, man mufl juflifie according to the will of God. Secondly, Confidering that robs freinds were ( as to their (late ) godly and righteous perlons, fuch as God ¡unified, and yet job raid well ; God forbid that Ifhouldjnllifieyou. Note; Wemug out juflifie agoodman, when he doth, evil!, or in that which he doth ill, A good man, aman jullified in the fight cf God, may doe a- mife in the fight of man, and in that he ought not to be ¡unified by man. We muff not junifieany man in any one evill a&ion, becaufe he hathdonemany that are good. As it is very Gnful for any man to ju(liflcand defend any eviti chat he huh done, fo is is ! as

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