Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v8

Chap ,7, i4n Expafiton npon the Book of J o B. Verf.7. tefses, andmaking themmy Counfellers; whereas indeed ¡have look ed upon the wickedand unrighteous as mineEnemies, even as they that rifeup againft me. It is an argument of holinefle and piety, to love thofe that are holy and righteous,, to make them our friendsand favour; es,who are friends to God,and the favourites of Heaven. And to fayof the wicked , he is myenemy , or let mine enemy be as the wicked,is to as like a friend or fervant of God. Whenf ehofhaphat faid towicked ,Ahab, I am as thouart, andmy people as thy people, ( 2Chren. 18. 3.) The Lord fent a Prophet to himwith this reproofe, Shouldeft thoubelpethe ungod. ly, and love them who hate the Lord?(a Chron. 1.9. 3. ) Some are knowne to be wicked, by being companions of the wicked, and it ill becomes thofewho arc Godly tohave any intimacy of com- munionwith the wicked. And therefore fob gives a probable chatadter of his qwn piety, by difowning ( according to this in- terpretation) the impious, and reckoning fuch in the number of his enemies. Secondly, We may expound the words as an argument of his piety, thus ; As if fob had faid ; Though I have fpokenmuch about theworldly profperity of the wicked, yet I amfofarrefrom judging their, Condition to be good, or their Eftatehappy, that Iwould not ,ifh the worft EnemyI have in the world aworfe lot than to be a wicked man ; I could not defire any thingmore evilto himthan this, thatbe were evil! and unrighteous. And therefore you aremuch de- eeived in your judgment of me, as i fwhile 1havefpoken ofthepro- Silibear bofli- fperit, of the wicked, Iwere ofopinion , that their Eftate isgood, or l'U owls - they happy ;,whereas indeed I lake upon them as mento be pittied, rf' ogtatu- notenvied in the higheft pitch oftheir worldly pompe andgreatneffe. rna, quat andas.I haveno hunger after their danties my felfe, fo Iwould tale ddune meeux- net with any friend ofmine to partakewith them ; but ( were it law- iveriantur, qua- fell to with evil! to an Enemy ) Iwould not with the vilefi enemy I lis eß adverfia bave upon the face of theearth a worfe Condition,tban that ofa wic feoleratos. kidman, how much foever be floursfbetb in the eye of the world. $ea. 4 11` Thus he feemes tobe of (Able: his choyce Spirit, yea to have made hischoyce like Mofes (Heb. is T. 25. )Rather tofuf er af. Pliers with thepeopleof ggod, than to enjoy thepleafures of for a feafn. This is a great argument of robs piety,fhewing that Ilehad . no delire, no fuirableneffe at all in his fpirit to theConditionofa: wicked man, how glorious or glitteringfò ever amongmen. It is

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