Chap, 30 Expofition upon the ,gook of j o a. Ver;, 21 sloe any thing againft them bas prevaile. SoGod doth every thing againft his people like one that, is cruel, only he is not cruel. It is fayd of 7acob ( Gen. 31.2. ) that be beheld theconntenance cfLa- km, and behold it was not towardhim at before or (aswe put in theMargin) asyefterday, and the day before. Now as it is often with man towards tran,fo its fometimes withGod towards man, He changeth his face, and if we behold his countenance, it is nor toward us, as before. ßút us for h o heart, that chang °rkt not, `cis toward his people to day as it was yefterday, and it will be toward them to morrow, yea even for ever as it is to day ; yZt the people ofGod find filch turres ofprovidence as pc them to cfueftion, whether the very heart of God be not turned from them.Doth not the Pfalmift coinplain(Pfal. '77.7.)as if God had layd him afide in his thoughts ? Was he nor upon thofedefpond- ing queries, Will the Lord calf off f r ever ? and will he befavou- rable no m -.re ? tt hie mercy eleane g,nr for ever ? sloth hi, premife failsfor evermore ? kath gC dforgotten to begracir to ? bath he in- anger/hut up bit tender mercies ?He found the prefent dealings of God grievous and rigorous toward him, and he was for a while doubtful whether ever it would be otherwife.fay,he was fo only awhile, becaufe in the next words(v. to.) he corrected himfelfe and law he was miftaken : And Ifaid, this it my i..firmitie, ßcc. And no wonder, if the people ofGod fometimes apprehend his, dealings with them to be ciuel , feeing we find himfelfe tome- times laying they are fo ; (ver, 30.14.) All tby lovers havefor- gotten thee, theyleeks thee not, for I have wounded thee -with the fword ofan enemy, with the Cbafliftment of a cruell one, for the multitude of thine Iniquities, becaufe thy fins are encreafl.He dotli not fay, I have lent enemies towound thee, and a cruel one to chaften thee ; but I have wounded thee as an enemy, and chafte- ned thee like a cruel one.Hezekiah that gond King doubted God would deale cruelly with him, even when he was upon his lick bed,(Ifa.38. 13.)1 reckon'stillmorning,that as a Lion,fo will be break all my bones. Hezekiah had dreadfull apprehenfions of God, he feared that before the morning came upon him, God would come upon him like a feirce hungry Lion, and crufü his bones. D.svid faith, ( 'Ppd. 25. t 0. ) All the wayes ofGod are mercy and truth to them that fears him, and that keep kit Ceve- rtant : Ifall his wayes, then his hardeft wayes to Each are mercy and 599
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=