Chap. 3 t. An Lxpofition upon the Book of J o B. Veri. Z'. 4or Secondly , Obferve. To havepower in our bands to doe wrong, is agreat temptation to doe it. He that bath ability to oppreffe, feldome wants opportunity to doe it, and'tis more feldome that he wants a minde to doe it. Laban told 7açeb ( Geo. 3 r. 29.) It to in the power ofmgt hand to doe thee hurt ; Me could have crushed 7acob, and, what hin'er'd him ? Surely not a principleof love to righteoufneff, , nor a holy fare of wronging him, but a divine rebuke (as himfeifeacknow- ledged in the fame erfe) the Clod of yourfathers fpake unto me yefer eight , laying , take thou heed that thoufpeake not to accb eithergood or bad. acob alto told him as 'much (v.42.) god bath feene mine ofi(tion, and the labour ofmine bands, and rebuked thee yefter.night. As ifhe had fayd, unleffe God had flopt and checkt thy power from doing me a mifchiefe, thy owne heart, thy con - fcience had not. Solomon advifeth ('Pro. 3. a8.) Say not unto thy neighbour, goe,and comeagaine,and to morrow Iwill give thee, when thou haft it by thee ; that is, when it is in the power of thy hand todoe it. As we have all seed to be excited to doe good, thoughwe have power in our hands to doe it ; So when many have power im their hands to doe hurt , they can hardly be dif fwaded or kept offfrom doing it. That we have a power to doe good, doth fcarce tempt or ¡titreus todoe it : but the very ha- ving a power to doeevill,tempts us as oftenas the occasions ofit are prefented to us. Nothing hinders fome from doing evil!, but the want ofworldly power; Owhat a world ofevil! would thefe doe, ifthey had power ! And the belt ofmen, the greatefl lover's of righteoufneffe find worke enough fometinseswith their owne hearts to keepe clearefrom ads of unrighteoufneffe when power and occafion,joyningwith their owne Intereft,meete together. Hence note. Thirdly. It is as argument ofmuchgrace, not to doe evil when we have power andopportunity in our hands to doe it. That man gives a ftrong teftimony ofhis owne Integrity, who bath not a heart todoe that evil) which the power in his hand enables him to doe. It cannot be denyed, but our refufall to doe any evil! which we have humane helpe enough to doe,ifiewwes the Rrrz pre-
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