Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v9

632 Chap. 3 r. An Expo/hion upon tie Took f J o a. Verf. 30 he fhould have brought mifchiefe enough upon the children of Ifrael, if he could havegot Salaam to curie them. The curie is filch a mifchiefe as opens a doore to let in all other mifchiefes with it. That man is miferableenough who is under a curie ; and therefore whatfoever mifery 7.bsenemies attempted co bringup. on him, -henever wifhed this mifery, a curfe upon them. Further,7ob doth nor lay,1 didnot wifh a curfe upon his eftate, or upon his children and family ; he doth not fay, I did not with a curfe upon his labours and undertakings, nor Both he fay, I did not with a curfe upon his body ; Bat he faith, I did with a curfe upon his foule. What the foule is, bath been ¡hewed at the r 5th verfe ofthe former Chapter, and the feverall lignifications of the word in Scripturewas ¡hewed at the r 6th verfe of the fame Chapter ; Here wemay take it, Firft , Strialy, inoppofition to the body : now as to with a curie is to with the great* evill,fo towifh a curfeupon the foule is to with the greateft curfe Aman may beare a curfe any where better and eafier then upon his foule. Better have a curie upon our eftate,or name, upon the children ofour bodyes,or upon our owne bodyes,then upon our foules. There the curie goes deepeft, and lyeth heavyett. 'Tis fayd of 7ofe`b when a captive and a pri- loner (?jal. r o5, r 8.) Hisfeete they hurt withfetters, he was laid in iron; our Marginbath it, his foule came into iron,or as the old eradiation faith, The iron entred into bis foule ; Not that iron or any materiali thing can hurt the foule ; No tyrants weapon,no inftruments of cruelty could ever touch that; when they have hurt and kild the body they have gore their utmoft length,after that (as Chrift fpeakes, Luke 12.4.) they bave no wore that they can dot. But the ironwas fayd to enter into 7%pbs foule, becaufe they put him to as much miferyas they could : the mifery of the foule being the greateft mifery. For as the health and profperitie ofthe foule is the belt health and profperity, as the Apottle faith ( 3d Ep: 7obn t.2.) Beloved 1 with above all things, that thole enay:Ji profper, andbe in kealeb,evenas thy foule proffereth;So the foules fickneffes, declinings and decayings, are the worft lick- netfes, declinings, and decayings. And hence it is,tbat while tome are exceedingly hightned in wrath and refolutions ofrevenge, it will

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