Book H. G 0 D COMPARED TO A GIANT. SIMILE. II. A Giant is not only faid to be ftrong, but fierce and terrible; and his running upon one like a Giant, denotes Courage, Fierce· nefs, and Fearlefsnefs, therefore called Horim. Ill. A Giant is not only il:rong and fierce, but alfo fwift; hence David compares the Sun at his rifing, to a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber, and to a Giant or ftrong Man, who rejoiceth to run a Race, Pfal. xix. 5· PARALLEL.' II. God feemed to come forth againft Job fiercely, as if he would break him to pieces, and deftroy him at once: I will give thy Flejh (faith Goliah to David) to the Fowls of Heaven, 1 Sam. XVIi. 46. HI. God is not on)y fierce in the Way of his Chaftifement of his People, but alfo fometimes very fwift: He may feem to delay for a while the Ufe of the Rod, but at laft he cometh on apace, brings one Judgment upon another fpeedily, as appears by Job's Meffengers. ~1eft. Why is Godfaid fometimes to run thus t~pon his People as a Giant, and break out fo furioufly upon them whom he dearly loves? . Anf. Sometimes, becaufe he is greatly offended and provoked fo to do by their Sins: You have I known above all the Families of the Earth, therefore will I punijh you f or J.,iquities, Amos iii. 2 . God's People fin fometimes with a high Hand, therefore G<.d pun;fbeth them with a high Hand: Thine Arrows flick ft'.fl in me, and thine Hand preffi'th me fore, faitl1 that good Man, David: And again, 'There is 110 Soundnefs i1z my Fle;h, becauje of thine Anger; neither is t.oere any Reft in my Bones, becaufe of my Sin, pf a/, XXXV iii, 3. ~1ell:. But why did God run like a Giant upon fo upright and holy aMan as Job was? Doth it ftand with the 'Juftice and Righteouji1ejs of God, thus to break forth upon a holy Perjmz? .Anf Before I fpeak to the Solution of this ~1eftion, it will be neceffary to premife l)x or feven Things. 1, Though it may not be immediately for this or that Sin, that the Almighty affiiCl:s his Jobs; yet Sin is the original Caufe of all their AffiiCl:ions: If Job had not been pol– luted and defiled with Sin, he ha:d never known Sorrow or Affiiction. ~. Though Job might not be affiiCl:ed for Sin, yet Job's Sins (though a very holy Man) deferved greater Punifhment than that which God brought upon him : He bath vifited thee little or nothing, faith Elibu; (o the Word will bear it, The leafl: Mercy is more than we deferve, and the greatell AffiiCl:ion is lefs than we deferve. He hath not dealt with us after our Sins, nor rewarded us according to our Iniquities. 3· Though God came forth fiercely upon Job, yet it was not in a Way of Wrath, to deftroy him; nay, God did not de{jgn any Injury or Wrong to him, but contrariwife his great Good and Advantage. You have heard of the Patience of Job, and of the End ofthe Lord; that he is very pitiful, and of tender Mercy, James v. 3· 4· We muft always imprint this, as an undoubted Truth, and fure Maxim, in out Minds; That though God fometimes affiiCl:s, or may affiiCl: his Children, as a bare AC!: of his Sovereignty, Sin being not direCl:ly the Occalion thereof; yet nothing God doth or can do is unjuft. I know, 0 Lord, that thy Judgments are right, m~d that thou in Faithfulnefs haft ajflifled me, Pfal. cxix. 75· All his Ways are Judgment, a God of Truth, and without Iniquity. ju!l and righteous in all his Ways, Dent. xxxii. 4· That is, ~is Adminifl:rations, or his Doings, as Mr. Ainfworth notes, are Judgment, that is, JUdicious, equal : A God of ~-ruth, or Faithfulnefs; .without Iniquity, or there is in him no Iniquity, no injurious Evil: Right or righteous is be. COnfider further, 5· That the greatell: and foreft AffiiCl:ions that godly Men may meet with, are no fufficent Ground to conclude they are caft out of God's Favor: For the bell: of Saints, and deareft Servants of God, have been from the Beginning under the greateft Exer– cife of AffiiCl:ion. As many as he loves, be rebukes and chaftens, Rev. iii. ·'9· 6. Another Thing that we fhould premife, is, That the AffiiCl:ions which we meet with in this World, come not by Chance. They are all meafured out by God's order– mg Providence, in Matter and Manner, for Kind and ~lality. And though the Judgments and Dealings of God are fometimes very fecret, •ne! hard to be underfl:ood at
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