The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

Secondly, every believing soul justified, and having an interest in Christ, ought thus far to acknowledge his sins, as that it were righteous with the Lord to execute his wrath against him, and to take all the advantages against him: and howsoever the Lord will not condemn him, yet to let out his wrath against him; though not to condemn him, yet to distract him: This is that which Job makes to be the ground of that bitter complaint of his, and made him sit down in distractedness of heart, under the heavy displeasure of the Lords wrath, that though God would not damn him, yet when the Lord takes away his loving countenance, and lets in his indignation into his soul, to his humiliation, terror, and vexation; this sunk him infinitely, and this God might do to every believer under Heaven, Job 13.24, 26. Why hidest thou away thy face, and takest me for thine enemy? God seemed to be displeased with him, and to frown upon him, and carried himself to Job as an enemy: and in the 26. verse, Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to inherit the sins of my youth: The old lusts, and the old bruises of his youth, whereby he had dishonoured God, though these were pardoned before, yet God renews them, and puts in the suit against him the second time, and makes the sins of his youth to be inherited by him; that look as the land descends to the heir, so the Lord made the sins and vanities of his soul to be possessed by him, and brought ⟨p. 186⟩out all his abominations out of record, Thou writest bitter things against me, that is, the Lord took all the advantages against him that might be, and said, Remember the old lusts of thy heart, and the vanities of thy youth; and this made him like a dry leaf tossed too and fro: as verse 25. Oh how easy were it for God, if he should but report to a mans conscience any little sin, that was committed the night before, and set it on, and seal it to the heart, it would drive the stoutest heart under heaven to despair: Psalm 88.15. Thy terrors have I suffered from my youth upwards, and I have been distracted with them; Lord, why castest thou off my soul? I am afflicted, and ready to die. It is certain, and I have known it, that the most stoutest heart, and rebellious lion-like disposition, that sets himself against God and his grace;