An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

Joy shall dislodge and give place to sorrow, for, I will pass through thee saith the Lord. So that as the work of providence in sparing, and the work of providence in punishing, may be understood by this word, with a little varying of the construction. He passeth by me in the ways of mercy, and I see him not;¹ and he passeth through me in the ways of judgement, and I see him not. I cannot see or understand him as I ought, either in ways of judgement, or of mercy.

Joy shall dislodge and give place to sorrow, for, I will passe thorow thee saith the Lord. So that as the work of providence in sparing, and the work of providence in punishing, may be understood by this word, with a little varying of the construction. He passeth by me in the waies of mercy, and I see him not;¹ and he passeth thorow me in the waies of judgement, and I see him not. I cannot see or understand him as I ought, either in waies of judgement, or of mercy.

1. 1Deus simplicissimus est spiritus & invisibilis, itaque neque nos adorientem cum venit, neque cum obis pedem referentem senti•e possumus.

Thirdly, we may take the words, as they are an argument to prove the power and wisdom of God to be such, as man is no way able to match or to deal withal, which is the subject Job is upon. He would set the Lord infinitely above all that is in the creature, and he doth it there by an argument drawn from his nature. What is ⟨p. 227⟩his nature? Why, he is most simple, he is a spirit without any mixture, without any composition, without any materiality, he is invisible, bodily eyes cannot behold him, therefore certainly bodies are not able to overcome him. Man being a material substance, is not able to see the Lord, then surely he is not able to contend with, much less to conquer the Lord; What then doth he meddling with him? It was said at the 4th verse of this Chapter, Who ever hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Is flesh and blood any match for a spirit? If man would strive with God, where should he have him? He goeth by me, nd I see him not; he passeth on also, and I perceive him not; I know not where to meet him, he can come upon me on every side, he may take me at all advantages, and destroy me, for I know not how to guard or defend my self. If a man were to fight with an enemy, whom he could not see, and yet his enemy saw him; what an advantage had his enemy against him? Doth any man harden himself against God? He goeth by, and we see him not; How then can we deal with him, or stand against him? Thus (I say) it may be an argument to make good that great assertion, That there is no contending with God; flesh and blood are too weak for a spirit. It is the argument which the Apostle uses, to show that the devil is too hard for man, We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, with spiritual wickednesses, &c.