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…

When God deals most hardly with the soul or with the body, or with soul and body, a holy heart hath not a hard thought of God, I know it to be so of a truth; He doth not only acknowledge that God was just, when he punished others, but when he afflicted him. The common argument which the friends of Job took up to prove God to be just, was this: God is righteous, for he deals with men according to their deserts: but Job argues thus, God is righteous, however he deals with men, and whatsoever those men are, let men be wicked or upright, holy or profane. When we see God breaking the wicked, and making gall and worm-wood, fire and brimstone the portion of their cup, this argues his justice, because he hath threatened such with wrath and vengeance. But the Saints go further, they proceed upon purer and sublimer principles, maintaining that God is just, though he afflict the justest and holiest man upon the earth. The righteousness of God shines forth to them through the darkest sufferings of righteous men. The righteousness of God is not grounded upon the object about which he dealeth, whether righteous or unrighteous, but upon the act of his own will, yea upon the pleasure of his own will. His righteousness proceedeth from himself, and his is a righteous act, whatever the object be upon which he acts. We need not say, God is just, because he punishes the guilty; for God is just, though he afflict the innocent. We may at once maintain our own innocency, and the justice of God, while we bleed under his hand, or smart under his severest scourges. I know it to be so of a truth.

When God deals most hardly with the soul or with the body, or with soul and body, a holy heart hath not a hard thought of God, I know it to be so of a truth; He doth not only acknowledge that God was just, when he punished others, but when he afflicted him. The common argument which the friends of Job took up to prove God to be just, was this: God is righteous, for he deals with men according to their deserts: but Job argues thus, God is righteous, however he deals with men, and whatsoever those men are, let men be wicked or upright, holy or prophane. When we see God breaking the wicked, and making gall and worm-wood, fire and brimstone the portion of their cup, this argues his justice, because he hath threatned such with wrath and vengeance. But the Saints go further, they proceed upon purer and sublimer principles, maintaining that God is just, though he afflict the justest and holiest man upon the earth. The righteousnesse of God shines forth to them thorow the darkest sufferings of righteous men. The righteousnes of God is not grounded upon the object about which he dealeth, whether righteous or unrighteous, but upon the act of his own will, yea upon the pleasure of his own will. His righteousnesse proceedeth from himself, and his is a righteous act, whatever the object be upon which he acts. We need not say, God is just, because he punishes the guilty; for God is just, though he afflict the innocent. We may at once maintain our own innocency, and the justice of God, while we bleed under his hand, or smart under his severest scourges. I know it to be so of a truth.