A35535:1027
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the book of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus near the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Note.
We may speak and believe aright, that God is great, and that he is greater then man, and yet not answer it in our practise, nor be duly affected with it.
We may speake and believe aright, that God is great, and that he is greater then man, and yet not answer it in our practise, nor be duly affected with it.
Elihu did not at all question whether Job thought God greater then himself; that was not the point in controversy: but he saw this principle was not answered in Jobs practise, or that he did not demean himself suitably to the Greatness of God, which he had proclaimed to others, and professed himself to believe. And thus it is with many, most of all with those under great temptations and pressing afflictions. How apt are they to speak and act below, yea beside those principles which they believe and hold forth in their profession. It is an easy matter to say, and in words to acknowledge what God hath revealed himself to be, but O how hard is it to live and walk up to such sayings and acknowledgements? Many tell us, God is greater then man, yet while they do not fully subject themselves to God, they in effect deny that God is greater then man. Many acknowledge fully ⟨p. 240⟩that God is righteous, yet when they rest not in his dealings with them, they imply some unrighteousness in God. Many say God is wise, only wise, yet while they will be their own carvers, and are unsatisfied with Gods allowances and providences; they make themselves wiser then God, or at least imagine things might be ordered with Greater wisdom then they are. Many say God is great in mercy, greater infinitely then man, yet when they should act faith about the pardon of their sins, they act it as if God had but the mercy of a man, or as if his thoughts were as our thoughts, and his ways (in dispensing favours) like our ways, and so they bring God down to their own size and scantlings. If these had been asked the question, whether God hath not greater mercy then man, they would have answered, doubtless he hath; and yet they are no more in believing, then if the mercy of God were of the same measure with the mercies of narrow-hearted man. Thus we model the Great God, and our Idea's or apprehensions of him according to what we see in our selves, not according to what he is and hath said of himself. And what are our rightest notions of God, but hoverings in the air, till we bring them down into practise, or live up to them, till every thing we do be an exposition of what we speak and believe of God. And when we believe indeed that God is greater then man, we make our selves just nothing before God: