A35535:1323
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.
Thirdly, If God doth not take all away, yet what remains is withered and blasted, it dries up and comes to little; if it be not quite removed, yet it appears no more in its former beauty and lustre. When God with rebukes correcteth man for (this) iniquity, he maketh his beauty (the beauty of his parts and gifts, yea of his graces) to consume away (as David expresseth it, Psal: 39.11.) like a moth. O what a dryness, and so a decayedness falls upon that soul from whom the soaking dues and drops, the sweet influences of heaven are restrained! And surely if they are restrained from any, they are from proud men; No marvel then, if others see and they feel their witherings, and even sensible declinings every day.
Thirdly, If God doth not take all away, yet what remaines is withered and blasted, it dries up and comes to little; if it be not quite removed, yet it appeares no more in its former beauty and luster. When God with rebukes correcteth man for (this) iniquity, he maketh his beauty (the beauty of his parts and gifts, yea of his graces) to consume away (as David expresseth it, Psal: 39.11.) like a moth. O what a dryness, and so a decayedness falls upon that soule from whom the soaking dewes and drops, the sweete influences of heaven are restrained! And surely if they are restrained from any, they are from proud men; No marvaile then, if others see and they feele their witherings, and even sencible declinings every day.
Fourthly, Suppose the gifts and parts of a proud man continue florid and appear still acting in their former strength, vigour, and beauty, yet God sends a secret curse upon them, and though he doth not wither them, yet he doth not delight in them, not ⟨p. 320⟩give them any acceptation. The best things how long soever continued to proud men, are no longer blessings to them; yea it had been good for them, that either they had never had them, or that they had been soon taken away. That as one said falsely of the life of man in general,1 but truly of wicked men; It had been best for them not to have been borne, and their next best would be to dye quickly. So I may say in this case of proud men; It had been best for them they never had received any eminent gifts from God, and their next best would be to have them quickly taken away; For as wicked men in General (if they dye unconverted) the longer they live, the worser they live, and every day by adding new heaps of sin, heap up further wrath against the day of wrath; So proud men in special, the longer they have and hold their gifts, their riches, their honours, their powers, do but abuse them the more, to the increase of their sin here, and (without repentance) shame hereafter.