A35535:1915
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.
Man should make hast to answer the call of God, and come up to what he requireth of him.
For though God work these things oftentimes, yet no man knows how often he will work, and we may all know, he will not work always. 'Tis a high and dangerous presumption to defer at any time upon hopes that God will work at another time, because in some cases he works oftentimes. Remember (as was showed before in opening the words) this thrice is the least number of often, as twice is the least number of any; two or three are the least number that makes a Church-assembly (Math: 18.20.) The Prophet saith (Amos 2.4.) For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Implying that if men multiply their transgressions, God will not ⟨p. 468⟩always give them means of repentance, but pour out wrath upon them; So Elihu saith, God worketh twice and thrice; but if men will sin three or four times, where is their warrant that God will pardon or pass by their sins? The Prophet did not bind up the mercy of God precisely to two or three transgressions,1 but if men sin without bounds, he shows they have no ground to expect God should be merciful. One of the Jewish Rabbins (as some expound him) concludes peremptorily, If man sin twice or thrice God will spare, but if four times God will punish. We do not circumscribe the grace of God to a special number, and possibly that Rabbin did not intend it so, but only that all should take heed they do not abuse the grace of God. That God multiplieth to pardon, or (as we render, Isa: 55.7.) Pardoneth abundantly, is no security for any man to sin abundantly, or to multiply transgressions. My spirit shall not always strive with man (saith the Lord, Gen: 6.3.) I have striven long already, and I will yet strive longer, even an hundred and twenty years, but I will not strive always. God gave Jezebel a space to repent (Rev: 2.21.) but when she repented not, he did not promise her a new space to repent in, but threatened her with wrath to the utmost if she repented not. There is a frequency in the work of God to reduce sinners, but not a perpetuity. And as in this verse Elihu reports this frequency of his work, so in the next he reports that to be the design of it, Vers. 30. To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.