A35537:1149
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of the book of Job being the substance of thirty-five lectures / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1664
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-fifth, Th… › Chapter 36 › Verse 21
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.
Fifthly, Affliction b•ings us nearer to God. That which takes us off from the World, brings us nearer to God: this is an excellent advantage, a great good of affliction. But choose sin, and will that bring us nearer to God? Sin is a departure from God: The Lord saith to sinners, Ye are departed and gone. Sin is so far from bringing us nearer to God, that as all in a state of sin, are far off from God, so every act of sin widens the distance, and puts us farther off from God.
Fifthly, Affliction b•ings us nearer to God. That which takes us off from the World, brings us neerer to God: this is an excellent advantage, a great good of affliction. But chuse sin, and will that bring us neerer to God? Sin is a departure from God: The Lord saith to sinners, Ye are departed and gone. Sin is so far from bringing us nearer to God, that as all in a state of sin, are far off from God, so every act of sin widens the distance, and puts us farther off from God.
Sixthly, Affliction is our conformity to Christ. If you choose affliction, you choose that which makes you look like Christ; for he was a man of sorrows in this world, he was not in the ruff and jollity, in the power and pomp of this world, but low, and of no reputation, acquainted with grief all his days. If then you choose affliction rather than sin, you choose conformity to Christ; but choosing iniquity rather than affliction, you take up the utmost disformity to Christ, who knew no sin, n•r was any guile found in his mouth. He took all our afflictions upon him, but he would not touch our sin, as a doer of it, only as (in our stead) a sufferer for it.
Sixthly, Affliction is our conformity to Christ. If you chuse affliction, you chuse that which makes you look like Christ; for he was a man of sorrows in this world, he was not in the ruff and jollity, in the power and pomp of this world, but low, and of no reputation, acquainted with grief all his dayes. If then you chuse affliction rather than sin, you chuse conformity to Christ; but chusing iniquity rather than affliction, you take up the utmost disformity to Christ, who knew no sin, nr was any guile found in his mouth. He took all our afflictions upon him, but he would not touch our sin, as a doer of it, only as (in our stead) a sufferer for it.