An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

As evil men are apt to make over-good conclusions for themselves, they doubt not but they shall see and enjoy God. O what presumptuous thoughts have men, and what peremptory, though groundless, conclusions do they make for themselves upon false and rotten premises! they will say, they know God, and are known of God, they see God, and enjoy God, when they know not the meaning, much less have tasted the comfort of knowing God, or of being known by him, of seeing God, or of enjoying him. These mysterious experiences are not every man's meat, nor every man's matters, who makes title to the knowledge of God. The Apostle saith expressly, (1 John 2.4.) He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. And again, (Chap. 3.6.) Whosoever sinneth (that is, loves and lives in sin) hath not seen him, neither known him. Yet how many are there, far from keeping the Commandments of God, far from a holy life, yea far from a holy state, so far from such a holy life, as of which it may be said in a Gospel sense, that they sin not, that indeed they do nothing else but sin! yet these are apt to conclude, they see God, they see him by faith, they know him, they doubt not but he is their God. Now as many carnal men are apt to make false conclusions to themselves of an interest in God, when there is no such matter, kindling a fire, and compassing themselves about with their own sparks, as the Prophet speaks, (Isa. 50.11.) that is, with vain conceits of their own blowing up, that all is well with them; when all that they, who do so, shall have at Gods hand, is, they shall lie down in sorrow. So on the other side, godly men often times make sad conclusions against themselves, they say (as Job in the Text) they shall not see him; who though (as was showed in opening the Text) he did not conclude against his sight of God by grace, or that he had no sight of him by faith, yet he had not a comfortable sight as to his present enjoyment, and he doubted whether ever he should in this world. Jonah made such a conclusion (Chap. 2.4.) Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight. As Hezekiah said in his sickness, (Isa. 38.11.) I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord in the Land of the living;

As evil men are apt to make over-good conclusions for themselves, they doubt not but they shall see and enjoy God. O what presumptuous thoughts have men, and what peremptory, though groundless, conclusions do they make for themselves upon false and rotten premises! they will say, they know God, and are known of God, they see God, and enjoy God, when they know not the meaning, much less have tasted the comfort of knowing God, or of being known by him, of seeing God, or of enjoying him. These mysterious experiences are not every man's meat, nor every man's matters, who makes title to the knowledge of God. The Apostle saith expresly, (