A35537:619
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 › Verses 5-6
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.
'Tis the greatness of Gods Spirit, or the strength of his heart and mind, which moderates him towards sinful man.
That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men, is true greatness of spirit: They that are of such a spirit, will neither despise those that are below them, nor envy those that are above them, not willingly oppose those that are equal to them. The envy and opposition of others greatness, ariseth from the meanness and weakness of our own spirits. The reason why one man is afraid that another should be high, is because himself hath not a real highness of spirit; or the reason why most oppose the greatness of others, is the littleness of their own spirits. Whence spring contentions and strifes, envyings at, and underminings of one another? come they not from the narrowness of our hearts, that we cannot rejoice in the good of others, or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts, that we fear others will do us hurt? If such a one get up, he will pull me down; if such a one be high, 'tis dangerous to me, therefore I must pull him down, if I can; whence comes this, but from lowness and poorness of spirit, from that pitiful thing in man, called Pusillanimity. The Lord hath so great a Spirit, that as he envieth no mans greatness, ⟨p. 187⟩so he feareth no mans greatness, and therefore doth that which is just and equal to all sorts of men, bad and good, as is further showed in the next verse.
That which keeps men in a moderate frame towards men, is true greatnesse of spirit: They that are of such a spirit, will neither despise those that are below them, nor envy those that are above them, not willingly oppose those that are equal to them. The envy and opposition of others greatnesse, ariseth from the meannesse and weaknesse of our own spirits. The reason why one man is affraid that another should be high, is because himself hath not a real highnesse of spirit; or the reason why most oppose the greatnesse of others, is the littlenesse of their own spirits. Whence spring contentions and strifes, envyings at, and underminings of one another? come they not from the narrownesse of our hearts, that we cannot rejoyce in the good of others, or from the impotent jealousies of our hearts, that we fear others will do us hurt? If such a one get up, he will pull me down; if such a one be high, 'tis dangerous to me, therefore I must pull him down, if I can; whence comes this, but from lownesse and poornesse of spirit, from that pitiful thing in man, called Pusillanimity. The Lord hath so great a Spirit, that as he envieth no mans greatnesse,