A35538:2113
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second, being the five last, chapters of the book of Job being the substance of fifty-two lectures or meditations / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. and S. Simmons, 1666
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-eighth, T… › Chapter 40 › Verse 3-5
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.
Hence Observe; The more we have to do with God, and the nearer God comes to us; the more we see, and the more we are made sensible of our own vileness.
1Man is clearly discovered and known to himself, when he beholds God in the shinings of divine light, and not till then. Job was higher in his own thoughts than became him, till God came thus near to him; and when God came yet nearer to him, and discovered himself (as he afterwards did) yet more fully to him, then Job did not only say (as here) I am vile, but I abhor my self, and repent in dust and ashes. This first approach of God in so eminent and illustrious a way or manner, wrought much upon him, but the second more. The light of God shows us our darkness, the power of God our weakness, his wisdom our folly, his purity our uncleanness, his Majesty our vileness, and his Allness or all-sufficiency being seen, gives us to see our utter deficiency and nothingness. Still in proportion to the nearness of God to us, or our nearer and clearer apprehensions of him by faith, we are carried further out of, and further off from our selves; and thus 'tis in our attendance upon God in the Ordinances of worship. The reason why many come to ordinances with proud hearts, and go away proud, is, because they have little or no communion with God in them by faith, or God doth not manifest himself to them by his blessed Spirit. They who have seen the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary (as David professed he had sometimes done, and longed to see it again (Psal. 63.1, 2.) they will say with the same David (Psal. 131.1, 2.) Lord, our heart is not haughty, nor our eyes lofty, our soul is like a weaned child.
1Man is clearly discovered and known to himself, when he beholds God in the shinings of divine light, and not till then. Job was higher in his own thoughts than became him, till God came thus near to him; and when God came yet nearer to him, and discovered himself (as he afterwards did) yet more fully to him, then Job did not only say (as here) I am vile, but I abhor my self, and repent in dust and ashes. This first approach of God in so eminent and illustrious a way or manner, wrought much upon him, but the second more. The light of God shews us our darkness, the power of God our weakness, his wisdom our folly, his purity our uncleanness, his Majesty our vileness, and his Allness or alsufficiency being seen, gives us to see our utter deficiency and nothingness. Still in proportion to the nearness of God to us, or our nearer and clearer apprehensions of him by faith, we are carried further out of, and further off from our selves; and thus 'tis in our attendance upon God in the Ordinances of worship. The reason why many come to ordinances with proud hearts, and go away proud, is, because they have little or no communion with God in them by faith, or God doth not manifest himself to them by his blessed Spirit. They who have seen the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary (as David professed he had sometimes done, and longed to see it again (