A81199:1137
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth chapters of the book of Job being the sum of thirty-seven lectures, delivered at Magnus near London Bridge. By Joseph Caryl, preacher of the Word, and pastor of the congregation there.An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth chapters of the book of Job being the summe of thirty-seven lectures, delivered at Magnus near London Bridge. By Joseph Caryl, preacher of the Word, and pastour of the congregation there.
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow; here's a description of a righteous person, righteous in his way, upright with God and men; and with such God will speak, such may dispute with him, as it follows (v. 18.) Come now, and let us reason together. We know (saith the blind man after he was healed) (Joh. 9.31.) that God heareth not sinners (that is, such as plead for or please themselves in any sin) but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth; him he heareth praying, and him he heareth disputing. Whereas of the prayings of the wicked he saith, they are but mere babblings, and of their disputings, they are but vain fanglings. If (saith David, Ps. 66. ⟨p. 354⟩18.) I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me; God will not regard his prayers, therefore not his disputes, who regards iniquity; but to the righteous and to such as repent of and turn from their unrighteousness, the Lord saith, Come let us reason together, let us dispute the point; Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Where take notice, by the way, that while God saith, your sins which were as scarlet shall be as white as snow, we are not to think that sin shall ever change colour, or be other then it is in the eyes of God: so that your sin shall be as snow, is you sinners shall be so. It is a very hard thing, and next to an impossibility to change the nature of a sinner, yea or the custom of a sinner (Jer. 13.23.) but it is altogether impossible to change the nature and constitution, yea or the complexion and colour of a sin, that looks ever red, but the reddest sinner may turn white as snow. And when once the sinner is turned white, God is ready to hear both his prayers, and disputes. God loves to hear such penitents confessing their sin, unburdening their conscience, pleading the promise. And he loves to hear the righteous holding out and maintaining the righteousness of their ways (against all the clamours and calumnies of men) before him. There the righteous may dispute with him.