A81199:1201
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.
Fourthly, Note; That, a Gracious soul useth all means to attain what he desires, especially to find out the mind and will of God in his workings.
Fourthly, Note; That, a Gracious soule useth all meanes to attaine what he desires, especially to finde out the minde and will of God in his workings.
What else is the meaning of all this? why else went Job forward and backward? why went he on the right hand, and on the left? why did he thus traverse his ground, and represent himself in these busy enquiries after God, travelling in the multitude of his thoughts upon his bed from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, leaving no stone unturned (as we say) nor path untrodden, that he might get his cause determined, and his heart settled. Obadiah tells Elijah after he had met him (see how industrious the malice of Ahab, against that holy man, made him to to find him out whom his soul hated, 1 King. 18.10.) As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom whether my Lord hath not sent to seek thee &c. Not that Ahab had sent Messengers into every quarter of the world, but the meaning is, that he had been very diligent and industrious to find out Elijah. And so saith Job, there is not any Corner under heaven, where I have not been seeking to find him whom my soul loveth and longeth for. Thereby importing his exceeding diligence to find God. They who have a desire after God indeed, will take pains for him, they will seek him, East, West, North, and South, and never complain of the length of their journey. They will not stay till God comes ⟨p. 371⟩home to their doors, but out they will go to seek him. For though it be a truth that no man can seek or look after God, till God hath first looked after and found him, yet they whom God hath once found, have such an impression left upon their hearts, that when God seems to leave them, and to be as lost to them, they will more then seem to look after and seek him while he is absent from them; that is, while he hides himself from them. Surely God hath never touched the hearts of those lazy professors that would fain be saved, but will go neither forward nor backward, neither North nor South after Jesus Christ; whereas if their desires were true and genuine, they would use all means, go all due ways, leave nothing unassayed that might probably bring them to the knowledge and enjoyment of him; O how busy was Job's spirit to find out God? And so busy should our spirits be to find him out, both for comfort and for counsel in all the turnings of our lives.