A81199:1393
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.
Secondly, When man repents that he hath done, or made such a thing, he is ready to deface and destroy that which he hath made or done: When man repents that he hath set up such or such a thing, he removes and takes it down. Thus God is said to repent, not because his mind is changed, but because (as a man that repenteth) he ceaseth to do what he did, or he destroyeth that ⟨p. 427⟩which he had made. Thus the Lord is said to repent his making of Saul king, because he meant to remove him from being king; And to repent that he had made the world, because his purpose was, for the sin of man to deface and destroy the present beauty and excellency of the world which he had made. God often puts forth the effects of repentance toward man, but the repentance of a man never put forth any effect upon God.
Secondly, When man repents that he hath done, or made such a thing, he is ready to deface and destroy that which he hath made or done: When man repents that he hath set up such or such a thing, he removes and takes it downe. Thus God is sayd to repent, not because his minde is changed, but because (as a man that repenteth) he ceaseth to doe what he did, or he destroyeth that ⟨p. 427⟩which he had made. Thus the Lord is said to repent his making of Saul king, because he meant to remove him from being king; And to repent that he had made the world, because his purpose was, for the sin of man to deface and destroy the present beautie and excellency of the world which he had made. God often puts forth the effects of repentance toward man, but the repentance of a man never put forth any effect upon God.
Secondly, We may answer thus; God often minds a change: 1But he never changes his mind. And so all those Scriptures before mentioned, note only that God did mind a change, or make a change: But not that he did change his mind. There is a vast difference between these two, to mind or determine a change, and to change the mind or determination. As for instance, a man that is resolved to wear garments suitable to the season of the year, and temperature of the weather; in the heat of summer it is his mind to wear light and thin garments that he may be cool, and in the cold of winter, his mind is to wear heavier and thicker garments that he may be warm. Now if this man when winter comes leaves off his light thin garments, & puts on those that are heavier and thicker, he cannot be said to change his mind, for his mind was always to wear change of garments according to the season of the year, and temper of the weather. And thus the Lord according to the changes which he finds among men for the better or for the worse, doth both mind and make eminent changes among them, as to his providential administrations, whether in ways of Judgement or of mercy, but in these he never changes his own mind, forasmuch as his mind was everlastingly fixed, in case of such emergencies, to make those changes in his administrations and dealings with the sons of men.