Nehemiah. A brief essay on divine consolations, how great they are; and how great…

IT is a Smart Question! And it is a Matter of no Small Sorrow, no Small Horror, that we generally afford so Great Reason, to be rebuked with such a Question. The Rebuke may be more justly given to us, than it was to Job, the Upright and Patient Servant of the Lord. A man enough to have made any Arabia the Happy, by his Illuminating of it; and yet a Man greatly Misconstrued, Censured, Reproached. We have the Story of him in a Poem, which had an Historical Foundation; whether Moses wrote the Poem or no, for the comfort of his Countrymen, while he was yet among the Midianites, cannot be determined. It may, that Senault says true, No Book in the World, is nobler in Expressions, richer in Descriptions, more generous in Conceptions, or more natural in Comparisons. The Friends of this rare man, too Angry & Froward ones! had been counselling of him, to Turn from the Impiety and Hypocrisy, whereof they would needs, upon cause little enough, suspect him to be Guilty. They had been comforting of him also with Hopes to find Favour with God upon his Turn. He endeavours his own Vindication from the Suspicion of his ⟨p. 2⟩Friends: His just Vindication, does but add unto the Irritation. So tis, when men Resolve, that nothing shall satisfy them! They misinterpret him, as if he had Rejected the Encouragements of Returning to GOD, which they had set before him. The Expostulation on this occasion (made, as Mercer thinks, with State enough!) is this; Are the Consolations of God Small with thee? The Intention of it, is well expressed by the Incomparable Calvin; Si quid tale aliquis committerit, merito haberetur superbus, et Dei Gratiae contemptor non ferendus. In short, Intolerable the Pride and Ingratitude of doing so. Whatever mistake there might be in their Application to the censured Servant of God, I will see, that there shall be no mistake in my Application of the Words, unto the purpose of the DOCTRINE, which I am going to take into my Hands.

IT is a Smart Question! And it is a Matter of no Small Sorrow, no Small Horror, that we generally afford so Great Reason, to be rebuked with such a Question. The Rebuke may be more justly given to us, than it was to Job, the Upright and Patient Servant of the Lord. A man enough to have made any Arabia the Happy, by his Illuminating of it; and yet a Man greatly Misconstrued, Censured, Reproached. We have the Story of him in a Poem, which had an Historical Foundation; whether Moses wrote the Poem or no, for the comfort of his Countrymen, while he was yet among the Midianites, cannot be determined. It may, that Senault sayes true, No Book in the World, is nobler in Expressions, richer in Descriptions, more generous in Conceptions, or more natural in Comparisons. The Friends of this rare man, too Angry & Froward ones! had been counselling of him, to Turn from the Impiety and Hypocrisy, whereof they would needs, upon cause little enough, suspect him to be Guilty. They had been comforting of him also with Hopes to find Favour with God upon his Turn. He endeavours his own Vindication from the Suspicion of his