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SERMON X.

The Folly, Danger, and Cure of Impatience.

189

JOB ii. 9. 19.

Then faid his Wife unto bim, Doft thou
ftill retain thine Integrity? Curfe God
and die.

But he faid unto her, thou speakeft as
one of the foolish Women Speaketh :
What? Shall we receive Good at the
Hand of God, and shall we not receive
Evil?

TH

HIS Chapter is a continuation of the Hiftory of fob's Sufferings, and of his Faith and Conftancy under them. And the Connection it bears to the foregoing Chapter, will engage us to look back a little into the Argument and Difcourfe of that; where we

read

read that God gave a Commiffion to Satan to afflict this Righteous Man; only with this Referve, that he Thould not put forth his Hand upon himself. This was joyful News to that restless and malicious Spirit, who immediately puts it in Execution; firft by letting in the Chap. 1. Sabeans and Chaldeans, who flew his Cattle,

V. 15.

V. 19.

and his Servants with the Edge of the Sword; v. 16. then by fending a Fire from Heaven to confume the Remainder and laft of all by raifing a great Wind from the Wilderness, which fmote the four Corners of the House, where his Sons, and his Daughters were gathered together, and buried them all in the Ruins of it. Severe Trials thefe! But, tho' they did fomething aftonish the good Man, yet did Chap. 1. they not remove him from his Integrity. He arofe, and rent bis Mantle, and fhaved his Head, and fell down upon the Ground and worshipped. And the Sum of his Devotion was this humble Recognition of the Juftice of the Divine Providence. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked fall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord bath taken away. Bleed be the Name of the Lord.

V. 20.

. 21.

Satan finding himself baffled in this Attempt, moves God in this Chapter, that he would renew and enlarge his Commiffion that where

int was done before, touched him only

in his Family and Eftate, if he would now fuffer him to afflict him in his Perfong de would openly renounce and deny his ProviChap. 2. dence. Skin for Skin, and all that a Man

4.

bath

bath will be give for his Life: But put forth v. 5. thine Hand, and touch his Bone and his Fleft, and be will curfe thee to thy Face. To which the Divine Majefty (knowing the Fidelity of his Servant Job yields; he fuffers him to fmite him with fore Boils from the Sole of his Foot to his Crown; in which not only the Smart, but the Stench and noisom Filthinefs of the Disease, added very much to his Mifery. As if it had not been enough to have been left to the Mercilefs and unrelenting Cruelty of the Devil; his nearest Friend and Companion, the Wife of his Bofom, tempts him to Impatience and Atheism, to difpair of Mercy, and to difcard God. Then faid his Wife unto him, doft thou ftill retain thine Integrity? Curfe God and die. This, tho' doubtlefs it ftruck him to the very Heart; yet without being transported into the Indecency of a Paffion he piously reproves her Folly and Rafhnefs, Thou speakeft as one of the foolish Women Speaketh. What? fhall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fhall we not receive Evil?

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I find fome fmall Difference amongst Expofitors and Learned Men, concerning the Senfe of thefe Words of Job's Wife. Some would have them to be a naked Interrogation, without any Sting going along with them as if the had only difpaffionately reasoned the Cafe with him, what Good his Piety had done him; why he might not as well fave his Labour, and ceafe to be religious, fince

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it brought him nothing but Poverty and Affliction. Others would have them to be an Interrogation, joined with a virulent and reflecting Sarcafm; a fcornful and reproachful Irony As if the had faid, do, go on, ftill worship God and die for thy Pains; 'tis an excellent Incouragement, a goodly Reward of thy Piety, when all that thou getteft by it, is to give him Thanks and Perifh. To all which he answered. Thou speakeft as one of the foolifh Women Speaketh. In which Reprehenfion, 'tis probable Job had regard to the prophane Cuftom of the Idumean Women; who, as it fhould feem, were wont to curfe and rail at their Gods when any Misfortune befel them. But he calls upon her to entertain more reverend and awful Thoughts of the Divine Providence; to confider that this World is made up of a Mixture of Good and Evil; and that both proceed from a Wife and Righteous God: Shall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fhall we not receive Evil?

In the Words there are three Things wor thy our Notice; and which I think eafily of fer themselves to our Confideration.

I. The Proneness of Human Nature to Impatience, Discontent, and Prophane Murmurings under the afflicting Hand of God. Doft thou fill retain thine Inte grity? Curfe God and die.

II. The

II. The Folly, the Danger, and the Impiety of it. Thou speakeft as one of the foolish Women Speaketh.

III. The Wisdom and Security of Refignation to the Divine Appointments; becaufe the Good we enjoy, and the Evil we fuffer are both from the Hand of God. Shall we receive Good at the Hand of God, and fhall we not receive Evil.

I begin with the First of these, viz.

I. The Pronenefs of Human Nature to Impatience, Difcontent, and Prophane Murmurings

thouer the afflicting Hand of God. Doft

thou ftill retain thine Integrity? Curfe God and die. We are all of us cloathed with natural Refentments and Paffions; we have a very quick Senfe of Pain and Grief: The Com forts and Bleffings of this Life have so far engaged our Affections to them; by their Conveniency and Ufe, they are fo fuited, and made familiar to our prefent State, that whenever we are deprived of any of them, it creates fome Disturbance to our Spirits, and that, breaks out in our Words and in our Actions; presently we vex and complain, and betray a mighty Impotence of Nature; we fet no Bounds to our Grief; we immoderately indulge our Refentments; and we will liften to no Advice; we expofe the Dignity of our Beings, and the Honour of our Religion;

the

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