42 Chap. 4.. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Veil 7 fpoken by Eliphaz, are a truth. And concerning the fifth and lafl, I conceive Eliphaz is particularly to be uudertlood : For he fpeaks not here ofthe eternal eflateofjob, though that be involved)whe.n he concludeth hint a wicked man ; but he fpeaks of the dealings ofGod its temporals : He look't upon Job as a loft man, a man ut terly forfaken ofhis God ; as a man of a forlorne hope, cut doNil, and pluékt up, root and branch ; when he law his flock coin-u- m-led, his children (lain, his body dìfeafed, and his fpirit fo diLleru- pered. And fo the minor, or the affumption only is fatfe, the pro- petition true;Righteous men do not peri1h thus, innocent perfons are not thus cut off ; but thou lob peritheft and art cut off:" Hold there, that's falfe ; Job in the ante Eliphaz intended,peri(hed nor; was not cut off; for in the fcquell, God gave him both comfort and deliverance : Love was mingled with theaffli ion, (lrength was minifired to bear the affliction: and at tali a gracious 'way was madeout of the afflition.The bkfling of God caufedhim to fpriiig out again: though his goodly branches were broken, and his fruit pluckt off,yet hisroots were not pluckt up. lit will not be unneceffary for the clearingof this Scrpture, to fubjoyn a reafon,why in the Old Teflament or Under the old Co- venant,therewas fo much Humbling at the afiftions and troubles vfal.73. of the righteous;for it peat even a David, a Jeremiah, and a Haha- ]er. r_, a. kxkhard to it,for an anfwer,when they faw fuch underfufferings ; the r,afon was this,becaufe God in thofe times,made more fpectal temporal promifes to his people,in cafe ofobcdience, than he hath done in the time of the Gofpel. Read Deut. 28, Levit. 27. and other places where you ¡hall find, how all the promifes run upon things that concern the outward man ; they (hall be bleffed in their basket and in their ftore,they (hall have this and that, and all outward things aboundantly;and the curie thratned, was the lofs and deprivation ofthofe outward bkflings in cafe of difobedi- ence : For God did win and carry them on, in that non-age of the Church,by'outward and temporal promifes ; hence they were much troubled and offended, when they faw righteous men under heavy preffures and breaking afflidiorss. Now Lince the coming of Chrift in the flL(h,and the pouring out ofthole fpecial fpiritual bleflings upon his people, by the Holy Ghofl, he doth not feed us fomuch with thefe outward hopes, or enjoyments. Therefore in the Gofpcl, we read what hardmeat he giveth his people : fore- telling there lrlainly, Ifany will follow me, pct him deny bimfelf and
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