Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37. v1

Chaff.-r . An Expofitionupon the Bookof J OB. Verf. That like. unto him there was no King :before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all hisfoul,and with all his might. Here it is laid after Hezekiah, that jofiah was fuch a King as there was none before him and it was raid ofHeze- kiah that was beforehim, that he was fuch a ene, that after him there fhould be none like him. Hpw thall we reconcile thefe two? onely by applying thole expreffions to fuch and fuch parti- culars. Hezekiahwas fuch a man, as there was no King after him for truffing in God; and, fofiah was fuch a man, as there was no King before him for defire, care, and zeal in reforming the Church ofGod. Jofiab's Reformation was the molt perfec`f refor- mation that was made by all theKings ofJudah , and fo in that particular, in regardofhis great zeal for God, there was no King before him, like him. How (hall we underfiand this then concern- ing job ? I anfwer, In two Conclufions. Firft, When it is faid, there was .none like to job, we are to underliand it in reference to that gene- ration. Doubtlefs God had as great ones in grace as Job both before and afterward : Noah and Abraham before him, were :eminent ones ; and afterward, Mofes, and Jofhua , and David, and Samuel. But take Job in the Time and the Age where- in he lived,fo there was none like untohim in equality,we may un- derhand it fo ; For job is conceived to be in the darkerTimes, be- .t ween Abraham and Mfis, about the Time that the people of Ifrael were in captivity in Egypt ; fò that in reference to that Time Job lived in, he was the only man, the chiefman, the great- eft for grace in that Age : As it is faid of Noah, he was a juft man , and perfeí'l in his generations, he was the juheft man of all that Age, the molt righteous ofall that generation ; fo was job in his. Secondly, wemay undcrftand it, not only concerning Come particular grace whereinhe was moll eminent : Although it be a truth, That he had one grace,for which he was cryed up in Scrip- ture, more then for others, to wit, Patience ; have you not beard of the Patience ofJob ? But we may take it for the +whole latitude of Job's holinefsand graces, and there was not at that time fuch a man upon the Earth as fob : Aud-fò God himfelf feemeth to ex- pound it; he doth not confine this to force one point, but faith, Half thou not conjidered my fervant Job, that there is none like him in the Earth ? a perfetï and upright man, one that feareth God

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