12 The IN,T.RODtiCTI.0N. lt,zom,.fg, 4. to Job , is Patience.; and fo the denomination too ofthis whole Hillory ; as if that were the great leffon that were to be taken out, the teffon offuflerir g, and of patience : So that what the Apofile makes to be the Ufe ofall Scripture, Whatfoever things (faith he) were written afore- time., were writtenfar our, learning, that we through:_patiertce and comfort ofthe Scriptures might have hope. That, I fay, which the Apofile theremakes tobe the end and fcope of the whole Scripture, doth . feem to be infpecial the principaland chief end of writing this Bookof job 2. Another Infirudion , which we are to takefrom the whole Book, is this. God would have us learn , that afielioes come not by chance , that they are all ordered byprovidence ; in the matter, in the, manner, and the meafure, both for thekinds, and forthe degrees, they-are all ordered, even the very leaft, by the wifdom, by the hand and providence ofGod. 3. Another thing , which we are to learn generally fromthis Book, is this, The Soveraignty ofGod; that he hath power over us, over our eflates,and over our bodies,and over our families, and over our fpirits ; that he may of us as hepleafeth , andwe muff be quiet under his hand: when he cometh,and will take all from us, allour comforts, we muff give all glory tohim. ThisBook is writ- ten for this efpecially, to teach us the SoveraigntyofGod, and the febmiffion ofthe Creature,,, q., It teacheth us, That God loth fometimes agitl his children out ofprerogative that though there be no fn in them, which he makes the occafion of afflicting them, (fuch'was Jobs cale,) yet for exercif: of his graces in them, for trial oftheir graces, orto fit them up forpatterns to the world, God may and Both affliEt them. Though no man be without fin, yet theafiUions. of many are not fc'theirfns,._ 5. There is this general.InftruCion which God would haveus learn out of this Book, namely, That' the beg begotten, and the beff founded effatein outward things, is uncertain ; that there is no trufling to anycreature-comforts. God would:unbottom us quite from the creature, byholding forth this Hidtory ofjobunto us. 6. God would alto Phew forth this for ourlearning, viz The .ítrength, theunmovablenefs ofFaith , how unconquerable it is, what a kind ofOrrmnipotency there is in grace. God wouldhave all the world take notice of this in the Book of,job, that agodly per- foil is in vain affàulted by friends or enemies, by men or devils, by want
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