Tap. 2. An Expofition upon theBookof J O B. Verf. 6. 257 of death, where ¡hall he iffue out ? where fhall he have a paffage ? Nowhere,faith man,he ¡hall not efcape ; but Goof keepeth all the paffages when men think they have !hut us up in the jawes of death, he can open them, and deliver us. To him belong the iJues from death ; It is an allufion to one that keepeth a paffage or a door ; And God isa faithful keeper, and a friendly keeper, who will open the door for the efcape of his people, when they cry unto him. It is expreft fo inPfl. 141.7. Our bones areftattered at the graves mouth : as when one cutteth or cleaveth wood upon the earth ; that is, we are even ready to die, to be put into the grave. What then ? But mine eyes are upon thee, 0God the Lord : in thee is my truff, leave not my foul deffitute. Keep me from the f'nare which theyhave laidforme. Let the wickedfall into their own nets: wbilff I withall efcape, that is, make me a way to efcape ; As if he fhould fay, Thou haft thekey ofthe gate, by which we may due out fromdeath : Lord, I look that thou thouldeft now open it for me. Letit comfort us, that God bath our lives, and the iffues from death in his own hand : when Satan thought he had job fait enough lockt up in the valley of the shadow of death, God kept him life, he opened a door and let him out. Thirdly note , that as God hath life in his hand in a fpecial manner, fo he takes fpecial care of the lives ofhis people. Save his lift (fifthGod) I will look to that : Pfàl. t i6. 15. Precious in the fight of the Lord the death ofhis Saints ; Precious is their death; not that death t fèlf is precious, a privation hath no precioufiacfs in it : but their life is precious,therefore he will have a great price fur their death ; God puts off the life of a Saint at a dear rate. 1 'o unto thofe whó violently and unjuttly take away that which is !b precious in the ofeem of God ; at one time or other he will make them pay dear for fuch Jewels. Fuitrthly obfetve , Ix is mercy to have our lives , though we lofe all things elfe. You feé here God faith concerning job, Save his life, I have given theo.hisettate, thou hall fpoiled t hat;uow I will leave his body in thine hand, wound that, afflict that, but fave his life. Here was mercy. Therefore it was a Cpecial promife and pri- viledge made and granted to force in times of great publick fuf- ferings and common calamities, as to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, jer. 39. r 8. and to Baruch the Scribe, f er. 45.5. That their lives Jhould begiven to ehemfor aprey ; as if God had faid, it is noor- 1L I dinacy
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