2 Chap, I. .11n E pof tionupon the BookofJ O B. VerC g have no fear ofGod before their eyes , to be perfect among hypo- crites, to be upright among thofe that are unjuft, to efchew evi11 among thof. that are altogether wrapt about with evil,This was the honour and commendation of lob. For a man to be as Lot in Sodome never touched withS'odomswickednefs, to keep him- fell pure and fincere,and,without:rebuke in the-midfofa crooked and perverfe generation, to thine as a light in the midtf of dark: nefs ; this brings honour both to God and man. Thirdly, From the place where Job lived, we may obferve, That Gracewill pr'eferve pelf in the midif of thegreatef oppofition. Its filcha fire as no water can wholly quench, or put out. True Grace will keep it felffound and.cleau among thole who are le- prous and unclean it is fuch a thing as overcomes andmaters all theevil that is about it : God bath put fuch a mighty power into grace,that ifitonce poffefs the heart in truth,though there be but a little ofit, though there be but as much as a grainofmuftard-. feed,notall thewickednefs in the world, no nor all the devils in hell can difpofïefsit.As all the water in the fait Sea .cannot make the fifh fait, but fill the fifh retains its frethnefs, fo all the wick- ednefs and fìlthinefs that is in the world, cannot defroy , cannot defile true grace ; that will bear up its head and hold up it felffor even-AL,- And this' man was perfect and upright, one that feared God and efchewed evil. =1,1 Perfeîl Not that he had a legal perfection ; fuch a perfection as the Papifs now contend for : and aifert poflibly attainable,yea adfually attained by many in this life : For what .is- man that he fhouldbe clean ? And job himfelf profefieth,Chap. 9. ao. If Ifay Iamperfect, it (hall alp prove me perverfe ; he acknowledgeth, Chap. 7. 20. I havefinned. The perfection therefore here fpo- kenof is nut-an abfolute, a legal perfect ion..` for the clearing ofthe word,we may confider there is a twofold perfect ion afcrib'd to theSaints in this life. A perfectionof jufti- fication, a perfection of fanctification. The firf of thefe,in a frict fenfe,is a compleat perfection:The Saints are compleat in Chrifi, they are perfecty jufified, there is not any fin left uncovered, not any guilt left unwathed in the blood of Chrif, not the leaf fpot but is taken away ; his gar- ment
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