Chap.3. An Expofitioít upon the Bo®k of J O B. VërCS. 355 condition ofthe damned is called outer darknefs , (Matth. 2. a 3.). By outer darknefs Chrifl means darknefs without any ray of light : Outer darknefs is their portion who are without, Bev.22. 15. As the greateft bletling we receive byChrift is pofitive , Yob. 3.16. Godfo loved the World, that he gave his onlybegotten Son,that whofoever believeth on him,fhould notperifh, (here is the removing ofevil,) but have everlaffing life; here is the bringing in ofgood And this is the better part of the blefling. Soon the other fide, to have all good, light and life removed, is the molt bitter part of the . su rfe. Let darknefs and thefháddw ofdeath 'fain.it. 9?arknefs andthefhadowofdeath.) There wordsare the fourth branchof the.curfe upon his day ; he repeats the former curfe,but withnew additions He had laid before, Let this day be darknefs; now he faith,Let darknefs andthe fhadowofdeath'lain it. Thefhadowofdeath.) Theword, conldered in the compofition ofit,may be tranflated image ofdeath.And becaufe the fhadow ofa bodygives us the image ofa body, (as in the fhadowofa man, you have the image and proportion ofa man ; in the fhadow ofa Tree, you have the image and reprefentationofa Tree,) becaufe (I fay) the fhadow,gives the imageofa body,therefore the Hebrewesby a Metonymy, call an image a fhadow.: So that thefhadow ofdeath is Inch darknefsas is like death , the very image ofdeath : He was not contented in general to fay, Let darknefsflain it ; but if any would know what kind-or degree ofdarknefs he intends, thefe words expound his meaning to be the wort} darknefs that can be Any darknefs is evil, but darknefsand thefhadowofdeath is the ut- moft ofevils. David put the wont ofhis cafe, and the belt of his Faith,whenhe faid,Pf.23.4.ThoughI walkin the valleyofthefhadow ofdeath, Iwillfear no evil; that is , in thegreateft evil I will fear no evil.. The eflate ofthofemen who lived beyond the line of the, Gofpel,(and that is a very doleful place to-live in,) though a Para - dife for outwardpleafure,is thus defcribed by the Prophet,Ifz.9.2. The people that walked in darknefsbavePeen a great light, (Jef us- Chrift,) they that dwell in the Land ofthe fhadow of death , upon them bath the light fhined..Again, The (hadowofa thing in Scrip- ture, notes the power ofa thing; and to be under the fhadow of a thing,is to beunder. the power ola thing. TheBrarnble(Judg.9. a 5. ) Z .z 2 -
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