876 Chap. 5. 4n. Expcfition upon the Book of J OB, Vat.. Wemuff follow his (reps both in the matter anal in the manner of our"fufferings; therefore Chrift faith, Take myyoke upon you, and learn of me, Mat. r r . 29. Chrift calls it his yoke (it is a yoke of affliction as well as a yoke of infirudion) And he calls it his yoke, not only becaufe, he, as a Lord layes it upon the necks of others, but becaufe, he,as a fervant bore that yoke himfclf; thereforehe faith, Take myyoke uponyou, andlearn of me, that is,not only take my yoke upon you for the natter, but learn ofrne for the manner, how to bear that yoke. Betides there grand leading, unerring examples of God and Chrilt, t5e examples of the Saints are al_ fo commended to our imitation, both in doing and in fuffering. Whatfoever things are written (and examples were written) afgretime,were written for our inflruelion. Why bath the Holy Ghoft fet fo many pens a work, to write the lives of the Saints ? why hath he kept a:record of them inhis own book but for di - re fion to his people in after times. The Lord hath not Regi- fired. any one ad of the Saints, but is ufeful for its. The as of Noah, Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, $m«el, 'David, are full of pracfi- calDivinity. The fuffering.s and troublessof there and many o- thers, are full (ifi may fo (peak) of Pathecal Divinity: As the Apoflle James his counfel doth more then intimates James 5 I0) Take my brethren the Prophets who have fpoken in the Name of the Lord, for an example offujfering affliflion andofpatience ; Hence thofe ancient Saints and believers (Heb. 12. r.) are called a cloud of Witneffes ; A cloud, becaufe there is a dircétineor a lea- ding vertue in them ; As there was a cloud that went before the children of Ifrael in the day to lead thena,Co this cloud ofwitnef- fes, leads us up and down the wildernefs of our forrows, and in the dark night of our füffetngs. Turnyou to the Saints, to that cloud of witneffes, eye them, and fee what becomes you in fad times ; They have fuffered joyfully the fpoyling of their good , fuffer you likewife, if you come into the hands of fpoilers. They lived by faith in themidit of a ahoufand deaths, live you likewife by faith in death, when ever you come into the hand of that King of terrors. And when at any time your own hearts or the wayes of others areout of courfe, check and chide them for and from thofe diforders, by fending them to the prabife.of theSaints; L'aokto.the Saints,from which of the Saints have you learned to be proud and high minded? from which of ,theSaintshave you learned: to be'earthly and covetous? from which of the Saints have
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=