Chap. 6. fin, Expoftionupon theBookofJ OB. thefarad oftherea, then which nothing can be found more heavy. That ofDavid, Pfal. 62.9. is paralel to this expreffaon in rob, Surely men oflow degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lye,; To be laid in the ballances, they are altogether lighter then vanity. The meaning is, That if men ofall degrees, high and low were put in one fcale, and vanity in the other, vanity it feile would be weightierthen the graveft and molt weighty/ men : Hence tome reade, they together are lighter then vanity ;; Others to this fence, Menand vanity being weighed together, vanity will not be fo light, as vaine man. As David, to, Chew mans lightnefs, makes him lighter then the lighteft thing, vanity. So.Job, to Chew the heavinefs ofhis calamity, makes it heavier then the heavieft thing, thefandof thefen. Obferve hence; firft, That it isa duty, to weigh the fad eftate and a, ivied etondit ion ofour brethren thoroughly: But ( you willfay ) what is it to,weigh them throughly ? I anfwer, It is notonly to weigh the matter ofau afiliEtion, to fee what it is, which a man fullers ; but to weigh an affliction in every circumftance and aggravation of it ;-The circumfiance of an afglién, is often more confidtrable then the matter of the affli- Ilion. If a man would confefs his fins, and confefs them through- ly, he is to confefs, not only the matter of them , as fins are the tranfgreflions of the Law, anderrors againti the rule,but he mutt eye the manner, in which finhath been committed, .the .circum- fiances with which it is cloathed,thefe render his fin out ofmear fure,and out of weight finful. Likewife, would a man confider the mercies and favours received fromGod, would he know them throughly, and fee howmuch they, weigh ? let him look notonly what, but how, and when, and where, and by whomhe bath re, ceived them, There may be( and often is )a great wickednefs in a little evil committed, andagreat mercy in_a- little good received. As relations, fo circumftances have the leafl entitie, but they have the greateft efficaçie.Now,as there is often more in the circum(tan- ces, than in the matter ofa fin,or ofa mercy:fo,rhere is often more in the circumftance, than-there is in the matter ofan affliétion , therefore,he that would thoroughly, weigh the afiEtions ofano- ther,múft confider all thefe accidents,as well as the fubftance:ofit.. As namely, the time when fent,the time how long endured,whe- ther a (angle aflliGtion,or in conjunt urewith other afflic`tions,the ftrength.ofthe patient, and thedependencies. that are upon him,. Secondly, .Verr. 2. 415
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