Chap. 4. An Expofition upon the BoolkofJ O B. Verf. 7. 37 tranflate innocent, fignifeth empty. And it is therefore applyed to an innocent perfon, becaufe innocent perlons arc emptied of ma- lice and wickednefs, their hearts are fwtpt and cleanCed, purged and wafhed ; there is in tome fence a vacuum, a holy vacuum in the hearts ofholy perlons : they are freed from that fulnefs ofevil which lies in their hearts by nature, that filth is call cut. Every mans heart by nature is brimfull, top full of wicked nets, as the Apofile delcribes the Gentiles, Rom, 1.29. Being filled with all unrighteoufnefs ; and it is a truth ofevery mans heart,it is a Cage fall of unclean ßirdr, a Stablefull of filthy dung ; he hash in him a throng of finful thoughts, a multitudeofprophane ghelts lodg- ing in him. Now a perfon converted, is emptied of thcte, there ghats are turned out of their lodgings, the rooms are twept and cmptied,thereforean holy perfon is called an empty perfon Emp- tied ; not abfolutely emptied of all fin, but comparatively, there isaboundanceraft out ; fo that confidcring how full offin he was, he may be laid to be emptied of fin, and that his malice is cart out. In the fourth of Amos, the Prophet threatens cleannefr of mt 313 teeth (it is a Cuitable judgment, that unclean hearts and lives fhould be punifhed with clean teeth)or innocency of teeth ; for it is the word of the Text. Famine is elegantly fo called. Want of bread makes empty or clean teeth. And where were the righteous (that's the other term) cut off? One may put the queliion,whcre were the righteous ? furely job had very good eyes, if he could fiend any righteous man upon the earth, he might feem to have clearer eyes then the Lordhimfelf, ifhe could find any righteous; God lool,,eddownfromheaven, and hefaw none righteaus,nonot one, Pfal. 53. 3, 4. Yet here Elipb z bids j b enquire about the righteous, where they were cut off. To clear that. By righteous here, we are to underfiaud not righteous perfon's in a ftria and legal fenfe,but in a Golpe! mollified lenfe:righteous with an allay, righteous by way of interpretation, and not in the ftrittnels ofthe letter. And fo Men are called righteous, fiat- in reference to the workofregeneratìon.Thcre are none righteous in the root or original, in their flee letting and plantation in the foyl of the world ; but there arc righteous perlons as regenerate and tranfplanted into the body of Chrift, as wrought and fathi- erced by the Spirit of Chrilt. Secondly, there are none righteous, that is, none exaClly,per- feetly,
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