thapq. AnÉxpofition upon the BoókofJ O B. Verf. 20. 299 friEtion to any antecedent, IfI fay I am perfec`l, Ifhall go away perverfe, or I fhall appear perverfe. Obferve hence that famous Gofpel-do¿trine , No man cam he iuftifiedbeforeGod` by the works ofthe law. It is as noble a proofof Nobilir to at freejuJtifcation in the old Tehament , as any in the new, The clarfisyry,,, fi. Saints have been acquainted with this truth from the beginning, dens neminem That man is nothing in himfelf,and that free grace cloth all. The ex lege ici fi. doftine offree grace is no new doEtrine : the dotttineoffice will cari. Co. Is.(Prov.2 o.9.)Whocanfay,1have made my heart clean, Iam pure frommy fin? And that he muff fay, whojuftitiies himfelf before God. Every legal Jufticiary takes up this language, Ihave made my heart clean, lampurefrommyfin. It is a task too hard for men, yea, for all the Angels in Heaven tomake one heart clean : only--Jefas Chrift is able to fetch out the filth and rubbifh that Iodgeth in,and pollutes our fpirits.Tobe à heart-éleanfer is thepe- *Jet tenebra, cull ar world andhonour ofChrift. Aman that knows himfelf and guoe nubes,quot fees his face in the glafs ofthe word ( which flatters noman) will rnscul a?quern fi never fay, Iam clean : nor will he fay,I can cleanfe my fell. How chit, many fpots and blots how manydefetsand deformities will that fdem fuom et y' P 3 innocentíanad glafs reprefent unto him, which he is not able to heal or fetch inureillud out ? Every mans face will blufh, who fees his heart or his life in leB /pentium thatgláfs, unlefs he, Who beholding himfelf goeth his way, and "nt'Plenwa fraigbt wayforgetteth what manner of man he was(Jam I. 24.) Secondly, Obferve,job had received teltimony from God. He could produce Letters teftimmonial, fubfcribedby thebandof heaven, that be was a jug' andaperfei man,one that fearedGod.end efchewed evil. Yet. this job (let God fpeak as well as he will of him) will not fpeak well of himfelfto God : Let God report him perfef tomen, he will not report himfelf perfe6t before God. Though yob had a free & a full certificateofhis innoccncy(not one bought begged, or got with flattery) yet he forbears in this cafe to bring it forth, and read it to bis friends. They who have molt real worth andhalinefs in them, are leaft in their own eyes, and laweft in their own thoughts : they ofwhom Godgives thefáireft teffimony, give the $Heaney of ` themfelver ; he cares not much to appear to be, what God affures him,he is. God was pofitive (without Ifs or Ands) in his opinion of him, Thou art perfeli, but he puts it into a fuppoli- Lion,, and concludes with an if, If Iwereperfeli, &c. In the 2 i.verfeJob carries on the fame bufinefs,and bewrayes a more humble and felf.denying frame ofmind thenbefore. Q,$ 2 Though
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