372 Chap. 9. 1 An Expofttion upon the Bookof JOB. der[. 3 a, and reafon, and could difpofe oftheir own adings, and fet them- Armin {'elves upon what body aid limbs they pieafcd, furely they would Jediratent ani. put themfelves off frommy body, and never come onagaia,they meperfum- would abhor me, I thould be as filthy before God in foul, as he is momfe,diratea in body, muff be wafhed before he is fit to have his clothes cot,oruindz ,- Ye tot, Y put on him : As to be ctoatbedwithJbame , f è to have our clothes Ta dui el afhamedof us, notes thegreatefl difiyonoter. 34dit tirodif- Laftly, This tatting into the ditch, and the abhorring ofhis "dam' ut is clothes, may refer to the continuance of his afflictions ; thou h torpore efifor. g didurqus' vc. I fhould make my felt never fo pure, yet the Lord would call me fieffug her. again into the ditch of affliaion, he will put me into the pit of rea-.cog trouble, till (like a man drawn out of the mairc)mine own cloaths 1seq° abhor me, or make me an abhorring to all that fee me. I know afunto cu the Lord will make further tryal of me, dps,tamcn Y peenisarq; do- Hence note, dorm, dq God cafts hisfervantsagain andagain into the miery ditch, as re- m'gritudinum finers ca.ft gold again and again into thefiery furnace, to make them Jorus fqualbreobfo p more ure, Kean. That which defiles the outward man, may be cleanfng to the inward : and the abominable clothing of the body, may be a means to put the foul into the moil handfome drefs. Secondly, Obtcrve, That After purgings andcleanfings, the Lord often goes on withfur- they chaftwrings. Though I wafh my felf, &c. yet thou wilt call me in the ditch, andmine own cloaths will abhor me.Yea,our purgingsand clean - rings are fometimes fo far from caufìnv God to take off our aitli_ [lions, that they do but fit us for more afliidion; For the Lord will not trull an impure fpirit, or an heart defiled under many corruptions, under great afflictions. He therefore cleanfes many, and makes themmore holy, that they may be more tit to bear at$tdions.Nocertain argument can be grounded upon this, that a man [hall come out of oflidion, becaufe he is cleanfed, for God chufes (in Tome cafes) to afflitt fuch moil, who are molt cleanfed. The Lord hath as much fervice from us, while we [offer, as while we doe his will ; patlive obedience is higher and harder fervice then alive, and an unclean heart is of the two (though it be fit for neither) more unfit for fuffer-ing.then for doing. Therefore Job's friends could not groundedly affirm, that he theuld be delivered, ifhe were cleanfed. Indeed ifGods thoughts.
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