,Chap. 7o. An Expof,rtion upon the Book of J O B. Verf. 7. 481 dares not ftand to jutlihe himfelf before. God. lob had often laid all thoughts of his own righteouthefs in the.dutt, but h e alwayes ítands up for his own uprightnefs. God it witnefs (faith the ApotilePaul, Rom,9. I.) whom Iferve in, myfpirit iu the Gofeel of bir Son; I ferve God in my fpirit, and God knows that I do fo, I dare appeal unto him that it is fo, God is my witnefr. When Chrifl put that queftion, and drove it home upon Peter thrice, Simon, Lovett thou me ? Lord ( faith he) Thou knoweft all things, Thou knoweji that I love thee ( Job. 2I.) As if he had Paid, I will not give teftitnony of my felt, thou (halt not have it upon my word, but upon thine own knowledge. It were cane for me to fay, Majler, I love thee with all my heart, with all my ford, but I refer my fell to thy own bofome, Thou knoweft .1 love thee. So when Hezekiah lay (as he thought) upon his death- bed, he turned himfelf to the wall, dcfiring God to look upon the. integrity of his life, lord, remember how ! have walked before 'thee in truth (Ifa. 38. 3.) I do not go to the world for theirgood word ofme, I rett not to what my Subjects or neighbour Princes fay of me, Lord, it is enough for me, that what I have been, and what I am, is laid up fate in the treafuryof thy thoughts. This brings fironf conlòlation, whenwe take not up the tetlimony of men, nor rat in the good opinionof our brethren, but can have God himfelf to make affidavit, or bear witnefs with us, and for us. That fuch a man will f4y, I am an hone( man, that filch a man will give his word for me,is cold comfort ; but when the foul can fay, God will give his word for me,7he Lord knows that I 'am not avicked, here's enough to warm our hearts when the love of the world is waxen focold, and their tongues fo frozen with uncha. ritablenefs,that they will not fpeak a good word ofus,how much good focver they know by us. Seventhly, Confider the condition wherein Job was, when he fpalte this, he';was upon the rack,.and, as it wire, under an.inqui- fition, God laid his haled extream hard, upon him, Yet at that time, even then, he faith, Lord,tbou knoweft that I am not trickle Henceobferve, A man of:anupriglotJ art andgood co'nfciettcé,w llnotbe brought to. think that .GpeLhalh. ill thoughts: of him; howmuch.evil fo ever -God brings upon him, The aEings of God toward us are often full of changes and tarairigs; but the thoughtsof God never change. A foul may be Q si tl afic`fea
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=