238 Chap.sd. An Expofitionupon the Book of JOB. Verf ( Chap. 13,13.) Becaufe Ihave purged thee, and thou wall not purged. Now as God takes it upon him , that he had purged them, though they were not purged , becaufe he gave them fo many meansand helps for their purging ; fo any man in his proportion, may take it upon him , that he hath ítrengthned their faith , abated their grief, yea , and faved their fouls, among , and towards whom he hath diligently ufed thofe means appointed by God for the attaining of thofe great and noble ends , though potlibly thofe ends be not attained. God himfelf reckons thus of all the labours of his faithful fer- vants, they fhall be rewarded as having done that which they have been doing with their hearts , hands , and tongues, though they fee little fruit of either. Then Ilaid, I have labou- red in vain (Ifa.49. 4.) but though it was in vain to thofe for whom he laboured, that is, they got no good by it , yet it was not in vain to him who laboured , he got much good by it ; as it follows in the fame Verfe, Surelymyjudgment is with . the Lord, andmy wok(or my reward, one word lignifies both reward and work, to Phew that theft cannever be feperated, my work, faith he) iswith my God ; and Verf. 5. Though If- rael.be not gathered, yet (hall I be glorious in the eyes:of the Lord, andmy Godjhall be myftrength. As we arenot to judge of the goodnefs of any caufe by the fuccefs, but by the Office of it ; fo neither doth God adjudge the reward of any work by the tuccefs, but by the goodnefs of it, together with the fweat and fincerity óf him that doth it. And the will of a Godly man it accepted for the.deed, fo his deed is acceptedfor thefuccefr. J d B,
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