Chap. x 6. 11n Expofsionupoat-' theBóókof J O B.. Verf,8 . with the wrinkles of ticknefs and forrow ; grief had made furrows in his face, and his tears had often filled them : we commonly fay, Sorrow+u dry ; 'tis fo, becaufe it is a dryer. So- lomon tells us, that, Amerry heart Both good like a médzcine,but a brokenfpirit ( which is the effect ofmuch forrow) drieth up the boner, Prov. 17. 22. The Church cries out in the.book of Lamentations , Myflefh andmy skin he bath made old, Lam. 3. 4 How did God make themold ? He made them old not by giving themmany years, but by giving them many troubles. Many troubles in one year, will make a man older than many years. We have heard of fome, whole heartsbeing filled with vex. ing cares have filled their heads with gray hairs in a very short time. As force have an Art to ripen Fruits, before na- ture ripens them fo the Lord hath a power to haiku old age, before nature makesus old. Thou haftmade my skinold ; that is , full of wrinkles and leannefs ;there are the liveries which oldage gives. The Apoftle affures us , that Chrift (hall one day prefent the Church to himfelf, in the perfeffion of fpiritual beauty and Glory ; that beauty and glory is defcri- bed by the removal of that from her fpiritual eflate, which yob complainsof in his temporal eftate : lob was full offpots and wrinkles, but the (hall appear , Not having fpot or wrin- kle, Ephef. 5. a7. that is,. Without any note or mark of old age upon her. A fpot defaceth the beauty of a Garrhent and wrinkles fpoil the beauty of the face. An old Garment isfull of fpots., and an old face is full of wrinkles. Old things pals away when weare madenew Creatures by Grace yet in that (sate ( becaufe we arc not pettedly freed from the old man ) our Garmens have force fpots , and our faces forne wrinkles upon them : But in the state of Glory , when all old things, even all the image of the old Adam (hall be total- ly abolifhed, we thould not have fo much as one fpot or wrin- kle. Believers have now a righteoufnefs in Chrift with- out fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing ; they (hall then have a holinefs in themfelves , withoutfpot or wrinkle or aay fucb thing; that is , They (hall not only not have any fpot or wrin- kl arupon them, but they (hall havenothing like it , no.hing which hathany relation to it,nothing which either themfelves or others (hall mittakefor it, they .fhall neither fufpednor be L I fufpeeced.
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