482 ` Chap. 17. An Expofitionupon the Bookof J O B. Verf.9. Thefe Were not ofus : How did the Apoftle know that ? He tits us how in the next words,For if they bad been ofus,they . would no doubt have continuedwith us, but they went out,that they might be made manifefi that they were not all of us: Saint John puts it beyond all difpute,and himfelf had not the lean doubt ofit,that they who are once in the Church,fhall con- tinue in it ; and that they who depart, donot depart from grace, but from a fhadow ofgrace : They do not fail from what they were, but manifeft what they were not:Theywent outfrom us,that they might be made manifefl that they were not ab ofus, But why Both theApofiL fay they were not all ofus? Wereany ofthole Apoftates ofthem ? Not all, is a known Hebraifine for none (Pfal. 143. 2 ) In thyfight ( not all men, that is,) no man livingfhall be juflified. So (r John 3. 15.) Ye know that every murderer bath not, that is (as we tranflate) no murderer batheternal life abiding in him. So here,theywere not all, that is, None of themwere of us : Many have forfaken a profeflion of Faith,but he that hathFaith wilt not forfake the profeflionof it: The righteous fhall hold on hit way_: and not only fo,but, He that bath clean bands fha!l wax flronger andfironger. To continue in the right way is very good, but to en- creafe in it, is far better; he that holds his own in fad times, is to be commended, but he that thrives and gaines in godli- nefs in fad times is to be admired : and who is that?Job tells us, E He that bath clean bands.] The words are a circumlocution, defcribing the fame perfon,who was before called,upright, innocent,and righteous. .And yet furely it is nor a bare repetitionof the fame perfora, under another title ; for though we muff take this clean- nefsofhands in conjunHion with cleannefs and uprightnefs of heart : and though it be not fo hard a matter to chew a pair of white clean hands, as it is to have an upright , or a cleanwhite heart ; yea, though it be true, that clean hands will not wax ftronger and ftronger in a day of affliâion, un- lefs joyned with an upright heart, yet (I fay) thefe clean hands imply fomewhat elfe, not only betides that upright- nefs,
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