144 Chap. r9 din expof:sion upon the Book of JOB. Verf 2 rrty bones, mine enemies reproached me while theyfaydaily untome, where is thy God, Pfal. 4 z. t o. And as God workes upon the heart with two forts of words ; Sometimes with foft words, fuch are his promifes ; Sometimeswith hard words,,fuch are his threatnings. So alto (in his proportion) Both man ; manhath his loft words, and they are of two forts ; firft friendly words ; fecondly, fla:tering words, both there infinuate and foakeinto the fpirit of man ; fecondly, m:tn bath his hard and biner words, thefe vex and break the heart, and arewritten (as I may fay ) upon the broken pieces and fplinters of it as with a pen of iron, and the point of a Diamond, there's no getting them out againe, till grace get them out, or holy patience weare them out. Cruel! words are the heightning ofcruell actions. (Mat.5.to,rr.) When ChriU had laid ; Bkffed are they thatare perfecutedfor righteoufnej¡e faske : it followes ; Bleffed areye when menrevileyote, andper[ecute you,and fay all manner ofevill a ain/i youfalfly. The blefling is promifed not onely to thofe.who fut= fer evil! done to them, but to thole who fuller evil! (poker Again(' them. Hard words are numbred among our hardeft tryalls ; The Apoftle (Heb.to 3z,33.)Exhorts the Saints to call to remembrance the former days in whichafter they were illumi- nated (that is, after they had received the light of the know- ledgeof jefusChrift )tLey indured a great fight of affiEtion; they who receive the faith,muft expect a fight ;they tnight have beet in the darkneffe of unbeliefe and ignorance long enough with- out a fight of afdlic`tion ; but as boneas ever they were illumi- nated: the Prince of darkneffe, (tired up a warre agsinft them What the warre was he tells us at the 3 3. ver. Partly whileye Were trade agazì r -Rock, both by reproaches andafflicîions;and part- lywhileye became companions ofthem that were foufed.He calls the bearing ofreproaches, a greatfight ofaff iflion. aotutsn á9t m- The word, which we render great, Both not fi gnifie fo much ,rr tngenscer- the greatneffe of any one, as the concurrance of many aflli- ra,nen. Bez. élions ; as if he had laid ; Ye indured a multitude or mani- to sgnumdicit fold fights of afllidion. He that indre1h hard words . fights quad n'nit ""' with a numerous Hof' words come thicke, and like an Army rreprietate , y rooci4 Grz e AI: renew the charge ; He contends with many enemies at orce, ii> dicere, quod who is áfhaulted with reproaches. Arad he is a ftrong man, I5 alt ch er- that is able to .(land thefe .affaults, or receive thefe char- aggeratio: Cll.
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