Chap. t9. An Expofition upon the Book, of J o B. Verf. 9. 2,07 earthly glories be not taken from us yet it will take leaveof us, or we muff leave it. Secondly, Purfuefpirituall, andmakefire of heavenlyglorie ; lay hold upon that, which may be held. You (hall never be ffript of the glory of the righteoufneffeofJelus Chri(f in Jutfi- fication, nor of the glory of the graces of Chriff in fanffifica- tien. Thefe fpirituall glories, dirle inward glories, fhali not be taken from Sou. The foule that is once thus cloarhed, fliall ne- ver be found naked. The exercife of fogne graces mutt e left off, hecaufe there will be no ufe of them in Glory. But you shall never ioofe or be flript of any., grace. And if wee cannot be itript ofthe glory ofGrace, then much leire can we be ilript Of theGrace of Glory, or have the Crowne ofGlory taken from our heads. And as that Crownecannot be taken violently from our heads, fo neither will it ever naturally wither or decayup- on our heads. The (nawnecfrighteoufneffe, ofwhich theApoffle. `l'aul fpeakes, (z Tirn.4. 8.) is alfo,(as the Apoffle Peter (peaks) a C'romne thatfadeth not away,( `Pet 5. 4.) A learned tranfla- Beza in loc. for conceives that the Greek word which we with others ren- der, Faded; not away, is taken from the proper nameofa flower, of which anciently Crownes or Garlands were wont tobe made. Theflowerfadeth ( faith the Prophet, Ifa. 4o. -7.) yet this flower efimarantus (as Naturalitfsobferve) fadeth not. Not that it never fadeth , but becaufe it retaines its frefhnefle and beautie ( though cropt) very long ; therefore they call it ( beyond the natureof all other flowers) the unfading flower. Whether the Apofle ( Come conceivehe did not) did allude to this flower, or Corner, Noy. or not in theufe of this word , or onely attended the radicali rot], meaning of it , is not much material( to the poynt, feeing this is cleare, that his intendment is to advance the Glorious State of the Saints after this life by the everlaffingneffeofit , having allo called it at the fourth verle of the firf'c Chapter, An inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away. This Crowne, for the beautieand fweetneffe of it, is like a crowne of flowers, but in thecontinuance and latlingneffe ofit, it is like a crowne ofGold, the moft durable and pureft mettall, Yea to Phew that there is no feed or tendency ofdeath or decay in it, it is called a crowne oflife,( Yam. I. I2. )
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=