Chap. 3m. An Expofition upon the Booke of Jo aa. Verf. 30. Verf. 3o. try skin is blacks upon mee, and my bones are burnt with heats. The skin is the outward or upper garment of nature ; The beauty and bravery of nature appeares in the skin. What was become of lobs beauty and bravery we may cafily ;u:dge when he made this complaint ; t?rfl skin tT blacks. He had laid a little before, Iwent mourning or 6lacke with cut the San, now faith he, my skin iei blacke. But what made 'abs skin blacke ? or what meanes he by the blacknes of his skin ? Hee was blacke without the Sun, his skin was not tannd ( as we fay ) nor burnt Macke with the outward beate of tt.e ayre, but with the griefe ofhis heart; His forrows boiled up, and chan. ged the colour of his skin. Hence obferve. cirft Great ofdlions andforrows, quickly fade thy be.wtt of the body, and (j>>yle the fairefl face. Strong (efpecially if lafting) difeafes take off beauty, or give blackneffe in ftead ofbeauty. (Pfal.39 a r. ) when then frith rebukes f corral man for iniquitie, thou makefl his be,:uty to conIame away like a mot he, furely eve;,y man vanity, Theskin cannot hold its owne againft the ill vffeas of fick=-effe, much lette when the rebukes of God upon the foule for iriq ity are mingled with the ficknes of the body. Then looke after fpi- rituall beauty, the beauty of the foule, that grower fairer by al fliEtion, that never fades by ficknefe;'nothing but thefinofman and the anger ofGod can make that fade. When the fiefhy skin waxeth black with forrow,that retaines its beauty and itsbright- nes. The beautyofgrace holds againft the coldeft i;lafts, and the molt burning heates. robs skin was 6lacke, his fpirit was nor. When Stephen the protomartyr was under tryali for his life, and neere {toning to death, All thatfate in theCounfel looking fled- fafllyon him, Caw hisface as if it bad been the face of an Ansel, ( AO: á. a g. ) Stephens skin waxed faireras the fury of his perfecuters waxed hotter ; God was pleafed to print(as it were) vifiblenot Guilty uponhis face, while his adverfaties were at- cufing., 277
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