confidence, and the recovery from this his infirmity, and from his excess in the manner of ex-pressing it, if he have been overbold therein, l,j witness is in ieaten, and mV record is on tigh; God is his witness, that that which they charge him with, is false, that that which he says in his own discharge (in that sense that he says it)is truc; and in these three,.]ob's protestation, lot guilty, 3ob's manifest, I would ail the world knew ail, 3ob's establishment, and consolidation, l!t witness is in beau:en; in these three branches, and in some fruits, which, in passing, we shail gather from them, we shall determine ail that appertains to these words. I remember St. Gregory, in handling one text, professes, that he will endeavour to handle it so, that the weakest understanding might comprehend the highest points, and the highest understanding not be weary to hear ordinary doctrines so delivered. Indeed, it is a good ar, to deliver deep points in a holy plainness, and plain points in a holy delightfiflness: for, many times, one part of our auditory understands us not, when we have donc, and so they are weary; and another par understands us before we begun, and so they are weary. To-day, my humble petition must be, that you will be content to hear plain things plainly delivered. Of which, this be the first, tbat Job round himself under the oppression, and calumny of that misinterpretation, that kings themselves, and states, and churches bave hOt escaped. The tower of Siloe fell and slew them*, therefore they were the greater sinners in.lerusalem; this man prospers not in the world, therefore he proceeds not in the fear of (;od; the heir wastes the estate, therefore the estate was ill-gotten, are haay conclusions in private affairs. Treasures are empty, therefore they are unnecessary wastes; discontented persons murmur, therefore things are ill-carried; our neighbours prosper by action, therefore we perish by not appearing, are hasty conclusions in state affairs. This man is affected when he hears a blasphemous oath; and when he looks upon the general liberty of sinning, therefore he is a ptu'itan; that man loves the ancient forms, and doctrines, and disciplines of the church, and retains, and delights in the reverend names of priest, and altar, and sacrifice, therefore he is a papist, are hasty conclusions in church affairs. Vhen we do fall under these misinterpretations, and iii applications of God's proceedings, we may sy with Job, I «[so cou spe«k, as you do; if your soul were i my soul etead, I couldheap up u'ords ayaint you, and shake my head at Çou , conclude desperately, speak scornfully of you. But I will not; yet I will hot betray myselt] I will make my protestation, what end soever God propose to himself in this his proceeding, It "is ot br any iustiee iu my hands, a&o mv prayer is pure. In these two, cleanness of hands, pureness of prayer, are all religious duties comprehended: for clean hands denote justice and righteousness towards men, and pure prayer devotion, and the seice and worship of God. Job protests tbr hoth. Therefore does Origen say of Job, I do verily believe, and therefore may be bold to say, that for constancy and fidelity towaroEs God, Job did exceed, hot only men, but angels themselves; for, says Origen, Job did hot only sufir, wiçhout being ilty of those things fo which his aictions were imputed, but he suffered with giving of danks, he said grace when he had no meat, when God gave him oeones for bread, and scorpions for fish; he praised God as much for the aiction itself, as tbr his tbrmer, or his subsequent benefits and blessings. Not that Job was merely innocent, but that he was guilty of no such things, as migh¢ confer tho conclusions, which, tom his afflictions, his enemies raised. If l just myoe says Job, miaê o«t' motth shall condema me; every oelf-justification is a seltcondemnation; when I give judgment tbr myselt I ara thcrein a witness against myoelL If I say I ara peèct, says he in the saIue place, ere tkat prores me perverse; if I say I never go out of the way, I ara out then, and theretbre because I say so: I hace sinned, says he, u'hat skall I do unto tkee 0 tkoa preserver of mea ? Job felt the hand of destruction upon him, and he felt the hand of preservation too; and it was ail one hand; this is God's method, and his alone, to preserve by destroying. Men of this world do sometimes repair, and recompcnse those nlen whom they have oppressed before, but this is an ater recompense; God's fit intention even vhen he destmys is to preserve, as a physician's first intention, in the most Ver. 4 Job ix. 20.? Job 4k 2.
OE18 PBEAç'HED IN LENT. [6EB. distasteful physic, la health; even God's demolitions are superedifications, his [anatomies, his disseetions are so many recompactings, so many resurrections; God winds us off the skein, that he may weave us up into the whole piece, and he cuts us out of the whole piece into pieces, that he nmy make us up into a wholo garment. But for all these humiliations, and confessions, Job doth hOt waive his protestation: My riohteousness [ hold fast, and my heart shall hot reproach, me as lon.a as [ lire'. Not that I shall never sin, but never leave any sin unrepented; and then, my heart cannot reproach me of u repented sin, vthout reproaching God himself. The sun mst sot se ««pon my anyer°; much less will I let the sun set upon the anger of God towards me, or sleep in an unrepented sin. Every night's sleep is hune dlmittis; theu the Lord lets his servant depart in peace. Thy lying down is valediction, a parting, a taking leave, (shall I "say so.) a shaking hands with God; and, wheu thou shakest hands with God, let th«se hands be clean. Enter into thy ave, thy metaphorical, thy quotidian grave, thy bed, as thou enteredest into the ehurch at first, by water, by baptism; rebaptize thyself every night, in Job's show eater °, in holy tears that may cool the inordinate lusts of thy heart, and withhold unclean abuses of those hands even in that thy grave, thy bed; and evermore remember Job's fear and jealousy in that place, that chen he h«d ceished himsdf fn show water, mine ou'n clothes will utZ'e me foul a£/ain. Thy " flesh is thy clothes; and to this misehievous purpose of fouling thy hands with thine own elothes, thou hast most clothes on when thou art naked; then, in that nakedness, thou art in most danger of fouling thy hands with thine own clothes, hliserable man! that eouldest have no use of hands, nor any other organ of sense, if there were no creature but thyself, and yet, if there were no other creature but thyself, couldest sin upon thyself, and foui thy hands with thine own hands. How much more then, if thou strike with those hands, by oppression in thy office, or shut up those han([s, and that which is due fo another, in them. Sleep with ilean hands, either kept clean all day, by integrity; or washed elean, at night, by repentanee; and whensoever thou Job xx4i. 6. ° Ephes. iv. 24. 0 Job ix. 30.
wakest, though 11 Job's messeners thunder bout thec, and all Job's friends multiply misinterpretations against tllee, yet Job's poeteRation shll be thy protestation, what end ever God hve in this preeding, If is hot f any içustice i my hond, and tho other pa of his protestation toe, also my pro/er is pure. As clean hands denoto all righteousness towards man, so do puro prayers all devotion, and worship, and service of G. For, we are of the household of tho faithful, and the service which we are to do, as his household servants, is prayer; for, his ouse is the bouse ofprayer. And therein only is it possible to us, to fulfil that commandment, pr contin,tally, that continually, in all out familiar actions, we may serve God, glorify God, (whether wo eat or «ink, we may doit to his glory) and every glorifying, every thanksging, is prayer; there cannot be a more eflbctual pmyer for future, than thankfid acknowle(l,ent of former benefits. How often is that repeated in the Gospel, and in tho Epistles Ask, and it sall be yiren you; no grant without prayer, no denial upon prayer. It must be prayer, and m prayer; also qny prayer is pure. I must hot rely upon the prayers of othem; hot of angels; though they be ministerial spirits, and hot only to Goal himsel£ but between God and man, and so, as they present our prayem, no doubt pour out their o for us too, yet we must hot rely upon the prayers of angels. Nor of saints; though they haro u more personal, and experimental sense of our miseries than anls have, wo must hot rely upon tho pmyers of saints. No, nor upon the pmyem of the congregation, though we sec, and hear them pray, except we make ourselves parts of the conegation, by truc devotion, as well as by personal pmsence. It must bo mino own pmyer, and no prayer is so truly, or so pmpefly mine, as that that the chuh hath delivered and rommended to me. In sudden and unpremeditate prayer, ] ara hot always I; and when I ara hot myself, my prayer is nt myprayer. Passions and affections sometimes, sometimes bMily infirmities, and sometimcs a vain desiro of being doquent in pmyer, aliens me, withdraws me from lnysdf, and then that pmyor is hot my prayer. Though that prayer which Luther is id to havo said upon his deathbed, Oremus ro Domino Deo
—'90 PREACHED |N LENT. [SER, XI. wstro Je.su Chrlao, Let us pray for OUT Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, may adroit a good sense, because Christ being (as St. Augustine says often) Caput d corpus, Both the head and the body, as he is the body, the church, subject to so many pressures, he had need to be prayed for; yet, his state being considered at that time, ahnost at the last gasp, he being scarce he, that prayer can scarce be called his prayer. In tbat Africau cotmc], in which St. Augustine was present, to remedy the abuse of various forms of prayers, wbich divers churches assumed, it was decreed that no prayers should be received in the church, but such as were composed, or approved by the eouncil. We bave proeeeded so too no prayers received fbr public use, but those that are delivered by public authority; and so, they beeome my prayers. As the law of the land is my law, and I have an inberitanee in it, so the prayers of the ehureh are my prayers, and I have an interest in then|, beeause ] ara a son of that family. My baptism is mine, and my absolution is mine, beeause the ehurch hath given them to me and so are her prayers mine. You would searee tbank a man for al| extemporal ele', or epigram, or paneg3Tie in your praise, if it eost the poet, or the orator no pains. God wi]l scaree hearken to sudden, ineonsidered, irreverent prayers..Men wi]l study even for eompliments and princes and ambassadors will hOt speak to one another, without thinking what they will say. Let hOt us put God to speak to us so, (preaching is God's speaking to us) let hot us speak to God so. (praying is our speaking to God) hot extemporally, unadvisedly, inconsiderately. Prayer must be mv prayer; and even in this kind, what bave l that I have hot received. I have received my prayer altogether, as a bundle of m?a'rh, in that prayer which I bave received from my Saviour, and then I bave received it appropriated to me, and apportioned to my particular necessities, and sacrifices, by the piety and wisdom of the church; so it is my prayer, and, as Job's prayer was, pure prayer, also my prayer is pure. The Holy Ghost bath so marshalled and disposed the qualifications of prayer in this place, as that there is no pure prayer without clean hands. The lifting up of hands,vas the gesture of prayer, even among the heathen, maMbus supplex orare sqoinis.
MER. X|.] PREACHED IN LENT. Amongst the Jews, Prayer, and tAe loEt«y ofaJs, was one and the saine thing, Le le loEtiy of y crce ; and, longer than Mooeç hands were prayer hd no effect. A this, perchance thereçore especiaHy, that this lifting up of my hands, brings them into my then I can cee them, and cee whether they be clean, or no, and consider, that if I cee ipurity in my hands, God sees impurity in my pmyer. Can I think to ceive ease from God with tht hand tt oppresses another mercy from God with that hand that exeoeises cruelty upon aother or bounty from God with that hand tht thholds right from another Pryer is our hand, but it must be clean hnd, pure pmyer. That emperor whom no religion would lose, Constantine, (for the hethen deified him, and the Chriatins canonized him, they ruade him god, and we came as near as we could, we ruade him a int) that emperor waa eoined pmying. Otler emperors were coined triumphing, in chariota, or preparing for triumphs, in bardes, and victories, but he, Constantine, in tht ptum, knoeling, praying. He knew his coin xvould pass through eve family and toevery family he desired to be an example of piety; every piece of ingle money was a catechism, and testified to eve ubject all thi, 8urely he will graciously receive my petition, and look graciou81y upon me, when I kneel, for, behold he kneels too, and he exhibits petitions to that God, from whom he aeknowledges, tht he needs as much as I tan from him. And yet thi symboEcal, and catechistical coin of Constantine's, was hOt oe eonxncing, nor so irrefragble testimony of his piety, (for Constntine might be coined prying, and yet never pray) when wo seo as gret prince as he, actually, reaHy, peroenally, daily, duly at pmyer with us. To end this branch, let hOt thy prayer be lucrative, nor vindictive, pray hot for temporM supeuities, pray hOt for the confusion of them that differ from thee in opinion, or in manners, but condition thy prayer, innimate thy pryer th the glo of God, and thine own everla8ting hppiness, and tho edification of others, and this prayer is Job's prayer, pure prayer. And frther we enlarge hOt his protestation, 3ly ands are dea», I do hot mean t Psal. cxLi. 2. Exod. x-ii. I wrong, my prayer is pure, I mock net God. But because continuing under se great afltictions, men would net believe this, he proceeds, perchance te sonle excess, and inconsiderateness, in desiring a nlanifestation of ail his actions, 0 eartl, coter ot thott "» blood, «otd let crj lare o ]Mace. Diftérence of expositions makes us stop here, upon this inquisition, in what atlction Job spake this. Whether this were merely an adjuration of the earth, net te cover his blood, but that his miseries, and the cry thereof nlight pass, and be transtbrred over ail the world; or whether it had the nature of an imprecation upon himself, that he wished, or adnlitted against himself, that which is ainst the nature of every man te adroit, that is, te have ail that ever he had doue, published, declared, nlanifested te ail the world. St. Gregory, according te his manner, through ail this book, which is, te apply ail Job's suflërings te Christ, and te make Job seine kind of type of Christ, makes no nore of this, but that it is an adjuration of the earth, in the person and behalf of Christ, net te suck in, or smother his blood, but that it might be notified, and conlmunicated te ail the world. And trtdy, this is a good use, but it cannot be said te ho a good sense of the place, because it canner consist with the test of the words. Amongst onr later men, Cajetan. (and he, from the rabbi of the Jews, Abeu Ezra) takes this te be an adjuration of the earth, as Gregory does, but net, as Gregory does, in the person of Christ, but as Job himself; that Job adjures the earth, net te cover his blood, that is, net te cover the shedding of his blood, net te conspire with the nmlice of his enemies se ranch, as te deny him burial when he was dead, that they which trod hin1 down ahve, nlight net triunlph over him after his death, or conclude that God did certainly forsake him alive, since he continued these declarations against him, when he was dead. And this also nlay bave [good use, but yet it is too narrow, and too shailow, te be the sense of this phrase, this elegancy, this vehenlency of the Holy (;best, in the nlouth of Job. St. Chrysoston1, I think, was the first that gave hght te the sense of this place. He says, that such nlen, as are (as they thi»k) over-pu»ished, bave naturally a desire, that the world
r. x,.] acnv ]N,N. 223 knew their faults; that so, by compm'ing their fults with theh" punishments, there might arise some pity and commiseration of their state. And, surely, this, that Chrysostom says, is truc, and natural; for, if two men were to be executed together, by one kind of death, the one tir stealing a sheep, (perchance in hunger) the other for killing his father, certainly, he that had but tolen the sheep, would be sorry the world should think their cases alike, or that he had killed a father too. And in such an affection Job says, I ara so far ri'oto being guilty of those things that are imputed fo me, that I would be content, that ail that ever I bave donc, were known to ail the world. This light, which St. Chrysostoln gave to this place, shined hot out, I think, till the Iteformation; for, I bave hot obSel'ved any author, between ChlTSOStOm and the Reformation, that bath taken knowledge of this interpretation; nor any of the I-teformation, as from him, from Chrysostom. But, since out authors of the Reformation, bave somewhat generally pursued that sense, (Calvin bath donc so, and so Tremelhus, and so Piscator, and many, many more) now, one author of the loman church (one as curious and dilint in interpreting obscure places of Scripturc, as any anlongst them, and then more bold and confident in departing from their vulgar, and frivolous, and impertinent interpretations of Scriptures, than any amongst them) the Cpuchin Bolduc, bath also pursued that sense. That sense is, that in this adjuration, or imprecation, O eartlt crêr,hot thott m,j blood; blood is not literally bodily blood, but spiritual blood, the blood of the soul, e.xhausted by many, and heinous sins, such as they insimulated Job of. For in this signification is that word, blood, often taken in the Scriptures. When God says, lle you stretch j'brtl your hands, they are fnll of" b/ood », there blood is all nmnner of 'apine, of oppression, of concussion, of violence. When Da-id prays to be delieredfr blood-ydltiness '°, it is hot intended only of an aetual shedding of blood, for it is in the original, à san9uinibus, in the plural; other crimes than the aetual shedding of blood, are bloody crimes. Therefore, says one prophet, the land is fidl of" bloody crimes '»; nd, another, blood touchetl blood »«, whom the Chaldee Paraphras expresses aright, tz Isa'mh i. 15. t* Psalm ri. xiv. Ezek. vii..'23. lIosea iv. 2.
O24 PREACHED IN LENT. le;ER. XI. Aygreyantpeccata pêccatis, Blood toucheth blood, when sin induces sin. XVhieh place of Hosea, St. Gregory interprets too, then blood touches blood, Cure ante oculos 1)êi, adjunctis peccatis cruentatur anima; Then God secs a soul in her blood, when she wounds and,vounds herself again, with variation of divers, or iteration of the sanie sins. This then being thus established, that blood in this text, is the blood of the soul. exhausted bv sin, (lb» every sin is an incision of the soul, a laueination, a phlebotomy, a letting of the soulblood, and then a delight in sin, is a going with open veins into a warm bath, and bleeding to death) this will be the force of Job's admiration, or imprecation, 0 eartl coter hot tho,t my blood, I ara content to stand as naked now, as I shall do at the day of judgment, when ail men shall sec ail men's actions, I desire no di%mfise, I deny, I excuse, I extenuate nothing that ever I did, I vould mine eneluies knew my worst, that they might study sonie other reason of God's thus proceeding with nie, than those heinous sins, which tom these afflictions they will necessarily conclude against nie. But had Job been able to have stood out this trial. XVas Job so innocent, as that he need hot tare, though ail the world kliew ail. Perchance there may have been sonie excess, some inordinateness iii his nmnuer of his expressing it; we cannot excuse the vehemence of some holy meu, iii such expressions. We cannot say, that there was no excess in Moses' dele me, pardon tbis pêople, or blot my naine out of th]l book; or that there was no exees in St. Paul's anathema pro./'ratribs, that he u%hed to be accursed, to be sêpa»'«ted./'rom Christ J'or his brethren. But for Job, we shall hot need this excuse; for, either ve may restrain his words to those sins, which they imputed to him, and then they have but the nature of that protestation, which David ruade so often to God, Judye me, 0 Lord, accordiny to my riyhteousnêss, according to mine innocênc!f, accordiny to the cleannêss of 7ny hands; which was hOt spoken by David simply, but respectively, not of all his sins, but of those which Saul pursued him for: or, if we enlarge Job's words generally to all his sins, we must con_ sider them to be spoken after his repentante, and reconciliation to God thereupon; if they knew, (may Job bave said) how it stood between God and my seul, how earnestly I bave repented, how fully he bath forgiven, they would never say, these afflictions proceeded frein those sins. And tru]y, se may I, se may every seul say, that is rectified, refreshed, restored» re-established by the seals of God's pardon, and his merey, se the world would tke knowledge of the consequences of my sins, as well as of the sins themselves, and read my leaves on both sides, and hear the second part of my story, as well as the first; se the world vould look upon my temporal clamities, tbe bodily sicknesses, and the penuriousness of my fortune contracted by my sins, and upon my spiritua] calamities, dejections of spirit, sadness of heart, declinations towards a diffldence and distrust in the mercy of God, and then, when tbe world sees me in this agony and bloody sweat, in this agony and bloody sweat would also see the angels of heaven ministering comforts unto me; so they would consider nie in my peccavi, and God in his t.razstulit, me in my earnest confessions, God in his powerful absolutions, me drawn out of one ses of blood, the blood of mine own soul, and cast into another ses, the bottomless sea of the blood of Crist Jesus; so they would know as well what God hath done for my soul, as what my soul and body bave done against my God; so they would read me throughut, and look upon me altogether, I would join with Job, in his confident adjuration, 0 earth coer ot thou my blood; let all the world know ail the sins of my youth, and of mine age too, and I would hot doubt, but God should receive more glory, and the world more benefit, than if I had never sinned. This is that that exalts Job's confidence, he was guilty of nothing, that is, no such thing as they concluded upo, of nothing absolutely, because he }md repented all. And fro this, his confidence rises to a higher pitch than this, 0 earth cover wt thou my blood, and let y cry bave zo place. What means Job in this . Doubtful expositors make us doubt too. Some haro said, that Job desires his cry might bave no place, that is, no termination, no resting place, but that his jnst complaint might be heard over ail the world; Stunnica the Augustinian interprets it so. Some bave said, that he intends by his cry, his crying sins, that they might bave no place, that is, VOl.. l. t no hiding place, but that his greatest sins, and secret sins might be brought te light; Boldue the Capuchin interprets it according te that use of the word clamer, God looked for 'i.qlteousness, et ecce damorem, beiold a er!l"; that is, sins crying in the ears of God. But there is more than se, in this phrase, in this elegancy, in this vehemency of the Holy Ghost in JoWa mouth, Let my cr!l Iave no lolace. In the former par, (Job's protestation) he considered God and man; righteousness towards man in elean hands, anà, in pure prayers, devotion towards God. In this part, (his manifest) he pursues the saine method, he considers man, and God; though men knew all my sins, that should net trouble me, says he, eand that we have considered) yea, thouh my cry find no place, no place with God, that should net trouble me; I should be content that God should seem net te hear my prayers, but that he laid me open to that iii interpretation of wicked men, tush. ho pray, but the Lord hears him not, he cries, but God relieves him hot. And yet, when wilt thou relieve me, O tbou reliever of men, if hot upon my cries, upou my prayers. Yet, St. Augutine hath repeated tlmt, more than once, nore thau twice, zVon est maynu» ecat:liri ad volu,tatem, no est muynum; Be hot over-joyed when God grants thee thy prayer. A'.rauditi ad zoluntatem da, mones, says that father, The devil had his prayer granted, when he had leave to enter into the herd of swine; and so he had (sys he, exemplitying in out present example)when he obtained power from God against Job. But all this aggravated the devil's punishment; o may it do thine, fo have aome prayers granted. And, as that must not over-joy thee, if it be, so if thy prayer be hOt granted, it must hot dejeet thee. God suflired St. Paul to pray, and pray and pray, yet, after his thrice praying, granted him hot that he prayed tbr. God suffered that, if it ha Iossibl, and that, let this c, 1) ]oass, to pass from Christ himself, yet he granted it hot. But, in many of these cases, man does easilier satisfy his own mind, tban other men. If God grant nae hot my prayer, I eover quickly, and I lay hold upou the horns of that aJtar, and ride safely st that anehor. God saw that that whieh I prayed for, was hot so good tb," him, nor so good for me. But when the world shall corne to say, Where is now your religion, where is rour reformation . Do hot ail other rivers, as well as the Tiber, or the Po, does hot the Seine, and the Rhine, and the Maine too, begin to ebb back, and to empty itself in the sea of Rome. Why should hot your Thames do so, as well as these other riveras.* Where is now your religion, your reformation. Vere hot you as good run in the saine channel as others do.t This is a shrewd temptation, and induces opprobious conclusions from malicious enemies, when out cries bave no place, out religious service no present acceptation, our prayers no speedy retm'n from God. But yet because even in this, God may propose farther glory to himself, more benefit to me, and more edificatiou even to them, at last, who, at first, mare ill co»struetions of his proceedings, I adroit, as Job admits, 0 earth cover hot tkou nty blood, (let all the world æee all my faults) and &t n!! cry bave no pl«ce, (let them imagine that God bath foræaken me, and does not hear my praye;s;) my satisfaction, my acquiescence ariseæ not out of their opinion, and interpretation, that must hot be my trial, but 3I// wit»ess is in heave, ad my record is o» kigk, whieh i our third, and last consideration. We nmst do in this last, as we bave done in our former two parts, crack a æhell, to taste the kernel, elear the words, to gain the doctrine. I ara ever willing fo assist that observation, that the books of Seripture are the eloquentest books in the world, that every vord in them bath its weight and value, its taste and verdure. And therefore must hot blame those translators, nor those expositor, who bave, with a partieular eleganey, varied the words in this last clause of the text, my witness, and mg record. The oldest Latin translation received thiæ variation, and the last Latin, even Tremellius himself, (as close as he sticks to the Hebrew) retains this variation, testis and conscius. And that collection, which hath been ruade upon this variation, iæ hot without use, that consciu» may be spoken de interno, that God will bear witne to my inward conscience; and testis, de externo, that God will, in hi time, testify to the world in my behalf. But othor places of Scrlpture will more advance that observation of the elegancy thereof, than this; for in this, the two words signify but one and the same thing, it is but oeitness, and and no more. 1NTot that it is easy to find in I-Iebrew (nor, perchance, in any language) two words so absolutely synonymous, as to signify the same thing, without any difference, but that the two words in our text are hot both of one language, hot both Hebrew. For, the first word, yned, is an I-Iebrew word, but the other, sahad, is Syriac; and both signify alike, and equally, testem, a witness. He that hears the 'oice of sweariny, and fs a witness", says Moses, in the first word of our text; and then the Chaldee paraphrase, intending the same thing, expresses it in the other word, saad. So in the contract between Laban and Jacob, Laban calls that heap of stones, which he had erected, Je.qar-,b'cltadutla'°, by an extraction from the last word of out text, sahad; Jacob calls it, by the first word: and the reason is given in the body of the text itself, in the xqtlgate edition, (though how it got thither, we know not, for, in the original it is not) Uter9ue juxta proprietatem linguce suw; Laban spake in his language, Syriac, Jacob spake in his, Hebrew, and both called that heap of stones, a itness. low, out bestowing this little tinle upon the clearing of the words, hath saved us much more rime; for, by this means we have shortened this clause of out text, and ail that we are to eonsider, is but this, 1I!1 ritness is in Heaen. And truly, that is enough; I care not though ail the world knew ail my faults, I care not what they conclude of God's not granting my prayers, 21ly witness is in Heaen. To be condemned unjustly amongst men, to be iii interpreted in the acts of my religion, is a heavy case; but yet, I have a relief in ail this, 3I!i witness is in tteaen. The first comfort is, because he, whom I rely upon, is in heaven. For that is the foundation and basis upon which out Saviour erects that prayer, which he bath recommended unto us, Out Father, chict art in Hea«n; when I lay hold upon him there, in Heaven, I pursue cheerfully and confidently ail the other petitions, for daily bread, for forgiveness of sins, for deliverance from temptations; from, and for all. H« is in Heaven, and then h« sits in H«aen"; that as I see him in that posture that Stephen saw him, standiny at th« riylt hand of tli« teatlter ', and ' Lcvit. v.I.; l;«.n, xxxi. 47. t« l'salin ii. 4. « Act« vii. 56.
sa. x.] eacv N Le.r. 229 sO, in - readiness, in t willinmess to corne to my succour, so [ might contempl-te him in t judiciary posture, in a potestative, - sovereign posture, sitting, and consider him as able, as willing to relieve me. He is in heaven, and he sits in heavin, and then e dwells in heaen", he is, and he is always there. Baars priests could not ahvays find him at home; Job's God, and out God is never abroad, tic dwelis in Otc iteaens, and, (as it is expressed there) e dwells on Id.qk; so high, that, (as it is there added) God humbles himselt to behold the things that are in heaven. With what amazedness must we consider the humiliation of God, in descending to the earth, lower than so, to hell, when even his descending unto heaven, is a humiliation. God humbles himself, when he beholds anything lower than himself, though cherubims, though seraphinls, though the humane nature, the body of his own, and only eternal Son; and yet he beholds, considers, studies us, wonns of the earth, and no men. This then is Job's, and out first comïort, because he is in heaven, and sits in heaven, and dwells in heaven, in the highest heaven, and so secs all things. But then, if God sec, and say nothing, David apprehends that for a most dangerous condition; and therefore he says, Be hot silent, 0 Lord, lest if thon be silent, I perish". And again, ttold hot thy 1oeace, 0 God of ny praise, for the mouth of the wicked is opened ayainst me": and Lord, let thy mercy be as forward as their malice. And therefore, as God, from that height, secs all, (and the strictest examination that we put upon any witness, is, that if he pretend to testify anything upon his knowledge, we ask, how he came by that knowledge, and if he be a witness that saw if, this is good evidence) as God is to this purpose, ail eye, and secs ail, so for out farther comfort, he descends to the office of being a witness, there is a witness in heaven. But en, God OEay be - witness, and yet hot my witncss, and in that there is sma]] comfort, if God be a witness on my adversaries' side, a witness against me. Eren I kow, and ara a citness", saith the Lord; that is, a witness of the sins, which I know by thee. And that is that which Job with so much tente Psalm cxiii. 5. Psalm xx-iii. I. Psalm cix. I. s» Jer. xxix. 22.
dcrness apprehended, Tlou.renelce thy ¢itnesses aaln me U; thou sentest u witness agsinst me, in the Sabeans, upon my servants; and then thou reuewedst that witness in the Chaldæans upon my cattle snd then thou renewedst that, in thy storm nd tempes, upon my children. Ail this while Goal wa a tness, but hot his witness, but witness on his adversarfs side. Now, if out o hmrt, our o conscience condemn us, this shrewd evidence, says St. John; tbr mine o conscience, single, is thousand witnesses ainst me. But then, (says thv apostle there) God is greater than the heart; for, @sys he) he knows ail things; he knows circumstanc of sin, ss well as substance; and, that, we seldom know, seldom take knowledge of. If then mine o heart be thousand, God, that is greater, ten thound witnesses, if he witness ainst me. But if he be my witns, tness for me, as he always multiplies in his ways of mercy, he is thousands of thoun, millions of millions witnesses in my behalf, for there is no condemnation ', no possible condemnation, fo them that are in him; hot, if every grain of dust upon the eah were an Aehitopel, and gave counsel against me, noE if eve sand upon the shore vere a Rabshakeh, and rail against me, hot if eve atom in the air were Sain, an adversary, an accuser, hot if eve drop in the sea, were an Abaddon, an Apollyon, destroyer, there cod be no eondemnation, he be my witne. If he be my witness, he proeee thus in my behalf, his spirit bears witness with my spirit, for mine inw msurance, that I stand eablished in his favour, and, either by an actual ddiverance, or by some such declaration, as shall pr serve me from fainting, if I be hot aetually delivered, he giv faher testimony in my behalf. For, he is in heaven, and he in heaven, nd he dweHs in heven, in the highest heaven, and sees aH, and is n witness, and my wituess; there is the largenes of our coort. But 411 aH this corne home to Job's end nd pose; that he nd hot tare though a men knew all his faults, he need hOt tare though God passed over his pmyers, because God is his whness what dlarations soever he had in himself, would the world believe, that God testified in his behalf, when they saw his cala- Job 2. ! John fil 20. Rom. *ii. L inities multiplied upon him, and his prayers neglected. If they will net, herein lies bi8 and our final comfort, that he that is mv witness, is in the highest heaven, there ia no person above bim, and there|bre he that is my witness, is my judge too. I shall net be tried by an arbitrary court, where it may be wisdom euough te follow a wise leader, and think as he thinks. I shall net be tried by a jury, that had rather I.uffered, than they fasted, rather I lest my lire, than they lest a meal. 1Ner tried by peers, where honour shall be the Bible. But I hall be tried b)" the king himself, than which no man tan propose a nobler trial, and that King shall be the King of Kings too; for he who in the first o" the Revelation, is called tk« fiHth]'ul u'itness, is, in the saine place, called the Prince o]" tke tïn9s o]" tke eart]t; and, as he is there pmduced as a wit»ess, se, he is ordained te be the Jud.ae o.f te quick and the dead , and so, «ll ju@ment is committed to Itim °. Ho that is my xvitness, is my judge, and the saine person is my Jesus, my Saviour, my Redeemer; he that hath taken my nature, he that hath given me his blood. So that he is my witness, his own cause, and my judge, but of his own title, and will in me preserve himself; he will hot let that nature that he hath invested, perish, nor that treasure whieh he hath poured out for me, his blood, be ineflèctual. My witness is in heaven, my judge is in heaven, my Redeemer is in heaven, and in them, who are but one, I have net only constant hope, that I shall be there too, but an evident assurance, that I ara there already, in his person. Go then in this peace, that you always study te preserve this testification of the Spirit of God, by outward evidences of sanctification. You are naturally composed of four elements, and three of those four are evident, and unquestioned; the fourth element, the element of tire, is a more litigious element, more problematical, nmre disputable. Every good man, every truc Christian, in his metaphysics, (for, in a regenerate man, all metaphysical, supernatural} bath four elements also; and three of those four are declared in this text. First, a good naine, the good opinion of good men, for honest dealing in the wor|d, and religions discharge of duties towards God, that there be no injus- Acts x. 42.:*".John v.
tice in our hands, also that our prayer be pure. A second element is a good conscience in myself, that either a holy wariness before, or a holy repentance fter, settle me so in God, as that 1 care not though all the world knew ail my faults. And a third element is, my hope in God, that my witness which is in heaven, will testify for me, as a witness in my behalf here, or acquit me, as a merciful judge, h¢reafter, low, th¢re may be a fourth element, an infallibility of final perseverance, grounded upon the eternal knowledge of God; but this is as the element of tire, which may be, but is hOt, at least, is hot so discernible, so demonstrable as the test. And therefore, as men argue of the element of tire, that whereas the other elements produce creaturcs in such abundance, the earth such herds of cattle, the. waters such shoals of fish, the air such floc "ks of birds, it is no unreasonable thing to stop upon this consideration, whether there should be an element of tire, more spacious, and coinprehensive than ail the test, and yet produce no creatures; so, if thy pretended element of infailibility produce no creatures, no good works, no holy actions, thou mayest justly doubt there is no such element in thee. In ail doubts that arise in thee, still it will be a good fuie, to choose that now, which thou wouldst choose upon thy death-bed. If a temptation to beauty, to riches, to honour, be proposed to thee, upon such, and such conditions, consider whether thou wouldst accept that, upou those conditions, upon thy death-bed, when thou nmst part with then in a tbw miuutes. So, when thou doubtest, in what thou shouldst place thy assurance in God, think seriously, whether thou shalt not bave more comtbrt then, upon thy death-bed, in being able to say, I flnished my course, I hare.fbu.oht a yood fl:oht, I bave ful.fllled th.e sufferinys of Christ in myflesh, I have e]othed him when he was naked, and fed him when he vas pool', than in any other thing, that thou mayest coneeive God to have donc tbr thee; and do ail the way, as thou wouldst do then; prove thy element of tire, by the ereatures it produees, prove thine eleetion by thy sanetification; for that is the right method, and shall deliver thee over, infallibly, to everlasting glory at last. Amen.