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Lord bad fought him out a man after his own heart, and the Lord bad commanded him to be captain over his people. Yet this hinder'd not, but that he met with a great deal of forrow and vexation from time to time, as well after as before his coming to the throne. He makes frequent and fad complaints of his misfortunes throughout his book of Pfalms, too many to need that I fhould trouble you, or our other friends here with the repetition of them. Yet did it please God in his due time (b) to turn and refresh him, and rescue him out of his troubles and adverfities, bringing him to great honour, and comforting him on every fide, as himself relates, and as our good friend here, Theophilus, has noted before me. Thus he continued as long as his natural ftrength lafted, and at length, being (c) old, and stricken in years, be flept with his fathers, and was buried in the city called after his own name, (d) the city of David.

Anchith. This fhews that Almighty God was not regardless of him, though he had fuffered him, for a good part of his life, to be under affliction, and to meet with a large fhare of troubles and vexations.

Eufeb. But no mere man was ever to be compared with Job, in this refpect, fo particularly remarkable was the method of God's dealing with him in each eftate. He was once, as Theophilus obferv'd, (e) the greatest man in the east; (f) had children, and fervants, and oxen, and affes, camels, and fheep in great plenty; (g) and yet of a fudden became as poor and naked, as if he had never been owner of any of them. They were all, as I noted before, taken from him in one day; and he had nothing left him but his wife, (b) who, instead of a comfort in all his distress, proved a temptrefs to him, and fo an addition to all his miferies. Befides all this, he was plagued in his own person, to a very great degree, being fmitten (i) with fore boils, from the fole of his foot unto his crown; till he took a pot

(b) Pfal. lxxi. 18, 19. (c) 1 Kings i. 1. (e) Job i. 3. (f) Ver. 14, &c. (g) Ver. 20. (i) Ver. 7, 8

(d) Chap. ii. 10. (b) Chap. ii. 9, 10.

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Sherd to fcrape himself withal, and fat down among the afbes, as a fign of his exceffive grief. He was fcoffed at likewise, and derided, upon this fad alteration of his circumstances; and fuch as durft not formerly have looked him in the face, had now the confidence to mock and fleer at him. The very (k) youth had him in derifion; and thefe of the meaner fort too, fuch whofe fathers he would have disdained to fet with the dogs of his flock. And his friends, that came to fee him in this woeful plight, like (1) miferable comforters, as they were, inftead of condoling with him, and pitying his calamity, and applying fit lenitives to affwage his anguish and forrow of mind, for so sharp and unexpected a vifitation (m), fet themselves to rebuke him for not following the fame advice he had used to give to others in adverfity. They spake not a word of comfort to him, but endeavoured to perfuade him, that he had reafon to fufpect his own fincerity, becaufe fuch exceffive fufferings were not wont to be inflicted upon innocent perfons, but upon the mercilefs and wicked oppreffors, whom, tho' ever fo mighty, God had always chofen to humble, at one time or other: they concluded, tho' very unjustly, that all these calamities were fent upon Job for his mifcarriages; and that he, good man, muft needs have been a great finner, or otherwise he would not have been fo great a fufferer. Yet notwithstanding all these croffes, all his loffes and disappointments, all his pains and fores, and all the difcouragements he met with from his mistaken friends, 'he ftill continued ftedfaftly to wait God's pleasure, in a faithful and refolute adherence to his duty, under all the difficulties that already had, or might farther befal him. It was his fix'd and steady purpose, that (n) all the time his breath was in him, and the fpirit of God was in his noftrils, his lips should not speak wickedness, nor his tongue utter deceit, that, till he died, he would not remove his integrity from him: but his righteousness be (k) Job xxx. 1. (1) Chap. xvi. 2. (m) Chap. xxi. &c. (2) Chap. xxvii. 3, 4, 5, 6.

would

would bold faft, and not let it go; nor fhould his heart rel prove him as long as he lived. And (0) though God should flay bim, yet would he perfevere in putting his truft in bim. And to his wife, fetting herfelf to seduce him from his uprightness, and tempting him to (p) curfe God and die, rather than continue to groan under fuch bitter forrows as he had to conflict with, he only replied, that she talked like a vain wicked woman; piously representing to her withal, how unreasonable it was to take any thing ill at God's hand; and that the more good any have received from him, the lefs reafon they would have to complain of any ill that might fucceed it. (9) Thou fpeakeft, fays he, as one of the foolish women speak: what, fhall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall not we receive evil? In all this did not Job fin with his lips.

Anchith. O my God, grant me, I beseech thee, the like patience.

Philog. Oh! do not doubt of the goodness of God to you. Be ftrong in the Lord, and wait his determination, with a fure truft in, and intire refignation to, his good Providence; and he will turn all things, even what you most complain of, to your own advantage. (r) O tarry the Lord's leifure; be ftrong, and he shall comfort thine heart; and put thou thy truft in the Lord. (s) For thus faith the Lord God, the Holy One of Ifrael: In return ing and reft fhall ye be faved, in quietness and confidence fhall be your strength. (t) Oh how plentiful is his goodness, which he has laid up for them that fear him; and which be has prepar'd for them that put their trust in him, even before the fans of men.

Eufeb. If you please, I will proceed in what I was difcourfing concerning Job, whereby to fhew the goodnefs of God to him.

Anchith. I beseech you do. ignorant of the fcripture, as

For though I am not fo not to know it, it will

however, comfort me to hear it repeated.

16.

(0) Job. xiii. 15. (p) Chap. ii. 9. (4) Ver. 10. (r) Pfal. xxvii. (s) Isa. xxx. 15. (1) Pfal. xxxi. 21.

Eufeb.

Eufeb. After that Almighty God, by divers forts of afflictions, had tried this patient, holy, good, and perfect man, and had found him in all refpects conftantly and inflexibly tenacious of his integrity, in fpight of all the plagues that Satan could lay upon him; he (x) was pleafed with and commended him; the Lord alfe accepted Job. And (y) the Lord turned the captivity of Job; alfo the Lord gave Job twice as much as he bad before. He restored to him all that he had loft; and not only fo, but he ceafed not, till he had made him twice as rich as ever he had been. Thus (z) the Lord bleffed the latter end of Job, more than the beginning; for he had fourteen thousand fheep, and fix thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-affes; be had alfo feven fons, and three daughters. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and jaw bis fons, and his fons fons, even four generations.

Anchith. Bleffed be God, that he is thus good to his fervants, and does not forfake thofe that duly put their trust in him!

Philog. Of this good man Job, St. James makes mention, in confirmation of the great truth now treated of: (a) Ye bave heard, faith the apoftle, of the patience of Job, and have feen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Theoph. Thus you fee, Anchithanes, from the Holy Scripture, that corporal afflictions, of whatever kind, are no certain token of God's anger, but what befals the righteous as well as others, and from which his trueft and beft fervants can promise themselves no exemption. You have heard alfo of the loving-kindnels of God towards fuch as have been found faithful upon trial, and his readinefs to restore them to a more flourishing state than they were in before. Where(x) Job xlii. 8, 9. () Ver. 10. (x) Ver. 12, 13, 15, 16. (a) James v. 11.

fore

fore be not impatient in this your fickness; but be thankful to God for it, and study to make a good improvement of it. Wait the good pleasure of God, and fuffer him contentedly to difpofe of you as he fhall determine with himself. And then fear not but he will be merciful to you, and will accomplish in you what he in his infinite wifdom fhall fee fitteft and moft proper for you. For (b) whatfoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience, and comfort of the Holy Scripture, might have hope.

Anchith. God's will be done on me! The Lord knows what is properest for such a wretched finner as I am. (c) Let him, therefore, do what feemeth him good. Come life, come death, I fhall endeavour to prepare myself for it, that fo (d) whether I live, I may live unto the Lord; or whether I die, I may die unto the Lord; or whether I live or die, I may be the Lord's. A Prayer for Dependence upon God in all Difficulties and Trials.

AND ob thou

my heavenly Father, give me, I most bumbly beseech thee, for my Saviour's fake, a patient and a thankful heart, that I may never murmur, or be diffatisfied, at thy gracious will, but be obedient to it in all things; that when my pains are sharpest, and my fickness moft difcouraging, and hardest to be borne, I may however lift up my foul to thee, and feek for help and relief from thee alone, calling upon thee as I do at prefent, faying, (e) O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, neither chaften me in thy difpleasure. Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O heal me; for my bones are vexed. My foul alfo is fore troubled; but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me! Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my foul; O fave me for thy mercies fake. (f) Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me; for I am poor, and in (c) 1 Sam. iii. 18. (d) Rom. xiv. 8. (e) Pfal. (ƒ) Pfal. lxxxvi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

(6) Rom. xv. 4. vi. 1, 2, 3, 4.

mifery.

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