Job was not very clear about the pardon of his sins, somewhat stuck upon his spirit, while he was under the clouds and darkness of this temptation; therefore, saith he, I am afraid of all my sorrows. Till the soul is settled in the matter of pardon, or freedom from guilt, it can never be settled about freedom from punishment. Hence the Apostle (Heb. 2.10, 15.) speaking of the Saints before the coming of Christ, calls Christ, the Captain of our salvation, and assures us, he took flesh, that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death, were all their life time subject unto bondage. The language is very near this of the Text, I am afraid of all my sorrows. As Job was in bondage under his afflictions through the fear of his returning sorrows: So, they were all their life time subject unto bondage through the fear of approaching death. All the Saints before the coming of Christ, were under such a bondage, for the Apostle speaks as of a general state, That he might deliver those, who through the fear of death, were all their life time subject unto bondage. The reason hereof, was, because they had not so manifest and convincing a light concerning the pardon of sin, the freeness of grace, and the abundance of that mercy which was brought in afterwards, and revealed by Jesus Christ, when he actually made our atonement by the blood of his cross: For howsoever it is undeniable, that the faithful under the old Testament, had knowledge of that satisfaction which was to be made by the Mediator for the removing of sin, and the taking ⟨p. 358⟩away of guilt (every sacrifice spake this, showing that there was an atonement to be made by some other blood, which the blood of the sacrifice typified) yet notwithstanding there was not a clearing and a quieting of their hearts, because Christ (though in the promise slain from the beginning of the world) was not actually slain, nor offered up for sinners. The Apostle (Heb. 10.1, 2.) argues upon the same point, That the Law, with those Sacrifices, could not make the comers thereunto perfect, that is, it could not assure the heart that sin was taken away, for if it could, then (saith he) the sacrifices should not have needed to be offered up so often.
Job was not very clear about the pardon of his sinnes, somewhat stuck upon his spirit, while he was under the clouds and darknesse of this temptation; therefore, saith he, I am afraid of all my sorrows. Till the soul is setled in the matter of pardon, or freedome from guilt, it can never be setled about freedome from punishment. Hence the Apostle (Heb. 2.10, 15.) speaking of the Saints before the comming of Christ, cals Christ, the Captain of our salvation, and assures us, he took flesh, that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who through fear of death, were all their life time subject unto bondage. The language is very near this of the Text, I am afraid of all my sorrows. As Job was in bondage under his afflictions through the fear of his returning sorrows: So, they were all their life time subject unto bondage through the fear of approaching death. All the Saints before the comming of Christ, were under such a bondage, for the Apostle speaks as of a generall state, That he might deliver those, who through the fear of death, were all their life time subject unto bondage. The reason hereof, was, because they had not so manifest and convincing a light concerning the pardon of sinne, the freenesse of grace, and the abundance of that mercy which was brought in afterwards, and revealed by Jesus Christ, when he actually made our atonement by the bloud of his crosse: For howsoever it is undeniable, that the faithfull under the old Testament, had knowledge of that satisfaction which was to be made by the Mediatour for the removing of sinne, and the taking ⟨p. 358⟩away of guilt (every sacrifice spake this, shewing that there was an atonement to be made by some other bloud, which the bloud of the sacrifice typified) yet notwithstanding there was not a clearing and a quieting of their hearts, because Christ (though in the promise slain from the beginning of the world) was not actually slain, nor offered up for sinners. The Apostle (Heb. 10.1, 2.) argues upon the same point, That the Law, with those Sacrifices, could not make the commers thereunto perfect, that is, it could not assure the heart that sinne was taken away, for if it could, then (saith he) the sacrifices should not have needed to be offered up so often.
