OF this Piety, the Holy Job was a Notable and Glorious Example. There was of Old a Tradition in the Church of GOD; we find it in Origens Commentaries, that it was found, In Antiquorum dictis, that Moses presented the Book of Job, to the Israelites in their Egyptian Captivity; that they might read it in their Families, and encourage their Hearts in GOD under their Distresses. We are yet more sure, that in the Primitive Days of Christianity they Publicly read the Book of Job, on sorrowful occasions, and privately carried it also to one another on all such occasions. I do well at this Day, to take a Text from it. Job is afraid, That Piety would signify little to bring him out of Trouble; inasmuch as it had not prevented his coming into Trouble. The Piety of Job, while he was yet in his Prosperity, is thus described unto us. He was not Secure; He did not fall into a Sleep of Security; He did not fall asleep with a vain Dream, that no Changes of Adversity would ever overtake him. He now saw Miserable Changes: But the Changes did not come altogether Unlooked for. The Thing which I greatly feared; This pious Fear of Job, was not such an Anxious & such a Tormenting Fear, as to take away his Easy, Pleasant, Thankful Enjoyment of his Comforts. To live always in such a Disquieting Fear of losing what we enjoy, as to lose all comfortable Enjoyment of it, while we have it: this were no virtue in any Man; it were a sore Judgment of GOD upon a Man. But the Fear of Job, was a Fear of Caution; a Fear that put him upon Sacrificing to GOD every Day; a Fear that ⟨p. 3⟩caused him to entertain the Changes that came upon him, with a Ready Resignation, and upon them to say, Blessed be the Name of the LORD! He could not foresee the particular Changes that happened unto him: It was enough, That in the midst of his Prosperity he often thought, I do not know what may happen: And he did Fear the worst that could happen.
OF this Piety, the Holy Job was a Notable and Glorious Example. There was of Old a Tradition in the Church of GOD; we find it in Origens Commentaries, that it was found, In Antiquorum dictis, that Moses presented the Book of Job, to the Israelites in their Aegyptian Captivity; that they might read it in their Families, and encourage their Hearts in GOD under their Distresses. We are yet more sure, that in the Primitive Days of Christianity they Publickly read the Book of Job, on sorrowful occasions, and privately carried it also to one another on all such occasions. I do well at this Day, to take a Text from it. Job is afraid, That Piety would signify little to bring him out of Trouble; inasmuch as it had not prevented his coming into Trouble. The Piety of Job, while he was yet in his Prosperity, is thus described unto us. He was not Secure; He did not fall into a Sleep of Security; He did not fall asleep with a vain Dream, that no Changes of Adversity would ever overtake him. He now saw Miserable Changes: But the Changes did not come altogether Unlook'd for. The Thing which I greatly feared; This pious Fear of Job, was not such an Anxious & such a Tormenting Fear, as to take away his Easy, Pleasant, Thankful Enjoyment of his Comforts. To live always in such a Disquieting Fear of losing what we enjoy, as to lose all comfortable Enjoyment of it, while we have it: this were no vertue in any Man; it were a sore Judgment of GOD upon a Man. But the Fear of Job, was a Fear of Caution; a Fear that put him upon Sacrificing to GOD every Day; a Fear that ⟨p. 3⟩caus'd him to entertain the Changes that came upon him, with a Ready Resignation, and upon them to say, Blessed be the Name of the LORD! He could not foresee the particular Changes that happened unto him: It was enough, That in the midst of his Prosperity he often thought, I do not know what may happen: And he did Fear the worst that could happen.
