Job 17

Hypocrites' obedience is but [in non-Latin alphabet] for a season: it is like plastering work, which is soon washed off; but true obedience is constant. Though we meet with affliction, we must go on in our obedience (Job 17:9). The righteous shall hold on his way.

Christ could not be more holy than he was; but our grace is receptive of further degrees, we may have more sanctity, we may add more cubits to our spiritual stature. 2. Then the kingdom of grace increases when a Christian has gotten more strength than he had (Job 17:9): He that…

And here we have occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature. I shall say to corruption (says Job) you are my father: and to the worm, you are my mother: seeing God vouchsafes this great prerogative to them that love him, that he will be their father: t…

Dress and pamper the body as you will, that beauty will not abide with you; therefore, why does all this pride, vanity, and bravery serve? Seeing a very little while will lay it all in the dust; and when all our projects will come to an end, as Job says (Job 17), my purposes are…

The righteous Man is truly said to be one whose Heart is fixed, trusting in God, (Psalm 112. 7.) and to have his Heart established with Grace, (Hebrews 13. 9.) and to hold on his Way. Job 17. 9. The Righteous shall hold on his Way, and he that hath clean Hands shall wax stronger…

4. It is Corroborative and strengthening; confirms resolutions, and establishes the heart. Hereby they who have felt this quickening, cherishing, healing virtue are also strengthened with might (namely, by the Spirit) in the inner man; so that they hold on their way, and being o…

3. Christ's presence, or nearness with him, and fruitfulness, go together: And where the breasts are not as clusters, no condition the believer can be in, is to be accounted presence. The second effect is in these words, And the smell of your nose like apples: apples are savory…

8. Though this jealousy be vexing, yet sometimes the believer cannot rid himself of it, it will so prevail, and is so cruel against him. 9. In the similitude of death and the grave, that is here made use of, it is implied, that no man shall escape death and the grave, they are a…

The second general head is, what is the treasure that our Savior speaks of here? I conceive it is principally intended of the thoughts of the heart, which are called the possessions of the heart (Job 17:11), because these are the first-born of the soul, and enjoy the inheritance…

The drift of Christ's farewell-sermon to his disciples we have in the first words of it (John 14:1): Let not your hearts be troubled. It is the duty and interest of all good people, whatever happens, to keep trouble from their hearts, and to have them even and sedate, though the…

He that sits down content with the grace he has, and is not pressing forwards towards perfection, and striving to grow in grace, to get the habits of it more strengthened and confirmed, and the actings of it more quickened and invigorated, it is to be feared has no true grace at…

And then you shall come to know that honor is sanctified to you, and that it is in love, and you shall be more able to rejoice in the honor that God shall bring to your names then you would have done, and so your reproachers shall be servants to you. There is only one place of S…

That God, who is the Author of all kind of being, has given you this, called you from darkness to his marvelous light, if you be a chosen generation, it is he that has chosen you (1 Peter 1:2), if you be a royal priesthood, you know that it is he that has anointed you. If a holy…

1. The persons that receive it: we that were aliens, and enemies, and bond-slaves; that were of another line and stock: that might say to corruption, You are my Father; to the worm, You are my mother, and my sister. (Job 17:14) We that were cousin-Germans to worms, a handful of…

3. Death is killing, but sin much more; death deprives of natural and temporal, but sin deprives of spiritual and eternal life; death kills but the body, sin kills the soul, and brings it under a worse death than the first, namely, the second: Men may kill us, but only God can d…

I know your works, and the last to be more than the first (Revelation 2:19). The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger (Job 17:9). But you will say, why does that man abate and languish in his duties, that does them from a na…

Secondly, I would premise this, though many may go far (very far) in the way to Heaven, and yet fall short, yet that soul that has the least true grace shall never fall short. The righteous shall hold on his way (Job 17:9). Though some may do very much in a way of duty (as I sha…

We are like to meet with many rubs in the way before we get to Heaven: it is said of Israel, their soul was much discouraged because of the way. Had we more grace, we should have need enough to use it: expect we must fiery serpents; but, the righteous will hold on his way (Job 1…

5. Walking with God, imports a continued progress in Grace; it is not only a step, but a walk; there is a going on towards perfection: A godly man does not sit down in the middle of his way, but goes on till he comes at the end of his Faith, 1 Peter 1. 9. Though a good man may b…

1. He can at our first conversion make us glorified and perfected saints; but it is his wisdom to take a time and succession to perfect his saints. He took about thirty and three years on earth for the work of our redemption, and would for three days lodge in the grave, as it we…

Thirdly, the vanity and sinfulness of the mind appears in the godly, that though they entertain good thoughts, yet the mind is not, will not be long intent on them. Some things there are, which we are, and can be intent upon, and accordingly dwell long upon them, and therefore i…

(Job 16:9-11): "He tears me in his wrath who hates me, he gnashes upon me with his teeth; my enemy sharpens his eyes upon me: they have gaped upon me with their mouth. God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked." So he is very positive i…