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IX.

Again, As the Infpir'd Writers, when they would fet forth God's Strength and Power to defend his People, and to deftroy his Enemies, do ufually ftyle him the Living God, in oppofition to dead Idols, who can neither help themselves nor their Worshippers: fo when Life is attributed to Chrift, thereby is meant a vigorous and powerful Life. And to fay, I know that my Redeemer liveth, is in effect to fay, I know that He liveth to protect and preferve me; That he is able to fuccour me in all Dangers, and to relieve me under all Neceffities; That he is Mighty to rescue me from the Jaws of Death, and to raise me even from the Grave; wherefore tho' he flay me, I will put my Truft in him.

BUT Chrift could never have been our Redeemer, had he not afterwards liv'd a Life of Weakness and Infirmity; had he not took Part of our Flefh and Blood, and been made like unto us his Brethren in all Things, Sin only excepted; that he might be capable of Suffer

ing for our Sins, and that Satisfaction might be made in the fame Nature in which the Offence had been committed. And fome Interpreters are of Opinion, that the Incarnation of Chrift was what Job intended to intimate when he declar'd that his Redeemer fhould ftand at the latter Day upon the Earth.

OTHERS interpret thefe Words of his Coming to Judgment at the laft Day. And it must be own'd, that this Interpretation of the Words is agreeable to the Context, and very pertinent and fuitable to the Occafion on which they were fpoke. For Job lying under the Preffure of many heavy Afflictions, and being upon that account cenfur'd as a grievous Sinner by his moft intimate Friends, may well be fuppos'd to appeal from their uncharitable and unjuft Sentence, to the Judgment of the All-knowing and most Righteous Judge of the whole Earth; and to fupport and comfort himself with this Confideration, that a Time would come, when the Disguise of the Hypocrite should be remov'd, and the AfperR 2 fions

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IX.

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IX.

fions caft upon the injur'd Innocerit should be wip'd off, and both the one and the other should appear to the View of Men and Angels in their true Colours ; *that tho' in the Winter of this Life the green and the dry Trees feem to the Eye alike, yet there is a Spring, a Summer approaching, when they fhall be clearly and eafily diftinguifh'd; when a remarkable and an everlasting Difference fhall be put between the Righteous and the Wicked, to whom in this World one Event happeneth.

BUT this Claufe may be, and by fome is thus tranflated, He fhall rife at the latter Day upon the Earth; and then it manifeftly points at our Lord's Refurrection from the Dead; without which all his Sufferings had been in vain, and of no Advantage to us. So St. Paul tells the Corinthians, If Chrift be not raised your Faith is vain, ye are yet in your Sins. For tho' the Redemption of Mankind was, together with the Sufferings of the Redeemer, finifhed on the Crofs; yet

Hermas Lib. 3. Sim. 3. 4.

yet in order to our reaping the Benefit of it, it was abfolutely neceffary that he who died fhould live again, to represent to his Father the Merits of his Sufferings, to intercede for us in Virtue of them, and apply the Efficacy of them to us.

AND as we had been without Hope if Chrift had for ever continued under the Power of Death: fo now that he is rais'd, we may safely banish all our Fears and Sufpicions, and rejoyce in the Profpect of a glorious Salvation. For if when we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son, much more being reconcil'd we shall be fav'd by his Life. Nor can we doubt but that God hath accepted the Satisfaction made for our Tranfgreffions, that he hath blotted out the Hand-writing that was against us, and cancell'd our Debts, fince he hath released Jefus our Surety and Reprefentative; who was delivered for our Offences, and rais'd again for our Juftification.

AND not only for our Juftification, but that we being quickned after the

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IX.

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IX.

Nay

Pattern and by the Power of his Life,
might live also. For feeing Christ our
Head liveth, we who are his Body can.
not remain under the Power of Death;
but the Life which he for ever enjoys
muft of Neceffity be communicated to
and diffus'd thro' all his Members.
fo neceffary is the Connexion between
the Refurrection of Chrift and our Re-
furrection, that in St. Paul's Judgment it
is perfectly abfurd to deny the latter,
while we confess the former. If Christ,
fays he, be preached that he rose from the
Dead, how fay fome among you that there
is no Refurrection of the Dead? But if
there be no Refurrection of the Dead,
then is Chrift not rifen.

WHEREFORE Job having profefs'd his Belief of his Redeemer's Refurrection, might well be fo confident as he was of his own; notwithstanding the mighty Difficulties which he faw it clogg'd and encumbred with. For tho' he knew that Worms fhould destroy his Body, and that his Reins should be confum'd within him, yet was he fully affur'd that this Confumption, of his vital

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