deem me & from the hand of the mighty ? ; By power and the force of your Arms,as Abraham delivered Lot & by Price, or Ranſom. 24 Teach me / andI will hold my tongue m; and
cauſe me to underſtand wherein I have erred ».
I Inſtead of ce:i:ſuring and reproaching,inſtru& and convince me by ſolid Arguments. 1 will patiently hear and gladly receive your counſels. Or I will be filent,T will neither contradict you,nor com- plain of my own Griefs. Compare Job4c:4,5.Prov.30:32:n 7.e. My Miſtakes and Miſcarriages. , ? but what doth
30 Is there iniquity in my tongue d? cannot F my
taſte e diſcern perverſe things f ?
4 Conſider again, and more throughly examine, if there be any Unrruth or Iniquity in what I have already fail, or ſha)l further ſpeak to you. ere. My Judgment which diſcernsand judgeth of Words and Ations as the Taſte or palate doth of Mears. f ;. e. Falſe Opinonscr ſinful Expreſſions. I am not ſo bereft of common un- derſtanding, as notto be able ro diſtinguiſh between good and evil. Ard therefore ifT have uttered, or ſhould utter ary perverſe words,
I ſhould apprehend them to be fo as well as you doe.
CHAS YVIL
Our Times are like thoſe of H relings, reſtleſs and hopeleſs ; Death defir-
able : Our dnys are as a Weavers Shuttel ; Our Life ts as Wind : nd
he was conſumed out of this World, and ſhould appear in it no more,
| ER -10. Therefore he will ſpeak ro Ged, 11, 12. Is tircd out ana weary
of Life, 13--4=-16» Man unworthy of Gods notice, 17====19: He conjeſſ:
eth tis ſin, and prayeth for forgivenneſs,
I there not || * an appointed time to man upon [Or.ox- Earth « ? .are not his days alſo like the days of an fare;
hireling b2? | © Chapag.
a Is there not acertain and ſhort time limitted by God, wherein 73: 1+:
Man ſhall live in this ſinful, and vain, and miſerable World, after lal: 39:4
which he ſhall live in an bolier and happier place and ſtate? And
my palate
25 How forcible are right words s your arguing reprove p ?
0 7,e. The words of Truth or ſolid Arguments have a marvellous power to convince and perſwade a Man ; and if yours were ſuch I ſhould readily yield re them. p Or, your arguing argue. 'There is notruth in your Afertions, nor weight in your Arguments, and therefore are they of no account or power with me.
25 Doye imagin to reprove words q, and to re- prove the ſpeeches of one that is deſperate r,which are
as wind s ? qz.e. Do you think that all your Arguments are ſolid and un-
isira Crime in me to deſire that God woujd give me ſome eaſe
and reſpite for the preſent, and bring me to that bleſſed and joyful pzriod? 6 Whoſe time 1s limited and ſhort, being but for a few
years, 1(a: 16: 14: & 21; 16: and ſometimes but for days, Job 14. 6:
Matt: 20: 1, 2; and whole Condition is full cf Toil and Hardſhip.
2 As a Servant F earneſtly defireth the ſhadow c,
and as an Hireling looketh for the reward of his 4 p5cy
work d : peth afuer c1.e. The Sun-ſet, or the Night,the time allotted for his reſt and repoſe, Pſal: 104: 23: And why may notT alſo deſire the time of
an{werable, and all my Anſwers are bur idle and empty words ? Or, do you think it is ſufficient to cavil and quarrel! with ſome of
. my words and expreſſions, without conſidering the Merits of the cauſe, and the Truth of my Condition, or giving an allowance for Humane Infirmity, or for my extream Miſery,which may eaſily force from me ſome indecent Expreilions ? r Of a poor miſerable, hope- leſs and helpleſs Man ; for the words of ſuch Peſons are commonly negle&ed and deſpiſed, although rhere be truth and great weight in them. See Ec:leſ. 9: 16. And ſuch are generally thought to ſpeak from deep Paſſions and Prejudices more than frem Reaſon & Judgment. 57. e. Which you eſteem to be like the Wind, vain and lighr, without ſolid ſubſtance, making a great noiſe with little ſenſe, and to little purpoſe. Burt this laſt branch of the Verſe may be,and by many is rendred otherwiſe : dns, do ye imagine( which
my reft ? 4 Heb hu work ;-whichis oft put for the reward of it, as Lev: 29: 13: 1/a: 40: 10: & 49:4: Or, theend of hi work. 3 Soeam I made to poileſs f months g of vanity b,
and weariſome nights ; are appointed to me.
e This ſoreſpe&snot ſo much the deſire and expe&ation of an hired Servant, which is exprefſed wv. 2: as the ground and reaſon of ir, which is plainly implied there,to wit, his hard Toi) and Service, which makes him thirſt after reſt. fGod, by his ſoveraign Power and Providence,hath given me this as my Lct and Inheritance. g So he calls them rather than days, to note either the irkſomnelſs 2nd tediouſneſs of his Affflition, whereby every day ſeemed a month to him, or their length or continuance, which, as ſome infer from
hence, had now been upon him ſome months. þ Empty and un- latisfying
Wn... __
S
Chap. VII;
*,Far
23; fHeb
Pig q
[ ta
y' ff frer:
F fr.
*Neut2$:;
; Fehap. VII F;
ſatisfying, or falſe and deceitful, not giving me that eaſe and rei? which they promiſed me, and I expe&ted. 7 He mentions nightr, becauſe thar is the ſaddeſt time for tick and miſerable Perſons; the darkneſs and ſolitude of the night being of rhemſelves uncomfort- able, and giving them more opportunity for ſolemn and forrowful Thoughts and Refle&tions upon their own Miferiess
4* When I liedown &, Ifay, when ſhall Fariſe,and
Ge 11:12: | the night /be gone ? and Lam full of toffings to and +H-b. the fro 2 unto the dawning of the day ».
guenitg be meaſured.
* Clag:25*
& 16; 223 & 17:11:
Plal; 90:6.
& 1023115
& 103:15:
& 144/45 If; 38: 12:
& go: 6:
Jan:4: 14: "fee. Vain: Iſa: 57:13: Hoſe 8. 7 quickly paſſing away, ſo as
wt returns
[7 ſce,that 15, to enjoy.
That is, (an live n0
linger,
,01m.12: 33
tHeb:HeT,
'Plaoz:163
.
Chap. 9 HY, +: ”
IT tifielt me through viſions 0. | |
& To get ſome reſt and ſleep. 1 Heb: the evening. The part put for the whole, as it is Gen: 1:5: m From fide to ſfidein the Bed, as Mea in grievous pains of bedy, or anxiety of mind uſe to be, n So this Hebrew word is uſed alſo 1 Sam: 3c: 17: Pſale 119. 147*
5 My fleſh is clothed o with worms p, and clods of
duſt q; my skin is broken r,and become loathſom.