h In the other things which you have ſpoken of Gods Greatneſs, Juſtice,ec. Ido not contend with you, but this one thing I do, and mult affirm againſt you. 7 I did not utter it raſhly, but upon deep Coenſideration.k God ſends Afffiictions promiſcuouſly upon good and bad men. Compare Pſal:73; 2, &c. Eccleſ; 9; 2: Jer: 12: 1, &C.
23 If the ſcourge ſlay fuddenly /; he will. laugh at
the trial of the innocent m-.
I Either 1. If fome common and deadly Judgement come upon a People which deftroys both good and bad. Or, 2. If God inflits ſome grievous and unexpeRed ſtroke upon an innocent perſon, as 1t follows. m As he dothat the deſtruction of the Wicked, P/a/: 2; 4+ His outward Carriage is the ſame to both : he negle&s the Innocent and ſeems not to an{irer their Proyers, and ſuffers them to pers
With him ? k7#;e, Anſwer bis Allegations and Arguments —_
= =o
Y againſt me» Heb: Chooſe my words with ( or before,or againſt, as this | 4 Particle is uſed, Deut.g: 7:P[al:94: 16: Prov:30:31:)him, i: e. Shall T try whether God or I can chooſe ficter Words, or ſtronger Arguments?
| ;
uſing choice, and forcible and elegant words, as one man doth with |
}
not anſwer x, bur I would make ſupplication to my
m Though Ihad a moſt juſt cauſe, and were not conſciousto my
Ch, 7.
hb 17Ps (ire, Orcbips ( Bethe 'ab1.8
(a;773.
ſiedface
6 $2” OY OO” ORC SO
{ | þ, \ 7 with others, as if he took pleaſure in their ruine -alſo. But withal, he intimates the matter and cauſe of his laughter or complacency
Ix
41),
to Gods honour, and their own eternal advantage. 24 The earth » is given o into the hand of the wick-
where, and who ishe s ?
2 7. c The poſſeſlion and dominion of men and things on earth. o To wir,byGed the great Lord andDiſpoſer of it by his Providence p Into their power. As good men are ſcourged,v. 23.10 the wicked are advanc=d, and proſpered in this World. q 7, e He blinds their eyes that they cannot diſcern between Truth and Falſhood, Juſtice, and Unrighrteouſnefs; He. Who? Either, 1. The wicked laſt men- tionzd, who either by power or by Gifts corrupts the Officers of Ju- ſtice. Or rather, 2. God, whom the Pronoun he, deſigned all along this Chapter ; Who is oft ſaid to blind the minds of men, which he doth not poſitively by making them blind,but privatively by with-
drawing tis own lighr, and Icaving them to their cwn Miſtakes and
thatname, and du'y adminiſter that Office ; Whoſe faces God may be ſaid to cover, becauſe he removeth them from their high places into obſcurity, and covers them with contempt, and in a manner paſſeth a Sentence of Congemnation and Deſtruction upon them ; Covering of the face being tac uſual poſture cf condemned Perſons, and of men in miſery : Of which ſee Eſth; 7. 8. Pſal: 44:22:1/a: 15.17. Jer. 14F. Sothe ſenſe of this Verte is,God commonly ad- vanceth wicked men into Power and Honour, and cafteth down men of true Worth and Virtue from their Seats. r+ If it be not as Ifay, If God donot theſe things. 5 Either, 1x. Who will confute me by ſolid Arguments? Or, 2. Who doti theſe things? Who but God doth diſpoſe of the World in this manner ?
& 16, 25 Now? * my days « are {wifter than a poſt x : they flee away, they ſee no geod y.
: What he had ſaid of the Calamities which God uſually infli&ed upon goad men, he now exemplifieth in himſelf. « The days ei- ther of my proſperity : For the time of AffiQion is commonly de- {cribed by the n:gh: : or rather, 2. Of my life,as the laſt Clauſe ſhew- eth; For it were an abſurd and codtradiftious ſpecchto ſay that his proſperous days ſaw no good. x Who runs or rides upon {wift hor- {ezs. y Tenjoy no good in them. Seeing 15 oft put for experiencing cither good or evil, Job 7. 7. Pſal: 34.12. John 3; 36. and 8. 51. n4/þp> 25 They are paſſed away us the Þ || ſwift ſhips z : *as (ze, the eagle 2 that haſteth to the prey.
(r;kip! 2 Heb Ships of defrreqwhich make great haſte,as if they longed for (tithe their effred Haven,as it is called Fſai,r07.30.Orſhips of pleaſure; Which "d1.8 fa:l more ſwiftly than Ships of great burden. #s Which generally flies moſt Cvifrly, Deut: 28. 49. Jer: 4: 13: Lam: 4: 19. eſpecially when its own hunger,and the ſighr of irs prey, quickens his motion. _ Um, 27 *IF 1 ay b, Twi forget my complaints ce, I will fid/ae Jeave off my Þ heavineſs d, and comfort my felfe :
b If T reſolve within my ſelf. cI will ceaſe complaing. d Heb; mine anger ; wherewirth Job was charged by his Friends, Chap; 18:4« my anzry Expreſſions. el willendeavour to take comfort.
28 I am afraid of all my forrows f: I know that thou
wilt not hold m2innocentg.
f Or, my pains and griefs : I find all ſuch endeavours vain; for if my grizfs be ſuſpended for a little time, yet my fears continue. g [ plainly pzrc:1ve that my changing my note 1s to no purpoſe; for thou, O God, (to whom he makes a ſudden Apoſtrophe, as he dorh alſov: 31. ) wiltſt no: clear my innocency by removing thoſe Affi- tions which make -1.em judge me guilty of tome great crime. Words proceeding from great impatience and deſpair oft relief. :
29 If I be wicked þ, why then labour I invain z ?
h Heb. I ſhal be wicked, or guilty, towit, before thee. Whether Ibe holy or wicked, if I diſpute with thze,I ſha) be found gui'ty, Or thus, 7 ſhal be uſed like a wicked man,and pu i1thed asfuch. So this is oppoſed co his not being held innecent, v- 28. 7. e not being acquit-' ted or exempr from puniſhment z Why tien ſhould I not indulge my gricfs, but reſtrain them ? Why ſhould I comfort my ſelf wich
which God takes in their Afi&tions, becaule to them they are but trials of their Faith, and Patience, and Perſeverance, which tends
ed p;he covereth the faces of the judges thereof 9;if notr,
Luſts. Or by Judges he may here mean thoſe who are worthy of
O © B,
that might lay his hand wpon us both r. 9 Or, a Reprover; or, a Judge or Umpire, whoſe Office was to re- prove the guilty Perſon, .r z. e Uſe his Power and Authority to ap-
put forpower, and /eying on the hand upon another was oft times an att and ſign of Superiority and Domiaion.
his fear s terrifle me;
s Otjedively ſocalled, i. e. The fear and dread of him, of his Majeſty and Juſtice. Let him not deal with- me rigorouſly accord- ing to his Soveraign Dominion and 2erfe& Juſtice,but according to his wonred Grace and Clemency- ' | |
35 Then wouldT fpeak, and not fear him s : + but it 5 not fo with me «.