+ Eirher in things, without any Succeſſion of Day and Night, © W :nter and Summer:Or ameng Perſons where great & ſmall are inJ” p the ſame conditicn,Chap. 3-19. * Where there 1s no difference be- hs tween Light and darkneſs ; where the Day is as dark as the Night pure”
where there is norhing bur perpetual and uninterrupted Darkneſs
CHAT. AL
Zophars Reproof : Jobs words too many and falſe even to mockery in juſti- tying himſelf, 1 . 4. Should God (peak, his Wiſdcm and Juſtice, and
al! his Perfeftions would appear infinitely greater than what Job conce:ve of them, 5 10. God knoweth Man ſeeth Witkedn-ſs and confidereth it ; but Man is ignorant and fooliſh and in vain pretendeth to Wiſdom, 11, 12. If Job would prepare his Heart, and pray,and put away his Singhe ſhould again lift up hus Head, and forget his Miſery, and his laſt days be
hriebreſt; but the Wicked ſhal periſh, 13 20, :
Hen anſwered Zophar the Naamathite, and faid, 2 Should not the multitude of words be an{wer- |,
ed 4? and ſhould + a man full of talk be juſtified 5? | a Doſt thou think to carry thy Cauſe by thy long and tedious Dil- courſes,conſiſting of empty words without weight or rzaſon? 6 Stal we by our ſilence ſeem to approve ofthy Errors ? Or ſhal we think thy caule the better, becauſe thou uſeſt more words than we do?
3 Should thy || lies c make men hold their peace 4? q0r, # and when thou mockeſt e, thallno man make thee ©- giz ſhamed f?
c i.e. Thy falſe Opinions and Aſſertions both concerning thy ſelf and thy own Innocency, and concerning the Counſe!s and Ways of God. d As if thy Arguments were unanſ{werable. e Both God,Chop» 10. 3. and us,and our friendly and faithful Counſels, Chap. 6.'4115 25, 26. f By diſcovering thy Errorsand Follies,
4 Fcrthou haſt ſaid *, my doRrineg js pure þ, and yg, * I am clean in thine eyes 5. *Chas"
g Cenceming, God and his Providence, + i:e, Tiue and _ z
Chap, x
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5 1 am innocent before God;I have not ſinned either by my former Adions, or by my preſent Expreſſions. Thou ſtandeſt wholly upon thy Juſtification. But Zophar aggravates and perverts Job's words, for he did not deny that he was a Sinner in God's ſighr, Chap. 7. 20. 21.and g. 2, 3. and to. 14.but only that he was an Hypocrite or ungodly Man, as they made him-
5 But, O that God vvould ſpeak, and open his lips againſt thee & ;
k i« e. Plead with thee according to thy deſire, Chap. g. 32, &c. He would ſoon pur thee to ſilence and ſhame.
6 Andihat he would ſhew thee the ſecrets of wiſdom
I. chat thoy are double to that which is m: know there-
3
19.13: fore that * God exacteth of thee Ze/5 than thine iniquity
#eſerveth n. | l i, e, The unkown and unſearchable depths of God's Wiſdom and Counſels,in dealing with his Creatures. ”: z. e,That they are far more and greater (the word 4ouble being uſed indefinitely for mani- fold,or plentiful,as 1/4.40.2.8& 61.7 Jer. 17.18« Zech, g. 12. ) than that which hath a beeing or exiſtence, #. e.The ſecret Wiidom of God is infinitely greater than that which is revealed to us by his Word or Works: The greateſt part of what is known of God,is the leaſt part of thoſe PerfeQions that are in him. And therefore thou doſt rathly and fooliſhly in paſſing ſuch a bold cenſure upon God's ways, and judging ſo harthly of his proceedings with thee, becauſe thou doſt not comprehend the reaſons of them, and in judging thy ſelf inno- cent, becauſe thou doſt not ſee thy Sins ; whereas the all-knowing God ſees innumerable Sins in thee, for which he may utterly deſtroy thee, though thou diſcernef themnot : Burt the words are and muſt be rendred, either thus, that he hath double, 7, e. abundant Wiſdom : For ſo this Hebrew word ſingnifies,Cha.6. 13.8&12.16.Prov.2.7.&3.21 Or,that they are double to, or in that beeing or eſſence; to wit, to God, of whom he is here ſpeaking ; Orgzo the beeing ; i, e. to God,who calls himſelf by the Name 7 am,Exod. 3. 14.which ſignifies beeing,and who appropriates bceeing to himſelf, !ſa.4 5.18. I am, and there is none elſe beſides me ; as elſe where he is ſaid to be the only wiſe, and only Poten- zare,and only immortal beeing, 1 Tim. 1, 17. & 6. 15, 16. u Heb. God lends or gives, or forgives thee part of thine iniquity, or of thy puniſhment, So far is he from dealing worſe than thou deſerveſt, as thou doſt moſt falſly andjwickedly accufe him: | .. 7 * Canfſt thouby ſearching find out God » ? canſt vEccli3er!
Rom, x1: COU find out the almighty * unto perfeRion ?'
33 0 7. e. Diſcover all the Depths of his Wiſdom, and the Reaſons *Ch.26.14 Of all his Affftions:
f Hebthe 8 1t 3s as high as heaven p, what canſt thou do 9?
7 O B.
tary, and therefore common to all Men ; and therefore it is not ſtrange if 70b partake of the common Diſtemper. e z. e. Ignorant, and dull, and ftupid;as to the knowledge of divine things,and withal
theſe high Afffairs.
13 * It thou f prepare thine heart g, and ſtretch out thine hands & towards him 3; PE f O Job, thy buſineſs is not to quarrel with th 7 Works,but to addreſs thy ſelf to Y rag To wit, no Cc is expreſlcd, 2 Chr. 19, 3+ & 30. 19.Pſal.78.8« If thou Prepare thy heart, by fincere Repentance forall thy hard.Speeches of God,and Sins againſt him, and with a pure and upright Heart ſeek unto. him ; wathour
thine heart,turning thy bold Contentions with God into bumble fincere Supplications to him, +þ z. e+ Pray, which is here pw ane by its uſual geſture, as Chap. 15. 25.P/. 88, 9+ i4,e, To God, as ap= pears both from the nature of the thing, and. from the Context. 14 If iniquity be in thine hand &, put it far away J, and let not wickedneſs dwell win thy tabernacles ».
& Either 1. If thou haſt in thine hand or Poſſeſſion, any Goods got by Injury or Oppreſlion, as it ſeems they ſuppoſed that he had. Or 2, more generally,If thou allgweit thy {elf in any ſinful praQtiſes. The hand is put for aQtion, whereof it is the Inftrumenr. I Keep thy ſelf at a great diſtance, not onlyfrom ſuch. aRions,bur alſo from the very Occaſions and Appearances of them. m Let it not bayea quiet