he that is wiſe may be profitable to himſelf c ?
2 i. e. Add any thing to his Perfe&ion or Felicity, to wit, by his Righteouſneſs, as the next Verſe ſhews. Why then doſt thou unifult | 77,
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otherwiſe by robbing them of their Rights, all other Injuries being Synecdochically comprehended under this. Qu. How could he tri the naked ? ſw. Hecalls themmnaked, either 1 Becauſe they had but very few and means Cloaths, ſuch being. oft called naked, as Deut. 28. 48. 1 Cor. 4. 11+ James 2. 15, Or, 2. From the effe&, be= cauie though he did not find them naked, yer he made them ſo. The like Phraſes we have 7/2. 47. 2. grivd Meal, i. e by grinding Corn make it Meal ; Amos 8 5. falſifying the deceitful ballances, i.e by falſifying making true ballances deceitful : And ſo here, to ſtrip the naked, is by ſtripping them to make them naked. hou haſt not given water 0 to the weary p to
drink, and thou haft with-holden bread from the hun-
BY 9- 6 | o Surely thou haſt been io hard heartedas to deny a Cup of cold
}
Warer to thoſe that needed and deſired ir. Water was oft times ſcarce and p:ecious in thoſe hot Countries,and was appropriated to parti-
cular Pcrſons, without whoſe leave other perſons might nor take it.
? i. e. To him, who by reaſon of hard labour ortravel, is weary and thirſty. So this word isuſed. Prov, 25.25. -4 To whom it was due
' by God's Law, Prov. 3. 27. which alſo was known to Jeb by the Light
of Nature. Hereby he intimates the greatneſs of this Sin of Uncha- ritableneſs, by ranking it with hainous Crimes, whereas Job ( as he thought } eſteemed it but a ſmall fault, if any.
8 But s for | the mighty man, he had the Earth 7 and the |} honourable man dwelt in it s.
joymenr of ir. Which is meant either, 1. Of J0b,0f whom ke ſpeaks invidiouſty in the third perſon. The mighty man Job poſſeſſed, and -enlarged,and enjoyed his Eftate without any compaſſion to thePoor. Or rather, 2. Of other rich and potent men, who kad the Earth or Land, either 1. By Job's Judicial Sentence, which was generally,gi- ven in favour of the Rich, and againſt the Poor : Or, 2. by Job's kindneſs and courteſie, The Rich were always welcome to him, his Houſe was opento them, his Land was before therfi, when the Poor were driven away from his Houſe and Territories. s Either by thy | ſentence or permiſhon, he had a peaceableand ſure poſſeſſion of ir. He repeateth the fame thing in other words.
9 Thou haft ſent widows : away empty «, and the
arms x of the fatherleſs have been broken. _ 5 Whoſe helpleſs Eſtate called for thy pity, Exod. 22.22. Dent. 24. 19. « Either by denying them that Relief which their Poverty 4h required, |
| Chap. XX1 |
lows. þ And condemn thee,to wit, for the reaſon laſt mentioned,
for nought mz, and Þ ſtripped the naked of their Cloa- ,
» f Heb the 7 Heb. And, or but the man of Arm, or Strength, or Power, to him THeb.emi- was the Earth,or the Land, 7. e. he had the firm poſſeſſion, orfree en- nent,or, ac«
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required, or that right which their cauſe deſerved ; or by ſpoiling them of their Goods, becauſe thou knewelt them to be unable to op- ole thee, or to right themiclves.x 2: & All theirſupports,and COm- torts, and rights. An hainous fin, but falſly charged upon 50v. Io Therefore ſnares are round abour thee 2, and ſudden fear « troubleth thee ; | For thefe and the lik: Crimes. The cauſe of thy ruin 15 not 1e- cret from God's Soveraign Power, and unſearcha:l: Judgments(as thou prerendeft ) but plain and maniſe}, even thy own Crying 11715. >: Thou art encompatt{ed with Dangers and Calamities. & Beſtac tay preſe;at Miſeries thou rt tormented with the dread and expectation of further and {orer Judgments. 1x Or darkneſs c that thou canſt not ſee, and
dance of waters c cover thee.
abun-
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excellency,
canſt not diſcern the true cauſe and uſe of all thy Sufterings. 2. Grievous Calamities, which are oft called «7rtmeſs,whic': are ſuch that thou canſt ſee no way nor poſſibility of eſcaping. Either thou art troub'cd with fear of turther evils, as it is ſaid, the.groſs darkneſs of thy ty variety: of ſore afflitions, which are frequently comparcd to Waters, as Pal. 18. 16, & 66. 12. 1a. 43. 2.
& Hebs the + the height of the ſtars how high they are e.
Pſal. I 4» 2+. whether good or bad. And thercfore,O Job ihou art grolly miſta- ken, in thinking that all rhings in this lower World are managed by Chance, and without any regard to Juſtice, or ro juſtmen, and nor by the wiſe and holy Providence of God: For this is the genuine Conſequence of thy great Pinciple, that good men ſuffer as geeply as any .others, whilit the viJeit of men are exalred and flouriih. e. Yct God is far higher than they, and from thence can ealtly ſpy
|| Or. chejr. the remnant of them
b Either 1. A darkneſs and confuſion ofmind,fo great that thou
Or,
v. 10. or with preſent ſtate of miſery. « 1. e. Plenty and
12 Is not God in the height of heaven d? and behold
d Surely he is; and from that high Tower he {otcrh down upon men, to bchold, and govern,and recompenſe all their aEtions,
7 O B.
all men and things here below ; as the higheſt places afford the
be{t 'projpetts.
"12 Andf thou ſayeſt g, || How doth God know b ? can he judge through the dark cloud z ?
f Or, Therejore : From this true and certain Principle thou draw- eft this falſe and wicked Concluſion. Or, Ne, notwithſtanding this
undeniable Argument. ' g Thou reafoneft thus within thy 1el?, as it
' from v. 15. where it is expreſſed ) our ſubſtance ( 7. e.
# Or, when ; or, ſeing that, or, becauſe : for this Hebrew Partic] Im, is oft uſed tor Chi. And ſo the following words may contain _ reaſon of the Joy and Laughter of the Innocent mentioned. ». I x becauſe when wicked Men are deſtroyed, they are preſerved od cauſe our ſubſtance, 7. e, our Souls and Bodies, and Subliftence ws _ cut down. He ſhould have ſaid their ſubFance; 7. e. the fubſtance of the Righteous ; bur he changeth the Perſon, and ſaith, our ſubſtance «
pl
cither as including himſelf in the number of righteous Perfons, ang 3