Hen Job anſwered and ſaid, | 2 Evento day 4 5 my complaint bitter b «+ my | ſtroke c is heavier than my groaning d. 7 —_ "
41 e: Even at this time, notwithſtanding aii your promiſes and pre- AY | tended Conſolations, I find no caſe or ſatisfatiun in all your | Diſcourſes : And therefore in this and the following Chapters, Job ſeldom applies his Diſcourſe to his Fr:ends, but only addreffeth his Speech to God, or bewaileth himſelf, b j.e. I do bitterly complain and have juſt cauſe to do ſo. But this Clauſe is and may be other- wiſe rendred : Even ſtill ( Heb. af this day ) is my complaint called or accounted by you rebellion or bitte neſs ? or the rage of an exaſperated mind?Do you ill paſs ſuchharſhCenſures upon me after all my De- clarations and Solemn Proteſtatioos of my Innocercy # c Heb. my y hand, paſſively z #. e. the hand or ſtroks of God upon me, 5 ihe ſame Phraſe is uſed, Pſalm 77. 2. and mine arrow, Job Chap. 34» 6,
d i.e. Doth exceed all my Complaints and Expreflions : So far are
you mifiaker, that think I complain more than [ have cavſe, Some _ render the wo ds thus, My hands are heavy ( i.e. feeble and hanging down as the Phraſ= is, Heb. 12: 12. My ftreugth and ſpirit faileth becauſe of mygroaning,
3” O thatT knew where I might find him e! hat I might come even to his ſeat f.
e To wit, God, as his Friends well knew, and the thing it ſelf ſheweth : Thou bidſt me acquaint my ſelf with him, Chap. 22. 21. I dcfire nothing more than his acquaintance and preſence ; but alas he hides his Face from me that I cannot ſee him, norcome near him. f f.e. Tohis Throne or Judgment-ſeat to plead my Cauſe before him, a5 it here follows, verſe 4. pot upon terms of ſtri@t Juſtice, but upon thoſe terms of Grace and Mercy upon which God is pleaſed to deal with h1+ ſinfull Creatures: See be:ore Chap. 9. 34, 35. & 16. 22. & 17: 3, And this my Confi 'ence may be ſome evidence that I am not ſuch a groſs Hypocrite as youimagine me to be. |
4 I would * order »y cauſe g before him h,and fillmy *Chap.123
mouth with arguments #. 3. 12 2 i.e. Orderly declare the things which concern and prove the © © right ofmy Cauſe ; h not onlydebating the Controvetrfic betw-en my Friends and me, concerning my Sincerity or Hypocrifie before God, asa Witneſs or Judge ; but alſopleading with God as a Party, and modeſtly enquiring, whether he doth not deal more rigorouſly with me than I mi-ht r-aſonably expe, wherein I defire no other Judge but h:mſeſf. j. To prove my Innoceney and Sincerity towards Gcd, and conſequently Iam ſeverely uſed. 5 I would know the words which he would anſwer
me, and underſtand what he would ſay unto me &.
þ I long to k3ow wha: he would ſay, «itherto prove me an Hypo- crite, or to Juſtifie his harſh proceed-ngs againſt me; and if he thould diſcover to meany ſecret and unknown fin , for which he cantendeth with me, I ſhould humble my ſcif before him, and aCcept of the pu« niſhment of mine 101quicy,
6 Will heplead againſt me with 4is great power /?
no, buthe wouid put frength in me m.
L 1. e. Oppreſs me with hi: Soveraign and Abſolute Power, as Men do thoſe whom they cannot fairly andJuſtly conquer ? m. The word ſtr-ngth, or power, being fitly ſup»lied out of the former branch of the Verſe, as is very uſual in Scripture, He would net uſe his power againſt me, but for me 3 by enabling me to plead my Cauſe, aid gi- ving Sentence according to that Clemency and Benienity, which according to his gracious © ovenant he uſeth towards his children. Or, He would put or ſet his heart ( this very Verb of putting or ſetting being elſe where uſed in this defeAive manner, for putting or ſetting the hears as Job 7: 17, Iſa. 41. 10: as it is fully exprefled, Iſa: 57, 1. Ezek, 40: 4. & 44, 5. ) upon (the Prepofition Beth, in being ſometimes u-
*Ch,r3i3,
| ſed for al. wpon, as Neb, 2. 12+ /ſa21, 13. ) me, towit, to hear me
and all my reaſons meckly, and to judge favourably and to help and deliver me as that & the like phraſes commonly fignifie inScripture uſe.
7 There » the righteous o might diſpute with him p;
ſo q ſhould I be delivered for everfrom my judge r,
n At that Throne of Grace as it 1s called, H:hr.q. 16, where God lays aſide his Majefty. and Power, and judgeth according to his wonted Grace and Clemency, 0 Such as I do anddare avow my ſelf to be, tc wit, in tincerity, though not in perfettion- p, Humbly and modeſtly propounding the ground of their Confidence, and the Evi- dences of their Righteouſneſs q Upon ſuch a fair and equal hearing. r Either 1, Fromthe ſevere Cenlures of all corropt and partial Jud- ges, ſuchas you my Friendsare, Or rather, 2. From the Damnatory Sentence of God 3 for he is not only pleading before him, but alfo with him. He would give Scntence for me, aud againſt himſelf, This and ſome :ſuch Expreſſi»ns of fob cannot be excuſed from Ir. reverence towards God, and tos great a Confidence in himſelf ( for which therefore God ſharply reproves him hereafter, and Jo» abhog.
r<th himiclf, 4 H 2 $8 *.2:.
h.g.t2. $8 * Behold, I go forward s, but he is not zherer and backward «, but I cannot perceive him:
preſent himſelf before him.
that I cannot ſee himsx :
ous to diſcern God's Works.
cannot find him out. » To wit. from me, He withdraweth
vour, and will not afford me his prefence and audience.
out hearing me.
Jeb. the ythatis he hath tried me c, I ſhall come forth as gold 4.
and my Heart, aud all my Actons Or, For, 3s this Particie com- monly fignifies, So this Verſe contains a Reafon wiy he ſo vehen.cyt- ly defired that he might plead his Cauſe with or bef:re God, 6 He cannot be deceived nor blinded, either by the Artifices of boid Accu- ſers or Advocats, or by his own Miiapprehenfions or Patfi>ns, but h: exatly knows the way that is with me, 7. e the diſpoſition of tay heart, and the whole courſe or manter © my life. c It he would exzmine
of the Furnace pure from-all drofs. It would appear vpor: a fair hear-
yet from that Hypoecriſic, and thoſe groſs Enormities wherewith my Friends charge me.- | |
1x My foot hath held e his ſteps f, his way have I kept and notdeclined g. |
e 7, &. Made a free and fixed choice, and taken faſt hold of them : been firmly and ſtrongly ſettled, and reſolved to continue in them, a5 the wore ſignifies. f Either 1- AGively, the fteps or ways i,
* which Gad hiniſelfwalks ;. the paths of Holineſs, Juiiice,Mercy 5c