and his miſery, 9--=-=10, The portion and heritage of the wicked. ; Oreover, Job | continued @ his parable b, and Heh: as.
ſaid , ded to takt
a When he had waited a while to hear what his Friends woulg ©:
reply, and perceived them to be ſilent. b His grave and weighty,
bur withal dark and difficult diſcourſe, ſuch as are oft called Parable,
as Numb. 23. 7. and 24* 3, 15- Pſalm 49+ 4 and 78: 2, Prov. 26, 7.
2 As God liveth c, who hath taken away my judge-
ment &, and the Almighty, be hath + vexed my ſoul: He c confirms the truth & ſincerity of his Expreſſions by an oath, f Hebi becauſe he found them very hard to believe all his profeſſions. 4 744emy Or, my right, or my cauſe, i.e. who, though he knows my Integri- ſoul birt, ty and Piery towards him, yer doth not plead my Cauſe againſt my Friends, nor will admit me to plead my Cauſe with him before them, as Ihave ſo oft and earneſtly deſired, nor doth deal with me according to thoſeTerms of Grace andMercy wherewith he treateth | other Men and Saints, but uſeth me with great rigour, and by his Soveraign Power puniſheth me ſorely, without diſcovering to me what ſingular cauſeT have given him to do fo.
_ 3 Allthe while my breath e is in me, and || the ſpi- rit of God fs in my noſtrils;
e Which is the conſtant companion and certain Sign of Life both coming 1n with it, Gen 2. 7, and going out with it, 1 Kings 17+ 19, Pſalm 146+ 44 Or, my Sil, or Life f That Spirit or Soul which God breathed into me, Gen. 2, 5- and preſerveth in me- Or rather, the breath of God, i- e- which God breathed into me, which eminent- ly appears in a Man's noſtrils
4 My lips ſhall not ſpeak wickedneſs, nor my tongue utter deceit pg.
g I will ſpeak nothing but the truth with all plainneſs and im- partiality, neither defending my ſelf and cauſe by vain and falſe Profeſſions of thoſe Vertues or Graces which I know I have not; Nor: yet in compliance with your deſire and deſign, falſly accuſing my ſelf of thoſe Crimes wherewith you charge me, whereof I know my ſelf to be innocent-
6 God forbid that I ſhould juſtifie you 4: till I die, * I will not remove # my Integrity from me.
h te Your opinion and cenſure concerning me,as one convited to be impious or hypocritical; by God's unuſual and ſevere dealing with me- 5; Towit, declaratively, as real words are frequently un- derſtood ; Or by renouncing or denying my integrity, ofwhich God and my own Conſcience bear me witneſs. I will not, to gratifie you, ſay that T am an hypocrite, which I know to be falſe.
7 My righteouſneſs I hold faſt &, and will not let
it g0: my heart / ſhall not reproach me m: + ſo long as I live ».
_ & Heb. have held fafl, i.e I have not only begun well,but con- tinued in well-doing ; which is a plain Evidence that I am no hypo» crite. Or, the paſt tenſe is put for the future, as is uſual, 7 wil hold faft, declaratively, as before, I wil: maintain it, that howſoever you calumniate me, I am a righteous Perſon. 1 i.e. My Conſci- ence, as the heart is oft uſed, as 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 25+ 31. Ezek, 14. 5. 1John 3-20, 21. m Fither 1.With betraying my own cauſe and iNnOc-ncy, and ſpeaking whatT know tobe falſe, to wit, that I am an hypocrite» Or 2 For my former impiety or hypocrifie, where- with you charge me, » Heb. From, or for, or concerning my days, is &- the time of my Life, whether paſt or to come : Or the courſe of my Life : Days, or times being put here, as it is elſe-where, for aQi- ons done in them by Metonymy.
7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked o, and he that
riſeth up againſt me p, as the unrighteous.
0 I am {ſo far from loving and praftiſing wickedneſs,whereof you accuſe me,that I abhore the thoughts of it,and if T might and would wiſh to be revenged of mine Enemy, I could wiſh him no greater miſchief than to be a wicked man. p Either 1. You my Friends, who in ſtead of comforting me, are riſen up to torment me. Or rather 2. My worſt Enzmies,
8 * For what s: the hope of the hypocrite, though « yuh he hath gained q, when God taketh away r his foul ? 16:26. 9 There is no reaſon why I ſhould envy or deſire the portion of wicked men; for though they oft-times proſper in the World, as
have ſaid, and ſeem to be great gainers, yet death, which hafteneth
to all men, and to me eſpecially, will ſhew that they are far greater
|| That is the breath whichGed gave bim,
*Ch; 40
heavenly Conſtellation, called the great Dragon and Serpent, which |
fetus and Operations: g i. e- Of his Works. h i.e- Ofhis Power | and Wqom, and Providence, and Afftions. The greateſt part of | what WE%e or know of him, is the leaſt part of what we do not
loſers, and die in a moſt wretched and deſperate condition; having no hope either of continuing in this life, which they chiefly deſire, or of enjoying a better life, which they never regarded. But I have a firm and well grounded hope, not of that temporal reſtitution which you promiſed me, but ofa bleſſed immortality after death, and therefore am none of theſe hopeleſs hypocrites, as you account me. »r Or, expelleth, or pluckethup : Which notes violence, and that he died unwillingly. Compare Luke 12. 29, when good Men are ſaid freely and chearfully to give themſelves or their Souls unto God.
9 * Will God hear his cry s when trouble cometh *Þ —_ upon him x ? Pro: 172b;
s An hypocrite doth not pray to God with comfort, or any ſolid ,, q 28:9: hope that God will hear him, as I know he will hearme, though not xg; 1: 15: in the way which you think. : When his guilty Conſcience will p,4:8:6: fly in his face, ſo as he dare not pray, and accuſe him to God, fo y;ch34 as God willnot hear him. ... John 93" 10 Will he delight himſelf in the Almighty « ? will James 4? he |
always call upon God x ? © Will
Chap. XXy1z, : (
F Hebi nate my oul bitter,
| That i, be breath phichGid ave him,
Ch: 4.9
fatth;
18:41: 1090; = 28: 9 1: 15: e-8:16; h'2446 19:31 e549
= . » / Ray AzAAavYA41
»
J
+47
S b | « Will he be able to delight and fatisfie himſelf with God alone,