g Either 1- That he may be further tried by God, or exerciſed Father, lg wuh Afflictions, rill he be throughly convinced or humbled. Bur J*b be it ſeems harth that he ſhould pray tor the continuance or increaſe tried, of Job's Afflictions, Or rather, 2- That his words and cauſe which I am now debating may be examined and ſifred, that you that are hcre preſent, or any other wiſe Men, may conſider and judge there= of, as he deſired above, verſes 2, 10, 34 & + & Thorougly and exactly, till the Cauſe be brought to an iſſue. Or, unto vitfory, 1 Er till judgement be brought forth unto Vitory- 7 Or, concerning his anſwers, or replies or diſcourſes ; For anſwering is oft uſed in Scripture, both in the Old and New Teſtament for ſpeaking. So he limits and cnangeth the ſtate. of the Controverſie: I do not meddle with Job's former life, nor charge him with hypocrifie, as his three Friends have done, bur I juitly reprove him tor his hard Speeches againſt God, whereby he hath reproached his Juſtice and Goodneſs. & 1 & On their behaif, or for theiruſe. He hath put Arguments into their Mouths againſt God and his Providence. Or, with or a« wong wicked men, as it he were one of them : Or ſuch Anſwers as they uſe to make, which therefore are very unbecoming ſuch a Man as Job js, or pretends to be-
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his ſin I, he clappeth
his bands m amongſt us, and multipliecth his words a« gainft God ».
! He ſinned before, as other ways, ſo by impatience under his
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affictions, which may be aſcribed to human infirmiry ; but now he is grown obitinate and incorrigible, and in ſtead of repenting and humbling himſeiffor his fins, he excuſeth them, and juitifieth him- {clf, and accuſeth the bleſſed God. Or thus, For otherwiſe, unleſs he be th: oughly tried and rebuked, he will add rebellion unto his ſin, he will break forth into open rebellion againſt God, and (as it follows) he will clap, &c- For the Hebrew words are of the future tenſe, al- though tuch are oft rendred by the paſt tenſe- m2 In token of joy and victory, as this Phraſe is uſ-d, Pſalm 47-1. and g8-8- inſulting and triumphing, not only over us, as if nene of us were able ta anſwer him, bur in a ſort over God himſelf, in aſmuch as he hath again and again deſired leave of God to debate his Cauſe with or be- fore him, and in that caſe did nor doubt to maintain it, but could not obtain the favour or juſtice of a fair hearing- » Whereas the reverence which he oweth to God, and his infinite diſtance from him ſhould teach him to be very modeſt and ſparing in his Speech- es of God, Job on the contrary poureth forth whole flouds of bold and preſumptuous Expoſtulations with God, and refle&ions upon Goa's proceedings with him. H A P. XXXV.
Our good or evil extendeth not to God, x —==7, But to men 0nearth whe
are hereby oppreſſed, and cry out, but not unto God, nor are delivered, 12» He exhorteth te hope in God, though for the preſent he he angry, 1 Jenn 16,
Lihu ſpake moreover and faid, |
2 Thninkeſt thou this to be right a, that thou
ſaidſt, My righteouſneſs is more than Gods b ? a Canſt thou in thy Conſcience, upen ſecond Thoughts, approve of what thou haſt ſaid? 6 Not that Job ſaid this in expreſs terms, bur he ſaid thoſe things from which this might ſeem to follow, as that God puniſhed him more than he deſerved or expeRted, all things conſidered ; And that if he might be admitted to debate his cauſe with or before God, he did not doubt to carry it, andto ob- tain that eaſe and favour from God, which otherwiſe God would not afford him. But this Charge again? Job he proves in the next verſe.
#
3 For * thou ſaidſt, « What advantage will it d be
unto thee e? and what profit ſhall I have || if 1 be cleav- "50 ſed from my fin f ?
*Ch:34-9
[| Or, 9#
. by my ſi, c This verſe contains the proof of the foregoing Charges : Job had off affirmed, that be was and {till continued to be Righteous, though he had no preſent benefit by ir, but much bitterneſs with it: And God was not kind to Job notwithftanding all his former and pre- ſent Piety, but dealr with him as ifhe had been a moſt wicked man; Which was in effe& to ſay, That he was more Righteous than God
he regards not, as not being o- |
d To wit, bis Righteouſneſs laſt mentioned. e i- e- Unto me; ſuch changes of Perſons being very frequent in the Hebrew Language. f Or, by the expiation of my ſm; For the ſame Hebrew word ſignifies both to ſm, and to purge our or expiate ſin. Or, by it (to wit, by my Righteouſneſs) more than by my ſin, $9 the ſenſe is, I have no more
Pre-
4+ I will anfwer thee, and thy companions g with feb! I > ; gill 1efurn hes. 2. Thoſe who are of thy opinion, or with whom thou doſt afs pthe Bate thy ſelf in thoſe Speeches and Carriages. Which feems to
= VNXXV > -ofeot benefit by all my care fo pleaſe and ſerve God, than wicked nen have by their fins againft him. God regards iny cries no more than theirs, and ſhews no more kindneisor pity to me. than he deth to the moſt profiigat Wretches. But ſtill remember 70h ſpeaks not here of the future hfe, wherein he knew he ſhould have much ad- vautage, as he profeſſed before, but only of this preſent ſtate.
Wis þ. meant not of Jobs three #riends (© as many underſtand it, for their
opinions were contrary to Job's in this point _) but of wicked men, with whom 705 is ſaid to walk, and go in company for this ſame opinion or aſſertion, <h.4p. 34 8. 9. And theſe mea he here calls Job's com- pantons, partly becauſe they are very forward to harp upon the ſame firiog, and to accule God and juſtifie themſelves upon all cccafions 3 and partly, that he might a waken Job to a more ſerious review of his former affections, by repreſenting to him, whoſe Cauſe he pleaded, and who were his Coniederates and Colleagues in this O- pinion.
1:22:12 gs * Look unte the heavens, and ſee, and behold
Mebulits ge Folds which are bigher than thou 5b.
þ How much mo e is God, who is far aboveall tieayens, higher than thou? And theretore God 1s out of the reach of all profit or loſs by thy aftions if thy goodneſs do not profit thee, it1s certain it doth not proit him 3 and therefore doth not lay any Obligation upon him ro indulge er recompenſe thee for it, ſave only ſo far as he hath graciouſly oblidged hin-ſelf : and therefore thou canſt not accuſe him ot injuſtice for afflifting thee, nor pretend that thou hait deſerved