' better uſage from him. And this innnite diſtance between God and thee ſhould cauſe thee to think and ſpeak more modeſtly and reve rently of that glorious Majeſty. : =
6 If thou ſinneſt, what doſt thou againſt him 3? or if thy tranſgretlions be multiplied, what doſt thou un- to him ? ; :
i Tay fins do himjno hurt, aud cherefore thy righteouſneſs brings him no beacfit as it foilows. ;
7 * If thou be righteous what givelſt thou him ? or "0223 what receiveth he ofchine hand & ? M17 þ He gatucth nothing by it, nor Can indeed receive any good kil35; 0m thee, becauſe all thy good comes from him. Aud therefore thou hait vo reaſon to boatt of, nor to upi'raid God with thy P.cty, which is much to thy advantage. but nothing to his.
8 Thy wickedneſs may hurt a manas thou art /, and
thy righteouſneſs may profit the ſon of man.
{ It God were tuch aii one 5 thu art. he might have benefitor hu-t by chine ations; but being an 10':nite, independent and ſelf- ſufficieatBceing, he i far exalted above all thy go.d or evil.
9 By reaſon of the mwitirude z- of oppreflions, they
make zbe oppreſſed to cry n . they cry out by reaſon of the arm of che mighty 0.
m Or gr atneſSs Ih.s verſe is ſuppoſed to contain an Argument to prove what heſa d, v. 8 that one Mans wickedneſ- m.y hurt a nother. Burt he ra:her ſeems to begin a new mattcr, and having, anſwered one of Job's ObjeRiens, to proceed io another, which m?y be either 8. That which Jeb had oft complaived of that he cryed to God, ana God did not hear hi-cry z; which Elihu anſwers by a Paral- lelcaſe of men, crying out foro,preffion ; whom yet God doth nor hear, nor help, and that for juſt reaſons which he [eaves to Jeb to apply to himſcit. Or, 2, tha' which Job had alledged, Chap. 24, 12, and wiiici might ſeem to refle& upop God's Providence. This there- fore =libu repeats 1a this verfe. and auſwereth in the following, n Not only to murmur and complain, but to cry out by reaſon of ſore oppreſſion, aud to cry to the Oppreſſours, or others far pity and help. 0 Becauſe their Opprefloursare too ſi. ong for them,
10 Bur none pſaith q, Where is God r my Maker s ? who giveth * ſongs t in the night # !
p rew-r none ( tor tew are oft caiied and accounted as none, both in Scripture and other Author-,) of the great numbers of oppreſſed Pertons. q To wit, ſcrioutly or tincerely, ad it may be not ſo much 25 in word and protefſion. r They howland c y o:t of men, and to men, vut they eek not after God, they do not acknowledge him in all cheir ways © they praiſe him not for that eaſe, and liberty, aud c- ſtate, and othet mercies which God gave them ; and by thisunthanks fulneſs the) forfeit their merciesz and therefore if God ſuffer Op:
' preſlaurs to take them away, they have no cauſe to complain of 50d, but oniy of themſclve: : they will not youchſafe to pray to God ſeri- ouſly and te-ventiy, either rocontinue or to reſtore their oft mercics; and therefore if God do not hear, nor regaird their brutiſh cries a- riting only tro a natural ſenſe of their miiery, ir is not ſtrange nor unjuft s Who alone made me, and whoſe Power and Providence preſerveth me every day, and who only can prote&»and deliver me All which we. c ebligations upon them to praiſ: God and pray to him, and depend upon him, and aggravation: of their groſs neg'e@ of God. Heb, my Makers in the Plural Nu.nber, Which being uſed not only here, but alſo. Eccl ſ. 12: 1: 1ſ«, 54. 5: and that without any neceſſity when it might as well have been p:it 10 the finguiar nurober, yea
| though Elobior be Plural,a+ it is Gen 1. 1. plaivly implies a Plurality of Perſons in the Divine Effence, of which ſee on Gen. i. 26, #1. e: Matter of Songs : great occaſion to rejoice and "raiie God, L] Either 1. Metaphorically taken, i.e. inthe night of affi-Qion ; implying that they want not eauſe to bleſs God even in their afflitions Or rather 2:
Mayes
7 0 B.
Properly, as this word is always uſed in Job, 5ne place excepted which the day ; either becauſe oppretſed Perſons, who in theiday time are ſervation, and reſt and ſlcep of the night, than in the Bleffings' of the day, which are procured by Man's 1nduſtry : of becauſe the Day
Ought to remember God's Mcrcies with Thanigiving : Compare Pſal. 42:8:JXn15;627
It: Who teacheth us more then the beafts x of the |
rt .
is doubtful, to wit, Chap 36: 20: which he may mention rather than | cruelly uſed by their O.-prcfſours, arc permitted to reſt in the night : | or becauſe the Hand avd Mercy of God is more manifeſt in the pre- 15 the time of Aion, the Ni-ht of Contemplation, when we do and :
\ aſcribe righteouſneſs to my maker d.
earth, and maketh us wiſer then the fowls of heaven.
x This ts ment!oned as a further aggravation of Mens negle& of God in their Miſery. God hath given to Men thoſe Gifts wiich he hath denied to Beaſts. Reaſonand Relivion, Wiſdom to knw God and themſelves, and their Obligations to God, 2nd ther dependance us pon him. And th-refore it 1 becomeih them to lye like Brute-crea- tures, roaring and crying out in their Miferies, wi:hout taking any notice of Godin way of Prayer or Praiſe, and if they do ſo, it is no wonder if God take no notice of them. |
12 There y they cry, ( but none giveth anſwer ) becauſe of the pride of evil men =. ; y Or, Then, as this particle is uſed,P/jal. 14 5. Eccleſ, 3, 17' Zeph I. 14. In that time or condition. 2 Either 1. of the Oppreſſhurs: So this is the rea{on no:. of the laſt Ciauſe, why none anſwererh, but of the former w1y they cry.the latter Clauſe being therefore ſhut up within a Parenthefis, and the words thus are to be tranſpoſed, as ſome place them; There they cry, becauſe of the pride of evil men. but none giv?th anſwer. The reaſon whereof followeth in the next verſe. Oc rather, 2: of the opprefled Perſons And ſo there is no need of any Parentheſis or Tranſpoſition. And ſo theſe words contain one reaſon ofthe words immediately foregoing. which is moſt natural and eaſic, and uſual, to wit, why none giveth anſwer, i e. why God doth not anſwer nor regard their cries, becauſe of their Pride. &c, be. cauſe they are both evil, wicked and impenitent, and proud, un- humbled for thoſe fins for which God brought theſe Miſeries uy them, and unſubducd to the Obedience of God,
13 * Surely God will not hear vanity «@, neither &
will the Almighty 6 regardit. Iſa. 1:
a Either 1. vain and light Perſons, that have no true Wiſdom or Jers 11:1 |