e I will not ſpeak any thing againſt my own Conſcience, nor a- gainſt Truth, cither to flatter God, or to vex thee, as thou ſuppoſeſt thy other Friends have done, Chap 13. 7. and elſewhere. f This is meant either x. of God. Thou haſt to do with a God of perfect Knowledge, by whom all thy words aud aftions are weighed ; and therefore haſt need tobe more wary and circumſpet in thy expr-[- fions and behaviour. Orrather 2. of himſelf, as the former pa't of the verſe is- And he ſpeaketh of himſelf in the third Perſon for moceſtics ſake. He ſpeaks not of abſolute, but of comparative Per- fetion. And whatſoever perfeftien of Knowledge he had, he doth not aſccibe it to himſelf, but to God's Spirit, Chap. 32..8- And the meaning may be this; Thou haft not do with a Novice hatawith one who hath accurately conſidered, and through God's grace doth fully underſtand theſe matters, Therefore hearken tome. But the word rendred perf-# ſignificth alſo ſincere or upright, or right. And this may ſeem beſt to agree withthe former Clauſe wherein he ſaith Jthat he would not ſpeak what he knew to. be falſe ; and now he adds, That he was and would be upright in the uſe of his knowledge, orin the delivery of his opinion in this matter. and not be byaſſed by any paſfion or prejudice, either to ſpeak otherwiſe than he thought, or to judge otherwiſe than he ſhould.
* Chig:44 5 Behold, Godis mighty, and deſpifeth not avg: & 12-13» * 5g 75 mighty in ſtrength and + wiſdom 5.
2 His greatneſs doth not make him ( as it doth men _) te ſcorn, or deſpiſe, or oppreſs the meaneſt. Though he may do what te plea- ſeth, and none can hinder him, yet he will net uſeitto do any Man wrong as Job ſeemed to infinuate, Chap. 10. 3. & 19. 9, & 23 13 h His Strength is guided by Wiſdom, and therefore cannot be im- ployed todo any thingunbecoming God, or unjuſt to his Creatures ; for either of theſe is folly. Or, in Frength, or vertue of heart : for the andis notin the Hebrew. So the ſenſe is, He 1s truly magnani- ]mous, of a great and generous Mind or Heart, and therefore not Un- righteous : for all Injuſtice proceeds from littlencſs or weakneſs of heart, Truly great Souls ſcornunjuſt aQions.
6 He 'preſerveth not | the life of the wicked 7: but ' por. of 8iveth right to che || poor '—_@
fied; i To wit, for ever; but willia his due time forſake them, and give
them up to the Deſiroyer. Or. he doth not or will not preſerve is put
uy for, he will certainly and dreadfully deſtroy, by the Figure called Meivfis
f uſed Prov. 17, 21. and oft elſe where. k He doth uphold, and he
PF will certainly in his time deliver his poor oppreſſed ones from all their Oppreſſours: ; |
7 *He withdraweth not his eyes from the righte-
ous7: but with kings are they on the throne ; yea, he doth eſtabliſh them for ever », and they are ex
" 137.16
x6,
& 27. 23: + Feb: heart:
*Pſ.33:18 & 34. I5.
B : K | Chap. XXXVYT
y God's Admonition and Command: x They ſhall be reſtored to ; their tormer rroſperity, and ſhall live and die in it, This he ſpeaks according to the Tenour of God's Promiſes, eſpecially in the Old Teſtament ſtate of the Church, and according to the common cour\ and method of God's Providence, which Elihu and other good —_ had obſerved. a Ab:unding in worldlyComforts, and being enabled by God to rejoyce in them, which is God's Gift, Eccleſ, 3; 13: and delighting themſelves in God's love and favour to them. |
12 But if they þ obey not, + they ſhall periſhby the * Feb 146» ſword, and they ſhall die without knowledge. ſhall pa's b The Righteous ſpoken of v. 7: oppoſed to the Hypocrites here awa)by 1 be following v; 13. for even good men may ſometimes be diſobedient to pogin Divize Admonitions, avd may ſuffer deeply, yea, even death it [cif Cgg:58 for their folly ; See 1 Cor. 11:130, c In or for their ignorance as inadvertancy or folly. Or, becauſe they are without knowledge ; becauſe they are fooliſh or brutiſh, and will not learn the Lefſons which God ſo plainly teacheth them.
13 But the hypocrites in heart d*heap up wrath e : they cry not f when he bindeth them g.
d Such asare truly void of that Piety which they profeſs. Where. by he either ſecretly infinuates that Fob was ſuch an one ; or gives him this occaſion to ſearch himſelf whether he were not ſo: or rather admonifketh him not to carry himſelf/ike ſuchan one, ashehadhitherto done, and for which he rep:oved him, Chap. 34.8. e 4. e. By their 1mpious and obſtioate carriage in all Conditions, they treafure up God's wrath azainſt themſelves, f Unto God for help. They live in the groſs negle& of God and ofPrayer; g To wit. with the Cords of AffliFion, evpreſſed, v. 8. which is mentioned as an Aggravation of their Wickedneſs : becauſe even wicked gmen, if not proefligately bad. will ſeck God in a time of Affliftion, Hoſea 5. 15 Withal he ſe- cretly reſletts upon Jeb as one that behaved himſelf like a wicked Man becauſe though be cryed out of God in way cf Complaint yet he did not cry unto him by humble Supplicatioen. :
14 *-# They die in youth, and their life is ; a- mong the || unclean k, |
h They provoke God to cut them off before their time. Their Soul ( i e. they themſelves ) ſhall d.c in youth. ſhall die or be extin@ - which Verbis ungerftood out of the former foul dieth: Clauſe after the manner of the Hebrews kh, Or, the filthy, or Whore- +Or Sedt. mongers, or Sodomites ; to whoſe deſtrution ( which happened not mites: long before this time _) he may ſeem to allude, The ſame is, They ſhall die by ſome dr-adfull and exemplary ftroke of Divine Ven« geance.
15 He delivereth the [| poor in bis aflition, and
openeth their ears / in oppreſſion 7.
l ji, e Cauſeth them to hear, and underſtand, and do the will of God ; hearing acing oft put for obeyings And this latter Clauſe ſeems to be added to intimate, that he will not deliver all afflicted Per- ſons, but only thoſe whoſe Ears he openeth to receive his Counſels. m i e. Inthe time of thejr Oppreſſion. Or; byoppreſſion or tribulation as the means of opening their Ears and Hearts.
16 Even fo would he » have removed thee o out of the p ſtrait znto a broad place q where there js no ſtrait- neſs, and #* chat which ſhould be ſet on thy table 7, ,,p 4 th should betull of fatneſs, table: