9 To wit, to perfeQion,as it is expreſſed Job 11- 7. We cannot comprehend him : his Beeing, Power, VViſdom, J uſtice, and his Counſels proceeding from them are paſt our finding out”: andrthere-: fore it is moſt abſurd and intollerable that thou, O Job, preſameſt ro cenfure what thou doſt not underſtand. r And therefore as he doth not need any unrighteous ation to advance himſelf,fo hecan- not do it, becauſe all ſuch thingsare aCts and evidences of impoten- oy or weakneſs.s 3. e. In the juſt and righteous adminiſtration of Judgment, as this word is oft uſed, and as thething it ſelf,and the following words plainly evince And this he adds,to intimate that although God had indeed a power ro cruſh Job, or any other Man, yet he never did nor can exerciſe that power unjuſtly or tyrannical- ly,as Job ſeemed to infinuate. * In great and perfe& Juſtice, ſuch a$ no Man can juſtly reproach, « To wit, without juſt cauſe, and above meaſure: as it may and muſt be limited both from the fore- going words, and from Jobs Complaint which was of that very thing ; and from the nature of the thing, becauſe otherwiſe this Propoſition that Ged wil net affii#.isnot ſimply and univerſally true.
theſe laſt words may be joyned with the former ; and ſo ſome render the place,He is excel in power and or but,or yet,he will nor af. fi any Man with judgment and much (i.e. too much ) juſtice, i: e. with extremicy or rigour of Juſtice.
24 Mendo therefore fear him x : he reſpeteth not
7 any that are wiſe of heart z.
* Fey this cauſe, to wit, becauſe of Gods infinite and excellent Perfe&tions,and eſpecially thoſe mentioned in the foregoing Verſe, mer do, or ſbould( for the Future Tenſe is of uſed Potenrially as He- brecians know ) fear or reverence him, and humbly ſubmit to him,
feedeth the Lion and the raven 36 ——=— 41
wind 6, and faid, 4 7. e. B ganto debate the matter with him,as Job had deſired.4;:e. Our of a dark and thick Cloud, from which he ſent a terrible and tempeſtuous Wind,as the Harbinger of his Preſence. In this man- ner God appears and ſpeaks to him, partly becauſe this was his uſual method in thoſe times, as we ſee Exed: 19: i8; Numb: 9: 15, 16. See allo 1 Kings 19: 11; Ezek; 1: 4.partly to awaken Job «nd his Friends, ro the more ſerious and reverend attention to his words ; partly to ceſtific his diſpleaſure both againſt Job,and againſt his three Friends, and partly that all of them mighr be more deeply and throughly humbled and abaſed within themſelves, and prepared the better ro receive, and longer to retain the inſtructions which God was about to give them. | 2 Who #sthise that darkeneth counſel 4 by words 8 without knowledge f? c Ir Is aqueſtion of admiration and reprehenfion. What and where is he that preſumeth to talk ar this rate ? This language be- comes not a Creature,much leſs a Prefeſſour of Religion. The per- {on here deſigned is not Elibs who ipoke laſt, but Job who had [' - ken moſt, as is apparent from v; 1: and from. Chaps 42: 3: where Job takes the following reproof tg himſelf, and from the following Diſcourſe wherein God convinceth J by diverſe of the ſame kind of arguments which Elihu had uſed againſt him. d Either xr. his own Counſel; i:e. thar exprefſerth his own mind darkly and doubtfully Burt that was not Jobs fault. He ſpake his mind too plainly and free- ly. Or rather, 2. Gods Counſel, which is called ſimply Counſel by way of eminency, as the word and the commandment are oft put for the word and command of God, For the great matter of the diſpute berween Job and his Friends, was concerning Gods Counſel,and Pur-= poſe,and Providence in affliting Jeb ; which being a wiſe, and juſt, and glorious ation of God, Job had endeavoured ro obſcure and miſ- repreſentand cenſure. And Gods Decrees and Judgments are fre- quently called his Counſels, as Pſal: 33: 11. Prov: 19: 21:1/a: 28:29: 48s 2: 23, e God dothnot charge Jeb, as his three friends had done, with hypocriſie and wickedneſs in the courſe of life. nor with Athe= iſtical Opinionsof God, or his Providence, as ſome of the Hebrew Writers do, but confines his Reproofro his hard Speeches. f Pro- ceeding from ignorance,and miſtake,and iriconſiderareneſs;nor from malice or rage againſt God; as his friendsaccuſed him.
3 * Gird up now thy loins g like a man ; for I will
lenge,Chap: 13: 22. andelſewhere. þ Or, I w!l ack thee queſtions ; which he doth in the following Verſes.
4 * Where waſt thouz, whenT laid the foundati- ons of the earth & ? declare, ding /.
Foundarion or lower part of the whole World,and ſettled ir as firm and faſt upon its own Center as ifit had been builc upon the ſureft Foundations / Bur if chou art ignorant of theſe manifeſt and vi- ſible Works, do nor pretend to the exatt knowledge of my ſecret Counſels and myſterious Providences.
5 Who hath laid the meaſures thereof mm, if thon knoweſt ? or whohath ſtretched the line » upon it ?
m Who hath preſcribed how long and broad and deep it ſhould be. n To wit,the meaſuring Line to regulate all irs Dimenſions, ſo as might be moſt convenient both for beaury and uſe.
are joyned and faſtened rogether, and in which; next tothe Foun- dations, the ſtability of any Building does ccnfift. The ſenſe is, VVho was it that did build this goodly Fabrick,and eſtabliſh it ſo firmly that it cannot be moved without a Miracle.
7 When the morning ſtars q fang cogether, || and all the ſons of God r ſhouted for joy s.
and praiſe God, objeftively, becauſe they give men ample occaſion to do it 1n regard of their glorious Light and tupendious Motions,
&c. Compare Pſal; 19: 1: & 148: 1, &c. But 1: theſe Stars are 4a L 2 nor
ff Aer theLORD anſwered Job « * outof the whirl-
in the heart of man ; and in his works more than we can underſtand: he
* Nahb.1.3
demand of theeb and + anſwer thou me. *Ch-40;7. £ As Warriours then did for the Batre); Prepare thy ſelf for the T Heb. Combare with me, which thou baſt ofc deſired. I accepr of thy Chal- make me
oP.
+ ifchou haſt underſtan- B, al.rog
: Pov:8.29. # Then thou waſt no wherezthou hadſt no beeing ; thou art bur & 3 __ of yeſterday ; and doſt thou preſume to judge of my eternal Coun-+F Heb if ſels! I made the World without thy help,and therefore can govern chou know. it without thy Counſel, & I donor need thee to be theController or eſe undere Cenſurer of my Works. k When I made the Earth,which is as the ſranding;
s Whereupon are the + foundations therof + faſte- , xc.