278 Chap. 2. An Expofition upon the Book.of ) O B. Vert 9. this miferable world, to releafe thee of thy pain ; be that he would cut the thredof thy life, which (toappearance) is the only remedyof all thy troubles ; death will be thy bell friend Thou niayft dye with more cafe, then live as thou dolt. Thy life is a continual death; it were better for thee todye once, then to dye dairy. Mr. Beza is very ftrong in this opinion, excufing,yea acquitting lobs wife,inmaking this motion to her husband.He grants indeed that fhe being deceived and over-wrought by Satan, did work ftrongly for him ; yet denies, that either the counfel in it fell, or inher intendment,was evil. He lays the whole matter thus : That fhe obferving her husbandsfilence under the hand ofGod,in there great affliaions, fufpee`fed that he flood too much upon his own integrity, that he was too well opinionated, and conceited of his own worth; or that this proceeded from fearednefsofConfcience, and infenfiblenefs of Gods dealing, and his own condition and therefore the advifeth him to confider , that furely God was very angry with him, to confider that God had brought all this evil upon him, to humble him ; and fhould he now defend his own innocency ? fhould heeither be filent,and not acknowledge his fin, or (land upon terms with God in defence and juftification ofhim- {-elf? Doft thou perfevere in thofe high thoughts of thy felt? will not all this bring thy ilomack down? What ? will not thy uncircumcifed heart be humbled ? Doff thou frill retain thine in- tegrity ? doll thou í1i11 lean upon that broken reed, thy own in- tegrity ? Biers God; that is, confefs thy fins, and acknowledge thy tranfgrcf ions. ( Indeed confeflïng of fin is the bleffing of God: it is a giving glory to God, and our giving Glory to Goei is our bledìng of God : Jofh.7.19. Giveglory to the Lord God of Ifrael, and make confeffion unto him.) Thus, blefs God, that is, confefs thy fin, and fo prepare thy felfto dye in a holy manner ; feeing thou art pail hope of life , addrefs thy felt- piously for death. 716pjurn ad Thus he, and all upon thefe grounds : Firft, becaufe he couldnot mórten finfîe be perfwaded that a wife, the governefsof fuch a holy family as obeundosn cart- fobs was, a wife, the companion of filch a holy man as labwas, patoro, &eza, íhould be fo full of the Devil, fo wicked to fpeak the Devils words with the Devils heart. And fecondly,becaúfe Satan himfelf could not be fo fenflefs as to believe or hope, that Inch defpe"rate counfel could ever take upon jolts heart : and therefore he con- ceives that the advifed him only, as any one would a dying friend, air
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