Chap.3. AnExpofition upon the Book of J O B. VerC2. 345 this curie charg'd upon him : God takes notice that he hadfpoken ofhim the thing that is right, Chap.4.a.7. God commends him for what he had fpolten well , but job doth not hear a word of what he had fpoken ill: W hen the iniquity ofhis fpeeches wasfbugbtfor, there was none ; and hisfailings, they could not befound, for God hadpardoned them ,as the Prophet (peaks ofIfrael andjudah,Chap. 4.2.20. Our Lord Chrilt faith , That ofevery idle wordyou(hall give an account at the day of Judgment, and byyour words you float? be juftified,andbyyour wordsyou (hall be condemned, Match. a 2.36, 37. We had need look to our words : God writeth what we (peak, and keepeth a bookofall we fay. You will fay, how then were jobs diftempered complainings forgotten, and all taken for well fpoken that he had fpoken ? I anfwer, Firft, None of yobs were idle words, though there was error in his words. Secondly, His right words were more then his erring words. Thirdly, His heart was upright when his tongue flipt. Fourthly, He repented ofthofe flips and errors. And laftly,God forgiving, blotted them out ofhis Book for ever. Further (in afence) we may fay that r God makes allowance to his people for fuch failings : not allow- ance of connivance and difpenfation ; God doth not difpenfe with any to do the leaft evil , or exprefs the leaft impatience in their fpeeches ; but he makes an allowance offavour and conm- paffon, conldering their weaknefs, and the ftrength of tempta- tion, he abates proportionably, when in fuch a condition they fpeak impatiently ; though their a1ions and fpeeches want force grains of that weight which they oughtto have, yet weigh- ing them in the fcale offavour with his gracious allowance, they go for currant, and pars in account with God,as good and fall du- ty of that pay he expets fromus,and we owe unto his Majelty.
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