204 I Chap. 33. An Expofition upon the Book of j o s. . Verf.g God into a lye. Lay, thefe foure confiderations together, and thenit will appeare how heavie a charge is contained in thefe wo.rds,when.Elihva faith he had heard Job fay, he wasclean with- oat tranfgrefoss, he was innocent, and no iniquity inhim. Therefore, thirdly, confider a little further, what occafion half Job given Elahu to fay that he had fayd, I' am cleanfrom tranf, grefon, &c. I anfwver, There are feverall garages upon:which Elihu might pitch this charge ; I will only name foure texts, out of which, polfbly this might arife. Firft,:(Chap: io. 7.) where Job fpeak- ing to God himfelfe faith ; Thou &noweft that 1 am not wick: ed, He appealed to the knowledgeof Cod himfelfe in the thing. The fecond may be coileeed from (Chap: i 6. 17. ) Not forany i.njufticc in my hand, alfa my prayer is pure. The third, from (Chap: 23. r o.) Bat he ksoweth the" way that I take, when he bath tryedme Ifall come forth asgold.; Myfoot hath held his Reps, his way have I kept. andnot declined. In the fourth place Eli& might take thofe words ( Chap: 27. S.) Godforbid thatI fhouldjuj i f e you, till! die "I will not remove my integrityfromme, My righteoufnefs I holdfait, and will not let itgee, my heart (hall not reproach me ne long as I live. All thefe"are Job's affertions concerning his owne innocency, Andthefe or fah like paffages as thefe, Elihu ( 'tis likely) being anattentive hearer, had ob. ferved and picked up as the matterof this firfkpart ofhis charge, Job'sPelf-ju(iafacation. Fourthly , and la(Ily, let us confider whether Elihu did right- ly bring this charge againft Job from thefe fayings ? or whether he dealt fa, ingenuoufly with Job as he prorntfed, while from thefe or the like paffages he faich,Job had fayd, Iam.cleanewith- oat trapfgrejlioso, &c. For aniwer, ficfl,take notice that Elihu was not the firft that land charged Job thus; he had been thus charged by his three friends before. Zopharfayd ( Chap: it, 4. ) Thou hat . fityd my dElrineis pare, andI am cleane:in thineeyes ; that is, in the eyes of God. Eliphaz, feemes to fay as much ( Chap: 15.14.) what isman that hefhoasld be clean ? -and" he. which is borne. of a.woman that he fhouldbe rightepsu'? While Eliphaz.put thefe oueflions, he intimated that Job had made fuch affirmations. Bildad like- wifewas .upon the ï fame fIrairr with him" ( (hap: 2 5.4) Haw the
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