Chap, /j. .rân Expofition upon the Bookof J o B. Verf. i 2. 229 fo fiauch of his own innocency, or ( how hardly foever God dealt e th_him ) in making fomany complaints of his fèverity, Elihu ifnderrakes toprove this negative ; and fob never du& undertake the affirmative, that he haddone right or well in fpeakingor do- ing fo ; and therefore in the clofe of the bufinefs he fits downe convinced, that he had been toobold with God, and too forward in juaifying.himfelfe. Hisargument (which runs through this whole difcourfe) to makegood hisnegative affertion, may be formed up thus ; He that fpeakesmuch of his ownerighteoufneffe, and feemes to relief, upon therighteoufne f feofGod, at leai that Godbath beenover-rigs- rotes with him, is net Tuft, nor yuftifiable in this. But thou O fob haftfpokjn thus ofthy felfe, and thus ofGod 'in the extremity of thy paine, and in the anguifhof thy fpirit. Therefore in this thou art not juft, nor yuftifiable. No man of underfrandingcan take thy part, or be an Advocate for thee in this matter ; M for me,I mull needs be and am refolved tobean Advocate for God againft thee. The Major or firft propofition is not expre(a in the text, the conclufion is given in the beginning of the tzthverfe, and the affumption or 2dpropofition, is colleted from - fob's cwne mouth in feverallplaces of this Booke. Againe, befides the generali fcope of the words, and the ten- dency of Eírhst in this difpute, wemay confider the manner of his fpeech, how he deales with fob ; Behold, in this thou art not ju3; In this manner of treating with fob, the fweetneffe of his fpirit, and likewife the boldneffe of it are obfervable. Thefe two ver- tues or excellencies of an Advocate, flisw themfelves plainly in this one paifage Behold, in=this thou art not jujt; For confider, , Firff, He expretfeth,his reproofe negatively, hesloth not fay, Be, hold, in this thou art wicked, or thou hall impioufly blafphem'd the-name of God, but he fpeakes at as low a rate, as may be, Be- hold-in, thisthou art.not juft,or-juftifable,_ thou haft notdone right, or thou art not right ;there isagreat good temperof fpirit, and a .. mixture of much inéekneffe in fuch negativeexpreffions : it being much-leffe to fay;to a man, in this thouart not juf nor juf ifiable, then to fay pofitively ordire&ly in this thou art unjui, and de- ferveft to be condemned. Foy thòugh there be no difference in - the thing between not being jutt and being unjuff, yet there is much more raiidnefs in the words;and a-man:takes leffe offence, when i
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=