Ghap..34. Ate Expoftion upon the Book; of Jos. Verf. 5. feps havegone out of the way , or my heartPbeen deceived, &c. This gave Elihu- occafion to charge him, with laying, Iam righ- teous ;; he did not charge him with Paying fo, asvilified through the free grace ofGcd, nor did hecharge him for laying fo as to his Gncerity, but he charged him in thefe two refpeels. Firü , Becaufe he fpake fomuch of the righteouühefs of his way,, and ofhis workes;for though it were true he was righteous iathe fence by him intended, yet becaufe he made it his buli- nefs, and fpent a large difcourfe to tell the world, how good, how juli, and how holy a manhe had been , this was more then became him in that condition. -Secondly , Elihu checkt him forfayirag le, becaule (though he were fully righteous as jufiified and fncerely righteous as f n ta- lied:) hecomplained of his'affliaions as if God might notjay, his hand heavy upon him,no nor touch a righteous perfonwith an aflliCiing hand; oras ifhe and all other righteous perlons,'ought to paffe all their dayes in peace, and have an exemption f. om the croffe. Whereas one great reafon why G;odaffliçted him fo fore- ly, was to make it knowne to all the world in his example, that meerelyuponhis ovineprerogative and foveraiinty, he both may and will whenbe pleafeth, aíllil themoli innocent perfon in the world. Yea,the intent of Elihu in Urgingand burdening jobwith thofe fayings, was to convince him, that though he \vas a child of God, and had walked before him in righteoufneffe and true ho- liners, yet he ought to humble himfelfe andbeare with meeknefs and patience the forell viftations of. God. And that therefore he lhoùld nothave pleaded his owné integrity,to priviledge him from aflliciion, nor have.fayd ,. why doe Ifuffer, feeing lam rióh teens z. Hence note. That, as it is altogether finfullfonanyman táfay, Y am altogether without fin ; (for i John i. 8.) Ifwejay we have no fin, there isno troth inus ; and he who faith (in that fenfe) Iam righteons, doth but declarehisowne unrighteoufnefs) fo to fpeake rauchof our owne righteoufeeft acid:goodnefs (thoughwe are both good and righteous) is evilland very blameable;For whereasfob laid, Iam righteous, he ihould rather have left othets to fay ir, hè fhould havebeen fatisfied that hewas fo without layingfo; añd though it cannot be denied that Job was extramly urged to it ;V u u 2' 51F
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