6ai Chap. 34. An Expofition upon the Book of J o B. Verf.IS. any addrefs to them ? Is itfit to fay toa King, Thou artwicked r The original word imports the worft fort, the moli infamous a- mong wicked men ; So Mr Broughton renders, Is it meet that one far to a King, Belial ? Some give it in the Vocative cafe, Is it meet for a fubjeel to ray tohis Soveraigne, O thou Belial! O thou wicked on: ? Dare any fpeak thus to a King ? This word Belial is often ufed in Scripture, tonote, not only a wicked man in general, but an eminently wicked man, even a man in whom all wickednefs is (asit were) centredandfetled,the very lees and dregs of all men, who maybecalled wicked. When yezabelprocured and fuborned two falfe witneffes againa Naboth, it is laid, There came in two men, children of Belial, (r Kings Z S , '3)' d fate beforehim : and the menof Belial witneffed a- gain.fT him, even againft Naboth in the prefence of the people, fay- eng, &c. Thefe witneffes were perjured perlons; to tell a lye is the wora of fins, what then is it to fwear a lye ? no word could reach the height of this wickednefs more fully, thento call there childrenof Belial. When the Lord comforted the Church with the glad tydings of the Gofpel, (Nah. r. 15.) Behold the feet of thole upon the mountains thatpreach peace ; O 3 erufate», keep thy folemn F'eafts, perform thy Vows ; He fubjoyns this proinife as a reafon, The wicked frail no more pats thorax, thee, he is utterly cut off: We put in the margin, Belial!Pali no more pars thorew thee ; that is,thou (halt thenbe freed from thofe Belialillswho formerly interrupted thy peace, by vexing and perfecuting thee, or pro- phaned thy holy Affemblies by mixing rhemfelves with thee : But I give thee affurance the time is coming, when Belial !hall no more trouble thee. Yea Belial is a Title fo full of wickednefs, that it fits the Devil himfelf, whom the Scripture brands with that black mark, Thewicked one, or theevil one. The Apoftle puts that queflion with much holy difdain; (2 Cor. 6. t4, r 5.) What communionbathlight withdarkaefs ? and what concordhatti Chrìft with Belial ? that is, Chrifl with the Devil ? They differfrom the Devil only in flelh andblood,in nature they are as bad as he, who bear his name. This miy yet further appear, if we look into the Grammatical derivation ofit, Belial, is commonly expounded a man without a yoke, or aman that will not be yoked that is, a man who will not come -undercommand, a lawlefs perfon ; fo we tranflate the Apoftle's
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