Chap. 34. An Expoftion upon the Book of Jo S. Verf. 31. 789 chaftifement, affli&ion, or corre&ion ; It is meete to befayd unto Ged,1 have borne chafhfement; that is,I both have and will beare, whatfoever thou halt, or (halt be pleated to lay upon me ; I will not difpute thy burthens, but take them up. So then,this brit part of the verfe isa dire&ionminiftred to job, lhewing him how to behave himfelfe in the bearing of aflióîion ; He muff not flrive or ftruggle with them , nor withGod about them, but fuftaine them. And this dire&ion is not peculiar to fob's perfon, or to his cafe alone, but it belongs to all that are in affliction, let their cafe bewhat it will ; all fuch ought to beare quietly or patiently to a- bide under the burthen whichGod layeth upon them. I (hall not flay upon the opening of the fpeciall lgnification of that word chaflifement, becaufe it is not in the Hebrew text, only thus, cha- flifements areufually taken for thofe affli &ions, or a41ioting pro- vidences, which God layeth upon his owne children ; he layeth judgements upon thewicked, and punifhments upon the ungod- ly, but properly, and Itrilly, that which falls upon his owne peo- ple is called cha#ifement. For though inScripture, there aredif- penfationsof God towards his owne people, fpoken of under the notion ofjudgement, yet they havenot a proper fence of judge- ment, as proceeding from wrath, and intended for revenge. Wrath is the fpring from whence judgements flow , and as to their iffue,they tend to the fatisfa&ionof Juftice. This God Both not expe&, at the hands of his ownechildren, and therefore their affli&ions are molt properly called chaflifements , Surely it is meete to befayd unto god, I have borne chafhfement, Hence note. It is our duty when the hand ofGod is upon us, or when we are underchaflifements,tofpeake humbly, meekly, andfubmifve- ly toGod, We ought alwayes tobe humble, andcarry it humbly towards God, but then efpecially whenGod by any aft ieling providence is humbling us. The Prophet ( Hof 54. a. ) calling that people to returne unto the Lord, advifeth thus; Take with you words,and turne to the Lord, fay untohim, take away all iniquity, and receive usgracaoufly, fo will we render the calvesofour lips. As Elihu here makesa kinde of dire&ory, what aperfon inaftli &ion íhnuld fay unto God, It it meete ropyante God,that is, for a man in thycafe, to
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