Chap. 36. eAnExpojation upon the Bokof j s. Verfeer, 323 Here Elihu applieth the matter yet choler to job ; I have ad- vifed thee, to take heed, not to regard inquiry, and my admoniti- on is not without caufe ; I do not fpeak at randonu,for I tell thee plainly, thou hall chooen thin' rather Iban4itlion ; that is, thou haft regarded iniquity. Tochoofe is to regard. This thou haft chalenrather than a f iliom¡ This, What ? This fin, inpatient complaining and expotfulating with God , this an hliá thou haft chofen. The ward which we trantlate to choofe, de- Etegir,felegit, notes a very ferious and exact work of the foul. Choice is a de- liberate a& ; we çhoofe upon difcutfion and debate ; choice is made upon trial and proof. Thus the word isufed (Eyed. II. 9,) jofhua was to take chofen, approved, experienced men, to go to the war againtt e..fmalek. Davidgathered all thechofen men of !Traci ( 2 Sam, 6. t.) And thus the Lord ipake to the houle of /acob by the Prophet (Ifa, 4.3. to. j I have chofen thee; Where ? I have chofen thee ix thefire ofaffiicElion. Atîli&ion is a tryer, and either difcovers who are fit to bechofen, or fits and prepares them to be chofen. Thin thou haFb chofen Rather than ofjliîlion, But may we fay that job fat down, and putting his afflietionin one ballance and fin in another, chofe iniquity rather thanafflieti- on, or fin rather than fuffering ? Surely the bent of Jobs fpiric, the frame of his heart was far otherwife ; nor is it confitient with a gracious Rate, or a Rate of grace, to fit down andmake a perfeet ele&ion of any fin , upon any rearms whatfoever. Therefore the word choofing may be taken in a milder fence, or in a more moderate intendment; as if Ellahad paid, Thom ha fpoken and donefuch things, thouhaft behaved thy felf fo tender thine of iic'li- ens, as that a man mayfay, fstrel1 thou ball chop» iniquity rather than al :lion ; thou haft given others great caufe to judge due of thee. Elibu didnot purpofe to fatten this upon 7o6, that he had purpoely concluded to choofe fin rather than affliction ; but he Prx afi io- had taken liberty ( through the violence of his temprations and aren'gb the extreamity of his paines) to use fuch impatient speeches and rem, lr ejl wings asmight be interpreted, in a fence, a chooling of iniquity toieramivra of that is, impatience ) rather than ,fllielion ; that ir, a quiet fuf- foknee feranceof afflie ion. This thou halt chofenratber than affdiEli ,or, Metommia ( As forts; render it) For this taupe haft thou chofenany thing f ubjet?i. Ptíc. T t 2 rather
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