Chap. 42. an Expofation upon the Book of J o B. Verf. r. firft verfe, fhall be but to Anfwer this Queftion. Flow came it to pals, that Jobanfwered the Lord again, icing he bad profefed before( chap. 4o. 5. ) that be would anfwer no more ? Oncehave I fpoken, but I will not anfwer ; yea, twice, but Iwill proceedno further. There job feemed to take up a re- foliation to anfwer no more ; how is it then, that here this Chap- ter beginneth with, ThenJob anfwereel the Lord and Paid ? I (hall give a three-fold anfwer to this doubt. Firft, Thus ; we may conceive, fob, in the former promife, that he would ¡anfwer nomore, meant it of fuch a kind of anfwer as he had given the Lord, and his friends before ; he would an- fwer no more in that way, or after that fort ; and fo it was not an abfoluce refolve not to anfwer, but not to anfwer as hehad done : As if he had faid, I will anfwer nomore, juflifying my felf , no, nor fomuch as excufing my felf, or taking off the weight of any charge the Lord bath brought againft me : There being fuch a change in his anfwer, he may very well be fed to anfwer nomore; for he anfwered nomore, as once he did. The belt and Weft way of juflifyìng and excufing our felves, is to lay our felves at the foot of God : A confeffion of, or a charging our felves with our fins is the bell way of acquittingour felves before God from our fins; I mean, 'cis the bell that wecan do to juftifie or acquit our felves. Secondly, wemay anfwer thus. 'Tis true, yob laid he would anfwer no more,but it is as true that the Lord commandedhim to anfwer again(cbap.4o.I.)For when fob had faid there at the fifth verfe, Once baveI fpoken, but Iwill not anfwer, yea, twice, but 1 will proceed no further : The Lord faith at the(7th verfe) Gird up thy lops likea man: Iwill demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. God calledhim forth, and badhim fpeak, I have fomewhat to fay to thee, and.do thou anfwer me ; fo that the Lord took off job,or releafed him from that bond, that hehad ¡put upon himfelf Thou haft faid, thou wilt anfwernomore, but I will have thee an- fwer yet more. Now though we take upa refolve todo, or not to do fuch a thing, yet a word fromGodmull over-rule us. As a word fromGod muff over-rule us, not to dowhat we have re- folved to do ; fo a word fromGodmull over-rule us, to do that which we have refolved ®ot to do. H h h h h a Thirdly, 787
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