86z Chap. 42 . an Exposition open the Book of J o s. Verf. 7. grace : there is no reafon in us, why he doth us good ; as he told the people of grad, I did this, and that for you , not be- caufe yewere snore than others (either in weight or number) but becaufe I loved you : but when the Lordaffli &s hispeople, he cells them the reafon,'tis for yourfins, or topurge you from your Lins; and fometimes pointeth them.to.thefpecial fins, for which he puniQuth them, and from which he would' have them purged. As here he didEliphaz and his two friends. Te have not fpoken of me the thing that is right, as my fervant Jobbath. The Lord doth not charge them withany evil a&ings, but with undue fpeakings.; To have not fpoken of me the thing that is right. Hence note; Failings in (perch, or in what we fay, may kindle wrath, as well as failings in what we do. Further, The.Lord doth not charge them with fpeaking foul and filthy things,they had only fpoken the thing that was not right. A little failingin fpeecb, or in what we fay concerning Godandhis ways, may kindlewrath. 11`2J'{4d me,co- Te have not fpoken of me, that is, concerning me,or concern- ramme Pagn. ing my proceedings withJob, the thing that is right. The Hebrew is, To me, p have not fpoken to me the thing that is right. God was not only the fubjc& of whom they fpake, but the obje& to whom they fpake ; this whole difputation being tranfa&ed as in the prefenceofGod, andboth Job and his friends appealing to him, as the Judgeand Moderator of it. Hence the Septuagint render, ye have not fpoken before me the tbingthat is right : As if God had laid, all that ye have fpokenhuh been in mypretence, I being witnefs, yea, I being Judge ; yet ye fpake not right. Did we remember that whatfoever we fpeak, as well as whatfoever we do, isbefore God, and muff come under his judgment, we would be more careful both to do and to fpeak (which rhefe men did _not) the thing that is right. Te have not fpokenof me The
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