Chap. 6. An Expofition upon the Book, ofJ OB. Vert. i . 49.9 abeirlhame, theirfhameful rebe Ilion, andfal lingawayfrotnGod. r. Put thefe together, My brethren havedealt deceitfully with me: Job meaneth it ofhis three viíting friends, thefe(if not brethren ofhis blood, yet) were ofgreat familiarity and correfpondency with him ; therefore,he at once titles,and reproves them thus,My bretbren have dealt deceitfully with me. Hence obferve, Firti, That there is no obligationfo near, butan evil heart will breakthrough it. My brethren have dealt deceitfully. Thoug I fuppofe, yob here chargeth his brethren too deeply, iffo deep as their hearts, who, notwithf}anding they failed in the búfinefs they cameabout, yet I beleive, had no intention to wrong, or todeceive him : Yet many havebeen intentionally deceived by brethren ; and it is truth in pofìtion, That brethren will de,. ceive. Secondly, whereashe puts fuchan emphafis upon it, My bre- thren have dealt deceiefn: ywithme. As if he had faid,you arenot enemïes,you are not firangers that (peak thefe t.hings,but my bre- thren. Note from it, That, as it is ill for any to deal deceitfully, fo worll ofallfor brethren. It is a trouble to be deceived by any, and a fin for any todeceive, but it is worfe tobe deceived by thofe we tuft. And when a brother deceives, the fin of the deceit is doubled, whe- ther he bea brother in the flefh, ora brother in friendfhip, or a brother in the profeflion of the faith. Deceit from a brother is ex-. ceeding bad in all,but wort}of all in the lafi.Deceit from a brother in the faith, is more than double unfaitbfulnefs. David com- plains (Pfal, 55. 12.) of the wrong he had received from fuch a brother, It was not an enemy that reproached me, for then I could have born it (the reproach had not beenhalf fo heavy or greiv- ous untome, ifan enemy had reproached me;thc woundhad not been half fowounding, if an enemy had fmitten me,) But It was thou a :man, mine equal, my guide, and myacquaintance; we tookfnveet counfel together, and we walked to the bout of God in company ; to be reproached and wronged by thee, this is the thing that lies heavy upon my fpirit. God him- fell complaines mofi, when they deal perfidioufly with him, who are near him, his own people ; he cannot expel any es. ther of Heathens and firangers ; but whenhis children deal U. ceitfully with him, he complaines of this, as much withadinira. tion as with auger. I have nourifhed and brought up cbildreo, S ff 2 aatd
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