150 , Chap. 6, An Expofitiott üÿûii spe BoofZof JOB, Verf. enter into the field ofa rich man,or to trefpafs upon him ? No, there is no licence to trefpafs upon a rich man,or toenter upon his field,but takeheed you enter not into the field of the fatherlefs ; why ? For their redeemer is mighty, he (ball plead their carafe with thee ; Though poor orphans and fatherlefs have no might, no help,theycannot plead themfeives,and they have no friend to help or to plead for them, they cannot get an advocate or Coun- cellour to fpeak in their caufe, Yet their redeemer isfirong, hewill pleadwith thee; He will plead with thee, for the wrong done the fatherlefs, as for a wrong done himfelf, becaufe thou halt oppre(i one, whomhe undertook to proteót, andCo (as much as thou canft(haft brought up an ill report upon the Lord, as if he were either forgetful of his word, or unable to accomplifh it, We vex and tear the promifes ofGod,every time we vex and tear the poor ofGod. How tinful then is this fin,by which at once we brake the command, which Godgives us, to releive the poor, and weaken the promife, which God hathgiven the poor, that they (hall be releived. Obferve further from that exprehìon oftheir cunning dealing with him, You dig apit for your friend ; deceitful words are as pits and Jnares to catch men in : 7 he tongue is agreat infuarer. The tongue teacheth to lay a fnare, Balaam taught Balakto lay aJiumblingblockbefore the children of Ifrael, Revel. 2. 14. He taught him how to dig a pit,and let fuch a !bareas catcht the peo- ple into adultery and Idolatry :The tongue is a Egreat ngineer, a trap - fetter to catch and intangle both the elates and fouls of meI1. And we may note another point, from the relationof the per. fon for whom thispit wasdigged, You dig apitforyourfriend. It it a great aggravation of unkindnefs,to endeavour their hurt, to whom we are bound by many names and obligations to doe good,or to whom we have made profeffion ofour readinefs to doe themgood. The more dutyor relpeCt we owe any man, themore is our fin When we neglet him. The three remainingverfesofthis Chapter,contain jobs admo- nition to his friends, wherein he advifes them, to deal better, or more moderately with him, and fo he makes a tranftion to the latter part of his fpeech, in the feventh Chapter, wherein he re- turns to the old matter, the juftification of that complaint made againfk his life, and the equity ofhis defire todie. Yerfe 28.
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