Chap.9. An,Expofttion upon tlie Bookof J O B. Verf.14. 255 But here a do ubt may arife froma pillage (Chap. 13,3.) where yob fpeaksthus, Surely I wouldfpeakto the Almighty, andI define to realnwith God; how then Both he here fay, Shall I chafe out words to realn with God? As if he had faid, by no means I will not do this thing; and yet there he Teems very ambitious of the attempt, and confident of the fuccefs, Idefire to reafon with God. I anfwer,thete is a two- fold reafoning with God. There is a real-Oiling ofdeclaration, and a reafoning offontehation. When Job faith, I defire to reafon with God,his meaning is only this,Ide- fire to declare and fet forth my cafe and condition before him. We may reafon with God by wayof narrative ; he allows us to tell hint how it is with us. Further,Job fpeaks in that i3th Chapters comparatively,thew- ing howmuch he had rather declare hiscafe to God, then to his friends : God was a better friend to unbofome hitnfèlf to, then any of, or all his three friends; for he faith of them in the very next words, Ye are forgers oflies,ye are all Phyfitians ofno value to whatpurpotè would it be for me I onger to make known my cafe, and thew mygrief to you ? I had rather reafon with God then man. But as for that other reafoning, by way ofcontefta- tion and quarrelling with the providence or works of God, Job profeffeth in this piace, he had no mind to it he vvould never chufe that task, or let himfelfto chufe out words for that end, it was toohigh for him. He Taw it was neither wifdome nor duty to deal with and Undertake God, either with an open, or a clofed hand, either with logicall fubtilties, or rhetorical' flourifnes. Again, Whereas Job faith, he would not reafon with God ; it will be queried, May we not reafon with God at all.? The Lord himfelf faith (Ifa, r.18.) Come let us reafontogether.' If the Lord calleth us to reafon with him,rnay we not then reafon with him ? is it not finfull modeftly to refufe what God offers ? To clear that. I anfwer, There are two wayes wherein we may not reafon wit:. God. . vy ... mull not reafon with him in our own firength. z We mull not reafon with hitti upon our own worth. And that is the full meaning of job, I would not chufe to' reafn with God, that is to reafon with Godin my own ftrength, as if. I
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