258 Chap. AM Expofi:ion upon the Bookof j OR. Verf.t+ So then, the only thingwhich Job declineth, as tnfull and un- becoming, is to reafon with God as a contender , he might hum- bly reafon with him as a petitioner, or as a remembranccr, Put me in remembrance ( faith the Lord, If4.43.26.) La ifplead toge- ther : declare thou that thou ma}efl be juftyied. We may declare our caul, and we need not fcar to declare our fins, that God may jufiifie us; but we mull not prefume to declare our righteouf- nefs, that we may jutiifie our. felves :. this Job difclairns. Flow ranch lefr jha11 I anfiver him, andchoofe out work to reafon witty him.? Towards-the further clearingof thcfewords,we may take notice that Job puts himfelf under a double relation. In the former part ofthe verfe he puts himfelf in theKefpondents place,Howmuch Its ßh2Q Ianfwer him ? And in the latter part of the_vexfe he puts him- felf in the Opponents place, and chirfe out words to reafon with him. His meaning is,If theLord will objea againti me,I amnot the man . who dares, or is able to anfwer him. And if I lhould take upon me to object againfi, the Lord,theLordmay,and can.eafily,anfwer me.,. From which notion of the words,two points may be obfervcd. Firf}, No man can anfwer what God bath to objeû againft him. The Lord hash a thoufand arguments which we arenot able to give him fatisfadion in ( as was touched in the beginning of this Chapter,verf..3. Ire cannot,anfwer him one of a thoufand. if God fhould cart a man to hell, what bathhe to fay for himfelf, as fron himfelf, when God objeEs , Thou haft finned; if God afiíf a man and lay him low,giving him this argument for what he doth,I am thy Creatour ;1 form.d and made thee if I break thee to peecer, what canf1 thow lay againß me ? If the Lord fhoutd fay, I am thy Soveraign, I have fupreme power over thee, may i not doe with thee what I will > What hath man to anfwer? Man mull be filent, and lay. his hand upon his mouth :, he bath not a word of rea- fon: or holinefs to reafon againß God in any ofhis difpen- fadons. Leaman r on the other fide) gatheras many arguments as he can to objed againfi cod, he is able to wipe, them all off prefent- ly, to blow them away with a breath. All the Otitis and apolo-. gïes, the excufes and arguings which any makefor their fins, or WIlieh theymake for themfelves againí1 the jullice and wildomeof God,
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