(Chap. 9. An Expoftioss ttpotttbe Book of O B. Vert 35, r.).t But fecondly, We may rather refer it to the falfe and unkind," opinion of hisfriends, who judged him a wickedman, or an hy- pocrite, which here he denies, It is not fwith me ; as if he had -fail, /fthe.Lordwould bepleafed to grant what Ihave petitioned, I .would f peak untohimwithout fear or doubt of beingheard, fir it ist not fo with me, namely, as you have fufpelled and imaginedall this while, or as you tbink it is.I ant not the manyoat take, or rather mi- ftake me to be, if -I were, eben though the Lordfhauld take allhis aJfli- tliontfromme,and withdraw all his terrours, yet I Jhould be afraid to(peak, unto him; yea I Jbouldbe afraid to pray unto him, every prayer (were Iwicked) would be a praying down judgment uponmy felf: Litt feeing:I can boldly affirm, any confcience alfo bearing me witnefl, that though 1 fih, yet I love not to fin, that though I am .weak,, yet lam not wicked, asye have charged me ; my heart being N nfie iarpius .thus clear before God, I cannot fear to open my mouthand report my ego apud caufe before God. Pap. Hence oblerve ( which hath been offered from other paffages qu é is+epu_ iarehis book, and therefore I thanI only.obferve it,) That setts. VatebG g idly man Jtandetb to, and knoweth his own integriey in the Meet. enìdjf of all the clamours andFlanders, thernifapprehenfions or of per fions offriendsor enemies. Whofoever loads and charges himwith fludied or approved hypocrite, he will (and he ought to) unload and difcharge him- Ièlf (at lcafl) withJobs plain denial ; you fufpetme thus, but i am lure, it is not Jo with me. Thirdly, The words may bear this meaning,I have fought and carnally intreated the Lord to abate my afiìidions,and to remove his terrours, But it is not fo withme ; Alas, I do not find that the Lord hath-done an-y of thefe things for me. His rod is hill upon my back, and his terrours hand as thick about my foul as ever: was ever poor mm in fuch a plight as I ? 'Tis not (alas) with me, as I have prayed, or as J would have it. The rod finarts, and ter- rours amaze me (till. Hence note, that a godly man maypray in afiltion,andnotp'refeottly be relie- ved in or from his afic`lion. Many a foul can fay, It is fo with me, as I have prayed, I have thewifhesand deliresofmy foul : yet many ( and I believe many more thencan) cannot fay fo. The Lord lets precious prayers lie unanfwered toour fenfe. We may pray long before we find it fo with us, as we have prayed, and yet thofe prayers are not loft, Ggg but
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