Chap. t o. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Verf. 2. 431 fair conjtruiiion; yet,. Lord, Do not condemn: Do not cenfureme : Z (peak only to excufe my Pelf, not to accufe thy Majefty. I (peak only in my own defence, let not what I fpeak be an offence to thee. Lord, I have fo great a weight of afliidionupon me, that I can- not but hope thou wilt givemy words forne grainsof allowance, ifthey lhould want their due weight of wifdom and of holinefs. As Abraham, when he was about to pray for Sodam,makes his a- pologies and preparatory fpeeches unto God, Let not my Lord be angry, and Iwill #eak, andI will(peak;yet this once (Gen. Ia.) So here,I willf',eak, &c. but I will fiat fay untoGod, be not an- gry, Do not condemn me, If (my infirmities prevailing over me)I fpeak amifs. Lord, be not critical with rate, examine not every word hridly. Strong paflions make an unruly Oratour ; andwhen the fpeaker bears much, he may expel to be much born with by his hearers. That's a fecond. But rather, Thirdly, We may take the words as a plain deprecation, Do tU`1 not condemnme ; The Hebrew is litterally thus rendered, Do not Vorbum con- wickedm:, that is, Do not count me, or call me for a wickedman. dcmnandi od fuere fem cul- But did the Lord account Job as á wicked man ? Or had Job an porciner. opinion that the Lord did account him fo ? Surely job had good Noli me pera. ( yet humble ), thoughts of himfelf, though he endured fo many.jei mprout evils, yea he was p.erfwaded that the Lord (who laid thofe evils trace. on him) had good thoughts of him too : and when he faith, Do yù, fuppliciir not condemn me, doubtlefs he had hopes poffibly he had affrtrances viderb move_ that the Lord had juhilied and acquitted hire ; why then refolves tutit piumIce. he, I will fay untoGod, Do not condemn me ? leratursquapa. Firft, We may expound him thus, Lord, Do not that again({ lc, derlarjre. me,which may give the worldoccalion to condemn me; or, Lay Nequ4 a me not thyhand fo heavily upon me, left they that underhand not ira a,ß(1 gae ut the reafon of thy dealings, heould be occafioned to adjudge me omnerqui lac wicked : Though Jobhad a witnefs above,and a record on high,. `dgnotucr'ort .though he knew his reputation was unbiemifhed before. God in peccaregravrf themidi} of all thole breaches upon his family, and botches uponfimo taliopári. his body, yet he kiaew.men would condemn him as guiltyof the.*?ermirrore- molt notorious evils of fin, when they law him languifhing under r;',7 amrufed fuch unparallel'd evils ofpunifhment. This moved him to pray, non po,(l'um non Lorddonot condemnme, by making mean objet`s of the worlds dolere vebe- condemnation. mentor War! Again, The words (Do not condemn me) may, have this me c fan8itoti meaning. Lord, xDo what thou wilt with me, only do not con derfin rnnocenti t exr(zirnatio. nom, Pined.
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