To the Reader. the undoubted truths ofGod. I know it tobe fo ofa truth (faith hechap.9.z. ) Andagain, My eye hath feen all this, mine ear hath heard and uaderftood it,chap.a 3.I. In both there pafagesJob votes withhisfiends andfeels to the truth. ofmany things which theyhad ,poken;as ifhe hadfaidthough I cannot agreewith you in ail,yet I will agree as far as I can : In thefe points youand I ha-v e no quarrel. secondly, where they dijagreed,the difference was not this wide,thathisfriends maintain'd an errour andhe a truth,but only thus,he maintainedmore truth,or truthmere clearlythen' they did. They taught truth in all theyfpake, but not allthe trath.Áífor irzflance , That Godafitls for fin, or, that fin is the caufe of affiïttion, is a truth, butnot all the truth or not abfolutelyand univerjally true,for fame aff i& ions are not fent for chafteningand corretlion , but meerlyfor trial' and pr.:bation : clgain they teach, that God doth feverely punith wicked men in this life. This is true,but not waiver- fatly andabfolutely true,for,as force godly men are troubled , fo force wicked men vroper all theirdaies. Thirdly, Though the opinionwhich Jobs friends held in op= pofition to him, wasnot thr,u{houtfoundand Orthodox ,yet their way of expreffi,git ,gas. Remember, Ipray thee (faith Fliphaz cha.4.,7. Who ever perigied being innocent; or wherewere the righteou : cut off? MereJob oppofed him chap. 9. zz. This is one thing, therefore Ifaid it., he de- ftrQyeth the perfect and the wicked.Eliphaz guided by the experience of Gods ufuall adminifirations in thofe timesheld thatGod clothnot great?ly aJlicl(for that hemeans byperifhing and cuttingoff) anygodlyman in 'this life. This vow' hismi- flak,eyet the words withwhich this opinion is cliathed contain a clear truth:Andbeing an appeal to experience("R emember I pray thee) are verypara'el to that of' David, (Pfa. 37. - 5.) Ihave been young , and nowmold , yet haveTI not feen the righteous forfaken,nor his feed beggingbread. .Eourthly,Jobsfriends fpake truth in Thefa,or in thepofitid c..f 3 on'
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