Chap. s I. eAn Expofition upon theBooh,of J O B. Vert. 3 . lies filch , as noman may examine, much leffe gain-fay ? Should thy lies ana4 men hold theirpeace ? Again, As holding the peace, notes reverence, fo favour and connivence. When we are willing to let an ill word fpoken, or a thing ill done paffe, as if we taw or heard it not, we hold our peaceat it. When the childrenofBelialfaidofSaul , How Jhall this man fave us ? and they defpifed him, and brought him no prefents, The Text , But he held his peace He was as if hehad been- deaf, s Sam. so. 27. It is wifdome not to fee or hear , what we are not in a condition to redrefi'e. Connivence is better then complaint, when we cannot mend our felves, nor reduce others. In thís fenfe we may alto take, Holding the peace here. Should any man favour orwink at thee ? Should any man be afraid to fpeak truth, when thou fpeakeft lies? Hence obferve, Firft thus , It is aduty to vindicate, or tobe an advocatefor op- pre'fed truth. Zophar fpake true in thegenerall, Lies mull not make us hold our pcace. It is a duty to plead the caufe of truth, yea to be va- liant for the truth. We mull know no relations in truths cafe. Socrates is my friend , Plato is my friend , but truth is a better friend then both. Whofoever dares fpeak againft truth we mull dare to fpeak for it. 'Tis noble to (hew our felves friends to truth, though we lofe friends by it, and enemies to errour, though we get enemies by ir. There is a three-fold lie which we mull not hold our peace at. Z. There is a verbali lie, when a man tels a falfe tale , or bring- eth up a falfe report , which is the lie of theninth Command- ment Thou'halt not bear falfe witne. Hold not thy peace at uch a lie. 2. There is a doetrinal lie , when a falfe pofition is averred to be the truth of God, and flampt with divine authority. Any er- roneous Doctrine is comprehended tinder, and branded with this title,: .?lie For this caufe (faith Paul) namely, becaufe they received not the love of the truth, God ''hallfend them,ftrong de- lufions, that theypall beleevea lie. (z Thef .z.i s.) He means a doctrinal lie , all thedoctrine ofthat man offinne, with which he hath deceived the world under the notion of truth , is but one great lie. We mull contendearneflly, even wreftle for the faith oncecommitted to the Saints againft all thofe lies. 0 3 3. There
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