Chap. i I. An Expofition upon the Boot¿ of J O B. Vesta, z3 (as thefe expound) I have fpoken truth , and all the truth. O thers put it upon that (Chap. 10. z.) Shew me wherefore thou contendefl with me ; which hash (fay they) this ferret intimation in it, That Job did not fee any fin in himfelf, and that he thought, God himfelf could hardly thew him one , for which he contended with him. Thofe words allo at verf.7. of the fame Chapter, Thou kyowef that 1 am not wicked; are fuppofed.an appeal to God himfelf togive teftimony against him,ifhe could ; Thonkneweft, and' will Rand to -thy judgement , that Iam not wicked. Thefe paífages Zophar might conftrue to the fenfe given, As ifhe had laid , I am clean in thy fight. And we finde Job in his following difcourfe (Chap. 3 r .7.) fpeaking out plainly, Ifmyflep bath tur- nedoat ofthe way, andmine heart waked after mine eyes,and ifany blot loath cleaved to ray hands ; then let mefowe, andlet another eat, &c. Ifany blot hath cleaved to my hands ; amounts to as moth as this in the letter, I am clean in thy fight. And as Zophar here fo Elihu taxeth him with it elfewhere (Chap.338,9.) Surely thou haftfjiok n in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thywords, faying, I ism cleanwithout tranfgreflion,.1am innocent, neither is there iniquity inene. What then was faulty in Zophar ? This lle Managed his difcourfe more like an Acculer, then a Acc/if:norrrns Comforter. He amplified and 'trained thewords ofJob to a fenfe more anrpíifr- which he intended not. He fpake what might be cloathed with ear, inter- p,etntioxeptr fuch an interpretation; Bot, Charity tkieeketh reo evil, and love rrtr,t &e,revol.9 would have madeabetter Comment. He never meant to raife him- ti re, e ad I.i cis Pelf upon his own innocency., or to Rand upon his terms with r t t }it e Ceefé_ God , How often had he..dil'claimed and even protefled againfl etprrlo filch over- weenings Yet his friends im,pofe that fenfe upon him itrece}e all along ; and will make him fay , _ what he never thought,. and ro,nio tÇ to- own what his foul abhorred. guars; Zt;od Take one note from their milfalte , . and then I flail give thePvo` rrre non fenfe of the pofition more diflin&ly. po(b=, Qinti ±_. Words are often rnifconfirued, andreckonedfor , snore then the (pea,. pedal. t t.. leer meant them. We are apt to put unfound glofles upan the Word both of God and man. Many report the matter fpoken,.falfly, and ver few report the meaning of the fpeaker.tr-uly.. More quarrels and c.ontroverfies arife from the. miftake ofwords then fromdiffer- ence of judgements. There is fcerce a book writren abut
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