.r- 448 Chap. r 3. An Expo f tion on the Book of J oß. Verf. 15: Thofe waies had need be fair and well mended which abide the furvey of God himfelf. I will maintain, &c. That is ( according to the firfl fgnifica- Priufquam hint tion of the word )'.ri houQhthe Lordflay, me, yet I will hand to, ebeam vias mers and abide my trial, I will not be brought to an ill opinion ofmy, i. e. rations 47" felf, no will I think the worfeof my fpirituat, internal eflate., argil mean how much evil foever the Lord fhall be pleafed to deal tome in fane ut perm my outward elate : No, =I will be as high in purfuance of what peat, verurn non I have heretofore aliened, namely, that mine heart is upright eontinebo meip- with him, and my waies right- (in the main) before hitn,when POI quip jus . he is flaying me, as ever I was when hewas profpering me, or mme mjcam, mall be again if he fhould profper me again. Whence Obferve, Merc. Sant eonfzden- Firtf, An upright heart keeps its grounds iv all turns and tia verba, quod times. fPeretfe caufam ' Though heflay me, yet will Isruft inhim; and not only fo, but [roamptobandum Iwill maintain mine ownwaies alfo.For as an upright heart Main- comm Deefie- tains the fame praftice of holinefs at all times ; Though there ' zus fua ¡now_ g tia.lvierc. be flaying and killing for the name and truth of Ghrilf, yet he will not change his way, nor go into a wrong way whereinper- haps he (hall have more fafety, by complying, and chyming in with the opinions or practices of other men. As he (I fay) maintains his waies in regard ofhis prefent practice, fo alfo in regard of hisformer integrityin that practice : which is the thing Job intends chiefly in this affertion. Secondly, Job fpeaks this, as an argument of his uprightnefs, I will maintainmaneown yogic: before him. Hence Note, That ifis alignofa heart found inholinefswhen wecan with con- fidenceYet asir[elves before God, andmaintain what we are in his prefence. , 1 t (hews that a man is right when he dares come to tryal. I will difpute it out with God himfelf, faithJob not that he (as I have often (hewedbefore) had an opinion that there was no tin in him, or that God could find no faults in him : Job acted upon the principles of the Covenant of grace, and knew upon what ground he went; but ( taking that in) he is refolute to maintain his waies, and this was a proof of his uprightnefs. It is an argument that a piece of gold is weight when a man is wil- ling tohave it brought to the balance, and that it is right metal, not
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