Chap. a 3. An Expofition upon the Book ofJos. Verf. 23. 497 I anfwer, fob fpeaks thus, as vindicating his perfon, not as doubting his ilate. He did not queftion whether Godwas his friend; becaufe he was afi&ed, but he defired to remove the fufpitions of his friends. Zophar ( chap. X r.ver. 14. ) gave Job occaflon tocall for this difcovery,while hecounfelled him, If:na- quity be in thanehand, put it far away, and let not wickednefs dwell in thy Tabernacles.His friends put thefe jealous fuppolìtions,thefe ifs and and's often uponhim,if iniquity be in thine hand, &c. The counfel was good, but their jealoutie was not. Job fawwhat hung upon their fpirits, and therefore begs of God to unfecret his fins and lay open his tranfgreffions. As if he had faid,Lord,myfriends are tenfatisfaedwithall the profefsiont and proteflations which lhave made ofmy innocency : theyfuppofe that 1 keep myfin clofe, and roll- it likeafweet morfel under my tongue; they would rake into my li fe, and fee the bottom of sey heart, Lord, let them fee all, (hew them what Iam, and let me know what I have done. Ifit beets thefe men fay, let it appear to thyglory and to myfhame. How'manyare mine inequities and myfinsl make me to knowmy tranfgrefsion andmy fin. Secondly, It is queftioned why fod makes requeft that God would fh,eav himwhat and how many his fins were, was he curi- ous to know their Arithmetical number? Did he thinkGodhad over-reckoned him, or that himfelf could know their reckoning? or did he think his finswere fo few,or fo fmall that they could not hurt him ? One fin is enough to juftifie God inour condemnation, we need not ask for a great many. Thebelt ofSaints, even they who have lived in no fin, and comparatively have committed but few fins, yet have defired the Lord to cover their fins, and pronounced him bleffed, whofe tranfgrefsion a`,s forgiven,whofefin iscovered (Pfal. 32. r.) as the Saints are not forward to proclaim their good works, fo neither is it pleafant to them to have their fins proclaimed:why then is Job fo bufieabout this point of know- ledge ? I anfwer, job did not ask this queftion either out of curiofity toknow the numberof his fins, or as if God had put more tohis account then he had committed. He did not delire this, as if he thought his fins were either fo fewor fo fmall that they could do him nohurt ; nor Bothhe fpeakby way ofextenuation,as if they? jbi1 Andeft were not many. He-knew-his fins were many and great, yea, qua fe fibi doe that if he had but one, and, that a little one, he could not boaft cwnfciam. before God. S f f But
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