Chap. iq,. efln Expofition upon the Book of J O B. Vert 17. My tranfgreffion is fealed up in a bag. Further, This fealing up ina bagge is an elegancy heightning the fenfe : A man counts or tels over his (pending mony but when he feals it up in a bag, it is anargument he means to lay it by as a flock. A Rock of mony is not feattered about, but put in a bag , and when it is in the bag it is not only tyed but fealed up, Thus yob feems to conceive that God had taken a note ofall his fins , and laid them up till a fit time to call him to an account about them, andpunifh him for them. eflnd thoufoweft tip mine iniquity. job profecutes the fame metaphor , and hath the fame mind in this, as in the former part ofthe verfe. The words undergo different readings, force thus, thou foweft iniquity to iniquity, the Original fignifies to join, or, to make an application of one thing to another like an artificer who puts pece ro peece in any fabrick. In which fenfe j'ob faithof his fràends re are forgers of lies chap. a 3.4. that is , you curi- onlly frame up a lie or put one lie to another, `PJa. i i 9. 6,9,. The proudhaveforged a lieagainft me : fo , thou foweft iniquity to iniquity the iniquityofone year to the iniquity ofanother, the iniquity of one relation to the iniquityofanother : this is a low- ing., or joyning of iniquity. Others thus, 7loonfowef to mine iniquity , that is , thou fowefl the punifliment of iniquity tomy iniquity, thou addeft affliftion tomy fin : Job thought God heap- ed all his fins upon him together and with them the punifhment of all his fins. Again, ThouTowel' up mine iniquity, is but an ex- plication of.thou haft ruled up my tranfgreon in abagge, or, the baggeofmy tranfgreffion is not only fealed but fowed. Hence Obferve, - «4' gracious heartlooks upon his own finnings, as the areal-ionof hisfuffBrings. He fears there is fomewhat in deck againfi him. And'ris a truth that as God hath abottle wherein he puts the tears of his afihiCed people , fo he bath a bagge whereinhe puts the fins of an offending people. God puts none of the fins of his people in a bag to condemn them , yet he often puts their fin in a bag to chaflen them. Hence a godly man is apt to judge all his af- fiiCtions as the fruit ofhis lins : and though it was not fo in Jobs. case,.. 647
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