hap.ig. An Expafrtion upon the Book of J O B. Verf.2. bet,. een prudence and cunning ; A crafty man knoweth what is gocd, but be commonly doth what is evil ; he is able to fee the right, but if it be,not fir his turn, he turns from it, and cares not to do wrong : A Wife man is he that knoweth how to diffinguifh between good andevil, and ever aims to aft n>hat is good; his un. derftanding is well enlightned, and his Go,ifcience binds him to follow the light of his underftanding ; as be can fee what is full and right, Jà he cannot but embrace and do it. A wife man in Scripture language,is a holy man ; and a fool, is a wicked man: Hounds is the bell wífdom, and wickednefs is the wort} of folly. Eliphaz feem3 to admit Jobs challenge of being a wife man, that he might checkhimwith more advantage for fpeak- ing fo unlike one : As if he had Paid, Shoulda moral wife man, much more a fpiritual wife man; th0uld he that is, or pre- tends to be thus wife (as thou dotl,(hould he) utter vain know. ledge? job at the 12. Chapter of this Book, Verfe 2,3,4. obje- - ed ignorance, or but popular knowledge to his Friends ; I have underftanding as well asyou ; I am not inferior to you, who knoweth not fuch-things as there ? as if he had.faid, You think yourfelves among knowing men,tbe bigheft in knewledge ; but who knoweth notfuch things as theft ? Eliphaz turns it here upon fob, by the way of recrimination or counter- charge,he brings in a crofs bill : Should a wife man utter vain knowledge ? Thou dolt arrogate to thy Pelf the reputation ofa wife man; but are thou wife, whofpeakelt at fuch a rate offolly ? The imageofthy mind isflampt upon thy words,it may befern as well as beardwhat thou art, by what thou fpeakeft. nß°1 1g7 Vain knowledge. The Letter of the Hebrew is knowledge of Seiem wind, or windy knowledge : The Metaphor is elc ti jet eT ventfá ant : Vain k g P g i.e. vanem. knowledge is justly called windy knowledge ; Vain know- Numgnid fa. ledge makes a great bluffer and noife, like the wind, but it dens refpone paffeth away, and though we cannot tell whither it goeth, yet debitfcienr. we may early tell whence it comes, even from the fancy, and venti,vóiftio entiom vent®a out of the mouth of a fooli(h man. It was ufual of old, to fart. mere. call that which is vain windy : thofe dcfpifers of holy coun- Nucq,,idfapiR i ls, and Divine Alarums, given by the Prophets, laid, The ensrefpondebit Prophets all become wind, andthé word is not in them, Jet'. quaff ire vea- own 'opens. 5.13. That is, both theDoctrine and the threats which thefe vulg. Prophets utter, are vain and ineffefual ; they will do us neither
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