Chap.' 5. AnExp.oftuion upon the Book o f J p B. VerC2, ' , 2 T 5; his Friends with this mifcarriage of their pains with hire , will refolve the Oueftion, and tell us, when. Firft , They gave him little hope of good, or they did not open to him a door of hope wideenough : 'cis true , they made force overturesthat way, which yet ( comparatively to what they ought ) were fcarceconfiderable. And Eliphaz who had been fomewhat large upon the point in his lira congrefs with fob, fpeaks nothing of it in his Lail : For as if he thought his cafe defperate; and had given him for a loft man; he flints up in the dark, as we fee, in the clofe of the former Chapter ; where he thunders out the judgments of God upon Hypocrites, and Bribe.takers, without fo much as one word of comfort- to the penitent : This is tobe a Miferable comforter. The fong of comforters tbould at leaf be mixt, like that of David to the Lord, of mercy andof judgment ( -Pfal, tor. r.) A long- of judgment alone, or moll of judgment to a heavy heart, may be called (like that of Jeremy ) A Lamentation, but it is not a Gonfelaticn Secondly,, They(as was toucht before) tired out hisof aided Soul with tedious difcourfes ,. and unpleafing repetiti- ons, they always harped upon the famestring, and that makes no mufick to a dilconfolate Soul. As God complains of thofe prayers as unpleafing . which are full of unneceflary repetiti - ons fo alto thole counfels are unpleafing to man , which are made up of needlefs repetitions, To peels the fame point , though true, oft, andoft, is a wearinels to the fpirit ; and be caufe it fuggeas this fufpition, that the hearer Both oppofe,or refill that truth, it proves an upbraiding, rather than a teach- ing, or a comforting Comfort muff be !loin in unawares,by a holy fleight of hand,-it muff not be beaten in with beetles, as it were, by force of hand. 'Solomon tells us ( Prov. 25.12.) As an Baring of Gold , and Súbréperedev anornament of fine Gold, fo is a wife reprover upon an obedient bet fucum ° ear.What he fpeaks ofa reprover,is as true of comforter; and sere affetáaw, he only is fit tobe a reprover, who is skill'd , or knows how Ben. to be a comforter. He that will open or launce a foar , had need be acquainted with themeans of healing it. The Spirit of God, who is the Reprover ( John i 6. 8.) is alío the Coln. forter ('John 14 26.)We may therefore take up Solomons Pro- verbhere, As.anearingofGold , and anornament of fine Gold,
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