Chap.' 6. AnExpofition upon the BookofJ OB. Verf..;. 223 Firft, Self confidence.' Secondly, Unwillingnefs to yield. They who are thus emboldened,will not give over anfwer ing, though they have no other light of truth , or reafon to hold out their anfwers job had furely fuch apprehenfions ofhis Friend Eliphaz, which moved him to ask, What embol deneth thee that thou. anfwereft ? Hence note. Such it theftiffnefs and vanity offorce, that they will bold on a contention, though they have no further grounds of truth or rea fon to continue it upon. They will (peak on though it be the fame thing onely in new drefs of words. They have (lore of words though fcarfity ofmatter ; we may jutily fay to fuch, What embolden- ethyou toanfwer ? It is more than boldnefs , a kinde of impu- dence in fuch toanfwer pertinacie of fpirit difdains to lay . down the Bucklers. They who contend for Victory, rather than for truth , will not be anfwered, howmuch foever they are anfwered : And they who are more loath to befoiled , than willing to be retiified, will hardly fiebmit to the plaineft- and clegrejt evidence. The fecond reading, is, What cloth provoke thee to anfwer, or eaarer What imbittcrs tby fpirit that thou anfwereft?As if lob had laid, bat to ut rep, Surely Elipbaz myfair difcourfewith thee , fhouldhave flopped fpondesr.fun, she courseof this fevereproceeding withme before this time ; thou loaded mewith bard words, and uncharitablejealouftes ; but have Ifpokenprovokingly or bitterly to thee ? My confcience tells me that l bave not, and thou knoweft I have not. He that impartially reads over job's anfwers -to Eliphaz, may finde here and there.a fowr pafïàge ; but as wefay Pro- verbially, Tau muff give loofers leave -tofpeak. The wife Phyf tian hears his Patient givinghim uncomely language, yet will not hear it , much lefs retort or anfwer fo again : they who are in pain mutt be born with ; though they provoke , it mutt not be called a provocation; and though they give of- fence , yet it mull not be taken. When the Childe cries, the Nurfe fings : God himfelf bears with the manners of his people (fo the word intimates , Ads 13.1$.)" as a Mothea doth with a froward Childe ;and fo should we with the fro- wardnefs of our weak and afaif ed Brethren. So that in thisc.
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