Chap. r 5. Ax Expofition upon the Boob of J O B. Verf. 6, more reverently and difcreetly, whereas thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity ; but rather thecrafty, is the fubtile man.` As if he had raid , Thou loveff to play the Sophifter, to put fair colours on a bad matter, and will not let things appear as in- deed they are. Be wifeas Serpents, is Chriftsadvice , but he Verfutua, ma- adds , Be innocent as Doves : Serpentine wifdommuff be liga"+eilidw. mixed with Dove-like innocencie ; the craftinefs of theSer- vocagu. um pent alone, belongs only to the"feed ofthe Serpent. malefentiant Laffly,whereas he faith,Thou chufeft the tongue ofthe crafty; agant, in he heightens his accufation , and would reprefent thisgood veniunt tame" man to the eye of the world in a blacker hue. To chufe,notes `aufationer, a mixt aí`t,both of the underffanding,will and affetïons and colorssGog. it feems here to be oppofed to that wicked ad ( but not in the wickednefs of it) wherewith he befpatter'd job in the for- mer Verle, Thou caffefi offfear : To calf off, or reprobate , is contrary to eleáingor chuffing , and fo is the fèarof God to craft. The fear of God is the beginning of wifdom , a good undertfandinghave all they that do thereafter ; but craft is on- ly the corruption of wifdom , and they have no good under- ffanding who do thereafter. Now, when Divine fear and hu- mane craft hand in competition, for a man togive his vote for craft, and to refufe, at leaft to let pats the fear of the Lord,this is one of the higheft growths of finful corruption. He that loth thus, needs neither judge nor witnefs againfi him , he is both hímfelf ; fo Eliphaz refolves it in the next Verfe. Verf.6. Thine own mouth condemneeb thee, andnot I,tbine own lips teffifie againff thee, This Verfe hath nothing in it that needsa Comment. The intendment of it may be thus given , It is as clear as the light that thou cafteft offfear,and reftraineft prayer before God ; for as much as thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, andthou haft chafen Teflesalim ma, the tongueofthe crafty ; there things are f plain. that I neednot nua duper crr, prove them,tbine own mouth fhall condemn thee,andnot 1. As the Put Hai imptr Judges laid at Chrifis Tryal,What need we any witnefs, ye have fotebanr,llalt4 heardhis blafphemy,Mat.26.65. Wirneffes ofold were wont to tiarua to put their hand upon the head ofthe offender, and fay, It is thy adsiusit ad awn wickednefswhich condemns thee,¬ rpe;much more doth ,mown!)gum their wickednefs condemn them,who may jufflybe condemn''d n ©t, Lyrae without witnefs. :D 2 Hence
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