Clap. 22. A. expe!ition upon the Book of J a_ a. Verl 9. ture, even with thofe crimes which his hand was (arre from, and his heart further from, with thofe crimes which he didnot onely forbeare topratiice, but which his foul did abhorre. Hence obferve ; That themrfi innocent perfons, are often charged with thefoulsi and finfg/ell crimes. ?cb was focleare in his own confcience from this accufation, that he not only profeffeth openly that he never did, but impre- cates a like vengeance upon himfelfe ifever he had done it(Chap. 31. 2 r.) If Ihave lift up my hands againfl thefatherleffe,when C fan, my helpe in the gate, (that is, when by reafon of my great power and authority in theplace of judgement I could eafily e- nough have done ir, no man daring to oppofe or hinder me, but all rather being ready to countenanceand allift mein it, if(I fly) when I had thefe advantages over the fatherleffe,I did ever break their armcs) then let mine armefallfrommy /boulder blade, and mine armebe broken from the bore;As ifhe had Paid, ifI have done this thing,let a divine and vifible retaliation poynt me out for the man, let all the world fee and reade my finne in my punifhmenr, and my injuftice againft man in the molt difcernable judgements ofGod uponmy felfe. Thus free and innocent was lob, and yet thus accufed. And indeed ifto accule were enough, there is no man in the world could be innocent or free. Who is thereof fo unfpotted a converfation, that may not be fpotted wich accula_ tion ? whò while his confcience is pure, may not have much dirt cart in his face ? Secondly, Elipba.z, accules lobofall this, not becrnfe he knew it to be fo, but becaufe he thought it was fo. Whence nere (which bath formerly been toucht at ) Thar tocharge any man ripen rurmile with things that wecannot prove, to a high breach not onlyof charity but ofjuflice. TheLord reproves lobs three friends in the laft Chapter of this Booke, becaufe they bed netfpoken ofhim the thing that was right ; and as theyhad not fpoken the thing that was right of God, fo not of yob. They pitcht upon no reafon why they M 2 con- 83
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