2 Chap. Zz. An expodtion upon the Book of Jo B. Verf. z° tradic, though he couldnot confute the reafons wherewith lob had made his defence. But as fuch a carriage as this in Difputation is altogether vaine in it Idle, fo it is moll uncornely in awife and godly man ; who ought not ro refijfe truth and reafon though Ipoken by an Adver- fary, but rather mock fill' to lit down andconfeffe his own errour and miftaking : And therefore though Eliphaz in this anfwer or triplication doth but roule the fame ftcrne, and move upon the fame hinge in general! Rill ad,udging 71b to fuffer for his finne, and to be punifht as an evili doer, yet he putsall into a new me- thod, andvaries the fceane or the manner of his argumentation, which may be reduced to this forme ; as if Eliphaz had faid : o Job if thoufuffereft all ttefe evills for,forte caufe (as-certainly thou deft, for thrfe things could not come by chance, but by the wife diJpofureand providence of God) then that caufe or reafon for which rhos:fuffereft, muff eitherbefound in Gad or in thy[elf : If thou fad eft the reafon is in god, and that be doch it by bis prerogative, thou . d f rafty intrude thy felfe into his ferrets, andart overbold or cu- riots infearching into his bidden counfels ; andwhen thou haft made out thy cenjeEtures; we may a eafsly deny as thou doff airme . but if thon haft recotsrfe to, and reflii'tpftupon tbyown felfefor toe caufe ofthy forrewes aId fufferings, Purely thou cavil find out or pitch upon no4i g elfe but thyftnfulneffe and abounding tranfgrefons, which while thou refs/rft to acknowledge, thou deft but harden thy heart a- gainft God, andgroweft impatient under the rebukes ofhis affitling hind, therefore 1admonifh thee to repent, &c. This kemes to be the femme of that whole difcourfe which Eliphaz gives in this Chapter, as will further appear in the explication of the parts. Againwe may contra& his fcope and give it in this brick ; Job having conftàntly affirmed againfthis friends, that god equally of- fitis the righteous and the wicked : and having laid ( which might bavegained refpeït to what he was about tofay) that hepleaded for god (Chap. 2a. 4. Asfor me, is my complaint to man,orfor man, no it is to god, or in Gods behalf) Hereupon Eliphaz taxeshimwith tbioprefumptien, as ifbe would needs undertake to be a patron for god, andfo to bringhim inform advantage or tofand oirn in Read, for the maintainingof his caufe s therefore be begins his .beech with this chiding expoflulation;Can man be profitableunto God?or(fuppofe thou
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