73z Chap. 3 I. An Expolition upon the Book! of J .o a. Verf.3 5. The Lord faith ( Ifa: 57. r 5.) I will not contend for ever, &c. I have been longcontending, long ttriving,l have been as an Ad- verfary to this people for a great while ; But I will not contend for ever, ¡tali the f oritfhouldfaile before me, and the fouler that 1 Y'e, r eum,vi_ have made. Hence fome conceave that evenGod hirnfelfe may rain contemie here be called 74; Adverfary, or theman of his contention. So ?lit, i.e. aorí- the Scripture elfewhere expreffeth the Lord under the wordman dtxoa. in r¡ua ( Ex)d: 15. 3.)The Lord io a man cf warre,tbe Lardit his name; t.qje,di forma A if ü) ti vir,tan- s he had faYd , the Lord is fuch a man of warre as is all() Lord ,am valor ac and Mailer ofthe warre, he wins the day and triumphs in every 17)2 áo,,;ru, battei. The Lord is a fighting man, too mighty for all fighting ó ixty. d' xw men. In which fenfe, the Lord may be called here a man of c,n- b la: tttin : he can contend and ftrive, and carry it like an Adverfary a; i,nft all opponents. Secondly, Others expound it of his Advocate ; 'Tis the office of =n Advocate to contend for his Client. 0 that the Almighty would anfever me, and that the man ofmy contention hadwritten a booke ; that is, O that he who is to plead for meand mannage my cattle at the hearing,had drawne uphis booke,flated my cafe, and laud forth my condition that the Almighty might proceed to judgement upon it. Thirdly , 'ris taken as we tranflate forhis reali adverfary ; that the man ofmy contention, or my Adverfary who foever he is that bathor will contend withme, had drawne up his booke, his booke ofaccufLion, and had filled it with the worft matter that he could get againft me ; it fhould beall one to me what he can fay againft me, while I have the Almighty for my Judge. Thus lie alludes to thofe who bring in a charge or enditement inwri- ting againft offenders when they are tryed or arraigned. Such bookes or bills ofenditement are read in open Court before the ;lodge :. the prifoner ftarding at the bar to receive his Judgement. O that my Adverfary had written a booke. From the Elegancy of the Hebrew, lob calling his Adverfary a man ofcontention. Obferve. Some menare limb foyer; offirife, that they aremen of)rife. They are all for ftrife, and debate , ftrife is the very Element wherein they live, they live in the troubled waters, yea I may fay, they live and they love to live in the very fire of trouble, they
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