An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

And choose out my words to reason with him.

The word signifies choice upon exact trial;¹ It is used in that sense, Exod. 17.9. Moses biddeth Joshua choose out men to go and fight with Amalek; he did not take them as they came to hand, or lay his hand violently upon them to press them, but he advisedly took his choice, he had picked men for that service. David gathered all the children of Israel; he had a select company to fetch up the Ark (2 Sam. 6.1.) and when he undertook the duel with Goliath, the Text saith, he went to the brook, and chose him out five smooth stones, they were choice stones fittest for his sling. As it is among persons and things, so among words, there are choice words: some are but rubbish, refuse words; others are precious, wise, suitable words: How should I choose out my words to reason with him? Shall I think by setting words in a curious frame to prevail with God? or shall I by speaking rhetorically and elegantly overcome him? There is much power in oratory, in choice of words, and therefore the holy Ghost forbids the Ministers of the Gospel to speak with choice words, in that sense, namely, with ⟨p. 254⟩rhetorical and artificial strained eloquence, which naturally pleaseth the ear, and takes the heart: which kind of speech, is called, wisdom of words (1 Cor. 2.17.) and the enticing words of mans wisdom (Chap. 2.4.) They, having an aptness in them to entice or persuade, are called enticing or persuasive words. And because he would have little or nothing of the creature seen in winning souls, therefore the Apostle professes he used not such eloquence of words. Great Orators have carried whole Assemblies by the ears. And lest it should be thought that the Ministers of the Gospel convert men with oratory, therefore they must not use such choice words. It becomes them not, like Rhetoricians and Orators, to polish their stile with an affected curiosity, and exactness of language. But as affected language is sinful, so neglect or rudeness of speech is not without blame. We should labour to speak properly and weightily: so it becomes us to choose our words, and not to speak till we have heard what our selves would say. And thus Job knew he ought to choose his words, when he spake to God, but he knew also he could not make any such choice, either of rhetorical and persuasive words, or of logical and argumentative words, as might fit him to answer God, or reason with him.