A35439:1238
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…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Job being the sum of thirty two lectures, delivered at Magnus near the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Job being the summe of thirty two lectures, delivered at Magnus neer the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by A. Miller for Henry Overton, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Towards the further clearing of these words, we may take notice that Job puts himself under a double relation. In the former part of the verse he puts himself in the Respondents place, How much less shall I answer him? And in the later part of the verse he puts himself in the Opponents place, and choose out words to reason with him. His meaning is, If the Lord will object against me, I am not the man who dares, or is able to answer him. And if I should take upon me to object against the Lord, the Lord may, and can easily answer me. From which notion of the words, two points may be observed.
Towards the further clearing of these words, we may take notice that Job puts himself under a double relation. In the former part of the verse he puts himself in the Respondents place, How much lesse shall I answer him? And in the later part of the verse he puts himself in the Opponents place, and chuse out words to reason with him. His meaning is, If the Lord will object against me, I am not the man who dares, or is able to answer him. And if I should take upon me to object against the Lord, the Lord may, and can easily answer me. From which notion of the words, two points may be observed.
First, No man can answer what God hath to object against him.
The Lord hath a thousand arguments which we are not able to give him satisfaction in (as was touched in the beginning of this Chapter, vers. 3.) We cannot answer him one of a thousand. If God should cast a man to hell, what hath he to say for himself, as from himself, when God objects, Thou hast sinned. If God afflict a man and lay him low, giving him this argument for what he doth, I am thy Creator; I formed and made thee; if I break thee to pieces, what canst thou say against me? If the Lord should say, I am thy Sovereign, I have supreme power over thee, may I not do with thee what I will? What hath man to answer? Man must be silent, and lay his hand upon his mouth: he hath not a word of reason or holiness to reason against God in any of his dispensations.