An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Elihu having showed in the former verse, that the sin of m•n cannot detract any thing from, nor in the least hinder the happiness of God; proceeds in the 7th verse to show, that the sinlessness, yea that the righteousness of man cannot advantage, nor advance the happiness of God: And therefore lest he should seem to make both the sin and the righteousness of man to be of no use, he states the matter in the 8th verse, and tells us both to whom the wickedness of man is hurtful, and to whom the righteousness of man is profitable; Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man; but neither can thy wickedness hurt, nor thy righteousness help or advantage God. That's the sum of these two verses.

Elihu having shewed in the former verse, that the sin of m•n cannot detract any thing from, nor in the least hinder the happiness of God; proceeds in the 7th verse to shew, that the sinlesness, yea that the righteousness of man cannot advantage, nor advance the happiness of God: And therefore lest he should seem to make both the sin and the righteousness of man to be of no use, he states the matter in the 8th verse, and tells us both to whom the wickedness of man is hurtfull, and to whom the righteousness of man is profitable; Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man; but neither can thy wickedness hurt, nor thy righteousness help or advantage God. That's the summe of these two verses.

Vers. 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?

As if he had said; There is no reason (O Job) that thou shouldest at any time (as thou oftentimes hast) proclaim thy own righteousness, as if that added any thing to God. Job was not ignorant of that; But the speech of Elihu had this scope in it, to reprove him for complaining that his goodness profited himself nothing, because though he was far from wickedness, yet he was afflicted, whereas many wicked men prospered and lived in full content; to which point his other friends had not answered. And further, Elihu urgeth Job with this, because he had so industriously defended his own righteousness, as if he would intimate that God was a gainer by it; whereas if God at any time rewardeth our good deeds, that proceedeth from his own goodness and Free Grace, not from any obligation which we have put upon him, by what we have done, how well soever we have done it. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? This supposition, if thou be righteous, hath in it