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

The poor in Scripture are taken two ways; First, as they stand in opposition to the rich; Secondly, as they are opposed to the proud; thus here, he giveth right to the poor, as well as to the rich; and he will especially give right to the humble poor, to the righteous poor, to the poor in spirit. Such the Prophet speaks of (Isa. 66.2.) To this man will I look, even to him that is poor. He means not the poor in purse (as such) he means not those (as such) who wear poor clothes, the Lord doth not always look to, or respect such poor, for many such are both proud and wicked; but he looks to him that is poor in spirit, or of a contrite spirit; ⟨p. 196⟩let such be in Rags, and lye upon the Dunghill, the Lord will look to them; and he hath a threefold look for them. First, A look of honour, as respecting their Persons. Secondly, A look of care, to supply their wants. Thirdly, A look of justice, to deliver them from wrong. And if they that are poor in spirit, be rich also in the world, they shall not fail to receive right from the hand of the Lord. The Lord giveth right to all sorts of men against their wicked oppressors; but his poor, the Godly poor, believing poor, those that are poor not only in purse, but in spirit, are more peculiarly under this privilege, of being righted by the Lord. And usually in Scripture, the word poor is taken in a good sense,¹ for good men, as the word rich, in an ill sense, for evil men (Jam. 5.1.) Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you. The Apostle speaks as if that were the case of all rich, or as if he called all rich men to weeping and howling, &c. Yet some poor men are wicked, and some rich men are righteous; and therefore I conceive the word poor may be taken here for any wronged or oppressed poor, yet especially for the Godly poor. For though God giveth right to all men, even the worst of men, yet here the scope of Elihu is to show that God takes most care of those whom the wicked do most, not only neglect, but injure and oppress, He giveth right to the poor.

The poor in Scripture are taken two wayes; First, as they stand in opposition to the rich; Secondly, as they are opposed to the proud; thus here, he giveth right to the poor, as well as to the rich; and he will especially give right to the humble poor, to the righteous poor, to the poor in spirit. Such the Prophet speaks of (