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

First, As to his eternal well-being and salvation; Secondly, as to his present ease and consolation. We are not to understand it as if Elihu accused Job for saying, That to be cleansed from his sin, would be n• ••vantage, no profit as to his eternal estate; that had been impious, and an Atheistical Speech, crossing the whole current of Scripture, and overthrowing the very foundation of godliness. Take away eternal reward and punishment, and where's Religion? where's either the love or fear of God? His meaning then is, that Job had said, it would be no profit, no boot to him for the present, or as to his then condition, if he were cleansed from his sin. This Elihu might gather from those two places (Chap. 9.22, 23.) This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. As if Elihu had said, Thou canst not avoid this proof of my first Charge; for he that saith, God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked, that is, the perfect as well as the wicked, saith also in effect, What profit is it, that I am cleansed from my sin? But thou hast said the former, therefore the latter also. Again thou hast said (Chap. 10.15.) If I be wicked, woe unto me, and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affliction; weigh thy words, Thou hast said, Woe to me, if I be wicked, and if I be righteous, (it will not be much better with me) I will not, I dare not lift up my head, my confusion is so great. How great soever my innocency ⟨p. 15⟩is, I have little comfort, or 'tis much-what alike with me, whether I be righteous, or wicked. In these places, and by these speeches Job seems to put little or no difference between the dealings of God with the wicked and the righteous. Once more. Those words (Chap. 9.28, 29, 30.) are of a like import, I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? if I wash my self with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. Saying this, thou hast said, how innocent soever I am, I shall not be dealt with as an innocent; if I make my self never so clean, God will throw me into the ditch, that is, into affliction.

First, As to his eternal well-being and salvation; Secondly, as to his present ease and consolation. We are not to understand it as if Elihu accused Job for saying, That to be cleansed from his sin, would be n vantage, no profit as to his eternal estate; that had been impious, and an Atheistical Speech, crossing the whole current of Scripture, and overthrowing the very foundation of godlinesse. Take away eternal reward and punishment, and where's Religion? where's either the love or fear of God? His meaning then is, that Job had said, it would be no profit, no boot to him for the present, or as to his then condition, if he were cleansed from his sin. This Elihu might gather from those two places (Chap. 9.22, 23.) This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the tryal of the innocent. As if Elihu had said, Thou canst not avoid this proof of my first Charge; for he that saith, God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked, that is, the perfect as well as the wicked, saith also in effect, What profit is it, that I am cleansed from my sin? But thou hast said the former, therefore the latter also. Again thou hast said (Chap. 10.15.) If I be wicked, wo unto me, and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion, therefore see thou mine affiiction; weigh thy words, Thou hast said, Wo to me, if I be wicked, and if I be righteous, (it will not be much better with me) I will not, I dare not lift up my head, my confusion is so great. How great soever my innocency