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

From these speeches Elihu might charge Job with saying, What profit is it (as to my temporal good) that I am cleansed from spiritual evil, my sin? As for his eternal estate, that's not the matter controverted in this book. The sum of all amounts to this, If I am cleansed from my sin, I may be as great a sufferer and as hardly dealt with in this world, as if I were altogether unclean. And hence it might be inferred, Surely Job was more righteous than God, because while he laboured to please God as becometh his people and good servants to do, God was pleased (instead of rewarding him, as he had done many, and promised all who do so) to afflict him, as he useth to do and hath threatened to do to the worst of evil men, the wicked. Thus thou ha•t said, What advantage, &c.

From these speeches Elihu might charge Job with saying, What profit is it (as to my temporal good) that I am cleansed from spiritual evil, my sin? As for his eternal estate, that's not the matter controverted in this book. The summe of all amounts to this, If I am cleansed from my sin, I may be as great a sufferer and as hardly dealt with in this world, as if I were altogether unclean. And hence it might be inferred, Surely Job was more righteous than God, because while he laboured to please God as becometh his people and good servants to do, God was pleased (instead of rewarding him, as he had done many, and promised all who do so) to afflict him, as he useth to do and hath threatned to do to the worst of evil men, the wicked. Thus thou ha•t said, What advantage, &c.

The word here rendered advantage, signifieth gain any way,¹ or any thing that is commodious and gainful to us; thou hast said, What advantage will it be unto thee? Thus he brings in Job putting the question to himself, what advantage should he get to himself in this life by living a religious or a holy life? As if he had said, Doubtless 'tis concluded in thy breast, thou shalt get none; And to strengthen this thy unbelief, at least to show that thy unbelief in this point is very strong, thou hast said the same thing in another dress of words a second time; For I have heard thee saying thus also.