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

Job was taxed for a saying of the same scandalous sense (Chap. 34.9.) He hath said, it profiteth a man nothing, that he should delight himself with God. There Elihu accuseth him for affirming in ⟨p. 16⟩a third person, it profiteth a man nothing; and here for questioning in his own person; What profit shall I have?

¹Some derive the word Belial from this root, signifying an unprofitable one, or an unthrift, a man that doth no good, either to himself, or others; What profit shall I have? what shall I get? All the good I shall get I may put in my eye, and see never the worse: In a word, I shall not mend my condition, if I mend my conversation; so it followeth; If I be cleansed from my sin.

1. 1[Greek or Hebrew] A radice [Greek or Hebrew] p•ofuit, utilitatem attulit; hinc Belial mutilis.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 A radice 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 p•ofuit, utilitatem attulit; hinc Belial mutilis.

The words, If I be cleansed, are not expressed in the Hebrew Text, but are clea•ly implied and understood; For Job cannot be supposed to ask this question; What profit shall I get by, or from my sin? that question were nothing to the present purpose or disputation. And therefore though all Interpreters do not make this supplement, yet all agree, that a supplement is to be made: Most concur in this, What profit shall I have, if I depart from, or forsake my sin? We say, If I be cleansed from my sin? As if these were Jobs thoughts, this his saying, Let me keep my sin, or not keep my sin, I see I am like to suffer. I shall still be kept under the rod. That's the plain sense of the words; Elihu chargeth Job with complaining of God, that it would be no advantage to him, […] to the ease of himself from any outward affliction and calamity, how much soever he forsook or were cleansed from his sin. There are two other readings of this verse,