An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

First, If we consider Job's wishes and requests.

Secondly, If we consider Job's complaints, and (though the word be somewhat hard) his murmurings: The Lord may be said to answer Job, as to his wish, desire, or request; because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once, that God would take his Cause in hand, or that he would have the hearing of it. Thus he spake at the third verse of the three and twentieth Chapter: O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his Seat: I would order my Cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Zophar also, one of Jobs friends, made the same request concerning Job (Chap. 11.2.) O that God would speak, and open his lips against thee: As if he had said, Eliphaz hath been speaking, and Bildad hath been speaking, and I am now about to speak, but O that God would speak. It was the wish of Job that God would speak, and it was the wish of this his friend, and now behold God appears, possibly beyond their expectation, though not beside their wish; for 'tis like they had not faith enough to believe that God would answer those wishes. So then, God may be said here to answer, because (as it was prayed) he now took the matter into his own hand, and in person (as I may say) argued the Case with Job, and finally determined his Cause.

Secondly, If we consider Job's complaints, and (though the word be somewhat hard) his murmurings: The Lord may be said to answer Job, as to his wish, desire, or request; because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once, that God would take his Cause in hand, or that he would have the hearing of it. Thus he spake at the third verse of the three and twentieth Chapter: O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his Seat: I would order my Cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Zophar also, one of Jobs friends, made the same request concerning Job (Chap. 11.2.) O that God would speak, and open his lips against thee: As if he had said, Eliphaz hath been speaking, and Bildad hath been speaking, and I am now about to speak, but O that God would speak. It was the wish of Job that God would speak, and it was the wish of this his friend, and now behold God appears, possibly beyond their expectation, though not beside their wish; for 'tis like they had not faith enough to beleeve that God would answer those wishes. So then, God may be said here to answer, because (as it was prayed) he now took the matter into his own hand, and in person (as I may say) argued the Case with Job, and finally determined his Cause.