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CONCERNING JOB.

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GOD the liar, when the LORD had justified Jog: and by Job's words he affirms the TRUTH of what the LORD had said concerning him. Hear what Job says, chap. xxix. to chap. xxxii. But hear what answer Elihu made him; and how he goes on to chap. xxxviii. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. In the last chap. 7th verse, the anger of the Lord was kindled against his friends: for he said, "They have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath." Now, though Job's friends were, as he said, cruel tormentors and miserable comforters; yet they did not speak against GOD: yet by their judgment they denied the LORD, like the Devil, that when the LORD justified JOB, Satan condemned him; and when Job justified himself, his friends condemned him; they told lies to him; and wanted Joв to affirm they were true. See chap. xx. 19. what they upbraid Job with; and how false was their accusation; therefore, though they justified GOD, and condemned Joв for justifying himself, yet they did not justify the truth of the words of the Lord, that he had spoken of Joв, as JOB by justifying himself did. This is my judg ment in reading the Book of Job. Wherein I err I trust the Lord will forgive me, as I am ordered to draw my own judgment, and cannot deceive the Lord with the thoughts of my heart.

THE ANSWER OF THE LORD.

"Now I will answer thy thoughts of JOB. I shall not blame thy judgment that thou hast drawn: for though I bid thee draw thy own judgment, yet thy ideas come from ME; and it is I that work them in thee. And now I tell thee of Job's friends: Satan worked strong in them to make Job confess himself guilty of crimes he had never committed; then Satan might accuse ME, out of JOB's own mouth. Therefore Job contended with men as I con

tended with the Devil; and Job justified himself, as I justified him.-So

Here's a mystery deep of Jos,
That I shall now explain.
I did with Satan first dispute,
And he did then maintain

That JOB was not what I had spoke,
And so he tried the man;

And on his friends he strong did work
To bring the likeness on;

That JOB with man might so contend,
Himself to justify;

And like thy judgment, in the end,

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Satan might give the lie,

say, to ME, if words from he
Were spoken like the rest.
This is a mystery none did see,
Till I had fill'd thy breast,
For to discern how I do warn,
From shadows plac'd before;.
This is the way, I now do say,
Thy thoughts do so appear.
So now let men the same begin
To copy after thee;

Then, I do tell them, in the end
Aright they all will see.

And now to clear the End that's near,

From JOB I shall begin;

And from thyself I will appear,

As thou hast form'd the thing:

For with thyself thou him compar'd,
And so I place the line;

For men like them have greatly err'd,

That every soul will find.

Just like Jon's friends have thine gone on

And like them still they be;
But to the purpose I shall come,

And let men answer ME,

If they can clear their sayings here,
What they against thee spoke?

I tell them, no: they all must know,
Like JOB's, they wrong have wrote;
And so their tongues have all been wrong.
But thee I'll justify.

When to the purpose all do come,

Will they their God deny,

That lies all through, they'll prove
And lies from ME appear,

Because, thy life I've justified?
Then let Men answer here,

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If they can come and prove it wrong?
But let the truth be spoke;

CONCERNING JOB.

Would they wish thee for to condemn,
Thy God in all to mock?

Had Jon denied, then I must lie,

And prov'd his GOD unjust.
Now I'll explain what I do mean,
The way he ME might cast:
His friends see clear, they did appear
Against him strong to burst;
And they condemn'd his every hand,
In guilt he must be found.

If Job the same himself had blam'd,
Then Satan must be crown'd,
To say that he, more just than ME,
Did sure condemn the Man.
The crimes that they did lay on he,
I tell you all discern,

No Justice there they then did clear,
That in the Man was found;

But his accusers he did hear,

And by his conscience crown'd,

The words of ME were spoke for he,
To prove it in the end.

So Men and Devils both you see
Must to MY SCEPTRE bend.
But had the Man himself condemn'd,
He must condemn his God,
To justify him from on high,
The paths that he had trod.
So, if that he had done like they,
The truth denied all there:
And said in sin his life had been ;
And his accusers were

More just than he, then I must lie !!!
Now see the mystery plain;
Because the truth he must deny;
Could I his cause maintain
From first to last, if Job had burst,
Just like his friends appear,
And say in sin his life had been,
As they condemn'd him there?
Then they might swell with arts from hell,
The man I could not free;

He must be cast, if he had burst

In lies spoken like they.

Could I appear the man to clear,
That was such sinner great,
When I had boldly said before
In him was no deceit?

No, no to man I thus shall come,

And answer so for thee;

I've plac'd thy life throughout the land,

That men thy life might see;

How every way men would betray,

And Satan work'd the same.

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Then now to Man I so shall come;
The truth from thee it came,
Like JOB before, I'll answer here,
I did him justify;

And if his life he had condemn'd,
His God he'd give the lie;
And so denied what I had said,

If he'd denied the whole.

But the first lines call thou to mind-
Thy word did hasty fall:
Had he denied then I must lie

That upright he appear'd.
And so to Men I now do say,

The same I'll answer here

Thy life hath been, to ME 'tis seen,
Then fearing of thy God,

Which Men and Devils both condemn'd,
But let them fear my rod:
Because from thee the truth they'll see;
But JOB's friends thou hast found.
I know they've spoken so by thee,
But let them hear the sound,
When at the last the truth do burst,
And I in power appear;

I shall condemn thy every friend,
That act as Job's did there.
My Bible so all flesh shall know,
I plac'd it for the end;

These wondrous things I order'd so
Because 'twas my intend,

When at the last the whole did burst,

To work my Bible through,

To shew the shadows from the first
The way I shall go through,

To clear the whole: and Men must fall
That will with ME dispute;

The likeness I have shew'd in all,
So let mankind stand mute.

For God or Man they must condemn,
In what was said before:

And will they answer from thy hand,
That JOB the most did err?
If they say no: I'll answer so,

That silent all must stand;
Because with he do all agree,
And Men alike condemn;
As thou say'st here, I now shall clear,
The truth in all I know.

Sufferings that no one here could bear,

That thou hast all gone through,

Unless that I who dwell on high

Had strengthen'd thee in all.

Therefore thy friends at first did lie,
When I to thee did call;

CONCERNING JOB."

Because thy friends they did pretend
To act like Job's before;
And thought to see it in the end,
That thou would'st answer here,
Some sin in thee must surely be,
That I'd afflict thee so:
For many ways I so disguis'd,
Thou knew'st not how to go;
Yet still in ME thy trust I see,
And so thy foes I'll shame;
Because the end 'tis my intend
That all shall know my Name.
The mystery here of Job I'll clear-
Should I afflict one Man

With grief too great for he to bear,
By Satan's artful hand?

I tell thee no; it should not be so,
Had I not ends behind,
Another day to shew the way
The Tempter I should bind.
So from the word that's on record,
Satan did try the man,
Then every way for to betray;
But see how he did stand,

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With words appear himself to clear,
As I had clear'd before;

And though he thought my rod was there,
The grief that he did bear

Came all from ME, was judg'd by he,

And yet he did submit:

But now I'll chain the enemy,

And lay him at Men's feet.

One chapter there to thee I'll clear,

Isay, the following day:

And other mysteries

will

I shall before thee lay;

appear,

Because to Man all Types must come-
The Type of JOB stands deep:

After his fall, which came by Hell,

He did in grandeur break;

And from his friends see what is penn'd,

They surely did repent;

Their boasting soon was at an end—
And so my mind is bent:

The just I'll free, as I did he,

And make their foes to turn;

Because the end, they ALL shall see,
It just like JOB's shall come."

The xxxviii chapter, ver. 11. Hitherto shalt thou proud come, but no further; and here shall thy waves be stayed.-The 13, 14, 15, verses. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it, it is turned as

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