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954 ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. V.

1. Turne to some of the Saints.) Eliphaz prouoking Iob to produce some of his opinion, or to seeke the helpe and patronage of some Saint in his cause, plainly sheweth the common faith and practise of inuocating Saints in that time. Els it had been a friuolous speach, which is not to be imputed to a sensible wise man as he was. For it appeareth by the drift of his reasoning, that he supposed some of Gods special seruants would maintaine a good cause, but that Iobs cause was such as neither God, nor holie Angel, nor good man would defend, and therfore boldly prouoked him to this trial, presuming that he should finde no such patron. Neither did he wil Iob in these words to cal vpon God only, for he could not erre so grosly, as to cal God some of the Saints: but must meane some other holie person. And it is cleer by the Septuaginta Interpreters, that Eliphaz willed Iob to inuocate the Angels. saying: Inuocate if anie wil answer thee, or if thou canst behold anie of the holie Angels. S. Gregorie expoundeth it to the same sense, that Saints were to be inuocated in a good cause, but that Eliphaz here dispising and deriding holie Iob, sayd to him: Thou canst not find Saints thy helpers in affliction, whom thou wouldest not haue thy felowes in prosperitie.

CHAP VI.

VT Iob answering, sayd: Would God my sinnes were weyghed, wherby I haue deserued wrath, and the calamitie, which I suffer, in a balance. ″ As the sand of the sea this would appeare heauier, wherfore my words also are ful of sorow: Because the arrowes of our Lord be in me, the indignation wereof drinketh vp my spirit, & the terrours of our Lord warre agaynst me. Wil the wilde asse roare when he hath grasse? or the oxe loweth when he shal stand before the ful manger? Or can an vnsauourie thing be eaten, that is not seasoned with salt? or can a man tast that which being tasted bringeth death? The things which before my soule would not touch, now Rh