John Trapp on Job 13:4

Verſe 4. But ye are forgers of lies] i. e. Ye create falſe maximes to judg me by; ye gather up without any order, and to no purpoſe whatſoever cometh in your way to ſtrengthen and maintaine your falſe accuſation againſt me. You are not onely concinnatores, Mendacia mendaciis aſſuitis. forgers, but compactores, botchers, ſuch as by ſowing one lye to another, do patch up a falſe and frivolous diſcourſe. So David, Pſalm 119.69. The proud have forged (or pieced together, made it up as of many ſhreds) a lie againſt me. David ſaith of hypocrites, that their tongue frameth deceit, Pſal. 50.19 and of Doeg, that his tongue deviſed miſchief, like a ſharp razor, doing deceit, Pſalm 52.2. Jeremiah ſaith of his country-men, that they had taught their tongues to ſpeak lies, and were grown Artiſts at it, chap. 9.5. yea, that they had taken faſt-hold of deceit, and could not be got off without ſtriving, chap. 8.5. But theſe country-men of Job were none ſuch, for God ſaid, Surely they are my people, children that will not lye, Iſai. 63.8. And although every man be a liar, either by impoſture, or by impotency; yet it muſt be underſtood that theſe good men aimed at truth, and intended not to deceive Job, but to undeceive him rather. They maintained errors, but unwittingly: they charged him alſo (but unjuſtly) with hypocriſie.Merlin. Hence this ſo ſevere a high charge, ye are forgers of lies, ſuch as our Ruffians would revenge with a ſtab. But we muſt know, ſaith one, that in thoſe better times it was not ſo harſh a buſineſſe in a ſerious diſputation to call that a lie, which was falſely alledged by an adverſary, as now-a-dayes it is in this corrupt age of ours, wherein the greateſt liars, though taken in the manner, yet take it extreme ill to be told of their fault. Beſides, in the defence of Gods cauſe, and the labouring truth, plain-dealing, even with our beſt friends is beſt: ſo that the Apoſtles rule Eph. 4.31. be obſerved, Let all bitterneſſe, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil ſpeaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Ye are all Phyſicians of no value] Becauſe you go to work upon wrong principles, and miniſter miſtaken phyſick. Phyſicians he acknowledgeth them, and that they came with a good intent to comfort him: but for want of skill, in ſtead of curing, they had well-nigh killed him, becauſe they judged amiſſe of his diſeaſe, and uſed corroſives in ſtead of cordials. By the way obſerve, that Gods word is not only the food, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Aeſchyl. but the phyſick of the ſoul, and may farre more fitly be ſo called, then the library of Alexandria was of old: for as the diſeaſes of the body are healed by phyſick ſeaſonably and rightly uſed: ſo are the diſtempers of the ſoul by Scripture-conſolations; neither ſhall we ever have cauſe to complain of them, as Cicero did of Philoſophical-comforts, neſcio quomodo &c. I know not how it cometh to paſſe, but this I find, that the diſeaſe is too hard for the Phyſick: or as the Romans did of Sylla's bloody government, that the Remedy was worſe then the Malady: how forcible are right words, ſaid Job, chap. 6.25? And fair words, as phyſicians, cure the mind diſtempered with paſſion, ſaith the Poet. Once. when Luther was in a great heat about ſomething that had croſſed him, Melancthon pacified him by repeating this verſe, Vince animor, trámque tuam, qui caetera vintis.

But Jobs friends, as they were botchers of lies, ſo they were bunglers at healing him: they did, ſaith Laevater, as a Surgeon, who applieth a plaiſter to the hand of him whoſe grief is in his foot: or as that Country-Mountebank in France, who was wont to give in writing to his patients for curing all diſeaſes,Becan. ſum[illegible: 1 letter] Theol part. 1. cap. 16.

Si vis curari de morbo neſcio quali, Accipas herbaus, ſed qualem weſcio, nec quam: Ponas neſcio qua, curabere neſcio quando.

Theſe verſes are by one thus Engliſhed,

Your ſore I know not what, do not foreſlow To cure with herbs, which whence I do not know: Place them (well pouncit) I know not where, and then You ſhall be perfect whole, I know not when.

Such [illegible: 1 word] Si[illegible: 3 letters]s, [illegible: 2 letters]lli[illegible: 1 letter]ies in the world, ſuch no phyſicians, ſuch idols, ſuch extreme nothingneſſes, good for nothing (as that rotten girdle in Jeremiah; thoſe vinebranches in Ezekiel, chap. 15.3. That idol in Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 8.4.)Jer. 13.7. were Jobs friends to him, miſerable comforters, chap. 16.2. adding to his affliction, in ſtead of eaſing it, and puſhing at him, as the whole herd of Deer, doth at that one that is wounded.