John Trapp on Job 15:3-4

Verſe 3. Should he reaſon with unprofitable talk?] Why? But if he do, ſhould he therefore be thus rippled up, and rough-hewed? And not rather reduced and rectified with hard Arguments and ſoft words? Man is a croſs crabbed creature: Duci vult, trahi non vult; Perſwade him you may, compel him you cannot. A fit time alſo muſt be taken to perſwade him to better, for elſe you may looſe your ſweet words upon him. The Husbandman ſoweth not in a ſtorm: The Mariner hoyſeth not ſail in every wind: Good Phyſicians evacuate not the body in extremity of heat and cold. A brother offend[illegible: 1 letter]d is harder to be [illegible: 1 span] a ſtrong City, Prov. 18.19. This Eliphaz ſhould have conſidered, and not ſo raſhly cenſured Job for a fool, and his talk for traſh, but rather handled him tenderly, conſidering his condition, and deſired him to explain ſuch of his ſpeeches as he thought not ſo well and wiſely uttered.

Or with ſpeeches where with he can do no good?] This is but the ſame with the former; and indeed this whole verſe is but a ſaying of that plainly, which in the foregoing verſe he had ſaid figuratively.

Varſe 4. Yea thou caſteſt off fear.] Heb. Thou makeſt void ſear; that is, Religion, whereof the fear of God is both the beginning, Prov. 1.7. and the end, Eccleſ. 12.1. This is an heavy charge indeed; as if Job, by ſaying, the extreme miſeries of this life are common to the godly and the wicked, had by conſequence taught men to caſt off all Religion as unprofitable, which none but ſuch a ſhameleſſe man as thy ſelf, ſaith Eliphaz, would ever have averred. It cannot be denyed, but that Job, through the bitterneſſe of his grief, and the unreaſonableneſſe of his adverſaries, was ſomewhat carried beyond the bounds of that reverence which is doe unto God, and reaſoneth the matter ſomewhat hotly with God; but that thereby he bewrayed his manifeſt contempt of his Majeſty, caſting off all awful regard and recourſe thereto by Prayer, as the wicked, who call not upon God, Pſal. 14.4. This was a meet [illegible: 1 letter]avil, or rather an unſufferable injury done to the good man, who gave ſufficient teſtimony of his ſearing God, and eſtſoons poured out his prayer in his preſence. All which notwithſtanding, he heareth in the next words,

And reſtraineſt prayer before God.] Thou forbeareſt to pray thy ſelf, and thou diſcourageſt others. If this had been true, it had been a foul fault indeed, for whiles Prayer ſtandeth ſtill, the whole Trade of godlineſſe ſtandeth ſtill likewiſe, and to caſt off Prayer, is to caſt off God: Jer. 10.25. We muſt take heed of falling from the affections of Prayer, though we continue doing the Duty. As veſſels of Wine, when firſt tapped, are very ſmart and quick, but at laſt grow exceeding flat: ſo do many Chriſtians, (through unbelief, and worldly cares an buſineſſes, or domeſtical diſcords, or ſome other diſtempers, whereby prayers are hindred, 1 Pet. 3.7.) either they pray not frequently, or not fervently, but in a cuſtomary formal bedulling way. And this Eliphaz might ſuſpect Job of, and aſſigne it as the cauſe of all his miſcarriages in word and deed. Sure it is, that as ſleep compoſeth drunkenneſſe, ſo doth prayer the affections: a man may pray himſelf ſober again,Dr. Preſton. as a Reverend man gathereth out of this Text.