Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms

CHAP. XXXV. Verse 1. Elihu spake moreover, and said.]

HIs speech was for God, as before; and therefore he spake moreover: For, as Austin faith of the Feast of Pentecost, Gaudet produci haec solennitas; so we may say of a Discourse of this nature, Gaudet produci haec serm • cina • io; the longer it is, the better; since of God and his righteous dealing, Non satis unquam dici potest, as Lavater here hath it; never can enough be spoken. For although we all yield that God is just, yet if any cross befall us, we are apt to question it, and to think ourselves hardly dealt with.

Verse 2. Thinkest thou this to be right? ] Heb. Reckonest thou this to be right? q.d. I appeal to thine own conscience. This is a sign of great confidence in the Appealer, yet may it be done by men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth: Witness that bold Anabaptist, that in a solemn Dispuation at Tigure, appealed to Zwingli, as if convinced in his own conscience, he had inwardly favored Anabaptism. And those impudent Papists, that report themselves to our consciences, to tell them, Whether our condemnation be not so expressly set down in our own Bibles, and so clear to all the world, that nothing more needs thereto, then that they know to read, and to have their eyes in their heads at the opening of our Bible: To tell them more-over, whether England hath not brought forth within these few years past, to the number of twenty several sorts of Bibles, far different one from another.

That thou saidst, My righteousness is more then God's ] Heb. My righteousness is before God's. Diodate rendereth it, My Righteousness is from God; that is, I am sure God will justify me, though men condemn me. But it is better to render it, Prae Deo, more then God's (see a like expression, Heb. 12.24.) understanding it of the justice of his Cause, and not of his Person. But taking it so too, when and where did Job ever say that his righteousness was more then God's? No where surely in so many words, for then doubtless Satan, and not Job, would have carried away the victory in this conflict. Neither surely could this be rightly gathered out of Jobs words, but detorted and misconstrued. Elihu therefore reproved him with two great austerity, neither can anything be pleaded for him but this, that he pleaded for God; of whose glory he was so very tender, that he could not brook or bear with any syllable of a word that seemed to detract from it.

Verse 3. For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? ] Here he endeavors to prove the charge, grounding upon some words of Jobs, as chap. 9.22. and 10.15. which seem to hold out thus much, that no good was to be gotten by leaving evil ways, since good men and bad suffer and perish together. But we must know, that Job herein reasoned not of those things that fall out after death, but only of the prosperous or unhappy estate of this life present; denying, and that rightly, that we are hereby to judge of God's love or hatred, or of any man's honest or dishonest conversation; Neither yet did he stand in defense of his own righteousness against God, but only appealed to God as a most wise and just Judge, against the false accusations of his fo-friends, who by pouring oil into the fire, as it were, very much vexed and disquieted him all along.

Or what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin? ] Or, What profit shall I have by it more then by my sin? This, if Elihu could have proved that Job had said, he might very well have justified what he had wished to him, and affirmed of him in the two last verses of the precedent Chapter.

Verse 4. I will answer thee and thy companions with thee ] Thy three friends, (who have not so well quit themselves in this Controversy, as having answered little or nothing to this unsavory saying of thine) and to the rest of the by-standers, which approve of thine opinion, as people are apt to favor the weaker side (as it is reputed) and to encourage them. Thus it befell Luther, when he began first to reform.

Verse 5. Look unto the heavens and see ] Yea, look into them, if thou couldst, as did Steven the Proto-Martyr, Act. 7.56. and as our Savior Christ, as man, could do (say some) with his bodily eyes; and as a believer by the eye of his faith, through the Perspective glass of the Promises, may do doubtless. The further we can look unto heaven (or into it ) the better shall we conceive of that infinite distance that is betwixt God in heaven, and men on earth. God is far above the highest heavens, therefore higher then any mortal can attain to him, much less contribute anything unto him by his righteousness; or assault him by his wickedness. Herodotus writeth, That the Thracians once were so mad against their god Jupiter, for raining down upon them when ready to join battle with the enemy, that they threw up their darts against heaven, which shortly returned upon their own heads. And of Caligula the Emperor it is storied that he thundered and lightened with certain Engines he had; and if at any time a thunderbolt fell from heaven, ipse contrà jaci • bat lapidem, he on the other side threw up a stone, and used that Hemistich in Homer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Either do thou kill me, or I will kill the • , if I can. And what less then this upon the matter do those monsters and miscreants amongst us, who set their mouths against heaven, when things go cross with them especially; and their tongues walk through the earth, Psal. 73.9? As Hacket did, who lifting up his eyes to heaven▪ and grinning against God, blasphemed him, and threatened him, even when he had the rope about his neck, Anno 1591. Now, as in the water face answereth to face, so doth the face of a man to a man. And as there were many Marii in one Caesar, so there are many Caligula's and Hackets in the best of us all, if God restrain us not from such horrid outrages. But Elihu would have us here to know; that God is far above our reach, neither can we throw this high and lofty one out of his throne, utcunque fremamus & ferociamus: for how should anything that we silly. Creatures can do, reach to God; when as we cannot reach up to the visible heavens?

And behold the clouds which are higher then thou ] Eminent prae te. The clouds are God's Chariot whereon he rideth, and wherein he manifesteth much of his Majesty. These Elihu would have Job to contemplate in their height, even superiores nub • s, as Tremellius rendereth it, the upper clouds; or, as others, the Starry Heaven, Heb. The thin of heavens. So Bildad before had called upon him to behold the Moon and the Stars, chap. 25.5. And surely the very sight of heaven over us (to the which all that we are or can, can bring no help or hurt at all) should admonish us of our meanness, and make us think most modestly of God, whom we are so infinitely below; and not dare either to complain of him, or to boast us before him; &c. For this cause it is that Elihu so presseth Job here with this heap of words, that he may henceforth know and keep his distance; and not so presumptuously call God (as it were) to reckoning, touching expenses and receipts.

Verse 6. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? ] What more then show thy teeth? or shoot at a rock, where the Arrow rebounds upon thee? In the sack of Constantinople, the Image of the Crucifix was taken down by the Turks, and a Turks Cap put upon the head thereof, and so set up, and shot at with their arrows; and afterwards in great derision, carried about in the Camp, as it were in Procession, with Drums playing before it, railing and spitting at it, and calling it the God of the Christians; But what was all this to Christ? He that sitteth in the heavens ( extra jactum) laughed at them, the Lord had them in derision, Psal. 2.4. Do wicked sinners, when they work hardest against God (as the word here signifieth) and take greatest pains to go to hell; do they, I say, provoke the Lord to anger? Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Jer. 7.19 And may we not well say to such, as Ulysses his companions said to him, when he would needs provoke Polydamas.

God can easily get him a name in the utter overthrow of a rabble of rebels conspiring against him, as at the Flood, tower of Babel, Sodom, Egypt, Moab, &c. who were trodden down under him, as straw is trodden down for the dunghill, Isai. 25.10. And in the next verse, The Lord shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim, (that is, with greatest facility; for violent strokes rather sink then support a swimmer) and he shall bring down their pride, together with the spoils of their hands: And the fortress of the high fort of their walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust, Isai. 25.11, 12.

Verse 7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? ] Nothing, since he is self-sufficient, and independent. He needeth us not, neither doth our righteousness reach him, Psal. 16.2. The Pharisees dreamt of an over-doing the Law, and making God beholding to them. The Papists also, those modern Pharisees, talk of works of super-erogation, and of merit of congruity and merit of condignity. But these are mere fictions, Chimaera's, absurd Doctrines, such as Elihu never heard of. He that doth righteousness is righteous, 1 John 3.7. but he addeth nothing thereby to God, let him do his utmost. Indeed whoso offereth praise, glorifieth God, Psal. 50.23. so he is pleased to account it, and call it: but his glory is as himself is, eternal, infinite, immense. The Sun would shine in its own brightness, though all the world were blind, and should willfully wink: so here. God accepts not our persents, but to return them us back with interest, as the rain ascends in thin vapors, but comes down again in thick showers.

Or what receiveth he of thine hand? ] If anything, it is of his own, as David thankfully acknowledgeth, 1 Chron. 29.14. and besides that, our sweetest Incense smelleth strong of the hand that offereth it.

Verse 8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art ] Wicked men are many ways mischievous to others; and have much to answer for their other men's sins. How many are undone by their murders, adulteries, robberies, false testimonies, blasphemies and other rotten speeches, to the corrupting of good manners, &c? What hurt is done daily by the Devils factors, to men's souls, bodies, names, estates? Besides that they betray the land wherein they live into the hands of divine Justice, whiles they do wickedly with both hands earnestly, Mic. 7.3. That I speak not of the manifold miseries, they pull upon themselves.

And thy righteousness may profit the son of man ] Thy self and others: for the Just liveth by his own faith, he maketh a living of it, and a good one too. And as for his Charity, it is the mother of all manner of good works, whereof others have the benefit. Papists, and some as silly, have shrunk up charity to an hands breadth, to giving of Alms: But besides that, a good man draweth out, not only his sheaf, but his soul to the hungry. He also warneth the unruly, comforteth the feeble minded, supporteth the weak, and tradeth all his talents for the good of others: He is a common blessing to all that art about him. As Plutarch said of the neighbor-Villages of Rome, in Numa's time, That sucking in the air of that City, they breathed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Righteousness; so may it be said of the City of God, and her Citizens.

Verse 9 By reason of the multitude (or magnitude ) of oppressions, &c. ] Or, Of the oppressed, whom they (that is, whom the Oppressors, not worthy to be named, as neither is that rich glutton, Luke 16.) make to cry. Job had said, chap. 24.12. Men groan out of the City, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God layeth no • folly to them; He punisheth not the wrong-dealers according to their deserts as Elihu interprets Job; and here refuteth him, as one that accused God of injustice, because he heareth not the cries of the oppressed. But this is merely their own fault, faith Elihu; because they cry not to God with truth and devotion: They ask and miss, because they ask amiss. For God never faileth to be with his afflicted, Psal. 91. to preserve the simple, as David found by experience, Psal. 116. to hear those that call upon him in truth, Psal. 145. &c. he requireth nothing of them but lawful petitions, and honest hearts, and then they are sure to have out their prayers, either in money, or moneys worth; either the same thing they ask, or a better.

They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty] Magnatum. Such as was Pompey, of whom the Romans cried out, Nostrâ miseria 〈◊〉 • o Magnus. We rue by thy greatness, and are ruined. The greater any man is, unless gracious also, the more he thinks he may oppress the meaner sort. They eat up my people, as they eat bread, Psal. 14. as so many Cannibals; and as the bigger fishes devour the lesser: they lay load upon them without mercy or measure, they beat them with a strong arm, and make them cry aloud, filling the air with their complaints, as nature teacheth even brute beasts to do when they are hurt. It was not patience but pertinency, an obstinate stiffeness of mind, that made some Heathens, as Mithridates, Marius, Epicurus, &c. forbear crying, when grievously tormented.

Verse 10. But none saith, Where is God my maker? ] Heb. My makers: to note the Trinity, say some: others think, that he speaks of God in the plural number only for honors sake. They call not upon God as their Creator, they praise him not as their Preserver and Benefactor, saith Elihu in this and the next verse: but express a g • eat deal of pride and vanity, verse 12, 13. and thence it is, that their prayers are unanswered, and themselves unrelieved. The oppressed should not only make moan and fill the air▪ vagis clamoribus, with brutish out-cries (the fruit of the flesh for ease, rather than of the spirit for grace) but beg help of God by faithful prayer, and say, Where is God my maker? as Elisha once said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Did he not make me, and will he not maintain me? built he not the earthly house of this tottering Tabernacle, and is not he bound to repairs? will he cast off the care of his own handiwork? Is he not my Master, as well as my Maker? and shall other Lord's besides him have Dominion over me, and do with me at their pleasure? Lord, look upon the wounds of thy hands (said Q Eliz. whiles she was a Prisoner at Woodstock and had like to have been burnt in her bed, one night) and despise not the work of thine hands. Thou hast written me down in thy book of Preservation with thine own hand: Oh read thine own hand-writing, and save me, &c.

Who giveth songs in the night ] As the oppressed pray not, and therefore are not eased, (they are deservedly miserable, that might, but will not make themselves happy by asking) so they praise not God for former deliverances by day and night conferred upon them. Thou hast compassed me about, saith David with songs of deliverance, Psal. 32.7. that is, Thou hast given me plentiful matter of praising thy name. So here, Qui dat Psalmorum argumentum de n • cte as Tremellius translateth it: who giveth cause to praise him with Psalms by night, as David did Psal. 119.62. and as Paul, and Silas, Act. 16.25. and as Mr. Philpot and his fellows did in the Bishop of London's Coal-house. In the night-season it is, that God giveth his beloved sleep; and keepeth them and theirs then in safety. Or, if he hold them waking, he filleth them with many sweet meditations, (their reins at that time especially, instructing them, Psal. 16.7.) shineth upon them by his Moon and Stars (which praise God in their courses, and twinkle as it were at us to do the like) and inmindeth them by the melody made by the Nightingale, which singeth for fifteen nights and days together without intermission, if Pliny may be believed: putting a thorn to her breast to keep her waking, for that purpose. Hereupon Epictetus hath this savoury saying, Si luscinia essem, facerem quod luscinia; Cum antem homo rationals sim, qui • faciam? Laudabo Deum, nec cessabo unquam; Vos vero ut idem faciatis hortor: that is, if I were a Nightingale, I would do as the Nightingale doth; But since I am a man endued with reason, (since God hath taught me more than the fowls of heaven, as Elihu hath it in the next verse) what shall I do? I will incessantly praise God; and I exhort you to do the like. But this is not done, saith Elihu here, or very slenderly; and hence it is that men complain of their many and mighty oppressions, without remedy from God, who seeth that his favors and benefits would be even lost and spilled upon them; according to that of the Philosopher, Ingrat • quicquid donatur deperditur; All is cast away, that is conferred upon an ungrateful person.

Verse 11. Who teacheth us more then the beasts of the earth? ] This many wretched people never consider; and are therefore heavily, but worthily, vexed by oppressors, ut vexatio det intellectum, that smart may make wit; and that they may not bellow as beasts do, when they feel pain: but fly to God by well-prepared prayer, not so much for ease, as for the use of what they suffer. Now, blessed is the man whom God chasteneth, and withal teacheth him out of his Law: that he may give him rest from the days of adversity, Psal. 94.12, 13. Hereunto, not only Reason is required, (the Mercy here mentioned, and celebrated) but Religion also; which is the true Philosophers stone that makes golden afflictions, 1 Pet. 1.7. and as Moses his hand, turneth a Serpent into a Rod. The truth is, Religion is the highest reason, (neither is anything more irrational than irreligion, 2 Thess. 3.2) and this also God alone teacheth. For, Cathedram habet in coelo qui corda docet, saith Austin. And again, Quando Christus Magister, quàm cito discitur quod docetur? It is God above, who teacheth the heart: and this if he once undertake, it is soon dispatched. All this, if sinful men would well weight, and be thankful for, as they ought, God would surely help them, and not suffer them so to be held under.

And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ] Sapientificat. Some Birds are very silly, as the Struthiocamelus, that having thrust his head into a thicket, and seeing nobody, thinketh that therefore none seeth him, and so maketh himself a prey. Doves sit in their dove-cotes, and see their nests destroyed, their young ones taken away and killed before their eyes: neither ever do they offer to rescue, or revenge. Mention is made by Writers, of a certain nameless little Bird, which for fear lest the Heavens should fall upon her, puts always, when she sleepeth, one foot upon her head: How much better the Bird Onocrotalus? of whom it is reported, that out of expectation of the Hawk to grapple with her, she sleepeth with her beak exalted, as if she would contend with her adversary. Something there is that the wisest may learn from the fowls of the air, to whom therefore they are sent and set to school, Mat. 6.26. Jer. 8.7. yet generally God hath put more understanding into men: so that as he should not do like them by preying upon others, so he should not cry unto God only in distress, as the young Raves do when hunger-bit: but pray always, and in everything give thanks; for which purpose it is, that God hath given us reason, speech, and much matter and means, far above the unreasonable Creatures. Vae igitur stupiditati hominum in calamitatibus torpentium.

Verse 12. There they cry, but none giveth answer ] Cry they do, but not to the true God, Jon. 1.5. The Papists have their he-saints, and she-saints, for several uses. Or if to the true God, yet not in a due manner: not in faith, and with remorse for their misdoings. And hence it is, that either they are not heard and helped: or not in mercy, but for a further mischief, and to furnish out their indictment at the last day: and on their death-beds, God will not come at them, or be entreated by them, Prov. 1.28. Psal. 18.42.

Because of the pride of evil men ] i. e. Because these oppressed ones that thus cry, are not so poor as proud; humbled they are, but not humble; low, but not lowly. Plectuntur, sed non flectuntur: they have lost the fruit of their afflictions, and are not a button the better for all that they have suffered.

Verse 13. Surely God will not hear vanity ] Prayer without Faith, is but an empty ring, a tinkling cymbal. Neque enim omnes qui citharam habent, sunt citharoedi; Every sound is not Music, neither is every complaint and out-cry of men in extremity, an effectual Prayer. Those in Hosea, when pined almost, howled as Dogs, growled as Swine, bellowed as Bulls, screeched horribly as the Ravens of Arabia, Hos. 7.14 but because they cried not to God with their hearts, he heard them not. It is not the labor of the lips, or the loudness of the voice, but the travel of the heart, and truth in the inward parts that he regardeth: Psal. 51.6. Wilt thou not know, O vain (or empty ) man, that Faith without Works is dead? saith St. James chap. 2.20. so that prayer without faith is to no purpose? Men may cry aloud in distress, and make their voices to be heard on high; they may chatter out a charm when God's chastening is upon them, yea, be with child, as it were, of a prayer, yet bring forth nothing better than wind, work no deliverance at all in the earth, Isai. 26.16, 17, 18. God may turn them off, and justly, with Depart ye workers of iniquity; get you to the gods whom ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation: for I will deliver you no more, Judge. 10. verse. 13, 14.

Neither will the Almighty regard it ] Heb Look intently into it. It is other, and better fruit of affliction that he looketh for. Whereof missing, he looketh another way, as it were, and taketh no notice of their prayers, or pressures. Hence they deny, or at least doubt of the divine providence: and are ready to let fly at God, as the Chinese whip their gods, if they help them not at a call.

Verse 14. Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, &c. ] This is that tertium Jobi pronuntiatum, Jobs third speech, which Elihu taketh upon him to reprehend and refute: It is taken out of chap. 23.8, 9. and the sense is, that God would never appear to do him right. But although thou sayest such a thing, and so seemest to chime in with those wicked ones who deny God's providence; yet thou oughtest to be better preswaded of his presence with thee, and providence over thee: for judgment is before him, and he will certainly do right; only thou must give glory to God, and wait his time.

Yet judgment is before him ] Or, Judge thyself in his sight; give glory to God, and confess thy sin: and then, stepping from the Bar to the Bench, judge thyself worthy to be destroyed, 1 Corinth. 11. verse. 31. This do, and then

Trust thou in me ] For safety here, and salvation hereafter; acting thy Faith upon the precious promises, and hopefully expecting the performance thereof in due time. This was excellent counsel indeed, and worthy of all acceptation.

Verse 15. But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger ] Because thou hast not yet done as I have prescribed, God is forced thus to treat thee, and to increase his plagues upon thee in great displeasure at thine incorrigibleness. Thus is good Job miscensured, whom God suffered so to be afflicted for his trial, and not for his punishment; though there wanted not in him cause enough, if God should have taken advantags. But know now, that his anger hath visited thee but a little; (this is Beza's translation of the whole verse) neither hath he made any great inquisition. Piscator readeth this and the next verse thus; But now, because his anger hath not visited, neither hath he taken notice of the multitude of his sins very much: therefore doth Job open his mouth with vanity, and heap up words without knowledge. Tremellius thus, For now, because there is nothing of these, doth his anger visit thee: viz. because thou neither rightly judgest thyself, nor waitest upon God: but lookest upon thyself as utterly undone, casting away all hope of better, therefore art thou yet held under.

Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity ] Job perceiveth not (so blind he is) though he have his back-burden of afflictions, and knows not how to be rid of them. This, Elihu speaketh to the company, by an angry Apostrophe.

Verse 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain ] Dilarat, divaricat, rictum diducit ut bellua. An open mouth is oft a purgatory to the Master: digito compesce labellum.

He multiplieth words without knowledge ] Eliphaz had charged Job with malice and blasphemy, chap. 22. Elihu only with vanity, and ignorance. We may not make the worst of things, but give a favorable interpretation.

CHAP. XXXVI. Verse 1. Elihu also proceeded and said]

HEB. And Elihu added, viz. This his fourth Oration (not unlike the former) made in behalf, and for defense of God's Justice, which he here further asserteth against Job (who had seemed to cast some slur upon it) by arguments drawn from his wondrous works, the Meteors especially: and all to prevail with Job, to submit to God's justice, and to implore his mercy.

Verse 2. Suffer me a little, and I will show thee ] He promiseth brevity, and thereby wooeth attention: brevity and perspicuity are to great graces of speech, and do very much win upon intelligent hearers, who love to hear much in few, and cannot away with tedious prolixities. When a great Trifler had made an empty discourse in the presence of Aristotle, and then cried him mercy for troubling him so long: You have not troubled me at all, said He, for I scarce hearkened to any one word you said all this while.

That I have yet to speak on God's behalf ] Heb. That there are yet words for God. His zeal for God's glory drew from him this following speech, wherein insignis est Elihu & magnificus: Elihu excelleth himself; and appeareth to be no worse an Orator then was M. Crassus among the Romans, who had this commendation given him, Quod cum aliquid accuratiùs dixisset, semper fere contigit ut nunquam dixisse meliùs putaretur, That when ever he spake, it was judged to be the very best that ever he spake.

Verse 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar ] Even from heaven, as one taught of God; I will discourse of ancient things (for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) and fetch my reasons from the wonderful and sublime works of God, those real demonstrations of his Deity. Est autem plane hic Elihu mirus & egregius, saith Mercer: And he is not a little wronged by that French Paraphrast, who saith of him, That he knew well how to begin a discourse, but knew not how to end it: and that seeing well that his tediousness might make him troublesome, he awakened his languishing Auditors by this artificial preface.

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker ] This is both the main proposition of the ensuing Oration, and the main end of man's creation; viz. to glorify his Maker, Rom. 11. ult. Rev. 4.11.

Verse 4. For truly my words shall not be false ] I shall deal truly and plainly with thee, my Discourse shall be simple and solid, having no better ornament but that of Truth; which is like our first parents, most beautiful, when naked; 'twas sin covered them, 'tis treachery hides this. Aperta veritas clausos etiam oculos ferit, saith One.

He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee ] Integer sententiis; meaning himself, who fully understood the business betwixt them, and would faithfully deliver it. There are that hold God to be hereby meant. A pious sense, but not so proper.

Verse 5. Behold God is mighty, and despiseth not any ] Much less oppresseth he any one in a good Cause, or tyrannically abuseth his power to the crushing of an Innocent. He is equally good, as great; neither was Job well advised in seeming to sunder these two excellencies in God, the one from the other; since whatsoever is in God is God; neither ought we to think of him otherwise, then of one not to be thought of; as of one, whose Wisdom is his Justice, whose Justice is his Power, whose Power is his Mercy, and all Himself.

He is mighty in strength and wisdom ] Or, He is mighty the strength of the heart. He was so to David, Psal. 138.3. In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul. At the sack of Ziklag, in the fail of all outward comforts, David encouraged himself in the Lord his God, 1 Sam. 30.6. A Christian is never without his cordial.

Verse 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked ] He is no such friend to them (though he be good to the godly) he greatly careth not what becomes of them. Their life they hold of him, and many good things besides; for he is the Savior (or Preserver ) of all men, but especially of them that believe. But he suffereth not the wicked to live (as the Hebrew here hath it) he withdraweth them not from the hand of Justice, he bindeth not them up in the bundle of life, he reckoneth them not among the living in Jerusalem, among the first born, whose names are written in heaven: he many times slayeth them with his own hand, and cutteth them short in righteousness: Or if not so, yet their preservation is but a reservation, &c.

But giveth right to the poor ] Or, To the afflicted. For poverty is an affliction, and subjecteth a man to many injuries; Zeph. 3.12. they are an afflicted and poor people, but trusting in the name of the Lord, they shall be relieved and righted, not so soon perhaps as themselves would, nor yet so long hence as their Oppressors would. In the Mount will the Lord be seen, who as he seldom comes at our times, so he never fails his own time. Mean while this comfort they have:

Verse 7. He with draweth not his eyes from the righteous ] He is so lost in love (as I may say) toward such, that he cannot like to look beside them: he beholdeth them when afflicted with singular care and complacency. Then, if ever, The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears open to their cry, Psal. 34.15 then they may have anything of God, their being no time like that for hearing of prayers, Zach. 13.9. Times of affliction are times of supplication, Psal. 50.15. and 91.15. They are Mollissima fandi tempora, Jer. 51.19, 20, 21. Then our hearts are largest, then God's ears are openest. Neither his ears only, but his eyes too are busied about his suffering servants, as the Gold-smiths are about the Gold cast into the furnace, that no grain thereof be lost. He sits down by the fire, saith Malachi, and tends it, as a Refiner and Purifier of silver, chap. 3.3. He refines them, but not as silver, Isai. 48.10. that is, Not exactly, and to the utmost, lest they should be consumed in that fiery trial: he seeth to it, that the choice spirits of his people fail not before him, Isai. 57.16. as they would do, if he should bring upon them an evil, an only evil, Ezek. 7.5. and not in the midst of judgment remember mercy.

But with Kings are they on the throne ] i.e. He raiseth them to highest honors, as he did Joseph; whose fetters God in one hour changed into a chain of Gold, his stocks into a Chariot, his Jaile into a Palace, his Rags into fine linen, &c. yea, as Jeremy's rags helped to draw him out of the dungeon, so do afflictions work out to God's people, an exceeding exceeding, eternal weight of glory. Here perhaps they may be held under, but to him that overcometh, will the Lord Christ grant to sit with him in his throne, Rev. 3.21. The deluge of calamities may assault them, but it shall certainly exalt them. They shall have Crowns on their heads, and Palms in their hands, and walk arm in arm with Angels. Some of the Hebrews by Kings here understand Angels, as if it were written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not Melachim, but Maleachim.

Yea, he doth establish them forever, and they are exalted ] Or, When they are exalted. This no earthly Prince can promise himself. Dionysius, who thought his Kingdom had been tied to him with cords of Adamant, was at length driven out of it. But Christ's Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and he will not reign alone; if we suffer with him, we shall also reign together. Rom. 8.

Verse 8. And if they be bound in fetters ] If it so fall out, that through abuse of their prosperity and preferment, they wander as they are men, out of the right way, and God sends out afflictions as his Pursuivants to attach them, and say them in cold irons for their correction, and to prevent judgment, Psal. 107.10.

And be holden in cords of affliction ] Or, Poverty; so that irretiti funibus misere vixerint (as the Tigurines here translate) they have only prisoners pittances, which will neither keep them alive, nor suffer them to die.

Verse 9. Then he showeth them their work ] By these sharp waters he cleareth up their eye-sight, and gives them to see their sin the mother of their misery. Vexatio dat intellectum; Smart makes wit. Manasseh for instance, and the Prodigal, and King Croesus with his Nocumenta documenta, and Tullus Hostilius with his excess of devotion, when once he had paid for his learning.

And their transgressions that they have exceeded ] Heb When they prevail; that before they grow too potent they may cast them away; Ne illis victi in Gehennam descendant, lest they hale them into hell.

Verse 10. He openeth also their ear to Discipline ] See on chap. 33.16.

And commandeth that they return from iniquity ] Unless they will have it to be their ruin; whereof obstinate sinners, (who refuse to return,) seem to be ambitious. Affliction sanctified, is Lex practica, a practical Law, saith One: it is Verus Scripturae commentarius, an excellent Comment upon the Scripture, saith Another. David could not learn God's Statutes till taught by this Free-School-master; cursed enough and crabbed, but such as whereby God openeth men's ears to Discipline, and speaketh to them to return from iniquity, which is a piece of learning, that people cannot pay too dear for.

Verse 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall, &c. ] Heb. They shall finish, they shall spend and end their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasure, as Joseph, Job, and some others have done, who lived and died with glory. Howbeit this Promise is to be understood with exception of the Cross, which yet God both can, and to his, will make profitable and pleasant; as he did to that godly Prince, who being asked, How he could so well endure so long and hard imprisonment? answered, That he had therein felt the divine Consolations of the Martyrs. But,

Verse 12. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword ] In gladium transibunt; they shall pass away by the sword; that is, some evil end shall befall them, and worthily, because they would not be warned, which is both a presage and desert of utter ruin. Lesser and lighter judgments (where they work not) are foretokens of greater and heavier at the heels of them; as the black horse in the Revelation followeth the red. And as clouds cluster against a storm, one following in the neck of the other, unless the Sun break forth and scatter them; so do God's judgments usher in one another, and every less a greater, unless Repentance, and better obedience take up the matter.

And they shall die without knowledge ] Heb. Because they were without knowledge; and willfully so. It was not a bare • escience, but an affected ignorance that undid them. Some render it, Non praesentientes, they shall die suddenly, and before they have bethought themselves. It should be our care, that death do not suddenly surprise us. No guest comes unawares to him, who keeps a constant Table. Every sharp affliction is a warning piece, and let us so conceive of it. Stillicidia praecedunt ruinam.

Verse 13. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath ] Or, Yet: Or, Howbeit q.d. These fowl sinners, that have turned repentance into a form, and converted conversion itself into sin, though they see bad men made good, and good men made better by their afflictions, and incorrigible persons destroyed before their eyes, yet they amend not by God's hand upon them, but are the worse for it: as Iron grows more cold after a heat, and as naughty boys are more stupid and more stubborn after a whipping. Hypocritis nihil stupidius. These hollow hearted ones heap up wrath against the day of wrath, as St. Paul makes up this saying, Rom. 2.5. which shall fall upon the Jew first, because of his pretence to Religion, and then upon the Gentile. Nemo enim magis iram meretur, quam amicum simulans inīmicus, saith Bernard; No man more deserveth wrath upon wrath, then a feigned friend, but true enemy. Such are all hypocrites, whether gross or close. And hence our Savior's severity against such in the Gospel, but especially Mat. 23. Neither let any such Goat in sheep-skin think to steal on Christ's right hand at the last day: He shall uncase such and cashiere them, yea cast them into the hottest fire of hell, whereof hypocrites are as the Free-holders, and other sinners but as Tenants to them, for they shall have their portion with the Devil and hypocrites. Some render it, Ponunt ir • m, and expound it incandescunt in Deum: When they are afflicted, they wax hot against God, they gather wrath as a toad swelleth when handled, as a Serpent gathereth poison to spew out at those who meddle with him.

They cry not when God binds them ] Cry they do after a sort, as Hogs do when to be stuck, or dogs, when tied up from their meat. Murmure they do, and expostulate a wrong with God, as those, Isa. 58.2, 3. Non ita Deos coluimu • , as that heathen hypocrite said, We have not served God so well, that he should serve us no better: but pray they do not, unless it be as those hypocrites in Zacharias, chap. 7. who fasted to themselves, and prayed for their own ends, more to get off, their chains then their sins. They bear fruit to themselves, as Ephraim, and see what comes of it.

Verse 14 They die in youth ] They die before their time, as Solomon expresseth it; then, when it were better for them to do anything then to die, for they are killed with death, as Jezebels children were, Rev. 2. Their soul dieth, as the Hebrew here hath it. Their soul perisheth among the boys, their life among that buggerers; as Beza translateth this Text, and thus Paraphraseth. Therefore as accursed before God they die, and are reckoned amongst those impure young men, whose youth being spent in all filthiness and uncleanness, was subject to that most abominable lust which is not to be named. The sum of all is, saith Brenz, Hypocrita peribit turpiter; The Hypocrite shall once come to a shameful end. And when the fowl sinner shall be damned, what shall become of the fair Professor? God will lead such forth with the workers of iniquity, yea, with the worst kind of sinners (Sodomites for instance) shall he punish them.

Verse 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction. ] Oft in this life, as he did David signally, Psal. 34.6. This poor man (meaning himself) cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. So he pulled Paul out of the mouth of the Lion, yea, and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom; where the Saints shall be sure of full deliverance, and shall say of their afflictions, as that Adulteress said of her accusers, John 8. They are all gone.

He openeth their ears in oppression ] Or, By oppression, as by a key; he openeth the ears of their hearts to holy and wholesome counsel. This Elihu had said before; but he saith it again for that end and purpose, that Job might rouse up, and raise up himself to the hope of a comfortable restauration; for as much as God afflicteth, not his to destroy them, but to make them partakers of his holiness; and that once done, to deliver them.

Verse 16. Even so would he have removed thee, &c. ] The sin revocat ad hypothesin; Here Elihu applieth to Job that which he had more generally discoursed concerning godly men's afflictions turned to their greatest good, if they be careful to improve the same. Heb. He would have persuaded, or gently removed thee.

Out of the strait, &c. ] Heb. Out of the mouth of the strait. A Metaphor from wild beasts, that hold some prey in the mouth, saith Piscator. Or from a pit, narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom, as R. Solomon, and some others, who understand it of hell. Brenz to the same sense rendereth the Text thus, Eripiet te ab ore angustiae lato, sub quo nullum est fundamentum, He shall deliver thee from the broad mouth of straitness, under which there is no bottom.

And that which should be set on the table, &c. ] Thou shouldst eat of the fat, and drink of the sweet, thou shouldst have known no want of anything, if thou hadst not been wanting to thyself, in making the best use of thy troubles. See Psal. 23.5.

Verse 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked ] But thou contrarily blusterest against God, and blurtest out such words, that thou seemest to be as bad as the worst, and to have little or no goodness in thee. See chap. 34 8. It is a shame to God's people to symbolize with the wicked; to be carnal in their speeches or carriages, and to walk as men, 2 Cor. 3.3. They should so speak; and so do; as those that shall be judged by the Law of liberty, Jam. 2.12.

Judgment and justice take hold of thee ] Thou art worthily attached by the divine justice, which thou hast quarrelled.

Verse 18. Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke ] Beza readeth it thus, Surely it is wrath, take heed lest with strokes it take thee away; i.e. Certainly the wrath of God doth in this thy calamity most manifestly show itself. Oh beware lest he double his strokes, and beat thee to pieces for thy disobedience and stubborness. With the froward God will wrestle, Psal. 18.26. and add to their miseries seven times more, and seven times and seven to that, Levite. 26.18, 21, 24, 28.

Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee ] Heb. Turn thee aside, or help thee to decline; that is, to escape, no though thou shouldst offer thousands of Rams, or ten thousand Rivers of Oil, as Mie. 6.7.

Verse 19. Will he esteem thy riches? ] Tremellius rendereth it, Thy Nobility. Others read it thus, Will be regard thy crying in thine adversity? Or, That thou shouldst not abide in adversity? See Proverb. 10.2. and 11.4. with the Notes.

No, not gold ] Which yet can do much with men. The Hebrew word signifieth, finest gold, Job. 22.24. and hath its name from defending, because gold is a man's defense: With men it may be so, but not with God, Zeph. 1.18. See the Note there. Others read it, No not in affliction.

Nor all the forces of strength ] Which are poor things in comparison of God, whose weakness is stronger then men, 1 Corinth. 1.25. He need but to arise, and his enemies shall be scattered: yea, all that hate him, shall fly before him, Psal. 68.1. As the Rocks repel the greatest waves, so doth God his enemies.

Verse 20. Desire not the night, &c ] That is, as some sense it, do not thou peevishly desire death (see chap. 7.15.) lest it comes too soon, and it do by thee, as it doth by many an one, whom it cuts off in judgment. For surely in the state thou art now in, thou oughtest to fear an extraordinary kind of death, an inlet to eternal destruction, as in the Deluge, Sodom and Egypt. Others render it thus, Neither let it disquiet thee in the night, how people are destroyed out of their place; that is, in the night season, when thy mind is void of cares, puzzle not thyself how and why some Nations perish, and not others, but rather rest thyself upon God's providence and unsearchable wisdom, and trouble not thy head in searching out the cause of this so sudden misfortune. Brenz makes this the sense, Noli impie agere; Desire not the night; that is, Deal not wickedly by complaining against God, and impatiently bearing his hand; as Thieves and Adulterers desire the night for dispatch of their deeds of darkness. Think not thou to hide thyself in the dark from the dint of God's displeasure.

When people are cut off in their place ] Heb. Ascend under them: i.e. Rise, that they may fall, Psal. 102.10. as the light of a candle when it is ready to go out, flieth up, and then vanisheth away: Or as the corn is first taken up by the hand of the Reaper, and then cut off, and laid flat on the ground.

Verse 21. Take heed, regard not iniquity ] This especially of blaming God's judgments, as if they were unequal. No more of that, saith Elihu. Cave tibi, ne conjicias oculos ad vanitatem, Beware thou cast not an eye towards such a vanity or iniquity as that is. This was very good counsel; and it is very well observed, that this whole following Treatise to the end of the thirty seventh chapter, is as it were a gentle lenitive of that foregoing sharp rebuke which otherwise was likely to drive Job beside all patience.

For this thou hast chosen rather then affliction ] That is, this forementioned iniquity of speaking rashly and wickedly against God's proceedings with thee; this thou hast chosen rather then to bear thine affliction (or, thy poverty ) patiently. Now this was an ill choice; for, quas non oportet mortes praeligere, saith Zwingli; What deaths ought not a man rather to make choice of, what torments not rather undergo, yea, into what deepest gulf of hell itself not rather enter, then wittingly and willingly to sin against God? The ancient Martyrs would not be delivered upon base terms, Heb 11.35. Daniel chose rather to be thrown to the Lions, then to violate his conscience, and so to have a Lion roaring in his own bosom. The Primitive Christians cried out, Ad Leonem magis quam Lenonem. I had rather enter into hell, being clear from sin and innocent, quam peccati sorde pollutus, coelorum regna tenere, then go to heaven, if I might, besmeared with the filth of sin, faith Anselm. I had rather leap into a Bonfire and be burnt, said another of the Ancients, then commit any sin against God. Some write, that there is a certain little beast, called the Mouse of Armenia, which will rather die then be defiled with any filth: insomuch that if her hole be besmeared with dirt, she will rather choose to be taken then polluted. Such ought the servants of God to be.

Verse 22. Behold, God exalteth by his power. ] Vulg. God is high in his strength. He both exalteth himself and others, whensoever he pleaseth. Beza reads it, Behold God in his strength is above all; q.d. It is he that must restore thee, if ever thou beest restored.

Who teacheth like him? ] Vulg. None amongst the Law-givers is like unto him. But the word Moreh signifieth a Doctor or a Teacher; as Moreh Nebuchim, a Teacher of perplexed things, an unriddler of Riddles. He knows all things exactly, and does all things with singular skil and understanding. He hath many ways of teaching people, and making them to profit, Isai. 48.17. and one is, by afflictions, which Luther therefore fitly calleth Theologiam Christianorum; the Christians System of Divinity; as hath been before noted. Mr. Ascham was a good School-Master (saith one) to Q. Elizabeth, but affliction was a better.

Verse 23. Who hath enjoined him his way? ] q.d. Wilt thou take upon thee to teach this great Teacher how to govern the world? This were a strange kind of arrogancy.

Or, Who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity? ] God's judgments are sometimes secret, but always just. Let not men reprehend what they do not yet comprehend, but content themselves with a learned ignorance, till God shall further discover himself, saying of God's Works, as Socrates did of a certain Book that he had read, What I understand therein is very good, and so I think is that I understand not. When we come into an Artificers shop, we see many Tooles, the use whereof we know not, and yet we conclude they are of some use. Why then should men rashly censure God's proceedings, which are many times in mediis contrariis, as Luther was wont to say, brought about by contrary means; that he may be the more admired, as Nazianzen giveth the reason. The Artificer with a crooked Tool makes straight work. The Apothecary maketh of a poisonful Viper a wholesome Triacle: so here. Far be it from us therefore to charge God with iniquity, for this were, with those mad Manichees, to affirm, That till he had created light, he dwelt in darkness, as if God were not an eternal Light, 1 John 1.5. 1 Tim. 6.16.

Verse 24. Rememember that thou magnify his works ] His work of Creation; wherein the wisdom, power, and goodness of God is clearly manifested, Rom. 1.19 in that glorious structure of the heavens especially, which men behold. Or his work of Administration, and Gubernation, whereof David saith, All thy Works praise thee, O Lord; that is, they yield matter of magnifying thee; and thy Saints shall bless thee, Psal. 145.10. Remember that this be done, saith Elihu. Junius by God's Works here understandeth Noah's Flood.

Which men behold ] Or, Whereof men do sing, saying, as in the next verse,

Verse 25. Every man may see it ] scil. In quo est vel mica bonae mentis; for a brutish man knoweth it not, Psal. 92.6, 7. But stupidus est, & dignus cui oculi eruantur saith Plato. He is a very blockhead, and worthy to have his eyes pulled out of his head, who looketh not above him, and about him, that he may magnify and admire the wisdom of the Creator of all, and Preserver of mankind.

Man may behold it afar off ] For heaven is far above earth, and it is a wonder that we can look to so admirable an height, and that the very eye is not tired in the way. And for things that are nearer to us, we see them but as through a glass obscurely; our knowledge of them is very imperfect, 1 Cor 11.13. the reason of many things is above our reach. We read of one who had spent above forty years in finding out the Nature and Property of Bees, and yet was not fully satisfied of many things therein.

Verse 26. Behold God is great ] Yea, he is maximus in minimis, Greatest and most of all seen in the meanest creatures; as in Ants more then in Elephants, &c. God showeth in his works of all sorts, se aliquantum esse; sed quantus sit ru • sus, operibus involuit; that he is very great, but how great he is, that appears not.

Neither can the number of his years be searched out ] How should they say, when as his countenance is beyond all count, Psal. 102.24, 27. Yeares are here ascribed unto him, and he is elsewhere called Ancient of days, and the hairs of his head are said to be white like snow, Rev. 1.14. but all this is spoken of God after the manner of men; and should teach us, neither curiously to inquire into his counsels, nor discontentedly to complain of his doings.

Verse 27. For he maketh small the drops of water ] Here Elihu beginneth to instance the greatness of God in his works, and particularly in the Meteors; many of which Aristotle confesseth he understood not. And this I dare say, saith a learned Interpreter here, that there is not extent any Poem, either of the Greeks or Latins, which may be compared with this stately eloquence of Elihu in describing those natural effects which are caused in the air; and for the same cause are of the Philosophers called Meteors, or aiëry impressions: as namely, clouds, rain hail, snow, thunder, lightning, and such-like; whereof he here discourseth very gravely, and learnedly: And first of rain, which he describeth, 1. by the form or manner of producing it, verse. 27, 28. 2. by the largeness of the clouds, and their noise, verse. 29. 3. by the sudden succession of fair weather and foul, verse. 30. and lastly, by the different use thereof in the three last verses of this Chapter, God maketh small the drops of water; that is, he raineth by dividing the drops in the cloud, causing them to come down gut • atim, piece-meal; and not by whole spouts, or paile-fulls. Others read it, Subtrahit Deus, God draweth up drops of water; viz. out of the Sea, the rivers, and other moist places, whence those vapors do ascend, of which are generated those drops of rain, Psal. 147.8. He covereth the heaven with clouds, he prepareth rain for the earth, &c.

They pour down rain according to the vapors thereof ] As the vapors are greater or lesser, so is the rain. The rain ascendeth in thin vapors, but descendeth oft in thick showers: So do our poor Prayers come down in greatest blessings; and we are sure of as much mercy, as we bring faith to carry it away.

Verse 28. Which the clouds do drop, and distil upon man abundantly ] Hence the Dutch call it raegen, and we rained, à rigando, from watering the earth all over, at times: This is God's work, and it ought to be marvelous in our eyes: it would be so, were it not so ordinary. Non sactis id ascribamus, multo minùs sagis; the Heathens gave their gods the glory of it. The holy Ghost here, and elsewhere, setteth before us these common things, that when we see them, and yet know not the reason of them, we may gather, that we ought not over-curiously to pry into the profound judgments of God, which are far above the clouds, those receptacles of rain; yea, far above the highest heavens.

Verse 29. Also can any understand the spreading of the clouds? ] That is, the skill that God showeth in spreading forth the clouds to that large extent, and muffling the whole heavens with them; so that Nature finds herself buried in darkness? Some render it; the divisions, or differences of the clouds; illic enim fiunt miracula magna. For some clouds are empty, and answer not expectation (worthless and vain boasters are compared to such, Prov. 25.14. Jude 12.) some yield rain, and drop fatness. Some again, send forth hail, snow, frost, storm, thunder, lightnings, &c. These are wonders in nature, far beyond human apprehension. The clouds God maketh one while as some aiëry seas, to hold water; another while as some aiëry furnaces, whence he scattereth the sudden fires into all parts of the earth, astonishing the world with the fearful noise of that eruption. Out of the midst of water he fetcheth fire, and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapors. Haec sunt sane admiranda & tremenda, saith Mercer. These are wonderful things, and no less dreadful. Is it not strange, that of one and the same equal matter, viz. the vapors exhaled from the earth or water, so many several and different Meteors should be engendered?

Or the noise of his Tabernacle ] i.e. The swinging showers, or rustling winds, or rattling thunder-claps, one in the neck of another, out of the clouds, called here, God's Tabernacle; in quo velut abditus, tot rerum miracula creat, wherein he sits in secret and unseen, creating many strange Meteors to send down upon the earth; whereof the profoundest Philosopher of them all can give no certain and undoubted reason.

Verse 30. Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it ] That is, his fair weather, clearing up the cloudy sky, as some expound it: Or, us others, his lighting shot forth every way, Psal. 18.13, 15. & 144.6. Or the sun-beams spread upon the sea, and drawing up vapors; unde mare hoc loco nubium radix dicitur, saith Brenz, whence the sea is here called the root of the clouds: or the surface of the sea is called the root of it, in regard of the wandering waves which are cut in sunder, after the manner of roots; so saith Vatablus. Those that by light here understand lightnings say, that God maketh them dart so abundantly through the waters of the sea, that they do as it were cover all the bottom of it.

Verse 31. For by them judgeth he the people ] i.e. By rain and drought in excess or defect, he punisheth people at his pleasure: whom, oh how easily could he affamish by denying them an harvest or two: in granting whereof, he giveth testimony of his bounty, Job 14.17.

He giveth meat in abundance ] sc. By sending moderate showers fattening the earth: whereunto also the preaching of the Word is fitly compared, Isai. 55.10.11. which those that drink not in and fructify, Deut. 32.2. are accursed, Heb. 6.8.

Verse 32. With clouds he covereth light ] Heb. With the palms of his hands; (so the clouds are called, see 1 King. 18.44.) he hideth light; that is, the Sunbeams, viz. when he sendeth rain, the heavens are masked.

And commandeth it not to shine ] Heb. And forbiddeth it (those words, not to shine, are not in the original) propter intercedentem, for the sake of those that intercede. He giveth rain or fair weather upon the prayers of his faithful people; who can thereby open and shut heaven, as did Elias, and the thundering Legion. R. Levi interpreteth this and the following verse concerning thunder.

Verse 33. The noise thereof showeth concerning it ] The hurry-noise made in the air before a shower of rain, fore-showeth it to be at hand.

The Cattle also concerning the vapor ] Heb. Concerning that which goeth up: Hogs, Sheep, Oxen, &c. are much more quick-scented than men; and can perceive the vapors going up to cause rain, before men can see or feel them. Hence shepherds and herdsmen gather prognostics of rain, and are so weather-wise, as we call it. Ibn-Ezra noteth, that sheep lying on the right-side, fore-signify foul weather. See Virgil. Georg. lib. 1. and Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 18. cap. 35. Some render this verse (than which there if not an harder in all the book, saith Mercer ) thus, Declaring toward him (who intercedeth) his good-will, toward the cattle, and also toward the increase of the earth.

CHAP. XXXVII. Verse 1. At this also my heart trembleth]

AT this? At what? at the thunder, whereof he had spoken before, and more meant to speak: and which he heard at that instant, (as it may seem by the next verse) and therefore no wonder that his heart trembled, and was moved out of its place by an extraordinary palpitation, or (as the Tigurines have it) luxation. Thunder is so terrible, that it hath forced from the greatest Atheist an acknowledgement of a Deity. Suetonius telleth us of Caligula, (that Monster, who dared his Jove to a Duel) that if it thundered and lightened but a little, he would hood-wink himself: but if much, he would creep under a bed, and be ready to run into a mouse-hole, as we say. Augustus Caesar also was so afraid of thunder and lightning, that always and everywhere, he carried about him the skin of a Sex-Calf, (which those Heathens fondly held to be a preservative in such cases) and if at any time there arose a great storm, he ran into a dark vault. The Romans held it unlawful to keep Court Jove ton • nte, fulgurante, in a time of thunder and lightening, as Tully telleth us. And Isidore deriveth tonitru à terrendo, thunder from its terror; and others, form its tone, or rushing crashing noise, affrighting all creatures: At the voice of thy thunder they are afraid, Psal. 104. which One, not unfitly, calleth David's Physicks.

Verse 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice ] Conjunctam commotione vocem ejus, the great thunder-crack that now is: that angry noise (as the word signifieth) Hear in hearing; you cannot but hear it with the ears of your bodies, hear it also with the ears of your minds; tremble and sin not; contrary to the course of most men, who sin and tremble not, drowning the noise of their consciences, as the old Italians did the thunder, by ringing their greatest Bells, discharging their roaring-Megs, &c. But what saith Elihu here to his hearers? Audit, audit, audit etiam atque etiam, contremiscetis & vos, vos testes adhibeo, as Mercer paraphraseth it out of Kimchi: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye again and again, and then ye also will tremble. I take you to witness; whether ye consider his greater thunder-claps ringing and roaring in your ears (See Psal. 29.4. & 87.7.) or the lesser rumblings, called here, Murmur vel Mussitationem, vel habitum, citra quem sermo non profertur; the sound (or breath) that goeth out of his mouth. All's ascribed to God; though Naturalists tell us (and truly) that there are second causes of thunder and lightning: wherein, nevertheless, we must not stick, but give God the glory of his Majesty, as David teacheth, Psal. 29. and as blind Heathens did, when they called their Jove Altitonantem, the high Thunderer. The best Philosophy in this point is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking to us from heaven as if he were present: and to see him in his lightnings, as if he cast his eyes upon us to see what we had been doing. His eyes are as a flaming fire, Rev. 1.14. and the school of nature teacheth, that the fiery eye seeth Extra-mittendo, by sending out a ray, &c.

Verse 3. He directeth it under the whole Heaven ] Heb. He maketh it to go right forward, meaning the thunder, the vehement noise or sound whereof (not altogether unlike that of cloth violently torn, or of air thrust out of bellows, or of a chesnut burst in the fire, but far louder) is brought through the air to our ears with such a mighty force, that it drowns all noises, clappings, clatterings, roarings even of many waters; making the earth to shake again, and all things tremble, non secùs quàm siquis currum onustum per plateam lapidibus stratam ducat; And this dreadful noise is by God directed to this or that place under the heavens, at his pleasure. The word rendered (directeth) signifieth also Beholdeth; whence some interpret this text of God's seeing all things under heaven. But the former sense is better.

And his lightning unto the ends of the earth ] God commands the lightning to cleave the clouds, and to scatter its flames through the world. Lightning is the brightness of a shining flame, running through the whole air in a moment, rising of a small and thin exhalation kindled in a cloud; see Psal. 18.13. The natural end and effect of thunder and lightning is, to clear the air by wasting poisonous vapors. The supernatural is, to show God's excellent Majesty and Might, which the Mightiest must acknowledge, Psal. 29.1, 2. to be his officers about him to make room for him, Psal. 97.1, 4. to execute his wrath upon his enemies, Exod. 9.23.27. Psal. 77.18, 19. 1 Sam. 2.10. Isai. 29.6. and his mercy toward his people for the humbling of them, 1 Sam. 12.18, 19, 20, &c. raising them again to an assured confidence, Psal. 29.11, &c. But that God can shoot these arrows of his so far, Mat. 24.27. Psal. 77.18. & 97.3, 4. and here; yea, and that at the same time when it raineth, when one would think that the one should quench the other, Psal. 135.7. this is a just wonder: and Jeremy urgeth it twice, as such, chap. 10.13. & 51.16.

Verse 4. After it a voice roareth ] After it, that is, after the lightning, it thundereth: indeed, before, or at least together with it; but the lightning is seen before the thunder is heard, because the sense of hearing is slower than the sense of seeing (thus fire is first seen in a Gun, ere the report is heard; the Ax of the Wood-cleaver is up for a second blow, ere we hear the first, if any way distant, &c.) And besides, as R. Levi well observeth here, that the sight of the lightning may come from heaven to us, there needeth no time; because our eyes reach up thither in an instant: but that a sound may come therehence to us (in regard of the distance, and because the air must be beaten and many times impressed as into so many circles) there must be some space of time; neither can it be done so suddenly.

He thundereth with the voice of his excellency ] Or, of his height, or, of his pride. Proud persons think themselves high, and use to speak big-swoln words of vanity, bubbles of words, as St. Peter calls them. If they be crossed never so little, verbis bacchantur, & cum quodam vocis impetu loquunter, Oh the tragedies, the blusters, the terrible thunder-cracks of fierce and furious language that follow thereupon. Some have been threatened to death, as Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar: and Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor, by Queen Elizabeth. How much more should men quake and even expire before the thunder of the most high, or wriggle as worms do into their holes, the corners of the earth?

And he will not stay them, when his voice is heard ] Them, that is, new flashes of lightning: or, rain and hail, which usually break out either while it thundereth, or presently after, in a most vehement, and impetuous manner.

Verse 5. God thundereth marvelously with his voice ] Or, God thundereth our marvelous things with his voice ] Marvelous indeed, if we consider the effects of thunder, lightning, and light-bolts, which differ from lightning in form only, and not in matter; and for the effects thereof Naturalists tell us strange things: as, that by them the money hath been melted, without hurting the purse; the Sword hath been broken within the scabbard, the wine hath been exhausted within the barrel, the bones broke within the flesh, &c. How various and marvelous the nature, generation, matter, form, effects of the thunder and thunder-bolt are, not only Seneca, Pliny, and other Meteorologists testify, but daily experience sealeth to the truth of it.

Great things doth he, which we cannot comprehend ] As being above the reach of our shallow capacity: Or, which we will not know; so the Hebrew hath it: such is our oscitancy, or obstinacy, that we will not take knowledge of God's works of wonder, though they do even run into our senses. This he construeth for an high contempt; as a skillful Artificer would do when he hath set forth a curious piece to public view, and none will take notice of it. God seemeth to have made the Meteors in such great variety, that therein he might show his own skill, and their imperfection.

Verse 6. For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth ] He commandeth it, and it is done; for together with his word there goeth forth a power. Dixisse Dei, est fecisse, Psal. 147. God giveth snow like wool: Many wonders there are in snow: as that it should be made in the lowest part of the air, and not above where it is coldest: that it should snow upon the earth, but never upon the sea, as Pliny saith: that snow should lie continually, not only upon the Alps, but upon mouth Aetna, where fire flames out: that no snow falleth in Egypt; but in Tartaria, a hot Country; sometime it snoweth in the heat of Summer: that it serves for a cover to preserve the earths heat, though itself be cold: that being white, it should sometimes bring forth red worms, &c.

Likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength ] Not a drop of rain, whether it come leisurely or hastily, but falleth by a divine decree, chap. 28.26. see the Note there. The Chaldee Paraphrast understandeth here the Summer and Winter-rains. God showeth his strength in a thing so weak, and diffluent of itself, that thereby he may overturn and break in pieces the proudest of men's spirits: for whom also if they repent not, he hath a more terrible rain, Psal, 11.6. overflowing with fire and brimstone, Ezek. 35.22.

Verse 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man ] i.e. He, by his great showers, sendeth men home for shelter, glad to intermit their work till better weather. See Exod. 9.19. The Hebrews call rain, Sagrir, Prov. 27.15. from shutting up: because it keeps men at home, from travelling or working abroad. Chiromancie findeth here no footing, whatever some have doated: as if God had set certain signs and notes in men's hands of what should hereafter befall them; and this text is alleged for proof; but absurdly.

That all men may know his work ] i.e. That they may take notice of God's handy-work in ordering the seasons: and have time to think on their domestic affairs.

Verse 8. Then the beasts go into dens ] In rainy and snowy weather, the very wild beasts, (as lively and lusty as they are, whence also they have their name in the Original) are glad to take harbor, and there to hold them till the storm be over.

Verse 9. Out of the South cometh the whirl-wind ] Which is a wonderful wind indeed; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Greeks call it (as they do a like wind at sea, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Mariners mischief ) the Latins Vorter, because it turns up trees by the roots, houses by the foundation, Job. 1. And Turbo, as breeding great trouble; for which cause also Pope Urban was called Turban. It suddenly ariseth, and as suddenly ceaseth, but doth much mischief, and especially in strait and narrow places. In allusion whereunto the Apostle would not have people to be wherried and whirled about, with every wind of Doctrine, Eph. 4.14. as unstable souls use to be. Illebius for instance; who of a Protestant, first turned Antinomian, and afterwards a Papist. So the old Illuminates, boasting at first of a certain Angelical purity, fell suddenly to the very counterpoint of justifying beastiality. For prevention of this pernicious lightness, It is good (saith the Apostle) that the heart be established with grace, Hebr. 13.9. That men be sound in the faith, well principled, bottomed and ballasted.

And cold out of the North ] Heb. Out of the scattered winds. North-winds scatter the clouds, clear the Sky, and so bring on fair cold weather. By Mezeri • here some understand certain Stars toward the North-Pole; Arcturus the Vulgar Latin rendereth it.

Verse 10. By the breath of God frost is given ] Frost is the excess of cold by the blowing of the coldest winds, which are here called, The breath of God: these congeal the waters, and turn them into ice contracting them into a narrower room. Hence it is, that as any Country is more Northerly, so it is colder; the sea also is frozen and unpassable.

And the breadth of the waters is straightened ] This the same again in other words, though some understand it of hail: when the broad-flowing water in the clouds by the force of the cold is narrowed up into hail. All this is of the Lord. Fides non in ordinem operis, fe • in authorem oculos suos dirigit, saith Brenz upon the Text: Faith seeth God in all.

Verse 11. Also by watering he wearieth the thick clouds ] That is, by showring down of much rain he disburdeneth and dissipateth them, seem they never so thick and large. These seem to be troubled and tired • ut when as they are watering the earth, they are wasted and drawn dry by the heat of the Sun.

He scattereth his bright cloud ] Heb. The cloud of his light; that is, the cloud by dissolving whereof he restoreth light and fair weather, or the cloud which was covered over with lightning before, chap 36.30.

Verse 12 And it is turned round about by his counsel ] Vertit Dominus & revertit. The Lord turneth and returneth: letteth out, and bringeth back the clouds, as it were by a rope, at his own pleasure: a Metaphor from Mariners, who skillfully manage the ropes of the Ship to best advantage. In like sort the clouds are, by God's cunning turned about in a circuit (as Beza rendereth it) that is in a round compass or circle; they are not carried up and down the air by and wandering and inconstant motion: but they are, as it were, by certain Engines (so he maketh the Metaphor) of Almighty God, turned about at his own pleasure, when and where he thinketh good to use them; for he best knoweth where is most need of rain, snow, &c. and therefore he by his wisdom driveth them hither and thither, for the fulfilling of his purpose. Some refer this Text to the revolution of the Heavenly Orbs; which is also done by God.

That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them ] A Metaphor like that Levite. 25.21. where God saith that he will command his blessing upon the sixth year; and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. Now if the senseless creatures so readily obey God, how much more should we? And if he be Lord of Tempests, he is also of Diseases and disasters. Chear up therefore, and ply the throne of Grace. He will see that all shall go well with his suppliants.

Verse 13. He causeth it to come, whether for correction ] Heb. For a rod. God hath his rods sticking up in every corner of his house for chastisement of his children, and they shall take it for a favor too, Hebr. 12.7. r Cor. 11.32. Sinite vergam corr • pi •• t • m, 〈◊〉 ••• iutis m • lltum conterentem, saith an Ancient. he co •••• with the rod of correction, that ye feel not maul of confusion. Better suffer immoderate rains and lightnings, then that terrible tempest, chap. 27.21. and the black flashes of hell fire, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Plato calleth it; the fiery Lake, as the Scripture.

Or for his Land ] i.e. His Church, Hos. 9.3, A Land that he watereth and watcheth over from one end of the year to the other, Deut. 11.12.. His vineyard cared for, and kept to himself night and day, Isai. 27.3. Or, the earth at large, which is God's great field, Psal. 24.1. (as the Church is his fold, Psal. 100.3.) and especially that part of it which is desert and uninhabited. There also God causeth his Sun to shine, and his rain to fall, Matth 5.45. Job 38.26, 27. That the wild beasts also may have food.

Or for mercy ] Some singular and extraordinary mercy, as 2 Sam. 21.10. 1 King. 18.45. Sive ad faciendum beneficentiam; or to bestow his bounty, and to bestow a largesse; as Princes sometimes make a scatter of monies among the multitude. Clouds are God's Store-houses, which he eft-soons openeth to our profit, Deuter. 28.12. By them, he maketh a scatter of riches upon the earth; which good men gather, and bad men scramble for.

Verse 14. Hearken unto this, O Job ] Here Elihu by little and little draweth to a most wise conclusion bringing Job to this point, that as the wisdom of God in these daily and ordinary works of Nature doth far exceed the reach & capacity of man so the should much more consider the same in this grievous calamity, which was now befallen him. And for as much as he could not come to the knowledge of any other secondary and middle causes; he should rather adore and reverence the secret counsel and purpose of God herein, then labor in vain, and without any profit at all to torment himself in searching out that which is not possible for any man to understand. Which argument God himself doth at large most truly and divinely prosecute in the four following Chapters.

Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God ] Consiste, considera, and that thou mayest see into these divine secrets, Non arrigend • sunt aures caruis, sed fidei, Prick up the ears of thy faith, which alone can skill of these mysteries; whereinto if thou hast yet no insight, and canst not yet feel the justice, wisdom and goodness of God in thy present sufferings, it is for want of judgment▪ (as I shall evince in that which follows) it is because thou hast not mine eyes, senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil, Hebr. 5. ult. Nicostratus in Elian, himself being a cunning Artisan, finding a curious piece of work, and being wondered at by one, and asked, What pleasure he could take, to stand gazing as he did on the Picture? answered, Hadst thou mine eyes thou wouldst not wonder, but rather be ravished as I am, at the inimitable Art of this rare Piece. Elihu seemeth here to say as much to Job.

Verse 15. Dost thou know when God disposed them? ] Viz. Those wondrous works of God in the Air especially; those varieties of Meteors, the generation and motions whereof, the greatest Philosophers cannot perfectly find out by their natural causes, neither do they well agree amongst themselves concerning those causes. For Anaximander holdeth one thing, Metrodorus another, Anaxagoras a third, Aristotle a fourth; let those that have a mind to it, read their janglings and Disputes in Plutarch, De placitis Philosophorum. Now if no man (though never so wise) can understand the wondrous works of God in these common things of Nature; how can he comprehend his hidden works, hoc est, crucem, saith Brenz?

And caused the light of his cloud to shine ] Or, That he may cause the light of his cloud to shine. Hereby he meaneth lightnings, issuing out of the moist and cold cloud say some, the Rainbow, say others, that wonderful work of God (feigned therefore by the Heathens to be the daughter of Thaumantias, or of wonderment) which is full of wonders, witness the beautiful shape thereof, and various colors, with their several significations, as some conceive: the several Prognostics; viz. Of rain in the morning, of fair weather in the evening, as Scaliger concludeth; the form of it a bow, which yet never shooteth any man unless it be with astonishment and love, &c. God puts his bow in his hand (saith Ambrose on Genes. 9.13) not his arrow, but his bow, and the string of the bow is to us-ward. The Jews conceit that the name Jehovah is written on the Rainbow, and therefore they no sooner see it, but they hide their eyes, confess their sins that deserve a second deluge) celebrate God's great goodness to mankind, &c. Some by the light of God's cloud, here understand the Sun-shine through the clouds, causing it to clear up. Now who can certainly foretell rain or fair weather? Some Learned men have spent much time and pains in Astronomy to get skill in prognosticating, but could do little good of it: when they foretell a fair day, it commonly raineth, and the contrary. The Country man's Prognostics, the Shepherds Calender, hold better for most part, then the Predictions of these Artisans.

Verse 16. Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds? ] i.e. How they are hanged up even in the air, like Architas or Archimedes his Pigeon, equally poised with their own weight. But how they are upheld, and why they fall here, and now, we know not, and wonder. Some Naturalists tell us, that the clouds are upheld by the heat of the Sun: but thats more then they can tell, and there is much to be said against it. Wherefore it is better for men to confess their ignorance, then so peremptorily to pronounce of things they know not. Let it be proper to God to be perfect in knowledge. It was too much that some ascribed to Tertullian, to Jerome, to Tostatus and some others, that they knew all that was knowable.

Verse 17 How thy garments are warm, when he &c. ] Canst thou give a reason of the extreme heat that is about the Summer-Solstice, when the warm South-winds blow so gently, that they are scarce felt at all, and thy clothes heated by thy body are a burden to thee, so that thou art ready to cast them off, and but for common honesty, thou couldst go naked? Brenz thinks, That although one of the winds only is here instanced, yet the disposing of them all is intended; wherein much of God may be seen: for it is he alone, who holdeth them in his fist, hideth them in his Treasures, sendeth them out as his Postes, rideth upon them as his Chariot, 2 Sam. 22.10. Psal. 104.3. checks them at his pleasure (whence they concluded Christ's Deity, Matth. 8.27.) makes them pace orderly appointing them their motion, &c. chap. 28. Nos motum sentimus, modum nescimus, Joh 3.8. Thou hearest the sound of the wind, but knowest not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. Now if in these common matters men are so blind, how much more in the deep judgments of the most High?

Verse 18. Hast thou with him spread out the Sky? ] He had convinced Job of his ignorance, and now he will of his impotence and imbecility: and this by an irony; q.d. Tune ill giga • es? Art thou indeed that Giant or Demi-god that helped the Almighty when he spread the heavens, when he laid the foundation of the earth, &c? Age itaque si tantus vir es, quantum te ostentas, &c. Go to then, if thou be indeed such an one as thou wouldst seem to be, whiles thou takest upon thee to be, viz. to contend with God, and to complain of his hard dealing with thee, Teach us what we shall say unto him, &c. as ver. 19. for we dare not, as thou hast done, dare him to come into the lists with us, as hoping to have the better of him.

Which is strong. ] Not by reason of any hard massy Elemental thickness, but by reason of their airy, incorruptible, indissoluble nature, composed of very thin and even parts. Hence the Greeks call it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the Latins Firmamentum. See the Note on Gen. 1.7.

And as a molten Looking-glass ] Perspicuum & sapphirinum, clear and transparent as a mirror wherein God maketh himself visible, as it were; who, of himself is too subtle for sight or sinew to seize upon. The Hebrew hath it, which is strong as a molten Looking-glass; i.e. as a polished brazen Looking-glass, being more solid then brass more transparent then christal.

Verse 19. Teach us what we shall say unto him ] A notable scoff, a sharp sarcasme. Verba sunt urgentis & insultantis; q d. Velim ut e tot argumentis, cap. 23.4. aliqua nunc proferas, I would that thou wouldst bring out some of those many Arguments thou didst brag of: for we are at a fault; neither can we (such is our ignorance) find what to say in thy just defense, had we never so good a mind to it.

For we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness ] We are benighted and word-bound, forced to acknowledge our ignorance our infancy, and to complain, (as Anaxagoras afterwards did) omnia esse circumfusa tenebris; and (as Empedacles ) angust as esse sensuum semitas, that we are far to seek of what to say in this case, and ready to think that silence would be our safest eloquence.

Verse 21. Shall it be told him that I speak ] An in acta referetur • i, si loquar? Shall it be recorded before him, &c? q.d. Then woe be to me, for I am sure to rue it, yea, and (without mercy) to be ruined for it. Did not Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesy long since, saying, Behold the Lord cometh to execute judgment upon all, and to convince them of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him, Jude 14, 15.

If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up ] If he speak in thy behalf, or after thine example, presuming to control God's works, and to quarrel his proceedings as thou hast done, he is sure to be undone. Some read the words thus, For if he speak man shall be devoured; That is, if God speak, man (who before he cometh to speak, thinks that he shall be able to reason with him) shall be quite confounded, and his words, as it were, swallowed up by his profound wisdom; and he made unable to speak one word for himself. Wherefore let all f •• sh be silent before the Lord; for if any presume to chat against his judgments, he shall have his words driven down his throat again by a divine vengeance, Cave ne lingua feriat collum, Take heed thy tongue cut not thy throat, say the Arabians Proverb-wise.

Verse 21. And now men see not the bright light that is in the clouds ] It seemeth saith an Expositor, that at that very instant the cloudy weather, did begin to clear up, and that thereupon Elihu took occasion to speak these words, q.d. Thou art not able to look into the body of the shining Sun, quia nimium sensibile laedit sensum; How much less canst thou behold God in his glory, in comparison of whom, the Sun in his strength is but as a clod of clay? Hereafter we shall see God as he is, see him face to face, 1 John 3. See as we are seen, &c. but here we can see his back parts only and live, Exod. 33. Surely out of what Elihu had hitherto said Job should have reasoned thus with himself, I cannot bear the force of a flash of lightning, of a clan of thunder, of a violent shower, of an overturning whirl-wind of an extreme frost, of the out-shining Sun, &c. how much less of God in his Majesty?

Verse 22. Fair weather cometh out of the North ] Heb. Gold cometh, &c. that is, the golden beams of the Sun, as golden Oil, Zech. 4.12. The North-wind also cleanseth the clouds, and shows us the pleasant face of the Sun, that Gold-maker; all whose rays come tipped and gilt with a glistering glory upon them.

With God is terrible Majesty ] Far beyond that of the Sun, or of the most dread Sovereign upon earth: be it an Augustus Caesar, or a terrible Tamberlane, in whose eyes sat such a rare and reverend Majesty; as a man could hardly endure to behold them, without closing his own. The Tigurines render it, Ad Deum reverendissimum pertinet confessia, To the most reverend God belongeth praise. Others by way of Doxology, Unto God be reverend Majesty; a fit perclose of Elihu's excellent Discourse. It was the last speech of dying Chrysostom, Glory be to God from all creatures. Let it be the badge of the Beast, Laus Deo, & beatae Virgini. Cry we, Deus terribilis laudeter, as Brenz rendereth this Text, Let God alone be praised.

Verse 23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out ] Heb. The Almighty; the Nominative Case put absolute; q.d. in short, as for the Almighty (that nomen Majestativum, as Tertullian phraseth it) we cannot comprehend him, anymore then we can the main Ocean in a cockel shell. And whereas we can say, as here, that he is excellent in Power, and in Judgment, and in plenty of Justice, Ista de Deo dicimus, quia non invenimus melius quod dicamus; We say these things of God, because we have nothing better to say of him, and must owe the rest unto our thoughts, although indeed, He is above all name, and above all notion. In searching after God, saith Chrysostom, I am like a man digging in a deep Spring, I stand here, and the water riseth upon me, and I stand there, and still the water riseth upon me. To Thomas Aquinas busy in this search, was shown (they say) a deep pit in the edge of the sea, (which empty it, and carry away the water as oft as they will,) it is still filled with other. It is a knowledge that passeth knowledge, Eph. 3.19 That which in measure is pleasant and profitable, being too much inquired into, proves unsavory and unsafe.

He will not afflict ] viz. Willingly. Lam. 3.33. or canslesly, 1 Pet. 1.6. Or He will not answer; viz. Everyone that questioneth the justice of his proceedings as Job in his heat had done. The Seventy render it question-wise, will he not answer? scil. Those that call upon him in truth, since he is excellent in power and in judgmen, &c? Sure he will.

Verse 24. Men do therefore fear him ] They do, or should do, for his excellent greatness and goodness, Psal. 130.4. Matth. 10.28. But in case they do not

He respecteth not any that are wise of heart ] That out of a conceit of their own wisdom stand it out against him, and think to reason it out with him, as thou hast done. Or, But he seeth not all wise in heart: He findeth not all wise, whom he beholdeth here upon earth. Stultorum plena sunt omnia, and thou also hast dealt very foolishly, as God hath seen and will shortly show thee better then I can do.

CHAP. XXXVIII. Verse 1. Then the Lord answered Job.]

GOD himself taking the word out of Elihu 's mouth, (who had spoken well, but wanted Majesty to set it forth) became his own Patron, et hujus disputationis sequester, and Decider of this long Controversy, vindicating his own Authority, and teaching that truth in the four following Chapters, which Saint Paul briefly compriseth in these words, Rom. 11.33, 34. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counselor? Why then should any one require an account of his proceedings, or question his Justice? Job had often desired that God would take knowledge of his Cause. His friends also had desired the same, chap. 11.5. Here therefore He appeareth in person, not as out of an Engine devised for that purpose, after the manner of some partial Tragedy, for the whole narration testifieth, that this is a true story of things done indeed, and afterwards faithfully recorded. Which history is highly to be esteemed as an incomparable Treasure, if it were for nothing else, yet for the right knowledge of natural Physophy here laid open, in these four following Chapters, together with the chief and principal end thereof, which is, that in these visible creatures, we may behold the invisible things of God.

Out of the whirl-wind ] That is, Out of a cloud whence issued a whirl-wind or a storm, as a testimony of his heavenly Majesty, and to procure attention. See the like Deuter. 4.12. 1 King, 19.11. &c. Ezek 1.4. &c. Nah. 1.3. Heb. 12.18. God loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience, yet he takes state upon him in his Ordinances, and will be trembled at in his word and judgments.

And said ] With much more mildness and moderation then Elihu or any of them had used in reprehending Job, and yet with such plenty and efficacy of words and arguments, Ut facillime omnes omnium orationes superet, That no such Oration can anywhere else be read. Well might Lavater say, Hoc postramum colloquium est admodum suave & utile, this conference of God with Job, is very sweet and profitable; for it teacheth us, among other things, how gently God dealeth with his offending servants, and how hardly the best are brought to confess their sins, and truly to repent of them.

Vers. 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel? ] Who's this that talketh thus, (saith God, stepping forth, as it were from behind the hangings) how now? What's to do here? Some Ancients think it meant of Elihu; but Job is the man, see chap. 42.3. where he takes it to himself; and it may be God here pointed to him with a Quis est iste Job?

That darkeneth counsel ] My Counsel, by misconstructions, his own, by rash and unskillful expressions: for which Elihu also rightly blamed him, and his other friends took great offense at him; who should rather have said as Cruciger did of Luther, Eum commodiùs sentire quàm loquitur, dum effervescit, that he thought not so ill, as he spoke in his heat.

By words without knowledge ] This is the worst that God chargeth Job with; words of folly and ignorance: not with malice, falsehood, blasphemy, &c. Counsel also he attributeth to him, though not wisely managed. If there be any good in us, he noteth and noticeth it; passing by our defects and failings: as when Sarah called her husband Lord, she is much commended for it; though there was never another good word in all that sentence, Gen. 18.12. 1 Pet. 3.6. See on chap. 35. verse. 16.

Verse 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man ] As men did use to do when they went to fight, 1 King. 20.11. Stand to thy ward, and see to thyself: for I mean to assail thee, and to try thy manhood. Plato hath observed, that the best Fencers are the worst Soldiers. Many can brave it afore-hand, as that Thrasonical Gaal did, Judge. 9.29. who yet cannot look their enemy in the face with blood in their cheeks.

For I will demand of thee, and answer thou me ] I will be thy opponent (since thou hast challenged me into the schools, as it were, and given me my choice) and prove thee with hard questions; whereunto if thou canst give no good answer, see thine own folly, and be satisfied.

Verse 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? ] q. d. Thou wast nowhere, a mere Non-ens: thou wast no companion or counselor of mine; nay, not so much as a looker on, for thou art but of yesterday. Thou understandest not the reason of this fair fabric: much less of my dark and deep counsels.

Declare if thou hast understinding ] Heb. If thou knowest understanding. An irony, but friendly, and free from all bitterness; the better to convince Job of his folly and faultiness: for which end also, multis eum interrogationibus onerat, God loadeth him with many deep questions, the least whereof he could not answer.

Verse 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof ] In that circumference and diameter that it holdeth?

If thou knowest ] Or, For thou knowest; quandoquidem scitus es, a tart irony. Geometricians take upon them to know the several dimensions of the earth: and Archimedes boasted, that if he had but where to set his foot from off the earth, he could shake the whole body of it. As also, that he could number all the sands that were in the whole World, habitable and inhabitable: But these were vain brags.

Or who hath stretched the line upon it? ] A metaphor from Masons and other Master-builders, who work by line and by rule. Vitruvius in his 7th. Book saith thus, Longitudines ad regulam & lineam, altitudines ad perpendiculum, anguli ad normam responde • i • s exigantur.

Verse 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? ] Surely, upon nothing, but the word of God's power. The Philosophers dispute many things concerning the foundations of the earth; but without any sound foundation of good reason. Some Jew-Doctors make the mountains to be them: but these bear not up the earth, but the contrary. The Psalmist saith, that God hath founded the solid earth upon the liquid waters, Psal. 24. wherein appeareth the infinite wisdom and power of God the founder. Vitruvius saith, In solido extruendum, foundations must be laid in solid places. But God is not tied to rules: his works are in oppositis mediis, as was above noted.

Or who • aid the corner-stone thereof? ] i. e. The Center (say some Jew-Doctors) whither all heavy things are carried, and about which the whole world hangeth: the elements and heavenly orbs surrounding it in their motions. Others fetch this corner-stone out of the middle of the sea. But all this discourse is metaphorical, to show the firmness of the work, wherein none had any hand but only the essential wisdom of God, Prov. 8. who did it with more ease than men can build an house.

Verse 7. When the morning stars sang together ] There is but one morning star properly so called, viz. Phosphorus, Lucifer, or Venus, the Suns fore-runner. But, for their brightness, they are all called here, Stars of the morning, and said to sing together, as birds use to do at break of day: so did these in the morning of the Creation, when first those heavenly torches began to shine, and joyfully to dance, as it were, in number and measure. This they do still in their kind, Psalm 19. verse. 1. beckening also, as it were, to us to do the like, Psal. 145.3.

And all the sons of God shouted for joy ] i. e. All the Angels, as chap. 1.6. meant also by those morning stars, as Piscator and others will have it. These being created together with the highest heavens, on the first day (as it is probable) like as Christ's soul was created in and with his body in the Virgins womb the same moment) were present at a great part of the Creation, if not at all: and were wrapped with admiration at the great wisdom and power of their Creator, singing, Holy, holy, holy, &c. Shall the stars sing, the Angels shout, and shall we be so dull? This was all they did, at the Creation. Note this against those, who held that God made the superior creatures himself, but the inferior by his Angels. A great hand they have, as God's instruments, in governing the world, Ezek. 1.5, 6, 7, &c. (whence also they are called Watchmen and Keepers, Dan. 4.13.) but not any had they in making the world: for in that work, God was alone, and by himself, Isai. 44. verse. 24.

Verse 8. Or who shut up the sea with doors ] i. e. With bounds and banks: the Sea God shut up in the hollow parts of the earth, as in a great house, that the dry land (naturally overwhelmed thereby) might appear, and become fit, both to bear grain, grass, plants, &c. and to yield an habitation for men and beasts. Piscator thinks it is a Metaphor from Flood-gates at Mill-ponds.

When it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb ] The Sea is here set forth in lively colors, as an incomprehensible work of God's wisdom. Out of Nothing God produced it at first, as an infant out of the mothers womb. How great is God then, to whom the great Sea is but as a little infant? It brake out of the womb, when it was severed from the Abyss; which lay covered with darkness, till the waters below were separated from those above, Gen. 1.10.

Verse 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof ] When I clothed this new born child with a cloud; commanding the vapors which environ it, to serve it for garments. Clouds are begotten of the waters, of the sea especially, and appear daily upon it.

And thick darkness, a swaddling band for it ] This thick darkness is well interpreted to be those fogs and mists which arise upon the sea, and are between the clouds and the sea; as the swaddling bands between the upper garment and the child. Interim significat, saith Mercer here; Meanwhile here is signified, that God can as easily rule and repress the sea, as the mother, or nurse, can her suckling, when it is swathed up.

Verse 10. And brake up for is my decreed place ] That great house in the hollows of the earth, verse. 8. gathering it together by a perpetual and powerful decree, into that place and pit. Tremellius rendereth it, Quum diffregi pro eo terram decreto mea; When I brake up for it the earth by my decree. Others, And laid upon it my Statute: for shabhar signifieth also statuere, decernere, say they: but that's more than I know.

And set bars and doors ] Vectes & valvas: See verse. 8. This is a work of God's great power: and is therefore much instanced and insisted upon in Scripture, Ps. 109. Jer. 5.22, &c. God could have put many other hard questions to Job about the sea • as, why it swelleth not by the inflowing of so many great Rivers? why the waters of it are so salt? whence it is that it so ebbeth and floweth, &c? Aristotle showeth himself no very wise man in answering these questions; whom yet Averr • es so madly admireth, that he saith, there is no error at all to be found in him; and that his doctrine is the chiefest truth, &c.

Verse 11. And said, Hitherto shalt thou come and no further ] This God commanded, and it is done. If the sea at any time break its bounds, and over-flow countries (as in Holland, Zealand, and other parts it hath done) that is to declare the power of God, and his just anger against sin.

And here shall thy proud waves be stayed ] Canutus commanded such a thing: but the sea regarded him not. Xerxes beat the sea, and cast a pair of fetters into it to make it his prisoner, but to no purpose. God here chides it by an elegant Eclipsis or Aposiopesis, Illic ponet (sc. ventus ) elationem fluctuum tu • rum, and it is quieted immediately, as Jon. 1. Matth. 8. Think the same of the waters of Afflictions.

Verse 12. Hast thou commanded the morning, since thy days? ] It may be thou wilt say, These are ancient things, done long before I was born: but ask me of things within my reach, and remembrance. Well then, what sayest thou to the Sun-rising? Hast thou either lengthened or hastened it at any time, since thou wert born, causing it to rise at such or such an hour, in such or such a point of heaven according to the divers degrees and situations of the Zodiak? No: this is more than ever any man could do: The day is thine, the night also is thine, saith David, Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun, Thou hast set all the borders of the earth, thou hast made summer and winter, Psal. 74.16, 17. If all the Emperors and Potentates of the earth should conjoin their forces to hinder or hasten the rising of the Sun, they could never do it. Joshua did indeed stop the course of the Sun: but that was by the power of God set a work by his faithful prayer; Whence One crieth out, O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam, quibus etiam coelestia cedunt! O the admirable power of Prayer, force of Faith, which is such as the visible heavens are sensible of, and giveth way to! how then should earth or hell stand before it?

And cause the day-spring to know his place ] The word day-spring comes from blackness; for it is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 clear light at first: but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , rather dark, than light.

Verse 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth ] That is suddenly illighten the whole Horizon: for which cause also David ascribeth wings to the morning, Psal. 139. so that the light is not a body, nor (as some will have it) a substance, but an accident. The truth is, no man can tell what it is, of any certainty: an admirable creature it is, surely a divine and heavenly thing, than which nothing is more desirable, nothing more profitable. Two excellent uses of it are here set forth, 1. To refresh men by the sight of the earth, and the things thereon. 2. To set us upon serious employments, such as is the punishment of evil doers, for so some interpret those next words.

That the wicked might be shaken out of it ] sc. By banishment, or rather by death, inflicted upon them in the light, for their deeds of darkness. Or at least, that those Lucifugae, tenebriones, those inauspicate night-birds, who hate the light, because their works are evil, might be shamed and shunned. Their Motto is, Jam lux inimica propinquat. See chap. 24. verse. 13, 17.

Verse 14. It is turned as clay to the seal ] That is, The earth now discerned, by reason of the air enlightened. The sense is this, Like as clay in the lump that hath no figure stamped upon it, is changed by a seal impressed, and receiveth the figure of the seal upon itself: so the earth, which by night was without form by reason of darkness, when once the Sun is up, is figured as it were: that is, it shows the several figures stamped upon it.

And they stand as a garment ] All the several fruits, flowers, and various workmanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon, appear as a stately garment or ornament on a man, Mat. 6.28, 29. the Sun-beams shining upon it as lace.

Verse 15. And from the wicked, their light is withholden ] They have no such joy of those comforts which the light affordeth: but as it discovereth their dark practices, Ephes. 5.13. so it b • ingeth them forth to condign punishment; Utpote indignos, qui hac luce fruantur.

And his high arm shall be broken ] i. e. His strength, tyranny, and power, whereby he oppressed others as with an out-stretched arm lifted up to strike with violence, this shall be broken, as Moab's was, Jer. 48. and as all the wicked's shall be; but the Lord upholdeth the righteous, Psal. 37.17. It is well noted, that this verse is an Exposition of the latter part of verse. 13. as the former verse was of the former part. And well might Mercer say of this, and the three following Chapters, Sunt hac alta & insignia, & munulla difficilia; these are things high, and excellent, and something dark, and difficult.

Verse 16. Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? ] Heb. Into the tears of the sea; for springs pour out water as eyes do tears: and the same Hebrew word signifieth an eye, and a spring; because, saith One, the eye is of a watery constitution: or to show, that from it, as from a spring or fountain, did flow both sin itself, the cause of sin, and misery the punishment of both: and because by it came the greatest hurt; therefore God hath placed in it the greatest tokens of sorrow: iisdem quibus videmus oculis, flemus. Now if Job cannot fathom the Sea, much less can he the deep counsels of God.

Or hast thou walked in the search of the deep? ] Et in vado voraginis ambulasti? No: that's God's walk alone, Psal. 77.19. whatever the Papists legend of their St. Christopher.

Verse 17. Have the gates of Death been opened unto thee? ] sc. That thou shouldest know when, how, and of what Disease every man shall die: together with the state and condition of the dead.

Or hast thou seen the doers of the shadow of death? ] No, nor any man living hath ever seen those dark and dismal receptacles of the dead, called here, the shadow of death; that is, so dreadful, that they were enough to strike a man dead.

Verse 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? ] Heb. The bredths, i. e. the length also and circumference thereof. Geographers define the length of the earth from East to West, the breadth from North to South; and they have their supputations and conjectures. Pencer, and others, tell us, that if there were a path made round the earth, an able foot-man might easily go it in 900. days. Which if he could, yet what mortal man, though he should live 900. years, could ever visit and view the whole face, nature, and dimension of the earth, wherein are so many deserts and bogs unpassable? Or, what Job can give a reason why God made the earth of such a length and breadth, and no more, when he could so easily have done it? How much less can he of God's secret and unsearchable judgments? and why should he so desire to know the cause wherefore he is Afflicted?

Declare if thou knowest it all ] Since a great part of it is uninhabited: and the sea surroundeth it as a girdle.

Verse 19. Where is the way where light dwelleth? ] These are Poëtical terms likewise: which signify, or mean nothing else, but that God alone without any help or work of any man, appointed the divers points of Sun-rising, and Sun-setting.

And as for darkness, where is the place thereof? ] i. e. Little canst thou tell what is become of it, or where the Sun setteth: by the absence whereof cometh darkness. The truth is, our reason is by original sin so darkened, that we understand not these lesser and common matters. Those that are more high and hard we learn not, but with much labor, and long experience. As for the Mysteries of God, and things pertaining to Salvation, we cannot at all attain unto them by human reason, as is to be seen in Nicodemus, Job 3. & 1. Cor. 2.

Verse 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof ] That thou shouldest take light and darkness by the hand as it were, and lead them to the place of their abode.

And that thou shouldest know the paths, &c. ] That is, Which way to go to bring them out of their retiring-rooms: and to reduce them into our Hemisphere.

Verse 21. Knowest thou it beacuse thou wast then born? ] Beza readeth it thus, These things, forsooth, thou knowest, because thou wast then born ( viz. when I made them, and appointed what order and course they should keep) and the number of thy days is great, thou are very far grown in years, as having lived ever since the Creation. Es a • nosissimus & antiquissimus, &c. Ironice omnia.

Verse 22. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? ] i, e. Into the clouds where these Meteors (whereof before chap. 37.) are engendered: and from whence God, when he pleases, bringeth such great store, as if he had them treasured up by him of a long season. See the like said of the winds, Psal 135.7. Quasi parata haberet horum penuaria. Gregory allegorizing these words, showeth, that earthly treasures are treasures of Snow. We see little children what pains they take to rake and scrape together snow to make a Snow-ball: Right so, they that scrape together the Treasure of this world; have but a snow-ball of it: so soon as the Sun shineth, and God breatheth upon it, and so entereth into it, by and by it cometh to nothing.

Or hast thou seen the treasures of hail? ] Another Metaphor from Officers of the Exchequer, or public Treasury; q.d. Hast thou the inspection or administration of these Meteors?

Verse 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble ] Or, Against the time of the enemy to punish him, as Exod. 9.24. Josh. 10.11. Isai. 30.30. By deep Snowes men are sometimes withered and destroyed: by violent hail-stones and coals of fire (as Psal. 18.13, 14, 15.) What an overthrow was procured against the Quades by the prayers of the thundering Legion, as they were afterwards called in the days of Aurelius the Emperor? Ingens grando compluraque fulmina in hosts ceciderunt; Huge hail-stones and many light-bolts fell upon the enemy saith the Heathen Historian.

Against the day of battle and war ] When God is pleased to bring forth his upper and lower troops ready pressed, as the Rabbins phrase it.

Verse 24. By what way is the light parted ] scil. From the clouds by lightning, or from darkness by the Sun-rising? Knowest thou that? Or the cause of it? Nothing less. Something Philosophers have to say here, but upon no great certainty.

Which scattereth the East wind upon the earth ] Eurus est ventus urens exiccans, the East wind hath its name in Hebrew from the Sun-rising; the Latins call it, Ventum subsolanum, as that which usually followeth the rising-Sun, but whence it cometh, and whither it goeth, is more then Job or any other can tell.

Verse 25. Who hath divided (or derived ) a water course for the over-flowing of waters? ] That is, the water-clouds for the pouring out of rain, Velut per canales & tubulos; as by Pipes and conveyances wheresoever God pleaseth, men being amazed at those miracles of Nature, Is it not the Lord alone? He it is who divideth the Deluge of waters; as it were draining them into certain furrows which would otherwise fall down from heaven all at once, and make great spoil here below.

Or a way for the lightning of thunder ] Nimbo sonoro, saith Tremellius. See chap 28.6. with the Note.

Verse 26. To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is ] But wild beasts only. These also are God's Creatures and he provideth food for them. How much more will he do so for us, though small faiths.

On the wilderness wherein there is no man ] Repetitio ad varietatem & elegantiam, as also to show the certainty of the thing.

Verse 27. To satisfy the desolate and waste ground ] The waste and waste ground saith Broughton elegantly; and the Hebrew sounds alike.

And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth ] For the use of wild Creatures, whereof there are great store in the Desert of Arabia, not far from Job; for the which, and the rest of his living Creatures, this great House-keeper of the world provideth food, suitable to their several appetites.

Verse 28 Hath the rain a father? ] Subandi, praeter me, faith Vatablus? Hath it any father but me? Can any of the Heathen Deities give rain? Or can the Heavens give showers? Art not thou He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait upon thee, for thou hast made all these things, Jerem. 14.22.

Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew? ] Those round orient Pearls, that falling from heaven in a clear night, do sweetly refresh whatsoever groweth in fields and Meadowes. The natural causes hereof, and of rain are known, but we must rise higher to God, the first Author and Father of these and other things, before and after mentioned, who bringeth them out of his Treasuries, and doth wonderfully both make and manage them. It is remarkable that Christ saith, Hos. 14.5. I will be as the dew unto Israel, He shall grow as the Lily, &c. (See the Note on that Text) Christ is unto them as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest, Isai. 18.4. Making their hearts to be as so many watered gardens, Jer. 31.12.

Verse 29. Out of whose womb came the ice? ] Indeed of ice and water is said in a sense,

But these creatures are not produced by causes which are constant and invariable in Nature, as human generation is, but they proceed from God's pure and simple free-will.

And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendred it? ] Out of the heaven; that is, Out of the lower Region of the Air cometh the matter of it, but God maketh it. Naturalists say, that the hoar frost is a vapor congealed by a cold wind in cold places of the lower Region of the Air; as in Winter we see the breath that cometh out of the mouth, to congeal and hang upon the beard and hairs. This hoary frost is answerable in the counter-point to the dew, but lasteth much longer.

Verse 30. The waters are hid at with a stone ] This is a further description of ice, which is hard as a stone, and clear as crystal; so great is the force of frost, how much more then of God to do whatsoever he pleaseth.

And the face of the deep is frozen ] Some deep Rivers are ice to the bottom, so that loaden car • s are driven over, fires made upon them, meat dressed, &c. as was here upon the Thames in the great Erost, some forty five years since. Yea, some seas are over-frozen ( Juvenal speaks of the icy Ocean) in the Northern part of the world, the ice thereof when once thawed, floteth in the waters like huge mountains, as in Greenland, &c.

Verse 31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades? ] That is, Restrain the pleasantness of the Spring, or asswage the sharpness of winter, that cold and comfortless Quarter? There is none beside God, who can either forbid flowers to break forth in the Spring tide, or else cause them to flourish in winter. The Pleiades (otherwise called Virgiliae and the Hens ) are the seven Stars in the end of Aries. They are in Hebrew called, Chimah, of Chamah to love ardently, because of the fellowship and working together that appeareth in them. They have all one name, because they all help one another in the work, which is, to bring the Spring; and like seven Sisters or Lovers, so are they joined together in one Constellation, and in one company. We see (saith One) that God will have the sweetest works in Nature to be perfected by mutual help. The best time of the year cometh with these Pleiades, and the best time of our life cometh, when we enter into true love and fellowship:

Or lose the bands of Orion? ] Which is a Star that ariseth in the beginning of Winter, and draweth foul weather after him as with bands: these can no man ••• e, for Winter never rotteth in the Air (as the Proverb hath it) nor is it fit it should, for it is of very great use for mellowing of the earth, killing of worms and 〈◊〉 , &c. Neither can the Spring come kindly, till Orion have prepared the way. God will have us suffer, before we reign. The word Chesil here used, sig ••• 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to perfect; because (saith One) by suffering and offering violence to ourselves, we enter into perfection, Luke 13, 32. If we would have a pleasant Spring of graces in our hearts, we must first have a nipping winter. The Spirit of Mortification must be like the cold Star Orion, to nip our quick motions in the head, and to bind all our unclean desires and burning lusts, that they stir not in us; and unless we do thus the delights of Pleiades, or the seven Stars of comfort shall never appear to us.

Verse 32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth? ] Or, the Twelve Signs; or the Southern Stars that bring in Summer. Lucifer some render it; others, the Hyades and others again everyone of the stars or signs. It is like it was someone star very well known in those days, as were likewise the rest here mentioned, and put for the four seasons of the year.

Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons ] Or, Bootes with his wane, (those Northern stars) or, Autumn with his yearly fruits, the gift and work of God alone Of Arcturus, Jerome observeth, that semper versatur nunquam mergitur; this is most true of Christ's Church much tossed, never drowned.

Verse 33. Kn • west thou the Ordinances of heaven? ] Either how to order them, as Master over them, or to comprehend what they are certainly and perfectly

Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? ] As well in regard of the motion of the heavens, which varieth the seasons of the year, as of the influences and virtue which cometh from thence. For they who think that the superior bodies have no power at all upon these inferior, do go against common sense and experience, yea, this and many other texts of Scriptures; which yet make nothing at all for that Judiciary Astrology so much cried up, in these last and worst days of the world, by some who would have the manners, studies and events of every man to depend upon the stars, yea, the rise and ruin of Kingdoms, Arts, Religion, &c.

Verse 34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds? ] Thy commanding voice, as Numb. 9 23. Some render it, Thy thunder. Will the clouds obey thee, and rain upon thee at thy pleasure? Something thou mayest get by thy prayers as Elias did, James 5 17. and the thundering Legion in the Ecclesiastical history, but nothing by command or compulsion. The Monarch of Mexico is a mad man to take an Oath at his Coronation, that it shall be what weather soever he pleaseth all the time of his Rain.

Verse 35 Canst thou send lightnings? ] Nunquid emittes. Canst thou send forth lightnings and thunder-bolts, as hurtful Creatures out of the Cave wherein they are kept? Or as so many soldiers or servants to do as thou commandest them? The Poets fain that Mercury had once a mind to steal Jupiter's thunder-bolts, but durst not lest they should burn his fingers. Histories tell us of a King of Egypt, and of Caligula the Roman Emperor, that they attempttd to thunder and lighten, but with very ill success. Job is here told, that that is too hard a work for any creature to do.

Verse 36. Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? ] Hitherto God hath set forth his own admirable Power, Wisdom and providence in making and governing the life-less creatures the Meteors especially. Now he comes to declare the same in things endued with life; and first with man his Master-piece: who hath given him wisdom (saith God) in the inward parts, or reins? where the reasonable soul sitteth and soveraigneth. The Hebrews say, That the heart understandeth, and the rains deliberate. They have their name here from plaistering over, or covering; because they are over-covered with fat and flesh; howbeit the Lord trieth them, Jer. 17.10. and hath given wisdom to man to moderate his affections and concupiscences which are here seated, and to get truth into these inward parts, Psalm 51.6. that this hidden man of the heart may be highly accepted in heaven, 1 Pet. 3.4.

Or who hath given understanding to the heart? ] To the Cock, saith the Vulgar Latin, after the Talmudists and Jew-Doctors, who teach their Disciples whensoever they hear the Cock crow by night, to say this Benediction, The Lord be praised, who giveth understanding to the Cock; scil. to awaken men, and to announce day. The Septuagint render it, Who hath given to women skill to weave, and art to embroyder? But they do best that take the word (though found only in this place) for the Heart, as that wherein are painted and imprinted the imaginations and representations of things, as the word seemeth to import.

Verse 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdom? ] Quis sapphirinas efficit nubes? Who can make the clouds like Sapphire, that is bright and clear? so some read it. Others, Who can declare the clouds? scil. their number, nature and uses?

Or who can stay the bottle of heaven? ] i.e. the clouds, fitly compared to bottle • , as those vessels that hold the rain, and pour it out on the earth, when God pleaseth to turn the mouths of those bottles downward. This is a great Miracle, saith Lavater, that whereas water is fluid, and beareth downward, yet it abideth in the lofty and soft air, nor can fall, but where and when God appointeth.

Verse 38 When the dust groweth into hardness, &c. ] When the ground hath had its fill, so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth: and that which was tossed with every wind, is clodded and agglutinated by water into an heavy substance. Hic enim simplex est & nativus hujus loci sensus, saith Merlin. Danaus discoursing of stones, how they are made of earth, saith, That this Text is a compendium of all the large Discourses of the natural Philosophers concerning that Subject.

Verse 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion? ] Heb. For the old Lion, (as Neh. 2.9.) that cannot hunt for himself. Prey he must have, as being a very ravenous creature: but wilt thou provide it him? With what great charge do Princes maintain a few Lions? But God maintaineth all, and all other creatures, Psal. 104.27, 28. and 145.15. putting it into the young Lions, to provide prey for the old; and causing these creatures to keep for most part in the Deserts, where they feed upon Camels, and such as they can light upon. Ammianus Marcellinus writeth, That in Chaldea there are an huge number of Lions, which were like enough to devour up both men and beasts throughout the Country. But withal he saith, That by reason of the store of water and mud thereof, there breed yearly an innumerable company of Gnats, whose property is to fly into the eye of the Lion, as being a bright and Orient thing, where biting and stinging the Lion, he teareth so fie • cely with his claws, that he puts out his own eyes: and by that means many are drowned in the Rivers, others starve for want of prey, and many the more easily killed by the Inhabitants.

Or fill the appetite of the young Lion? ] Which is very greedy and insatiate. Some render it, Catervam, the Troop or company of young Lions. But God in mercy to mankind hath so disposed it, that as devouring Creatures are more rare (the Lioness seldom brings • orth more then one in all her life) so they go not often by troops, but range alone seeking their prey.

Verse 40. When they couch in their dens, &c. ] When both by might and slight they provide for themselves. Hunters with all their pains and means cannot catch a beast so soon as the Lion can. An Ape he hateth in a special manner, as being too crafty for him: And yet he feareth man (although as the Poet saith,

Whereof no other probable reason can be given, but the small remnant of God's Image left as yet in man, who once had dominion over all the Creatures, and is still fearred by the fiercest of them.

And abide in the covert to lie in wait ] Where they crouch, counterfeit themselves asleep, lie quiet and close, as Cats that would catch Mice, or Foxes birds. But if this way they speed not, Basil saith they set up a loud roar, whereby the Beasts are so amated, that they have no power to stir out of the place they stand in, till the Lions have taken them.

Verse 41 Who provideth for the Raven his food? ] Though the Raven be a most vile creature, and hated almost of all: in some places there is a reward appointed for those that shall kill them up. Though an unclean creature, and therefore abominable, Lev. 11.13, 15. Though unmerciful to her own, and pitilesse to other birds, though an inauspicate creature, a sign both of man's punishment, and God's curse, Isai. 34 11. Though he crieth with a hoarse and harsh voice (whence also he hath his name in the Original) and so unfit to move pity; yet God provideth food for him: What then will he do for his faithful servants, Matth. 6.26? Where our Savior fetcheth not an example from the Israelites miraculously fed in the wilderness, or Elias in the Desert, but from Fowls of the Air; and among them, not from Eagles, Hawks, Nightingales, but Ravens, &c. Consider the Ravens, Luke 12.24.

When his young ones cry to God ] Though by implication only they cry, and not directly, being forsaken by the old ones, and left bare, they are fed by God with flies and worms bred in the nest out of their excrements; till able to fly, and leave the nest, they wander for lack of meat to take it where-ever they can meet with it.

CHAP. XXXIX. Verse 1. Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the Rock bring forth?]

THe History of the living Creatures is of singular use we see to set forth the Goodness, Power, Wisdom, and other of God's Attributes clearly shining in them. And therefore they have very well deserved of all sorts who have put forth such Histories and discourses; as Aristotle, Elian, Pliny, G • sner, Aldobrandinus, &c. of whom I may say, as once E • tus Sylvius (afterwards Pope Pius 2) did of Learning in general, That Popular men should esteem them as silver, Noblemen as Gold, Princes as Pearls; and not so slenderly reward them, as Pope Sixtus did Theodorus Gaza (who translated, and dedicated unto him, Aristotle, De Natura Animalium ) paying him only for the rich Binding and Bossing forty Crowns: but bountifully encourage them, as Great Alexander did his Master Aristotle for that same Work; he gave him saith the History, eight hundred Talents, which is four hundred and four score thousand Crowns. The pleasure of reading such Authors, is not so great as the profit; for thereby we may attain to the knowledge of God and of ourselves; of his Will, and our Duties. Hence we are sent to School to the unreasonable Creatures, even the most contemptible, as the Pismire, Prov. 6.6. And Basil writing to one, that was proud of his knowledge, propoundeth unto him diverse questions concerning this same Pismire, as namely, how many feet he hath? whether he hath entrails, as kidneys, liver, heart, veins, nerves, as other living Creatures, &c? Semblably, God here to humble Job, and to convince him of his meanness, asketh him, whether he knoweth the wild Goats and Hinds, with the time of their bringing forth young, the means and the manner, &c? And whether these things were done by his ordination and vigilancy? Many admirable things are written of these wild Goats; as what cold places they live in, what inaccessible Rocks, how strangely there they hang, what huge leaps they fetch; but especially about their bringing forth, how by a natural sagacity they help themselves, both before and after, by biting upon certain herbs that are helpful to them in that case. These things, and many more such may be read of in Pliny 's Natural History; of which Book Erasmus well saith, That it is a storehouse, or rather a world full of things most worthy to be read. So are not the Jewish Expositors, who tell us many strange things here concerning these Creatures, quae commentitia esse put • , which I take to be mere Fictions, saith Learned Mercer. And I, to be trifles, and old wives Fables, saith Lavater. To the belief whereof they are justly given up by God for their rejecting of Christ the Light of the world. We grant that the whole world is full of miracles, though for the commonness of them they are little noted, or noticed. But should thesemen think to help the truth by their lies? Should they speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him?

Or canst thou mark when the Hinds do calve? ] Which they do not, without a great deal of pain, (as the Hebrew word importeth) no creature the like, unless it be woman. God sometimes frighteth them by his thunder, and so furthereth their delivery, Psal. 29.9. whilst they struggle with many griefs, and to give life to their calves, are in danger of losing their own. Now, if God help the Hinds in this case, will he be wanting to his laboring daughters? Let them send for Lady Faith to be their Midwife; and all shall go well. She hath delivered Graves of their dead, Heb. 11.35 How much more then will she, them of their quick births, yea, though they carry death in their bowels?

Verse 2. Canst thou number the months they fulfil? ] Eight months Aristotle saith (the Elephant is said to go above eight years) but who can tell the instant when? or why not sooner, or later? Doest thou exactly observe and count those months as I do, to a moment? Sola hic Dei providentia elucet.

Verse 3. They bow themselves ] sc. By an instinct of nature, whether it be the pain they suffer which compelleth them to it, or the fear of hurting their calves, which obligeth them to it.

They bring forth their young ] Diffindunt: fissa sc: et aperta tandem matrice; they bring forth with a great deal of difficulty, to the crushing of their young, which yet escape and grow up. Let good women learn, sperare à Deo faciles & salices partus, to trust in God for a happy delivery, though it go hard with them, sometimes to the making of some Medae • say, Millies in acie mori mallem quam semel parere. I had rather, a thousand times, die in battle, than bring forth one child.

They cast out their sorrows ] Tormina, their throws, and therewith their young, by the benefit of the herbs Arus and Seselis, which they feed upon, for the better bringing away of their gleanings as they call the involucrum, that wrappeth the young in the matrix. The vulgar hath it, They utter roarings; they cast forth cries which are as terrible as the roarings of Lionesses. Stato partus tempore valve deh • sount que à partu mox occluduntur: id quod fieri vidensus, inquit Galenus, fed quomodo fiat, admirari tantum possumus. Avicenna vocat opus supra mirabilia omnia, mirabile. Sed miracula assiduitate vilescunt. If a man should be born but once in an hundred years, all the world would stand amazed at such a Miracle.

Verse 4. Their young ones are in good liking ] Or, They recover; revalescunt as Isai. 58.16. notwithstanding the hardness of their birth, by reason of their dams exceeding dry temperature, Psal. 42.1. As the Hind brayeth after the Water-brooks, as being naturally hot, and dry when in pain especially; and this the young are sensible of in their coming into the world, which yet they soon recover and grow slick and fat. Let God be trusted for the welfare of our children, though weak, and wearish when new-born, and hard put toit in the birth.

They grow up with Corn. ] Or, In the Field; after that they have been nourished a while with their dams-milk, they forage for themselves, being calved about Autumn, as Aristotle noteth, that is in Seed-time: others say, about Harvest, when corn is in the field, and God's great • harn door open, as the proverb is. This is here brought as an Argument of the divine providence.

They go forth, and return not unto them ] That is, To their dams; as finding food enough abroad. Thus other creatures, so soon as born almost, can shift for themselves; only poor shift-less man is long ere he can do anything, or comes to any proof, to be able to provide for himself.

Verse 5. Who hath sent out the wild-Ass free? ] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Phere, serum animal, (so Tremellius rendereth it) the wild Creature. And it is not unlikely that the Latin word Fera, comes from this Hebrew word for a wild-Ass; which is a most untameable, & intractable creature. Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea is tamed, & hath been tamed of mankind, Jam 3.7. We read of Augustus Caesar that he had a tame Tiger, but whoever board of a wild-Ass tamed? Africa is said to have whole herds of them: and it is reported, that when they see a man, they stand stock still; and kick with their hinder feet, braying aloud. And when the Hunter comes so near them, that he could touch them almost, they snuff up the wind, kick up their heels, and run quite away: so nimble they are, that they can hardly be taken, much less tamed? To the Colt of this wild Creature, is a natural man compared by Zophar, chap. 11.12. for his extreme rudeness and unruliness: The Prophet Jeremy hath the like of the Idolaters of his time, chap. 2.24. who were lawless and lewd Losels, obstinate, and refractary; such as multo faciliùs fregeris quàm flexeris; will sooner break than bend: with these froward God will wrestle, Psal. 18.26. with these Antipodes God will walk contrary, Levite. 26.41. and be as cross as they are, for the hearts of them. His Law hath four teeth to taw and tame these masterless Monsters; viz. 1. Irritation, Rom. 7.7. 2. Induration, Isai. 6.10. 3. Obsignation, Gen. 4.7. 4. Execration, Deut. 28.16, 17, &c. Obeyed he will be of them, either Actively or passively: and sanctified he will be, either by them, or upon them, Levite. 10.3. Wild Asses are free from men: but so are not wild Ishmaelites from God. Who hath ever loosed the bands of the wild Ass? but God will hamper his rebels, and certainly subdue them; all his foes shall become his foot-stool. Be instructed therefore, O Jerusalem, Jer. 6.8. Be not as Horse and Mule that have no understanding, &c. for many sorrows shall be to such wicked, Psal. 32.9, 10. and it is too 〈◊〉 for them to kick against the pricks, Acts, 9.5. to push back upon the goad, as •••• med Heifers use to do, but to their further sorrow, and sufferance.

Verse 6. Whose house I have made the wilderness ] That of Arabia especially near unto Job. where were whole droves of these wild Asses. There are a sort of them also in Plara, one of the Islands of the Egean sea. Hermits and Anchorites seem to affect the same liberty: but where did God ever grant it them? Man is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith Aristotle, Natures good-fellow, as One englisheth him: and no sooner had the Philippians received the Gospel, but they were in fellowship to a day, Phil. 1.5. The Communion of Saints is as well a point of Christian practice, • an Article of Christian belief: and they have much to answer for, who sty up themselves, and forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, Heb. 10. these are in the ready way to utter Apostasy, Ibid. He is not like to walk long, who affecteth to walk alone. Two are better than one; and why, see Eccles. 4.9, 11, 12. with the Notes.

And the barren land his dwelling ] Heb. The salt place, that is, barren as if it had been sowed with salt, Judge. 9.45. Psal. 107.33, 34. Salt is taken in Scripture to be both a cause and sign of barrenness, Deut. 20.23. Zeph. 2.9. though amongst us there are some kind of soils, they say, that are manured with salt, and thereby made fruitful: but in those hot and dry Countries it was otherwise. In these barren places, God provideth for the wild-Ass: and although he hath there but mean food, yet he is lusty and nimble, and saveth himself both from the Hunter, and from the ravage of other fierce and savage creatures, by his strength and swiftness. Xenophon telleth us, That Cyrus passing through the wilderness of Arabia, with his Horse-men, there were many of these wild-Asses: who, being stirred, ran so swiftly away, that some horse-men following could not come near them; then standing still: but when the horse-men approached, they fell again a running as before, thus deluding them. Haec igitur bestia non mediocre mirabilis Dei potentiae vestigium est. saith Brenz. In this beast therefore there is much of God's great power and providence to be seen. And from hence also we may gather, saith another Interpreter, that a little is enough to sustain men in the wilderness of this world: As the Children of Israel also were here sustained, having nothing to eat but what God sent them down from heaven from day today, forty years together. Nature is content with a little, grace with less.

Verse 7. He scorneth the multitude of the City ] Heb. He laugheth. Insignis Metaphora. He would scorn to be set to work, as the tame Ass is. Asinum oneramus & non curat, quia asinus est, saith Bernard, We load the Ass, and he taketh it well aworth; because he is an Ass. But the wild-Ass will not take so: he is not a beast born to bear burdens as the other. He is not tardum & pigrum animal; as the other, a dull and slow creature: for which cause also, saith Bellarmine; God would none of him, Exod. 13.13. & 34.20. Christ so far hateth dullness, that he bad Judas the traitor, what he did, do quickly. The wild-Ass is very swift, and fed by God's providence in the wilderness; scorning the multitude, or the hurry-noise of the City.

Neither regardeth he the crying of the driver ] Heb. Of the Exactour, who rateth and rageth against the tame Ass with words and blows, to hasten him to his work, and to bring him this way, and that way. Oppressive Princes do the like to their poor subjects, (the King of France is called, Rex asinorum ) which sometimes maketh them turn wild, and shake off subjection; as the Jews did that to the Romans, choosing rather to suffer the most exquisite torments, than to be enslaved. But what a mad conceit was that of Martin Stembach, a Dutch Sectary, Anno 1566. who would needs correct the Lord's Prayer, Stultam & inefficacem asserens orationem in qua interjectione ô uteremur: non secus enim hac exclamandi formulà divinam gratiam impediri, quam asinarii, asinorum impetum hoc adverbio?

Verse 8. The range of the mountains is his pasture ] There he keeps, probably, for fear of Lions, and other fierce creatures: and there he finds food and forage, such as doth not only appease his hunger, but excite his appetite; as if he were in some fat pasture.

And he searcheth out every green thing ] Speeding better in his search than those Asses of Hetruria, which feeding upon green Hemlock, are thereby laid for dead for three days, till half hileded by the Country men, who take them for dead, they start up, and with an horrible noise run away in that pickle.

Verse 9. Will the Unicorn be willing to serve thee? ] The Rhinoceros, saith the Vulgar: but that's another kind of beast, so called from the growing of his horn from his nose. This is the Monoceros or Unicorn, which cannot be taken alive ( interimi potest, capi non potest ) as the Rhinoceros may. A very fierce and strong creature it is, and nowadays very rare, but anciently more common: He hath one horn only (and not many, as R. Levi by a mistake would infer from Deut. 33.17.) that groweth in the middle of his fore-head; and that he lifted up on high: whence also he hath his name in the Hebrew. He is described in Scripture, 1. By this high lifting up of his horn, Psal. 92.10. 2. By his strength, Numb. 23.22. 3. From his untameable fierceness, here. Pliny calleth him a Lic • rn. Vertomannus saith he saw two of them. Scaliger saith he had seen the horn of an Unicorn, a special Antidote against Poison. But some deny that there is any such creature: because if he had an horn so placed, and of such a length as is affirmed, he could not graze: and besides it appeareth not certainly, that ever any man saw such a creature. Aelian saith that there are a sort of wild-Asses in India of the bigness of an horse, that have one horn in the midst of their foreheads in length a cubit and an half: and so sharp, that therewith he pierceth through the hardest things. Some conceive that by the beast here mentioned is meant the wild-Bull, here oppossed to the tame Ox, and elsewhere joined to Oxen, Deut. 33.17. Isai. 34.6. Whatever it is, it will not be brought to do man service; though fitted by stature and strength to do much; but lives at liberty, and is provided for by God.

Or abide by the crib ] Heb. Ly all night there as Oxen do, ready for service next morning? I trow not.

Verse 10. Canst thou bind the Unicorn, &c? ] To keep him in order, and to hold him hard to his work, that he may lay the furrows even? Canst thou tether or geere him like a horse? Or will he be brought to drive or lead a Plow or Harrow? No such matter. Before the Fall, all Creatures would gladly have served man. Sed rebellis facta est, quia homo numini, creatura homini.

Verse 11. Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? ] Of the Unicorns strength Balaam speaketh, Numb. 23.22. the Hebrew word signifieth such lustiness, courage, & prowess, as whereby one endureth labor without weariness or fainting. Such strength is required in plowmen, whose work is never at an end: and hard fallow must have a strong team. But the Unicorn will never fadge, nor frame to such an employment. Free God hath made him: and rather than part with his freedom, he will par • with his life. Let men learn to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free. (Gal. 5.1.) and not he again entangled (as Oxen tied to the yoke) with the yoke of spiritual bondage, worse than the Egyptian servicade.

Verse 12. wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed? ] That is, the crop that comes of thy seed: as in the former verse, thy labor that is the fruit of thy labor, as Psal. 128.2. There is no trusting to this wild and fierce creature to do any such thing. Vertoman saith, that he saw two Unicorns, and that they were not of so fierce a nature, but that they might be brought to somewhat. But then they were not true Unicorns, say we: such as God here describeth.

And gather it into thy barn? ] No trusting to the Unicorns gentleness for any such matter, unless we desire to be deceived.

Verse 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacock? ] Alam exultandam, the wings and tail to the Peacock, wherein he so prideth himself and taketh such pleasure, being all in changeable colors, so are some great promisers; (the Peacock here hath his name from his loud and shrill voice ) as often changed as moved. A beautiful bird it is, and pre • iously clothed by God. They were wont to say here, That Peacocks, Hops, and Heresy, came first into England in one and the same ship. They say, he most of all spreads his fair tail, when he is most beheld by men, and praised. His feathers are good for little else but only to please children. But that he pulleth down his fair plumes, and setteth up his harsh Note, when he looketh down upon his ill-favored feet, is an old said saw; let them believe it that list.

Or wings and feathers unto the Ostrich? ] And so by a Synecdoche, to all other fowls of the air: in the admirable variety of whose colors, tunes, and tastes, 1 Cor. 15.39. much of God's power, and wisdom, yea, of his goodness also may be seen: and therefore the loss of these creatures (good for food, for physic, and for delight, as the companions of our lives) is threatened as a judgment, Jer. 4.25. & 9.10. Some for the Ostrich render the Stork, and some a Night-bird of an ill note: But the following description agreeth best with the Bustard or Ostrich, which is between a beast and a fowl; having so thin feathers, and so heavy a body, that he cannot fly; but only lifteth up his wings, and runneth very swiftly. Elian saith that he is almost as big as a Camel, being therefore called Struthi • -camelus. Pliny saith that he is higher than an horse-man on horse-back, and can out-run him: but is so foolish, that being pursued, if he can hide his head only in some hole, or thicker, and can see nobody; he thinks himself safe, and that nobody seeth him; though his great bulk be all in sight. Other effects of his folly, follow in the next words.

Verse 14. Which leaveth her eggs in the earth ] Some say that she layeth 80. eggs, and having a faculty of discerning which of them will prove Ostriches, and which will come to nothing; she leaveth some of them upon the sand, and upon other some sitteth, and hatcheth them. But this appeareth to be a fiction, because another and a better reason of her leaving her eggs is here alleged: and the power and providence of God giving them life by the heat of the Sun, evidenced, and evinced.

And warmeth them in the dust ] Julius Scaliger reporteth the like of a certain crested bird of the bigness of an hen, found in Catigan an Island in the sea Sur; which sitteth not upon her eggs, but burieth them two foot deep in the sand: whence they are hatchit by the Sun and hot sands: and this, say some, in very hot Countries is not unusual.

Verse 15. And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or, that the wild beast may break them ] This brutish and blockish bird forgetteth, that is, she never considereth what may befall her eggs, left so carelessly. Other fowl set their Nests aloft and out of harms-way: not so this foolish and careless creature, who hath neither affection to preserve them, nor fear to lose them.

Verse 16. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers ] Heb. Her sons: So are those peremptores potius quam parents, as Bernard calleth them, rather Parricides than Parents, who look not to the precious souls of their poor children; who labor not to mend that by education, which they have marred by propagation. These are worse than those daughters of Jerusalem, who slain almost with grief and hunger, became cruel to their sucklings, like the Ostriches of the wilderness, Lam. 4.3. What a cruel Mother was Medea? and the Mother of King Edward the Martyr, whom she basely murdered: And when his brother Egelrod; (who succeeded him in the Kingdom) being then but ten years old, mourned thereat; his mother was so enraged, that taking Wax candles, which were readiest at hand, she therewith scourged him so sore, that he could never after endure Wax candles to be burnt before him? But this cruelty was nothing to that of soulmurder, whereof many parents by their negligence at least, are deeply guilty: they bring forth children to that old Man-slayer, and so their labor (in bearing and breeding children) is in vain, and worse, without fear, for they will not be better advised nor affected.

Verse 17. Because God hath deprived her of wisdom. ] That is of such fore-cast to provide for her young ones by a natural instinct, as other fowls and beasts have. God's mercy to men appeareth, 1. in giving us wisdom beyond them, Job 35.11. 2. In giving us power over them, Psal. 8. And 3. In learning us so much by them in those many Scripture-comparisons, Prov. 7.23. and 26.2. and 27.8. Matth. 8.26 that's a sweet place, Isai. 31.5. As birds flying. ( scil. to save their young) so will the Lord defend Jerusalem; defending also, he will deliver it; and passing over, he will preserve it. The Fowls of the Air are, and may be unto us examples and Monitours of many virtues to be embraced, and vices to be eschued. In the Ostrich, for instance, we may see that strength and bigness of body is not always accompanied with wisdom and understanding: that it is God who either giveth or denieth wisdom to his Creatures; that natural affection is of him; that he gives not all things to one man, but diversely distributeth his gifts: The Ostrich hath wings, but not to fly with, &c.

Verse 18. What time she lifteth up herself on high, &c. ] That is, when she runneth away from the hunter (which she doth with singular swiftness) she lifteth up herself on high, not from the earth, as other birds (for that she cannot do) but on the earth, with wings stretched out like sails, and her whole body bolt upright, scarce touching the earth at all with her feet, but quickening her own pace with sharp spurs, which they say she hath in the pinnion of each wing, so pricking herself on, that she may run the faster; to teach us what we should do in the race of Religion, and when pursued by Satan, how to hasten to Christ.

She scorneth the horse and his rider ] That is, she easily out-runs them, being as swift as a bird that flieth. They say, the Arabians are wont to try their horses swiftness by trying to overtake them.

Verse 19. Hast thou given the horse strength? ] Having mentioned the horse, he comes next to show his nature: and here we have a most elegant description of a generous horse, such as Dubartas maketh Cain to manage, and as the Greeks call, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Fremebundum.

In this Creature therefore we have a clear instance of the wonderful Power and Wisdom of God. If the hoase be so strong and warlike, what is the Almighty, that man of war, Exod. 15.3. and Victor in Battle, as the Chaldee there calleth him? This is one way whereby we may conceive of God, scil. per viam eminemiae, for if there be such and such excellence in the Creature, what is there in the Creator, since all that is in us is but a spark of his flame, a drop of his Ocean? How then wilt thou, O Job, dare to contend with him, who art not able to stand before this Creature of his? Wonderful things are reported concerning Bucephalus, and the horse of Julius Caesar, of Nicom • des King of Bithynia, of the Sibarites War-horses, Qui ad symphonia cantum saltatione quadam movebantur. The Persians dedicated an horse to the Sun, so did the Idolatrous Israelites, 2 Kings. 23.11. as the swiftest Creature to the swiftest God. Very serviceable he is for drawing and carrying, but especially in battle, whereof only here, De equis militaribus & cataphractis; of War-horses, the use whereof appeareth to be very ancient, even in Jobs days. The Israelites made little or no use of them in the Conquest of Canaan; but their enemies there did, and Pharaoh before them, Exod. 14. Let it be held that a horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength, Psal. 33.17. The Jews are sharply reproved, and heavily threatened for trusting to the horses of Egypt, Isai. 31.1.

Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? ] That is, with neighing and snorting, answerable to his strength, and which soundeth terribly from within his neck, till his very eyes sparkle, as if he did both thunder and lighten. The Apostles, and other Ministers of God are called Christ's White horses, Rev. 6.1, 2. upon which he rideth about the world conquering and to conquer: Horses for their courage and constancy, and white for their purity of Doctrine, Discipline and Conversation: They thunder in their Doctrine, and lighten in their lives (as Nazianzen, saith Basil, did) to the subduing of souls to the obedience of faith.

Verse 20. Canst thou make him afraid as a Grasshopper? ] Which soon flincheth and flieth with the least noise. But the horse is more like that formidable Army of Locusts described, Joel 2. that bare down all before them, and shook all places where ever they came.

The glory of his nostrils is terrible ] Heb. Terrors: His snorting and sneezing strikes terror into people. The more wonderful is God's goodness in subduing to weak man so lusty a creature, to be ridden and ruled at his pleasure. He trains him to the great saddle, and teacheth him to obey his hand and spur, to bound in the air, to observe his measures, to show that docility, dexterity and vigor which none but God hath given him, and be every way so serviceable and useful both in War and Peace. Joannes Bodin hath observed, That whereas Lions, Wolves, and other ravenous creatures have a gall and choler, whereby they are easily stirred up to anger and revenge: not so horses, asses, camels, elephants, and other creatures made for man's help; these have neither gall nor horns, wherein appeareth summa Opificis sapientia, the great wisdom and goodness of the Creator.

Verse 21. He paweth in the valley ]

Such is the impatiency of his spirit, that he champs his bit, and stamps with his feet; he pricks up his ears, and grows white with foam, and can hardly be held in till the enemy come, but would fain be in the battle; whither when he comes, he runs upon the Pikes, and undauntedly casts himself and his rider among the enemies squadrons: Quod sum mirum est, saith Mercer. which is a wonderful thing indeed: and it is no less wonderfully set forth by a most lively and lightsome hypotyposis, giving us to see, as it were, the horses rushing into the battle, and to hear him snoaring, and snorting with disdain and despite, bringing everywhere horror and disorder.

Verse 22. He mocketh at fear &c. ] Heb. He laugheth, by an elegant Prosopopaeia, such as this Book is full of. Non vanos horret strepitus. He feareth no colors when once engaged in fight, but counts that a sport and play whereof others are afraid.

Neither turneth he back from the sword ] Or any other offensive weapons, these cannot make him turn tail or recoil, he is never more furious, then when he sees himself covered with his blood. —Vires animosque à vulnere sumit: Being wounded, he biteth and kicketh, and fighteth no less stoutly then the Rider himself doth.

Verse 23 The Quiver rattleth against him ] The Arrow: those messengers of death come whisking and singing about his ears (so the bullets now in so much use) but he is unappaled thereat.

The glittering Spear ] Heb. The flaming Spear, as Gen. 3.24. that is, bright and clear, shining like a flame of fire, which must needs be terrible: but not at all to the War-horse.

And the Shield ] Or rather Javelin, Launce, or the like he feareth not a wood of Pikemen set in array against him.

Verse 24. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness ] He runs over it as fast as if he did swallow it up at a draught. An hyperbolical Metaphor.

With fierceness and rage ] Or, With commotion or unquietness; there is an elegancy in the Original that cannot be englished.

Neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet ] He is so over-joyed, when that sign is given to begin the battle. Others, he cannot stand still when he hath once heard the sound of the Trumpet.

Verse 25. He saith among the Trumpets, Ha, ha ] Or, Euge. A Note of rejoicing, which he seemeth to utter in his language: these are Poetical terms.

He smelleth out the battle afar off ] He knows that the onset is about to be given. Pliny writeth, That horses will perceive aforehand the very time of the fight if it be but

By the thunder of the Captains, and the shouting ] The Captains adhortation, and the Soldiers acclamations, &c. The Hebrew word signifieth the noise either of joy or sorrow; both are commonly heard in battles. For every battle of the Warriour is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood, Isai. 9.5. The glory of all this that is said of the horse, the Lord assumeth to himself; and yet the horse is not so courageous, but that he is as much afraid of, and troubled at the sight of the Stone Taraxippe (which therehence also hath its name) as the Elephant is at the sight of an Hog, and a Lion of a Cock, wherewith they have a natural antipathy, as Naturalists tell us.

Verse 26. Doth the Hawk fly by thy wisdom? ] Or, Doth the hawk plumescere get her feathers by thy wisdom? The word cometh from a root which signifieth, strong, because the strength of fowls is in their wings, their delight in high flying. Hath the Hawk her wings from thee? and doth she recruit and use them, artificio & auspicio tuo, by thy Art or Industry? Tame them indeed men may, and bring them to hand, as Falconers do, for pleasure more then for profit; but neither can they give them their wings, nor repair them when broken.

And stretch her wings toward the South ] Thereby to furnish herself with a second plumage, whilst she flieth into those hotter Countries, where (as they say) her old feathers by the Suns heat fall off, and new tome in their room.

Verse 27 Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command? ] Mount plum up (which no bird else can do) to an infinite height, even out of sight; not without an eye still to her prey, which by this means she spies sooner, and seizeth upon better. A fit emblem of an hypocrite, who seems to soar aloft, but it is for some self and sinister respect; he seeketh not the Lord Jesus Christ (as the sincere hearted do) but his own belly, Rom. 16.18.

And make her nest on high ] Not in plains, but on lofty tops, and inaccessible Rocks, for the safety of her young ones. Of the nature of Eagles, read Aristotle, De Nat, Animal. lib. 9. cap. 32. and Pliny, lib. 3. cap. 10. They tell us, That there is an enmity between the Eagle and the Serpent; and because the Serpent seeketh to destroy the young Eagles, she setteth her nest on high to safeguard them. And if any man seek to rob her nest, she doubteth not to assault him with her wings and talons. Formidable she is to all birds save only the Hawk, who is able to deal with her if he can but avoid the first shock.

Verse 28. She dwelleth and abideth upon the rock &c. ] Which are counterscarfed and encompassed with Precipices; there she makes her nest in the clefts and crags. The reason whereof see in the Note on the Verse afore-going.

Upon the crags of the Rocks ] She nesteth not upon the sand as the Ostrich doth, ver. 14. And in this so great difference of birds and other creatures, is seen the wonderful Power and Providence of God.

Verse 29. From thence she seeketh the prey ] Besides fowls, (whereof she is called the Queen) she preyeth upon Hares, Hinds, Foxes, and such other beasts, as she can master. Hence that complaint of the Hare,

And her eyes behold afar off ]. To a very great distance. She is sharp-sighted, and first sees her prey, and then seeks it. She is also so strong sighted, that she can look intently into the body of the Sun, without being dazzled; and by that property makes proof of her young ones whether they be right or not. Those that cannot so behold the Sun, she drives out of the nest as spurious. Those that can, she owneth, and beareth abroad with her upon her wings (as Munster noteth out of R. Solomon ) that none can shoot them, but through her body: and thereto Moses alludeth Exod. 19.4.

Verse 30. Her young ones also suck up blood ] Heb. They glut-glut blood; the Hebrew word, jegnalegna dam, seems to be made from the sound in sucking. The young Eagles, not yet able to tear the prey brought unto them by the old one with their talons, suck the blood with their Beak, and so are flesht in blood betimes.

And where the slain are, there is she ] This is true of all the kinds of Eagles, but especially of the Vulturine Eagle, which is of a very sharp smell as well as sight, and by a strange sagacity of nature, resorteth with her young to places of slaughter and bloodshed; she followeth Armies, and feedeth on carcasses, which they can smell, say some Naturalists, before the battle be fought. And can this be of any one but the Lord. Our Savior alludeth to this Text, Mat, 24.28. Where the carcass is, there will the Eagles be also. See my Note on that place.

CHAP. XL. Verse 1. Moreover the Lord answered Job and said]

HIC verisimile est aliquantisper Deum tacuisse, saith Mercer. Here it is likely that God held his peace a while, and seeing that Job replied not, he added the following words, the more fully to convince and affect him. There is somewhat to do to reduce a sinner from the error of his way, yea, though he be in part regenerate, the flesh will play its part against the Spirit. This must be considered, and all gentleness used to those that offend of infirmity, aster God's example here.

Verse 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? ] Or, Is it wisdom to contend with the Almighty? No, but the greatest folly and sottishness. Job might think otherwise, so long as he compared himself with others; but being once set by God in his superexcellencies considered, he shall see his own nothingness, and sit down in silence and patience, though severely tried, and sharply afflicted.

He that reproveth God, let him answer it ] Answer it if he can, or else yield the cause. Praestat herbam dare quàm turpiter pugnare. But if Job have yet further a mind to question and quarrel God in any his ways and works, let it be heard what answer he can return to what hath been already spoken.

Verse 3. Then Job answered the Lord, and said ] 'Twas time for him, if ever, to stoop to the Most High, so far condescending to his meanness, and to answer his expectation by acknowledging a fault, and promising amendment. Lo this is the guise of a godly person: He may be out, but he will not usually be obstinate. An humble man will never be an Heretic; convince him once, and he will yield: Not so the obstinate and uncounsellable person; he runs away with conviction, as the unruly horse doth with the bit between his teeth: and his wit will better serve him to devise a thousand shifts to elude the truth, than his pride will suffer him once to yield to it, and acknowledge his error.

Verse 4. Behold I am vile ] Light and little worth: and therefore deserve to beslighted and laid by, as a broken vessel. The humble man vilifies, yea, nullifies himself before God, as Abraham, Gen. 18.27. as Agur, Prov. 30.2. as Paul, Ephes. 3.8. as that Martyr who cried out, Gehenna sum Domine, Lord, thou art heaven, but I am hell, &c. Tantillitas nostra, saith Ignatius of himself and his colleagues. Behold, 1 am an abject saith Job here, contemptible, and inconsiderable. This was well, but not all: an excellent confession, but not full enough: his meanness he acknowledgeth, and that he was no fit match for God: but not his sinfulness, with desire of pardon, and deprecation of punishment: God therefore gives him not over so, but sets upon him a second time, verse. 6. and brings him to it, chap. 42.1. There must be some proportion betwixt a man's sin, and his repentance, Ezra. 9. and this, God will bring all his Jobs to, ere he leave them.

What shall I answer thee? ] I am silenced, and set down; I see there is no reasoning against thee. I acknowledge thy greatness so plainly and plentifully demonstrated in the fore-going discourse: and am well pleased that thou shouldest be justified when thou speakest, and over-come when thou judgest, Psal. 51.4. Rom. 3.4.

I will lay my hand upon my mouth ] I that have spoken more freely and boldly then I ought, Et ore patulo multa sine judicio effutivi; and have opened my mouth more wide then was meet: will henceforth be better advised, and keep my mouth with a bridle, or muzzle, as Psal. 39.1. See the Note on chap. 21. verse. 5.

Verse 5. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer ] 'It is enough of that Once: The Saints running out, and meeting with a bargain of sin, come back by weepingcrosse, and cry, What have I to do anymore with wickedness, Hos. 14.8? Judah knew his daughter Tamar no more, Gen. 38.26. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more, chap. 34.31, 32. That was Elihu's counsel; and now it is Jobs practice.

Tea, Twice ] That is, Often: so eager was I set upon a dispute. This was an Aggravation of Jobs sin, the committing of it again and again. Numbers added to numbers are first ten times more; then, an hundred; then, a thousand, &c. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, Jeremiah, 22.21. that was an ill business.

But I will proceed no further ] sc. In this controversy. I will not come into the lists to contend with thee. I see there is no safety in such a contest. In many things we offend all, saith St. James: and he is a perfect man who sinneth not with his tongue. But as he who hath drunk poison, maketh haste to cast it up again, ere it get go the vitals: so should we deal by our daily misdoings. It is not falling into the water that drowns a man, but lying long under it. Bewaile thy sin, and hasten to get out of it.

Verse 6. Then answered the Lord unto Job out of a Whirl-Wind ] As before, chap. 38.1. notwithstanding Jobs submission. See the reason on verse. 4. God took his out-bursts against him so very ill, that he is not easily pacified; but the better to abase Job, and quite to break the neck of his pride, he answereth him again angerly, not by a soft and still voice, as he dealt by Elijah, but out of the whirl-wind, though with some abatement of terror, as Rainban conceiveth from the leaving out here the notificative Article, set before Segnarab the whirl-wind in the 38 chapter. Peter was not over-forward to comfort those that were pricked at heart with sense of sin, and fear of wrath; but presseth them yet further to repent, Act. 2.38. Men are apt to slight and slubber over the work, doing it to the halves; and must therefore be held hard to it, lest it should not be done to purpose.

Verse 7. Gird up thy loins now like a man ] Resume new strength, and prepare yourself for a second encounter: for I have not yet done with you. If therefore you think yourself able to stand in contention with me, show your valor. See the Note on chap. 38.3.

Verse 8. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? ] Dost thou think to ruin my justice, to establish thine own innocence? and wilt thou needs be a superior judge over me? Wilt thou not revoke thy former expostulations and complaints against me, and with open mouth give me my due glory? Here God showeth his dissatisfaction with Jobs former confession.

Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? ] Job had bolted out some words that either tended to this purpose, or seemed so to do to the just grief & offense of his friends. For this therefore he must be better humbled, and henceforth learn to abstain not only from things simply evil, but seemingly so; quicquid fuerit male coloratum, (as Bernard hath it) whatsoever looks but ill-favouredly.

Verse 9. Hast thou an arm like God? ] That thou shouldest wrestle a fall with him, and hope to over-match him? Thou hast a mighty arm, saith David, strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Psal. 89.13. It spans the heavens, and holds the earth in the hollow of it. The weight of it broke the Angels backs: and the terror of it may be seen in all those writs of execution recorded in the Scriptures. Oh its a fearful thing, saith the Apostle, to fall into the (punishing) hands of the living God, Heb. 10.

Or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? ] Of Pericles the Orator it is said, that when he declaimed, Intonabat, fulgurabat, totam Graeciam commiscebat, &c. he thundered, he lightened, he mingled all Greece together. And Livy, speaking of a certain Roman Commander, saith, Haec cum intonuisset iracundus, &c. These things when he had thundered out angerly, and with a courage, the people departed of their own accord. Alexander the Great, being once vexed at his Soldiers for mutining and tumultuating, thunder-struck them with these words, Facessite hins acyùs, neminem teneo; liberate occulos meos ingratissimi milites; Get you quickly out of my presence, and be packing hence, ye ungrateful Soldiers. And Severus the Emperor in like sort dealt with his unruly Army, Discedite Quirites, said he, et incertum an Quirites; These were terrible hard words, and very resolutely uttered: But what's any, or all of this to the voice of God's thunder, whereof see before? Knowest thou not, O Job, that thine arm is an arm of flesh? and thy voice so small and low, that a Fly would not be frighted at it?

Verse 10. Deck thyself now with Majesty and Excellency ] Or, With magnificence, and sublimity. &c. i. e. Deum age, show thyself as God: for he thus decks himself, Psal. 93.1. & 96.6. & 104.1, 2. Job 29.14.

And array thyself with glory and beauty ] That thou mayest appear, Os humerosque Deo similis, as Herod afterwards in his cloth of silver, which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams (saith Josephus ) dazzled the people's eyes, and drew from them that fond acclamation, It is the voice of a God, Act. 12.22.

Verse 11. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath ] In this glorious equipage; make thy just indignation felt by all the rebels of the world. Nemo te impune lacesset.

And behold everyone that is proud ] Look upon him oculo minaci, with a flaming eye: look through him, let him see thy displeasure. Upon some God looketh, to convert them, as Christ did upon Peter, Luk. 22.61. Upon others, to confound them, — 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

And abase him ] Abate his pride, and abase his pomp, and greatness: this is God-like, Psal. 147.6. Aesop being asked by Chilo (one of the seven wise-men of Greece) What God was doing? Answered, He abaseth the proud, and exalteth the lowly-minded. Tamberlain, to manifest that he knew how to punish the haughty, made Bajazet the great Turk to be shackled, and shut up in an iron cage, and so carried up and down as he passed through Asia, to be scorned and derided of his own people. And when one of his Favorites requested him to remit some part of his severity against the person of so great a Prince: Tamberlain answered, That he did not use that rigor against him out of hatred to the man, but to manifest the just judgment of God against the arrogant folly of so proud a Tyrant.

Verse 12. Look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low ] This God doeth, Isai.