the Word 844. Word of God how powerful to effect what he willeth 115 Words some light others weighty 511 Words should give light to things spoken of 27. Darkning words very bad 28. Words soft and hard 670. A few words will please God where he sees much faith 788. Our words and understandings should go together 812 Works of God how dangerous to find fault with any of them 508 509. The works especially the great works of God are very much to be considered 607. Works of God why called his wayes 624. They are wonderful 316 World the frame of it very beautiful 64 65. Things of the world how like a Sea of glass 231 Worship outward and inward must be according to the command of God 918 Wrath of God 578. Sin causeth the kindlings and discoveries of wrath 860 God sometimes declareth against those whom he loveth 861. God dedeclares the cause of his wrath 861 Wrongs must be forgiven 887. A godly man is ready both to give and take satisfaction in case of wrong 8â—8 It is a duty to pray for those that have done us wrong 889. X Xerxes his vanity in attempting to bind the Sea 109 Y Youth What young ones are used to they hold long 487 A TABLE OF Those Scriptures which are occasionally cleered and briefly illustrated in the fore-going EXPOSITIONS The First Number directs to the Chapter the Second to the Verse the Third to the Page of the BOOKE Chap. Vers Page  Genesis  2. 18. 726. 6. 5. 150. 6. 6. 929. 10. 10. 623. 11. 6. 801. 14. 22. 55. 16. 12. 330. 19. 14. 447. 22. 1. 264. 22. 2. 916. 29. 1. 314. 32. 24. 21. 41. 30. 413. 44. 16. 520. 49. 14. 623 49. 24. 552.  Exodus  1. 12. 977. 3. 2. 13. 3. 14. 49. 4. 11. 60. 8. 9. 547. 12. 41 42. 318. 19. 5. 490. 26. 5. 735. 30. 23. 624. 32. 10. 504.  Leviticus  4. 3. 878. 19. 17. 855. 26. 11 15 30. 829.  Numbers  13. 32. 61. 14. 24. 919. 20. 14. 956. 23. 22. 380. 32. 23. 186.  Deuteronomy  28. 33. 373. 28. 59. 456. 32. 11 12. 490. 32. 15. 905. 32. 36. 929. 33. 13 14 15. 240. 33. 17. 380 348. 33. 28. 224.  Joshua  1. 5. 694. 10. 11. 191.  Judges  5. 12. 931. 5. 20. 191. 6. 37 40. 226. 7. 2. 600. 7. 21. 85.  I. Samuel  1. 6. 432. 2. 3. 745. 2. 31. 547. 12. 21. 685. 15. 11. 929. 17. 40. 637. 24. 2. 307. 24. 14. 665.  II. Samuel  6. 3. 918. 8. 2. 64. 17. 12. 223.  I. Kings  8. 11. 568. 12. 10. 548. 19. 11. 14. 20. 11. 35.  II. Kings  4. 29. 34. 5. 7. 602. 6. 22. 962. 21. 13. 63.  I. Chronicles  15. 13. 918.  Ezra  9. 13. 538.  Nehemiah  4. 6. 364 375.  Psalms  2. 4. 420. 8. 4. 23. 9. 9. 183. 9. 14. 723. 11. 3. 56. 14. 6. 669 982. 18. 7 8 9. 14. 18. 21. 524. 18. 26. 904. 18. 33. 313. 19. 4. 167. 19. 12. 814. 22. Title 312 313. 22. 21. 382. 22. 27. 130. 23. 1 2. 343. 24. 1. 54. 27. 8. 264. 27. 10. 403. 29. 8 9. 315. 30. 5. 117. 31. 23. 950. 33. 9. 114. 33. 17. 426. 34. 10. 288. 35. 12 13. 940. 35. 21. 460. 36. 6. 148. 36. 9. 50. 37. 6. 960. 39. 4. 316 48. 40. 5. 802. 40. 15. 460. 46. 2. 52. 50. 3 4. 18. 50. 21. 834. 51. 4. 499. 65. 1. 65. 65. 5. 20. 65. 8. 122. 66. 11 12. 933. 68. 18. 931. 68. 20. 154 934. 68. 35. 729. 69. 23. 619. 71. 1. 503. 73. 22. 610 814. 74. 14. 678. 74. 20. 170. 75. 5. 433 745. 77. 19. 149. 78. 72. 898. 80. 3 7 19. 581. 88. 13. 700. 90. 1 2. 49. 91. 16. 213. 94. 12. 794. 97. 3. 744. 101. 8. 134. 102. 17. 947. 104. 4. 262. 104. 5. 51. 104. 19. 128 248. 104. 21. 287. 105. 17 18 19. 244. 105. 25. 246. 105. 44. 373. 106. 20. 568. 107. 42. 522. 108. 1. 81. 109. 4. 938. 110. 3. 359. 111. 2. 151. 118. 22 23 24. 74. 118. 27. 122. 119. 17. 828 794. 119. 21. 591. 119. 33 34 35. 820. 119. 126. 538. 119. 160. 624. 126. 1. 323. 126. 4. 934. 126. 6. 376. 127. 4. 763. 128. 2. 373. 133. 1. 914. 138. 6. 486. 139. 9. 131. 141. 5. 939. 141. 7. 154. 144. 3. 515. 145. 10. 79. 145. 11. 80. 146. 3. 555. 147. 16 17. 228.  Proverbs  3. 20. 223. 6. 32. 692. 8. 36. 692. 9. 1. 610. 10. 32. 898. 14. 4. 362 378. 14. 8. 810. 15. 15. 668. 17. 17. 958. 19. 2. 33. 19. 12. 225. 19. 21. 800. 21. 3. 901. 21. 5. 371. 23. 5. 475. 23. 31. 655. 24. 16. 310 25. 19. 374. 27. 22. 794. 29. 23. 581. 30. 1. 789. 30. 4. 200. 31. 17. 619. 31. 25. 338.  Ecclesiastes  1. 4. 52. 1. 15. 161. 7. 13 14. 244. 8. 15. 963. 9. 7. 897. 9. 11. 287.  Canticles  1. 6. 779. 1. 9. 464. 2. 10 11 12. 232. 2. 12. 78. 2. 14. 944.  Isaiah  1. 31. 639. 2. 22. 439 513. 2. 22. 958. 6. 5. 833. 8. 9. 595. 10. 13. 601. 11. 3. 461. 11. 9. 792. 14. 12. 82. 18. 2 7 63. 20. 5. 555. 21. 10. 763. 22. 8 9. 983. 27. 5. 195. 27. 8. 190. 27. 11. 415. 28. 16. 69. 28. 24. 366. 28. 29. 816. 31. 1. 427. 31. 4. 283. 32. 2. 189. 33. 17. 491. 34. 7. 382. 34. 11. 63. 35. 1 2 6 7. 210. 40. 2. 940. 40. 26. 250. 40. 31. 492. 43. 4. 514. 44. 3 4 5. 210. 45. 5. 575. 45. 7. 169. 49. 4. 682. 49. 15. 403. 50. 4. 32. 51. 12. 29. 53. 1. 549. 54. 10. 52. 54. 16 17. 766 639. 56. 11. 285. 58. 5. 745. 58. 7. 409. 61. 7. 952. 63. 12. 548. 64. 2. 231. 64. 7. 536 37. 64. 6 7. 692. 65. 1. 551. 66. 2. 15.  Jeremiah  1. 17. 35. 2. 24. 316. 2. 30. 683. 3. 5. 789. 4. 1. 844. 4. 14. 804. 4. 18. 908. 4. 30. 1001. 5. 5. 329. 8. 15. 683. 10. 11 12. 54. 14. 11. 892. 14. 21. 905. 14. 22. 219. 18. 7 8. 929. 21. 3. 134. 22. 14. 60. 22. 15 23. 595. 25. 38. 290. 29. 11. 802. 29. 12. 946. 32. 15 17 27. 798. 51. 26. 71.  Lamentations  1. 15. 263. 3. 13. 763. 3. 65. 737. 4. 3. 408.  Ezekiel  7. 17. 757. 21. 6. 619. 28. 2. 100. 30. 21. 556. 44. 5. 826. 47. 3 4 5. 792.  Daniel  1. 4. 442. 8. 16. 810. 9. 24. 884.  Hosea  1. 7. 702. 2. 21 22. 212. 7. 16. 844. 8. 5. 329. 10. 11. 366. 14. 3. 702.  Joel  2. 13. 848.  Amos.  4. 12. 194. 8. 11. 484.  Jonah  4. 8. 200.  Micah  5. 7. 225. 5. 8. 283. 6. 6. 900. 7. 6. 905. 7. 18. 882.  Nahum  1. 3. 20.  Habakkuk  1. 8. 77. 1. 11. 602. 3. 16. 833. 3. 17. 682. â— 19. 313.  Zephanie  3. 3. 77. 3. 5. 112. 3. 9. 87.  Haggai  1. 9. 682. 2. 17. 194.  Zecharie  2. 13. 754. 3. 1. 696. 4. 7. 470. 4. 10. 63. 4. 14. 696. 8. 6. 798. 10. 1. 260. 10. 3. 465. 11. 17. 547. 12. 3. 686. 12. 10. 689. 12. 11 12. 915.  Matthew  5. 44. 85. 5. 45. 210 116. 6. 22. 740 6. 24. 874. 10. 13. 940. 11. 30. 917. 16. 18. 686. 16. 26. 683. 20. 6 7. 731 121. 23. 8. 16. 23. 23. 608. 24. 28. 488.  Luke  10. 15. 687. 84. 23. 341. 17. 37. 488. 19 38 39 40. 79 80.  John  1. 11 408. 3. 8. 200 201. 4. 24. 918. 6. 46. 827. 9. 4. 121. 15. 19. 408. 21. 17. 803.  Acts.  2. 37. 921. 4. 32. 736. 6. 15. 81. 9. 11. 936. 10. 35. 899. 17. 26. 334. 17. 28. 220 50. 20. 22. 241.  Romans  1. 20. 89 90. 1. 23. 568. 3. 4. 499. 6. 19. 332. 6. 21. 685. 8. 22. 320. 8. 34. 946. 8. 38 39. 420. 9. 20. 29. 10. 3. 838. 11. 35. 700. 14. 18. 901. 15. 3. 343. 16. 20. 587.  1 Corinth  4. 7. 390. 4. 6 7. 734. 7. 21 22 24. 330. 8. 2. 813. 9. 9. 288. 10. 26 28. 707. 13. 8. 161. 15. 8. 248.  2 Corinth  1. 20. 924. 3. 12. 31. 3. 18. 568. 5. 9. 896. 5. 10 11. 18 19. 5. 21. 884. 6. 1. 914 86. 7. 1. 922. 8. 5. 371. 8. 12. 902. 10. 4 5. 561. 10. 12. 564. 10. 8 13. 62 63.  Galathians  1. 15 16. 916. 1. 16. 264. 3. 10. 842. 4. 26. 332. 6. 2. 134.  Ephesians  2. 9. 733. 2. 14. 70. 4. 8. 931. 5. 10. 901. 5. 29. 408.  Philippians  2. 4. 341. 2. 15. 124. 2. 13. 412. 3. 7 8. 836. 3. 21. 513.  1 Timothy  1. 5. 92â— 2. 8. 886. 2. 9. 975. 5. 8. 409.  2 Timothy  1. 6. 37. 2. 3. 407. 2. 3 4 5. 590. 2. 6. 769. 4. 15. 284.  Titus  2. 9. 917  Hebrews  1. 5. 83. 1. 8. 263. 11. 3. 51. 11. 10. 47. 12. 17. 982. 12. 26. 51. 13. 14. 47.  James  1. 6 7. 942 1. 17. 268. 1. 18. 221. 4. 12. 598. 5. 11. 952. 5. 16. 942.  1 Peter  1. 13. 37. 3. 3. 975. 3. 7. 937. 3. 13. 907. 4. 11. 31. 4. 17. 534. 5. 7. 7. 5. 8. 293.  2 Peter  3. 16. 32. 3. 18. 792.  1 John  3. 9. 525. 4. 12. 823. 4. 18. 756. 5. 3. 917. 5. 16. 892. 5. 19. 591.  3 John  0 4. 1024.  Jude  0 6. 89 186. 0 14 15. 18.  Revelation  1. 18. 154. 4. 6. 231. 8. 3 5. 945. 11. 2 3. 318. 11. 3 34. 12 13 14. 336. 12. 15. 493. 17. 12 13. 736. 18. 6 7. 950. FINIS
c. The Hebrew Text doth not expresse this Adverb of time there 't is onely the Lord answered but we well supply it rendering then the Lord answered as if the Penman had said at that very nick instant or juncture of time the Lord came in the words were no sooner out of the mouth of Elihu he had no sooner concluded his speech with Job but the Lord began and answered Job and if the Lord had not just then interposed possibly Job might have replyed and a new heat might have risen to the encreasing of his troubles and the inflaming of all their Spirits as was hinted before therefore the Lord to stop all further proceedings or speech between them two began presently to speak himself Then the Lord answered Take this Observation from it The Lord will appear in the fittest season It was time for the Lord to appear lest this poor man should have been utterly swallowed up with sorrows and over-whelmed with his affliction or lest he should have been drawn out too long and too far in his bitter complainings and impatiency The Lord is a God of judgement blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He is a wise God and knows how to time every action he knowes when to appear when to shew himself As he himself will not contend for ever Isa 57.16 so neither will he let others contend overlong least the Spirit should sail before him and the soules which he hath made This is a comfortable truth with respect both to Nations and Persons both to the case of the Church of God in general and of every believer in particular The Apostle Peter having counselled the afflicted to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 addes this encouragement in the next words to do so that he may exalt you in due time though not in your time nor at your day the day when you would have him do it yet he will do it in time and in due time that is when it shall be most fit and best for you Thus he appeared to and for Job in the Text when the sorrowes of his heart were enlarged and when he had most need of such an appearance The Lord knows how at any time and when 't is the most proper time to relieve his servants Then The Lord answered Job The word here used is Jehovah and several of the Learned take notice that it is here used with a special significancy for in the discourses of Job and his friends throughout this Book other names of God are if not universally yet mostly used as Elshaddai Eloah c. In the first Chapter indeed where God is spoken of by the divine Historian or sacred Penman of this History he is named Jehovah as also in some other such like places but in the body of the dispute not so And two reasons may be given of it First The name Jehovah imports the Being of God and therefore God himself being about to speak of his giving a Being to the whole Creation and to several sorts of creatures he is most properly represented by his name Jehovah which as it implyeth that he is the First Being the Fountain of his own Being or that he is of himself so that he gives a Being to all things and that in him as the Apostle told the great Philosophers of Athens Acts 17. we live and move and have our being Secondly The Lord though he came in a Whirle-wind yet manifested himself in a clearer light to Job than ever he had done before Now as in the third of Exodus when the Lord sent Moses to the people of Israel to bring them up out of Egypt to Canaan which was a great work one of the greatest that was ever done in the world and in which the Lord made the most glorious discovery of his Power Justice and Mercy when God I say sent Moses upon this service he said unto him Exod. 6.2 3. I am the Lord I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them God being about to make himself more known in the world than he had been to that day by his dreadful plagues upon Pharaoh and the miraculous deliverance of his people out of Egypt as he said chap. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared in all the earth The Lord I say being about to doe these great things for the manifestation of his own greatness gave this charge to Moses at the sixth verse of the sixth chapter before mentioned Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am Jehovah and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians c. Thus in this latter part of the book of Job the Lord being about to loosen the bonds of Jobs affliction and to ease him of his burden as also to declare and manifest himself more clearly to him than formerly as he confessed chap. 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eyes have seen thee he therefore assumed his great name Jehovah Then the Lord Answered Job c. But some may say Job had not spoken lately much lesse last Elihu spake out six whole Chapters since Job spake a word and though Elihu gave him the liberty yea almost provoked him to speak yet he laid his hand upon his mouth he spake not a word How then can it be said The Lord answered Job To avoid this difficulty Some render Then the Lord answered concerning or about Job And these turn the whole discourse of God in this and the next Chapter upon Elihu in favour of Job I shall touch upon that opinion and interpretation as was said afterwards but at present affirm that Job was the person to whom the Lord here directed his Answer and to take off this doubt how the Lord could be said to answer Job when Job had not spoken last but Elihu I answer as upon a like occasion it hath been elsewhere shewed in this book ch 3.2 that sometimes in Scripture a Speech begun is called an Answer where nothing had been spoken before to which that speech could be applied in way of answer Matth. 11.25 Matth. 17.4 The reason of this Hebraisme is because such as begin to speak do either answer the necessity of the matter or the desire of the hearers and so they give a real and vertual though not a formal Answer Yet there are two considerations in which we may apply the word Answer formally and strictly taken to Job First If we consider Job's wishes and requests Secondly If we consider Job's complaints and though the word be somewhat hard his murmurings The Lord may be said to answer Job as to his wish desire or request because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once that God would take
Lord sends his rain upon the wilderness he hath done so and he hath promised to do so still that is he hath sent and will send the rain of the Gospel upon the Heathen Some Nations are a wilderness as they live in a wilderness so they are themselves a wilderness a desert and we have a promise that the Lord will cause the rain spiritual rain to fall upon this wilderness Isa 35.1 2. The wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad for them for whom for the Church and for the sending forth of the Gospel by them and the desert shall rejoyce and blossom as the rose it shall blossom abundantly and rejoyce even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it the excellency of Carmel and of Sharon That is it shall be fertile and fruitful in spirituals as those places Lebanon Câ—rmel and Sharon which was the glory and excellency of them were in temporals But how should the wilderness and solitary places attain this glory That 's shewed at the sixth and seventh verses for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert and the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water This Prophesie contains a promise of sending the Gospel and with that the Holy Spirit who is often compared in Scripture to water to those who were or are in their soul-state as a dry heath or as a barren wilderness This prophet doth not only hold out a like promise in the same Metaphors but explains it thus Isa 44.3 4 5. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground what is meant by water and floods we may learn from the next words I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grasse as willows by the water-courses that is they shall grow and flourish internally in grace and knowledge and not onely so but they shall openly professe it and avouch it as it followeth in the fifth verse One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob c. That is they shall give up their Names to be enrolled and registred as our Annotators express it in Gods church-Church-book or among his faithful servants In deserto pluere est verbum dei gentilitatè praedicare Greg. l. 29. Moral c. 16. It was the saying of one of the Ancients with respect to this Allegory To send rain upon the desert is to preach the word of God unto the heathens And the Lord magnifies himself in the dispensation of this spiritual rain when as he sends it upon his Garden the Church so also upon the wilderness the Heathen that the wilderness may become a garden and the desert a paradise that they knowing the Lord and believing on him may be joyned to the Church Thus also the Lord divides a water-course to cause it to rain on the earth where no believing man is on the wilderness where there is no good man The reason of his so doing is given expresly in the next words Vers 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth Here is the reason of sending rain upon the wilderness it is to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Mr. Broughton renders The wast and vast ground The Vulgar Latine renders Inviam desolatam Vulg. The unpassable ground or at least that which none passes and so being disused lies wast and desolate But in what sense soever 't is desolate or by what means soever it became desolate the Lord sends rain to satisfie it that is to water it abundantly Vt riget ad satietatem usque satisfaction is to have our fill The very wast ground shall have enough enough to allay the heat and drought of it enough to make it fruitful and enough to fructifie the trees and plants that grow there and so to feed and fatten the beasts thâ—t live there The Vulgar Latine renders Vt impleret c. Vulg. Satur dierum plenus dierum synonyma sunt Drus That he may fill the desolate and wast ground that which is filled is or should be satisfied To be full of dayes in Scripture is to be satisfied with living A man may have lived many dayes yet not be full of dayes but he who is full of dayes as 't is said of some of the Patriarchs is not hungry after more time or dayes in this world therefore to be filled and satisfied import the same thing And to be sure they who are not satisfied when they are full will not be satisfied when they are empty But however it is with man we know the earth spoken of in the Text is fully satisfied it gapes for no more when 't is filled with rain And this the Lord will send To satisfie the desolate and wast ground But why is the Lord so careful to satisfie the desolate and wast ground The ground is a senselesse thing that feels not the want of rain I answer The Lord doth not satisfie the ground for the grounds sake but for their sake who live upon and are maintained by the ground Fruit-bearing trees and grass are maintained by the moisture and fatnesse of the ground beasts are maintained by those fruits and grasse therefore the Lord satisfies the ground with rain that it may satisfie the trees and grasse and they the beasts that live upon it So then the Lord satisfieth the ground that it may satisfie all sorts of vegetables growing out of the ground and that they may satisfie all kinds of animals living upon the ground Such a gradation we find Hos 2.21 22. I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil and they shall hear Jezrael that is my people We may run up the meaning of this promise backwards thus When my people whom I now call Jezrael in a way of promise as in a way of threatning chap. 1.4 being pressed with hunger and famine cry to the corn and the wine and the oil for food they shall hear them and when the corn and wine call to the earth for moisture to feed them that shall hear and when the earth calls to the heavens for rain they shall hear and when the heavens call to God for orders to carry rain he will hear them It is for mans use that God makes the earth fruitful and where there are no men 't is for the beasts sake that he satisfieth the desolate and wast ground Hence Note First God is not wanting to any of his creatures according to their state He will not let the senseless ground suffer hunger and thirst overlong that shall have food after its kind or proper for it Secondly Note Even the Earth knows when it hath enough It is
having questioned Job about his skill and knowledge in those Meteors the Rain the Dew the Ice and Frost all which were wrought in the Air rises yet higher questioning him about the Stars of heaven and their ordinary effects upon the earth and all sublunary bodies In these three Verses the Lord points at the four quarters or seasons of the year over which the four Stars or Constellations mentioned in this context have a predominance according to the appointment of God in the course of nature He points at Spring and Winter in the 31. verse he points at Summer and Autumn in the 32. verse and he speaks of both more generally in the 33. verse The sum of the 31. verse may be thus given as if the Lord had said O Job Canst thou alter the seasons of the year First Canst thou retard or keep back the Spring canst thou hinder the rising and appearance of the Pleiades or seven Stars so called canst thou stop the destillation of their influences proper to the introduction of that season Or Secondly Canst thou keep off the Winter that it come not or hasten it away when it is come by dissolving the colds and frosts with which the constellations of that season bind up the earth and so shorten that unkind and comfortless quarter of the year This is the plain meaning of the Text and of those hard or strange words Pleiades Orion Mazzaroth Arcturus used in it all which Constellations are conceived to have their special operations upon the four quarters of the year respectively For â—fficit quidem Sol accessu recessu suo istas anni tempestatos sed habet praeterea adjunctâ—s adjuvantes causas Merl. though the access of the Sun hath the chief hand in making Spring and Summer and the recess of the Sun in making Autumn and Winter yet the Sun doth it not alone but hath the aid of other adjuvant causes in nature by which those great changes are in part effected and produced Further the Reader may take notice that three of these four Stars or Constellations as expressed in our Translation Pleiades Orion Arcturus are not literally in the Hebrew Text nor were they known by those names when either Job or the Pen-man of this book lived but were long after brought into use by the learned Grecians and from them derived unto us and we make use of these names according to the received opinion expounding the Hebrew names by them I shall not stay here in opening their derivations or significations in either language having done it already at the ninth verse of the ninth Chapter of this book where Job himself spake of these constellations attributing this glory to God that he it is who makes Arcturus Orion Pleiades and the Chambers of the South which last are supposed to be the same with Mazzaroth here in this verse Vers 31. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades That is canst thou stop their rising or the giving forth of their influences which open the earth by a kindly warmth cause grass and corn herbs and flowers plants and trees of all sorts to spring and put forth canst thou bind them up from exerting their natural effects and proper operations certainly thou canst not He that is bound cannot do what he would nor what he could nor what he daily did when at liberty The Philistims had a great mind to bind Sampson supposing that then he could not put forth his mighty strength to mischief them Prisoners when bound and laid in chains can do nothing As there is a binding to do so a binding not to do and that not only with material cords Pleiades sunt septem stellae qâ—ae ortu suo primae navigationis tempus ostendun â—â—unde Graecis dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est navigare Vergiliae Latinis à vero quo tempore oriuntur but metaphorical vows oaths and promises We commonly say He that is bound must obey But can any bind the Stars to obedience what or who but God can bind or stay either the constant motions or ministrations of the Stars Sampson could not be bound by the Philistims till he betrayed himself and discovered the secret where his strength lay Who knows where the strength force and vertues of the Stars lye or if any knew that secret could they climb up to the Stars and cut off that lock wherein their strength lyeth or break the pipes by which their influences are conveyed down to the earth Canst thou bind The sweet influences of Pleiades The word rendred Influences signifies Delights or delicacies Fructus delicatos Pagn or delicate fruits and therefore that Garden full of sinless pleasures which God himself planted for man in his state of primitive innocency and felicity is called from this word the Garden of Eden Gen. 2.15 that is a place of delight commonly known by the name of Paradice and hence we well translate sweet Influences the Hebrew is Delights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est deliciari aut voluptate deliciis abundâ—â—e Mr. Broughton translates Delicacies and the interlineal Canst thou bind the delicate fruits that Pleiades brings forth That is the green herbs the flowers with other delicacies and delights which accompany the Spring canst thou hinder their budding or appearing at Spring-time When the deformity dirt of Winter depart or pass away then there is a new face of things then every bush flourisheth then the trees and fields put on their ornaments then the singing of birds fills the Air and makes it resound with their harmony and melodious musick The word is rendred Dainties Gen. 49.20 and an adverb coming from this is used Lam. 4.5 They that did fare delicately are desolate in the streets As also 1 Sam. 15.32 Agag came unto him delicately Canst thou bind the sweet Influences Of Pleiades The Greeks express Winter by a word just of the same sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Hebrew word Chymah by us rendred Pleiades as if this respected the Winter or were a cold Constellation but certainly here it relates to the Spring and considering that in this place the Pleiades are said to give out sweet Influences the delights and delicacies of the earth the word must needs be meant of or intend a benigne and favourable Star a Spring-star rather than a Winter-star and therefore the Latines give this Constellation its name from the Spring Vergiliae quasi veris vigiles because then it appears of which see more Chap. 9.9 Further When this Star or company of Stars these Pleiades or seven Stars are spoken of by name we by a Synechdoche may understand all the Stars for what influence soever any Star is impowered with or putteth forth who can hinder Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades Hence observe First God hath planted a virtue in the Stars of heaven which they shed down upon the earth The creatures of the earth are as
mentions only the Peacock and Ostrich others adde the Stork Bochartus de animalibus scriptura parte poster lib. 2. cap. 16. Yet 't is the opinion of a very late and learned Author that the whole context of these six verses contains the description of one Fowl only and that the Ostrich It cannot be denied but that the first verse of this context or the 13th of the Chapter hath as various translations by all sorts of Authors as any if not more than any in this book yet he grants that most who have translated it into Latine and all that ever he saw who have translated it into the Mother language of any Country render it the Peacock And therefore referring the Reader to the perusal of his reasons and authorities which are many and cogent why he interprets the word Renamim the Ostrich I shall only touch at some of them in passage as I proceed to open the Text as 't is expressed in our own translation Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacocks That the Hebrew word here used signifies a Peacock is clear in all those Lexicographers that I have met with Another word is used 1 Kings 10.22 which yet Buxtorfius saith is by some rendred Parrats and they are often brought in ships from far Countries This I desire the Reader to take notice of that there is a wonderful variety and difference of opinion among Interpreters about the proper names of Animals Plants and Gemms and therefore no wonder if some render the word Chasidah in the following part of this verse which is usually taken for a Storke the Ostrich and others the word Renanim at the beginning of it Ostriches which we and almost all others render Peacocks The Peacock is described only by his wings in the former part of the 13th verse Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacock The Ostrich is described not only by her wings and feathers in the same 13th verse but by four distinct qualities in the context of the five verses following First By her carelesness and forgetfulness of that which she should be very tender of her eggs when she hath laid them this we have in the 14th and 15th verses Which leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them c. Secondly She is described by her unnaturalness to her young ones when her eggs are hatched this we have at the 16th verse She is hardned against her young ones as though they were not hers Thirdly She is described by that which is the reason of both the former her want of wisdom and understanding at the 17th verse which verse tells us also whence it comes to pass that she hath so little of these excellent endowments even Because God hath deprived her of wisdom c. As if he had said if you would know a reason or have an account why the Ostrich is thus forgetful of her eggs thus unnatural to her young ones it is this God hath deprived her of wisdom neither hath he imparted unto her understanding The Fourth thing which she is described by is her swiftness of foot or wing for both are here to be taken in testified by her scorn and contempt of her swiftest pursuers When she lifteth up her self she scorneth the Horse and his Rider at the 18th verse Thus you have the parts of this context with respect to these two winged Creatures or Fowls of the Air here according to our reading described the Peacock and the Ostrich Thus the Lord having shewed his unsearchable wisdom shadowed in those other creatures formerly enquired of proceeds still in the same argument though upon a different subject The power wisdom and providential care of God is manifested in and about all his creatures as much in and about the feathered-fowls of the Air as the four-footed beasts of the earth of one kind or other Vers 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacocks Hebraei subaudiunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 num dedisti Merc. An fecisti Pisc Those words gavest thou are not exprest in the Hebrew Text that 's marvelous concise which hath occasioned both differences and difficulties in the explication of it The Text is only this goodly wings to the Peacocks we say gavest thou the goodly wings unto the Peacoks The Jewish Doctors generally make the same supplement Some expositors express it thus hast thou made the goodly wings of the Peacocks I conceive the difference is not great whether we read hast thou given or hast thou made for doubtless God in giving made or in making gave The goodly wings unto the Peacocks Master Broughton translates proud wings The Peacock is a beautiful bird and a proud one too The Peacock is gorgeously clothed as I may say by the hand of God Gavest thou the goodly wings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ter tantum occurrit semel in Cal. cap. 20. l. 8 semel in Hiphtael Pro. 7. 18. hic in Niphal est autem lascivire exultare gloriari Alis pavo exultat Merc. no it was I the Lord not thou O Job that gave the goodly wings unto the Peacocks The word which we translate goodly is very proper to the Peacock the root of it signifies to exult to boast to glory and therefore many translate gavest thou the exulting or the rejoycing wings unto the Peacock Though the Peacocks wings cannot properly exult or boast yet because they are an occasion of exulting and boasting to this creature therefore they may be said to do so Hence Master Mercer translates The Peacock boasts with his wings or of his wings he is filled as it were with joy beholding his wings And this gives one reason why the learned Bochartus is perswaded that the Ostrich is here intended because the Peacock hath not goodly wings as the Ostrich hath all the most beautiful feathers of the Peacock being placed in his tail or train which is richly painted and adorned with various well-shadowed colours to the eye when he spreads his tail and prides himself in his plumes But we need not stay upon this objection the wing may well be taken for any feathered part As Moses saith Gen. 7.14 every bird of every sort or as the Hebrew is of every wing came into the Ark. And though the Peacock boasteth chiefly in his train Penna struthionis similis est pennis herodii accipitris Vulg. Quis haec legens non miretur novitatem interpretationis Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deducitur à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est cantare gloriari laetari ovare Quare proprié est penna vel alâ— laetantium ovantium Pavo est animal gloriosum Gemmantes quippe cum laudatur expandit colores adverso maximè sole quia sic fulgentius radiunt quos spectari gaudet Plin. Quem non gemmata volucris â—unonta caudâ— Vinceret as being most beautiful yet he hath beauty in his wings too Gavest thou
the horse either to start or turn he flincheth not nor draweth he back at the ratling of the quiver The quiver ratleth against him There is a twofold interpretation of these words arising from the ambiguity of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by us rendred against which others translate by super upon conceiving that here mention is made of those weapons which the horse with his Rider bear Pharâ—trae à sessore suo gestatae fragrore non terretur Bez. as if the meaning were The quivers which Archers on horse back carry at their sadles or by their sides ratle upon him But most as our translation hath it render that preposition by against and so understand the whole verse of those armes which the enemy or contrary party use in conflict And that this is the better and more proper exposition is clear from the series and tendency of the words for here the valour and generosity of the horse is painted to the life towards which the mention of those arms which the horse himself or the horse-man managing him beareth doth not contribute the least line or shadow but the mention of those ratling armes or of the ratling of those armes which the adverse party bear and brandish against him tends to a notable demonstration of his courage 'T is a great evidence of a horses boldness to rush upon or charge an enemy whose armes ratle against him and who holds out weapons purposely fitted to wound kill and slay all that come near him So that what is said ver 21. He goeth on to meet the armed men and ver 22. He mocketh at fear neither turneth he back from the sword is here further illustrated and heightned by recounting several other deadly weapons of which the horse is as dreadless When the horse moves much the quiver ratles so also do both spears and shields as it followeth in the Text. The glittering spear and the shield Well furbisht spears and shields glitter or as the Hebrew hath it flame The heads points of spears being burnished brighten'd seem like burning fire or flames yet the horse is not moved by them We read of a flaming sword in a higher sense Gen. 3.24 as here of flaming spears and shields Now as the clashing and ratling of armes so the brightness of them is terrible but neither the one nor the other neither the ratling quiver nor the glittering spear and shield trouble the couragious horse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saepe lancea reditur Mr. Broughton translates not shield but javelin which is an offensive or missive weapon the word is rendred spear Josh 8.18 1 Sam. 174 5. as also at the 29th verse of the 41th Chapter of this Book These things laid together bring in or make up a fuller proof of the horses courage the quiver ratleth against him the spear and shield ratle too yet he is not discouraged Hence Note First The confused noise of weapons in war wounds the ear and the heart or the heart at the ear as well as the sharpness of their point or edge wounds the flesh It is matter of amazement to hear the sounding the rattling the clashing of armes and other dreadful noises that the field is filled with in a day of battle Isa 9.5 Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and 't is much that the confusion of the noise doth not make a confusion in the spirits of those that are ingag'd in battle Note Secondly Not to be terrified with noises and dreadful sounds shews strength and stoutness of spirit It is a piece of valour in the horse not to be troubled with or at the ratling of the quiver The Lord to shew that he would totally take away the spirit of courage from his own people for their sins who had been so valiant to sin against him and would run upon sin notwithstanding the ratling of his quiver his threatnings denounced against them telleth them Levit. 26.36 I will carry you into the land of your enemies What then And saith he upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them Now as it shews an extream cowardize and faintness of spirit to shake and run at the shaking of a leaf so to stand firm to keep our ground and not be moved when there is such a noise and clattering as even shakes the earth and confounds all the elements as it were this shews a mighty courage Vers 24. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage c. Absorbet torram poetica locutio sic vorare viam vorare literas Drus Helluones librorum Still the expressions rise higher and higher the courage of the horse transports him so far that he even swalloweth the ground We say of some hard and great students they swallow up books they make no bones of great books So here to shew the mighty courage and fierceness of the horse he is represented as if he would eat up or swallow the very ground he treads on Yet many Expositors are not satisfied that the Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred to swallow and therefore they translate He diggeth the earth with fierceness and rage and expound it of his making holes in the ground by pawing in the valley spoken of verse 21. Master Broughton gives it thus With snaking and stirring he beateth upon the earth The Chaldee Paraphrase saith â—acit foveam in terra Tharg Fodit Pagn He makes a hole in the earth The authority of the Chaldee saith Bootius gives credit to this exposition and strengthens it because it shews that the word in the Syriack tongue many of which are used in this book of Job may well signifie to dig or make a hole seeing from this Verbe a Noune is derived which in that language signifies a hole or pit And if we take this interpretation saith he the words would not be a bare much less a needless repetition of what was said ver 21. He paweth in the valley For though according to this reading the Text in both places speaks of hollowing the earth yet we may give this difference the former being to be understood of those lighter touches which wanton lusty horses with one foot give the earth but this latter of great and deep impressions which they make in the earth with all their feet while heated with a desire to charge the enemy they are restrained and held in till the signal be given Secondly Others laying a side the metaphorical sense of the word swalloweth expound it properly of his biting or gnawing the earth A generous horse Morsu terram absorbere videtur to shew how he would eat up the enemy when he comes at him before he comes at him doth not only paw in the earth with his foot but gnaws the earth with his teeth as if he would
the danger of pride poor proud is so common that it is grown into a proverb And they especially who are poor in spirituals grow proud in spirit as it was with the Laodicean Angel Rev. 3.17 But further they are proud who lift up themselves in any thing of self As First in their natural parts wit understanding memory elocution Secondly in their acquired parts learning knowledge skill Thirdly in their moral vertues sobriety temperance justice Fourthly in their spiritual graces faith love self-denial 't is possible to be proud for a fit of these or to have a fit of pride come upon us upon the exercise of these Fifthly in their holy duties and performances prayers fastings c. Sixthly in their legal righteousness and good deeds alms charities We seldom do well or any good especially as we ought and duty binds us much good but we think too well of our selves that we are better than we are or too much both of the good we have done and of our own goodness As the great goodness of God or the greatness of his goodness appears chiefly in this that he can make all things even evil things and those not only the evils of trouble but the evil of sin work together for our good Rom. 8.28 so the great evil of mans heart or the greatness of that evil appears chiefly in this that it causeth all things even good things and those not only the good things of this natural life but the good belonging to and done in the power of a spiritual life to work to our hurt sometimes for a time and would to our ruine for ever did not the Lord over-rule it Seventhly the favour which they have with men whether they be the mighty the Princes and powers of the world or the many the common people of the world How are some lifted up because they are the darlings of the people because the multitude eyes them points at them and applauds them To be lifted up in any of these things or in any thing else and what is there not only of an earthly but of an heavenly pedigree and extraction in which the vain heart of man is not ready to be lifted up unduly forgetting God from whom all good comes to be lifted up I say in any of these things layes man open to the wrathful resistance of God and all such God will bring down and abase therefore let us be empty of our selves and beware of being found among the proud yea of being in any kind or degree proud It is dangerous to have any pride found in us but woe to those who are found proud Thirdly If the Lord hath such an eye to and upon proud men and will thus bring them low Then let us not be afraid of proud men why should we be afraid of them who are falling Prov. 15.33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honour is humility But what saith the same Solomon Prov. 18.32 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty As soon as ever we see any man shewing a proud heart by pride of life we may quickly conclude the Lord is about to pluck him down One very great reason why the Lord hath laid many who were once as mountains low as valleys was the pride of their hearts When pride buds the rod blossometh that is God is preparing for the correction if not for the destruction of proud ones And as it is sad to see pride bud at any time so then especially when the rod blossometh that is when God is correcting us with his rods Fourthly Then do not envy proud ones We are apt to envy those that are high in place though they are proud in spirit but do not envy proud ones how high how great soever you see them for they are in danger of falling according to the truth of this Scripture and many others When proud men are in their fullest ruff and highest ascent then they are nearest a dreadful downfall Before destruction the heart of man is haughty saith Solomon Prov. 18.12 and before honour is humility And the Apostle Peter having given this counsel to those who are humbled by affliction 1 Epist 5.6 humble your selves under the mighty hand of God subjoyns this comfortable promise in the close of the verse That he may exalt you in due time Fifthly Then pride is a very provoking sin The Lord who declares himself against all sorts of sinners declares himself most against proud sinners Prov. 16.5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord mark what followeth in the same verse though hand joyn in hand he that is the proud man shall not be unpunished Pride is the Devils sin the Devil is that Mystical Leviathan spoken of in the 41th Chapter of this Book who is a King over all the children of pride They who are not subject to God proud men above all men are not are the Devils subjects He is a King over all the children of pride There are four things in which the provocation of the sin of pride consists any one of which may provoke God to pull down proud ones First Proud men set themselves in the place of God Lucifer by whom the proud Babilonian is meant said Isa 14.14 I will be like the Most High Thus the Lord said of the Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.2 Because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said I am a God I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas yet thou art a man and not God though thou set thy heart as the heart of God See how that proud Prince thought to carry it as God as if he had been the founder of his own strength How can the Lord but be provoked with such an affront as this Proud Babilon spake this language and at as high a rate Isa 47.8 I am and none else besides me is not this to speak just like God I shall not sit as a widdow neither shall I know the loss of children Secondly As pride is an usurpation of the place and power of God so of the providences of God A proud man knoweth not how to acknowledge God in any mercy nor how to be humbled under the hand of God in any affliction He mindes not God either in what he enjoyeth or in what he suffereth is not this a provocation Thirdly Pride must needs provoke God as a proud man sets himself against all the Commands Laws of God God cannot but be provoked to see all his Laws and Commands slighted by man A proud man will keep no bounds nor would he be kept in any Fourthly Pride is a Mother sin it brings forth many other sins As Unbelief is a Mother sin so is Pride Hab. 2.5 He is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all Nations and heapeth unto him all people The
off from the heat of that long disputation as gold well refined So much of this verse which concludes the first part of the chapter Jobs humiliation the second followeth his friends reconciliation both to God and himself The Reader may here please to take notice that from the beginning of the third chapter to this place the writing is in verse the latter part of the chapter and book is prose JOB Chap. 42. Vers 7 8 9. 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job THese three verses contain the second part of the chapter in which the Lord First Reproves Jobs three friends ver 7. Secondly Directs them what to do for the making up of the breach or for their reconciliation ver 8. Thirdly Accepts them that is Job praying for them the breach was healed and they reconciled ver 9. So then here God appeareth as a Judge of the cause and as a moderator of the controversie between Job and his friends and he appeared as a gracious judge ready to be reconciled to those whom he had blamed and reproved for their folly and misapprehensions of him in his afflicting providences towards Job Vers 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath In this verse we have the divine Judgement given in Jobs case and in it there are four things considerable First The time or season of it thus exprest And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Secondly The manner of it The Lord said he declared his mind Thirdly The special person with whom the Lord dealt and whom he chose out to declare his mind respectively to the other two Eliphaz the Temanite Fourthly The decree or judgement it self in which we may consider two things First The matter of it My wrath saith the Lord is kindled against thee and thy two friends I am not pleased with any of you yea I am highly displeased My wrath is kindled Secondly The ground of it plainly exprest in these words For ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath As if the Lord had said if you would know the reason why I am so angry 't is this Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Thus we have the state of these three verses and the parts of this seventh wherein God appeareth as a determiner of this long disputed controversie between Job and his three friends And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Here is the time when the Lord gave this judgement that 's the first thing to be considered in this verse and it may be questioned whether the Lord gave this Judgement immediately after he had concluded his speech with Job and Job had made his confession to the Lord or whether there were some space of time between The word after may be either presently after or a good while after here is no express limitation of the time it being only said After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Some conceive it was a good while after God had done with Job that he took his friends to task and they ground it upon those words in the 8th verse Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go to my servant Job And it is said at the 9th verse That they went and did according to what the Lord had commanded Hence they collect that Jobs friends were either returned quite home or far upon their way when the Lord spake this But this reason hath no force in it to prove that Jobs friends were absent and therefore I rather conclude that God spake to and gave this judgement of Jobs friends as it were upon the place as soon as he had done with Job for 't is more than probable that Jobs friends stayed to hear both Elihu's speech and the discourse which the Lord made to Job out of the whirlwind and that as soon as he had done and Job submitted he presently passed this sentence for the comfort of Job and for the conviction of his friends So then as soon as the Lord had spoken these words and finished his business with Job when he had humbled Job when Job had repented and confessed his fault in uttering things that he understood not God proceeded presently to deal with Jobs three friends There are three things which give evidence to this First The Lord would not let them continue long in their hard opinion of Job Secondly If they had continued any long time unreproved they might possibly have gloried as if they had got the victory and had the better of Job Thirdly They might have raised some undue report of Job and have blamed him among others where they came as they had done to his face therefore the Lord to prevent their continuing in any hard opinion of Job or that they had got the better of Job or to stop their mouths from giving forth any hard words of Job presently called them to an account gave them to understand that they had spoken amiss and he as it were with the same breath comforted Job and convicted his three friends Hence note First God doth every thing in its proper season That which is seasonably done is doubly done Words in season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver and therefore the Lord who knows all seasons will do and speak in season and take the fittest season for every work and word for every thing he either doth or saith This should teach us to mind the due timing both of our actions and speeches especially of our reproofs we should not let those who have committed a fault go too long unreproved lest they think themselves faultless and that we approve them or at least that their fault is small and almost faultless We must not suffer sin upon our brother Lev. 19.17 But it may be said how shall we hinder it That Text tells us how Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him Though a man that is rebuked may
all outward deficiencies yea for deformities and monstrosities whereas if the house of the body be never so well framed and built yet if it be inhabited by a proud unclean ignorant impious soul how doth that spoil defile and dishonour that body and make it no better than a darksome dungeon So far concerning the names of Jobs daughters who being qualified in body and mind according to the import of their names were themselves portion enough to any husband yet Job did not put them off so but gave an honourable share of his plentiful estate to them as it followeth And their father gave them inheritance among their brethren And well they deserved it Their father gave them He made the distribution to prevent contention which often falls out among children and possibly might among Jobs about their fathers estate This was a high favour and somewhat unusual to give daughters inheritance among their brethren they use only to inherit when they have no brethren For among the Jews and probably among the Idumeans it was a custome and it past into a law among the Jews that sons should have the whole inheritance the reason was because their families and inheritances were preserved distinct by the male not so by the females The Hebrew word for a male signifies Remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that for a female Forgetfulness because daughters lose the name of their family in marriage and therefore daughters did not inherit but when there was no male issue Thus it was in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad their father left no son so they inherited Num. 27.7 An immoveable inheritance came not to daughters they had only a moveable inheritance Illud Inter vel ut in Hebraeo est in medio fratrum aequalitatem quandam communem rationem denotat Pined But Job giving his daughters inheritance among their brethren implyeth as some Interpreters conceive that they had an equal inheritance in lands with their brethren which is also the opinion of our Annotators as if out of love to them and in reward of their vertues he gave to every one of them as to his sons a portion of land to inherit so that they shared proportionally with their brethren by their fathers Will and Testament and were coheirs with them in his estate equally Inter fratres sc ad designandum convenientiam virtutis in utrisque Aquin. Yet those words among or in the midst of their brethren note faith another Expositor only an equality in their good qualities vertues I suppose if you take equally in a strict sense that is just as much foot for foot penny for penny they did not inherit equally but if we take it in a common or large sense so they had as great an inheritance as their bâ—ethren they had as much for daughters as their brethren for sons Their fathers gave them inheritance among their brethren Hence note First It is the fathers duty to provide for his Children 1 Tim. 5.8 If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel The Apostles meaning is in that point he hath denied the faith and doth not carry it like a believer no nor so well as unbelievers or infidels commonly do Secondly Their father gave them inheritance Hence note It is the fathers priviledge to dispose of his estate to his children Children must not take their portions their father must give it them Children must not carve to themselves It is the priviledge of the father to dispose of what he hath according to right and reason and the law of the place Thirdly Who were they that had this gift they were his daughters Their father gave them inheritance Hence note Daughters are to be provided for as well as sons Some fathers are all for their sons and neglect their daughters altogether Sons should not be denied their priviledge and daughters should not be unprovided for Sons bear up the name of the family and daughters may bring both strength and honour to the family by matching into worthy families Note Fourthly The better daughters are the better should parents father or mother do and provide for them The reason why Job went so high to give his daughters inheritance among their brethren was because his daughters were not only beautiful but dutiful and though women by sex yet of a masculine spirit The very grammer of the Text as some take notice leads us to this ground of their fathers bounty and nobleness to them he dealt with them as with sons because they had the vertues of sons for in three places the Holy Ghost useth the masculine affixe מ mem where according to ordinary rule he should use the feminine × nun to shew say they that Job was not moved by fond affection to his daughters but sound judgement he seing them exceed their sex in vertue equall'd them in his fatherly provision with those who were of a more excellent sex and dealt with them as with sons in their degree Lastly Observe Children ought to be satisfied with their fathers pleasure in disposing his estate among them We do not hear that there was any discontent in the sons because the daughters had so much nor in the daughters because they had no more both rested in what their father was pleased to do for them How much more should we rest content with that portion and inheritance which our father in heaven provides for us and indeed he will give all his daughters at last inheritance among his sons For as the Apostle speaketh with respect to grace so 't is true in respect to glory There is neither male nor female but Christ is all and in all The grace of God is not more to the male than to the female and as it is in the giving of grace here so it will be in the distribution of glory hereafter Brethren and sisters husbands and wives who are heirs of the same grace of life shall be all heirs together in the life of glory oâ— in the glorious life and therefore let us be content with what portion or inheritance our heavenly father is pleased to give us to allor or allow us in this life JOB Chap. 42. Vers 16 17. 16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his sons sons even four gegenerations 17. So Job died being old and full of dayes THese two verses conclude the History and whole Book of Job and in them we may consider these six things First The length of Jobs life or how long he lived even an hundred and forty years Secondly From whence we are to date this account of his life After this saith the Text lived Job an hundred and forty years Thirdly We have here the great increase of his family he had not only sons of his own but saw his sons and his sons sons even four generations Fourthly