Metaphorical Whirlwind in those three senses opened But Thirdly with others I take the Whirlwind here in proper sense that is for such a Whiâ—lwind as is often heard and felt sounding blustering and making great disturbance in the ayre blowing up Trees by the roots and overthrowing Houses to the very foundation Ex nube obscura Rab. Levi. Ex Nimbo Bez. Ex procella venti turbine horrifico Eturbine i. e. e nube e qua erupit turbo seu ventus turbineus Pisc Di nube aliqua praeter naturae ordinem facta Grot. De ipsa caligine in qua sc videtur nobis Deus delitescere Vatabl. One of the Rabbins calls it a dark cloud several of the Moderns express it by a rainy or watry cloud out of which issued that dreadful Storm called a Whirlwind Doubtless some sudden extraordinary Wind exceeding the constant order and common course of Nature gathered the clouds at that time Thus God at once hid the glory of his Majesty and testified it much after the same manner as he did at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai when he answered Job out of the Whirlwind But it may be questioned why did God answer Job out of a Whirlwind First Such a way of answering was most proper to the dispensation of those Old Testament Times when the Covenant of Grace lay covered with Legal Shadows and was usually administred in a clothing or shew of terror especially as was said before at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. Deut. 4.12 when so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 And surely the Lord appeared and spake very dreadfully to some of the Prophets in those Elder Times especially to the Prophet Habakkuk who thus reports the consternation of his mind chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Now Gospel Times being more clear and calm Christ speaks more clearly and calmly as it was phophesied Isa 42.2 3. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice in the street Christ did not speak out of a Whirlwind A bruised reed he shall not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgement unto Victory That is he shall with all tenderness condescend to the weakest souls and deal with them most sweetly gently and compassionately Secondly The Lord spake in a Whirlwind that he might shew the greater State and Majesty to awaken Job yet more or to make him more attentive as also to affect him yet more deeply with the apprehension of his Power and Glory and to leave a greater impression upon his spirit of his own vileness weakness and nothingness Job was yet too big in his own eyes the Lord would annihilate or make him nothing the Lord would beat him out of all conceit with himself out of an opinion of his own integrity and righteousness that he might see and confess there was no way but to lie at his foot abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Such to this day is the pride and stupidness of mans flesh that he hardly attends the Word or Works of God unless awed by some extraordinary Ministration Thirdly We may conceive the Lord appeared and spake in this Whirlwind Aerumnoso homini conformem exhibens aspoctum Munst that he might therein suit his appearance to the state and condition of Job at that time or that he might as it were symbolize with Jobs troubled estate Job as I toucht before was in a Storm and now God declares himself in a storm and that is the reason which some give why the Lord appeared to Moses Exod. 3.2 in a burning bush it was say they that his apparition might answer their present condition The Children of Israel were then in the fire of affliction and entangled in the bush of cruel bondage they were scratcht and torn with briars and thorns and the Lord spake out of a burning bush to Moses as here to Job out of the Whirlwind Fourthly and lastly I conceive the reason why the Lord spake o him in a Storm or Whirlwind was to let him know that he was not well pleased with him but purposed to reprove and chide him De turbine indignationis indice Though Job was a precious servant of God yet God was not well pleased with many passages under his affliction and therefore he would not flatter but humble him For though Job spake from an honest heart and what he said was truth yet God did not like his manner of defence and pleading for himself He was not pleased to see him hold up the Bucklers so long when he should have laid them down rather and submitted David to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased with his enemies tells us what dreadful effects followed the hearing and granting of his prayer against them Psal 18.7 8 9 c. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth there went a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals also were kindled by it he bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet c. Thus the Lord appeared in an Earthquake in smoke in fire and darknesse to make the proud opposers of his faithful Servant David know how much his anger was kindled against them Thus also when the Lord revealed himself to Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 it s said a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake the rocks and after the wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire before the still voice was heard And why all this but to shew that the Lord was highly displeased with the doings of the Kings of Israel at that time and with that idolatrous generation therefore he appeared in such a dreadful manner while he purposed to conclude all in a still voice Though the Lord was not in the Wind in the Earthquake nor in the Fire yet these were fore-runners of his appearance and signified that the Lord would shake that people with a mighty Wind and Earthquake of Judgement yea even consume them with the fire of his wrathful jealousie for their superstitious following after Baal and deserting his appointed Worship When the lusts of wicked men grow fiery and stormy God will convince them with fire and stormes and if his own servants grow too bold with him he will make them sensible of it as here he did Job by speaking to them out of a Whirlwind though he be intended to speak to them at last as he did to Elijah in a still voice and to Job with favour and approbation Thus much for the opening of these words Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said Hence Observe First The great goodness of God who condescends or lets
providence alone so here by the works of creation and providence too And this double instance is given in two great vast living creatures one of them the greatest upon the earth the other the greatest in the waters The first is Behemoth the vastest creature that breaths upon the earth who is described from the 15th vers of this Chapter to the end The second is Leviathan the vastest creature in the water who is described quite through the one and fortieth Chapter The Lord having spoken of many other creatures formerly in the forming and ordering of which his power and wisdom shine forth he reserved these two to close with that Job by the consideration of them might see what a poor thing himself was and how unable to grapple with the great God who made those great creatures for that is the general issue If God hath made such huge creatures as these then what a one is God! how mighty and powerful is God! what is the cause if the effects are such what is the fountain if we see such streams Such is the drift of God in this his last answer to Job and these are the parts of it We may sum up all in this brief here humane weakness and divine Power are compared together mans nothingness with Gods Allness or Alsufficiency that so man Job in special might be convinced and conclude that he could no more charge God with any fault than he was able to resist his power So then this whole oration or discourse tends to the confirmation of Job yet more in believing the irresistible providence of God which when he should well understand he would no more doubt of his justice nor accuse his judgements of severity nor would he any more desire to debate with God as he had done Nor can these things be pressed too often upon the holiest among men man being not only by nature altogether unbelieving but having so much unbelief mingled with his graces as sad experience teacheth him at all times especially in times of great affliction and temptation So much of the whole answer and the state of it now for the particulars Vers 6. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said Then That is when Job said he could not or he would not answer or had no more to answer Then the Lord answered or to go a little further Then When Job had humbled himself and said he was vile even then the Lord answered him and he answered him out of the whirlwind Then the Lord answered Job Not so much to his speech as to his silence for Job resolved to say no more yet the Lord answered and the Lord answered him Out of the whirlwind At the first verse of the 38th Chapter we read of this whirlwind and of the Lord answering out of it What a whirlwind is was there opened and several points of observation given from it which I shall not now at all touch upon nor meddle with and yet though the words in this 6th verse of the 40. Chapter are the very same with those in the first verse of the 38th Chapter yet from their placing and their repeating here we may profitably take notice of some things for our instruction Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said The whirlwind being here spoken of a second time 't is questioned by some whether this were a whirlwind of greater force or of less than the former or the same The ground of the querie is from a little variation which is in the Hebrew Text. In the 38th Chapter an Article is prefixt to the word whirlwind which say some intends the sence noting it to be a very vehement whirlwind But in the 40 Chapter that article is left out upon which they collect That this latter whirlwind was not so fierce nor so vehement as the former But this is only a conjecture nor can any thing be solidly grounded upon such Grammatical differences yea some notwithstanding that defect of the Article conceive the whirlwind here in this Chapter was more vehement than that in the former Chapter But I shall not stay about that Querie nor discourse any thing concerning the nature of the whirlwind which was toucht before at the 38. Chapter but shall Observe First God hath terrible wayes of revealing himself as well as sweet and gentle wayes To speak out of a whirlwind is a dreadful manifestation The whirlwind and speaking out of it notes a legal dispensation or a ministration of terror such as the Law was published in of which we read in the 19th of Exodus which was so terrible saith the Apostle Heb. 12. that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake The Lord hath his Mount Sinai dispensations in thunder and lightning and with a terrible voice and he hath also his Mount Sion dispensations in sweet and precious promises and Gospel-Ordinances he hath his beseechings his intreatings his wooings his invitings Divine dispensations vary 'T is said 1 King 1.6 in the History of Eliah that when the Lord appeared there was an Earth-quake and the Lord was not in the Earth-quake there was a mighty wind and the Lord was not in the wind there was fire and the Lord was not in the fire At last there came a still small voice and there the Lord was The Lord waved the dreadful manifestation of himself by winds tempest thunder fire Earth-quake and came only in a still voice The reason why the Lord doth thus variously dispense himself sometimes in a whirlwind sometimes in a gentle gale is to answer the several tempers and spirits of men where the spirits of men will not bow the Lord knows how to break and bring them down and where the spirits of men are already bowed and broken humbled and melted the Lord knows how to comfort and confirm them He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax And when it is said He will not break the meaning is he will bind up and strengthen the bruised reed And when it is said he will not quench the meaning is he will blow up and kindle the smoaking flax that is weak believers or souls afflicted under the sense of their own weakness and sinfulness or sinful weaknesses ' As t is a great part of the wisdom of the Ministers of the word to divide the word aright that is to give every one a portion sutable to his condition they must speak to some as it were in a whirlwind in the whirlwind of the Law they must speak to others in a still voice that of the Gospel they must threaten and terrifie some comfort and refresh others So the Lord himself deals he hath many wayes of humbling the creature and as many wayes of comforting the creature he speaks in a whirlwind as I may say when he threatens in the Law he speaks dreadfully sometimes by his providences and judgements there 's a voice in them he speaks terribly to us in our
with them to send lightning hast thou the command of thunder and lightning will the lightnings come forth at thy bidding The words may have a double allusion 1. To the General of an Army commanding his Souldiers and they going at his word 2. To the Master of a Family who gives orders to his Se vants and they go at his word Canst thou send lightnings that they may go And say unto thee here we are or as the Hebrew is Behold us That manner of speech here we are or behold us is a description of the most ready obedience either of Souldiers to their General or of Servants to their Master Will the lightnings obey thee thus and say here we are Some expound these words as supposed to be spoken by the lightnings upon their return from some former service given them in charge by God as having dispatcht what they were sent for and were ready to go again Hence the Latine translator gives it thus Vt reverentia tibi dicent adsumus Vulg. That they being returned or after their return should say unto thee with reverence here we are 1. Ready to go whithersoever thou wilt send us 2. Ready to do whatsoever thou wilt enjoyn us As if the Lord had said Canst thou send forth the lightnings and will they return to thee and say we have done thy commands and here we are again to receive fresh commands or new orders from thee Surely as the rain will not thus obey thee so neither will the lightnings neither the one nor the other will be thy servants to go of thy errand or execute thy will The same note which I gave before concerning the rain might be taken up here again concerning the lightnings They are not under the command of man c. Secondly for as much as the Lord here denies this priviledge both respecting the rain and lightning unto man he would have us understand and know that both are in himself though you cannot yet I can command them both are under my dominion While the Lord shews Job his impotency to command these meteors he asserts his own omnipotency as he hath made them so he can rule them Hence observe All treatures even those which seem to be most out of command are fully under the command of God What to appearance is more out of command than the lightning that quick that piercing that fierce and fiery creature yet that stirs no more than a stone till the Lord commands and at his command it stirs and is gone in a moment The Lord God hath spoken saith the Prophet Amos 3.8 who can but prophesie And as a faithful Prophet cannot but prophecy so the not only faithless but senseless creatures cannot but do what God hath spoken That of the Psalmist Psal 104.4 which we read who maketh his Angels spirits his Ministers a flaming fire some render thus who maketh the winds his messengers and the flames of fire his ministers That is he useth tempestuous winds and flames of fire as his messengers and ministers The same Hebrew word that signifieth an Angel signifieth a Messenger at large and the same word that signifieth a Spirit signifieth also the Wind. And as the words so the truth will bear both translations or constructions for as those higher or highest of rational creatures the Angels so those high inanimate creatures the winds and lightnings which may properly be called flames of fire are the Ministers and messengers of God that is they go forth and Minister according to his Word they say Here we are The Lord by a call or word speaking can have whom and what he will to serve his purpose and fulfil his decrees It is said 2 King 8.1 as also Psal 105.16 The Lord called for a famine a famine of bread and he no sooner called but the famine came and said Here am I the famine presently brake the staff of bread and did eat up all the good of the Land The Prophet Haggai Chap. 1.11 represents the Lord saying I called for a drought which is the usual fore-runner of famine and the drought said Here am I it came presently as soon as the Lord commanded On the other hand when the Lord made many promises under the new Covenant among other things he said I will call for plenty Ezek. 36.29 I will call for the corn and will increase it and lay no famine upon you As in those other places he called for famine and drought so here he saith I will call for plenty and it shall say Here am I abundance of corn and grass and fruits of the earth came at that call Lamenting Jeremiah speaking of the woful captivity of the people of Israel saith Lam. 1.15 The Lord called an assembly against me that is I conceive an assembly of the Assyrians and Babylonians an assembly of men an army of men he caused them to assemble and come together he did but call and they said Here we are and we will go vex Judah and Jerusalem Thus if the Lord call for famine and drought if he call for an assembly of men for men assembled with the sword of war in their hand to punish and chastise any people for their sin they will surely come and do his pleasure whatever the Lord calls for cannot but come Take this inference from it If the Lord have such a command upon all creatures even the inanimate creatures if the lightnings answer him when he calls Here we are Then how readily should men the best of visible creatures answer his call and say Here we are When the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers house unto a Land that I shall shew thee he never disputed the case but saith the Apostle Heb. 11.8 Obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went He never enquired what the place was to which he was to go nor what accommodations he should find when he came thither Abraham knew he was to go whither God called him to go though whither he was to go he knew not And when long after this the Lord called to Abraham Gen. 22.1 he said Behold here I am or Behold me as if he had said Lord I am here ready to obey thy command to go of thy errand to carry whatever message thou shalt put into my mouth to do whatever work thou shalt put into my hand and that Abraham did not complement with God it appears in the same Chapter for though when God commanded him to offer up his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved every word was enough to wound his heart the last deepest to part with a Son is hard with an only Son harder with a son dearly beloved is hardest of all especially when he must be not only passive but active in this loss his own hand must give the parting blow yet Abraham being called to this hard and hot service said Here am I and readily
gives them this character 2 Sam. 1.23 They were stronger than Lions and swifter than Eagles that is they were exceeding swift Our adversaries were swifter than the Eagles said the poor captivated Church when the Assyrian came in against them Lam. 4.19 Read also Deut. 28.49 Hos 8.1 Hab. 1.8 Cicero the Orator in his second book of Divination tells us that when one who was to run a race reported to an Interpreter Vicisti ista enim ave volat nulla vehementior Cicer. l. 2. de divin that he dreamed he was turned into an Eagle the Interpreter presently answered Then you shall overcome or get the mastery For the Eagle is the strongest and swiftest of all flying fowls Secondly The Eagle exceeds all as in swiftness so in the uprightness of her flying She flies right up that 's it which the Text takes notice of She mounteth up she mounts up like an arrow out of a bow Non obliquo tramite ut caeterae aves vel per gyrum ut accipiter sed recto sursum fertur Aelian lib. 14 c. 10. Aquila derem volatu superat sublimius evadit Oppian Aquila in nuhibus whereas other fowls when they flie high they do it obliquely or side-long by gyration or fetching a compass but the Eagle asceâ—ds directly not as I may say by winding stairs but in a right line Thirdly As the swiftness and uprightness of the Eagles motion so the highness of it is wonderful The Eagle mounts till she is quite out of sight no bodily creature can reach the Eagles altitude One of the Ancients saith The Eagle soars above the air he means I suppose the lower region of the air as if she would visit the starry heavens And hence it is said proverbially of any thing which we cannot easily reach or come at 'T is an Eagle in the clouds Her common attribute or epithete is The high-flying Eagle If it be questioned why doth the Eagle mount up so high these two reasons may be given of it First That she may come down or stoop with greater force upon her prey and that makes the Eagle so formidable to all the fowls of the air Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à â—oetis dictus And hence the Poets call her a Thunder bringer because she mounts up on purpose to that amazing height that she may come down upon her prey more forcibly even like a thunder-bolt And thus proud men desire to get on high that they may more easily make a prey of and crush as the Eagle doth those that are below them Secondly The Eagle mounts thus high to please her self 't is sutable to her spirit Every one would be in action as he is in disposition The Eagle hath a high spirit and she must flie high and at high things The Eagle will not catch flies she scorns that game Doth the Eagle mount up At thy command The Hebrew is At thy mouth so the word is rendred in several other Scriptures Numb 13.3 And Moses by the commandement of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran that is he sent the men that were to search the Land The Hebrew is Moses by the mouth of the Lord sent them to search the Land Again 2 Kings 24.3 Surely at the commandement of the Lord came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseth As if it had been said When the enemy made inrodes upon the children of Israel and Judah how came this to pass surely at the command of the Lord or at the mouth of the Lord came this upon Judah It is the word in the Text Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command or at thy mouth One would think that it is not only the Eagles nature to mount up there is somewhat in that but that 's not all it is at the Lords mouth at his command and that we are specially to take notice of here What means this discourse about the Hawk and Eagle but to make us mount up our hearts to God and acknowledge him in the motion of every creature It is at Gods mouth that the Eagle mounts up but what 's the command that the Eagle receives from God Doth not the Eagle mount up by a natural instinct or according to the Law of nature planted in her I answer she doth Yet because that natural instinct of the Eagle is of God therefore we are to look upon the Eagle mounting up as by a special order and command of God And thus we are to understand the motion of all the creatures Facit hoc aquila naturali instinctu Omnis autem naturalis cursus rerum est quaedam motio creaturae ad praeceptum Dei Aquin. Dedistinè hanc naturam aquilae ut attollat se in altum Vatabl. as consequential of a command given out by God Psal 148.8 Fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word or his command Though there be a natural cause of the creatures motion of the motion of the wind of the vapour of the snow and hail yet we must not stop at the natural causes and look no farther neither rain nor snow fall nor winds blow but at the command of the Lord Not doth the Eagle mount up at the bidding or teaching of man but at the command of God acting her natural instinct in doing so Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command Hence Note The special motions of the creature are of God Mans mouth or command cannot make any creature stir foot or wing Who can make the Eagle mount the wind blow or the rain fall besides God Secondly As to the manner of this motion it s a mounting motion Note The motion of the creature upward hath much of the command of God in it Some have I know mounting motions at the command of the Devil the Lord hath the command of them though they are not commanded by him that is the proud imaginations the lofty thoughts of man these mounting motions are not at the command but against the command of the Lord the Lord suffers them but they are from Satan he puffs men up he blows them up with pride But both the natural mounâ—ings of the sensitives creatures and the gracious mountings of the new creature on high are by the command of God True believers have lowest or lowliest spirits yet highest and noblest aimes not grovelling on nor bowing to the earth but like an Eagle mounting up on high As this high flight of the soul is highly pleasing unto God so 't is made by his strength and at his command A believer flies high First In the contemplation of divine things What towering thoughts hath he concerning God and the concernments of salvation by Jesus Christ he is not mingling his soul with the dust nor mudding it upon the dunghils of this world As his conversation or trade is for things above so his mind and meditation is upon them Secondly As he flies high
Leviathan There 's a continual fire in his mouth then what is in the kitchin of his stomack for the digestion and concoction of his meat If sparks of fire leap out of his mouth as out of the mouth of a furnace then we may conclude there 's a great fire kept within Vers 20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoak We had fire before and now comes smoak We usually say Where there 's smoak there is some fire and surely where there is so great a heat there must be or hath been some smoak Out of his nostrils goeth a smoak Fumus est der adustus ex multitudine caloris Aquin. What is smoak 'T is air adust say Phylosophers Much heat draws out the airy part of the fewel and turns it into smoak Leviathan having such a fire in his bowels needs must smoak go out of his nostrils which are as a double chimney to vent it or to keep the metaphor in the Text Smoak goeth out of his nostrils As out of a seething pot or caldron The Hebrew is a blown pot because blowing makes a pot seeth quickly and fiercely A Caldron is a great vessel wherein much may be sodden or boyled at once and boyling sends out a great fume or smoak The Hebrew word rendred Caldron properly signifies a copper or brazen Kettle in which dying stuff is boyled for the colouring of cloth It signifies also a pond and so a great vessel like a pond as that in the Temple was called a Sea for its greatness Vers 21. His breath kindleth coals and a flame goeth out of his mouth This verse with the former three tend all to one purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahenum reddidimus ex conjectura propriè ahenum magnum instar stagni quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur Drus Leviathans heat is so vehement that his breath kindleth coals The Hebrew is His soul or life kindleth coals The soul and life of irrational creatures is the same and both are but breath His breath kindleth coals that is his breath is so hot that it will even kindle dead or unkindled coals Mr. Broughton renders His breath would set coals on fire The breath of the Whale is not only compared to a great wind issuing out of a pair of bellows which soon kindleth a spark into a great fire but is it self here compared to a fire by a strong Hyperbole like that which concludes this matter And a flame goeth out of his mouth That is a heat as from a flame or such a heat as a flame giveth These four verses may be improved for our use in two things First to inform us how terrible some creatures are There is nothing which is not terrible in this His mouth sends out a burning lamp and sparks of fire smoak goeth out of his nostrils coals are kindled by his breath and a flame goeth out of his mouth What 's the meaning and import of all this not that Leviathan hath these or doth these things indeed but in his wrath for this is the description of an enraged Leviathan he appears as if he were nothing but heat and would set the very element of water on fire and turn the very billows of the Sea into burning flames Secondly If the Lord hath put such a fierceness into this creature when he is angry what is there in the Lord himself when he is angry The Lord in his anger is described like this Leviathan Psal 18.7 8. Then the earth shook and trembled the foundation also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth what follows There went up a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it The words are almost word for word the same with those in the Text. The Lord is set forth as ushered by fire Psal 50.2 3. Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him Again Psal 97.2 Clouds and darkness are round about him vers 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about that is he destroyeth his enemies in his anger as if he consumed them by fire Once more Isa 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell in the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Thus the Scripture speaks of the Lord in his wrath And doubtless the flaming anger of Leviathan when provoked is but like a warm Sun-shine compared with the provoked anger and hot displeasure of God against presumptuous sinners Who is able to abide his wrath who in sin can dwell with those everlasting burnings who unpardoned can stand before the devouring fire and flames of the Lords displeasure Thus we have the discovery of Leviathans furious heat he is all in a flame Now the Lord having shewed what work Leviathan makes with his mouth and nostrils which belong to his head he comes next to his neck Vers 22. In his neck remaineth strength and sorrow is turned into joy before him Leviathans head is strongly joyned to the rest of his body by his strong neck yet some question whether the Whale hath any neck or no because no distinction which in other creatures is visible appears between his head and his body The learned Bochartus makes this another argument against the Whale and a little reflects upon Diodate who joyning fully with him in opinion that Leviathan is the Crocodile yet le ts go this hold yielding that the Crocodile hath no more neck than the Whale as the neck is taken strictly for that discernable distance between head and shoulders and though he himself grants that several other Authors by him alleadged say the Crocodile hath no neck yet he answers 't is safer to credit Aristotle who saith the Crocodile hath a neck and gives this reason for it because those animals which have no neck at all cannot move their heads whereas the Crocodile by the testimony of Pliny and others can turn his head upwards or hold it up backwards to bite his prey To this some answer and I conceive their answer may satisfie in this Point That how little or how undiscernable soever the space is between the head and the body of any animal the very joyning or coupling of them together may be called his neck and in that sense the Whale hath a neck as well as the Crocodile To this I may add that the shorter the neck of any animal is the stronger it is and that complies fully with what is here said of the neck of Leviathan In his neck remaineth strength The Hebrew is Lodgeth And so Mr. Broughton renders In his neck alwayes lodgeth strength that is he is alwayes strong very strong neckt his neck is so stiff and strong that strength it self may seem to have taken up its residence there That 's the
soft on the ouze or mire but laying as it were sharp stones upon it shews what he can endure without hurt And so I conceive these words He spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire may be thus understood and read He spreadeth himself upon sharp-pointed things as if it were upon the mire Secondly We may expound this verse as to the falling off of darts cast and stones slung at him or as to the breaking of swords and spears upon his scales when assaulted with them As if it had been said If you cast darts or sling stones at him they do not enter but drop down under him or if you assail him with sword and spear the sword breaks the spears point is snapt off and falls under his body Thus he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire or spreadeth the mire all over with sharp pointed things As after a well-fought battel at Land we may see the field spread over with pieces of swords and spears and other broken weapons so is the bottom of the Sea could you see to the bottom of it after a skirmish or day of battel with Leviathan This is a probable sense but I rather take the former as shewing the hardness of his skin and scales by his insensibleness of any sharp or hard thing that he rests himself upon All that I shall add is this It were well for us if in this case we could be like Leviathan if we could harden our selves or inure our selves to hardships to lye with sharp stones under us Surely our flesh is much too tender and soft and our skin too delicate for the endurance of a lodging upon hard stones and sharp pointed things The Apostle gives a sutable word of advice to Timothy 2 Tim. 2.6 Do thou endure hardship as a good souldier of Jesus Christ We should labour to endure hardship and to fare hard and to lye hard Edmond a Saxon King in this Land was called Iron-sides I fear there are few Iron-sides among us such I mean as are fit and ready to endure hardship to suffer hard things at Christs call and for his Name sake We should be content as the Church once was Psal 68.30 to lye among the pots yea as Leviathan upon the pot-sheards in that behalf The old Martyrs were patient while they lodged in a coal-house and russeled among the straw Though the Lord doth not exercise with such hardships yet 't is the duty of every Christian to get his heart into readiness and willingness to endure them Though all the followers of Christ are not honoured with sufferings for him yet they who have nor at least who pray not that they may have a spirit of suffering are not worthy to follow him nor to be called his Disciples Mat. 10.38 Mat. 16.24 Luke 14.26 Vers 31. He maketh the deep to boyl like a pot he maketh the Sea like a pot of ointment As Leviathan troubles Sea-men so he troubles the Sea Totum oceanum turbat Jun. he macerates and vexeth the waters he disturbs the whole Ocean where he is or wheresoever he comes This is illustrated by a double similitude First of a boyling pot He maketh the deep like a boyling pot Secondly He maketh the Sea like a pot of ointment Or as Mr. Broughton renders it He sets the Sea as a spicers Kettle that is all in a sume and foam Spices mingled in a kettle to make ointment boyl vehemently upon the fire any liquor boyling is moved and the more it boyles the more it moves Thus Leviathan blustring in the deep causeth it to look like a boyling pot or like a pot of ointment This shews the force of Leviathan he makes such a bussel that he as it were raiseth a storm in the Sea a fiercely boyling pot over the fire much resembles the Sea when the waves foam and the waters are enraged by the winds The mighty power of God is set forth in Scripture calming the Sea when 't is stormy and raising storms when it is calm as might be shewed in many Scriptures Leviathan can trouble the Sea when God hath made it quiet but he cannot quiet nor calm it when God hath made it stormy Leviathan is of a turbulent nature and he deals only in storms his restless spirit will not let the Sea rest he makes it boyl like a pot c. That which is said of Leviathan in his turmoiling the Sea may well represent the spirit of wicked men who in this are like Leviathan they as the Prophet speaks Isa 57.20 are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest and as themselves are like the troubled Sea having continual tumultuations in their own breasts so they often make others like a troubled Sea I shall not here omit what the learned Bochartus takes notice of in this verse both for and against his Assertion That Leviathan is the Crocodile First Though it cannot be denied that the Whale makes a greater stir in the Sea and troubles the waters more than the Crocodile the Whale being much the greater of the two yet he conceives the latter part of the verse where 't is said He makes the Sea like a pot of ointment very peculiar to the Crocodile For saith he many Writers commend the fragrancy or sweet smell which the Crocodile sends forth much like that of musk or the Arabian spices insomuch that some think Amber-greese is taken from that Animal And hence he concludes it may well be said that he where he comes makes the Sea like a pot of ointment which gives a fragrant smell then especially when stirred as Leviathan is here said to stir This is indeed a rare observation and such as Bochartus might well say he could not enough admire that the Ancients should give no hint at all of his testimonies for it being from Authors of somewhat a late date which the Reader may peruse for his fuller observation if he please I would not raise any suspition about the truth of the thing which Bochartus saith cannot but be true it being asserted by the unanimous vote of people of all Nations Indians Arabians Egyptians Assyrians and Americans All that I shall say to it is only this That the Text in Job having this scope to describe the turbulency of Leviathan in the Sea seems not to respect the savour or smell of the pot of ointment but only the troubled motion or ebullition of it when 't is boyling over the fire And in that respect the Whale maketh the Sea like a pot of boyling ointment as much as yea more than the Crocodile The second thing which Bochartus takes notice of in this verse is an objection which may be raised from it against his opinion The Lord speaks of Leviathan as being in the Sea and which is a word of the same significancy in the deep Now the Crocodile is not a Sea-animal but a River-animal therefore Leviathan is not a Crocodile To this he answers First That the River Nilus is called the