The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Dedication – Chapter 1
To the right vertuous and godly Gentlewoman, Miſtris A. St.
THE hiſtorie of Job is a treaſure ineſtimable, to teach vsus the doctrine of Gods fatherly care and prouidence, to prepare vsus with patience to beare all the afflictions of this preſent life.1. Part. The firſt part of this book hath three chapters, wherein wee bee taught what Job was, how ſathan was let looſe against him,Cap. 1. with what courage and constancie hee bare the croſſe,Cap. 2. till Christ left him to ſee his corruption and frailtie.Cap. 3. The ſecond part is continued from the ende of the third chapter, to the beginning of the 32. chapter, containing a very notable disputation and conference betweene Job and his friends:2. Part. where first from the third to the fifteenth chapter, they admoniſh him to repent,1. Branche from the 3. to the 15. chap. and ſo to prepare himſelfe for death, aſſuring him, becauſe of this ſtrange calamitie, that he must bee, not onelyonly ſtained and ſpotted with ſome light crimes,The error of Iobes friendes Eliphas. Zophar. Bildad. but alſo fowly infected and poyſoned with great and grieuous ſinnes, and with hypocriſie. Job anſwereth their ſeuerall ſpeeches, tormented in bodie, perplexed & greatly grieued in minde, yet ſtriuing mightily to auoyde their vniust accuſations againſt him. Secondly,2. Branch. they replie ſharpely vponupon his first anſwers, from the 15. chapter to the 22. and he anſwereth them againe with greater boldnes and courage then before.3. Branch. Thirdly, they begin a ſecond reply, and here Eliphas and Bildad only ſpake, the third man fainted and ſpake no more, for that Iob was inuincible perſisting in his apologie and defence of his faith and vpright conuerſation. This last branch is continued to the 32. chapter,3. Part. where begins the third part of this booke:Elihu. and here a fift ſpeaker enters in with great grauitie cenſuring both parts, Iobs friends for want of iudgement in their reproofes, and Job alſo for his ouer great boldnes in iuſtifying himſelfe, and appealing to Gods high throne of iustice. This ſpeech alſo is continued from the 32. chap. to the 38. And there begins the fourth part of this booke,4. Parte. wherein the Lord himſelfe ſpeaketh. And whereas Elihu did bend himſelfe moſt againſt Iob, ſometimes peruerting and wreſting his very wordes, and ſometimes repeating what hee neuer ſpake, verie ſparingly & lightly touching his aduerſaries: the Lorde on the other ſide, gratiouſly and fatherly reproueth his ſeruant Iob, and ſharply rebuketh all the reſt, teaching them to know his power, wiſdome,5. Parte. prouidence, and iustice by his works, chapter 38. 39. 40. 41. then followeth the last parte of this booke, chapter 42. wherein is ſhewed how Job repented: how God receiued him to grace, and restored him to a better ſtate then he had before.
Two ſpeciall queſtions are handled in this booke: the first is concerning the iustice of God: Whether it ſtandeth with his iuſtice, that the wicked proſper, and the godly bee afflicted in this preſent life. The ſecond is, whether we may wel iudge of the faith, religiō & profeſſiō of men, by their proſperitie & aduerſitie in this preſent life. Theſe queſtions hauehave bred occaſion of great disputation, and griefe vntounto the faithfull of all ages, Pſal. …3. Iere. 15. Hab. 1.13. and cauſed infidels to blaspheme, Mal. 2.17. and 3.15. Theſe doubts are notably reſolued and anſwered in this ſtory: for the first, that wee must not ſearche into the ſtrange iudgements of God, but know as Iob teacheth vsus, chapter 24. 1. that all times appoynted for prosperitie and aduerſitie, for good and euill, are hid with the Lord, and wee must as Job dooth,Cap. 39. 36. 37. put our hand on our mouth, and adore his maieſtie in all his works and iudgements, being well aſſured that his will is and muſt be euer vntounto vsus the only rule of iustice, & that his hand & will gouerneth al the accidents, changes and chances of this preſent life. For the 2. the Lord teacheth vsus alſo, neuer to iudge of the end, nor of the life paſt of the faithful, by their preſent miſeries: for it fareth with vsus in our ſpiritual cōbates with the fleſh and the deuill, as it doth with wraſtlers in the world: for among them we ſhall ſee often, ſome one neere caſt downe, and yet in the ende giues his aduerſarie the foyle. So is it in the ſpirituall battaile, Gods children may ſeeme cast downe, when desperat ſpeeches paſſe from them, as we ſee in Dauid. Pſalm. 77.10.22.1.2. and Jerem. 15.20. and*Qui eſcente ad tempus in ipſo deitate, & ſenſibus carnis, in horendo illo iudicio quod tum ſubibat, penitus occupatis, in illam petitionem eripuit. Christ himſelfe crieth bitterly in the agonies of death, and yet in the end they tread downe ſathan vnderunder feete. Rom. 16.20. VVherefore we must take heede how we cenſure theſe (as the manner of ſome is) for albeit ſathan & the fleſh rage and ſtorme for a time, et God giueth his children in death it ſelfe, ſtrength to triumph ouer them by Jeſus Christ, albeit this is not ſo comfortablie manifested at all times to our eyes in this preſent world.
Secondly, we hauehave here in Job a ſingular preſident and direction for the gouernement of life: ſo farre ſurpaſſing all other instructions, as the practiſe of a most diuine and religious man of God, can excell the morall precepts of the best learned men on earth. Chap. 1. and 29.
Thirdly, the Apostle Saint James doth highly commended Iobs patience, chapter 5. And ſurely whoſoeuer ſhall well conſider his condition and place, his pietie and religion, and ſo take a view of his most ſtrange calamities, hee ſhall ſee a man of inuincible courage and constancie, and ſuch a preſident for patience as could neuer be ſeene, J ſuppoſe on earth, excepting only in the ſonne of God Ieſus Christ. Arguments to demonstrate this briefely are theſe.1. Peter. 2.19.20. First, Saint Peter ſaith, If when yee doe well, and ſuffer wrong, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. What praiſe is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults you ſuffer it patiently?Jf Job had been an euill man, or of that common ſort of indifferent men, his patience had been commendable in ſuch intolerable afflictions: but beeing a man moſt rare for all piety and ſinceritie, an vnspotted ſeruant of the Lord, one that gaue himſelfe no rest in any ſuspition of ſinne, chapter 3. 26. his patience and courage must bee the more admirable, in ſuch extreame calamities. Secondly, Job was exceeding rich, chapter 1. 2. 3. and chapter 29. last verſe, it were much if a poore man ſhould ſo endure the heauie hand of God vponupon him, for poore men are more acquainted with the miſeries of this life then the rich, or if being an vpſtart from beggerie to ſome highe pitche of dignitie he could bee content to bee debaſed & brought to his lowe ebbe again. But a man flowing in wealth, in great honour and estimation in the worlde continually, all his life time full of prosperity, to bee thus cast downe, all on a ſodaine: there must bee in ſuch a one, more then mans ſtrength to holde him vp, and to keepe him from desperation.Iob ſtands with courage till they weaken his faith.
Jf we deſire to know what wrought this courage, constancie, and patience in Job, the Apostle anſwereth, 2. Cor 3.5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelues to thinke any thing: and againe, I am able to doe all thinges through the helpe of Chriſt, which ſtrengtheneth mee, Phillip. 4.13. There do conspire against Job as in a league; ſathan, fleſh, friendes, wife, and all torment him, yet his courage was inuincible,Chap. 3. till Christ left him a little to ſee his owne frailtie and corruptions, then ſeemeth he as quite broken for a time, as a man forlorne and forſaken of God.
The last great plague I was greatly comforted with this booke of God, and for that J iudged then, as yet J doe, that the euill Angels, ſent from God, hauehave a ſpeciall hand and working in the pestilence, as in ſundry other *Cōſider theſe places. Pſal. 78.49.50. pſal. 104 4. Luke. 13.16. Math. 17.15. Mar. 5.25.incurable diſeaſes, and euils of this life, warres, famine, &c. For this cauſe then, deſiring to comfort others with the ſame comforts, wherewith God comforted me, J collected theſe obſeruations and meditations following.2. Cor. 1.4. And now trusting that the Lord will giuegive them ſome bleſſing for the vſe and comfort of his people, I hauehave thought it good to annexe them on this manner, as not impertinent, to the former treatiſe of fasting. The first part of this booke, I hauehave commended to a right VVorſhipfull Gentleman, who loues the trueth, and the protection of the trueth. Theſe two parts J recommend to you (good Mistris St.) nothing doubting of your fauourable acceptation. J can no way requite your christian louelove. The most mercifull father ſo fill you with ſpirituall comfort, as J deſire to bee comforted in my most neede, and worke in your heart the true ſenſe and feeling of his ſweete mercies by the holy Ghost, and open the eyes of your minde, yet more and more by faith to beholde the vnſearchable riches of his ſonne Jeſus Chriſt: Amen. Praye for mee, the Lorde Chriſt bleſſe and keepe you and all yours.
Yours euer to vſe in the Lord Chriſt, Henry Holland.
The firſt Chapter of Job.
This chap… hath 4. …cial parts.
The firſt part is from the 1. verſe to the 6. verſe, and containeth a deſcription and commē dation of this holie man: teaching vsus
1. What his countrie was: the land of Vz in Idumea. verſ. 1.
2. What his name: Iob, verſ. 1.
3. What his religion and pietie: he was an vpright man, and iuſt man, one that feared God, and eſchewed euill, verſ. 1.
4. What children he had: they were 7. ſonnes and three daughters. verſ. 2.
5. What his poſſeſſion was: very great. verſ. 3.
6. What a carefull and religious life, he and his children liued, verſ. 4. 5.
The ſecond part is from the 6. verſe. to the 12. verſe, containing two braunches: where is ſhewed
In the firſt place, how al the Angels good and euil, ſtand before the Lord to miniſter vntounto him, and to do him ſeruice, verſ. 6. 7.
In the ſecond, how there paſt a ſpeech betweene the Lorde and Sathan concerning Iob: where we are to note
1. How the Lord commendeth the religion and life of his ſeruant Iob, verſ. 8.
2. How Sathan accuſeth him with all his might, ver. 9. 10. 11.
The third part beginneth at the 12. verſe, and endeth in the 19. verſe, cōtaining a commiſſion granted by the Lord to Sathā, againſt Iob, and the executiō of it.
1. The commiſſion is ſet downe, verſ. 12.
2. The execution followeth: wherein is ſhewed how Sathā afflicted Iob in 4. ſpecial calamities:
1. He robbeth him by theeues of all his oxen and aſſes, verſ. 14. 15.
2. He deſtroyeth al his ſheepe with fire frō heauen, verſ. 16.
3. Hee ſtirreth vp theeues againſt him to take away his camels, verſ. 17.
4. Hee ſtirred vp a tempeſt, which caſt downe the houſe where his children were feaſting, and deſtroyed them al in one inſtant, verſ. 18. 19.
The fourth part is in the 3. laſt verſes, ſhewing howe Iob ouercame Sathan in the firſt cō flict: where cōſider of
1. Iobs humiliation: where we note
1. His ſorrow and griefe, verſ. 20.
2. His faith, patience, verſ. 21. and hope, reſting cheerfully vponupon Gods promiſes.
2. His commendation: the holy Ghoſt commendeth him as a golden preſident for our imitation, verſ. 22. In all this Iob ſinned not, &c. verſ. 22.