The Christian Exercise of Fasting, Chapter 1 · Verse 4
Verſ. 4.
And his ſonnes went, and banketted in their houſes, eueryevery one his day, and ſent and called their 3. ſiſters to eate and to drinke with them.
WE hauehave ſeene hitherto what ſpeciall bleſſings the Lord had giuen his holy ſeruant Iob: firſt, the good graces of his holy ſpirit: next, a ſweete number of children: and thirdly, ſubſtance exceeding great. Now here followeth a fourth bleſſing comparable to any external bleſſing: his children alſo were religious, and did mutually,Iobs childerē religious. moſt louingly embrace, comfort, and helpe one another.
This verſe giueth vsus to ſee how Iobs childrē did cōfirme their mutuall louelove by banketting together: where conſider theſe poynts:
1. Who banketted, or feaſted together: Iobs ſonnes 7.
2. Where? in their owne houſes.
3. When? eueryevery one of the 7. on his day: not alwayes.
4. Where were their ſiſters? they were ſent for, and came with all modeſtie.
The ſenſe and meaning of this verſe is this: The ſeuen ſonnes of Iob before mentioned, they were wonted certaine times of the yeare to call and to inuite one another to feaſting, to the end they might admoniſh & comfort, and inſtruct one another, that their louelove might bee cheriſhed, their faith confirmed, and that ſo they might bee mutually comforted one by another. This meeting was not in common Tauernes, or Innes, or Alehouſes, or in other places of reſort with the prophane Edomites, the people of the land, but in their owne houſes. For albeit as yet they were young, and as it ſeemes vnmarried, yet had their father prouided them houſes and ſuch neceſſaries, as did belong to their families: as carefull was Iacob in this reſpect,Gen. 30.30. as his words to Laban can teſtifie: But now when ſhall I trauell for mine owne houſe alſo? hee that prouideth not for his familie is worſe then an Infidell: and wee may procure things honeſt before hand: the care which is forbidden, is foreign, a diſtracting and vexing care, Matth. 7. Theſe ſeuen ſonnes did thus feaſt together 7. daies, not 7. daies continuing: or if they feaſted a whole weeke, certaine it is not eueryevery weeke, or eueryevery month, (for we muſt not imagine, that they gaue any ſuch preſident of a luxurious life vntounto others) but certain times, whē they thought beſt, or had moſt cauſe of meeting, for it is ſayd that eueryevery one kept his daye,The modeſtie of the Virgines of elder ages. no more but one day. Laſtly, the ſiſters they came alſo to the ſame banquet from their fathers houſe, as it is like they were virgines yet: but withall modeſtie and ſhamefaſtnes, they came being ſent for, and being called, not before, for ſo it became well their virginitie to bee ſober, modeſt, and very watchfull ouer their waies.
Wherefore he mentioneth in the beginning of this booke the banketting of Iobes childrē.1. The holy ſpirite here ſpeakes of this feaſting and banquetting for theſe ſpeciall cauſes: Firſt, that wee might ſee the religious louelove of Iobs children, and by what meanes they deſired to comfort and edifie one another. Secondly, that wee might alſo ſee and conſider the religious care of Iob for them, expreſſed in the verſe following. Thirdly, that wee might obſerue where and when Sathan murdered them: it was in their feaſting time, that hee might turne Iobs great mirth, by a ſodaine deſolation and deſtruction into the greater ſorow: If his ſonnes had died in their beds by ſome continuing ſicknes, where he might hauehave ſeene ſome teſtimonie of their faith, it would not hauehave ſo moued him: ſodaine deaths the beſt doe feare, and the fooliſh think it a great argumēt of Gods great wrath, as we may ſee both in this booke, and Luk. 13.1.2.3.4.5. Laſtly, this banquetting is here touched, that wee might note what men Sathan ſo murdered: not Epicures, *Sathan knew the wicked would ſoone take occaſion to exclayme againſt righteous Iobs children.nor hypocrites, extortioners, &c. as Iobs friends thought, but godly and religious perſons.
2. Note here the religious louelove, and happie conſents of theſe good children mutually comforting one another. No doubt they were no ſmall ioy and comfort vntounto their father. Adam had but two ſons, the one murdered the other: Noah had three ſonnes, one mocked his owne father, and was accurſed. Abraham had two ſonnes, the one ſcorned and perſecuted the other. Iſaac had two ſonnes, the one hated and deſired to murder the other. Iacob had twelue ſonnes, ten would hauehave murdered Ioſeph, and diſpitefully ſold him into a ſtrange countrey. Dauids children murdered one another, and hee had great griefe and ſorrowe by them all: the elder deſpiſe the younger, the younger enuie the elder. If ſuch holy men had ſuch wicked children, what maruell is it, that our prophane parents breed and bring vp ſuch a wicked generation?
3. Feaſting and banquetting is lawful vntounto Gods people, if that they keepe the rules appointed, and follow the godly practiſe here ſet before vsus by the holy ſpirit. Abraham feaſted at the weaning of Iſaac, Gen. 21.8. Iſaac feaſted Abimelech, Gen. 26.30. Ioſeph his brethren, Gen. 43.31. Dauid Abner and his friends, 2. Sam. 3.20. Salomon his ſeruants, 1. King. 5.15. Matthew feaſted Chriſt and his Apoſtles, Matthew. 9. So did Simon the Phariſee, Luk. 7. with others many, Luk. 14.