Exposition of Job 38-42, Commentary on Job · Chapter 39 · Verse 9-12
JOB, Chap. 39. Verſ. 9, 10, 11, 12.
9. Will the Ʋnicorn be willing to ſerve thee? or abide by thy crib?
10. Canſt thou bind the Ʋnicorn with his hands in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11. Wilt thou truſt him, becauſe his ſtrength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour with him?
12. Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy ſeed, and gather it into thy barn?
THe Lord ſtill enquires after Jobs skill and knowledge in the book of the creatures. In the former context, Job was interrogated about the wild Aſs, whoſe freedom was there ſet out, in oppoſition to the ſervitude of the home-bred, or tame Aſs. Here the Lord puts the queſtion about the Unicorn, and ſets forth his liberty, in oppoſition to the ſervile labour of the Ox.
Verſ. 9. Will the Ʋnicorn be willing to ſerve thee? or abide by thy crib?
The Unicorns liberty is here deſcribed, firſt, more generally, in two things.
Firſt, He will do no work for man.
Secondly, He will receive no reward from man.
That he hath no mind to work for man, is ſhewed in the firſt words of the verſe: Will he be willing to ſerve thee? Will he be imployed in thy ſervice?
And that he cares not to be fed or provided for by man, that he looks for no reward from man, is ſet down in the latter part of the verſe; Will he abide by thy crib?
Secondly, The ſtubborn liberty of the Unicorn is deſcribed in this context, more particularly, by his refuſal of that ſpecial labour which is neceſſary in husbandry, or for the tillage of the ground, in the whole compaſs of it; and here are three parts of that labour ſet down, all refuſed by the Unicorn.
Firſt, The ploughing of the ground in the 10th verſe; Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrow? He will not go to plough.
The ſecond labour with which beaſts are wrought in husbandry, is harrowing the ground; the Unicorn will not touch that, as 'tis ſaid in the cloſe of the 10th verſe, Will he harrow the valleys after thee? No, he will neither plough nor harrow, he will do none of theſe works though he have ſtrength enough to do them, as appears (verſ. 11.) Wilt thou truſt him, becauſe his ſtrength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
The third part of husbandry, about which beaſts are uſed, is the bringing of the Corn in, or the home-bringing of it; the Unicorn will lend no help to that work neither, as is ſhewed in the 12th verſe, Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy ſeed, and gather it into thy barn?
Thus the Unicorn will neither ſerve in general, nor do any of theſe particular ſervices; he will neither plough nor harrow, nor bring home the ſeed. The Unicorn is a beaſt unſubject to, and unſubduable by man, yet ſubject to God, and by him eaſily ſubduable; for (as the Apoſtle ſpake in another caſe, Phil. 3.21.) He is able to ſubdue all things to himſelf.
We may conceive, the ſcope and intendment of the Lord in putting theſe queſtions to Job about the Unicorn, was to ſhew, that if he could not time or reduce ſuch a creature as the Unicorn to his Plow and Harrow, then he muſt not think of bringing God to his bow, who made both the Unicorn and man too. Surely God will be at his liberty, to do with man what he pleaſeth, do man what he can, ſeeing the Unicorn will take liberty to do what he pleaſeth, notwithſtanding all that man can do. God will not be bound up to, nor tyed by any mans dictates, but remains ſoveraignly free for ever, in all his diſpenſations. Thus of the whole matter in general: I ſhall now open the particulars mentioned about this unſerviceable creature the Unicorn.
Verſ. 9. Will the Ʋnicorn be willing to ſerve thee?
foreign & foreign dicitur à foreign quod alium eſſo ſignificat. Monoceros unicum habet cornu, ſed alium, unde appellatio ejus.The Original word tranſlated Ʋnicorn, denotes an animal, high and ſtately. It comes from a root which ſignifies to be exalted or lifted up; and hence David (Pſal. 92.10.) teſtifying his aſſurance that God would lift him up out of his troubles, and deliver him from his preſſures, compares his hoped for exaltation to that of the Unicorn: My horn ſhalt thou exalt like the horn of an Ʋnicorn, I ſhall be anointed with freſh oil; that is, I ſhall have new and ſufficient ſupplies of grace, and gifts, of joy and conſolation.
This word (Reem) which in the Hebrew bears only that general ſignification Highneſs, foreign. 70. Ʋnicornu. Lat.is rendred by the Seventy in Greek Monoceros, and by the Latines Ʋnicornis, both which anſwer our Engliſh term Ʋnicorn; the notation of all theſe words in the Greek, Latine, and Engliſh imports a beaſt with one horn, whereas (I ſay) the Hebrew word imports only the highneſs or nobleneſs of that animal or beaſt intended under it.
Ariſt. l. 2. de Hiſt. Animal. c. 1. Plin. l. 8. c. 21. l. 11. c. 37.Natural Hiſtorians, in their deſcriptions of, and diſcourſes about the beaſts of the earth, make report of an Indian Aſs with one horn, as alſo of Indian Oxen with one horn, which may therefore, according to the ſence of the word, be called Ʋnicorns. Our late Annotators ſeem to incline, that by the word Reem here rendred Ʋnicorn, is meant the wild Bull rather than the Unicorn, becauſe as the wild Aſs is here oppos'd to the tame, ſo the wild Bull ſeems to be oppos'd to the Oxe, which is a tame creature And fitted for the ſervice of man.
Numquid volet Rhinoceros ſervire tibi? Vulg foreign. Aquil.The Vulgar Latine tranſlation reads it, the Rhinoceros, and ſo doth one of the Greek interpreters; and in our Engliſh tranſlation (Iſa. 34.7.) we put the word Ʋnicorns in the Text, and Rhinocerots in the Margin. The notation of which word (Rhinocerot) imports a beaſt with a horn of his noſe or ſnout. The Rhinoceros is a large beaſt, near in bigneſs (ſay ſome) to the Elephant,Baſil. in Pſal. 29.6. only ſhorter in his legs. And the deſcription or character which one of the Ancients gives of the Rhinoceros, is very ſutable to, and doth fully correſpond with that which the Lord gives here in this Text of that ſavage beaſt (Reem) by us rendred the Ʋnicorn: For (ſaith my Author) The Rhinoceros is a proud imperious animal ſuch as will not not be ſubject to man, nor be brought to obedience, living perpetually in deſart places, and ſecuring himſelf from danger by his horn.
Further, It is ſaid of this Rhinoceros.
Firſt, That he is a mortal enemy to the Elephant,Cornu ad ſaxa limato, praeparat e pugnae. Plin. l. 8. c. 20. whom he aſſaults fiercely; and having ſharpen'd, or as it were whetted his horn at a ragged rock, that his weapon may be fit for the bloody battle, he wounds him under the belly, where he knows the Elephant is moſt in danger, that being his ſofteſt part.
Secondly, Some to carry the ſenſe of the word Vnicorn to this other creature, ſay, the Rhinoceros hath but one horn;Namque gravem gemino cornu ſic extulit urſum, Jactat ut impoſitas taurus in aſtra pilas. Mart in ſuo Amphitheatro Epigram. 22. whereas others affirm confidently, that the Rhinoceros hath two horns, one upon his Noſe, and another upon his Brow, though not ſo big as that other. One of the old Poets ſpeaking of the Roman ſports, deſcribes a Rhinoceros thus, He toſſed the bear that was brought before him with his double horn. Sanctius (in his Comment upon this verſe) ſaith he ſaw a Rhinoceros which was brought into Spain, in whom he obſerved all things anſwering the deſcription given of him by the Ancients.
What the ſhape or form of the Vnicorn is, as ordinarily painted and ſet up with the Lion, as a ſupporter of the Royal Arms, and as a ſign at many common mens doors, every one knows. Some Hiſtorians ſpeaking of the Unico n, paint him out thus in their books and writing…. Pliny in his eig… Book, at the one and twentieth Chapter ſaith,Aſperrimam feram. Plin l. 8. c. 21. Aelian. l. 7. c 3. S…l. Ex…t. 205. Ge…er. the Monoc…ote or Unicorn (whom he there calls a moſt fierce ſavage beaſt) is in the general make or bulk of his body like a Horſe, and in the ſhape of his head like a Hart or Stag, that in the faſhion of his feet he is much like an Elephant, his tail reſembling the tail of a Boar, that he hath a black horn in the midſt of his fore-head two cub is in length, which ſay others, is not ſmooth, but wreathed, and ſomewhat ragged, and at the very top or point exceeding ſharp. Hanc ſe… viv…m …eg…t c… Id …bi ſupra.He is of ſo fierce a nature, that he will not be taken alive, as the ſame Autho… affi ms from hear-ſay.
Yet there want not thoſe who make doubt whether there be, ye who deny that there is any ſuch beaſt in the compaſs of nature, as is commonly called an Vnicorn, having ſuch a medicinal horn as is aſſerted; and therefore all thoſe Scriptures, wherein this word (Reem) in the Text tranſlated Vnicorn, is uſed, They who are of that opinion, tranſlate Rhinocerote, as not being ſatisfied that there is ſuch a creature as that other in the world. One of the Rabbines collects an objection againſt him from that of Moſes (Deut. 33.17.Singularis numerus, ibi poſitus eſt pro numero multitudinis, ut ſit unicornis pro unicornium; ſic arbor ponitur pro arboribus, rana pro ranis, &c. Druſ. Conf…ſio numerorum in h…c lingua frequens eſt. Merc Coeſar Scaliger, dicit ſe vidiſſe monocerotis cornu, & quidem diverſi coloris, unum ſuffulvum unum ſubluteum, &c.) where ſpeaking of this beaſt (Reem) he ſeems to ſay that he hath more horns than one, therefore no Unicorn; for there deſcribing the flouriſhing and powerful eſtate of the Tribe of Joſeph, he ſaith, his horns are like the horns of an Vnicorn; as if that beaſt (whatſoever it is which is ſignified by that Hebrew word) had more horns than one. We indeed tranſlate both words plurally, not the horns of an Vnicorn, but the horns of Ʋnicorns, yet the Hebrew is ſingular. However I conceive this objection is of no weight, to the denial of any ſuch creature as the Unicorn, it being frequent in Scripture to put the ſingular number for the plural, as there Unicorn for Unicorns; and therefore that Text hath little or no force in it to invalidate their opinion, who aſſert that there is ſuch an one horned animal.
Now as to the Text in hand, it may ſuffice my purpoſe (leaving farther ſearch of theſe things to Naturaliſts) to ſay, that the Hebrew word Reem ſignifies a wild beaſt, very fierce and furious, uſually called an Unicorn, or expreſſed by a word ſignifying a beaſt having but one horn in Greek, Latine, and Engliſh.
But though I ſhall not deliver any opinion of my own to the contrary, yet I ſuppoſe it will not be unpleaſing to the ingenuous and learned Reader, if before I proceed with my own meditations, upon what is ſaid in this Chapter, about this creature, I here inſert the diſcourſe and opinion of that learned Phyſitian, and Divine Critick, Doctor Arnoldus Bootius, in the third Book of his Sacred Animadverſions upon the Hebrew Text of the Old Teſtament, and the firſt Chapter of that Book: The ſubſtance of which I have gathered, and in moſt places tranſlated word for word, as followeth
That the word Reem (ſaith he) is the name of ſome certain Animal all Writers agree; but what this Animal is, is not agreed. Hierome renders it ſometimes a Rhinocerote, ſometimes an Unicorn; and ſo do ſome others in tranſlating the Bible. Pagnine tranſlates it only once a Rhinocerote, in all other places where it occurs, an Vnicorn; yet in his Dictionary he ſeems to incline, that the word ſignifyeth a Rhinocerote, rather than an Vnicorn. But the Greeks generally are more conſtant in rendring it an Vnicorn, than a Rhinocerote; and in this almoſt all interpreters, both they who tranſlate the Scriptures into the Latine tongue, and they who tranſlate them into their Mother tongue, follow them, and do ſo too; the Rabbins alſo go the ſame way. And therefore one of them writing upon thoſe words of Moſes concerning Joſeph (Deut. 33.17.) His horns are like the horns of (Reem) an Vnicorn (which ſeems to oppoſe this opinion which makes Reem to be the Unicorn, a beaſt of one horn; he I ſay, to avoid this difficulty) ſaith that place is to be underſtood by an Enallage or change of the number, the word Reem Unicorn, being put for Reemim, Unicorns; with which anſwer ſeveral others wipe of that objection.
Nor doth it a little help this interpretation that moſt of thoſe marks, which the Scripture takes notice of in that beaſt called Reem, namely, his extream fierceneſs, great ſtrength, and the extraordinary magnitude of his horn, are all aſcribed by Authors to the Unicorn.
Yet to me this interpretation ſeems the leſs probable, becauſe Unicorns are found only in India, ſay they, who have written of them. Now it is not likely, that M…ſes, David, and the Prophets ſhould ſpeak ſo often of, and take ſimilitudes from, and that God himſelf ſhould ſpend ſo much time in a diſcourſe with Job about a creature unknown in their Countries. And it muſt needs be, that he was there (and to them) unknown, if no Country nearer than India produced the Unicorn; for the world was not ſo diſcovered in thoſe times, by mutual commerce, that living creatures, and things proper to Nations, ſhould be familiarly or much known, in Nations far remote. Of this we have a clear inſtance in the Elephant, of which famous animal, ſo uſeful to man for various ſervices, and ſo abounding in many parts of Africa and Aſia, the Iſraelites ſeem to have had little or no knowledge at all; which we may well conjecture by that deep ſilence in Scripture concerning him, there being no mention made of the Elephant any where but in the book of Job: And Job was not an Iſraelite, nor an inhabitant of Canaan, but of Arabia; whoſe neighbours on the other ſide of the Red-ſea, the Aethiopians and Troglodites abounded with Elephants. And this is the more to be marvelled at, becauſe Ivory, which is nothing elſe but an Elephants tooth, was ſo well known and common in India. Now, if the Elephant, of whoſe teeth they had plenty, and which were bred in great numbers in Countries much nearer than Judea, was ſo little known to the Jews, who can believe that the Unicorn, which was proper to India, ſhould be known to them?
But we have another, and that a ſtronger argument, againſt this interpretation; namely, that we account the report of this Unicorn to be a meer fable, and that no ſuch animal, as this is deſcribed and commonly believed to be, is at preſent in the the world, or ever was. For Cleſias, a moſt vain man, and who, moved only with a love to lying, hath b…ought in very many, and thoſe moſt monſtrous figments in his books of the Indians, is the father of this ſtory, from whom Pliny, Aelian, and all who have written of the Unicorn, received and took it up.
And that Cleſias lied, as in many other things, ſo in this alſo, we may hence conjecture, becauſe this animal was never ſeen at Rome; in whoſe ſhews, all the rareſt animals which this half part of the world, containing Aſia, with Europe and Africa, ever produced, were wont to be preſented to publick vi…, and thoſe not only fetcht from within the bounds of the Romane power, but from the Empire of the Parthians, and from the furtheſt parts of India and Aethiopia. For to omit many other wild beaſts, Tigers, &c. (none of which were bred in the Romane Territories) Rome often ſaw Rhinocerotes, w…ich are bred only in India. So that Ariſtides ſpake but the truth in his Encomium of Rome, when he ſaid, All things meet here, whatſoever is bred or made; and whatſoever is not ſeen here, is to be reckoned among thoſe things which are not, nor ever were. Seing then, in thoſe many ages, wherein that cuſtome continued, of ſhewing the ſtrangeſt beaſts that could be found all the world over at Rome, the Unicorn, among all the ſtrange beaſts, was never ſeen there, it gives a ground of ſtrong ſuſpition, that there is no ſuch animal in the whole compaſs of natu…e.
M…reover, in theſe times, wherein no corner of the world hath been unſearcht, and all things in them as well known to us, as thoſe which are bred a… our own homes; …he … is no man will ſay, that he ever ſaw this animal, except Ludovicus Vartomannus, who writes that he had ſeen two. But it weakens his credit in this report, both that he is found in other matters to tell fables for truths, as alſo, becauſe what he ſaith of the Unicorn, differs ſo much from what hath been ſaid by others. Certain it is, that Garcias ab Horto, in thoſe many years which he ſpent in India, as Phyciſian to the Kings Vicegerent (in all which time, he had great acquaintance with very many learned men of that Country, and had the favour of their Kings, and was himſelf a moſt diligent ſearcher after ſuch like matters, He, I ſay) did not only not ſee any Unicorn there, but could not get any certain information concerning him; only he met with ſome perſons, who told him, that in the furtheſt parts of Africa they had ſeen a beaſt having but one horn. Yet, ſuppoſe theſe men told him the truth, it makes nothing as to the Unicorn ſo much ſpoken of, with which that, according to their obſervation, hath little agreement; that being an Amphibion, and having a horn not paſſing two handfuls in length. My own Country-man alſo, Johannes Hugonis Linſchotius, who was an induſtrious inquirer after Natural things, having reſided twelve whole years in the City Goa, one of the moſt famous among all the Cities of India, and to which is brought whatſoever is rare and of eſteem in thoſe Countries, did never ſee an Unicorn, nor yet hear by any worthy of credit, that there was any ſuch animal in all thoſe parts, and therefore accounts the report of an Unicorn to be meerly fabulous; as may appear by what he writes in the 47th Chapter of his Itinerary; where ſpeaking of the Rhinocerote he ſaith, that is taken by many for the Monocerote or Vnicorn: Foraſmuch as no other Vnicorn is found or known, but only in reports and pictures.
We have ſhewed what moveth us not to aſſent to them, who ſay, that by the word Reem, we are to underſtand the Vnicorn. And they who render it the Rhinocerote, may with no l…ſs eaſe be refuted. And the firſt argument brought againſt the former expoſition, may ſerve here; ſeeing the Rhinocerote is only bred in thoſe remoteſt parts of the Eaſt, Bengata, Patane and Cambaya, all which lye beyond the River Ganges, in the utmoſt India.
But beſides this, there are two other unanſwerable arguments againſt that interpretation.
Firſt, From their horns. Thoſe animals called Reem have very large horns, but the Rhinocerotes have very ſmall ones: And though Martial the Poet ſeems to ſay the contrary, while ſpeaking of the Rhinocerote, he ſaith, How powerful was he with his horn, who could toſs a Bull with it like a Ball! And though Nicolaus Contius in his Itinerary, reports it as long as a mans arm, yet experience and eye-ſight have confuted them; to which it appears, that the horn of the Rhinocerote is very thick and ſtrong at the root, yet very ſhort: For Geſner tells us, that his horn planted upon his Noſe, riſeth no higher than his Ears, and therefore it cannot be long. Bucer makes uſe of this argument, in his Commentary upon the 2d Pſalm, affirming that the hight of the horn, aſcribed to that animal the Reem, will not agree with the Rhinoceros.
The Second argument is grounded upon the unconquerable fierceneſs of that animal called Reem; whereas the Rhinocerote, though with ſome difficulty, may be in ſome meaſure tamed, as hath been ſeen in thoſe at ſeveral times brought into Portugal.
Thus laying aſide (for the reaſons forementioned) that interpretation, which makes this Reem to be either the Unicorn or the Rhinocerote, we are now to conſider what animal this Reem ſhould be: And ſurely it cannot but be ſome beaſt (Bubulo generi affinis) of the race of Bulls or Bullocks; ſeeing in many places of Scripture, mention is made of the Reemim and Bullocks together, as intimating that they are animals of a near cognation or likeneſs, Deut. 33.19. Pſal. 27.6. Iſa. 34.6, 7. In this laſt place the Prophet having named three living Creatures of one kind (ver. 6.) to wit, Lambs, and Goats, and Rams; Reaſon may perſwade our belief, that in the 7th or following verſe (which ſeems to run parallel with the former) the Prophet obſerves the ſame rule of ſpeaking; and to thoſe two Bullocks and Bulls, joyns this third called Reemim, being beaſts belonging, at leaſt, to the ſame kind with them.
I find the ſame confirmed Pſal. 22. by comparing thoſe words of the 12. verſe, Many Bulls have compaſſed me; ſtrong Bulls of Baſhan have beſet me round; with thoſe of the 21. (which anſwer them) Save me from the Lions mouth, hear me (we read, thou haſt heard me) from the horns of the Reemims (we rendred Unicorns) as if the Pſalmiſt intended under the word Reemim, a ſort of beaſts much like in kind, if not of the ſame kind, with the Bullocks and ſtrong Bulls of Baſhan, ſpoken of before (as the learned Author endeavours there to make out more largely and diſtinctly) to whom I refer the Reader.
By what hath been ſaid, I ſuppoſe we have made it appear plainly, that the beaſt meant by this word Reem, is an animal neer in kind to the Bull or Bullock, which can be no other than a wild Bull or Bullock, which is to other Bulls or Bullocks, as wild Swine, B…ars or Sows, are to thoſe which are tame, or live and feed about our houſes. But ſeeing there are ſeveral ſorts of theſe wild Bulls or Bullocks, we do not conceive the word Reem, to be a common appellation which may be given to them all, but that it ſignifies ſome one certain ſort among them. To find out which, will not be hard to thoſe who conſider what the Scripture holds out concerning the beaſt there called Reem; namely, the eminent greatneſs of his horns, and the eminent greatneſs of his ſtrength; both which are aſcribed to him, not only Deuteronomy 33.17. and Pſal. 22. but Pſal. 92.10. My horn ſhalt thou exalt, like to the horn of a Reem; i. e. Thou ſhalt exalt it greatly and ſtrongly, even like the horn of a Reem. This makes it evident, that this Reem cannot be that beaſt which Ariſtotle calls Bonaſus, nor that which later Writers call Bubalus or Bufalus (we in Engliſh, a Buffe) which is ſo far from being better fitted by his horns, for fight and force, than our Bulls, that his horns are indeed altogether unfit for either; as Ariſtotle ſhews (lib. 3. de part. Anim. cap. 2.) his horns being turned inward, and one againſt the other, and therefore (as he ſaith, lib. 9. Hiſt. Animal. cap. 45.) are unuſeful for his own defence. The horns indeed of ſome of thoſe beaſts, are of another faſhion, as Geſner deſcribes them, and alſo Scaliger, Exerc. 206. Sect. 3. but all concludes them unfit to fight with, becauſe they all are either turned one againſt another, or point downward.
Now though this beaſt which Ariſtotle calls Bonaſus, others Bubalus or Bufalus, be of ſuch great ſtrength, as alſo of ſuch fierceneſs and untractableneſs, as may well ſuit the deſcription which the Scripture gives of the Reem; yet the form and faſhion of his horns will by no means comply with it, notwithſtanding it muſt be granted, that they who have expounded Reem by that beaſt, have ſpoken more probably, and have come much neerer the truth, than they who underſtand by it, either the Unicorn or the Rhinocerote.
There remains two ſorts of wild Oxen, Bulls or Bullocks, the Vrus and Biſons; which latter is ſo like the Bonaſus, that by ſome he is taken for the ſame; yet between the Biſons, properly ſo called, and the Bonaſus of Bufalus, their horns make a very remarkable difference. What the form of the horns of the Bufalus is, hath been ſhewed; but the Biſons have them a little bowing in the top or point, in which reſpect they are compared by Oppianus to brazen fiſh-hooks, but in the reſt or body of them they ſpread upward, or ſtand right up, and not ſo unfit to fight with, inſomuch that ſome have called them (Leth…feros tauros) deadly Bulls. And though we grant to Geſner (who denyeth the Bonaſi and Biſontes to differ in ſpecie) that the difference which is between the horns of theſe two beaſts, is not ſufficient to conſtitute a ſpecifical difference between them; yet when beſides the difference in their horns, there are other conſtant differences, as namely, that the beaſt called Bonaſus doth not fight with his head, but with his heels, and runs away as ſoon as wounded (as Ariſtotl… reports of him, lib. 9. Hiſt. cap. 45.) whereas the beaſt called Biſons, uſeth his horns only in ſight, and is not at all diſcouraged by being wounded, but like a Boar or a Lion, aſſaults his purſuers the more fiercely (as is ſet forth at large by Sigiſmundus Liber, in Muſcovieticis) therefore we may well conclude, that there is a ſpecifical difference between theſe animals.
Now though the beaſt called Biſons, conſidering the greatneſs and ſtrength of his horns, as alſo his fierceneſs, might be taken for the beaſt in Job, called Reem, yet he is not that beaſt, becauſe he may be tamed by the art of man, and made to put off his fierceneſs; as appears abundantly out of a good Author. But as for the beaſt called Reem, Panſoni as in Phocicis.he never gives over the fierceneſs of his nature, nor can he be tamed or brought to hand; as appears fully, by what God ſaith of him in this 39th Chapter of the book of Job. In which, when God had propoſed the more remarkable properties of ſeveral creatures to the conſideration of Job, he brings in this beaſt, called Reem, only to ſet forth this property, the unſubduable or untameable fierceneſs of his nature. So that all that God ſaith of him, may be reduced to this; That the Reem can neither by the skill nor power of man be brought to the yoak, nor made ſerviceable to man in any way, when as many other wild beaſts, no leſs eminent than he for ſtrength and fierceneſs, even Lions, Tygers, Elephants, Leopards, Bears, Rhinocerotes, have laid down their immanity, and become mild, and have ſuffered themſelves to be mannaged and governed by men, yea, and learn to acknowledge their Maſters, and ſerve them; whereas ſuch tractableneſs might rather be expected from the Reem (he being of the Bullocks kind, and living upon graſs) than from any of them; all which, except the Elephant and Rhinocerote are ravenous, and delighting in blood and ſlaughter, live upon ſpoyl and prey.
And that we may the more wonder at the unſubduable nature of the Reem, the Lord ſhews the ſame to be in the wild Aſs, a weak and ha…mleſs animal, and which hath neither ſtrength nor inclination to do hurt; than which nothing can be ſaid or imagined more wonderful, that wild Aſſes, whole flocks of which, even a ſingle boy will put to flight and chaſe, yet will by no means be tamed, whereas Tygers and Lions, one of which will ſtand a band of armed men, and ſometimes put them to flight, ſhould notwithſtanding be tamed, even to yield ſervile obedience. No other reaſon can be given of this, but only, becauſe it hath ſeemed good to God, the Author of nature, to order it ſo.
Now in that God is pleaſed to diſcover the untameable nature of the Reem by theſe marks or ſigns, namely, that he ſcorns to plow the ground, or do any work that belongs to Husbandry. Hence it doth more clearly appear, which we have above confirmed by many Scriptures, that the Reem is an animal of the ſame kind with Bullocks; foraſmuch as the ſenſe of the diſcourſe of God about him, is as if he had ſaid, Seeing among thoſe beaſts which are prepared by men to help them in their work, and whoſe labour they eaſe in tilling and ſubduing the earth, the Ox is chief, as being mans moſt laborious helper in husbandry, and which in moſt Countreys is more uſed in it than any other beaſt, according to that (Prov. 14.4.) Much encreaſe is by the ſtrength of the Ox. How comes it to paſs, that men do not make uſe of the Reem for thoſe ſervices, ſeeing he is of the ſame kind with Oxen, and ſo may ſeem to be made by nature for that purpoſe as much as other Oxen, and is by ſo much the fitter for that ſervice, than any other Oxen or Bulls whatſoever, by how much his ſtrength is greater than theirs, yet no man attempts to uſe him in it; or if any did, it were to no purpoſe, foraſmuch as I the Lord of nature have created this beaſt, as alſo the wild Aſs before ſpoken of, altogether untameable. This ſeems to be the meaning of God in his diſcourſe about the Reem. And hence alſo it appears, that the Reem is not the Biſons, ſeeing he, as well as many other wild beaſts, being skilfully handled, proves tame and gentle, and may be formed to the uſe and obedience of man.
It remains therefore, that this Reem is the beaſt called Vrus, becauſe this property of untameableneſs is aſcribed to that beaſt. Caeſar in his 6th book of the Gallican war, ſaith, The Vri, no not the young ones, will not be tamed by men, wherefore being caught in pits, they are killed. Pliny alſo ſaith as much of them, Lib. 8. cap. 21.
And as in this particular, his untameable wildneſs, there is a full agreement between the Vrus and Reem, ſo thoſe other things which the Scripture ſpeaks of the Reem agree to him alſo, as thoſe forreign Authors witneſs, who have written his Hiſtory. For Ceſar writes, that he is in bigneſs, little leſs than an Elephant, but of the kind, colour and figure, or ſhape of a Bull. And Pliny in two places (lib. 8. cap. 15. lib. 28. cap. 10.) names wild Oxen as the Genus, with reſpect both to the Vri and Biſontes.
The learned Doctor adds many more proofs out of ancient Authors, which the Reader may peruſe, if he pleaſe, at his leiſure. And from all he concludeth,
It is not therefore to be doubted, but that the Reems are the Vri; and indeed ſo much the leſs, becauſe not only the Northern Regions (in divers parts of which, it is ſaid by Writers, that not only the Biſontes, but Vri, are found at this day) are the proper ſoyl where theſe Animals are bred, but the Eaſtern parts alſo bring them forth. Pliny writes, that the Indian woods are full of them, and ſo doth Ariſtotle, I collect alſo out of Diodorus (lib. 3.) that the Country of the Trogloditicks, which is ſeated at the boſom of the Red-Sea, oppoſite to Africa, hath theſe Vri in it.
And though no Author doth affirm, that Syria and Paleſtine yield theſe wild Oxen, yet this doth not hinder, but that in old times, when the Iſraelites firſt inhabited thoſe Countreys, they were there; ſince it is no new thing, that the whole kind of ſome wild creatures ſhould be utterly extinct in theſe Countreys, where formerly they have abounded, of which England gives us a plain teſtimony in Wolves. Dion alſo reports the ſame of Lions, which ſometimes were bred in ſome parts of Europe, but now for many ages have not appeared there. And the ſame witneſſeth Ammianus (lib. 22.) concerning the Hippopotami in Egypt, of which none are to be found now in that Country.
Thus far the learned Doctor, whoſe diſcourſe may be of much advantage and profit to the Reader, for the better underſtanding of this place.
But I find he hath a great Antagoniſt, who though he agreeth with him in the negative part of his opinion and diſcourſe,Bocha…tus parte poſter. l. 3. c. 27. That the Reem here ſpoken of in Job, is neither the Vnicorn nor the Rhinocerote, nor the Bufalus, nor the Biſons; yet he doth not agree with him in the affirmative part of his opinion, that the Reem is that ſavage beaſt or wild Ox called Vrus; but firſt gives a large account why the Reem cannot be that beaſt called Vrus, nor any of that kind; and then concludes, that it is a kind of Goat, or of the Goatiſh kind, by name the Oryx, being an animal in colour pure white, in ſtature tall, in diſpoſition fierce and untractable, in his gate ſtately, lifting up his head and horns on high. That this beaſt is the Reem here ſpoken of, he proves by various teſtimonies, taken eſpecially out of the ancient Arabian, Chaldean, and Hebrew Writers, and endeavours to remove ſeveral objections ariſing from the ſeeming incompetency of any beaſt of the Goatiſh rank or kind, to anſwer the deſcription given of that noble animal called Reem, both in the Text and in many other places of Scripture.
Thus the learned are much divided in opinion about this creature, and upon which to determine is not eaſie.
Yet becauſe the word Reem is every where in Scripture rendred by our Tranſlators (as alſo by many others of great authority) Vnicorn; I ſhall leave that matter of difference to the Readers judgement, and do that reverence to our Tranſlation, as to open the Text diſtinctly, in all that is here ſaid by the Lord concerning the Reem, under that name or title, Vnicorn.
Will the Vnicorn be willing to ſerve thee?
In theſe words, the Lord preſents man, as it were, inviting, wooing, hiring the Unicorn to ſerve him. But when he hath uſed all his skill and cunning, when he hath done his beſt and worſt too, that is, uſed all manner of means, the Unicorn will not by any means be wrought upon, to come under mans yoak, or do his work. Will the Vnicorn Be willing to ſerve thee?
To will, is an act of reaſon, and therefore to be willing, is not proper to irrational Animals; yet to will and to be willing, may alluſively be given to them: They have a kind of will, and an underſtanding befitting their kind.foreign voluit propenſa animo ſuit unde foreign pater, à propenſa voluntate erga liberos. The Hebrew word ſignifies to will with much readineſs and propenſity of mind, it ſignifies willingneſs with delight; and thence comes the Hebrew word for a Father, becauſe a Father is willing and ready to take care of, and provide for his children, though it coſt him much travel and pains. But,
Num acquieſcet aut conſentiet ex ſuapte natura, ut tibi ſubjiciatur?Will the Vnicorn be willing to ſerve thee? will he be a ready ſervant to thee? he will not. As if it had been ſaid, The Vnicorn is an indocible, and an untractable animal; he will not be brought to hand, he will neither bear the yoak, nor wear the bridle; nor endure to be harneſſed like the Ox and Horſe; let man do what he will, what he can with him, he will neither go to Plow nor Cart, not he.
Hence note, Firſt; Service ſhould be done with willingneſs, or with the will.
It is the commendation of a ſervant, when he doth his Maſters work with his will, more than with his hand. Man ſhould be as willing to ſerve, as he is to be ſerved, as willing to obey, as to rule; nor doth any man know truly how to command, but he that knows how to obey, and when called, is willing to obey in the ſervice of God; nothing is done to him, unleſs it be done with the will, and therefore the full effect of the work of the grace of God upon the heart of man, is comprehended in this one word (Pſal. 110.3.) Thy people ſhall be willing in the day of thy power. They were once like the Unicorn in the Text, that will not ſerve; but in the day of thy power, when the word comes upon them in the power of the Spirit, they ſhall ſerve with all manner of dutiful readineſs and willingneſs. Some men are not at all wrought to the ſervice of God; others ſerve him but are not willing to ſerve, they do it by conſtraint, not willingly; for baſe fear of loſs, or for baſer hope of filthy lucre, not of a ready mind; upon which carnal terms the Apoſtle Peter warns the Miniſters of the Goſpel, to take heed they feed not the flock of God (1 Epiſt. 5.2.) Nothing but a day of power conquering the will, renders us willing to ſerve Chriſt, willing to ſubmit to the yoak of Chriſt, to be bound in his furrow, and to harrow the valleys after him, that is, to do any work that he calls us to. Service ſhould be with the will, and 'tis ſo by grace. That's the firſt thing which the nature of the Unicorn is againſt, as to the ſervice of man; he hath no will to it.
Secondly, Note; Some beaſts have a kind of willingneſs to ſerve man.
That ſome beaſts have ſuch a willingneſs, is more than implyed, while 'tis ſaid, that ſome have not. As the wild Aſs before was ſpoken of in oppoſition to the tame, ſo here the Unicorn is ſpoken of in oppoſition to the Ox or Horſe; who though they are not properly willing to ſerve, yet they will not alwayes refuſe ſervice, but freely at laſt, or after a while, take the yoak and receive the bridle. The Apoſtle ſaith (Rom. 8.20.) The creature is made ſubject to vanity, not willingly. The creatures are not willing to ſerve the luſts of men, yet many of them are willing to ſerve the occaſions and neceſſities of men. 'Tis through the ſin of man that the creature is made ſubject to vanity; but it is through the appointment of God that the creature is made ſubject to duty, and that with a kind of willingneſs.
Thirdly, 'Tis ſaid here of the Unicorn, as of the wild Aſs before; Canſt thou make him willing? when thou haſt uſed fair means, foul means, one way or other, will he ſerve thee? he will not.
Hence note; It is hard to change nature.
Naturam ex pelias furca licet uſque recurret. La…pus pilum non antevum mut…t.Beaſts hold faſt their natural qualities. The Horſe, the Bullock, who are tame by nature, will come to hand; but the wild Aſs and the Unicorn, whoſe nature is quite oppoſite to ſervice, will never be broken nor brought to it: Thruſt out nature with a fork it will return again. Till nature is quite altered and changed, acts will not change. 'Tis thus with man, conſidered in nature, who as he is compared to a wild Aſſes Colt (Chap. 11.12.) ſo he may be compared to an Unicorn. Will man be willing to ſerve God? no, not by any moral perſwaſions; no, nor heartily, he may hypocritically, by any outward benefits, nor by any hard uſages. Though (as Solomon ſaith, Prov. 27.22.) thou ſhouldſt bray a fool in a morter among wheat, with a peſtle, yet will not his fooliſhneſs depart from him. A carnal man will never ſubmit quietly to duty, till God hath changed his nature, and made him a new man, or, till his mind is renewed after the image of God. Converſion is firſt a change of our nature, and then of our way. This makes converſion ſo difficult a work. Good education and humane inſtructions, may change a mans way, but nothing leſs than the power of God can change his nature. Man is naturally as unwilling to ſerve God, as the wild beaſts are to ſerve man: He is as ſtout and as ſtiff as the Unicorn, as cruel and fierce as the Lion, as crafty as a Fox, as crooked and croſs as any creature; unleſs his heart be changed, he will never to purpoſe change his courſe. Man cannot change the courſe of the Unicorn, becauſe he cannot change his nature; and could not God change mans nature, he could never really change his courſe.
Fourthly, Obſerve; That any of the creatures, eſpecially ſtrong ones, are brought to hand, or to the ſervice of man, muſt be aſcribed to the power and goodneſs of God.
The Horſe would no more ſerve man than the Unicorn, nor would the Ox ſerve man more than the wild Aſs, unleſs the Lord had put another ſpirit or diſpoſition into them, than he hath done into the Unicorn.
Fifthly, Obſerve; That any of the creatures are unſerviceable to man, is to be aſcribed to the ſin of man.
At firſt, all creatures were ſubject to man; not only the Horſe, and the Ox, and all the now tame creatures, but the fierceſt Lions, Tygers, Bears, Unicorns, were all in ſubjection to man, according to that ſoveraign power given man by God, in the day that God made him (Gen. 1.27, 28.) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God bleſſed them, and ſaid to them, be fruitful, and multiply, and repleniſh the earth, and ſubdue it, and have dominion over the fiſhes of the ſea, and over the fowls of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. The original grand Charter of mans Soveraignty, was extended over the Unicorn and the Lion, &c. And therefore when creatures are not willing to ſerve man, eſpecially when they riſe up againſt man, let man remember his ſin in not obeying the Soveraign command of God. Had not man been unwilling to ſubmit to and ſerve God,Quòd non omnia animalia homini ſerviunt ſignum eſt & po…na peccati. no creature had been unwilling to ſerve man. We may ſee our own neglect or refuſal to ſerve God, in the refuſal of any creature to ſerve us; we may ſee our own rebellion againſt God, by the rebellion of the creatures againſt us. Unleſs man had departed from God by ſin, none of the creatures had departed from their ſubjection to man. The ſin of man looſed the creatures from that bond of ſervice to man, in which, and to which they were created.
Will the Vnicorn be willing to ſerve thee?
Obſerve, Sixthly; Thoſe Creatures which will not do ſervice unto man, but live meerly to themſelves, are wild or fierce.
Theſe clearly reſemble the condition of thoſe men who live only to themſelves, or who ſerve none but themſelves. Whatever ſome men do they ſerve themſelves only, they reſpect no mans good, either ſpiritual or temporal, beſides their own; were it not that they had a chief reſpect to their private ends and intereſts in ſerving, they would never ſerve. A gracious ſpirit is willing to ſerve his neighbour, to ſerve his brother, as well as or with himſelf. Chriſt tells us, his Diſciples ſhould be ſo far from ſerving themſelves only, that they ſhould not ſerve themſelves at all; he that will be my Diſciple (ſaith our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Mat. 16.24.) Let him deny himſelf, that is, not ſerve nor ſeek himſelf, either contrary to the good of others, or with a neglect of their good. Therefore they who in all they do, do all for themſelves, live upon no better terms, nor to any nobler ends, than the Unicorn or wild Aſs, who are not willing to ſerve any man. Let others ſink or ſwim (ſay ſuch) they care not, they will look to their own.
Seventhly and Laſtly, Though God hath made a ſort of creatures that (as the caſe ſtands) will not ſerve man, nor contribute any help to him; yet theſe creatures live not in vain to God, nor are they altogether unſerviceable to man, though they have no will to ſerve him. For,
Firſt, They declare the power and wiſdome of God, both in making and governing them, and in that they declare his praiſe. God would not give any creature a being, that did not one way or other, ſet forth his praiſe in the world; there's much of God ſhining in thoſe creatures, which man hath no ſervice by (Pſal. 148.) Praiſe him ye Dragons, and all Deeps. Dragons praiſe God, they raiſe up a revenue of glory to God, though man get no ſervice from them.
Secondly, Such creatures adorn the univerſe; the world is beautified with their variety.
Thirdly, Even ſuch creatures ſerve man when they are dead, though they will not while they live; ſome parts of them are Medicinal, and many uſeful to man. The Unicorn, who will ſerve no man living while he lives, yet his horn is accounted a great Antidote againſt Poyſon, and ſo is a means to prevent the death or prolong the life of many men. So then, there is no creature but is ſerviceable to God and man ſome way or other. And though it may be truly ſaid of ſome men, as of the Unicorn, with reſpect to man, they will not ſerve God, yet God hath ſervice by them. Will the Vnicorn be willing to ſerve thee?
Or abide by thy Crib?
A Crib is that in which an Oxe or an Aſs feeds, (Iſa. 1.3.) The Oxe knoweth his Owner, and the Aſs his Maſters Crib; that is, the veſſel in which he uſeth to be fed. Solomon ſaith (Prov. 14.4.) Where no Oxen are, the Crib is clean, that is, the Crib is not uſed, and ſo remains clean. If none come into a Room, the Room is clean. In one ſenſe, where Oxen are, the Crib is clean, that is, they eat up all the fodder put into it. But in Solomons ſenſe, where no Oxen are the Crib is clean, becauſe no fodder is put into it. The Lord having ſaid, the Unicorn will do no work, adds alſo, he will not abide by thy Crib. As he will do thee no ſervice, ſo he will put thee to no charge; that's a piece of ingenuity in the Unicorn, as he does no work for man, ſo he looks for no wages nor reward from man: which may be a reproof to thoſe men, who are very unwilling to ſerve others, yet are very willing to abide by their Crib; they like it well to eat and drink upon you, as long as you will, and poſſibly whether you will or no, but will not do a ſtroke of work; Such a one we call proverbially a Lurdane, from the lazy Danes, who long ſince Lording it in this Kingdom, would eat and drink in a good well-ſtored houſe, but refuſed all labour. The Unicorn is to be commended above ſuch idle drones, who uſe their teeth more than their hands, as if they were born only to feed their bellies, or to live upon the ſweat of other mens brows; for he hath a kind of honeſty in him, as he doth you no work, ſo he will not trouble your Crib.
Hence note; Some creatures will rather run the adventure of ſtarving, than work for their living.
They will rather indure hunger and thirſt, than be put upon labour. There is much of this alſo in ſome mens ſpirits; 'tis ſo with all thoſe whom Solomon calls ſluggards; they prefer hunger and eaſe (which ſome calls a dogs life) before plenty with induſtry, and a thred-bare back before a ſweating brow.
Secondly, From the connexion, in that the Text ſaith, will he ſerve thee? will be abide by thy Crib?
Note; Whomſoever we call to our ſervice, we ſhould provide a Crib for him.
We ought to feed thoſe that do our work. If the Unicorn would labour, he ſhould not want a Crib, nor ſhould any labouring man want a Table; It were a moſt unrighteous thing in the ſight of God and Man if he ſhould. As the Apoſtle gives the rule (2 Theſſ. 3.10.) He that will not work, let him not eat; ſo on the contrary, he that doth work, all the reaſon in the world he ſhould eat; therefore the Apoſtle James (Chap. 5.4.) denounceth a wo againſt rich men, for detaining or keeping back, either in whole or in part, the hire of the labourers who had cut down their harveſt. Hire kept back, crieth; for what? for wrath and vengeance upon them that detain or keep it back. The law of God given by Moſes (Deut. 24.15.) commanded that the labourers hire ſhould be paid him preſently; his hire was not to be kept from him, no not for a night. As if the Lord had ſaid, he hath been willing to ſerve thee all the day, therefore let him carry his wages home at night, to comfort his Wife and Children. The Lord is very jealous in this thing; if a beaſt ſerve he muſt have a Crib;Moratur ad praeſepe D…mini, qui verbo Dei audiendo indeſinenter d…t operam. Auguſt. and ſhall not man?
One of the Ancients applies this in a ſpiritual ſenſe, to hearing the Word of God: The wicked will not ſerve God, nor will they abide by his Crib; they will not come where their ſouls may be fed to eternal life, where they may have clean Provender, as the Prophet ſpeaks (Iſa. 30.24.) that is, ſound and wholeſome doctrine, directing them both what to believe, and how to live, that they may be ſaved and live for ever.
The Lord having in this 9th verſe ſet forth the lawleſs life of the Unicorn; Firſt, By his unwillingneſs to ſerve man; Secondly, By his independence upon man for his livelihood: Proceeds to confirm and illuſtrate the ſame thing, the ſtoutneſs or pride of the Unicorn, and ſo his utter unſerviceableneſs unto man, by his refuſal to be engaged in any of thoſe labours which are neceſſary to husbandry. Firſt, The Plowing, Secondly, The Harrowing of the ground. Thirdly, The Inning or Bringing home of the corn.
His refuſal of the firſt of theſe ſervices, we have in the former part of the next or tenth verſe.
Verſ. 10. Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrow? Thou canſt not.
Beaſts uſe to be bound with cords to their work, they will hardly elſe abide by their work. Neither reaſon nor religion binds beaſts to their work,foreign therefore cords muſt. The word here rendred to bind, ſignifieth very faſt and ſtrong binding, and ſuch is binding with cords. Moſes uſeth the word (Deut. 11.18.) with reſpect to the Divine Law, which God commanded the people of Iſrael, to bind as frontlets between their eyes, and ſo to hold them faſt for ever. The word is uſed alſo (Neh. 4.6.) to note the fixing of ſtones in a Building or Wall, by Lime, Cement, or Morter, And all the Wall was joyned together unto the half thereof; that is, the Wall was faſtened and cemented half high. Now ſaith the Lord, Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn? foreign propriè funis denſus, & craſſus cujuſmodi eſt lorum quo boves aut equi ad arat…um ligantur. Druſ. Fune ſuo forte vau in foreign paragogicum eſt, qu…le in foreign filius, aut fune ſuo dicit, quia tunc ipſius erit, cum eo Vincietur. Druſ.Canſt thou make him faſt with his bands: The word ſignifieth a thick and ſtrong band, which will hold pulling and not break; A three-fold cord (ſaith Solomon Eccleſ. 4.12.) is not eaſily broken. Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn in his band? Some make the Pronoune his in the Hebrew to be only Paragogical, without any neceſſary ſignification in the conſtruction; but I conceive there is ſomewhat peculiar in it, when he ſaith, canſt thou bind the Unicorn with his band. Every beaſt hath his ſpecial band or way of faſtning to his work; ſo that, when 'tis ſaid, Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn with his band? it ſeems to ſound as if it had been ſaid, haſt thou a proper band for the Unicorn, as I know thou haſt for other beaſts, the Horſe, Oxe, and Aſs? haſt thou a band which will hold him to his work? I know among all thy tackling, thou haſt none will do it; he will break thy bands, and caſt thy cords from him, as ſtubborn and proud men are ſaid to do the bands and cords, that is, the laws and commands of God (Pſal. 2.2.) Many beaſts have their bands, the Unicorn will have none, he will not be bound; or if he be, he breaks his bands, and refuſeth to obey; either he will not come to hand, nor admit bands or cords to be put upon him, or he ſtrives againſt them and caſts them off. In a word, 'tis as if the Lord had ſaid; Thou canſt not get the Vnicorn into his gears (as the Husband man ſpeaks) thou canſt not harneſs him as thou doſt a horſe, nor yoke him as thou doſt an Oxe, to Plow or Cart; he will not touch thy work. Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn with his band, In the Furrow, or for the Furrow, or to the Furrow.
The Plough makes Furrows,foreign porca, terra inter duos ſulcos clata porcam appellant, vel quòd frumenta porriga…, vel quòd aquam porro arceat. Druſ. Sulcus, porca, & lira, ſunt arationis partes. and Furrows laid together make Ridges: Both are expreſſed (Pſal. 65.10.) Thou watereſt the Ridges thereof abundantly, thou ſetleſt the Furrows thereof. Canſt thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the Furrow?
Or will he Harrow the Valleys after thee?
When the Plough hath laid the Furrows, harrowing followeth. The Plow leaveth the clods too groſs for the reception and growth of the ſeed; therefore the Harrow is imployed to break the Plowed ground yet more, and to crumble the clods yet finer. We find both theſe parts of Husbandry ſet down (Iſa. 28.24.) Doth the Plow-man Plow all day to Sow? doth he open and break the clods of the ground? when he hath made plain the face thereof? doth he not caſt abroad the fitches, &c? Here's a deſcription of this work of the husbandman Plowing and Harrowing, or making plain the face of the ground, all in an allegory, intending a very ſpiritual work of God, in breaking and harrowing the heart of man by affliction, and making it thereby fit to receive the ſeed of the Word. Thus alſo ſpake the Prophet (Hoſ. 10.11.) Judah ſhall plow, and Jacob ſhall break his clods, that is, Jacob ſhall Harrow. The Prophets meaning is, that the Lord would bring them into a labouring ſtate of life, even into captivity, where they muſt Plow, becauſe they had Plowed iniquity, and had not Plowed up the Fallow ground of their hearts by repenting of their iniquity. Will the Vnicorn Harrow The Vallies after thee?
Some render the word, Furrows, which lye like Valleys between the Ridges. But the word more properly ſignifieth Vallies; and they are moſt commonly Plowed and Sowed with Corn, as Hills are reſerved for Paſture. Will he Harrow the Vallies After thee?
That is, will the Unicorn be led by thee? The Harrower goeth before the Horſe, or that which draweth the Harrow, and the beaſt followeth; or thus, will he Harrow the Valleys
After thee? That is, after thou haſt Ploughed them. As if the Lord had ſaid, will he either be driven or led? thou canſt not make him Harrow? thou canſt not lead him on in that work. Thus we have the Unicorns refuſal of thoſe labours, in which other beaſts, the Oxe and the Horſe eſpecially, are very commonly uſed.
Now for as much as the Husband-mans work is deſcribed, by Plowing and Harrowing.
Note, Firſt; We cannot get our ordinary food without much labour.
The Husband-mans life, is a painful life; Plowing and Harrowing are hard labours; and what is all this for? but to bring forth the neceſſaries of mans life, bread to ſtrengthen mans heart, and by conſequence what ever elſe is food for man. Adam was commanded to dreſs the Garden, and to keep it, (Gen. 2.15.) Adam was not put into that pleaſant Garden, only to take his pleaſure and to eat the fruit of it; but he was put into the Garden to dreſs it, and to keep it. Even Adam was to eat upon his labour, though not ſuch labour as man now eateth upon; that came in by ſin after the fall; labour was impoſed upon man, not only as a duty, but as a penalty. It was impoſed upon man before the fall as a duty, but it was impoſed upon man after the fall as a penalty, (Gen. 3.17, 18, 19.) Curſed is the ground for thy ſake; in ſorrow ſhalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. In the ſweat of thy face ſhalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground. Our ordinary bread is not eaſily come by; remember the Husband-mans labour. Hence the Apoſtle, when he would ſhew what pains God taketh, either immediately by the work of his Spirit, or mediately by the labour of his Miniſters, to convert and build up ſouls in the faith, he tells us (1 Cor. 3.9.) That we are Gods husbandry, and Gods building. As if he had ſaid, great pains hath been or muſt be beſtowed upon you, that your ſouls may be ſaved, and that ye may bring forth fruits of righteouſneſs unto eternal life. The Lord hath his ſpiritual Plow-men, his Labourers, his Oxen; by theſe the faithful and induſtrious Miniſters of the Goſpel are emblem'd, and ſet forth in the holy Scriptures, (1 Cor. 9.10. Rev. 4.7.)
Note, Secondly; There is no Sowing without Plowing.
You muſt ſtir up and break the ground, before you caſt the ſeed into it; 'tis not elſe fit to receive the ſeed, and improve it for a harveſt. The Scripture ſpeaks firſt of Plowing, then of Sowing (Iſa. 28.24, &c.) The Plow-man opens the earth, and breaks the clods before he caſts in his ſeed, the cumin, the fitches, and the principal wheat. He doth not Plow for Plowing ſake, but for Sowing; and when he hath Plowed he leaveth not his work, till he hath Sowed what he Plowed. This method doth the Lord uſe in his ſpiritual husbandry; the Plow of repentance muſt break up the Fallow ground of the heart, and the Harrow muſt ſmooth the face of the ſoul, before it be fit to bring forth. The Spirit makes frequent uſe of theſe Metaphors (Jer. 4.6.) Plow up the Fallow ground of your hearts; read alſo (Hoſea 10.12.)
Further, Harrowing comes after Plowing, and either before or immediatly after ſowing (there is ſome variety as to husbandry in this point) that the ſeed ſown may be preſerved from being devoured by the Fowls of the air, it muſt (unleſs ſowed under Furrows) be Harrowed. Harrowing helps the ſeed to ſpring more freely, and grow more thrivingly. And thus it is alſo in ſpiritual husbandry; When the ſeed of the Word is Sown, the heart muſt be Harrowed, elſe the Seed will miſcarry. In that Parable of the Sower (Mat. 13.) ſome ſeed fell upon the high-way, which was neither Plowed nor Harrowed. This High-way ground, ſignifieth thoſe careleſs hearers who receive the Word in a formality only; the Fowls of the air (evil ſpirits) quickly picked up that, becauſe it was not covered by Harrowing. Now there are two Harrows, by which the Seed of the Word caſt into the Vallies and Furrows of our Hearts, is covered and ſecured, that it may bring forth fruit to perfection; theſe are meditation and prayer. By meditation we hide the word in our hearts, and by prayer we obtain a bleſſing upon it from God, both for the ſecuring of it, and our fruit-bearing according to it. There are two reſemblances in Scripture, ſetting forth the uſe of meditation and prayer about the word received; The one, is chewing of the cud; the other, is Harrowing. Clean beaſts under the Law chewed the cud; and wiſe men, both under Law and Goſpel, Harrow their land; a godly man doth both in a ſpiritual way, while he meditates in the Word, and prays for a bleſſing upon it. Thus husbandry for our daily bread, teacheth us what courſe the Lord expects we ſhould take for our ſouls, that we may bring forth fruit, and anſwer the end of receiving his Word. The Unicorn will not be brought to either of theſe parts of the Husband-mans labour, and his refuſal is aggravated in the next Verſe, by the ability which he hath for both.
Verſ. 11. Wilt thou truſt in him becauſe his ſtrength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour unto him?
The Vnicorn hath ſtrength ſufficient; he is a beaſt ſtronger (ſay Naturaliſts) than either the Ox or the Horſe; but, Wilt thou truſt him becauſe his ſtrength is great? The word notes truſting with much confidence, and reſt of the mind; as 'tis ſaid (Iſa. 12.2.) I will truſt, and not be afraid. Confidence, upon a good ground, leads us into a full, as well as a good ſecurity; I will truſt, and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my ſtrength, ſaith the believing ſoul in that place. But ſaith the Lord here to Job, Wilt thou truſt this ſtrong beaſt without fear or jealouſie? Wilt thou truſt him, Becauſe his ſtrength is great? The ſtrength or force of his body is great, very great, but the force or ſtubbornneſs of his will, that is, his wilfulneſs is far greater,foreign Propriè ſignificat vigorem illum corporis animalis, qui conſiſit in humido radicali. even ſo great, that it will not ſuffer him to lay out the ſtrength of his body for the ſervice of man. We find ſtrength often attributed to the Unicorn in Scripture (Numb. 23.22.) He, (that is, God, or Iſrael, through the preſence of God with him, as was ſhewed before) hath as it were the ſtrength of an Vnicorn. 'Tis not ſaid, he hath as it were the ſtrength of an Horſe, or of an Ox, which are very ſtrong creatures, but of an Vnicorn; thereby implying, that the Unicorn is a creature of ſuch great ſtrength, that he knew not where to find a ſtronger. The Unicorn hath ſtrength enough for his work, but he hath no mind to his work; and therefore wilt thou truſt him becauſe his ſtrength is great?
Hence note, Firſt; Great ſtrength is required for great work.
There are ſome works that are done, not ſo much by ſtrength as by art, or as it were, by ſlight of hand; ſuch a work a feeble weak man may do: but there are other works which require great ſtrength; all the wit, and skill, and learning, & cunning of men, cannot do them, unleſs they have a ſutable, that is, a great portion of ſtrength for the doing of them. David (Pſal. 144.14.) deſcribing the temporal felicity of his people, makes this requeſt for them, That our Oxen be ſtrong to labour. The labour of the Ox is great, and therefore he needs great ſtrength to do his work, and go through with his labour.
Note, Secondly; They who have great ſtrength, may do great works.
Great ſtrength is a great advantage for ſervice. If the Unicorn would imploy and put out his ſtrength, he might do much. Strength of body is a talent, much may be done by that; ſtrength of mind is an excellent talent, much more, very much more may be done by that. But when a man hath much ſtrength of body and mind together, what may not he do! Let thoſe who have much ſtrength, conſider how they uſe it. For a man to have the ſtrength of an Unicorn, much bodily ſtrength, and make no uſe of it, is to become more beaſtly than the Unicorn. A ſtrong man rejoyceth to run a race (Pſal. 19.5.) He that hath great ſtrength, may run a great race. A race requireth great ſtrength, and he that hath ſtrength, or is a ſtrong man, ſhould rejoyce to run it. A ſtrong man, if he have an heart and a will to his work, delighteth in his work more than in his reward.
Note, Thirdly; Some have ſtrength enough to do much work, to do great and good things, yet are not at all to be truſted with the doing of any thing that is great or good.
Strength is not alwayes to be truſted. There is a twofold truſt in ſtrength; Firſt, There is a truſt in ſtrength as to confidence in it for ſucceſs; and thus we are not to truſt any ſtrength in the world, neither our own nor others. Curſed is the man that truſteth in man, and maketh fleſh his arm (Jer. 17.5.) The arm of fleſh is too weak to be truſted in, though never ſo ſtrong; though it have the ſtrength of the Unicorn, it muſt not be truſted; no creatures ſtrength is to be truſted in, as to dependance upon it. Secondly, There is a truſting of ſtrength as to the uſing and imploying of it; thus ſtrength may be truſted. We may truſt the ſtrong that they will uſe their ſtrength for us, only we muſt not reſt in their ſtrength. They who (like the Unicorn in the Text) have great ſtrength, and yet are not to be truſted that they will uſe it, are in a much worſe condition than they who have no ſtrength to uſe, or to make them any way uſeful. There are three ſorts of men to be conſidered, in reſpect of ſtrength.
Firſt, Some have a will to do more than they have ſtrength to do; they have a will to do more in ordinary work, than they have ſtrength to do, and they have a will to do more in extraordinary work & duty, than they have ſtrength and ability to do. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of the labour of love or charity, in the miniſtration of the good things of this life, to thoſe that ſtand in need, thus commendeth the Macedonians (2 Cor. 8.5.) For to their power, I bear them record, and beyond their power, they were willing, &c. He meaneth, not the power of their bodies, but of their purſes and eſtates. Some are willing beyond the power of their eſtates, to relieve the neceſſities of others; and ſome are willing beyond the power of their bodies, to labour not only for the ſupply of their own neceſſities, but in any publick ſervice. To have a will to labour according to our ſtrength for labour, ſheweth an honeſt heart; but to have a will to labour beyond our ſtrength for labour, ſheweth an Heroick heart. But
Secondly, Moſt have ſtrength to do more than they have a will to do; they are like the Unicorn, and that upon a double ground: Firſt, Some are ſo lazy and idle, that they will not do what they have ſtrength to do. Thus Solomon deſcribeth the ſluggard (Prov. 21.5.) His hands refuſe to labour. He hath ſtrength enough in his hand, but for idleneſs he will do nothing. Secondly, Others are ſo proud, that though they have ſtrength enough to labour, yet they will not; they are ſo ſtout, ſo ſtubborn, ſo high-minded, that they ſco…n to work or do ſervice; they think themſelves too good to take pains: I ſhall ſay too little, if I ſay, theſe are in a very bad frame. They are right Unicorns, who are ſo ſtout that they will not ſerve, nor be bound to attend any ſervice.
There is a third ſort, who have ſtrength to do ſervice, and they have alſo will to do it; they have will, and they have ſtrength, but they want an opportunity to do ſervice. This may be the caſe of a good man, who is like the labouring Ox; A good man hath alwayes a will to work, and may have ſtrength for his work too, yet many times wants work. As they in the Parable (Mat. 20.6, 7.) anſwered when queſtioned, Why ſtand ye all the day idle? It was not (ſo they excuſed themſelves) becauſe they had no will to work, or had no ſtrength to work; but (ſay they) No man hath hired us; we have not been called to work, we know not where to have a dayes work. Such there are, who have will and ſtrength, while they want a call. Thus the Apoſtle ſpake concerning the Philippians (Chap. 4.10.) Ye were careful, but ye lacked opportunity. The dore was not open, and ſo ye could not do what ye deſired, and had both a mind and an ability to do. The point in hand leadeth us to the middle ſort of perſons (truly ſhaddowed by the Unicorn) who though they have much ſtrength to do ſervice, yet they have no mind to ſerve, but hide their Talent in a Napkin, and put their Candle under a Buſhel: Theſe are not to be truſted, though they are well furniſhed. I may ſay to any man concerning ſuch men, as the Lord to Job, concerning the Unicorn; Wilt thou truſt them, becauſe their ſtrength is great? becauſe their ſtrength of mind, their ſtrength of body, their ſtrength of eſtate is great? Can we truſt all rich men that they will do works of charity, becauſe their eſtate is great? Can we truſt all healthy men, who have ſound and able limbes, that they will take pains, becauſe their bodily ſtrength is great? Can we truſt all knowing men, who have quick parts, and excellent gifts, much knowledge, that they will go through with their work, becauſe the ſtrength of their minds is great? We can hardly find any to truſt, what ſtrength ſoever they have, but thoſe who have received ſtrength of grace from God, and ſo have ſtrength of faith in God, ſtrength of love, ſtrength of affections to God, ſtrength of zeal for God. And even they who have ſtrength of grace, may fail their truſt very much (Job 4.18.) Behold he put no truſt in his Servants, and his Angels he charged with folly. The Lord could not be confident of Angels, who are mighty, in ſtrength. If God ſhould leave Angels to themſelves, they would ſoon fail; it is becauſe Angels are confirmed by grace (Chriſt being the head of Angels) that they ſtand faſt to their work, and abide by their duty, elſe the Lord could not truſt Angels with all their created ſtrength; much leſs then could the Lord truſt the beſt of Saints with all the ſpiritual ſtrength he hath planted in them, did he not continually confirm them, and quicken them (to the work which he hath called them to) by his holy Spirit. No further than any man truſteth in Chriſt for ſtrength, or maketh Chriſt his ſtrength as well as his righteouſneſs, is he to be truſted with the doing of any work, any more than the Unicorn, how much ſoever his ſtrength is? Many are ſet a work, and do work, becauſe their ſtrength is great, but none (in a due ſenſe) can be truſted, but they who make Chriſt their ſtrength, and look daily to him for it. Wilt thou truſt him, becauſe his ſtrength is great?
Or wilt thou leave thy labour to h…m?
This latter part of the Verſe is of the ſame importance with the former, yet I ſhall touch a little upon it. Wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Labour is taken in Scripture two ways;
Firſt, For the very act of labour. Jacob ſaid (Gen. 31.42.) God hath ſeen mine affliction, and the labour of my hands. God knows (ſaid he to Laban) what pains I have taken, what hard work I have been at in thy ſervice; and how hard he had been at work, he told Laban (ver. 40.) Thus I was in the day, the drought conſumed me; and the froſt by night, and my ſleep departed from me. To ſuch hard work in ſpirituals the Apoſtle exhorts; Be ſtedfaſt; and unmoveable, foreign Labor, à radice foreign laboravit, defatigatus fuit.always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15.58.) The word in the Text which we render labour, ſignifieth a labouring to wearineſs, or a labour which cauſeth wearineſs. Strong labour, diligent labour wearieth a ſtrong man; and though an induſtrious perſon is not weary of his labour, yet he may be wearied with his labour; yea, the more induſtrious he is in labouring, the ſooner he may be wearied with his labour.
Secondly, Labour is taken ſometimes for the fruit of labour, or for that which is got by labour; the reward, and wages given and received for work and ſervice done, is called labour (Pſal. 128.2.) Thou ſhalt eat the labour of thy hands. No man can eat the acts of his labour, but every man ſhould eat the fruit of his labour; labour brings in bread, and that bread is ſweeteſt which comes in by labour. The Lord threateneth his people (Deut. 28.33.) ſtrangers ſhall eat thy labour, that is, the encreaſe that comes in or hath been gotten by thy labour, even that which thou haſt laboured for. And it was a mercy beſtowed by the Lord upon his Iſrael (Pſal. 105.44.) that they inh…rited the labour of the people, that is, they dwelt in the houſes, which they had built; and enjoyed the gardens, which they had planted; & reaped the fields, which they, the Heathen, had ſowed; In a word, they had the fruit of all their labours. Some underſtand the word here in this latter ſence, Wilt thou leave thy labour unto him? that is,Fruges tuas labore tuo partas. Piſc. wilt thou allow him any of the fruit of thy ground, ſeeing he refuſeth to work in thy ground? ſurely, thou wilt not. Labouring cattel have ſomewhat for their labour, they ſhare in thoſe good things which are the product of their labour (1 Cor. 9.9.) Thou ſhalt not muzzel the Oxe that treadeth out the corn. But though it is a truth, that labouring cattel eat of, and are fed with the fruit of their labour; yet here, by labour, I underſtand the very act of duplicate page duplicate page labour, not the fruit of it. Wilt thou leave thy labour to him? that is, wilt thou leave thy buſineſs with him? wilt thou truſt him with thy Plow or with thy Harrow? And (conſider the dependance) if thou dareſt not truſt him, then thou wilt not leave thy labour unto him.
Note hence, Firſt; It is not Wiſdom to leave our work to ſuch as we cannot truſt.
Our work will be ill done, or half done, or not done at all by thoſe that we cannot truſt. We truſt thoſe much, to whom we leave our buſineſs; and there are three things requiſite in thoſe to whom we leave it.
Firſt, That they have ſtrength and ability for it; there is a neceſſity of that: No wiſe man will truſt or leave his buſineſs with him that hath no ſtrength to do it, no ability for it.
Secondly, That they be ſubject and obedient to us. No wiſe man will leave his buſineſs in the hand of thoſe who acknowledge no obedience nor ſubjection to him, how much ſtrength ſoever they have. An unſubmitting ſtrength will work againſt us rather than for us.
Thirdly, That they be faithful. No man will leave his buſineſs to a perſon of ſtrength and in ſubjection to him, if he be not honeſt to him. Solomon hath ſufficien…ly caution'd us againſt truſting ſuch, while he ſaith (Prov. 25.19.) Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble ('tis true alſo in time of peace) is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joynt. A b…oken tooth cannot chew our meat, and a foot out of joynt can worſe go a journey; an unfaithful man will prove a worſer ſervant to us, than the worſt of theſe. And as it is thus among men, they will not leave their buſineſs with an Unicorn, with one that hath ſtrength, but yeilds no ſubjection, nor ever ſhewed any faithfulneſs; ſo God will not leave his labour, his work and ſervice to ſuch as are like the Unicorn; he will not leave it in ſuch hands, as have great ability to carry it through, yet want obedience to his will, and faithfulneſs in his work. There muſt be a concurrence of theſe three, ſtrength, ſubjection, and faithfulneſs, in all thoſe to whom the Lord God, the God only wiſe, will leave his labour, or commit the doing of any ſervice for him. But where theſe three meet and center in any perſon, ſtrength of body and mind, ſubmiſſion of will, and faithfulneſs to a work; how great things may they do in the ſervice whether of God or Man?
Secondly, Obſerve; A will, a mind to work, or a w…lling mind to work is better than great ſtrength.
As the Unicorn with his great ſtrength, ſo they who are like the Unicorn in ſtrength may do little or nothing. But they that have only a little ſtrength, and a mind to be doing, have done, and may do much. Little ſtrength is a kind of weakneſs, yet where there is a willing mind, weakneſs will do more than great ſtrength without a willing mind. We have a common ſaying; John is a good ſervant when Will is at home. Willingneſs to work, works better than bare ſtrength: We have this concluſion (Neh. 4.6.) So built we the wall (Nehemiah ſpake there of the Jews return'd from Babylon) And all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof. For the people had a mind (or as the Hebrew is,foreign an heart) to work. The wall of a great City being ſoon raiſed half up, the reaſon given was, becauſe they had a mind to work. The Jews at that time, were a people under ſo much weakneſs, that the enemies j…ar'd them with it (ver. 2.) What will theſe feeble Jews do? will they fortifie themſelves? will they ſacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the ſtones out of the heaps of rubbiſh? &c. Will they work miracles? remove mountains? But how feeble ſoever they were, the work went on amain, For the people had a mind, a heart to work. Though they were no Unicorns, no people of great ſtrength; though they were feeble Jews, yet they attained to half their work quickly: Strong hearts and feeble hands, will diſpatch a buſineſs better and ſooner, than ſtrong hands and feeble hearts. 'Tis thus, as in corporal ſo in ſpiritual labour, where there is a mind to the work, though we have but a little ſtrength, we ſhall do great things. This was the high commendation of the Church of Philadelphia (Rev. 3.8.) Thou haſt a little ſtrength and haſt kept my word, and haſt not denied my name. He doth a great deal of work for God, who keeps the Word of God. But how unfit the Unicorn is, or any ſtrong one like the Unicorn, to be truſted, or have labour left with them, appears further in the next verſe.
Verſ. 12. Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy ſeed, and gather it into thy barn.
foreign in Hiphil foreign credidit fiſus eſt. Credere in Deum, & credere Deo, ſynonyma ſunt, reperitur etiam credere in Deo. Druſ.Here is another piece of ſervice which the Unicorn might not be truſted with; Wilt thou believe him, &c. The root-word ſignifieth that act of faith which we put forth upon God, for our free juſtification and eternal ſalvation, as alſo for our ſuſtentation under, and deliverance from any trouble inward or outward, of ſoul or body; in and for all which the juſt live by faith. There is believing God, and believing in God, both which are expreſſions ſometimes of a like importance; Wilt thou believe him, or in him, ſaith God of the Unicorn? As if he had ſaid, Suppoſe thou couldſt get a promiſe from the Unicorn, that he will bring home, foreign quod reddat, Mont relaturum eſſe. Jun.or return thy ſeed (ſo the Hebrew ſtrictly) that he will make thy ſeed to return; or (as we render fully) bring it home; Wilt thou take his word, or believe him that he will keep his word, that he will indeed return or bring home Thy ſeed?
Credeſnè quod relaturus ſit ſomen tuum ad terras tuas? Vatab.Seed may be taken two wayes.
Firſt, For that which is to be ſowed; it is ordinary with the Husband-man, to call that ſeed-corn which he reſerveth for ſowing. The grain or corn intended to be ſowed on the earth, is properly ſeed-corn; in alluſion whereunto the Pſalmiſt ſaith (Pſal. 126.6.) He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious ſeed, ſhall doubtleſs come again with rejoycing, bringing his ſheaves with him. The people of God mourning and praying, ſow precious ſeed. Believing prayers and repenting tears never failed, nor ſhall ever fail, of a merciful, of a plentiful Harveſt, or of a plentiful Harveſt of mercy. Some underſtand this Text thus; Wilt thou believe that he will return thy ſeed? will he do this ſervice for thee? will he carry thy ſeed, which is to be ſown, into the field? But though that be a piece of ſervice to carry the ſeed-corn into the field, yet the ſcope of the place doth not well comply with it here; and therefore leaving that interpretation, I ſhall rather
Secondly, Take ſeed for ripe corn, or for that which is reaped; as in Haggai (Chap. 2.19.) Is the ſeed yet in the Barn? That is, is the Harveſt yet come in? No, the ſeed is not in the Barn. So, in this place, ſeed is that which hath been ſown and grown up, and ready to be gathered into the Barn. And that may be taken two wayes;
Firſt, Thus:Num credes ei, quod dum humum tuam ei arandam committis, ita aptè eam arare poſſit ut tandem reddat tuam ſementem, vel ut ex ejus labore proveniat & creſcat ſeges ut tandem demetatur & in aream deportatur ad triturandum. Merc. Sperandum non eſt ut ager à Monocerote ſubactus ſementem acceptam cum uſura reddat. Sanct. Will the Unicorn by plowing and harrowing the ground, procure that thy ſeed ſhall return again to thee? or that the ſeed which is ſown, ſhall come home to thy Barn, yielding a good crop, ſo returning what was ſowed with advantage and increaſe? Wilt thou believe him that he will cauſe thy ſeed thus to return home to thee? Surely no; do not believe that he will do thee any ſuch ſervice, for he will deceive thy credulity if thou doſt.
Secondly, Thus: Wilt thou believe that he will draw the cart, and ſo help thee home with thy corn at Harveſt? This Expoſition is moſt favoured, not only by our Tranſlation, but by the words following in the latter part of the verſe, both which intimate, that the ſeed here ſpoken of, is the ſeed reaped, rather than that to be ſowed. Will he bring home thy ſeed, And gather it into thy barn?
Seed to be ſowed, is carried into the field, not into the barn; ſeed or corn reaped, is carried into the barn, not into the field. As if it had been ſaid, The Unicorn will do thee no ſervice: As he would not go to plow, ſo neither will he go to cart, for the gathering of thy ſeed into thy barn. Sowing, reaping, and gathering into the barn, are the three principal parts of the Husband-mans labour; and therefore our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhewing how the fowls of the air live purely upon the providence of God without labour, ſaith (Mat. 6.26.) They ſow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly father feedeth them.
The word which we tranſlate Barn, is uſed (Numb. 18.27. 2 Sam. 6.6.) and in both places it is rendred, Threſhing-floor. The threſhing-floor is uſually in the barn, and therefore the ſame word may well ſignifie both. Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy ſeed, and gather it into thy barn?
Hence note, Firſt; The labour of beaſts is very profitable to man.
The Ox and Horſe bring the ſeed home formally when 'tis reaped, and they bring it home or make it to return vertually when they labour and take pains about or for the ſowing of it. The Pſalmiſt having prayed (Pſal. 144. verſ. 13.) That our garners may be full, affording all manner of ſtore, preſently adds (verſ. 14.) That our Oxen may be ſtrong to labour; for (Prov. 14.4.) where no Oxen are, the crib is clean. Not only, Firſt, Becauſe there is no need to fill the crib, where no oxen are to eat up the fodder, as was ſhewed a little before: But, Secondly, Becauſe where no Oxen are, there is nothing to fill it. The crib muſt needs be empty, when the barn is empty; food faileth both for man and beaſt, where there are no Oxen. Barns and garners are full, when the Ox is ſtrong to labour, or becauſe the ſtrong Ox hath been in labour: For (as it followeth) Much increaſe cometh by the ſtrength of the Ox. Why doth Solomon impute increaſe to the ſtrength of the Ox? Surely, becauſe the Ox being ſtrong is alſo willing to labour and lay out his ſtrength, and ſo, much increaſe cometh by the ſtrength and labour of the Ox, though that alone will not do it. For that there may be an increaſe, theſe five things muſt concur.
Firſt, The skill and induſtry of the Husband-man.
Secondly, The ſtrength and labour of the Ox or Horſe.
Thirdly, The vertue and fatneſs of the earth.
Fourthly, The ſhowers and influences of heaven.
Fifthly, And above all, the bleſſing of God. Old Iſaac ſaid of his Son Jacob (Gen. 27.27.) See, the ſmell of my Son is as the ſmell of a field, which the Lord hath bleſſed. As there is no increaſe without the bleſſing of God, how much ſoever men or oxen labour, ſo there is great increaſe (the Lord adding his bleſſing) by the labour of men and oxen. Labour and increaſe uſually go together; and where no labour is, there (except by miracle) is no increaſe: Where no labour is, the barn is empty, the crib is empty, the belly is empty, the purſe is empty. Of doing nothing comes nothing, but want and miſery. 'Tis ſaid, when the Ox is wearieſt, he treads ſureſt: To be ſure, they who are moſt wearied by honeſt pains-taking, tread ſureſt upon honeſt profit.
Secondly, obſerve; Seed ſown is not loſt, but returns and comes home again.
That which was ſcattered abroad in the field, is gathered into the barn. Some may think when they ſee the Husbandman caſt his ſeed into the ground, that he caſts it away; but by the labour of the Ox, by the skill of the Husbandman, and the bleſſing of God upon all, the ſeed cometh home again. Thus the Apoſtle ſpake in a ſpiritual ſenſe; He that ploweth, ſhould plow in hope; and he that threſheth in hope, ſhould be partaker of his hope (1 Cor. 9.10.) It ſhould be ſo according to the ordination of God, as to the faithful Miniſters of God (of whoſe labour in plowing up ſouls by the word, and ſowing thoſe ſouls with the word, the Apoſtle there treats) And it is ſo through the benediction of God, as to laborious Husband-men and their cattel, in plowing and ſowing the ſoyl of the earth. Yea, thus it is in all we do, our actions (good or bad) are as ſeed ſown, which will certainly come again, they will not be loſt. Good done, will aſſuredly turn to good; and evil done (and not undone by repentance) will as ſurely turn to evil. The Apoſtle gives us this double aſſurance (Gal. 6.7, 8.) Whatſoever a man ſoweth, that (not numerically, but ſpecifically) ſhall he alſo reap: For, He that ſoweth to his fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reap corruption; but he that ſoweth to the ſpirit, ſhall of the ſpirit reap life everlaſting. And thus in ſpecial, works of charity, or our diſtributions to the neceſſities of others, are more ſignificantly called ſowing (Pſal. 112.9.) He hath diſperſed, he hath given to the poor (That is, he hath ſowed his alms abundantly; what then? It followeth) His righteouſneſs endureth for ever, his horn ſhall be exalted with honor. To give to the poor, eſpecially to Gods poor, to the godly poor, or to thoſe that are made poor for Gods ſake, is ſowing good ſeed; and he that ſoweth thus, ſhall receive a fruitful crop. Grain ſowed in the field, may yield a good increaſe; but that which is rightly ſowed in the bowels of the poor, ſhall certainly yield a better. What we give, is like ſeed ſowed in the field, which increaſeth thirty, ſixty, an hundred fold: What we keep by us, is like corn ſtored up in the garner, which we bring forth and ſpend, and there's an end of it. Here's great encouragement to do good, yea to abound in doing good to others. What we ſo part with, is not loſt, but ſowed; it will come back to the barn, it will come home again, and that with a great increaſe. And doubtleſs where there hath been a plowing up of the heart by a work of grace, there will be a free ſowing in every good work. And though we are not to do good works, meerly eying a return, or our perſonal advantage, yet we may have an eye to it, as Moſes had in his holy ſufferings and ſervices, to the recompence of reward: yea, and take incouragement from the Lords bounty, to be more in duty, more in charity, even unto bounty. We may conſider the harveſt while we are diligent in ſowing, yea, to make us more diligent in ſowing.
Having thus opened the ſeveral properties of this creature, here called the Vnicorn, properly taken, and given out ſome meditations upon them, it will not be (I conceive) either unuſeful or unacceptable to the Reader, if for the concluſion of the whole matter in hand, I ſhew how the holy Scriptures, together with ſome of the Ancients, make uſe of this creature, tropically, or in a figure, to reſemble and repreſent,
Firſt, The ſtate of the Church and people of God. Thus Moſes reports Balaam ſhadowing the power and bleſſedneſs of Iſrael, when he came and was hired to curſe them (Numb. 23.22.) God (ſaith he) brought them (that is, the children of Iſrael) out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the ſtrength of an Vnicorn. Moſt expound the word, He, collectively, concerning that whole people, as one body; He, that is, Iſrael, hath as it were, the ſtrength of an Vnicorn; that is, he is exceeding ſtrong. Some expound it of God: He, that is, God, who brought them out of Egypt, the mighty God of Jacob, hath as it were, the ſtrength of an Unicorn. God is indeed infinitely ſtrong, ſtronger than the Unicorn. That which is moſt eminent in any creature, or for which any creature is moſt eminent, the Scripture often aſcribes in a way of ſuper-eminency unto God. The Lord hath ſtrength like the ſtrongeſt; and how ſtrong ſoever he is, he is ſtrong for his Iſrael, yea, he is the ſtrength of his Iſrael. So that if we take the word in this latter ſenſe, it reaches the ſame thing, ſetting forth the power and ſtrength of Iſrael, by the ſtrength of the Unicorn; for the Lord, who is their ſtrength, will make them ſtrong like Unicorns. Balaam ſpake thus again (Numb. 24.8.) God brought him (all Iſrael as one man) out of Egypt; he hath as it were, the ſtrength of an Vnicorn, he ſhall eat up the Nations his enemies, and ſhall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. Thus alſo Moſes ſpake or prophecyed of the Tribe of Joſeph (Deut. 33.17.) His glory is like the firſtling of his Bullock, and his horns are like the horns of Vnicorns, with them ſhall he puſh the people (or peoples, the word is plural) together, to the ends of the earth, and they are the ten thouſands of Ephraim, and they are the thouſands of Manaſſeh. Moſes ſets out the fruitfulneſs of Ephraim, beyond that of Manaſſeh, ten for one; and in both, joyntly ſhews how powerful, how prevailing they ſhall be; even, as if they puſht their enemies with horns like thoſe of Unicorns. In all theſe Scriptures, the Lord fore-ſhewed the wonderful force of the Jewiſh Church of old, his portion and peculiar people, by that of the Unicorn. David alſo (as was ſaid before) expreſſeth his aſſurance of a proſperous condition and great ſucceſs, in the ſame language (Pſal. 92.10.) He ſhall exalt my horn, like the horn of an Ʋnicorn.
And we may affirm the Iſrael of God are like the Unicorn, chiefly upon this account; becauſe their ſtrength and defence, or their ſtrong defence is in, and by their horn. And if any ask, what or who is that? I anſwer, Jeſus Chriſt: Of whom, Zacharias filled with the Holy Ghoſt, propheſied, ſaying (Luke 1.59.) Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, for he hath viſited and redeemed his people, and hath raiſed up an horn of ſalvation for us, in the houſe of his ſervant David. Jeſus Chriſt, is callen an horn of ſalvation for his people,Habes in Mono…orote exemplum fidei robuſtae & generoſae omnem ſervitutem diaboli, & mundi aſpernantis, & utrique impavidè reſiſtentis. Coc. Quod nullis hominum viribus in ſervitium redigi poteſt, ſignificatur populus nemini ſervivitu…us, quamdiu unicum Deum coleret. Theodoret. queſt. 44 in numeros.
Firſt, Becauſe he is the Strength and Defence of his people.
Secondly, Becauſe he is the Glory and Honour of his people. Thus the Seventy tranſlate that (Num. 23.22.) he hath (as it were) the glory of an Ʋnicorn. As Jeſus Chriſt is called a light to lighten the Gentiles, ſo the glory of his people Iſrael (Luke 2.32.)
Thirdly, Jeſus Chriſt is an horn of ſalvation to his people, as he is (like the horn of an Unicorn, according to report, againſt bodily poyſon) the moſt Soveraign, yea, the only antidote againſt the poiſon of ſin, and the infection of the world (2 Pet. 1.4.) By him we eſcape the corruption that is in the world, through luſt, that is, believing in him, we are preſerved from thoſe poiſonous luſts, which corrupt and infect this world.
Secondly, Some of the Ancients and Moderns too, make the Unicorns ſtoutneſs and ſtiffneſs of ſpirit againſt doing any work for man; an embleme of that gracious well-temper'd ſtoutneſs & reſolvedneſs of ſpirit in the faithful ſervants of God, againſt doing any work at all for the Devil, as alſo in refuſing to do any ſinful work at the will or command of man: In which ſenſe, it is both their wiſdom and their duty not to ſerve nor pleaſe men (1 Cor. 7.23. Gal. 1.10.) Thus Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego anſwered Nebuchadnezar (Dan. 3.18.) We will not ſerve thy gods. Theſe were no willful men, though they ſaid, We will not: Their underſtanding was in the anſwer as well as their will, and their conſcience for God, as well as either. And in this ſenſe the Apoſtle, who ſo often exhorts to faithfulneſs and diligence in the ſervice of man, admoniſheth us, Not to be the ſervants of men, (1 Cor. 7.23.) And in this ſenſe, (though he had ſaid, I pleaſe all men, in all things for their profit, that they might be ſaved (1 Cor. 10.33.) and counſelleth every man, to pleaſe his neighbour for his good to edification (Rom. 15.2.) yet) concludeth of himſelf, If I yet pleaſed men, I ſhould not be the ſervant of Chriſt (Gal. 1.10.)
Thirdly, The Unicorn is ſpoken of in Scripture, as an Hieroglyphick of thoſe evil men, who are enemies to the Church of God (Iſa. 34.7.) And the Ʋnicorns (we put in the Margin the Rhinoceros) 'tis this Hebrew word) ſhall come down with them, and the Bullocks with the Bulls, &c. How ſhall the Unicorns come down with them? Not as we come down from a hill, or high place upon our feet, but they being deſtroyed ſhall be caſt or thrown down. Theſe Unicorns in the Prophet, are all thoſe proud and mighty men of the world, who oppoſe, oppreſs, and perſecute the Church of God, called out of the world to faith in Chriſt, and ſalvation by him, as appears fully (ver. 8.) Theſe for their ſtubbornneſs againſt the will and ways of God, are juſtly compared to, or called Unicorns; For, as Unicorns will not ſerve men, ſo theſe will not ſerve God; they will neither Plow nor Harrow, they will neither go nor come at his command.
And as the enemies of the Church, ſo, the enemies of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, or they who perſecuted, purſued, and afflicted him to death, are ſet forth under this title, in that prayer of David a type of Chriſt (Pſal. 22.21.) Save me from the Lions mouth, for thou haſt heard me from the horns of the Ʋnicorns. Chriſt prayed, Save me from the Lions mouth, that is, from my greateſt enemies: Thou haſt heard me from the horns of the Ʋnicorns, that is, of the Scribes and Phariſees, of Herod and Pontius Pilate, againſt whom Chriſt had help when he prayed, and got victory over them all, by his death and ſufferings.In arcano ſermone Monoceros ferus, jugi impatiens indomituſque peccator eſt. Franc. Joan. in paraph. libri Job.
Laſtly, The Unicorn (according to the deſcription here given of him) reſembles all refractory and rebellious ſinners, who will by no means be reclaimed to the ſervice of God, who will not receive the yoke of Chriſt though eaſie, nor bear his burden though light, but remaining obſtinate and obdurate in their ſins, will only do what they will, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, and being to every good work reprobate. And as Naturaliſts ſay of the Unicorn, he may be ſlain, he will not be taken;Interemi poteſt, capi non poteſt. Plin. ſo we may ſay of ſuch men, they will ſooner looſe their lives than their wills: They are like natural bruit beaſts (of whom the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks, 2 Eph. 2.12.) made to be taken and deſtroyed. Such beaſts were the Egyptians, of whom it is ſaid (Pſal. 89.10.) Thou haſt broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is ſlain. Some beaſts are broken and tamed, but Egypt (called Rahab for ſtrength and pride, or for pride in ſtrength) was a beaſt that would not be broken and tamed by all thoſe plagues of God poured upon it at Land, and was therefore broken and ſlain in the Red-ſea.
Thus we ſee how the Church and faithful people of God, reſemble the Unicorn in ſome things; as alſo, how the wicked of the world, or the world lying in wickedneſs, reſemble him in other things.