Exposition of Job, Exposition of Job · Chapter 9 · Verses 25-26
Verſ. 25. Now my days are ſwifter then a Poſt: they flee away, they ſee no good.
26. They are paſſed away as the ſwift ſhips: as the Eagle that haſteth to the prey.
The third Argument confirming his Aſſertion (to the end of the Chapter) is taken from his own experience; wherein he propounds his own caſe, as a ſufficient proof of this truth, That afflictions do not prove men to be wicked, he being ſharply afflicted, v. 25. —28. and yet righteous, v. 29, &c. This Argument albeit it may ſeem very weak and faulty, and a beging of that which was in queſtion and debate among them; yet it is convincingly ſtrong, conſidering the evidences whereby he proves his integrity and righteouſneſs. And withal, it points out the invincible power and evidence of faith and a good Conſcience, that it will ſtand on its own feet, againſt all oppoſition, without props of the experience of others.
This Argument hath two branches,
1. That he was afflicted.
2. That he is righteous, notwithſtanding his afflictions. As for the firſt; Albeit none doubted of the truth and ſharpneſe of his ſad caſe; yet his ſenſe of it, and his deſire to eaſe himſelf by ſpeaking of it, leads him to prove and inſtance it in two particulars. Whereof the firſt (in theſe verſes) is, That his days paſs away ſwiftly without ſeeing any good. Of this, ſee on Chap. 7.6, 7. It may be underſtood, in general, of his whole tranſitory life, but more eſpecially (as may be gathered from what he ſubjoyns, v. 27, 28. by way of Antitheſis or oppoſition) of the days of his former proſperity, which had paſſed quickly over, without ſeeing or enjoying good in them. This he illuſtrates by three ſimilitudes, in a gradation.
1. His days were ſwifter, (or, lighter, which is the cauſe of ſwiftneſs) then a Poſt, or a Runner. A Poſt, indeed, ought to make ſuch quick diſpatch as, whatever he ſee, he may not ſtay to enjoy it; yet he may ſee good things upon the way as he runs. But he complains that himſelf had ſcarce time to ſee, or take a view, of his proſperity.
2. His days were yet more ſwift, and paſſed away as the ſwift ſhips; which are more ſwift then any runner on the Land; or, ſhips of deſire, which are lovely and pleaſant, when under ſail and going ſwiftly before the wind; or, which ſailing before the wind do flee as if they had a longing deſire (an improper and borrowed expreſſion) to be at the Harbour; or, which being fraught with precious commodities (ſome ſay Apples, which do eaſily rot) the Merchants and Mariners do earneſtly deſire to have them home in time, leſt the commodities be ſpoiled by the way, or they loſe the opportunity of ſelling them. Some do retain the Hebrew word, and render the Text, Ships of Ebeh, whereby they underſtand, either ſome Sea-port, famous for the ſwiftneſs of the ſhips which reſorted thither, or ſome rapid River in Arabia, the current whereof added to the ſwiftneſs of the ſhips motion which ſailed therein. But Geographers make no mention of any ſuch Sea-port.
3. His days were yet more ſwift, like the motion of a fleeing Eagle, who fleeth more ſwiftly then any other Fowl, and will far out-ſtrip the ſwifteſt Ships, eſpecially, when, being preſſed with hunge…, he haſteth to be at a prey.
Not to inſiſt upon the uſe to be made of common and obvious things, for imprinting of Divine Truths upon our hearts; as Job makes uſe of thoſe ſimilitudes, for illuſtrating of this inſtruction, concerning the fugacity of mans life, which is very neceſſary that it be ſeriouſly ſtudied: The truths and miſtakes in theſe verſes may be ſummed up in theſe few leſſons.
1. The World and all the Proſperity it affords, is but paſſing and empty; For, Job found that it was moſt ſwift, and fled away. See Eccl 5.10, 11. Pſal. 39.5, 6. & 144.4. 1 Cor. 7.31. Our beſt condition in the world is attended with ſo many thorns and troubles, obnoxious to ſo frequent and unexpected changes, and ſo little able to ſatisfie that which is the better part of man; that it is no great matter whether we have or want it, ſo we be carried through our ſeveral lots in Gods favour. And at the end of our life, it will not be judged worthy our ſerious thoughts, to regard much what hath been our outward lot in getting through it.
2. Whatever men may think of proſperity, while they are in a fools dream enjoying it; yet when ever it is over, it will appear to be empty and nothing; For, now a few, days of adverſity have drowned all ſweet thoughts of his former proſperity, as if he had not ſo much as ſeen good. Afflictions are ſ…nt to diſcover the worlds vanity, which, otherwiſe, we will not ſee; and it is well if they produce that effect. For, in ſo far Job is right in this his regret.
3. It is yet further an evidence of the worlds vanity, that though, ſometime, men may think much of proſperity, even when it is gone; yet they will find nothing in it whereby to bear out a preſent trouble: For, in that reſpect, alſo, Job thus reflects upon his former proſperity, that it was ſwiftly gone, without ſeeing any good. Not only becauſe he found it now to be nothing, but, eſpecially, becauſe it had left nothing behind it, to ſupport him under his preſent preſſures. Theſe lean Kine of Adverſity, will ſoon eat up the fat Kine of Proſperity, unleſs men have ſome other encouragement whereunto they may look; which they ſhould be ſeriouſly thinking upon, Iſa. 10.3.
4. Senſe of incumbent affliction will make men very eloquent in painting out their diſtreſſes; as Job here illuſtrates the ſwiftneſs of his days by ſo many ſimilitudes. We have need, under trouble, to beware of ſelf-love, and not to pore too much, or only, upon our afflictions, which may draw us to exceed in aggravating our difficulties; Eſpecially, Becauſe,
(5.) Too much poring on preſent afflictions doth, ordinarily, produce ingratitude for former mercies; For, this was Job's fault here, that, by reaſon of preſent preſſures, he accounts his former days ſo ſwiftly paſſed, that he ſaw no good, which is contrary to his own former doctrine, when he was in a better frame, Chap. 2.10.