Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 2 · Job · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
CAll now, if there be any that will answer thee, and to which of the Saints Vers. 1.wilt thou turn?
Here the Jesuite thinks is a manifest proof, that it is no new thing to call upon the Saints departed, but was done even in Jobs time: But this ground is altogether sandy. For the word rendered Saints here, signifieth either Angels, as Augustine hath it, or holy persons living still in this world, as the Jesuite Augustine. Pineda. Gregory.himselfe acknowledgeth. Moreover, Gregory acknowledgeth none other to be called upon here meant, but God, and the Saints are mentioned to him in derision, as if it were a ridiculons thing to cal to them departed out of this life, who cannot heare us: For Abraham, saith the Prophet, knoweth us Esa. 63. 16.not, and Isaac is ignorant of us. But to whom should a Roman Catholike rather hearken, then to one, and that the famous of their owne Bishops? The meaning of this bitter scoffe is, that if he beleeved him not, that he had such a revelation as he said, and hee would not consent to that which he had spoken as true, but would still persist in his exclamations, as if hee had beene by God wronged; that he should pray to God, and see if he could prevaile an answer from him to convince Eliphaz of falshood, or to justifie himselfe so terribly punished, and so impatient under his punishment. And if he should think that any of Gods Angels, or servants upon earth, being called to take his part, would do it, this were absurd for him to try, for surely none would stand for him; or if hee should thinke of any Saint in Heaven to call to him, this were ridiculous.
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.Vers. 2. Vers. 3.
I have seene the foolish taking root, and suddenly I cursed his habitation.
This saying, howsoever mis-applyed against holy Job, containeth a truth in it: For wrath through impatience and envy at the better estate, wherein others are, is a great sinne, and destroyeth the image of God in a man, who speaketh and doth all things without passion, and therefore wisely and righteously, which he cannot, do that through passion, is blinded in his minde by unadvised anger. Thus also Solomon in his Proverbs condemneth him for a foole that is soon angry, or continueth herein, of which see more upon that Gregory.Book. Touching Envy, he in whom this vice is, envyeth another, because he thinks him better then he, as Cain envyed Abel, and Josephs brethren, him, and Saul, David; and thus he condemneth himselfe as little in vertue, and unworthy to be spared. Now to be preserved from this dangerous evill, Note. to which we are provoked by the love of worldly things, (For every one would have the best of these: and because he cannot, but seeth another have better then he, envy is stirred up in him.) We must labour to have our hearts taken up with heavenly things, wherein there will be no streightning to any man, but every one shall hereof have his fill, one as well as another; the more come to partake hereof, they being the more inlarged, that every one may have enough; for the love of heavenly things will take us off from the love of earthly, and not loving them, although we want, we shall not envy those that have, because we have farre better, able to suffice any soule, in comparison of which these are but as drosse and dung.
I have seen the wicked taking root. That is, seeming as a deep rooted tree, to stand firmly, because in great prosperity. And I suddenly cursed his Vers. 3.habitation: That is, I did ominously speake or think, that such a mans house would come to ruine: For the word is not foreign which is used elsewhere to set forth cursing, but foreign to divine ominously. And so it is also said by David, I have seen the wicked flourishing as a green bay tree, and by and by his Psal. 73. Gregory. John 3.place was no where to be seen. Thus also Gregory, who morally by him deeply rooted, understandeth the earthly, according to that of our Lord, That which is of the earth is earthly. Because trees are rooted in the earth, and the Note. foolish Worldling by having his mind set upon things here below, is said to The morall.be thus rooted; but his Excellency, as he rendreth it, and the word also may signifie accursed, to what estate soever he attaineth in this world, it shall be turned into a cursed condition, and so shall suddenly vanish, when he cometh to be judged, as if it had never been. And mistically by the foolish, hee The mystery.understandeth the Jewes that were so malitious and envious against Christ; They, how deeply soever rooted in the land of Canaan, by their continuance there, and by promises made to their Fore-fathers; yet for their malicious persecuting of Christ to the death, were by Gods curse expelled, and all their glory in having God for their Father and Protector, is turned into dishonour, shame, and contempt.
His children also are far from safety, they are crushed in the gate, and there Vers. 4.is none to deliver them. This was manifestly spoken by him of Iobs children, who were crushed by the house falling upon them: Whereas it is said, In the gate, hereby Judgment, whereby it fell thus out unto them, is denoted, because the gate of a City of old was the place of Judgment: And hereby it is shewed, that at the last day, when the Lord shall sit upon his Judgment-seat, all the wicked, and their children like unto them in condition, shall be crushed, that is, destroyed, sentence being denounced then against them, as Mat. 25. Goe yee cursed into hell fire, prepared for the Devill and his Angels; For such only are counted the children of the wicked. If any seeing their fathers wickednesse, turn there-from, the Lord hath promised that they shall not dye, but live. The gate also, which is a place to goe out at, may set forth Ezek. 18.Death, by which, as by a gate or door, men go out of this life; And herein all the wicked are crushed, that escaped all their life time before, it being to them Note. the gate leading to Hell, but to the Elect, to Heaven, all whose sufferings are now at an end, and their joyes begin, which never shall have end, as it was with Lazarus, of whom, and Dives being dead, it is said, Now hee is comforted, and thou art tormented.Luke 16.
Whose harvest the hungry shall eat, and taketh it out of the thornes, and the robber swalloweth up their substance. Vulg. And the armed shall snatch it away, Vers. 5.and the thirsty shall drinke up his riches. But there is no reason, if the sense of the word be respected, to render it The armed, in the Nominative case, for it is foreign properly signifying out of thorns, or arms sharp as thorns, whereby it is defended; and so the meaning is, the harvest of the wicked, that is, their abundance, although never so strongly guarded by men and armes, whereby it is hedged about as with thick growing thorns, that a man would think it impossible for any to come at it: Yet hungry and poore men, by Gods just judgment, shall break through, and make a prey hereof: And of hedging Job about, Satan spake before in this sense, Chap. 14. And for the next words, the word rendered robbers, by Vulg. thirsty, as foreign which if it be derived from foreign signifieth thirsty, if from foreign signifying hair, Theeves, and Robbers: Because the Arabians and Sabeans, who were Robbers, living in Desarts, went naked, and wore their hair long, to cover their bodies: and this is rather to be followed, although because such thirst after gaine, and the goods of other men, not going out in Bands so much to fight to get victory, as to take preyes▪ that other rendring may seem tollerable, especially, because hungring was spoken of before: And here coming to speak of the same goods, which goe there under the similitude of an harvest, to be taken and eaten, here they are propounded as drink to be swallowed or drunk, thirsting hereafter most aptly agreeth. And in all this he aimed at Job to grieve him the more, by setting him forth as the wicked man, who was thus dealt withall, his Cattell being strongly guarded by his servants; yet the Sabeans coming out in bands, slew his servants, and tooke them away. Whence we may truly note in generall, although he in applying it to Job sinned greatly, that no safe keeping of wicked mens goods will avail, if they be Note. put in iron chests strongly locked, and strong places, and guarded also by men and armes, will keepe them from Robbers, when God beginneth to animadvert against, and to punish them for their unjust scraping of them together. As Craesus could not have his goods defended, when Cyrus came, nor the Tyrians theirs against Nebuchadnezzar, or Alexander, or the Babylonians theirs against the Medes and Persians. From hence Gregory raiseth this Morall; The hungry taking away, and eating the rich mans Harvest, as out of thorns, that is, with much difficulty: And the thirsty drinking up their riches, set forth such as are more dull of understanding, in comparison of others, that are more ripe witted, and quick of apprehension: For these having abundance of knowledge, to which they easily attain, have, as it were, an harvest to be reaped to feed and inrich their souls much; but because they have The morallno hearts affected with the things that they know; the dull of understanding, hungring and thirsting after this Harvest, and treasure of wisdome, in time attain unto it, and there these witty ones have it taken away, as it were from them, being in the midst of their knowledg, left poor and destitute of all true Revel. 3.wisdome and understanding, and so becoming miserable, as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, saying that he was rich, and needed nothing, is pronounced to be poore, miserable, blind, and naked.
Although affliction cometh not out of the dust, nor trouble springeth out of the Vers. 6, 7.ground: Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparkes flye upward. The vulg. Nothing is done upon earth without cause, neither doth griefe rise out of the ground. But herein the sense is more respected then the words, which are Hebr. as in N. T. For this is the meaning, Afflictions and Sufferings come not to men without cause, they spring not up out of the dust or earth, as hearbs, and thorns, and nettles, naturally, there is a further cause hereof to be looked at in the man himselfe that suffereth, namely, his owne sins, which be the seeds from which miseries spring. Chrysostome and Olympiodorus turn the sense another way, thus: The earth is not sensible of paine, and therefore it is not Chrysost. Olympiod.incident unto it: But man is, yea every man, and therefore it is by him patiently to be borne, and not to be counted a just cause of murmuring and complaining, for he is born to trouble as the sparks flye upward. It is a thing by all men to be expected, and therefore Job should have patiently born it, saying with another, I think nothing incident to man, strange to me. But the meaning before given and followed by others is best, and hereunto agree these Humani nihil a me alienum esse puto.words very well, thus: Man being a sinner, is borne and brought forth into this world to suffer trouble and misery, his corruption by nature carryeth him hereunto, as the sparkes are naturally carryed upward: The Vulg. hath it, Labour is for man: Man is born for labour, and birds for flying. Heb. foreign the children of a burning coale, or of an arrow, which because it hath feathers, Jerome rendereth by feathered or winged Fowls. For the word, flee upward, it is Heb. Shall be lifted up in fleeing. And they who render it by Birds, give this sense, as Birds which naturally have wings are for fleeing, this is that which God hath appointed them to, to flee about, and so to get their living: So man coming into the world with hands, and having, when he is grown up, understanding accordingly, is taught hereby, that God would have him to labour for his living, and not to seek to gather wealth by oppression and wrong: And if he doth not, but being a Prince, playeth the Tyrant or Lyon, as was before said, tearing from his Subjects, then he hereby layeth a foundation of affliction and sorrow to himselfe, which commeth not Chap. 4. 10.out of the dust, as was said before, that is, through no fault of his; but here is the evident reason of his being brought to such misery, his oppressions. And this we may rest in, as fully satisfying, being also the same in effect, which I said before: Or if it liketh thee not so well to render it Birds, take it for Arrows, as the word also signifieth, or for sparks of fire, which have nothing else to do but to flee aloft: But because labour for living is here compared with fleeing, and the Birds of the Aire only flee about thus, not sparks or arrows, I still hold as before, that there is none Exposition to that made by Birds. And being thus understood, it agreeth best with his other vexing speeches before going, and specially that, Chap. 4. 10. But howsoever in his sense erroneously applyed, yet continuing in its truth, which all Oppressors Note. had need to think upon; as they would not have affliction and sorrow in the end, the fruit of their covetous accumulating earthly treasures. Gregory hereupon Gregory.saith, Affliction cometh not from the dust, nor trouble from the earth: When it is dry, and so becometh barren, or over wet, or the fruit thereof blasted or mildewed, or Vermine be bred that eat up all; but mens sins are the cause of these judgments from the earth: And man is born to labour, and birds to fleeing upward, that is, man, who hath nothing in him but nature, hath toyle and travell in getting and keeping the goods of this world; but they that are as birds by an heavenly conversation, flee aloft, and are not so intent to this labour, but even neglect them in comparison: Yea, and the afflictions which they suffer, they turn into an occasion of being the more heavenly minded: and so being mounted up above this world, they are not moved at the evils hereof, but joyfully suffer all things.
I would seek unto God, and to God would I commit my cause: Which doth Vers. 8, 9. Olympiod.great things, and unsearchable, &c. Olympiod. thinketh this to be spoken by way of ostentation; as if he had said, I for my part will blesse God, for that I am not such an one as have laid a foundation to my selfe of sorrow and misery by oppressions, and so am preserved therefrom; but this is both contrary to the words, I would seeke, not I would praise, and savours not of the spirit whereby Elihu spake, out of presumption, as the Pharisees prayer, Luc. 18. Wherefore others better either take the meaning to be: If I were in thy case, I would not speak, as one that found my selfe grieved out of a conceit, that God had dealt more hardly with me then I have deserved; Or else doe thou (O Job) what thou wilt, cry out still if thou wilt against the day wherein thou wert born. But if I were in thy case, I would humble my self to God, that he would pardon my sins, & take his plagues away from me, for he is not inexorable, but most mercifull, and able to do wonderfully for thy restitution, both to health, wealth, and children again: And this is his meanng, the words following, vers. 10, 11. do declare. He giveth rain, &c. to set Ver. 11, 12.up on high those that be low, that they who mourn may be exalted to safety.
For the phrase of making it to raine upon the good and the bad, is used by our Lord to shew prosperity and increase by Gods blessing in the…e outward things. Gregory upon these words, Who doth great things and unsearchable, Matth. 5. 46. Gregory.marvellous things, saith, that many things which God daily doth marvellously, no man admireth, but the like being done rarely, are by all men admired, as the raising of a man from the dead is wondered at by a…l; but the birth and coming of a man into the world, which is a greater wonder, no man admireth: and I call it greater, because the making of that which was not, is a greater work then the repairing again of that which was: Water tu…ned by Christ into Wine all admired, but that out of the moysture of the earth drawn through the Vine grapes, and Wine should come, no man admireth, and yet it is as wonderfull a work as the other: And the loaves multiplyed by Christ for the feeding of so many were admired; but the like being daily done by the corns sown into the ground, of one many coming, is not admired. The commonnesse of things take away our admiration, or counting them wonderfull. Many more wonderfull works of God also there are, for which they are said to be innumerable. His works are also said to be unsearchable, because man cannot sin out the reason of them, to believe even the most wonderfull of them past or to come we are bound: But to inquire into the reason is not safe, but prejudiciall to our faith, as the creating of all things of nothing, and the raising of the dead again at the last day, this wee are to believe and admire: But for the reason hereof we ought no further to inquire; but this should be a reason sufficient for us, because he made all men at the first, when they were not before, therefore such as have been, he can doubtlesse make again out of the same matter. For his making it to raine, vers. 11. this hee expoundeth of his doctrine, which is elsewhere said to come down as raine: And the next words, vers. 12. To lift up on high those that be low. Of the Apostles, and as abjects in this world, but shall be at the Resurrection lifted up on high by being set upon 12. Thrones, to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel. They also, and the like unto them were the mourners, which shall be comforted.
He taketh the wise in their own craftinesse, and the counsell of the froward is carryed headlong.Vers. 13.
This saying is alleadged, 1 Cor. 3. 19. and thereby appeareth to have come from the spirit of God, and not much unlike unto it is Isa. 44. 25. and therefore see the Exposition there, only we may take notice of some examples brought by Gregory for the illustration hereof. Iosephs brethren were so wise, that they thought to frustrate his dreams, but their counsels took no effect. And Saul thought to circumvent David by giving him his daughter to wife, but all in vain. Yea, Ionah hmiselfe, when he thought to deal wisely in disobeying God, was taken and cast into the Sea.
They meet with darknesse in the day time, and grope at noon day as in the Vers. 14.night.
This is by Gregory expounded as propheticall, touching the Jewes, who Gregory.having Christ amongst them shining clearly as the day light, by teaching and miracles, yet had their understandings so darkned, that they saw him not to be the Messiah, but groped after him, when they said, How long dost thou keep us in doubt, if thou beest the Christ, tell us. And in this sense Ieremie Joh. 10. Jer. 15. Isa. 49.saith, The sunne went down to them, when it was yet day. And Esay in their person, We have stumbled at noon day as in the dark.
But he saveth the poore from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand Vers. 15.of the mighty.
So the poore hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. Who is the poore Vers. 16. Phil. 2. 6.man here first spoken of? but Christ, of whom it is said, that he made himself poore to make us rich. He was saved from the sword of the wicked Jews, when as although he was crucified, yet he rose again the third day: and the same that is called the sword, is also called the mouth, because the mouths of the wicked Jews crying out, crucifie, crucifie him, were as swords drawne forth against him. And therefore it is said, The sonnes of men, their tongues Psalm 5. 7. Prov. 30. 14.are arrows, and their mouth as a sharp sword. And there is a generatlon whose teeth are as spears and knives. The poore that have hope now, are the Disciples of Christ, who when they saw him risen again, were filled with comfort, but the mouths of the wicked Jewes were not yet stopped, for they still cryed out against him; but they shall be stopped, When at the last day they shall see him whom they have pierced come in Judgment to their inevitable destruction: And so shall all their mouths be, who having received the knowledg of his truth, yet sin willingly, and so crucifie him over again, piercing Hebr. 6.him as it were with their oaths and imprecations, corrupt communications, and other wickednesses of their tongues, or lives. Morally also by those Note. that meet with darkness in the day, understand the wicked envious men who envy the righteous, and seek some occasion of detracting from them: But going about this, a black darknesse overspreadeth them, so that they can find nothing against him, yet they grope for something whereof to accuse them. As the Sodomites coming about the house of just Lot were smitten with blindnesse, and groaped about to find the door, but could not enter or finde it: So they seeking some door at which they may enter an accusation against the righteous, can find none, as men in the dark: For God saveth the poor from their sword and their mouth, that is, so that they cannot prevaile to make them sin, whereby to have any advantage against them, either by violence or fraud, seeking by flattering speeches or promises to pervert them, or to bring them out of the right way. And these poor ones be the humble whom God teacheth, and to whom he giveth grace, that they can have none Psalm 25. Jam. 4. 9.advantage against them, but are in these their wicked enterprises finally confounded, and shall have their mouths stopped, when their judgment shall be denounced, and they have no time any more to speak against them as now commonly they do, or seek to do.
Behold, happy is the man whom the Lord correcteth, therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty. See the same, Prov. 3. 12. with a reason,Vers. 17.
For he maketh soare, and bindeth up, he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Of this see Hos. 6. 1. Deut. 32. 39.Vers. 18.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea in seven there shall none come neere thee. By six saith Gregory, understand all the troubles of this life, set forth Vers. 19. Gregory.by this number, because the world was made in six dayes, and this world is full of trouble, therefore we must expect trouble after trouble here to the end of this mortall life: but God will deliver his servants out of them all. Yea, and when the seventh cometh at the end of this world, the day of judgment, which shall be the most terrible time of all others to all the wicked, that shall not touch thee; but then shall the day of thy rest begin, which never shall have an end. Some not observing the distinction here made of sixe, from the seventh, but putting them together, say, innumerable troubles are hereby meant, to which even the best are subject in this life, but they shall be delivered out of them all; the number of seven being put for very many, but when seven are not named together, but six and then the seventh, we must not confound what God hath distinguished; as neither Hos. 1. where it is sayd, for three transgressions and for four, but by three, some lesser sins and fewer are to be understood, by four more and greater sins, being now grown to the full: Therefore Gregory herein is to be hearkned to, and wheras some think, that the evils hereafter named, V. 20. 21. 22. may be taken for the seven here spoken of, if V. 24. be added, six being in the 20. 21 22. and one in that, Gregory without observing this number, saith, That having spoken of his not being touched with the seven, meaning, that in stead of being touched, now for a reward of his patient bearing of the troubles of this life, he shall come to perpetuall rest; he setteth forth the troubles of this life, against all which he shall be safe, by the graces wherewith he shall be indued.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the Sword. That is, If there be a famine of the word, of which Amos speaketh, Vers. 20. Amos 8. 11.and hereupon the flesh getteth strength, fighteth against the spirit; such, grace shall be given to such as seek to God, as was before said: That they shall be free from all danger coming hereby, when as the wicked shall be overcome, and incur the danger of death, V. 21. Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it Vers. 21.cometh. This is spoken to shew, That whereas some being preserved from the temptations of the flesh, even when Vision faileth through persecution, yet being assaulted, either with the flatteries of the tongue, or violence offered unto them, are not able to stand; yet the faithful Servants of God that seek to him shall, and neither flatteries, nor threatnings shall prevail against them, for they knowing, that they shall be variously assaulted, have the food of the word in them against this famine: The grace of continency Habent contra famem verbi palulum contra belli gladium continentiae scutum, contra flagellum lingue profectionem patientiae, contra exterioris calamitatis damnum interni amoris adiutorium. Joh. 6. 2. Pet. 5. 8. Quos viventes blandiens decepit morientes sapiens rapit. Isa. 35.against the fightings of the flesh, patience against the sword of the tongue, and the love of heavenly things, taking up the heart against sufferings, in our Goods or Bodies. V. 22. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh. That is, At the last day, when judgement as destruction and famine shall seaze upon the wicked; which is so said of them, because they shall not see Christ any more, who is the bread of life, and therefore being shut out from him, what can come to him but famine and torment; the Servants of God shall be the joy of their hearts; live and be with him for ever. And thou shalt not feare the beast of the feild, that is, The temptations of the Devil, who is called a Beast, because he tempted Eve by the Serpent, the subtlest of all beasts: But him the righteous shall not feare at the day of death, when chiefly he seeketh whom he may devour as a roaring Lion, the wicked; with whom he hath prevailed by his allurements in their life, may well feare him in their death; as ready to make a prey of their Soules: But to the righteous, it shall be as the Prophet Isaiah saith, An evil Beast shall not pass through thee. They that have feared God in their life time, shall not in their death feare the Devil; but such as casting away his feare, have been drawn by the flesh or the Devil to sin, now shall feare the death, to which he shall take them away for ever.
Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the feild, and the beasts of the feild Vers. 23.shall be at peace with thee. So almost a like passage, Hos. 2. 18. the meaning is, saith Gregory, The faithful, who are by Peter set forth, by the name of Gregory. 1 Pet. 1.living stones, shall be joyned in league unto thee; in associating thy self with whom thou shalt have much delight, and the beasts of the feild are either Devils, as was before said, or fleshly lusts, which coming upon us, as raging beasts: For the more the faithful are assaulted by either, the more do they seek to God; and so they are not able to hurt them as enemies, but to benefit them by occasioning a firme peace betwixt God and them, who loveth and beareth greatest favour to them that seek most unto him in time of trouble; when he is ready to hear, and we forget him, to be torn in peices, there being none to deliver them: Hitherto Gregory is moralizing, but Psal. 50.according to the literall sense, here are the greatest judgements, that befal men in this life, reckoned up, famine and the sword; and destruction making desolate, such as that which cometh by the sword and the famine, through pestilence, which commonly followeth after, and by evil beasts, as the Lions, that destroyed the Assyrians; from all these he saith, That the man, who seeketh to God, shall be preserved; the like unto which, David hath, Psalme 91. And for these words; Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the feild. As I am not satisfied with the moral sense given, so it is most difficult to determine, what is meant hereby: Some understand, strong men, whose strength is as that of stones; contrary to which Job saith, afterwards of himself; My strength is not as the strength of stones; and if it be taken thus, the meaning is: That in stead of strong enemies, he should have strong and firme friends, to stand continually to him, some understand, stones set for boundaries of Lands, land-marks, to be in league with which is, hold a mans land, without being encroached upon by enemies; some understand patience making a man to stand firmly in adversity, howsoever shot at. Some, thou shalt be so safe in thy going, as that, though thou goest amongst the stones of the feild, thou shalt not stumble nor be hurt hereby, as if they had made a league with thee, not to hurt thee, Philip.as often times they did some others, in those rocky countries: And this I Cajetan.prefer, for it is in regard of hurt by stones or by beasts, that he saith thus: And it is promised, where preservation of the faithful, from pestilence and war is spoken off; That the Angels shall beare thee in their hands, least Psal. 91. 12.thou dash thy foot against a stone, and Lapides, stones, have their name, Laedendo pedes, hurting the feet: That of Thomas Aquinas, which is so applauded Tho: Aquin.by some, then fals to the ground, that the very stony ground should be fruitful to him, which used to be barren to others; yet there is one exposition more, which I will bring, that may not seem unfit; and that is, That the stones shall not cry out against thee, as it is said, they shall against him, that buildeth a City by blood, The stones of the wall shall cry out against Heb. 2. 11.him. For even the Earth and stones of the earth, have a voice to cry out against, and to complain against oppressors; as also we may see against Cain, that the earth that received his Brothers blood at his hands, did: But if thou beest no Oppressor, but art just in all thy dealings, thou Gen. 4.shalt be as it were in league with the stones in this regard, nothing shall rise up, to accuse thee, but rather speak for thee; Thou shalt know, that Vers. 24.thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, and thou shalt visit thy Habitation, and shalt not sin. The vulg. Thou shalt visit thy species, thy kind, another man Like unto thee, as Gregory expoundeth it: and this reading also the Hebrew Gregor.will beare, for what is another mans body, but such an habitation as thine is, weak and infirm as an earthen vessel, and may be called thine, because his flesh is thine own flesh, as the Prophet Esay speaketh, Break thy bread Isa. 58. 7.to the hungry, and bring the poore wandring into thy house, and despise not thine own flesh. Or bring the poore cast out, into thine house. Not such as voluntarily prefer a vagabonds life, goe about the country begging, who by giving harbour to them, are too much incouraged to goe on in this idle course of life, to the filling of the Land with confusion; whereas such should rather be chastised, and sent back to their own habitation, as is by good law provided: But what is it that he saith, Thou shalt see thy Tabernacle in peace? it is, Thou shalt have peace in this life, if abhorring from rapine and wrong, thou dost that which is just and right in all things, whilst thou so journest in the body, as in a Tabernacle, as the Apostle calleth it, the peace of good conscience towards God and men. And if thou adjoynest hereunto, visiting the poore and weak, called thy habitation, 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2.for the reason aforesaid, giving releife to the one, and supporting and helping up the other, as it is required, Gal. 6. 1. thou shalt not fin, and so not be prejudiced for want of doing this also, in respect of everlasting peace in Heaven. And because nothing is of more force, then this consideration, that such are as our selves, to move to mercy, he saith, Thou shalt visit thy kinde, as the Apostle doth, Considering thy self, least thou also be tempted. And our Lord, as yee would that men should do unto you, so do yee to them; wherein the same Apostle was a notable example, who saith, That he became as weak to the weak, and all things to all men, that he might 1 Cor. 9. 22.win some, considering himself in them, and how he would have been condiscended to in the like case. Thou shalt know also, that thy seed shall be great, and thy ofspring as the grasse of the Earth. To say nothing of Gregories morals Vers. 25.here, as being too far fetcht, in saying; Thou shalt know, he meaneth, thou shalt see by experience the increase of thy posterity, which shall be a goodly ofspring, as the green grasse growing out of the earth, putteth a beauty hereupon: so thou shalt have children again faire and comely, and Psal. 112.they shall be great, and mighty upon earth, as also the Psalmist speaketh, of the seed of the righteous. And thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, as a shock of Corn cometh in his season. Wherein he spake rightly, as the sequel at the end of this book sheweth, for Job had again both sons and Vers. 26.daughters, and wherewithall to make them great, for his estate was doubled; and his daughters were most beautiful women, and he lived after the turning of his captivity 140 yeares, and having given Inheritances to his daughters amongst their brethren, he dyed ful of daies.