Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 26
¶ THE SVMME AND ORDER of the xxvi. Chapter.
IOB being so often & so despitefullie prouoked by his adversaries taunting and reuiling speeches, of which they neuer could make an end, now letteth loose the raines to his iust conceiued griefe, and both reprooueth them more sharpelie, and more frelie defendeth his owne cause, flatlie denying that God dealt thus hardlie with him, in regard of any of those grosse and enormous sinnes, whereof he was accused. And here likewise he reasoneth concerning Gods power & wisdome, more grauelie and more excellentlie then they, so farre is hee from detracting or derogating any thing from the same. Notwithstanding, this he vtterlie gainesaieth, that the knowledge of Gods iudgements can be had by the present estate of this life, whether prosperitie or aduersitie.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Vers. 1. But Iob answered and saide,
2 Whome hast thou helped? him that hath no power? whom hast thou defended? the arme (which) hath no strength?
3 Whome hast thou counselled? him (that hath) no wisdome? but that thou hast shewed him wisdome abundantly?
4 VntoUnto whome hast thou shewed thy words, (that is, to whome hauehave these thy words giuen instruction?) and whose spirit hath come out of thee?
1 & 2 THen Iob taking hold of these words which Bildad had spoken, Now Bildad (saith he) that I may answer the former part of thine exception, if so be the power of God be so great, and his maiesty doth farre exceede al mans capacitie, how then falleth it out, that yee dare measure it by the present state of this life; or thinke, that the true vse of Gods iudgements is no other, but that whereof the cause is manifest, and which man is able to discerne and iudge of by reason? what is this I pray you? are not the iudgements of God sufficiently strengthned, ratified, and confirmed of them selues, but that they stand in neede of thine arguments? Is his arme weake and feeble, so that thou must needes afforde him thy helping hand? 3 Is he to be ruled by thy counsell, as if he were not wise ynough of him selfe? wilt thou teach him what he is to doe? wilt thou set God to schoole, & must he come to thee to learne some secret wisdome, whereof before he was ignorant? 4 What is he, I say, to whome thou directest this thy speech, and whome thou labourest to bring into the right way? is it one that hath halfe lost his wits, who is beside him selfe, who knoweth nothing, so that thou must call him to his right minde, and teach him how he is to think of the maiestie of God?
5 The dead things are formed vnderunder the waters, and the inhabitants thereof:
6 The graue is naked before him, neither is there any couering for destruction.
7 He stretcheth out the North ouer the emptie place, and hangeth the earth vponupon nothing.
8 He bindeth the waters in his clowdes, and the cloud is not broken vnderunder them.
9 He bindeth the face of his throne: & spreadeth his cloud vponupon it.
10 He hath set bounds to the face of the waters, till the light and darknes come to an end.
11 The pillars of heauen tremble, and are amased at his reproofe.
12 He cutteth the sea by his strength, and by his vnderstanding he smiteth the swelling of the sea.
13 With his spirite he garnisheth the heauens, and his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
5 Surelie herein thou art deceiued. For contrariwise, to the end yee may see, how that I am not ignorant of the hie and incomprehensible maiestie of GOD, and that I speake of it with as great reuerence and willingnes of mind as yee doe, I say that his prouidence watcheth ouer al things; It is he by whose power & vertue so many things, which vvere before altogither vvithout life, are formed and fashioned beneath the vvaters, and the fishes vvhichwhich dvvell and keepe in the vvaters. 6 It is hee, vvhose eyes pearce into the secret caues and hidden places vvithin the bovvels of the earth, there is no vaile or couering so thicke, that can hinder him from beholding the lovvest & vttermost parts of the vvorlde, and vvhatsoeuer lieth hidden in the depth and bottome of the earth: all such things he seeth most clearelie, albeit they are to vsus as things that are perished, & are not at all. 7 The heauens vvhichwhich vve see, are mooued about the North pole, & are by him spread and stretched forth, not ouer any solide matter, but as it vvere, ouer a void and emptie space. He hath hanged the earth in an euen & equall ballance, though there seeme nothing in the vvorld, vvhereunto it is fastened. 8 He keepeth and retaineth the vvaters in the cloudes, as it vvere, in vessels, so long as it semeth good vntounto him, and that in such vvise, as that vvith the might thereof, the clouds are not broken nor pressed dovvne, vvhichwhich othervvise vvould ouervvhelme the earth. 9 He hardeneth and congealeth the outmost partes of his throne, vvhichwhich he hath placed on hie, he hath ouercast it with his cloudes, as it were with a roofe, and keepeth it from beeing dissolued. 10 He hath appointed the waters their bounds, which shall neuer be remooued, so long as light and darkenes, night and daie, shall succeede one an other. 11 He maketh the verie foundation of the heauens to quake, with the loud checke of his thunderclaps, they trēble and are astonied with the sound thereof. 12 He cutteth and deuideth the sea by his might, & with his flashes of lightning, he abateth the pride of the swelling waues. 13 And that I may knit vp my speech with the most excellent worke among all others, this is hee, who hath adorned the heauens with such wonderfull and vnspeakeable bewtie: and those circles, which like winding serpents fetch a compasse round about the heauens, are framed with his owne handes.
14 And these are the outwardmost parts of his waies: and how little hauehave we heard of him? but who is able to vnderstand the thunder of his mightie power?
And these are indeede certen testimonies of that his power, which he shewed in times past in the creation of the world, and which now dailie he more and more declareth in the wise and orderlie gouernment thereof. And yet, this is but a verie smal portion of his workes, which we hauehave hitherto heard of: As for those his notable and thundring exploits which shine ouer all the world, vvhat man is able, I say, to vtter and make report thereof, or once to conceiue them in his minde?