30 And he ſent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and feven provinces of the kingdom of Ahaſuerus, 25th words of peace and truth z;
z Or, even words of peace and truch, Which may reſpe& either 15 The form of the Writing, wherein after the cuſtom he {aluted * them with hearty wiſhes of their true Peace or Proſperity, or of the continuance of thoſe two great Bleſſings of God,Truth,7. e- the true Religion ; and Peace,either among themſclves,or with all men,that they may peaceably and quietly enjoy #nd profeſs the Truth Or, 2. the manner of his Writing,which was with Peace, i e. Friend- ſhip and kindneſs to his Brethren, and Truth 2, e. Sincerity which is the more noted and commended in him, becauſe it is ſo unuſual in ſuch great Courtiers as he now was. Compare chap. 10: 3. or the Martter of his Wricing ; which was to dire& and perſwade them to keep both Peace and Truth, i. e. both to live peaceably and lovingly both one with another, and with all their Neighbours, not inſult- ing over them upon their confidence in Mvrdecai”s great power, or upon this late and great ſuccels, as men naturally and commonly do, nor giving them any freſh provocations, and yer holding faſt the true Religion in ſpight of all the Artifices or Hoſtilities of the Gentiles among whom they lived.
31 To confirm theſe days of Purim in their times ap- pointed, according as Mordecai the Jew, and Eſther the queen had enjoyned them, as they had decreed + for 4 xx.y, { themſelves and for their feed, the matters of the faſt zþeir ſous. 1ng and of their cry ||. /
E
l, ed
terz and becauſe they rnemielves hay ſeen and felt this Wonderful Work of God on their behalt.
|; For or about thoſe great and overwhelming Calamities which | were decreed toall the jews, and for the removing of which, not only E?her, and the Jews in Shuchan, bur all other Jews in all pla ces, as ſoon as they heard thoſe diſmal Tidings,did doubtleſs accor- ding to the Preceprs of Scripture, and the conſtant praftice of their godly Predeceflors in all ages, fly ro thatlaſt and only Refuge of ſeeking to God by Faſting. and earneſt Prayers,and ſtrong Cries unto God ; which God was pleafed graciouſly to hear, and in an- {wer thereunto to give them this amazing Deliverance. And this was that which they were now to remember, to wit, the greatneſs of their danger.and of their reſcue from it-And accordingly the Jews uſe to obſerve the firſt of thoſe days with Faſting and Crying, and other Expreſſions of vehement Grief and Fear, and the Jatter with m eaſting, and Thankſgiving, and all Demonſtrations of Joy and riumph. IO I ISS W)
22 And the decree of Eſther f confirmed theſe mat- ters of Purim, and it was written in the book *. | + Who had received Authority and Commiſſion from the King to impoſe this upon all the Jews. * Either in the publick Regiſters of that Kingdom ; Or rather, in the Records which the Jews kept of their moit memorable paſlages, ;
| —A-P. X. 4 Ahaſuerus his greatneſs” 3. Mordecai's advancement, ;
A Ne che king Ahaſuerus laid a tributeupon the land, £ Iand «por the Iſles of the ſeas. _ 3 | a i. e, Upon all his Dominion, whether in the main Continent, orin the Iſlands. ; | PE: . 2 And all the a&s of his power, and of his might,ant the declaration of the greatneſs of Mordecai, where- unto the king Þ advanced him, are theys not written _ , . in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and + Hebs.., Perſia ? | INES maac him 2 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahaſye-&*®* rus, and great among the Jews, accepted of the mul- cicude of his brethren þ pong the wealth of his people, and ſpeaking peace to all bis leed c, Ne þ Who did not envy his greatneſs, as men moſt commonly do. in ſuch caſes, but rejoyced in it, and bleſſed God for it,and praited and loved him for his right and ſweet management of his vaſt power, : Or, for all his ſeed, to wit, the Jews, who were of the ſame. Seed and root from which he was deſcended. He ſpoke and atted with, great Kindneſs and Friendlineſs to them when they reſorted ro him
CaſiOne 5; | upon any Occaſions Ip J O B, :
es Oh yy a ai Se
Chap. I.
Ome thinss are ts be premiſed in the
@s ſame have dreamed, but a real Hiſtory,
e# ant diffin# account of the Places, Perſms, men of holy Scripru e, who mention him as a Cammnical Buk of Scriptur ; James, in #he paces new cifez, and frim that Quetation taken from 1t ws and Chriſtians in all Ages. 3. The time in which Job lived, in the days of the ancient Patriarchs* This may be gathered. much of 200. Tears; whereas, after Moſes. Mens . the true Religion, which then remained among divers Gentiles, which
eventhe Gentiles were to repair when they would ſacrifice to God. ; Dreams aid Viſions, agreeably to God's Method in theſe ancient times ;
and appropriated te the People of Iſracl.
which is bere diſcaurſed between Job and his Friend. it being agreed who ti: who was mait capable of giving this exadt account, 23, 24. ſopoſſibly when he was deliver I. I. and the time of his Drath, Chap. 42. 16. x7. Or, 2. Elihu which may ſeem to be favoured by Chap. 32. portunity of coming '0 the Knowledge of this Hiſtory and Diſcourſe, Iſrael, wh» was now oppreſſed in Egy fo be unlike to thab of Moies in his other Writings, that is net ſtrange,
| CHAP}]L Job's Country and ſincere holineſs : his children : their feaſts: and his reli- gieus care for them, 1 === 5. Satans appearance before God : Gia 5 charafer of Job, 6 —8. Satan imputeth Job's goodneſs to his proſperity and ſo obra.neth leave to affli# him in his goods, 9 —12. Job's Oxen, Sheep, Camels, and Servants deftroyed, 13 17. His Sons and Daugh- ters periſh, 18, 19, Job with his mantle rent, head ſhaved, ana upon the ground worſbippeth ; bleſſ@h God : ſinnethenot. 20 =22% T Here was a man in the land of Uz «, whoſe name as * Job, and that man was | perſe& 6b and upright c, and one that feared God 4, and eſche-
wed evil e. | s Which was either in Edom, called, The Land of Uz, Lam. 4.21.