his Children made him jealous ; for which he had cauſe enoug from the corruption of May's Nature, the frailty and Folly of Youth, the many Temprathhs which atrend upon Feaſting and Jollity, and the eaſineſs of fliding from lawful ro forbidden De. lights. q Not in the i 5 rene and higheſt degree, which it is not probable either that theyfhould do, now eſpecially when they had no provocation to do it, as being ſurrounded with Bleſlings and Comforts, which they were aCtually enjoying, and not yet exer- ciſed with any afflittion, or that Job ſhould ſuipett ir concerning them, bur deſpiſed and diſbowoured God ; tor both Hebrew and Greek words ſignifying curſmg. are ſometimes uſed to note,only yeuin ling or detrafing, or ſpeaking evil, or ſetting light by a perſon. Thus whart is called curſimg ones father or mother, Exod. 21. 17. is elſewhere called ſetting light by them, as Deut+ 27. 16. Ezek. 22. 9. See alto 2 Pet. 2.11. Jude 8. and many other places. r By ſlight and low Thoughts of God, by negleQing or forgetting to give God the praiſe and Giory of the Mercies which by his favour they enjoyed, by taking more hearty delight in rheir Feaſts and Jollity, than in the Service and fruition of God : For theſe and ſuch like diſtempers of Heart are moit uſual in times of Proſperity and Jollity, as appears by common experience, and by the many Divine Cautions we have a- gain{tthem, as Deut. 6. 1 1«Heſe 2, 8 and elſewhere. And theſe miſcar. riages, though inward and ſecret, Job ealls by ſuch an hard name as uſually ſignify s caſing, by way ofaggravation of their ſin,which per- adventnte they were too aptto fleight as a ſmall & trivial miſcariagee 57.e, Ir was his conſtant courſe at the end of every feaſting time.
6 Now there was a day z, when Þ the icns of God «
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«= Chap. 1; 3 ap. I-
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came to preſent themſelves before the Lord x, and * Sa- bil tan came alſo || among them y. | * Heb. th
zz. 6 Acertain time appointed by God. « 7. e. The holy Angels, adveſar.
ſo called, 70s 38. 7. Dan. 3. 25, 28+ becauſe of their Creation by || Heb. #s God, as 4am allo was, Luke 3.38. and for their great reſemblance the midfif ; of him in Po«er, and Dignity and Holineſs, ard for their filial affe- thew,
Ction anJ1 Obedience to him. x 2. e. Before his Throne, to receive s Commands, andto give hin-an account of their Negotiations: 2 Compare 1 Kings 22. 19. Zech, 4. 14. Luke, 1. 19. But you muſt not
; hat theſe things werereally done, and that Satan was mixed
; with the holy Angels, or admicted into the preſence of God. in
! Heaven, to maintain ſuch diſcourſes as this with the bleſſed God, or that he had formal Commiſſion and leave to do what follows, { but itis only a parabolical Repreſentation of that great Truth, that 5 God by his wiſe and holy Providence, doth govern all the A&ions , of Men and Devils to his own ends: Ir being uſual with the great God to condefcend to our ſhallow Capacities, and to expreſs him- ſelf, as tne Jews phraſe it, In'the language of the Sons of men ; i, t* in ſuch manner as Men uſe to ſpeak and may underſtand. y Being forced to come, and give up his account.
7 And the LORD faid unto ſatan, Whence comeſt chou 2? Then ſatan anſwered the LORD and ſaid, from Þ going to and fro in the Farth a, and from wal- king up and down in it, |
z God being here repreſented as Judge, rightly begins with an enquiry, as the ground of his further proceedings, as he did Gen. 3- 9. and 4. 9. # Whereby thy permiſſion I range about, obſer- ving with great diligence all rhe Diſpoſitions and Atons of Men, and working in them and among them as far.as I have liberty and opportunity
che Earth, a perfe& and an upright man, one thabfea- reth God and eſcheweth evil ?
6 Haſt thou taken notice of him, and his Spirit, and Carriage? and what haſt thou to ſay againſt him ?
9 Then fſacan anſwered the LORD, and ſaid, Doth | Job fear God for nought c,
ci-e Sincerely and freely, and out of pure love and reſpe& to thee ? No, It is policy, not Piety, that makes him good ; he doth not ſerve thee bur ſerveth himſeif of thee, and is a meer Mercena- ry, ſerving thee for his. own ends-
io Haſt thou not. made an hedge about him 4 and about his houſe e, and about alli that he hath on every
ſide?
+1Pet-5 l
f 8 And che LORD faid unto ſatan, + Haſt thou con-tHe.l ſidereth my ſervant Job 6b, that there is none like Him iN jeart #-
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PI F fide? thou haſtbleſfſed the work of his hands, and his Yorgarch + ſubſtance is || increaſed in the land. = Web. #79 7 Ze. Defended him by thy ſpecial Care and Providence from all
j firth* farms and inconveniencies: which is able to oblige and win perſons 60.28.14 of che worſt tempers. . e His Children and Servants.
e, | 11 But put forth thine hand f now, and touch g all 4 »ifhe that he hath, * and he will curſe thee to thy face 6. -
vil {He "tt f To wir, in way of Juſtice and Severiry,as thar Phraſe is uſed, a _ Iſa . 5+ 25+ Exzk. 25.7, 13,16. g i.e. Afi or deſtroy,as this word d gt t0 ty is uſed, Gen. 26. 11. Ruth 2,9. Pſal. tog.15. Zech. 2. $8. h He who
f P is now ſo forward to ſerve and bleſs thee, will then openly and bold- - ly blaſpheme thy Name,and reproach thy Providence, as. unjuſt and unimerciful tor him. ; ;
a= 12 And the LORD aid unto Satan, Behold,all that h he hath zs in thy F power z,only upon himſelf & put not y 1g forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the pre- p 19" fence of the LORD 7. = |
7 Igive thee full power and liberty to deal with his Wife, Chil- dren, Servants,and all his Eſtate, whatſoever thy Wit or Malice ſhal } prompt thee to do. k His Perſon, Body, or Soul. 1 7. e. From that f place where God was repreſented as ſpecially preſent,being forward
and greedy to do the Miſchief which he had permiſſion to do. 13Amd there was a day when his ſons and daugh-
ters were eating and drinking wine in their eldeſt bro-
s thers houſe. . his Love and F aithfulneſs to me,and therefore miniſtring more mat- ; 14 And there came a meſſenger unto Job,and ſaid, = a cone | ay es 4 eels pee wy lefr ye —_ | . ' : , ontinue to me
. The oxen were plowing, and the aſſes feeding beſide of Body, and a compoſed Mind, and an Hear vo Gong _—_