p 7. e. Like a raſh, and inconſiderat,and weak perſon,” that doſt not underſtand, nor mind what thou ſayeſt, Or, like a wicked and moſt prophane perſon ; for ſach are frequently called Fools in Scrip= ture, as Pſal.14. 1. and 74+ 18. and every where in the Proverts. 9 Shal we poor Worms give Laws to our Supreme Lord and Go- vernour, and oblige him always to bleſs and tavour us,and never to afHict us ? And fhal not thoſe great and manifold, and long con= tinued Mercies,which from time to time God hath freely and graci- oufly given us,compenſate for theſe ſhort afflictions?Ought we not to bleſs God for thoſe Mercies which we did nor deſerve, and con- rentedly to bear thoſe Correftions which we deſerve,and need:and ( if it be not our own fault ) may get much good by. r By any Ree fleftions upon God,by any impatient or unbecowing Expreſſions.
IT Now when Jobs three friends heard of all this e- vil that was come upon him,they came every one frem his own place ; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathice s : for they had made an appointment together,to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him.
5 Which were Perſons then eminent for Birth and Quality, fox Wiſdom and Knowledge, and for the profeſſion of the true Reli- gion, being probably of the Poſterity of 4braham, and a-kin to Joby and living in the ſame Country with him.
12 And when they lift up their eyes afar off:z, and knew him not #, they lift up their, voice and wept, and they rent every one his Mantle, and ſprinkled duſt up- On their heads toward heaven x.
t To wit, atſome convenient diſtance from him : whom they found fitting upon the ground, either in the open Air, or within his own Houſe. » His Countenance being ſo fearfully changed and disfigured by his Boils. x Either upon the upper part of their heads, which looks towards Heaven : or caſt it up into the Air ſo as it ſhould fall upon their hvads; as they did AFs 22, 23. See Jof. 7. 6. Nehem. 9. 1. Lam. 2+ 10D. - ;
13 So they ſat down with him upon the ground » ſe- ven days,and ſeven nightsz, and none ſpake a word to him a: for they ſaw that his grief was very great.
Y In the poſture of Mourners condoling with him. £ Which was the uſual time of mourning for the Dead, Gen.5o. io. 1 Sam, 31. 13. and therefore proper both for Jebs Children,who were dead and for Jeb himſelf, who was in a manner dead, whilſt he lived: But we mult not fancy that they continued in this placeand poſture ſo long together, which no Laws of Religion or Civility required of them, and theneceſlities of Nature could not bear ; but only that they ſpent a great, or the greateſt part of that time in ſitting with him and filenc Mourning over him.And ſo ſuch general Expreſſions are frequently underſtood, as Luke 2. 37. and 24. 53» Affs 20. 31, a Either 1. about any thing: Or, rather, 2.about his AMi&ions and the cauſes of them. "The reaſon of this Silence was partly the great- neſs of their grieffor him, and their ſurpriſe and Sf 090" Bora at his condition ; partly becauſe they thought it convenient to give him ſome further time to vent his own Sorrows,& partly becauſe as yet they knew not what to ſay to himefor though they had ever eſteem-
ed himto be atruly wiſe & godly Man,& came with full purpoſe to comfort him, yet the prodigious greatneſs of his Miſeries, and that Hand and Diſpleaſure of God which they manifeſtly perceived in them, made them at a ſtand, and to queſtion Jobs Sinceriry, ſo that they could not comfort him as they had intended,and yet were loath to grieve him with thoſe Convitions and Reproofs which they thoughthe greatly needed. And here they ſtuck till Job gave them occaſion to ſpeak their Minds.
CH AP. III. Job curſeth the day, t==a=y Of his birth, 10--=-12. The eaſe and honours . of death,13--=-19. Life in anguifh, matter of complaint, 20-===2 4 What he feared is now come upen him, 25, 26. Dk Frer this opened Job his mouth 4, and curſed his day 6, « He
f0r, it wt 1 mneea) th ds
a, IÞ up. HI.
# He ſpake freely and boldly. as this Paraſe is uſed Prov.31e 8.9. Eph. 6: 19. and elſewhere. 6 To wir, his Birth-day, as is evident from verſe 3- which is called ſimply a Mans day, Hoſ.7.5. Which al- ſoſome others,through the ſame Infirmiry, and in the fame Cir- cunſtanczs, have curſed, as we ſee Jer*20+ 14 In vain do ſome men endeavour to excule this, and the following Speechesfof Job,
for th:m, Chap. 38: 2, and 40:4., and 42. 3, 6- And yet he doth not proceed ſo "Ra tro curſe or blaſpheme God, but makes the De- vila Liar in his Prognoſticks : But although he doth not break forth into dire& and down-right Reproaches of God, yet he makes ſecret and indire& Refle&ions upon Gods Providence. His Curſe was ſinfal, both becauſe it was vain, being applied ro an unreaſon- able thing, which was not capable of Bleſſing and Curling, and to a Day that was paſt, and ſo our of the reach ofall Curſes ; and be- cauſe it was applied ro one of Gods Creatures, all which were and are in themſelves very good, and pronounced bleſſed by God, and | fo they are, if we do not turn them into Curſes ; and becauſe it caſts a blame upon God for bringing that Day, and for giving him that Life which that Day brought into the World. He pronounceth that Day an uahappy, woful, and curſed Day, not in it ſelf, bur with reſpe& to himſelf. +
'Hb.0% | > And Job * ſpake, and ſaid: _ 2 + Let the day periſh wherein I was born c,andthe
night in which it was ſaid d, There is a Man-child con-
18,19. Jer.20.14- ceived e.. k c Lex the remembrance of that day be utterly loſt. Yea, I hearti-
ly wiſh that ic had never been. Such wiſhes are apparently fooliſh
and impatient, and yet have been ſometimes forced from wiſe and
good Men in grievous Diſtreſſes, not as if they expe&ed any effeQ of
them, bur only to ſhew their abhorrency of Life and to expreſsthe intollerableneſs of their grief,and to give ſome vent to their paſſions
4 With Joy and Triumph, as happy ridings. Compare Jer. 2C-15+
e Or, rather, brought forth, as this word is uſed, 1 Chron. 4. 17. For
the time of Co:iception is unknown commonly to Women them-
ſelves, and doth not uſe to be reported among meny as this day is
ſuppoſed to be. : 4 Let that day be darkneſs f, let not God regard it
from above g, neither let the light ſhine upon it.