? To wit, objeQtively ; 7. e. If thou obſerveſt the Beaſts,and their Properties and AQtions, and Events, from them thou mayeſt learn this Leſſon : What Leſſon ? I anſwer, Either 1. that which was laſt mentioned,v,s.God's Providence doth order thingsin the like man- ner among the very Beaſts,and Fowls,and Fiſhes ; of which the moſt Ravenous and Miſchievous fare the beſt,whilſt thoſe which are more Harmlets and Serviceable, and Beneficial to Men, meet with the hardeſt uſage. O r2 That which Zophar had uttered with ſo much Porrp and Gravity, Chap. 11. 9, 8, 9. concerning God's Infinite Wiſdom, which, ſaith Job, thou needeſt not go into Heaven or Hell to know, but thou mayſt learn it even from the Beaſts, ec.
8 Oripeak tothe earth, andit ſhall teach thee, and the filbes of the ſea ſhall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth notin all theſe q,that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this r ?
q Or, by all theſe Brute-creatures r That God by his power and Wiſdom hath created and ordered all this which is in them, or is done by and among them.
10 * In whoſe hand s 5s the || ſoul t of every living *Num.r5
things, and the breath x of | all mankind. 5 7, e, At whoſe abſolute diſpoſal it is to give it, or take it away
when and how it ſeemeth good to him.s The Life,or the Soul the Þ Heb. al Principal of Life « 7. e. Of all unreaſonable Creatures,of which he fbf man
[poke v. 7, oppoſed to man in the laſt words. - x Or, the ſpirit, as that word is commonly uſed ; 7 e. the Immortal Soul ; which is no leſs a Creature, and in God's power to diſpoſe of it, than the Ani. mal Soul of unreaſonable Creatures.
11 * Doth notthe ear try words ? and the + mouth
eaſt his meat y ?
»y As the Mouti taſteth and thereby judgeth of Meats, and as it liketh or difliketh, ſoir receiveth or reje&teth what is put into it ; ſo it is the Office of the Ear, or rather of the Mind,which hears and receives the Opinions and Diſcourſes of others by the Ear,nort raſhly to approve or condemn everything whichit hears,but diligently and thoroughly to ſearch and try whether it be true, and ſo to be em- braced ; or falſe, and to bereje&ed. Interpreters are much puzled about the Connettion and Deſign of theſe words : But they ſeem to be either 1. An Apology for himſelf, why he did not comply with their Opinion and Arguments, becauſe they did nor ſuit with his Ear or Mind ; and though he had confidered and tried them, he could not diſcern any weight in them. Or,rather 2. a- Reproof to bis Friends, that they did fo haſtily condemn his Perſon and his Do- rine withour a ſtri& and ſerious Enquiry. Or, 3. a Preface to his tollowing Ditcourſe ; whereby he invites them to hear and judge of his Wordsand Arguments more candidly and impartially ; and not to ſcorn all that he ſaid, becauſe of his preſent Foverty and Miſe- ry, as Men at caſe uſe to do; nor to caſt away the good for any mixture of bad with it ; but calmly to weigh and debate things both within and among themſelves and with him,thar they and he roo might all agree in difallowing whatſcever ſhould appear to be falſe, and owning of every truth.
12 With the ancient is wiſdom, and in length of days uſterſfanding xz. |
2 Theſe words contain a Conceſſion of what Bildad had faid,ch.8: 8,9- Anda joyning with him in that appeal ; but withal,an intima- tion, that this Wiidom was bur finite, and imperfe&, and liable to many Miſtakes ; and indeed meer Ignorance and Folly,if compared with the divineWiſdom,of which he ſpeakes in the next and follow- ing Verſes. And therefore that Antiquity which they pretended for their Opinion, ought not to be received againſt the Oracles or Truths of the eternal and moſt wiſe God.
12 || With him « is wiſdomb and ſtrength : he hath | Th5 y with _— Ch.36. 5
counſel and undeſftanding c,
a ive. With God ; the Relative being pnt for the Antecedent, which is eaſily and neceffarily underſtood out of the Scope of the place, and all the following Verſes. 65 Perfe& Wiſdom is only in him,and all Wiſdom in theWorld cometh from him,who giverh to old or young as it pleaſeth him : The ancient are not wiſe without his Gift and Grace, and with that a younger Man may be wiſer tha the Ancients, as Pavid was, Pſal. 119. 100. c Counſel, i, e. PraQtical Wiſdom to guide all the Afffairs of the World, and Underſtanding, or a ſpeculative Knowledge of all Perſons and Things.
I4 Behold, he * breaketh down 4d, and it cannot be *Ch,v!* can 14227
built again : he ||ſhutteth F up e a man, and there be no opening f. s To wit, Houſes, Caſtles, Cities, which God deſigneth to de«
ſtray
*Ch.341! T Heb pu late,
Chap.630 .
+Heb. aþ("
Chap. XI, T
226
[| Or, If,
Rev. 3-1
n.15.
, bf b, al f man
369! eb pa*
p60 .
That 15, tþ GvY. 1.36. Fo
TA " XIE.
*
ftroy utterly. » Tfhe will ſhut up a Man in Priſon, or in afty ſtraits
or troubles. f Without God's Permiſſion and Providence. | 15 Behold, he wich-holdeth the waters g, and they þ
dry up: alſo he ſendeth them out, and they overturn
the earth. p
g Which are reſerved in the Clouds, that they may not fall upon the Earth. hr. e. The Waters upon the Earth, Ponds,and Springs, and Brooks, and Rivers.
16 With him is ſtrength and Wiſdom 7: the deceived
and the deceiver are his &.