An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the Book of Job being the substance of XXXV lectures delivered at Magnus near the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl.

JOB Chap. 5. Vers. 24, 25, 26, 27.

And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine off spring as the grasse of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corne commeth in, in his season.

Loe this, we have searched it, so it is, heare it, and know thou it for thy good.

AT the 19^th verse of this Chapter, we had a promise of deli∣verance from evill, in six troubles, and in seaven, In the ver∣ses following, we had a specification of six or seaven troubles, from which deliverance is promised. In these words, we have the result of all, A well grounded security, in assurance of a fourfold blessing. First, of a quiet and happy life. Secondly, of many prosperous chil∣dren, v. 25. Thirdly, of a long life. Fourthly of a sweet and comfor∣table death, v. 26. every one confirmed and ratified as a truth in it selfe; a•••• by way of application brought home to Job, in the 27^th or last verse of the Chapter.

Vers. 24. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.

Thou shalt know it.] Knowledge is sometime put for present sense; He that keepes the commandement, shall feel (Heb. shall know) no evill: and so, Job is promised to know, his Tabernacle shall be in peace, that is, he shall see and feele it to be in peace. And

Secondly, Knowledge is put for experience; As we say of a rich man, he never knew poverty; And in that sense, Christ is said not to have knowne sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. Thus, also, the godly man knows his Tabernacle shall have peace, even by the peace which he hath had; From the former dealings of God, he gathers con∣clusions, what God will do with him, for the time to come; Thou shalt not find me a false Prophet, or that I have fed thee with wind: Thou shalt know from experience, that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.

And there is a third way by which this might be knowne, sc. by debate and reasoning: Thou shalt know it; If thou doest

but consider, what the estate of a godly man is, and what God hath spoken about that estate, thou mayest make out such a conclusion, that certainly thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.

There is a fourth way of knowing, and that is, upon the testi∣mony or word of another, this is properly called Faith: Thou shalt know it, that is, by looking into the word of God, or consi∣dering the promises made to godly men, thou shalt assent to and beleeve this thing, that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.

Fiftly, To know, is as much as to be assured, or certaine of a thing; And to know so, is opposed not only to ignorance and opi∣nion, but it is opposed to the lower degrees of faith; I know that my Redeemer lives, &c, (saith Job Chap. 19. 25.) that is, I am sure he lives. And the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus. Knowledge is often put for assurance, and it may rise to that pitch here, Thou shalt be assured that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace.

Thy Tabernacle.] Tabernacles were of two sorts. There were Tabernacles for civill uses, and the Tabernacle for church uses. They dwelt in Tabernacles, and God was worshipped in a Taber∣nacle, And therefore (Ezek. 23. 4.) Israel and Judah, are called Aholah and Aholibah. Israel, the ten Tribes, is called Aholah, that is, a Tent, or a Tabernacle, noting, that they had been the Tent and the Tabernacle of God, wherein he was worshipped; But Judah is called Aholibah, that is, my Tent is in the middest of her, because God at that time continued the outward Ordinances of his worship to Judah, though the ten Tribes had been long in captivity. That only by the way. Here by Tabernacles we are to understand civill Tabernacles, for in those Easterne Countries their ordinary habitations and dwellings were in moveable Tents or Tabernacles, because of their frequent removes. And hence after∣ward amongst the Latines, the word for a Tent or Tabernacle, sig∣nified a house, or any place wherein men dwell and frequent. Fur∣ther, by a Trope, a Tabernacle signifies all a mans estate, or all his goods; so that, when it is said, thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, the meaning is, thy whole estate and family, what ever thou hast, shall be in peace.

Shall be in peace.] That is, it shall be peaceable or in safety; Peace may be considered two wayes; either strictly or largely: Strictly, and so peace is opposed to warre; either first, forreigne, or secondly, civill, or thirdly, domesticall warre (as we may call

it) namely strife and contention in families. Thus, Thy Taber∣nacle shall be in peace, may take in all these; thou shalt neither be invaded by forreigners, neither shalt thou have any insurrection and sedition in thy own borders; neither shalt thou have unkind contentions, in thy particular family, or within thy private walls.

Secondly, Take the word more largely (as it is very frequently in Scripture) and then peace signifies all manner of blessings and good things, the confluence and gathering together as it were, of all comforts: And peace in this large sense, is opposed to any kind of trouble or adversity; and to say such an one hath peace, is as much as to say, he prospers. Peace and prosperity are termes of the same signification: And then the meaning is this, Thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in Peace, that is, that thy whole estate shall prosper, and that thou shalt have good successe. Note hence First,

Peace is a choice and a speciall blessing.

Outward peace is the choicest of outward blessings, and inward peace is the choicest of spirituall blessings. Peace gives sweetnesse and beauty to all our blessings: without peace, riches are but guil∣ded thornes; honour is but higher misery; health but stronger affliction.

So without inward peace, grace gives no present comfort; And therefore in the wishes of perfect spiritual mercy, to the Saints, we find these two in conjunction, Grace and Peace. The highest promi∣ses made to the church, are promises of setled peace in the Church, Isa. 32. 18. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places: There's the top of their outward felicity. Againe, in the the thirty third of that prophecie, ver. 20. Looke upon Zion the City of our solemnities (that is, where the worship of God was solemniz'd) thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation; a Tabernacle that shall not be taken downe, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken; Pure Ordinances, and a peaceable habita∣tion, are Jerusalems perfection on earth; yea some looke upon it as a perfection too perfect for earth, and therefore interpret the prophecie of the heavenly Jerusalem,

Secondly, He saith not only, thou shalt have peace in thy Taber∣nacle, but thou shalt know it. Hence observe,

To be assured of a mercy, is better than the enjoyment of a mercy.

Doubts of loosing a mercy, eat out the heart of a mercy; and a man in that case, is as much troubled with the feare of wanting, as he can be comforted with the sense of enjoying.

There are three steps of blessednesse. To be delivered from evill, is but a part of blessednesse, negative blessednes: To receive good, is the better part of blessednesse, positive blessednesse. But to be assured that we shall hold and retaine all this, is the perfection of blessednesse. The first part of that great blessing we receive by Christ, consists in our deliverance from evill, or in a freedome from perishing. The second consists in the conveyance of good to us, as pardon of sin, grace and glory. But the third (which is the height of all) consists in our everlasting assurance to enjoy all this: Adam had a good estate, but he was not assured of it: The bles∣sings we have by Christ, are built upon a foundation, which can never be shaken. In this method, temporall mercies are promised in this Scripture: First, deliverance from sword and famine. Se∣condly, peace with the creatures. Thirdly, an assurance that this peace shall be continued. Lastly observe,

All outward blessings are in themselves fading and perishing.

Though a man be assured that he shall enjoy outward blessings, yet he can enjoy them but in the nature and condition of outward blessings. Though he be sure to use and enjoy them, yet he looks upon them as perishing in the using. All outward things are here (as frequently in other Scriptures) implied under the notion of a Tabernacle; a Tabernacle is a moveable habitation. It is a peece of a miracle if a Tabernacle stand long; that promise (Isa. 33. 20.) imports somewhat extraordinary: A Tabernacle that should not be taken downe, not one of the stakes thereof removed, nor any of the cords thereof be broken; It is as if the holy Ghost should say; Thou shalt be a Tabernacle priviledg'd above all Tabernacles: They are moveable, unfixed, easie to be taken downe; but it shall not be so with thee. The Apostles conclusion takes in all creature comforts, The fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7 31. The scheme, the beauty of the best earthly things passe, while we enjoy them, and moulder away between our hands while we are using them.

And thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

This clause of the verse compleats mercy yet higher; It is better not to sin in our habitation, then to be assured of a habitation. To

have quietnesse in our habitation is very good, but to have holinesse in it, is best of all. Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

The word which we translate habitation, signifies not only a house, but a wife, or a housewife; Hence some render, Thou shalt visit thy beauty, or thy faire and beautifull wife, and shalt not sin; The reason is, either because a good wife is the beauty and orna∣ment of the house: or because the knowledge, wisedome and dili∣gence of the wife, is a meanes to furnish and adorne the house; or lastly, the businesse of a wife is so much in the house, that she shares names with the house: she is, or ought to be like a shaile, living with her house upon her back. The Apostles rule also be∣ing, I will that the younger women marry, beare children, guide the house, 1 Tim. 5, 14. And exhort them to be discreet, chast, kee∣pers at home, Tit. 2. 5. Hence also probably, the same word in Hebrew, signifies a beautifull wife, and a beautifull house. We reade it in that sense (Psal. 68. 12.) Kings of armies did fly apace, and she that tarried at home divided the spoile. She that tarried at home, or the beauty of the house (sc. the wife) divided the spoile. The meaning is, such victory shall be obtained over the enemies of the Church, that the wives and weake women, shall be fill'd with those spoiles, which theit triumphant husbands shall bring home to them.

But here, we may rather take the word in the ordinary sense, only with this emphasis, signifying (not bare walls, or a nume∣rous family) but a beautifull, a well furnished, a well ordered house. And so we have the word, at the third verse of this Chap∣ter, where Eliphaz saith, I saw the wicked taking root, and pre∣sently I cursed his habitation, or his goodly, beautifull, flourishing house: So here, thou shalt visit thy habitation, that is, thy house in all the beauty, order, riches and furniture of it.

Thou shalt visit. The word signifies more, then to see and look upon buildings and furniture: To visit, notes in Scripture these three or foure things.

1. To overlooke or take care of the house; To visit the house, is to provide for the house. Psal. 8. 4. Lord what is man that thou visitest him! that is, that thou takest so much eare of him, and hast such waking thoughts about him.

2. To visit the house, notes an enquirie of what is done in the house, how things goe in the family.

3. It imports a calling of all to an account and reckoning, about

what is done in their discharge of family duties.

4. To visit, is to order and direct, to command and give precepts for what shall be done. Hence frequently in the old Testament, the Commandements of God are expressed by this word, his pre∣cepts. So then, thou shalt visit thy house, or thy habitation, may take in all these; thou shalt as a Master, view, and over-see, direct and call to account thy house and family. In this sense, the word is commonly used amongst us; That act of the Bishops calling their Diocesses to an account, and over-looking them, was called their Visitation. And over Colledges, Hospitals and such publicke foun∣dations, Visitors are appointed, to see and take an account, how the rules and statutes of those places are observed. Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

But how is it said he shall doe this, and not sin? Doth not sin min∣gle with all we doe?

The word here used, signifies, 1. Tropically, to erre, faile or miscarry in the generall. 2. Properly, to misse a speciall marke or way, to shoot awry, or wander instead of walking; as (Judg. 20. 16.) it is said of those seven thousand Benjamites, that they could shoot at an haires bredth, and not sin, so the word is, or not miscarry, not misse the marke. And because every transgressi∣on, is a wandring out of the way of Gods commandements, or a shooting beside the marke of his word; therefore that word in Scripture, is commonly used for sinning.

Here the word admits of a two-fold interpretation.

First, For the fruit or effect of sin, thus, thou shalt order and over looke thy family, with such wisdome and discretion, that thou shalt not erre or doe things beside the rule of prudence, and so bring miscarriages and troubles upon thy affaires by sinne. Mr Broughton translates to this sense, Thou shalt visit thy habita∣tion, and shalt not misprosper. And so Eliphaz may hint at Jobs former losses, at the overthrow of his estate and family; as if he had said, heretofore thou didst visit thy habitation, and didst not prosper, but if thou shalt now humble thy selfe, thou shalt visit thy habitation, and all shall prosper, things shall goe well with thee, thou shalt not labour in vaine, or loose thy end in the care thou takest about thy family.

Secondly, the sense may be this, thou shalt order and visit thy family, with so much justice, equity & holinesse, that thou shalt not sin. Not that Eliphaz undertakes his absolute freedome from

sin, but he should not sin as (he supposed he had) before, thou shalt not run into such errors, or split thy selfe upon such rocks as have wrackt thy former greatnesse And thus he secretly reproves Jobs former carriage in his family, as irregular and sinfull.

There is a further exposition joyning both these together, Thou shalt visit thy house, and shalt not sin, namely, by conniving or winking at the sins and disorders of thy family, and yet thou shalt have peace: thy strict and faithfull carriage in over-seeing thy fa∣mily, shall not provoke either servants, or children to contention and complainings, to anger and passion; Thy holy severity shall not fill thy house with quarrels and troubles; but God shall so over awe the spirits of those under thee, that they shall willingly and cheerefully submit to thy purer discipline. Observe hence, First,

It is a great and a speciall point of godly wisdome, well to order and visit a family.

Families are the principles or seeds of a Common-wealth. As every man is a little world, so every house is a little King∣dome. A family is a Common-wealth in a little volume. And the rules of it, are an epitomie of all Lawes, by which whole Nations are govern'd. The Apostle makes it a speciall character of his Bishop, That he must be one who rules his own house well; and subjoynes the reason, For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? 1 Tim. 3. 4, 5. And therein wraps up this truth, that he who knowes how to rule his own house well, is in a good posture of spirit for publike rule. The same wisdome, and justice, and holinesse for kind, only more enlarg'd and extensiue, acts in either spheare, and will regu∣larly move both. Secondly,

A family well visited and ordered, is usually a prosperous fa∣mily.

Sinne spoiles the comforts and cankers the blessings of a family.

Sin brought into a house, rots the timber, and pulls down the house; or it undermines the foundation, and blowes up the house. The sin of families, is the ruine and consumption of families. Hence thirdly observe,

To be kept from sin, is a better and a greater blessing, than all outward blessings.

When Eliphaz had reckoned up all the comforts, which repen∣ting Job is promised; Thou shalt be delivered in six troubles and

in seven: Sword and famine shall not hurt thee, peace and plenty shall dwell within thy walls, and lodge in every chamber: Yet (saith he) I will tell thee of a blessing, beyond all these, thou shalt not sin: It is more mercy to be delivered from one sin, then from sword and famine; grace is better then peace, and holinesse then aboundance; riches, and honour, and health, are all obscured in this one blessing, A holy, a gracious, an humble heart.

There is more evill in one sin, than in any or all troubles; there∣fore, there must needs be a greater blessing in being kept from sin, than in protection from any or all troubles. Sin is the greatest evill, therefore to be kept from sin, is one of the greatest goods. Christ took upon him all sorts of outward evils, he became poor for our sakes, he had not so much as an house to lye in: he came in the forme of a servant for our sakes, and he was a man of sorrowes, He was acquainted with grief all his life, at last with death and a grave; Yet, he would not admit of the least sin: he was content to bears all our sins, but he abhord the thought of acting one. Not to sin, is the next priviledge to God, and the utmost priviledge of man. When in a full sense, man shall not sin, man will be arrived at fulnes of joy; and as we daily empty of sin, so we proportionably, fill with joy.

Vers. 25. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thy off spring as the grasse of the earth.

From the present bessings upon the family, he descends to those which concerne posterity; as if he had said, thy comforts shall not be confined to thy selfe, neither shall they be shut up within the limits of one generation; Mercies shall be transmitted to thy children, thy heires shall inherit blessings.

Thy seed shall be great. The word Great, signifies both multi∣tude and magnitude: Thou shalt have a great seed, that is, a nu∣merous seed a multitude of children; and thou shalt have a great seed, that is, honourable and wealthy children; Job himselfe was called, Chap. 1. 3. (though by another word, yet in the same sense) the greatest man in the East; This greatnesse is promised his children, and thy shall receive additionall further blessings: For the word [Rab] signifies greatnesse, in a continuall motion to more eminent greatnesse: And therefore it is sometime translated by encreasing; So (Isa. 9. 6.) where the Prophet sets out the flou∣rishing glory of the kingdome of Christ; Of the increase of his Kingdome and peace, there shall be no end; or, of the greatnesse

and greatning of his kingdome, there shall be no end. So that, to say thy seed shall be great, notes, not only some standing greatnesse, but growing greatnesse: they shall ever be upon an encrease, till they come to their full in glory.

And thy off-spring as the grasse of the earth.

Both clauses of the verse meane the same thing. The word which we translate off-spring, signifies properly that which goeth forth or issues, because children spring or goe forth from their pa∣rents, and are therefore called their issue. And the word is used for the bud of the Olive or of the Vine; hence the Psalmist puts them both into a similitude. Thy children shall be like olive plants round about thy table, They are as the olive bud in their birth, and as the olive branch in their growth.

Thy off-spring shall be as the grasse of the earth.

To be as the grasse of the earth, is a proverbiall speech; and it arises to the sense of those proverbials spoken to Abraham con∣cerning his seed, thy seed shall be as the Starres of Heaven: And thy seed shall be as the sand upon the sea-shore. The grasse of the field is as innumerable, as the Starres, or the sands; Thy off spring shall be as the grasse of the sield. Thou shalt not only have a numerous, but thou shalt have (as it were) an innumerable off spring.

Man kind in generall is compared unto grasse, Isa. 40. 6. All flesh is grasse; Grasse in regard of its sudden withering, he is suddenly cut downe, the goodlinesse of man is as the flower of the field. Wicked men are compared to grasse, not only because they wither, but because they wither suddenly, or are cut downe by some hand of justice. The off-spring of a godly man, are com∣pared to grasse, but in another reference. To grasse, first, because of their multitude, and secondly, because of their beauty, they shall flourish and be green as the grasse, which is very pleasant to the beholders eye.

And in this also Eliphaz aimes at the death of Job's children; Thou hast lost thy children, they perished miserably, but if thou returne, that blessing shall returne, thy seed shall be great, and thy off spring shall be as the grasse of the earth.

The blessing of children hath been shewed in the first Chap∣ter, therefore I shall but name a point or two now. First, That

The posterity of godly parents. stand neerer then others,

under the influence of heavenly blessings.

As grace doth not runne in a blood, so neither do blessings in∣fallibly runne in a blood, yet the children of those who are blessed, are neerest a blessing: And their possibilities for mercy are fairest. Many promises are made to them, they are heires apparent of the promises in their parents right; others to appearance, are strangers from the promises. Though, we know free grace chuseth often out of the naturall line; The mercies of God are his own, and it is his prerogative, to have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardneth.

Secondly, When he summes up the blessings of a godly man, the blessings of his children are cast into the account. Whence note,

That the blessings of the children, are the blessings of the parent.

As the parent is afflicted in the afflictions of his children, so he is blessed in their blessings. Relations share mutually both in com∣forts and crosses. Children are their parents multiplied, and every good of the child, is an addition to the parents good. A flourishing and a numerous posterity is a great outward blessing. Some have the choisest of spirituall blessings, who want this (Isa. 56. 3.) God comforts those that have no children, Doe not say that thou art made a dry tree; for I will give thee in mine house, a place and a name better than of sons and daughters; As if he had said, the name of sons and of daughters, is a very great comfort, but it is not the greatest comfort, the best biessing: thou shalt have a name and a place, better than of sons and daughters.

Vers. 26. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corne commeth, in his season.

From personall present blessings of this life, and the blessings of posterity, Eliphaz descends to shew the blessing of a godly man in death. A happy death is the close of temporall happinesse, and the beginning of eternall. A happy death stands between grace and glory, like the Baptist between the law and the Gospel, and is the connexion or knitting of both. And as it was said of John, That among them who are borne of women, there arose not a greater then he, neverthelesse, he that is least in the kingdome of heaven, is greater then John: So we may say, that among all the blessings of this life, there is none greater then a blessed death, neverthelesse that which is least in eternall life, is a greater blessing, then a blessed

death. It was an observation among the Heathen, That no man is to be accounted blessed, untill he die. But when life is shut up with a blessing, then man is fully blessed; As in reasoning, so in living, the conclusion lyes in the premises. A happy death is the re∣sult of a holy life.

Thou shalt come to thy grave.] That phrase notes two things.

First, A willingnesse and a chearfulnesse to die. Thou shelt come, thou shalt not be dragged or hurried to thy grave, as it is said of the foolish rich man, Luk. 12. This night shall thy soule be taken from thee. But thou shalt come to thy grave, thou shalt die quietly and smilingly, as it were, thou shalt goe to thy grave, as it were upon thine owne feet, and rather walke, then be carried to thy Sepul∣cher.

Secondly, it notes the honor and solemnity of burying. Thou shalt come to thy grave with honour; as it is said of Ahijah the son of Je∣roboam, 1 King. 14. 12, 13. When Messengers were sent to the Pro∣phet to enquire whether he should recover, the Prophet tels them, The child shall die, and all Israel shall mourne for him, and bury him: For, he only of Jeroboam shall Come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Isra∣el, in the house of Jeroboam. He only shall come to thy grave, the rest shall be thrust into the grave, or lye unburied, but he shall come, that is, he shall be buried with honour; others shall have reproach cast upon them, when the earth is cast upon them. Thou shalt come to thy grave.

In a full age] So we translate. The word is expounded two wayes.

In a full age, that is, in an age, when thou shalt be full: full of estate, full of wealth and honour, thou shalt have abundance when thou diest. And so it points at Jobs present poverty: though thou hast nothing now, scarse a ragge to thy backe, or a sheet to winde thee in, if thou shouldst die, yet seeke unto God, and thou shalt die in a full age, in a golden Age, thy wants shall be supplied, and thy losses repaired to the full.

But rather a full Age, notes here a sulnesse of daies, though the other (fullnesse of estate) be not excluded. The Prophet puts the same difference, between aged men, and men full of dayes, as is between children, and young men (Jer. 6. 11.) I am full of the fury of the Lord, I will powre it out upon the children abroad, and up∣on

the assembly of young men together, The aged, with him that is full of dayes. That is, all ages shall feele the fury of the Lord. A full age, is an age full of daies or compleate to the utmost time of life. Some of the Jewish Writers observe that the numerall letters of this word (Chelad) make up threescore, which they conceive is the age here meant; but threescore is not a full old-oge, it is rather the beginning of old-age. Therefore fulnesse of age, is by others interpreted, to be strength of age; thou shalt die in an old age, yet thou shalt have strength and comfort in thy old-age; thine old-age shall not be a troublesome age, thou shalt not be weake and crazy, distempered and sick, a burthen to thy selfe, or friends; thou shalt die (as some translate) in a good old-age, or as Mr. Broughton, thou shalt die in lusty old-age; Time shall not wither thee, nor drinke up thy blood and spirits, Thou shalt have a spring in the Autumne, and a Summer in the winter of thy life. As it was with Moses, Deut. 34. 7. who died, when he was an hundred and twenty yeares old, yet saith the text, His eye was not dimme, nor his naturall force abated; This is to die in a full old-age, full of daies, yet full of strength and health. It is a great blessing, when a man is (in this sense) youthfull in old-age: when others see with foure eyes, and goe with three leggs, he uses neither staff nor specta∣cles, but renews his strength like the Eagle.

Or, we may take the sense more generally, for any one that liveth long, and liveth comfortably; as it was said of Abraham, Gen. 25. 8. That he died in a good old-age, an old man, and full of yeares. He died in a good old-age; The young-man is counsel'd, To re∣member his Creator in the dayes of his youth; before the evill daies come, Eccles. 12. 1. What are those? Those evill daies are the daies of old-age: The words following being an Allegoricall, ele∣gant description of old age. Old-age in it selfe is the evill day: The lives of many old-men are a continuall death. They live as it were upon the racke of extreame paines or strong infirmities; there∣fore it is a speciall blessing for man to be old, and yet to have a good old-age, that is, a florid comfortable old-age; To have ma∣ny yeares and few infirmities is a rare thing. In some old-age flou∣rishes, and in others old-age perishes, Job gives us this difference in the use of this word, Chap. 30. 2. Yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom (Chelad) old-age was perished, As if he had said, some old-men are active and strong, but these, who were faded and flatted in all their abilities, in what

stead could they stand me? They were a trouble to themselves, and therefore could be no comfort unto others.

This full old-age is explained further, by way of similitude, He shall die in a full age, lie as a shock of corne commeth in, in his season. When a young man dye, he is as greene corne. The Psal∣mist imprecates that some may be like the grasse or corne on the house-top, that withereth before it is cut downe, whereof the mow∣er filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth up the sheaves, his bo∣some. The life of a man sometimes is like corn growing upon the house top, that withereth: Or (as it is in the parable of the sower, Mat. 13.) like the corne that fell on the high-way side, or among stones and thornes, which came not in, in it's season, it never staid the ripening or reaping, but was eaten up or dried or choaked be∣fore the harvest. Now here, man is compared unto corne, sow∣ed in good ground, well rooted and continuing out it's season, and is brought in ripe at harvest. Old-age is the harvest of nature.

Some divide mans life into seven parts, comparing it to the seven planets; Some into five, comparing it to the five acts of an inter∣lude; but commonly the life of man is divided into foure parts, and so it is compared to the foure seasons of the yeare. And in that division, old-age is the winter-quarter, cold and cloudy, full of rheumes and catarrhs of diseases and distellations. But here, old-age is the harvest; though, thou art a very old-man, thou shalt not die as in winter, but thou shalt die, as it were in harvest, when thou art full ripe and readie, as a shock of corne that is laid up in the barne; The generall judgement of the world is compared to a har∣vest, and death (which is a particular day of judgement) is a har∣vest too.

Those words, He shall come to his grave as a shock of corne, are further considerable, the Hebrew is, He shall ascend as a shock of corre; and that referring to death, is sometimes translated by cut∣ting off, or taking away, Psal. 102. 25. Cut me not off in the midst of my daies; The letter is, Let me not ascend in the midst of my daies: Whether it have any allusion to that hope or faith of the Saints in their death, that, they doe but ascend, when they die; or to their disappearing to the eye of sence, when they die, because things which ascend, vanish out of sight, and are not seene; In ei∣ther sence, when the Saints are cut downe by death, they ascend And they are elegantly said, To ascend as a shock of corne, because that is taken from the earth, and reored or stackt up; and so by a

Metaphor it signisies a Tombe or a monument errected or high-built over a dead corpse, much after the manner of a shock of corn; So the word is used, He shall remaine in the tombe or Heape. Job 22. 32.

So then, the sum of this verse, is a promise of comfort and ho∣nour in death: He shall die in a full age, when he is readie and ripe for death. Yet this is not to be taken strictly, that, every godly man dies in such a full old age, in an age full of daies or full of com∣forts. Many of Gods best servants have had evill daies in their old age; their old age hath had many daies of trouble and sickness, of paine and perplexity. But thus it is with many in old age, and this is especially to be look't upon as an Old Testament promise, when the Lord dealt more with his people, invisible externall mer∣cies. Yet, in one sense it is an universall truth, and ever fulfilled to his people, for whensoever they die, they die in a good age, yea though they die in the spring and flower of youth, they die in a good old age; that is, they are ripe for death, when ever they die; when ever a godly man dies, it is harvest time with him; though in a naturall capacity he be cut down, while he is green, and cropt in the bud or blossome, yet in his spirituall capacity, he never dies before he is ripe. God ripens his speedily, when he intends to take them out of the world speedily. He can let out such warme rayes and beams of his Spirit upon them; as shall soone maturate the seeds of grace, into a preparednesse for glory: whereas a wicked man living an hundred yeaers, hath no full old-age, much lesse a good old-age, he is ripe indeed for destruction, but he is never ripe for death; he is as unreadie and unripe for death, when he is an hundred years old, as when he was but a day old. He hath not be∣gun to live, when he dies; or he is at the end of his naturall race, be∣fore he hath set one step in his spiritual. Gray haires are the shame, and should be the sorrow of old-age, when they are not found in the way of righteousnesse. From the former branch of this verse, observe; First,

To have a comely buriall, to come to the grave with honour, is a great blessing.

It was threatned upon Jehojakim, the sonne of Josiah, as a curse, That he should have the buriall of an Asse, and be drag'd and cast out beyond the gates of the City, Jer. 22. 19. That man surely had lived like a beast, whom God threatn'd by name, that when he died, he should be used as a beast: though we know the bodies of

many of the servants of God, have been scattered, and may be scat∣tered upon the face of the earth, like dung; The dead bodies (as the complaint is, Psal. 79. 2.) of thy servants have they given to be meat to the fowles of the heaven, the flesh of thy Saints to the beasts of the earth. Yet to them (even then) there is this blessing re∣served, beyond the blessing of a buriall, they are ever laid up in the heart of God, he takes care of them, he embalmes them for immortality, when the remains of their mortality, are troden un∣der foot, or rot upon a dunghill.

Secondly, observe, A godly man, is a volunteer in his death; He commeth to the grave: A wicked man, never dies willingly, Though he sometime die by his own hand, yet he never dies with his own will. Miserable man is sometimes so over-prest with ter∣rours, and horrours of conscience, so worne out with the trouble of living, that he hastens his own death. Yet he, Comes not to his grave willingly, but is drag'd by necessity. He thrusts his life out of doores with a violent hand, but it never goes out with a cheerfull mind. He is often unwilling to live, but he is never wil∣ling to die. Death is welcome to him, because life is a burden to him. Only they come to the grave, who, by faith have seene Christ lying in the grave, and perfuming that house of corruption, with his owne most precious body, which saw no corruption. Ob∣serve thirdly.

To live long and to die in a full age is a great blessing. Old Eli had this curse pronounced upon his family, 1 Sam. 2. 31. There shall not be an old man in thy house.

Gray haires are a crown of honour, when they are found in the way of righteousnesse. It is indeed infinitely better, to be full of grace, than to be full of daies; but to be full of daies, and full of grace too, what a venerable spectacle is that? To be full of years, and full of faith, full of good workes, full of the fruits of righte∣ousnesse, which are by Christ, How comely and beautifull beyond all the beauty and comelinesse of youth, is that? Such are truly said to have filled their daies. Those daies are fill'd indeed, which are full of goodnesse. When a wicked man dies, he ever dies emp∣tie and hungrie; he dies empty of goodnesse, and he dies hungry after daies. That place before mentioned of Abraham (Gen. 25. 8.) is most worthy our second thoughts, He dies in a good old-age, an old man, and full, so the Hebrew, we reade, full of years; As a man, that hath eaten and drunke plentifully, is full; and desires no

more. So, he dyed an old-man and full, that is, he had lived as much as he desired to live, he had his fill of living, when he died. And therefore also, it may be called a full age, because a godly man hath his fill of living, but a wicked man (let him live never so long) is never full of daies, never full of living; he is as hungry and as thirsty (as a man may speake) after more time and daies, when he is old, as he was when he was a child, faine he would live hill; He must needs thinke it is good being here, who knowes of no better being, or hath no hopes of a better, It is a certaine truth, He that hath not a tast of eternity, can never be satisfied with time. He that hath not some hold of everlasting life, is never pleased to let goe this life; therefore he is never full of this life. It is a most sad thing, to see an old man, who hath no strength of body to live, yet have a strong mind to live. Abraham was old and full, he desired not a day, or an houre longer His soul had never an empty corner for time, when he died. He had enough of all, but (of which he could never have e∣nough and yet had enough, and all, as soon as he had any of it) e∣ternity. In that great restitution promised, Isa. 65. 20. this is one priviledge, There shall be no more there, an infant of daies, nor an old man that hath not fil'd his daies. There is much controversie about the meaning of those words; The digression would be too long to insist upon them. Only to the present point thus much, that there is such a thing, as an Infant of daies, and an old man that hath not fill'd his daies.

An infant of daies, may be taken for an old child, that is, an old man childish, or a man of many years, but few abilities. A man whose hoary head ann wrinkled face speak fourscoure, yet his foolish actions and simple carriage speake under fourteene. An old man that hath not fill'd his daies, is conceived to be the same man, in a different character. An old man fils not his dayes. First When he fulfils not the duty, nor reaches the end for which he li∣ved to old-age; That man who hath lived long, and done little, hath left empty daies, upon the record of his life. And when you have writ downe the daies, the months, and yeares of his life, his storie's done, the rest of the book is but a continued Blanke, no∣thing to be remembred that he hath done, or nothing worth the remembrance.

Now as an old man fils not his daies, when he satisfies not the expectation of others: so in the second place his daies are not fill'd, when his own expectations are not satisfied, that is, when he ha∣ving

lived to be old, hath yet young fresh desires to live, when he finds his mind empty, though his body be so full of daies, that it can hold no longer, nor no more. He that is in this sense, an infant of dayes, and an old man not having filled his dayes, though he be an hundred yeares old when he dies, yet he dies (as the Prophet con∣cludes in that place) accursed; he comes not to his grave under the blessing of this promise in the text, in a full age. Lastly ob∣serve.

Every thing is beautifull in its season.

He shall come to his grave like a shock of corne that is brought in in his season. Even pale death hath beauty in it, when it comes in season. Eccles. 7. 17. Be not wicked over much, why shouldst thou dye before thy time? No man can dye before Gods time, but a man may dye before his time, that is, before he is prepared by grace, and before he is ripened in the course of nature. Those two wayes a man dyes before his time; First, when he dyes without any strength of grace; Secondly, when he dyes in the strength of nature. In this sense the Prophet describes the hand of God upon him, Psal. 102. 23. He weakned my strength in the way; •••• shortned my dayes: and therefore prayes in the 24th verse, I said, O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes: That is, in the strength or best of my times according to the line and measure of nature A godly man prayes that he may not dye out of season; but a wicked man never dies in season: That threatning is ever ful∣filled upon him, in one sense, if not in both (Psal. 55. 23) The blood∣thirsty and deceitfull man shall not live out halfe his dayes. A wic∣ked man never lives out halfe his daies; for, either he is cut off be∣fore he hath lived halfe the course of nature, or he is cut off before he hath lived a quarter of the course of his desires; either he lives not halfe so long as he might, or not a tenth, not a hundreth part so long as he would; and therefore let him dye when he will, his death is full of terror, trouble and confusion, because he dies out of season. He never kept time or season with God, and surely God will not keep or regard his time or season.

Vers. 27. Loe this, we have searched it; so it is, heare it, and know thou it for thy good.

As Eliphaz began his dispute with an elegant preface, so he ends it with a rhetoricall conclusion; as if he had said▪ Job, I have spoken many things unto thee, heare now the summe and upshot of

all; Loe this, we have searched it, so it is, heare it, and know it for thy good.

Two things he concludes with, First with an assertion of the truth of what he had spoken, So it is. Secondly, with a motion for his assent to what was spoken, Heare it.

Or the words may fall under a three-fold consideration.

• As the
  • 1. Conclusion
    • of his speech.
  • 2. Confirmation
  • 3. Application

And this application is strengthned by a three-fold Motive.

By a motive, first from experience, Loe this, we have searched it, we have found the thing to be true.

Secondly, By a motive from the truth of the thing in it selfe, so it is: we have searched it, we have experience of it, so it is, the thing is certaine. And then

Thirdly, From the fruit and benefit of it, if he submit unto and obey the truth delivered, know it for thy good, thou shalt reap the profit of it. These are three motives, by which he strengthens his exhortation, in applying the truth he had beaten out, in his for∣mer discourse.

We have searched it.] As if Eliphaz had said, we have not ta∣ken these things upon trust, or by an implicite faith; we have not received them by tradition from our fathers, but we have searched, and tryed, and found out, that thus the matter stands in Gods dis∣pensations, both to a wicked man, and to a godly man, in all the particulars run thorough in this Chapter. Or we have searched, that is, we have learned these truths by experience; That, God pu∣nisheth not the innocent, that, man cannot compare in justice with God, that, hypocrites shall not prosper long, and that, mans affli∣ctions are the fruit of his transgressions. The word signifies a very diligent and exact scrutiny, (Deut. 13. 14.) Thou shalt en∣quire and make search, and aske diligently; it is to search as Jud∣ges search and enquire about any crime, or question in Law deter∣minable by their sentence; and as we search to find the meaning of a riddle. (Judg. 14. 14.) The word is also applied to the sear∣chings and enquiries of a Spie (Judg. 18. 2.) sent to bring intel∣ligence; A spie is an exact inquisitor, into all affaires, given him in charge for discovery. So here, we have searched out, we have spi∣ed out and tryed this thing to the utmost, we have as it were, read over all the records of divine Truths, we have examined all expe∣riences

and examples, and this is the result, the summe of all, Loe thus it is.

A question arises here, how Eliphaz can say, we have searcht it, when as Chap. 4. he saith, A thing was secretly brought to me? It seemes these were matters attained and beaten out by study, not sent in by divine revelation; and so are rather the opinions of men, then the oracles of God. Men inspired by the Holy Ghost, speak another language; As, Thus saith the Lord, or this we have recei∣ved, not this we have searched. Scripture is given by inspiration from God. not by the disquisitions of men

Some have hence concluded this speech of Eliphaz Apocryphal, as being rather matter of humane invention, then divine inspira∣tion: Or the work of mans wit, rather then of Gods Spirit.

But I answer. First, The Apostle Paul hath sufficiently attested the Divine Authority of this discoruse, by alledging a proof out of it, 1 Cor. 3. 19.

Secondly, That which was secretly brought to Eliphaz, was that one speciall Oracle, Chap. 4. 17. Shall mortall man be more just then God? shall a man be more pure then his maker? The other part of his discourse, to which these words (Loe this we have searched) refer, were grounded upon the experiences which himselfe and his friends had observed in, and about the providence of God in all his dealings both with the godly and the wicked, all agreeable to that grand principle received by immediate revela∣tion. And therefore as he told Job before, that the generall posi∣tion was brought him in a vision, so all ages and the records kept of them (in all which he had made a diligent enquirie) came up fully to the proofe of it; As if he had said, The Lord told me so, and all he hath done in the word proclaimes that it is so. His word is enough to assert his own justice, but his works witnesse with it. Loe, this, we have searched, so it is.

We have searched. He speaks in the plurall number; he begun his speech in the fourth Chapter, and he concluds it here in the plurall number. Yet we are not to think, that, this was a discourse penn'd by them all together; or debated first in private conference, and agreed on, that thus Eliphaz should speake, because he saith, we have searched it. But the meaning is only this, I suppose I have spoken the sense of my two friends, who stand by, and I beleeve they are ready to subscribe to, or vote every word I have now ut∣tered, therefore behold we have searched and thus it is.

Heare thou it. To advise thee, was our part; to heare and hear∣ken is thy part; therefore heare it.

But had he not heard them all this while, why doth Eliphaz now bid him heare it?

It is true, he had heard; but there is more required, then the hearing of the eare, when such a Sermon as this is preached. To heare, is more than the worke of the eare. It is

First, To beleeve and give credit to what was heard. (Joh. 9. 27.) I told you before, and you would not heare (saith the blind man) wherefore would you heare it againe? that is, I have told you already, but you would not beleeve, nor give credit to what I spake.

Secondly, To heare is to hearken, that is, to yeeld and consent to what is spoken. (Gen. 3. 17.) Forasmuch, as thou hast hearkned to the counsell of thy wife: Barely to heare a temptation to sin, is no act of sin; as barely to heare an exhortation to good, is no act of grace. Therefore because thou hast hearkned, is, because thou hast yeelded and consented to, that which she hath spoken.

Thirdly, To heare, is to obey. Isa. 55. 3. Heare and your soule shall live. It is not every hearing af the eare, that bringeth life to the soule, obedient hearing is enlivening hearing.

So here, we have searched it, so it is, heare it, that is, beleeve what we have spoken, submit unto, and consent to what we have spoken, obey and practise what we havespoken.

To heare, is both an act of sence, and an act of reason, an act of nature, and an act of grace. To heare one requesting and praying is to grant: and to heare one counselling and commanding, is to o∣bey. When God heares man, he grants; and when man heares God, or heares men speaking in the name of God, he yeelds and obeys.

It followes, And know thou it for thy good. The Hebrew is, know it for thy selfe. Now, because that which a man knowes for himselfe, is for his profit, therefore we translate, know it for thy good; that is, know it as that, whereby thy selfe mayest receive good. The meaning of, know it for thy selfe, is not this, know and keep it to thy selfe, let none partake with thee of it; It is against the use of knowledge, that a man should so know for himselfe, though a mans selfe hath or may have good by all he knowes. So we must understand that of Salomon, Prov. 9. 12. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thy selfe; that is, thou shalt be advantag'd by thy wis∣dome; Wisdome brings in a faire revenew; though many know

much and seem very wise, who know nothing for themselves, and are not wise at all, for their own good.

There are three sorts of knowing men.

First, Some know onely to know. They know, but the propose no end to themselves, beyond knowledge: They know not for the good of others, no nor for their own good. As it is with riches and honour, so with knowledge: covetous men gather riches that they may be rich, they propose not any other end of having riches, but only to be rich. An ambitious man, desires honor, that he may be honourable, he proposeth to himselfe no other end of his desiring honor, but to be honourable. So many are covetous and ambitious of knowledge, they read from book to book, and from point to point, from science to science, and what do they with all this know∣ledge? only this, that they may know; to know thus, is not to know for good, To know only to know, is no better then not to know.

Secondly, Others know, that they may be knowne, to know this is their end, that other men may know that they are knowing men, that they are great Schollars, great read-men, men of great abilities and boundlesse studies. Even as some desire riches, that they may be accounted rich, and honour, that they may be fam'd for honourable. To know only that we may be known, is worse then not to know.

But thirdly. That which is the right way of knowing, is to know that others may know, or, to know that our selves may practise. These are the true ends of knowing, to communicate knowledg and to obey knowledge. The great end of knowing should be our own profiting in holinesse and obedience. And so here, Know it for thy good, is, to know it so, as to make an advantage of thy knowledg. To know for our good, is the only good knowledge. Hence observe, first,

Truth deserves our most diligent search.

We have searched it (saith Eliphaz) The promise of finding truth, is only to such as search for truth (Prov. 2. 4.) Thou shalt find wisdome, &c. If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures. There are two places, two veines espe∣cially, where truth is to be found; There is the book of Gods word, and the book of Gods works: The book of Scripture, and the book of providence; In these two books, we are to search, in them to study out truth, for our own practise, and for advise to others.

Secondly Observe,

That which we offer to others for truth, we ought diligently to

make tryall of our selves; or we should make truth our own, before we distribute it to others

We have searched the thing out (saith Eliphaz) we know the truth to be thus, we are masters of what we teach. They who hear aright, search (as the Bereans) those things, which are taught them; and they who instruct aright, ought to search the things which they teach; If there must be after-searching of those things we hear, certainly there must be fore-searchings of the things we teach. Truth (ordinarily) is not worth the having unlesse it be come in by our own searching. They who receive that for truth which they never searcht, will not hold any truth when themselves are searcht. Truths merely borrowed and taken upon trust, are no stock, no abiding treasure of knowledge; And yet most can only say of all the truth they have, as he of his axe head, (2 Kings 6. 5.) Alas master, for it was borrowed; they snatch up one truth from this hand, and another from that, they take it upon the credit of this and that learned man; very few are able to say (as Eliphaz here) Loe this, we have searched it: The more paines we take to find truth, the more pleasure we take in it; That is sweetest to us, which we sweat most for, in praying and studying: Morsells of Truth dipt in that sawce, fatten and strengthen the soul most.

Observe thirdly,

What a man knoweth by search and disquisition, he is confi∣dent of.

We have searched it; and what follows? so it is; He speaks with authority, not timerously, as if he doubted whether it were so or no; but, so it is, we will bide by it, we have it upon enquiry and diligent search. Observe fourthly,

The truths we know our selves, we should communicate unto others.

Here it is, we have searched it, but we will not put the light we have found, under a bushell; we will not hide the talent we have in a napkin: Here it is, make what use of it thou canst, know it for thy good. Observe fifthly,

Truth may challenge credit, and command the eare.

Hear thou it▪ Truth needs not stand begging audience, or creep upon the ground with flattering insinuations, or humble submis∣sions to gaine acceptance. Truth is a great Prince, and may speak in the language of Princes; We will, We require; It commands rather then entreats, or all its entreaties commands, every word a

law or a charge: Hear thou it. Observe in the sixth place, That

It is needfull to make speciall application of generall doctrinall truths.

Eliphaz had delivered a doctrinall truth, and here he makes ap∣plication; And though he failed much, in the application of it to Job, yet there were generall truths very appliable, in the things he delivered. Therefore he stays not in generals, nor leaves his doctrine hovering in the ayre, but brings it home to the heart, and layes it close to the conscience; Hear thou it, and know it thou, for thy good. And not onely are nationall and speculative truths to be brought home and applied, but even common experimentall truths, such were these discussed, and handled by Eliphaz. Observe seventhly,

A man may know much, and yet get no good by it.

Know this for thy good. The Devil is a great Scholler, he knows much, but he knows nothing for his benefit, but all for his hurt. Many a man knowes almost all that is knowable; but he knowes nothing which is (to him) profitable: Nothing gaines by his know∣ledge but onely his pride, he is puffed up with knowledge, not built up, and that knowledge which puffes up, will at last puffe down, or cast us down. Eightly Observe,

A godly man, may make a profitable use of any Truth.

You see what truths Eliphaz spake; many of them ordinary, common Doctrines, and many of them sore threatnings and judge∣ments upon wicked men, yet know thou this for thy good. There is no veine of Doctrine in the book of God, but a man may make use, yea treasure of it. All truth is so symbolical to the regenerate part, that it cannot but more sublimate and spiritualize a spirituall heart, though it selfe be a truth about things earthly and temporall.

Observe lastly,

All truths, especially truths contained in the promises, are the portion of a godly man.

Know thou it for thy good, saith he; As if he should say, if thou art a godly man, then all the good things I have here spoken of, be∣longing to godly men, belong to thee, they are thy portion also. While a believer reads the book of God, he sees great riches, many precious things in the promises, and whatsoever good he findes there, there is nothing of it too good for him; he may know it all for his own good; those sweet delicious promises of the pardon of sin, of the love of God▪ of the freenesse of grace, of the glory to come, the promises of Christ, and of all that is Christs, all these

things are his, when he reads them, he may set his mark upon them, and know them for his goods, know them as his own proper goods. Unbelievers are strangers to the promises, and the promises are as strange to them, they know not the promises, and the promi∣ses will not know them: They know not a letter of Scripture for their good. The very promises are threatnings to them, and the very blessings of the book of God, are their curse. As the clouds passe over this and that piece of ground, and then dissolve upon a third, by the directing and all disposing providence of God: So the promises (which are full of blessings, full of comforts, as the clouds are of showers) passe over a wicked mans head, and let not down one drop of mercy or comfort upon him, but leave him like the dry hearth, or barren wildernesse, which seeth not when good cometh, Jer. 17. 6. But when the cloud moves a little farther, and meets with the family or person of a godly man, there it dissolves and powreth out a plentifull raine (both of temporall and spiri∣tuall blessings) to refresh and confirme that inheritance of the Lord, Psal. 68. 9.

And so much for this fifth Chapter, wherein, with the fourth, we have handled the first part of the dispute undertaken against Job, by Eliphaz, the first of his three friends. The whole discourse consi∣sting of divers arguments, to convince and humble him under the hand of God: of divers counsels and motives to perswade and di∣rect him to seek unto God, and submit to his correcting hand: All he was to speak, being let in, by a loving preface, and all he spake, being ratified, with an assuring conclusion, that all he had spoken was for his good, if he would hear, believe and obey. In the next Chapters we shall hear Job making his defence, scattering the charge thus brought against him, stiffely maintaining, and impor∣tunately renewing his first complaint.

Notes

• Solent frequen∣tissimè abstra∣cta ob Emphas∣in pro concre∣tis praedicari.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Habitatio & in soeminino genere signifi∣cat▪ Habi••atri∣cem mulierem, sc. habitantem in domo, & exornantem eam Moller. in Psal. 68 13.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Visitavit
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Erravit ā via, vel scopo.
• Non afficieris poena pro pecca∣to•• P••gn. Non laede••is, non accpies damnum aut detrimentum, Targ. Curabis res tu∣as & domum tuam, at eas procurans, non f••ustrabe••is spe¦tua, cedentibus tibi rebus om∣nibus pro voto & ex animi sententia, Mer. Non aberrabis sc. ā scopo & fine desiderij ••ui. Coc
• Domestici cor∣repti non suc∣censebunt•• V••∣tabl.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Germina sicut ex vite palmi∣tes.
• Proverbiale multitudinis, talia sunt sicut arena maris, ut stellae coeli, Drus.
• Hoc dicit quia. Iob filios ami∣serat. Merc.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Senium senectutis tem∣pus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• In numeris no∣tat 60 ea prima senectus est, non matura. Quidam Hebrae orum vi••idem senectam nomine 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 putant significari, ut Caph sit simili∣tudinis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ••u••è virtutem & humidum sonat. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Senctutem i∣ta{que} pollecetur-non quidem m••∣lestam & mor∣bosam sed vege∣tā & paelicem.
• Psal. 129. 6, 7.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ascendere signi∣ficat ••vanescere, velut in auras tolli velè medio tolli.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Propriè signifi∣cat acervum frugum, qui in
• area erigitur. Metaphoricè tumultum ceu currulum te••rae vel monumentū sepulcro impo∣si••um.
• Impij quamvis diu vivant. ta∣men non implent dies suos, quia spem in rehus temporarijs col∣locantes perpe∣tua vita in hoc mundo pe••frui vellent.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Scrutatus, per∣scrutatus est, remota aut ab∣strusa.
• Diligenti in∣quisitione & verita is scru∣tatiene nec non reconditorum divinae provi∣dentiae judicio∣rum considera∣tione rem ita se habere compe∣••im••••.
• Ex quo intelli∣gimus hanc E∣liphae disser∣tionem non or a∣culi fuisse, sed studij, nec ad Dei revelantis responsa, sed ad humani ingenij inventa perti∣nere. Janson. in loc.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉