cannot go beyond: And as of his life, so of his prosperity, and adversity, how long he shall injoy the one, or be under the other: Here then we see the cause, why some likely to live long be short lived, and others more in∣firme live longer: God hath set the boundary of each ones life to the very day. Whereas Hezekiah passe this boundary fifteen yeares, it is answer∣ed, the time of his living set by God, was these fifteen yeares also: But the Prophet Esay was sent to him, to threaten him with death of the sicknesse, which then he had, because he merited it by his sin, that he might humble himself as he did. and so be released again from that dangerous sicknesse: or else it may be conceived, that the time set by the Lord, was then come, which although he could not pass, yet God could prolong his life still, at his pleasure, because it is only said, the bounds set him can no man pass.
Turn from him that he may rest, til he shall accomplish as an hireling his day. Having laid a ground for a plea, to be released from his present misery, now he prayeth for it, as if he had said: For somuch as my time, of all men is very short, but a day, as an hirelings time is; give me some rest a∣gain, during this my short time, and then let the time of my departure come when thou pleasest.
For there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, &c. Of man returning no more, after that he is dead, see before chap. 7. 9, 10. Which is set forth by divers comparisons there; Here a contrary compari∣son from a tree is brought to illustrate it further, because man is often set forth by a tree in the holy Scriptures: For the literal sense, all things saith Gregory, are so plain here, that there is no need to say any more upon that: But we may by this tree reviving again after cutting down, under∣stand a just man, and by the man, betwixt whom and him the comparison is made, the wicked man: the just although he be cut down by death, suf∣fering martyrdome in his younger time, and waxing old, dyeth his natural death, or otherwise, yet he shall live again, yea although being dead, he lyeth in the dust: And as the tree through the sent of water liveth again and brancheth, so he by divine virtue, coming from above, shall have his dead body raised up to live gloriously in heaven.
But man dyeth and wasteth away, he giveth up the ghost, and where is he? And to make this allegory good, the just man is compared to a tree. Ps. 1. And ••esse the Father of David is likened to a tree cut down, the stump on∣ly being left, but afterwards branching again:J And to waters is the spirit of God often compared, as hath been before said: And if this place be thus understood, Iob sheweth here the same faith touching the resurrecti∣on to glory, that he doth plainly speak of Chap. 19. 25. Although in this place obscurely and enigmatically.
As the waters fall from the Sea, and the floud decayeth and dryeth up: So man lyeth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raysed out of their sleep. Here mans minde is compared to waters flowing from the Sea, and to floods of water, the one salt, the other sweet, because he is unstable in his waies, sometime having lustful thoughts in his minde, and sometime wrathful, and sometime covetous, yet his minde is sometime also as sweet water, for his thoughts of love and joy: And he is said when he dyeth, to lye down, and then in speaking of his reviving, he saith: He awaketh no more til the heavens fayl, to shew that he beleived, that the death of man, is but as a sleep, from which he shall at the end of the World awake, it being as easy for God then to raise him up, restoring to him his own body, as to wake one out of his sleep: Some because there is no word in the Hebrew signifying As, take it not for a similitude, but a dissimilitude, as that of a tree before going, as if he had said: Waters fal∣ling from the Sea, and floods be dryed up, but going into vapors that ascend up in time, they dissolve again into rain; whereby these waters are renew∣ed