Job 26

Job 26:2

HOw hast thou] thou Bildad, and thy companions will undertake, to cmfort, advise, and instruct me, but you doe not proceed well, and goe the contrary way to work: for to exclude mee from all accesse and filiall communication with God, and bring mee upon nothing but the consideration of his terrible Majesty, is the way to cast mee into despaie. Your counsell of converting my selfe, being gounded upon a false supposition, is vain and pernitious. The instructing of mee in such ordinary and common things, is altogether unprofitable, I knowing, confessing, and apprehending them as well as you. The question is, whether a child may not make his moane to his father, and whether a good conscience may not maintaine it selfe before God; and whether in such strange accidents, a man may not be doubtfull, and desire to be cleared by God.

Job 26:4

To whom] dost thou tell these things to an ignorant and silly man? dost not thou tell them o mee, who know them as well as thy selfe, Iob 9. 2. and 11. 3. and 13. 2 [whose spirit]wilt thou terme thy discourses to be divine inspirations, being such vulgar and ordinary things? Or doe but truely examine, what spirit it is that moveth the to talke thus, to draw your false conclusions out of yo〈…〉 discourses, and you will find it is impossible to bee the spirit of God.

Job 26:5

Dead things, &c.] the Italian hath it, the Giants were formed by God and &c. that is to say, spirits condemned under the earth, as devills, and the damned who are also called Giants in the Italian translation, Prov. 2. 18. and 9. 18. for the Giants of the primitive world, Genesis 6:4. which were drowned in the deluge were an example of everlasting damnation 1 Peter 3:19. Now Iob would say, I can exalt God Majesty and Power above that which you speak of it.

Job 26:7

The North] all the hemisphear of the Ar〈…〉tick pole, under which name hee comprehends the whole heaven, which is a subtile body, seeming to bee a vacuity, though there be no vacuity in nature, see Genesis 1:6 [hangeth] hee hath appointed even from the first creation, that the earth being the heaviest of all the elements, should stand immoveable in the center of the whole universe, compassed about on every side with the ayr, having no prop, nor supporter, but only its own weight, see Psal. 104. 5.

Job 26:8

Hee bindeth] a poeticall terme, meaning that hee keepeth up the vapours, where of the raine is engendred, gathered up in the clouds, as in bottles or barrells, see Iob 38. 37.

Job 26:9

Hee holdeth back] the Italian, hee seelth, that is to say, hee stretcheth out the heaven, which is his throne, like to a great coverture or seeling, which hee shadoweth over with clouds when hee pleaseth.

Job 26:10

Compassed] hee hath made great hallow places and channells in the earth, within the which the sea and other waters of the earth are kept, that they should not overflow, Genesis 1:9.[untill] so long as the world lasteth there will be a vicissitude of day and night, Genesis 8:22.

Job 26:11

The pillars] a poeticall phrase, as much at to say, the whole universe is shaken by him, see Iob 9. 6 Psal. 18. 9. and 104. 32 Mat 24:29.

Job 26:12

Divideth] namely when the children of Israel passed through the red sea; the fame of which miracle was spread all over the neighbouring countreys, Exodus 14:21. Others doe understand this more generally, as Isaiah 51:15 Ier. 31. 35 [the proud] the Italian hath it, Rahab, a common name for Egypt, Psa. 87. 4. and 89. 10 Isaiah 51:9. the signification of it is proud haughtinesse, whereupon some have understood it for the rising of the waves of the Sea.

Job 26:13

His spirit] that is to say, his divine and essentiall power [serpent] the scriptures call all great sea-fishes, and sea-monsters by this name. Others understand it to be the Celestiall signe called the great Dragon.

Job 26:14

His wayes] that is to say, works: [little] for want of capacity in us, see Iob 4. 12.: [who can] if God would reveale himselfe in his full Majesty, without accommodating himselfe to the meannesse of humane nature, it would likelier be an astonishing or thunder-like sound, than a sweet and instructing speech.