sels and proceedings of God by human allusions, on a time God held his sessions; and therein, the angels coming to present their service unto God for the behoof of his children, Satan also thrust him in amongst them into the presence of God.

I. 7, 8, 9 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, &c. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, &c.? Then ·Satan answered the LORD, Doth Job fear God for nought? And, (as if there had been a real and vocal conference betwixt God and Satan, concerning the proceedings with Job; wherein God should inquire of Satan whence he came; and, upon his answer, should, in a holy kind of confident insultation, commend Job's perfection to this enemy of mankind; which Satan spitefully detracts from, and desires to have tried by several afflictions,) so God most holily decreed to give power to Satan, for the proof of Job's fidelity and patience; and yielded to the several trials and calamities, which were brought upon Job.

II. 1, 2, 4, 5 Again there was a day when the sons of God came, &c. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? &c. And Satan answered the LORD, and suid, Skin for skin, &c. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh.

Satan, as not satisfied with that trial which he had taken of Job, in the loss of his oxen, sheep, camels, children, receives, as if it had been upon his importunate and personal suit unto God, commission from God, to take a further trial of him in his person; in his flesh, and bones, with the reservation of his life only.

II. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Dost thou still stand upon the terms of retaining thine integrity with God, since it speeds no better with thee? I wis, thou hast fared much the better, for thy so humble and patient resigning of thyself into the hands of God. It were as good for thee, to dispatch at once, and be rid out of this misery. Curse God; and he will, by his judgment, make speedy way for thee out of this lingering torment.

II. 12 They rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

They testified their exceeding sorrow for his great affliction, by rending their clothes, and strewing dust upon their heads.

II. 13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him. And they were so affected and astonished with his grievous sufferings, that they sat down silently by him, for the most part of seven days and seven nights, abridging themselves of their wonted rest and sustenance.

III. 1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day. At the last, Job himself began to break this silence; and, in a

pitiful complaint of his misery, weakly cursed the day wherein he was born.

III, 3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night wherein, &c.

Would to God, that day had never come, wherein so wretched a man, as I, was born; and now that it is unhappily come, let it be ever noted for direful and ominous.

III. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it, let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

Let the deepest and horriblest darkness make it uncomfortable; let a thick cloud cover it; and let a continued darkness make it terrible to all beholders.

III. 12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

Why were the knees of the midwife ready to hold me, or why were the breasts ready to give me suck?

III. 14 With kings and counsellers of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves.

With kings and great potentates of the earth, who, to raise glory unto themselves, build sumptuous houses in those places, which, through their desolateness and barrenness, seemed incapable of any cost or magnificence.

III. 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

Why is light cast away upon a man, whom God hath made so miserable, that there is no way to be hoped for, of his evasion from this calamity; whom God hath shut up in this distress, without all possibility of escape?

III. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Indeed, when I was at the best, I never made any account of my life and welfare; and yet this fear and moderation of mind doth not now excuse me from misery.

IV. 6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence?

Is not this thy storming and fretting at the hand of God, a plain argument, that all thy religion or pretended fear of God, was only upon a confidence that he would still bless and prosper thee?

IV. 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, und sow wickedness, reap the same.

I have well seen and observed, that men speed according to their actions, and reap the fruit of their evil doings in evil sufferings. IV. 11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

The tyrants and oppressors of the earth, which are as strong and roaring lions, however they may prevail with men, yet they are by the just and powerful God disappointed of their purposed prey, and distressed with just want.

IV. 12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

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If thou think not fit to believe me, yet believe the revelation, which I lately had concerning thee; for I had a secret intimation from God, wherein it pleased him to make known to me, what he judgeth of thine estate.

IV. 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

When I was most seriously thinking of thee, in the very deep of the night, at such time as other men are overtaken and possessed with their dead sleep,

IV. 14 Fear came upon me, &c.

There came a great fear and trembling on a sudden upon me, as a harbinger of that vision, which soon followed after it.

IV. 15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.

Then a spirit appeared before me, the presence whereof made my hair to stand upright.

IV. 16 But I could not discern the form thereof.

It stood still by me, but I could not discern what manner of visage it had.

IV. 18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

If the best and most glorious creatures be compared with him, alas, what are they? Behold; he finds not any such stability or absoluteness in his very angels, as that, setting aside his own. gracious endowments of them, and his firm decree concerning theim, they can stand out in the challenge of any perfection in themselves:

IV. 19 How much less on them that dwell in houses of clay, &c?. How much less can miserable man stand upon such points with his Maker?

V. 1 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

Since thou standest upon thine own justification so much, I appeal to any of the saints of God upon earth: let any of them judge of this thy condition; and say, whether there be not reason to charge thee with hypocrisy.

V. 2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy (or indignation) slayeth the silly one.

They will tell thee, in all experience; that God, in his most just judgment, meets with the man, not that is just, but that is wickedly foolish; and that his indignation falls heavy, even unto death, upon him that is grossly ignorant of God and the things of his peace. V. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root :· but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

I have seen the wicked man, seemingly grounded and flourishing in the world, but suddenly I gave him for gone; and in my thoughts, made full account of his utter extirpation.

V. 6 Although affliction cometh not out of the dust, neither doth spring out of the ground;

Yet this misery and affliction, that alights upon men, comes not either by chance, or of itself, or merely from the second causes, whether of men or other creatures, but it comes from above, and is inflicted by the Divine Hand of Supreme and Infinite Justice;

V. 7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. And yet, even in the course of nature, man is born to trouble and vexation; and it is no less natural to him, to be tried with manifold crosses here, than for the sparks of fire to fly upwards.

V. 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the dark.

They meet with unexpected crosses in their designs, and find contrary events to what they promised to themselves: when they made account of most joy, they meet with heaviness.

V. 19 He shall deliver thee from six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

He shall save thee from sinking under many troubles; and from the last and worst, he shall so rescue thee, that the evil of it shall not have so much as power to touch thee.

V. 23 Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field. All the creatures, who are engaged in the quarrels of their Maker, shall now stand in good terms with thee, and join together to thy use and service.

V. 24 Thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin (or err.) Thou shalt oversee thine aflairs with good success, and not err, or fail in the administration of them.

VI. 3 Therefore my words are swallowed up.

Such is the greatness of my affliction, that it bereaves me of all words, whereby I should endeavour to express it.

VI. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirits.

The grievous pains that I feel are so many poisoned arrows, shot into my flesh by the Almighty Hand of God; which have diffused their venom into all the parts of my body and soul, and have even spent and wasted my spirits, with the woeful sense of them.

VI. 5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? &c. Can ye imagine that I would cry out so bitterly, if I did not feel a just cause of my complaint? Ye see the very dumb creatures do not make their moan, but when they find a sense of their want.

VI, 6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Yet this is no small addition to my sorrow, that ye speak unto me words that have no savour of any comfort, but rather tend towards my further dejection: surely, there is no more relish in your speeches, than in the white of an egg without salt.

VI. 7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

And yet these are they, that I am forced to feed upon, for the present, though they be such, as my soul hath too much cause to abhor.

VI. io Let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

Let him do me this favour, to take away my life: let him not spare me to my further vexation; for I have been faithful to him, and have not concealed the words of his mouth, but have freely declared them to the world.

VI. 13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven away from me? However ye labour to dishearten me, yet have not I the testimony of a good conscience to bear me up? Is there not true spiritual wisdom yet remaining in me, to know both my God and myself? VI. 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully with me, as a brook, &c.

My kinsmen, that came to comfort me, are like a deceitful current of land-waters in winter:

VI. 16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, &c.

Which, in the cold season, seem to be strongly covered with a firm ice;

VI. 17 What time they wax warm, they vanish.

But when the heat of the sun hath risen upon them, and warmer seasons come in, they vanish away, as if they had never been.

VI. 19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

The troops of the Ishmaelitish merchants, that trade unto Tema, made account to refresh themselves with those streams in that dry wilderness; and so did the merchants that traffic to Sheba.

VI. 20 They were confounded.

And now find themselves miserably disappointed.

VI. 21 For now ye are nothing.

Right such are ye unto me; for now, howsoever ye formerly seemed, ye are as nothing; having utterly deceived my hopes of kindness and mercy from you.

VI. 22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give, &c.?

Was I ever beholden to any of you for a favour? Did I ever crave any of you, either gift or rescue?

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VI. 26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

Do you imagine that I speak nothing but light and idle words, and reprove me thereafter? Or do ye account the passionate complaints of a man, thus desperately miserable, to be no other than wind?

VI. 29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

Bethink yourselves well of the cruel wrong ye have offered me; and go not on to charge me thus unjustly: my righteousness and integrity is, and shall be apparent, in this whole carriage of the.

matter.

VII. 2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow.

As a servant longeth after the approach of the night; when all things are shaded in a common darkness.

VII. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and with clods of dust.