An exposition with practical observations upon the three first chapters of the book of…

Here Job takes up the former proposition, and applies it particularly to his own person. Before, he said only in the general, why is light given to him that is in misery, and why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? Now he saith in effect, it is thus with me, I am a man in misery, and I am a man whose way God hath hid and hedged in, wherefore then is my life continued? And he proves that he was in such a condition, by the effects of it, sighs and roarings. So that this verse holds forth two things about Jobs sorrow. First, The continuance of it, in those words, My sighing comes before I eat. Secondly, The extremity of it, in those, My roarings are poured out, &c. The argument may be thus framed, That man is in extreme and continual misery, who doth not so much breath, as sigh, who, when he would speak, is forced to roar: But thus it is with me, my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like water, therefore my misery is extreme and continual.

Here Job takes up the former proposition, and applies it particularly to his own person. Before, he said only in the generall, why is light given to him that is in misery, and why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? Now he saith in effect, it is thus with me, I am a man in misery, and I am a man whose way God hath hid and hedged in, wherefore then is my life continued? And he proves that he was in such a condition, by the effects of it, sighes and roarings. So that this verse holds forth two things about Jobs sorrow. First, The continuance of it, in those words, My sighing comes before I eate. Secondly, The extremity of it, in those, My roarings are powred out, &c. The argument may be thus framed, That man is in extreame and continuall misery, who doth not so much breath, as sigh, who, when he would speake, is forced to roare: But thus it is with me, my sighing cometh before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like water, therefore my misery is extreame and continuall.

My sighing cometh before I eat.] In the Hebrew it is word for word, thus, before the face of my bread, my sighings come. Which Hebraism, (before the face of my bread) hath a great emphasis in it. It notes the continuance of his sorrows without any intermission, When a thing is said to be before the face of