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

These two latter expressions are of the same importance with the former, both these words have been opened at the thirteenth verse of this Chapter; both being there applied to rest and quietness in the grave. There he said, if he had died, he had been at rest and quiet: but all his life time, he had no rest, neither was he quiet. But is this agreeable to the duty or character of a godly man, to say, he hath no rest, he is not quiet? Surely a godly man ought to be quiet, when all the world is huddled together in confusion; when the mountains skip like lambs, and the little hills like young sheep, then, even then, he ought to stand like mount Zion, that cannot be moved; And did it become Job, or is it any part of his commendation, that in the times of his peace, he had no rest? When the Prophet shows the temper of wicked men, he compares them to the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, Isa. 57.20. It should seem ⟨p. 474⟩that Job was like a troubled sea, for himself saith, he could not rest. I answer by distinguishing, first of a two-fold rest, There is a rest of contentation, and a rest of confidence. Job had not a rest of confidence, he trusted not in his outward peace; but he had the rest of contentation, even in his outward troubles. A wicked mans conscience is like a troubled sea, when he enjoys outward peace; but Job enjoyed peace of conscience, while his outward estate was like a troubled sea: He was fully settled in his mind, when he had no rest, and was satisfied in spirit, when he had not this quietness: So that when he saith, I had no rest, neither was I quiet; his meaning is only this, I never placed my happiness in these things, I never built my hopes upon creatures, I never trusted upon them, nor expected much from them. Or if you will more clearly apprehend the sense of this last verse, you may read it in that contrary practice of the rich man, Luk. 12.19. His house was full, but his heart was fuller of the creature: and he made the creature both his rock to build upon, and his pillow, to sleep upon; when his ground brought forth plentifully, and he had built new barns to lay up his fruits, then he lays himself down to sleep, and that he might sleep quickly and quietly, he sings a requiem to his soul; Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry;