The Hebrew bears a double rendering, either how much less, (as we) or how much more: If it be rendered how much less, then it refers to the first clause of the former verse; Thus, if he 1puts no trust in his Angels, then much less doth he put trust in men, who dwell in houses of clay. If it be rendered, how much more, then it refers to the latter clause of that verse; Thus, If he charged his Angels with folly, then how much more may he charge them with folly, who dwell in houses of clay? Which words, are a description of man, either in his civill condition, or in his natural constitution. Some take these words in the very letter, The house, for that which we ordinarily call a house, the house wherein man ordinarily inhabits; as if Eliphaz had thus said, Angels dwell in Heaven, they have everlasting mansions, but man, dwells in a house of clay, the best and goodliest houses are but clay and dust, a little refined and sublimated by art or nature, brick and stone, all these materials, or but dirt concocted by the heat of fire and Sun; so that, if the allusion were to the very houses in which man-kind dwells, in opposition to the habitation of Angels, these set them far inferior to, and below the Angels. As, these take it for the house wherein man lives, so some understand it, of the house, where man lies being dead, namely the grave: The Chaldee is express paraphrasing thus, How much more the wicked, who dwell in a sepulchre of clay? That, the grave is called a house, the Prophet helps us. Isa. 14. 18, 19. All the Kings of the Nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house, that is, in the grave, as the next ⟨p. 145⟩words prove, But thou art cast out of thy grave, &c. But I rather take it (as was before intimated) to be an expression of mans natural constitution, He dwells in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. And so the Apostle is express (2 Cor. 5. 1.) If our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved; the earthly house is the body; and (2 Cor. 4. 7.) the body is called an earthen vessel, We have this treasure▪ (namely the precious Promises 2and truths of God in the dispensation of the Gospel) in earthen vessels: We dying men, preach eternal life; we have death in our faces, while the word of life is in our mouths.
The Hebrew beares a double rendring, either how much lesse, (as we) or how much more: If it be rendred how much lesse, then it referres to the first clause of the former verse; Thus, if he 1puts no trust in his Angels, then much lesse doth he put trust in men, who dwell in houses of clay. If it be rendred, how much more, then it referres to the latter clause of that verse; Thus, If he charged his Angels with folly, then how much more may he charge them with folly, who dwell in houses of clay? Which words, are a description of man, either in his civill condition, or in his naturall constitution. Some take these words in the very letter, The house, for that which we ordinarily call a house, the house wherein man ordinarily inhabits; as if Eliphaz had thus said, Angels dwell in Heaven, they have everlasting mansions, but man, dwels in a house of clay, the best and goodliest houses are but clay and dust, a little refined and sublimated by art or nature, brick and stone, all these materials, or but dirt concocted by the heate of fire and Sunne; so that, if the allusion were to the very houses in which man-kind dwels, in oppsition to the habitation of Angels, these set them farre inferiour to, and below the Angels. As, these take it for the house wherein man lives, so some understand it, of the house, where man lyes being dead, namely the grave: The Chaldee is expresse paraphrasing thus, How much more the wicked, who dwell in a sepulcher of clay? That, the grave is called a house, the Prophet helps us. Isa. 14. 18, 19. All the Kings of the Nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house, that is, in the grave, as the next ⟨p. 145⟩words prove, But thou art cast out of thy grave, &c. But I rather take it (as was before intimated) to be an expression of mans naturall constitution, He dwels in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. And so the Apostle is expresse (2 Cor. 5. 1.) If our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved; the earthly house is the body; and (2 Cor. 4. 7.) the body is called an earthen vessel, We have this treasure▪ (namely the precious Promises 2and truths of God in the dispensation of the Gospel) in earthen vessels: We dying men, preach eternall life; we have death in our faces, while the word of life is in our mouths.
- 1Patricula [Greek or Hebrew] pro qua est simpliciter [Greek or Hebrew] hoc loco ••rumque desig nat, sc. vel quanto minus vel quanto magis, Drus.Patricula 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 pro qua est simpliciter 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 hoc loco ••rumque desig nat, sc. vel quanto minus vel quanto magis, Drus.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] Turbidus, lututentus, mixtus, ut cum aquae turbantur & in eis lutum itae commevetur, ut confundantur & luto miscentur, ut in cementum degenerent.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Turbidus, lututentus, mixtus, ut cum aquae turbantur & in eis lutum itae commevetur, ut confundantur & luto miscentur, ut in cementum degenerent.
