A35438:542
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the Book of Job being the substance of XXXV lectures delivered at Magnus near the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl.
London: printed for L. Fawne, 1656
AN EXPOSITION Upon the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Chapters o… › Chapter 4 › Verses 19-21
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Verse 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they dye, even without wisdom.
Verse 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they dye, even without wisdome.
This Verse (as I noted in the beginning) prevents an objection which might be made, as if man had wrong done him: and that it were too great a diminution to his honour, whom God made the chief creature in the inferior world, and but little inferior to Angels themselves, that he should be looked upon only as a heap of dust, or a lump of clay, as a mortal, momentany perishing creature; therefore he grants that man hath an excellency; but all the excellency that he hath, whether natural or artificial, bred in him, or acquired by him, as a man, when he goes, goes too, Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? or journeyeth not their excellency with them? as Mr. Broughton translates, alluding to our passing out of the world, as in a journey; when a man dies he takes a journey out of the world, he goes out for ever; and (saith he) doth not his excellency journey along with him? yes, the question affirms it, when man goes, his excellency goes too. The word (Jether) which we translate excellency, signifies primarily, a residue or a remain, and that two ways. First, a residue of persons, Judges 7. 6. But all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water. So the vulgar understands it here. They who are left after them, shall be taken away from them: namely their heirs or posterity. Secondly, it signifies a residue of things, Ps. 17. 14. where describing worldly men who have their portion in this life, he saith, their bellies are filled with hid treasure, they are also full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. Thus others take it here. Doth not the wealth and riches which men leave when they dye, dye also and go away, as their persons are mortal, so are their estates; there is a moth will eat both. And 1