A35439:1076
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Job being the sum of thirty two lectures, delivered at Magnus near the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Job being the summe of thirty two lectures, delivered at Magnus neer the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by A. Miller for Henry Overton, 1647
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.
We may observe from the words thus opened divers profitable instructions.
First, All the stars are placed in the heavens by the special designment of God for the use and good of man.
First, All the stars are placed in the heavens by the speciall designment of God for the use and good of man.
Moses (Deut. 4.19.) gives a caution to Israel from the Lord, that they should take heed of imitating the Heathens in their abominations, and this is one particular, Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the Sun, and the Moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all Nations under the whole heaven. Observe that, The Lord thy God hath divided them unto all Nations under heaven; Therefore take heed that thou do not worship them. They are the work of God, they are creatures; and worship, which is proper to the Creator, must not be given to them. It is a remarkable Text, Lest (saith he) thou shouldest be driven to worship them. How driven? Not by external force and power, but driven by the strong inclination of thine heart, ravished with such beautiful objects. The excellency that is in the works of God hath power to draw, yea to drive the heart of man to commit idolatry. Job shows this, while he acquits himself so industriously from it (Chap. 31.26, 27.) If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or the Moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth had kissed my hand; this also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judge, &c. Some translate that (Deut. 4.) in this language of Job, Lest thou be deceived t worship the Sun, Moon and stars, and host of heaven: this is very considerable: but the thing I chiefly note in that Scripture to the point in hand, is this, That the Lord hath made and appointed the stars to the several parts of the heavens, he hath divided them to all Nations under the whole heaven. Some stars are the portion of one people, others of another. As the earth is an inheritance divided among the children of men; so also are the stars and heavens.