1Thirdly, The words may carry the sense of a strong motive to prevail with God, to handle Job more gently, or to deal more tenderly with him; why? The Lord had bestowed much care and cost to make and fashion him: therefore he will surely pity and spare him. There is a natural motion of the heart in every agent, towards the preservation of that which proceedeth from it. Creation is followed with providence. If a speechless and lifeless creature could speak and understand, it would argue with it's maker (in Jobs case) as Job doth, Dost thou yet destroy me? David strengthens his heart to ask good at the hands of God, because he had spoken good concerning him (2 Sam. 7.27.) Thou, O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. Now, if David were not only emboldened to ask, but even assured to receive mercy, because God promised to build him a house, that is, to prosper his estate and family, how much more might Job be encouraged to pray for, and expect mercy from the hand of God, because God had already framed and built that natural house, his body? The Prophet Isaiah being about to plead with God for new mercies, presents him with a catalogue of his old mercies (Chap. 63.7, 8, 9.) I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath done unto us, and the great goodness towards the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses, &c. Having thus at large told the Lord what he had done, ⟨p. 489⟩the Prophet (in a holy zeal) contends with him about what he was doing (vers. 15.) Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness, and of thy glory; where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me, Are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, &c. As if he had said, That great sea of thy goodness hath sent out abundant streams of good things heretofore, and are all those streams now dried up, and the springs exhausted? What's become of thy zeal and strength and compassions? Are they all spent and gone?
1Thirdly, The words may carry the sense of a strong motive to prevail with God, to handle Job more gently, or to deal more tenderly with him; why? The Lord had bestowed much care and cost to make and fashion him: therefore he will surely pity and spare him. There is a naturall motion of the heart in every agent, towards the preservation of that which proceedeth from it. Creation is followed with providence. If a speechlesse and livelesse creature could speak and understand, it would argue with it's maker (in Jobs case) as Job doth, Dost thou yet destroy me? David strengthens his heart to ask good at the hands of God, because he had spoken good concerning him (2 Sam. 7.27.) Thou, O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house, therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this praier unto thee. Now, if David were not only emboldned to ask, but even assured to receive mercy, because God promised to build him a house, that is, to prosper his estate and family, how much more might Job be encouraged to pray for, and expect mercy from the hand of God, because God had already framed and built that naturall house, his body? The Prophet Isaiah being about to plead with God for new mercies, presents him with a catalogue of his old mercies (Chap. 63.7, 8, 9.) I will mention the loving kindenesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath done unto us, and the great goodnesse towards the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindenesses, &c. Having thus at large told the Lord what he had done, ⟨p. 489⟩the Prophet (in a holy zeal) contends with him about what he was doing (vers. 15.) Look down from heaven, and behold from• the habitation of thy holinesse, and of thy glory; where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me, Are they restrained? Doubtlesse thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, &c. As if he had said, That great sea of thy goodnesse hath sent out abundant streams of good things heretofore, and are all those streams now dried up, and the springs exhausted? What's become of thy zeal and strength and compassions? Are they all spent and gone?
- 1Ex sua formatione artificis misericordiam movet, & ex commemorato pristino beneficio, alia denuò efflagitandi ansam arripit. Pined.
