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…

Fourthly, Job may here intend spiritual and eternal favour.¹ Chesed signifies the grace or favour of God in Christ (Psal. 89.33.) My loving kindness will I not take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. If he fail in duty, I will chasten him in mercy, I will not remove mercy from him. The Vulgar translates, Thou hast given me life and mercy, which some expound of that special mercy, the pardon of his sin, and his washing from original corruption; As if Job had said, I partake not only of life, but also of that which is better then life it self, Thy favour or loving-kindness, Psal. 63.4. The favour of God in spiritual things, (in pardoning sin, in regenerating the soul, in sending the holy Spirit) is the perfection of his favour. What is man without that favour which makes him a son of God, but even a beautiful, or at most, a rational beast? as David calls him, Psal. 49.21. And should a man give thanks for outward favours only, without any reflection upon spiritual; a beast, could he speak might give ⟨p. 526⟩such thanks. The life of sense and growth is a mercy, but beasts and plants live thus: The life of reason is a greater mercy, but wicked men live thus; many are in hell, unto whom God granted this life, and they would be glad God would call in his grant, and take it from them: But unto these three lives God adds a fourth to his elect, even a life of grace through Jesus Christ. This is the favour of favours, and the blessing of all our blessings, except this favour be granted with our lives, it were better for us never to have had a grant of our lives. It is more eligible not to have been born, then not to be born again.

Fourthly, Iob may here intend spirituall and eternall favour.¹ Chesed signifies the grace or favour of God in Christ (Psal. 89.33.) My loving kindenesse will I not take from him, nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail. If he fail in duty, I will chasten him in mercy, I will not remove mercy from him. The Vulgar translates, Thou hast given me life and mercy, which some expound of that speciall mercy, the pardon of his sinne, and his washing from originall corruption; As if Iob had said, I partake not only of life, but also of that which is better then life it self, Thy favour or loving-kindenesse,