An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

Thirdly, We may take it as an admiring question; What man is like Job? It is a thing unheard of, even a stupendous prodigy, that a man should be or do as Job. All sorts of men abstain from or decline, yea scorn scorning ('tis a thing so unbecoming man) but chiefly they that are great, noble and honourable, such as Job hath been in his time, yet he is turned scorner. As if he had said, Who hath heard the like? was there ever such a man heard of, who either used such scornful language against others, or laid himself so open to the scorn and contempt of others! What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scorning like water?

Thirdly, We may take it as an admiring question; What man is like Job? It is a thing unheard of, even a stupendious prodigie, that a man should be or doe as Job. All sorts of men abstaine from or decline, yea scorne scorning ('tis a thing so unbecoming man) but chiefly they that are great, noble and honourable, such as Job hath been in his time, yet he is turned scorner. As if he had sayd, Who hath heard the like? was there ever such a man heard of, who either used such scornfull language against others, or layd himselfe so open to the scorne and contempt of others! What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scorning like water?

That's matter of admiration; Elihu might have found out many other matters, wherein Job had no fellow, no parallel, scarce any like him in the world; who so afflicted, so humbled, so broken, so deserted by his own relations, so vexed with friends and comforters like Job? But he doth not put the question upon his sufferings, but upon his sin; What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning, &c. Drinking is here used metaphorically, and so likewise are eating, devouring, and swallowing up often used in Scripture, to denote that which is done to be done with much greediness, ⟨p. 534⟩and with a kind of delight. And whereas there is a threefold measure or degree of drinking; First, soberly, or for necessity: Secondly, plentifully or for moderate delight; Thirdly, excessively, or for drunkenness, and the satisfying of a lust. This third seemeth to be here intended, even an excessive drinking of scorn, till he was as a drunken or mad-man with it, or (as we say) mad drunk; For the text saith, What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning. He doth not only taste it a little, and sip at the scorners cup, but drinks it up to a drop, or to the bottom. He drinketh up scorning.