A35537:1084
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of the book of Job being the substance of thirty-five lectures / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1664
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-fifth, Th… › Chapter 36 › Verses 18-20
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.
The night seems not to be a thing, or a season so desirable, that we should gape for it or long after it. Solomon saith (Eccl. 11.7.) Surely light is pleasant, and it is a comfortable thing for the eyes to behold the Sun; but who hath a desire after the night? what is the beauty or comeliness of the night that any should so much desire it? why then doth Elihu here forbid Job (as supposing he did) to desire it? desire not the night.
The night seems not to be a thing, or a season so desireable, that we should gape for it or long after it. Solomon saith (Eccl. 11.7.) Surely light is pleasant, and it is a comfortable thing for the eyes to behold the Sun; but who hath a desire after the night? what is the beauty or comeliness of the night that any should so much desire it? why then doth Elihu here forbid Job (as supposing he did) to desire it? desire not the night.
I answer, the night may be taken two ways, or under a twofold notion. First properly, as that which casteth a veil or mantle of darkness over both persons and things, and covers them from our sight; in allusion to which, the sense is this; Do not hope to hide or conceal thy self from the eye or knowledge of God. As thou canst not be ransomed, as thou canst not be rescued from ⟨p. 313⟩his power (which was showed before) so desire not the night, for thou canst not be obscured from his knowledge under the covert of it, there is no hiding from God. Though I judge that interpretation too gross, which supposeth Elihu counselling Job not to desire the night, as robbers and adultere•s, to cover him while doing wickedly, yet possibly he might think Job was not so free to confess the evils which he had done, and therefore rather desired the concealment of them.
I answer, the night may be taken two wayes, or under a twofold notion. First properly, as that which casteth a vail or mantle of darkness over both persons and things, and covers them from our sight; in allusion to which, the sense is this; Do not hope to hide or conceal thy self from the eye or knowledge of God. As thou canst not be ransomed, as thou canst not be rescued from