This last Part, now coming forth, contains the whole transaction (from first to last) between God and Job, none speaking but they two, and Job but very little. Elihu having finished his speech in the close of the thirty seventh Chapter, the Lord himself appeared at the entrance of the thirty eighth, in a Majestic and tremendous manner, bespeaking Job out of a vehement and tempestuous whirlwind; and taking up the same argument which Elihu had so much insisted upon before, for the conviction of Job, carrieth him in discourse, quite through the universe, thereby farther to convince him, by ⟨image 4⟩the view and consideration of his mighty and admirable works of creation and providence, how ignorant and weak he was in himself, how altogether unable and incompetent to contend with God, and therefore how rash and inconsiderate he had been, in not submitting (how great soever his sufferings were) more quietly to him. And, as Elihu said (Chap. 35.11.) That God teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of Heaven: so doubtless, one great scope which the Lord had in his eye throughout that discourse, was to teach Job, and with him us, that his care was much more over him, and is over us, than over the beasts of the earth, or the fowls of heaven. And hereupon having showed his own infinite power and wisdom, as also his goodness and tender compassions, in providing for all sorts of irrational living creatures, he left Job, and leaves us to make the Inference, how watchful he is over, how respectful to man, a rational as well as a living creature. Our blessed Saviour preaching upon the same subject to his Disciples, expresseth the Inference (Mat. 6.26.) Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet y•• heavenly father feedeth ⟨image 5⟩them: are ye not much better than they? And again (vers. 30.) Wherefore it God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven: shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Jesus Christ saw it necessary to make these express applications to his Disciples, who, at that time, were both of little faith, and of little understanding.
This last Part, now coming forth, contains the whole transaction (from first to last) between God and Job, none speaking but they two, and Job but very little. Elihu having finisht his speech in the close of the thirty seventh Chapter, the Lord himself appeared at the entrance of the thirty eighth, in a Majestick and tremendous manner, bespeaking Job out of a vehement and tempestuous whirlwind; and taking up the same argument which Elihu had so much insisted upon before, for the conviction of Job, carrieth him in discourse, quite through the universe, thereby farther to convince him, by ⟨image 4⟩the view and consideration of his mighty and admirable works of creation and providence, how ignorant and weak he was in himself, how altogether unable and incompetent to contend with God, and therefore how rash and inconsiderate he had been, in not submitting (how great soever his sufferings were) more quietly to him. And, as Elihu said (Chap. 35.11.) That God teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of Heaven: so doubtless, one great scope which the Lord had in his eye throughout that discourse, was to teach Job, and with him us, that his care was much more over him, and is over us, than over the beasts of the earth, or the fowls of heaven. And hereupon having shewed his own infinite power and wisdom, as also his goodness and tender compassions, in providing for all sorts of irrational living creatures, he left Job, and leaves us to make the Inference, how watchful he is over, how respectful to man, a rational as well as a living creature. Our blessed Saviour preaching upon the same subject to his Disciples, expresseth the Inference (Mat. 6.26.) Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet y•• heavenly father feedeth ⟨image 5⟩them: are ye not much better than they? And again (vers. 30.) Wherefore it God so cloath the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven: shall he not much more cloath you, O ye of little faith? Jesus Christ saw it necessary to make these express applications to his Disciples, who, at that time, were both of little faith, and of little understanding.
