An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Canst thou loose, &c.

The word imports opening what is fast shut, or loosing what is fast bound. When a man is in bands, we say, loose him from his bands. Now saith the Lord, Canst thou loose the bands of Orion? that is, canst free the air from those colds and frosts, which bind the body of the earth, and all things growing out of the earth in winter season? The word rendered bands, comes from a root that signifies to draw; hence some translate, The Traces of Orion. Traces are those bands by which Horses being fastened to Carts or Wagons, draw them after them: Which expression alludes to that natural power planted in this Star, by which, according to Gods appointment it draws rain storms and cold freezing winds after it, and so binds up the pores of the earth. Now saith the Lord to Job, canst thou with all thy skill a•d strength loose those bands, and set the earth at liberty? Thou canst not. O• this Orion, see more at the 9th Chapter (ver. 9.) I shall only say thus much further here, That these words stand in direct opposition to the former, showing that as Job could not stop those Benign Stars, the Pleiades, from giving forth their virtues to the earth; so he could not loose the bands of that severe and harsh Star, nor divert the effects which it brings upon the earth. Canst thou loose the bands of ⟨p. 243⟩Orion? Hence learn, first, in general.

The word imports opening what is fast shut, or loosing what is fast bound. When a man is in bands, we say, loose him from his bands. Now saith the Lord, Canst thou loose the bands of Orion? that is, canst free the aire from those colds and frosts, which bind the body of the earth, and all things growing out of the earth in winter season? The word rendred bands, comes from a root that signifies to draw; hence some translate, The Traces of Orion. Traces are those bands by which Horses being fastned to Carts or Wagons, draw them after them: Which expression alludes to that natural power planted in this Star, by which, according to Gods appointment it draws rain storms and cold freezing winds after it, and so binds up the pores of the earth. Now saith the Lord to Job, canst thou with all thy skill ad strength loose those bands, and set the earth at liberty? Thou canst not. O this Orion, see more at the 9th Chapter (ver. 9.) I shall only say thus much further here, That these words stand in direct opposition to the former, shewing that as Job could not stop those Benigne Stars, the Pleiades, from giving forth their vertues to the earth; so he could not loose the bands of that severe and harsh Star, nor divert the effects which it brings upon the earth. Canst thou loose the bands of