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

So much concerning the wild Goats bringing forth their young, and the Hinds calving. In the next verse the Lord enquires of ⟨p. 316⟩Job, the time how long they go with young before they bring forth and calve.

So much concerning the wilde Goats bringing forth their young, and the Hinds calving. In the next verse the Lord enquires of ⟨p. 316⟩Job, the time how long they go with young before they bring forth and calve.

Vers. 2. Canst thou number the mouths that they fulfil?

As if the Lord had said, Canst thou tell how long they, that is, the wild Goats or the Hinds, bear their natural burdens? Canst thou number their months?¹ the Hebrew is, their Moons. The Jews reckoned their months by Moons; and we distinguish between Lunacy and Solary months. Moon-months consist of twenty eight days, Sun-months of thirty. Canst thou reckon the Moons or months that they fulfil? To this the Prophet alludes (Jer. 2.24.) speaking of the wild Ass that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure; that is, who takes pleasure, or (as the Margin reads it) The desire of whose heart is to snuff up the wind; in her occasion (say h he) who can turn her away? He compares wanton vain persons, idolatrous and superstitious persons especially, who of all others are the wantonnest and vainest persons, to an Ass, when she is in the heat of her lust and pleasure; all they that seek her, will not weary themselves, that is, they will not weary themselves to seek her, while she is in that condition, but in her month they shall find her, that is, when she is burdened with young, when her sorrows and pains are near coming upon her, then she may be dealt wih. Thus the Lord would show his people, that however being so lusty, so wanton, there was no dealing with them, yet a month of sorrow was coming upon them, even as upon one with young, wherein they should feel, and be under such sad pains, as would burden them to purpose (as we say) and then they would be found, and might be spoken with. Wilde Asses have their months, their months of bearing, and their month of bringing forth; about those and this the Lord enquires of Job, Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? The question is not so to be understood, as if the number of the months which they fulfil were so many that they could not be numbered; but the Lord speaks thus, because of the uncertainty of the time (as to man) when those months are fulfilled. David prayed (