A35538:1680
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second, being the five last, chapters of the book of Job being the substance of fifty-two lectures or meditations / by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. and S. Simmons, 1666
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-eighth, T… › Chapter 39 › Verse 13-18
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 Ostrich layeth eggs for the increase of her kind; therefore if her eggs be broken, or the young ones trodden under foot as soon as hatched, here's labour in vain in the second sense at least, because no good comes of her labour.
The Ostrich layeth eggs for the encrease of her kind; therefore if her eggs be broken, or the young ones trodden under foot as soon as hatcht, here's labour in vain in the second sense at least, because no good comes of her labour.
Yet I may say, the labour of the Ostrich is here said to be in vain, not because she hath no effect of her labour, nor because the effect runs cross to her intent, no, nor because she hath but little fruit of her labour, but she is said to labour in vain, because if God did not take more care of her eggs and young ones than she doth, her labour would be altogether in vain; for her labour is (as it followeth) Without fear.
What fear? There is a twofold fear; First, There is a fear puzzling us with distraction and amazement. Secondly, a fear urging us to activity and industry. The Ostriches labour is without fear, that is, without such fear as should put her upon endeavour to preserve her own eggs and young ones; she fears no evil that may come to them, and so takes no care what becomes of them; she is a fearless creature of any danger, and so a careless creature, as to the use of any means for the prevention of danger. The Ostrich is not without all fear; for they that have had best knowledge of this animal, have found her so fearful a creature, that her fear, as well as her folly, is gone into a Proverb; a very fearful man being said to be more fearful than an Ostrich. The Ostrich is here said to be without fear, because she wants that provident fear which should excite her to look after those that are hers, as a parent doth or ought, after the good of those that depend upon him. The Ostrich hath no love for her young ones, & therefore no fear about them. Though Aelian (as was touched before) reports otherwise of her (lib. 14. cap. 7.) but in this he is alone, and may be suspected as to the truth of this relation, as well as about the number of her eggs formerly mentioned, wherein others contradict him; and therefore, if God took no more care than she (as was said) all her labour would be in vain.