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

Behold. Job doth not conceal nor cover, but calls all eyes to the view of his own vileness. Behold. Let God behold, let Angels behold, let men behold, what now I my self behold, that I am vile.

The root of the word, which we translate vile, ¹signifies three things. First, To be light, or of little weight; and because light things are lightly esteemed, therefore it signifies, Secondly, To be contemned, or that which is contemptible; and, Thirdly, Because light things, and things contemptible, are also vile things; therefore, as we translate, it signifies vile. As if Job had said, I am light, I have no substance, no solidity in me; I am but as chaff, or, as a feather, I bear no weight, I deserve no esteem, no respect, I am vile. As the Hebrew word for honour and glory is derived from a root which signifies heaviness or weightiness, whence the Apostles phrase in the Greek tongue (2 Cor. 4.17.) which we translate, an exceeding weight of glory. Glory is such a weighty thing, that we must have other manner of shoulders, other manner of strength, than now we have, before we can be able to bear the weight of it. Flesh and blood, as it is unrefined, or merely natural, would soon sink under that weight. Now I say, as glory and honour are expressed by a word which signifies weightiness; so that which is vile and contemptible, is expressed by a word that signifies lightness, or to be light. Thus saith Job, Behold, I am light, or, Behold, I am vile.

The root of the word, which we translate vile, ¹signifies three things. First, To be light, or of little weight; and because light things are lightly esteemed, therefore it signifies, Secondly, To be contemned, or that which is contemptible; and, Thirdly, Because light things, and things contemptible, are also vile things; therefore, as we translate, it signifies vile. As if Job had said, I am light, I have no substance, no solidity in me; I am but as chaff, or, as a feather, I bear no weight, I deserve no esteem, no respect, I am vile. As the Hebrew word for honour and glory is derived from a root which signifies heaviness or weightiness, whence the Apostles phrase in the Greek tongue (