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

Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common, and of the people of God in special, at the raising of great structures; the Lord tells us here, that when he laid the foundations of the earth, and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof, there was a Triumph made: Then the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Thus we have the state of this verse, either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels; or else subjoining it as an acclamation to the former instance of the power of God; the Stars and Angels rejoicing at the laying of the foundations of the earth. And the general reason why the Lord b•ings in the stars and the sons of God rejoicing at the laying the foundations of the earth, and finishing that work, we may conceive to be this; that the Lord would thereby convince Job of his murmuring and complaining, or of the unquietness of his spirit under the works of his providence. As if he had said, The stars and all the sons of God rejoiced at the founding of the Earth, extolling the work, ¹and congratulating the appearances of my power and glory in it. Now, who art thou, that when I have put forth my power and wisdom in this work of my providence towards thee, thou shouldst complain, and find fault with what I have done, instead of resting and rejoicing in it! Surely, O Job, thou thinkest my works of providence are imperfect, though my work of Creation was not; but consider, was the Creation in the very first part of it such, as caused all the sons of God to rejoice, and wilt thou, who sayest thou art a son of God, sit unsatisfied with any of my works? Thus the Lord handles Job, and from that testimony which the stars and his sons gave of the Works of Creation, reproves him for his unquietness under his Works of Providence.

Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common, and of the people of God in special, at the raising of great structures; the Lord tells us here, that when he laid the foundations of the earth, and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof, there was a Triumph made: Then the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Thus we have the state of this verse, either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels; or else subjoyning it as an acclamation to the former instance of the power of God; the Stars and Angels rejoycing at the laying of the foundations of the earth. And the general reason why the Lord bings in the stars and the sons of God rejoycing at the laying the foundations of the earth, and finishing that work, we may conceive to be this; that the Lord would thereby convince Job of his murmuring and complaining, or of the unquietness of his spirit under the works of his providence. As if he had said, The stars and all the sons of God rejoyced at the founding of the Earth, extolling the work,