Not to despise, is to honour prophecy, that is, the preaching of the word in a due exposition and application of it to exhortation, and edification and comfort. So then, there is much more in these words, I have not gone back from the commandment; then thus, I have not turned, or apostatized from the commandment, I have not thrown up, nor abjured my profession; Jobs meaning is, I have kept strictly and firmly to it, I have asserted it, and affirmed it, and will maintain it to the end: as I have hitherto lived, so I am purposed to dye in the obedience of it. I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips. We find the word used in such a signification (Prov. 17.13.) Who so rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house, 1or, evil shall not go back from his house. As evil shall come, so evil shall not go back, he shall not be able to dismiss it when it cometh; evil shall keep close to his house, dwell and abide in his house, or hang upon him like an unwelcome guest, he shall not get it out for ever. Again, (Isa. 54.10.) The mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Thus the Lord assures his people of the grace and good of the new Covenant; The mountains shall depart, that is, though the mountains depart, or let them depart, and the hills remove, yet my kindness shall not depart, or, it shall not go back from you; that is, my kindness shall embrace you, stick close to you, and abide with you for ever; so here, I have not gone back, that is, I have embraced, and stuck to the commandment of his lips. We also find such a sense of the word, (Mich. 2.3.) Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which you shall not remove (or withdraw) your necks; that is, the evil which I devise against you shall remain upon you, and stick by ⟨p. 403⟩you, ye shall not get this yoke off your necks, nor your necks out of this collar; it shall be an abiding evil, which will not go back; as ye have not gone back from the evil of sin, so ye shall not go back from the evil of punishment, it will not remove from you, nor shall ye remove from it.
Not to despise, is to honour prophesie, that is, the preaching of the word in a due exposition and application of it to exhortation, and edification and comfort. So then, there is much more in these words, I have not gone backe from the commandement; then thus, I have not turned, or apostatized from the commandement, I have not throwne up, nor abjured my profession; Jobs meaning is, I have kept strictly and firmely to it, I have asserted it, and affirmed it, and will maintaine it to the end: as I have hitherto lived, so I am purposed to dye in the obedience of it. I have not gone backe from the commandement of his lips. We finde the word used in such a signification (Prov. 17.13.) Who so rewardeth evill for good, evill shall not depart from his house, 1or, evill shall not goe backe from his house. As evill shall come, so evill shall not goe backe, he shall not be able to dismisse it when it cometh; evill shall keepe close to his house, dwell and abide in his house, or hang upon him like an unwelcome guest, he shall not get it out for ever. Againe, (Isa. 54.10.) The mountaines shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Thus the Lord assures his people of the grace and good of the new Covenant; The mountaines shall depart, that is, though the mountaines depart, or let them depart, and the hills remove, yet my kindnes shall not depart, or, it shall not goe back from you; that is, my kindnesse shall imbrace you, sticke close to you, and abide with you for ever; so here, I have not gone backe, that is, I have imbraced, and stuck to the commandement of his lips. We also finde such a sense of the word, (Mich. 2.3.) Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, against this family doe I devise an evill, from which you shall not remove (or withdraw) your neckes; that is, the evill which I devise against you shall remaine upon you, and stick by ⟨p. 403⟩you, ye shall not get this yoake off your neckes, nor your neckes out of this collar; it shall be an abiding evill, which will not goe backe; as ye have not gone backe from the evill of sin, so ye shall not goe backe from the evill of punishment, it will not remove from you, nor shall ye remove from it.
- 1Semper familiariter in illius domo versabitur.