John Trapp on Job 10:22

Verſe 22. [illegible: 2 letters]land of darkneſſe &c.] This is not a deſcription of hell, and of the ſtate of the damned (as ſome would have it) for Job never meant to come there, no more then Jacob did, Gen. 37.35. and 42.38. But it is ſuch an elegant deſcription of the grave, [illegible: 1 word] exceedeth the phantaſie of Poets, and the rhetorick of all heathen Orators. There is ſomething like it in Davids Pſalms, eſpecially Pſalm 88.11, 12. where the grave is called a place of perdition, a land of forgetfulneſſe, and of darkneſſe, whereinto they who deſcend; praiſe not God, Pſalm 115.17. In reſpect of their bodies they do not, they cannot, Iſai. 38.18. Hell, indeed, is much more a land of darkneſſe, as darkneſſe it ſelf; it is that outer-darkneſſe; a darkneſſe beyond a darkneſſe, as the dungeon is beyond the priſon; and the pains of hell are the chains of darkneſſe. now death is [illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 3 letters]a[illegible: 1 letter]binger to the wicked, and hence it is ſo dreadful in the apprehenſion and approach of it, that mens hearts do even die within them, as Nabals did, through fear of death; and they tremble thereat as the trees of the wood, or leaves of the forreſt, with Ahaz, Iſai. 7.2. Darkneſſe we know, is full of terrour: the Egyptians were ſorely a frighted by their three dayes thick darkneſſe, in ſo much as that none ſtirred off his ſtool all that while, Exod. 10.23. and it was the more terrible, doubtleſſe, becauſe they had no warning of it, as they had of other plagues. How oft do men chop into the chambers of death (their long-home the grave) all on the ſudden, as he that travelleth in the ſnow, may do over head and ears into a marle-pit? Death of any ſort, is unwelcome to nature, as being its ſlaughterman: but when ſudden, It is ſo much the more ghaſtly; and thoſe that deſperately dare death to a duel, cannot look it in the face with blood in their cheeks: only to thoſe that are in Chriſt, the bitterneſſe of death is paſt, the ſting of it pulled out, the property altered, as hath been already noted. Chriſt, the Sun of Righteouſneſſe, ſaith a Learned Expoſitor here, lay in the grave, and hath left perpetual beams of light there for his purchaſed people.Mr. Caryl. The way to the grave is very dark, but Chriſt hath ſet up lights for us &c.

And of the ſhadow of death] The ſhadow is the dark part of the thing; ſo that the ſhadow of death is the darkeſt ſide of death, death in its moſt hideous and horrid repreſentations: the ſhadow of death is the ſubſtance of death, or death with addition of greateſt deadlineſſe.

Without any order] Heb. and not orders, What then? confuſion ſurely, without keeping to rules or ranks: mens bones are mingled in the grave; whether they have been princes or peaſants, it cannot be diſcerned: Omnia mors aequat; as cheſſe-men are put up all together in the bag when the game is ended, without diſtinction of King, Duke, Biſhop. &c. ſo here: Junius rendreth it, expertem viciſſitudinum, without any interchanges, diſtinctions, viciſſitudes, or varieties (as of day, night, ſummer, winter, heat, cold, &c.) of which things conſiſteth the greateſt part of the brevity of this world.

And where the light is [illegible: 1 word] darkneſſe] How great then muſt needs be that darkneſſe? as our Saviour ſpeaketh in another caſe, Matth. 6.23. Surely when by the return of the Sun; there is light in the land of the living; in the grave all is abyſſed and ſunk into eternal might: as the bodies of thoſe two ſmothered Princes were by their cruel Uncle Richard the third, in the black-deeps, a place ſo called at the Thames-mouth: in the grave light and darkneſſe are both alike: and as the Images in Popiſh Temples ſee nothing, though great wax candles be lighted up before them: ſo the cleareſt light of the Sun ſhining in his ſtrength would be nothing to thoſe that are dead and buried. Let this be much and often thought on: mors tu[illegible: 1 letter], mors Christi &c. Cyrus that great Conqueror lying on his death-bed, praiſed God, ſaith Xenophon, that his proſperity had not puffed him up; for he ever conſidered that he was but mortal, and muſt bid adieu to the world. Charls the fifth Emperour of Germany cauſed his ſepulcher and grave clothes to be made five years before his death, and carried them cloſely with him whitherſoever he went. Samuel ſent Saul newly annointed to Rachels ſepulcher, 1 Sam. 10.24. that he might not ſurfet upon his new honours, &c.