John Trapp on Job 12:3

Verſe 3. No doubt but ye are the people] The ſelect peculiar people, the only Ones, as a man is put for a good man, Jer. 5.1. a wife for a good wife, Prov. 18.22. a name for a good name Eccleſ. 7.1. As Athens was ſaid to be the Greece of Greece, Silius. and as one promiſing to ſhew his friend all Athens at once, ſhewed him Solo[illegible: 2 letters] or as the Latine Poet, ſaying of Fabius Maximus.

Hic patriueſt, murique urbis ſtant pectore in uno.

So ſaith Job by an holy jear (not to diſgrace his friends, but to bring them to more modeſty and moderation, if it might be) Certes, ye are not one or two men,Vatab. but ſpecimen totius orbis, an Epitome of the world, or at leaſt the Repreſentative of ſome whole people: ye have got away all the wit from my ſelf and others, whom ye look upon as ſo many wilde aſſes colts in compariſon of your ſelves. Thus the Pope (Simon Magus-like) gives himſelf out to be ſome great thing, Acts 8.9. even the Church-virtual and that in his breſt, as in Noahs Ark, is comprehended all wiſedome and worth: ye know nothing at all, ſaith he (Caiaphas-like) to all others, Job. 11.49. So do his Janizaries, the Jeſuits, who will needs be taken for the only Scholars, Politicians, and Orators of the world. The Church, ſay they, is the ſoul of the world, the Clergy of the Church; and we of the Clergy: the Empire of learning is ours &c.

And wiſedome ſhall dye with you] As being lookt up in your boſomes. Suetonius telleth us of Palaemon the Grammarian, that he was heard to ſay, that Learning was born with him, and would dye with him. The Gnoſticks would needs be held the only knowing men: Illuminates in Spain the only ſpiritual men: Swe[illegible: 1 letter]kfeldians in Germany ſtiled themſelves the Confeſſors of the glory of Chriſt: our Antinomians the Hearers of the Goſpel, and of free-grade. But what ſaith Solomon? Let another man praiſe thee, and not thine own mouth, Prov. 27.2. And that which had been much to a mans commendation, if from another, ſoundeth very ſlenderly from himſelf, ſaith Pliny. Aben Ez[illegible: 2 letters], and Rabbi Levi ſet another ſenſe upon this verſe,Ep. 8. lib. 1. as if it were no [illegible: 1 word], but a plain aſſertion to this effect: Queſtionleſſe you are to be counted [illegible: 1 word] the common ſort of people (ſee John 7.49.) Neither is there in you any thing excellent or extraordinary, that ye ſhould be looked upon, as drained from the dregs, or ſifted from the brans of the very vulgar: your wiſedome, if ever you had any, is even dead and decaied with you, and you have out-lived your prime &c.

Verſe 3. But I have understanding as well as you] Think not that you have engroſſed all the knowledg, and that you have the monopoly of wiſedom in your breſts, for ſurely I may come into the ballance with you, and claim as great a ſhare in underſtanding as your ſelvs. Zophar was pleaſed to call me hollow and heartleſſe, chap. 11.12. But I have an heart (ſo the Hebrew here hath it) that ſeat of underſtanding: and that ſhall appear in the enſuing diſcourſe, where Job proveth, that by ſolid arguments concerning Gods power, wiſedom, &c. which Zophar had but barely propounded. And whereas this patient man was not without his impatiencies, yet he diſcovereth more grace, even in his diſtempers, then his friends did in their ſeeming wiſe carriages. Breaking out in the body ſhewes ſtrength of nature. Some infirmities diſcover more good, then ſome ſeeming beautiful actions.

I am not inferiour to you] Heb. I fall not lower then you. See Nehem. 6.16. Eſth. 6.13. Job 13.2. He meaneth, that he was much their ſuperiour, and did better underſtand the doctrine of Gods providence then they. This he ſpeaketh not out of any vain-glory, or ambitious boaſting; but as David, and Paul, and others after them did, commending themſelves, either in defence of their own wronged innocency, or when it appeared unto them, that the concealing of their good parts and practiſes might turn to the hindrance of the truth, or to the hurt of the Church, or to the impairing and impeaching of Gods glory. In theſe caſes, ſelf-commendation is not unſeemly: but a Job may lawfully ſtand upon, not his compariſons only, but his diſpariſons alſo.

Yea, who knoweth not ſuch things as theſe?] Viz. That God rewardeth the righteous, and puniſheth the ungodly. The Heathen ſaw this by the ruſh-candle of natures dim light. Doth not nature it ſelf teach you? ſaith Paul 1 Cor. 11.14. And again, This ye know, that no whoremonger &c. hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God, and of Chriſt, Eph. 5.5.