John Trapp on Job 19:17

Verſe 17. My breath is ſtrange to my wife] The corruption of his inwands (beſides the [illegible: 2 letters]fommeſſe of his out ward Ulcers) made his breath ſtrong and unwholſom. This his wife (as did that Roman Lady, who ſaid ſhe thought all mens breath as unſavoury as her husbands was) ſhould have born with in a time of ſickneſſe eſpecially; when ſhe ſhould have ſhew[illegible: 2 letters] her ſelf an help, and not an heart-break to her huſ [illegible: 1 letter]and Famous in our Chronicles is the Lady Eloner, wife to Prince Edward (afterwards Edward the Firſt) who extracted the poiſon out of her husbands wounds with her tongue,Cambd. in Middleſex, Speed 630. [illegible: 2 letters]cking daily (whilſt he ſlept) his ra[illegible: 2 letters]kling wounds, wheneby they perfectly cloſed. And no leſſe famous is the wife of Valdaumus, celebrated by Ludon. Vi [illegible: 1 letter]es Lib. 2 de Chriſtiana femina, p. 360. A young and beautiful Maid (ſaith he) was marched to a man ſtricken in yeers, whom after ſhe found to have a very fulſome breath, and a diſeaſed body, yet (out of conſcience, being by Gods providence become his wife) ſhe moſt worthily digeſted, with incredible patience and contentment, the languiſhing and loathſomneſſe of an husband, continually viſited with variety of moſt i[illegible: 2 letters]ſome and infectious diſeaſes: and though friends and Phyſicians adviſed her by no means to come near his, for fear of danger and infection, yet ſhe paſſing by with a loving diſdain and contempt theſe unkind diſſwaſions, plyed him night and day with extraordinary tenderneſſe and care, and ſervices of all ſorts above her ſtrength and ability: ſhe was to him friends, Phyſician, Wife, Nurſe; yea ſhe was Father, Mother, Brother, Siſter, Daughter, every thing, and thing, to do him good any manner of way, &c.

Though I entreated for the Childrens ſake, &c.] i.e. By the holy right of wedlock, and the fruit thereof, thoſe dear pledges of our matrimonial good affection: Children, as they are dear to their Parents,Jun. (Charos, Plautus ſomewhere calleth them) ſo they are an endearing to their parents, whoſe ſeed they are called, as if there were nothing left to the parents but the h[illegible: 2 letters]ks. This therefore was a melting argument, but it [illegible: 1 word] not Job's wife. Men may ſpeak perſwaſively, but God onely perſwadeth.