John Trapp on Job 26:2

Verſe 2. How haſt thou helped him that is without power?] q.d. Full well haſt thou done it, ſurely. (See a like irony Mark 7.9. and 1 Cor. 4.8, 10) Thou art a very goodly comforter, and with a great deal of Wiſdome thou haſt framed thy diſcourſe to my preſent neceſſity. Thou lookeſt upon me as a poor, forlorn, ſtrengthleſſe, fruitleſſe creature. Thou ſhouldſt therefore have ſet thy ſelf to ſupport me and ſhore me up, by uttering not only commoda, ſed & accommoda, things true and profitable, but things fit and ſutable to my diſtreſſed condition. Thou haſt ſpoken much of the Majeſty and purity of Almighty God (wherein I well accord thee) but theſe are words of terror, ſuch as I can hardly bear. Of ſtrong Phyſick we ſay, Quòd nec puero, nec ſeni, nec imbecillo, ſed robuſto [illegible: 1 letter]conveniat, That it is not for children, or old folks, or weak ones, but for the ſtronger ſort; it is not for every complexion and ſtate. So neither is every diſcourſe for all ſort of people. It is a ſingular skill to be able to time a word, Iſai. 50.4. and to ſet it upon its wheels, Prov. 25.11. to declare unto a man his righteouſneſs, which not one of a thouſand can tell how to do it like him, Job 33.23. to ſeek to find out pleaſant words, ſuch as have both goads and nailes in them, Eccleſ. 12.10, 11. (to prick them on to duty, and to faſten them to the right, as pales are to their railes) to divide the Word of God aright, 2 Tim. 2.25. and to give every one his portion in the due ſeaſon, Matth. 24.45. Not as he in the Emblem, who gave ſtraw to the dog, and a bone to the Aſſe. The good Word of God, is well applyed, is profitable to all things, as is here hinted; ſcil. to help the powerleſſe, to ſave the ſtrengthleſſe, to counſel the ignorant, and to ſet forth things as they are, that there may be no manner of miſtake; but then it muſt be wiſely handled, and the help of Gods holy Spirit muſt be implored, verſe 4. that it may be a Word of reconciliation, a ſavour of life unto life, 2 Cor. 2.16. and 5.19. and whatſoever elſe is ſaid in commendation of it, Pſal. 19.7, 8, 9, 10. Mercer interpreting this verſe and the two following, H[illegible: 1 letter]c de Deo accipio, ſaith he: Theſe things I underſtand concerning God, and it is as if Job had ſaid to Bildad, O how bravely helpeſt thou him that is weak, and pleadeſt for him that is forlorn, as if God wanted thy patronage and defence! No queſtion but thou art a man fit to adviſe him, and to ſet him in a courſe that he cannot otherwiſe hit on: This is a good ſenſe alſo. But what meant Brentius to bring in Job blaſpheming here, as thus, Quem juvas? impotentem? ſalvas brachium invalidi? Cui conſulis? inſipienti? &c. Whom helpeſt thou, O God? the impotent? ſaveſt thou the arm of the ſtrengthleſſe? Whom counſelleſt thou? the ignorant? &c. q.d. Surely thou ſhouldſt do ſo by promiſe, and it would well become thee to do ſo by me: But (alaſſe) thou doſt nothing leſs; and hence it is, that I ſtill ſtick in the bryers, &c. Upon this gloſs wee may write as the Canoniſts do ſometimes, Palea, or, Hoc non credo.