John Trapp on Job 29:1

CHAP. XXIX. Verſe 1. Moreover Job continued his Parable.]

OR, his ſentence, as Tremellius rendreth it, his ſententious and elegant oration, his aur[illegible: 1 letter]um flumen orationis, Tota oratio graviſſimis ſententiis, & verborum luminibus illuſtris eſt. Merlin. golden flood of grave diſcourſe, as we may better call it, then Tully did Ariſtotles [illegible: 2 letters]l[illegible: 2 letters]cks. Here Job deſcribeth graphically his former felicity as in the next Chapter his preſent miſery. The promiſe of Proſperity to Gods people is to be underſtood with exception of the croſs, wherewith, if need be, (1 Pet. 1.6.) they are ſure to be exerciſed (and they ſhall take it for a favour too, Heb. 12.6.) by the armour of righteouſneſs on the right hand, and on the left; By honour and diſhonour, by evil report and good report, &c. 2 Cor. 6.7, 8. they muſt learn to be abaſed, and to abound, Ʋlpian. to be full and to be hungry, &c. Phil. 4.12. though this be an hard leſſon, Perquam durum eſt? ſed it a lex ſcri[illegible: 1 letter]ta eſt, ſaith the Civilian: Hard or not hard,Ex praeteritavum voluptatum recòrdatione. Cicer. de finib. l. 2. Sen. de benef l. 4 c. 22. — Olim hac meminiſſe juvahit. Virg. Miſerum eſt ſuiſſe faelicem. Sen. we muſt frame to it, and hope for better. The Epicures held, that a man might be cheerful amidſt the moſt exquiſite torments: 1. In conſideration of his honeſty and integrity: this indeed was Job great comfort, as we ſee chap. 31. And, 2. In conſideration of thoſe pleaſures and delights that formerly he had enjoyed, and now cheared up himſelf with the remembrance of. But how ſlight and ſlender a comfort this was, Job ſetteth forth in this Chapter. And who knoweth not that as it is a ſweet thing in proſperity to relate what hazards and hardſhip we have paſſed through: ſo in adverſity it is grievous to call to minde what better dayes we have had? And yet it is but reaſon, that we ſhould eate the cruſt and crum together; receive, I mean, evil at the hand of God as well as good, Job 2.10. See the Note on chap. 27.1.