John Trapp on Job 29:25

Verſe 25. I choſe out their way, and ſate chief] In thoſe dayes I was the onely man in all matters, choſen by conſent of all to be the Prolocutour, and advanced to the firſt place in all Aſſemblies and places of Judicature &c. Tremellius, and others, read it thus, If I choſe their way. (that i[illegible: 1 letter], If of mine own accord, I came unto them at any time) I ſate chief, and was Chair-man: in a word, I dwelt as a King amidſt his Troopers, when he comforteth them being caſt down; that is, when after ſome defeat or diſappointment, he cheereth up their ſpirits by his ſpeeches, and cryes, Courage my hearts: Flebile principium, melior fortuna ſequatur: Victorem à victo ſuperari ſaepè videmus. The Tigurines render the former part of the verſe thus, Accommodam me illorum moribus cum judicio, I fitted my ſelf to their faſhions, yet with diſcretion. R. Solomon and others thus, They asked me, What way ſhall we go? What courſe take? And I choſe out their way, and ſet them down a courſe; as a Counſellour doth to his Clyents, a King to his Souldiers, or a Caſuiſt thoſe that reſort to him for comfort.

And dwelt as a King in the army] Where he is continually ſurrounded by his ſouldiers, and highly honoured. The Bees, in their Common-wealth, have a King, whoſe Palace they frame as fair in ſhew, as ſtrong in ſubſtance: if they find him fall, they ſtabliſh him again in his Throne with all duty, with all devotion: they guard him continually for fear he ſhould miſcarry, for love he ſhould not. Job had ſo tempered and mixed gravity and lenity, he had ſo fourbiſhed the ſword of Juſtice with the Oyle of Mercy, that he was at once both feared as a King, and loved as a Comforter.

As one that comforteth the mourners] That mourn for the loſs of ſome dear thing or perſon, as the word ſignifieth: and eſpecially, for the loſs of Gods favour, as Zach. 12.10. groaning under the ſenſe of ſin, and fear of wrath. Now to comfort ſuch mourners in Sion, is as difficult a work as to raiſe the dead, ſaith Luther; and ſcarce one of a thouſand can skill of it, Job 33.23. Every Chriſtian ſhould have feeding lips. and an healing tongue, to comfort the feeble-minded, to drink to them in a cup of Nepenth[illegible: 1 letter]s, that cup of conſolation, Jer: 16.7. taking them down into Chriſts Wine-cellar, Cant. 2.4. and there ſtay them with Flagons, and comfort them with Apples, verſe 5. thoſe Apples of the garden of Eden, (as the Chaldee there hath it) the ſweet and precious Promiſes, which are pabulum fidei, the food of Faith, and do give the joy of faith; even that peaceable fruit of righteouſneſs unto them that have been in a low and loſt condition. But this, few can do to purpoſe; becauſe they are either unskilful in the word of truth, or unexperienced; they dig not their diſcourſes out of their own breſts, they utter them more from their brains, than from their bowels, from their own experience I mean; which made even Chriſt himſelf a more compaſſionate high-Prieſt, Heb. 5. And that eminent ſervant of his, St. Paul, had by this means got an excellent faculty in comforting the diſconſolate,Melancthon. 2 Cor. 1.4. So had Luther, as having himſelf from his tender years been much beaten and exerciſed with ſpiritual conflicts. Conceive we may the like of Job, who was therefore flocked unto from far and near, as known to be able to time a word, and to ſpeak to the hearts of drooping and dejected perſons. But now, &c.