John Trapp on Job 39:5

Verſe 5. Who hath ſent out the wild-Aſſe free?] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Phere, ſerum animal, (ſo Tremellius rendreth it) the wild Creature. And it is not unlikely that the Latine word Fera, Eò quòd onager feritate antecellit. Piſcat. comes from this Hebrew word for a wild-Aſſe; which is a moſt untameable, & untractable creature. Every kind of beaſts, and of birds, and of ſerpents, and of things in the ſea is tamed, & hath been tamed of mankind, Jam 3.7. We read of Auguſtus Caeſar that he had a tame Tiger, but who ever board of a wild-Aſſe tamed? Africa is ſaid to have whole heards of them: and it is reported, that when they ſee a man, they ſtand ſtock ſtill; and kick with their hinder feet, braying aloud. And when the Hunter comes ſo near them, that he could touch them almoſt, they ſnuff up the wind, kick up their heels, and run quite away: ſo nimble they are, that they can hardly be taken, much leſſe tamed? To the Colt of this wild Creature, is a natural man compared by Zophar, chap. 11.12. for his extreme rudeneſſe and unrulineſſe: The Prophet Jeremy hath the like of the Idolaters of his time, chap. 2.24. who were lawleſſe and lewd Loſels, obſtinate, and refractary; ſuch as multò faciliùs fregeris quàm flexeris; will ſooner break than bend: with theſe froward God will wreſtle, Pſal. 18.26. with theſe Antipodes God will walk contrary, Levit. 26.41. and be as croſſe as they are, for the hearts of them. His Law hath four teeth to taw and tame theſe maſterleſſe Monſters; viz. 1. Irritation, Rom. 7.7. 2. Induration, Iſai. 6.10. 3. Obſignation, Gen. 4.7. 4. Execration, Deut. 28.16, 17, &c. Obeyed he will be of them, either Actively or paſſively: and ſanctified he will be, either by them, or upon them, Levit. 10.3. Wild Aſſes are free from men: but ſo are not wild Iſmaelites from God. Who hath ever looſed the bands of the wild Aſſe? but God will hamper his rebels, and certainly ſubdue them; all his foes ſhall become his foot-ſtoole. Be inſtructed therefore, O Jeruſalem, Jer. 6.8. Be not as Horſe and Mule that have no underſtanding, &c. for many ſorrows ſhall be to ſuch wicked, Pſal. 32.9, 10. and it is too [illegible: 1 word] for them to kick againſt the pricks, Acts, 9.5. to puſh back upon the goad, as [illegible: 4 letters]med Heifers uſe to do, but to their further ſorrow, and ſufferance.