John Trapp on Job 4:12

Verſe 12. Now a thing was ſecretly brought to me] Heb. was brought to mee by ſtealth, cloſely and privily, ſo as others were nothing aware of it. See Act. 22.9. with 9.7. Sauls companions heard his voice, but not Chriſts. By this viſion Eliphaz would convince Job, that none are afflicted but thoſe that have well deſerved it: ſith the beſt are defective and blame-worthy, though they ſhould be puriores coelo afflictione facti, as Chryſostome ſaith, as thoſe good ſouls were, that prayed Peter out of priſon, Acts 12.5. Some are of opinion, that this viſion either came from his phantaſie, and ſo was none: or elſe, by an illuſion from Satan. But Mercer holds it to have beene a true viſion from God; although Eliphaz abuſe it in his miſ-application thereof to Job, playing the Sophiſter, after a ſort, whileſt he quite changeth the ſtate of the queſtion, which at this time was, Whether we ought to judge of a mans life and behaviour by the greatneſſe of thoſe troubles and miſeries that he doth ſuffer? This viſion he deſcribeth verbis magnificis & ampu[illegible: 1 letter]l[illegible: 1 letter]ſis, as for me a thing (or a word) was ſtollen upon me, or ſecretly brought to me, &c. But what ſo great a ſecret was this, ſaith Calvin, that God alone is perfectly righteous, and all men unrighteous in compariſon of him? For anſwer, he calleth it a ſecret (though it be a plain and evident truth) becauſe few conſider it, and improve it to an humble ſubmiſſion to God, and ſuffering his judgments. See a like expreſſion, Pſal. 78.2, 3. &c. I will open my mouth in a parable, which yet was nothing extraordinary, but Poetically ſet out. So Pſal. 49.4. The happy and ſecure eſtate of Saints in trouble, is deſcribed, and the contrary; which though an ordinary argument, and often treated of, yet is called the great wiſedome, the dark ſaying &c.

And mine ear received a little thereof] Nonnihil, pauxillum, quippiam, not all that it might, but as much as it could, as being but a narrow-mouthed veſſel. Vide ut modestè loquatur, ſaith Mercer; ſee how modeſtly the man ſpeaketh, not taking upon him any perfection of knowledge, though he were a man of great underſtanding; his ear caught ſomewhat of that was repealed, and but ſomewhat. The beſt men, whileſt here, know but in part: for why? Wee propheſie but in part, 1 Cor. 13.9. Such is our weakneſſe, and narrow-heartedneſſe, that we cannot take in all of all; no, nor any part of all in the full latitude and extent of it. The greateſt part of that wee know, is the leaſt part of that wee know not, ſaith a Father. Hence thoſe modeſt expreſſions of ſome Philoſophers, and others: This onely I know, that nothing I know, ſaid Socrates: I know not ſo much as this, ſaid another, that I yet know nothing. My greateſt knowledge, ſaid Chytraeus, is to know, that nothing I know. And albeit I am otherwiſe ignorant, ſaith another, yet of mine own ignorance I am not ignorant. Not only in moſt other things am I to ſeeke, Epiſt. 119. c. 21 ſaith Auſtin, but even in the Scriptures (my chief ſtudy, and trade of life) Multo plura neſcio quam ſcio, there are many more things hid from mee, then what I yet underſtand, John 14.4, 5. Thomas ſeemes to contradict Chriſt: Auſtin thus reconcileth it, they did partly know whither Chriſt went, but durſt not once believe that they had any ſuch knowledge; they did not know their own knowledge. The beſt here can ſee but Gods back-parts, and live, as Moſes. Eſay ſaw but his traine in the Temple, and the latter end of that too. Eliphaz his eare caught but the later end, as it were, of a ſentence, only that which the eccho reſounded, a particle of the whole that was whiſpered ſecretly to him. Howbeit, that he received but a little, was not from neglect of the reſt; but from inability to receive more or to receive it more perfectly.