John Trapp on Job 9:7

Verſe 7. Which commandeth the Sun, and it riſeth not] God in framing the world, began above, and wrought downward: but Job in deſcribing the great works of God here, began below: and now goes upward from earth to heaven. It is as natural to the heaven to move, as to the earth to ſtand ſtill. Copernicus his opinion, that the earth turns round, and heaven ſtands ſtill, is worthily exploded: round the earth is indeed, notwithſtanding the hills and vallies (as an apple is round, notwithſtanding ſome knots and bunches in it:) and being round, it is naturally apt for motion (the Pythagoreans held, that the earth was naturâ ſuâ mobilis, as the heavens are) but God hath fixed and made it unmoveable, whiles the heavenly bodies are reſtleſſe in their courſes. The Sun (the glistering Sun, as the word here ſignifieth) rejoyceth as a ſtrong man to run his race, Pſalm 19.5.De aſcenſ[illegible: 1 letter]nent. in Deum. grad. 7 Bellarmine ſaith, that in the eighth part of an hour the Sun runneth 700 miles. But God the Soveraign of the Sun can ſpeak to it, and it riſeth not. If he do but give the word of command to the Sun not to riſe, the morning ſhall be made darkneſſe, Amos 4.13. and the day dark with night Amos 5.8. Was it not ſo in that three dayes darkneſſe in Egypt? in that miraculous ſtanding ſtill of the Sun in Joſhua's dayes,Exod. 12.21. Joſh. 10.13. when the Sun roſe not with the Antipodes one morning, and the ſtars were ſealed up part of the night? in that diſmal darkneſſe (mentioned by Lavater upon this text) March 12. 1585, laſting for a quarter of an houre, and being ſo like the night, that the fouls went to rooſt at noon, and many fell to their prayers for pardon of their ſins, as thinking verily that the day of judgment was come. St. Paul in the tempeſt at ſea ſaw neither Sun nor ſtars for many dayes, Acts 27.20. And I have read of a forraigner, who having been in theſe parts in the deep of winter, and returning home again, deſired one that was then bound for England to commend him to the Sun when he next ſaw him, for I have not ſeen him there, ſaid he, of a whole fortnight together. Ezek. 32.7. I will cover the Sun with a cloud; and, in that ſenſe, ſpeak to it that it riſe not.

And ſealeth up the ſtars] Heb. Sets a ſeal upon the ſtars, making them hide their heads, and with-draw their influences: for ſtars are Gods ſtore-houſes, Deut. 28.12. which he openeth or ſhutteth at his pleaſure. Every ſtar is like a purſe of gold: out of which God can, when he will, throw down riches and plenty into the earth: but many of them never appear to us, though viſible to the Antipodes, Job 37.7.