Chap.I. Alt Expofition upon the Bookof J O B. Verf. 16. cures fire fromHeaven to confume the Captains that came from theKing to take him, 2 King. 1. 10, 12. The P(almift !peakingof the plagues ofEgypt (Pfal. I o5.3z.)faith, that the Lordfentflamex offire in the Land ; fo fome expound that place, Pfal. ioq.. 3. He maketh bic Angels fpirits,andhis Mini/fern a flame offire; that is, he ufeth flamesoffire for his Miniffers,for his Mefïengers; God fome- times fends a fire on hiserrands,though we know that place is ap- plyed to the Angels by the Apoffle,Heb. I.,. But here rather it is called the fire ofGod in another regard;for howfoever this fire was Pent of God,as all aflli6tions are, yet be- caufe the immediatekindler of it was Satan,he had the power put into his hand ; therefore this was not a fire (in that fenfe as thofe other fires are laid tobe) Cent from God. But it may be called (as ufually in Scripture) thefire of God, bufe of the firange- nefs ofthe fire, it was a wonderful, an extraordinary fire ; and fo it is very ordinary in the Hebrew toLife the name ofGod, El, Elohim or7ebovah, as an Epithite, as an additional word to heighten the excellence or rarenefs ofthings. We find that phrafe often : A man ofGod: the Hebrews fay to call one a man of God, is as much as to fay , hePis an extraordinary man , a man ofan excellentfpirit, a Prophet, a Holy man : In that Pfalmwhere the Church is íhadowed under the fimilitude of a Vine , it is fait!, She didfendforth her branches like the goodly Cedars ; So we tranflate it : the Original word is, ShePentforth ber branches Pfal. 8. ¡0. as the Cedars ofGad, that is, exeellent Cedars, tall andextraor- dinary Cedars. In Pfal. 36.6. comparing the love of God to great Mountains , Thy loving kindnefs is as thegreat Mountains, the word is, like the Mountains of God : Pfal.65. 9. Thou re- frefbeft itwith the river ofGod , that is, with an excellent River : Cant. 8.6. fpeakingoflove andofjealoufie,Love isftrongas death, jealvufie is cruel as the grave, the coals thereof are coales of fire, which bath a molt vehement flame; the word in the Original is, a flame of God, the coals thereof are coales of fire, the flame of God, that is as we translate it, a vehement flame. So here, the fire ofGod, that is, a ftrangefire , an unheardof, anunufeel fire, avehement fire, fuch a. fireas hadnot been feen nor obferved be- fore. Therefore the Hebrewes call extraordinary things the things ofGod;becaufe indeed all the wonders and excellencies,all the glory andgoodnefs that is in creatures, is but a foot-ffep, a print or dropof that excellency and glory and power that is in God; 161
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