6i4 Chap. .}o. an Expofition upon the Bookof ] o B. Vetf. irya languages, to call that which is chief, the firft or head of any thing (Exód. ;o. 23,) It fhargbeof pure myrrh (the Hebrew is)head of myrrh, that is, chiefor prime myrrh, pureff myrrh. ThusPaid David, ('Pfal. 119.t6o.) Thy word is true from the beginning. The Hebrew ftriCtly taken, is, Thebeginning or bead of thy werd is-true, ortruth. As it David had faid, That which is rnohi eminent and chief in the word of God, is the truth of it that which rules and reigns, and holds (as it were) the headlhip in and througbcutthe word of God, is the truth of it, or Gods truenefs and faithfulnefs in making it good-: and therefore the firfi thingwhich faith doth, is to fer to its feat that God is true true of his word, or that his word is true (obn 3. 33.) The Greeks call honeythefirft offro testicles, becaufeit is the fweeteft Mal dicitur of all natural things. Now here, when the Text faith, he is the atPxñ yt+''xnc- chief, or beginning of theways of God, we are not to take it of }w`aa fry quid abeginning in time, reveal creatures were feniors to Behemoth, flaterebut óm being made before him , but in excellency , which we render argue. clearly, Re u the chief of the wages of God. But you will fay, how is the Elephant thechief of the wages of God. Are not Angels and men (at leaf+) above him ? I anfwer, There is a twofold chief ; Firlt, Abfolute ; Second- ly,in'itskind. Behemoth is the chief of the wages of God, not ab- folutely, not as if God had made nothing more excellent than the Elephant , but in his kind, that is, among the beat+s of the earthhe is the chief, and as we fay , bears away the bell from all the ref+. Behemoth is not only of the fir/i three, but (like Alino the Tacbmonite among David, worthies) he is thefiat of the firft three, among all theirrational creatures which move upon the faceof the earth. And though in fome one thing many excel him, yet taking himaltogether, he excels them all, He is the chief of thewages of God, that is, of the works of God. Theworks ofGod are called his ways,becaufe he appears &fiends forth inhis works, as man doth in his way. God did not appearat all til he did create,& thenbe appeared glorioufly in all his divine perfe6+ions of power, wifdom and goodnefs. And as he appear- ed in the works of creation, fohe daily appeared) in bis works of providence as in his way,for in them altoit is feen howpower- ful, how wife, how good he is Behemoth, both as w creation;` and providence, is the chief of the wages or works of God in his
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