Chap. 9. An Expofition upon the Bàok,of j O B. Vert: á74349 brew word lignifies to flrengthen, becaufe when a man is call Etoberavit,ratr- down with forrows his fpirit is weakned, Comfort it the repair vitas ofjtrength; IfIfay,' will comfort,that is,corroborate and ftrength roteg;t. en my felf (Pfal. 39. 13.) 0f pare me (faith David) that I may a .;v_ recover myJfrength ; or that I may a little comfort my fell : The Septuagint renders it, That I mayget my life again, that I may be enlivened, and re-infouled, or fetch back my foul again. Here, ifI fay I will comfort my fell, Take heart at graft (as we fay) and play the man, then my forrows renew upon me. But Tome may object ; how is it that Job takes upon him to comforthimfelf ? Is it any wonder if Job came ¡hors of comfort, when he went to himfelffor comfort ? Comfort is not a commodity to be found in the hand or pow- er ofany creature ; thegeeat Godhath all that in his own hand ifany manwill have comfort, he mutt trade to heaven for it. It is the honour ofGod to be called,Tbe Godof all comfort (2Cor. t. 3.)that is, the God who hath all comfort at his difpofe. As fortae Kings have a denomination from the great flaple commo- ditiesoftheir Kingdomes. Oar King is called, The King of the wool], becaufe wooll is the chief commodity, and more plentifull here, then in any other Country ofthe world. Another iscalled, Kingofthe Wines: and another, of the flax. Comfort is the ffaple commodityofheaven; and God is called, The Gad of all comfort, not only becaufe thechiefeft and bell comfortsare in his hand, but becaufe there is not the lea¡t imaginable comfort to be had out of his hand. He hath the monopoly ofcomfort, or rather the fole- gift of comfort. We can trouble and perplex our (elves, but God onlyvcan comfort us. And be it the Godofall comfort, of all forts and of all degrees ofcomfort : the God, trot only of fpirituali, but ofworldly eomfor t, of temporali comfort, as well as of e- ternal. As the joyes of the holy Ghoft are in his hand, fo are the joyes ofcivil relations; the joy of meat and drink, the joy of riches and honour are in his hand allo, How then faith Job. I will layofde nay heavinefs.I will comfort myfelf ?lc is a hard thing tocomfort others (Luther faid, It is at eafie a work to raife the dead, as to comfort the confcience) but it is harder for a man to comfort himfelf. Eliphaz gave teftinaony to Job in the fourth Chapter (verf. 3, 4.) that he hadnpholden him that wasfalling, andhad f rengthned the fe able knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintef#; it tancheth ahee,and sbou_art traubled.Thou, who haft
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