Chap. i 3. AnExpofttion upon the Book of JOB, Verf. 2 &ions, or bear thefepreflfares any longer, I faint,I fail,I decay, I die. He asked the qpeftion what hewas ( chap.6.tz, ) .!s my flrengtb the flrength ar!loner ? or ismyflefh hrafs ? Here he tells us what he and his ftrength, what he and his flefh are, even as a rotten thing, as a garment that is moth: eaten. Wehave here a double'fìmilitude, both implying his infuP,ï- ciency to !land in the hands of God, a. Ofa rotten thing. a. Of a garment eaten with moths. I confume, and how ? as a rotten thing. The Hebrew is concrete, I confume as rottennefs; rot- tennefs it felf is confuming,and rottennefs confumeth any thing it toucheth. Time will confume that which is found, but that which is already rotten,howquickly Both it confume ? how can , that holdout againft decay which is a decay ? 1 confume as a rot- ten thing. And as agarment that is moth-eaten David compares man under affliEtion to a moth, as here Job to a moth-eaten garment; Pfal. 39. a L. When thou with rebukes doffchafienman for iniquity, thou mafeft his beauty to confume away life amoth; Moths have fo little fubftance in them, that they have fcarce any fubGílence. The leaft touch crufteeth and moulders them into nothing : A moth is as weak as weaknefs it felf,yet it eatsout the ftrengthofthe ftrongeft garment.A moth- eatengarment is fcarce a garment ; Thebeauty of it is defaced, and the ufefulnefs of it is departed. Mans belt garments of ho- nor and riches, are little better then a moth-eaten, garment, (Taco. 5. z, 2,) Go to now ye rich men, weep andhowlfor the mi- feries that 'hall come upon yard, your riches are corrupted, andyour. garments aremo -eaten. Where the Apoftle is conceived to in- vite richmen (from which they think themfelves at greateft di- ftance)_to mourn over their miferies. Firft, becaufe they trea- fare up riches ofwhich they make no rife, but let them corrupt s and becaufe they providewardrobs of apparel which they wear not, but themoths eat them up. Secondly, becaufe they lay out their ftrength and time ingathering aperithingportion, riches which are corruptible,and garments which are meat for moths. As if he had Paid, how vainare youwho labour for that which is more then corrni? your riches are actually corrupted, and your garments, how careful foever you are toperfume and pre- feratt the- are more thenfubjet to anoths,the moth actuallyeats them, 4.1
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