ó6í Chap. 14. An Expofition upon the Book of J OB. Verf.zo. prevaileth ever. If he undertake a work or a defign whether for or againfl man, he will be Pure to have his ends : for nothing can Band in his way. All that is in the way is of his own Petting, and he is wifer then to Pet any thing in his way , which f4tall hin- der him in the bringing about his own ends. What ftrength fo- ever the creature hath, it hath from God, andfurelyhehath - not given out more then he keeps to himfelf. Ile will not be maflered with his own gifts , nor make derivative power too flrong for original power. Indeed all the power which God gives is weaknefle , and the wildom folly , compared with that he keeps : and what is weaknefle to omnipotency ? what is fol- ly to w ifdlom ? what is mortal and changeable to eternal and unchangeable, that it fhould hinder its prevailing ? The Vulgar reads diff.rently, referring this ael ofprevailing, not to the ftrength ofGod,prevailing over man, but to the )our- Ro1orsffi emu ty of God giving man flrength.to prevail : Thou haFt firengthen- pJutulum , ut ed him for a littlewhile , that.he might paffe away for ever. As if in perpetuum God exalted .man only to call him down with a more fearful! Vulg. ,ìe,e ruine : or, as if Yob had laid , Thoudill heretofore ftrengthen --toúuntur in nie , but now thou abàtefi myftrength ; Iwas once fee up, but now alturn, thou. trampleft sue under foot. 'lis I grant the defign of God a- ut 14fu ga.nft his enemies to advance them on purpofe that he may o- lravioretuant.:verthrow them with greater advantage. Thus the Lord Paid of `Pharaoh for this fame purpofe have I rat ed thee up , that I might 'hew my power in thee, (Romeo. 17.) But God deals not thus with his own fervants for though he gives them ftrength and then tries them, yet he nevee gives them ftrength that he may (with a greater reputation to his con flrength) triumph over them. And therefore I lay this tranflation alide and embrace our own, as clearcfl to the intendment of thefe flmilitudes : thou prevaileflfor ever again) him, / ndhe paffith. That is , he diath, fo the word is ofed (chap.ro..zr.) death is our paffage out of the + orid we come in and we paffe out : man mull palie when God giveth him a gaffe to travel our of the land of the living. Thou changefe his countenance, andfendeft him away. This charge of his countenance is taken three waies. Firfl,
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