Chap. 2o. An Expofition upon the Booke of J OB. Verf. 6. 461 fignification ofa high or ofthe higheft eftate on earth, but alto of that, which is more then , the earth can produce or advance any man unto, a certaine, yea an unchangeable, and an unre- moveable eftate. There are no changes in heaven, and onely there ( except in hell) there are none. This earthly world paf- feth away; and the fafhionof it ; Therefore to have an excel- lency mounted up to heave.;,is aprefumprion to be (what God can make and hash promited,to make his 7ac.b or chufen people to be ) an eternall excellency. Take in thefe toure afcents, and then conceive how corn- prehenfive a fuppofition Zophar mikes of the wicked mans worldly felicitie, in thefe words,Th9ugh bù excellency mount up_ to heaven. The next and !aft claufe of the verfe is alfo of the fame largenes and comprehenfion. eAnd his Head reachunto the clouds'. Theword properly fignifies thicke and darke clouds. A's if; n nubeo ob. fay Tome, Zophar would intimate thus much ; Though the wicked fcurror 7 ds crol- man lift up bis head above allftorines and darknofe, andfeemeth to f°r; nubes himfelfe a u Briar toall dangers anddi a crs, yet he ¡hall erí/h. am a juperiori f p ff y p radice dicun+úT The head of a wicked man is above the cloudsofheaven in alpi- nejhim, quiff' ring projeae, while his heart is among or below the clods of the elevati°nes. earth in covetous and curled practices. Yea, he kickes at the God of heaven with his heele, while his head reacheth unto, the clouds ofheaven. While hefaith in hit heart, Iwill afcend . above the clouds of heaven;I will be like the molt high(Ifa.14.14.) Æquaiit ofcis He fets himfelfe as anenemy, and is molt unlike co the molt graChor, d7 high. Heathens have often perfonated proudmen in fuch a tile Á m frPébo as Zophar expreffeth them in , walking like the Starres and`ver+ice artán- reaching the poles of heaven with their head. As when the gem polum. Pfalmill would (hew the Super - eminency of the mercy and Sen:in TheilL faithfullnesof God, he fayth (Tfal. 36. 5.) Thy merey, O Lord, is in the heavens, and thyfaitbfulnes reacheth unto the clouds. So- to íhew the fuper- eminencyof the pride and folly ofman, he is defcribedmounting to the heavens, and reaching out his bead unto theclouds. This whole allufion may be unto a tree , full and high Browne, like anOake, or a Cedar ofLebanon. To which the- flourifhing condition of the Amorite i;.compared ( Amos 2.9. ) .. d
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