Chap. 26. An Expofitiox span rho Book ofJ OB. Verf. i 3. óI heavens, either the upper or lower, as bath been (hewed under four diftin4 titles:ner can it bedenyed,but that the hand ofGod bath wrought all thofe things, much lefïe can it be denyed that the workingof thofe things is a great argument and demonflrati. on ofthe power and wifdomeofGod,wnich is the purpofeof lob in this place;therefore I (ball nottotally lay it afide.Neicbér yet wil I leave it with the reader as the fpecial meaningof this place, for this reafon, becaufe I much doubt, whether thole poetical( phancies in giving fuch fictitious names tothe Starres ofheaven, as, The Lion, the Beare, tbelull, the Dragon, the Serpent, &c. of which Philofophers and Aflronomers have made ufe, were at all borne, or ever fo much as heard ofin thole elder times in which and before which yob lived. For though both in the 9. Chapter of this booke (v. q ) as alfo in the 38. Chapter (ver. ze, zz.) many Names are given to the Starres,which both the Greek and Latine tranfl :tars,&we following them in the Englifh,render by thofe poetical names, yet the Originali Hebrew words beareno alluflon atall tochore phancies. As for inftance, The Hebrew word which we render Ardlurus (Ch: 9 9. ) bath nothingat all in it fignifying, The Tay!e ofa Beare,But here in this tex?,the word properly &gnifyeth a crookedferpent .,and therefore toplace it in the heavens as a Starre, when as in the times when this was written, there is fo little, ifany probability at all, that any fuch apprehenfions were taken up by any, or any fuch alluûve names given to the Starres,feems to me fomewbat improper. There is another veine of interpretation carryitlg the fenceof tbefe words, He hand hashfarmed the crookedferpent, to quite another point; for 'Lis conceived by the Authors ofthis opinion, that as 74 gave inftance before inthe worker ofGod above, his bigheft workes innature, the garni(hingof the heavens ; (o he now giveth inftance in his workes below, or in his lowe(t. works. This general interpretation is delivered two wayes diftin&ly. Firft, That as God bath garnifbed the heavens, fo he hath madeand now governeth hel too, Hie hand bathformed the tree' kedferpent,that is,the Devill:Thatwhich favoureth this opinion, and bath pofirblycafe the thoughts ofmany upon it, is, that in Scripture the devil is often called a ferpe»t, yea a crooked ferpent, and that he at ed a ferpentas his infirumentin the firft temptati- on (gen. 3. 1.) Now the ferpeit was more febril then any of the L 1 1 1 1 z beafie
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