Chap. 29, An Expofition upon!he Book of J o B. Verf; 3; 435 His candle shined upon my bead. Some cake thefe words asan allufion to the cloud and pillar of fire that guided the children of Ifrael in the wildernefs ; but t (hall not infift' upon that, becaufe it is a query, and a query unde- termited, whether Pb lived before the journey ofI raal through the wildcrnefs, or after it; if after, there is no neceffity of infer ring that allufion here,and if before there is no confiftency for it. Thecandle of God is taken three wayes inScripture. First, For theword or counfet of God, by which as by a candle we are direéied and fee our way,through the darknefs and d oubt- ful paffages of this world. David found and acknowledged this Life and benefitof the word (Psal. lag. i oS.) Thy word it 4 lamp (or candle) unto my feet, and a light unto my paths. By his feet he means both his inward motions and his ourward, bis af- fetions and his anions; and 'byhis paths, the cowrie which he tookby both. In all, the word of God was his light or candle to ¡hew him where his way lay. Secondly, As the word of God, fo the fpirit of a man is called candle, (Pro.2o.27.) Thefpirit ofman is the candleof the L'rd, faarching-all the inwardparts ofthe dilly. By the fpirit ofman Solo- mon means the incellet` ual powers, which in the slate of mans created integrity, were as the Sun (lining with pure beams of light in that little world man : but by the fall of man into fin, that light is fodecayed and leffened,that now it is but like a candle to give man fomehelp in this night and darkness of his condition. And it iscalled, not barelya candle, but the candle of the Lord, not as that w hich the Lord fees by, but either fira, as that which the Lord path mercifully left or fer up in us to fee by;and fo chafe words, of the Lord, teach es that the Lord is the Author or effi- cient caufe of it. Or fccondly,thofe wordsof the Lord are as an e- pithite to the word candle;and fo tocalf the fpirit of man the can: die ofthe Lord, is as much as to fay, the fpirit of man is an excel- lent and a moll neceffary Candle ; for it fearchetb, or by it we Parch alltke inward part: ofthe belly, that is, whatsoever is tnof$ fecret in our felves ; as the Apo(tle fpeakes (z ¿or. 2. a r ,) what man knowetb the thingr ofa man, rave thefpirit of man which in him ? :hat is, no other man knows what his own thoughts are, or what they are working, but hi:nfelf by hisown uudcrflanding. Kkk2 Buc
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