^noteHolie Iob otherwise called Iobab (Gen. 36.) as S. Augustin, S. Chrisostom, S. Ambrose, S. Gregorie, and other fathers teach, the sonne of Zara, the sonne of Rahuel, the sonne of Esau, was king (or absolute prince) of the land of Hus. who being perfect in religion, sincere in life, rich in wealth, and blessed with children, for an admirable example of patience, and to shew that a mortal man through Gods grace, may resist al the diuels tentations, by Gods permi&esset;ion, sudainly lost al his goodes and children, was striken with horrible sores in al his bodie, reuiled by his wife, and in steed of comforth which his special freindes pretemted towards him, was iniuriously charged by them, with impatience, arrogancie, blasphemie, and other crimes, ^note for which they falsly supposed was so afflicted, affirming, and by diuers sophistical argumentes, grounded as they pretended vpon Gods iustice, wisdome, powre, mercie, and goodnes, would proue that God suffereth none but wicked men to be so afflicted. But Iob constantly defendeth his owne iust innocencie, and that worldlie calamities, and prosperitie happen indifferently

to good and bad in this life, and that the true reward of the iust, and punishment of the wicked, is to be expected in the other world. At last God, with due reprehension of Iob for some imperfections, sharply rebuketh the errors, and insolencie of his aduerse freindes; geueth sentence on Iobs side; pardoneth them at his intercession; and restoreth al thinges to him duble, to that he had before.

Besides the literal sense Iob in al his actions, sufferinges, and whole life, was a special figure of Christ, shewing (sayth S. Gregorie) by those thinges which he did and susteyned, what our Redemer should do and suffer yea more particularly then most part of the Patriarches. which S. Ierome (epist. ad Paulin.) also admireth and testifieth, saying: what mysteries of Christ doth not this booke comprehend? ^note Euerie word is ful of sense. ^note Moreouer this historie is replenished with moral documents, how to embrace vertue, and eschew vice: proposing the life of a right godlie man, neither insolent in prosperitie, not desparing in aduersitie, alwayes resolute in Gods seruice, as wel in his prosperous kingdom as in the miserable dunghil. ^note Here also we haue the true maner of arguing, according to the rules of Logike, with detection of sophistrie, Iob prouing and disprouing assertions by proposition, assumption, and conclusion, as S. Ierom obserueth, with profound knovvlege of natural thinges and causes, as appeareth in very manie places. ^note Al which varietie and abundance of matter, comprised in smal rowme, make manie thinges hard and obscure, yet are the same so tempered with other thinges plaine and easie, that here is verified S. Augustins obseruation (li. 2. c 6. doct. Christ) certaine places of holie Scriptures serue as delectable meate to them that hunger and thirst diuine knowlege, and the obscure take away tediousnes from them, that loath vsual plaine doctrin.

It is most probable that Iob himself, inspired by the Holie Ghost, by whose grace he excelled al in right simplicitie (c. 1.) writte his owne historie; the most part in verse, only the two first chapters and the last in prose, in the Arabian tongue; which Moyses translated into Hebrew, for the consolation of the Israelites afflicted in Ægypt. ^note

And it may be diuided into three general partes. First the change of Iobs state from prosperitie into affliction, with his lamentation for the same, are recorded in the three first chapters. ^note In foure and thirtie chapters folowing are sundrie disputations, conflictes, and discourses betwen him and his freindes, touching the cause of his so vehement affliction. In the fiue last chapters God discu&esset;eth the quarel, geueth sentence for Iob against his aduersaries, pardonteh them, and rewardeth him.

THE BOOKE OF IOB.

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