Job 29:25

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one [that] comforteth the mourners.

Ver. 25. I chose out their way, and sat chief] In those days I was the only man in all matters, chosen by consent of all, to be the prolocutor and advanced to the first place in all assemblies and places of judicature, &c. Tremellius and others read it thus, If I chose their way (that is, if of mine own accord I came unto them at any time), I sat chief, and was chairman; in a word, I dwelt as a king amidst his troopers, when he comforteth them being cast down; that is, when, after some defeat or disappointment, he cheereth up their spirits by his speeches, and cries, Courage, my hearts:

Flebile principium, melior fortuna sequatur:

Victorem a victo superari saepe videmus.

The Tigurines render the former part of the verse thus, Accommodavi me illorum moribus cum iudicio, I fitted myself to their fashions, yet with discretion. R. Solomon and others thus, they asked me, What way shall we go? What course take? And I chose out their way, and set them down a course; as a counsellor doth to his clients, a king to his soldiers, or a casuist those that resort to him for comfort.

And dwelt as a king in the army] Where he is continually surrounded by his soldiers, and highly honoured. The bees, in their commonwealth, have a king, whose palace they frame as fair in show, as strong in substance; if they find him fall, they establish him again in his throne with all duty, with all devotion; they guard him continually, for fear he should miscarry, for love he should not. Job had so tempered and mixed gravity and lenity, he had so furbished the sword of justice with the oil of mercy, that he was at once both feared as a king, and loved as a comforter.

As one that comforteth the mourners] That mourn for the loss of some dear thing or person, as the word signifieth, and especially for the loss of God's favour, as Zechariah 12:10, groaning under the sense of sin and fear of wrath. Now to comfort such mourners in Zion is as difficult a work as to raise the dead, saith Lather; and scarce one of a thousand can skill of it, Job 33:23. Every Christian should have feeding lips and a healing tongue, to comfort the feeble minded, to drink to them in a cup of Nepenthes, that cup of consolation, Jeremiah 16:7, taking them down into Christ's wine cellar, Song of Solomon 2:4, and there stay them with flagons and comfort them with apples, Job 29:5, those apples of the garden of Eden (as the Chaldee there hath it), the sweet and precious promises, which are pabulum fidei, the food of faith, and do give the joy of faith; even that peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that have been in a low and lost condition. But this few can do to purpose; because they are either unskilful in the word of truth or unexperienced; they dig not their discourses out of their own breasts, they utter them more from their brains than from their bowels, from their own experience, I mean; which made even Christ himself a more compassionate high priest, Hebrews 5:1,2. And that eminent servant of his, St Paul, had by this means got an excellent faculty in comforting the disconsolate, 2 Corinthians 1:4. So had Luther, as having himself from his tender years been much beaten and exercised with spiritual conflicts (Melancthon). Conceive we may the like of Job, who was therefore flocked unto from far and near, as known to be able to time a word and to speak to the hearts of drooping and dejected persons. "But now," &c.