righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore If thou repentest indeed the sin that cometh after will not be added to thy former because that is done away through Grace A godly man according to the former poynt would not adde or commit another act of sin to his former as it is sayd of Judah Gen 38.26 who had committed folly with Tamar He knew her againe no more Though his sin was great yet doubtlesse his heart was humbled and he returned not to his former sin But the wicked man continues in his wickednesse yea he blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of miâ—e heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst Deut 29.19 Every new sin is an addition to his former sins because he alwayes liveth in sin They who would not have the captives brought into the City gave this reason 2 Chron 28.13 For whereas we have offended against the Lord already ye intend to adde more to our sins c. O take heed of sinning so as to joyne sins together As in Arithmeticke when we adde summe to summe what an huge summe may we quickly make Therefore breake off sin by repentance that if thou sinnest againe it may not be an adding of sin to sin That 's a dreadfull prophesie and threatning Psal 69.27 Adde iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousnesse How doth the Lord adde iniquity to iniquity will he cause any to sin more or will he doe any iniquity No the meaning is as our margin intimates the Lord will adde the punishment of their iniquity to their iniquity or he will give them up to the power of their owne lusts and vile affections so that they cannot but renew the acts of sin and adde one iniquity to another It is a blessed worke when we are much in the additions of grace to grace and of good workes to good 'T is the designe and businesse of a gracious heart to adde grace to grace that is the exercise of one grace to another till every grace be exercised 2 Pet 1.5 Give diligence to adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience Here is a blessed addition When a good man hath done well once he adds to doe more he adds more acts of the same kind and he adds to doe good acts of any other kinde He adds patience to godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity thus he is busied in a blessed way of addition But the addition of sin to sin is the bitter fruit of rebellion against God Isa 30.1 Wo to the rebellious children that cover but not with a covering of my Spirit that they may adde sin to sin They that make excuses for sin committed adde sin to sin yet by these coverings we may understand not only excuses and pretences for sin acted but our owne good acts for to cover sin with any thing of our owne is to adde sin to sin Yet I conceive the adding of one kind of sin to another is the addition there meant The Israelites sayd to Samuel when they were brought to a sight of their sin 1 Sam 12.19 We have added unto all our sins this evill to ask us a King They refused the Lords government and asked a king in the pride of their hearts and so added sin to sin Thus 't is sayd of Herod Luke 3.20 That to all his evill deeds he added this that he shut up John in prison And as there is an adding of severall kinds of sin so of severall acts of the same kind of sin oath to oath and adultery to adultery and wrong-dealing to wrong-dealing this day some oppresse their brethren and the next day they doe the same O let such remember what additions the Lord will make to them he will adde punishment to punishment he will adde the same kind of punishment several times he will adde sword to sword and famine to famine and pestilence to pestilence and he will adde punishments of various kinds The Prophet reports what various or if I may so speake heterogeneal kindes of sin men added and strung up together Hos 4.2 By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood Surely God will make blood touch blood in a way of punishment as men make blood touch blood in a way of sin The adding of sins makes an addition of plagues When Jehoiakim the King heard the roll read he threw it into the fire and burnt it Jer 36. but could he burne or make an end of the threatnings no v. 32. And there were added besides unto them many like words It is sayd Rev 22.18 If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke To adde any thing to the holy word of God is as sinfull as to take from the word or act against it God can adde plagues as fast as men adde sins When sin is added to sin then guilt is added to guilt and punishment to punishment Take heed of this addition resolve with the penitent soule in the text If I have done iniquity I will adde no more JOB Chap. 34. Vers 33 34 35. Should it be according to thy mind he will recompence it whether thou refuse or whether thou chuse and not I therefore speak what thou knowest Let men of understanding tell me and let a wise man hearken unto me Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome IN the Context of these three verses Elihu doth chiefly these two things First he appeales to the Conscience of Job v. 33. Should it be according to thy mind ask thy selfe whether it should be so yea or no. Secondly he appeals to the judgement of Jobs friends yea of all wise and understanding men concerning what Job had spoken or whether he had not spoken unwisely in the 33d and 34th verses Let men of understanding tell me and let a wise man hearken unto me Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome The scope of Elihu in these words is yet further to humble Job and to provoke him to repentance for his inconsiderate speeches Yet Elihu doth not call Job to repentance upon the same grounds or termes as his three friends had done They moved him to repentance upon the Consideration of his former wicked life as they supposed but Elihu moves him to repentance upon the Consideration of his imprudent and rash speeches under the afflicting hand of God Vers 33. Should it be according to thy mind This verse is delivered in as much variety as any text thorowout the whole Book and as a learned writer upon it concludes Si omnes lectiones versiones interpretationes persequeremur plus tenebrarum quam lucis afferemus Pined If we should stay upon all the various readings translations
confound the wise and the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should glory in his presence God chuseth those things which have the greatest improbility for his worke that the power and successe of the worke may be ascribed to him alone When we chuse we should chuse those that are fit for the worke to which they are chosen we should not chuse a foole to governe nor one that is of low parts himselfe to teach others we should pitch upon the wisest and ablest we can get Joseph said well to Pharoah Gen. 41.33 Looke out a man discreet and wise and set him over the Land of Egypt We cannot make men wiser then they are and therefore we must chuse and take those that are wise to doe our worke But when God comes to doe his worke he often takes the foolish and the weake because as he calleth them to so he can fit them for his worke As the strongest opposition of nature against grace cannot hinder the worke of the Spirit when the Spirit comes he will make a proud man humble a covetous man liberall an uncleane person modest and temperate so the weaknesse of nature cannot hinder his worke If a man below in parts God can raise him Out of the mouths of babes aâ—d sucklings hast thou ordained strength Psal 8.2 or as Christ alledgeth that text Math 21.16 Thou hast perfected praise one might thinke Surely God will take the aged the learned and great for his praise no he ordaines praise to himselfe out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that is out of their mouths who in all natuturall considerations are no way formed up nor fitted to shew forth his praise Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash or hasty shall understand knowledge Heady and inconsiderate persons whose tongues as we say run before their wits shall then be grave advised and serious both in what they doe and as it followeth in what they say The tongue of the stammerers shall speake plainly that is cleare words with cleare reason or they shall speake well both in matter and forme right things rightly All this the Lord doth that he may honour himselfe and lift up his owne name only which alone is to be lifted up Never feare to put an empty vessell to a full fountaine no matter how empty the vessell be if the fountaine be full God delights in broken weake and empty creatures that he may mend strengthen and fill them There is a spirit in man in weake man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Elihu having shewed the original of mans wisdome to be from God in this 8th verse makes an inference from it in the 9th The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding And what then surely even hence it cometh to passe that Vers 9. Great men are not alwayes wise neither doe the aged understand Judgement It is well conceived by some Interpreters that the Apostle doth more then allude to even cite this text 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your Calling Brethren how that not many wâ—se men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called If God should chuse only of mostly wise men they would be ready to say we are chosen for our wisdome If he should chuse and call only or mostly rich men they would be ready to thinke we are chosen for our riches If he should call only or mostly Kings and Princes they would conclude we are called for our Greatnesse Therefore the Lord passeth by most of these and calleth the Fisherman calleth the poore man the ignorant man and saith You that have nothing you that in the esteeme of the world are nothing doe you follow me who have all things and can supply you with all Thus here saith Elihu Great men are not alwayes wise Why not the reason is because God doth not alwayes bestow wisdome upon them It is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding Greatnesse doth it not Not many wise men after the flesh not many Great or Noble are Called Elihu and the Apostle Paul speake the same thing almost in the same words This is also a proofe of the divine Authoritie of this booke as well as that 1 Cor. 1.19 taken out of the speech of Eliphaz in the 5th Chapter at the 13th verse He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse c. Great men are not alwayes wise The word alwayes is not at all in the Originall text and therefore put in a different Character Great men are not wise but 't is well supplyed by that word alwayes For the meaning of Elihu is not that great men are never wise but not alwayes wise Great men the Rabbies the honourable men of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnus unde Rabbi Magister qui multam eruditionem habet Honorabiles Pagn Magnates Tygur men in Authoritie and great place are intended by this word The Officers which King Ahasuerus set over his feast are called Rabbies Est 1.8 so that we may expound it here in the largest sence as including all sorts and degrees of Great ones Great men are not alwayes wise That is wisdome neither floweth from nor is it alwayes associated with Greatnesse As some are little yet great little in the world yet great in true wisdome so others are Great yet little they are little in wisdome or have little true wisdome though they are great in the world or have great worldly wisdome Hence note It is not greatnesse of birth of place or power that can make any man wise nor doth it at all assure us that a man is wise because we see him exalted to and setled in a place of power and greatness The Prophet Jer. 5.4 5. finding some very incorrigible and hardned in sinfull courses concluded them meane persons and in the lowest forme of the people Therefore I said Surely these are poore they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the Judgement of their God To be poore and foolish is very common these are poore and foolish saith the Prophet but surely I shall finde the Great ones better accommodated with wisdome and thereupon he resolved I will get me to the great men and will speak unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord and the judgement of their God That is these great men have had great meanes of knowledge and we have reason to suppose them as great in knowledge as they are in place or power But did the great men answer his expectation did he find that in them which he sought and looked for nothing lesse The great men proved more foolish or lesse in true knowledge then the poore as it followeth But these have altogether broken the yoake and burst the bonds As if he had said I
shoulders to them Secondly passionateness of spirit and of speech must be avoyded That which hinders reason had need be shut out while we are reasoning What a contradiction in the adjunct is it to heare of an angry moderator or to see a man set himselfe to compose differences between others with a discomposed spirit of his owne Thirdly partiality in speaking or the favouring of a party must be layd aside for as Elihu did not spare to tell Jobs friends their owne so neither did he spare to tell Job his owne he was not partiall on either side What can be imagin'd more uncomely then that he who stands between two should leane to any one or that he who comes to be an umpire or a Judge should make himselfe a party or an Advocate Fourthly he must avoyd timorousnesse and not be daunted with what man shall say or can doe against him while he is doing his duty The feare of man is a snare saith Solomon That man had not need be in a snare himselfe whose business it is to bring others out of the snares of error whether in opinion or in practise Fifthly he must beware of an easiness to be drawne aside either by the perswasions or applauses of men A Judge between others must keepe his owne standing Thus farre concerning these two verses wherein Elihu is still carrying on his Preface to prepare Job to receive attentively what he had to say In the next place Elihu turning to the standers by signifies to them in what condition he found Jobs friends JOB Chap. 32. Vers 15 16 17 18 19 20. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more I said I will answer also my part I also will shew mine opinion For I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer ELihu had spoken of his friends silence before and here he returns to it againe with a further addition and aggravation Vers 15. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking c. There are two opinions concerning the person who spake these words First Some referre them to the writer or penman of this Book but I rather take them as the words of Elihu himselfe They were amazed The root signifies to be affected with a very passionate and strong feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum pavorem affert quo affici solent qui ab hoste potentissimo superantur even such a feare as they are arrested with who flee or fall before their Enemies in battel So the word is used Jer 50.26 A sword is upon her mighty men and they shall be dismayed Dismay or amazement is the displacing at least the disturbing of reason it selfe Elihu shews how unable and unfit Jobs friends were to argue with him any further seeing upon the matter they had lost the use of their reason and were as men crack-brain'd or broken in their understanding They were amazed They answered no more they left off speaking or Speech was departed from them there is a two-fold Exposition of that speech they left off speaking Some understand it passively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d ab illis ablata sunt verba like that Luke 12.20 This night shall thy soule be required or taken from thee thou shalt not freely deliver it up but it shall be snatcht from thee So here their speech was taken from them or by an unanswerable conviction silence was imposed upon them Mr Broughton renders They doe speake no more speeches be departed from them How can they speake from whom speech is departed We translate actively they left off speaking as implying a voluntary act they gave a stop to themselves either they were not able or it was not fit for them to say any more The Hebrew is They removed speech from themselves and so became as silent as if they could not speake at all They were as mure as fishes The following verse being of the same sence I shall open that before I give the observations from this Vers 16. When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Job waited hoping they would speak somewhat worthy of themselves worthy of that opinion and reputation which they had in the world for wisdome Stare pro tacere but they deceived his expectation He could not have nor heare a word more from them This Elihu puts into a parenthesis for they spake not but stood still and answered no more He useth many words to the same purpose to shew that there was somewhat extraordinary in their silence They spake not their tongues stood still As speech is the image of the mind and from the aboundance of the heart so it is by the motion of the tongue If the tongue stand still discourse is stayd Their mouths were stopt as being either unable or ashamed to urge their accusations and arguments any further They stood still and answered no more It is said of those forward accusers of the women taken in adultery John 8.9 That being Convicted by their owne Conscience they went away one by one they shrunke away having not a word to reply And so did Jobs friends who while they stood still carried it as men unwilling to be heard or seene any more upon the place They were amazed c. First Hence note Amazement unfits us for argument Where wondering begins disputing ends They were amazed they answered no more Secondly Note The same men are sometimes so changed that they can scarcely be knowne to be the same men Eliphaz sayd Chap 4.2 Who can withhold himselfe from speaking He was so forward that he could not be kept from words but now he had not a word in his keeping speech was withheld or departed Thirdly Note False grounds or positions cannot be alwayes maintain'd God will supply both matter and forme arguments and words to confirme his owne truth they who are in the right shall not want reason to back it but they who are in the wrong may quickly find a stop and have no more to say The Apostles were weake because unwilling in a bad cause 2 Cor 13.8 We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth and they who are willing to be against the truth shall be weake and not able long to doe any thing against it They spake no more As God gives a banner that is outward power to them that feare him that it may be displayed because of the truth Psal 60.4 So he gives wisdome and understanding that is inward power for the maintaining of the truth In thy majesty ride prosperously because of the truth Psal 45.4 As Christ who is truth and the giver forth of truth so they who are undertakers for
used in the second Psalme v. 12. If his wrath be kindled but a little or but as a little thing if the wrath of Christ be kindled only so farre that you see but a sparke of it blessed are they that trust in him There is no standing before the least wrath of the great God by the greatest of the sons of men We translate He would soone take me away or he would doe it in a little time my ruine needs not be long in working he would rid his hands of me presently to take or snatch a man away notes three things First A violent death or a violence in death Secondly A speedy or sudden death a quick dispatch When the fire was kindled and the word sent out against Korah Dathan and Abiram their maker soone took them away he bid the earth open and it tooke them away in the twinckling of an eye they went downe quick into hell It is sayd of a wicked man in this booke Chap 27.21 The East wind carrieth him away there also this word is used that is judgement like some fierce impetuous winde shall blow him from his standing and blast all his glory Some give the sence by the effect of fire Sunt qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tolleret me exponant combureret me ut aliquando sumitur hoc verbum a flamma quae in sublimi tollitur Merc My Maker would soone burne or consume me The word in the Hebrew signifieth to burne as well as to take away and we know the burning of a thing is the taking of it quite away fire makes cleane riddance And againe Fire or flame riseth up as a thing that is taken up into the aire and that which is burned in the fire may be sayd to be taken up with it Thus also 't is translated 2 Sam 5.20 21. David came unto Baal-perazim and David smote them there c. and there they left their Images and David and his men burnt them we put in the margin and David and his men tooke them away which is the translation here in Job Either of the readings is cleare and full to the purpose God hath fire he hath hell-fire unquenchable for sinners their maker can quickly consume and burne them up Isa 27.4 Who would set the briars and thorns in battell against me I would passe through them and burne them up together How quickly can the Lord burne wicked men who like briars and thorns scratch and teare the innocent wicked men can no more stand before the wrath of God then briars and thorns can stand before a flaming fire That 's a good reading ours comes to the same sence my Maker would soone take me away Hence observe First As flattery and accepting of persons are great so they are very dangerous sins they are wrath-provoking sins If we flatter men God will not flatter us he will deale plainly with us To receive flattery or to suffer our selves to be flattered is very dangerous as we see in the example of Herod Acts 12.22 23. who having made a very eloquent Oration The people gave a shout saying it is the voice of a God and not of a man They gave him flattering titles or as some render the former part of this verse they wonder'd at his person But what was the issue of it Presently saith the text the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up with wormes and gave up the ghost Thus his Maker tooke him soone away for taking that glory to himselfe O take heed of entertaining flatteries when given we should put them back from us as we would a poysonous cup. High commendations of Sermons given to the Preacher may have a sad consequence When men give much glory to men 't is hard for men to give the glory back againe to God Herod was so pleased and tickled with the glory which the people gave him that he could not part with it and so lost himselfe Because he forgat that he was a worme he was destroyed by wormes The translation given us by the Septuagint of this text in Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et me tineae edent Sept complyes fully with that dreadfull example in the Acts I know not how to give flattering titles for in so doing the wormes or moths will eate me up The words of Elihu thus rendred in Job are a threatning assertion That the wormes shall eate those that give flatteries and the judgement which fell uâ—on Herod is an example threatning all those that receive flattering titiles with that dreadfull doome of being eaten up by wormes And doubtlesse if not that yet either some other corporal and visible judgement or which is much worse some spirituall and invisible judgement will overtake those who love either to flatter others or to be flattered themselves And as that example shewes how dangerous it is to receive flatteries so to give flatteries hath in it a double danger First It is dangerous to others When Parasites flatter Princes when Ministers flatter the people how doth it ensnare their soules 'T is hell and death to flatter sinners and not to deale plainly with them to give lenitives instead of corosives to give oyle where vineger should be given to heale the hurt of the soule deceitfully is the greatest hurt and wounding to the soule Flatteries are those pillows spoken of in the Prophet Ezek 13.18 sowed to the Arme-holes or elbowes of wicked men upon which many sleepe without feare till they dye without hope yea these flatteries as well as any falsities and errors of doctrine whether respecting faith or worship are that untempered morter of and against which the Prophet speakes in the same Chapter v. 10.15 wherewith some daubed that wall of vaine confidence which others built while they seduced the people saying peace and there was no peace How often doe the true Prophets warne the people against these flatteries of the false Prophets And how sadly doth the Prophet Jeremy bewaile them Lam 2.14 Thy Prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity but have seene for thee false burdens and causes of banishment that is the visions which they have seene they pretend at least to have had from God but they are their owne dreames and brain-sick phansies and so the cause of thy banishment they have undone thee with these deceits soothing thee up in those thy sins which procured thy banishment and caused the Lord to thrust thee out and send thee farre away from thine owne Land They have fed yea filled thee with false hopes till thy condition was hopelesse How many thousands have been destroyed by flatteries both for here and for ever And if flattery be so dangerous to the receiver then Secondly It must needs be much more dangerous to the giver It is no small sin to palliate or cover the sins of others Non leve
upon revenge yea having upon the matter sworn revenge against Nabal and his house yet her Entreaties and mild words overcame that mighty warriour at least took off the edge of his spirit and of all his party 1 Sam 25.33 Nor did he only accept of or submit to her counsel but gave thanks both to God and her for it Blessed be the Lord and blessed be thy advice which hast kept me this day from shedding-blood Gentle words like gentle raine soake deep and make the soule like a fruitfull tree bud and blossome For as passion in the speaker begets passion in the hearer and heate brings forth heate so kinde and kindly words are not only most usefull but most powerfull There is a rebuking and that Cuttingly or a speaking of cutting words usefull in some cases then especially when sinners have not only done evill but are setled and resolved in it But in case of affliction specially of inward affliction or trouble of spirit soft words are best and doe best Heare I pray thee saith Elihu And hearken to all my words Here 's hearing and hearkening to hearken is more then to heare to heare is barely to receive the sound of words but to hearken is to take up the sense of them or as it were to suck out the strength and sweetnesse of them to hearken is to weigh or ponder every tittle spoken and take the value of it The word in the text which signifies to hearken hath a singular elegancy in it One of the Rabbins renders Eare my words heare my words and Eare them The same word which in the verbe signifies to hearken which is the worke of the eare signifies also the eare or instrument of that worke in the noune To eare words notes the most diligent attention as to eye a thing notes the most accurate inspection The word signifies also the beam of a ballance because by the eare or by the two ears as by a ballance words are tryed and poysed whether they are weighty and solid or light and chaffy when Elihu saith hearken to or weigh my words he intimates that he meant to speak words which had worth in them or that he meant to speak matter more then words And therefore he would not have a word lost Hearken saith he To all my words To all not to this or that only but to all As if he had sayd I intend not and I hope I shall not speak one needlesse or unusefull words not a word beside the businesse Therefore hearken to all my words Hence note First They who speak to instruction admonition or exhortation should not use one word more then is usefull not a word more then is to the purpose Seeing every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account for it in the day of Judgement Math 12.36 How should every man take heed of speaking an idle word a word of which he can give no good account for any good it is likely to doe Idle words will make sad worke one day and words of no value or account will turne to a heavy account in the great day That 's an idle word which doth neither worke the heart for good nor strengthen the hand to or in a good worke And if we should be carefull not to speake one idle word or not one word unworthy to be heard how should we avoyd evill words or words which corrupt the hearers Secondly As the words referre to that duty which Elihu minds Job of and moved him to Hearkning to all his words Note They who heare especially about holy things and soule-matters should heare all One word should not be lost when every word is precious We gather up the filings and least dusts of Gold The eare should gather all that truth which the mouth scatters and the heart should lay it up as treasure We may charge many sorts of men with deficiency at eare-worke And surely if men will not heare all that they ought to believe and doe they can neither doe nor believe any thing that they heare First Some will not heare the word at all they are like the deafe Adder stopping their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme he never so wisely to them Secondly Others thinke that there 's not a word more to be heard but what they have heard already who can speak what they know not Thirdly There are few who hearken to any word that is spoken that is who make it their businesse to heare who heare with diligence and labour at it As it is a great labour to speak so I assure you it is no small nor easie labour to heare if you heare indeed and as you should To heare the word is the exercise of the whole soule Among many hearers there are but few hearkeners such I meane as weigh and consider what they heare Fourthly There are very few who heare and hearken to all the words of righteousnesse and salvation As some though they heare all yet hearken to halves so others will heare but halfe or only so much as pleaseth them of what is spoken When the King of Judah Jer 36.23 had the Role brought to him which Baruch had written from the mouth of Jeremiah he heard three or foure leaves of it read to him as he sate by the fire and then he caused it to be cut with a penknife and cast into the fire He did not read it out he had enough of it he had as we say his belly full but his heart was altogether empty he was very angry and vext at the word but not at all humbled nor affected with it and therefore would not heare all those words Againe To hearken is to obey to submit and yield up our selves to the truth we heare Samuel tells Saul 1 Sam 15.22 To obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams to obey and to hearken is the same thing the obedient eare is the hearkening eare Mine eare hast thou opened saith Christ Psal 40.6 This opening or digging of his eare as we put in the Margin signified his readinesse to obey as 't is expressed v. 7 8. Then sayd I loe I come I delight to doe thy will O my God And in reference to this he had sayd before v 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required that is for themselves or comparatively to that which in the volume of thy booke is written of me that I should doe Which clearely expounds and is almost the same in termes with that of Samuel To obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams Thus Elihu presseth Job to hearken to all his words obedientially or to hearken with a purpose to obey Take a few Considerations why we should both heare and hearken to that is obey the whole mind of God all those words which have the stamp of divine authority upon them First All the words of God are alike
Hoc nominè justus non es quod deum in jus provocare ausus â—s Merc There is a third antecedent which we may take up from severall passages in the former part of the Booke and that is because thou hast so often and so importunately desired to plead with God and hast made so many suites for a hearing with him as if thou hadst somewhat to say which might acquit thy selfe and shew reason why God should not deale thus with thee For though Job did not desire to plead with God as having any intent to accuse him of doing him wrong yet he was therefore to be blamed because he desired to plead with him seeing it becomes man to submit to the judgement of God without murmuring or complaining So then Elihu had cause to charge him with this God indeed passed it by as knowing it did not proceed as in the wicked from malice but from weakness and ignorance as Job also himselfe humbly confessed at last Behold thou hast too often called for Justice in this thou art not just Mr Broughton renders Loe here thou art not in the right These words in this or here may also have a negative reference to what Job had been charged with before by his friends As if Elihu had sayd I doe not charge thee with such crimes as thy friends have loaded thee with heretofore I doe not burden thee with grosse impiety nor with hypocrisie I doe not tell thee thou hast oppressed the poore or wronged the widdow and the fatherlesse I have nothing of this sort to say against thee But in this or here I have somewhat to say wherein my judgement also is that thou art not just nor in the right for however thou art otherwise or in other things upright and righteous however just thou hast been in thy transactions with men and pure in thy worship toward God yet in this I am sure and I dare say it openly and avowedly thou art no wayes justifiable much lesse just in that thou hast cryed up thy owne innocency and spoken so much of the hard dealings of God with thee yea hast been so bold as to desire a day of hearing even before God himselfe Let this be the Question or matter under debate Whether or no Job speaking thus highly of himselfe and thus boldly of God hath done right or no Elihu undertakes the negative he engageth to prove that Job had not done well or right how innocent soever he was in speaking so much of his own innocency or how hardly soever God dealt with him in making so many complaints of his severity Elihu undertakes to prove this negative and Job never durst undertake the affirmative that he had done right or well in speaking or doing so and therefore in the close of the business he sits downe convinced that he had been too bold with God and too forward in justifying himselfe His argument which runs through this whole discourse to make good his negative assertion may be formed up thus He that speakes much of his owne righteousnesse and seemes to reflect upon the righteousnesse of God at least that God hath been over-rigorous with him is not just nor justifiable in this But thou O Job hast spoken thus of thy selfe and thus of God in the extremity of thy paine and in the anguish of thy spirit Therefore in this thou art not just nor justifiable No man of understanding can take thy part or be an Advocate for thee in this matter As for me I must needs be and am resolved to be an Advocate for God against thee The Major or first proposition is not exprest in the text the conclusion is given in the beginning of the 12th verse and the assumption or 2d proposition is collected from Job's owne mouth in severall places of this Booke Againe besides the generall scope of the words and the tendency of Elihu in this dispute we may consider the manner of his speech how he deales with Job Behold in this thou art not just In this manner of treating with Job the sweetnesse of his spirit and likewise the boldnesse of it are observable These two vertues or excellencies of an Advocate shew themselves plainly in this one passage Behold in this thou art not just For consider First He expresseth his reproofe negatively he doth not say Behold in this thou art wicked or thou hast impiously blasphem'd the name of God but he speakes at as low a rate as may be Behold in this thou art not just or justifiable thou hast not done right or thou art not right there is a great good temper of spirit and a mixture of much meeknesse in such negative expressions it being much lesse to say to a man in this thou art not just nor justifiable then to say positively or directly in this thou art unjust and deservest to be condemned For though there be no difference in the thing between not being just and being unjust yet there is much more mildness in the words and a man takes lesse offence when told that he is not just then in being told that he is unjust The imputing of a crime to a man is more and worse then the denying him a vertue or that he is vertuous Hence note We ought to temper our reproofes with much gentlenesse and meeknesse We should not speake cutting words if other words will serve the turne Thus the Apostle directs us Gal 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken with a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted deale as gently with a fallen brother as thou wouldest with a man whose bones are dislocated or broken so much the metaphor there used imports There is a time indeed when we must rebuke as the Apostle gives direction Tit 1.13 sharply or cuttingly we must goe to the quicke that they may be found in the faith but there is a great regard to be had to the state and spirits of those with whom we have to deale As it is our duty to receive the word with meeknesse James 1.21 some receive the word proudly riggidly in the worst sence they can yea they receive it rebellingly now as we ought to receive the word with meeknesse so 't is good to speake the word with meeknesse with as much meeknesse and tendernesse as the case will beare Secondly consider this manner of speaking Behold in this thou art not just Elihu tells him plainly of his faults he reported them before and here he applyed them home to his person Behold in this thou rememberest thy owne words Thou canst not but take notice what thou hast spoken now I tell thee in this thing thou art not just Elihu doth not speak doubtingly nor fearefully nor doth he tell Job what the thoughts of others were upon the matter but he tells him directly categorically plainly from himselfe in this thou art not just Hence note We are to hold out our convictions
say how was Job such a mirror such a patterne of patience as the Apostle James makes him Chap 5.11 if he manifested so much impatience as might be interpreted by others though not intended by him a deniall of the Greatnesse of God I answer though all agree and the testimony of the Spirit of God is enough to confirme it though all should not agree that the patience of Job was exceeding great yet no man may say nor doth the Spirit of God in Scripture say it that his patience was perfect his patience was such as exceeded the most yea for ought that we know the best of men yet his was but the patience of a man of a man compassed about with the like passions as other men His patience was sincere and without hypocrisie but his patience was not compleate nor without infirmity or his patience we may say was perfect as to the kind but it was not perfect as to the degree His patience deserved both commendation and imitation yet he shewed at times such impatience as deserved reproofe and should not be imitated but mortified and avoyded Good men doe not only act lesse in goodnesse sometimes but ill and much amisse And while we see tallest Cedars fayle they shall not utterly fall Job did not Let him that thinketh he standeth that is who hath a strong opinion of his owne strength take heed lest he fall as the Apostle cautions him 1 Cor 10.12 for even the impatient complaints of Job in his sufferings like those sufferings of the Israelites for their sins spoken of in the former verses of that Chapter fell from him for an ensample or type and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Thus you see the reason why Elihu tooke up this common principle Quae pueris ipsis deâ—antata sunt nobis in gravi lucta perturbatione ut nova quaedam proponenda sunt Mert. which every Child learnes out of a Caâ—echisme to convince this holy man with What was more knowne to Job or to any knowing man then this that God is greater then man yet Elihu chose this as the most commodious and effectuall argument to compose his spirit and quiet him after all his distempered and tumultuating complaints nor hâ—th Elihu yet done arguing downe the hight and unquietnesse 〈◊〉 Job's spirit We have him both reproving him for it by way of question and giving him another unanswerable argument against it in the next verse Vers 13. Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters The words are a reproving question As if he had sayd Thou dost ill very ill to strive There is a four-fold striving three of which are held forth in Scripture under the word of the text First There is a striving with outward force and power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contondere pertinet ad judicialem forensem litem ad dei tribunal instituendamâ—e quod saepe pustulavit Job either personally man with man properly called contention or more generally nation with nation properly called warre Secondly There is a legall striving a striving by way of plea about matters of right and title The word in the text chiefly imports such a judiciary striving a strife in law when the adverse party or Plaintiffe impleads and commenseth his suit against the Defendant Striving is taken in this sence and joyned with warring in the description of that contest which Jephtah had with the King of the Children of Ammon Judg 11.25 And now art thou any thing better then Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever fight against them That is did he either make warre with Israel or did he so much as challenge and plead his right to their land by law That other name which Joash Gideons father occasionally gave him Judg 6.31 32. takes part from this word Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal saying Let Baal plead against him because he hath throwne downe his altar As if he had sayd Let Baal come and enter his action against my Son if he please and let my Son alone to answer him Thirdly There is a logicall striving or a striving by dint of argument and reason Thus disputants strive and Books of controversie about matters of faith and worship are called Bookes of Polemicall Divinity Nor indeed hath any kind of strife been carried on with higher and hotter animosities then those mannaged by tongue and pen in writing and disputing Foutthly The word is applyed to any angry passionate chideing and complaining Thus 't is used in that famous history Exod 17. where thâ— people of Israel having journeyed from Sin and pitched in Repâ—â—â—â—m v. 1. did chide with Moses from which act v 7th He called the place Massa and Meribah because of the chideing of the chidren of Israel and because they tempted the Lord sayiâ—g Is the Lord among us or not Because the people of Israel strove with Moses or rather with God himselfe Therefore to keepe them under the sence of this sin and provocation Moses called the name of the place Meribah which signifieth Striving In this last sence as striving is used by way of chideing and complaining we are to understand it here Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu That is why doest thou chide and complaine about the dealings of God with thee or because he will not render thee a reason of his dealings with thee in this affliction Job made many striving and chideing complaints his first were eminently such Chap 3.11 Why dyed I not from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly why did the knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should sucke He chideth hard about the hardnesse of his condition in this life who chideth because he liveth Read him in the same language Chap 10.18 and in a language not much unlike it in severall other places Yea Job doth I say not formally yet vertually call out or challenge God more then once to plead with him and make good his cause against him Why dost thou strive with him For he giveth no account of any of his matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth properly to answer and so the text might well enough be rendred here out of the originall he answereth not Mr Broughton saith He will not speake for all his dealings If If any man demand of God a reason of his doings he may chuse whether he will give it him or no He will not be brought to a reckoning He will not he needeth not to answer or give an account Of any of his matters or of any of his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is frequent in the Hebrew to expresse matters or things by this word which in strictness signifieth but a word Chap 19.28 Seeing the root of the matter the text is the root of the
affliction which appeared to admiration at the beginning of it The state of grace abideth alwayes 't is not as some affirme loseable 't is not like the best things of this world perishing But though a state of Grace abideth alwayes yet every mans grace if any mans doth not alwayes abide in the same state A true frame of grace shall never be destroyed but the heart of a gracious man doth not alwayes continue in the same frame The heate of grace may be cooled the hight of it abated the strength of it weakned and the beauty of it faded He that a while agoe walked and acted very humbly may upon another temptation act very proudly and walke as if he were above all his brethren He that one while hath acted very self-denyingly may at another time act very self-seekingly He that hath acted very lovingly the very law of love being stamped upon his words and workes may at another time act very unlovely and lovelesly and doe things which are very much beside and below yea contrary to the fulfilling of that royall Law He may be so far from bearing his brothers burden which is the fulfilling of that law of Christ Gal 6.2 that he may be a burden to his brother And while at one time you might have done and spoken almost what you would to him and he could beare it at another time doe what you can or speake what you can he is offended Such changes and varieties are found upon the most gracious frames of spirit which the best of Saints have in this world We have only this to hold to the state of grace is unchangeable and we are waiting for such a frame of grace as shall never change That gracious frame in which the hand of God will set us up in the day of our resurrection to glory shall never change nor decline a haires breadth to all eternity We shall be as pure and as holy and as spirituall and as heavenly and as meeke and as full of the praise of God for ever as ever As full to eternity as in the very first moment in which that glorious frame shall be set up But in this life to how great a degree of grace soever we attaine we seldome retaine the same degree but are flowing and ebbing like the water waxing and waining like the Moone Job was sound striving with God who a little before had so humbly submitted and was so fully resigned unto him Secondly Observe There is a spirit in man very apt to strive with God Doe ye thinke saith the Apostle Jam 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vaine The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envie or as the margin hath it enviously surely no the Scripture doth not speake this in vaine and if any thinke it doth their thoughts are vaine Now as there are lustings in men to envie against their brethren because of the gifts and good things of God which they enjoy so there are lustings in men to discontent against God because of the evills which themselves suffer When God seemes to contend with us we really fall to contending with God The waters of Meribah will be an everlasting winess of this of which Moses sayd Numb 20.13 This is the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in them The Apostle doth more then intimate this readiness of man to strive with God while by a vehement expostulation he checks it and reproves all men for it 1 Cor 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he They presume much upon their strength who are forward to strive they especially who provoke and challenge others to strive with them There is a spirit in man which stouts it with God even to a provocation of strife with him But you will say When may we be sayd to strive with God I answer we doe it these foure wayes First Man striveth with God by disobeying his commands that 's a strife with his holiness The lawes of God beare the image or stampe of his holiness All disobedience is an unanswerableness to the Law wilfull disobedience is a making voyd the Law He that is resolved to sin wisheth there were no Law to stop him from sinning or to punish him when he hath sinned What greater strife can be raised against the Law-giver then to wish he had given no such Law Secondly Men strive with God by not believing or distrusting his promises That 's a strife with his faithfulness or with his power Unbeliefe is one of the worst wayes if not the worst of all the wayes of striving with God The reason why that place at the rock in Horeb was called Meribah Exod 17.7 was because the people did not believe They thought they must dye with thirst in the wilderness when they saw no water They fell to this sin againe a second time upon the like occasion while they abode in Kadesh Numb 20.1 2 3. And as the people strove there with God by their rebellious unbeliefe so also did Moses and Aaron by their unbeliefe that God would give water to such rebells as it follows in the same Chapter v. 10 11 12. There is no sin so often or so properly called a provocation as unbeliefe is Yea by unbeliefe we strive so much with God that we are sayd to weary him Isa 7.13 O how doe they weary God who either thinke him so weake that he cannot or so unfaithfull that he will not make good his word or performe his promises The first of these is alwayes in unbeliefe the latter often Thirdly We strive with God by not bearing his hand or by our impatience under the cross which his hand layeth upon us while we quarrell with the rod we quarrell with God who chasteneth us with it This was the most speciall way in which Job strove with God and the sinfulness of it hath been severall times toucht upon in this booke Fourthly any murmuring word about yea any discōtented thought with our owne condition though not vented by words though it be kept in and lye close in the bosome is a striving with God And so likewise is any tumultuating thought about his providences towards others and his stating of affaires in the world Now as there is such a sinfull principle in man to strive with God so considering as hath been shewed how many wayes it workes and many more wayes of its working might be shewed this I say being considered we may be found striving with God before we thinke of it yea while we oppose the very thought of it Therefore as Gamaliel warned the Jewes saying Acts 5.39 Take heed what ye doe lest haply ye be found even to fight against God Those Jewes did not thinke their opposing the Messengers and Ministers of Christ was a fighting against God But Gamaliel told them plainely it was So in many other cases we may do say that which brings us under the same
inward either of the flesh or spirit yet the wounds of the spirit cause the greatest paine for of that Solomon saith Pro 18.14 Who can beare it The same Solomon Pro 14.13 speaking of a wicked man in his highest jollity saith In laughter the heart is sorrowfull His conscience aketh if he have an awakened conscience even while he laugheth and surely while the heart is sorrowfull and pained laughter yeeldeth little pleasure We may take paine in this text in both senses but specially in the former The sick man is often pained in mind but alwayes in his body He is chastened with pain Vpon his bed There he used to have rest but being sick his bed becoms restless to him To be upon the Bed is a periphrasis of sickness That of Christ Luke 17.34 There shall be two in one bed the one shall be taken and the other left as it may be meant of any two Bedfellowes especially of husband and wife in their health so some take it principally of two in a sick bed Grace takes hold of one and not of another upon a sick bed I insist not upon that sense though it be a probable and a profitable one But surely to say A man is chastened with paine upon his bed implyeth the man to be in extraordinary pain as to say such a man keepes his bed implyeth he hath more then an ordinary sickness or that he is very sick We have three expressions in our language gradually setting forth the sicknesse of a person First we say he keepes his house He that is not well doth not goe abroad sickness houseth him Secondly we say he keepes his chamber that 's a further degree when sickness hath brought a man up staires and shut him in his chamber he is sicke indeed Thirdly we say such a man keeps his bed The meaning of which every one understands to be that he is dangerously or extreamly sick Thus when Elihu saith He is chastened with pain upon his bed we may conceive him so ill that either he must not or is not able to sit up And Elihu in speaking thus seemes to have relation to what Job had sayd Chap 7.13 When I sayd my bed shall comfort me and my couch shall ease my complaint Then thou scarest me with dreames and terrifiest me through visions As if he had sayd O Job thou indeed hast had recourse heretofore to thy bed for refreshing and comfort in silent meditations and soliloquies with God but he terrified thee with dreames and spake to thee by scaring visions to turne thee from thy purpose And not only so but finding thee deafe to those admonitions or not regarding them yea still continuing thy unquiet murmurings he hath now even made thee bed-rid or unable to rise from thy bed Though Elihu spake here in the third person yet in all his speech he intended and poynted at yea set forth and poynted out Jobs condition He is chastened with paines upon his bed And the multitude of his bones with strong pain A man may have paine yea many paines yet no paine in his bones Bones are to the body as beames and rafters as posts and pillars are to a hovse And when pain comes to the bones when it shakes those posts and pillars it must needs be a very strong paine Satan sayd to God concerning Job while he sought new tryalls for him in the second Chapter of this Book vers 5. Touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face And that he might be fully tryed the Lord suffer'd Satan to afflict him to the bone nor did Satan leave a bone unafflicted what Elihu spake here of man in Generall was true of him The multitude of his bones were chastned with strong paine To have any one bone in paine is an affliction much more to have many bones pained and aking at once But when the multitude of a mans bones that is all his bones are pained together that 's grievous Multitude ossium dicitur pro omnibus ossibus quam multâ— sunt Coc And such a man is the while as it were upon a rack That by the multitude of bones here spoken of we are to understand not only many or a great many of his bones but all his bones may appeare from Job 4.14 where Eliphaz describing those terrible visions with which God sometime visited him saith A spirit passed before my face the haire of my flesh stood up c. which made all my bones to shake We put in the margin The multitude of my bones The multitude of his bones are all his bones he hath not so much as one bone free The whole systeme of his bones is as it were confounded and disjoynted The multitude of his bones is chastned with strong paine The word paine is not express'd in the latter part of the verse the Hebrew is The multitude of his bones with strong paine Mr Broughton renders thus And all his bones with a sore one The word which we translate strong signifieth two things First as we render strength or might Psal 74.15 Thou driedst up mighty rivers God dryed up the river Jordan for his people to passe through yea and the red Sea Secondly the word signifieth perpetuall lasting or continuall So some render that place in the Psalmes not strong or mighty rivers but he dryed up everlasting or perpetuall rivers such as had alwayes run with a full streame and were not like those deceitfull brookes spoken of in the 6th Chap of this book v. 15th to which Job compared his Brethren which in winter over-flow the bankes but in summer what time they waxe warme they vanish when it is hot and are consumed out of their place Now in this place I conceive we may take the word in either sense either for strong and great or chronicall and lasting paine The man is so sick that he hath no good houres no comfortable intermissions his paine continueth And because the word paine is not in the text therefore it hath caused severall rendrings of these words yet all meeting in the same sense First Some joyne the word strong to bone or make it an epethite of the mans bones Though the multitude of his bones be strong that is though he were once a strong man sound and perfect all over or as we say sound wind and limbe not crazy not having the least flaw in him yet he is chastened all over with paine In multitudine ossium ejus est fortis i. e. acris acerbus dolor Secondly Others thus in the multitude of his bones or in all his bones there is a strong one that is a strong paine or griefe seizeth and possesseth all his bones Thirdly Thus The contention of his bones is strong the word which signifieth a multitude being alike in the letters with another which signifieth contention or strife hath given occasion for this reading that of David is neere the same There is no rest in my bones
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
Christ to declare to man this righteousness for his uprightness And that hence it is as Elihu proceeds in the next verse to assure the sick man that God is and will be gracious to him Vers 24. Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe into the pit I have found a ransome These words hold out the generall issue and fruit of the labours and good counsell of that messenger or Interpreter dealing with the sick man and shewing him his uprightness There are three distinct interpretations which run quite through this verse and they arise from a different apprehension about the antecedent in this pronoune He then he is gracious unto him He who is that All the Popish interpreters refer it to the Guardian-Angel sent to attend on this sick man Then he the Angel will be gracious and he will say deliver him But as I then layd by that opinion that the messenger was an Angel properly taken so I shall not stay upon that which is a consequent of it here Secondly Severall of our Protestant interpreters referre this he to the Messenger or Interpreter to the Prophet or any spiritually wise and holy man sent of God to assist and help the sick man in his distresse Some are so positive in this opinion that they deny the text any other reference Hoc de nuncio dicitur non de deo aptè enim tribuitur nuncio etinterpreti voluntatis dei ut miscreatur hominis in summo vitae discrimine constituti Merl Et de gratia eum alloquutus dixerit redime cum nec desceÌ„dat in soveam expiatione quam inveni Jun Summa orationis quae apud deum pro afflictis habenda est Jun This is to be understood of the Messenger saith one and not of God And I grant 't is sutable to the business of the messenger who comes to comfort and instruct the sick man that he should pitty and compassionate him in that disconsolate condition and likewise pray for him according to the tenour of these words in the text or to the same effect O Lord God be gracious to him and deliver him let him not goe downe to the pit for the ransome sake which I have found As if Elihu had sayd When that faithfull messenger shall have declared the benefits and grace of God to the afflicted man then pittying his afflicted soule he shall pray for him O God deliver him from death and condemnation from the pit and from destruction for I have found and shewed him a ransome by which his soule may be delivered and his sins pardoned In the 19th Chapter of this Booke at the 27th verse Job useth this word in his application to his friends for their pitty to him and more favourable dealing with him Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me As if he had sayd The hand of God presseth me sore O let not your hand be heavie upon me too This exposition carrieth a great truth in it and is not at all inconsistent with the letter of the text yet I shall not insist upon it but adhere rather to a third which makes the antecedent to this He to be God himselfe Then he is gracious That is when the messenger hath dealt with the sick man when he hath opened his condition to him and shewed him his uprightness or how he may stand upright before God or what his righteousnesse is before God and hath brought his heart to an unfeigned sorrow for his sin and to the actings of faith upon the promise then God is gracious and then he gives out the word for his restoring and orders it to be presently dispatcht away to him saying deliver him unloose him unbind him let him not goe downe into the pit I have found a ransome Taking this for the generall sence of the Text I shall proceed to open the particulars Then he will be gracious or then he will have mercy upon him as Mr Broughton translates Then and not before till then the Lord lets his bones ake and his heart tremble till then he suffers him to be brought so low that he is reckoned among the dead but then though not before he sheweth himself gracious unto him When a poor man is reduced to the utmost extreamity then is Gods opportunity then is the season of mercy and the Lord therefore lets us be at the lowest that we may be the more sencible of his goodness in raising and lifting us up The Lord suffers many as Paul spake of himself 2 Cor. 1.9 to have the sentence of death in themselves that they may learn not to trust in themselves but in him who raiseth the dead We seldome give God either the glory of his power by trusting him or of his goodnesse by thanking him for our deliverances till we are brought to the last cast as we say or to such an exigent as leaves no visible meanes in probabillity no nor of possibility to escape And when 't is thus with us then he is gracious Secondly Then he is gracious that is when the man is doubly humbled when the mans heart is graciously broken when the man is growne into an abhorrence of himself and of his sin or loathes himself for his sin as much as he loathed his meat as 't is said in the former verse when his heart is thus taken quire off from all that is below in the world and gathered up beleevingly to Jesus Christ in the word of promise Then he is gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misertus gratificatus gratia prosecutus fuit ex gratia donavit benesecit The Originall word hath many comfortable significations in it yet all resolvable into this one he is gracious It signifies to pity to have compassion tenderly to regard to bestow grace to doe good there is enough in the bowells of this word to bear up the spirit of the sickest body or of the most troubled soul It is said Gen. 6.8 Noah found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was the only man that held out the grace of God in that age him only did God find perfect or upright in his Generations Gen. 6.9 and Noah only was the man that found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord in that generation Gen. 6.8 God was gracious to him and his when the whole world periâ—hed by water That proper name John is derived from this word when God gave Zachary and Elizabeth a Son in their old age he also directed how he would have him called ye shall call his name John which name as we may well conceive was assigned him either because God did very graciously and favourably bestow that gift upon his Parents in their old age and so shewed them much favour a child at any time is a great favour from God especially in old age or secondly because John was to open the Kingdome of Grace to preach the
the Mighty and he is so impartiall that if there be cause he will not spare to doe it Or in the words we have to consider these three things First The character of the person upon whom the Justice of God is executed The hypocrite Secondly The Judgement it selfe 't is a stop to his greatnesse that he reigne not Thirdly We have the grounds of this Judgement which are two-fold First His wicked purpose against the people He if suffered would lay snares for the people Secondly Gods gracious protection of the people He will not have the people ensnared That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat sceleratum profanū plerumque autem vertitur hypocrita What a hypocrite is and what the importance of the original word is here translated hypocrite hath been opened from some other passages in this booke I shall only say thus much further that the word imports First a filthy thing disguised or covered For a hypocrite is a filthy prophane person under the cover or disguise of holiness Our English word knave is neere in sound to this Hebrew word chanaph and some conceive 't is derived or taken from it And to be sure every hypocrite is a prophane person though all prophane persons are not hypocrites Some wicked and prophane ones care not who knoweth they are so yet very many who are indeed prophane and wicked cover it what they can and shew that only whereof they have only a shew somewhat of godlinesse or of goodnesse Againe There are hypocrites of two makes or straines First Religious or Church hypocrites Secondly State or Civil hypocrites and somtimes these two are combined in one 'T is possible for a man who pretends not to Religion yet to be a hypocrite A Magistrate whether supream or subordinate may offer very fair for the profit and liberty of the people whom he governeth when he mindes no such thing yea he may not only offer fair for the good of a people as to their outward profits and liberties but as to the good of Religion and the benefit of their souls and yet minde no such thing we may take the hypocrite in this Text as twisted up or compounded of both these The State hypocrite and the Religious are somtimes bound up together That the Hypocrite Reigne not To reigne is the priviledge of Supream Powers By me Kings reigne saith Wisdome that is Christ Prov. 8.15 and when Paul saw how high the Corinthians carryed it in spirituals he by way of allusion tells them 1 Cor. 4.8 ye have reigned like Kings without us ye are got as ye suppose to the top and into the very throne of Religion and you think your selves able to manage all difficulties and can do well enough there without our help But to the Text. This not reigning of the hypocrite may be taken two wayes First As a stop given him by the providence of God In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne regnat Mem Negationem includit juxta linguae morem in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab offendiculis similiter ut dei magis extolletur justitia simul potentia qui reges de throno suo dejicit ut populum ejus laqueis irretitum liberet ab illius tyrannide Merc. from getting up into the throne or from getting the power of a Nation into his hands thus somtimes God saith to the hypocrite Thou shalt not reigne that is thou shalt not exalt thy self though thou attempt it Secondly This not reigning may be taken for a stop to the progress of his power when he hath both attempted and attained it and that two wayes either first by taking him away from his power or secondly by taking away his power from him as Daniel told Belshazzar while he minded him of the greatness of his father Nebuchadnezzar who had all the world upon the matter at his command as also of his fall from that greatness Dan. 5.19 20. Whom he would he set up and whom he would he put down but when his heart was lifted up and his minde hardned in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and they took his glory from him He was deposed or as the Chaldee hath it so we put in the margin He was made to come down from his Princely throne either of these wayes doth God who is the King of kings and Lord of lords when he pleaseth put a stop to or check the progress of false hearted Princes that have either got their power by flatteries and pretensions to that good which they intended not or who exercise their power so That the hypocrite reigne not Lest the people be ensnared The root of the word here rendred to ensnare signifieth the spreading of a Net or the setting of a Grin such as Fowlers and Hunters make use of to take Beasts or Birds with and thus God himself spake concerning his dealing with Babylon Jer. 50.24 I have laid a snare for thee and thou art also taken O Babylon and thou wast not aware litteral Babylon was a snare to the people of God of old and so is mystical Babylon at this day The great Hypocrite or Snare-setter reigns in or over Babylon therefore saith God thou who hast set snares for my people shall be ensnared thou shalt be taken unawares I have set a snare to catch and hold thee fast When Elihu saith lest the people be ensnared it seems to intimate that God will prevent the ensnaring of a people by the hypocrite He shall not reigne lest the people be ensnared or lest they should come into snares There is another reading which gives the reason from the snares which the people have already been entangled with because of the snare or because the people have been ensnared therefore saith the Lord let not the hypocrite reigne thus God revengeth the peoples wrong and doth justice upon those that had set snares for them So much for the general sence of these words and the opening of them There is a second reading of the whole verse which carryeth the sence somwhat another way and yet may be of use and yeild us some profitable considerations but I shall not meddle with that till I have prosecuted those observations which arise clearly from our own reading The words in general hold forth the heart of God towards false hearted men he cannot abide them nor will he suffer them long to abide especially not to abide in power and greatnesse That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared Hence Note First A hypocrite is a person hated of God and hurtful to men He is therefore hated of God because hurtful to men And therefore God is not pleased he should reign either as to reign is taken strictly for the exercising of Soveraign power or as to reign may be taken largely for the exercising of any power and living in the height of prosperity For the clearing of this truth that a hypocrite
heare and consider the matter let them speake their minds we should not leane to nor rely upon our owne understanding in the things which concerne our selves only much lesse in those wherein others are concerned more then our selves Eyes see more then an eye And though it be an argument of too much weakness to see with other mens eyes yet it is an argument of much goodness and humility to call in the helpe of other mens eyes Secondly Note The more wise men agree in any matter the greater is the Conviction One man may speak to Conviction but if many speak the same it is a very strong Conviction Many I confesse may center and agree in a wrong Judgement yet we ought to have a reverend esteeme of and not easily differ from that Judgement wherein many wise and understanding men agree Christ speaking of Church-proceedings and censures saith Math 18.19 If two of you who constitute the least number much more if a greater number of godly wise men shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them c. So still the more wise holy and learned men agree in any poynt the greater is our conviction and the stronger our obligation to submit to it He that doth not heare a single brother his fault is great much more if he heare not two or three most of all when he doth not heare the Church speaking to him and testifying against him in the name of Jesus Christ Thirdly Elihu having made a long discourse appeal's to wise men Hence note He that believeth he hath spoken truth is not afraid to have it considered by those who are best able to judge what is true Truth feares not any test or tryall He that offers pure gold and silver cares not who toucheth it or takes the Assay Wisdome is sure enough to be justified of her children They who understand truth and love it can doe nothing against the truth but for it Fourthly Elihu having discoursed long is willing to referre it to men and to let them judge of it Hence note He that hath spoken truth in his uprightness hath reason to believe that he shall have the Consent of the upright with him There is a samenesse of spirit in all wise and godly men for the maine and for the most part it is so in particulars If a godly man conscienciously judge such an opinion to be truth he may be much assured that other wise and godly men will be of his opinion too He dares say as Elihu Let wise men hearken unto me Fifthly and lastly In that Elihu makes his appeal to wise men to men of heart Note All men are not fit to give their Judgement in a case All are not Competent Judges nor prepared to give an opinion and if they doe 't is not much to be regarded wise men specially godly wise men men of a holy understanding are the men whose judgement and opinion is to be regarded Elihu having bespoken the thoughts and opinion of wise men seemes to give his owne in the next words Vers 35. Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome When Elihu had offered it to the Consideration of wise and understanding men whether Job had spoken right about that great poynt Submission to the absolute Soveraignty of God he forbare not first and plainly to declare his owne understanding of it Job hath spoken without knowledge The Hebrew is not in knowledge or not knowingly that is ignorantly foolishly a very high charge Job hath spoken without knowledge yet we are not to understand it as if Elihu thought Job an Ignorant or an unknowing man he could not but know otherwise but as to this particular case he reports him as a man that had spoken without knowledge and declared himselfe both beside his duty and the rule Hence note They who are very wise and knowing in many things yet may be out in some The best of men are not perfect either in grace or knowledge We may know much and yet come short in what we ought to know A man may speak some things very understandingly and yet speak other things very erroneously A Job may be out sometimes Job hath spoken without knowledge And his words were without wisdome When the Lord comes to decide this great Controversie in the last Chapter of this Book he tells Job's three friends that their words had not been right as the words of Job and yet here Elihu saith Job's words were without wisdome or not in wisdome When God said the words of Job were right we may understand it that they were so according to their general tenour or they were so comparatively to what his friends Eliphaz Zophar and Bildad had said in his case or at least his last wo ds after God had throughly convinced and humbled him were so though in many things he had fayled in speech or spoken those things which were not right before Yet here Elihu spake truth while he sayd his words were without wisdome in the speciall poynt he had to doe with him about and so much Job himselfe acknowledged I have spoken once yea twice but I will speak no more I will no more set my wisdome against the wisdome of God nor presume to have things goe according to my mind let God doe what he will with me hereafter Consider how well this good man tooke the plain-dealing of Elihu It might be expected that Job would quickly have risen up in passion especially when he heard himselfe thus urged But being convinced with what Elihu spake he gave him not a word much lesse an angry word Hence note A good man where he is faulty will heare reproofe with patience A gracious heart will soone be angry with himselfe for speaking or doing amisse but he can take it well to heare himselfe reproved when he hath indeed either spoken or done amisse Nor are there many greater and clearer arguments of a gracious heart then this To beare a reproofe wel is a high poynt of commendation Grace may be shewed as eminently by our patience when we are rebuked for doing that which is evill as by our forwardness and zeale in doing that which is good When Nathan the Prophet applyed the parable home to David after he had not only committed but continued long impenitently in his grievous sins of adultery and murder telling him to his face Thou art the man 2 Sam 12.7 and not only telling him so but at once upbrayding him with all the former benefits and kindnesses of God to him threatning him with many dreadfull future judgements v. 8 9 10 11 12. when I say he was thus sharply dealt with it might have been feared that this Great king would have risen up in passion and roared like a fierce Lyon upon the Prophet yet we heare nothing from him but words of sorrowfull confession and humble submission v. 13. I have sinned against the Lord. The boldnesse