Iobs calamity Iobs trouble from that to the 7th verse of the 42. Chapter 3. Iobs restitution or restoring from thence to the end Take the Book in this division and it seemes to hold forth to us such a representation of Iob as is given us in the three first Chapters of Genesis concerning man In those 3. first Chapters we have man set forth 1. In the excellency and dignity of his Creation being Lord and Soveraigne of all adorn'd with that integrity and purity of nature which God had planted in and stamped upon him at his creation And in the beginning of this Book we have Iob like a man in innocencie shining in all his dignitie compass'd about with blessings of all sorts blessings of the body blessings of the soule blessings of this life and of that which is to come 2. There we find the Devill plotting the ruine of man and we find his plot taking for a while and in a great measure prevailing So here in this Booke we have the Devill begging Iobs ruine and having obtained leave so farre as concerned his outward estate and body quickly puts it in execution 3. There we have Adam by Gods free mercy and promise restored to a better estate in Christ through the grace of Redemption then he had before in himselfe by the goodnesse of Creation So here we have Iob through the mercy power and faithfulnesse of God restored to all he had and more we see him repaired and set up againe after his breaking not only with a new stock but a greater his estate being doubled and his very losses proving beneficiall to him This may suffice for the division or parts of the Booke which I conceive may shed some light into the whole Now for the third thing which I proposed which was the use or scope or intendment of this Book For that is a speciall thing we are to carry before us in our eye in the reading of Scripture It is possible for one to understand the subject and to know the parts and yet not to be attentive to find out or distinctly to find out what the mind of God is or whereat he specially drives and aimeth Therefore it will be very profitable to us likewise to consider what the tendency and intendment or as I may so speake the Uses of this Booke are First It aimes at our Instruction and that in divers things First Which much concernes every Christian to learne it instructeth us how to handle a Crosse How to behave our selves when we are in a conflict whether outward or inward What the Postures of the Spirituall Warre are and with what patience we ought to beare the hand of God and his dealings with us This I say is set forth by the Scripture in other places to be the maine and one of the principall ends or intendments or Uses of this Booke This the Apostle Iames speakes of You have heard of the patience of Job As if he should say doe you not know why the Book of Iob was written Why God in his providence did bring such a thing to passe concerning Iob It was that all men should take notice of his patience and might learne the wisedome of suffering that noble art of induring Iob was full of many other excellent graces and indeed he had all the graces of the Spirit of God in him But the Patience of Job was the principall grace As it is with naturall men they have every sinne in them but there are some sinnes which are the Master sinnes or some one sinne it may be doth denominate a wicked man sometimes he is a proud man sometimes he is covetous sometimes he is a deceiver sometimes he is an oppressor sometimes he is uncleane sometimes he hath a profane spirit and so the like some one great Master lust doth give the denomination to the man he hath all other sinnes in him and they are all raigning in him but one as it were raigneth above the rest and sits uppermost in his heart So it is with the Saints of God and here with Iob every Saint and servant of God hath all grace in him every grace in some degree or other for all the limbs and liniaments of the new man are formed together in the soule of those that are in Christ But there is some speciall grace which doth give as it were the denomination to a servant of God As that which gave the denomination to Abraham was faith and that which gave the denomination to Moses was meeknesse and so this which giveth the denomination to Iob is Patience and so the denomination too of this whole History as if that were the great lesson that were to be taken out the lesson of suffering and of patience So that what the Apostle makes to be the Use of all Scripture whatsoever things saith he were written afore-time were written for our learning that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope That I say which the Apostle there makes to be the end and scope of the whole Scripture doth seeme to be in speciall the principall and chiefe end of writing this Book of Iob. 2. Another Instruction which we are to take from the whole Book is this God would have us learne that afflictions come not by chance that they are all ordered by providence in the matter in the manner and the measure both for the kinds and for the degrees they are all ordered even the very least by the wisedome by the hand and providence of God 3. Another thing which we are to learne generally from this Book is this The Soveraignety of God that he hath power over us over our estates and over our bodies and over our families and over our spirits that he may use us as he pleaseth and we must be quiet under his hand when he commeth and will take all from us all our comforts we must give all glory to him This Book is written for this especially to teach us the Soveraignty of God and the submission of the creature 4. It teacheth us That God doth sometimes afflict his children out of prerogative that-though there be no sinne in them which he makes the occasion of afflicting them such was Iobs case yet for exercise of his graces in them for triall of their graces or to set them up for patternes to the world God may and doth afflict them Though no man be without sinne yet the afflictions of many are not for their sinnes 5. There is this generall Instruction which God would have us learne out of this Book namely that the best gotten and the best founded estate in outward things is uncertaine that there is no trusting to any creature-comforts God would unbottome us quite from the creature by holding forth this History of Iob unto us 6. God would also shew forth this for our learning viz. The strength the unmoveablenesse of faith how unconquerable it is what a kind of omnipotency there is in
upon the rock unshaken unmoved He that is held up by everlasting armes shall stand fast for ever In all this Job sinned not The words referre to what was past For Job afterward did faile and sinned with his lips through vehemency of paine and heate of disputation he spake some things rashly though nothing blasphemously So he confesses Chap. 42.13 I have uttered things that I understood not But in all this so farre as Job had gone he had not sinned with his lips As Samuel after many victories and deliverances sets up a stone or a pillar with this inscription Eben-Ezer The stone of helpe saying Hitherto hath the Lord helped us 1 Sam. 7.12 So here the holy Ghost doth as it were erect a pillar raise a monument of Jobs compleate and glorious victories over Satan Thus engraven Hitherto In all this Job hath not sinned Yet you may remember that such speeches concerning the Saints are to be understood in a qualified sense not in an absolute sense For who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is uncleane Perfection out of imperfection Not to sin is here our duty and should be our endeavour it shall be our reward in Heaven On earth we are said not to sin when we desire not to sin as hath bin more at large shewed upon those words of the last verse of the former Chapter In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly There reade the point handled more distinctly For the opening of these words note only this that when it is said In all this Job sinned not There is more to be understood then is exprest for Job did not only not sin but he overcame and triumphed gloriously over Satan he did excellently and he spake excellently in all this So then these words carry the sense not only of a bare acqittall but of a high approbation In all this Job sinned not with his lips With his lips Some of the Jewes inferre from hence that he sinned in his heart because it is said he did not sin in words they conceit there was some irregularity in his thoughts Surely if his heart had been disorder'd his tongue would have been disorder'd too for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh therefore it is rather an argument that his heart was free from sin because his tongue was In all this Job sinned not with his lips That is he did not murmure or repine or blaspheme these are the sins of the lips Observe first Not to sinne is the highest and truest the most honourable and lasting victory of all This victory God himselfe applauds the holy Ghost will cry you up for strength and valour when you come off from a temptation untouch't you shall be recorded for it among Christs worthies In all this Job sinned not And secondly To governe the tongue under great and sore afflictions is a high act of grace It is spoken as matter of wonder In all this Job sinned not with his lips Moses you know was a meeke man yet he was so put to it that he spake unadvisedly with his lips He opened his lips so unadvisedly that God shut him out of the temporall Canaan for it rash words cost him deare David was a very holy man and very carefull over his tongue Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth with a bridle And knowing though as the Apostle James teacheth us we put bits into the Horses mouthes that they may obey us we can turne about their whole body Jam. 3.3 that no bridle of his putting could keepe his mouth he puts this worke into the hand of God praying with all earnestnesse Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the doore of my lips Notwithstanding all this we find him sinning with his lips more then once Psal 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency And againe Psal 116.11 I said in my hast all men are lyars Job had the preheminence in this he sinned not with his lips no not when he was afflicted and smitten with bitter words He that offendeth not in words saith the Apostle James is a perfect man he is a perfect man indeed who can rule his tongue and so keepe the doore of his lips as that he offends not either by silence or by speech The lips doe offend both wayes negatively as well as positively by speaking and by not speaking Sometimes silence is a loud sinne not speaking is to some on some occasions a crying sin Job sinned not with his lips either by being silent when he should speake or by speaking wherein and when he should be silent And so much concerning this second consequent of Jobs affliction His wives sinfull counsell with his prudent and gracious answer sharpely yet moderately rebuking strongly yet lovingly convincing her folly In and by both faithfully indeavouring at once to discover and cure her errour The third consequent of his affliction now followes namely the visit of his friends described in the three last verses of this Chapter which leads us into the body of the Booke with all the debates disputes and arguments held and maintained with much acutenesse of wit and strength of reasoning between him and these three his friends and visitants JOB 2.11 12 13. Now when Jobs three friends heard of all this evill that was come upon him they came every one from his owne place Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuite and Zophar the Naamathite for they had made an appointment together to come to mourne with him and to comfort him And when they lift up their eyes afarre off and knew him not they lifted up their voice and wept and they rent every one his mantle and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards Heaven So they sate downe with him upon the ground seven dayes and seven nights and none spake a word unto him for they saw that his griefe was very great THese three verses containe the third generall consequent of Jobs second affliction In the division of the Chapter we called it his friends visit In which visit we may here observe First The number of the visitants They were three Now when Jobs three friends Secondly We have here the names of these visitants Eliphas the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite Thirdly We have the occasion of their visit And that was the report of all the evill that was come upon Job Now when Jobs three friends heard of all this evill that was come upon him then they came Fourthly We have the ground of this visit It was a mutuall agreement or a compact made betweene them so saith the text For they had made an appointment together to come Fifthly We have the end or the intendment of their coming what they aimed at in visiting Job And the end is exprest in the Text to be two-fold 1. To communicate with him in his
and mysteriousnesse of the matter While a man speakes in a strange language wee heare a sound but know not the words and while a man speakes in our owne language though we know the words yet we may not understand the meaning and then hee that speakes is to us in that reference so the Apostle calls him a Barbarian While the leaves of the booke are opened and read to such or by such the sense is shut up and sealed When the Apostle Philip heard the Ethiopian Eunuch reade the Prophet Isaiah as he traveld in his Chariot hee said to him understandest thou what thou readest The Eunuch answered How should I unlesse some man would guide mee He understood the language but the meaning was under a vaile The very same may we say to many who reade the Scriptures understand you what you reade And they may answer as the Eunuch did How can we except we had some man to guide us Yea and alas for all the guiding of man they may answer How can we except we have the Spirit of God to guide us He hath his Pulpit in heaven who teacheth hearts the heart of Scripture Paul we know was a learned Pharisee and much verst in the Law and yet he saith of himselfe before his conversion that hee was without the Law but when Christ came to him then the Commandment came to him I was once alive without the Law but when the Commandment came that is when Christ came and his Spirit came in or after my conversion and expounded the Commandment to my heart then the Commandment came sc to my heart in the power of it and I understood to purpose what the Law was So that the teachings of the Spirit the teachings of God himselfe are chiefly to be looked after and prayed for that we may know the mind of the Spirit the will of God in Scripture But he hath set up this ordinance the ordinance of interpretation to doe it by both that the Scripture might be translated out of the Originall into the common language of every Nation which the Apostle calls interpreting in that place before cited and also that the originall sense of the Scripture might be translated into the minde and understanding of every man which is the worke we aime at and now have in hand Before I begin that give me leave to beseech you in the Name of Christ to take care for the carrying on of this worke a degree further I mean to translate the sense of Scripture into your lives and to expound the word of God by your workes Interpret it by your feet and teach it by your fingers as Solomon speakes to another sense that is let your working and your walkings be Scripture explications It is indeed a very great honour unto this Citie that you take care for a Commentarie on the Scripture in writing but if you will be carefull and diligent to make a Commentarie upon the Scripture by living or to make your lives the Commentarie of Scripture this will make your Citie glorious indeed It is the Apostles testimonie of his Corinthians Yee saith he are our Epistle for as much as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshie tables of the heart Give us we beseech you the same occasion of glorying on your behalfe that we may say You are our Expositions for as much as you are manifestly declared in your practise to be the exposition of the mind of Christ ministred unto you by us A walking a breathing Commentarie goeth infinitely beyond the written or spoken Commentarie And as the Apostle makes his conclusion before noted I had rather speake five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue So I say I had rather know five words of Scripture by my own practise and experience than ten thousand words of Scripture yea than the whole Scripture by the bare Exposition of another And therefore let the word of Christ by these verball Explications dwell richly in your understandings in all wisedome And by a practicall application let it be held forth plentifully in your lives in all holinesse Adde Commentarie to Commentarie and Exposition to Exposition adde the Comment of works to this Comment of words and an Exposition by your lives to this Exposition by our labours Surely if you do not these Exercises will be costly indeed and will come to a deep account against you before the Lord. If you are lifted up to heaven by the opening of the Scripture which is either a carrying of you up to heaven or a bringing of heaven downe to you and then walke groveling upon the earth how sore will the judgement be But it is to me an argument and an evidence from heaven that God hath put it into your hearts to be more glorious in the practise of holinesse because he hath put it into your hearts to desire more the knowledge of holinesse To draw in my speech nearer to the businesse Having a booke full of very various matter before me give mee leave to premise some things in the generall and some thing more particulars by way of Preface concerning the booke before wee come to the handling of the text First for the generall That which God speakes concerning the whole worke of Creation We may speake concerning the whole booke of Scripture It is very good Solomon observes that wheresoever the wisdom of God spake it spake of excellent things And David to quicken our endeavours and excite our diligence to the study of the word preferreth it in worth above thousands of gold and silver and in sweetnesse above the honey and the honey combe And when he ceaseth to compare hee beginneth to admire Wonderfull are thy Testimonies And well may that bee called Wonderfull which proceedeth from the God of Wonders All Scripture is given by divine inspiration or by inspiration from God and I need not stay to shew you the excellencie of any part when I have but pointed at such an originall of the whole As therefore the whole Scripture whether wee respect the majestie of the Author the height or puritie of the matter the depth or perspicuitie of the stile the dignitie or variety of occurrences whether we consider the Art of compiling or the strength of arguing disdaines the very mention of comparison with any other humane Author whatsoever so are comparisons in it selfe as Booke with Booke Chapter with Chapter dangerous There is not in this great volume of holy counsell any one Book or Chapter Verse or Section of greater power or authoritie than other Moses and Samuel the writings of Amos the Shepherd and of Isaiah a Descendant of the blood Royall the writings of the Prophets and Evangelists the Epistles of Paul and this historie of Iob must be received to use the words
of the Trent Councell in the fifth Session but to far better purpose Pari pietatis affectu with the same holy reverence and affection They use it about Traditions matching Traditions with the Scriptures but we may fully match all Scripture together and say all must be received with the same devotion and affection Yet notwithstanding as the parts of Scripture were penned by divers Secretaries published in divers places in divers ages on divers occasions for divers ends so the argument and subject matter the method and manner of composing the texture and the stile of writing are likewise different Some parts of Scripture were delivered in Prose others in Verse or numbers some parts of the Scripture are Historicall shewing what hath beene done some are Propheticall shewing what shall be done others are Dogmaticall or Doctrinall shewing what we must doe what we must beleeve Againe some parts of Scripture are cleare and easie some are obscure and very knotty Some parts of Scripture shew what God made us others how sinne spoiled us A third how Christ restored us Some parts of Scripture shew forth acts of mercy to keepe us from sinking others record acts of judgement to keepe us from presuming And because the way to heaven is not strewed with Roses but like the Crowne of Christ here upon earth set with thornes because not smiles and loving imbracements from the world but wounds and stroaks and temptations doe await all those that have received the presse-money of the Spirit and are enrolled for the Christian warfare because everie true Israelite must expect that which Iacob upon his death-bed spake of Ioseph that the Archers will shoot at him hate him and grieve him In a word because many are the troubles of the righteous therefore the Scripture doth present us with sundry plat-formes of the righteous conflicting with many troubles Now these considerations that are scattered severally thorow the whole Scripture seeme all concenter'd and vnited together in this booke of Iob which if we consider in the stile and forme of writing is in some part of it Prose as the two first Chapters and part of the last and the rest is Verse If wee consider it in the manner of deliverie it is both darke and cleare If we consider the subject matter of it it is both Historicall Propheticall and Doctrinall In it is a mixture of mercie tendred unto of judgements threatned against and inflicted upon the wicked In it is a mixture of the greatest outward blessings and the greatest outward afflictions upon the godly conâ—luding in the greatest deliverances of the godly from affliction In this last the booke is chief there was never any man under a warmer sinne of outward prosperitie than Iob was neither was there ever any man in a hotter fire of outward affliction then Iob was God seeming to give charge concerning this triall of Iob as king Nebuchadnezzar did concerning the three children to have the furnace heated seven times hotter than ordinary This in the generall concerning the book Now more particularly I will not detaine you in that Proemiall disquisition about the Author and Penman of this Booke there is great varietie of Iudgement about it some say it was one of the Prophets but they know not who some ascribe it to Solomon some to Elihu not a few to Iob himselfe but most give it to Moses That resolution of Beza in the point shall serve me and may satisfie you It is very uncertaine who was the Writer of this Book saith he and whatsoever can be said concerning it is grounded but upon very light conjecture And therefore where the Scripture is silent it can be of no great use for us to speake especially seeing there is so much spoken as will finde us worke and bee of use for us neither need wee trouble our selves being assured that the Spirit of God indited the Booke who it was that held the pen. Onely take this that it is conceived to be the first piece of Scripture that was written take it to be written by Moses and then it is most probable that hee writ it before the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt while he was in Midian Neither will I stay you in the second place about the inquirie into or rather about the refutation of that fancie that this whole Booke is a Parable rather than a Historie like that of Lazarus in the Gospel not a thing really acted but only a representation of it Now this which was the dreame of many of the Iewes and Talmudists and is fastned with no small clamour upon Luther by the Iesuits may clearly be convinced both by the names of places and persons which we shall have occasion to open when wee come to the booke it selfe and also by those allegations of the Prophets and of the Apostles concerning Iob the Prophet Ezekiel quoting him with Noah and Daniel two men that unquestionably were extant and acted glorious parts in the world and therefore Iob also All that I will say in particular shall be in these three things 1. To shew you more distinctly the subject of this Book 2. The parts and division of it 3. The use or scope and intendment of it 1. For the subject of this Booke we may consider it either as principall or as collaterall The maine and principall subject of this Book is contained and I may give it you in one verse of the 34. Psalme Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all Concerning this subject there are two great Questions handled and disputed fully and clearly in this Booke The first is this Whether it doth consist with the Iustice and goodnesse of God to afflict a righteous and sincere person to strip him naked to take away all his outward comforts Or whether it doth consist with the Iustice and goodnesse of God that it should go ill with those that are good and that it should go well with those that are evill This is one great debate the maine Question thoroughout the Book And then secondly here is another great dispute in reference to the former Namely whether we may iudge of the righteousnesse or unrighteousnesse of the sincerity or hypocrisie of any person by the outward dealings and present dispensations of God towards him That is a second Question here debated The friends of Job maintained the first Question negatively the latter affirmatively They denied that God in Justice could aflict a righteous and a holy man They affirmed that any man so afflicted is unrighteous and may so be judged because afflicted And so the whole argument and dispute which the friends of Job brought may be reduced to this one Syllogisme He that is afflicted and greatly afflicted is certainly a great open sinner or a notorious hypocrite But Job thou art afflicted and thou art greatly afflicted Therefore certainly thou art if not a great open sinner yet a notorious hypocrite
Job as constantly and as vehemently maintaineth both those questions in the contrary sense He acknowledged himself to be a sinner yet he stiffely denied that he was a hypocrite he disclaimed his own righteousnes in point of Justification yet he justified himselfe in point of uprightnesse And as for the sinfulnesse of his nature and of his life he was willing except knowne or wilfull insincerity to own both and charge himselfe faster then his friends could appealing to and triumphing in free-Grace for full pardon This one Syllogisme I say is the summe of all the dispute between Job and his three friends This is as it were the hinge upon which the whole matter turned But besides these there are many discourses falling in collaterally which concurre to make up the subject of this book For as it is with those that studie the Philosophers-stone the great thing they aime at is to make gold c. that 's the principall the chiefe end yet collaterally they find out many excellent things many profitable experiments have beene made many rare secrets have beene discovered in prosecuting of that great designe So although this be the principall subject of the booke yet collaterally for the carrying on of these disputes many other rare and excellent heavenly spirituall and usefull truths are handled and discovered As to give you some particular instances First We have the Character of a discreet and faithfull Master and Father in a family and the speciall duties which concern those relations The doctrine of the Oeconomicks is often touched in this Booke Secondly We have here the Character of a faithfull zealous and just Magistrate in the Common-wealth how he ought to behave himselfe and what his duty is set downe also plainly and clearly by occasion of this dispute Thirdly We have a great discovery made in the secrets of nature The bowels of nature are as it were ript open and the great works of Creation are here displayed In this you have discourses of the Heavens of the Earth of the Sunne Moone and Starres of those Meteors the Haile the Snow the Frost the Yce the Lightning and the thunder In this you have discourses of Jewels of Minerals and of Metalls In this of Beasts and Birds and creeping things So that by occasion of this dispute a discourse is carried about all the world in the whole circuit of naturall knowledge or Philosophy Fourthly Here are discourses of Christian Moralls of the duties of equity from man to man Of the duties of piety which man oweth to God of the duties of sobriety and temperance towards a mans own selfe Yea here we find the great duty of Faith the matter of beleeving in the Redeemer of the world our Lord Jesus Christ Lastly Here are many discoveries made of God in Himselfe and in his Attributes in his Power Wisdome Justice Goodnesse and Faithfulnesse yea whatsoever may be known of God in any of these is some way or other here discovered So then all being summed up together it may well be said concerning this Booke that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Book containing all excellencies of wisedom and holinesse and what as some of the Jews and Rabbins say of it in other Books is here a little and there a little is all plentifully gathered together in this In a word it is a Summary a Compendium of all knowledg both humane and divine both concerning our selves and concerning God So much of the subject of this Book both principall and Collaterall The second generall to be considered is the division of this Booke We may consider it in reference to the division First as it is a Dialogue for so some call the whole Booke which is an interchangeable discourse concerning any subject or matter whatsoever And taking it in that notion wee may divide it by the Collocutors or Speakers and by the severall speeches which they made The Collocutors or Speakers in this Booke are Eight 1. God 2. Sathan 3. Job 4. Jobs wife Jobs three friends 5. Eliphaz 6. Bildad 7. Zophar 8. Elihu Who commeth in as a Moderatour of that dispute Their Speeches which they make are in the whole compasse of of the Booke 32. distinctions There are two Dialogues betweene God and Sathan One betweene Iob and his wife Three between Iob and Eliphaz Three betweene Iob and Bildad Two betweene Iob and Zophar Two betweene God and Iob. And then we have Elihu making foure distinct Speeches or Orations which have no Answer And lastly two severall Speeches or Parables as they are called of Iob one in Chapt. 27.1 and the other in Chapt. 29.1 So that summe up all these together and you may divide the whole Booke into 32. distinct or severall Speeches either by way of position or answer or reply or determination God speakes foure times Satan twice Iobs wife once Iob thirteene times Eliphaz thrice Bildad thrice Zophar twice Elihu foure times Or if we should consider the Booke as a Disputation which is higher then a Dialogue so you may distinguish it by the Opponents by the Respondent and by the Moderators The Opponents are three Iobs three friends Iob himselfe is Respondent The Moderators are First Elihu he commeth in first as an Vmpire betweene them Secondly God himselfe at last out of the whirle-winde giveth the decisive determinative voice and sentence He states the question fully for Iob and reproveth Iobs friends as not having disputed and argued aright concerning him Yet further Wee may divide the Booke into five Sections whereof The first doth set forth the happinesse and fullnesse of Iobs outward estate and the integrity and perfection of his spirituall estate And that is conteined in the first 5 verses The second presents Iobs affliction Iobs fall the great and sore calamity which in a moment did overtake him with the occasion of it And this you have set forth from that 5th verse exclusively to the 9th verse of the second Chapter Thirdly We have the questions the debates and disputes which did arise upon and about the fall of Iob into that sad condition which are contained from that 9th verse of the second Chapter to the end of the 31. Chapter Fourthly We have the Moderation or determination of this dispute and of this argument first by Elihu and then by God himselfe from the beginning of the 32. Chapter to the 7th verse of the 42. All which is but as a determination or stating of the Question Fifthly and lastly Wee have the restitution of Iob his restoring and setting up againe and the repairing of his estate and making of it double to what formerly it had bin And that is begun and continued from the 7th verse of the 42. Chapter to the end of the Book So here you have a five-fold division of the Book Once more We may divide the Book into theee parts And so it sets forth 1. Iobs happy condition both in regard of externalls and internalls in the first 5. verses 2. Iobs fall
for all the rest The Booke begins with the description of his person in the first verse where Job is described by that which is accidentall and by that which is essentiall By accidentals so he is described by the place where he dwelt There was a man in the land of Uz. 2. By his name whose name was Job The essentials are foure qualifications which were essentiall to him not as a rationall man but as a holy man And that man was 1. Perfect 2. Vpright 3. One that feared God 4. Eschewed evill As they who write the Acts or Stories of great men usually give us some description of their persons before they set downe their undertakings or atchievements as you see in the 1 Sam. 17.4 5 6 7. how the great Giant Goliah is described So here the Holy Ghost by the Pen-man of this Booke being to record a glorious combate a combate not with flesh and blood alone but with Principalities and Powers a wrestling with mighty and strong temptations first gives us if we may so speake the Prosopographie of this divine Heroes soule the lineaments and abilities of his spirit This was the heighth and this the stature of the Combitant such were his limbes and such his weapons there he dwelt and this was his name There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job There was That referrs us either to the truth of the Story or to the time of the Story Such a man there was that 's certaine Such a man there was but the time when is uncertaine It referres us to the time onely indefinitely There was such a man but when is not exactly and precisely set downe The Scripture we know doth often keepe an exact account of yeares the Scripture is the guide and key of all Chronology and sometimes it leaves things in generall for the time and onely saith thus much such a thing was or such a person was So here Yet some have undertaken to define what the Spirit of God hath left at large the precise time wherein Job lived and tell us in what yeare of the world these things were done But I desire not to be so accurate unlesse the Rule were so too Onely thus much we may safely say that Job lived betweene the times of Abraham and Moses and nearer Moses than Abraham and for that I conceive there is ground sufficient There are these two speciall Reasons why it should be circumscribed within that limit 1. Because Job offered Sacrifice at that time in his owne Country which after the giving of the law and setting up of a publike worship was forbidden all both Jewes and Proselytes They that were acquainted with the wayes of God knew they must not worship by Sacrifice any where but before the Tabernacle or after the Temple was built at the Temple 2. Because in the whole booke there is not the least print or the least mention of any thing which did concerne those great and glorious passages of Gods providence towards the people of Israel either in their going out of Aegypt or in their journey thorough the wildernesse to Canaan Now in a dispute of this nature such as was betweene Job and his friends there would have been frequent occasion to have considered and instanced some of those things There is scarce any booke in Scripture that beares date after that great and wonderfull dispensation of God but it makes mention of or referrs to some passages concerning them Againe for the time that which some collect to cleare it is from the Genealogie of Job there are three speciall opinions concerning the line of his pedegree One that he descended from Nahor who was brother to Abraham Gen. 22.21 It was told Abraham behold Milcah shee hath borne children to thy brother Nahor Uz his first-borne and Buz his brother c. This Vz who was the first-borne of Nahor Abrahams brother is conceived to have given denomination to the land of Vz and so from him Job to be descended Another opinion there is maintain'd by many that Job was of the line of Esau and that he was called Jobab by Moses Gen. 36.33 And Bela died and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah raigned in his stead This Jobab who was a descendant or one of the Dukes of the line of Esau they say was Job But why the name Jobab should be contracted into Job I see little reason offered A third opinion for his descent is that he came from the children of Abraham by his second wife Keturah Gen. 25. where it is said that Abraham by her had divers sonnes and that hee gave them portions and sent them Eastward into the East country and from Midian who was the fourth sonne of Abraham by that second marriage our Genealogies doe positively and directly affirme that Job was descended That may suffice for the time for bringing of him within a narrower limit I have no grounds but conjecturall A man He is not called A man here barely as the Phylosophers Animal rationale c. as man is opposed to a Beast Nor barely is he called a man to distinguish his Sex as a man is opposed to a woman But there is somewhat more in the expression he is called a man by way of excellency And for the clearing and opening of that we may consider that there are 3. words in Scripture originall by which man is exprest 1. Man is called Adam That was the proper name of the first man and it became the common name for all men since So man was called from the matter of which he was made Adam from Adamah because as the reason is given Gen. 2.7 God made man dust out of the earth or as we translate of the dust of the earth 2. Man is called Enosh So he is called in regard of the infirmities weaknesses and sorrowes which he hath contracted by sinne since the fall sinne made the red earth weake and brittle earth indeed earth moystened with teares and mixt with troubles 3. He is called Ish which the Critticks in that language say comes from and hath allyance with two words One signifying Beeing or existence and the other heat or fire So that the excellency of mans being the heat courage and spirit that flames in him is set forth in that word and that 's the word here in the Text There was a man it is Ish an excellent a worthy man a man of an excellent spirit a man of men a man fitted to honour God and governe men And that it is so used in Scripture I will give you an instance or two that you may see it is not a bare conjecture In the 49. Psalme David as it were summons and divides mankind In the first verse he summons Heare this all ye people give eare all ye inhabitants of the world In the second verse he divides Both low and high rich and poore together The word in the Hebrew for high is Bene-Ish sons of Ish
in that sense to please men with sinning against and provoking God Secondly My Servant by way of speciall right and property So Job and all godly persons are called Gods servants First by the right of election they are Gods chosen servants as Paul is called a chosen vessell that is a chosen servant to carry the name of God 2. They are Gods servants by the right of purchase my servant whom I have bought and purchased so in the 1 Cor. 6. You are bought with a price be not the servants of men that is you are bought with a price to be my servants therefore be not the servants of men in opposition to me or to my disservice in any thing So Job was Gods servant by way of purchase God buyeth every one of his servants with the bloud of his sonne Thirdly My servant by way of Covenant Job was Gods Covenant servant God and he had as it were sealed Indentures Job entered into Covenant with God that he would performe the duty of a servant and God entered into Covenant with him that he should enjoy the priviledge of a servant Now that which is Gods by right of Covenant is his by speciall right Then again We may further understand this and all such like expressions When God saith my servant he doth as it were glory in his servant God speaks of him as of his treasure my servant as a man doth of that which he glorieth in As the Saints glory in God when they use this expression my God and my Lord my Master and my Christ this is a kind of glorying and triumphing in God So this expression carieth such a sense in it Hast thou not considered my servant Job there is one that I have honour by one that I rejoyce and glory in one that I can speake of with much more then content even with tryumph my servant Job Ther 's a man It is mans honour to be Gods servant and God thinkes himselfe honoured by the service of man It was once a curse and it is a great curse still to be the servant of servants as it is said of Cham but it is an honour the great honour of the creature to be a servant to God He that is a servant of Christ is not only free but noble And Christ reckoneth that he hath not only worke done him but honour done him by his willing people and therefore he glories in any such my servant My servant Job There is somewhat also to be considered in that When God speakes of his people by name it noteth two things in Scripture First A speciall care that God hath over them Secondly A speciall love that God hath to them Joh. 10.3 He calleth his owne Sheepe by name this noteth a speciall care Christ hath of his sheepe and a speciall love that he beareth to them So Isa 49.1 The Lord hath called me from the wombe from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name it noteth the speciall care and the speciall love that God had of and bare to Christ See it eminently in that place Exod. 33.12 where Moses speakes thus unto God Yet thou hast said I know thee by name now what it is to know by name is by way of Exposition added in the end of the verse And thou hast also found grace in my sight So that to be knowne by name is in a speciall manner to find grace in the sight of God when it is said here My servant Job it shewes that God did take an extraordinary care of and did in an extraordinary manner love Job above all that were upon the Earth There is a great deale of difference betweene these two expressions to know the name of a man and to know a man by name It is a truth that God knoweth all your names and the names of all the men in the world but he doth not know all by name Therefore the Scripture assures us that God hath the names of none written but the names of his owne as Moses saith in the former Chapter If thou wilt not forgive the sinne of this people blot me I pray thee out of thy Booke which thou hast written Thou knowest me by name my name is written in thy booke So Luk. 10. Christ bad his Disciples that they should not rejoyce so much that they had the spirits subject unto them but in this they should rejoyce that their names were written in heaven Note from hence That God doth take care of his elect children and servants in a speciall manner above all other men in the world The names of Princes or Emperours or Potentates if they belong not to God are not vouchsafed a place in his booke but the names of the meanest of his Saints are recorded for ever and shall be had in everlasting remembrance Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth c. We reade before at the end of the 3d. verse that Job in reference to his riches was the greatest of all the men of the East Now he goeth beyond that in reference to his holines he is the greatest upon the earth there is none like him in the earth This we may understand first as a cause or reason why Job fell under the speciall consideration or observation of Satan Hast thou not considered my servant Job because so some render that particle or in a much or for that there is not the like to him in the Earth As if God should say there is reason why he must needs be taken into thy consideration because there is not such another man as he in the earth You know that a man is quickly taken notice of when there are none like unto him in the place or company where he is If a man walke in the streets or come into a house who is of an extraordinary tallnesse some will aske the question did you not observe such a man for there was never a man in the company never a man in the street so tall as he So one that is extraordinary in beauty or extraordinary in rich apparrell every one hath an eye upon such The reason why many are observed is because they are not like to others they are beyond others in quality or in habit So here Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like unto him in the Earth thou must needs take notice of him Or againe it may be understood thus as the matter which Satan should consider and observe in Job Hast thou not considered my servant Job sc in this thing that there is not a man upon the earth like to him Hast thou not taken notice of this in him Thou who hast looked over all men and hast as it were sifted all mens manners hast thou not observed thus much that there is not such a man upon the earth as Job Hath not that fallen under thy observation So now in the words There is
shame for they were at liberty but it is therefore said that the men were greatly ashamed because amongst them it vvas a marke of shame and slavery to be shaven Hereupon David giveth order that they should tarry at Jericho till their beards were growen it was a dishonour to be shaved And it is noted in Plutarch concerning Demosthenes that when he had a mind to sit close at his study and vvould not goe abroad or be interrupted by visits of friends at home that he would shave himselfe that so he might be ashamed to goe forth or see any body but be constrained to keepe to his booke for tvvo or three moneths together till his haire vvere grovvne againe The bondage and reproach that Nebuchadnezzar brought upon Tyrus is thus described Every head was made bald And Aristotle observes that the haire vvas a token of liberty Thus the shaving of the head in Job might be a signe both of his sorrovv and great reproach that vvas come upon him being one novv that vvas ready to be mocked and made the scorne and by-vvord of the vvorld as vve see afterward he was during this affliction Yet it is considerable from Scripture example that the cutting off the haire and shaving of the head had not alvvayes either of these significations hitherto discuss'd but did vary according to the diversity of places and of times In the Booke of Genesis we reade that cutting and shaving of the haire vvas a token of joy and liberty both together When Joseph vvas delivered out of prison it is said that he shaved himselfe and came to Pharaoh And it is noted concerning Mephibosheth as a matter of his sorrow for Davids absence that he let his haire grovv He trimmed not his beard being much troubled at the Kings absence I confesse neither of these instances come home enough to the point both of these neglecting the care and culture of their bodies in their troubles now being delivered prepare themselves by shaving and trimming the hayre for the presence of those Kings But it is in some Nations shaving hath beene a marke of Honour All the Romane Emperours were shaved till Nero. And it was an ancient Proverbe Thou art a slave for thou wearest lockes or long haire There is an Objection that may be made concerning this act of Job because afterward it is said that in all this Job sinned not whether or not Job might shave his head without sinne for you have an expresse rule to the contrary Levit. 19.27 cap. 21.5 You shall not round the corners of your heads neither shalt thou marre the corners of thy beard and so you have it againe in Deut. 14.1 that they should not cut their haire or make any baldnesse upon their heads for the dead namely by shaving or cutting off the haire How is it therefore here that Job shaved himselfe for the death of his children and in regard of those great troubles that were upon him I answer briefly for that first Job lived as we have cleared when we spake of the booke in generall before that Law was given which did prohibit the cutting of the haire in that manner Secondly It appeares in those places where those Lawes are set downe that the Lord did forbid only conformity to the Heathen they must not shave or cut themselves as the Heathen did who cut their heads round like a halfe globe as it is observed concerning them and were wont to dedicate their lockes to their Idoll-gods That vain fashion and grosse superstition were the things forbidden in that Law of Moses Thirdly Though the Jewes were forbidden to shave their heads as mourning for the death of their friends yet in the judgment of learned Junius the shaving of their heads was not only permitted but commanded in case of mourning for sinne or in times of solemne repentance and humiliation He instanceth in two places before mentioned First the Prophet Isaiah reproving the unseasonable mirth and desperate security of the Jewes in a time of publike trouble and treading downe tells them In that day did the Lord God of Hoasts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sack-cloth Isa 22.12 Secondly There is councell given answerable to that reproofe by the Prophet Micah cap. 1.16 Make thee bald and pole thee for thy delicate children enlarge thy baldnesse as the Eagle for they are gone into captivity from thee We will observe something from these two actions the renting of his garments and the shaving of his head These referre to the expression of his sorrow for those losses in estate and the death of his children As the other two actions his falling upon the ground and worshipping referre to the expression of that homage and honour that he tendered up to God in the middest of these sorrowes From those two acts of sorrow learne we First That when the hand of God is upon us it becommeth us to be sensible of it and to be humbled under it Job hearing these sad relations doth not stand out stoutly as if nothing had touch'd him but to shew that sorrow did even rent his heart he rent his garments to shew that his affliction touch'd his spirit he shav'd his head There are two extreames that we are carefully to avoyd in times of affliction and the Apostle doth caution all the sonnes of God against them both in one verse Heb. 12.5 My sonne despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Those are the two extreames despising and fainting when God doth correct He would not have us despise his chastning to say I doe not regard this let God take all if he will If my estate must goe let it goe if my children die let them die this is a despising of the chastening of the Lord and God cannot beare it that we should beare it thus lightly There is another extreame that is fainting If when goods are taken away the heart be taken away and when children die then the spirit of the Parent dies too this is fainting Take heed of these two extreames Job walkes in the middle in the golden meane betweene them both He doth not carelesly despise neither doth he unbeleevingly faint he riseth up and he rents his garments He would have it knowne that he fainted not under the stroake and he would have it knowne that he felt the stroake he was not like a stocke or a stone he would not carry it with a stoicall apathy but with Christian fortitude and magnanimity Sencelesse ones are taxed Jerem. 5.3 Thou hast striken them and they have not grieved Such are compared by Solomon to him that lyes downe in the midst of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of a mast secure and carelesse in the greatest dangers They have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sicke they have beaten me and I felt it not Prov. 23.34 35. The Prophet
word alone signifies as it were all degrees and all kinds of sorrow then consider both the variety of kind and intention of degrees collected in Jobs sorrows which a word so comprehensive is not sufficient to expresse the aid of two other words is called in to helpe out our conception of his sorrowes They saw his griefe they saw his griefe was great yet you have not all They saw his griefe was very great exceeding great this aggravates his griefe and winds up his sorrow to the highest as if now the affliction were growne to a full stature God threatens Babylon Isa 47.9 These two things shall come upon thee in a moment in one day the losse of children and widdow-hood these things shall come upon thee in their perfection Sometimes imperfect judgements are upon a people or a person they are as it were infant judgements judgements beginning anon they grow to a greater height and anon they come to a perfect stature to be mighty ones giantly judgements at that time God had even brought Jobs affliction to its perfection and his griefe was proportionable very great For this reason his friends kept silence this reason hath an influence on all the acts of their sorrow but especially upon this their keeping silence For they saw his griefe was very great From these ceremoniall acts of sorrow I have observed divers things heretofore Now take one thing in generall That great sufferings call us to and warrant us in solemne mournings Iobs friends doe not only mourne but they mourne as it were in state there is a kind of magnificence in mourning a pomp in mourning I approve not a proud pomp but an humble pomp they mourne you see with all the formalities of mourning so it becometh us sometimes as great mercies call for great rejoycings so great afflictions call for great lamentings There is a decency in it when our affections keepe pace with the dispensations of God whether they be mercies or judgements comforts or afflictions Secondly Forasmuch as Jobs friends seeing his sorrow to be thus very great kept silence Observe That in great in over-whelming sorrows the mind is unfit to receive and take in comfort When griefe is very great words give little ease pretious words are wasted and throwne away comfort it selfe is a trouble in the greatnesse and height of trouble I am sure a mind full charg'd with sorrow hath no roome for comfort is not at leisure for counsell It is a profitable rule in visiting friends that are sick or in distresse when you see them in extremity of paine of body or in extremity of anguish and trouble of spirit keepe silence waite a while Let the waters asswage a little and the winds fall before you meddle Let them come to themselves before you move them As sodaine anger so sodaine sorrow is a kind of phrensy No wise Physitian will give a medicine in a fit The body must settle before it is fit for physick and so must the mind too silence is as good as physick in some distempers both of mind and body A talkative comforter is another disease to a sick man unseasonable councell is a wound instead of a plaister and instead of healing tortures the patient It is as high a point of prudence to know when as to know what to advise a distressed friend Solomon tells us in generall Eccles 3.7 There is a time to keepe silence and a time to speake Let me advise this for one particular time or season to keepe silence namely the extremity and height of trouble The Prophet Amos c. 5.13 speakes of a time wherein the prudent shall be silent and he shewes us why in that time the prudent shall keepe silence for it is an evill time Some interpret this as an addition to the common calamity of those times They should be so evill that wise-men would hold their peace The Apostle prophecies of such times wherein men will not endure sound doctrine 2 Tim. 4 3. in Religion And such times may be wherein men will not endure sound doctrine in policy Then the prudent hold their peace and none speake but fooles or flatterers such times make the quickest market for their sophisticated wares no other will goe off Such are very evill times and this is a sore judgement upon those times There is hope of good when wise men speake A word from their mouthes may cure and deliver a nation Yet I conceive that this Text of Amos may be understood as a description of a wise mans duty at least of his property in some high and great distempers upon a people He sees them uncapeable of counsell to give them good advice is at that present but the casting of pearles before swine all is lost and undervalued if not trampled on Yea he sees that the more he labours to reforme the more he enrages them therefore till this fit be over prudence teacheth him to keepe silence Thus also it is with private persons in regard of the evills they endure they cannot endure faithfull counsell in such an evill day upon any private person let the prudent keepe silence and waite for an opportunity which may open a passage to let in their reproofes or directions or consolations with a taking advantage into the hearts of their afflicted friends and bretheren The Prophet Isaiah seeing the troubles approaching Jerusalem resolves to take his fill of mourning Therefore said I looke away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me chap. 22.4 He either thought that the beholders would faint to see him and therefore saith looke away from me or that seeing him they would say he fainted and so would be giving him comfort that therefore his sorrow might have full scope He saith Looke away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me When a man is resolved to mourne let him mourne your advise may anger him but it will not help him Let sorrow have its way a while and that will make way for comfort We have thus farre carried on the sad story of Jobs visitation his griefe is now come to the height It is very great We have also seene his friends visit with a double intendment both to mourne with him and to comfort him We have seene them mourning they fully reacht that end We leave them now silent waiting for a time to attempt and accomplish the other end they miserably failed in that it was to comfort him but they proved miserable comforters Which in the progresse and processe of this Booke will receive a large and full discovery JOB 3.1 2 3 c. Verse 1. After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day And Job spake and said Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night wherein it was said There is a man-child conceived c. THE former Chapter concluded with the astonishment and silence of Jobs three friends This Chapter beginneth with an astonishing speech of Job
And as the enmity of the serpent was mans scourge so also was the barrennesse of the earth That barrennesse in bringing forth good fruit that fertility in bringing forth bryars and thornes were both as rods for the back of man Thirdly the irrationall or sencelesse creatures are cursed in reference to that which man suffers Thus David cursed the mountaines of Gilboa 2 Sam. 1.21 because there Saul and his beloved Jonathan were slaine by the sword of the Philistines because there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away the sword of Saul as if he had not been anointed with oyle In this sense as David cursed a place so Job curses a time his day the day which either gave occaâ—ion to his sufferings or the day in which he actually suffered such a world of evills Thus also Jeremie curses his day with a vehement curse Jer. 20.14 Cursed be the day wherein I was borne let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed And not only so but he curses the man who first reported his birth verse 15 16. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father saying a man-child is borne unto thee making him very glad And let that man be as the Cities which the Lord overthrew and repented not and let him heare the cry in the morning and the shooting at noone-tide c. And why so bitter a curse was it against the day for it selfe or against the man himselfe Jeremie shewes it was not verse 18. Wherefore came I out of the wombe to see labour and sorrow that my dayes should be consumed with shame To curse any thing under the notion of a creature or as it is the worke of God is to blaspheme God to curse any unreasonable or insensible creature in themselves or to take revenge on them is to be if not sencelesse yet I am sure in that act unreasonable So farre of this cursing his day in generall It followes Verse 2. And Job spake and said This verse is only a transition into the matter of the next it is as if the holy Ghost had said Job cursed his day and would you know how he cursed it He did it after this manner or in this forme of words Job spake and said thus c. Only note that the word which we translate spake is in the originrall answered and so often in Scripture he is said to answer who begins to speake Job answered and said We shewed you before that his day in generall was the object of this curse now he curses it in the parts of it the day and the night Let the day perish c. At which words the stile alters that which you reade forward to the sixt verse of the 42 Chapter is sacred Poetry Job breathes out his passion in verse and in verse receives his answer It is questioned whether Job at that time opened his mouth and vented his sorrowes in verse or whether it were after contrived so by the pen-man of this booke As I see no profit in moving this question so I think there is no possibility of resolving it And therefore I leave it as I found it a quere still Only this is observeable that writing in verse is most sutable where the matter written is deepely steep't in and chiefely wrought out of our affections Hence we find That those parts of Scripture which set forth strongest affections are composed in verse As those holy flames of spirituall love betweene Christ and his Spouse in the Canticles of Solomon The triumphant joy of Deborah after deliverance from Sisera's Army Of Moses and Miriam after the destruction of Pharaoh The afflicting sorrowes of Hezekiah in his sicknesse And the Lamentations of Jeremie for the captivity of the Jewes The booke of Psalmes is as it were a throng of all affections Love joy sorrow feare hope anger zeale every passion acting a part and wound up in highest straines by the Spirit of God breathing Poeticall eloquence into that heavenly Prophet So this Booke of Job whose subject is sorrow hath a composure answerable to the matter Passion hath most scope in verse and is freest when tyed up in numbers The words follow Let the day perish What this day was we shewed you before It was the day of his nativity the day saith he wherein I was borne How should this day perish To perish signifies first not to be A thing is said to perish when it is annihilated when it returnes to nothing As the Psalmist speakes Man being in honour and understandeth not is compared to the beasts that perish The perishing of a beast is the non-entity of a beast when a beast dieth it perisheth it is not A beast is no more but vanisheth quite and is gone for ever Then such mens likenesse to a beast is not in perishing but in the want of true understanding He doth not say man perisheth like a beast but he is like a beast that perisheth A wicked man how honourable soever is a bruitish man ver 10. For he knowes nothing spiritually and what he knowes naturally in that like a bruit beast he corrupts himselfe as the Apostle Jude speakes ver 10. of his Epistle But betweene the perishing of a foolish man and a beast there is a vast difference A beasts perishing is a not-being A foolish mans perishing is a miserable being For secondly To perish signifies often a miserable being as in Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sâ—n that whosoever beleeveth should not perish c. Not perish the meaning of it is not that all unbeleevers shall loose their very beings become a nothing and with their existence part from their essence Some wicked beastly men would be glad of this that they might live here wickedly and afterward die like beasts in that sense eternally If this were the perishing that is threatned unbeleevers many of them would be ready to say out of love and liking to their lusts as Esther did out of love and zeale to the cause of God If we perish we perish If this be to perish let us perish But that perishing is of another nature They that beleeve not shall perish that is they shall live and perish they shall be and be miserable for ever the wrath of a displeased God and the sting of a polluted conscience shall torment them to all eternity Thirdly To perish is to be empaired or loose former dignity and respect So let the day perish may be taken in this sense let not that day be solemnized let it not be remembred with wonted joy and gladnesse A day which hath usually bin solemnized may be said to perish when that solemnity is layed downe and utterly disus'd In ancient times and the custome in some places remaines to this day Great men and Princes kept the memory of their birth-dayes with feasting and triumph Thus we reade Gen. 40.20 And it came to passe the third day which was Pharaohs
that God takes us out of the wombe a great support to faith in greatest troubles p. 391. Vntimely birth what and why so called p. 423. Bitter day is a day of trouble p. 360. Bitternesse of soule notes the deepest sorrow p. 442. Blasphemy what pa. 218. The Holiest persons subject to the most blasphemous temptations p. 286. Blessing three wayes 1. Man blesses man 2. Man blesseth God 3. God blesses man what p. 117. All successe from the blessing of God p. 119 120. God delights to blesse those who are laborious ib. The blessing of God is effectuall p. 121. To blesse God what 213. The best outward blessing may be turned into a crosse p. 273. Bodies of the Saints abused and tortured here on earth p. 255. Booke of Job who supposed the pen-man p. 5. The subject principall p. 6. Collaterall p. 7.8 The parts and divisions of it p. 8 9 c. The scope and uses of it p. 10 11 c. C CAlling Every man ought to have a calling p. 120. Cattell the riches of the Patriarchs and why p. 38 c. Chemarims Idolatrous Priests why so called p. 360. Chrildren are blessings p. 34. A greater blessing then riches ib. The more children the more blessing ib. 35. Best to have most sons ib. To have daughters and sons the compleate blessing ib. Many Children no hindrance either of piety or equity p. 36. Love and concord among children is the fathers speciall blessing p. 48. Lawfull delight is to be permitted our children p. 54. Children at full age not out of their parents care p. 55. Childrens soules chiefely to be cared for ib. Parents ought to pray in speciall for every child p. 65. Jobs losse of his children his greatest losse shewed in 5. considerations p. 167 168. Christ His presence makes any place or condition comfortable p 431. That the heart of a beleever is never at rest but in Christ p. 475 476. Cloud what it is and what it signifies in Scripture p· 358. Conception of children the worke and blessing of God p. 389. Counsellours Their power to hurt or doe good among Kings and Princes p. 411. Creatures the best creatures left to themselves will undoe themselves p. 83. Cursing What is meant by cursing God in the heart p. 70 71 c. Cursing hath three things in it p. 131. What to curse God to his face p. 133 218. What it is to curse a thing or person p. 327. A curse containes all evill as blessing all good p. 328. Man is but the minister of any curse p. 330. In what sense the irrationall creatures are capeable of a curse p. 331. D DArkenesse Divers sorts p. 347. A darke day is a sad day p. 348. It staines the beauty of the creature p. 357. Day What it is to regard a day p. 350. Death Suddaine death no argument of Gods disfavour p. 173. Death may surprize us eating therefore be holy in eating p. 173 174. Death shakes us out of all our worldly cloathing p. 200. Death It is sinfull absolutely to wish our own death though we are in paines more painefull then death p. 284. Satan perswades that death is an end of all troubles p. 285. He would make men willing to die when they are most unfit to die p. 285. Death is the totall rest of the godly only p. 400. The outward rest of all p. 403 Death In death we have a 4. fold rest p. 403. Death is the sleepe of the body p. 404. Why so called p. 405. Their opinion refuted who say the soule sleepes when the body dies p. 404 405. No power or policy can prevent death p. 417 436. In death all are equall ib. In what sense we may desire death p. 447. Many afflictions to our feeling are worse then death p. 450. Death finds some before they looke for it others looke for death and cannot find it p. 451. Not to die is a punishment to some in this life and it will be an everlasting punishment to all the damned p. 451. Degrees in grace God hath servants of al sizes p. 103. We ought not to set up our rest in a low or lower degree of grace p. 118. Desire It is not alwayes a mercy to have our desires granted p. 137 138. It is an affliction to nature to be debar'd of what it desires though the thing desired be destructive to nature p. 452. True desires produce endeavours ib. Proportionable to the strength of desire is the strength of endeavour ib. Desires obtained fill with joy p. 455. And with joy proportionable to those desires p. 456. Devills not in fullnesse of torment yet p. 89 90. Diseases Satan can smite the body with diseases if God permit him p. 266. No disease can weare out the markes by which Christ knowes us p. 314. Division and disunion a great curse p. 362. E ENd We should resolve upon our end before we undertake any action p. 310. A wise man proposes sutable ends i. e. Man may propose his end but he cannot reach it p. 307. Eschewing evill more then the not committing of evill p. 28 29. A godly man doth not only forbeare but eschew sin all sin and all the occasions of sin p. 33. Evill of sinne Why sin called evill p. 28. Satan would perswade us to ease our selves of troublesome evills by committing sinfull evills p. 284. Affliction in what sense called evill p. 291. Evill of punishment or affliction considered as coming from God may be borne with more quietnesse p. 292. Because we receive all good from God it is equall that we should patiently beare evill p. 294. Exposition of Scripture very usefull p. 1 2. Exposition of Scripture to the heart the sole priviledge of Christ p. 2. Exposition of Scripture by our lives most excellent p. 2 3. Eye How the sight of the eye wounds the heart either with sin or sorrow p. 393. Also that the sight of the eye affects the heart with joy p. 394. F FAce of God what p. 142. Favour of God makes our worst outward troubles comfortable p. 350. The blessing of the creature depends wholy on the favour and respect which God shewes it p. 351. Feare of God taken two wayes both described p. 27. Moral honesty without the feare of God commends us not to God p. 31. Feare containes every grace p. 32. Feare keepes the life cleane p. 32. What it is to feare God for nought p. 105 c. Whether it be lawfull in times of comfore to feare troubles p. 466. Divers sorts of feare p. 467 c. To feare a feare what it imports p. 466. Holy wisedome bids us feare so as to prepare for evill in our best dayes p. 469. The more we thus feare the lesse we shall feele troubles p. 471. Feasting is lawfull p. 49. Seven rules given about feasting p. 50 c. Feastings anciently in the night p. 364 Fire of God why so called p. 160. Foole and wicked the same p. 287. Low thoughts of God and
last p. 167. Some tempt the Devill p. 374. Tongue To governe the tongue under great afflictions is a high act of grace p. 298. Touching the estate or person of a man what it signifies p. 127 128. Satans touches are utter ruinings p. 130. Treasure called hidden in two respects p. 447. Troubles To consider what vve were and shortly must be may much strengthen us to beare present troubles p. 202. Troubler To be a troubler of others is the height of sin p. 425. Wicked men are troublers both of themselves and others p. 427. By troubling others they trouble themselves ibid c. They never cease to trouble till they cease to live p. 428. Except in two cases p. 429. Truth Satan will speake truth for his own advantage p. 114. V VZ Land of Uz why so called wher seated p. 22. What manner of people dwelt there page 23. Verse Or meeter those parts of Scripture which are fullest of affection are written in verse p. 334. Visiting of the afflicted how called pure Religion p. 306. Uselessenesse of any creature is the dishonour of that creature p. 363. Uprightnesse Vpright what it is to be upright as upright is distinct from perfect p. 26. Two sorts of uprightnesse p. 27. W WAy of a man what p. 458. Way of man towards God two-fold ibid. How our way is hid from God p. 459. How Gods way is hidden from us p. 460. Weeping and crying out in paine is an ease of paine p. 315. Wicked men are employed as instruments to afflict the godly p. 166 Wife why Jobs wife was spared when all else was lost p. 27◠Wives have a three-fold advantage in perswading with their husbands p. 273. Winds their nature and power p. 170. How sent by God how raised by Satan p. 171. Wishes In what sense we may lawfully wish that had not been which is p. 406. Women Fullest of affections p. 379. Worldly things in their greatest beauty may be blasted in a moment p. 174. The thoughts of great and wise worldly men are only for the world p. 418. The best things of this world may prove burdens to us p 443. Worldly mens hearts fuller of the world then their houses p. 474. They rest fully in wordly contentments ibid. A godly man never sets up his rest in worldly things p. 475. The more our hearts are loosened from the world the more assurance we have to hold the world p. 476· Worldly things the more we trust to them the lesse we receive from them p. 478. Their difference in this from spirituall things ibid. Worship What the postures of it p. 188. Standing sitting walking kneeling falling downe all these are worship postures p. 189. What worship is with the kindes of it p. 190. Divine Worship proper only to God p 191 194. Civill worship may be given men that of two sorts p. 192. God must be worshipped in an humble manner p. 194. A Table of those Scriptures which are occasionally cleared and briefely illustrated in the fore-going Expositions The first number directs to the Chapter the second to the Verse the third to the Page of the Booke GEnesis Chap. Verse Page 1. 2. 357. 1. 22 28. 329. 1. 20 24. 251. 1. 28. 121. 2. 7. 251. 2. 25. 197. 2. 20. 271. 2. 24. 272. 3. 9 11. 86. 3. 5. 108. 3. 19. 120. 3. 17. 329. 3. 14 17. 332. 4. 9. 87. 4. 16. 92. 4. 16. 204. 5. 25. 401. 6. 2. 80 223. 6. 9. 26. 6. 4. 421. 7. 21. 396. 9. 25. 438. 9. 4. 251. 16. 4. 328. 16. 4. 212. 19. 24. 160. 20. 18. 389. 22. 14. 254. 23. 12. 192. 23. 8. 394. 25. 32. 242. 25. 8. 396. 25. 27. 25. 26. 14. 40. 26. 11 19. 127. 29. 15. 105. 29. 31. 389. 31. 29. 256. 34. 23. 116. 35. 2. 53. 37. 34. 180. 38. 21. 73. 38. 29. 119. 39. 7 8. 137. 42. 18. 32. 42. 13. 423. 43. 11. 21. 44. 30 31. 395. 46. 32. 39. 47. 10. 71. 47. 9. 393. 48. 11. 192. 49. 8. 192. 49. 10. 472. 50. 3 10. 318. Exodus Chap. Verse Page 1. 14. 360. 1. 12. 118. 3. 7. 393. 4. 19. 241. 4. 21. 137. 9. 10. 260. 10. 13 19. 171. 14. 13. 121. 14. 15. 88. 15. 11. 99. 18. 11. 70. 19. 20. 53. 20. 3. 464. 20. 12. 327. 20. 16. 301. 21. 11. 106. 28. 38. 216. 28. 30. 216. 32. 6. 70. 33. 12. 98. 33. 19. 60. 33. 23. 142. 40. 38. 358. Leviticus Chap. Verse Page 10. 2. 160. 19. 27. 185. 20. 9. 327. 20. 27. 324. 21. 5. 185. Numbers 6. 12. 336. 11. 31. 171. 35. 12. 357. Deutrenomie 6. 13. 27. 8. 10. 213. 11. 12. 349. 13. 6. 301. 14. 1. 185. 17. 17. 415. 18. 11. 324. 28. 6. 118. 28. 12. 390. 28. 15. 332. 28. 31. 395. 28. 25. 463. 28. 35. 261. 28. 59. 169. 28. 67. 395. 32. 6 21. 287. 32. 42. 157. 34. 8. 318. Joshua Chap. Verse Page 6. 7. 180. 7. 19. 278. Judges Chap. Verse Page 6. 1 7. 137. 9. 15. 355. 20. 18. 178. Ruth 1. 21. 41. 1 Samuel Chap. Verse Page 1. 12. 324. 1. 13. 88. 2. 9. 430. 2. 30. 328. 4. 18. 179. 4. 20. 94. 7. 6. 465. 9. 20. 95. 16. 5. 54. 16. 14. 139. 20. 8. 293. 21. 4. 58. 25. 11. 208. 25. 16. 112. 25. 25. 94. 25. 25. 287. 28. 15. 403. 2 Samuel Chap. Verse Page 1. 21. 333. 1. 11. 180. 3. 31. 180. 7. 14. 250. 10. 4. 184. 11. 25. 158. 12. 9. 56. 12. 7 8. 110. 14. 2. 376. 14. 22. 71. 14. 31. 178. 16. 15. 328. 18. 18. 413. 18. 33. 427. 24. 4. 226. 24. 14. 125 294. 1 Kings Chap. Verse Page 5. 4. 81. 11. 14. 81. 15. 5. 216. 18. 17. 427. 18. 46. 125. 19. 4. 293 449. 21. 5. 230. 21. 13. 73. 21. 25. 101 273. 22. 19. 79. 2 Kings Chap. Verse Page 3. 14. 94. 5. 25. 87. 5. 18. 189. 8. 11. 308. 8. 46. 66. 9. 13. 87. 18. 5. 101. 19. 4. 62 391. 23. 5. 360. 23. 25. 101. 1 Chronicles Chap. Verse Page 21. 1. 154. 29. 14. 208. 2 Chronicles 6. 13. 70. 28. 22. 230. 30. 18 19. 58. 35. 2. 376. Ezra 4. 6. 82. Nehemiah 1. 4. 308. 2. 18. 178. 3. 2. 151. 13. 26. 101. Ester 5. 6. 146. 6. 2. 125. Job Chap. Verse Page 5. 7. 392. 6. 6. 217. 7. 13. 313. 15. 20. 427. 19. 21. 126. 21. 19. 44. 24. 13 16. 373. 30. 23. 304 416. 31. 1. 394. 34. 31. 460. 38. 7. 80 365. 39. 7. 432. 41. 15. 369. 41. 25. 371. 42. 6. 264. Psalmes Psal Verse Page 2. 1. 426. 2. 7. 200. 14. 1. 287. 15. 4. 95. 17. 14. 419 126. 18. 43 44. 195. 22. 9. 389 391. 22. 1 14. 465. 23. 4. 355. 23. 1. 301. 25. 1. 62. 26. 6. 57. 29. 2. 190. 30. 6. 467. 31. 15. 140. 32. 3. 465. 32. 4. 125. 34. 7. 112. 35. 7. 105. 36. 6. 161. 39. 2. 315. 39. 9. 211. 44. 5. 212. 46. 2. 70. 49. 1 2. 435 20. 48. 10. 212.