be exalted to safety 2. By the future benefit of these works and that in two respects verse 16. 1. The raising up of their spirits who are oppressed So the poore hath hope 2. The confounding and shaming of their oppressours exprest in their silence at the latter end of the 16 verse And iniquity stoppeth her mouth Thus you have a briefe account of the severall points contained in this argument and the disposition of the whole context For the better understanding thereof we will first consider what might be the aime or scope of Eliphaz in making so accurate and large a description of God in his great and marvellous works and then survay these works in order as they are digested To the former we may take notice of a foure-fold aime which Eliphaz might have in describing these works of God First plainly to assert the providence of God in ordering or disposing all actions and events here below and so it is in prosecution of what he had said in the 6 verse Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Or secondly his intent might be to humble Job to bridle and take downe his spirit which he conceived over-bold with and too much heightned towards the Almighty A discovery whereof himself made in his extravagant speeches before noted in the third Chapter The remembrance of God in his greatnesse is one of the readiest means to humble man And God himselfe tooke this way to humble Job in the latter end of this booke even by a large discourse of his owne power exemplified in many great acts and peeces of the creation Or thirdly the intent of Eliphaz might be to support and comfort Job in his afflictions by shewing him a God that had done such wonders and therefore able to worke another wonder in delivering and raising him up againe A God who could provide medicines for all his diseases heale all his breaches repaire all his losses supply all his wants and resolve all his doubts To consider God in himselfe and in his works who he is and what he doth is a mighty encouragement to seeke unto God in our greatest extremities in the saddest and cloudiest day of our afflictions Neither can we doe any thing more prevalent for the support and reliefe of our owne spirits in a time when we are lowest than to spread before the eye of our owne thoughts the power greatness and goodnesse of the high God in his works and wonders A fourth intent in probability was to stop Jobs curiosity in enquiring so much into the reason of Gods dealing with him which Eliphaz it seemes observed in the complaints of the third Chapter where Job expostulates Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in Job was troubled because he could not see the bottome of Gods dealings with him he could not see through them either what the cause was why he came into those troubles or by what issues and out-lets he should escape those troubles Now to stop Jobs curiosity in prying too far or too boldy into the secret workings of God Eliphaz tels him That God doth great things and unsearchable no marvell therefore if his wayes were hid That he doth marvellous things without number no marvaile then if he could not measure his dealings by the line of humane understanding or summe up their account by the best of his Arithmetick This in generall for the common tendency of his discourse about those noble acts of divine Providence in earthly things I come now to open the words in particular Which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Which doth He speakes in the present tense he sayes not which hath done great things or which will doe great things but which doth great things And that notes not only a present act but a continued act or an everlasting act or as if the workings of God were but one act past and to come all included in the present He doth As in his Nature and Essence though God was from all eternity and shall be unto all eternity yet his Name is I am So in his works though he hath done great things and shall doe great things for ever yet all are comprehended in this I doe or He doth great things Christ Joh. 5. 17. speakes this language My Father worketh hitherto worketh All that which God had done and all that he should doe is to be looked upon as his present act My Father worketh hitherto .. Againe there is some what to be considered in the naturall emphasis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the word it selfe as well as in the circumstantiall of the time The word which we translate Doth signifies more than an Aptè concinne exqâ—isiâ—è facit Eâ—aâ— vocatus quia cum nasceretur suit fâ—ctus perfectus pilis Esau sonat perfectum ornatum nam perfectior pueris ie instructus pilis in lucem venerit Jun. in loc ordinary Doing which doth great things The Criticks observe that in strictnesse and propriety of the Hebrew it signifies to doe a thing compleatly perfectly and exactly or as we say the setting of our last hand to a worke Hence Esau Gen. 25. 25. had his name When Jacob and Esau were borne Esau came forth first and the text saith they called his name Esau and why because he was borne made up in greater perfection than an ordinary child Esau signifies adorned and perfected because he came into the world hairy or with haire upon him which is both a naturall ornament and an argument of naturall strength activity and heate of spirit c. Hence they call'd him Esau So then the word doth imports doing not by way of essay or inchoation but doing compleatly or to carry a thing on or up to an extraordinary degree of perfection I shall give one Scripture to illustrate that significancy of the word Isa 43. 7. where the Lord by the Prophet shewing the abundant increase of the Church speaks thus Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory I have formed him yea I have made him Observe here is a plaine gradation in those three words Created 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Produxit ad esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constituit rem in forma su◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfecit disposuit formed made I have created him signifies the bringing of a thing from a not-being to a being But saith God I have not only given him a being but I have formed him which notes the limming proportioning and polishing of a thing And not only have I done so but in the third place which is the word of the text I have made him There is more in this word than in the former two and therefore we translate it with an emphasis yea I have made him that is
or birth of his sonne especially at the promise of His birth who was to be the joy and desire of Nations the Lord Jesus Christ who referring to this act of Abraham tels the Jewes Joh. 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day he saw it and was glad To laugh in Scripture is taken two waies Sometimes in a good sense and Sometimes in an ill sense In a good sense and so To laugh is an outward expression of sound inward joy and true comfort To laugh is an act proper to man There cannot be true and solid joy and so not this effect of it laughing where there is not true solid reason Even passion strictly taken is founded in reason In the 29. of this book ver 24. Job describing the great prosperity of his former daies saith If I laughed on them they believed it not Job was a man of that esteem and veneration that though he expressed in his gesture or countenance a kind of familiarity and how well he was pleased yet the people did so much reverence him and his piety and unspotted justice did so over-awe them that they suspected still he might observe somewhat amisse in them Secondly to laugh is used for scorning and deriding In the 39 of this book v 7. Laughter is ascribed unto the wild Asse improperly He sc the wild Asse scornes or laughs at the multitude of the City And Psal 2. 4. when the Princes and the people gather themselves together to take counsell against the Lord and against his Christ He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh and the Lord shall have them in derision That is the Lord in a most holy manner scornes or derides the counsels and practises of wicked men Man is never in so sad a condition as when God laughs at him Again Laughter proper to man is either sinfull and reprooveable or holy and commendable Sinfull laughter is that which arises First from unbeliefe or weaknesse of faith Such was the laughter of Sarah Gen. 18. 12. when the Angel brought his message that Sarah should have a sonne Sarah heard it as she was in the Tent doore and the Text saith Sarah laughed The ground of her laughter was unbeliefe she thought it an impossible thing for her to have a son as a man will laugh at a thing you tell him when he thinks it impossible to be done That her laughter was from unbeliefe is plaine from the Angels reproving question in the next words Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I of a Jurety beare a child which am old Is any thing too hard for the Lord As if he had said surely Sarah thinkes the Lord hath out promis'd his own power to performe Secondly Sinfull laughter ariseth from contempt or slighting of counsell and carnall security in times of danger 2 Chron. 30. 10. when Hezekiah sent messengers to Ephraim and Manasseh to warn them to come up to the house of the Lord to keepe the Passeover it is said That they laughed the messengers to scorn and mocked them they laughed slighting and contemning this admonition thinking themselves safe and well enough though they came not up to that solemne Passeover Thirdly Sinfull laughter arises from pride and selfe-confidence Hab. 1. 10. The Prophet describes the proud Chaldeans invading Judah thus They shall scâ—ffe at the Kings and Princes shall be a scorn unto them and they shall deride every strong-hold They shall come up with such an army with such an arm of flesh as all flesh must fall downe and yeeld unto Lastly There is a sinfull laughter springing from sensuality and excesse of creature contentments Such laughter Christ threatens Luk. 6. 25. Woe to you that are full woe to you that laugh now That is woe to you that laugh because of your creature-fulnesse Laughter which is good and commendable hath such roots as these First it springs up from faith such was the laughter of Abraham Gen. 17. 17. when he heard the promise that he should have a sonne the text saith Abraham fell upon his face and laughed That the laughter of Abraham was from faith is cleare from the Apostle Rom. 4. 19. affirming that He not being weak in faith considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadnes of Sarahs wombe he staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe c. Abraham laughed out his faith not as Sarah his unbelief Therfore also Christ saith as was toucht before Abraham rejoyced to see my day he saw it and was glad In the promise of his sonne he saw the Promised seâ—d in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed This sight of the day of Christ in that prospective of the promise drew it â—eare to the old-mans heart though it were farre off and made him glad Secondly Commendable laughter comes from holy courage and well grounded confidence well temper'd magnanimity and Christian heroicalnesse of spirit lifts us so farre above dangers and fears that we laugh at them And then there is a laughter in dangers grounded upon assurance of deliverance from or support in dangers A man that sees a great Ridehis ventos hoc munere tectus imbres Mart. storme coming laughs at it knowing where to goe to shelter presently where to get a warme house over his head The Pilot knowing he hath a strong Ship and good Tackling laughs at the windes In that sense not to feare is used Prov. 31. 21. where it is said of the wise woman She is not afraid of the snow for her houshold If the snow and cold weather come she doth not feare it she can laugh at the snow Why For all her houshold are cloathed with scarlet or double cloth she hath made such provision against cold weather that she feares neither frost nor snow Now the text when it is said At famine thou shalt laugh is not meant of laughter springing either from unbeliefe or pride or self-confidence or sensuality or senslesnesse as if he should not care what God did in the world let God doe what he would he would laugh As that proud Emperour said not only as one before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him when I am dead but while I live let heaven and earth be mingled together I care not scorning and contemning what could come But this laughter comes from strength of faith from holy courage and well grounded confidence from an assurance of shelter safeguard and protection from or support in the greatest dangers even in famine and destruction He fixes on such a promise In vastitate ita eris munitus ac de tua salute securus ut ridere possis etiam sâ— famescas non te enecabit fames verum Deus sue te consolationiâ— papulo ita reficiet ut ridere possis Ipsa te fames redâ—et saturum caÌ„â—abis non secus ac si tibi plenus esset venter Pined as this Psal 37. 19. They shall not
that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reape the same which he applies parsonally to Job Chap. 22. v. 5 6. Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquities infinite Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and and stripped the naked of their cloathing c. The whole scope of his speech bends the same way and is as if he had said to Job Though thy carriage hath been so plausible among us that we are not able to accuse thee of sin yet these judgements accuse thee and are sufficient witnesses against thee These cry out with a loud voyce that thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought c. Though we have not seen thee act these sins yet in these effects we see thou hast acted them The snares which are round about thee tell us thou hast laid snares for others he that runs may read how terrible how troublesome thou hast been to the poore in the terrours which have seaz'd thy spirit and in the troubles which have spoyl'd thee of thy riches Bildad the Shuite speaks second His opinion is not so rigid as that of Eliphaz He grants that afflictions may fall upon a righteous person yet so that if God send not deliverance speedily if he restore him not quickly to his former estate and honour then upon the second ground of the fourth princple such a man may be censured cast and condemned as unrighteous That such was Bildads judgement in this case is cleare Chap. 8. 5 6. If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end shall greatly increase And vers 20 21. Behold God will not cast away a perfect man c. till he fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with rejoycing As if he had said I connot assent to my brother Eliphaz affirming That every man afflicted is afflicted for his wickednesse I for my part believe and am perswaded that a godly man may be afflicted for the tryall exercise of his graces c. but then I am assured that God never lets him lie in his afflictions for as soon as he cries and cals the Lord awakes presently makes his habitation prosperous again and increases him more then ever I grant the Lord may cast down a perfect man but he will not in this life cast him away no he will speedily fill his mouth with laughing and his lips with rejoycing Zophar the third Opponent differs from the two former in this great controversie affirming That the reason of all those afflictions which presse the children of men is to be resolved into the absolute will and pleasure of God that we are not further to enquire about his wisdome justice or mercy in dispencing them his counsels being unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Thus he delivers his mind Ch. 11. 7 8. Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou by searching find him out to perfection It is as high as heaven what canst thou do Deeper then hell what canst thou know vers 12. Vaine man would be wise though man be borne like a wild Asses colt In the rest of his speech he comes nearest the opinion of Bildad vers 14 15 16. and gives out â—s hard thoughts of Job as either of his brethren numbring him among the wicked assigning him the reward of an hypocrite Chap. 10. 29. This is the portion of a wicked man from God and the heritage appointed unto him by God These I conceive are the Characteristicall opinions of Jobs three friends about his case All consistent with those four principles which they hold in common all equally closing in the censure and condemnation of Job though in some things dissenting and falling off from one another But what thinks Job or how doth he acquit or extricate himself from these difficulties very well His sentence is plainly this That The providence of God dispences outward prosperity and affliction so indifferently to good and bad to the righteous the wicked that no unerring judgement can possibly be made up of any mans spirituall estate by the face upon the view of his temporall He declares this as his opinion in cleare resolute and Categoricall termes Ch. 9. v. 22 23. This is one thing therefore I said it He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked if the scourge slay suddenly he will laugh at the triall of the innocent Which opinion hath no quarrell at all with any of those three principles held by Job joyntly and in consort with his three friends but only with their fourth which he throughout refutes as heterodox unsound in it self as uncomfortable to the Spirits and inconsistent with experiences of the Saints In the Strong hold and Fort-royal of this holy truth Job secures himself against all the assaults and scatters all the Objections of his Opponents resolving to maintain it to the very death he will lay his bones by this position say his unkind friends what they can against him let the most wise God doe what he pleases with him That he was a sinner he readily grants that he was an hypocrite he flatly denies That the Lord was righteous in all his dealings with him he readily grants That himself was righteous because the Lord had dealt so with him he statly denies How perfect soever he was he confesses that he needed the free-grace and mercies of the Lord to justifie him but withall asserts that he was perfect enough to justifie himselfe against all the challenges of man In these acknowledgements of his sinfullnesse and denials of insincerity In these humblings of himself before God and acquittings of himself before men in these implorings of mercy from the Lord and complainings of the unkindnesse of his brethren the strength of Jobs answer consists and the specialties of it may be summ'd up 'T is true that through the extremity of his pain the anguish of his spirit and the provocation of his friends some unwary speeches slipt from him For which Elihu reproved him gravely and sharply of which himselfe repented sorrowfully and heartily all which the most gracious God passed by and pardon'd freely not imputing sin unto him Thus Christian reader I have endeavoured as heretofore of the whole Book so now to give a brief account concerning the Argumentative part of it And to represent how far in this great Controversie the Answerer and his Objectors agree in judgement and where they part If this discovery administer any help as a Threed to lead your meditations through the many secret turnings and intricacies of this dispute the labor in drawing it out is abundantly satisfied And if any further light subservient to this end shall be given in from the Father of lights that also in it's season may be held forth and set upon a Candle-stick What is now received together with the textuall Expositions upon this first Undertaking between
inusitatissimis raâ—â—ssimisque majora sunt August l. 5. de Civ Dei cap 12. One of the Ancients discoursing upon that miracle in the Gospell The multiplying the loaves observeth that in naturall things there are very great wonders though we lightly passe them by They were astonished to see the loaves multiplying while they were eating To see bread grow upon the Table or between their Teeth made all wonder but there is as great a miracle wrought every yeare and no man takes notice of it That is when Corne cast into the ground multiplies thirty sixty a hundred-fold It is saith he a greater miracle for corne to multiply in the earth then for loaves to multiply on the Table And he makes a like Conclusion in his Booke of the City of God Whatsoever is wonderfull in the world is not so great a wonder as the world Yet men rarely wonder at the making of the world the Earth the Heavens the Sea the Aire every creature in them exceed in wonders the things we wonder at Ordinary works of Nature are marvellous First because they proceed from a divine power 2. Because man is posed to give a reason of most of them Canst thou tell how the bones grow in her that is with child saith the Preacher The bringing of an Infant alive from the Wombe is a wonder as well as the raising of a man from the dead And the budding of a Tree as well as the budding of Aarons Rod †Per multa sunt quae admirari nonsolemus propterea quod vulgo quotidieque fiunt Renova in solita commovetur animus The usualnesse of the one and the rarenesse of the other is though not the only yet the greatest difference And as the ordinary workes of Creation in making so of Providence in governing the world are full of wonders though they passe unobserved Such Eliphaz takes notice of in the words following The disappointing of craftie oppressors and the deliverance of the poore When God shall destroy Babylon the Song prepared is Great and wonderfull are thy works and Exod. 15. 11. from whence that is taken Who is like unto thee O God! Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders The wonder was a deliverance the wonderfull deliverance of his people from Egypt and through the red Sea Works of judgement are often called works of wonder Deut 28. 59. I will make thy plagues wonderfull and Isa 28. 21. The Lord shall rise up as in Meunt Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act bis strange act What act was this An act of judgement upon his and his peoples enemies as is clear 2 Sa. 5. 20. and Josh 10. 12. where we may reade what God did in Mount Perazim and in the valley of Gibeon strange works indeed And these works of God are called marvellous not onely when God is in them alone and acts without the intervention of the creature but when he act with the creature above the strength of a creature so that little of the creature appeares in the act this also is a marvell What God doth more by a man then man can doe whether in strength or wisdome ordinarily assisted so much of a wonder shewes it selfe in what man doth And therefore no man is ordinarily to attempt any thing beyond his strength for that is to tempt God and call him to worke a miracle at least a wonder for us Lord saith David Psal 131. 1. Mine heart is not Non mae exâ—uli ad ea quae maeas vires aut ingenium suâ—eraret Eleganter Thâ—odoretus Meipsum meâ—â—ebaâ— quae me excedunt non aggrossus sum haughty nor mine eyes loftie neither doe I exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for me The word is in things too wonderfull for me that is I doe not ordinarily put my selfe upon things which are extraordinary or beyond my strength and parts I measure-my undertakings and my abilities together and would keepe them even I doe not put God upon doing wonders every day therefore I set my selfe to those things which are according to the line of man If God call us to it we may expect a miracle but we must not call God to worke miracles for us or with us I doe not exercise my selfe in matters too high for me Miracles or marvels are not every dayes exercise We ought rather to be above our worke or any of our designes then below them but we must be sure they are not above us It is the safest and holiest way for man in all his actions to be upon a levell We cannot but displease God and hurt our selves by clambering It is but sometimes that rhe Lord will work wonders to releeve our necessities and help our faith but he will never unlesse in wrath work wonders to please our humors or comply with our ambition Hence observe First When we see marvels done we must acknowledgc the hand of God Marvels are proper unto God Psal 75. 1. In that thy Name is neere thy wonderous works declare Wonderous works are an argument that God is neere When wonders are among us we may know who is among us and if so then this is a time wherein God is seene among us We may well apply that of the Psalmist to our selves Marvellous things hath the Lord done in our sight in Ireland and in the Fields of England Psal 78. 12. Mervails are rare things things seldome done or seene We have things amongst us which were never done or seene before in our Nation A Parliament which cannot be legally dissolved but by its own Vote An Assembly where neither Diocesan Bishops nor Deane as such can Vote The three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland entred into a solemn Covenant approved by the Assemblies and authorized by the Parliaments of two Kingdomes May we not conclude of these in the language of the Prophet Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things Isay 66. 8 Surely we may say as Moses to Israel Deut. 4. 34. Hath God assayed to goe and take him a Nation from the middest of another Nation by temptation by signes and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme and by great terrors according to all that the Lord our God doth for us in England before our eyes To take a Nation out of the midst of a Nation is our case If England finding as now it doth her children strugling in her wombe should goe enquire of the Lord as Rebecca did Gen. 25. 22. why is it thus The Lord may answere as he did to her Two Nations are in thy wombe and two manner of people shall be separated frem thee A Nation fearing God and a Nation blaspheming God a Nation seeking Reformation and a Nation opposing Reformation Secondly If God work mervailes and we believe him not
grace yet he did give them light and restraint too in nature Neverthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gave us raine from heaven Acts 14. 17. As if he had said though yee have not had the raine of the word yet the raine of the cloud if such a Preacher of Gods power and goodnesse as will leave you for ever without excuse The Lord himselfe seemes to glory in this as one of the chiefest of his works Job 38. 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdome Or who can stay the bottles of heaven I challenge all creatures to a competition with me in this And again in this book Ch. 36. 26. Elihu lifts up the greatnesse of God in this act of his providence Behold God is great and we know him not wherein doth he instance his greatnesse it follows ver 27. For he maketh small the drops of water they powre downe raine according to the vapour thereof Reade paralell texts Jer. 10. 13. Psal 65. 10 11. Psal 147. 8. So much of this first worke of God the raine and of his power wisdome goodnes bounty visible and apparent in it The second instance of Gods power and wisdome c. is in civill things both in setting up and pulling downe First in raising and setting up To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may be exalted to safetie As if he should say will you see another way wherein God shews himself in his power wisdome and goodnesse It is in looking thorough the world for such as are low that he may lift them up in espying out mourners and weeping eyes that he may wipe them and more exalt them to safety Some of the Jewish Writers connect this verse with the former making this as an effect of Gods bounty wonderfull worke in sending raine He sendeth raine and showers upon the earth with such plenty of blessings that by this means many who were poore low meane and sad-hearted may be set in high estate and exalted unto safety And there is a truth in it Gods blessing upon the earth hath exalted many that were low to an high estate to riches and prosperity But rather we shall take it in a more generall sence And so Eliphaz in these words seemes to comfort Job by giving him a hint that though his estate was now very low yet if he would apply himselfe unto God as he had advised ver 8. By seeking unto and committing his cause to him as low as he was he might be set high againe and though he was now a mourner sitting in dust and ashes He might be exalted to joy and safetie for in this the power wisdome and goodnesse of God are usually put forth and exalted The words carry an allusion to that custome of Princes and Magistrates who sit in high places upon erected thrones As 1K 16. 19. it is said of Solomon that he built him a magnificent throne or chaire of state which had an assent of six steps to it he sate on high And the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6. ver 1. describes the Lord in the same manner sitting in state I saw the Lord saith he sitting upon a throne high and lifted up The pride and arrogancy of the Assyrian is thus exprest Isa 14. 13. He hath said in his heart I will exalt my throne above the stars I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation So that to sit on high is as much as to be preferred or advanced whether we respect honour or riches dignity or authority To set on high those that be low The word may note either those that are low in their own eyes or those that are made low by others active or passive lownesse Grace in our own hearts causes the former lownesse and sinfull oppression from the hand of others causes the latter The former are humble the latter are humbled The Lord sets both these on high And Those which mourne The Hebrew word signifies to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscurus obscuritus luce privatus fuit nigruit per Metaphoram câ—nâ—ristatus fuit in tristitia enim fugit spleÌ„dor faciei Sic latinè Atriti dicuntùr lugentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maesti vultus blacke darke or obscured And the reason why that word is borrowed to note mourning or sorrow is because sorrow causeth blacknesse or darknesse of habit or countenance Mourning and blacknesse usually goe together Jer. 4. 28. For this cause shall the earth mourne and the heavens above shall be blacke And usually Mourners goe in blacke it is the die and dresse of Mourners As white is the colour of joy Let thy garments be alwayes white saith the Preacher to him that is to eat his bread with joy Eccles 8. 8. Yea the very beauty of the face is obscured the light of the countenance shadowed or clouded with teares and sorrow Hence the Seventy render it They whose faces are sad or sowre It is the word used Mat. 6. 16. When yee fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance It implies an affected studied sadnesse severity austerity grimnesse gastlinesse unpleasantnesse of countenance proceeding from art rather then from nature much lesse from grace as the words following imply for they disfigure vitiate or discolour their faces corrupt or abolish their native complexion so as it appeares not what it is that they may appeare what they are not Hypocrisie can paint the face with blacke as well or rather worse then pride with red and white and so doth reall sorrow sometimes whether for sin or outward affliction True passion in the heart will dim the brightnesse and staine the beauty of the face These Mourners shall be exalted to safety The word which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in loâ—â—â—ubâ—â—mi sterit exalâ—aâ—us adeò ut ab hostibus pertingi nequeat Per Metaphorem taâ—us in expugnabilis Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uâ—â—is Olim munitiones extruebâ—ntur in locis editioribus in montibus prae uptis inaccessis ut latinê arx ab hoste arcendo dicto est we translate Exalted signifies to set in a high place and in a place so high that a man so placed is beyond the reach of danger or the power of an adversary it is to be set upon a place impregnable Hence the word is used for a Fort Tower or Castle because forts and Towers being places of defence were for the most part built upon some high place upon some rocke or praecipice Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower That is we are as safe under his protection as in a strong Tower founded on the steepest rocke And the Prophet describing the safety of him who walks uprightly gives it in this word The place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks Isa 33. 16. So Jer. 48. 1. Misgab is confounded and dismayed That is the high place or Castle of
though at present he hath made thy head onely to ake a little yet can kill thy body and after he hath killed hath power to to cast into hell Luke 12. 5. Secondly In that afflictions come from Shaddai a God all-sufficient God would have us conceive in all our troubles That When he takes away any or all created comforts from us yet he is himselfe Allsufficient for us When we are chastned by the losse of any good things Shaddai doth it who hath the power of all good things in his hand When he takes away riches or health or relations if he doth not take away himselfe from us we cannot be comfortlesse for Alsufficiency stands by us Lastly He dealeth with us but as a tender nurse or mother in all his chastnings The mother strikes the child a little blow with one hand and gives it the breast with the other she gives it a little tap with one hand and a spoon with the other Consider your chastnings they are the chastnings of Shaddai who as a tender mother hath a breast ready to nourish and a spoon to feed while he chides or chastens And if by greater afflictions he wounds or makes you very sore you shall not want carefull dressing and assured healing Vers 18. For he maketh sore and he bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole This verse containes an exemplification of the former ground why we should not despise the chastning of the Almighty For if it should be objected against the former assertion Happy is the man whom God correcteth Where is this happinesse Is there happinesse in sores and wounds in sicknesse and weaknesse in poverty and in wants Who cannot easily want this happinesse and not complaine Eliphaz seemes to answer for God in this text If your faith cannot come up to believe this stay but a while and your sence shall teach it you Who would not be glad of a wound when he knows he shall have Shaddai for his Chyrurgion If you will not allow a man is happy when he is sore will you not allow him happy when his sore is bound up by such a hand If you will not grant a man is happy when wounded you cannot deny him happy when he is thus healed The Almighty will not leave them in their sores in their wounds As he hath a rod so he hath a swath as he hath a sword so a salve His plaister is ready for your wound and his medicines for your diseases It is true of God above all others One and the same hand smites and cures Thus of the generall Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit meaning and connexion of this verse He maketh sore The word is used in the second Chapter of this book ver 13. of Jobs friends that they stood silent for they saw his griefe was great or his sorenesse was very great It notes the griefe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doâ—uit anima vel corpore sorenesse either of mind or body Some translate He woundeth But the next clause bears that distinctly or we may joyne both the one as the cause the other as the effect He maketh sore by wounding And bindeth up The word is appliable to any kind of binding 1. To the binding of captives in prison with chaines 2. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ligavit colligavit the binding of ornaments upon the head Ezek. 29. 9. 3. It is used metaphorically for binding to obedience or punishment Job 34. 17. Shall even he that hateth right governe The Hebrew is shall he bind because Governours bind their subjects or servants either to doe what they command or to suffer what they inflict 4. It is also applied by a metaphor to the binding up of those civill breaches or ruines which are upon a people Isa 3. 6 7. A man shall take hold of his brother c saying be thou our Ruler and let this ruine be under thy hand In that day he shall sweare saying I will not be a Healer or a Binder up 5. It is used for the applying of ligatures with which the medicine or plaister is bound upon the wound or sore And this word doth therefore also signifie the healing of a wound because the due binding of the wound is one halfe of the patients cure and a very great part of a Partim quidem iâ—sa deligatio sanat c. Maxima deligationis vis est Hip. in Offiâ—ina Chyrurg Chyrurgions skill as the learned Physitians observe in their Discourses about wounds and chyrurgerie Ligature contributes so much to healing that the same word serves for both or either Now Shaddai the Almighty is admirable at this when he hath made a sore he can make an exact Ligature We often find these two together Psal 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds The Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 34. 4. complaines of the false Prophets Because they did not heale that which was sicke and bound not up that which was broken They had neither skill nor conscience either spiritually to break hearts or when they found them broken to bind them up They knew not how to fasten Gospel promises and holy counsels upon the heart that the wounds of it might be closed and were therefore Physitians of no value There are two interpretations given of these words He maketh sore and he bindeth up First Some expound them by an Enallage of the Participle for the Verbe thus He maketh sore and he bindeth up that is He making sore bindeth up as if the very act by which God smites had an influence upon the healing and a tendency to the restoring Vulnerat medetur i. e. vulnerans medetur vulnerando sanat of his afflicted ones He making sore bindeth up We find such constructions frequent in Scripture Isa 65. 22. They shall not build and another inhabit They shall not plant and another eate That is They building another shall not inhabit and they planting another shall not eate The negative is not fixed upon their building c. but upon other inhabiting And so Deut. 22. 4. Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Oxe fall down by the way and hide thy selfe from them That is Thou seeing thy brothers Asse or Oxe fall down shalt not hide thy selfe from them A man sometimes could not but see his brothers Asse or Oxe fall down but he seeing must not at any time hide himselfe from them that is not succour them so by the way that phrase of hiding may be interpreted by that of the Prophet Isa 58. 7. Thou shalt not hide thy self from thy own flesh But to the poynt here we see He maketh sore bindeth up may congruously to other Scripture speakings be rendred He making sore doth bind up as if the wound were a part of the cure and the sore a plaister We know that a wound in nature is sometime a part of the cure It is a common and a
searched it and what follows so it is He speaks with authority not timerously as if he doubted whether it were so or no but so it is we will bide by it we have it upon enquiry and diligent search Observe fourthly The truths we know our selves we should communicate unto others Here it is we have searched it but we will not put the light we have found under a bushell we will not hide the talent we have in a napkin Here it is make what use of it thou canst know it for thy good Observe fifthly Truth may challenge credit and command the eare Hear thou it Truth needs not stand begging audience or creep upon the ground with flattering insinuations or humble submissions to gaine acceptance Truth is a great Prince and may speak in the language of Princes We will We require It commands rather then entreats or all its entreaties commands every word a law or a charge Hear thou it Observe in the sixth place That It is needfull to make speciall application of generall doctrinall truths Eliphaz had delivered a doctrinall truth and here he makes application And though he failed much in the application of it to Job yet there were generall truths very appliable in the things he delivered Therefore he stays not in generals nor leaves his doctrine hovering in the ayre but brings it home to the heart and layes it close to the conscience Hear thou it and know it thou for thy good And not onely are nationall and speculative truths to be brought home and applied but even common experimentall truths such were these discussed and handled by Eliphaz Observe seventhly A man may know much and yet get no good by it Know this for thy good The Devil is a great Scholler he knows much but he knows nothing for his benefit but all for his hurt Many a man knowes almost all that is knowable but he knowes nothing which is to him profitable Nothing gaines by his knowledge but onely his pride he is puffed up with knowledge not built up and that knowledge which puffes up will at last puffe down or cast us down Eightly Observe A godly man may make a profitable use of any Truth You see what truths Eliphaz spake many of them ordinary common Doctrines and many of them sore threatnings and judgements upon wicked men yet know thou this for thy good There is no veine of Doctrine in the book of God but a man may make use yea treasure of it All truth is so symbolical to the regenerate part that it cannot but more sublimate and spiritualize a spirituall heart though it selfe be a truth about things earthly and temporall Observe lastly All truths especially truths contained in the promises are the portion of a godly man Know thou it for thy good saith he As if he should say if thou art a godly man then all the good things I have here spoken of belonging to godly men belong to thee they are thy portion also While a believer reads the book of God he sees great riches many precious things in the promises and whatsoever good he findes there there is nothing of it too good for him he may know it all for his own good those sweet delicious promises of the pardon of sin of the love of God of the freenesse of grace of the glory to come the promises of Christ and of all that is Christs all these things are his when he reads them he may set his mark upon them and know them for his goods know them as his own proper goods Unbelievers are strangers to the promises and the promises are as strange to them they know not the promises and the promises will not know them They know not a letter of Scripture for their good The very promises are threatnings to them and the very blessings of the book of God are their curse As the clouds passe over this and that piece of ground and then dissolve upon a third by the directing and all disposing providence of God So the promises which are full of blessings full of comforts as the clouds are of showers passe over a wicked mans head and let not down one drop of mercy or comfort upon him but leave him like the dry hearth or barren wildernesse which seeth not when good cometh Jer. 17. 6. But when the cloud moves a little farther and meets with the family or person of a godly man there it dissolves and powreth out a plentifull raine both of temporall and spirituall blessings to refresh and confirme that inheritance of the Lord Psal 68. 9. And so much for this fifth Chapter wherein with the fourth we have handled the first part of the dispute undertaken against Job by Eliphaz the first of his three friends The whole discourse consisting of divers arguments to convince and humble him under the hand of God of divers counsels and motives to perswade and direct him to seek unto God and submit to his correcting hand All he was to speak being let in by a loving preface and all he spake being ratified with an assuring conclusion that all he had spoken was for his good if he would hear believe and obey In the next Chapters we shall hear Job making his defence scattering the charge thus brought against him stiffely maintaining and importunately renewing his first complaint JOB Chap. 6. Vers 1 2 3. But Job answered and said O that my griefe were throughly weighed and my calamity laid in the ballances together For now it would he heavier than the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed up c. THis sixth Chapter begins Jobs replication which is continued to the end of the seventh He replies exactly to the severall parts of the charge given by Eliphaz who in the two fore-going Chapters undertook both to reprove the impatience of Job and to advise him a more holy and better temper'd carriage towards God under his afflictions In this reply Job shapes and formes up answers unto both I shall endeavour to give you a briefe of the whole and then to particulars First Job enters with a refutation of those reproofes of impatience which Eliphaz had heap't upon him and with that subjoyns a refusall of the counsels in his sence which he had given him In this work seven verses of the Chapter are spent Secondly We have a renovation or a re-inforcement of his grief and desire to die from the 8 to the end of the 13 verse O that I might have my request that God would cut me off c. As if he had said I am so far from being satisfied with what thou hast spoken against me or from recanting and recalling what I have spoken in those my breathings after death that I will be bold to make the same suit to God againe O that I might have my request and that God would cut me off c. Thirdly He proceeds to a charge of rash censure of uncharitable yea of deceitfull dealing upon his
not that some of the Saints have been tempted and tryed they who are under tryals and temptations would find none on earth to succour them As God doth comfort some in all their tribulations that they may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the same comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. So he afflicts them that they might pity and helpe others as being under the same troubles with which themselves have been afflicted A man that hath only traveld in Geographicall books and Maps is not able to give you such lively descriptions of or directions about forreigne Countries as he that hath traveld to and been upon the places so they who have read and studied much about afflictions can never give such enlivening strengthening heartning counsell as they who have been afflicted and have dwelt sometime upon the Land of sorrowes To passe on For now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea That is it would be most heavy Who can tell how heavy that is which is heavier then the heaviest If my calamity saith Job were weighed it would have been found heavier than the sand of the Sea that account would be given of it though you my friend Eliphaz seeme to account it as light as a feather The sand of the Sea is applied three wayes in Scripture First to set forth an exceeding great number Gen. 22. 17. I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of the Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore That is I will exceedingly multiply thy seed thy children shall be not only numerous but numberlesse Though a book of Numbers be written concerning Abrahams posterity yet their totall number is not written So Psal 78. 27. He rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered fowles like as the sand of the Sea that is he rained aboundance of feathered fowles Secondly The sand of the Sea is used to expresse the largnesse the mighty extent or capacity of a thing The sand of the Sea is of a vaster extent then the Sea it self as being the outward line or bound of it therefore Jer. 33. 22. it is spoken of as a thing impossible for the sand of the sea to be measured As the host of Heaven sc the Starres cannot be numbred neither the sand of the Sea measured so will I multiply the seed of my servant David Measure is taken both of the content and extent of things The sand of the Sea is immeasurable both wayes it cannot as we speak of humane impossibles be measured by the pole or by the vessell And in 1 King 4. 29. it is said God gave Salomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart as the sand of the Sea that is as the sand incompasses and takes the Sea in its armes so Salomon had a heart comprehending all the depths and oceans of knowledge he had the compasse of all learning in his understanding Hence when a man attempts a thing impossible we say to him proverbially Thou measurest the sand Areâ—am metiris Thirdly The sand of the Sea is applied in Scripture to note the exceeding weight and heavinesse of a thing that instance is pregnant for it Prov. 23. 7. A stone is heavy and the sand is weighty but a fooles wrath is heavier than both when Salomon would Stulti mores â—ntolerabiles shew us how intollerably burthensome the manners of a wicked man are he compares them to a stone and to the sand The wrath of a wicked man is very weighty but by the way the wrath of God is incomparably more weighty Wrath proceeding from extreame folly is weighty but wrath proceeding from infinite wisdome is infinitely weighty The wrath of a foole upon his brother is heavier then a stone or then the sand How heavy then will the wrath of the most wise God be upon that foole It is further considerable that he saith not barely heavier than Triplex est aâ—enae genus fossâ—â—ia flavialis Marina Plin. lib. 3 naâ— hist cap. 23. the sand any sand is very heavy but heavier than the sand of the Sea Rivers have sand and dry pits have sand but sea-sand is the vastest and the heaviest sand Againe He speakes not in the singular number Heavier then the sand of the Sea but the Hebrew is plurall heavier than the sand of the Seas as if Job had said if thou shouldest shovell up all the sand that is upon the shores of all the seas together on a heap it would not be so heavy as my calamity In such Hyperbolies or high strains of eloquence Job rhetoricates about his sad condition as if he resolved to put more weight into his expressions as he found more weight put into his afflictions Hence observe Afflictions are heavy burthens The judgements of God upon wicked men are frequently in Scripture called burthens and they are heavy burthens Isa 15. 1. we read of the burthen of Moab that is the judgement and calamity that should fall upon Moab And Isa 17. 1. The burden of Damascus And Isa 19. 1. The burden of Egypt And Isa 21. 1. The burden of the desert of the Sea And afterwards The burden of the valley of vision that is of Jerusalem And 2 King 9. 25. when Jehu had killed Jehoram he said to Bidkar his Captaine Take up and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite for remember how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him That is that he should be slaine and throwne out in this manner As afflictions upon wicked men are burdens So afflictions upon the godly are burdens too they are also heavy burdens Their sinnes are burdens upon them My sinnes saith David are gone over my head they are a burthen too heavy for me to beare Psal 38. 4. Their sins are burdens and their sorrowes are burdens Sin doth not only burden man but it burthens God I am pressed under your sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves saith God Amos 2. 13. As man by sin burthens God so God by affliction burthens man But of all afflictions inward afflictions are the greatest burthens As the spirit of a man is stronger then his flesh so the afflictions which are upon his spirit are weightier then those that are upon his flesh The spirit hath wonderfull strength all spirits are strong Angells are mighty in strength One good Angel is an over-match for all men And the devils who are spirits are called not not only Principalities but powers because of their strength Proportionably the spirit of man hath a mighty strength in it and so the afflictions which are upon the spirit may have a greater weight in them The affliction which Job complains of as heavier then the sand was not so much the calamity that pressed his flesh or the paine that tormented his body as is plaine in the next