these hidden things of darknes and Counsels of the heart wee are to understand not onely evill things and wicked counsels sure enough God will bring them to light but even those righteous things and good Councels of the heart which have layne in the darke or unrevealed God will bring to light all the hidden things of darknes the good as well as the bad and then shall every man that is every good man every godly man have praise of God The praise of man is very pleasing unto man but O how unspeakeably pleasing is the praise of God! And this opens a vast difference between the hypocrite and the sincere Can a hypocrite rejoyce in secret saying thus God knoweth the way that I take Hee cannot say thus and I may say three things of the hypocrite in opposition to this First The hypocrite endeavours to hide and put his wayes out of the sight of God as much as he can As he hath not the light of Gods countenance or of his favour shining upon him so he desires not to have the light of his knowledge shining into him Isa 29.15 the Prophet describes some seeking deep to hide their Councels from the Lord and their workes are in the darke both in natural and moral darknes and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us The endeavour of the hypocrite is that he may be hid And Secondly He cryes all 's hid as it is his endeavour that God should not so it is his hope that God doth not know his wayes much lesse his heart He is often sure that men doe neither see nor know he alwayes presumes that God doth not and therefore as one out of doubt he puts his doubts who seeth and who knoweth Though flashes of feare come in upon him sometimes yet he flatters himselfe with presumptious hopes and false perswasions that God knowes him not sees him not and that his dark way shall never be discovered and as in that place of the Prophet they speake indefinitely thereby inferring that God doth not see them so wee have them in the Psalme speaking directly that God shall not Psal 94.5 6 7. They breake in pieces thy people O Lord and slay the widdow and stranger and murther the fatherles yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it As if they had sayd though God should set himselfe to search us out and would never so faine see what we are doing yet he shall not We will carry it so closely and cunningly that the eye of God shall not reach us Their workes were so foule and bloody that the Sunne might be ashamed to looke upon them and they were so close that they beleeved God could not look upon them or bring them to shame for them Thirdly 'T is a terror to an hypocrite to remember that God knoweth his wayes That which Job saith of the wicked in generall is most proper to hypocrites Chap. 24.17 The morning is to them even as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death The Hebrew is very concise if know we make up the sence thus if one know them that is if God or man know them and their wayes if they be apprehended and discovered any way in their abominable wayes they are in the terrours of the shadow of death that is they are ready to dye with the fright and terror of it Hypocrites are so farre from rejoycing in this that God knowes the way which they take that to be knowne eyther of God or man is their torment Thirdly Consider why doth Job appeale to God in this Cause depending between him and his friends The reason was because he knew his friends mis-judged him through their ignorance Therefore he desiered to be heard by a Judge that perfectly knew his wayes and so was able to make a righteous judgement of him Hence Observe God is every way fitted to be a righteous Judge There are two things especially that fit a man to be a Judge First That he hath a principle of righteousnes in him that he be not byassed and turned aside from doing right indifferently without respect of persons Secondly That he hath a principle of light in him that he be as Jethro adviseth Moses a man of knowledge Both these meete perfectly in God He is just and righteous in all his wayes and hee knowes all our wayes Some Earthly Judges erre for want of a Principle of righteousnes and so in things which they plainely know and see as cleare as the light are ready to be drawne and wrought off by respects and interests Againe there are other Earthly Judges who are right and honest enough in their Principles nothing can take them off or mislead them to the right hand or to the left but they want knowledge and understanding to discerne between good and evill right wrong they cannot see into the merit of the Cause or the integrity of the person before them and thereupon stumble in Judgement Indeed the best of Earthly Judges cannot alwayes when they have done their best finde out who hath the good Cause and who hath the bad and many times they that plead blinde them with their Rhetorick setting a faire glosse upon a foule Cause or making a faire Cause looke foule and so the Judge is deluded seing he judgeth of things as witnessed and represented as alledged and legally proved and so it may fall out that while he judgeth righteously his judgement may not be right But we as Job here have cause to rejoyce that we have to doe with a Judge who as he is both righteous and knowing so he knowes all things and persons in themselves and not from others He needs not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man Joh. 2.25 Hee knowes the way that is in me or the way that I take and as it followes When he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold Mr. Broughton reads thus Tryed he me I should come forth Gold that is if God as I desire would vouchsafe to try me I should appeare what I am indeed not what I now appeare When he hath tryed mee There are divers wayes of tryall three especially God tryes first by prosperity that 's a tryall a full estate discovers a man as well as a low and empty estate doth To know how to abound is as high a poynt of grace as how to want Phil. 4.12 to have power in our hands discovers us as well as to be opprest by power Magistracy shewes the man and it shewes many to be but men Magistratus indicat virum Great power over men is a great temptation to man and so likewise is the praise of men 2 Cor. 6.4 But in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses c. and by what else by the Armour of righteousness on the
he is a God eyther he is talking c. Thus Hierusalem is expressed Isa 37.22 when Senacherib sent up that proud threatning message the Lord sent a comfortable message to his people by Isaiah the Prophet Thus saith the Lord God of Israel whereas thou hast prayed to me against Senacherib the king of Assyria this is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him the virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee The daughter of Zion and the daughter of Jerusalem are but one and the same shee was called a virgin not as some have conceived because she was never taken or forced by any enemy nor was she so called because he had preserved her selfe pure and chast in the worship of the true God For she had her faylings and Idolatrous dalliances before that day but she was so called because of that speciall care which God had of her to protect and save her against the insultations of the enemy then ready to assault her even as a virgin is protected from violence in her fathers house And the Prophet to assure them that it should be so speakes of the ruine of Senacheribs Army and Jerusalems laughter as accomplisht and come to passe already The virgin daughter c. hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne and shaken her head at thee What God saith shall be done is as good as done already The Assyrians were yet in their Jollity laughing at Jerusalem and promising themselves the spoyle of the people of God yet saith the Lord Jerusalem hath laughed thee to scorne that is assuredly she shall And as the people of God doe sometimes formally and explicitly laugh at the downfall and whitherings of the wicked so they alwayes virtually and secretly laugh them to scorne even when they stand and flourish in their greenenes and prosperity For while the Godly are not daunted with the power and splendour while they are not terrified with the threats and high lookes of the wicked but in the singlenes and simplicity of their hearts keepe close to God his wayes and truths even this though they use the duest respect to them in regard of their authority both in word and gesture is a laughing them to scorne For this is as a thorne in the sides of evill men and as a pricke in their eyes when they see they will not stoope to their greatnes in any sinfull complyance with their commands This is a truth but the former is the truth intended in this Text. Hence note That wicked men are not onely miserable but ridiculous They are the laughter of the innocent upon more accounts then one First because they doe such childish and ridiculous things such things as can never reach the ends they desire and purpose they are justly laughed at whose counsells and courses are unsuitable much more when contrary to their designes Secondly Wicked men become ridiculous while the Lord frustrates their wisest counsels and blasts those hopes which were bottom'd upon the most probable principles and foundations while he takes them in their own craft and entraps them in the snare which they layd for others Thirdly While he over-rules all that they plot or act to serve his owne ends and fullfill his owne holy counsels Hence the enemies of God are said to pine away this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feete he doth not say that they shall all be slaine but their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feete and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Zech. 14.12 which as some interpret of their bodily languishment that they shall live dying continually or that their life shall be a continuall death so all interpret the cause of this consumption to arise from vexation of spirit because they shall see themselves scorn'd and laughed at or that they are become ridiculous to all the world but chiefly to Jerusalem the Church and people of God whom they shall behold in good condition notwithstanding all the opposition which they have made against them which Eliphaz also clearely expresseth in the next words Vers 20. Whereas our substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumes There are divers readings and renderings of this verse first some with an affirmative interrogation is not their substance cut downe that is it is cut downe And then this verse is a continuation of the former discourse concerning the utter extirpation of the wicked The righteous are glad they laugh them to scorne is not their substance cut downe and doth not the fire consume the remnant of them As if Eliphaz had said Whatsoever they had of any substance or moment is cut downe and if possibly there be any small inconsiderable remainder of them fire that is some devouring Judgement will meete with it and make an utter end of it Innocens subsarnabit eos quia non fuit succisa substantia nostâ—a c. q. d. ut qui se res suas salvas illos autem penitùs igne illo divino videant jure absumptos Bez Secondly Another understands this 20 â—h verse as a reason of the former the righteous are glad when the wicked fall the innocent shall laugh them to scorne because our substance was not cut downe as if he had sayd our safety will be matter as of praise to God who hath preserved us so of holy scorne and insultation over ungodly men who longed to see our destruction and sayd in their hearts that surely our day was not onely comming but hastning whereas indeed we see the day come upon them which burneth as an oven and themselves as stubble Wicked men are for the most part doubly disappointed first by their owne fall when they looked to stand secondly by the standing of the righteous when they looke yea and long for their fall This double disappointment doth at once double their sorrow and the joy of the Innocent who laugh them to scorne because their owne substance is not cut downe but the remnant of them the fire consumeth Innocens subsannabiteos dicens etsi non est succisa substantia nostra tamen excellentiam illorum consumpsit ignis Pâ—sc There is a third translation which makes these words the forme in which the innocent expresse their laughter at the wicked When The innocent laugh them to scorne they will thus bespeake them Whereas or Although our substance is not cut downe yet the remnant of them or the best the excellency of them the fire hath consumed There is a fourth reading which makes the second part of the Chapter begin with this verse For hitherto Eliphaz hath been describing the sinfulnesse of wicked men and the wrath of God upon them for their wickednes
or to bring some great evill upon them Amos 4.12 Therefore thus will I doe unto thee O Israel and because I will doe this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Wee may take those words prepare to meete thy God O Israel not so much for a challenge as for a direction But how shall Israel prepare to meete God Not with weapons of warre not with sword and speare these will make no defence against God No but with teares and prayers these are the armes and amunition of a Saint there 's no contending with God but onely by humbling our selves before him But you say prayer cannot turne God I answer prayer hath caused and may cause God to turne from his outward actings and dispensations onely it cannot turne God from any of his counsels or resolutions And because prayer hath so great a power upon God to turne him from his outward dispensations therefore he sometimes hath forbidden prayer when he was resolved not to turne from such threatned dispensations Jer. 14.11 Then sayd the Lord unto me pray not for this people for their good As if the Lord had sayd if any thing could prevaile with me thy prayer would But because I am fully purposed to visit their iniquities therefore I will not have thy prayers run waste As for them let them pray as long as they will as their prayers come onely from their necessities not from their hearts so they shall not come neere mine nor doe I care how long their prayers which are but pudle water run waste let them pray and spare not but let them be sure of this that though they pray I will not spare so it follows ver 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence Their owne prayers had no power in them to turne God and he who had a power to stop God by prayer is himselfe stopt from prayer as in the place last quoted so once before Jer. 7.16 Therefore pray not for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not heare thee And as the Lord stopt Jeremie from prayer for them so he professeth that if they who in former ages had been most prevailing with him should now againe mannage their suite before him yet he would not be moved by it Jer. 15.1 Then said the Lord unto me though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my minde could not be toward this people As if the Lord had sayd Though they should get my chiefe favorites to sollicit their cause and plead on their behalfe yet they should finde me in one minde and that even they could not turne me Jesus Christ never solicited any cause but he sped in it but the best of men may be earnest soliciters and not speed For though good men will not solicit a bad cause before God or pray against his revealed will yet they doe not alwayes hit his secret will And God who sayth to his people generally Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee yet in some particular cases he will not deliver them though they call upon him Prayer is not onely an allowed but a commanded meanes and so the most probable meanes to obtaine deliverance yet that cannot alwayes obtaine or fetch it Yea God who often brings his people into trouble on purpose to provoke them to seeke his helpe yet sometimes will not helpe them though they seeke him And the reason is because he is in one minde and will not be turned from his purposes no not by prayer If once the Lord be resolved to destroy prayer cannot save Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet saith the Lord my minde could not be toward this people cast them out of my sight and let them goe forth such as are for the sword to the sword c. But if prayer cannot turne God then you lay a temptation before us to turne away from prayer I answer first as was shewed before prayer may turne God in reference to his outward dispensations though it cannot turne him from any of his counsels and resolutions But then it may be enquired how shall I doe to direct my prayer For I know not what the purpose or resolution of God is I onely see what his dispensations are And if so I may pray against the minde or purpose of God I may aske for the removing or taking away of that which he is purposed shall continue and I may aske the gift of that which he is resolved not to bestow To this I answer First That though the minde of God to give us such a mercy or to withdraw such an affliction be a secret to us yet this is revealed that it is our dutie to pray about these things What God will give or doe for us when we pray is a secret but this is revealed that in all things we ought to pray That 's the Apostles rule Phil. 4.6 Be carefull in nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests knowne unto God Secondly Suppose the things we pray about whether for the having or removing of them be such as it is not the minde of God either to give or to remove Yet we may please God in praying for the attainement of those things which it is not his pleasure to give and in praying for the taking away oâ— those things which it is not his pleasure to remove We doe not offend God by asking that which he will not give if the thing be such as is in the generall nature of it according to his will The Lord takes it well at our hands that we pray and is well pleased to heare us pray when he is not pleased to heare that is to grant our prayers Thirdly Be not turned from prayer because prayer cannot turne God for it is a great argument that the minde or purpose of God and his decree is to give such a mercy or to remove such an evill if we have an heart to pray much for or about it For God who hath sayd I will be sought unto that I may doe it for them Ezek. 36. hath not sayd unto the seed of Jacob seeke ye me in vaine Isa 45.19 And when God stirres up his people to pray it is an argument he is ready to heare Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare Psal 10.17 So that as God takes it well at our hands that we pray for many things which he hath no purpose to give us so it is a good ground of faith that he hath a purpose to doe such or such things for us when he puts it into our hearts to pray for them Lastly Let not any stumble at the dutie of prayer because of Gods unchangeablenes for
the Lord hath blessed that is as the smel of a fruitfull feild So it may be sayd that the earth or land where a man lives Describit quomodo sese gereresoleant ut suae maleficia coÌ„modius tegant eligunt sibi sedâ—s in vastis locis unde dicit nec se convertit ad vias vinearum quia vineae in locis cultis sitae sunt non procul ab urbibus Merc and his portion in it is cursed while he lives in a barren desolate land which looks as if it were under the perpetuall curse of God And according to this interpretation the later part of the verse and he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards may be thus understood He comes not into any fruitfull fields Vineyards are planted in a fruitfull soyle and fruitfull vines are full of the blessing of God Thus as the portion of the wicked in the earth is alwayes cursed by a decree from God so it may be sayd that their portion is sometimes cursed by their owne Election because for the better secreting and hiding of themselves from the eye of Justice they spend their dayes in such places as by reason of their wastnes and barrennes seeme to confesse themselves under a curse Their portion is cursed in the earth Hence note First Sin brings a Curse with it When Jâ—b had described the wickednesse of these men their murthers their adulteries and their thefts he concludes Their portion is Cursed Sin calleth for a Curse from men and it calleth for a Curse from God Solomon saith Pro. 12.26 He that withholdeth Corne that is who hoards it up and will not sel it at a reasonable rate resolving to make a dearth when God hath made none he who thus withholdeth Corne the people will curse him Now if the people curse him that will not let them have corne for money then much more him that stealeth or taketh away their corne without money He that destroyeth other mens goods gets a Curse in stead of good Eliphaz saith Chap. 5.3 I have seene the foolish taking roote but suddenly I Cursed his habitation that is I saw his habitation was Cursed or under a curse I knew what would become of him shortly In some Cases it may be lawfull for man to wish a Curse upon man and the Curse of man may be the Curse of God too and usually it is so when any man is generally cursed by men Vox populi vox dei The voyce of the people is the voyce of God When a man is followed with a Curse from the most of men good and bad it is an argument that there is a Curse gone out from God against him and that his portion is Cursed in the earth Sin is the deserving or procuring Cause and the wrath of God is the inflicting or productive Cause of the Curse Balaak hired Balaam to Curse the people of God but the Curse could not take the traine was laid but he could not make the powder take fire the Curse came not why the reason is given yea Balaam himselfe gives it Numb 23.21 He that is God hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversnes in Israel If there had been iniquity that is any national iniquity or publicke iniquity persisted in and not repented of among them that had brought the Curse inevitably but though Balaam laboured to Curse them though he went from hill to hill and tryed all meanes to get an opportunity to Curse them yet he could not for saith he God hath blessed them and I cannot reverse it There is no Iniquity in Jacob nor perversnes in Israel therefore their portion was blessed in the Earth Sin in whomsoever it is hath a Curse in the belly or bowels of it Even Christ himselfe taking our sin upon him was necessitated to take the Curse upon him which was due to our sin Christ taking our sin upon him was as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 made sin for us that is an offering or a sacrifice for our sin yea as the same Apostle saith Gal. 3.13 He was therefore made a Curse for us And if Christ who having no sin in him did onely take our sin upon him could not avoyd the curse how shall they avoyd it who having no part in Christ have all manner of sin in them But it may be objected All men sin and yet many have no appearance of a Curse upon them nor is their portion Cursed in the earth I answer First This assertion is to be limited to unbeleevers or ungodly men Secondly unbeleevers and ungodly men are under a Curse though the Curse doe not breake out and appeare visibly upon them As the portion of a godly man may be blessed though there be no appearance of the blessing when nothing appeares upon him but affliction and the Cross yet the Godly man is blessed The Cross of a Godly man is like the prosperity of a wicked man The former hath an outward Cross but a Blessing at the bottome the latter hath outward prosperity but a curse at the bottome and bitternes in the end Againe the peace of the prophane is like the grace of hypocrites onely a shew hypocrites have a shew of grace an appearance of holynes yet they are but painted Sepulchres full of rottennes within So the wicked have a shew of peace and prosperity of benefits and blessings but a curse is within them and a curse hangs over them ready every moment to drop downe upon their heads For Secondly His portion is cursed that is 't is under a curse though the curse be not actually inflicted As the mercies of God are sure to his people yet many times very slow they come not presently but they will come So also the wrath and curse of God will surely come upon the wicked though as to outward effects impressions they are slow and long in comming Actings of mercy are for an appointed time Every vision is for an appointed time as the Lord told his Prophet Hab. 2.3 The vision of Judgement and wrath is for an appointed time as well as the vision of love and mercy That is all the love and all the wrath the blessing and the curse which are revealed in any way of vision are for an appointed time but at the end the vision will speake and not lye if it tarry waite for it for it will surely come and not tarry As it is I say in the visions of mercy and blessing so in those of wrath and of the curse They are for an appointed time in the end they will speake Sometimes the Curse is quick it apprehendeth the sinner in the very act it takes him in the manner as Phineas did Zimri and Cozbi And as Psal 78.30 While their meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them The sound of the Curse is sometimes at the heeles of sin at other times the sound of the Curse is a great way behind the sin no
because the Lord will not be mercifull to such thus final impenitency may be called a triumphing or conquering sin seing the mercy of God seemes to yeeld unto it They will not humble themselves to seeke mercy yea they slight and despise mercy therefore they shall not finde mercy The Prophet Jeremie represents the LORD thus expostulating againe with the Jewish Nation Chap. 5.22 23. Feare ye not me sayth the Lord will yee not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevaile and though they roare yet can they not passe over it but this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart they are revolted and gone The words as I conceive have these two things in them first that the Lord is to be feared who doth such things who sets bounds to the Sea c. Secondly that the wickednesse of mans heart is admirable or rather that we are to be astonished at the wickednesse of mans heart which is more boysterous and disobedient then the raging waves of the Sea The Lord sets bounds to the waves of the Sea which waves in their owne nature are altogether boundlesse liquid waves have no bounds of their owne yet the Lord having put bounds to them they are kept in bounds The sand bounds the Sea so that though the waves thereof tosse they cannot prevaile though they roare they cannot passe over but this people have revolted and are gone As if he had said I the Lord have put a bound to the Sea I have also set a bound to the wickednesse of mans heart what is that my Word my Law The Law of God is a moral bound to stop and keepe in compasse the raging waves of mans corruption God doth not alwayes put an externall bound by sword and judgement to stop men whether they will or no from sinne but he alwayes puts a morall bound to stop them this is supposed in the Text I put a bound to the Sea to the Sea also of mans heart to the wickednesse that is there but this people are revolted and gone they have broken all my bounds even that perpetuall decree of my righteous Law Now as when the Sea breaks its bounds the waters flow infinitely there is no stopping them so when the heart of man breaks bounds revolts and is gone he sinnes infinitely he makes no end of sinning By these Scriptures we may understand in what sense the iniquities of wicked men may be sayd to be infinite though nothing is infinite in a strict and proper sence but God himselfe Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquitie infinite But hath Job given Eliphaz any just occasion of this surmise that his sin was in this sence infinite Did he ever observe eyther wickednesse in generall or those particular wickednesses which he presently enumerates taking a pledge denying reliefe of the poore stripping the naked c had he seene any of these evills acted by Job certainly he had not Job was a man of another frame of life then these things import these blacke lines and colours would never make the picture of Jobs heart or life this is as ill a draught of a man as could be made yet Eliphaz puts all this upon Job at least by supposition is it not thus but what reason had he for this supposition none but this the greatnesse of his affliction the infinite troubles that were upon him God set no bounds to Jobs sorrows therefore he thought Job had sinned beyond all bounds Hence observe Wee are ready to judge their sinnes great who are the greatest sufferers Though we know nothing by them though we can charge nothing upon them yet this thought riseth naturally in us when we see any under great and extraordinary sufferings surely they are great and extraordinary sinners The worst of sinners never suffered more in this world then the best of Saints Witnes those Jewish Worthyes whose torments are reported by the Author to the Hebrewes Chap. 11.37 and as these were adjudged to suffer because they were thought the worst of sinners so doubtlesse many who saw them suffer thought them such though they knew nothing done by them to make them such Read also this Spirit Luk. 13.2 Act. 28.4 This hath been formerly observed from other passages in this booke and therefore I onely touch it and passe away Againe Eliphaz seemes to take Job off from the wrong ground of his sufferings and tells him though he looked to other reasons yet the true reason was the greatnesse of his wickednesse and the numberlesnes of his iniquities Hence observe That few thinke of or hitt upon any other cause of suffering but sinne Sin is so much and so often the cause of suffering that we doe it no wrong to suspect it as the cause of all sufferings and it is indeed one kinds of cause causa sine qua non of all our sufferings so that we can hardly wrong sin by this suspition but we may easily wrong both God and man by it When the blind man came before Christ his Disciples asked him saying Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was borne blind they could hit upon nothing but sin why the man was borne blind Joh. 9.2 But at the third verse Christ answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents he vindicates both from this suspition What man was this and who were his parents that they sinned not were they cleane from sinne not so neyther but the meaning of Christ is this neither hath this man sinned nor his parents so as that eyther his sin or theirs should be reckoned the speciall cause why he was borne blind There was somewhat else in it which the Disciples tooke no notice of nor did they understand Christ doth not deny but that a mans owne sinne and the sin of his parents may be a cause of blindnesse but neither the one nor the other was the cause in that mans case as if Christ had sayd Can you thinke of nothing else why a man is afflicted but onely his sinne There are many other causes of suffering besides that The cause why some suffer is the tryall of their graces The cause why many suffer is to beare witnesse to the truth and to encourage others both in the profession of it and in persecutions for it And Christ particularly assignes another cause of the sufferings of the blind man That the worke of God might be made manifest in him That the worke of God in his power and mercy might be seene in restoring this man to his fight therefore was he borne without the power of seing The blindnes of that man was an occasion to make a very glorious discovery of God Much of God had not been so eminently seene at that time if that man had alwayes seene Many are cast downe upon beds of sicknesse or into a
not men of the Earth Carnall men are Earthly-minded they minde the Earth and that 's both their hope and buisines they are not onely Earth in their Constitution but Earth in their affections therefore they are called men of the Earth these men had much of the Earth in their possession as well as they had all of it in their affections desires The mighty man he had the Earth Observe hence That Evill Magistrates in Power are more ready to favour great men then to releive poore men Eliphaz knew that Job was a Magistrate a man in Power and he supposeth that under his government the poore got no bread but the mighty men had the Earth they had favour to have and doe what they lift It is very Common with the men of the world to be very free to those that are of the world they are like those Clouds which we may observe sometimes blowne over the dry Land and emptying themselves into the Sea The mighty that had store before have more and the poore who had nothing have nothing at all Men love to bestow kindnesses upon them onely to whom they are like or whom they love A good man helps those that are good and wicked men care for none but such as themselves Wicked men are called Oakes Zech. 11.2 Howle yee firr trees for the Cedar is fallen that is the great man is fallen because all the mighty are spoyled howle O yee Oakes of Bashan for the forrest of the vintage is come downe The Chaldee Paraphrase saith Howle yee Governors of Provinces And hee calls these Governers Oakes first because of their strength and secondly because of their fruit What fruit doe Oakes beare onely acornes and who are fed with acornes onely swine Acornes are but hogg◠meate hee gives the allusion thus wicked men in power beare fruit but it is onely for swine that is for wicked men they bestow the tokens of their bounty the overplus of their plenty upon hoggs and swine that is upon carnal and sensual men Parietes vestites auro homines veste nudatis panem postulat homo equus tuus aurum sub dentibus mandit Ambros they have nothing for the People of God for those that are the true objects of charity they make their horses fatt their doggs fatt none are leane but Gods poore Thus one of the Ancients reprehends those great ones of his time Ye cloath the walles of your houses with gold with Arras hangings and ye let the poore goe naked the poore aske bread and ye give it them not it may be your horse chewes a golden Bitt and the poore man hath not a Bitt of Bread The spirits of carnall men are carried out from that which is their duty they care not how profuse and lavish they are to those who suits with their own hearts the poore have nothing while the mighty man hath the Earth Thus Eliphaz reproved Job though indeed it was otherwise with him as appeares in the defence which he afterwards made for himselfe against these grosse insinuations And as to this particular he answers Chap. 29.17 I brake the Jawes of the wicked and pluckt the spoyle from between his teeth he indeed puld the earth from the mighty or the mighty from the earth though Eliphaz here sayd The mighty had the earth and The honourable man dwelt in it Acceptus vel elevatus facie habitabat in ea Hebr. The Hebrew is The man whose face is lifted up which phrase is Interpreted two wayes First Passively Secondly Actively Passively thus the man who is lifted up by others that is who is respected who is reverenced according to his place or worth Hebraei principem vocant Nasi quasi elevatū facie ab alijs acceptum All which agree with our rendering the honourable man And in the Hebrew Princes and great ones are exprest by that word which signifies to lift up the face because such are lifted up above others and are much respected by others So the word is used Gen. 19.21 See saith the Angel to Lot I have accepted thee The Hebrew is I have lifted up thy face that is I have respected and honoured thee by granting thy request Secondly It may be taken actively The man that lifts up the face dwells in the Earth What is it to lift up the face Acceptor personarum habitabat in ea Pagn it is to Accept Persons in Judgement to accept him that hath the worst cause and to reject him that hath the best cause for private ends As if Eliphaz had sayd Hee that respects persons that is who perverts justice hee hath the Earth and so here seemes to be a description of all sorts of wicked men flourishing in Jobs time and under his wing Some oppresse openly the mighty man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est habere respectum personarum sc quod pauper sit aut dives aut nobilis aut honoratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habitare sedere the man of armes comes by main force and obtaines the earth or the riches and fatnes of the earth Others oppresse secretly and cunningly they accept persons and are byassed in Judgement by their own interest and advantages The man of this straine dwelt in it The word notes two things First to continue he dwelt there thou let'st him abide whereas if he had come into the Land thou should'st quickly have rooted him out Secondly The word signifies not onely to dwell but to sit and to sit in Scripture Language notes authority or dominion he dwelt or sate in it that is hee was the man in authority hee had the power and the great places of government were entrusted in his hand From both these observe First That evill Magistrates are apt to pervert Justice in favour of those who are great in power Favour should be shewed according to the Justnes of mens causes and not according to the greatnesse of their persons But usually the mighty men have the Earth all goes on their side and the honourable man dwels there be sits safe quiet well and warme This is so commonly seene that 't is become a Proverb Potentis est turpa pauper ubique jacet The mighty man hath the whole earth for his house to dwell in the poore man lyes every where but seldome dwels any where The wicked are said to have their portion in this life they would have the Earth to themselves and they shall have nothing but Earth So the Prophet describes them Esay 5.8 Woe unto them that joyne house to house that lay field to field that there may be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the Earth Man is naturally a sociable Creature and it may seem strange that he should desire to be alone in the midst of the Earth Therefore by his desire to be alone we must not understand a strict lonenes or solitarines as if rich men had a minde to live alone so
the rule of contrary speaking bound that is not at all bound but free or loosed from her husband Thus the Apostle speaks Rom. 7.1 2 3. 1 Cor. 7.39 her marriage knot is unâ—yed by death If her husband be dead shee is loosed from the law of her husband shee is left to her selfe and her owne dispose alone Take the word in the second fignification to be silent A widow is so called because shee seldome hath that natural and never hath that civil liberty or freedome of speech which her husband had and therefore shee needs others to speake for her or must speake her minde by others her selfe being eyther unable or disabled to speake in her owne case or to speake for her selfe This being the widows state he hath the greater sinne who deales unkindly with her What Thrust away the widow whose heart is bound about yea and thrust thorough with many sorrowes What thrust away the widow who is unable to mannage her owne cause and defend her selfe in her right yet this thou hast done Thou hast sent widows away Empty That is without any helpe or comfort A radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est effundere vel evacuare The word is used to signifie the emptines of a vessell 2 King 4.4 It is used also concerning the Dreamer who thinks that he hath eaten but when he awakes his soule that is his stomacke is empty Isai 29.8 So we may expound the word Racha Mat. 5.22 He that saith to his brother Racha which some understand not of a man that wants wit or honesty only but wealth or plenty And then to call a man Racha Erat ergo contumeliosuÌ„ verbum discere fratri Raka i. e. Vocare pauperculum bonis omnibus exhaustum is to upbraid him both with poverty and simplicity As if it should in disgrace be sayd to him Thou poore snake thou silly fellow what dost thou talke thou who hast so little wit thou that art not worth a groate In the Story of Jephtah Judg. 11.3 such a sort of men are spoken of as his ayders and assistants Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and there were gathered together vaine men to Jeptah and went out with him Some translate Heb Vacui non ut putat Vatablus Otiosi sed ut alij inopes bonis exhausti poore men were gathered together and went out with him Vaine men are usually idle fellowes and vagabonds and we may conceive his company or followers to have consisted of poore men rather then of vaine men And in that sense the word is used Neh. 5.13 Even thus be he shaken out and emptied That is impoverish'd and reduced to nothing And thus also the low estate of Jesus Christ is expressed Phil. 2. Hee empted himselfe namely of his divine glory and splendour that is he shew'd not his Majesty whilest hee was in the flesh but covered and vailed it and was in appearance as a poore empty man having voluntarily made himselfe of no reputation though he were Lord over all Such was the emptines in which these widows were sent away by Job as Eliphaz accuseth him And this act may have a threefold interpretation First they were sent away empty that is not filled or releived by thy charity thou didst not open eyther thy heart or thy hand to supply their necessities or to make them up in what they wanted and humbly desired Secondly Thou hast sent widows empty away That is thou hast given them no reliefe by thy Justice some widows beg meerly for our Almes others bring their case and cause to the Magistrate or man in Authority for helpe against their oppressing adversaries In the 18th of Luke the importunate widow saith to the Judge Releive mee against my Adversary I beg not your charity but your Justice The widow is sent away empty when her suite is not heard Wee may understand Eliphaz eyther way that when the widow sued for her right shee found no Justice and when shee came for an almes shee found no charity Thirdly Wee may interpret it yet higher Thou hast sent widows away empty That is widows came to thee full or in a good condition but thou hast emptyed them by oppression and taken away what they had Covetous Magistrates care not how or of whom they get it so they can get it They empty the widows purse yea widows houses to fill their owne Christ reproved the Pharisees for this Mat. 23.14 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees for yee devoure widows houses yee eate them out of house and home Tradunt se ad tuendum majoribus deditias se divitum faciunt Illud grave est quod hac lege tueri pauperes videntur ut spoliant hac lege defendunt miseros ut miseriores faciant defendendo Salvian Lib. 5 to de provid eyther by living upon them or by taking away their livings Wee may understand Eliphaz in this sense also Thou hast sent widows away empty that is widdows came to thee for protection and thou didst promise it but then to make thy owne market upon them and serve thy selfe thou hast oppressed them they came to thee to doe them right and thou hast undone them by unrighteousnesse It is ill enough to deny widows charity it is worse to deny them Justice but it is worst of all to undoe them by unjustice yet those two Horse-leaches pride and covetousness will not forbeare to draw from the widow Some rich men undertake the widows cause onely to enrich themselves by the spoyles of the widow and for this reason they promise helpe to those who are in misery that they may make them more miserable in stead of helping them Thou hast sent widows away empty Thus Job was supposed to have dealt with widows See next how Eliphaz chargeth him for his dealings with the fatherlesse And the Armes of the fatherlesse have been broken These two desolate names are often found alone Duo ista nomina in quantum despectui humano in tantum miserecordiae divinae exposita Tertull. l. 1. ad uxor c. 8. Per viduam pupillum omne genus miseroruÌ„ hominum significatur Pined but oftener as one in Scripture the widow who is disjoyn'd from her husband and the fatherlesse who are bereaved of their parents are commonly joyned together And these two names are taken in Scripture eyther strictly or more largely strictly to signifie onely such persons as have eyther lâ—st their husbands or parents Largely and so the widow and fatherlesse signifie any that are in distresse or need our charity Because the widow and the fatherlesse stand often in need of charity therefore these names in Scripture signifie any that need our charity While the Prophet saith Hos 14.3 With thee the fatherless findeth mercy Wee are not to straighten his sense onely to Orphans but to any that are in distresse hee that is a father may be called fatherlesse and the childe that hath a father may be called
Lord is every where present I answer when Moses sayth and many other Texts which speake in the same forme that God was sometimes with his people and somtimes not we are not to understand it at all of a local presence or absence but of a favourable presence or absence Thus God is with some persons and not with others thus he is sometime present with sometime absent from the same person It was this favourable presence for which Moses did so earnestly entreate the Lord Exod. 33.15 If thy presence goe not with us carry us no further That is unlesse thou please to be with us to prosper our way and protect us in it let us stay where we are This presence of God is a high favour indeed and God is thus present but in few places comparatively of the whole earth Once more those Scriptures may seeme to imply that God is so in heaven that he is not also upon the earth which speak of his coming downe from heaven to earth Gen. 11.5 And the Lord came downe to see the City and the Tower which the Children of men builded Whence some may inferre if he came downe to see the City then he was not there before and if so then he is not universally present in all places Againe Gen. 18.20 21. And the Lord said because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is very grievous I will goe downe now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know This passage yeelds the same difficulty and objection To both which we may adde that of David Psal 14.2 The Lord looked downe from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand He doth not say God was among the children of men here below but being in heaven as a man standing upon a high place or Tower he looked downe I answer These Texts speake of God after the manner of men or they speake thus not to teach us how God knowes what is done on earth but to confirme and assure us that the Lord doth clearely and certainly know whatsoever is done by or among men on earth even as clearely certainly as a man knoweth any thing by his view upon the place God knoweth all things presently without searching though never so secret and all things certainly without enquiring though never so doubtfull God neyther ascends nor descends He doth not come downe by any motion but he comes downe to our apprehension He shewes us after our way that he knoweth because we cannot conceave his way of knowledge If I would assure another man that I certainly know such a thing I tell him I came from the place I saw it or I beheld it with my own eyes now that 's all that is intended when 't is sayd The Lord came downe from heaven to behold and see the Tower of Babell and the condition of Sodom Or it is to admonish all Magistrates and Judges that they passe no sentence of punishment eyther upon places or persons upon bare hearesay and reports but that they first enforme themselves fully of the matter of fact as Job professed his course was in all legal proceedings Chap. 29.16 The cause which I knew not I searched out Thus wee see notwithstanding all these apparances from Texts of Scripture to the contrary That this Scripture-truth standeth firme The Lord is so in the height of heaven that he is every where also here upon the earth From which take these two Deductions First Seeing the Lord is every where present we should be every where holy For where soever he is he is the holy Lord That was the charge which God gave to Abraham Walke before me and be upright As if he had sayd Wheresoever thou walkest walke as having me present with thee and be upright in my presence I saith David a type of Christ Psal 16.8 have set the Lord alwayes before me he is at my right hand I shall not be moved He that by faâ—th eyes God continually as his protector in trouble shall not be moved with any evill that he suffers and he that eyes God by faith as his patterne in holinesse shall not be moved from doing that which is good This thought The Lord is at our right hand keepes us from turning eyther to the right hand or to the left It is said of Enoch that he walked with God Gen. 5.22 and though the Historie of his life be very short yet 't is sayd of him a second time ver 24. That he walked with God He walked so much with God that he walked as God he did not walke which kinde of walking the Apostle reproves 1 Cor. 3.3 as men He walked so little like the world that his stay was little in the world He was not saith the Text for God tooke him He tooke him from the world to himselfe or as the Author to the Hebrewes reports it he was translated that he should not see death for he received this testimony that he pleased God Secondly It followeth if God be every where present That the godly are never out of the reach of God to helpe them and that the wicked are never out of the reach of God to punish them Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt The presence of God is the protection of Saints in the evill which they suffer and they who doe evill cannot be hid from his punishing presence There is no running from God It is said of Jonah Chap. 1.3 That he fled from the presence of God Whether fled he The Text saith he fled to Sea but did not God finde him there He fled from the commanding presence of God but he fell into the angry presence of God We have a large description in the 9th of Amos how carnall men hope to shift out of the hand of God I sayth the Lord will slay the last of them with the sword though they dig to hell thence shall my hand take them We read what wise counsell the servants of the King of Benhadad gave him after he had been defeated by the King of Israel 1 King 20.23 24 25. Their Gods are Gods of the hils therefore they were stronger then we but let us fight against them in the plaines and surely we shall be stronger then they Make thee an Army like the Army that thou hast lost horse for horse and Chariot for Chariot and we will fight against them in the plaine and surely we shall be stronger then they and he hearkened to their voice and did so Why did they desire to fight them upon the plaine they thought God was a God of the hills and not of the valleys but ver 28. A man of God sayd to the King of Israel thus saith the Lord because the Assyrians have said the
hides his face he will never see And againe Psal 144.7 8 11. Send thy hand from above rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hands of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood If the mouth speaketh vanity the hand is full of falsehood we may even feele deceite in their hands whose mouthes speake any kinde of vanity but especially this which is the vainest vanity of all How doth God know or surely God doth not know Such the Psalmist rebukes Psal 94.4 5.7 How long shall they utter and speake hard things What things were those The next words shew us They breake in peeces thy people c. yet they say the Lord shall not see c. understand ye brutish among the people he that formed the eye shall he not see There is no greater argument of brutishnes and ignorance then to question the knowledge of God or to say How doth God know And which is the same in other words can he judge through the dark cloud As if Job had further argued thus I am safe enough from the knowledge of God for as he is high above me so there are dark clouds between him and me Can he judge through the dark cloud My opinion is he cannot For knowledge goeth before judgement Si non novit ergo nec judicare potest ad rectū enim judicium requiritur cognitio causae He that knoweth not certainly can never judge rightly Justice is pictured blind in reference to persons but not in reference to things or causes Justice must take no notice of this or that man whether he be great or little high or low a neere friend or a stranger Justice is blinde as to all these considerations and knoweth no man but Justice must know every mans case and cause unlesse man know that how can be judge and if God know not that how can he judge He must have light to see what is done before he passe Sentence upon what is done therefore Can he judge through the darke cloud Surely he cannot Thus the Atheist concludeth indeed and thus Eliphaz represents Job concluding in his owne heart there is not onely a great distance between God and me not onely is he in the height of heaven and I below on earth but there are many gloomy clouds between him and me As he is high above me so there are such impediments in the way that he cannot see me The Vulgar reads Et quasi per caliginum judicat Vulg. He judgeth as through darknes Now the best of Saints see God through a Glasse darkly or in a ridle 1 Cor. 13.12 And secure sinners thinke that God seeth them onely through a cloud darkly or as Eliphaz speaketh through a dark cloud he knoweth not clearly but dimly To judge through a cloud is to judge of things confusedly not distinctly by guesse or conjecturally not exactly or face to face This is all the sight which an evill heart alloweth God if he allow him any concerning his wayes and actions They who doe things which cannot abide the light are willing to beleeve that all they doe is in the darke Theirs are works of moral darknes and therefore they please themselves with thinking that their works are hid eyther in natural or artificiall darkness It is sayd of the Lord in Scripture Psal 97.2 Clouds and darknes are round about him while judgement and righteousnesse are the habitation of his throne but these imagine that God cannot proceed in judgement and righteousnesse because clouds and darkness are round about him It is sayd 1 King 8.10 11 12. The cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the Priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Then spake Solomon the Lord said that he will dwell in the thick darkness Reade Exod. 20.21 Deut. 5.22 Psal 18.11 God is light saith the Apostle John 1 Ep 1. and he dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.16 How then can he be said to dwell in thick darknes I answer those Scriptures which say that God dwells in darknes that clouds and darknesse are round about him teach us that God and his wayes are much hid from us we are not able to look up to him or see clearely what he doth much lesse can we see what his counsells are The clouds and darknesse which are about him doe not hinder his sight of us but our sight of him Our darknes is no darknes to him but his darknes yea his light is darknes to us Againe God is sayd to dwel in a cloud to reprove our boldnes and curiosity who are too apt to pry into what is not to be knowne and to neglect our duty in what we know or to neglect the knowledge of our duty God hath some reserves in counsells some of his providences are wrapt up in clouds Hee will be trusted and honored in what he is not seene or knowne Not to know these things is indeed our nescience but not our ignorance and not to seeke after the knowledg of these things is our duty not our sloath Thus God who dwels in light dwels also in a cloud for he dwells in light that no man can no nor ought to approach unto Wee may come neere his light by faith but wee cannot come neere his light by knowledge There is such an infinite such an overcomming light in God that it is a darknes to us the most Eagle-like eyes of a humane understanding are not onely dazzel'd but quite blinded with his brightness Now as no man can judge through this light of God so some men are ready to say and thus Eliphaz brings in Job saying that God cannot judge through dark clouds through clouds and darknes Nor doth Eliphaz bring in Job saying thus only by way of doubt or question but by way of averrement and resolution in the next verse Vers 14. Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth it not This verse is but an explication of the 13th Can he see through the dark cloud There he puts the question here he gives a peremptory answer he cannot certainly for Thick clouds are a covering to him that he cannot see The Hebrew for thick clouds is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nubes dictae sunt a densitate a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 densum esse q d. sicut nos latet deus ita deum latent nostra coelestia illi tantum patent which in the roote signifies Thickness or to be thicke Some clouds have a kinde of thinnes in them and are as it were transparent Others are more grosse and opacous quite hindering and intercepting our sight of all that is beyond them with these saith Eliphaz thou O Job vainely conceitest that the sight of God also is intercepted so that as we cannot see God so God cannot see us A vayle
when the ungodly fall and not fall into sin themselves I answer First The righteous rejoyce at the fall of the wicked as blessing God who hath kept their feete from those wayes in which the wicked have fallen As 't is a great mercy to be kept out of those ill wayes to be kept from fiding with those corrupt interests in the pursuit of which we see many broken so 't is a duty to rejoyce that we have not walked in their way whose end we see to be nothing els but destruction Secondly The righteous have cause to rejoyce blesse God when they see the wicked fall because themselves are saved keepe their standing because themselves have escaped the danger and the Lord hath been a banner of protection over them in the day when the wicked fell Moses after the destruction of Amaleck built an Altar and called the name of it Jehova-Nissi Exod. 17.15 that is to say The Lord is my banner And in like cases the joy of the Saints is not properly in the destruction of the wicked but in their owne deliverance through the mighty power good hand of God with them It is the presence of God with them the appearance of God for them which is the gladnes of their hearts Thirdly The righteous then rejoyce because the Church and people of God are in a fayre way to peace when the Lyons are destroyed the sheepe are in safety when the Wolves and the Beares are cut off the flock rests quietly so in this case when men of devouring cruell spirits wicked and ungodly ones are removed the flocke of God the sheepe of his pasture feed quietly none making them afrayd The fall of the enemies of Sion is the establishment of Sion yea in a great measure of mankinde As the Prophet most elegantly sets it forth Isa 14.6 7 8. He who smote the people in wrath with a continuall stroke he that ruled the Nations in anger is persecuted and none hindereth The whole earth is at rest and is quiet they breake forth into singing yea the firre-trees rejoyce at thee and the Cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art layd downe no feller is come up against us How often have wicked men in power felled not onely the Firre-trees and Cedars of the world but the goodly trees of righteousnesse in the Lords plantations have they not therefore reason to sing when such fall seing the Fellers themselves are then felled and fallen Fourthly Joy ariseth to the righteous because God is honoured in the fall of wicked men And that 's their chiefest joy That God is honoured is more joy to the righteous then that themselves are saved how much more then then that the wicked are destroyed There is a threefold honour arising to God when the wicked fall First God is honoured in his justice such a day is the day of the declaration of the righteous judgement of God as the Apostle speakes of the great day of Judgement Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Some doe even question the justice of God when wicked men prosper but he is vindicated in his justice when wicked men fall It cannot but please righteous men to see the righteous God exalted or God exalted in his righteousnesse They know and beleeve that God is righteous when the wicked prosper Jer. 12.1 But when the wicked are punished they proclaime his righteousnes Then they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and marvailous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name c. for thy Judgements are made manifest Rev. 15.3 4. The Lord is alwayes alike Just but it doth not alwayes alike appeare how just he it And as that God is just is the faith and stay of the Saints so the appearances of his justice are their joy and triumph Secondly God is honoured much in the attribute of his truth in the truth of his word in the truth of his threatenings when the wicked are punished God hath spoken bloudy words concerning wicked men not onely in reference to their future estate in the next life but to their present estate in this Say to the wicked it shall be ill with him the reward of his hands shall be given him But what is this reward There are two sorts of rewards First rewards of love and favour according to the good which we have done Secondly rewards of wrath and anger poenal rewards according to the evill which we have done Now when the Lord puts these poenal rewards into the hands of the wicked or powres them upon their heads he is honoured in his truth as well as his justice for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it As the promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 so also are the threatnings unto the glory of God by us But as when David saw his life in danger every day he began to question the truth of God in the promise that he should live to reigne and fit upon the throne of Israel for saith he Psal 116.11 when things went thus with him I said in my hast all men are lyars even Samuel among the rest who assured me of the Kingdome by expresse message from God but surely he also is deceived and hath fed me with vaine hopes Now as these words of David according to our translation of them and the truth of the thing in frequent experiences shew that Godly men are apt to question the truth of the promise when themselves are by seemingly contradicting providences much afflicted so they are apt to question the truth of the threatnings when they see outward providences prospering the wicked Therefore when the threatnings have their actuall yea and Amen that is when they are executed upon the ungodly this also is to the glory of God by us that is God is glorified by all his people who heare of it in the truth of what he hath spoken Againe as God is magnified in the truth of his threatnings when any particular wicked man is punished so when common calamities come upon the wicked the truth of God or God in his truth is magnified two wayes First As such calamities are a fullfilling of many Prophecies secondly As they are the answer or returne of many prayers The vengeance which falls upon the Enemies of the Church of God is drawne out by prayer Luke 18.7 8. And there is nothing wherein God is more honoured then when prayer is answered For as therein he fullfills our wants so his owne word Who hath not said to the seed of Jacob seeke ye mee in vaine Thirdly When the wicked fall the Lord is honoured in the attribute of his power How great is his power who puls downe great power It argues the Almightines
to God As David saith Psal 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Equiparantia sunâ— caput vel oculos vel faciem vel animam ad deum levare Bold Eliphaz meanes not the lifting up of a heart-lesse face or head such as the hypocrite or formalist lifts up to God in worship nor the lifting up of a meere living head or face such as all men lift up to God according to the forme or frame of their natural constitution Fiduciam habebis recurrendi ad deum Aquin. but the courage and confidence of the soule and that a holy courage and confidence is here intended And there are not many who can thus lift up their face to God as is promised here to Job by way of priviledge And shalt lift up thy face to God To lift up the face is taken under a twofold notion in Scripture first Faciei elevatio orantis habitus est Pinec as a gesture or bodily position in prayer He that prayeth doth usually lift up his face to God and so to lift up the face to God is to pray unto God A corporal posture being put often in Scripture to signifie a spirituall duty Thus some understand it here Thou shalt lift up thy face to God that is thou shalt pray secondly which further complyes with the duty of prayer To lift up the face Vultum attollit qui sibi bene conscius est animoque fidenti Drus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. notes as was touched before confidence of spirit and boldnesse courage and assurance towards him before whom the face is lifted up whether God or man The Septuagint who rather paraphrase then translate this text give this sense fully Thou shalt be confident before the Lord or thou shalt act fiducially and boldly before him and behold heaven chearefully This lifting up the face is opposed to casting downe the face that is a phrase used in Scripture to signifie shame and fayling of spirit When courage is downe the countenance is down too as we say such a man hath a downe looke that is there is an appearance of guilt upon him The face is cast downe three wayes First by feare secondly by sorrow thirdly by shame Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for our iniquities are increased over our heads So Luk. 18.13 the Publican durst not lift up his eyes to heaven and possibly there was a complication of all these three causes why he durst not feare sorrow shame he was so much terrified so much grieved so much ashamed of himselfe that he durst not lift up his eyes to heaven It was the speech of Abner to Asahel 2 Sam. 2.22 Turne thee aside from following me why should I smite thee to the ground how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother that is if I slay thee I shall be afraid to looke him in the face nor can I have any confidence of his favour and it is well conceived that he spake thus for it is indeed a very unusuall thing for the Generall of an Army in the very heate of warre to looke after the favour of the Generall of the opposite Army but I say 't is conceived he spake thus as being convinced that he had undertaken a bad cause in upholding the house of Saul against David and therefore had misgivings that he might shortly fall into the hands of Joab Davids Generall and was therefore unwilling to provoke him by killing his brother This made him say How shall I hold up my face to thy brother Joab As if he had sayd I shall obstruct the way of my owne reconciliation to thy brother in case The turne of things in this warre cast me into his hands by killing thee Againe we may looke backe to Gen. 4.5 where it is reported of Caine That he was wrath and his countenance fell anger and sorrow and shame falling at once upon him because the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but had no respect to him or his caused his countenance to fall which phrase stands in direct opposition to lifting up the face in all the three occasions of it For it implyeth first feare which is opposed to boldnes secondly sorrow or anger which are opposed to content and joy thirdly shame which is opposed both to freedome of approach and liberty of speech We have an expression which paralels much with this in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 110.7 Qâ—od legitur Exod. â—4 8 egâ—essos filios Israel in manu excelsâ— Chaldaâ—â—è dicitur capite discooperto i. e. palam confidentèr sine metu He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall he lift up his head that is he shall rise and appeare like a mighty Conquerour with boldnesse honour and triumph So Christ himselfe prophecying of the troubles which shall be in the latter dayes comforts the surviving Saints in this language When these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads that is then take heart and boldnesse for the day of your redemption draweth nigh Luke 21.28 that is the day is at hand wherein you shall be freed from all feares and sorrowes Hence observe Holinesse hath boldnesse and freedome of spirit with God Then shalt thou lift up thy face unto God As soone as Adam sinned he hid himselfe from the presence of the Lord amongst the trees of the Garden Gen. 3.8 He ran into the thickets for shelter he durst not appeare or shew his face But when once we are reconciled to God and sinne is taken off when we are freed from the bonds of guilt then we have boldnesse reconciliation is accompanied with the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father we can then speake to God as a childe to his father the childe dares lift up his face to his father and speakes freely to him Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty faith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.17 and that a threefold liberty First a liberty from sinne secondly a liberty unto righteousnes or a freenes and readines of spirit to doe good thirdly where the spirit of the Lord is there is a liberty of speech or accesse with boldnesse in all our holy Addresses unto God As the Apostle clearely sheweth at the 12 â—h verse of the same Chapter Seing then that we have such hope we use great plainnesse or boldnesse of speech as wee put in the Margin of our Bibles to expresse the significancy of the Greeke word in the full compasse of it For as because we have such hope we ought to use great plainnesse of speech towards men in preaching and dispensing the Gospel to them so great boldnesse towards God in receiving the offers and promises of the Gospel for our selves Eliphaz having thus shewed what freedome Job truely repenting might have with God in prayer proceeds in the next verse to shew what successe with
can give perfect boldnes in comming to the Throne of God but onely an Interest in Jesus Christ in whom the throane of God is become a Throane of grace to sinners Were it onely a Throne of Judgement and Justice no flesh could stand before it but being a Throne of grace the worst of sinners who wait for grace may come neer and the neerer they come the welcomer they are A godly man is never better then when he is neer God and then thinks himselfe best when he is neerest unto God all his happines in this life and his glory in that which is to come doth consist in his nearenes unto God Secondly Whereas Job saith O that I might come even to his Seat Observe A Godly man is willing that God should Judge both his Person and his Cause That 's the designe of Job he had appealed from the Judgement of his friends and begd the Judgement of God He was resolute in it to stand or fall according to his sentence But why was Job so desirerous of the Judgement of God why would he goe to his Throne and appeale to him When men make appeales from one Throne to another they have their reasons for it When Paul said I appeale to Caesar Act. 25.11 doubtless he was fully perswaded that he should find better termes with Caesar then among the Jews So when Job saith I appeale to God which is the highest appeale and beyond which there lyes no appeale doubtlesse Job was fully perswaded that he should finde better termes at Gods tribunal then he had found among his friends And Job might have many grounds of better termes from God For First God is wise even a God of Judgement who would not receive Judgement from a wise and understanding Judge especially from him who is wisdome and understanding Secondly God is Omniscient there are many wise Judges but no Omniscient Judges in the world Princes are said to have long hands and very cleare eyes they can reach farre and see farre but they cannot see all but God is able to Judge the secrets of all hearts for he sees all secrets and knowes what man cannot For that reason a godly man loves the Judgement of God because he knowes his heart And for the same reason wicked men hypocrites especially are afraid of the Judgement of God they know if their outward actons should come to be scan'd much more if their hearts should be turn'd outward it must needs goe ill with them Most hypocrites carry it faire onely for a while before the world they at last discover themselves the disease breaks out at their fingers ends or at their tongues end Their words or works discover the rottennes of their hearts and the formality of their profession But some hypocrites carry it fayre to the world all their dayes and feare not the Judgement of men yet even then a thought of the Judgement of God is dreadfull to them whereas the Saints even all who are sincere desire God to Judge them for indeed their hearts are better then their wayes and their affections then their actions and they know that God discernes with what heart and spirit every thing is done as well as what is done He doth not Judge by appearances as we ought not Joh. 7.24 and therefore his is a righteous Judgement God doth not judge things as they appeare but as they are unlesse they are as they appeare and whatsoever their appearance is he can judge them as they are He can judge by discerning what is in the deepe and follow a matter to the very spring of it therefore I 'le goe to God saith the upright heart my desire is that he should Judge my cause Thirdly The Lord is a gratious and a mercifull Judge he is as full of pity as he is of wisdome and as ready to relieve as he is quick-sighted to discerne Fourthly The Lord is very patient First patient to heare and secondly patient to beare Patience to heare is a great encouragement many Judges are weary of the worke they will not heare a poore man out but God will and God is patient also to beare with and passe by the faylings of his people whose uprightnes he knowes Lastly A Godly man knowes that God his Judge hath received an atonement that he is made for him and upon grounds of Justice and righteousnesse is become his friend Some who have bad Causes yet come up to the Throne of man boldly because they know the Judge is made for them by a bride and so will give sentence on their side be it right or wrong Saints know that the Judge is made for them but made in a holy manner not with base bribery to blinde his eyes to pervert justice but he hath received an atonement he is appeas'd and satisfied by a Mediator at his owne appointment If God should search the best of Saints narrowly they must needs fall in judgement yet they know they shall stand in judgement because the Judge is reconciled to them by Christ yea Christ who made the Atonement and is the reconciler is the Judge this encourageth Saints to come to God For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 The case standing thus with beleevers who seeth not ground for their appeale from the judgement eyther of open enemies or as Job did mistaken Friends O that I might come even to his Seate In the two next verses Job tells us what he would doe if his appeale were granted and himselfe admitted to the seate of God Vers 4. I would order my Cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments Vers 5. I would know the words which he would answer mee and understand what he would say unto mee Thus he describes his intended behaviour before his Judge in allusion to legall proceedings where the Plaintiff brings in his bill and the Defendant his answer I would order my Cause before him The Hebrew word which wee translate to order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est militare verbum atque dicitur de aciebus quae certa ratione ac ordine disponuntur is a military terme properly used for the ordering of an Army or the putting of them into a Posture for a battell we call it Marshalling an Army And hence it is applyed to the ordering of any other thing Psal 23.5 Thou wilt prepare a Table for mee in the midst of mine enemies to order a Table is to set dish by dish there is a kinde of method in setting dishes at great feasts Thou wilt prepare a Table for me Againe Ps 50.21 God speakes to the hypocrite about his sinfull doings I will set them in order before thee that is those sins and confused practices of which thou hast sayd in thy heart I shall never heare more of them shall be brought forth and set like a terrible Army in ranke and file
may stand before him As he knows what strength such need so he gives them the strengâ—h they need He will put strength in me maybe the confidence of any soule in Jobs case We are not able to stand before God under the burden of our corruptions nor yet are we able to walke before him under the burden of our duties unlesse himselfe be pleased to administer strength to us And surely if we have cause even to glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon us 2 Cor. 12.9 then much more have we cause to glory in the power of Christ when we finde so many infirmities resting in us The Prophet saw this fully while he said Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength even to him shall men come in the Lord shall all the seed of Israell be justified and shall glory That we have strength in and from the Lord is to us a ground of holy Glorying as wel as that we have righteousnesse in him For though to be justified be a higher favour then to be strengthned yet unlesse we were strengthned as we could not take in the comfort of our Justification freely so neyther could we give God the glory of it so fully as we ought And as it is the joy of beleevers that God will put strength into them when they are humbled under the greatest weaknesses so that their strength is still in him For God doth not so put it into us as to put that strength out of himselfe The strength which God puts into us is a strength still residing in himselfe The strength which we have received as well as that which we have not yet received is still in the hand of God And from his hand we shall receive renewalls of strength for all our needs and purposes Take five instances in speciall First A Believer shall receive strength to doe or an acting power from Christ Though Christ hath done all for us yet we have much to doe for Christ and such is the mystery of Godlinesse that the same Christ who hath done all for us will also doe all in us Christ layeth a yoak upon the necks of his people and a burden upon their shoulders but he puts power and strength into their shoulders to carry his yoak and beare his burden and that 's the reason why he calls his yoake easie and his burthen light it is not so considered in it selfe as if we could make light worke of the worke of Christ but his burden is light because he hath promised to give his at least a sufficient strength to bear it A heavy burthen is not grievous to equal strength it is light to a superior or greater strength As all our sins the least whereof is a burden too heavy for us to beare are light to us through the righteousnesse of Christ so all the commandements of God the least of which is too hard for us alone are light to us through the strength of Christ This was the Apostle Pauls profession I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 A little is too much for us all is but little for Christ as we have the anointing of the Spirit whereby we know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 so we have the strengthening of the Spirit whereby we doe all things It is a high priviledge that Saints who receive their worke from heaven receive their strength from heaven too And that as God puts his commands upon them so he puts this power into them The Lord is so farre from requiring worke of us without giving us wages for what we have done that he doth not require worke of us without giving us strength to doe it When we looke upon our reward it might seeme that we have done all our selves but when we looke upon his assistance it is as evident that we have done nothing of our selves The Lord is not like those Aegyptian task-masters who called for brick but would not give straw no the Lord who calls for brick doth not onely give us straw but strength even hands and hearts to doe our worke Gospel-grace or new-Covenant-grace promiseth us strength to doe what we are commanded to doe Secondly The Lord gives us as strength to doe so to suffer strength to beare his crosse as well as his yoake so the Apostle comforts the Corinthians 1 Ep 10.13 No temptation that is no affliction for as every temptation hath trouble in it and is therefore justly called an affliction so every affliction hath a tryall in it and is therefore justly called a temptation in which sence the Apostle there saith no temptation hath taken hold of you but that which is common to man but God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but with the temptation will make a way of escape that ye may be able to beare it As if he had sayd be not afrayd that you shall be oppressed with the burden of any affliction or temptation which ye endure in my cause or for my name sake for ye shall receive an ability commensarable to your affliction whatsoever it is you shall be supported in those afflictions which are immediately from the hand of God much more in those which are from the hand of man even in the extreamest and hottest persecutions Paul had experience of this 2 Tim. 4.17 There he tells a sad story of the fearefullnesse if not of the unfaithfullnes of men even of good men to him in an evill day and he tells as comfortable a story of the presence and faithfullnesse of God to him in an evill day even in the worst and blackest day that this world could lowre upon him in At my first answer no man stood with me that is no man appeared to strengthen to comfort me all men forsooke me I pray God it be not laid to their charge What then was he left of all because left of all men no such matter All men left him but God who is but one One-most God and who alone is more then all men abode by him as it followes in the Text notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthned me that by me the preaching might be fully knowne and that all the Gentiles might heare and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon that is out of the danger of my deadly persecuters even out of the danger of Nero himselfe by whose power so many had been destroyed The Lord alwayes stands by his in time of affliction and tryall eyther to strengthen them in it or to strengthen them out of it that is to escape it eyther to deliver them from the danger of it or to encourage them in the dangers of it Thirdly The Lord puts strength into his people to mortifie corruption he gives us not onely power against but power over our lusts Fleshly lusts and corruptions are strong and if we have not strength from
with him They who are most spirituall and of the largest understanding in spiritualls can no more comprehend God then a cockle-shel can containe the Ocean and many who are spirituall are so darke in their understandings or God is so darke to their understandings that they cannot so much as apprehend or discerne him see or perceive him Thirdly When Job sayth God hideth himselfe on the right hand or in the South so that I cannot see him This teacheth us That God doth sometimes purposely withdraw and reserve himselfe from his most pretious servants The Propher hath a strange description of God Isa 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe as if he had sayd it is thy use and custome to doe so O God of Israel the Saviour hee was the God and Saviour of Israel yet Israel could not see him for he hid himselfe When God will conceale himselfe his Israel cannot see him And hence wee finde in Scripture so many earnest Deprecations that God would not hide himselfe and so many vehement Expostulations when he did Wherefore hidest thou thy face saith the Church Psal 44.24 and forgettest our affliction and oppression God hides himselfe five wayes or in five things from his people First He hides his favour and the light of his Countenance from his people And when this is hid God is hid hee will not let them see the love which he hath in his heart towards them yea possibly he lets them see anger wrath displeasure hee puts on the habit of an enemy and deales with them as with enemies Job complaines more then once that God hid his favour from him and shewed him nothing but his dread and terror Secondly God hides his workes from his people hee will not let them be seen nor be seene in them O how unsearchable are thy Judgements and thy wayes past finding out God hath wayes and Judgements which man cannot reach unto Some of his workes are acted as we say above bord they are done in a cleare light hee that runs may see and read them and God in them hee that runs may read love written upon some of them in letters of Gold or with beames of light And he that runs may read wrath written upon others of them in letters of blood or with streames of darknes and the very shadowes of death but some workes of God are so curtaynd about and vailed so hidden and obscured that we cannot perceive them Though all the works of God are works of light yet many of them are in the darke to man While judgement and righteousnesse are the habitation of Gods Throne clouds and darknes are round about him Psal 97.2 Thirdly God hideth the reason of his working His works are often hid but the reason of his working is oftener hid Jeremy complaines Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Hee would know a reason of it hee saw that God let the wicked prosper but the reason he saw not Fourthly The design or end of the worke of God is a hidden thing as God doth not let men see the reason why he doth this or that so not his aime and end what he would have or what he drives at in doing it When God afflicts a Godly man whether it be for the tryal of his graces or to chasten him for his failings or for the purging out of his corruptions is often his doubt and as 't is thus in personal workings so also in publique workings Whether God hath to doe with a Nation or with a man onely hee hath his secrets Fifthly As God hides what himselfe doth so he hides from us what he would have us doe he hides his owne will from us in some things we have indeed his Letters Patents his proclaimed lawes before us in all things needfull to salvation but there are some things which concerne particular actings in our lives wherein a godly man may be very ignorant of the will of God much puzzled in his Spirit what to doe whether this or that be the course which God would have him take God hides himselfe from us in the hidings of his will from us For as when the Apostle saith Ephes 4.20 Yee have not so learned Christ wee are not to understand Christ personally but Christ according to the Revelation of himselfe in the Gospel Christ there is the will or minde of Christ so when God hideth himselfe from or doth not discover himselfe to us the meaning may be this hee doth not discover his minde and will to us what he would have us doe as to our particular case and condition God keepes some long in suspence long in the darke about this poynt so that they often cry out with that good King in his dangerous strait We know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2 Chron. 20.12 Many a man is in as great a strait what to doe in regard of the darknes of his condition as Jehosaphat was in regard of the dangerousnesse of it Fourthly Note That a Gracious soule useth all meanes to attaine what he desires especially to finde out the minde and will of God in his workings What else is the meaning of all this why else went Job forward and backward why went he on the right hand and on the left why did he thus traverse his ground and represent himselfe in these busie enquiries after God travelling in the multitude of his thoughts upon his bed from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth leaving no stone unturned as we say nor path untrodden that he might get his cause determined and his heart setled Obadiah tells Eliah after he had met him see how industrious the malice of Ahab against that holy man made him to to finde him out whom his soule hated 1 King 18.10 As the Lord thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdome whether my Lord hath not sent to seek thee c. Not that Ahab had sent Messengers into every quarter of the world but the meaning is that he had been very diligent and industrious to finde out Elijah And so saith Job there is not any Corner under heaven where I have not been seeking to finde him whom my soule loveth and longeth for Thereby importing his exceeding diligence to finde God They who have a desire after God indeed will take paines for him they will seek him East West North and South and never complaine of the length of their journey They will not stay till God comes home to their dores but out they will go to seek him For though it be a truth that no man can seek or looke after God till God hath first looked after and found him yet they whom God hath once found have such an impression left upon their hearts that when God seemes to leave them and to be as lost to them they will more then seeme to looke after and seeke him while he is absent from them that is while he hides