wise-men now those only are wise quibus res sapiunt prout sunt 2. They were skilful in the times that is well versed in histories and well furnished with experiences 3. That they knew the Lawes which they had ready and at their fingers ends as we say They knew also judgement that is equity and moderation without which utmost right might be utmost wrong as indeed it proved in the case in hand Memucan not only accuseth the Queen but aggravateth her offence and instead of healing the wound maketh it farre wider This might become a mercenary Oratour but not a grave Counsellour The businesse was this The King was angry and he meant to set him going the Queene was an eye-sore and she must be removed Such slaves are ambitious statists to their own and their Princes lusts but especially when their own plough is driven forward withal Verse 14. And the next unto him was Carshena c. These were his trusty and welbeloved Cousins and Counsèllours primi proximi first in the Kingdome and next unto the King without whom he was to have done no businesse of importance But it is recorded in story that they had no freedome nor liberty of Councel For every one of them had a plate or tile of gold to stand upon in the Councel-house And if he gave counsel that the King thought well of the plate of gold was given him for a reward but if he delivered any thing contrary to the Kings minde flagris caedebatur he was beaten with stripes Keckerm Polit. Lo this was the manner of the Persian Monarchs The seven Princes See Ezra 7.14 Which saw the Kings face That came at pleasure into the presence as they call it It was a piece of the silly glory of these Kings of Persia to secret themselves from their subjects No man might see the King uncalled for on paine of death cùm ejus persona sub specie majestatis occuleretur Lib. 1. hist saith Justin Only these seven might ordinarily take the boldnesse to see his face which lest Haman should do they covered his face And which sate the first in the Kingdome Xenophon telleth us that Cyrus the first Persian Monarch ordained that the Nobles should sit before the King every man according to his degree Cyrop lib. 8. and dignity Aben Ezra upon this text saith the same Verse 15. What shall we do Saith the King who changeth the scene suddenly the banquetting-house into a Councel-chamber the merry-meeting into a most difficult consultation what to do with the Queene and how to repair the Kings honour so much impaired by her Esay 23.9 How easily can the Lord staine the pride of all glory crosse the worlds greatest darlings give an unsavoury verdure to their sweetest morsels and make their very felicity miserable Vnto the Queene Vashti You should determine nothing rashly against her but accept of her lawful excuse hear her plea remember that she is your companion and the wife of your Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A then lib. 13. Mal. 2.14 your fellow and not your footstoole a yoke-fellow standing on even ground with you though drawing on the left side c. This you should do to the Queene Vashti But Plutarch noteth of the Persians that they were none of the kindest husbands but harsh and jealous And Athenaeus saith that the Kings of Persia lord it over their wives as if they were their handmaids According to Law This you should do retaine the decency and gravity of the Law which is never angry with any man Lex non irascitur sed constituit saith Seneca no more must those that administer it The angry man cannot easily keep a meane This Archytas the Tarentine knew and therefore being displeased with his servants for their sloth he flang from them saying Farewell I have nothing to say to you because I am angry at you Because she hath not performed the Commandment c. This was a fault no doubt but not so hainous as was made of it The faults of his wife a man must either tollere or tolerare cure or cover and not go about to kill a fly upon her forehead with a beetle as they say But God had a provident hand in it for the good of his Church Verse 16. And Memucan answered before the King Heb. Mumchan The Junior likely and therefore spake first the rest concurred verse 21. A bold man he was surely whatever else he was that durst deliver his minde so freely of such a businesse and in such a presence c. What if the King and Queen should have grown friends again where had Memucan been If his cause and his conscience had been as good as his courage was great all had been as it ought to be And the Princes Inter pocula de rebus arduis consultabant saith Herodotus concerning the Persian Princes Lib. 1. In the middest of their cups they use to consult of the greatest affairs Here they accuse and uncondemne the Queen heard and unconvicted which was against all Law divine and humane King Henry the eighth though a boysterous man dealt more civily with his first wife Katharine of Spaine when he had a minde to rid his hands of her Her cause was heard before the two Cardinals Wolsey and Campaine ere the Divorce was pronounced and she sent out of the Kingdome Vasthi the Queen hath not done wrong to the King only That she had done wrong or dealt perversely against the King He taketh for granted because the Kings commandment was not obeyed But was that a sufficient reason Was the Kings bare word a Law or rule of right and is not a wife in case of sin commanded by her husband rather to obey God then men Or say she had done wrong must it needs be out of perversenesse might it not be out of fear modesty or for some other civil reason which she might alledge for her self if called to her tryal But here you may see saith one when flattery and malice gives information shadows are made substances and improbabilities necessities so deceitful is flattery malice so unreasonable And yet herein also the Lord is exceeding righteous who meets hereby with other sins of this insolent Queen that whereas no doubt she was an example of pride and vanity more generally to other women then she was likely to be in this point therefore is she hereby found out in her sin and by this unlikely accusation condemned of a true fault But also to all the Princes and to all the people Against the King she had offended by her disobedience against all others by her example And indeed the sins of great ones fly far upon those two wing Scandal and Example they prove both patterns and privileges to their inferiours for the like Howbeit we must necessarily distinguish between scandal given and scandal taken only neither may we judge of a thing by the ill consequences that biassed and disaffected persons can
Sam. 12.7 8. Deut. 32.12 19. Amos 2.9 Neverthelesse even him did outlandish women cause to sinne And that most shamefully Never was there a wiser man than Solomon and never any Saint fell into more foolish lusts Job who had the greatest adversity that ever man felt fell much but Solomon who had the greatest prosperity that ever man saw fell more Verse 27. To do all this great evil Here are three articles in the Hebrew importing the hainousnesse of this sinne See the like Gen. 39.9 To transgresse against our God No sinne can be little because a disloyalty so the word signifieth against so great a God and his most holy Law a sacrilegious trespasse Verse 28. And one of the sonnes of Jehoiada His grand-sonne Manasses brother to Jaddua the High-Priest John 4.20 Joseph lib. 11. An. iq cap. 7. a vile Apostata and first author of that famous schisme and deadly feud betwixt the Samaritans and Jews Was sonne in Law to Sanballat Who to keep him to his wife built a faire Temple on Mount Gerizim hard by the City Sichem and made Manasses chief Priest thereof Therefore I chased him from me I caused him to be excommunicated and banished from amongst us Remember them O my God For evil as me for good verse 31. and in both remember the relation that is betwixt thee and my soul Woe be to those whom Gods people do thus turn over to Him to be punished Because they have defiled the Priesthood Corruptio optimi pessima as sweetest wine makes the sowrest vineger A wicked Priest is the worst creature upon earth And the Covenant c. See the Note on Mal. 2.4 Verse 30. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers As from so much filth and rubbish I made them either put away their strange wives or quit their places He did not raise a dust onely but not remove it as Luther wittily saith of the Cardinals and Prelats that met at Rome about Reformation of the Church Slcid. Com. These he compared to Foxes that came to sweep an house full of dust with their tailes and instead of sweeping it out swept it all about the house and made a great smoke for the while but when they were gone the dust all fell down againe Nehemiah made cleane work and so purged the Priesthood that he made it shine againe as the word here signifieth the Priests were as Chrysostome saith all Ministers should be puroires coelo clearer then the azured skie and as those Nazarites Lum 4.7 purer then snow whiter then milk c. Verse 31. And for the wood-offering See chap. 10.34 35. Remember me O my God for good See chap. 5.19 and 13.15 22. He brags not but prays producing his good deeds as testimonies of his sincerity whereof he begs acceptance And this is a sweet close of the Old Testament say our last and largest Annotations upon the Bible for this was the last history and book thereof though the book of Esther be set after it Malachy propliesied anon after the Temple was built as we see saith Master Pemble by his reproving of that sinne in corrupting the holy seed by marrying strangers Bib. sacr 11. Sixtus Senensis placeth him as low as about five hundred years before Christ Many of the ancients make him to be the same with Ezra Nehemiah then as it may seeme hath the honour of putting a perclose to the Old Testament and he doth it with this short but pithy prayer which he uttereth as Luther used to pray tantâ reverentià ut si Deo tantâ fiduciâ ut si amico with so great reverence as to God and yet with so great confidence In vit Luth. as to his God a God in Covenant with him Remember me O my god for good Fiat Fiat A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the BOOK of ESTHER CHAP. I. Verse 1. Now it came to passe in the dayes of Ahashuerus THis Book is in the Hebrew called Esther because she is a chief party therein mentioned and memorized The Rabbines call it Megillath Esther that is the volume of Esther and further tell us that there be five such volume of Scripture-books viz. Solomons Song Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes and this of Esther which they use to read all over in their Synagogues at five several times of the year 1. Solomons Song at the Passeover in remembrance of their once-deliverance out of Egypt and their future salvation by the Messiah 2. Ruth at Pentecost because therein is set down the Genealogy of David their first King 3. The Lamentations of Jeremy on the ninth day of the fifth moneth that is of July in regard of the Babylonish captivity and ruine of the Temple 4. Ecclesiastes at the feast of Tabernacles in a thankful remembrance of the Divine Providence asserted in that Book and exercised over them in a special manner when they wandred in the wildernesse 5. Lastly this of Esther on the fourteenth and fifteenth dayes of the moneth Adar or February and as oft as they hear mention of Haman they do even to this day R. Abraham Hispanus tognom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with their fists and hammers beat upon the benches and boards as if they did beat upon Hamans head They tell us that this Book was written by Mordecai himself and eye-witnesse and a maine party according to chap. 9.20 and have ever reckoned it among the Chetubin or Hagiographa that is the Books of holy Scripture Indeed because they finde not the name of God or Lord in this whole Book they have a custome to cast it to the ground before they read it But they need not for as the Ancient Heathens used to write upon their books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God God so might the Jews upon this Pausan there being no where in Scripture found more remarkable passages and acts of Gods immediate providence for his calamitous people then in this Surely saith a great Divine like as a man by a chaine made up of several linkes some of Gold others of Silver some of Brasse Iron or Tin may be drawn out of a pit so it may here be seen that the Lord by the concurrence of several subordinate things which have no manner of dependance or natural coincidence among themselves hath wonderfully wrought the deliverance of his Church that it might appear to be the work of his own hand In the dayes of Ahashuerus That is of Xerxes the terrour of Greece called Ahashuerosh that is an hereditary Prince begotten by King Darius and borne of a Kings daughter viz. Atossa daughter to Cyrus and heir of the Kingdome by lineal descent Such an hereditary Prince was our Henry the eighth Vide Scalig. de Emond temp lib. 6. Herod 1. 7. 9. Fevardent Ill loc Greek Authors also call Xerxes Oxyares and his wife Amestris which seemeth to be the same with Esther who is called Amestris by a like composition saith an Interpreter as Hamans father was called Ham-Adata an
place Therefore is Haman to be reckoned among those cruel enemies who said Psal 83. Come and let us destroy them from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more remembred But let them rage and kill up the Saints as much as they can the sheep will still be more in number then the wolves the doves then the hawkes Plures efficimur quoties metimur Tertull. Apoll. saith Tertullian the more you crop us the faster we grow And I shall pay ten thousand talents of silver A vast summe three thousand seven hundred fifty thousand pound sterling At so great charge would this butcher be to satisfie his lust and to have his penmworths upon Gods poor people So in the Gun-powder treason besides their paines digging like moles in their vault of villany Digby offered to bring in fifteen hundred pounds Tressam two thousand Piercy foure thousand out of the Earle of Northumberlands rents besides ten swift horses to stead them when the blow was past But where should Haman have all this money may some say I answer First if he were of the seed-royal of Amalek as t is thought he might have much left him by his Ancestours Secondly being so great a Favourite to the King of Persia he had doubtlesse many profitable offices and so might lay up gold as dust Job 22.24 and silver as the stones of the brooks Did not Wolsey so here in Henry the eighth's time Thirdly he had already devoured in his hopes the goods and spoiles of all the slain Jewes which he doubted not but the King would bestow upon him for his good service Like as Henry the second of France gave his Mistresse Diana Valentina all the confiscations of goods made in the Kingdome for cause of heresie Hereupon many good men were burned for religion Hist of Counc of Trent 387. as it was said but indeed it was to satiate her covetousnesse To the hands of those c. Vulg. Arcarsis gazae tuae To bring it into the Kings treasuries That he might not be damnified in the tributes formerly paid by the Jewes for their liberty of conscience Kings use to take care that their incomes and revenues be not empaired or diminished It is said of Solyman the great Turk that seeing a company of many thousands of his Christian subjects fall down before him and hold up the forefinger as their manner of Conversion to the Turkish religion is he asked what moved them to turn they replied it was to be eased of their heavy taxations S. H. Bl. Voyage p. 181. He not willing to lose in tribute for an unsound accession in religion rejected their Conversion and doubled their taxations Verse 10. And the King took his ring from his hand And thereby gave him power to do what he pleased Gen. 41.42 1 Kings 21.8 En regis bujus inertiam imperitiam How weak weak as water Gen. 49.4 was the heart of this brutish Barbarian skilful to destroy Ezek. 21.31 seeing he did all these things the work of an imperious whorish woman Ezek. 16.30 rather then of an able man such as every Magistrate should be Exod. 18.21 just and ruling in the feare of God 2 Sam. 23.3 In the case of Vashti he could referre the matter to the consideration of a Council In the case of the two Eunuches that had conspired aganst his life he made inquisition of the matter and did all things deliberately In this case of Haman after this though deeply displeased yet he did nothing rashly till he had gone into the Palace-garden and considered with himself what was best to be done But here upon the very first motion without hearing them speak for themselves or admonishing them to do their duty better c. he gives order for the slaying of so many thousand innocents never considering that every drop of their blood had a voice in it to cry for vengeance against him and his Gen. 4.10 Matth. 22.7 And when the King heard it for blood cries aloud to God 1 Kings 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth Murther ever bleeds fresh in the eye of Almighty God To him many yeares yea that eternity that is past is but yesterday He will give such blood again to drink for they are worthy Rev. 16.6 Dealt he not so by Herod Julian Attilas Felix of Wartemburg Farnesius Minerius Charles the ninth King of France who died by exceeding bleeding at sundry parts of his body soon after the Parisian Massacre whereof he was the Authour giving as large and as bloody a commission to the Duke of Guise to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all the French Protestants as Ahashuerus did here to Haman Neither was he slack to execute it with greatest inhumanity crying out to those of his party after that he had slaine the Admiral Courage my fellowes fall on the King commands it it is his expresse pleasure he commands it But what followed shortly after The Histe of French Mass by Mr. Clark Quem sitiit vivens sceleratâ mente cruorem Perfidus hunc moriens Carolus ore vomit Ergo Dei tandem verbo subscribite Reges Ne rapiant Stygiae vos Acherontis aquae And gave it unto Haman Who now being his Favourite might have any thing of him like as it is storied of Sejanus that in all his designes he found in Tiberius the Emperour so great facility and affection to his desire Life of Sejan by P.M. p. 5. that he needed only to ask and give thanks He never denied him any thing and oft-times prevented his request and avowed that he deserved much more It was not therefore without cause Tertull. Apol. that the primitive Christians prayed so hard for the Emperour that God would send him good Counsellours and deliver him from flatterers and slanderers those pests of the Court. The Jewes enemy That was his stile or rather his brand and mark of ignominy worse then that of Cain Gen. 4.15 that of Dathan Numb 26.9 of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 It may be he affected this title and gloried in it as we read of John Oneale father to the Earle of Tyrone that rebel 1598. Camd. that he inscribed himself in all places I great John Oneale Cousin to Christ friend to the Queen of England and foe to all the world besides Verse 11. And the King said unto Haman Whom he looked upon as an honest prudent publike-spirited man and therefore so easily impowered him to do what he would O vanas hominum mentes O pectora caeca The silver is given unto thee i. e. the ten thousand talents that thou hast proffered and which Haman likely purposed to raise out of the spoile of the Jewes all this is remitted and returned to Haman as a gift again Sic ex alieno corio gigantes isti latissâ—mas corrigias secant saith an Interpreter here Such large thongs cut these Gyants out of other mens Hides But what meant they
things to Mordecai he thinking that he had mocked him answered with indignation Thou most wicked man doest thou thus insult over the miserable But when he had told him that indeed it was the Kings pleasure he suffered him to do it But what shall we say to reconcile those crosse passions in Ahashucrus Before he signed that decree of killing all the Jewes he could not but know that a Jew had saved his life and now after that he had enacted the slaughter of all the Jewes as rebels 〈◊〉 Hall he giveth order to honour a Jew as his Preserver It were strange saith a right Reverend Writer hereupon if great persons in the multitude of their distractions should not let fall some incongruities And brought him on horseback Whom before he could not endure to see sitting at the Court-gate A great trouble it was to Haman to lead Mordecai's horse which another man would not have thought so the moving of a straw troubleth proud flesh c. Thorough the streets of the City Where all men were now in an amazement at that sudden glory of Mordecai and study how to reconcile this day with the thirteenth of Adar And proclaimed before him Not without an honourable mention made of his loyalty and fidelity to the King the cause of that great honour This Haman was forced to proclaim and that on foot as a servant when Mordecai as a Prince in his state was on horseback It is probable that Haman thought within himself that he should shortly have his penniworths of that vile varlet whom now he thus far honoured and that haply ere night yet at the feast he might prevaile with the King to do by Mordecai as once he did by his Steersman when he came back with shame and losse from his warres with Greece He was forced saith the History to flie back in a poor Fishers boat which being over-burdened had sunk all if the Persians by casting away themselves had not saved the life of their King the losse of which noble spirits so vexed him that having given the Steersman a golden Coronet for preserving his own life he commanded him to execution as a Co-Authour of the death of his servants Verse 12. And Mordecai came again to the Kings gate No whit over-joyed of his new honour or puffed up thereby as many would have been a small winde bloweth up a bubble only he conceiveth hope thereby of a better condition and taketh every former mercy for a pledge of a future this experience breedeth confidence He doth not rush into the Court at his return and reach after an higher room but came again to the Kings gate where his office was and his businesse lay he took up also as some think his old habit again the Kings apparel and horse being restored to the right owner he had as little delight in it as David once had of Sauls armour but it is rather probable saith an Expositour that he now left that off being full of hope that as God had heard his prayers to bring him out of danger and to high honour so he should now be able to help his brethren the Jewes out of theirs also Mean-while he doth not envie his superiours insult over his inferiours trouble his equals threaten his enemies c. but committeth himself and all his affairs to Gods good pleasure and Providence and this is the guise of a godly man Psal 131.1 2. But Haman hasted to his house mourning Or vexed at heart fretting within himselfe that he was so very much disappointed Merrily he made account to have gone to the Queens feast when he had first trussed up Mordecai Of which not only missing but made to do him publike honour in that sort and that by his own direction this gall'd him and grieved him above measure so bladder-like is the foul of an unregenerate man that filled with earthly vanities though but winde it growes great and swells in pride but if prick't with the least pin of piercing grief it shriveleth to nothing And having his head covered With his cap pulled over his eyes as ashamed to look any one in the face See 2 Sam. 15.30 Jer. 14.4 Verse 13. And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends Expecting comfort and counsel from them but they read him his destiny and adde to his grief and desparation letting him know that his state was such as that there was neither hope of better nor place of worse a just hand of God upon such an hard-hearted wretch that had plotted the ruine of so many innocents And this his wife and friends had they done well should have minded him of and stirred him up to repent of his wickednesse against God the cause of his present wretchednesse to be reconciled to Mordecai whom he and they plainly saw to be Gods Favourite and now the Kings also to take down that ugly Gallowes that there were no further notice taken of it the evidence and ensign of his insufferable pride and their unsavoury counsel to get the decree for the Jewes Massacre reversed or countermanded c. But not a word find we of any thing this way tending Gracelesse people neither have God in their heads Psal 10.4 nor hearts Psal 14.1 nor words Psal 12.4 nor wayes Tit. 1.16 but stand in a posture of distance nay defiance walking contrary to him and therefore he also to cry quittance walketh contrary to them Lev. 26. shewing himself as froward as they for the hearts of them Psal 18.26 Every thing that had befallen him The sad accidents of that day nothing now as once chap. 5.11 boasteth he to them of the glory of his riches and multitude of his children and how the King had advanced him above all his other Courtiers Hamans â—rowing was now turned into crying c. Then said his wife men Wizards haply such as he made use of when he cast Pur for a luckie day and into whose mouthes the devil might put this answer It is his use to bring his impes into the briars and there to leave them as he did Saul whose Funeral Sermon he preached and Judas Julian Valens and others And Zeresh his wife said unto him She is noted for a prudent woman but here she proves as cold a comforter as before she had been an evil counsellour If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jewes A Nation noted for dear to God often delivered by him and that had also the faculty of gaining the good-will of Princes by their excellent vertues as it had been seen in Daniel and his companions in Jechoniah Zerubbabel Ezra Nehemiah and the whole Nation so graciously licensed by Cyrus to return into their own Countrey It is a good Note that one gives here A Jew may fall before a Persian and get up and prevail but if a Persian or whosoever of the Gentiles begin to fall before a Jew he can neither stay nor rise c. Thou shalt not prevaile against him But why did
with his mouth as once with Moses Exod. 4.11 and taught him what he should say There is no mouth into which God cannot put fit words and how oft doth he chuse the weak and unwise to confound the learned and mighty as he did Balaams Asse to convince his Master Vnto the Jewes To them first because they were in their deepest dumps and stood in need of comfort Go tell my disciples and Peter let him know with the first that I am risen for he is in greatest heavinesse And to the Lieutenants and the Deputies c. That they might know that the Kings minde was altered and that the Jewes were now to be favoured and furthered in their just and necessary defence The equity of this Edict so opposite to the former they were not to dispute but to dispatch To argue or debate the businesse were presumption proud curiosity to search the reason thereof to detrect or disobey high offence equal to rebellion Vnto every Province according to the writing thereof In their several characters and manner of writing The China and Japan writing is from the right hand to the left but with the lines down the leafe not crossing c. And unto every people after their language The whole earth was once of one language lip and speech Gen. 11.1 This was the Hebrew-tongue called the Jewes language here and more plainly Esa 36.11 though some fond men have given the seniority to other languages many ages younger then the Hebrew ever since the building of Babel languages were confounded and thereby a great labour laid upon the sonnes of men The Hebrew Doctours say that thenceforth for one tongue there were seventy two languages Others think there were as many tongues as several kindreds and families and these have multiplied also since that time exceedingly It was Mordecai's care here that all Nations under the Persian Dominion might have the Kings Edict in their several dialects that so none might plead ignorance It should be the Magistrates care that their people have the Law of God the holy Scriptures in a known language sith the ignorance thereof is destructive to the soule This the Pope denieth to those misled and muzled soules that are fast locked up in his dark dungeon and giveth this bald reason Ne sacra verba vilescerent lest those holy words should be undervalued and become too cheap This is good Turcisme the Mahometans reade their Alcoran which is their Bible in the Arabick which is their learned tongue lest if translated it should be prophaned by the vulgar Verse 10. And he wrote in the King Ahashuerus name For he knew that where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What doest thou Eccl. 8.4 See Dan. 5,19 Mordecai as he was careful not to abuse his authority so he spareth not to improve it to the utmost for the Churches good We may also lawfully and comfortably improve the benefits and priviledges granted us by Princes and other Benefactors Constantines donation and Peters patrimony is much boasted of by that Antichrist of Rome A meer fiction as divers learned men of their own side have proved Cusanus Ficinus Volates Oâ—ho Frising But if it were never so true what power and Constantine to give away and alienate such a considerable part of the Empire Might he not well have been therefore called Pupillus as he was in scorn by some Heathen Historians for his bounty to poor Christians or with what conscience could the Bishop of Rome have accepted of such a gift Lavat in loc and left it to his Successours But it was neither so nor so Not Constantine but Pepin enlarged the Popes territories as not Peter but Phâ—cas is the right craggy rock upon which is founded the Popes Supremacy And sealed it with the Kings ring See chap. 3.12 and observe what a strange turne of things here was all on the sudden Merlin from this clause gathereth that the King perused and approved whatsoever the Scribes wrote by the appointment of Mordecai he saw it and signed it And sent letters by Posts Chap. 3.23 That was a witty speech of him who said of Sectaries that pretend much to Scripture they were like Posts that bring truth in their letters and lies in their mouthes And of another that they do angariare make Posts of the holy Scriptures Equitantes in equis angariis Tremel compelling them to go two miles which of themselves would go but one And riders on mules Which are counted swifter then horses and yet an horse is so swift a creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Argives consecrated a horse to the Sun as the swiftest beast to the swiftest Planet Camels These were large strong beasts that could endure long and hard travel It is said of them that they do drink in praesens in posterum and can hold out travelling three dayes together without meat And young Dromedaries These were also swift beasts Jer. 2.23 and therefore it is by Antiphrasis that amongst us a slow person is called a Dromedary Vt lucus à non lucendo bellum quasi minimè bellum Verse 11. Wherein the King granted the Jewes The slaughter therefore that they made of their enemies was not unlawful Because 1. They were armed with authority 2. In their own necessary defence To gather themselves together With till now they might not do lest it should seem a riot or rebellion Conquerours use to disarme and disperse those whom they have vanquished ut sit Vna salus victis nullam spirare sallutem that they may not make head and shake off the yoke And to stand for their life Life is a precious mercy such as all creatures make much of from the highest Angel to the lowest worme See the sweetnesse of it 1 Kings 20.32 Jer. 39.18 and 45.5 Eccl. 9.4 Job 2.4 Quis vitam non vult saith Austin Joseph is yet alive saith Jacob Gen. 45.26 This was more joy to him then all his honour A man is bound to sacrifice all he hath to the service of his life and to die in the defence of it to kill another rather then to be killed by another If it be the defence of a mans own life which the King himself attempteth violently and injuriously to take away Suar. l. 6. c. 4. sect 4. Sebast Huissius in such a case ordinarily it shall be lawful for a subject to defend himself although the death of the Prince follow thereupon saith Suarez In the defence of himself and his friends it may be lawful for a private person to lay hands upon his lawful Prince that setteth upon him without cause saith another Casuist Only such an act as this must not proceed out of hatred or desire of revenge but out of right self-love and pure necessity adhibitâ magna inculpatae tutelae moderatione as the Lawyers call it using great moderation of harmlesse defence To destroy and to slay and to cause
And the decree was given at Shushan the Palace So had the former decree against the Jewes been chap. 3.15 the Post also hastened as now There is no doubt but many disaffected persons would jeare at this last decree as extorteth from the King by the Queens importunity and would perswade themselves and others that the King was of the same minde as before to have the Jewes rooted out only to give his wife content he had set forth this counter-edict which they would not take notice of Thus those that are ripe for ruine harden their own hearts and hasten their own destruction Verse 15. And Mordecai went out from the Presence of the King Whether he went is not set down It is probable he either went to Hamans house the oversight whereof was committed to him by Esther or that he went to some other parts of the City upon the publick emploiment whereof now he had his hands full and therefore all his faculties were in motion and every motion seemed a well-guided action as one saith well of Queen Elizabeth when she first came to the Crown In royal apparel Suitable to his new condition This he might lawfully do no doubt as did Joseph Daniel Solomon Generally those that are in Kings houses are clothed in softs and go gorgeously There is indeed a blame-worthy excesse herein Zeph. 1.8 Isa Athenaeus 3.18 Alcisthenes his costly cloak prized at one hundred and twenty talents Demetrius King of Macedony his robe of State which none of his Successours would weare propter invidiosam impendii magnificentiam Herâ—ds cloth of silver which by refraction of the Sun-beams upon it gave such a splendour that the foolish people for that and for his speech cried him up for a god Good Mordecai thought never a whit the better of himself for his gay clothing neither did his heart rise with his habit as the boat doth with the water that carrieth it He affecteth not this change but rather accepteth it he endureth it rather then desireth it Sheeps-russet would please him every whit as well as cloth of tissue but that the King will have it so and being now the second man in the Kingdome he must go accordingly lest he should be sleighted as Agesilaus King of Sparta was by the Persians for his over-plain habit Vestis virum facit a man is esteemed as he is arrayed cultúsque concessus atque magnificus comely and costly attire addeth authority as Quintilian long since observed And with a great crown of gold We reade not that Haman had any such It may be the King had bestowed it upon Mordecai as a special favour for having saved his life chap. 2. Sure it is that he gave it him for a better cause then Alexander the Great did his crown of one hundred and eighty pounds provided by him at a great Supper and promised to him that should drink most Mordecai had his temporal Crown upon far better termes and yet looked for a more massie one in heaven 2 Cor. 4.17 even such a weight of glory as that if the body were not by the Power of God upheld it were impossible it should beare it And with a garment of fine linnen Or of silk which was anciently sold for its weight in gold Plin. l. 19. c. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verb. frequentativum as Pliny testifieth This rich glutton is taxed for the too frequent use of it Luke 16.19 It was his every dayes weare as the Greek word importeth And purple This was also much worn by great ones of old Dives was daily clothed with it and was so far from cloaking his pride that he proclaimed it in his cloak This purple colour was made saith Lavater here of the juice or blood of a certain shell-fish Now they say there is no right purple Perhaps when the foure Monarchies ceased purple ceased with them And the City of Susan rejoyced and was glad Time was when they were in perplexity chap. 3.5 now in jollity Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The joyful Jews there by way of Antiphony answer The Lord hath indeed done great things for us whereof we are glad Psal 126.2 3. Tremelius Lucebat after Aben-Ezra rendreth it And the City of Shushan shone the Lilly was now most lovely and lightsom The word signifieth properly hiâ—â—ivit neighed as an horse which he doeth not but when he is well-pleased The whole City was well a paid but the poor Jewes were over-joyed so that their mouth was filled with laughter and their tongue with singing This is the import of the Metaphor here used Verse 16. The Jews had light and gladnesse Truly the light is sweat and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Eccl. 11.7 Such as have been long shut up in a dark dungeon as Joseph will surely say so These Jews had for two months more layn buried alive as it were in heavinesse and horrour they walked in the very vale of the shadow of death the darkest side of death death in its most hideous and horrid representations stared them in the face Luctus ubique pavor plurima mortis imago Virg. Their Motto at the best was that of the City of Geneva out of Job Post tenebras spero lucem after darknesse we have some faint hopes of life Job 17. But now it was otherwise with them Light was risen to these righteous and joy to these upright in heart Judaeis fuit lux laetitia or as Tremelius rendreth it illustris laetitia famous gladnesse gaudium gloria unspeakable joy and full of glory as St. Peter phraseth it an exuberancy of spiritual joy and inward comfort fitter to be believed then possible to be discoursed For we may not think that the joy and gladnesse here mentioned was no more then that of profane and carnal people upon the receipt of some special mercy or signal deliverance They rejoyce harlot-like in the gift but not in the Giver they gnabble upon the shell but taste not of the kernel The joy that these Jewes had was the fruit of fasting and prayer according to that of our Saviour Ask that your joy may be full Pray that ye may joy The fountain of it was the light of Gods loving countenance it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Josephus hath it here a salvifical light The matter of it was the happy change of their late lamentable condition and this as a pledge of that light of life eternal See Psal 23.5 6. the end of it was a testification of their hearty thankfulnesse to God for his unconceivable loving kindnesse a breaking forth into those or the like words of the Psalmist Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Psalme 68.19 20. And gladnesse Habitual joy
diu toleratur They shall fall by the sword they shall be a portion for foxes Psal 63.10 The Spoiler shall be spoiled Esa 33.1 and he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Rev. 13.10 See 2 Thess 1.6 And did what they would unto those that hated them Where it is to be hoped that they furbished the sword of justice with the oyle of mercy that they remembred that of the Philosopher Posse nolle nobile est that in some cases a man must not do all that he may do as there be some again wherein severity ought to cast the scale The Turks severity I can by no means like that will rather cut off two innocent persons then let one guilty man go free Zenecat obs polit Nor that of the Venetians who punish with death such as cozen the State of but one penny if it be proved against them Again care must be taken that justice be not executed whether in a civil or military way with a vindictive minde but all selfish actions carefully strained out Private revenge leaveth a stain upon a man some wayes innocent witnesse Jehu and puts an innocency upon the greatest offendour witnesse Abner Verse 6. And in Shushan the Palace One would wonder that any here should offer to stir against the Jewes so much favoured by the King patronized by Mordecai and well-appointed to withstand them But they were mad with malice against Gods people and ambitious of their own destruction Hamans death still sticks in their stomacks and they resolve to be revenged whatever it stands them in With like stoutnesse of stomack it was that Jezabel painted her face and tired her head when Jehu was come to Jezreel and looking out at a window said Had Zimri peace c. Herein certainly she shewed her great stoutnesse as if she would daunt Jehu and out-brave him in the midst of his pomp and triumph 2 Kings 9.30 31. Divine vengeance suffereth not wicked people to rest and to keep in their malice and mischief but that they must break out and run headlong like wilde beasts into the hunters toile or upon the spears point whereby they perish Verse 7.8 9. And Parshandatha and Dulphon and Vajezatha This Vajezatha was the youngest but most malicious of them all against the Jewes as their Doctours guesse and gather from the little Zain and great Vau found in his name Verse 10 The ten sonnes of Haman Of whom he had so boasted chap. 5.12 and bore himself bold as believing that being so full of children he should leave the rest of his substance to his babes Psal 17.14 These ten likely were ring-leaders to those Hamanists in Shushan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that durst appear in so bad a cause being evil egges of an evil bird Non enim fieri ullo modo potest ut ex me Agrippina vir bonus nascatur said Domitius the father of Nero Dio in Ner. It cannot be that of my self and Agrippina should come any good man Haman brought up his sonnes to bring down his house and was a Parricide to them rather then a Parent His darling Vajezatha he corrected not but cockered no wonder therefore that he proved to be of a gastrill-kinde disquieting his own nest of a viperous brood and therefore though not hanged together with his father and the whole family as the Apocryphal additions of Esther chap. 16.18 tell us but not truly yet slain in this insurrection at Shushan together with the rest of his brethren the good people crying out as once they did at Rome when the sonne of Maximinus the Emperour was put to death Ex pessimo genere ne catulum quidem habendum Let not one whelp be left of so evil a litter But on the spoile laid they not their hand Lest the King should be damnified or themselves justly taxed of covetousnesse and cruelty Give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10.32 This is oft repeated in this chapter Non semper omnia quae licent sunt facienda Lavat to their great commendation that although by the Kings grant they might have taken the spoile chap. 8.11 yet they did it not 1. To shew that they were Gods Executioners not thieves and robbers 2. To gratifie the King for his courtesie towards them by leaving the spoile wholly to his Treasury 3. It is not unlikely Fâ—vard saith an Interpreter that Mordecai and Esther had admonished them how ill Saul had sped with his spoiles of the Amalekites and Achan with his wedge of gold which served but to cleave his body and soul asunder and his babylonish garment which proved to be his winding-sheet Verse 11. On that day the number of those that were slain This was done haply by some Malignants that would thereby have incensed the King against the Jewes Or else the King as became a good Shepherd of his people taketh an account of his slain subjects by diligent enquiry made thereinto Whereupon he might have repented him now in cold blood of his grant to Esther and the Jewes those forreigners against his natural subjects who had done nothing but by his command c. But God so ordered it that all this notwithstanding the King was well content with that which was done as supposing that Hamans sonnes and complices would be seeking revenge â—imiâ—iâ— sunt bâ—ni pâ—storiâ— boni regis opeâ—a Cyâ— 5. â—pud Xenoph. and plotting mischief if left alive He therefore goeth merrily into the Queen acquainting her with the number of the slain and giving her leave to ask of him whatever more she desired to be done This was the Lords doing all along Verse 12. And the King said unto Esther the Queen He would needs be the messenger himself as presuming the newes would be most welcome to her whom he desired to gratifie rather out of affection of love then desire of justice else he would never have so little respected the slaughter of his subjects armed by his own command What have they done in the rest of the Kings Provinces This he should have uttered with grief and regret accounting the blood of his subjects dear and precious and not making light of so many mens lives lost by his default But many Kings make as little reckoning of their subjects lives as Charles the ninth did of the Huguenots in the French Massacre or as the grand Seignior doth of his Asapi a kinde of common souldiers borne for most part of Christian Parents and used by him in his wars for no other end but to blunt the swords of his enemies or to abate the first fury and thereby to give the easier victory to his Janizaries and better souldiers Turk hist 317. This the Turkish Tyrants hold for good policy How much better that Romane General who said that he had rather save one Citizen then slay twenty enemies and Edward the Confessour who when
man exceedingly for this that when he died he was more solicitous of the Churches then of his own dangers So was Calvin as is testified in his life Nay Cicero as he could confidently sing O fortunatam natam me consule Romam So he elswehere professeth that he was in no lesse care what the Common-wealth would do when he was dead then whiles he was yet alive Cic. de amici Soli Deo Gloria in aeternum A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the BOOK of JOB CHAP. 1. Verse 1. There was a Man A Notable man a man by ad excellency and with an accent as it were A man of high degree as the word Ish signifieth Psal 49.2 62.9 where it is opposed to Adam utpote quem ex meliore luto finxit Titan a Manly man Animo virili praeditus every way excellent and eximious Magnus admirabilis vir c. A great and marvellous man if it be fit to call him by the name of a man as Chrysostome speaketh of Babylas the Martyr Orat. cont Gentiles Basil in his Sermon of the forty Martyrs calleth them the Stars of the World and the flowers of the Churches Chrysostome speaking of those that were praying for Peter Act. 12. saith that Puriores caelo afflictione facti sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 55. in Mat. Damâ—â—hum beminis miraculum natura ut de Scaligerâ— non nemo dixit by their afflictions they were become clearer then the azured sky and elsewhere falling into speech of some religious men of his time he doubteth not for their holy and heavenly conversation to stile them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels That Job deserved this high title as well as the best of them we have here and otherwhere Gods own testimony of him and this whole book whereof he is the principal object doth abundantly prove him an Heroe In the Land of Vz Which what it was and where situate though our Maps shew us not yet by the consent of all it was a country bordering upon Idumea in part and part upon Arubia see Lam. 4.21 Jer. 25.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Odys Chrysostome testifieth that Jobs sepulcher hath been shewed in Arabia which might well have been called Happy if but for having such an inhabitant Ptolemy placeth the Hussites in Arabia Whose name was Job It is then a true and real history that we here have of him and not a fiction or a moral parable as some have believed see a double testimony for this the one Prophetical Ezek 14.14 the other Apostolical Jam. 5.11 and such a well-twined cord is not easily broken What if posephâ—s make â—â—â—mention in his History of such a man it was beside his purpose to write any thing but what concerned the Jewes Aristeus in his History of the Jewes maketh Johâ— be descended of Esan and to dwel in Idumea The Jew-doctors and some of the Fathers of the Church make him to be that Jobab mentioned Gen. 36.33 True it is that the words differ much in the Hebrew writing but for that whiles he prospered he might be called Joâ—â—b when in distresse which 〈◊〉 twelve months say the Hebrews seven yeares saith Suides contracted into Job See the like Rath 1.20 Cox 17.5 Some make him to be much more ancient viz. the same with that Jobab who was the Son of Jockran the nephew of Eber 1 Chron. 1.23 and that himself was pen-man of this book He doth 〈◊〉 wish that his words 〈…〉 book and haply he and his 〈…〉 in Hexameters for most part as Hierome thinketh But that it was by inspiration of God is testified not only by the divine Grandeur and Majesty of the stile together with the intrinsecal excellency and efficacy of the matter but also by the concurrent testimony of not a few other Scriptures sufficiently asserting the authentity and authority of this Book The common opinion is that is was written by Moses while he abode as a stranger among the Midianites for the comfort of his poor Country men groaning under the Egyptian servitude or else that this History written at first by Job and his friends in prose was afterwards by Moses put into verse and imbelished Preface to his Paraphrase with the most rich ornaments and the most glittering figures of Poetry Sure it is saith Senaâ—lt that there is no book in the world where the manner of speaking is more noble the conceits mere generous the descriptions more rich and the comparisons more natural Sometimes the Author reasoneth like an excellent Philosopher oftentimes like a profound Divine but alwaâ—es like an Orator and his Eloquence never leaveth him And that man was peâ—â—ect that is upright aâ—â—t followeâ—â— next and sincere without guile or gall a pattern of patience a standing rule to all ages and therefore in Gods acceptation and account perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 because in him patience had her perfect work Tamim de victimis perfectis immaculatis dicitur as much as mortality would afford It was but an unsavory speech of him who when he was perswaded to be patient as Job was replied what tell you me of Job Job never had any suites in Chancery no but he had far sharper trials and if he had been judge in that Court as he was in his own Country Chap. 29.12 17 he would have made as good dispatch there as ever Sir Thâ—maâ— Mâ—â—r did who calling once for the next cause was answered That there was none And upright more resembling Jacob that plain-hearted man then 〈◊〉 his great Grand father Of the word here used Jesher Israel was called Jeshâ—â—◠〈◊〉 22.15 and 33.5 26. Isai 44.1 because God requireth uprightnesse which he calleth perfection Deut. Buxtorf 18.13 and there is a great Tau in the world Tanâ—â—â— to shew that an upright man keepeth the whole law from the first to the last lenâ—â—â— thereof and where he findeth it â—eckoneth Jâ—â—her an Ishmaelite 1 Chron. 7.17 is he a very good Israelite 2 Sam. 17.25 and Job the Idumeaâ— a very good Christian such an one as Apelles was Rom. 16 approved in Christ And one that feared God with an amicable not servile feare such as was that of those mongrels who seat'd him for his Lyons and are therefore said not to have feared him Sic vive cum beminibum tanquam Deus videat Sâ—â—iquere cum Dec c. Sam â—emp 2o. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 King 17.32 33 34. Job so lived with men as if God saw him and so spake with God as if men over-heard him Thence it was that seldome or never did any man see him doing or hear him speaking but what was good and godly as Xenophon saith of Socrates Thence it was that he never did well that he might appear to do so sed quia aliter facer◠〈…〉 as Valleius saith of Cato but because acting by this principle of Gods 〈◊〉 he could not do otherwise for the fear of the
capitulate with him and not stoop unto him by an humble yieldance especially sithence Deus crudelius urit Quos videt invitos succubuisse sibi Tibul. Eleg 1.8 The way to disarme Gods heavy indignation is to submit to his justice and to implore his mercy Hos 5.14 to fly from his Anger to his Grace Blood-letting is a cure of bleeding and a burne a cure against a burne and running to God is the way to escape him as to close and get in with him that would strike you doth avoid the blow and this is that that I would do were I in thy case saith Eliphaz here Hee doth not vaunt as Olympiodorus mistaketh his meaning but advise Job to humble himself and confesse his sinnes and sue for pardon of sin and release of punishment to kisse the rod and not to bite it to drink of Gods cup willingly and at first when it is full as Mr. Bradford Martyr hath it lest if he linger he drink at length of the dregs with the wicked And unto God the righteous Judge as the word importeth Phocyl who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither â—areth nor feareth any man as it was said of Trajan the Emperour but more truly of God he proceedeth according to truth not according to opinion or appearance and greatly scorneth to look at displeasure revenge or recompence Would I commit my cause Put my case and condition by self-resignation and humble supplication This David did notably 2 Sam. 15.25 26. Psal 142.2 and counsels all to do accordingly Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden or thy request upon the Lord by vertue of this writ or warrant Verse 9. Which doth great things and unsearchable The better to perswade Job to take his counsel he entreth into a large description of Gods attributes his Power Wisedome Aug. Justice Mercy c. all which are clearly seene in his workes of wonder as in a mirrour or as on a theatre These he is ever in doing as the word here signifieth and sheweth himself great in great things and not little in the least dum memora culicis pulicis disponit yea he useth to be greater in smaller things then in bigger The soul is more operative in Ants then in Elephants in Dwarfes then in Giants So he delights to help his people with a little help Dan. 11.34 that through weaker meanes they may see his greater strength to magnifie his power in pardoning their many and mighty sinnes Numb 14.17 18. Micah 7.18 to illustrate his power in their perseverance and wonderfull preservation amidst a world of evils and enemies John 10.29 1 Pet. 1.5 to fulfill his promises seeme they never so improbable or impossible Jer. 32.14 15. to answer prayers that look as if lost and to do for his people exceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think according to the power that worketh in them Eph. 3.20 All this Eliphaz would have Job to consider that he might not cast away his confidence but seek to God and turn his talk to him as Beza turneth the fore-going words And unsearchable Heb. And no search for they are fathomlesse and past finding out Rom. 11.33 This Eliphaz might say to stop Jobs curiosity and to humble him for his sinne in enquiring too much into the reason of Gods so severe dealing with him chap. 3. In prying too farre or too boldly into the secret workings of God It should suffice us to know that the will of Gods is the rule of right that his judgements are sometimes secret alwaies just that it is extreme folly to reprehend what we cannot comprehend wee may as soone comprehend the sea is a cockleshell as the unsearchable things of God in our narrow and shallow understandings that at the last day all things shall be cleared up and every mouth stopped when exquisite reasons of all Gods proceedings which now seem not so well carried shall be produced and wisedome shall be justified of her children Marvellous things Such as the wisest may well wonder at God is the onely Thaumaturgus the great wonder-worker and these marvels are more ordinary then the most are either at all either aware of or affected with To let passe those wonders of the Creation for which see Psal 136.4 5 6 7. Canst thou tell how the bones grow in her that is with child saith Solomons Eccl. 11.5 Mirificatus sum mirabilibus operis tuis so Montanus rendreth that of David Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy workes c. Galen that great Naturallist Fernel de abd rer caus was much amazed at the motion of the lungs in mans body and would needs offer sacrifices therefore to that God whom he knew not Who can give a naturall reason of the strength of the neather-chap of the heat in the stomack of the colours in the rain-bow of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea or but of this ordinary occurrence that chaffe is so cold that it keepes snow hidden within it from melting and withall so warme that it hasteneth the ripening of Apples Well might Eliphaz say that God doth marvellous things without number Verse 10. Who giveth vain upon the earth This is reckoned and rightly among the marvellous workes of God See chap. 28.26 Jer. 10.13 Amos 5.8 Acts 14.17 Raine is the flux of a moist cloud which being dissolved by little and little by the heat of the Sun lets down 〈◊〉 by drops out of the middle region of the aire this is Gods gift For he 1. 〈◊〉 it Job 28.26 2. Prepareth it Psal 147.8 3. With-holdeth it at his pleasure â—â—opping those bottles that should yeild it Amos 4.7 4. Sendeth 〈…〉 the behoof and benefit of man and 〈◊〉 as also for the demonstration of his Power Wisedome Justice and Goodnesse whereof hee hath not left himself 〈◊〉 by without witnesse Acts 14.17 whiles he weigheth these waters above the firmament by measure so that not one drop falleth in vain or in a wrong place In those hot countries where Rivers were scant raine was highly valued they called it the husband of the earth because the earth can no more hear fruit without it then a woman children without the company of a man The Egyptians were wont in mockery to tell the Grecians that if their God whom they called cloud-gathering Jupiter should forget to give raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might chance to sterve for it see the reason Deut. 11.8 11 12. Egypt was watered with the soot as a garden by sluces from Nilus not so Canaan He sendeth waters upon the fields irrigat aquis universa saith the vulgar Hee moisteneth all places with waters by the showres which falling upon the ground run hither and thither he divideth the fields as it were into streets and high wayes so Beza paraphraseth Another thus 'T is he himselfe who watereth it as well by those waters which fall from heaven as by those which he hath hidden in its entrailes and whose secret
take home to himself God will turn all their sadnesse into gladnesse all their sighing into singing all their tears into triumphs their sorrowful out-cryes into joyful jubilees In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare or a cord viz. to strangle his joy with to check and choak all his comforts but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 They may do so here amidst all their troubles 2 Cor. 7.4 As the Lily looks fresh and beautiful and blithe though among thorns they shall do so hereafter when they enter into the joy of their master See Isa 65.13 A joy fitter to be believed then possible to be discoursed See a shadow of it Psalm 126.1 2. Verse 22. They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame It shall cover their faces Psalm 69.7 yea over-cover the whole man when beyond all expectation they shall see thee restored to thy former prosperity Where it is worth considering saith one how truly this fell out touching Job and these his friends he was restored and they by Gods reproving them covered with shame as it appeareth chap. 42. And the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought Heb. shall not be See ver 18. Understand it not of his tabernacle only or dwelling-place but of his whole estate both temporal and spiritual all shall come to wrack and ruine God shall utterly overturn them as Zâ—sca did those three hundred Monasteries and among the rest that famous Monastery called the Kings Court a mile from Prague in the walls whereof Mr. Clark in his life the whole Bible was most exquisitely written in letters of gold The house of the wicked shall be overthrown but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish Prov. 14.11 CHAP. IX Verse 1. Then Job answered and said HE answered to his two friends who had formerly spoken first to that of Eliphaz chap. 4.17 and next to that of Bildad chap. 8.3 Bildad had interrupted him when he would have excused himself that he did by no means deny the justice of God as they mistook him Now therefore that Bildad had spoke his utmost Job beginneth to dispute and to declare his judgment concerning that subject and this he doth longè magnificentiùs augustiùs quà m socii saith Mercer far more magnificently and majestically then his two friends had done proving that God is just even then when he afflicteth the innocent neither have such any just cause to except against his proceedings in that behalf sith he fetcheth not the causes of his decrees and purposes from the things which he governeth but his will which is before all things is the rule of all justice St. Paul also had respect unto this Rom. 9.20 11.32 rising a great deal higher namely to the eternal decree of Election and Reprobation after this Job setteth forth what is the condition of men and what poor things they are in comparison of God thereby to bring himself and others to the true knowledg of God and of themselves which is the highest wisedome in the world Verse 2. I know it is so of a truth Bildads argument was God who hath punished thee is just therefore thou art unjust Job grants the Antecedent here but denies and refutes the consequent verse 22 23. c. To Eliphaz also Job grants not only that man could not be more just then God as he had said chap. 4.3 but also that none could ever be found so just that he might any way be compared to God Job is one of those Candidates of Immortality who can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 every parcel whereof he accounted precious and could not but be a friend to it though brought by them who seemed his enemies this spoke him ingenuous and humble a well-tempered champion for the truth Athanasius is said to be such another and so Mr. Bucer Helvidius is taxed by Hierome for the contrary and B. Mountague by D. Rivet But how should man be just with God Mr. Broughton translateth And how can man be just before the Omnipotent Sorry sickly wretched man how can he be just sc by an inherent righteousnesse by an imputed he may before the most Holy and Almighty God or compared to him Job afterwards setting himself by God and considering the infinite distance and disproportion crieth out I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes chap. 42.5 6. I say likewise Woe is me for I am undone chap. 6.5 He that hath looked a while intentively upon the body of the Sun is so dazeled with the beams thereof that he can see nothing Verse 3. If he will contend with him If any one would be so fool-hardy or adventurous as to dispute with God about his judgments he could not though hee were never so wise or well-skilled answer him one objection of a thousand but must needs yeild any say I am no fit match for God The Jew-Doctors and after them Vatablus set this sense upon the text If he that is if man should contend with him that is with God as through the Luciferian pride of his heart he is apt enough to do he would not answer him one of a thousand God would not honour him so far as to answer so contemptible an adversary and so slight and senselesse arguments if he vouchsafe an answer it shall not be so much as the Eccho giveth the voice it shall not be to one article or argument of a thousand Egregius quidem sensus saith Mercer this is a good sense but the other is better and well agreeth with verse 14. Verse 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength And must therefore needs be a most just judg sith he neither wanteth wisedome to judge nor power to execute what then should turn him out of the track of Justice Let God be just and true but every man a liar as it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings Psalm 55.4 Rom. 3.4 and mightest overcome or be clear when thou judgest or when thou art judged for at the same time that God doth judg or execute judgment upon any he may also be said to be judged whilst men passe their censures either as applauding or disliking his judgments and then may he be said to overcome when judged when men acknowledge the justice of his judgments when they conclude him wise in heart that is the only wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 and mighty in strength that is the mighty strong God Isai 9.6 Who doth whatsoever he will in heaven and earth Psal 1 â—8 In speaking of these and other his most glorious attributes we speak non quantum debemus sed quentum possumus not so much as we ought but so much as we are able As for the wisedome of God Nemo sapientiam Dei immensam in omnem aeternitatem exhauriet saith Graâ—ian the Emperour in an Epistle to Ambrose no man shall ever be able to fathome or find it out And as for his
themselves that will needs go to God in their own righteousnesse as the proud Pharisee Luke 18. The calamity of these merit-mongers shall rise suddenly Behold a whirle-wind or a tempest of the Lord goeth forth in fury even a grievous whirle-wind it shall fall grievously upon the head of these wicked ones Jer. 23.19 This Saint Paul knew and therefore did his utmost that he might be found in Christ sc when sought for by the justice of God not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Philip. 3 9. And multiplieth my wounds without cause i. e. Without any other cause then to try me and prove my patience which now Job began to perceive as Philip gathereth or without any manifest cause and perceivable by an afflicted man so Aquinas senseth it God hath not told me the reason of his chastenings but to increase my grief he concealeth from me the cause of them and yet he multiplieth still my sores and my sorrows Or without cause that is without any such cause as his friends alledged against him viz. that he was a rank hypocrite Verse 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath I am so far from a period that I have no pause of my troubles I cannot get any interspiria's or free breathing-whiles See chap. 7.19 And in the former verse he had complained that God had stormed him Interim per Pathos saith Mercer here he returns to his old practice of expostulating about the greatnesse of his grief and spares not to hyperbolize Beda and others understand this text of a bodily distemper upon Job which had made him short-winded And Lavater hath this good note here Hoc cogitandum nobis est c. Let this text be thought upon when our spirits begin to sink as also when by reason of the Ptisick or any other like disease we feel a difficulty of breathing and a straitening of our pectorals or be otherwise compassed about with great sorrows But filleth me with bitternesse Heb. He satiateth me with bitternesses i. e. with sore and sharp afflictions which are no way joyous but grievous to the flesh Heb. 12.11 Job had his belly-full of gall and worm-wood he had not only a draught or two but a diet-drink made him of most bitter ingredients Of this he complaineth heavily what then will the wicked do that must suck up the dregs of Gods cup Psalm 78.8 which hath eternity to the bottom Verse 19. If I speak of strength lo he is strong Neither by might nor right can I deal with him Broughton renders it As for force he is valiant the Lord is a man of warre saith Moses Exod. 15.3 Yea he is the Lord of arms saith David Psal 84. Yea He alone is a whole army of men Van Rere both saith Isaiah cap. 52.12 there is no doubt then but he will carry the day sith no creature is able to grapple with him The weaknesse of God if any such thing there were is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1.25 and by weakest means he can effect greatest matters as once he did in Egypt And if of judgment who shall set me a time to plead Who shall appoint the time and place of our meeting If I shall go about to sue him at law I shall have but a cold suit an ill pull of it for who shall make him appear or bring him to his answer and where shall I find an advocate a patron to plead my cause yea where shall I get a witnesse for so the vulgar reades it Nemo audet pro me restimonium dicere No man will be so bold as to give an evidence for me or be a witnesse on my side Verse 20. If I justifie my self If in default of other pleaders I should undertake to manage my cause my self I should be never the neer Mine own mouth shall condemn me i. e. God out of mine own mouth as finding mine arguments weak and worthlesse He knowes us better then we know our selves and when he comes to turn the bottom of the bag upwards as once Josephs steward did theirs all our secret thefts will out and those will appear to be faults that we little thought of A Dutch Divine when to die was full of fears and doubts said some to him you have been so employed and so faithful why should you fear Oh said he the judgment of man and the judgment of God are different Vae hominum vitae quantumvis laudabili si remotâ misericordiâ judicetur Wo to the most praise-worthy man alive if he meet with judgment without mercy The best lamb should abide the slaughter except the ramme were sacrificed that Isaak might be saved If I say I am perfect What if God had said so chap. 1.1 yet Job might not Prov. 27.2 2 Cor. 10.18 Or if he do at any time justifie himself as chap. 29. 30 he doth it is in his own necessary and just defence against the charge of his friends Real apologies we must ever make for our selves when wronged verbal if any must be managed with meeknesse of wisedome Verse 21. Though I were perfect That is of an unblameable conversation yet could not I know mine own soul that is those secret sins Psalm 19.12 those litters of lusts that lurk therein therefore I despise my life I have no joy at all of it but could wish to be out of the world to be rid of these evil inmates that will not out of doors till the house fall upon the heads of them till the earthly Tabernacle that harboureth them be once dissolved Others read and sense the words thus I am perfect or upright neither do I know mine own soul i. e. quicquam perversi in anima mea any allowed sin in my soul yet I am so afflicted that I despise my life as being but a continued death Aben-Ezra reads the verse with an admiration thus Perfect I am and think you that I know not mine own soul that I am so great a stranger to my self or that I have so little care of mine own good as that I despise my life and walk at all adventures Tremellius thus I am upright whatever you my friends would make of me neither value I my life or soul in comparison of mine integrity my life is but a trifle to my conscience c. Verse 22. This is one thing therefore I say it And will stand to it though I stand alone this being the one thing wherein I differ in opinion from you and because it is the hinge upon which the whole dispute betwixt us is turned therefore I will abide by it and be Doctor resolutus resolute in the maintenance of it viz. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked A harsh doctrine yet a good one saith an Interpreter Grace is no target against the greatest affliction See Eccles 9.1 2 3. Mal. 3.14 Ezek. 21.3 Heb. 11. shewes that
forth that he will not once offer to contend with God he here humbly begs of God no further to contend with him but to grant a truce at least-wise during the treaty and either to take away or howsoever to mitigate his sorrows and sores See the like chap. 15.20 21. And let not his fear terrifie me i. e. His formidablenesse see chap. 7.14 let it not scare me or put me as it were beside my wits Psalm 88.15 Ne me transversum agaâ— Sept. Verse 35. Then would I speak and not fear him I would come boldly to the throne of grace and freely pour out my soul into his bosome If he meant that he would maintain his own cause against Gods proceedings as some understand it grounding upon chap. 33.6 7. he was questionless in a very great error and the flesh had got the hill of the Spirit But it is not so with me So how so as you imagine Vatab. Non sum talis qualem me esse putatis I am no such one as you take me for viz. an hypocrite I am not so self-guilty say the Septuagint or thus It is not so with me that is I do not find God answering my suit for I am still scourged and frighted so that I scarce know what I say CHAP. X. Verse 1. My soul is weary of my life BEcause it is a lifelesse life Mortis habet vires a death more like Life is sweet and every creature maketh much of it from the highest Angel in heaven to the lowest worm on earth The Scripture setteth it forth as a sweet mercy Gen. 45.28 Lam. 3.39 Esth. 7.3 Jer. 39.18 and 45.5 But God can so imbitter it with outward and inward troubles that it shall become a burthen I am weary of my life saith good Rebecca Gen. 27.46 and what good shall my life do me David forced to be in bad company cryes Oh that I had the wings of a dove c. Wo is me that I sojourn in Meshech c. Elias fleeing from Jezabel requested for himself that he might dye saying It is enough Lord take away my life for I am not better then my fathers 1 Kings 19.4 No Heb. 1â— but God had provided some better thing for him as the Apostle speaketh in another case for he was shortly after translated and taken out of the reach both of Jezabel whom he feared and of death which he desired Sed multi magni viri sub Eliae junipero sedent saith one Many good men sit under Eliâ—s his juniper wishing to be out of the world if God were so pleased that they might rest from their labours and be rid of their many burdens and bondages as in the mean while they rather endure life then desire it as holding it little better then hell were it not for the hopes they have of heaven hereafter I will leave my complaint upon my self Liberty I will take to complain whatever come of it I will lay the reins in the neck and let my passions have their full swinge at my peril See the like chap. 13.3 Verùm Job hac in re nimius saith Mercer but Job was too blame in doing and saying thus and it is to be attributed to the infirmity of his flesh wherewith although the spirit do notably combat yet the flesh seemeth sometimes and in some sort to get the better Nimis augusta res est â—â—spaim errare saith one Barclai Euphorm Triste mortalitatis privilegium est licere aliquando peccare saith another The snow-like swan hath black legs and in many things we offend all Gold is not to be refused because it wanteth some grains and hath a crack c. I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul And so seek to ease my grief by giving a vent unto it But it is evident that such out-bursts and overflowings of the gall and spleen come from a fulnesse of bad humours Verse 2. I will say unto God Do not condemn me You may say so as an humble suppliant but not as holding your self innocent and therefore harshly dealt with The Hebrew is Do not make me wicked rather do good ô Lord to those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts but lead me not forthwith the workers of iniquity as a melefactor is led forth to execution Psal 125.5 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me i. e. Quare sic me affligas saith Vatablus why thou thus afflictest me whether for sin or for triall and this Job desired to know not to satisfie his curiosity but his conscience as one well observeth and that the world might be satisfied the rash judgment of his friends confuted and answered by a determination from heaven Verse 3. 〈◊〉 it good unto thee that thou shouldst oppresse It is the guise of wicked judges to take this counsel to follow this course whom thou being a most just and righteous judge Beza canst not confirm or encourage by thine own example as it were by a light shining from above Thus Job rhetoricateth his complaints are high yet ever with an allay or mixture of modesty That thou shouldst despise the work of thine hands i. e. Me thy poor creature wilt thou do and undo make a man and unmake him again for thy minds sake Builders use not to ruin what they have built Artificers love and plead for their own handy-work Fathers foster their children with all tendernesse Some Authors dote upon their own doings as Laurentius Valla did upon his Logick as if there had been none such calling it in a bravado Logâ—câ—m Laurentinam and as Caâ—pian the Jesuite did upon his ten leaden reasons which he deemed and boasted to be unanswerable Heliodâ—rus would rather be unbishopped then yeild that his Ethiopick history a toilesome toy but the brat of his brain should be abolished The Saints are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Handy-work Ephes 2.18 Children Job 1.12 Epistle known and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 3. This if we plead when sorely afflicted as the Church did Isa 64.8 And David Psalm 138.8 and Job here we may have any thing See that notable text Isaiah 45.11 And that other Isai 59.16 And shine upon the counsel of the wicked That is favour and further their designs God makes his Sun to shine upon such but himself never shineth upon them he may be angry enough with men though they outwardly prosper yea to prosper in sin is a most heavy judgment See Zacâ— 1.15 with the note there Verse 4. Hast thou eyes of flesh Which see but the surface of things and not that neither in the dark Hast thou not fiery eyes Rev. 1.14 that need no outward light but see by sending out a ray and pierce the inward parts also Hast thou not made the eye yea the optick vertue in the eye which seeth all and is seen of none If the Sun be the eye of the world God is much more the Greeks give him his name from seeing 〈◊〉
they make sheweth whether they be crack'd or sound An asse is known by his ears saith the Dutch proverb and so is a fool by his talk As a bird is known by his note and a bell by his clapper so is a man by his discourse Plutarch tells us that Megabysus a Noble man of Persia Plut. de tranque coming into Apelles the Painters work-house took upon him to speak something there concerning the art of painting and limning but he did it so absurdly that the prentices jeared him and the master could not bear with him Verse 6. Hear now my reasoning c. Or hear I pray you Be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath suffer the words of exhortation and of reprehension sharp though it be and to the flesh irksome yet suffer it sith it is for your good Quintilian testifieth of Vespasian that he was patientissimus veri one that could well endure to be told the truth but there are few Vespasians Many people are like the nettle touch it never so gently it will sting you And hearken to the pleadings of my lips Heb. The contention of my lips see that you not only hear but hearken to it with attention of body intention of mind and retention of memory neither God nor man can bear it to speak and not be heard See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. Heb. 12.25 See that ye slight not shift not off Christ speaking to you in his Ministers and messengers for if they escaped not who refused him that speake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Verse 7. Will ye speak wickedly for God Ought ye to defend Gods justice by unjustly accusing me Or must ye needs so free him from injustice that ye must charge me with hypocrisie Job had before called them Physicians of no value here he compareth them to Lawyers of no conscience that care not what they plead so they may carry the cause for their client But the Lord needeth no such advocates he so loveth truth that he will not borrow patronage to his cause from falshood he so hateth flattery though it be of himself that he hath threatned to cut off all flattering lips Psalm 12.3 and would one day say as much to Jobs friends notwithstanding their pretended zeal for his glory as once Alexander the great did to Aristobulus the Historian who presented him with a flattering piece concerning his own worthy acts which he extolled above measure hee cast the book into the river Hydaspes and told the Author he could find in his heart to cast him after it And talk deceitfully for him To talk for God is our duty it is to make our tongue our glory but to talk deceitfully for him to seek to help his truth by our lie the Vulgar here hath it Needeth God your lie that 's altogether unlawful for shall we do evil that good may come thereof God forbid Rom. 3.8 And yet the Papists do so familiarly and think they therein do God good service as when they deny his provident hand in ordering the disorders of the world to his own glory lest they should make him the Author of sin so they think to defend his justice by teaching predestination according to fore-seen works by ascribing to man free-will righteousnesse of works merit c. So their doctrine of Equivocation for the relief of persecuted Catholicks Spec. hist lib. 29. their piae fraudes as they call them their holy hypocrisie to draw infidels to the embracing of the faith and to the love of vertue their lying legends made say they for good intention that the common people might with greater zeal serve God and his Saints and especially to draw the women to good order being by nature facile and credulous addicted to novelties and miracles Verse 8. Will ye accept his person Whilst you think to gratifie him and to ingratiate with him by oppressing me Can you find no other way of justifying Gods proceedings then by condemning me for wicked because by him so afflicted The truth is these friends of Job out of a perverse zeal of advancing Gods righteousnesse unrighteously suspected poor Job of wickednesse and so rejected his person to accept Gods See the like done Isa 66.5 Jer. 50.7 John 16.2 O sancta simplicitas said John Hus when at the stake he observed a plain country-fellow busier then the rest in fetching fagots to burn the hereticks Will ye contend for God Why not Good blood will not belie it self the love of God constraineth his people to stand to him and to stickle for him Non amat qui non zelat saith a Father But then it must be a zeal according to knowledg for else it will appear to be but base and reprobate metal such as though it seemeth to be all for God yet it never received the image and impresse of Gods holy spirit and therefore is not currant in heaven But that I believe and know said that fiery Frier Brusierd in a conference with Bilney that God and all his Saints whom thou hast so greatly dishonoured Acts Mon. 914. will take revengement everlasting on thee I would surely with these nails of mine be thy death Another Frier preaching at Antwerp wished that Luther were there Erasm Epist lib. 16. that he might bite out his throat with his teeth and with the same teeth receive the Eucharist by Luther so dishonoured Verse 9. Is it good thas he should search you out c q. d. Could you have any joy of such a search Will not all your warpings and partialities your colloguing and sinisterity be laid open to your losse and shame Will not God reprove in stead of approving you in that which ye have said for him but all against me The time will come when God will surely search out all controversies that they all may be ashamed who under a pretent of religion and right have spoken false things and subverted the faith of some See 1 Cor. 3.17 Or as one man mocketh another will ye so mock him Be not deceived God is not mocked deluded beguiled as clients are by their corrupt lawyers as patients are by their cogging quack-salvers Sorry man may be mocked and made to believe lies as 2 Sam. 15.11 Acts 8.9 10. and Rev. 13.3 all the world wondred after the Beast Judges and other wise men are shamefully out other-whiles deceiving and being deceived Not so the All-wise God They that would mock him imposturam faciunt patiuntur as the Emperour said of him that sold glasse for pearls they deceive not God but themselves Neither may they conceit that their good intentions will bear them out as Merlin here noteth any more then it did these contenders for God who little thought of mocking him A bad aim maketh a good action had as we see in Jehu but a good aim maketh not a bad action good as we see in
of sons and of daughters the wil give them an everlasting name that shal never be cut off Not so the ungodly those men of Gods hand for though full of children they leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 yet it will prove to be but luctnosa foecunditas as Hierom speaketh they shall weep for their lost children and not be comforted because they are not Or if they survive they prove singular cuts and crosses to their wretched Parents who have cause enough to cry out as Moses sometimes did let me dye out of hand and not see my wretchednesse Num. 11.15 They are filled with â—â—medicinable sorrowes in the losse either of their children or of their estates by their wasteful children so that they praise the dead above the living and wish they had never been born Eccles 4.2 3. Nor any remaining in his dwellings When the souldiers slew the Tyrant Maximinius and his son at the siege of Aquilâ—ia they cryed out Ex pessima geneve ne catulum quidem habendum Of so ill a kind let not a whelp be kept alive Verse 20 Ther that come after him shal be astâ—â—ied at his day Future Ages hearing the relation of his dismal destruction shall stand agast as if they beheld the dirty ruines of some once beautiful City Happy they if in good earnest they could make that good use of it which Herodotus the Historian saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod men should make of the overthrow of Troy viz. to take notice thereby that great sinners must look for great punishments from God But Ham and his Posterity were little the better for the Deluge in their dayes not the adjacent Countries for Sodoms downfal As they that went before were afrighted scil His contemporaries and eye-witnesses of his calamity apprehended horror so the Hebrew hath it they took a fright which yet was little to the purpose without faith and repentance and unlesse their hearts fell down when their hairs stood upright Verse 21. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked As sure as death 't is so and this is oft inculcated because hardly believed Bildad hints at Job in all this and therefore speaks of the wicked here in the singular number as who should say Thou art the man But Jobs innocency served him for an Heptabâ—ean Buckler And this is the place that is the state Psal 14.4 Of him that knoweth not God Periphrasis impii saith Drusius this is the character of a gracelesse man have the workers of iniquity no knowledg No none that they were a button the better for CHAP. XIX Verse 1. Then Job answered and said HE replyed as followeth to Bildads bitter and tanting invective His miseries he here setteth forth graphically and tragically grating to Bildad that he was dealt with no otherwise then if he were that wicked man described in the foregoing chapter and yet denying himself to be any such one by his lively hope of a joyful Resurrection such as would make a plentiful amends for all ver 26 27 28. For though Mercer make question of it yet I am out of doubt saith Beza that this is the true meaning of this place And surely the whole Scripture doth not yeild us a more notable or a more clear and manifest testimony to confirm unto us the Resurrection of our bodies then this This confession of his faith saith Lavater is the chief thing in this Chapter and therefore challengeth our best attention Verse 2. How long will ye vex my soul viz. with your furious and reproachful charges criminations Have I not misery enough already but you must lay more load of scorn and contempt upon me and so go on to trouble me by adding to my saddest sorrowes Hoccine est moestum consolari such as pierce to the very soul Call you this comforting an afflicted friend How long will ye break me in pieces with words Words also have their weight and if hard and harsh Leniter volant non leniter violant Like maules they break the heart in pieces like a rack they torment it Psal 42.10 As with a Murdering weapon in my bones mine enemies reproached me You shall find some saith Erasmus that of death be threatned can despise it but to be belyed reproached slandered they cannot brook nor from revenge contain themselves Job was a strong man both in faith and patience yet put hard to it by the hard words given him by Bildad and the rest who did rather hurt his eare by the loudnesse of their voices then helped his heart by the force of their reproofs Gods servants must not strive but be gentle 2 Tim. 2.23 24. shewing all meeknesse to all men Tit. 3.2 Jam. 3.17 Gentle showres comfort the earth when dashing storms drown the seed There is a two fold inconvenience followeth upon bitter and boisterous proceedings with a supposed offendour First the party looketh not so much to his own failing as to their passion Secondly As he is unconvinced so they are not esteemed but though they have the right on their side yet they lose the due regard of their cause and reverence of their persons Verse 3. These ten times have ye reproached me i.e. oftentimes Herein Job endured a great fight of affliction as the Apostle stileth it Heb. 10.32 33. a manifold fight as the word there signifieth Cate was two and thirty times accused publickly and as oft cleared and absolved Basil was counted and called an Heretick even by those who as it appeared afterwards were of the same judgement with him and whom he honoured as brethren Dogs in a chase bark sometimes at their best friends c. You are not ashamed that you make your selves strange to me Or Are you not ashamed that ye harden your selves against me Or That ye â—ter and jest at my misery Significat etiam emere vel componari Or That ye make Merchandise of me and take your peny worths out of me Beze agreeable to our Translation paraphraseth it thus Ye take me up so short as if ye dealt with a stranger and forrainer and not with a friend And so the word is taken Gen. 42.7 Verse 4. And be it indeed that I have erred Of humane frailty for that there is any way of wickednesse in me as you would have it I shall never yeeld But nimis angustares est nuspiam errare Involuntary failings I am not free from who knoweth the errors of his life Psal 19.12 What man is he that liveth and sinneth not It is the sad priviledge of mortality Euphorm saith one Licere aliquando peccare to have license sometimes to sin Mine error remaineth with my self q d. 'T is little that you have done toward the convincing me of any error in all this time and talk which until ye have done I must stil remain of the same mind Or thus You shall neither answer nor suffer for mine errour what need then all this hear and
profitable to himself Or But he that is wise c. See Prov. 9.12 which Solomon seemeth to have taken hence Natural reason taught Plantus to bring in a Countrey-man animating his son chearfully to follow his businesse thus Thou plowest harrowest sowest and reapest for thy self Prudentiam selicit as ferè sequitur Isai 52.13 to thee shall this labour bring in joy The word here rendred wise sometimes signifieth prosperous quòd prudentibus omnia feliciter cedant because prudent persons do usually prosper Verse 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Num volupâ— est Omnipotenti c Is any thing added to his joy Or needeth he thy manners and vertues to the making up of his perfection Nothing lesse surely True it is that he solliciteth suitors John 4.23 and is well pleased with our performances Psal 51.6 But it is for our sakes and to our benefit and not his own Like as the Sun when he casteth abroad his beames in the world seemeth to receive light from some other creatures whereas in truth they all receive light from him and not he from them so it is here And as the same Sun draws up vapours from the earth not for it self but to render them again to the earth to moisten and fatten it So God the true Sun of our souls draweth from us our sighs and services not for his own profit but to rain them down again upon us in so many blessings Verse 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee Doth he plague and punish thee thus for fear that in time thou maist grow so over-good that he cannot reward thee or so over-great that he cannot command thee No such marter Others read it thus Would he reprove thee for thy Religion Would he come into judgement with thee q.d. Vox timoris sive religionis activè sumitur c. Merlin 〈◊〉 Surely God would not deal thus harshly with thee if thou didst truly fear him But thou art a wicked wretch as verse 5. Either God punisheth thee for thy piety or thy sinfulnesse Not for the former doubtlesse for piety is profitable to all things c. therefore for the latter This is Eliphaz his Argument here Vel ad demonstrationem debitae miseriae vel ad emendationem labilis vitae vel ad exercitationem necessariae patientiae c. But Austin makes answer besides what Job doth in the two following Chapters Fract in Joan. 124. God chastiseth his best children sometimes for his own glory as John 9.3 sometimes for their good as namely for prevention probation purgation preparation either to the performance of some special service or to the receipt of some special blessing c. Will he enter with thee into judgment This seemeth to be the same in sense with the former Hemistich and then it shewes Eliphaz his confidence though he were in an error Verse 5. Is not thy wickednesse great Why no God of his grace had kept Job innocent of the great transgression Psal 19.13 and that wicked one had not touched him 1 John 5.18 Tactu qualitativo Caâ—etan scil with a deadly couch had not thrust his sting into him or transformed him into sinnes image Had Eliphaz ever found Job to be such a one as here he maketh him Or doth he not by these interrogatories cunningly come over him in kindnesse as we say to make him confesse it Had all been true that is alledged Jobs wickednesse must needs have been great and his iniquity infinite But to be accused is not enough to render a man guilty for then who should be innocent Novit sapiens se ad hoc scamma productum uâ— depugnet cumâ— iâ—s qui maledict is aluntur ut venenis capreae Cato was two and thirty times accused and as often absolved And thine iniquities infinite Heb. There is no end of thine iniquities and hence it is that thy miseries are so many and so long lasting commernistâ— tanta tuis scâ—leribus The wicked indeed are eternally tormented 1. Because being worthlesse they cannot satisfie Gods Justice in any time 2. Because they have an infinite desire of sinning against God Conjecturà duntaxat non rei veritate nititur But neither of these could be truly affirmed of Job That so grave a man as Eliphaz whom the Jew-Doctors account a Prophet should fall so fowle upon his innocent friend and taking occasion by his great afflictions onely conjecture and conclude him so hainous an Offendor cannot possibly be excused Verse 6. For thou hast taken a pledge c. Bona verba quaeso Eliphaz How well might Job have cryed out as David afterwards did Psal 35.11 False witnesses rose up they laid to my charge things that I knew not Here he stands accused 1. Of inhumanitie and crueltie 2. of Irreligion and Impiety But he fully cleareth himself of both Ruffin lib. 10. c. 15. chap. 30. and 31. Athanasius in like sort was falsely accused of Adultery in the Counsel of Tyre Anno 3.43 Eustathius Bishop of Entioch was injuriously deprived for the same cause about the latter end of Constantine the Great Adultery Acts Mon. Heresie and Treason were objected to Archbishop Cranmer Parricide to Mr. Philpot Sedition to Father Latimer to which he answereth As for Sedition for ought that I know me thinks I should not need Christ if I might so say For nought Or unconscionably as one rendreth it and herein lay the fault See Deut. 24.6 10. And stripped the naked of their cloathing If naked how could he strip them hilde them as the word signifieth Chrysostom useth this Proverb Nudus nec a câ—â—tum viris spoiliatur He that is naked cannot be stripped by an hundred men We also have a Proverb Where nothing can be had the King must lose his right And again He is like to get little Who robbeth a Spittle In the late Germane Wars the Crabats at Altroff an University plundered the Scholars Life of the King of Sweden and put poor Genus and Species to their Ransome Micah inveyeth against such Canibal Princes as pluckt the skin from the flesh and the flesh from the bones of the poor oppressed chap. 3.2 3. See the Note there That which Eliphaz here chargeth Job with but without truth is that he script off the cloathing of the naked that is that finding them poor enough he left them yet poorer hardly having a rag to hang on their backs through his extortion Verse 7. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink But hast slain him with thirst when thou mightest have saved him with a cup of cold water Qui non cum potest servat occidit Not to do good when it is in the power of a mans hand is to do evil and not to save a life is to destroy it Mark 3.4 Not robbing only but not relieving of the beggar was the rich mans ruine Luk. 16. who for a cup of cold water duely given might have
had heaven Matth. 10.42 But what meant Eliphaz to charge innocent and munificent Job with such a cruelty 1 The man was angry and Impâ—dit ira animum nè possit cernere verum Horat. 2 He seems not directly to charge him with these crimes Necesse est ut fatcaris tâ— aut hoc aut illud aut omnia commifisse c. Junius but to urge him to consider and confess that he could not be but a grievous sinner who was so great a sufferer Surely God would never handle thee so hardly unless thou wert deeply guilty of these or the like enormities Thou hast with-holden Bread from the hungry Bread thou hadst enough and to spare but like a greedy-gut Pamphagus thou wouldst part with none though it were to save the life not of thine enemy which yet thou shouldest have done Prov. 25.21 Elisha feasted his Persecutors 2 Kings 6. Isaac his wrong-doers Gen. 26.39 by a noble revenge but of thy fellow-friend and brother by race place and grace Thou hast hidden thine eyes from thine own flesh when thou shouldest have dealt thy Bread to the hungry Esa 58.7 Yea drawn out thy soul and not thy sheafe only famelicâ— to the hunger-starved and satisfied the afflicted soul vers 10. Verse 8. But as for the mighty man he had the Earth Heb. But as for the man of Arm he had the Land This the vulgar applieth to Job as if by his power he had wrought all others out and seated himself alone in the Land Pauperes non dignaris pane at potentibuâ— possessiones 〈◊〉 offers c. Vatab. suffering none to dwell by him but those that he could not over-match Others by the mighty man understand the strong and wealthy who are said to be gracious with Job sharing with him in his Possessions and partaking of his Priviledges when the poor were slighted and could not have Justice much less Mercy Here then Eliphaz accuseth Job of Pride and Partiality And the honorable man dwelâ— in it Heb. Eminent or accepted for countenance that is he who came commended by his wealth friends great alliances honours c. was in great request with Job and might easily carry any cause with him Hac sunt peccate gravissima quae non reputant homines saith Vatablus These are very great sins though men little think of it Verse 9. Thou hast sont Widows away empty A Widow is a calamitous name Viâ—u◠〈◊〉 et deâ—elictâ— nihil est humiliuâ— ex pâ—oinde peculiariter viduarum â—udex et vindex est Deus Bain in Prov. 15. 2 Sam. 14.5 I am indeed a Widow-woman and my Husband is dead As a Tree whose root is uncovered thriveth not so it fareth with a widow R. Jonâ— observeth That in Hebrew she hath her name from dumbness quòd mâ—ritâ— mortuo respondere non possit adversariis et se adversus eos tueri because now that her Husband is dead she cannot answer her adversaries or defend her self against them God therefore hath taken them and their Orphans into his tuition owning them as his Clients and commanding all men to be good to them These if Job had indeed sent away empty not only not releiving their necessities but ravishing their estates adding the misery of poverty to that of their condition he had surely subjected himself to the feirce wrath of God their Pâ—troâ— by a specialty And the arms of the fatherless have been broken Immanis injuria si ita res haberet sed calumnia erat saith Mercer This had been a crying crime if it could have been proved against Job but he was not the man Some from these words conclude him a Judge others a King Doubtless he was a porent person and by his greatness could have borne out his soulest outrages breaking through the lattice of the Laws as the bigger Flyes do through a Spider-web Sed alia de se infrà profiâ—â—biâ—ur saith Mercer here But Job shall clear himself in the following Chapters where we shall finde him described and charactered to have been the Oracle of Wisdom the Guardian of Justice the Refuge of Innocency the comet of the Guilty the patron of Peace and pattern of Piety to Magistrates especially in the wise managing of all publick Affairs both of Judgement and Mercy Verse 10. Therefore snares are round about thee Flagitium flagellum sunt sicut acus et filam Sin and Punishment are tyed together with chains of Adamant Eliphaz having with more earnestness than truth set forth Jobs sins now discourseth of his snares Four punishments he assureth him of and every one worse than other 1. He shall be Insnared 2. Frighted 3. Benighted 4. Overwhelmed if Repentance step not in and take up the matter as vers 22. And t is as if he should say Seek not after any other cause of thy Calamities than thy forementioned wickednesses neither seek any other way to get off than by confessing and forsaking them that thou mayst have mercy And sudden fear troubleth thee Fear is a troublesome Passion and sudden evils are very terrible because they expectorate a mans abilities and render him helpless shiftless comfortless See this in Saul who surprized with sudden horrour at his destiny read him by the Devil fell straightway all along on the earth like an Ox and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him 1 Sam. 28.20 Job also had his fears but then he had his cordials too that kept him from falling under them Verse 11. Or darkness that thou canst not see Sunt tenebrae supplicia et damnatorum desperationes saith Brentius here By darkness are meant punishments temporal and eternal Others understand the text of blindness and confusion of minde that can neither see the cause of trouble nor finde an issue And abundance of waters cover thee So that although thou shouldest escape the snares out-live the fears run away in the dark yet how wilt thou avoid the Deluge of Destruction the over-flowing scourge that carrieth all before it Verse 12. Is not God in the height of Heaven Some adde out of the next verse these words Sayest thou making Jobs Atheistical speeches here mimetically fathered upon him by Eliphaz an argument of his great wickedness as if Job should say and so discover himself for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. De Diiâ— utrum sint non ausim affirmare Prot. 12. to be of Protagoras his opinion who doubted of a Deity Or of Diagoras his who flatly denied it Or at least of Aristotles who pent up God in heaven and taught that he took little or no care of things done on earth But what saith the Psalmist and Job was of the same minde whatever the Jew-Doctors affirm of him to the contrary Psal 115.3 Psal 113.4 5 6 7. Our God is in the Heavens he hath done whatsoever he pleased in heaven and in earth The Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens Who is like
thought Minerva did to her Athenians and as the Romans fancied of their God â—esâ— Vibilia that she set them in their right way when they were wandering or will shine over them with his blessing contrary to thy complaint chap. 19.8 Verse 20. When meâ— are 〈…〉 And that by the 〈◊〉 of thy Faith the 〈…〉 out of another 〈…〉 distresses 〈◊〉 32.36 and to believe God upon his 〈…〉 and that against 〈…〉 things 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 thou 〈…〉 and saving of 〈…〉 eyes down whereof some makes this to be the sense 〈…〉 be able out of his own experience to 〈…〉 who likewise humble themselves Junius rendreth this and the following verse 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 upon 〈…〉 they be 〈…〉 and 18.24 And hence Jobs intercession 〈…〉 And he shall save the humble person Heb. Him that is low of eyes as was Job at this time and the Publican Luk. 18.13 An high look and a proud heart go together Psal 101.5 And as God resisteth such Jam. 4.4 1 Pet. 5.5 so he giveth grace to the humble and not grace only but glory too as here safety here and salvation hereafter Verse 30. He shall deliver the Island of the innocent Or. He shall deliver thâ— not innocent him that iâ— not guiltless and even such shall be delivered for the purity of thine handi Thus God gave Zâ—ar to Lot and all the souls in the ship to Paul and the guilty Israelites to Moses See Jer. 5.1 Or the innocent shall deliver the Island Or Liberabitur vâ— innocentis The innocent shall be freed from affliction so Brentius And it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands i. Of thy works or by the pure hands listed up in Prayer Semen sanctum statuâ—â—â— terra the Saints bear up the state Isa 6.13 they uphold the pillars of the earth by their Piety and Prayers and therefore when God is unchangeably resolved to ruin a people he silenceth his Saints as Jer. 7.16 or removeth them out of the world as he did Methuselah the year before the Flood And as one Sinner may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 So one Praying Saint may save an Island a whole Country it is delivered by the pureness of thy hands It may be the work sticks at thee why then is not thy shoulder at the wheel when the cart is stalled CHAP. XXIII Verse 1. Then Job answered and said Fiz IN defence of his own integrity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. against Eliphaz his calumnies in the foregoing Chapter To make Apology to every one that shall traduce us â—latâ— holdeth to be both base and Bootlesse But when such a weighty man as Eliphaz shell say load upon so innocent a man as Job Quâ—â— tâ—lerit something would be said in way of answer Verse 2. Even to day is my complaint bitter q.d. After all mine endeavoar to satisfie you I am still mis-interpreted and accounted by you my friends no better then a Malecontent and a Murmuâ—er against God albeit my laments do no way equal my torments True it is that Eliphaz had given him excellent counsel chap. 22.21.22 c. but it was to flatter him into the same errour that himself held viz. that bodily and temporal sufferings are a sure sign of a notorious hypocrite Hence Job never taketh notice of it in this reply but begins his Apology pathetically and abruptly and soon falls into an appease to God the righteous Judg who well knew though his friends would take no notice of it that he complained not without causeâ— but the contrary My stroak is heavier thou my groaning Most mens groaning is greater then their stroaks or sufferings Invalidum â—mus natura querulum est Senec. Some are ever whining and growling their lips like rusty hinges move not without murmuring and mâ—â—tinying yea they not only creak but break as rotten boughs do if but alittle weight be hung upon them Or as some mens flesh which if never so little â—â—ved with a pin it presently rankleth and festereth Job was none of these if he groaned as he did and will they deny him that ease of his colour Expletur laâ—â—ry mis Ovi◠〈…〉 â—olor there was very great cause for it 〈◊〉 his pressures were greater then could be expressed by any signes or words Verse 3. Oh that I knew where I might find him that is God so oft in his mind and mouth that his acquaintance might easlly know whom he meane Aph-Hâ— everu â—â— 2. Kings 2.14 is held by some to be one of Gods Attributes And 〈…〉 Weemâ—â— without mention of 〈◊〉 was an ordinary oath in Plato's mouth as 〈…〉 That I might come even to his seat His Tribunal prepared for him Great is the confidence of a good conscience Venirem usque ad stationem ejus Mercer See Gen. 20.5 1 Pet. 3.21 But yet hac certè omnia andacius dituntur a misero homunâ—ione this was too bold a speech for a mortal creature as God himself who gave him his wish will afterwards tell him chap 38.2 and 40.2 and contrary to that which he had before resolved on chap. 9.3 See the like failing in David Psalm 39 1 3. and 2 Samuel 6.8 9. In these examples of so good men we may see how natural it is to us in affliction to rise up against God Hoc à pietate alienum est quòd adversus Deum praefractius contumtliosius loquatur quam humilitas fidei feras Brent as the horse that casteth his Rider and riseth up against him This the Poets shadowed out in their fiction of the Gyants conspiring to pull Jove out of heaven That which may be said in favour of Job herein is 1. That ver 6. he professeth to plead with God in Gods strength 2. That being accused by his friends of so foule offences he had no other way of clearing himself then by appealing unto God whose most just judgement he acknowledged 3 That he durst not have spoken thus boldly but in confidence of his mercy 4 That he would have this his controversie with his friends and not his whole life to be exactly examined and judged by God Verse 4. I would order my cause before him I would not stick to approach to his Tribunal Beza there to plead my cause not against him as being the Supreme Judge and not either Plaintiff or Defendant but against your false and wrongful accusations which undoubtedly I would disprove and confute by many forcible and strong Arguments And fill my mouth with arguments Heb. Redargutions increpations reprehensions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A good Oratour will first rightly lay down his cause state the Question as we call it 2. Confirm it with reasons 3. Observe what is said to the contrary and confute it Job would do all this if he might have audience but if to God all this Job was much mistaken And so at another time when in a better mind he could say Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make
supplication my Judge If I justifie my felfe mine own mouth shall condemns me c chap. 9.15 20. Verse 5. Mercer I would know the words that he would answer me q.d. I cannot know your minds O my friends non understand your words which yet I believe are little to the purpose But God I know will utter his mind plainly and approve my cause which you so rashly condemne Thus John Husse and other Martyrs when they could not have a faire hearing from men appealed and applied themselves to God committing their cause to him who judgeth righteously Verse 6 Will he plead against me with his great power No for then you were in a wo-case For if Gods breath blow us to destruction as so many dust heaps Job 4.9 if he frowne us to death and nod us to destruction Psal 80.16 What shall we think of his Almighty power which none can abide or avoid Difficile est contra enâ—â— scribere qui potest proscribere It is dangerous dealing with him who hath at his command thirty legions said the philosopher to the Emperour who would needs crack an Argument with him And should Job dare to do it with the Lord of hostes as if stronger then he The thunder of his power who can bear The stoutest men quake before him and as the wormes when it thundreth wriggle into the corners of the earth ready to run as Caligula did under any bed or any bench-hole No. Merlin but he would put strength in me Sic enim ex fidei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persuasus saith an Interpreter Thus was Job perswaded out of the full assurance of his faith that God would deal with him as a loving Father and not as a severe Judge for who can stand before his wrath or withstand his will No man surely can contend with God unlesse he put strength in him as he did into Jacob Gen. 32. whom he upheld with the one hand as he strove against him with the other This foregoing with therefore of Job hath an excellent commendation in it of his faith and integrity yet so as that in some things it is blameworthy For who can come to Gods Seat sith he dwelleth in light unapproachable neither can any one see God and live Exod. 3.4 For this boldnesse therefore of his he shall be hereafter sharply reproved first by Eliâ—u and then also by God himself stepping forth as it were from behind the hangings overhearing him and saving Who is this that talks thus how now chap. 38.2 3. Vese 7. There the righteous might dispute with him There for Thâ—â— scil when God shall put strength into him the upright or honest man who draweth neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 might dispute with God but not unlesse he have that Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Just One to appear in the presence of God for him Heb. 9.24 as the Lawyer appeareth for his Client to put by and non-suit all accusations to plead his cause and to justifie him by the only merit of his righteousnesse and obedience All Saint Pauls care was to be found in Christ when fought for by the Justice of God not having his own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 for sordet in conspectu judicis quod fulget in conspectu operantis Aug that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 They only may dispute with God that is in an humble and laudable manner plead with him as did Jacob. Gen. 32.24 and Jeremy chap. 12â—â— who partake of Christs righteousnesse imputed and imparted opposing to the appearances of Gods wrath the firme perswasion of his grace by the Seal of his Spirit Etâ— quam hâ—â— non est â—mnium This is few mens happinesse So should I be delivered for ever from my Judge Who would quit me by Proclamation and then I should the less care to be condemned by you my fellow-prisoners I care not for mans day fith he that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4.3 4. Where note what boldness and confidence the upright have in God neither shall they be herein deceived as Job was not Verse 8. Behold I go forward Heb. Eastward which is reckoned the forepart of the world because that eye of the world the Sun riseth there and every man looketh to the rising Sun But he is not there sc In that sort as I desired to finde him verse 3. he is not visible to me he is too subtile for sinew or sight to seize upon his judgements also are unsearchable and his paths past finding out True it is that the whole world is nothing else but Deut explicatus a Mirrour or Theatre wherein God may be seen yea felt and found out by those that are blind Act. 17.27 If a man hear a Sermon by night and in the dark though he see not the Preacher yet he knows he is there So Job questioned not Gods Omnipresence but complaineth that himself was benighted and forsaken of his hopes to be eased of his troubles outwardly in body or inwardly in minde this is the judgement of the flesh when under Affliction And backward but I cannot perceive him For indeed he is imperceptible by bodily eyes neither sitteth he any where in this world to decide controversies as he shall do in the clouds at the last day when the righteous shall look up Luk. 21.28 for their redemption draweth nigh and the wicked shall look on and waile because of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 1.7 they shall look and lament yea be mad for the sight of their eyes which they shall see as Deut. 28.34 Verse 9. On the left hand where he doth work i.e. Northward where God is said to work either because that in the North-part of heaven are more signes and of more remarkable influence than in the South or else because the Northern parts of the world are more inhabited than the Southern because more temperate and so there is more of God to be seen there in his works as letters refracted in a glass Seculum est speculum que Deum intucamur But I cannot behold him See the Note on verse 8. He hideth himself on the right hand c. He worketh not so much in the Southern parts of the world the torrid Zone is unhabitable c. Yet the Ethiopian Judges were wont to keep the chief Seat for him empty when they sate in judgement And beside the Habassines that large region of Nuâ—ia had from the Apostles time as t is thought professed the Christian Faith though now it hath again Alvarez above an hundred years since forsaken it and embraced 〈◊〉 and Idolatry That I cannot see him See the Note on vers 8. Verse 10. But he knoweth the way that I take Heb. That is with
very good against diverse Diseases that issueth out of Rocks whence also it hath its name not unlike that berry which the French call Vva de Spine the Grape of a thorn But this whole verse seemeth to be an Hyperbole not unlike that of Zophar chap. 20.17 and that of Moses Deut. 32.13 Confer Gen. 49.11 and Psal 80.16 importing the very great abundance of all outward comforts and contentments that Job once enjoyed He had the reward of humility and the fear of the Lord even Riches and Honour and Life Prov. 22.4 Dec. D. l. 5. c. 25 Riches he had quantas optare nullus auderet as Austin saith of Constantine the Great more then heart could wish What Honour he had with his Wealth and that is to be chosen before Riches Proverbs 22.1 he setteth forth at large in the following verses And what long life he promised himselfe not without the continuance of both the former see verse 18 19 20 with chap. 42.12 16 17. Verse 7 When I went out to the gate i.e. To the place of Judicature called by Solomon the holy place Eccles 8.11 Because God sitteth in the midst of thoss Gods Psal 82.1 The Ethiopian Judges were wont to keep the chief Seat empty for him It appeareth by this Text Isai 5.7 Vid. Pisc in loc Isai 3.7 Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Medela 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio. that Job was a Judge or chief Magistrate not like those whom Esay calleth Scabs or Wounds but those whom the same Prophet calleth Healers or Binders up of Wounds and Hosea Shields as Junius translateth Hos 4.8 and another Prophet Heires or Possessours of restraint Judg. 18.7 It appeareth also that he did Justice in his own person so did David Solomon Jehosaphat Augustus Caesar more vigorously then any young man and more prudent then any old man as the Historian saith of him Which whilest Aurelian the Emperor neglected to do he was even bought and sold by his Deputies When I prepared my Seat in the street i.e. My Judgement-seat where he sate Sub dio non attollens inane supercilium sed exhibens utile ministerium Not priding himself but profiting others whilst Justice Justice as Moses speaketh that is pure Justice Deut. 10 20. was duly administred Over this Tribunal might well have beene set that Distich at Zant. Hic locus odit amat punit conservat honorat Nequitiam pacem crimina jura bonos Verse 8. The young men saw me and hid themselves As awed with my presence and fearing the censure of my gravity Lib 5. cap. 2 Valer. Maximus reporteth the like of Marcus Cato among the Romans as being Vr irigidae innocentiae saith Livy Et virtuti quam similimus as Velleius hath it that is a most strict and very vertuous Magistrate Hence at their Floratia those wanton sports the youth could not play their pranks till he departed they all crying unto him Aut vulium deponas aut discedas either lay down your grave looks or leave the place And the aged arose and stood up Performing that respect to me which was due to them Lev. 19.32 and saluting me as the Athenians did their Phocion by the Title of Bonus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio. Or as the Romans did their Trajan by the stile of Optimus the best Ruler that ever they had and all both young and old crying out as once they did at Rome to Severus the Emperour All men do the better in all respects for thy good Government These Acclamations and publick honours though Job sought not yet it could not but be a comfort to him as it was to David that whatsoever he did pleased the people Verse 9 The Princes refrained talking Not only as acknowledging his Authority but as admiring his great Eloquence and hanging upon his lips as the babe doth upon the brest the Bee upon the flower or the little bird upon her Dams bill And laid their hand on their mouth Kissing their hands and adoring me adorare est applicare manuns ad os Or rather as stopping their mouths being ashamed to speak in his presence whom they knew to be far beyond them in wisdome and elocution Now of this honour done Job by all sorts of people Brentius hath this Note Parùm est ingentes camelos possidere c. It is a small matter that Job had many Camels and Flocks of sheep this was a greater blessing of God upon him that he was honoured and observed by all sorts This followeth vertue as the shadow doth the body at the heeles To do worthily in Ephrata is the way to be famous in Bethlehem Ruth 4.11 Verse 10. The Nobles held their peace The Hebrew word for Nobles signifieth such as stand in the presence of great Princes or such as the people eyeth and referreth all things to them These after the example of those forementioned Princes verse 9 Held their peace Heb. Hid their voice Conticuêre omnes intentique ora tenchant Virg. Dr. Hall as ashamed to hear themselves speak before such a Master of speech as Job was of whom it might well be said as once of Dr. Whitaker That never any man saw him without reverence nor heard him without wonder And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth Ex metu loquendi as being afraid before me though themselves were Antecessores vocis as some render the former words eloquent men and able Speakers Demosthenes that great Oratour being to speak before King Philip three several times stood speechlesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chiliad 7 and thirty several times forgat what he had prepared to speak unto him An awful respect to Jobs dignity and worth caused this extreme silence in these Grandees And besides it may be they were of Plinyes mind who said Non minus interdum Oratoris est tacere quam dicere There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccles 3.7 Verse 11. When the ear heard me then it blessed me That is it praised me and praised God for me as for a common blessing so weighty were my words and so just my sentence not unlike that of the Areopagites in Athens which was so upright that none could ever say That he was unjustly condemned by them but both parties as well those that were cast as they that cast them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were alike contented And when the eye saw me it gave witnesse to me Job though he neither sought it nor was puffed up with it had that Pulchrum monstrari dicier Hic est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like happiness befel Demosthenes at Athens and Pliny at Rome Verse 12. Because I delivered the poor that cryed Here are set forth the true causes of that great respect that was generally given Job he was a good Justicer such as Jethro describeth Exod. 18.21 He hated much more then did Mithridates such as maliciously persecuted Vertue
and in the other their sins and that if those weigh down these they are â—aved as if otherwise they are damned But what saith an Ancient Vae hominum vitae etiamsi landabili c. Woe to the best man alive if God should weigh him in a balance of justice sith his sins would be found heavier than the sands of the Sea Job 9.15 10.15 Verse 7. If my step hath turned out of the way sc Of justice and equity in tâ—â—ding and trâ—ffacking to get the Mammon of unrighteousness No the Sun might sooner be turned out of his course as it was once said of Fabricius than Job out of the track of truth and honesty He had said laws upon his feet his eyes and his hands too binding them all to the good behaviour Witnesse the next words And mine heart walked after mine eyes As it doth too often to the coveting other men Goods which St. John casteth the lust of the eyes 1 Epist 2.16 Alexander the Great called the Persian Maids Dolores oculorum the griefs of the eyes The wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment proved to be so to covetous Achan Josh 7.21 and Nabotâ— Vineyard to that Non-such Ahab 1 King 21.2 He was even sick of it and could not be cured but by a Sâ—llet out of it Hence the law flatly forbiddeth men to go after the sight of their eyes and the lust of their hearts for these are seldom â—undred Numb 15.39 Eccles 11.9 Unruly eyes like Jacobs sheep too firmly fixed on unlawful objects make the affections bring forth spotted 〈◊〉 Job would therefore set a guard upon them Oculus cor sunt proxeneta peccati Hebr. Proverb .. lest they should prove 〈◊〉 of wickedness to the heart as that hang by Hiram the Adâ—ttamâ—te was to Judah Gen. 38.20 There is an easie passage for evill through the eyes into the heart saith 〈◊〉 And if any blot hath cleaved to my hands If I have been fingering that which was not sit for me to meddle with viz. evil-gotten goods whether by bribery usury deceit or the like the very touching whereof will blot and benumb the hands as Pliny writeth of the fish Torpedo and as scholers know that Demosthenes a great Lawyer by poizing Harpalus his goblet was tempted and swayed to favour his Cause to the great danger of his Countrey and his own indeleble infamy Verse 8. Then let me sow and another eate God loves to retaliate and let him do so to me according to that he hath threatned Deut. 28 30 c. and as he executed upon Laban Nabal Saul Haman others The Greeks have a Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some sow that which others reape This Job wisheth may befal if he had been oppressive and injurious as Eliphaz had wrongfully accused him chap. 22.6 Yea let my off-spring be rooted out Or Let that which I have planted be pluckt up by the roots It is commonly seen that oppressours and unconscionable persons procure their own ruth and ruine and he that gathereth the fruits of another mans tree pulleth his own up by the roots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who spoyle houses which they builded not Job 20.19 shall when they cease to spoile be made a spoile and when they have made an end of dealing treacherously be treacherously dealt with themselves Isaiah 33.1 Verse 9. If my heart hath been deceived by a woman By a she-sinner as they call such a strange woman as the Scripture whose lips are snares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc 〈◊〉 persuadeo whose hands are bands whose words are cords to draw a man in as an Ox to the slaughter Prov 7.21 whose face is as a glass wherein whiles larks gaze they are taken in a day-net Here Job disavoweth and disclaimeth the sin of Adultery purging himself as it were by Oath as before he had done of fornication and of wrong-dealing These sins he reckoneth up either as they came to minde or else in such order as men are many times tempted to them Young people are prone to fornication Job when young had kept himself clear from that iniquity When men have got some yeares over their heads and are entred into the world as they call it they usually grow greedy and gripple they are set upon 't and will be rich however they come by it Job was none such neither verse 5.7 Afterwards when married they are sick of a Pluâ—isie and as the Devil who sets them a work they long to be sowing another mans ground Matth. 13.25 The temptation to fornication is strong but to adultery stronger God doth often punish fornication unrepented of Adulterium quasi ad alterius torum with strong and vexing honings and hankerings after strange flesh But Job either was never troubled in this kinde or else when the temptation came he was sure to be ever out of the way The Devils fire fell upon wet tinder and if he knockt at Jobs door there was no body at home to look out at the window and let him in for he considered the punishment both humane verse 11. and divine verse 12. due to this great wickedness Or if I have laid wait at my neighbours door Either as waiting the opportunity of his absence as Prov. 7.19 or as insinuating my self into her familiarity whiles she was standing in her door Of the Italian Women one giveth this Character That though witty in speech and modest in outward appearance yet they are magpies at the door Goats in the garden Devils in the house Angels in the streets and Syrens in the windows Jobs heart was not deceived by any such neither sought he to defraud his brother in any such matter 1 Thess 4.5 6. See the Note on Job 8.4 Verse 10. Then let my wise grind unto another i.e. Let her be his slave as Lam. 5.13 Exod. 11.5 Matth. 24.41 Or rather let her be his Where and may my sin Vatab. Alicnas Permolere uxores Horat. Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. molcre apud Theocrit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est coire which hath served her for example serve her also for excuse Not that Job would Hereby license his wise to commit filthiness as those Lituanians who have their Connubii adjutores coadjutors in wedlock and prize them far above all their acquaintance as Maginus relateth and as some wittals amongst us pandars to their own beds who either for gain or for a quiet life wink at their wives disloyalty and as Wood culvers or silly Hedg-sparrows hatch and bring up that which Cuckow 's lay in their nests but to set forth by this horrible imprecation how extreamly he abhorred the sin of Adultery And let others bow down upon her A clean expression of an unclean act Some Borborologi podicentex ore faciunt being like Ducks that ever have their noses pudling in puddles sic hi spurcitias Veneris eliminant delight in ribaldry and obscene language as did Proculus the Emperour and before him that
up in the mind of him that would faine utter them to new wine not yet throughly purged the soul to bottles silence to the stopple which keeps in the wine grief hereupon to the breaking of those bottles speech to the opening of them by taking away the stopple of silence And although in this Discourse Elihu may seem to lay on more words then the matter requireth yet he doth not for he saith no more then the Psalmist doth Psal 45.1 and Jeremiah chap. 6.11 and the Apostles Act. 4.20 We cannot but speak c. And whereas Gregory saith that all this came from pride in Elihu Chrysostom praiseth him rather and therein he is in the right for his zeal which will have a vent or the heart will cleave as the waters undermine when they cannot overflow As for that which is urged against Elihu that God saith of him as of a Reprobate and one whom he knew not Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledg ch 38.2 It is plain that God speaketh there not of Elihu but of Job and so Job understood and applyed it chap. 42.2 And that God speaketh not of Jobs sacrificing for him as for the other three makes more for his praise then else and shewes that he had spoken of God the thing that was right which they had not done chap. 42.7 Verse 20. I will speak that I may be refreshed Heb. That I may breath This many Martyrs did though to the losse of their precious lives as those that came to the Tribunals and cryed out Christiani sumus We are Christians hang us burn us stone us c. Modo Jesum nostrum nanciscamur so that we may get our Jesus And when they were told that they were put to death Non pro fide sed pro obstinatione not for their Religion but for their obstinacy Tertullian answered Pro hac obstinatione fidei morimur For this Religious obstinacy we gladly dye As for those that made not a good confession but either denied or dissembled their Religion for politick respects what a deal of unrest found they in their consciences till they had better declared themselves or revoked their recantations as Bilney Bainhum Benbridg Abbes Sharp besides Origen and all those of old Let a man speak boldly and freely in a good Cause when called to it and he shall be refreshed for as every flower hath its sweet smell so hath every good word and work its comfort I will open my lips and answer Viz. Freely and fully as Eph. 6.19 with great a lacrity of spirit and vehemency of speech Some kind of answer a man may make though he open not his lips as he did who being asked what mans life was presently turned his back and went his way Theadoret also upon Matth. 5.2 observeth that our Saviour taught sometimes when yet he opened not his mouth viz. by holy life and wondrous works Verse 21. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person q.d. This leave you must give me or at least wise I must take it sith my life lyeth upon it to be impartial and plain-dealing laying the blame where it lights and sparing the paines of pleasing and Parasitical Poems of oratorical and rhetorical insinuations Nihil loquar ad gratiam c. I shall know no man after the flesh in this businesse nor look on any face If Job found this fault with his other three friends chap. 13.7 he shall have no cause so to do with me but as a right Moderatour I will hear Arguments speak and not persons I will shut out my friend or my seniour and speak the truth in love Diem hominis non desideravi saith Jeremy chap. 17. And if I yet please men I am no more the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 See the Note there Neither let me give flattering Titles Praenomen aut cognomen those that seeme to be somewhat whatsoever they be it shall make no matter to me God accepteth no mans person Gal. 2.6 I shall call a spade a spade tell every one their owne without circumlocution and not sooth or smooth up any man though never so great in his sinful practices Semper Augustus In vâ—â—a Alpâ—on is a Title still given to the Germane Emperours But Sigismund once Emperour when a fellow flattered him above measure and extolled him to the Skies gave the Flatterer a good box on the eare and when he asked Why swiâ—â— you me He answered Why clawest thou me Verse 22. For I know not to give c. I have as little Art in it 't is out of my road as heart to it For In so doing my Maker should take me away i.e. Kill me and send me packing to Hell He would soon snatch me away he would burn me as some render it so dangerous is the sinne of flattery A Preacher called Constantine the Great Euseb de vita Const l. 4. c. 4. Blessed to his face but he went away with a check What will God say to such think we CHAP. XXXIII Verse 1. Wherefore Job I pray thee hear my speeches PLain Job for flattering Titles Elihu would give one chap. 32.22 only in prefacing to his Discourses he is very large witnesse the whole former chapter which may well stand for a common exordium to all the five following and the seven first verses of this wherein he both calleth upon Job for audience and useth Arguments for that purpose An Orator he sheweth himself all along for in his Introduction he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milder affections which suit best to insinuate and toward the conclusion he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pathetical expressions that may leave an impression in his Hearers And hearken to all my words And not to some of them only picking and chusing what pleaseth you and turning a deaf eare to the rest as he in Tacitus did who said Tulingua ego aureum dominus You may say what you please but I will hear no more then I like and lift This is an evil ear and must be healed as the Orator told his Country-men ere any good can be done The good soul lyeth low at Gods feet and saith Speak Lord for thy servant heareth All that the Lord our God shall speak unto us that will we hear and do Deut. 5.27 Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 It is sign of an honest heart to take the Precepts together with the Promises and to tremble at the threatnings as well as to reach after the comforts of Gods holy Word which last every hypocrite will be catching at as children do at Sweet-meats passing by the better provision Verse 〈◊〉 Behold now I have opened my mouth I have taken upon me to be a Speaker an Arbitratour in this Controversie which is usually a thanklesse Office for he who interposeth in businesses of this nature if he had two friends before is likely enough to lose
still in his anger and speech he thus pronounced as the Vulgar hath it in answer to some of Jobs former speeches which he here reciteth but not so candidly and refelleth but not so mildly as was meet True it is that Job in his heat had let fall very many lavish and inconsiderate speeches as is to be seen almost throughout the tenth Chapter But yet it was far from him ever to say either that himself was without sin or that God was unjust as Elihu would bear him downe very odiously taking up certain sayings of his that way sounding and very gravely calling forth the rest there present to give sentence with him against Job Yet is not Elihu to be censured for a proud arrogant person as some make him but to be esteemed Sapiens egregius vir as Lavater here stileth him a wise and excellent man though he should have considered That the Spirit of God is neque mendax neque mordax a Spirit of truth and of meeknesse Verse 2. Hear my words O ye wise men And those are not many Hos 14.9 He excludeth poor Job whom yet he had promised to teach wisdome chap. 33.33 And that he spoke not to the many it is probable for they have not those aures perpurgatas that he calleth for in the next verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferè sunt they are heavy eared for most part and of dull apprehension Baeôtum in patria crassoque sub aere nati To the other three then of Jobs friends he applyeth himself whom because he had sharply reproved before and that they may not think that he held himself the only wise man amongst them he thus bespeaketh to get audience and makes them Judges of his discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theog Men may be wise in some things that have carried the matter foolishly enough in other And give ear unto me ye that have knowledg It is an happiness to have such hearers I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 Jovianus the Emperor was wont to wish That he might govern wise men and that wise men might govern him But as it was once said That there was never lesse wisdom in Greece then in the dayes of the seven wise men So may we now well complain that there is a very great want of sound and saving knowledg in this great abundance of helps thereunto So that we may cry out with the Prophet Isaiah Whom shall we teach knowledg and whom shall we make to understand the hearing Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the brests q.d. We have to do with very babies children in understanding but not in malice Verse 3. For the ear tryeth words And for that end we have that excellent sense of hearing given us that we may hear with judgment and trying all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 taking heed what we hear Mark 4.24 as by the taste we may take heed what we let down for else a man may easily eat his own bane drink his poyson So here for the soul hath her senses also Phil. 1.9 and these habitually exercised to discern good and evil Hebr. 5. ult Which whilest carnal people want they are carried away as they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 Plucked away with the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3 17 wherried about with every wind of Doctrine Heb. 13.9 c. See the Note on chap. 12.1 Verse 4. Let us chuse to us judgment Let us summon the sobriety of our senses before our judgments laying aside all prejudice for Omne judicium à se aufert qui praejudicium affert He can never judg aright who comes to a Cause forestalled or prepossessed Let us know amongst our selves what is good Let us go knowingly to work according to apparant truth and not use cunningly devised Arguments as many Mataeologi rather then Theologi do now adayes in the greatest Controversies of Religion and hereunto let us all contribute our best help for the finding out of truth and convincing of Job Verse 5. For Job hath said I am righteous So he was with a two fold righteousness imputed or the righteousnesse of Justification and imparted or the righteousnesse of Sanctification But Elihu understood him as if he had said I am sinless This Job never said only he cleared himself of foul offences wherewith his friends falsely charged him and asserted his own integrity whereof he seemed to be more sollicitous than of giving God the glory of his justice and therein he was to be blamed as here he is to some purpose And God hath taken away my judgement sc By handling me like a wicked man and not shewing me why see chap. 27.2 where Job had used these very words but not in the sense that Elihu urgeth them against him Verse 6. Should I lye against my right Vt meam causam prodam R. Levi. so as to betray my cause and yield my self guilty when I know my self innocent This I will never do said Job no more would that peerless Lady Elizabeth when as a traytour she was laid up in the Tower and pressed to appeach her self Better die than lye My wound is incurable without transgression These last words without transgression Elihu spitefully thrusteth in saith Beza Others think they may be gathered out of chap. 9.17 16.17 Without presumtuous sin which David calleth the great transgression the wickedness with a witness Job might truly say it may be for all men are sinners yet not all alike though all have a dyscrasie yet every man hath not a feaver and though none are without ill humors yet some have not a leprosie upon them Verse 7. What man is like Job This Elihu speaketh by way of angry admiration Exclamatio admirativa Pisc as if he would make Job a very Non-such a match-less offendor and that he much wondred with what face he could speak in that sort What such a man as Job do thus O shameful what upbraid and reproach Almighty God who would ever have expected such words from such a mouth Is the man in his right minde wot you that he thus maketh himself a common laughing-stock and by-word and yet maketh nothing of any thing but doth with as great facility and readiness swallow up mens scoffs and taunts as if he were drinking cold water and no more is he troubled at them Why but is this Job and is it possible that he should have so far lost all fear of God and shame of the world that he should set his mouth against heaven as if he would spet in Gods face and not care though he drink up scorning and affronts like water quasi maledictis aleretur ut venenis capreae as if he were much taken and tickled with them True it is that Nemo pluris astiâ—â—vit virtutem as Seneca saith No man setteth a better price upon vertue than he who will rather part with his good name than part
them and not suffer them so to be held under And maketh us wiser than the fowles of heaven Sapientificat Some Birds are very silly Plin. l. 10. c. 1. as the Struthiocamelus that having thrust his head into a thicket and seeing no body thinketh that therefore none seeth him and so maketh himself a prey Doves sit in their dove-cotes and see their nests destroyed their young ones taken away and killed before their eyes neither ever do they offer to rescue or revenge Mention is made by Writers of a certain namelesse little Bird which for fear lest the Heavens should fall upon her Cael. Rhod. puts alwayes when she sleepeth one foot upon her head How much better the Bird Onocrotalus of whom it is reported that out of expectation of the Hawk to grapple with her she sleepeth with her beak exalted as if she would contend with her adversary Something there is that the wisest may learn from the fowles of the air to whom therefore they are sent and set to schoole Mat. 6.26 Jer. 8.7 yet generally God hath put more understanding into men so that as he should not do like them by preying upon others so he should not cry unto God only in distresse as the young Raves do when hunger-bit but pray alwayes and in every thing give thanks for which purpose it is that God hath given us reason speech and much matter and meanes far above the unreasonable Creatures Vae igitur stupiditati hominum in calamitatibus torpentium Verse 12. There they cry but none giveth answer Cry they do but not to the true God Jon. 1.5 The Papists have their he-saints and she-saints for several uses Or if to the true God yet not in a due manner not in faith and with remorse for their misdoings And hence it is that either they are not heard and helped or not in mercy but for a further mischief and to furnish out their indictment at the last day and on their death-beds God will not come at them or be intreated by them Prov. 1.28 Psal 18.42 Because of the pride of evil men i. e. Because these oppressed ones that thus cry are not so poor as proud humbled they are but not humble low but not lowly Plectuntur sed non flectuntur they have lost the fruit of their afflictions and are not a button the better for all that they have suffered Verse 13. Surely God will not hear vanity Prayer without Faith is but an empty ring a tinkling cymbal Neque enim omnes qui citharam habent sunt citharoedi Every sound is not Musick neither is every complaint and out-cry of men in extremity an effectual Prayer Those in Hosea when pined almost howled as Dogs growled as Swine bellowed as Bulls screeched horribly as the Ravens of Arabia Hos 7.14 but because they cryed not to God with their hearts he heard them not It is not the labour of the lips or the loudnesse of the voice but the travel of the heart and truth in the inward parts that he regardeth Psal 51.6 Wilt thou not know O vain or empty man that Faith without Works is dead saith St. James chap. 2.20 so that prayer without faith is to no purpose Men may cry aloud in distresse and make their voices to be heard on high they may chatter out a charm when Gods chastening is upon them yea be with child as it were of a prayer yet bring forth nothing better than wind work no deliverance at all in the earth Isai 26.16 17 18. God may turn them off and justly with Depart ye workers of iniquity get you to the gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation for I will deliver you no more Judg. 10. vers 13 14. Neither will the Almighty regard it Heb Look intently into it It is other and better fruit of affliction that he looketh for Whereof missing he looketh another way as it were and taketh no notice of their prayers or pressures Hence they deny or at least doubt of the divine providence and are ready to let fly at God as the Chineses whip their gods if they help them not at a call Verse 14. Although thou saiest thou shalt not see him c. This is that tertium Jobi pronuntiatum Jobs third speech which Elihu taketh upon him to reprehend and refute It is taken out of chap. 23.8 9. and the sense is that God would never appear to do him right But although thou saiest such a thing and so seemest to chime in with those wicked ones who deny Gods providence yet thou oughtest to be better preswaded of his presence with thee and providence over thee for judgement is before him and he will certainly do right only thou must give glory to God and wait his time Yet judgement is before him Or Judge thy self in his sight give glory to God and confesse thy sin and then stepping from the Bar to the Bench judge thy self worthy to be destroyed 1 Corinth 11. vers 31. This do and then Trust thou in me For safety here and salvation hereafter acting thy Faith upon the precious promises Pia salubris adhortatio Mercer and hopefully expecting the performance thereof in due time This was excellent counsel indeed and worthy of all acceptation Verse 15. But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger Because thou hast not yet done as I have prescribed God is forced thus to treat thee and to encrease his plagues upon thee in great displeasure at thine incorrigiblenesse Thus is good Job miscensured whom God suffered so to be afflicted for his tryal and not for his punishment though there wanted not in him cause enough if God should have taken advantags But know now that his anger hath visited thee but a little this is Beza's translation of the whole verse neither hath he made any great inquisition Piscator readeth this and the next verse thus But now because his anger hath not visited neither hath he taken notice of the multitude of his sins very much therefore doth Job open his mouth with vanity and heap up words without knowledge Tremellius thus For now because there is nothing of these doth his anger visit thee viz. because thou neither rightly judgest thy self nor waitest upon God but lookest upon thy self as utterly undone casting away all hope of better therefore art thou yet held under Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity Job perceiveth not so blind he is though he have his back-burden of afflictions and knows not how to be rid of them This Elihu speaketh to the company by an angry Apostrophe Verse 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Dilarat divaricat rictum diducit ut bellua An open mouth is oft a purgatory to the Master digito compesce labellum He multiplieth words without knowledge Eliphaz had charged Job with malice and blasphemy chap. 22. Elihu only with vanity and ignorance We may not make
the worst of things but give a favourable interpretation CHAP. XXXVI Verse 1. Elihu also proceeded and said HEB. And Elihu added viz. This his fourth Oration not unlike the former made in behalf and for defence of Gods Justice which he here further asserteth against Job who had seemed to cast some slur upon it by arguments drawn from his wondrous works the Meteors especially and all to prevail with Job to submit to Gods justice Ex abundanti quae sequuntur adjicit and to implore his mercy Verse 2. Suffer me a little and I will shew thee He promiseth brevity and thereby wooeth attention brevity and perspicuity are to great graces of speech and do very much win upon intelligent hearers who love to hear much in few and cannot away with tedious prolixities When a great Trifler had made an empty discourse in the presence of Aristotle and then cryed him mercy for troubling him so long You have not troubled me at all said He for I scarce hearkned to any one word you said all this while That I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Heb. That there are yet words for God His zeal for Gods glory drew from him this following speech wherein insignis est Elihu magnificus Elihu excelleth himself and appeareth to be no worse an Orator then was M. Crassus among the Romans Cic. de Orat. l. 1. who had this commendation given him Quod cum aliquid accuratiùs dixisset semper ferè contigit ut nunquam dixisse meliùs putaretur That when ever he spake it was judged to be the very best that ever he spake Verse 3. I will fetch my knowledg from afar Even from heaven as one taught of God I will discourse of ancient things for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and fetch my reasons from the wonderful and sublime works of God De arduis atque admirandis Dei operibus those real demonstrations of his Deity Est autem planè hic Elihu mirus egregius saith Mercer And he is not a little wronged by that French Paraphrast who saith of him That he knew well how to begin a discourse but knew not how to end it and that seeing well that his tediousnesse might make him troublesome he awakened his languishing Auditours by this artificial preface And will ascribe righteousnesse to my Maker This is both the maine proposition of the ensuing Oration and the main end of mans creation viz. to glorifie his Maker Rom. 11. ult Rev. 4.11 Verse 4. For truly my words shall not be false I shall deal truly and plainly with thee my Discourse shall be simple and solid having no better ornament but that of Truth which is like our first parents most beautiful when naked 't was sin covered them 't is treachery hides this Aperta veritas clausos etiam oculos ferit saith One. He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee Integer sententiis Vâ—â—abl meaning himself who fully understood the businesse betwixt them and would faithfully deliver it There are that hold God to be hereby meant A pious sense but not so proper Verse 5. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any Much lesse oppresseth he any one in a good Cause or tyrannically abuseth his power to the crushing of an Innocent He is equally good as great neither was Job well advised in seeming to sunder these two excellencies in God the one from the other sith whatsoever is in God is God neither ought we to think of him otherwise then of one not to be thought of as of one whose Wisdom is his Justice whose Justice is his Power whose Power is his Mercy and all Himself He is mighty in strength and wisdom Or He is mighty the strength of the heart He was so to David Psal 138.3 Validus est virtâ— animi Trem In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul At the sack of Ziglag in the fail of all outward comforts David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 A Christian is never without his cordial Vna est in trepida mihi re medicina Jehovae Cor patrium os verax omnipotensque manus Verse 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked He is no such friend to them though he be good to the godly he greatly careth not what becomes of them Their life they hold of him and many good things besides for he is the Saviour or Preserver of all men but especially of them that believe But he suffereth not the wicked to live as the Hebrew here hath it he withdraweth them not from the hand of Justice he bindeth not them up in the bundle of life he reckoneth them not among the living in Jerusalem among the first born whose names are written in heaven he many times slayeth them with his owne hand and cutteth them short in righteousnesse Or if not so yet their preservation is but a reservation c. But giveth right to the poor Or To the afflicted For poverty is an affliction and subjecteth a man to many injuries Zeph. 3.12 they are an afflicted and poor people but trusting in the name of the Lord they shall be relieved and righted not so soon perhaps as themselves would nor yet so long hence as their Oppressours would In the Mount will the Lord be seen who as he seldome comes at our times so he never failes his owne time Meane while this comfort they have Verse 7. He with draweth not his eyes from the righteous He is so lost in love as I may say toward such that he cannot like to look beside them he beholdeth them when afflicted with singular care and complacency Then if ever The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears open to their cry Psal 34.15 then they may have any thing of God their being no time like that for hearing of prayers Zach. 13.9 Times of affliction are times of supplication Psal 50.15 and 91.15 They are Mollissima fandi tempora Jer. 51.19 20 21. Then our hearts are largest then Gods ears are openest Neither his eares only but his eyes too are busied about his suffering servants as the Gold-smiths are about the Gold cast into the furnace that no grain thereof be lost He sits downe by the fire saith Malachi and tends it as a Refiner and Purifier of silver chap. 3.3 He refines them but not as silver Isai 48.10 that is Not exactly and to the utmost lest they should be consumed in that fiery tryal he seeth to it that the choice spirits of his people fail not before him Isai 57.16 as they would do if he should bring upon them an evil an only evil Ezek. 7.5 and not in the midst of judgement remember mercy But with Kings are they on the throne i.e. He raiseth them to highest honors as he did Joseph whose fetters God in one houre changed into a chain of Gold his stocks into a Chariot his Jaile into a
the sea regarded him not Xerxes beat the sea and cast a pair of fetters into it to make it his prisoner but to no purpose God here chides it by an elegant Eclipsis or Aposiopesis Illic ponet sc ventus elationem fluctuum tuâ—rum and it is quieted immediately as Jon. 1. Matth. 8. Think the same of the waters of Afflictions Verse 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes It may be thou wilt say These are ancient things done long before I was born but ask me of things within my reach and remembrance Well then what saiest thou to the Sun-rising Hast thou either lengthened or hastened it at any time since thou wert born causing it to rise at such or such an hour in such or such a point of heaven according to the divers degrees and situations of the Zodiak No this is more than ever any man could do The day is thine the night also is thine saith David Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter Psal 74.16 17. If all the Emperours and Potentates of the earth should conjoyn their forces to hinder or hasten the rising of the Sun they could never do it Joshua did indeed stop the course of the Sun but that was by the power of God set a work by his faithful prayer Whence One cryeth out O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam quibus etiam coelestia cedunt O the admirable power of Prayer force of Faith which is such as the visible heavens are sensible of and giveth way to how then should earth or hell stand before it And cause the day-spring to know his place The word day-spring comes from blacknesse for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clear light at first but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aurorasic à nigrore dicta qui eam comitatur rather dark than light Verse 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth That is suddenly illighten the whole Horizon for which cause also David ascribeth wings to the morning Psal 139. so that the light is not a body nor as some will have it a substance but an accident The truth is no man can tell what it is of any certainty an admirable creature it is surely a divine and heavenly thing than which nothing is more desirable nothing more profitable Two excellent uses of it are here set forth 1. To refresh men by the sight of the earth and the things thereon 2. To set us upon serious employments such as is the punishment of evil doers for so some interpret those next words That the wicked might be shaken out of it sc By banishment or rather by death inflicted upon them in the light for their deeds of darknesse Or at least that those Lucifugae tenebriones those inauspicate night-birds who hate the light because their works are evil might be shamed and shunned Their Motto is Jam lux inimica propinquat See chap. 24. vers Virg. 13 17. Verse 14. It is turned as clay to the seal That is The earth now discerned by reason of the aire inlightened The sense is this Like as clay in the lump that hath no figure stamped upon it is changed by a seal impressed Piscator and receiveth the figure of the seal upon it self so the earth which by night was without form by reason of darknesse when once the Sun is up is figured as it were that is it shewes the several figures stamped upon it And they stand as a garment All the several fruits flowers and various workmanship of God in her produced creatures that grow thereupon Abbot appear as a stately garment or ornament on a man Mat. 6.28 29. the Sun-beams shining upon it as lace Verse 15. And from the wicked their light is with-holden They have no such joy of those comforts which the light affordeth but as it discovereth their dark practises Ephes 5.13 so it bâ—ingeth them forth to condigne punishment Vtpote indignos qui hac luce fruantur And his high arm shall be broken i. e. His strength tyranny and power whereby he oppressed others as with an out-stretched arm lifted up to strike with violence this shall be broken as Moabs was Jer. 48. and as all the wickeds shall be but the Lord upholdeth the righteous Psal 37.17 It is well noted that this verse is an Exposition of the latter part of vers 13. as the former verse was of the former part And well might Mercer say of this and the three following Chapters Sunt hac alta insignia munulla difficilia these are things high and excellent and somthing dark and difficult Verse 16. Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea Heb. Into the teares of the sea Vsque ad ploratamaris Job 28.11 for springs poure out water as eyes do teares and the same Hebrew word signifieth an eye and a spring because saith One the eye is of a watery constitution or to shew that from it as from a spring or fountain did flow both sin it self the cause of sin and misery the punishment of both and because by it came the greatest hurt therefore God hath placed in it the greatest tokens of sorrow iisdem quibus videmus oculis flemus Now if Job cannot fathom the Sea much lesse can he the deep counsels of God Or hast thou walked in the search of the deep Et in vado voraginis ambulasti No that 's Gods walk alone Psal 77.19 whatever the Papists legend of their St. Christopher Verse 17. Have the gates of Death been opened unto thee sc That thou shouldest know when how and of what Disease every man shall die together with the state and condition of the dead Or hast thou seen the doers of the shadow of death No nor any man living hath ever seen those dark and dismal receptacles of the dead called here the shadow of death that is so dreadful that they were enough to strike a man dead Verse 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth Heb. The bredths i. e. the length also and circumference thereof Geographers define the length of the earth from East to West the bredth from North to South and they have their supputations and conjectures Frigidae sunt et leves conjecturae Mercer Pencer and others tell us that if there were a path made round the earth an able foot-man might easily go it in 900. dayes Which if he could yet what mortal man though he should live 900. years could ever visit and view the whole face nature and dimension of the earth wherein are so many deserts and bogs unpassable Or what Job can give a reason why God made the earth of such a length and bredth and no more when he could so easily have done it How much lesse can he of Gods secret and unsearchable judgements and why should he so desire to know the cause wherefore he is
Afflicted Declare if thou knowest it all Sith a great part of it is uninhabited and the sea surroundeth it as a girdle Verse 19. Diod. Where is the way where light dwelleth These are Poëtical terms likewise which signifie or mean nothing else but that God alone without any help or work of any man appointed the divers points of Sun-rising and Sun-setting And as for darknesse where is the place thereof i. e. Little canst thou tell what is become of it or where the Sun setteth by the absence whereof cometh darkness The truth is our reason is by original sin so darkened that we understand not these lesser and common matters Those that are more high and hard we learn not but with much labour and long experience As for the Mysteries of God and things pertaining to Salvation we cannot at all attain unto them by humane reason as is to be seen in Nicodemus Job 3. 1. Cor. 2. Verse 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof That thou shouldest take light and darknesse by the hand as it were and lead them to the place of their abode And that thou shouldest know the paths c. That is Which way to go to bring them out of their retiring-rooms and to reduce them into our Hemisphere Verse 21. Knowest thou it beacuse thou wast then born Beza readeth it thus These things forsooth thou knowest because thou wast then born viz. when I made them and appointed what order and course they should keep and the number of thy dayes is great thou are uery far grown in yeares as having lived ever since the Creation Es a◠nosissimus antiquissimus c. Ironicè omnia Verse 22. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow i e. Into the clouds where these Meteors whereof before chap. 37. are ingendred and from whence God when he pleases bringeth such great store as if he had them treasured up by him of a long season See the like said of the winds Psal 135.7 Quasi parata haberet horum penuaria Gregory allegorizing these words sheweth that earthly treasures are treasures of Snow We see little children what paines they take to rake and scrape together snow to make a Snow-ball Right so they that scrape together the Treasure of this world have but a snow-ball of it so soone as the Sun shineth and God breatheth upon it and so entreth into it by and by it cometh to nothing Or hast thou seen the treasures of hail Another Metaphor from Officers of the Exchequer or publick Treasury q.d. Hast thou the inspection or administration of these Meteors Verse 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble Or Against the time of the enemy to punish him as Exod. 9.24 Josh 10.11 Isai 30.30 By deep Snowes men are sometimes withered and destroyed by violent hail-stones and coales of fire as Psal 18.13 14 15. What an overthrow was procured against the Quades by the prayers of the thundring Legion as they were afterwards called in the dayes of Aurelius the Emperour Ingens grando compluraque fulmina in hostes ceciderunt Dio in vit c. Ant. Phil. Huge hail-stones and many light-bolts fell upon the enemy saith the Heathen Historian Against the day of battle and war When God is pleased to bring forth his upper and lower troops ready prest as the Rabbins phrase it Verse 24. By what way is the light parted scil From the clouds by lightning or from darkness by the Sun-rising Knowest thou that Or the cause of it Nothing lesse Something Phylosophers have to say here but upon no great certainty Which scattereth the East wind upon the earth Eurus est ventus urens exiccans the East wind hath its name in Hebrew from the Sun-rising the Latines call it Ventum subsolanum as that which usually followeth the rising-Sun but whence it cometh and whither it goeth is more then Job or any other can tell Verse 25. Who hath divided or derived a water course for the over-flowing of waters That is the water-clouds for the powring out of raine Velut per canales tubulos as by Pipes and conveyances wheresoever God pleaseth men being amazed at those miracles of Nature Is it not the Lord alone He it is who divideth the Deluge of waters as it were draining them into certain furrowes which would otherwise fall down from heaven all at once and make great spoil here below Or a way for the lightning of thunder Nimbo sonoro saith Tremellius See chap 28.6 with the Note Verse 26. To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is But wild beasts only These also are Gods Creatures and he provideth food for them How much more will he do so for us though small faiths On the wilderness wherein there is no man Repetitio ad varietatem elegantiam as also to shew the certainty of the thing Verse 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground The waste and waste ground saith Broughton elegantly and the Hebrew sounds alike And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth For the use of wild Creatures whereof there are great store in the Desert of Arabia not farre from Job for the which and the rest of his living Creatures this great House-keeper of the world provideth food sutable to their several appetites Verse 28 Hath the rain a father Subandi praeter me faith Vatablus Hath it any father but me Can any of the Heathen Deities give raine Or can the Heavens give showres Art not thou He O Lord our God Therefore we will wait upon thee for thou hast made all these things Jerem. 14.22 Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew Those round orient Pearls that falling from heaven in a clear night do sweetly refresh whatsoever groweth in fields and Meadowes The natural causes hereof and of raine are knowne but we must rise higher to God the first Authour and Father of these and other things before and after mentioned who bringeth them out of his Treasuries and doth wonderfully both make and manage them It is remarkable that Christ saith Hos 14.5 I will be as the dew unto Israel He shall grow as the Lilly c. See the Note on that Text Christ is unto them as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest Isai 18.4 Making their hearts to be as so many watered gardens Jer. 31.12 Verse 29. Out of whose womb came the ice Indeed of ice and water is said in a sense Mater me genuit eadem mox gignitur ex me But these creatures are not produced by causes which are constant and invariable in Nature as humane generation is but they proceed from Gods pure and simple free-wil And the hoary frost of heaven who hath gendred it Out of the heaven that is Out of the lower Region of the Aire cometh the matter of it but God maketh it Naturalists say that the hoar frost is a vapour congealed by a cold wind in cold places
recruit as far as God seeth fit Multadies variâ—squo Labor mutabilis avi Rettulit in melius multos alterna revisens Lusit in solido rursus fortuna locavit Virg. Aen. l. 11 The best way is to hang loose to these things below not trusting in uncertain riches but in the living God 1 Tim. 6.17 who will be our exceeding great reward and give to his Sufferers an hundred fold here and eternal life hereafter Mat. 19.29 Optandâ— nimirùm est jactura quae lucro majore pensatur saith Agricola It is doubtlesse a lovely losse that is made up with so much gaine Well might Saint Paul say Godlinesse is profitable to all things as having the Promise of both lives 1 Tim. 4 6 Well might Saint Peter call it The Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.2 For as God brings light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty c. so doth Godlinesse Let a man with Job bear his losses patiently and pray for his enemies that wrong and rob him and he shall be sure to have his own againe and more either in money or moneys worth either in the same or a better thing contented Godlinesse shall be great gaine to him 1 Tim. 6.6 Besides heavens happinesse which shall make a plentiful amends for all The Rabbins would perswade us That God miraculously brought back again to Job the self-same cattle that the Sabaeans and others had taken from him and doubled them Indeed his children say they therefore were not doubled unto him because they perished by their owâ—â—ault and folly as one of his friends also told him But of all this nothing certain can be affirmed and they do better who say That his children being dead in Gods favour perished not but went to heaven they were not lost but laid up so that before God Job had the number of his children doubled for they are ours still whom we have sent to heaven before us and Christ at his coming shall restore them unto us 1 Thessal 4.14 In confidence whereof faithful Abraham calleth his deceased Sarah his dead That I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23.4 and so she is called eight several times in that one Chapter as Paraeus hath observed Verse 11 Then came there unto him all his brethren Then when God had begun to restore him As his adversity had scattered his friends so his prosperity brought them together again This is the worlds usage Dum fueris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris Summer-birds there are not a few Samaritans who would own the Jewes whiles they flourished but otherwise disavow them as they did to Antiochus Epiphanes Rich Job had many friends Prov. 14.20 Qui tamen persistebant amicitia sicut lepus juxta tympanum as the Proverb is All this good Job passeth by and forgetting all unkindnesses magnificently treateth them as Isaac in like case had done Abimelech and his train Gen. 26.30 And did eat bread with him in his house It 's likely they came with their cost to make Job a Feast of comfort such as were usual in those dayes Jer. 16.7 Ezek 24.17 But whether they did or not they were welcome to Job who now never upbraids them with their forsaking of him in his distresse which yet was then a great grief to him but friendly re-embraceth them and courteously entertaineth them This is contrary to the practice of many fierce and implacable spirits in these dayes whose wrath like that of the Athenians is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long-lasting and although themselves are mortal yet their hearts are immortal And they bimoaned him They condoled with him and shook their heads as the word signifieth not by way of deriding him as once they had done chap. 16. but of sorrow for their former deserting him and assurance that they would henceforth better stick to him in what estate soever And comforted him over all the evil c. So they should have done long before A friend is made for the day of adversity but better late then never Nunquam sane serò si seriò See here saith Brentius the change of affaires and the right hand of the Most High and learn the fear of God for as he frowneth or favoureth any man so will the world do Every man also gave him a piece of money Or a Lamb to stock him againe Beza rendreth it Some one of his Cattle and paraphraseth thus Yea every one of them gave him either a sheep or an Ox or a Camel and also an Ear-ring of gold partly as a pledge of their good will and friendship renewed toward him and partly in consideration and recompence of that losse which he had before by the will and fore-appointment of God sustained Honoraria obtulerunt saith Junius they brought him these presents as Pledges of their love and observance for so were great men wont to be saluted with some gift Sen. Epist 17. 1 Sam. 10.27 2 Chron. 17.5 And the same custome was among the Persians and Parthians whose Kings might not be met without some token of congratulation and Symbol of Honour And every one an Ear-ring of gold Inaurem auream an Ear-pendant of gold at the Receipt whereof Job might well say as the Poet did Theog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To thee this is a small matter but to me a great Verse 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job According to Bildads Prophecy chap. 8.7 And S. James his useful observation Chap. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy If he afflict any of his it is in very faithfulnesse that he may be true to their souls it is also in great mercy Deut. 8.16 that he may do them good in the latter end and this they themselves also shall both see and say by that time he hath brought both ends together Psal 119.71 Be ye therefore patient stablish your hearts James 5.7 Patient Job had all doubled to him Joseph of a Slave became his Masters Master Valentinian lost his Tribuneship for Christ but was afterwards made Emperor Queen Elizabeth of a prisoner became a great Princesse But if God deny his suffering servants Temporals and give them in Spirituals they have no Cause to complaine One way or other they shall be sure to have it Great is the gain of Godlinesse For he had fourteen thousand sheep c Cattle only are instanced Pecuma à pecâ—de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pecudes posteà opes significant Melancth Dios because therein especially consisted the wealth of that Countrey but other good things also doubtlesse were doubled unto him as his family possessions grounds houses and especially Wisdom to make a good use of all for commonly Stultitiam patiuntur opes and what 's more contemptible then a rich fool a golden beast as Caligula called his father in
is grievously angry with them and will surely and severely punish them and theirs after them To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth And so to crosse them in the thing that they most coveted viz. to renown themselves amongst men God writeth them in the earth in opposition to those whose names are written in Heaven Luk. 10. because they forsook the Lord the fountain of living waters Jer. 17.13 Vers 17. The Righteous cry c. This is often inculcated for our better assurance because we are apt to doubt if delayed See vers 6. Vers 18. The Lord is nigh unto them c. More nigh than the bark is to the Tree for he is with them and in them continually pouring the oyl of his grace into these broken vessells quorum corda pecc at a corum non amplius retinent sed ut vas fractum effundunt faith Aben-Ezra here whose hearts retain not their sins any longer but poure them out as water before the Lord. And saveth such as bee of a contrite spirit Such as are ground to pouder as it were with sense of sin and fear of wrath yet not without good hope of mercy These God delivereth out of their dangers and in fine bringeth them to eternall blessednesse Vers 19. Many are the troubles c. Dei sunt nuntii these are Gods messengers faith Kimchi and they seldome come single See Jam. 1.2 with the Note Sent they are also to the Wicked Psal 32.10 but on another errand and for another end The Righteous per angust a ad augustum per spinas ad rosas per motum ad quietem per procell as ad portum per crucem ad coelum contendunt through many tribulations they enter into Gods Kingdome Not so the Wicked their crosses are but a typicall Hell But the Lord delivereth him out of them all No Country hath more venemous Creatures none more Antidotes than Egypt so godlinesse hath many troubles and as many helps against trouble Vers 20. He keepeth all his bones Which are very many Perhaps saith Aben-Ezra here David had been scourged by the Philistines but his bones were not broken nor were our Saviours Joh. 19.36 Vers 21. Evill shall slay the Wicked For lack of such deliverance as vers 19. malum jugulat au thorem mali Their malice shall prove their mischief The Arabick hath it but not right mors impii pessima Aben-Ezra better senseth it thus One affliction killeth the Wicked when out of many God delivereth the Righteous Vers 22. The Lord redeemeth the soules of his servants Though to themselves and others they may seem helplesse and hopelesse yet they shall not perish in 〈◊〉 fins and for their sins as do the Wicked PSAL. XXXV VErs 1. Plead my cause O Lord We may safely pray the same when oppressed with calumnies and false accusations as now David was by Sauls Sycophants or as others think when he was in great heavinesse and even heart-sick after that Amnon had defiled Tamar and Absolom had slain Amnon his disaffected subjects such as Shimei insulted over him and said it was just upon him for the matter of Uriah and other miscarriages which they wrongfully charged him with See a promise in this case Isa 49.21 Fight against them c. Or devoure them that devoure mee for in Niphal only it signifieth to fight Vers 2. Take hold of shield and buckler Jehovab is a man of war Exod. 15.5 and so he is here stirred up to harness himself Not that he needeth weapons defensive as here or offensive as vers 3. for he can destroy his enemies sole nutu ac flatu with a nod or a blast But this is spoken after the manner of men and for our better apprehension of Gods readinesse to relieve his distressed ones Vers 3. Draw out also the spear viz. That thy contending and appearing for mee may appear to be sufficient and glorious And stop the way Heb. And stop viz. the doores as Gen. 19.6 10. 2 King 6.32 lest the malecontents come in and kill mee Or shut mee up from my persecutors that they find mee not like as afterwards God hid Jeremy and Baruch when sought for to the slaughter Say unto my soul I am thy salvation Facito ut haec animula te sibi test antem audiat c. Inwardly perswade my heart to firm affiance in thee amidst all mine afflictions Vers 4. Let them be confounded and put to shame Here David beginneth his imprecations which yet non maledicens dixit sed vaticinantis more praedixit saith Theodoret he doth not utter as cursing but as prophesying rather If we shall at any time take upon us thus to imprecate as we may in some cases we must see to it first that our cause be good Secondly that we do it not out of private revenge but meerly for the glory of God Thirdly ut ne voculam quidem nisinobis praeunte Dei non carnis spiritu effundamus that we utter not a syllable this way but by the guidance of Gods good Spirit Vers 5. Let them be as chaffe Facti sint à corde su◠fugitivi Let them flye before their own consciences restlesse and uncertain whither to turn themselves And let the Angel of the Lord chase them It may be understood both of the evill Angels and of the good ready at Gods command to do execution upon his enemies Chaffe driven before the wind may rest against a wall but where shall they rest who are chased by an Angel where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.18 Surely no where Vers 6. Let their way be dark and slippery Heb. Darknesse and slipperinesse If a man have neither light nor firm footing and a feirce enemy at his heeles See Jer. 23 1◠what shift can he make for himself The word rendred slippery is of a double form like that libbi secharchar my heart panteth or beateth about throbbeth Psal 38.10 to increase the signification The soul of a wicked man is as in a sling 1 Sam. 25.29 violently tossed about Vers 7. For without cause have they hid for mee c. The Wicked are so acted and agitated by the Devill their task-master that though they have no cause to work mischief to the Saints yet they must do it the old enmity Gen. 3. still worketh But this rendreth their destruction certiorem celeriorem more sure and more swift Vers 8. Let destruction come upon him at unawars i.e. Upon the whole rabble of them as if they were all but one man Or else he striketh at some chieftain amongst them Let his destruction be as suddain as signal Vers 9. And my soul shall be joyfull in the Lord This was that he aimed at in his foregoing imprecations viz. the glory and praise of God and not his own reaking his teen upon his enemies Vers 10. All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Not my soul only but my body also shall joyn in this joyfull
eye hath seen it as Aben-Ezra observeth So doth Keep not silence To that they opened their mouth wide against me Ibid. Vers 23. Stir up thy self and awake This is the same in effect with the beginning of the Psalm to shew his ardour and intention of affection Vers 24. According to thy righteousness i.e. for the honour of thy Justice wherein else thou art likely to suffer And let them not rejoyce over me For I quarter Armes as I may so say with thee Lord and my disgrace will reflect upon thee Vers 25. Ah so would we haveâ—t Heb. Ah ah our soul that is our desire we are voti compotes We have swallowed him up As Swine do swill or ravenous beasts their prey Vers 26. Let them be ashamed c. They shall so and this prayer against the Churches enemies shall still speak effectually Vers 27. Let them shout for joy c. He concludeth with hearty prayer for the Church as he doth in divers other Psalms That favour my righteous cause Though perhaps they dare do no more than inwardly favour it and by their prayers to God promote it Let them say continually c. Let them have continual cause to praise God for this sweet property that he delighteth in his peoples prosperity and afflicteth them not from his heart nor grieveth the Children of men but for their greatest good Lam. 3.35 Vers 28. And my tongue c. I do solemnly promise that thy praises shall never dye on my hand c. PSAL. XXXVI A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord See Psal 18. title Then hee had well-nigh finished his Ruledom here he is about to begin it and therefore assumeth this title Serum est nomen officii Servant is a name of Office or Duty Tertullian faith of Augustus we may better of David Gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis he took more pleasure in names of duty than of dignity so those heavenly Courtiers rejoyce rather to be stiled Angels that is Messengers and Ministring Spirits than Thrones Principalities Powers c. Vers 1. Hieron Vulgata The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart Some say t is libbi for libbo Jod for Van and render it within or in the midst of his own heart and so make it the same in sense with Psal 14.1 but these make too bold with the text David that zealous Servant of God was fully perswaded of and deeply affected with the profligate wickedness of some graceless persons such as were Saul and his bloud-sucking Sycophants that they were stark Atheists and had not the least spark of common goodness left in them that they had neither the fear of God nor shame of the World to reign them in from any outrage This is mine opinion of them saith David I am strongly so conceited and I will give you my grounds I speak as to wise men judge yee what I say Vers 2. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes This is the first proof of the foregoing charge and the fountain of all the following exorbitancies See the like 2 Tim. 3.2 there self-love brings all out of order here self-flattery Sibi palpum obtrudit he stroketh himself on the head and saith I shall have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst and rebellion to sin Deut. 29.19 Thus he sootheth and smootheth up himself neither shall any one perswade him but that his penny is as good silver as the best of them all Thus he calleth evil good and good evil and proudly bolstering of himself in his sinful practices he maketh a bridge of his own shadow and so falleth into the ditch of destruction Vntil his iniquity be found to be hateful Till God by his Judgements uncase him and men out of utter hatred of his execrable practices tell him his own to his teeth Thus Stephen Gardiner being charged of cruelty by Mr. Bradford answered in open Court I for my part have been challenged for being too gentle often times which thing Bonner confirmed and so did almost all the audience that he had ever been too mild and moderate But Doctor Taylour told him another tale Act. Mon. 1461. Ibid. 1380. when he said to him How dare you for shame look me or any Christian man in the face seeing you have forsaken the truth denied our Saviour Christ done contrary to your Oath c. So Bonner They report me said he to the Lord Mayor to seek bloud and call me Bloudy Bonner whereas God knows I never sought any mans bloud in all my life To whom Mr. Smith the Martyr answered Why my Lord Ibid. 1537. do you put on this fair visor before my Lord Mayor to make him beleeve that you seek not my bloud to cloak your Murthers through my stoutness as you call it Have you not had my brother Tomkins before you whose hand when you had burnt most cruelly you burnt his whole body and not only of him but of a great many of Christs Members c So upon the Martyrdom of Master Philpot a certain unknown good woman in a Letter to Bonner wrote thus Indeed you are called the common Cut-throat and general slaughterssave to all the Bishops of England and therefore it is wisdom for me and all other simple sheep of the Lord to keep us out of your butcherly stall as long as we can especially since you have such store already that you are not able to drink all their bloud lest you should break your belly and therefore you let them lye still and dye for hunger Ibid. 1672. c. And soon after you have broken a Pot indeed Mr. Philpot but the precious Word contained therein is so notably therewithall shed abroad that the sweet savour thereof hath wonderfully well refreshed all the true Household or Congregation of Christ that they cannot abide any more the stinking savour of your filthy ware that came from the dunghil of Rome though your Lordships Judasses set them to sale every where to fill up your Baggs c. Thus these bloud-suckers stunk above ground and it is probable that the Saints shall look upon such in the next World throughout all eternity with execrable and everlasting detestation Vers 3. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit That is saith Calvin he hath something to say to excuse and justifie himself to the hardening of his heart and hastening of his destruction as there is no Wool so coarse but will take some colour But God will one day wash off his varnish with rivers of Brimstone hee can skill of none other Language but that of Hell the words of his mouth are desiderium dolus there is no truth and as little trust to be put in any thing that he speaketh And why there is no fear of God before his eyes See a like Text Rom. 3.13 14 15. He hath left off to be wise and to do good That
pils must not bee chewed but swallowed whole so must many injuries and indignities Convitiâ— spreta exâ—lesâ—â—nt Vers 15. For in thee O Lord do I hope This was the ground of his patience and differenceth it from that of Heathens which was rather pertiâ—acy than patience and came not from a right principle Thou wile hear Or answer and therefore what need is there of my answer Vers 16. For I said hear me lest otherwise c. He spread their vile speeches before the Lord as afterwards good 〈◊〉 did Rabsheeds Letter and as it was said of Charls 5. that he spake more to God than to men so did David His former silence therefore was not either from stupidity a Sheep bitten by a Dog is as sensible thereof as a Swine though he make not so great a noyse nor from inability to make his own defence if it had been to any purpose for he was both innocent and eloquent but he thought it farre better to sustain himself in faith and patience and meekly to commit himself to God in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creator Besides he feared lest if he spake at all in this case he should speak unadvisedly with his lips as it is very easte to exceed and so give occasion to the enemy to triumph as the Papists did over Luther for his hot and hasty speeches When my foot slippeth Or when my tongue out-lasheth in the least they desire no other sport but lay it in my dish as a foul disgrace My Motto therefore shall be and my practice according Taceo Fero Spero I say nothing but suffer and hope for better Vers 17. For I am ready to halt i.e. to mis-behave my self and so to marre a good cause by ill managing it and then what will become of thy great Name This is a very forcible inotive to prevail with a jealous and just God And my sorrow is continually before me That is my sin as Eccles 11.10 Or my sorrow but much more my sin the cause of it Vers 18. For I will declare mine iniquity To them that visit me in this disease saith Aben-Ezra that they may pray for me according to Jam. 5.16 or rather to God that he may pardon me and ease me Or thus When I declare c. Then Vers 19. Mine exemies are lively c. q. d. It is nuts to them and they soon compose Comedies out of my Tragedies growing more insolent by mine afflictions and upbraiding me with my sins Vers 20. They also that render evil for good Whilst they rejoyce at my misery who fasted for them in their adversity Psal 35.15 Are mine adversaries Heb. They Satanically hate me as if they were transformed into somany breathing Devils Because I follow the thing that good is This was Devil-like indeed this was to hate and perlecute God in David Tertul. Thus Cain the Devils Patriarch hated his brother Abel and slew him And why Because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 For like cause Meab fretted at Israel Numb 22.324 and the Courtiers at Daniel chap. 6.5 Vers 21. Forsake me not O God This was that he most of all feared Spiritual desertion So Jeremy Be not 〈◊〉 O God and then I care not what else can befall me O my God 〈◊〉 than farre from me Though my friends stand aloof vers 11. yet â—e thou ever aâ— hand â—o help me 〈◊〉 his blessings to us PSAL. XXXIX Vers 1. I said I will take heed He resolved so Psal 38.13 14. sc Ejusdem 〈◊〉 est hic 〈◊〉 cum 〈◊〉 Cimchâ— no continue as one deaf and dumb to use Isâ—â—cks Apology to scoffing Ismael viz. no Apology unlesse it be that which is Reall for Vivendo melius arguuntur obtrectatores quam loquendo slanderers and railers are best answered by silence That I sin not with my tongue An hard task a long lesson as Pambus in the Ecclesiasticall history found it by experience and after many years tryall could not take it out For the tongue is an unruly Member And if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body Jam. 3.2 David resolved to temper his tongue and to keep a bridle or a muzzle for his mouth whiles he was in extremity of pain and in the presence of the Wicked who lay at the catch and would soon exclaim but his heart deceived him for he quickly after brake his word vers 3. and made a rash request vers 4. so great need is there that the best pray to God to keep the door as Psal 141.3 Vers 2. I was dumb with silence As not willing either to open the mouthes of those dead dogs or to cast pearles before those sensuall swine I held my peace even from good That good which I might have spoken in mine own defence and their reproof ne miscerem illiud cum malo saith One Intellige 〈◊〉 bono licito non de bonâ— necessario 〈◊〉 praecepto lest some evill should be mingled with it as mud and gravell is with the clear water that runs down a current And my sorrow was stirred Heb. Troubled Though I had somewhat to do to do it Corruption must be curb'd and kept in by violence Jam. 1.26 Hanc fraenis hanc tu compesce catenis Vers 3. My bea rt was hot within me It was almost suff ocated for want of vent By heat of heart and fire kindled saith One the Prophet meaneth T. W. in loc not only the greatness of his grief as they that are grievously sick feel great force and power of heat but he meaneth also some motions that he had to impatiency and fretting to which fault they are very much subject that are hot and given to heat Thus He. This distemper to prevent God and Nature have placed the heart neer unto the lungs ut cum irâ accenditur pulmonis humore temperetur that when it is heated with wrath it may bee cooled and qualified by the allay of the lungs While I was musing the fire burnt This sheweth that thoughts and affections are the mutuall causes one of another so that thoughts kindle affections and these cause thoughts to boil And hence it is faith a Reverend man that new-converts having new and strong affections can with more pleasure think of God than any Then spake I with my tongue But better he had held his tongue according to his first resolution The Greeks have a saying Let a man either keep silence or speak that which is better than â—lence Austin paraphraseth thus when I refrained so from speaking for fear of speaking evill that I spake no good I was troubled at this my silence lest my sin should be counted greater for this silence than my vertue in refraining from speaking evill Vers 4. Lord make mee to know mine end This Aust in expoundeth of Heaven the end of all his troubles which he now sighed after But Vatablus Calvin and
it were with thee Vers 13. So wee thy people will give thee praise A service which the Saints know to be so acceptable to God that they commonly promise it and accordingly perform it Hos 14.2 ingaging also their children as here to do the like PSAL. LXXX UPon Shoshaâ—nim Eduth Which some render the lillies of the Testimony and interpret of the Jewish politie or Common-wealth called by Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a God-government Kimchi saith that Shoshaâ—nim Eduth is species â—oni nobis hodiâ— ignota a kind of musicall strain not known to us now adayes Vers 1. Give ear O Shepheard of Israel Thou that feeedest thy people watchest over them defendest redeemest reducest them Thou that handlest them curest them washest them drivest them as they are able to go carryest them in thy bosome doest all the offices of a good Shepheard for them In calling upon God it is wisdome to make choice of fit appellations and attributes such as may strengthen our faith and increase our fervour Thou that leadest Joseph Joseph is named quia nobilis inter fratres saith Austin the first-birth-right was taken from Reuben and given to Joseph 1 Chron. 5. hence he is put for the whole people Thou that dwellest between or fittest upon the Cherubims Those winged creatures that covered the mercy-seat the Ark and the two Tables of the Law within it And all to set forth Christ covering the curses of the Law and graciously dwelling with the sons of men to the admiration of Angels Shine forth Shew thy power in saving thy people and punishing their enemies Shine as the Sun doth in his strength Vers 2. Before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh These three Tribes went next after the Ark when it removed Num 2. 10. Stir up thy strength Which seemeth at present to lye dormant Vers 3. Turn us again Turn again our captivity or shew thy self reconciled unto us in Christ who is here called the face of God as some conceive Vers 4. O Lord God of Hoasts Jehova bellipotens Deus God hath his upper and nether forces as his horse and foot ready prest say the Rabbines How long wilt thou be angry Heb. Wilt thou smoak As angry people seem to send out smoak at their nostrils Against the prayer of thy people This is a sore affliction to the Saints that their prayers seem to be ineffectuall Vers 5. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears Panibus fletu intinct is Chald. Kimchi It is as ordinary with them to weep as it is with men to eat and drink And givest them tears to drink in great measure Trientales they are Tricongii in a sense to their sorrow They are afflicted even to utmost satiety See Psal 42.3 Act. Mon. 1457. Holy Bradford oft mused at his meat having his hat over his eyes from whence came commonly plenty of tears dropping on his trencher Vers 6. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours We have as many enemies as neighbours all striving to enslave us We are crusht betwixt them as corn is betwixt milstones And our enemies laugh among themselves Make them merry in our misery revel in our ruines Vers 7. Turn us again O God of Hoasts See vers 3. and observe that there it was only Turn us again O God here O God of Hoasts and verse 19. O Lord God of Hoasts As the bird by much waving gathereth wind under the wing and mounteth higher so doth faith in prayer viresque acquirit eundo Vers 8. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt The Church is oft set forth by this smilitude The Rabbins say that Solomon made a vine of gold in the Temple Athenaeus telleth us that the Kings of Persia sat under a golden vine having bunches of smaragds and other stately stones Lib. 12. All this was nothing to Gods Vine that plant of renown brought out of Egypt where it got no good Ezek. 20.8 and set in a better soil Vers 9. Thou preparedst room for it Espying out a fit place to plant it in Ezek. 20.6 and making clean work before it as some render the words Expurgasti coram ca. by pulling up those bad and barren weeds the Canaanites that might have hindred its growth And didst cause it to take deep root viz. by thy digging dressing watering and mounding it as of all possessions none requireth greater care than that of Vineyards saith Cato and there is peculiar affection in men toward the Vine above all trees as another observeth Vers 10. The hills were covered c. The Israelites grew amain in wealth Power and multitude of men witnesse their huge armies and valiant acts though the Country was not above two hundred miles long and fifty miles broad Vers 11. She sent out her boughâ— unto the Sea The midland Sea And her branches unto the river Euphrates This was first done in Davids dayes Vers 12. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges i. e. Taken away thy mighty hand hitherto held over her This befell not till they degenerated into a strange Vine Jer. 2. and brought forth wild grapes Isa 5. Vers 13. The Boar out of the Wood All Swine but wild ones especially are vitibus inimici saith Theodoret destructions to Vines And Melancthon thinks that therefore God forbad the Jews to eat Swines flesh Eo quod sues omnia sursum deorsum vertant vastentque because they turn up all rooting things up by the roots Manl. loc com as the word here signifieth Austin understands it of Vespasian others of Antiochus Exvineavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Luk. 1.78 or Antichrist And the wild beast The souldiers 2 Chron. 25.18 Vers 14. Visit this Vine Some understand it of Christs incarnation Vers 15. And the Vineyard Vitiarium surculum plantulam Vers 16. They perish Scilicet palmites propagines verse 10 11. Vers 17. The man of thy right hand i. e. Israel or the Messiah Vers 18. So will not we go back A promise of gratitude which is usually annexed to prayers for deliverance Vers 19. Turn us again See verse 7. Prayers are like arrows of deliverance which would be multiplied and enlarged 2 King 13.17 PSAL. LXXXI VPon Gittith An Instrument brought from Gath or used by Obed-Edom the Gittite or a Psalm to be sung at the vintages i.e. at the Feast of Tabernacles It containeth a solemn Thanksgiving for which cause also that Feast was instituted with so great joy that Plutarch took occasion there-hence to write but falsly that the Jews did then keep a Feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In sympos gaudium cantu accendite or Holy-day to Bacchus Vers 1. Sing aloud unto God Be loud and large in his praises set them forth cheerfully and couragiously God loveth zeal in all his services Vers 2. Bring hither the Timbrel These Instruments then used in Gods Service as a part of the Jewish pedagogy were types of that Spiritual joy which we should express in
men and other earthly creatures might have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pindarâ—â— â—iseth it for the satisfying of their thirst and for other necessary uses This is Davids Philosophy and his son Solomon saith the same Eccles 1.7 Though Aristotle assign another cause of the perennity of the fountains and rivers Vers 11. They give drink to every beast A great mercy as we have lately found in these late dry years 1653 1654. wherein God hath given us to know the worth of water by the want of it Bona sunt à tergo formosissima The wild-asses Those hottest creatures Job 39.8 9 10 11. Vers 12. By them shall the souls of the heaven Assuetae ripis volueres fluminis alveâ— Virg. Which sing among the branches Most melodiously many of them therefore it is reckoned at a judgement to lose them Jer. 4.25 and 9 10. Vers 13. He watereth the hils from his chambers That is from his clouds he giveth water to hills and high places where Wells and Rivers are not The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works i.e. With the rain of thy clouds dropping fatness Vers 14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattel Hee caused it to grow at first before cattel were created Gen. 1.11 12. And so he doth still as the first cause by rain and dew from heaven as the second cause And herb for the service of man Ad esum ad usum for food physick c. Gen. 1.29 Green herbs it seemeth was a great dish with the Ancients which therefore they called Holus ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristippus told his Fellow-Philosopher who fed upon them If you can please Dionysius you need not eat green herbs He presently replied If you can eat green herbs you need not please Dionysius and be his Parasite That he may bring forth food out of the earth Alma parens Tellus Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat c. Job 6.37 Vers 15. And wine that maketh glad That hee may the more cheerfully serve his Maker his heart being listed up as Jehosaphats was in the wayes of obedience Judg. 9 13. Prov. 31.6 7. And oyl to make his face to shine The word signifieth Oyntments of all sorts whereof see Pliny lib. 12. and 13. These man might want and subsist But God is bountifull And bread which strengtheneth c. In nature Animantis cujusque vita est fuga were it not for the repair of nutrition the natural life would be extinguished The Latines call bread Panis of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be cause it is the chief nourishment Vers 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap Heb. are satisfied viz. with moisture sucked by their roots out of the earth plentifully watered whereby they are nourished grow mightily and serve man for meat drink medicine c. The Cedars of Lebanon These are instanced as tallest and most durable Gods Temple at Jerusalem was built of them and so was the Dâ—vils temple at Ephesus for he will needs be Gods Ape Vers 17. Where the birds make their nests Each according to their natural instinct with wonderful art As for the Stork That Pietaticultriâ— as Petronius calleth her and her name in Hebrew soundeth as much because she nourisheth and cherisheth the old ones whereof she came whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genetricum senectam invicem educant Plin. Ciconiis pietas eximia inest Solin Vers 18. The high hills are a refuge These wild but weak creatures are so wise as to secure themselves from violence when pursued they run to their refuges and should not we to God for the securing of our comforts and safe-guarding of our persons Vers 19. He appointed the Moon for seasons Most Nations reckoned the year by the Moon rather than by the Sun The Sun knoweth his going down As if he were a living and intelligent creature so justly doth he observe the Law laid upon him by God and runs through his work See Job 38.12 Vers 20. Thou makest darkness Which though it be dreadful yet is it useful and in the vicissitude of light and darkness much of Gods wisdome and goodness in to bee seen We must see that we turn not the day into night nor night into day without some very special and urgent occasion Vers 21. The young Lions roar Rousing themselves out of their dens by night and then usually seizing upon what prey God sendeth them in for they are at his and not at their own finding And seek Like as the young Ravens cry to him Psal 147. implication only See Joel 1.18 20. Vers 22. They gather themselves together viz. into their dens and lurking holes smitten with fear of light and of men A sweet providence but little considered Vers 23. Man goeth forth unto his work His honest imployment in his particular place and calling whe the manual or mental eating his bread in the sweat either of his brow or of his brain Vntil the evening That time of rest and refreshment The Lord Burleigh William Cecil when he put off his gown at night used to say Ly there Lord Treasurer and bidding adieu to all state affairs disposed himself to his quiet rest Vers 24. O Lord how manifold c. q. d. They are so many and so great that I cannot recount or reckon them up but am even swallowed up of wonderment All that I can say is that they are Magna mirifica In mans body only there are miracles enough betwixt head and foot to fill a volume The earth is full It is Gods great purse Psal 24.1 Vers 25. So is this great and wide sea Latum manibus id est siâ—â—bus yet not so great and wide as mans heart wherein is not only that Leviathan some special foul lusts but creeping things innumerable crawling bugs and baggage vermine Wherein are things creeping innumerable Far more and of more kinds than there are on earth Vers 26. There go the ships The use whereof was first shewed by God in Noahs Ark whence afterwards Audex Iapeti genus Japhets off-spring sailed and replenished the Islands There is that Leviathan Whereof see Job 41. with Notes Vers 27. These wait all upon thee The great House-keeper of the world who carvest them out their meet measures of meat and at fit seasons Of thee they have it Per causarum concatenationem Vers 28. That thou givest them they gather Neither have they the least morsel of meat but what thou castest them by thy providence Turcicum imperium quantum quantum est nibil est nisi panis mica quam dives pater-familias projicit canibus saith Luther Thou openest thy hand By opening the bosome of the earth thou richly providest for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 29. Thou hidest thy face i. e. Thou withdrewest thy favour thy concurrence thine influence they are troubled or terrified a cold sweat sitteth upon their limbs animam agunt they shortly expire
efficiently say the Schools but to evil deficiâ—â—ly sc by with drawing his grace for he is a free Agent and not bound to any David prayeth God to supersede him from his wickedness and Luther saith hee was never tempted to it Vers 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity Lest looking cause liking and lusting 1 Joh. 2.16 In Hebrew the same word signifieth both an Eye and a Fountainâ— to shew that from the eye as from a fountain floweth much mischief and by that window Satan oft windes himself into the soul 2 Sam. 11. â— This David found by experience and therefore prays here Turn away transfer make to pass mine eyes c. Job steppeth one degree further viz. from a Prayer to a Vow Chap. 31.1 yea from a vow to an imprecation vers 7. He knew the danger of irregular glancing and inordinate gazing And quicken thou me in thy way Who shall else dye of the wound in the eye Alexander called the Persian Maids Oculorum delores Ut vidi ut perii The Israelites were appointed to make them Fringes with blew Ribbands to look upon that they might remember all Gods Commandements and do them and not seek after their own heart and their own eyes after which they used to go a whoâ—ing Numb 15. â—9 Vers 38. Stablish thy word unto thy Servant i.e. Make good thy promise wee must by our prayers put the promises of God in 〈◊〉 and God will 〈◊〉 Who is devoted to thy fear And so am an heir of the Promises Or which word is given for the fear of thee that thou maist be feared Vers 39. Turn away my reproach Cover it cure it suffer it not to break forth to my disgrace amongst men For thy Judgements are good But their tender mercies are meer cruelties if therefore at any time I fall into opprobrious and reproachful practices Lord bee thou my Judge and not they for thy Judgements are like thy self good and righteous c. Vers 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts This he could boldly and safely say to God offering himself to his trial for the truth of his desires See Hebr. 13.18 Quicken me in thy righteousness His desires and affections were not so large and lively but that he needed to be yet further quickned Nemo est ex omni parte beatus Vers 41. Let thy mercies come also unto me Let them come to me or else I shall never come to them 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end for the grace that is to bee brought unto you Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me as the setting Sun doth the way faring man that goes from it The Arabick rendreth it Let thy mercies come upon me or cover me as a garment So the Spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasa 1 Chron. 12. and yee shall bee cloathed with power from on high Luke 24.49 Even thy Salvation Safety here and Salvation hereafter Austin expoundeth it of Christ Vers 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer i.e. To stop an open mouth Verbal Apologies are sometimes necessary but real always wee should by a pious conversation put to silence the ignorance of foolish men who like black Moors despise beauty like Doggs bark at the shining of the Moon We are also to begge deliverance of God for the confutation of such as say wee shall never bee delivered Vers Ne auferas id est ut spolium ut Exod. 12.36 Aben-Ezra 43. And take not the word of truth utterly Give me free utterance that in nothing I be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ may be magnified in my body c. Philip. 1.20 Despoyl me not of my courage in a good cause let not Satan rob me of that jewel I have read of a Noble man who when he came into jearing company of great ones would begin and own himself one of those they called Puritans and so prevented them Vers 44. So shall I keep thy Law continually If thou please to give me to beleeve with the heart and to confess with the mouth I shall surely persevere in the profession and practice of the truth Vers 45. And I will walk at liberty In the full latitude of thy Commandements and not by wilful wickedness ensnare and ensnarl my self as those do who in the fulness of their sufficiency are in streights and in pursute of their lusts do pierce themselves through with many sorrows The Italian senseth it I will walk in peace of conscience Vers 46. I will speak of thy testimonies c. Nulle vel terrore vel splendore mundano impeditus Kings commonly abound with all things but only Truth as Alphonsus King of Arragon complained David would deal plainly with them though never so high especially when he should come to be of equal level with them and so to have better opportunity Vers Ethic. l. 10 47. And I will delight my self sc In contemplation of thy Word Aristotle telleth us that the principal pleasure is to be found in contemplation Vers Utrâ—que manu â—apessam 48. My hands also will I lift up c. Removing all rubs and pulling thy Word to me with both hands earnestly with my whole man with my whole might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straining the body and stretching out the hands to do mine utmost at it whilst others put it from them with a force and so judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 Vers 49. Remember thy Word God is not unrighteous to forget Heb 6.10 yet we must as his remembrancers Isa 62.6 put his Promises in sute Ezek. 36.37 Upon which thou hast caused me to hope God giveth us to do what he hiddeth us to do Ezek. 36.27 Vers 50. This is my comfort The Promises yeeld strong consolation Philosophical comforts are of little force as Plato acknowledgeth In Axiâ—â— and Cicero bewaileth in his Epistle to Octavius For thy Word hath quickned me When I was at last cast and drawing my last breath as it were Vers 51. The proud have had me greatly in derision Sooâ—â—ing proceedeth from pride Prov. 3.34 with 1 Pet. 5.5 Yet have I not c. They cannot flout me out of my zeal Vers 52. I remembred thy judgements of old O Lord This was to have an holy memory well fraught with profitable matter such as are examples of Gods dealing with his people and their enemies in all ages And was comforted Some degree of comfort followeth every good action as heat accompanieth fire as beams and influences issue from the Sun Vers 53. Horrour hath taken hold upon me Horripilatio turbo vortex an horrible tempest Psal 11.6 such as surprised holy Habbaâ—â—uk chap. 3.16 Because of the wicked To think of their hainous sins and horrible punishments which they dread not dream not of See Dan. 4.19 Vers 54. Thy statutes have been my songs Thy Promises which bind thee by Grace as statutes do us by Duty and are every whit as sure
the precious from the vile and make men the same within as without Vers 120 My flesh trembleth Horripilatur Job 4.15 In the Saints is a mixture of contrary passions fear and great joy as was in those holy women Mat. 28.8 and the one makes way for the other Vers 121 I have done Judgement and Justice I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day Act. 23.1 my cause is right and my carriage righteous But Innocency is no target against detraction and deadly practice therefore Leave mee not to mine oppressours Or traducers for they will soon exceed their commission Zach. 1.15 Vers 122 Bee surety for thy servant for good Obi vadimonium appear for mee and non-suit all accusations against mee Or undertake for mee that I shall keep thy lawes as I have said and sworne to do Sis fide jussor meus Some observe that this is the only verse throughout the whole Psalm wherein the word is not mentioned under the name of Law Judgements Statutes or the like tearms And they make this Note upon it where the Law faileth there Christ is a surety of a better Testament There are that render the words thus Dulcify or delight thy servant in good Oblects servum tuâ—m â—uscul that is make him joyfull and comfortable in the pursuit and practice of that which is good Vers 123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation Not my bodily eyes only but the eyes of my faith See vers 81.82 And for the word of thy Righteousness That is for thy faithfull promises which many times bear a long date Vers 124. Deal with thy servant according to thy mercy i.e. Shew mee so much mercy as to teach mee thy Statutes Cathedram in caelis habet qui corda dâ—cet Divine learning is of Gods free favour If common skill then this much more commeth forth from the Lord of Hâ—asts who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working Isa 28.19 Vers 125 I am thy servant give mee understanding I have voluntarily hired my self unto thee chosen the things that please thee and take hold of the Covenant loving to bee thy servant Isa 56.4 6. Now this is all the wages I crave of thee Give mee understanding c. This David speaketh saith one in a reall and heavenly complement with his Maker That I may know thy Testimonies Work done in the dark must bee undone again David therefore would fully know his Masters mind that he might acceptably do it Vers 126 It is time for thee Lord to work For else what will become of thy great name and of thy poor people This the Psalmist speaketh not as prescribing God a time but as in minding him of his own glory and of his peoples necessity For they have made void thy Law They would if they could as out Antinomians dogmaticall and practicall our aweless lawless Belialists untameable untractable Vers 127 Therefore I love thy Commandements I like them the better because they sleight them and prize that way the more that they persecute I kindle my self from their coldness and whilst they greedily grasp after gold and fine gold I lay hold upon eternall life 1 Tim. 6.10 11 12. Vers 128 Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to â—ee right Therefore from the same ground again as before by an holy Antipâ—ristasis I esteem c Rectiâ—icavi I have declared them to bee right in every part and point against those that wrangle and wrâ—st them to a wrong sense I esteem every parcell of Truth precious and arm an utter enemy to every Hetoâ—odoxie The many All 's in this verse used not unlike that in 〈◊〉 chap. â—4 30 sheweth the integrity and â—â—â—â—ersality of his obedience All is 〈◊〉 word but of large extent I hate every false way Whether in point of opinion or practice all sinfull deviations and prevarications Hatred is ever against the whole kind of a thing Rhet. lib. 2. saith Aristotle Vers 129 Thy Testimonies are wonderfull As comprehending high and hidden mysteries such as are far above the reach of humane reason such as the very Angels admire and adore A man must have more than common faith to subject his reason to them But all men are Socinians by nature they will beleeve Gods word no further than they can see reason which while men make the rule of their faith as did the wise Grecians the rationall Romans they stumble at the preaching of the Cross as foolishness and dis-beleeve the riches of Christ which are unsearchable Therefore doth my soul keep them Though I cannot comprehend them yet I am comprehended by them and though I cannoâ— do them as I would yet I am doing at them as I can I admire what I cannot attain to Vers 130 The entrance of they Words giveth light So soon as men are over the threshold of thy house sese lux quaedam inâ—uâ—rrabilis conspiciendam offert a marvellous light shineth about themâ— So little cause is there that any should accuse Gods word of darknesse and hardnesse or give way to negligence and carelesness of the Scriptures because they are wonderfull Lex Lux the Law is a Light Prov. 6.23 and the Gospel a great Light Mat. 4.16 See 2 Pet. 1.19 It giveth under standing to the simple And maketh them subtle Prov. 1.4 so they bee but docible The very first rudâ—ments of religion make wise the rude so they bee not refractary Vers 131 I opened my mouth and panted Heb. And Sâ—â—ped in the air as one that laboureth for life Oh the sighs and the groans that I uncessantly breathed forth As one that â—unneth himself out of breath Sitio propter lâ—gem sicut dâ—acones proptet pluviam Job 29. out of zeal to thy law Oh the strong affections kindled on the harth of my heart for I longed for thy Commandements The Septuagint render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a most vehement desire impatient of delays Vers 132 Look thou upon mee c. Face about towards mee and give mee a glimpse at least of thy grace for full fruition I expect not in this present life Brevis hora parva mora As thou usest to do unto those c. Common mercies satisfie not a Saint hee must have peculiar favours spirituall blessings in heavenly things even the sure mercies of David Hee pleads for a childs part Vers 133 Order my steps in thy word Let mee walk as in a â—â—ame walk by rule exactly accurately Ephes 5.15 Here hee prayeth that hee may keep the affirmative Precepts saith Aben. Ezra as in the next words the negative And let not any iniquity have dominion over mee Let it not reigne though it doth rebell let it bee like those beasts in Daniel whose dominion was taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time chap. 7.12 Vers 134 Deliver mee from the oppression of man Homo hominâ— lupus David besides his corruptions within met with oppressions and persecutions
sure These words are faithfull and true Rev. 22.6 from the one end of the Bible to the other Some render it thus Thy most excellent Word is Truth This most excellent word Kimchi interpreteth to bee particularly that in the head or preface to the Decalogue Hear O Israel Jehova thy God Jehova is One. Theodoret will have it to be that promise made to Abraham that in his seed all Nations of the earth should bee blessed Some read it every chapter of thy Word is Truth Vers 161 Princes have persecuted mee without a cause And Quae venit indignè poena dolenda venit But better without a cause than for evill doing 1 Pet. 4. David suffered by these Potentates because hee was small and despised vers 141. as a little dog is worried by the bigger as the lesser fishes are devoured by the greater But my heart standeth in awe of thy Word The fear of God driveth out the fear of the creature Isa 8.12 13. Vers 162 I rejoyce at thy Word Libenter omnibus omnes opes concesserim c. Epist lib. 9. I would gladly leave all the wealth in the World to others said Tully so that I might without disturbance live and dye in the study of learning What marvell then that David was so taken with heavenly learning As one that findeth great spoil Which as it commeth oft unexpectedly and is therefore the better welcome so the profit is usually very great as was at the sack of Constantinople and the pleasure besides the honour is no lesse than the profit because gotten from an enemy George Fransperg a Generall in the Imperiall Army Hâ—st of the Counc of Trent p. 43â— under the conduct of Charles Burbon that sacked Rome in the time of Pope Clement the seventh caused an halter to be carried near his colours saying that with that hee would hang the Pope the better to incourage his souldiers who were almost all Lutherans whom hee promised to lead to Rome shewing them the great opportunity they had to inrich themselves with the spoils of that City Vers 163 I hate and abhor lying Utitur atrâ—ci verbo abominatus sum I hate it as I hate hell it self and yet lying was Davids sin after a speciall manner See vers 29. with the Note But thy Law do I love All hatred comes from love of they contrary Yee that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 Vers 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee Septies id est sâ—pissime very oft in the day whensoever God setteth mee up an Altar I am ready with my sacrifice Mahometans pray constantly five times a day those of Morocco six times Papists foolishly and superstitiously allege this text for their seven Canonicall houres as they call them The Jews pronounce an hundred benedictions ever day Leo Modena Vers 165 Great peace have they which love thy Law The fruit of Righteousness shall bee peace Isa 32.17 even the peace of God the joy of faith a heaped-up happiness And nothing shall offend them Heb. They shall have no stumbling-block non pereunt quicquid accidat Though they fall they shall arise for the Lord putteth under his hand Psal 37. Vers 166 Lord I have hoped for thy salvation This saying hee borrowed from good old Jacob Gen. 49.18 And done thy Commandements Done them as I could done them to divine acceptation through Christ and hence I have hoped 1 Job 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure Vers 167 My soul hath kept thy Testimonies scil As well as mortality will afford And I love them exceedingly I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7.22 I trust I have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 Vers 168 I have kept thy Precepts All thy Laws are in my sight like as all my wayes are in thy sight I desire to approve my self to thee in the discharge of every part and point of my duty in all my wayes I acknowledge thee Pro 3.6 Here note that all along this 21 Octonarie the Psalmist propoundeth himself for a Pattern of piety Vers 169 Let my cry come near before thee O Lord That is as some will have it Let this whole preceding Psalm and all the petitions whereof wee have here a repetition therein contained bee highly accepted in Heaven Vers 170 Let my supplication c. The same again neither is this Battologie but fervency in begging audience Vers Semper 〈◊〉 171 My lips shall utter praise Eructabunt labia mea hymnum A Metaphor either from a fountain casting out waters vel a ructu qui cibum copiosum sequitur Vers 172 My Tongue shall speak True goodnesse is diffusive charity is no churl Vers 173 Let thy hand help mee To do what I have promised For I have chosen thy Precepts Refusing Satans cut throat kindnesse Vers 174. I have longed for thy Salvation So do all men but then David will take a right course for it so will not all And thy Law is my delight This the most men mind not Vers 175 Let thy Judgements help mee scil To Heaven together with Gods Word there goeth forth a power Vers 176 I have gone astray c. And of my self shall never return Seek thy Servant Do all the offices of a good Shepheard for mee Luk. 15. For I do not forget The root of the matter is still in mee I am recallable and ready to hear thy voice Job 10.3 PSAL. CXX A Song of degrees A most excellent Song Tremellius rendreth it and so indeed this and the fourteen following are both for the matter and for the form or manner of expression which is wondrous short and sweet as the very Epigrammes of the Holy Ghost himself wherein each verse may well stand for an oracle And in this sense Adam Hammahalah or a man of degrees is put for an eminent or excellent man 1 Chron. 17.17 Others understand it otherwise wherein they have good leave to abound in their own sense sith sine periculâ— hic erratur an errour here is not dangerous Vers 1 In my distresse I cryed unto the Lord Oration 〈…〉 est ut avis siâ—â— alis Distress addeth wings to our devotions Our Saviour being in an agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 So do all his members and especially when they lyâ— under the lash of a lying tongue as here vers 2. Being defamed wee pray saith Paul 1. Cor 4.15 And 〈…〉 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5.16 Zâ—ch 13.9 Hee that prayeth ardently speedeth assuredly Psal 91.15 and the unmiscarrying return of prayer should bee carefully observed and thankfully improved Psal 66. ult Vers 2. Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips This was Davids distresse and it lay heavy upon his spirit so it did upon Jobs and Jeremies chap. 20.10 the scourge of tongues hee felt as sharp as Scorpions Of the mischief of an
besides was smitten with fore boiles as hoping haply he would have cursed God therewith Only upon himself put not forth thy hand Meddle not with his outward or inward man He would fain have been doing with both and had done it now but for this mercifull restriction which to the divel was no doubt a very great vexation But how could he help it otherwise then as horses digest their choler by biting on the bridle The will of the Lord must stand and Job though he shall have his back-burden of crosses of all kinds yet they shall not be laid upon him all at once but piece-meal Acts and Mon. fol. 1579. and at several times Fidelis est Deus saith the Apostle and Father Latimer died in the flames with those sweet words in his mouth God is faithfull who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able c. but will surely proportion the burden to the back and the stroke to the strength of them that shall beare it See his gracious dealings with the Apostles at their first setting forth into the world and how by degrees he inured them to bear the Crosse of Christ Acts 2. 4. 5. 12. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord As thinking every houre two till he had sped his commission the divel descended like lightning upon the earth to search occasions to ruine Job and to triumph over his patience to touch all that he had and to touch him to the very quick This diligence of the divel in evil-doing how happy were it saith Mr. Beza if we could imitate in doing well But behold whilest Christs enemies watch and in the night set themselves in readinesse to take him his chief disciples do not only snort and sleep but cannot so much as be awaked in the garden Verse 13. And there was a day A dismal day it proved to Job a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thick darknesse as Zeph. 1.15 That subtle serpent set upon mischief purposely picketh out such a time to do it as wherein such a sad and sudden change was least of all looked for and then laies on amaine as if he were wood with the hail-shot hell-shot of sharpest afflictions He knowes well that as mercies and deliverances the more unexpected they are the more welcome as Abrahams receiving his son Isaac after a sort from the dead Israels eduction out of Egypt when they were forsaken of their hopes Jonah his being drawn out of the belly of hell as he phraseth it chap. 2.2 so crosses the more suddenly they befall men the more they amate them and finding weak minds secure they make them miserable leave them desperate When his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine Wherewith if their hearts were overcharged and what more easie the divel foiled our first parents by inordnate appetite and finding it then so successfull a weapon he maketh use of it still that day might come upon them unawares Luke 21.34 That was Satans drift surely however it fell out and so to destroy body and soul together But it is to be hoped that he was disappointed of his aime and that death was sent in hast to Jobs children as an invitant to a better feast and that they might do as our Saviour did who being at a feast at Bethany fell into a meditation and discourse of his death and bâ—â—â—al John 12.7 8. Sure it is that although the wicked may die firming and shall die in their sins John 5.21 and so be killed with death as Jezebels children were Rev. 2.23 Yet Gods children shall not dye before their time Eccles 7.17 or till the best time till their work is done Revel 11.7 No malice of man or divel can antedate my end a minute saith one whilest my master both work for me to do It is the happinesse of a Saint that he is sure not to die till that time when if he were but rightly informed he would even desire to die Happy is he that after due preparation is passed through the gates of death ere he be aware as Jobs children were Verse 14. And there came a messenger A sad relater not a divel in the shape of a man as the Rabbines would have it let that passe for a Jewish fable but one of Jobs own servants or some other eye-witnesse to make Job believe belike that as an evill man he only sought rebellion sith such cruel messengers were sent against him Prov. 17.11 The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding c. i.e. We were none of us either idle or ill-occupied but taking pains and tending our cattle when this disaster befell us Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted Psalm 107.17 they create themselves crosses such as must therefore needs come with a sting in them See Gen. 42.21 But Jobs servants were honestly employed when plundered and assassined which sheweth that his losses were not penall but probationall And the asses feeding beside them Peter Martyr upon the first of Samuel Com. in 1 Sam. 12. wittily applyeth this text to prelates and non-residents who when put in mind of their duty would usually answer that they had substitutes and curates to do their businesse for them Itâ— labor aliorum est proventus ipsorum So that others took the paines and they the profit saith he and as it is in the book of Job The axen plow and the asses feed beside them Verse 15. And the Sabeans fell upon them i.e. Sabai apud poetas molles vocantur but Satan set them a work Bâ—eerw Enquir 135. The Arabians a theevish people that lived by rapine and robbery They are at this day called Saracens of Sarac to rob for they keep up their old trade and are not all out so good as those Circassians a â—ind of mongrell-Christians who are said to divide their life betwixt sinne and devotion dedicating their youth to rapine and their old age to repentance Yea they have slain the servants Heb. The young men for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈…〉 It was happy howsoever that they were taken away when in their lawful â—alling and about their honest employments Eliah chose to be taken in such a posture for he knew the very time and yet when the charriots of heaven came to fetch him up he was going and talking to his Scholar Elisha The busie attendance on our holy vocation is no lesse pleasing to God or safe for us to die upon then an immediate devotion Happy is that servant whom the Master when he cometh shall find so doing And I only am escaped alone to tell thee For no other cause escaped this one this single one but to adde to Jobs affliction There was no mercy in such a sparing It was that Job might have the ill newes brought him suddenly and certainly That old
man slayer had so contrived it for the greater mischief Verse 16. Whiles he was yes speaking See here we may that miseries many times stay not for a mannerly succession to each other Aliud ex alio malum Terent. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acistoph but in a rude importunity throng in at once Fluctus fluctum trâ—â—â—â— one deep calleth to another and as one shower is unburthened another is brewed Eccles 12.2 It must not seeme strange but be joyous to Saints when they fall or be precipitated plunged into divers â—emptations Jam. 1.2 For crosses seldome come single There came also another and said Before Job could recollect and recover himself or take breath this was a sore trial It is a mercy that we have some lucida intervalla that the rod of the wicked doth not alwaies rest on the lot of the righteous that there are any interspiriâ— and Halcyons sith here they must have it or no where Rev. 21.4 The fire of God This was more terrible then the former because God seemed to sight against Job with his own bare hand by fire from heaven as once he did against Sodâ—â— Be not 〈…〉 unto we O Lord saith Jeremy chap. 17.17 And then I care nor though all the world set against me If Marriners in a tempest have sea room enough their is no fear so if men in afflictions can see and say 〈…〉 and on the contrary Heb. 10. it is fearfull to fall into the hands of the living God And hath 〈◊〉 up 〈◊〉 wherewith Job was wont to offer sacrifice It was great joy to those in Joel that God after a sore and long famine would yet leave a blessing behind him even a meat-offering and a drink offering c. Joel 2.14 And thy servants Those souls of men as they are called Rev. 18.13 This was a worse losse then that of his sheep And I only c. See the Note on Verse 15. Verse 17. While he was yet speaking See on Verse 16. The Chaldâ—ans A base and obscure people from the beginning subject to the Assyrians but yet more potent then the Sabaans as appeareth by the three bands they made out The Sabaeaâ—s are noted by Strabo to be an idle and effeminate people The Chaldeans are set forth in the Scripture to be a bitter and hasty Nation terrible and dreadfull fiercer then the evening wolves c. Hab. 1.6 7 8. Satan proceeds by degrees to afflict Job that he may at length over-turn him but beyond expectation he held out all assaults Instar rupis qua in mari vadoso horridi Jovu irati ut it a dicam Neptuni fervidis assultibus undique verberata non cedit aut minuitur sed obtendit assuetum luctibus latus firmâ duritie tumentis unde impetum sustiâ—â—â— ac frangit Jâ—an Wower Polymath Made out three bands Which were marshalled and set in array by the Divel who was their Commander in chief Sic sape loâ—â—catus incedit Satan cataphractus as Luther speaketh he hath his Legions among men also who like those vulturine Eagles Job 39.30 do glut-glut blood as the Hebrew word there soundeth and signifieth And fell upon the Camels Heb. Spread themselves over them rushed and ran violently making an impression upon the Camels And have carryed thâ—m away Heb. Have taken them to themselves though Job had never dealt discourteously with these Chaldeans nor had his Camels trespassed them but were carefully kept by the servants Innocency is no target against injury neither doth Victory alwayes argue a just Cause Yea and slain the servants c. See the Note on Ver. 15. Verse 18. While he was yet speaking See Vers 16. Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine This was the last but not the least of Satans assaults reserved purposely to the last to crush him quite when he was now spent and spiritlesse as he hoped Let us look for like dealing for a tough bout at death howsoever and be alwayes ready prepared for another and a worse encounter Seneca It is said of Caesar that he sometimes put up but seldom or never put off his Sword It is said of Qui Elizabeth that in the greatest calm she provided for a storm It is said or the bâ—rd Onocrotalus that she if so well practised to expect the Hawk to grapple with her that even when she shutteth her eyes she sleepeth with her beak exalted as if she would contend with her adversary Should not we stand constantly upon our Guard who have so restlesse and pitilesse an enemy Thy sons and thy daughters c. Men may die then with the meat in their mouthes and in the midst of their mirth and jollity as did Amnon Elah Balshazzar Wâ—ether therefore we eat or drink c. do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Let there be holinesse to the Lord written upon our pots Zech 14.21 Let us eat and drink and sleep eternal life as a reverend Scotch Divine was said to do Jobs good heart aked and quaked likely at the hearing of this sad newes of so sudden a death of his children amidst their merriments for he used to say when there was no such danger It may be my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts Me thinks I hear him saying or rather sighing out those sorrowfull words of Cratisicâ—â—â— in Plâ—tarch Plut. in vit Cleomenis when she saw her dear children slain afore her Quò pueri est â—â— profecti Poor souls what 's become of you See more on Verse 13. Verse 19. And behold there câ—me a great wind The Divel doubtlesse was in this wind as he is by divine permission the Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2.2 and can thereby do much mischief what wonder then though it were a great wind sith spirited by him and 〈…〉 came on amaine and with a 〈◊〉 as being driven on by the Divel It was a wonderfull wind belike a whirlwind and hath therefore a Behold set upon it such a wind as the Relator had never known before The Rabbins say that he was so affrighted with it that no sooner had he made an end of his report of it to 〈…〉 Sure it is that he relateth the matter 〈◊〉 and graphically with 〈…〉 and without that moderation and making the best of things at first as in such cases is usuall when parents are first made acquainted with the sudden death of their children or other sad accidents that have befallen theâ— This messenger clâ—ttereth out all at once being thereunto set on and suborned by Satan as Lavaâ—er thinketh to stirre up Jobs stomack and to make him break off that so well-twisted thred of his patience From the wildernesse of Idumea or Arabia called deserta The divel who haunteth dry and desert places was the Aeolus that sent it Let us blesse that God the maker and master of these Meteors and of all things else who bindeth up such an enemy and boundeth such