in his Then all sorts and degrees of men are judged righteously when there is no regard had or notice taken in Judgement of what sort or degree any man is Judges are called gods and therefore should act like God without respect to men And as this is a truth in all those cases of judgement where Magistrates sit in the place of God so it is as true in all the private judgements and determinations of brethren concerning persons or things which by way of distinction from the former is commonly called the putting or referring of a matter in difference to men We must take heed in private judgements that we be not swayed according to the condition of persons nor must we make the fault great or lesse the cause better or worse because the person is greater or lesse friend or stranger to us The Apostle gives this counsel and caution to the Churches James 2.1 2 3 4 5. My Brethren have not the faith that is the doctrine of faith or profession of our Lord Jesus the Lord of glory with respect of persons For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring and there come in also a poore man in vile rayment and you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say unto him sit thou here in a good place and say to the poore stand thou there or sit here under my footstool are ye not then partiall in your selves and are become judges of evill thoughts In administring the things of God which are spirituall we must observe no civill difference no distinction among men Christ hath given himselfe alike and equally to rich and poore bond and free and therefore as to Church-priviledges and enjoyments they must all be alike and equall unto us No man is to be knowne after the flesh in the things of the Spirit 2 Cor 5.16 that is no man is to be valued meerely upon natural or worldly accounts if we doe then as the Apostle James concludes in the place last â—efore mentioned are we not partiall in our selves that is as some also translate that reproving question Have we not made a difference a groundlesse difference or a difference grounded upon carnal respects rather then upon any solid reason and so as it follows in the close of the verse are become judges of evill thoughts that is have made our judgement of those persons according to the dictate of our owne evill and corrupt thoughts not according to the rule of the word Further this sin of respecting persons is found also in the ordinary converse of men For when we cast favours upon those that are ill deserving and commend those as we say to the skies who should rather fall under our severest censure and are led to doe all this also because the person is a kinsman or a friend for though eaeteris paribus other qualifications and circumstances being equall we are to respect friends and kindred who are our owne flesh before strangers yet vertue and worth should out-weigh relations and as Levi in doing Justice Deut 33.9 so we in bestowing rewards should not acknowledge our Brethren nor know our owne children but let such have our rewards who best deserve them I may adde this also To take up this or that forme of religion because such and such persons are in it and to reject another though better because none but a few that are despised and contemned are in it is a most dangerous way of respecting persons This was the meaning of that question John 7.48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him As if certainly that must alwayes be the best way and rule of believing which is professed by the rulers Or as if it were ground enough to reject a way of religion because the common people or the poore are mostly found in it Thus 't is storied of a Great Prince that was converted to the Christian faith and resolved to be baptized that seeing a great many poore men in his way as he went he asked to whom they belonged it was answered they were Christians and of that religion which he was entring into what doth Christ keep his servants so poore sayd he I will not serve such a Master and so drew backe even while he was but setting his face towards Christ I might instance the sinfullness of accepting persons in many other particular cases as well as these but these may suffice for a tast Let me not saith Elihu accept any mans person Neither let me give flattering titles unto man In the former part of the verse it was Ish here it is Adam Graeciverteum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognominandi per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverori et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mirari persona in reddiderunt Merc Et deum homini non aequabo Vulg I will not respect the person of the greatest men nor will I flatter any earthly any mortall man Mr Broughton renders That I respect an earthly man The vulgar latine translates the whole verse thus I will not accept any mans persons and I will not equall God to man As if he had sayd I will not measure God by man in his dealings and proceedings with man As my purpose is to speake truth and spare no man so I will not wrong God by drawing him downe to the rules of men What is man that he should compare with God But though this be a truth yet because it departs so farre from the Original text I will not stay upon it Our reading is cleare I will not give flattering titles There are severall other readings of these words which I shall propose and passe to our owne Apud hominem Praefatione non utar Jun Et apud hominem ne permutem nomina Coc Et ad hominem non nutato nomine loquar Merc Ego non ingratiam ejus tectis verbis utar occultè eum designans nomen proprium immutans Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat aliquem occultè designare Merc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est mutatis rerum nominibus agere ut non possis nisi obscurè quid sentiatur intelligi Cujus contrarium est aperire os et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellare Coc First I will not use a preface or I will not stand prefacing with man Flatteries are usually set forth in affected Prefaces and Apologies Secondly Let me not change names before men or let me not speak to man under a borrowed name That is let me speake plainly and clearly without ambages and fetches let me speake to every man and about every thing by its owne name and not with covered words as if I were unwilling to touch those to whom I speake Our translation is yet more cleare to the scope and tendency of this place I will not give flattering titles This sentence is but two words in the Hebrew The verbe signifies say the Rabbins to hide or conceale or to carry a matter closely
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Observations CONTINUED UPON The Thirty Second the Thirty Third and the Thirty Fourth Chapters of the Booke of JOB BEING The Substance of Forty-nine Lectures delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge LONDON By JOSEPH CARYL Preacher of the Gospel and Pastour of the Congregation there Pro 18.17 He that is first in his owne cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him LONDON Printed for M. Simmons and are to be sold by Thomas Parkhurst at his Shop at the three Crownes against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheap-side 1661. TO THE CHRSTIAN READER TO Those especially of this CITIE who yet continue helpfull towards this WORKE SIRS YE have had according to my poore measure the whole disputation between Job and his three friends Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar explicated in nine parts already published I now through the blessing and good hand of God with me present you with the Tenth which indeed without any designe or pre-intent of mine proves like the Tenth wave from the vast ocean of this holy Booke somewhat bigger and fuller I cannot say and 't is my reproofe having been so long conversant in this booke that I cannot say stronger and better i. e. more spirituall which alone is the strength of Scripture writings then the former but such as it is that it is such as it is I own and humbly acknowledge the goodness of God in using me to doe it such as it is I say I freely tender it to your favourable acceptance dedicate it to the glory of God the common good knowing that it is both my duty and Interest to shew the small improvement though but of one single talent rather then either through sloath or slavish modesty to hide it in a Napkin In the prefatory Epistle to the second part of this book there was an endeavour of a discovery concerning the distinct opinion of Jobs three friends as also of what himselfe held fast and insisted upon all along in distinction from theirs And now that I have done with all that was said on both sides by the disputants and am come to open the discourse of Elihu who appeared as Moderator to give a determination about the Great Question so long ventitated among them it may seeme somewhat necessary and I am much perswaded if in any competency attained it will not be unprofitable to give The Reader a briefe prospect of what Elihu aymeth at and doth in this his large and accurate discourse continued in sixe Chapters throughout and divided into besides his Generall preface which takes up the whole thirty second Chapter foure remarkeable sections Elihu is introduced by the pen-man of this booke in a great passion both with Job and his three friends and he gives us an account why he was in such a heate of passion with both chap 32.2 3. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu against Job was his wrath kindled because he had justified himselfe rather then God Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job It remaines therefore that Elihu was the man who found an answer in this great difficulty and yet condemned not Job And indeed he condemned him not as his friends had done as a man imperfect crooked in his wayes as a man that feared not God eschewed not evill In or for these things Elihu did not condemne Job though his wrath was kindled against him he condemned him only for this because he complained so much of the severity of Gods dealings with him and so by consequence justified himselfe rather then God And in that poynt or for that fault he spared him not but reproved him as sharply and condemned him as deeply as his friends had done upon other and those most of them undue and insufficient grounds Thus we read his censure of him chap 34.35 Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome And againe chap 35.16 Therefore Job openeth his mouth in vaine he multiplyeth words without knowledge that is without a cleare knowledge of himselfe both as a creature and as a sinner as also of the designe and purpose of God in afflicting him Now besides those passages in the discourse of Elihu wherein he chargeth Jobs three friends with folly for condemning Job when they could not answer him those wherein he reproves Jobs ignorance or want of knowledge for wondring how such great evills should fall upon him notwithstanding his integrity likewise his boldness or penemptoriness in his own cause justifying himselfe rather then God yea and desiring to plead his cause before him I say besides these passages we at first reading might conclude that Elihu did nothing else throughout these six chapters but enlarge or paraphrase upon those things which had long before been spoken to by Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar and by Job himselfe as much as by any of if not beyond all them three But upon further consideration of the matter in the whole series and contexture of his discourse we may collect two things instanced in and insisted on by Elihu alone upon which his particular opinion and sentence is grounded in distinction from all the rest The cleare understanding of which will lead us to a faire solution or removall of those doubts which arise about the question or matter in debate The two distinct poynts produced by Elihu are First about Revelation or how God is pleased to manifest his mind and will to man Secondly about Mediation or the meanes which God hath graciously afforded man to heale those breaches which sin hath made between God and him and so either firstly or afresh to reconcile man againe to himselfe The Former of these is handled chap 33. v. 14 15 16 17. For God speaketh once yea twice though man perceiveth it not In a dream in a vision of the night when deepe sleepe falleth upon men Then he openeth the eares of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man And thus as it is said in the verse following He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword that is these speakings of God are by the saving power and Spirit of God made effectuall for his salvation both temporall and eternal The latter is handled in the same chapter beginning at the 23d verse to the end of the 30th If there be a messenger or Angel with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe to the pit I have found a ransome His flesh shall be fresher then a childs he shall returne to the dayes of his youth He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy c. Hence the opinion or determination of Elihu may be thus conceived That
parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
them more like to God then younger men Secondly Look to the speciall way wherein Elihu shewed reverence to his Elders even by his long silence he did not rudely not rashly breake into discourse but waited till they had done This modesty of Elihu is both commendable and imitable who would say nothing as longe as Job or any of his friends had any thing to say Mira in hoc elucet antiquuorum in publicis concertationibus gravitas et stupendum inviolabilitèr servati in dicendo ac respondendo ordinis exemplum Bold because they were elder then he As the light of nature teacheth reverence to the aged in all cases so more particularly in this There shines as to this poynt an admirable comlinesse in the disputes of the Ancients and a most eminent example of order inviolably kept both in proposing and answering Their rule or maxime was Let the Seniors speake let the Juniors hear Let Old men teach let young men learne It is the note of a learned Commentator upon this place from what himselfe had observed Living saith he once at Paris in France where in a Monastery Majores natu loquantur juniores audiant senes doceant adolescentes discant Pulcherrima disciplinae sententia Drus three Indians were brought up and instructed in the Christian Religion I could not but admire to behold how studiously and strictly they kept to the Lawes of speaking the younger not offering a word till the Elder had done The practice of these Indians brought with them out of Heathenisme may reprove the imprudence of many yea the impudence of some young men among us who will be first in talk when their betters and elders are in place The Prophet threatned this as a great judgment Isa 3.5 The Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient The child is not to be taken here strictly but for any inferiour in age though possibly himself be arrived to the state of manhood As if the Prophet had said there shall be a generall confusion among all degrees of men without respect had to age or place every stripling will take the boldness to talk and act unseemly before his betters Obeysance and silence bowing the body and holding the peace are respects which ought to be paid to our Superiours whether in time or authority But as young men should not be forward to speak in the presence of their elders so they should not be afraid to speak when there is cause for it especially when their elders forbear or refuse to speak any more Thus Elihu who had long kept his mouth as David in another case did Psal 39.1 with a bridle and was dumb with silence yet at last his heart was hot within him and while he was musing the fire burned and as it followeth he spake with his tongue Vers 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men then his wrath was kindled When Elihu saw it that is when he was as much assured of it by their gesture and carriage as if it had been visible that those three men had no more to say or would say no more for the words may be referred indifferently to their will or power when I say he saw they had no more to say Either first to convince Job of error or secondly to defend the truth of God which they had undertaken when he saw this his wrath was kindled at that instant time and for that very reason his wrath was kindled Some conceive as was shewed before that this anger proceeded from the passionateness of his spirit and so tax him with it as his fault but I rather consent with those who say it proceeded from his zeal for God and so it was his vertue and his praise I have met with these words two or three times already since I entred upon this Chapter and therefore I shall not stay upon them here And as this anger of Elihu was spoken of before so the same reason which was given before of his anger is repeated and reported hear again Then his wrath was kindled because they had no answer in their mouths that is because they had no more to say against Job whom they had condemned and because they had no more to say for God whose cause in afflicting Job they had defended I shall only adde a few brief Notes upon this Verse and so passe on First Some men answer till they have no more to answer 'T is very possible for a good and a wise man to be at the bottom of his reason in some points or to be brought to such a wall that he can go no further David saith I have seen an end of all perfection which as it is true of all outward commodities and conveniences which men enjoy so both of their corporal and intellectual abilities or of what they can either do or say The best of men may see the end of their best perfections in all things but Grace and the hope of Glory Their stock and treasure may be quite spent their spring exhausted and they gone ro their utmost line and length There 's no more answer in their mouth nor work in their hand Secondly note It may put a wise man into passion to see how ill some wise men use their reason or that they can make no further use of it Then was the anger of Elihu kindled when he saw they could answer no more or that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men Thirdly As the anger of Elihu is often spoken of so still we find some what or other is assigned as a ground of it Whence note We should see good reason for our anger before we are angry whether in our own cause or in the cause of God There is nothing can excuse anger but the cause of it Reason is a good plea for passion And he that hath a true reason for his anger will probably manage his anger with reason yea and mingle it with grace And so his proves not only a rational but a gracious anger Fourthly note Provoked patience breaks out into greater passion In the former Verse we find Job waiting he waited long and patiently but being disappointed of what he waited for his wrath broke out His anger was kindled As when God waits long and is disappointed his anger is encreased in the manifestation of it Rom. 2.4 5. ver Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leads thee to repentance but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath c. As if he had said the more patience God spends upon thee the more wrath is treasured up â—â—r thee and that wrath will break out the more fiercely and violently to consume thee the longer it hath been treasured up Now I say as the wrath of God is the more declared against man by how much his patience is the more abused So
have found but wisdome Note Man is very prone to make boast of or glory in that which he calleth wisdome When he hath found out though but supposed wisdome he cannot containe he must cry it up Archimedes It is said of the old Mathematician when after long study and beating his braines he had found out a Conclusion in Geometry he ran about the Citie as if transported or ravished with this loud out-cry I have found it I have found it and thus Jobs friends were ready to cry out they had found they had found out wisdome There is indeed a very great temptation in the finding out or attaining of wisdome to puff man up and to make him vaine-glorious We have great cause to be humbled that we have so little wisdome and they that have any store as they thinke more then their neighbours are in great danger of being proud of it Knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor 8.1 When the head is full the heart grows high Yet this is to be understood of literall knowledge not of spirituall or of knowledge when and where it is alone without grace not of gracious knowledge The more a gracious man knowes the more humblâ— he is because his knowledge shewes him his own vileness and emptiness but the more a carnall man knowes the more proud he is became while such whatsoever or how much soever he knoweth he knoweth not himselfe nor doth he know any thing as he ought to know it as the Apostle speakes there at the second verse And as meere naturall men so they who are but smatterers or beginners in the wayes of godliness are also very ready to be transported with an opinion of their parts and knowledge And therefore the same Apostle gives it in charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 3.6 that he who is called and received unto Office in the Church should not be a novice he means it not so much of one that is young in yeares as of one that is young in the faith a new plant in the Church or one newly converted And he gives this as a reason Lest being puft up with pride he meanes by being in such a function or by having such reputation for wisdome and knowledge as is requisite to a Goâ—pel Minister he which is a sad fall if not a down-fall into utter ruine fall into the condemnation of the devill Not that the devill will condemne him for his pride no the more proud men are the more the devill approves of them nor is it the devills office to condemne it is his office to execute he is the executioner not the Judge and what ever he condemneth any man for he will not condemne him for pride no nor for any sin So that when the Apostle saith Lest he fall into the condemnation of the devill it is as if he had said Lest he be condemned for the same sin that the devill was condemned for which was pride And it was pride for he is the right father of the Gnosticks arising out of a high opinion or conceit of his owne wisdome and knowledge Zophar sayd Job 11.12 Vaine man would be wise But is it an argument of a mans vanity that he would be wise it is a mans duty to be wise that 's a good desire why then doth he say Vaine man would be wise The meaning is Vaine man would be in account for wisdome he would be reckoned among wise men or he desires more to be thought wise then to be wise A vaine man indeed cannot desire any good but in reference to some evill that cleaves to it and upon that account he may desire to be wise The first sin came into the world by an attempt to get wisdome or by a proud thought in the hopes of attaining farther wisdome The wisdome which our first parents sought for was not wisdome to know God for that is the most excellent wisdom It is eternall life to know God So then it was not wisdome to know God but it was wisdome to be knowing as God which they affected they would be high and lifted up above the rate of a creature in knowledge and that was their ruine And I shall shew in two things why there is such a temptation in wisdome or the reason why when we have found out that which hath a shew of wisdome in it we are so forward to applaud our selves boast in it First 'T is so because wisdome is no common Commodity as I may say wisdome is but in few hands if you consider the multitude of men in the world Now that which few have all who have it are ready to be proud of No man is proud of that which is every mans no man is proud that he is a man or proud that he hath reason because that is common to all men but all men are not wise all men are not learned all men have not an improved wisdome reason and understanding that hath a peculiarity in it and therefore of that many are proud Secondly Wisdome is not only rare but very usefull and which reacheth this poynt more fully very ornamentall and how apt are we to be proud of our ornaments A man is not proud of his ordinary Clothes nor a woman of her every-day dresse but when a man or woman have their ornaments and Jewells on their Gay-cloathing and rich apparel on then they are apt to be proud and lifted up so it is in this case Wisdome is like Gay-cloathing it is a Jewell an ornament and therefore man is under a temptation when he hath any thing of wisdome especially any eminency of wisdome about him to be lifted up and despise others yea to arrogate great things to himselfe and to presume that he can doe no small matters with his braine or the engine of his understanding It is a great attainment to be full of knowledge and full of humility high in parts and lowly in spirit Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome God thrusteth him downe not man or as others read God hath cast him downe not man The Omnipotent doth Toss him not man saith Mr. Broughton The word signifies to toss a man as it were in a blanket That is to toss him as we please farre enough from his pleasure or to toss him in open view As if they had sayd see how the omnipotent tosseth this man The Omnipotent tosseth him not man There are two references of these words given by Expositers First Some expound them as the words of Elihu Secondly Others as the words of Jobs three friends First Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome I saith Elihu say God shall thrust him downe not man That 's the principle by which I will deale with Job and so thrust him downe from that opinion which he hath of himselfe and humble him that 's the sence of the words thrust him downe according to this interpretation God shall doe it and not man Some of the learned insist much upon this
prerogative but with a respect also to our spirituall which is the best profit and for our good Now among the good things which God aymeth at in afflicting any man this is nor the least the purging out of his evills And therefore when we cannot ascribe the chastisement of man to man but to God alone 't is a witness against him at least it drawes a suspition upon him of some great sinfulness lodged in him or sinfull wayes walked in by him Thirdly Observe It is no Concluding argument against any man that he is wicked because God afflicts him immediately or how much soever the hand of God appeares in an affliction 't is no concluding argument against the afflicted 'T is one principall scope intended by Elihu in this discourse to shew that there were other causes reasons of Gods afflicting Job or any man else besides him And that we should not make Conclusions that the greatest sufferers are the greatest sinners For first though indeed God threatneth to punish the wicked who wilfully transgresse his Law yet he afflicts many without respect to wickednesse Secondly though God threatens the wicked only or chiefely at least yet he reserves a liberty to try the innocent yea as Job saith in the 9th Chapter He laughs at the triall of the innocent And therefore the most innocent are most tryed I have had occasion more then once to shew why they are most or so much tryed First for the exercise of their faith Secondly for the improvement of their patience thirdly to humble them Fourthly sometimes to set them up for examples to others as the Apostle James speaks Chap. 5.10 Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience The Prophets have suffered affliction and God hath let them suffer that they might be patternes of suffering and 't is so in many other instances Fifthly God doth it to mortifie their corruptions Sixthly to prevent future transgressions he hedgeth up their way with thornes Seventhly to discover or gaine a testimony of their sincerity They serve Christ to purpose who can suffer while they serve and bleed under his crosse while they sweat under his yoke Surely then there is no concluding against any man that he is a son of Behal or hath cast off the yoke of Christ because Christ burdeneth him with his crosse Yet this was the great Maxime which Jobs friends insisted upon He must needs be a wicked man because the Lord had thrust him downe not man But when we see good men thrust downe by the hand of God there is a better use to be made of it then to judge them and that is to be watchfull over our selves lest we put a rod into the hand of God to chasten us or a sword into his hand to wound us For as Christ spake Luke 23.33 If it be thus done to the greene tree what shall be done to the dry If Christ suffered so much who was a greene flourishing fruit-bearing tree what may we who are dry and barren trees Or take the meere sons of men some of them comparatively to others are as greene trees flourishing in grace and holinesse who yet are under sore affliction and if this be done to a greene tree what shall be done to those who are but dry barren fruitless trees yea trees that bring forth evill fruit The Apostle 1 Pet. 4.17 gives a sutable caution If Judgement begin at the house of God he does not say at the Temple of Idolls But if it begin at the house of God what will the end be of those that obey not the Gospel Let others looke to it when they see God afflicting his people when they see God bringing such troubles into his owne house what troubles may they expect who are indeed but a den of theeves and whose houses are yea who themselves are as a Cage of uncleane birds Thus we see the great argument disproved which Jobs friends used to prove him wicked because God did thrust him downe not man And saith Elihu this is it you say and boast of as your wisdome but indeed you have not convinced Job no not by this What you have taken for a demonstration is but a fallacy And though I might wave mine owne trouble in shewing that it is so because I am not the man but ye are the men to whom Job hath shaped his whole discourse yet I cannot forbeare to doe it only I promise you I will not tread in your steps nor take up your method in doing it That 's the summe of the words which follow Vers 14. Now he hath not directed his words against me nei-neither will I answer him with your speeches In this verse Elihu speakes Negatively in two things First He tells us that Job had not spoken professedly nor directly to him Secondly he tells us how he would not deale with Job that is not as his friends before had done Now he hath not directed his words against me As if Elihu had said I confesse I have not been at all spoken to all this while unlesse in common with all the Auditory and therefore might well enough looke upon my selfe as unconcern'd in this matter The word here used to direct hath a great elegancy in it and may be an allusion First to an Archer who aymes at or directs his arrow to the marke Secondly to a Warrier especially a Commander in warre who sets his men in battel array against the enemy As if Elihu had said Job hath not aymed at me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digessit disposint ordinavit verbum bellicum de acie ordinanda dicitur Merc nor hath he ordered or set his words in order to opprsse me Job hath not drawne up his forces nor set himselfe in array against me but against you And so perhaps that hate and bitterness of spirit which you have contracted by this long-continued debate with Job hath given you occasion prudently to withdraw and forbeare the entertainment of any further discourse with him Yea possibly ye are now fallen into a deep contempt of him as a man forsaken of God and therefore to be no more dealt with by man But there is not the like reason for me to forbeare speaking with him seeing as he hath not at all opposed me so I am not at all disturb'd in my owne thoughts about him nor is my spirit imbittered with any unidictive motions against him and shall therefore enter the lists of this disputation with a peaceable and quiet minde or rather I shall being a person every way unprejudic'd doe my best endeavour to moderate and compose this great difference between you Now he hath not directed his words against me c. Hence note First Our words should be well ordered They should be drawne up like a wel disciplin'd Army in ranke and file Confusion in words is as bad as confusion in things Some heape up words but they
doing my Maker would soon take me away IN these two verses Elihu concludes in which he had continued long the Preface to his following discourse and procedure with Job Here also he acquaints us in what manner he meant to proceed with him about which we may consider two things First His resolvednesse or the setlednesse of his purpose what course to take Secondly the reasons which moved him to it The former he expresseth negatively in the 21th verse and that in two points First He would not accept any mans person Secondly He would not give flattering titles unto man These two negatives as the negative precepts in the Law of God are to be understood with their affirmatives I will not accept any mans person is I will have and give an equall or neither a more nor lesse to the best of my understanding then a due regard to every mans person And I will not give flattering titles that is I purpose to speak plainly I will not complement men but doe my best to accomplish the matter And as he assures us how he will proceed in this 11th verse so Secondly He gives us the reasons of this his intended impartiall plaine and down-right proceeding in the 22d. These reasons are two-fold First He would not doe otherwise because he could not with any content to himselfe It was against the very graine of his spirit to doe otherwise his disposition lay a quite contrary way he was a man of another genius or temper a man of another mould and make then to doe such low and unworthy things as accepting the persons of or giving flattering titles unto men He is expresse in this v. 22. I know not to give flattering titles Secondly He would not because he durst not give flattering titles nor accept the persons of men The danger and dammage he should incurre by doing so kept him from doing so as wel as his owne indisposition to it He should lay himselfe open and obnoxious to the wrath of God by such seeking the favour of men as appeares in the close of the verse In so doing my Maker would soon take me away Thus you have the parts and purpose of these words I shall now give a more distinct explication and account of them Vers 21. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person or let me not now So that particle is rendred Job 5.1 Call now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverbium seu particula obsecrantis seu ad horiandi ut fades amabo latinis if there be any that will answer thee yet 't is an Adverb of beseeching or intreating and therefore we render wel Let me not I pray you which rendring seemes to have in it these two things As if Elihu had sayd First Expect not that I should nor believe that I will doe any such thing as the accepting of persons or the giving of flattering titles Secondly Be not offended if I doe not be not angry with me if I deale plainly with you pray give me leave to use my owne freedome and liberty when I am speaking for I am resolved to doe it and not to accept the persons of men nor to give them flattering titles The words may be rendred also in a direct negation Verily I will not accept any mans person Non accipiam ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae enallage insolens non est Drus But I shall keep to our reading Let me not I pray you accept any mans person The Hebrew is Let me not lift up any mans person or which the Apostle forbids Let me not have any mans person in admiration I will not over-reverence any man nor give him a respect beyond himselfe The word which we render person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Hebrew face Let me not lift up the face of a man or wonder at any mans face as the Septuagint often render this phrase And it is usuall to put the face or the countenance for the person because the face declares the person and shews who the mans is and it is elegantly expressed by the face because accepting of persons importeth a respect to others for their outside or in consideration of some externall glory Let me not accept the face of any man or person let him be who he will The originall word ish most properly signifieth an eminent or honourable man a learned or wise man As if Elihu had sayd I will not accept or lift up the face of a man though he be ish a man never so much lifted up and exalted above his brethren To accept the person of a man is not a fault in it selfe for as our persons are accepted of God so ought our persons to be accepted with one another yea it is a duty to accept the person of a man that is to give him favour honour and due respect Not only civility and humanity but religion it selfe calls us to give outward reverence to them who excell and are superior either to others of our selves God himselfe is sayd to accept the persons of his people first and thâ—â— their sacrifices or services And we ought to accept the persons of men according to their differences in place and power especially according to those gifts and Graces which shine in them Therefore when Elihu saith Let me not I pray you accept any mans person his meaning is let me not doe it in prejudice to the cause or truth that is before us Then we are properly and strictly sayd to accept persons when in any matter businesse or poynt of controversie our eyes are so dazel'd or blinded by external appearances that we have respect rather to the person of the man then to the matter or the truth of the cause in hand So then this sin of accepting persons is alwayes committed when we are more swayed by or when there is more attributed to persons then to things that is when the mans worth is more looked to then the woâ—th or merit of his cause or further when something in a person which hath no respect to the goodnes or badnes of his cause moves us to give him more or lesse then is meete this is sinfully to accept or respect a person Thus Elihu acquits himselfe from all those bonds and blinds which his respect to those worthy persons before him might lay upon him They were ancient and grave men they were wise and good men he had a great respect for them he owed much reverence to them considering their age and gravity their degree and dignity yet he owed a greater respect to God and to the truth then to their persons and was thereupon resolved though he had many and great temptations to doe it not to accept the persons of men Hence note To accept persons in prejudice to the cause or truth before us is a high offence both to God and good men 'T is so in a double notion First in the act of it
because we doe that which in it selfe is not right nor according to the mind of God Secondly in the issue consequence or effects of it because by respecting persons we are endangered to many other sins While Solomon only saith Prov 28.21 To have respect of persons is not good his meaning is 't is very evill 't is starke naught And the reason which he gives of the evill of it is not only because the act in it selfe is evill but because the issue and consequence of it is worse For saith that Scripture for a piece of bread that man will transgresse That is he that respects persons will turn aside from Justice for his owne advantage though it be very small even for a piece of bread The Prophet complaines of those Amos 2.6 who sold the righteous for silver and the poore for a paire of shoes They who have sold or given up themselves to this crooked Spirit of respecting persons will not sticke to sell both the persons of the righteous and the most righteous causes not only as the Prophet saith for a paire of shoes but as we say for a paire of shoe-buckles They will soone judge amisse of things who have respect to persons and they alwayes looke beside the cause who looke too much upon the face nothing should weigh with us in judgement but truth or right and that in a five-fold opposition First Truth and right must weigh with us in opposition to relation When a Brother or a neere kinsman be in the cause we must not decline nor be biassed from the truth yea though it be on his side to whom we have no relation but that of man Secondly We must keep to the truth and doe justice in opposition to friendship Though he be my friend my old friend and my fathers friend I must not respect him if truth stand upon the other side upon the side of the meerest stranger It was anciently sayd Socrates is my friend and Plato is my friend Amicus Socrates Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas but truth is more my friend and therefore I will stick to that Thirdly We must hold to truth in opposition to or notwithstanding the hatred of men suppose a man beares us ill will yea in other things hath wronged us yet if his present cause be righteous we must doe him right We may not bring in our particular wrongs or quarrells upon any cause but that about which the wrong or quarrel riseth They shew the purest love to righteousnesse who act righteously towards those that hate them and will not wrong those who have attempted to oppresse and ruine them A true lover of Justice will do to others as himselfe would have others doe to him yea though they have not done to him as they would be done to Fourthly We must stand to truth in opposition to riches and worldly aboundance riches usually find more friends and favourers then righteousnesse doth And 't is usuall to favour the rich more then the righteous How often is truth on the poore mans side over-ballanced by his adversaries purse But O how poore are they in spiritualls and morals who thus respect the persons of the rich Fifthly We must judge for truth in opposition to worldly greatness and power and that in a two-fold consideration First Though men have a power to reward and preferre us to doe great things for us yet this should not draw us aside woe to those who respect the greatnesse of the person instead of the goodnesse of the cause yet how many are there who care not how bad a great mans cause is if he will but engage to do them good yea some great men look upon themselves as much undervalued if they be not favoured in their cause how bad soever it be because they are able to doe them good who favour it Balak tooke it very ill at Balaams hands when he seemed unmoved by his ability to advance and reward him Did not I earnestly send for thee to call thee Wherefore camest thou not to me am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour Numb 22.37 And wilt not thou serve my interest when I have such a power to advance thine Thus also Saul thought all must cleave to him and forsake the cause of David because he was great and could preferre them 1 Sam 22.7 Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds Hath he any great places to bestow and honours to give Why then doe ye seeme to adhere to him and his party Hope of reward makes a great bias upon some mens spirits and carrieth them quite off from truth There is a second consideration prevailing much with many in this matter for though they are unmoved by rewards and will not bite at the bayte of selfe-advancement yet say they O he is a great man and hath great power he may do me a shrewd turne he may vex me and undoe me he may sit upon my skirts hereafter and ruine me Thus where hope doth not feare may carry a man from respect to right to the respect of persons But know That be a man never so great and able to doe me a mischiefe yet truth must be maintained and Justice be done though we should be quite undone by appearing for it It hath been sayd of old Let justice be done though heaven fall much more should it be done though we for doing and abetting it fall to the earth Moses gave that charge more then once Levit. 19.15 Deut. 1.16 17. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou judge thy neighbour Againe Ye shall not respect persons in Judgement but ye shall heare the small as well as the great you shall not be afraid of the face of man for the judgement is Gods neither undue pity to the poore nor carnal feare of the great which two often doe ought to put any check or stop to the execution of Justice So in that excellent model of instructions which Jehoshaphat gave his Judges 2 Chron 19.7 Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts As if he had said Do not you respect persons for God respects no persons he is no gift-taker therefore be ye no gift-takers your duty is to give every one his due That which is right to one man is right to another either in the same or in any paralel case That which is the rich mans right in his cause is the right of the poore man in his cause Quod uni aequum est non debet alteri in eodem casu esse iniquum yea it is as sinfull not to have a due respect to the rich man in his case as not to have respect to the poore man
Note First In all matters of difference we should be as willing to heare what others can answer as we are desirous that others should heare what we can object If thou canst answer me It is good to speak in a right cause especially to speak rightly and it is very good to learne what can be answered Note Secondly Elihu looking upon Job as a man in a weake condition speaks incouragingly stand up as much as to say Take heart It is our duty to refresh those that are troubled or to comfort those that are weake whether in body or in minde We should doe our best to put strength and infuse spirits into sinking hearts and fainting spirits Thus God dwells Isa 57.51 and so should we with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Thirdly As these words If thou canst answer me import that as Elihu intended to put Job to the utmost so he would have Job bestirre himselfe to the utmost Hence note Every man should doe his best for the clearing or maintaining of a good and righteous cause 'T is sinfull to be slight in matters of moment Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all thy might saith Solomon Eccles 9.10 we should especially doe these two things with all our might First maintaine the truth of God Secondly our owne integrity The former of these was chiefely upon the hand of Elihu in this undertaking the latter upon the hand of Job To betray the truth of God is the worst kinde both of cowardise and treachery and to betray our owne Integrity is next to that There is nothing more unworthy a man much more a Christian then to leave either truth or our own integrity to sinke or swim to shift for themselves Thus Elihu provokes Job to the combate and sends him a friendly challenge which lest he should refuse or not accept he gives him a comfortable account as a cordiall what manner of man he should find him to be even a man moulded and modell'd to his owne heart or minted to his mind as will appeare in the next verse Vers 6. Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead c. Here we have a very winning argument as was shewed in opening the whole Context to incourage Job both to heare and answer If ever a man will speak when he comes to a businesse it is when things and persons are according to his wish Job had oftentimes wisht that he might be mildly heard by God not so harshly dealt with by man his friends having been so over-severe and rigorous toward him that he was even compelled in the bitternesse of his soule to cry out He that is afflicted should have pitty from his friends Yea when Job wisht to be heard by God he with much earnestnesse deprecated his severity Chap 9. 34. and Chap 13. 24. Let not thy dread make me afraid Thus Job had wisht for a milde and gentle treatment from all hands In answer to which desire Elihu presents himselfe to him Behold I am according to thy wish in Gods stead Those words According to thy wish may have a two-fold interpretation First as we render according to thy wish is according to what thou hast heretofore spoken or drawne out in wishes thou hast thy vote thy wish and what wouldst thou have more As if he had said O Job I have heard thee wishing such wishes that thou mightest be more tenderly handled that God would not oppresse thee with his Majesty nor thy friends with their severity Now thou hast thy desire I doe here promise my selfe such a one to thee as thou hast desired For as I will be a faithfull advocate for God so I who am in Gods stead will not as thou hast prayed God would not at the hearing of thy case be terrible nor dreadfull to thee I doubt not but to carry the matter with thee to thy hearts content I am according to thy wish Hence note Wee should labour as much as in us lieth to answer the desires and wishes of others in all things lawfull especially when they are weak and labouring under sore burthens of affliction and infirmity It is not good to be crosse-grain'd at any time to our brethren much lesse at such a time some love as it were to lie thwart in every businesse nor is any thing more desireable to them then to oppose another mans desire The sweetnesse and ingenuity of these words I am according to your wish in what I safely may is seldome heard among brethren Some indeed are too forward to be according to the wish of others in things that are sinfull When theeves and murderers say to them Come come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurke privily for the innocent without cause c. Cast in your lot among us let us all have one purse They say we are according to your wish we will goe with you When the prophane say come run with us into all excesse of riot to drunkenness and uncleanness they answer we are according to your wish we are for you It is good to lie crosse to the sinfull desires of men but to comply with their honest desires and to answer every good wish of their soules is a great part of our goodnesse and of our fulfilling the law of love we should strive in that sence to fall in with every ones wish and to become all things to all men both for their edification and consolation Behold I am according to thy wish Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum os tuum i. e. sicut tu These words are rendred strictly out of the Original thus I am according to thy mouth or measure I am in the same condition and state as thou art Thus also they are words of encouragement to Job assuring him that he should not be over-power'd nor borne downe by force This forme of speaking is used frequently in Scripture to note the sutablenesse or proportion of things The Israelites Exod 16.21 gathered Manna every morning Every man according to his eating Juxta os edere sui Heb The Hebrew is Every one did gather to the mouth of his eating that is according to the measure of his eating such was the measure of his gathering The Nazarite was to offer according to the vow which he vowed Numb 6.21 Juxta os voti sui Heb Juxta os servitij Heb The Hebrew is according to the mouth of his vow Againe 't is said Numb 7.5 Moses was to give the offerings of the Princes of Israel to the Levites to every man according to his service or according to the mouth that is the condition and degree of his service Once more Solomon Prov 22.6 pressing the good and genuine education of children Super os viae suae Heb expresseth it thus Train up a child in the way that he should
and under-value their most prayse-worthy deeds Ill will never spake well either of persons or actions Secondly whom we love not as friends especially whom we hate as enemies we are prone to highten their faults and double their faylings we mostly look on the evill deeds of an enemy in a multiplying or in a magnifying glass we make one fault many and a little one great A true friend will speak the most of what is well done and the least he can with truth of what is ill He is so farre from seeking occasions against whom he loves that he will hardly see them when findes them unsought A noble enemy will not seeke occasions against a man much lesse will a cordiall friend It is no wonder when Job is taxed with saying God sought occasions against him that he should also say He counteth me for his enemy From the matter of these words He counteth me for his enemy take these two notes First Even good men when they are sorely grieved under the afflicting hand of God are tempted to have hard apprehensions of God at least to suspect and feare that God is no friend to them And this comes to passe upon a double consideration First Nature when pinched will shew it selfe Now man naturally hath not only hard thoughts of God but an enmity against him And when nature is pinched all the corruptions working in man worke this way unless over-power'd and checkt by grace Secondly when 't is hard with us from the hand of God then Satan takes his time to prompt us with hard thoughts of God and to foment that enmity to the uttermost of which our corrupt nature hath such store What will Satan say Doth God love thee and starve thee What Doth God pretend kindness to thee and deale thus with thee is God thy friend who takes away thy friends is God thy friend who leaves thee in the hand of enemies doth he pitty thee and yet keepe thee in these paines is this his kindness to his friend How can he say he loves thee And hast not thou cause enough yet to say He counteth thee for his enemy Thus Satan takes his time to provoke nature which is forward enough of it selfe to thinke and speake hardly of God if at any time he is pleased and sees it fit to deale hardly with us And how great a combate hath many a gracious soule both with Satan and his owne heart to get and keepe up good and honorable thoughts of God in a suffering condition or under darke and to sense dismal dispensations Secondly Note Whatsoever God doth to or with a godly man he should maintaine good thoughts and speak well of God or when God deales most strictly and severely with his people they should not look upon it as an argument of any enmity or ill will against them or that he counteth them his enemies Let us take heed of such thoughts David professed Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to them that are of a cleane heart He is good to them that 's Davids intent there not only when he doth them good as to outward things I meane and to sencible appearances for all is good in the issue to the Israel of God now I say God is good to his people not only when he in that sence doth them good but when he afflicts them and layeth many outward evills upon them When as it is said after in that Psalme v. 14. He plagueth them that word imports sorest troubles all the day long and chasteneth them every morning when he gives them their breakfast in sowre herbes or with severest whippings yet then even then he is good to them and meanes them no harme at all Therefore how hardly soever God deals with us let us not thinke he counts us enemies The Temptation was strong upon David to take up hard thoughts of God in that case yea it prevailed so farre upon him that he concluded v. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency As if he had sayd A man hath little priviledge from the worst of outward evills by his godliness But the Temptation did not prevaile long he soone recovered himselfe v 15. If I say I will speak thus that is that I have cleansed my heart in vaine Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children that is I should wrong the whole kind or race of godly men throughout the world as if hypocrites or as if God did not love them or were not good to them for who is there among all thy children whom either thou hast not or mayest not chasten as much as thou hast chastned me As no man can know the love of God by that which is before him how prosperous soever it is so it is most unsutable for any of the children of God to thinke that God is not good to them or doth not love them because of the evill that is before them how adverse or disasterous soever it is For God having loved his people in Christ he loves them for ever when once he hath broken the enmity in our hearts towards himselfe there is nothing shall ever be done by him towards us which may speak us his enemies or him our enemy though a Job in great affliction may say He counteth me for his enemy And handles me like one too as it followeth Vers 11. He putteth my feet in the stockes he marketh all my paths We had these words expressely Chap 13.27 there they have been opened already Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks and lookest narrowly unto all my pathes That which hath been said as to the Generall sence and scope of that text may serve for this And therefore I referre the reader thither I shall only adde two or three notes from the metaphor He put my feet in the stocks that is he presseth me with very close and sore afflictions Hence Observe First To be in affliction is to be in a painfull condition there is little ease in the stocks No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb 12.11 To be under a crosse is be under a burden Secondly Afflictions keepe us under restraint He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks afflictions hold us in they are as a prison to us Afflictions are a restraint two wayes First to our corruptions yea through the grace of God afflictions are more then restraints to corruption they become the death of corruption they are appoynted among other services for the mortifying of corruption that it may not live in us much more are they a restraint to corruption that it may not get out nor worke in us as before Many times when a good man hath the world at will his corruptions thinke to have their will too and when he is at liberty lusts would grow licentious Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks that their
purpose Lastly consider God withdraweth man from his sinfull purpose all or any of these wayes by putting forth his mighty power with them For his word alone his works alone his patience alone the counsell of man alone would not doe it if God did not stretch forth his own arme in and with these meanes for the doing of it Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it Numb 22. Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God And though the Lord sent his Angell to be an adversary to him in his way vers 22. so that his Asse turned out of the way into the field yet Balaam went on in his purpose yea though the Angell standing between two walls caused his Asse to turne so suddenly that she crusht Balaams foot against the wall vers 25. yet Balaam went on in his purpose Once more though the Angell went further and stood in a narrow way where there was no way to turne to the right hand nor to the left so that the poor Asse fell down under him v. 27. and speaking as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 2 Epist 2. with mans voyce rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings could not withdraw him from his purpose And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angell that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evill purposes who yet will not be stopt He speaks to them in the ministry of his word he speaks to them in his works he spreads their way with roses he hedgeth up their way with thorns he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them he sends sharp afflictions upon them to withdraw them from their evill projects and purposes yet on they goe like Balaam unlesse he send more then an Angell even his holy Spirit to withdraw them Lastly Elihu reports it as a speciall favour of God to withdraw man from his purpose Whence note It is a great mercy to be hinder'd in sinfull purposes and intendments Disappointments are acts of grace when we are acting against grace If God stop us from doing evill not onely by his word but by blowes or by a hedge of thorns yea if he stop us by a drawn sword it is a great mercy Though God throw us to the ground as he did Saul afterwards Paul when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints Acts 9. let us count our selves exalted and rejoyce in it more then in any worldly exaltation 'T is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evill purpose though by our owne poverty and outward misery The doing of that which is sinfull is worse then any thing that can be done to us or endured by us as a stop against sin Sin hath death in it sin hath wrath in it sin hath hell in it sin hath Devill and all in it therefore to be kept from sin let it be by what means it will if by paines and pining sicknesses if by reproaches and disgraces yea if by death we have cause to blesse God The greatest and sorest Judgement which God powres upon sinfull men is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins To be suffered to goe on and prosper in sin is the worst of sufferings the last of Judgements the next Judgement to hell it selfe and an infallible signe of an heire of hell Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne Councel Psal 81.11 This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinfull people He sayd a little before Israel would none of me when God wooed them they were so coy they would have none of him and then said he goe on take your fill of sin I give you up to your owne hearts lusts The Lord did not say I gave them up to the sword to the famine or to the pestilence but to their owne hearts lusts and to walke on in their own way That person or people may be sure God hath purposed evill against them whom he will not withdraw from their evill purposes The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is exprest and summ'd up in this Rom 1.26 28. He gave them up to vile affections he gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe things which were not convenient A naturall man left to himselfe will soone doe such things as nature it selfe abhorreth and blusheth at The same dreadfull doome is denounced Rev 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still I will not withdraw him from his way let him goe on and perish let him goe on and sink downe to the pit of perdition for ever As St. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church given up or left to not in great sufferings of all sorts Here is the patience of the Saints So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort especially if to sinnings of all sorts we may truely and sadly say Here is the wrath of God 'T is therefore a great mercy if God will any way withdraw man from his sinfull wayes and purposes especially when he taketh such gentle wayes as dreams and visions counsels and instructions to withdraw man from his purpose and as it followeth in this verse to hide pride from man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit imponendo aliquid quo tegas The word which we render to hide is to hide by casting a covering a vayle a garment or any other thing over what we desire should be hid Prov 12.23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge it is this word he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth he puts a vayle upon his own abilities as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there rather then reveales them unnecessarily or uncalled 'T is the foolish man or he that hath but a shew of wisdome who loves and affects to be shewing it But to the text The word is used also to note that gracious act of God his pardoning the sin of man Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered God covers our sins in the riches of his grace by the perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Now there are two wayes by which God hideth pride from man First by pardoning it Secondly preventing it Here to hide pride from man properly is not to pardon it when acted but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it and that 's a high act of grace and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly or from shewing his pride in his doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superbia excellentia The word rendred pride
owne righteousness and goodness though we are both good and righteous is evill and very blameable For whereas Job said I am righteous he should rather have left others to say it he should have been satisfied that he was so without saying so and though it cannot be denied that Job was extreamly urged to it as hath been shewed more then once in opening this Booke and it had been but necessary for him to say it once or twice in his owne defence yet because he sayd it so often it drew and that deservedly this censure or charge upon him Hence take this corolary or inference If to speake much of our owne righteousness be displeasing then how abominable is it to be proud of it or trust upon it There is nothing more pleasing to God then to see man walking in wayes of righteousness nor is there any thing more displeasing unto God then to see a man lifted up with or leaning upon his owne righteousness If we make our owne righteousness our staffe God will make it our rod. And though he is farre from scourging us because we are righteous yet he will correct us if we proclaime our owne righteousness yea if we thinke it much or thinke much of it We must have a very great occasion when at any time we beare witness to our owne righteousness and goodness but if the heart be lifted up in pride or trust at all upon it this renders man odious in the sight of God God saved Noah out of that common deluge in which the old world perished For saith the Lord Gen 7.1 thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation Noah was righteous before God and was saved when others perished but surely had he vainely boasted or unnecessarily voted himselfe righteous before men he had perished as wel as others It comes much to one and the same account with God whether men be openly unrighteous or whether without a just cause and call they open their righteousness before men Secondly Note How righteous soever we are in life yea though we are righteous by faith which is our righteousness unto life yet we must not plead that for our freedome from afflictions We may plead the righteousness of faith against condemnation but not against correction if any man be in Christ he shall never be condemned but though a man be in Christ and justified by the highest actings of faith in the blood of the Covenant yet he may be severely corrected This was I conceive the principall scope and intent of Elihu in charging Job thus even to convince him that though he was a faithfull servant of God and of a very unstained conversation among men yet he must not thinke himselfe above the crosse but quietly and meekly submit to it Job spake sometimes fully to that poynt He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked if the scourge slay suddenly he laugheth at the tryall of the innocent Chap 9.23 yet at other times he forgot himselfe and therefore he was justly as to his present case and profitably as to the future issue remembred of it by this plaine and home-dealer Elihu Job hath said I am righteous And God hath taken away my Judgement As if he had sayd Once thou didst say God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked but now thou seemest to say thou art greatly wrong'd and thy Judgement quite taken away because being a righteous man thou art thus afflicted Mr Broughton renders But the Omnipotent keeps back my right As Judgement is right fully given so there is but little difference between keeping back our right and taking it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est auserre declinare divertere subvertere therefore the word signifieth not only to take away or cause to decline to divert and subvert but to keep back or withhold any thing in any kind as Mr Broughton translates expressely This is the thing saith Elihu which Job hath said God hath taken away or kept back my Judgement But where did Job say this he said it Chap 27.2 As the Lord liveth who hath taken away my Judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule Bildad charged Job with it Chap 8. 3. while he put this question to him Doth God pervert Judgement or the Almighty pervert Justice Implying that Job had spoken words reflecting upon the Justice and Judgement of God in taking away his Judgement But you will say What is Judgement and what is it to take away Judgement or how is a mans Judgement taken away I answer There is a three-fold notion of Judgement in Scripture First Judgement is the result or issue of a mans reason about any matter or question propounded to him God sometimes takes away mans Judgement in that sense and then he becomes a foole and unable to judge 'T is a dreadfull judgement when God thus takes away mans judgement and gives him up to a Reprobate or an unjudicious minde as he did the old Gentiles Rom 1.28 for then he will quickly doe those things which are not convenient not being able to distinguish nor discerne between true or false he must needs put light for darkness bitter for sweet sweet for bitter Elihu doth not represent Job complaining that God had taken away his judgement in this notion Secondly Judgement is any angry dispensation or wrath powred out or executed upon persons nations or Churches If judgement begin at the house of God that is if trouble or wrath begin at the Church of God what will the end of those be that obey not the Gospel 1 Pet 4.17 Davids Song consisted of two parts Psal 101.1 judgement was one of them I will sing of mercy and judgement This notion of judgement is every where found in Scripture yet neither is this the notion of it in this Scripture God had not thus taken away Jobs judgement he begg'd indeed that God would take away this his judgement and it was the matter of his complaint because he did not take it away Thirdly Judgement is right done or right due right due is judgement due right done is judgement done Thus David prayed Psal 72.1 Give the King thy Judgements O God and thy righteousness to the Kings son that is give him an understanding to doe right or to give every man his right To doe this is a thing so desireable in all men especially in Kings and Princes that when God at Gibeon sent young king Solomon a blanke from heaven and bid him aske what he would he asked only this 1 Kings 3.9 Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discerne between good and bad This is properly the judgement intended here Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement that is my right or hath not done me right But how is Judgement taken away I shall answer it in three things First When right is quite subverted and over-throwne This the Prophet elegantly expresseth and reproveth Amos 6.12 Ye have turned judgement into
good for me to draw neere to God as he had begun it v. 1. with a generall assurance Truely God is good to Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart God is good to those who have a cleane heart even when they are in the greatest sufferance of evill and therefore they who are cleane hearted have no reason at any time to say nor shall they long say they have cleansed their heart in vaine Though now they smart yet in due season they shall be well rewarded for their washing The Judgements of God are such Judicia dei plenè nemo comprehendit justè nemo reprehendit August lib 2. de Civ ◠Dei cap 23. as no man can fully comprehend such as no man can justly reprehend The Almighty will not pervert Judgement Those foure things which cause men to pervert Judgement are at the furthest distance or remove from God whereof the first is envie at the good condition of others The second is groundlesse and unreasonable love or hatred of their persons The third is feare of frownes from those that are great or feare of after-claps Many are deterr'd from giving but a just measure either of reward to good men or punishment to evill men lest themselves should receive hard measure from those who like neither The fourth is hope of gaine or their private advantage For as some pervert Judgement for bribes already received so others for bribes promised or upon expectation of some future favours Now God I say is infinitely above these foure and all other imaginable by-respects upon which Judgement is perverted every day by the sons of men God is above all envy yea above all that hatred or love which perverts Judgement he is above all feare of evill and hope of good God hath nothing to feare seeing none can reach him much lesse hurt him neither hath he any thing at all to hope for seeing he is in the full possession of all happinesse and blessednesse that is of himselfe Why then or upon what account should the Almighty pervert Judgement so that if at any time we have any unbecoming thoughts of the Justice of God either that he afflicts the good without reason or prospers the wicked against it all this ariseth from our ignorance or the shortnesse of our sight We have not a full or perfect prospect of things we see but a little way backward we are not wise to compare what 's past with what 's present nor can we at all infallibly foresee any thing future or discerne what shall be Whereas God at once hath all things before him he seeth what is past as well as what is present and what shall be hereafter as well as what hath been and so the compleatnesse and indefectibility of his owne Justice in all And when we in the great day shall see all the workes of God in the world brought and presented together as in one view we shall then say from the evidence of sight as now we ought from the evidence of faith that the Almighty hath not in any one thing perverted Judgement And therefore the Apostle doth most excellently and appositely call that day The day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom 2.5 Elihu having strongly asserted with a yea surely that the Almighty will not pervert Judgement yet stayeth not in a bare though so strong an assertion which he might but gives us the proofe and confirmation of it as he hath denied that God will so he proveth by undeniable arguments that God will not doe wickedly that the Almighty will not pervert Judgement And this he doth in the next or 13th verse and the two that follow Vers 13. Who hath given him a charge over the earth or who hath disposed the whole world These words as was intimated before are an argument proving that God neither hath nor can doe wrong That as to the case in hand he had not done Job wrong yea that as to all cases he can wrong no man This argument is grounded upon the soveraignty supremacy or absolute authority of God over all men The summe and force of it may be gathered up into this forme He cannot doe injustice to any who of right hath an absolute power arising from and residing in himselfe to doe what he will with or towards all men But God hath such a power Therefore he cannot doe any injustice That God hath such an absolute power arising from and residing in himselfe Elihu proves by a kind of Challenge Who hath given him a Charge over the earth Produce the man let him shew his face if he dareth It is an expression of the same importance with that of the Apostle Rom 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect let us see the man let us see the devill that shall so lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect as to prevaile in his Charge 't is also like that other triumphant query in the same Chapter v. 31. If God be with us who can be against us That is who can be so against us as to hurt us or carry the day against us Thus here Who hath given him a Charge over the world let us see who As if he had sayd Are there any above God from whom he deriveth his power Or have any committed the Government of the earth to him as his trust and charge for the mannagement whereof he is to be accountable unto them Surely no. And if no then either God is just or all the world must be in confusion or under oppression without any redresse or remedy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sequento 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sumitur pro Jubere juxta morem Syriacū hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praefecti Merc Mr Broughton renders Who before him looked to the earth We say Who hath given him a Charge over the earth The ordinary signification of the word is to visit and that First In a way of favour to see what others want so we visit the poore or how they doe so we usually visit the sick and sometimes those that are well in health Secondly It signifieth to visit in a way of judgement or to punish those that have done amisse Thus the Lord threatens to visit that is to punish the iniquity of the fathers upon the children Exod 20.5 Thirdly The word signifieth to command to issue out orders to give a charge This signification of the word is very frequent both in Scripture and in dayly use Visiters we know have power of Government yea they have power over Governours to order and give them a charge that they doe or to examine whether they have done the duty of their place In this latter sence we render it here Who hath given him a Charge over the earth And so we read it 2 Chron 36.23 Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia all the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me And he hath
remove out of place and power Thus a man is taken away when his authority is taken away Secondly There is a removing or taking of a man out of the world Thus they are taken away whose persons are destroyed cut off and perish The mighty both wayes or either way are often taken away The persons of many mighty men have fallen and many more of them have fallen from their places and powers Here they are under a generall threatning They shall be taken away But how shall they be taken away the text answers without hand It is somewhat strange that they who are mighty and have such power in their hand should be taken away and no hand touch them or without hand We use to say of a thing strangely gone or gone we know not how It cannot be gone without hands yet thus the Lord deales judicially with the mighty of the world They shall be taken away without hand There may be a threefold understanding of that expression First Thus The mighty shall be taken away without hand that is they shall have no hands to help them or they shall be destitute of all humane helpe Sometimes God leaves or strips the mighty naked they who have had great power and many thousands standing up to defend them Frequenter manus pro ministerio sed frequentissime pro opâ— et auxilio ponitur Pin have not a hand for them and so are taken away without hand no man drawing a sword or striking a stroake for them Secondly To doe a thing without hand is to doe it with the smallest appearance of second causes or instruments We are ready to say there must be a great deale of tugging to get the mighty downe who like Oakes are strongly rooted and highly growne who looke like mountaines which cannot be removed yet saith Elihu the Lord can take them away without hand that is easily without any trouble at all little meanes or very improbable meanes being used to effect it So then to doe a thing without hand is to doe it as if we put no hand no stresse to it when we doe it As they who move swiftly or lightly are sayd to goe without setting a foot on the ground Dan 8.5 the He-Goate came and touched not the ground he did rather fly then goe So to doe a thing as if we did not put a hand to it is to doe it with the greatest ease imaginable Absque manu armatorum Aquint Thirdly To doe a thing without hand is to doe it without any visible meanes at all even by the immediate stroake or power of God There is a hand of God in all things that are done in the world but some things are done without any other hand and are therefore most properly sayd to be done without hand Thus the Lord is able to doe the greatest things even to take mighty men from the earth no hand of man appearing or joyning with him in the action Nutu tantum dei Merc Now because God usually sets instruments a worke to effect his will in the world and to bring about his counsels therefore in what work soever he either quite leaves or seemes to leave instruments out that work is sayd to be done without hand The stone which shall grow up to be a great mountaine that is the kingdome of Christ is called a stone cut out without hands Dan 2.34 that is without humane power The kingdome of Christ shall be set up so much by the power of God without any earthly contribution that it shall confessedly be sayd to be set up without hands Though we ought not to neglect the coming and advancement of the kingdome of Christ in the world yet we should not be anxiously carefull about it when we see little or no meanes for it yea though we see great very great meanes set against it because a stone cut out without hands shall doe it The Apostle useth this forme of speaking both as to eternalls and spiritualls Concerning the former he is expresse 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens that is a house of Gods own immediate making a house to the making whereof man hath added nothing The fabrick of this visible world is a house made without hands much more is heaven and the glorious unseene state which Saints shall have hereafter The house above or state of Glory is wholly of Gods making And as our eternall estate is expressed by a house made without hands so our spirituall estate is called by the same Apostle A work done without hands Col 2.11 where having asserted our compleatness in Christ v. 10. he adds In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands The external literal circumcision was made with hands there was an operation of man in it the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh but in the spiritual circumcision man hath no hand it is the work of God alone as also that effectual faith is which alwayes accompanieth it and is therefore called v. 12. the faith of the operation of God There is a temporary faith which we may call a faith of the operation of man but true saving faith is the operation of God and may be sayd as the spirituall circumcision which was signified and shadowed by the corporall to be made without hands Now as the Scripture speakes both of spiritualls and eternalls which are made without hands Indicatur divinum supplicium cujus nulla humana causa assignari aut quod nulla humana vi declinari potest so this text speakes of externalls and providentialls in the same language The mighty shall be taken away without hand that is without any creature-helpe or visible humane hand what ever is done without a visible hand is done by the hand of God Elihu intimates a punishment upon the mighty which as to the effecting of it cannot be assigned to any thing in man much lesse can the effecting of it be hindred by man The hand of God is most visible in doing that which no visible hand hath done or can undoe They shall be taken away without hand Hence note The mightiest have no might against God That cannot be avoyded by any humane power which is done without humane power God slew the first-borne of Egypt and destroyed the Assyrian hoast without hand he did it by his Angel no hand appearing against them The Lord smote Herod and he died without hand Acts 12.23 Immediately that is presently as the Greeke word imports 't is true also immediately that is without humane meanes as our English word also imports the Angel of the Lord smote him and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the Ghost What a poore worme was that mighty man in the hand of God when God slew him without hand and commanded the wormes to eate him Jesus Christ who is also the
and practices as procured them that ruine Thus the righteous rejoyce when they see the vengeance yea they wash their feere in the blood of the ungodly that is they get comfort and encouragement by seeing the Lord avenge their cause against their adversaries It is sayd Exod 14.30 31. that God having overwhelmed the Egyptians in the red Sea the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the shoar God did not suffer the carcasses of the Egyptians to sink to the bottom of the Sea but caused them to lie upon the shoar that the Israelites might see them And when Israel saw that dreadfull stroak of the Lord upon the Egyptians It is sayd The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Thus they were confirmed in their faith by Gods open Judgements upon the Egyptians They were smitten in the place of beholders or in the open sight of others There are yet two other interpretations of these words which I shall touch He striketh them in the place of beholders In loco videntium i. e. exiflentes in statu in quo videre poterant tum per naturalem rationem tum per sacram doctrinam quid esset faciendum et quid esset vitandum Aquin that is saith my Author in such an estate or condition wherein themselves might see both by that natural light which every man hath especially by the light of doctrine and instruction what they ought to doe and what to shun or avoyd In this sense to be smitten in the place of Seers is to see and behold to have light and understanding what to doe or forbeare doing and yet to act against that light and so provoke the Lord to strike us which is a great aggravation both of the sin and punishment of man A second gives it thus He striketh them in the place of seers or where they saw that is he striketh them in the eye of their understanding or in their Judgement he striketh them with spirituall blindness as the Sodomites were with corporall so that they are not able to see their way or what becomes them to doe This is a most severe stroake There are many who when they have abused the light and would not doe what they saw they ought God hath struck them with such blindness that they should not see what they ought to doe Both these are rather tropologicall Expositions then literall yet they may have their use and improvement by way of allusion In this place Elihu having thus held out the openness and exemplariness of the judgements of God upon wicked men proceeds in the following words to shew the equity and righteousnesse of them Vers 27. Because they have turned back from him and would not Consider any of his wayes Here I say lest any should surmise that God takes vengeance without cause the cause is named and assigned why God takes vengeance 't is because they turned back from him they in the pride and stoutnesse of their hearts which great men especially are much subject to refused to obey and follow God and therefore his wrath followed and brake them They turned back from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum è verbo de post eum sic alibi scortati sunt de post dominum i. e. deserto domino There is a two-fold turning back First Corporall Secondly Morall or spirituall none can corporally turn back from God though some attempt it to what hiding place soever we turn our selves we cannot be hid from him who filleth every place But there are many who morally turn back and depart from the living God Sinners would turn their persons back from God and hide their heads they would get quite out of his sight and reach though they cannot but all of them turn back from God in their hearts In two respects sinners in generall may be sayd to turne back from God First when he commands and they will not obey him or withdraw their obedience from his commandements Secondly when he entreates and invites them and they will not come to him nor accept his tendered respects and favours Thus the Lord complained of his owne people Psal 81.11 Israel would none of me God wooed them but they had other lovers and after them they would goe even Israel lightly regarded the God of Israel yea they made a defection from him More distinctly There is a three-fold turning back from God or they who turne back from God are of three sorts First There is a turning back from God by those who have openly followed him or made profession of his name Thus hypocrites and formalists turne back from God This the Scripture calls back-sliding revolting and going a whoring from God Such as these are like perfidious Souldiers who enter and list themselves in an Army marching with them for a while taking their pay yet soon after forsake their colours and turn to the enemy Thus many apostatize from God to the Devill and to the creature or as Paul sayd of Demas they forsake Christ and embrace this present world Luther was charged by his enemies that he was an Apostate and he acknowledged he was but he thanked God for it he indeed turned back from what he did once professe but it was to a better profession he did not turne from God to the world but he turned from the world to God and that 's a blessed Apostacy he did not turn from truth to error but from error to truth he did not turn from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition but from Idolatry and superstition to pure worship How wretched is their condition who are indeed Apostates who turn from God to the world from truth to error from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition from a holy conversation to prophaness loosness and libertenisme to a complyance with the world and a symbolizing with them in their lusts and wickednesse This abominable apostacy is a fruit of hypocrisie Hypocrites turne only their faces to God and Apostates turne their backes upon him or turn back from him And all they who turn only their faces unto God will for their owne advantage or to save themselves turn their backs upon him Hypocrites when put to it when the storme comes ever prove Apostates Secondly There is a turning from God found even in the best followers of God who is there among the Saints on earth that keepes constant un-interrupted communion with God The least degree of inordinate letting downe or turning the heart to the creature is a degree of turning back from God As holiness is our motion toward God and to act holyly is to keep the eye of the soule alwayes upon God so unholiness is an aversion from God David did not say nor could he say though as holy a man as lived that he had never turned from God he could only say that he had not wickedly departed from God Psal 18.21 Thirdly There is a turning back from God proper to all unregenerate
upon that two-fold manifestation of the goodnesse of God as a God that willingly pardoneth sin and as a God that is unwilling to destroy sinners Or we may give the summe of these two verses according unto this second translation thus 1 Condono in quo est remissio culpae 2 Non destruam in quo est remissio paenae We have first an Exhortation to repentance from the most mercifull nature of God both as ready to forgive and as loth to destroy his creatures The former act importing the taking away of the guilt of sin the latter the remittal and removall of the punishment Secondly We have here a direction about repentance or to the penitent shewing how an humbled soule should behave himselfe toward God He ought to say thus What I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Where we see the humbled soule in the exercise of a fourefold duty First He confesseth what sins he knoweth Secondly He confesseth or supposeth that he hath many sins which he doth not know Thirdly He entreateth the Lord to shew him every sin whether of heart or life which he knoweth not of Fourthly He engageth that he will not continue in any sin which the Lord shall discover to him or give him the knowledge of You have thus the generall scope of these two verses according to this second reading I shall now a little open the words and give Notes from them according to this translation But unto God who saith I forgive It may here be justly questioned how the Original can be render'd into such variety one translation saith It is meete to be sayd to God I have borne chastisemen this other saiâ—h â—o God who saith I forgive I will not destroy It ought to be said c. The first reading makes the words to be spoken by man this second reading gives the words as spoken both by God and man Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè patet si quid aliud Hebraicum inter alios tolerandi parcendi condonandi remittendi signifiâ—atum habet etiam solitariè positum ut hic or they are a direction given by the Spirit of God to man what to say to God Who saith I forgive I will not destroy I answer for the clearing of that doubt the difference of the readings ariseth from the copious significaâ—ion of one Hebrew word which is rendred many wayes in Scripture especially two First To bear in which sense we translate I have born chastisement The word chastisement as was shewed before is not expresly in the text but supplyed to make out the sense by our translaters I have born what thy hand thy chastisement Secondly It signifies also to pardon or to forgive I shall referre you to one Scripture in which that word is used in both these senses Gen 4.13 And Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater then I can bear that 's the text but if you read the margin of our larger Bibles that saith My iniquity is greater then that it may be forgiven or pardoned the text saith my punishment the margin saith my iniquity the same word signifieth both sin the cause and punishment the fruit Againe there the text saith My punishment is greater then I can bear and the margin saith my iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven So that according to the text the words are Cains complaint against the justice of God that he dealt over-rigorously with him My punishment is greater then I can bear And according to the margin they are a description of his despair of the mercy of God my sin is greater then that it may be forgiven And as we find the word used in that place both for bearing and for pardoning So in severall other places it is translated by pardoning take but one Instance in the Psalms where we find it translated twice in the space of a few verses to forgive or pardon Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven And againe v. 5th I said I will confesse my iniquity and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin So that though there be a different version and translation of the word in this text of Scripture yet it is such as is consonant to the use of the word in other Scriptures and also to the truth of the whole Scripture Yea we know that in our English tongue to bear with a man signifies to forgive him his present fault or not to punish him and use extremity against him for it And therefore according to the exigence of any place the word may be translated either way and here it may be safely taken in both But to God who saith I forgive I will not destroy it ought or it is meete to be said what I see not teach thou me Elihu according to the reading now before us brings in God thus speaking yea even boasting thus of himselfe I forgive or I pardon Hence note First It is Gods owne profession of his owne selfe that he is a sin-pardoning God And God doth so much say or professe this of himselfe that when he was entreated by Moses to shew him his glory this was the chiefe thing which he sayd of himselfe Exod 34.6 7. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here 's my name saith God if you would know how I am called or what I would call my selfe this is it I am a God forgiving iniquity c. And as God pardoneth sin so there is none in heaven or in earth that pardoneth like him that hath such a name for pardon as God hath Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity c. The gods of the Earth that is Kings and Princes give pardons and to doe so is the sweetest and choycest flower in the Crowne of Princes and they usually shew their Greatness by this act of grace when they come first to their Crowne and exercise of their soveraigne power The Princes or gods of the Earth can pardon but 't is no disparagement to put that question Can they pardon like God no their pardon is no pardon in comparison of Gods pardon yea their pardoning is a kinde of condemning compared with the pardoning grace of God The pardons which Kings give are but the shadow of his pardon who is King of kings Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression As if he had said I am he and there is none else this glory is proper to me and none can partake with me in it nor will I give this glory to another All sins are committed against God and in a sense against him only therefore only to be pardoned by him Who can remit the debt but the Creditor Psal 51.1 Against thee thee only have I sinned What debt soever we
knowing many things which it much concerns them to know 817. We know but little of that we know and there is much which we know not 818 Knowledge much knowledge should be in those who have enjoyed much meanes of knowledge 48. Knowledge ought to be communicated 49 Knowledge or what we know is to be communicated 72. Two things hinder some from communicating what they know 72. What and whose knowledge puffeth up 85. A man of knowledge who properly 495. A twofold knowledge 507 Sinning against the light of knowledge very sinfull 699. Knowledge the fountaine of speech 842 Knowledge of God over all 660 Vid Omniscience L Law how it convinceth 80. Two wayes of keeping the Law 624. Law of God how written in the heart by Grace 709 Lawes bad Lawes great snares 778 To lie what it signifieth in Scripture 522. To lie or beare false witness against our selves is very sinfull 523 Life of man in this life at longest short 42. Severall divisions of mans life 42. Life is the gift of God a threefold inference from it 171. The life of man is at the call of God 592 Life and soule how they differ 329 Life a great blessing 459 Light to see light what it imports 458 Love and to love not to love God and good things is to hate them 611 612 Love of God to man what and how great is little knowne 818 Lusts in the understanding as strong as those in the sensuall appetite 44 Luther Erasmus Melancthon their different character 60. Luther how he thought himselfe rebuked by God 99. Luther a man of great courage 113. His prayer about two things 288. How he confessed himselfe an Apostate 700 Ly to deceive with a ly the worst deceit 203 M Magistrates how they should be to men like a Harbour to Ships 200. Why expressed by the same word in the Hebrew which signifieth both binding and healing 609. God highly displeased when they mis-governe a people 780 Maker God is the maker of all men in a threefold consideration 132. It is good to remember God as our maker 133. God is the maker of our bodyes 162. Three inferences from it 164. That God is the maker of all men should make all men meeke one towards another 174 Malefactors their faces covered 748 Man and man are of a measure 182 183. Two inferences from it 183 Man a fraile creature 187 Many or one make no difference with God 731 Marius what he was to the Romanes 789 Meate dainty meate two cautions about our using it 348 Meekness both in hearing and speaking the word how necessary 101. It is good to use meekness towards all especially the afflicted 143 189 192. 230 Maschil the title of some Psalmes what it signifieth 707 Men not made by God all of a ranke 625. All men are the worke of Gods hands in a twofold respect 633. All men divided into three sorts by the Papists in respect of their soule-state 813 Mercy God declares himselfe more enclined to it then to wrath and Judgement 811 Method in speaking how usefull 178 Mid-night trouble what it signifieth 644 Mind of man man would have his own mind vide will Ministers should speak as in Gods stead 184. And are so to be heard 185 Their meekness in dealing with souls 192 193. Ministers are Messengers 372. How they should speak 373. They ought to be heard and how because Christs Messengers 374 Vide Interpreter Mighty men of three sorts 649. The mightiest men have no might against God 652. God can easily overthrow the mightiest men of the world 681 682 Ministery of man nothing without God 822 Mis-judging one another very common 9 Moderator or composer of differences between others foure things required in him 101 102 Moment what it signifieth in Scripture 639 Mouth the opening of the mouth imports foure things in Scripture 149 Murderer how hatefull 400 Murmuring no cause to murmure at any of the dealings of God shewed in foure things 678 N Names the giving of significant names to children very usefull 11 12 Nations God sometimes hideth his face from whole Nations 739. Three things noted concerning Gods hiding his face from a Nation 740. What those mischiefes and evills are which throng in usually upon a Nation when God hideth his face from them 743 O Obedience to the Law if not universal is not obedience 711 712. Obedience twofold takes in the whole duty of man 792 Obstinate persons not to be further dealt with 7. They must be left to God 90 Occasion God loveth to see occasion of doing good to men 446 Occasions to seeke occasions against others a great piece of uncharitableness 210. How to doe so is against the law of love shewed by seven steps 211 212 213. It is a signe that we looke upon a man as an enemy when we seeke occasions against him 221 Old age doth not make men wise 65 66. Spirit of God not tyed to any age 66 Old men a twofold stamp of God upon them 38. Old men elegantly called men of dayes 45 46. How old men should speak 46. Old men have reason to be wiser then the young 48. Old men should be apt to teach 49. 'T is a reproach to old men to be ignorant 49 Omission-sins or the neglect of doing a duty easier to be observed then failings in doing a duty 819 Omniscience of God caution from it 226. God knoweth all our goings 569. The exactness of Gods knowledge of all things 660. The everlastingness and universality of Gods knowledge 661 662. Five inferences from it 662. to 665 Once taken three wayes in Scripture 266 267 Opinion our opinion or what we hold is to be shewed and how 72. Nine honest ends in shewing our opinion 72 Oppression cryeth though the oppressed doe not 718 719. Oppression will cause a cry 720. Cry of the oppressed brings vengeance upon oppressors 723 Oracles of the devill doubtfull 160 Ordinances of worship why called the face of God 431 P Pardon God pardoneth greatest sins 236. Free grace extendeth to the pardon of the worst sinners 451. Pardon of sin proper to God 805. How man is sayd to forgive or pardon him that hath wronged or offended him 805. The pardoning grace of God is boundlesse 806. God pardoneth presently and continually 807. Pardon takes sin off from us 808. Pardon is free not clogg'd with hard termes 809. God will never destroy any whom he hath pardoned 812 Pardon of sin takes away two things 813. Pardon of sin is a precious mercy shewed upon foure grounds 814. The consideration of Gods readiness to pardon sin should make us resolved not to sin 815 Passion we must not answer nor reprove with passion but with reason 100 Patience provoked turnes to greater passion 40. Patience of God towards sinners 466 Peace of nations the speciall gift of God 733. That peace considered two wayes 733. If God will give peace to nations none can stop it 735 Three sorts of men most likely to doe it
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.
Sickness brings downe the strongest men 342. Severall ends for which God sends sickness 343 344. In sickness all creature-comforts are vaine and tastless to us 347. Sickness brings great decay upon the body 351 352. Sickness in what sense called a spending time 356. Sickness makes a wonderfull change in man 358. Sickneâ—s neere the grave three inferences from it 361 362. Other cautions from the nature of sickness 367 368. Sight twofold 816 Silence or holding our peace Vid peace Sincere persons doe not affect to be seene 770 Sin to say we have no sin how extreamly sinfull it is shewed in foure things 202 203. That shewed further 515. Sin three things in it 31. How man is sinned against God only sinned against properly 167. All sin reducible to three heads 198. Sin a defection from God 198. Sin is a defilement 199. Sin a hurtfull thing three wayes 201. Every step in sin is a step to misery 331. What sin is 448 450. Sin pretends to bring in profit to the sinner 454. No good can be gotten by sin 455. Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive 455. Sinners shall confesse at last there is no profit in sin 456. The heart strongly set to sin 472 473. The more easily any man sinneth the greater is his sin 537. Sins of others how they may become ours 562 Sin unpardoned a great burden yet by some unfelt 809. We have many unknowne sins 818. A godly man desires God would shew him his sins 824. A godly man may live free from grosse sins 826. Sin considered three wayes 827. A godly man may commit sin after sin but he doth not adde sin to sin 828. The addition of sin to sin a great and most dangerous sio 830. To sin rebelliously what 856. When a sin may be called rebellion shewed in foure things 857 858. 'T is the burden of a godly man to sin and 't is his care not to sin 858 859 Sinners would but cannot hide themselves either from the eye or revenging hand of God 669 670. Sinners would hide themselves upon a twofold account 670. Foure things upon which sinners thinke themselves hid from God 672 673 Sirnames or titles of two sorts 126 Sleepe what it is 280. Three words in the Hebrew signifying sleepe 284 Soveraignty of God shewed 255 839 Man is never displeased with what God doth till he forgets what himselfe is 840. Soveraignty of God in afflicting the most innocent person 515. The Soveraignty of God shewed in five things 580. Three inferences from it 581. God hath an absolute power to pull downe and set up whom he pleaseth 683 Soule of man why called the breath of the Almighty 169. The soule floweth immediately from God 169 170 594. Three inferences from it 170. Soule put for the whole man 359 Speaker he that speaketh is at the mercy of his hearers 530 Speaking twofold 46. 'T is very painfull not to speake in some cases 114 He that speaketh his mind easeth his mind 116. The right end of speaking 116. To neglect speaking where duty calls very dangerous 117 A fourfold consideration is to be had of what we speake 149. We should first try and tast what we are about to speake 152. Three sorts who speake amisse doctrinally 156 157 How or when God is sayd to speake 264. Severall wayes of Gods speaking to man 265 Speech they who have most ability are usually most sparing of speech 45 Spirit often taken for the soule of man 51. Spirit of God free not tyed to age nor to any order of men 66 67 Spirit an imposing Spirit how bad 193. Spirit of God mightily over-powers some men both to doe and speake 114. Why our making is attributed to the Spirit 162. The Spirit of God is God 165. Eight reasons from Scripture proving that the holy Ghost is God 165 166 167 168. The Spirit supplyes the absence of Christ in the Church 685 Spirituall things are not understood by a naturall or unregenerate man 275 Two reasons of it 276. They that are spirituall doe not alwayes perceive spirituall things 277. Three grounds of it 277 278 Striving fourefold described 243. Man is apt to strive with God 248. Foure wayes shewed in which man striveth with God 249. Striving with God very uncomely and sinfull 250. Striving with God a presumptuous sin 251. Striving with God an irrationall thing 252. Striving with God of two sorts 255 256. Seven considerations why we should not strive with God 258. Seven preservatives against striving with God 259 260 Three things to be striven with 261 Submission with silence to the will of God alwayes a duty 479 Sufferings we may not will our sufferings though we must suffer willingly 793 Suspition a godly man suspects himselfe that he is worse and hath done worse then he knows by himselfe 825 Sword put for all violent calamities 330 T Talent not to be hid 72 108 Teachers should be leaders 489 Teaching of God twofold 821. God only can teach effectually 821. We should pray and wait for the teachings of God 823 Teachableness or a willingness to learn shewes an humble and gracious spirit 823 Threatnings it is good to thinke of them 139 Tongue he hath a great command over his spirit that can command his tongue 208. Tongue an unruly member 547 Troubles both nationall and personall at the command of God 644 Troubles overtake many when they least expect 645 Truth must be held and held to in all cases 121. Cleare truth should be spoken 158. We should speake truth clearely 159. Truth to be maintained with all our might 179. A good man seeks not victory but truth 487. We should grow up into highest confidences about the truth 569. Why some truths are and ought to be often repeated 571 572 Tryall word preached to be tryed before it be received 502. Tryall of two sorts 850. A person tryed may be trusted 851. Tryall by affliction 852 Turning back from God how sinners doe so 700. Three sorts of them who turne back from God 700 701 How some good men and how all unregenerate men turne back from God 701. The whole life of a person unregenerate is a turning from God 703 Twice considered three wayes 270 Twice thrice what it implyeth 464 V Vanity of all earthly greatness 685 Vision of God in this life what it is 432 Visitation or visiting a threefold sense or use of it 575 Unbeliefe a striving with God 249 Unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy 704 Understanding of man taken two wayes 52. God can furnish the weakest man with much wisdome and understanding 61. In what sense every man hath not an understanding 602 604. Three attributes of the understanding 603. Only a spirituall understanding can receive spirituall things 604 605. What we heare we should labour to understand 605 Unity among the Saints the great argument moving to it 175 Vocation an act of absolute free grace 397 Uprightness of heart in speaking standing in a threefold opposition 153 Uprightness