determine the Question under debate Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken Hence note First As it is alwayes our duty to waite on God so sometimes on men We should waite First to see what men will doe for us we should waite Secondly to heare what men have to say to us we should waite for counsell for comfort for instructionâ— for conviction We should waite Thirdly to performe duty and to doe good to men Thus God is pleased to waite upon his creature man Isa 30.18 Therefore will I waite to be gracious As God waiteth to bestow acts of grace on man so man should waite to performe offices of love and respect to man or to give him advice helpe and assistance as his case and needs require Secondly Consider Elihu who had waited long as a hearer was afterwards a great speaker Hence note They that will speak to any mans case rightly must first heare him patiently They must be hearers who would be learners Paul sate at the feete of Gamaliel there he waited as a learner And if they must waite as hearers who would be learners how much more ought they who would be reachers reprovers or reformers Thirdly Elihu waited that he might speake opportunely or in time Hence note Due times and seasons of speaking must be observed and taken Ecclesiastes 3.7 There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence The providences of God poâ—nt wise men to both And usually times of silence fit us for times of speaking Every thing is beautifull in its season words spoken in their season are not only more effectuall but more beautifull they are like apples of gold in pictures of silver And therefore as the wise man gives us caution Eccles 5.2 Not to be rash with our mouths to utter any thing before God So we should not be rash with our mouths to utter any thing before men but well to consider what we have to say and waite our time to say it The Apostle James Chap. 1.19 would have us swift to heare slow to speak and probably the slower we are to speak the surer we speake Hasty speaking hath given men more dangerous stumbles and falls then ever hasty going did The Prophet represents our Lord Jesus Christ thus be speaking his Father as to his preparation and furniture for the exercise of his Propheticall yea of his whole Mediatoriall office Isa 50.4 Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned that I might know how to speake a word in season As there is much wisdome in hitting the matter what to speak and the manner of speaking how to cloath and dresse the matter of our speech so there is much wisdome in hitting the time and season when to speake And as to time a thing well in acting so to time it well in speaking is the better halfe of it Elihu waited till Job had spoken What I have now touched may be one reason of his waiting But the speciall reason of it follows in the text Because they were elder then he and good reason that he should waite upon his elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non tantum fenem sed senia confectum non tantum senem aetate sed sapientia The Hebrew is They were elder for dayes they were not only old men for dayes but elder for dayes then he The word strictly taken imports a man more then old even one that is worne with age Further it denotes a two-fold eldership First an eldership in time dayes or yeares Secondly an eldership in wisdome and understanding They are our elders indeed who are wiser then we eldership in time deserves respect but eldership in wisdome commands it And as such are exprest by this word in the Hebrew so both the Grecians and Romans expresse their wise men by a word of the same force Senators were elders not alwayes in time there was no Law much lesse necessity that every Senator should be an old man but in understanding every Senator ought to be a wise man though not an old man They who are to governe others wisely had need be furnished with wisdome themselves Gray haires alone cannot make a good Magistrate We read the word applyed both to Church-Elders called Isa 37.2 The Elders of the Priests and to State-Elders called Elders of the people Exod. 17.5 or of the Land Gen. 50.7 The Elders of the Land of Egypt went with them 'T is said Psal 105.21 22. Pharoah made Joseph Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance to binde his Princes at his pleasure teach his Senators wisdome Young Joseph made Pharaohs wise men wiser and gave counsel to his counsellers Here Elihu calls Jobs friends Elders and we may take him either speaking strictly that they were his Elders in time or speaking modestly that they were his Elders in wisdome knowledge and understanding and therefore he was not hasty to speake but gave them their scope waiting till Job had spoken Because they were elder then he Hence note First in General Young men should shew respect and waite upon their Elders The Apostle would not have Timothy slighted though young 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth He chargeth the people not to despise Timothy because young and he chargeth Timothy to carry it so that none might have the shew of a cause to despise him though young Let no man despise thy youth let not those that seeke occasion finde it Now as young men especially young Ministers should be so holy and grave in their conversation as not to draw disrespect or contempt upon themselves and as no man ought to despise the young meerly because they are young so all men ought to honour old age The old Law was expresse for it Levit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and feare thy God I am the Lord. See how these two are joyned together Thou shalt honour the face of the old man and feare thy God As if he had said honour old men in the feare of God or shew feare to God in the reverence and honour which thou givest to old men who having lived a long time or many dayes in the world bear at least a shadow of the eternity of God who is The anciant of dayes who lives and abides for ever There is a two-fold stampe of God upon old men more then upon other men First their very age hath a stamp of God upon it for though all ages put together are not a moment to eternity yet as to our computation and reckoning old age beares the fairest image of eternity Secondly old men bear a resemblance of God in their wisdome 't is to be supposed that the oldest are wilest as Elihu speaks v. 7. So then old men are to be reverenced not only for their precedence in time but for their experience wisdome knowledge and prudence Seris venit usus ab annis all which represent
demonstration for his purpose from the wonderfull workes of God in nature from the raine thunder snow windes c. which he doth from the 27th verse of the 36th Chapter to the end of the 37th and with that concludes his answer The scope of Elihu in that long and learned Philosophicall Lecture was to teach and assure Job that God who causeth and disposeth those various alterations and terrible impressions in the ayre both for the humbling and benefiting of man doth much more both send and over-rule all those changes afflictions which befall the sons of men here on earth to humble them do them good And further to assure him that if man be not able to give a satisfying reason of those workes of God in nature but is often gravel'd and forced to sit downe in a silent admiration then surely man is much lesse able to fathome the depth of Gods purposes in all the workes of his providence but must in many of them only sit downe quietly and submit For as Elihu concludeth from these premises Chap 37.23 24. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is Excellent in power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice he will not afflict either causelesly or more then needs though we seldome see the causes or acknowledge the need of his afflictions men doe that is they ought therefore feare him and if any are so proud and high in their owne thoughts that they doe not at their perill be it for he respecteth not any that are wise in heart that is as the carnal wisdome of worldly men cannot be a barre so the true wisdome of godly men is no priviledge against the Soveraigne power of God in afflicting them And therefore Job though truely wise in heart must not looke for any such respect from God as to be untoucht by or priviledg'd from affliction For the close of all we may summe up the whole scope of Elihu's under-taking with Job yea of the whole Booke of Job in these six poynts or propositions First No man can stand before God in his owne personall righteousness Secondly How righteous soever any person is yet the Lord may afflict and breake him in what way and in what degree himselfe thinkes fit Thirdly God hath most wise and gracious aymes in afflicting his righteous servants Fourthly His most righteous servants may not take the liberty to complaine as if they were wrong'd or as if God were either rigorous or unrighteous in the least how much or how long soever they are afflicted Fifthly There is nothing gotten by complaining or striving under the afflicting hand of God and therefore Sixthly 'T is best for us or our wisest way when things are at worst with us to give glory to God both as just and good and possessing our soules with patience by faith to waite in hope till he giveth us a fresh experience of his goodnesse eyther by sweetning our troubles to us and supporting us under them or by bringing us out of them as he did Job in the fittest season If in perusing this discourse of Elihu we carry these generall results in our eye we shall read both the Text and Comment with more clearenesse in our understandings at all times and with more profit when at any time under them in our chastenings which that we all may is the prayer of Your affectionate Servant in this worke of Christ JOSEPH CARYL The 24th of the 3d Moneth 1661. AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Observations UPON The Thirty-second Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 32. Vers 1 2 3. So these three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Rain against Job was his wrath kindled because he 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 THe last Chapter ended with these words The words of Job are ended the beginning of this tells us his three friends had ended theirs So these three men ceased to answer Job Thus we have had the whole dispute between Job and his three friends Now followeth the determination of it The disputants having done the moderators begin First Elihu and after him God himselfe Elihu spends six whole Chapters in delivering his mind upon this Controversie yet he makes some pauses and overtures moving or inviting Job to a reply But Job interposed not a word We may consider this whole discourse of Elâ—hu in foure distinct parts the first contained in the 32d and 33d Chapters the second in the 34th the third in the 35th and the fourth in the 36th and 37th Chapters of this Book In the first part he directeth his speech first to Jobs three friends in this 32d Chapter Secondly to Job himselfe in the 33d. In this Chapter we may consider first a rationall transition from the dispute between Job and his friends to this discourse of Elihu in the five first verses Secondly we have a very Rhetoricall or patheticall Preface wherein Elihu endeavoureth to gaine attention by giving an account or the reasons of his undertaking in which he interweaves many Apologies for himselfe in venturing upon so hard a taske respecting both his youth and the weight of the argument He amplifies and continueth upon this subject to the end of the 32d Chapter wherein he engageth himselfe by solemne promise to carry on the businesse without respect of persons without feare or flattery Yet more distinctly in this first part The transition first a reason is assigned why Jobs friends left off speaking As it is not good to begin to speak so neither to give over speaking till we see and can give a reason for it The reason here given is because Job was righteous in his own eyes v. 1. Secondly a reason is given not only why Elihu did begin to speak but why he began to speak as he did in anger first against Job which is laid downe in the second verse Because he justified himselfe rather then God Secondly against his friends ver 3. Because they had found no answer yet had condemned Job or because they censured him though they could not confute him In the 4th and 5th verses we have a discovery of the cause of Elihu's modesty in forbearing so long to speak which he further inlargeth in the following parts of the Chapter Vers 1. So these three men ceased to answer Job They who had maintained the dispute all this while ceased rested or sate downe When men speak they usually stand up or stand forth The word in the Hebrew may be rendred thus They sabbatized implying they had found it a week of hard work Verbum ipsum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indâ—cat contentionem desat gationem disputationis praeteritae ingentem vim positam in repugnando refutando Pined and strong labour
for an answer but could not attaine it they pumpt hard but the water would not come God hid the thing from their eyes so then they had not found any answer because after all their search they could not nor should it seeme strange to us that they could not At best we know but in part here and till God by his Spirit teach us we know nothing at all So that I say it should not seeme strange to us that these wise and good men could find no answer for Job but that which follows seemes strange even to amazement that though they could not yet which how also could they answer to their owne consciences had condemned Job What condemne a man and not answer him 't is worse then to condemne a man and not heare him Possibly he that is condemned unheard may yet deserve a condemnation But if we condemne a man unanswered he certainly as to us is condemned undeservedly And therefore this course of proceeding if any is liable not only to suspition whether it be right but to condemnation as utterly unrighteous Though it may be a good mans case not to find an answer yet surely a good man will not condemne when he cannot answer But it may be demanded Did Jobs friends indeed find no answer before they condemned him we have heard of their answers all along No sooner had Job ended his former speeches but they presently answered Chap. 4.1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Chap. 8 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said Chap. 11.1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said yea they all three answered Job a second time and two of them a Third how then could Elihu justly say they found no answer and yet had condemned Job For answer to this objection I say They answered Job but they did not answer sufficiently The vulgar latine translation puts this glosse which is more then the rules of translation allow into the text rendring the originall thus Ed quòd non invenissent responsionem rationalem Vulg Because they had found no rationall answer and yet had condemned Job They did not find out nor hit upon the right answer Improper and insufficient answers how many soever of them we heape up against any mans argument are no answers they are not worthy to be called answers That only is an answer which carrieth a conviction in it which reacheth the state and strength of the question or removeth the objection In this sence Jobs three friends had found no answer and yet had condemned Job The Hebrew is they made him wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept posuerunt eum esse impium or condemned him as a wicked man So the Septuagint they had no answer for him and yet concluded him wicked we say they had condemned Job and the reason of it is because to condemne a man is to leave him under a supposal of wickednesse and to stigmatize or brand him for a wicked man All the wicked shall at last be condemned and none ought to be condemned nor are any condemned justly now but the wicked He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Pro. 17.15 There is a very elegant transposition of the words in the Hebrew we may render the text thus He that justifieth the wicked and wickedeth the just c. The law of Moses gave an expresse rule against this perversion of Judgement in termes quite crosse to those in Solomon Deut 25.1 If there be any controversie between men and they come unto Judgement that the Judges may Judge them then they shall justifie the righteous and condemne the wicked Which you may render thus They shall justifie the just and wickedise the wicked that is they shall declare the just man just and the wicked man to be wicked That man either really is or is accounted wicked who is cast in his cause and condemned That was a dreadfull sentence the Scripture Acts 1.20 shewes it fulfilled upon the traytor Judas when he is judged let him be condemned Psal 109.7 we put in the margen let him goe out guilty or wicked In this sence Jobs three friends when they condemned him cast him as a wicked man though they had nothing to answer the plea which he made for his owne integrity We must not conceive any such wickednesse in them Damnarunt pro impio etsi nulla in eum crimina probare possent quibus ille suam vitam contaminassent Merc that they were resolved to condemne him right or wrong yet they held their conclusion against the light and reason of all his premises and though they could prove no ill against him yet vehemently suspecting him they concluded he was an ill man and so condemned him Hence note first Some will proceed to condemne both persons and opinions though they can give no reasonable account why they condemne either We read Isa 56.10 of dumbe doggs that cannot barke that is who know not what to speake oâ— say to purpose There are many who in this sence cannot barke yet they will bite and when they have no answer they will condemne and usually dumbe doâ—gs that cannot barke have the sharpest teeth and are best at biting or they are better at condemning then at answering As some finde an answer where there is none that is when such reasons are layd before them as are unanswerable yet they will not give over answering but still seek a knott in a rush and draw the saw of contention aâ—well without end as without cause so others cannot find an answer where it is yet when they cannot answer they can censure and condemne him for wicked or perverse whom they cannot prove so 'T is much easier to say a man is faulty then to find â—â—â—ault yet they who have a mind to find faults are seldome to seeke for somewhat or other which they call so Note secondly To condemne opinions or persons when we cannot answer them is a practise justly condemnable 'T is unjust as was intimated before to condemne a man before he is heard For though possibly a man unheard may have justice when he is condemned yet all agree 't is injustice to condemne him when he is not heard Now if it be injustice to condemne a wicked man before he is heard how unjust is it to condemne a man in whom we can find no wickednesse after we have heard him Thirdly From the manner of the phrase here used Note To condemne a man is to render him wicked Condemnation as was shewed is due only to the wicked and if an innocent be condemned he is reputed wicked and receives punishment as guilty As that sentence of condemnation which proceeds out of the mouth of God against impenitent sinners and evill doers bindes the guilt of their evill deeds upon them and delivers them up to punishment so he that condemnes his brother fastneth guilt upon him and speakes him deserving
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
the poynt The aged speak like children when they speak foolishly or unfruitfully He only is a good speaker who speaks that which may doe others good or make them better We say proverbially and truly both of saying and doing As good never a whit as never the better I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Elihu reckons the age of aged men by multitude of yeares this he doth only to highten the matter what wisdome might he not expect from a multitude of yeares that is from such as had lived a multitude of yeares Certainly thought Elihu they will Teach wisdome There is a twofold wisdome First that which is meerely rational Secondly that which is spirituall or there is first a common secondly an holy wisdome Elihu expected wisdome of both sorts but chiefely of the latter from multitude of yeares He expected they would teach the wisdome which the Spirit of God had taught them Sapientiam intelligit quae in vera dei nostri cognitione sita est cujus author sit spiritus dei non hominis animus non anni non usus non experientia Merl that wisdome which consists in the true knowledge of God and of our selves that wisdome which is from above that which man hath not from himselfe nor is taught him by dayes or yeares by use or experience only And it was very probable that they who from their youth had been instructed in the things of God being growne old should also be growne further in this wisdome and riper in this sort of knowledge And therefore Elihu spake according to the rule of right reason when he judged that those three aged men had attained to a very high degree of divine light Such is the goodnesse of God to his people that usually they grow in grace and knowledge as they grow in yeares For though God is Debror to no man but Creditor to all men and though old age in it selfe considered deserves nothing of God yea is not only undeserving but because sin multiplyes as our dayes doe ill deserving yet as Christ saith To him that hath that is who useth and improveth what he hath more shall be given And therefore though true wisdome be a free gift and is infused and wrought by the Spirit of God yet we may in probability and ought according to charity judge that they who have most dayes have also most wisdome Though wisdome be not entayled upon old age yet there we are most likely to finde it I sayd multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Hence observe first We may well expect they should be very wise and knowing who have had much meanes and many opportunities of obtaining knowledge and wisdome And therefore we have reason to expect much wisdome from those who have had a multitude of yeares past over their heads It is a common rule in Logick Causis sufficientibus positis in aâ—tu necessario sequitur effectus When sufficient causes are put in act the effect must needs follow And so where probable causes are in act probably the effect will follow Old men having been well brought up in youth and having had faire opportunities to attaine knowledge and wisdome are rightly presumed and judged well stor'd and stockt with both Where shall we finde wisdome if not among the Ancients where if not among a multitude or throng of yeares and dayes where else should we look for it shall we goe and enquire among the greene heads and young beginners for it shall we goe to novices and children for it We may say surely they who have been long taught have learned much surely they who have heard many soule-searching Sermons and continued from day to day under the droppings of divine truths are full of fruit and very fruitfull whether shall we goe for fruit else if not to these shall we goe to those that live as upon the mountaines of Gilboa where David prayed no raine might fall shall we goe for Gospel-fruit to the wild naked untaught Indians and Barbarians or to the rightly instituted and plentifully instructed Churches of Christ may we not more then say conclude surely these are wise and full of spirituall understanding Quanquam te Marce Fili Annum jam audientem Cratippum idque Athenis abundare oportet praeceptis institutisque philosophiae c. Cic de Offi lib. t. The Roman Orator Cicero took it for granted that his son Marcus was well grounded in and plentifully furnished with the principles of Philosophy because he had been at Athens a whole yeare and there heard Cratippus a famous Philosopher read many excellent Lectures about things natural and morall And may we not say to many thousands of Gospel-hearers and professors what you that have heard such and such able Ministers you that have had the word so long preached and that at London more famous for Gospel knowledge then Athens for philosophy surely you are filled with all knowledge in the mystery of Christ and with all goodnesse in the practice of goâ—linesse And doubtlesse the Lord will argue it with those that have had time and opportunities as a rich price in their hand to get wisdome as Elihu did with his friends being aged men Who can imagine but that they are full of wisdome that they abound in knowledge and spirituall understanding who abounding in dayes and yeares have abounded also in meanes of knowledge Note Secondly As old men should abound in knowledge so they should approve themselves ready to teach the ignorant I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome 'T is a duty incumbent upon them who have learned much to teach much To conveigh wisdome and knowledge to others is most proper to such as well as most ornamental and honourable To be knowing our selves is a great mercy and to helpe others to the knowledge of what we know is a great duty we loose one speciall end of knowing if we know only for our selves To communicate and diffuse our knowledge to others is the noblest way of using it and the best way of improving it and that in a double respect First it is the best way of improving it as to encrease Secondly it is the best way of improving it as to reward The more we give out our knowledge the more we shall have of it and the more we shall have for it both from God and men The Apostle saith of a Gospel Minister 1 Tim. 3.2 He must be apt to teach not only able but apt that is ready and willing to teach now what the Apostle speaks there of an Elder by office is true of those that are elders in time they also should be apt to teach not only able but ready and willing to teach in and according to their spheare and power I said dayes should speak c. Thirdly Note 'T is a reproach to old age not to be knowing and wâ—se not to be able and apt to teach wisdome That old age
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
shoulders to them Secondly passionateness of spirit and of speech must be avoyded That which hinders reason had need be shut out while we are reasoning What a contradiction in the adjunct is it to heare of an angry moderator or to see a man set himselfe to compose differences between others with a discomposed spirit of his owne Thirdly partiality in speaking or the favouring of a party must be layd aside for as Elihu did not spare to tell Jobs friends their owne so neither did he spare to tell Job his owne he was not partiall on either side What can be imagin'd more uncomely then that he who stands between two should leane to any one or that he who comes to be an umpire or a Judge should make himselfe a party or an Advocate Fourthly he must avoyd timorousnesse and not be daunted with what man shall say or can doe against him while he is doing his duty The feare of man is a snare saith Solomon That man had not need be in a snare himselfe whose business it is to bring others out of the snares of error whether in opinion or in practise Fifthly he must beware of an easiness to be drawne aside either by the perswasions or applauses of men A Judge between others must keepe his owne standing Thus farre concerning these two verses wherein Elihu is still carrying on his Preface to prepare Job to receive attentively what he had to say In the next place Elihu turning to the standers by signifies to them in what condition he found Jobs friends JOB Chap. 32. Vers 15 16 17 18 19 20. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more I said I will answer also my part I also will shew mine opinion For I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer ELihu had spoken of his friends silence before and here he returns to it againe with a further addition and aggravation Vers 15. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking c. There are two opinions concerning the person who spake these words First Some referre them to the writer or penman of this Book but I rather take them as the words of Elihu himselfe They were amazed The root signifies to be affected with a very passionate and strong feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum pavorem affert quo affici solent qui ab hoste potentissimo superantur even such a feare as they are arrested with who flee or fall before their Enemies in battel So the word is used Jer 50.26 A sword is upon her mighty men and they shall be dismayed Dismay or amazement is the displacing at least the disturbing of reason it selfe Elihu shews how unable and unfit Jobs friends were to argue with him any further seeing upon the matter they had lost the use of their reason and were as men crack-brain'd or broken in their understanding They were amazed They answered no more they left off speaking or Speech was departed from them there is a two-fold Exposition of that speech they left off speaking Some understand it passively 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. d ab illis ablata sunt verba like that Luke 12.20 This night shall thy soule be required or taken from thee thou shalt not freely deliver it up but it shall be snatcht from thee So here their speech was taken from them or by an unanswerable conviction silence was imposed upon them Mr Broughton renders They doe speake no more speeches be departed from them How can they speake from whom speech is departed We translate actively they left off speaking as implying a voluntary act they gave a stop to themselves either they were not able or it was not fit for them to say any more The Hebrew is They removed speech from themselves and so became as silent as if they could not speake at all They were as mure as fishes The following verse being of the same sence I shall open that before I give the observations from this Vers 16. When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Job waited hoping they would speak somewhat worthy of themselves worthy of that opinion and reputation which they had in the world for wisdome Stare pro tacere but they deceived his expectation He could not have nor heare a word more from them This Elihu puts into a parenthesis for they spake not but stood still and answered no more He useth many words to the same purpose to shew that there was somewhat extraordinary in their silence They spake not their tongues stood still As speech is the image of the mind and from the aboundance of the heart so it is by the motion of the tongue If the tongue stand still discourse is stayd Their mouths were stopt as being either unable or ashamed to urge their accusations and arguments any further They stood still and answered no more It is said of those forward accusers of the women taken in adultery John 8.9 That being Convicted by their owne Conscience they went away one by one they shrunke away having not a word to reply And so did Jobs friends who while they stood still carried it as men unwilling to be heard or seene any more upon the place They were amazed c. First Hence note Amazement unfits us for argument Where wondering begins disputing ends They were amazed they answered no more Secondly Note The same men are sometimes so changed that they can scarcely be knowne to be the same men Eliphaz sayd Chap 4.2 Who can withhold himselfe from speaking He was so forward that he could not be kept from words but now he had not a word in his keeping speech was withheld or departed Thirdly Note False grounds or positions cannot be alwayes maintain'd God will supply both matter and forme arguments and words to confirme his owne truth they who are in the right shall not want reason to back it but they who are in the wrong may quickly find a stop and have no more to say The Apostles were weake because unwilling in a bad cause 2 Cor 13.8 We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth and they who are willing to be against the truth shall be weake and not able long to doe any thing against it They spake no more As God gives a banner that is outward power to them that feare him that it may be displayed because of the truth Psal 60.4 So he gives wisdome and understanding that is inward power for the maintaining of the truth In thy majesty ride prosperously because of the truth Psal 45.4 As Christ who is truth and the giver forth of truth so they who are undertakers for
and reproofes with plainnesse and to lay our finger upon the very sore Behold in this or that thou art not just We are to speake meekly but not at randome not uncertainly not flatteringly Pro 29.25 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feete he doth but intangle and insnare him in stead either of counselling or comforting him When a man is out it is best to tell him so how else shall he get in againe Flattering words are insnaring words Behold in this thou art not right One of the Ancients speaking to this poynt Majore supplicio dignus est qui male agentes laudat quam qui male agit Chrysost tells us It is more sinfull to flatter those that doe evill then to doe evill our selves And surely it argueth a more corrupt mind or a worser principle to dawbe sinners with the untempered morter of flattery then to be dawbed with the mire of any particular sin or iniquity A flatterer is a dawber and pillow-sower A flatterer hath not a true sight of sin himselfe and he doth what he can to keepe others from the sight of it It is safer to make sinners smart then itch David invited a woundâ—â—g rather then such a skinning of his sore Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness that is I will not only take it kindly but shall find it a kindness and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oyle which shall breake my head that is it shall be so farre from hurting that it shall be through Grace a healing to me No man had ever any cause to repent either the giving or receiving of a wise and seasonable reproofe Behold in this thou art not just But what is it not to be just I answer not to be just is not to give every man his due yet Elihu intends it chiefly of what Job had spoken unduely to God Behold in this thou art not just Hence note They who doe not give God hiâ— right are unjust as well as they who doe not give men their right Yea not to give God his right is by so much the greater injustice then not to give man his right by how much God is greater then man looke how much God is higher and greater then man by so much is their sin higher and greater who give not God his right then theirs who give not man his right Many thinke they are very just very honest men because they give every man his due they wrong they defraud no man not any neighbour not any bâ—other with whom they deale come and charge them if you can 'T is very good more then most men can truly say of themselves when a man is able to say he is just to his neighbour no man can challenge him of injustice But many say this who take no notice how unjust they are to God they are not at all sensible how often they have denied God his right nor how often they have done God wrong they take no notice of this They have second-table Justice but they have not first-table Justice this is it that Elihu chargeth Job with His friends charged him with second-table injustice that he was an oppressor c. but Elihu charged him with first-table injustice that he had done wrong to God Therefore remember not to give God his due feare his due love his due trust and submission these are his rights by the first Commandement is to be unjust not to give God due worship accordinâ—â—o his will is to be unjust because in so doing you deny him his â—â—ght in the second Commandement not to speake or thinke reverently of the name of the word wayes and ordinances of God is to be unjust to God because you deny him his right in the third Commandement To breake the Sabboath to steale Gods time and convert it to your owne private use to put it in your owne purses as many doe this is sacriledge this is to be unjust to God because you give him not his right nor that which is due to him by the fourth Commandement so not to submit to the rod of God not to be quiet under the chastizings of God not to take all well at Gods hand whatsoever he doth with us or to us is to be unjust to God because we then deny him the right of his soveraignty and of that just power which he hath over his creatures Behold in this thou art not just Elihu proceeds to give an account distinctly wherein this injustice lay I will answer thee or as Mr Broughton I will tell thee God is greater then man We render well I will answer thee c. There is a four-fold way of answering First by information to a Question propounded Every Question would have an answer Secondly by solution of an objection made When any thing is objected against what is sayd or held then to untie the knot is to answer Thirdly there is an answering by confutation of a false opinion or tenet thus whole bookes that hold unsound or heterodox opinions are to be answered Fourthly there is an answer by way of reproofe or reprehension of faults or mistakes either in speech or practice Elihu his answer was of this last sort For he observing how Job had spoken and what his carriage and demeanour had been gives him a reprehensive answer Behold in this thou art not just I will answer thee And what was his answer Respondebo tibi et reprehendam idque haec plane insolubili ratione quia amplior est deus et major multis partibus homine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ampliâ—r est Merc even this God is greater then man or I will answer thee that God is more then man The roote of the word signifies to encrease or grow Great but God is great not by growth or encrease but in his essence and being He who is infinite in greatness can have no addition to his greatness God is the Great one and he only is great All men and things put together are not only little nothings but lesse then nothing compared to the Great God Further the word by which God is here exprest notes the great power of God the strength of God in opposition to which the word by which man is here exprest notes his weakness and pitifull frailty And therefore Mr Broughton translates strictly according to the propriety of the Originall I must tell thee the puissant is greater then the sorrowfull man we say barely God he the puissant or the strong the mighty God we say God is greater then man he then sorrowfull man There are three originall words as I have sometime noted which expresse man Adam importing the matter of which man was made earth Ish noteing his best perfection and Enosh intimating that sad condition which was bâ—ought upon us by the fall Surely the puissant is greater then sorrowfull man But is not God greater
a strict inquisition for my sin My iniquity is not charged upon me to the utmost I have sinned grievously but God hath dealt graciously with me and hath not measured out to the full of mine iniquity 'T is an argument of true repentance to justifie God in afflicting us This is a pious and a profitable rendring of the text Whence observe First The punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin As all the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory of the next life Rom 1.18 so neither are they comparable with the sins of this life When a man is under very sore affliction chastened with paine upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong paine So that his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat yet he must confesse his sufferings are less then his sin The Church of the Jewes acknowledged this as to that great affliction their captivity in Babylon Ezra 9.13 After all that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse seeing that our God hath punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve c. It was no little punishment which that people endured yet they confessed it was lesse then their iniquity The least sin is so great that no punishment which man is capable of in this life can equall it nor can that in the life to come equall it as to present degree but only by the everlastingness of its duration Secondly Note A soule truly humbled is ready to confess to the glory of God that his punishment and suffering is less then his sin As a godly man doth not thinke any sin little so he doth not thinke any affliction great compared with his sin Cain sayd My punishment is greater then I can beare but he did not say it was greater then his sin How hot soever the furnace of divine wrath is heated yet sinners must acknowledge there is sparing mercy in it and that God might have made it seven times hotter and therefore hath afflicted them less then their sin As a godly man is ready to acknowledge his mercy more then he hath deserved Gen 32.10 I sayd Jacob am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant as if he had sayd I am less in my good actings then any of thy actings towards me for good have been so he is ready to say his greatest afflictions or evills which he suffereth are less then his sins or then the evills which he hath done Secondly The word signifieth to profit so we translate Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expono profuit non fuit mihi conducibilo quod peccaram Merc And it profiteth me not Other Scriptures comply with this sence Hester 3.8 Haman in his malicious and envious suggestions against the Jews tells the King It is not for the Kings profit to suffer them to continue He useth the same word againe Hest 5.13 where after he had reported all the great things that he enjoyed he concludes What doth all this profit me or all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate Thus here saith the sick man I have sinned And it profited me not or I have got nothing by it And when he saith it profited me not we are to expound it by a usuall figure in Scripture whereby more is intended then is expressed so that it profiteth me not is it had been very detrimentall dangerous and deadly to me I feel and smart under the sad issues of my sin my perverting that which was right hath done me though I have had but my right much wrong I have sinned and it profited me not Hence note First Sin pretends profit and advantage to a sinner There is no temptation comes without a bait Though some sin purely for sins sake yet it is rare that sin cometh without the offer of a bribe and profit is one of the greatest both baits and bribes that the Devill puts upon the hook of temptation when he fisheth for soules You shall get by it saith that deceiver But the repenting soule can truly say it profited me not I had thought to have gotten by my sin it promised me very faire but I have got nothing but blows The temptation with which the Devill assaulted our first parents was of this kinde He told the woman of profit she and her husband should gaine knowledge by it that 's a noble gaine They should be as Gods knowing good and evill there 's all profit imaginable in such a knowledge Christ himselfe who was God and perfectly knew good and evill was also tempted with profit Math 4.8 9. The devill shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and those not with bare walls but ready hung and furnished and the glory of them and sayd unto him all these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me If our head and the heire of all things was tempted with profit how much more poor we No marvaile if Satan provide him Agents to say to us as they are represented Pro 1.13 Come cast in your lot among us we will all have one purse or a joynt stock in this wicked trade What they hoped to get by it is told us in the next words We shall find all precious substance and fill our houses with spoyle We shall get enough and you shall share with us if you will but come and goe with us We see what sin promiseth But what doth the sinner find himselfe answers It profited me not Hence learne There is nothing gotten by sin no good is gotten by it The Apostle puts the question to sinners Rom 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Cast up your account and tell us what you find at the foot of it Possibly some may say we have gotten hundreds and thousands we have gotten houses and lands our barnes are full of corne our fields of cattel and our bags are full of treasure But is it profit to have house and land gold and silver come in by sin Let that Scripture answer Math 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and loose his own soule But some may say they that are in Christ cannot loose their soules by sin I answer First though they that are in Christ cannot be such sinfull soules as to sin away their soules though they cannot sin at such a rate nor in such a height as to loose their soules who have indeed found Christ or rather who are found of him and planted in him yet the dammage which every sin unrepented of and unpardoned puts man to is the losse of his soule Secondly suppose a sinner repenteth what hath he got by sin but the sorrows of repentance And though no man shall have cause to repent of true repentance for sin yet no man shall
others judge what the Word of God no! but whether they speake according to the word of God or no In this sense every one must judg sor himselfe we must not take all for granted but try what we heare by the eare as we doe what we eat by the mouth Thirdly Note A spiritually judicious and considerate man will take time to judge of things that are spoken as the pallate doth of meates that are eaten The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat God hath given man a faculty for that end and he is to use his faculty We commonly fay Look before you leape Surely then we should tast before we eate and prove all things whether they are good or no before we electively hold that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 The noble Bereans received the word with all readinesse of mind yet they would make no more hast then good speed to receive it for as the Text saith Acts 17.11 They searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Fourthly Here are two Organs of sense spoken of the ear and the mouth both are of great use to man but one of them the eare is of a more frequent and noble use Beasts have both mouths and eares but because theirs is only a sensitive life they make more use of their mouths then of their eares Whereas man whose life is rationall yea and spirituall too must or ought to make more use of his eares then of his mouth How doth this reprove all those who are more in trying meats then in trying words or more for tasting then they are for hearing It was a complaint of some in the former age that they made themselves like bruit beasts which having both those powers of hearing and tasting have yet no regard to hearing but are all for feeding and eating They carry it like beasts and are more bruitish then a beast who employ their mouths more then their eares A beast is made in that low forme to live to eat and worke and so to dye man is of a higher forme next to that of Angells and for him to spend his time in eating and drinking as if his worke lay at his mouth not at his ear is to degrade himself and lead a bruitish life The Apostle brings in such bruits speaking thus 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye not a word of using their eares they say not come let us hear the word of God let us seek bread for our soules but come let us eat and drink now for a man to be so much in eating as to neglect hearing and meditating what doth he but make himselfe like a beast of the earth who should be like the Angels in Heaven dayly rising up to a spirituall and heavenly life God lifts us up to Heaven as I may say by the eares Our eares were not given us only to heare delightfull sounds or to commune one with another about the affaires of this life the use of the eare is yet more noble even to helpe us in the receiving of all saving and sanctifying knowledge Faith comes by hearing Rom. 15.17 and so doth every grace both as to the implantation and growth of it till we come to glory Therefore consider how you use this excellent sense of hearing and how you improve in spirituals by what you have heard We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse and it should be the great designe of our lives to get this image renewed and that is done at the eare 't is wrought by hearing faith repentance and every grace come in and are wrought at the eare Some scoffe at this latter age calling it a hearing age not a working age we say they are much for ear-work little for hand-work all for Preaching nothing for doing nor can this reproach be quite wiped off seeing with our plenty of Preaching there is so little practising as if men had turned all the members of their body into eares and were nothing but hearing To doe nothing but heare or to heare and doe nothing to heare much and act little is a high provocation To have a swel'd head and a feeble hand is the disease of Religion Yet let not voluptuous Epicures who are all for the palate and belly-cheere think to excuse themselves for not hearing or for seldome hearing because some who hear much are found doing little or seldome do what they hear for as these shall be condemned by the word which they have heard and not done so shall these for not hearing the word which would have shewed them what to doe It hath been anciently said The belly hath no eares nor will they either mind hearing or mind what they hear who mind their bellyes not for hunger and the support of nature that is as Solomon speaks Eccles 10.17 for strength but for drunkennesse or surfet Cum eo vivere non possum cui palatum magis sapiat quam cor Plutarchus in vita Catonis When a voluptuous person desired Cato that he might live with him No said Cato I like not your society I doe not love to converse with a man who useth his mouth more then his eares who is busied more to please his tast in eating and drinking then to enrich his understanding by hearing and discoursing The Apostle Tit. 1.12 referring them to one of their own Poets calleth the Cretians evill beasts slow bellies They were not slow to fill their bellyes but their full bellyes their belly being their God as he told some among the Philippians Chap. 3.19 made them slow yea reprobate to every good word and worke Solomon gives man a great charge when he saith Prov. 23.23 Buy truth and sell it not The mart for those most precious commodities grace and truth is kept not at the belly but at the eare there we buy without money and without price both grace and truth to get these is to be wise merchants The best market we can make the best trade we can drive is with and at our eares The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat And from this Elihu infers Vers 4. Let us chuse to our selves judgment let us know among our selves what is good This verse containes the second request which Elihu made to Jobs friends The summe of it is that they might proceed judiciously and fairly in the cause before them As if he had said Seeing it is the office of the eare to try words as the mouth tasteth meat let us see what we can do with our eares towards the determination of this matter Job hath often wished to find one with whom he might debate and try this cause in judgment let us give him his wish and having throughly weighed the matter and merits of his cause let us see what justice will award him Let us chuse to our selves judgment c. Let us chuse To elect or chuse is the worke of the will And to chuse
verè ceriè Job dixit Justus sum Pined Vid c. 33 8 9. where this poynt is also discussed the cleareness and truth of the charge there is no avoyding the matter of fact It will fall upon him let him take it off and answer it if he can or as wel as he can For Job hath said I am righteous But it may be questioned where said he this For answer I shall doe two things First Shew from what passages in Jobs former answers this charge may be made good or at least made up Secondly I shall shew in what sence Job said this and how Elihu and Job doe either agree or differ in the thing To the first where said Job I am righteous I answer We find not this direct assertion in termes or in so many words but what he spake in severall places amounts to it Chap 13.18 Behold now I have ordered my cause I know I shall be justified Chap 23.10 But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed me I shall come forth as gold Chap 27.6 My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it goe and he insisted at large upon this poynt his vindication from all unrighteousness throughout the whole 31th Chapter There we find him making frequent imprecations v. 5 6 7. If I have walked with vanitie or if my foot hath hasted to deceit Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know mine integrity If my step hath turned out of the way and mine heart walked after mine eyes and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands then c. In all which and many other passages of that Chapter Job spake highly of his owne innocency and said in effect I am righteous His other friends had taken notice of this before Eliphaz hit him with it Chap 4.17 while he put those questions Shall mortall man be more just then God shall a man be more pure then his maker And so did Bildad Chap 8.6 If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous Nor was Zophar behind with him Chap 11.4 Thou hast sayd my doctrine is pure I am cleane in thine eyes Secondly In what sence did he speak this For answer when Job said I am righteous we must consider a two-fold righteousness First a perfect absolute righteousness and that may be two-fold First the righteousness of justification which is an imputed righteousness Secondly the righteousness of sanctification which is an in-wrought or inherent righteousness this latter is not absolute or perfect in degree while we abide in this life yet it is dayly growing up to perfection and shall at last attaine a perfect growth If any say Why then doth God call us to a perfection of sanctification in this life if it be not attainable in this life I answer he doth it first to shew how holy he is Secondly to shew how holy we ought to be Thirdly he doth it that we might run to Christ who is the Lord our righteousness and who is made unto us of God wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption we being altogether short of righteousness and short in righteousness may goe to him and have a compleat and perfect righteousness Now besides this absolute righteousness of justification which is attainable here and of sanctification which is not attainable here but shall be hereafter there is a comparatively perfect righteousness of sanctification the righteousness of uprightness and sincerity when we strive to the uttermost to please God in all things by doing good and can say we doe not please our selves in any way of doing evill It should seeme that Elihu and Job did not wel agree about the definition of justice or righteousness Job intending either civill righteousness towards men or a righteousness imputed freely by God but Elihu understood him of absolute perfect personall righteousness which no man attaines unto in this life For when Job is charged with saying Intelligitur justitia per fidem mediatoris spiritus sancti Arrabone confirmata Neque enim aliam potuit habero Job qui suam claris verbis amoliretur Coc I am righteous he said it either as a justified person or as a sanctified person In the former sence he might say he was perfectly righteous and in the latter he sayd he was so as to the sincerity and uprightness of his heart with God and this he might say of himselfe without fault or blame for God himselfe had sayd of him Ch 1.1 that he was a man perfect and upright I grant Job seemes to say though he said it not with that aime or intention yet he seemes to say that he was even absolutely righteous not only as justified but sanctified while he said Chap 31.7 8. If there be any blot cleaving to my hands if my steps have gone out of the way or my heart been deceived c. This gave Elihu occasion to charge him with saying I am righteous he did not charge him with saying so as justified through the free grace of God nor did he charge him for saying so as to his sincerity but he charged him in these two respects First Because he spake so much of the righteousness of his way and of his workes for though it were true he was righteous in the sence by him intended yet because he made it his business and spent a large discourse to tell the world how good how just and how holy a man he had been this was more then became him in that condition Secondly Elihu checkt him for saying so because though he were fully righteous as justified and sincerely righteous as sanctified he complained of his afflictions as if God might not lay his hand heavy upon him no nor touch a righteous person with an afflicting hand or as if he and all other righteous persons ought to passe all their dayes in peace and have an exemption from the crosse Whereas one great reason why God afflicted him so sorely was to make it knowne to all the world in his example that meerely upon his owne prerogative and soveraignty he both may and will when he pleaseth afflict the most innocent person in the world Yea the intent of Elihu in urging and burdening Job with those sayings was to convince him that though he was a child of God and had walked before him in righteousnesse and true holiness yet he ought to humble himselfe and beare with meekness and patience the forest visitations of God And that therefore he should not have pleaded his owne integrity to priviledge him from affliction nor have sayd Why doe I suffer seeing I am righteous Hence note First That as it is altogether sinfull for any man to say I am altogether without sin for 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin there is no truth in us and he who saith in that sense I am righteous doth but declare his owne unrighteousness so to speake much of our
helples as is imaginable yet the Lord is able to save them he wil do it in the fittest season As this is true in reference to Princes and Nations in their publique capacity so private Christians may take up the comfort of it What though great distress and affliction be nigh and no hand to save you yet the Lord can save without hand if you are low he can raise you though none lend a hand to raise you if poor he can enrich you if weak he can strengthen you though you have no means for either It is an everlasting spring of comfort that the Lord can do all things without hand that he needs not be beholding to the creature nor stands in need of their help to effect either threatned judgments against Babylon or his promised mercies unto Sion Thus we have seen Elihu describing the righteous though severe dealings of God both with people and Princes who despise his counsels and provoke his wrath The reason why they fall under his wrath is further discovered in the next words JOB Chap. 34. Vers 21 22. For his eyes are upon the wayes of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves IN the former verse Elihu reported the judgement of God both upon the people and upon the Princes of the earth In a moment shall they die c. In these two verses he gives us a proof that the Lord is righteous in judgement both upon Princes and people or he assignes the ground of it That the words are a reason of the former the Causal Particle in the beginning of the 21th verse puts it out of question Vers 21. For his eyes are upon the wayes of men As if he had said God doth not these things he troubles not Nations and Nobles People or Princes by an absolute and soveraigne power or because he will but he finds just cause to do it What men do is enough to justifie God in what they suffer He hath alwayes power enough in his hand to destroy all men and to turn this world back into its first nothing but he never useth his power nor puts it forth without cause For his eyes are upon the wayes of man c. God is a Spirit the simplicity of his Essence is his first and highest perfection he is purely incorporeal yet as the passions of man's minde so the members of his body are often in Scripture attributed unto God we read of the face of God of the hand of God of the ear of God and as in many other places so in this of the eyes of God Now as the ear of God notes only his power of hearing and the hand of God his power of working so the eye or eyes of God note only his power of seeing knowing and discerning the wayes of men And when Elihu saith his eyes are upon the wayes of man his meaning is only this he clearly discerns and understands the wayes of man These words his eyes are upon the wayes of man intimate First A present act he doth not say they were or they will be upon the wayes of man but they are Secondly They imply as a present so a continued act his eyes are so upon the wayes of man that they are never off them The eyes of God dwell as it were upon the wayes of man His eyes are said indeed to run to and fro through the whole earth 2 Chron. 16.8 yet they do not wander from one object to another but are fixed and setled upon every one Thirdly they imply an intentive act or the seriâ—usness of the heart of God upon the wayes of man We may behold a thing and yet take no great notice of it but when our eyes are said to be upon any thing this imports they are busied much upon it Fourthly This manner of speaking signifieth not only a clear sight but that which is operative carrying with it a most exact scrutiny or disquisition of the wayes of men according to that expression of the Psalmist Psal 11.4 His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men God doth not only behold but his eye-lids try the wayes of men that is he so looks upon them that he looks through them and discerneth what they are to the utmost God doth not only behold the body and bulk of our actions but the soul and spirit of them and while he seeth them he seeth into them All this and much more then we can apprehend is comprehended in those words His eyes are upon The wayes of man The word is plural not way but wayes which shews the extensiveness of the sight or knowledge of God The word being put indefinitely is to be taken universally His eyes are not confined to this or that object to this or that place to this or that person but his eyes look over all His eyes are upon the wayes of man Yet further the wayes of man may be distinguished First As they are either internal or external The internal wayes of man are the wayes of his heart as the Prophet hath it Isa 57.17 He went on frowardly in the way of his heart And these wayes of the heart our inward wayes are first our thoughts what we imagine and conceive secondly our affections what we love and what we hate what we rejoyce in and what we mourn for declare the way of our hearts Thirdly The wayes of the heart are a man's purposes resolutions and intentions what to do Fourthly The wayes of the heart are man's designes or his aims what he drives at or proposeth as his end in all that he doth In this latitude we are to understand the present Text when Elihu saith the eyes of God are upon the wayes of man remember they are upon his thoughts upon his affections upon his purposes upon his designes and aimes all these are before the Lord as it is said of Christ Johâ— 2.25 He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man that is both the state of his heart and all the movings of it And if the Lord's eyes be upon the internal wayes of man then certainly they are upon the external wayes of man if he knoweth what work the heart is at or about certainly he knoweth what the hand is at or about He that knoweth which way the minde goeth cannot but know which way the foot goeth His eyes are upon the external wayes of man but 't is his chief glory that his eyes are upon the internal wayes of man Gen. 6.5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth He saw man's actions or outward wayes were very wicked but besides that saith the Text He saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually He saw the wayes within what was formed up or as the word there notes what creatures were made and fashioned in the minde of
to God Gen 18.21 The fall of a poore man makes a report as farre as heaven Among men the fall of Princes and mighty men makes a huge noyse all the world is filled with the fall of a Prince 't is told every where A great Prince is fallen But I tell you the fall of a poore godly man of the meanest of the servants of God makes a greater cry then the fall of the greatest Prince in the world who is not so The fall of a poore man by the oppression of the wicked possibly is not heard a mile from the place where it was done on eatth yet it reacheth up to heaven oppression hath not only a voyce but a very loud voyce To wrong a rich man who can beare the wrong and be a rich man still is a sin which hath a voyce in it but the sin which the Scripture saith hath a cry in it is the oppressing of a poore man There is no liberty given to wrong a rich man and that would be considered Some take a kinde of liberty if he be a rich man that they are to put a reckoning upon they thinke they may doe it somewhat largely and say he is able to beare it But be the man never so rich and able to beare it yet to wrong him is a sin and a sin that God will take notice of to punish And though he can beare the wrong done yet the wrong-doer will hardly be able to beare it when he comes to reckon with God for it Thus I say to wrong the rich offends God but to wrong the poore cryeth to God and as it followeth in the text He heareth the cry of the afflicted Many cryes come up to God which he doth not heare he doth not regard them and 't is possible for a poore man to cry to God and God not heare him in the sence here spoken of Some poore men cry as we say before they are hurt they cry rather out of discontent then want they cry because they have not what they desire not because they have not what they need God will not heare the cry of such though poore but when a poore man is afflicted when a poore man that is humbled as the word here signifies and layd low in his state is low also in spirit and lowly in minde God heareth the cry of such a poore man If a poore man have a proud spirit or is humorous God will not heare him though he cry The word here rendred afflicted signifies not only a man destitute of helpe of strength of friends of assistance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inopes id est destituti ope nec valentes resistere sed malum potius tolerantes et subjicientes se dei Coc such is the reach and strength of that word but he is one of a submitting patient spirit or it noteth a man not only first unable to resist his oppressor but secondly unwilling at least not forward to make resistance but sitting downe by the losse quietly or possessing his soule in patience when he hath lost all that he possessed by oppression The Lord hears the cry of this afflicted man he will not reject his cry nor stop his ears against it And when Elihu saith He heareth the cry of the afflicted his meaning is he yeilds or grants him the thing he cryes for Hence note First God graciously heares the cry of humble oppressed ones Whosoever cry to him upon just cause being indeed opprest though they are not godly yet God will take notice of their cry for he will right the oppressed as oppressed and therefore the Jewes had those cautions Exod 22.23 Deut 24.15 not to wrong any servant or stranger let him be who or whence he would lest he cry to me saith God and it be sin to thee But when any are not only opprest and suffer wrong but are also godly of humble and lowly spirits they are heard much more when it is not only a cry of nature but a cry of grace not only a complaining cry but a praying cry God will certainly hear Luke 18.12 Shall not God avenge his own elect that cry to him day and night when it is not only a complaining cry that they are under oppression but a believing cry to be or that they shall be delivered from oppression when it is a holy cry the cry of the elect God cannot but hear their cry He heareth other cryes he heareth the cry of the Ravens when they call upon him and provides for them much more will he hear the cry of Saints the cry of believers the cry of the humbled and humble Secondly as hearing notes granting Observe The cry of the oppressed brings vengeance upon oppressors Read Psal 12.6 Eccles 10.26 Isa 33.1 Jer. 22.16 All these Scriptures teach this truth that the cry of the oppressed brings vengeance on oppressors Let the mighty remember 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poor 't is dangerous medling with any poor but most dangerous medling with Gods poor Some will say there is such a great man it is dangerous medling with him and they are afraid to wrong him they dare not do it if ever say they he should come to know it he may break our backs sit on our skirts and crush us with his power but if they can get an underling a man below them they presume there is no great danger in oppressing him what can he do if he bark he cannot bite if he hath a tongue he hath no teeth we can deal with him well enough Thus I say men think it dangerous to wrong great men but conclude they may do what they please with the poor and those that are underlings but we should more fear to wrong a poor man then to wrong a rich man though we ought not to do either yet I say we should more fear to wrong the poor then the rich because the poor are under the special protection of the great God they are under more promises of protection then the great men of the world are Therefore Solomon gives that serious caution Prov. 23.10 11. Enter not into the Vineyard of the fatherless do not oppress the poor fatherless for his avenger is mighty and God will plead his cause for him You think you may do any thing with the poor and fatherless O saith wise Solomon take heed do not invade the heritage of the fatherless we are not to take the fatherless there in a strict sence for those whose parents are dead but any that are poor and low are fatherless as the Prophet calls them Hos 14.3 In thee the fatherless findeth mercy beware saith he how you deal with the fatherless for his Redeemer is mighty though he hath no might yet he hath a mighty Redeemer and he will plead his cause for him Possibly the poor man cannot plead with thee he cannot try it out with thee in Law he cannot see an Advocate but God can and will be his