the souls under the Altar cry How long Lord how long They cry to God how long they knew that he only had the time in his hand he only could tell how long and it should be as long as he pleased How long Lord They cryed not to cruell tyrants how long will ye persecute but Lord how long will it be before thou come to revenge And so David Psal 31.15 My time it is in thy hand speaking of his afflictions There is no affliction but it is in the hand of God for the continuance of it as well as for the manner of it and as no enemie man or devill can make thy crosse greater or longer or heavier so no friend man or Angell can make thy crosse lighter or lesser or shorter then God himselfe hath appointed Onely upon himselfe shalt thou not put forth thine hand thou shalt not move an inch further not a haires bredth further As our afflictions for the matter of them are by the will of God as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.19 While you suffer saith he according to the will of God those words according to the will of God note not only the righteousnesse of suffering that it must be in a good cause but also the spring from whence those sufferings come they are Ex voluntate Dei so Mr. Beza translates it they are out of the will of God Now I say as they are out of the will of God or from the will of God springing from his will and flowing from his dispensation of things in the matter of them so also in every circumstance God himself gives thy crosse length and bredth and thicknesse he fills thy cup of sorrow he directeth how many drops to a drop shall be put into it thou shalt not have a drop more then God prescribes and which is more comfortable knowes will be for thy good Secondly Observe That Satan is boundlesse in his malice toward the people of God If God did not set him bounds he would set himselfe no bounds therefore saith God unto him Onely upon himselfe c. He had a mind to have gone further he would have been upon Job himselfe as well as upon his estate if God had not stop'd and curb'd him Therefore the Apostle gives that assurance for the comfort of the people of God 1 Cor. 10.13 God saith he is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able As if he should say Satan would with all his heart lay more upon you than you are able to beare Satan would breake your backs if he were let alone but God will not suffer it Satan hath a boundlesse malice against the people of God Some observe this from his name Leviathan Isa 27.1 In that day the Lord with his great and strong Sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent Leviathan is put there for Satan and for all the instruments of Satan now Leviathan signifieth in the Hebrew an augmentation an addition or an increase And Satan is so called because say they he ever desires to lay more burdens upon to increase the afflictions troubles and temptations of Gods people he never thinkes he hath done enough against them His thirst to worke mischiefe is never quenched but still he desires to doe more he would faine have his Commission inlarged to doe more mischiefe in the world Therefore God is said not to strike after their stroake in the 7th verse of that 27. of Isa Hath hee smitten him as he smit those that smote him In the Hebrew it is Hee hath not smitten him according to the stroake of those that smote him according to their stroake noting that the stroake of Leviathan and the stroake of his instruments is an unmeasurable stroake a boundlesse stroake they would never give over striking They thinke the wound is never deepe enough nor blood shed enough but saith the Prophet verse 8. God doth it in measure so that he opposeth their striking to Gods afflicting by the measure of it God keepeth his afflictions in such a bound and compasse he afflicts in measure but Satans stroake and the stroakes of wicked men are without all measure that is without all moderation unlesse God stop them they would never make an end Lastly Observe how Satan is by this proved a deceiver he intended more than he spake you may see it plainly in this because God put a restraint upon him Touch all that he hath saith Satan that referred to his possessions outward estate as if that had bin the mind of Satan in the motion do but afflict him in his outward estate I desire no more to make this tryal now when the Lord saith All that he hath is in thy hand there he grants him the motion in the letter of it but the Lord God saw that Satan had a further reach when he said Touch all that he hath which words seeme to extend no further then his estate but had not God limited and restrain'd him he by an indefinite grant to his motion had likewise fallen upon his person that was the great morsell he gaped after all this while he would have been doing with Job himselfe else there was no need of this limitation Onely upon himselfe put not forth thy hand Satans fingers itcht to be medling with Job though his words called for what he had not for himselfe And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. As soone as he hath leave and his Commission he is gone presently He went out from the presence of the Lord. The word is he went out from the face of the Lord Now the face of the Lord in Scripture it is taken sometimes for the essentiall glory of God that inaccessible Majesty of God Exod. 33. ult Thou canst not behold my face Sometimes the face of God is put for the favour and love of God Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolate Dan. 9.17 and cause thy face to shine upon thy servant So in many other places the face of God is put for the favour of God because as the favour and love of a man is seene and discovered in his face so there is somewhat in those dealings of God which discover God he is said to make his face to shine upon his people when he doth discover by any act of his that he loves and favours them that is the shining of his face upon them The face interprets the heart and shewes the meaning of the spirit so in those things which interpret somewhat of the love of God to us God is said to make his face shine upon us On the other side the face of God is put sometimes for the anger and wrath of God because anger is seene in the face too so in those things by which God discovereth his anger he is said to set his face against men there is an expresse place for it in this sense Lam. 4.16 The anger of the Lord the
Solomons advice Eccles 7.14 In the day of prosperity be joyfull but in the day of adversitie consider What shall we consider Consider this and marke it well that as the day of prosperity was from God so the day of adversitie is from God likewise for it followes God also hath set the one over against the other Therefore seeing God hath set one over against the other thou must take the one well as well as the other at least thou must beare the latter as patiently as thou did'st receive the former joyfully They who have shared with others in gaines thinke it but equall to share with them in losses they set the one over against the other And so must we in respect of Gods dispensations towards us If we set our present wants over against our former fullnesse our present sorrowes over against our former comforts our present sicknesse over against our former health our present warre over against our former peace If we thus set the one over against the other our accounts will be ballanc'd yea our former receipts of good will be far greater and out-ballance our present sufferings of evill Especially if we remember that we never deserved the least part of the good we have received but we have deserved more then all the evill that we suffer Wee may say as Ezra did Chap. 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities and we may say as Jacob Gen. 32.10 Lord we are not worthy the least of all thy mercies This argument may be of great use to us of this Nation in these times of darkenesse and feare What shall not we receive evill from the hand of God who have received so much good we have received many yeares of peace from God foure-score yeares of peace shall we receive so many yeares of peace from the hands of God and shall we take it ill if we receive some yeares of warre We have received many yeares of plenty shall we take it ill if we should have some yeares of scarcitie We have had the Gospell many yeares every one sitting under his Vine and under his Fig-tree what if now we hold the Gospell standing upon our guard or marching in the field what if we hold it a while sitting in Tents and standing under our displayed banners Fourthly Forasmuch as the same word is applied here to expresse the act of the mind in reference both to good and evill Observe That outward evills are to be received in the same manner and with the same mind that good things are received with Yet a caution is to be given in with this There are two sorts of outward evils or sufferings Sinne is the cause of some sufferings and grace is the cause of other sufferings either grace acted or grace to be tryed Now we are not to receive the evill of suffering whereof sin is the cause with the same mind as we doe good joy and cheerefulnesse doth not become such evills But when our sufferings are caused by grace either of those wayes then it becomes us to rejoyce The Apostle saith more Rom. 5.3 We glory in tribulation And againe 2 Cor. 6.10 as sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing The sorrow of godly men is like the joy of the wicked only in appearance Paul had only a shadow of sorrow as sorrowfull but his joy was substantiall and continuall alwayes rejoycing though his outward estate cast up amounted but to this poore and having nothing The reason is because God is the same in all variety of our estates God loves as well when we are poore as when we are rich yea as well when himselfe smites as when he heales He is as good to us when we receive evill as when we receive good therefore if God be the same surely we ought to be the same too and take it as kindly at his hands when we are impoverisht as when we are inricht when we are sick as when we are in health when we are in prison as when we are free Shall present evills make us either insensible of or unthankfull for past mercies Shall present troubles be as a grave wherein to bury the memory of all our former comforts shall as it was in Pharaohs dreame the leane kine and the blasted eares of corne eate up and devoure the fat kine and the full eares The Heathen Philosopher censures him for a foole who thinks there is no benefit in benefits nor blessing in blessings except they be present And he brands him as unthankfull who accounts the end of a mercy an injury or thinks he is wrong'd when free gifts are not continued If a Heathen saw so much obligation in the past benefits of a man Christians should see it much more in the past mercies and blessings of their God Wherefore to conclude this point with the counsell of the Ancient Remember the heapes of good things received weigh the good and the evill together Thou shalt never find any mans life at all times alike It is the priviledge of God alone to be without changes but if thou grievest at what is present take comfort in what is past Now thou mournest but heretofore thou didst rejoyce now thou art in want but thou hast had aboundance We have a saying It is a miserable thing to have been happy But a godly man is happy in the mid'st of all his misery he may say with undaunted Luther Let him be miserable that can be miserable I cannot He that hath not a God to loose nor a soule to loose cannot be miserable whatsoever he looses while Christ is safe a beleever hath no reason to be unsatisfied Thus we have discus'd Jobs answer and have found it full of wisedome and of holinesse like those words of the Wise which the Preacher saith Eccles 12.11 are as goads and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies Jobs words were as goads by the sharpnesse of reproofe to awake and quicken lazie drones they were as nailes by the piercing efficacy and strength of reason to confirme and fasten wavering minds We have the word and warrant of God for this in that high Elogium or commendation given him at the conclusion of all In all this did not Job sinne with his lips Job reprooves his wife for speaking so and he refutes what she had spoken in both he hits the right Now In all this did not Job sinne with his lips This is the same testimony for the matter and almost the same in words with that given of Jobs victory in the close of the first dayes battell and having explicated them in that place I shall but briefely touch them here In all this did not Job sin with his lips We see in generall the holy Ghost gives the victory to Job Satan is foiled his plot failes the weapons of his war-fare are all broken and successelesse all his fiery darts are either quench't or beaten back upon himselfe Job stands like a mighty rock or like a house built
and disposing the affliction of Job 2. The subordinate efficient cause and that was Satan he was an efficient but under God Satan found out other instruments and tooles to doe it by but he was an efficient subordinate unto God And the Text discovers him three wayes 1. By his diligence in tempting ver 7. 2. By his malice in slandering ver 9 10 11. 3. By his cruelty in solliciting the overthrow and affliction of Job ver 11. Secondly We have the materiall cause of Jobs affliction or in what matter he was afflicted and that is laid downe first positively in those words All that he hath is in thy power that is his outward estate that was the matter wherein he was afflicted Then it is laid downe negatively in those words Only upon himselfe put not forth thy hand God doth set him out how farre the affliction shall go in the things that he hath thou shalt afflict him but thou shalt not meddle with his person with his body or with his soule Thirdly The finall cause of Jobs affliction and that is the practicall and experimentall determination decision or stating of a great question that was betweene God and Satan concerning Jobs sincerity God tells Satan that Job was a good and a just man Satan he denies it and saith that Job was an hypocrite Now the determination of this question was the generall finall cause of Jobs affliction When on the one side God affirmes it and on the other side Satan denies how shall it be tryed Who shall be the Moderatour and Vmpire between them Satan will not believe God and God had no reason to believe Satan How then should this be made out It is as if Satan had said Here is your yea and my nay this question will never be ended or decided betweene us unlesse you will admit some course to have Job soundly afflicted This will quickly discover what metall the man is made of therefore let him come to the tryall saith Satan Let him saith God behold all that he hath is in thy power doe thy worst to him onely upon his person put not forth thy hand So that I say the generall finall cause of Jobs affliction is the determination of the question the decision of the dispute betweene God and Satan whether Job was a sincere and holy man or no. And all this to give you the summe of those 6. verses a little further is here set forth and described unto us after the manner of men by an Anthropopathie which is when God expresses himselfe in his actions and dispensations with and toward the world as if he were a man So God doth here he presents himselfe in this businesse after the manner of some great King sitting upon his Throne having his servants attending him and taking an account of them what they had done or giving Instructions and Commissions to them what they shall doe This I say God doth here after the manner of men for otherwise we are not to conceive that God doth make certaine dayes of Session with his creatures wherin he doth call the good and bad Angels together about the affaires of the world we must not have such grosse conceits of God for he needs receive no information from them neither doth he give them or Satan any formall Commission neither is Satan admitted into the presence of God to come so neare God at any time neither is God moved at all by the slanders of Satan or by his accusations to deliver up his servants and children into his hands for a moment But onely the Scripture speakes thus to teach us how God carries himselfe in the affaires of the world even as if he sate upon his throne and call'd every creature before him and gave each a direction what and when and where to worke how farre and which way to move in every action So that these 6. verses following which containe the causes of Jobs affliction are as we may so speake the Scheme or draught of providence that may be the title of them If a man would delineat providence he might doe it thus suppose God upon his throne with Angels good and bad yea all creatures about him and he directing sending ordering every one as a Prince doth his Subjects or as a Master his servants doe you this and doe you that c. so all is ordered according to his Dictate Thus all things in Heaven and Earth are disposed of by the unerring wisdome and limited by the Almighty power of God Such a representation as this we reade in 1 King 22.19 Where Micaiah said to Ahab Heare thou the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne and all the Hoast of Heaven standing by him And so he goeth on to shew how a spirit came and offered himselfe to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets This is only a shadow of providence there was no such thing really acted God did not conveene or call together a Synod of spirits to advise with de Arduis Regni about hard or doubtfull cases nor are wicked spirits admitted into his presence onely by this we are instructed and assured that God doth as exactly order all things in Heaven and earth as if he stood questioning or interrogating good Angels men and devills concerning those matters Having thus given some light about these six verses in generall I shall open the particulars Now there was a day The Jewish Rabbins trouble themselves much to find out what day this was They say it was the first day of the yeare Others that it was the Sabbath day But I account it a disadvantage to a cleare truth when it is proved by an obscure text The Sabbath hath proofe enough before the law though this be spared The holy Ghost hath told us only that there was a day or certain time When the sonnes of God In Gen. 6.2 The posterity of Seth who were the visible Church at that time are called the sons of God The unanimous consent of all Expositors I have met with is that here the sonnes of God are the good Angels so also they are called Cap. 38.7 of this booke Some it may be will object against this Exposition that of the Apostle in Heb. 1.5 To which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my sonne How then doe you interpret here that the sons of God are the Angels when as the Apostle hath exprest to which of the Angels c. I answer that the Angells are not the sonnes of God as the Apostle there expresseth they are not the sonnes of God by eternall Generation but they are the sonnes of God by temporall Creation for so he speakes there To which of the Angels said he thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee They are not the begotten sonnes of God but they are the created sonnes of God And the Angels are called the sons of God in 3 respects First Because of their
object See yonder is a brave prize for you yonder is a rich man his estate will be good plunder yonder are Oxen and Asses store there 's good booty to be had Thus finding out their disposition he presents or holds up an object to them which hits it fully Thirdly Satan deales with man to draw him to his purpose a degree further sc by injecting and casting into the mind the motion to doe this He not only presents such and such a thing such and such an oportunity but he casts in and injects the motion As it is said of Judas that the Devill put it into his heart to betray Christ The Devill being a spirit hath accesse to our spirits and can convey himselfe into them and instill his suggestions as the Lord Christ did breath upon his Disciples and so they received the Holy Ghost and were filled with the Spirit So Satan breaths filthy suggestions into the spirits of men and fills them with all manner of wickednesse malice unrighteousnesse he fills them with the spirit of Hell Why hath Satan filled thine heart saith Peter to Ananians Satan had fill'd his heart to lye to the Holy Ghost Thus he instilled these thoughts of gaine by robbery and murder into the Sabeans and Caldeans and filled their hearts brim full Then they resolve to act it with the hand and so they become his instruments Lastly Satan can doe somewhat more then inject and suggest such thoughts he can mightily irritate and provoke and stirre up the heart to be willing to give entertainement to such a motion He not onely barely presents his temptation but vehemently backs it and will give no rest to a man till he yeelds it As it is said of his tempting David that Satan stood up and provoked David to number the people He did not only inject such a thought into David but he provoked him he never let him alone but followed him and solicited him to it This Satan can doe And yet he cannot presse men to take up Armes for his designes all those that fight under Satans colours are Voluntiers he never constraines any neither can he the will is never forced by him neither can it be Satan uses no compulsion beyond a morall perswasion well set on he can but vexe us as the Midianites did Israel with his wiles He is an Achitophel not an Alexander a Matchiavil not a Caesar This is the manner of Satans working in the children of disobedience All these things he can doe yet I beleeve he is not alwayes put to doe all these upon every one over whom he prevailes Some come to this worke on easier tearmes then others He needs not provoke and solicit them a suggestion winnes them The very sight of an object overcomes them Yea some stand ready offering their service unto Satan and selling themselves to work any wickednesse he will employ them in I have shewed you the most that Satan can doe I conceive he had not much to doe with these Sabeans to invite them to this warre That which is in motion is easily moved And as we say He must needs runne whom the Devill drives so the Devill needs not drive them who are running of themselves It being opened what these Sabeans were and how they came into the service of Satan what made them take up Armes as it were in his cause we may observe from hence First That wicked and ungodly men while they satisfie their owne lusts are but doing the worke of Satan and executing his designes These Sabeans though they did not thinke it yet they came upon Satans errand So God when he doth justly use wicked men to punish or correct his people they doe their owne will and they have their owne way but God hath his way too he over-rules them to effect his businesse at that time As it is said of the King of Assyria O Assyrian the rod of mine anger I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him charge How be it he meaneth not so neither doth his heart thinke so Isa 10. he hath purposes of his own So they that are agitated by Satan and provoked by him they think not so they thinke not they are doing the will and worke the dirty drugery of Satan but the truth is they doe nothing else all the while You are of your father the Devill and his lusts you will doe saith Christ to the Jewes while they doe their owne they fulfill the lusts and designes of Satan As it is said in the Revelation The Devill shall cast some of you into prison it was not the Devill in person it was the Devill in his seconds or servants and these men little thought that they did the Devills service at that time if one should have come and told them you are now doing the Devills worke and undertaking a peece of service for him you are as so many instruments and agents for Hell they would not have beleeved it but the truth is it was the Devills worke and they did it so devellishly that from both it is said the Devill did it he cast some of them into prison It is a fearfull thing to persecute or oppresse the people of God such in serving their owne lusts are indeed the right hand of Satan the Devills hirelings Secondly Forasmuch as Satan will have Sabeans and Caldeans to afflict Jobs estate he could have destroyed all himselfe if he pleased Good Angels have mighty power and so have wicked Angels too if God will let them alone to put out their power therefore they are called Principalities and powers Satan had leave he might have taken what course he would with the estate of Iob he doth not call in the Sabeans and the Caldeans to this worke because he could not doe it himselfe No it is because he would worke by others he would have instruments Note from hence That Satan loveth to draw others to be partakers with him in his designes Though he can doe his worke alone yet he will have man joyne with him in it if he can And in this he imitates God himselfe who hath an almighty power is able to doe all things alone if he please yet he usually calleth in instruments He is able to convert alone by the motion of his Spirit but he will have Preachers to convert by the ministery of the Word He is able to protect his people from their enemies by his own strength yet he will have Armies mustered to doe it by And why doth God chuse to worke thus There is a double good in it He doth it that he may doe good two wayes at once First His creature is saved and relieved that 's one good Secondly Men who are employed as instruments are honoured and respected They having given helpe to God in such a cause so he interprets it a comming forth to helpe the Lord against the mighty God gives
the Lord did leave him thus in the hands of Satan to be afflicted To winde it up If we looke upon Satan then it was without that cause he pretended it was without any direct charge it was a meer suspition Iob had never wronged him But if we respect God it is not without cause God doth all things for weighty reasons And if we respect Iob God possibly yea easily might have found a sin in him any sin in it self considered would do it as the cause of his affliction And he had other actuall reasons in reference both to the being and improvement of his graces why he left him thus in the hands of Satan Hence we may learne First in that God saith Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause That pure or rather impure malice stirreth Satan against the people of God Though he alwayes pretends somewhat in them yet the cause is in himselfe God now discovers he doth nothing but out of very malice pure malice against his servants Satan hath two names in Scripture noting his two speciall workes Temptation and accusation He sollicits good men to doe evill against God Hence he hath his name the Tempter He sollicites God to conceive evill of good men and hence he hath his name the Slanderer or Accuser Secondly we may note That God doth afflict his people sometimes without respect unto their sinnes Thou diddest move me against him without cause It was not in regard of his hypocrisie or of any thing thou diddest charge him with why I did afflict him and lay my hand upon him Though all men have alwayes sinne enough to be the meritorious cause yet oftentimes sinne is not the moving cause of their afflictions When the Disciples put that question to Christ concerning the blind man Joh. 9.2 Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind Iesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents not as if either of them were without sinne but to shew that they had not sinned as to this purpose sc their sinne was not the cause of this blindnesse and therefore in the next words he assignes the cause But sc he was borne blind that the workes of God should be made manifest Afflictions are alwayes from sinne but not alwayes for sinne Neither are they at all for sinne upon beleevers by way of the least satisfaction to the justice of God that chastisement Christ hath so fully borne Isa 53. that no beleevers finger shall ever ake in that sense But they are often afflicted for sinne by way of purgation or prevention Thirdly we may note this likewise That God will at the last give testimony for the clearing of the innocency of his servants against all Satans malicious accusations God himselfe gives testimony here a second time concerning Iob Thou didst move me against him without cause thou diddest move me to it but it is cleare and I give my sentence there was no such cause as thou didst suggest against him why I should destroy him When the Lord had thus called Satan to account concerning Iob whether he had considered him both in his radicall graces and in this additionall grace the holding fast of his integrity Then Satan comes forth to answer this also Hast thou saith God considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause Yes saith Satan in the 4th verse And Satan answered the Lord and said Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face Here is Satans answer with his motion upon it By his answer he labours to blot and obscure the glory which Job had gained in the former battell and by his motion he labours to bring him about unto a second tryall As by his answer in the former Chapter a little to compare him with himselfe Satan slandered Jobs actions so by his answer here he slanders Jobs sufferings There it was for something that Job served God and here that which Job had suffered is nothing It is Satans trade and he hath many children of the same occupation to slander and to slight whatsoever the servants of God either doe or suffer Before he slandered Jobs active obedience now hee slanders his passive obedience What is this saith hee tush Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life It is a slight tryall that he hath past yet what great matter is it if he hold fast his integrity who would not who could not hold-fast for any thing that hath been done to him yet Let us try him againe For the clearing of this we will examine the words Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life We see here that malice is steeped in wit Satan answereth by a Proverbe Skin for skin c. A proverbiall quick sharp speech the generall sense of which and Satans intendments are very cleare The generall sense of this proverbiall speech is this That life is the most precious treasure that a man will part with any thing upon these tearmes The saving of his life That all a man suffers comes not very neare him while that is out of danger Such is the generall sense and Satans intendment in speaking this is as cleare namely that as Iob before had served God for his wealth so now he doth serve him for his breath that as before Iob kept close to God that hee might enrich him so now Iob keepes close to God lest he should destroy him He seemeth to hold fast his integrity so you tell me but it is onely that he may hold fast his life He served you before for wealth and now he serves you for breath His feare of loosing that makes him humble himselfe and give many thankes Search him to the bottome and you will find him still a mercenary servant holding his integrity that hee may hold in with thee and live This is the generall drift of Satan But to give the speciall meaning of his words doth somewhat trouble Interpreters Skin for skin and all that a man hath will hee give for his life First Skin for skin Some interpret it thus A man will venture the skin of one member to save the skin of another which being cut-off or wounded his life is more in danger As for instance if a blow come at a mans head he will hold up his hand or his naked arme he will venture the skin of his hand to save his head And the reason is because his life is more in danger if he be wounded in his head then in his hand Here is skin for skin he gives the skin of a member which is further off
Satan had said thus Though Job did blesse thee when he had a full estate and though he did blesse thee when thou diddest empty him of his estate and tooke all his goods from him yet if thou doe but touch his body and afflict his bones he will breake forth into cursed language both concerning thy person and concerning thy service I will only minde you further of that which is here secretly couched in this expression Touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face here is a secret imprecation involved he tacitly subjects himselfe to the curse of God if Job curse not God As if Satan should have said If he doe not curse thee to thy face then doe so and so to me or thinke thus and thus of me If you would have the meaning of Satan from the language of his children you may take the plaine English of it thus Touch but his bone and his flesh and damne me if he doe not curse thee send me to Hell presently Satan indeed kept this cursed imprecation close wrapt up in that forme of speaking But now his children speake it out If you will have Satans heart from the mouthes of the sonnes of Belial a cursed and cursing generation among us the plaine English of it is this God damne me send me to Hell presently if he curse thee not Satan we see was more modest then these sonnes of impudence and perdition who openly imprecate upon and devote themselves unto the wrath of God almost every word these doe not only imitate but exceed the copy which Satan sets them here by bold blasphemie and horrid execrations And he will curse thee to thy face We may from hence observe First Satan had tryed in vaine to make Job curse God Now he attempts a second time Note That When Satan cannot prevaile against us by one meanes he doth not despaire of prevailing by another He gives not his cause over for lost because he cannot carry it at first he will try and try againe As it was with Balak Numb 23. when he sent for Balaam to curse the people and saw the businesse did not prosper or succeed according to his malice Balaam could not curse them he brought him to another place Come saith he I pray thee I will bring thee to another place peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence though you could not doe it in one place you may in another So Satan if he cannot worke his will one way he will try a second or a third Satans unweariednesse in a bad cause when it succeeded not reproves those who are so soone weary of a good one if it succeed not Many are ready to give up if one meanes will not doe it they cast off hope and say the cause is desperate If one or two or three or many meanes we use faile we ought to try still never despaire of the end while the worke is good and the meanes are faire In the morning sow thy seed saith the Preacher and in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper this or that I may adde with-hold not thy hand in the evening though thou seest the morning seed doth not prosper this may have a blessing though that had not Secondly observe Satan tryeth another way and he tryeth a way more probable and efficacious for his ends then the former when a weaker will not doe it he provides stronger meanes As God in punishing or chastening sinners when a lesser judgement will not humble them he sends a greater God cometh not only with another but with sorer judgements If he will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sinnes So Satan when by one temptation he cannot over-come prepares not only another but a stronger he assaults them more and more he not only musters new Forces but more compleate to foile the soule This should teach us when we cannot subdue a corruption in our own hearts by one meanes then to seeke a better And when by one prayer we cannot obtaine a blessing then to pray againe and to pray better to pray with more life with more faith with more humility then mix more fire with prayer more zeale and fervency of spirit mix more water with prayer As Iacob Hose 12. wept and made supplication above all mix more of Christ in prayer goe out in his Name and strength When Balacks first messengers could not obtaine Balaam to come with them Balack was not discourag'd or put off but saith the Text Balack sent yet againe Princes more and more Honourable Numb 22.15 Let not us be discouraged if our first prayers which are our messengers to God are not answered But let us send more and more honourable more strong cryes more spirituall desires which may take upon the heart of God Why should Satan doe more against us then we will doe for our selves Thirdly Note for our owne caution That we must not only expect continued or renewed afflictions and assaults from Satan but we must expect greater and greater afflictions and assaults from Satan He hath some assaults that are but as Foote-men he will bring out his Horse-men at the next bout And if having runne with Foote-men they have wearied thee how wilt thou contend with Horses Jer. 12.5 Be ready then not only to run with the Foote but to contend with Horses prepare your selves for other for more violent charges then you ever felt Satan will if he can lay a closer siege to thy soule then ever he hath done As that one evill spirit returned into the person out of whom he was gone Luk. 11.24 with seven Devils worse then himselfe so he often returnes with seven temptations worser stronger then before Fourthly observe what Satan picks out to be the matter of this second and stronger temptation it is to pinch Job in his flesh to pinch his body Note from hence That the paine of the body is very powerfull to disquiet and trouble the mind Satan is very confident to trouble and vex the mind of Job by casting darts and diseases into his body Physitians have a rule That the manners of the mind follow the temper of the body and it is a more certaine rule That the mind is much carried according to the distemper of the body when the body is distempered the mind is seldome at rest the body and soule are such neere neighbours that they cannot but sympathize in each others sufferings Some interpret that place of the Apostle Gal. 4.13 14. concerning the weakenesse and sicknesse of his body You know saith he how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospell We may safely joyne it with those other troubles afflictions and reproaches which he endured and were so great a disadvantage to his acceptance in the world So the meaning is that though his body was infirme though
but also lowder and lowder It becomes us not only to continue our mourning and our crying unto God but to cry lowder and lowder If we increase not our humiliations God will yet increase our judgements if we will not sit in ashes he will bring us to ashes and punish us yet seven times more for our sins Wherefore receive the counsell of the Apostle James in these your afflictions Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up God lifts them up who cast themselves down and if in this sence we be afflicted we shall not be afflicted Christ hath purchased Free Grace bestowes deliverance and we receive it when we returne repent and beleeve JOB 2.9 10. Then said his wife unto him Doest thou still retaine thine integritie Curse God and die But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh what shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil In all this did not Job sin with his lips WEE have already considered out of the former parts of the Chapter Jobs second affliction First in the occasion of it secondly in the causes of it and thirdly in the manner of it together with those aggravating circumstances which made his sorrowes out of measure sorrowfull And now we must look upon that Jewell among the ashes and consider what befell him there These things make the fourth part of the Chapter namely the consequents of his affliction These consequents are three 1. His wives unseemly and sinfull counsell vers 9. 2. His wise and holy reply vers 10. 3. His friends visit to comfort him verses 11 12 13. First we will discusse his wives unseemly and sinfull counsell Then said his wife unto him c. There are two Questions raised concerning Jobs wife 1. Who she was 2. How it came to passe that she was spared when all his outward comforts were removed For the first in a word It is the opinion of many among the ancient Jewes that Job lived in the time of Jacob the Patriark And that he took to wife Dinah Jacobs daughter but I leave the Rabbins to prove that if they can Why she was spared in the time of so generall a calamity may beare some further inquirie For seeing a wife is the chiefest of creature comforts and the very reason why God at the first did institute that relation was that man might have a help meet for him it may seeme somewhat strange why Satan going about to bring upon Job trouble in its perfection should leave him that which is the perfection of all outward comforts a wife What were Jobs Oxen and Asses and Sheep and Camels to a wife And what were his children to a wife When Adam had not only such a number of cattell but all the cattell and riches in the world in his possession and under his dominion God saw him defective till he provided him a wife a wife was the complement of all How then cometh it to passe that when Satan would afflict Iob to the uttermost he leaves him his wife To cleare this before we come to examine the words that she spake The Jewes which are the Authors of that afore-named opinion that his wife was Dinah tell us to lengthen out the dreame that she was spared for Iacob her fathers sake It is a truth That children doe often fare the better for holy Fore-fathers It is no mean privilege to be born of those that are in Covenant As God visits the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him so he shewes mercy to thousands of those that love him c. Exod. 20.5 6. but in this place we have no stock to graft this truth upon but a meere imagination I passe on Secondly some conceive that his wife was out of Satans Commission that he had nothing to do to meddle with her she being comprehended under that clause of exception in the first Chapter vers 12. All that he hath is in thy power only upon himselfe put not forth thine hand his wife they say was a part of himself according to that Gen. 2.24 And they viz. the husband and the wife shall be one flesh So that Satan could not smite her but he must smite Iob too therefore she was exempted say they and set beyond the reach of Satans stroake Though this may have some shew of wit in it and somewhat of reason too referring unto the first part of Iobs affliction yet there is no shew of either in reference unto the second where Satan had a Commission to afflict his bodie his flesh and his bone for then she also take it in the sense before was comprehended under the Commission of Satan being though not as Eve from Adam bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh yet according to the law of marriage given to all One flesh with him Gen. 2.24 Therefore in the third place that which I conceive and agree with others in for the true reason why she was spared is this That she might be a further instrument of her husbands affliction Satan meant to make use of her for his owne purpose to drive on the main designe and whereas she should have been a help to her husband Satan employes her against her husband this was his aime and therefore she was spared Hence one of the Ancients cals her the strongest and fittest weapon with which Satan did assault the choisest Arrow in his Quiver by which he wounded the soul and spirit of Iob. She that should have had her hands busied in the washing suppling curing and healing of his wounds smites him with her tongue a piercing and a poyson'd instrument The rib was not smitten that it might smite the head Another compares her to a Ladder by which Satan hoped to scale this impregnable tower that death might creep in at the window of his eares by hearing and consenting to her sinfull perswasions Seeing then Satan spared Jobs wife that she might be the instrument of this additionall affliction which most conclude to be as the sting of all his afflictions First note this That Satans mercies have alwayes somewhat of crueltie in them He spareth the wife but it was that she might further vex the husband His mercies are like the mercies of wicked men Their tender mercies are cruell that is they are no mercies at all Prov. 12.10 There is a punishing mercy and there is a sparing cruelty among men Such are Satans sparings ever lined with cruell and bloudy intendments Secondly observe That the greatest outward blessings may prove the greatest outward afflictions A wife is made a crosse a snare Our greatest danger may be from our helper And that which was given for our good may be to us an occasion of falsing Satan can
They love cursing they cloath themselves with cursing as with a garment Psal 109.17 18. Cursing as one of the Ancients complained in his time is now made the common weapon of anger and wrath wishes that evill which because of weaknesse it cannot worke If cursing could have done it we had not been a people at this day How often hath Balack out of feare or envy at our prosperity sent to Balaam I meane the false prophet that dwels on the seven hils come curse Israel come defie England how often hath that Balaam curs'd our Israel We have heard of his Anniversary Anathemaes wherein this Church and state have been struck with the thunder and lightning of his Papal curse But the curse causelesse saith Solomon shall not come And we may say to England as Moses did to Israel concerning Balaams curse Deut. 23.5 Neverthelesse the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam But the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee because the Lord thy God loved thee And what David prai'd about Shimei's curse we have seene come to passe The Lord hath requited us good for his cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 We have far greater cause to feare the blessing of Rome then the curse of Rome But to returne The result of all is this When God pronounceth a curse he makes it to be a curse man at the worst can but wish a curse and pronounce it Man is but the minister God is the Master of the curse God can inflict it man can but think or wish it Another thing here questionable is Whether it be lawfull to curse the creature Job curseth his day The rule of the Apostle is Rom. 12.4 Blesse and curse not In some cases to curse is Gods command and our duty and then we are Gods ministers for wrath against the wicked Many times man though forbidden curses then it is his sin and he is Satans minister for evill against his brother There are some cases wherein we may curse When the Patriark Jacob was upon his death bed and bed of blessing he yet pronounced a curse upon the rage and anger of his two sonnes Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.7 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel We may curse the plots and counsels of wicked men enemies of Christ and of his people we may curse the persons of wicked men as implacable enemies of Christ and of his people So David more then once in the Booke of Psalmes yet it is to be considered that some of those Psalmes are Prophecies of a curse not pronunciations of a curse And in all lawfull cursings we must observe these two rules First To aime the curse at the destruction of the sin not of the sinner Secondly Where the sinner appeares incorrigible yet to desire the clearing up of Gods Justice in punishing not the punishment it selfe To curse any thing or person passionately is infirmity To curse any thing or person maliciously is grosse impiety There is a third doubt the resolving of which will further cleare the Scripture to us that is Whether a day be an object capable of a curse or no It is a question moved by the Schoole-men whether a blessing and a curse doe belong to any but a reasonable creature or whether any thing else be a subject capable of a blessing or a curse And they resolve it that nothing is properly the subject of blessing and cursing but a reasonable creature Therefore a day which is a part of time is in it selfe incapable of a curse Those things only are capable of penall evils which are capable of morall evils A day is not cannot be morally evill though there be many morall evils acted in the day The Apostle adviseth us to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Ephes 5.15 Times are called evill in regard both of troublesome evils and sinfull evils From evill men and evill manners dayes are denominated evill yet dayes in themselves are not evill morally and so not lyable to a curse which is a penall evill Further Those creatures which have life in them and have no reason in them are on the same ground incapable of a curse whereas it is said that God cursed the ground and cursed the serpent Gen. 3.14 17. neither the ground nor the serpent were cursed in themselves or for their own sakes The serpent an unreasonable creature had not the knowledge of God and the earth a senslesse creature could not feele the power of God therefore the curse upon those creatures was only in order to and as a punishment of the sin of man The Text is expresse Gen. 3.17 Cursed be the earth for thy sake The earth there comprehends all the creatures living on the face of the earth besides man These are cursed for mans sake As those creatures at the first received not a being or a blessing for themselves but for mans good so they receive not any evill or curse but for mans punishment So we are to understand those places in Deut. 28. Cursed be thy basket and thy store c. God threatens a curse on these creatures the fruits of the earth c. in order to mans disobedience But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all his Commandements c. that all these curses shall came upon thee and overtake thee ver 15. Observe That the curse is threatned to come on them to overtake them When the basket was curs'd when the increase of the kine and the flocks of the sheepe were cursed man was cursed For we may say in the letter as David did in a figure when the Angell of the Lord smote his people with the pestilence 2 Sam. 24. Alas what have these sheepe done that they should be smitten with a curse As in pulling downe the house of a Traitor the revenge is not taken against the materials of the house but against the Master of the house So then for the resolution of this point take it thus No creature below man is or can be accursed by God or man properly terminately or ultimately That is in it selfe or for it selfe or from it selfe but only improperly and relatively namely with respect to what man should doe hath done or suffered First in reference to what man should doe so Christ cursed the fig-tree to teach man either the duty of fruitfulnesse to the glory of God or of faith in the power of God Secondly in reference to what man hath done the sin of man thus God cursed the serpent and the ground The serpent was cursed both for admonition to man and for a punishment on man God to admonish man how much he hated sin punishes an irrationall instrument of sin and by that enmity planted in the serpent as a curse punishes mans too much familiarity with the serpent
birth-day that he made a feast unto all his servants And Mat. 14.6 we reade that when Herods birth-day was kept the daughter of Herodias danced before them It is generally conceived that Job did solemnize his birth-day and so many interpreters take those feasts spoken of in the first Chapter to have been the birth-day feasts of Jobs Children Origen in his fragments upon Matthew affirmes that the Scripture gives no testimony of any one good man celebrating his birth-day The truth is while we reflect upon our birth-sin we have little cause to rejoyce in our birth-day The new-borne infant seemes to forbid this solemnity and by his teares weepes and speakes downe this joy The birth-day of nature should be mourned over every day much more upon the day of our birth The birth-day of Grace is our joy and our glory and is worthy to be rejoyced in not only in this day of grace but in that of glory and so it shall Eternity which is the day of glory is one continued triumph for our birth-day in grace Notwithstanding this I see no cogent reason why a godly man may not celebrate and rejoyce in his naturall birth-day so he rejoyce in God who tooke him out of his mothers wombe and hath preserved him ever since he was borne So then we taking Jobs day for his birth-day he saying let that day perish meanes let it be no more solemnized let there be no more joy no feasts upon that day Or fourthly Let that day perish may be thus understood let not that be reckoned upon let it be lost let it not be counted in the Calender of the yeare A day whereof no use is made is called in Scripture a lost day a fallen or perished day In the sixt of Numbers the number of dayes is prescribed for the separation of the Nazarites thus and thus it shall be and so many dayes Now if the Nazarite had cantinued many dayes according to the Law of his separation yet if he were polluted with a dead body before the full number was accomplisht then he must begin againe for saith Moses the dayes that were before shall be lost because his separation was defiled ver 12. In the Hebrew it is all the other dayes shall fall he must not reckon upon those So here Job saith let the day perish that is let it not be numbred or reckon'd let it be as a day lost or fallen So then the summe of all is this let the joy and solemnity of my birth-day be laid aside let it never be celebrated more in the returne of the yeare I could wish that day had never beene but seeing that is impossible it having been already yet let it be as if it had never been let it be put out of all accounts let it be taken off from all records and not only not remembred with mirth and feasting but not be remembred at all And the night wherein it was said a man child is conceived So we translate The elegancy of the Hebrew speakes thus The night which said a man-child is conceived as if the night had been the messenger and had brought word of his conception Some render the Hebrew word Hara which we translate conceived Borne applying both parts of the verse to his birth Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night in which it was said a man-child is brought forth And the Originall word will beare it being used as learned Mercer observes for production as well as conception So 1 Chron. 4.17 And she bare Miriam and Shammai c. She bare is the word in this text of Job We may take it either way the sense is cleare according to our translation that Job sends this curse beyond his birth-day even to the night wherein he was conceived Or if we referre it no further back then to his birth It is as if he had said whether I were borne by night or by day let the time of my birth be accursed if it were upon the day time let that day perish wherein I was borne Was I borne in the night let that night perish wherein it was said a man-child is brought forth This distribution notes a resolvednesse to curse it and least he should misse the time of the day he curses both the divisions of time in every day As Benhadad in his charge for the taking of of those young-men that came out of Samaria to shew how fully he was resolved to have them taken saith Whether they be come out for peace take them alive or whether they be come out for warre take them alive 1 King 20.18 as if he had said I 'le have them taken whatsoever comes on 't or for whatsoever they come they shall not escape Or as Herod who that he might be sure to slay Christ in his infancy commands all infants to be slaine So Job that the curse might not misse the time of his birth-day curses all the time of that day the day and the night For though a man be borne in the night yet that is not called his birth-night but his birth-day And to be borne is to come into the light though the birth-time be the darkest of the night Hence the Heathen called their Juno whose helpe they invoked in time of womens travell Deam lucinam the goddesse bringing into light So much for the opening of this curse both in the generall and in the parts of it respecting the object day and night In the next words hee cuts out or proportions a speciall curse as the portion of each part The day hath a share and the night hath a share each by it selfe Before I open this box of curses any further I shall observe somewhat from the discovery thus farre made And first I must answer a doubt arising upon the whole matter for it may be questioned upon this you have already heard though we carry on his complaint no further How Job can be set up with so much admiration for a mirrour of patience who makes such bitter complainings and breakes out into such distemper'd passion cursing his day May he not rather be an example of impatience an unimitable patterne of an unquiet and uncomposed spirit Are these the words of patience and sobriety Is this the language of submission and humility Cursed be my day He seemeth to be so farre from patience that he wants prudence so farre from grace that he wants reason it selfe and good nature his speeches report him mad or distracted breaking the bounds of modesty and moderation striking that which had not hurt him and striking that which he could not hurt his birth-day In this Job appeares much like that proud Emperour Zerxes of whom the Historian reports that when the raging Hellespont broke downe the bridge that he had made over it he in a rage caused some hundreds of stripes to be inflicted as a punishment on those waters and caused a paire of shackles to be cast upon those waves
no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Isa 62. ver 6 7. This duty is now doubled on us by the great afflictions and greater feares of Sion When Christ was in his agony he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 And when his Church is in an agony we ought to pray more earnestly At such a time we must mingle more fire with our prayers we must pray more fervently At such a time we must mingle more water with our prayers wee must pray more repentingly We must with Jacob Hos 12. weepe and make supplication At such a time we must mingle more faith with our prayers we must pray more beleevingly In a word at such a time every prayer must be a pleading yea a wrestling with God a wrestling with resolution not to let him goe untill wee have got a blessing till wee prevaile with God to destroy his Churches enemies as Satan in the text moved God to destroy Job his servant and his friend So it followes Thou movedst me against him to destroy him To destroy him The word Destroy signifieth to swallow up or to devoure You have it Gen. 41.4 where it is said that the seven leane eares and seven leane kine did devoure or eat up the seven full eares and the seven fat kine And Exod. 7.12 the text saith That Moses his rod did swallow up the rods of the Magicians Psal 124.3 Vnles the Lord had been on our side they had swallowed us up quicke In all these places it is the same word we have here thou movedst me to destroy him In the former Chapter where Satan desired God to touch Job I shewed what kind of touches Satan desired to lay upon the people of God you see it now cleared by God himselfe Thou movedst me to destroy him to swallow him up Thy words were moderate and diminitive doe but touch him but thy intentions were bloody and destructive thou movedst me to destroy him to make an end of him that was thy meaning Without cause But will the Lord the wise God doe any thing without cause A wise a prudent man will not doe any thing without cause though Satan may be so brutish and unreasonable to move God to doe a thing for which there is no cause would the Lord be so perswaded by his motion to doe it without cause The text seemeth here to speake so thou movedst me to destroy him without cause and God hearkned to his motion before and gave him up all his estate to doe with it what he pleased Briefly to cleare this Without cause It is the same originall word used in the former Chapter Doth Job serve God for nought or without cause as was then opened so here Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause or thou movedst me against him for nothing or for nought We may consider this phrase of speech without cause three wayes First in reference unto Satan Secondly in reference unto God Thirdly in reference unto Job himselfe From each of these considerations light will shine into this point First in reference unto Satan God tells Satan thou movedst me against him without cause that is Job never gave thee any cause why thou shouldest make such a motion against him Job had never wronged thee or done thee any hurt as David saith of his enemies they are mine enemies without cause I was never injurious or unjust unto them So Satan was Jobs enemy without cause Job never gave him occasion Indeed the holinesse and goodnesse of Job was Satans griefe and Satans trouble but for any other trouble or wrong Job never did him therâ—fore without cause it was in reference unto Satan 2. In reference unto Satan without cause that is Thou didst not alleadge any sufficient cause or charge him with any particular crime thou didst onely bring in a generall suspition against him there was not so much as a common fame as you know it was a course to accuse men upon common fame So saith God here it was nothing but a suspition raised out of thine owne braine as indeed those common fames that we heard of not long since upon which many were accused yea condemn'd were only suspitions borne in the brains of those men So here Job was charged meerly upon the suspition of Satan there was no crime directly alleadged nor any evill report in the world against him cause was not shew'd legally therefore without cause thou movedst me against him 3. In reference unto Satan without cause that is it now appeareth upon the tryall that thou didst move me against him without cause that which thou didst pretend to be the cause was not found in Job thou pretendest he was an hypocrite and served me for himselfe now thou seâ—st thy selfe confuted it appeareth he did serve me for nought sincerely and not for his owne endâ— He is no painted sepulcher no rotten self-seeker If we consider the words in the second place with reference unto God Thou didst move me against him without cause then we must take heed of thinking that God doth any thing without cause No the wise God doth every thing in number weight and measure he doth every thing upon great reason upon the highest reason God will not doe the lowest thing but upon the height of reason he doth the least thing upon greater reason than the greatest Polititians in the world doe the greatest Therefore God had reason important reason to give Job up to be afflicted He did it for the tryall of Job he did it for the magnifying of his free-grace and the graces of his free Spirit in his weake creature he did it that Job might be set up as an example of patience he did it to discover the slander of the devill therefore he did it for strong reasons it was not without cause in reference unto God himselfe Lastly If we consider it in reference unto Job it was not absolutely without cause neither for though there was not that cause in him which Satan pretended namely grosse hypocrisie yet if the Lord should search and sift him narrowly as if he should search and sift the holiest of his servants his pure eyes and holy nature would find sinne enough in them which might justifie him or shew to his justice sufficient cause take the sinne in it selfe not onely to afflict them temporally but to lay his hand upon them for ever Should God I say have tryed him thoroughly and looked upon sinne in it selfe he might finde cause to afflict him in regard of his sinne So then absolutely in reference unto Job it was not without cause God might have found cause in regard of his sinne But there were other causes in reference unto Job it was to try Iob to exercise Iob it was that Iob might have further honour after the tryall There might have been a reason in sinne if the Lord had marked iniquity And there were many reasons in referrence to his good why