parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
men at once to rule over them and entangle them with the snares of those sufferings which are most proper to their sins And thus 't is conceived Elihu answers those expostulating demands which Job puts chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power Here are three questions First Why do they live they are not worthy to breathe Secondly Why become they old they deserve to be cut off in their youth and not to live out half their dayes Thirdly Why are they mighty Why do they command all who use their might only to do mischief Elihu answers these questions in a word God giveth power into the hands of evil men because of the sins of the people As if he had said if at any time you see the wicked in great power and prosperity 't is a signe the people are very wicked and God will punish and scourge them by the hands of such for their wickedness This is a truth and much is said by some Interpreters for the making of it out from the Text but taking it as 't is given I shall only give you two Notes from it First Bad Princes are set up by the permission yea disposition of God He makes evil men to reigne The same power which brings wicked men into the world sets wicked men high in the woâ—ld It is of God that any wicked man hath a place in the wo ld and it is of God that any wicked man gets into the high places of the world All the Kings of Israel from first to last were stark naught Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu reges constituuntur apti his qui in illo tempore ab ipsis regnantur Irene l. 5. c. 24. and very wicked yet they were all of God's setting up though their own ambition or the satisfying of some lust put most of them upon aspiring to get up In the first book of the Kings chap. 11.29 30 31. Ahijah the Prophet finding Jeroboam the first and worst of them in the way caught the new Garment that was on him and rent it into twelve pieces and he said unto Jeroboam take thee ten pâ—eces for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten Tribes to thee This Jeroboam was so bad a man that he was not content to sin alone but made Israel to sin yet even him did God set up and sent a Prophet to him to tell him so How unholy soever men are in their place and how unjust soever in the exercise of their power yet the holy and just God for reasons known to himself placeth them in power Secondly Observe God permits wicked Princes to reigne as a punishment of the reigning sins and wickednesses of the people The power of wicked Princes is the punishment of a wicked people Quidam reges ad utilitatem subjectorum dantur conservationem justitiae quidam autem ad poenam Dei justo judicio in omnibus aequaliter superveniente Irene l. 5. c. 25. Some Princes and Magistrates are given as a blessing for the protection peace and profit of a Nation and for the exaltation of righteousness in it Others are given as a curse for the vexation trouble and impoverishing of a Nation The Lord takes this fully upon himself Hos 13.11 I gave them a King in mine anger c. Angry providences are the fruit of sin God gave Saul in anger he gave Jeroboam and the rest of the Israelitish Kings in anger and as he gave them in anger so he took them away in wrath The sins both of Princes and people produce mutual ill effects towards one another First The sins of the people are the cause somtimes why good Princes are immaturely or suddenly taken away from them Josiah that good King was removed very early for the sin of Judah Pharaoh Necho had never slain him had not the people been unworthy of him Hence that of Solomon Prov. 28.2 for the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof He means not as I conceive many together but many successively that is good Princes go quickly off the stage one after another for the transgression of the people of the land But as it followeth in the same verse by a man of understanding knowledg the state thereof shal be prolonged Our Translaters render these latter words in the plural number as the margin hath it by men of understanding wisdom shall they likewise be prolonged that is when there are many godly wise and understanding men in a Nation God blesseth them with long-lived and aged good Kings or Governours Secondly Whole Nations or a people are somtimes punished for the sins of their Princes Jer. 15.4 the Lord tells the Jewish state he would bring all that evil upon them for the sin of Manasseh Regum lapsus poena populoruÌ„ est sicut enim eorum virtate servamur ita eorum errore periclitamur Quid enim possit habere corpus reipublicae capite languido The sins of Princes prove oftentimes the sufferings of the people As both by and for their goodness and vertues a people are blessed so by and for their evills errors and vices a people are endangered yea sometimes ruined When the Head of a Kingdome or Common-wealth is sicke the Body is seldome well Thirdly The sins of a people bring destruction both upon their Princes and themselves together and wrap all up in one ruinous heape as Samuel threatned the people of Israel 1 Sam 12.25 If ye still doe wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King He speakes not a word of any sin in their King but tells them that their wickednesse may bring destruction not only upon themselves but upon him also Fourthly which is the poynt in hand the sins of a people cause the Lord to set evill Princes over them When once a people refuse the sweet and easie yoke of Christ or say we will not have this man to rule over us he in Judgement sends such to rule over them as shall lay heavy yokes upon them indeed God useth some Princes as his staff to support a people and as his shield to defend a people yea as his Sun to cherish and influence them with aboundance of mercies He useth others only as his sword to wound them or as his scourge to correct them for their sin Vterum fert civitas haec timeo autem ne pariat virum CorrectoreÌ„ malae insolentiae vestrae Theogn Cur Domino Phocam imperatorem constituisti responsum datum quiâ— non inveni pejorem Cur superbis non es creatus Episcopus quod dignus sacerdetio sis sed quod civitas tali digna erat Episcopo Anast Deus quibusdaÌ„ malis tanquam carnificibus usus est ad sumendum de aliis paenas quod verum esse de plerisque tyrannis arbitror Tale medicamentum fuit Argentinu Phalaru
Marius Romanis Plutarch de sera Num Vindicta Etiam talibus Neroni scilicet dominandi petestas non datur nisi summi dei providētia quando res humanas judicat talibus dominis dignas Aug lib 5. de Civ dei cap. 19. Some are a blessing others are an affliction to the people An ancient Poet observing the City wherein he lived swolne with vanity and bringing forth dayly many monstrous births of pride luxury and oppression he could not forbeare to give his apprehension of the issue in this elegant fancy This City said he is with child and I am afraid it will bring forth shortly and what will it bring forth some severe corrector of your evill insolencies When Phocas a cruel tyrant had got the Empire and reigned there was a good man who prayed much about him and did even expostulate with God why he would set such a wretch as he was over the Empire the story saith he received this answer from God I therefore set him to governe because I could not finde a worse And I finde a like report of another though in a lower degree of power yet in great power wherein carrying himselfe very insolently one sayd to him Why are you thus haughty and high-minded why so proud of your power God did not put you into the goverment of this place because you were worthy of it but because we were worthy to have a man of your worthlesness set over us The learned Moralist treating of the righteous though late vengeance of God upon men hath this passage God saith he useth some men as tormentors to afflict and punish others Which is verified in most tyrants Such a bitter medicine was Phalaris in his time to the Argentines and Marius to the Romanes St Augustine speaking of Nero maketh this conclusion The power of Government is not given no not to such but by the providence of the most high God when he judgeth the affaires or manners of mankinde justly deserve and call for such Lords and Masters O let nations take heed The sins of a people are the worst snares of a people sin provokes God to set up Princes for a snare As therefore the Psalmist admonisheth Princes Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and learned ye Judges of the earth so I may say Be wise O ye people and obedient all you that are inhabitants of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce before him with trembling kisse the Son submit to Jesus Christ lest he be angry and give you such Princes and Powers or put you into such hands as shall break and vex you to purpose and make you know what it is to serve men in rigour having refused to serve God in love Many in all nations are apt to complaine much when they have any burdens upon them by Governours but few complaine of their owne sins which cause God to burden nations with such Governours let all leave off complaining of evill Governours and complaine more of their owne evill government both of their hearts and lives Thus we see how this text according to these distinct translations First gives warning to Princes That the hypocrite reigne not lest the people be ensnared and Secondly gives warning to people that they provoke not God by their scandalous offences to set wicked Princes and Powers over them JOB Chap. 34. Vers 31 32. Surely it is meete to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will doe no more ELihu having convinced Job both of the power of God to doe what he pleaseth and also of his righteousnesse that he is just in whatsoever he pleaseth to doe proceedeth to give him counsell how to carry himselfe better towards God then by his former speeches and expostulations hinted at the 5th verse of this Chapter he seemed to have done In these two verses he gives him according to our translation counsell consisting of three branches First He counsells him to a due submission to the hand of God In the former part of the 31th verse Surely it is meete to be said unto God I have borne chastisement Secondly He counsells him to reformation or to a gracious resolution of laying downe every sinfull thing or what ever was a provocation to God This he doth once and againe twice in these two verses First in the close of the 31th verse It is meete to be sayd unto God I will not offend any more Secondly in the close of the 32d verse If I have done iniquity I will doe no more Thirdly Elihu counsells Job to pray for further discoveries both of his sins and sinfullnesse as also of his duty at the beginning of the 32d verse That which I see not teach thou me Thus you have the distinct poynts of that counsell which Elihu gives Job according to our reading of these words There is another reading which I shall touch when I have first opened and prosecuted the words as they stand in ours Vers 31. Surely it is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more These are child-like words such words as a faulty yet a submitting repenting childe speakes to a displeased father when he is under his rod yet such as become the most aged and growne men in grace I have borne chastisement I have been under thy correcting hand forgive me O my father I will doe so no more Thus Elihu adviseth Job to bespeak God his father while he was afflicting him Some render the former part of this verse by way of interrogation or question Hath he sayd unto God I have borne chastisement I will offend no more hath Job spoken thus to God As if Elihu making his appeale to the by-standers had sayd Ye all are witnesses that Job hath not yet humbled himselfe under the correcting hand of God but rather charged God with severity in dealing with him and over-boldly enquired into the reason of his dealings Our affirmative translation carrieth the same sense with this interrogative and questioning translation for when Elihu saith to Job It is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement he supposeth that Job had not sayd so Surely it is meete to be sayd unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew particle which we render surely commonly signifieth for as giving an account or reason of somewhat that went before yet we render it well both here and elsewhere surely according to the scope of the place especially seeing Elihu speaking thus is not giving a reason of what was sayd before but inferring a duty from it Againe The word meete is not expresly in the Hebrew text yet it is clearly implyed in it and therefore added by our translators to fill up and cleare the sense the originall is It is to be sayd unto God we say It is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement The word
with God If he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Againe ver 20. If I justifie my selfe my mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse And while he affirmes the generall viciousnesse of nature he must needs imply his owne Chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is man In this universall conclusion he includeth himselfe therefore Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes in any proud opinion of his owne righteousnesse or freedome from any staine of sin So much for the opening of those words containing the reason why his friends ceased to answer Because he was righteous in his owne eyes It was the designe of these three men not only to convince Job that he was a sinner but to bring him upon his knees as a notorious sinner And yet all their allegations and arguments could not bring him to it My righteousnesse said he Chapt. 27.6 I hold fast I will not let it goe Now when they saw him thus resolved and stiffe in maintaining the goodnesse of his cause and the integrity of his spirit they quitted the businesse or as the text saith ceased to answer Hence note We cease to doe when we cannot attaine our end in doing Impossibilium nullus est conatus When we see it is in vaine to perswade we give over perswading Despayre of working our end puts an end to our working Industry is at a stand yea withdraweth when impossibilities appeare And though nothing be impossible unto God yet we find God himselfe giving over both speaking and smiting when he seeth he is like to doe no good by eyther Thus he expresseth his purpose Isa 1.5 when he had spent many rods of sore Judgements afflictions upon that people when he had stricken them till from the crowne of the head to the sole of the feete they were nothing but a continued wound and yet they received not correction he presently reasons thus Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more As if he had said The end why I smote you was to amend you to bring you home to my selfe to cause you to turne back or returne from your evill wayes but I see I have lost my labour and spent not only my rods but my scorpions in vaine upon you therefore I will cease from this kind of work why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more And when God hath spoken long to a people who regard it not he ceaseth to speak any more but saith Why should ye be taught any more Let the Prophets tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth let him be dumb and silent as the word is Ezek. 3.26 Thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be a reprover why for they are a rebellious house After all thy speaking they continue rebelling therefore speak no more We read the like dreadfull prohibition Hos 4.4 Let no man strive nor reprove another let all wayes of reclaiming this people be laid aside For thy people are as they that strive with the Priest That is they are obdurate and desperately ingaged in wickednesse Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols he cleaveth and sticketh fast to them he will not be pulled from his owne inventions Let him alone Thus God saith to his Prophets and Ministers cease he saith to his Ordinances cease when sinners will not cease to sin and doe wickedly against the Lord. The same unprofitable and incorrigible people are threatned in the same manner by another Prophet Amos 8.9 It shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord God that I will cause the Sun to goe downe at noone And ver 11. I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread but of hearing the words of the Lord. God would stop the raining down of heavenly Manna and the people should not heare because they would not Such was the sentence of Christ against the Jewes Math. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but ye would not What follows this refusall read and tremble ver 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate for I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth c. As if he had said because ye have been so unteachable therefore ye shall be taught no more It is sad when we give God occasion to give over either speaking to us or afflicting us God will not alwayes strive with the unwillingnesse much lesse with the wilfulnesse of man nor will men be alwayes doing that to men which they see doth them no good So these three men ceased c. Secondly Note hence When men are obstinate and will not be reclaimed it is good to give over Why should they who in any kind are absolutely resolved be further moved Acts 21.14 When Pauls friends saw he would not be perswaded they ceased they had used much perswasion to keepe him from going up to Jerusalem because of the sufferings that were prophesied should befall him there yet when he stood out in an holy obstinacy against them cloathed with a gracious spirit of courage to suffer for Christ When he would not be perswaded they ceased saying the will of the Lord be done As it was the height of Pauls holiness that he would not be perswaded he was obstinate for Gods cause or for the doing of a duty so it is the height of many mens wickednesse that they will not be perswaded they are obstinate against God or against the doing of their duty Such as are infected with the lust of contending will maintaine that opinion pertinaciously which they cannot maintaine truely As some strive for the love of victory rather then of truth so others strive because they love strife even more then victory and had rather contend then conquer because that puts an end to strife In such cases they doe best who doe no more And if Jobs case had been such if he had held up the discourse not for truth but for victory or because he would have the last word like a clamorous Sophister who hath alwayes somewhat to say though nothing to the purpose In that case I say Jobs friends had done wisely in ceasing to answer They indeed did well upon their owne supposition though as to the truth of Jobs condition they failed greatly Job was not a man of that spirit he that persists in holding and defending truth is not obstinate but constant Further as to the ground why they ceased according to their supposition Observe To be righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and
love to act other mens parts rather then their owne and to intrude into Provinces which are not theirs But whatsoever our hand findes to doe as Solomon speakes Eccl 9.10 that is whatsoever is as Elihu here calls it our part that we should doe with all our might More was given about using our talent and shewing our opinion at the 10th verse of this Chapter whether I referre the reader Fourthly Elihu was here but an auditor not a disputant not a party he came in only upon the by yet having received a word he utters it Hence note Every man should thinke himselfe Concern'd to speake for the truth when 't is wronged and doe his best to right it Or we should take all occasions and seasons of doing good by our words as well as by our workes As it is not good to out-â—un providence so to neglect or foreslow it is not good Lastly Observe What others fayle in we should labour to supply in the cause of God and for his truth It is a proverbiall speech among the Hebrewes Vbi non est vir tu vir esto Where there is not a man there be thou a man That is if we see any unable to carry on and goe thorow-stitch with the worke before them we should lend a hand to helpe and supply them thus saith Elihu I will answer for my part I also will shew mine opinion And it seemes by that which follows Elihu did so not only to answer his duty but to empty and ease his spirit For In the 18th 19th and 20th verses he gives us that further account of his interposition about this controversie Vers 18. For I am full of matter Yea I am under a mighty Constraint there is a kinde of force upon me The Spirit within me Constraineth me I am full of matter The Original is I am full of words yet of more then words as appeares in the following part of this Chapter therefore we translate I am full of matter that is I am full of such words as are materiall words of truth words of sobernesse I am full of such words as will carry with them a Conviction home to thy Conscience O Job silence all thy complaints Cum ait se plenum amicorum impiam notare videtur Pined Or as if Elihu had said to Job's friends Though ye have spent your store upon Job yet I have store and plenty by me to spend upon him Thus he reflects upon them as scanty and short in their undertaking your Lamps have spent their oyle you have emptied your vessels so have not I I am full of matter The Spirit within me Constraineth me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil anxit angustovit pressit The text is My spirit in my belly Constraineth me Master Broughton renders My bellye 's spirit doth press me The Seventy render The spirit of my belly destroyeth me A Greek translater saith My spirit within me sets me on fire or I am all in a flame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comburit Sym. The word which we render Constraine signifies to press very sore Judges 14.17 And it came to passe the seventh day that he told her because she lay sore upon him or constrained him It may be questioned whose spirit or what spiâ—it it was that Constrained Elihu Some Expound it of the Spirit of God he dictates both words and matter to me Master Calvin seemes to Comply with this Exposition God hath printed such a marke in the doctrine of Elihu that the heavenly Spirit is apparent in his mouth God saith Elihu hath put his Seale to what I have to say therefore doe not receive it as the word of a mortall man the Spirit of God Constraines me Paul useth a word in the Greeke of like significancy 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ Constraineth me it presseth and overbeareth me I am not able to get out of the power of it Againe Others understand it of his owne spirit yet acted by the Spirit of God Prov 29.11 A foole uttereth all his spirit we translate all his minde the spirit pressing Elihu was his mind carried strongly or resolvedly bent upon this business The strong inclination or disposition of a mans mind to any thing good or bad is in Scripture language called his Spirit The Spirit within me The Hebrew is The spirit of my belly Which forme of speech notes only that which is most internall Spiritus ventris est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alacritas urgens existimulans ad loquendum Coc or lyeth closest within us Solomon saith of the words of wisdome Prov 22.18 It is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee The Original is in thy belly John 7.38 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water That is out of his inward man there shall be a spirit in his spirit for this Christ spake of the Spirit which should be given and the same word is used of the wicked man Job 15.35 His belly that is his mind or understanding prepareth deceit And Solomon Cant 7.2 speaking of the Church saith Her belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lillies That is she is big with holy thoughts and conceptions as a woman great with child ready to be delivered A gracious heart is continually meditating and conceiving holy things which it brings forth and is as it were delivered of upon any good occasion The spirit within me Constraineth me What Elihu had thus spoken in plaine termes by way of assertion in this verse he illustrates by way of similitude or allusion in the next Vers 19. Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum novum vel mustum cui non est ademptum obthuraculum ut exhalet Iun it is ready to burst like new bottles Elihu prosecutes the same thing in another way and to shew how troublesome it was to refraine speaking any longer his thoughts being not only too many but too working to be enclosed in so narrow a roome as his owne breast he compares them to wine or to new wine which will either find or make its way out The whole similitude is exceeding elegant First he compares his thoughts or the matter he had in his mind to wine Secondly he compares his soule or spirit to bottles his inward man was the vessell that held this wine Thirdly he compares his long silence to the stople or Corke of the bottle Fourthly he compares that trouble and griefe of mind which this forbearance to speake brought upon him to the working which is in a bottle so stopt or having no vent Fifthly he compares his intended speaking to the opening of the bottle which gives it vent Behold my belly is as wine that is the thoughts of my belly are as wine The Chaldee Paraphrase saith as new wine which is full of spirits and being stopt is ready to breake the bottle which shews the mighty force which
used in the second Psalme v. 12. If his wrath be kindled but a little or but as a little thing if the wrath of Christ be kindled only so farre that you see but a sparke of it blessed are they that trust in him There is no standing before the least wrath of the great God by the greatest of the sons of men We translate He would soone take me away or he would doe it in a little time my ruine needs not be long in working he would rid his hands of me presently to take or snatch a man away notes three things First A violent death or a violence in death Secondly A speedy or sudden death a quick dispatch When the fire was kindled and the word sent out against Korah Dathan and Abiram their maker soone took them away he bid the earth open and it tooke them away in the twinckling of an eye they went downe quick into hell It is sayd of a wicked man in this booke Chap 27.21 The East wind carrieth him away there also this word is used that is judgement like some fierce impetuous winde shall blow him from his standing and blast all his glory Some give the sence by the effect of fire Sunt qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tolleret me exponant combureret me ut aliquando sumitur hoc verbum a flamma quae in sublimi tollitur Merc My Maker would soone burne or consume me The word in the Hebrew signifieth to burne as well as to take away and we know the burning of a thing is the taking of it quite away fire makes cleane riddance And againe Fire or flame riseth up as a thing that is taken up into the aire and that which is burned in the fire may be sayd to be taken up with it Thus also 't is translated 2 Sam 5.20 21. David came unto Baal-perazim and David smote them there c. and there they left their Images and David and his men burnt them we put in the margin and David and his men tooke them away which is the translation here in Job Either of the readings is cleare and full to the purpose God hath fire he hath hell-fire unquenchable for sinners their maker can quickly consume and burne them up Isa 27.4 Who would set the briars and thorns in battell against me I would passe through them and burne them up together How quickly can the Lord burne wicked men who like briars and thorns scratch and teare the innocent wicked men can no more stand before the wrath of God then briars and thorns can stand before a flaming fire That 's a good reading ours comes to the same sence my Maker would soone take me away Hence observe First As flattery and accepting of persons are great so they are very dangerous sins they are wrath-provoking sins If we flatter men God will not flatter us he will deale plainly with us To receive flattery or to suffer our selves to be flattered is very dangerous as we see in the example of Herod Acts 12.22 23. who having made a very eloquent Oration The people gave a shout saying it is the voice of a God and not of a man They gave him flattering titles or as some render the former part of this verse they wonder'd at his person But what was the issue of it Presently saith the text the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up with wormes and gave up the ghost Thus his Maker tooke him soone away for taking that glory to himselfe O take heed of entertaining flatteries when given we should put them back from us as we would a poysonous cup. High commendations of Sermons given to the Preacher may have a sad consequence When men give much glory to men 't is hard for men to give the glory back againe to God Herod was so pleased and tickled with the glory which the people gave him that he could not part with it and so lost himselfe Because he forgat that he was a worme he was destroyed by wormes The translation given us by the Septuagint of this text in Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et me tineae edent Sept complyes fully with that dreadfull example in the Acts I know not how to give flattering titles for in so doing the wormes or moths will eate me up The words of Elihu thus rendred in Job are a threatning assertion That the wormes shall eate those that give flatteries and the judgement which fell uâ—on Herod is an example threatning all those that receive flattering titiles with that dreadfull doome of being eaten up by wormes And doubtlesse if not that yet either some other corporal and visible judgement or which is much worse some spirituall and invisible judgement will overtake those who love either to flatter others or to be flattered themselves And as that example shewes how dangerous it is to receive flatteries so to give flatteries hath in it a double danger First It is dangerous to others When Parasites flatter Princes when Ministers flatter the people how doth it ensnare their soules 'T is hell and death to flatter sinners and not to deale plainly with them to give lenitives instead of corosives to give oyle where vineger should be given to heale the hurt of the soule deceitfully is the greatest hurt and wounding to the soule Flatteries are those pillows spoken of in the Prophet Ezek 13.18 sowed to the Arme-holes or elbowes of wicked men upon which many sleepe without feare till they dye without hope yea these flatteries as well as any falsities and errors of doctrine whether respecting faith or worship are that untempered morter of and against which the Prophet speakes in the same Chapter v. 10.15 wherewith some daubed that wall of vaine confidence which others built while they seduced the people saying peace and there was no peace How often doe the true Prophets warne the people against these flatteries of the false Prophets And how sadly doth the Prophet Jeremy bewaile them Lam 2.14 Thy Prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity but have seene for thee false burdens and causes of banishment that is the visions which they have seene they pretend at least to have had from God but they are their owne dreames and brain-sick phansies and so the cause of thy banishment they have undone thee with these deceits soothing thee up in those thy sins which procured thy banishment and caused the Lord to thrust thee out and send thee farre away from thine owne Land They have fed yea filled thee with false hopes till thy condition was hopelesse How many thousands have been destroyed by flatteries both for here and for ever And if flattery be so dangerous to the receiver then Secondly It must needs be much more dangerous to the giver It is no small sin to palliate or cover the sins of others Non leve
and under-value their most prayse-worthy deeds Ill will never spake well either of persons or actions Secondly whom we love not as friends especially whom we hate as enemies we are prone to highten their faults and double their faylings we mostly look on the evill deeds of an enemy in a multiplying or in a magnifying glass we make one fault many and a little one great A true friend will speak the most of what is well done and the least he can with truth of what is ill He is so farre from seeking occasions against whom he loves that he will hardly see them when findes them unsought A noble enemy will not seeke occasions against a man much lesse will a cordiall friend It is no wonder when Job is taxed with saying God sought occasions against him that he should also say He counteth me for his enemy From the matter of these words He counteth me for his enemy take these two notes First Even good men when they are sorely grieved under the afflicting hand of God are tempted to have hard apprehensions of God at least to suspect and feare that God is no friend to them And this comes to passe upon a double consideration First Nature when pinched will shew it selfe Now man naturally hath not only hard thoughts of God but an enmity against him And when nature is pinched all the corruptions working in man worke this way unless over-power'd and checkt by grace Secondly when 't is hard with us from the hand of God then Satan takes his time to prompt us with hard thoughts of God and to foment that enmity to the uttermost of which our corrupt nature hath such store What will Satan say Doth God love thee and starve thee What Doth God pretend kindness to thee and deale thus with thee is God thy friend who takes away thy friends is God thy friend who leaves thee in the hand of enemies doth he pitty thee and yet keepe thee in these paines is this his kindness to his friend How can he say he loves thee And hast not thou cause enough yet to say He counteth thee for his enemy Thus Satan takes his time to provoke nature which is forward enough of it selfe to thinke and speake hardly of God if at any time he is pleased and sees it fit to deale hardly with us And how great a combate hath many a gracious soule both with Satan and his owne heart to get and keepe up good and honorable thoughts of God in a suffering condition or under darke and to sense dismal dispensations Secondly Note Whatsoever God doth to or with a godly man he should maintaine good thoughts and speak well of God or when God deales most strictly and severely with his people they should not look upon it as an argument of any enmity or ill will against them or that he counteth them his enemies Let us take heed of such thoughts David professed Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to them that are of a cleane heart He is good to them that 's Davids intent there not only when he doth them good as to outward things I meane and to sencible appearances for all is good in the issue to the Israel of God now I say God is good to his people not only when he in that sence doth them good but when he afflicts them and layeth many outward evills upon them When as it is said after in that Psalme v. 14. He plagueth them that word imports sorest troubles all the day long and chasteneth them every morning when he gives them their breakfast in sowre herbes or with severest whippings yet then even then he is good to them and meanes them no harme at all Therefore how hardly soever God deals with us let us not thinke he counts us enemies The Temptation was strong upon David to take up hard thoughts of God in that case yea it prevailed so farre upon him that he concluded v. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency As if he had sayd A man hath little priviledge from the worst of outward evills by his godliness But the Temptation did not prevaile long he soone recovered himselfe v 15. If I say I will speak thus that is that I have cleansed my heart in vaine Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children that is I should wrong the whole kind or race of godly men throughout the world as if hypocrites or as if God did not love them or were not good to them for who is there among all thy children whom either thou hast not or mayest not chasten as much as thou hast chastned me As no man can know the love of God by that which is before him how prosperous soever it is so it is most unsutable for any of the children of God to thinke that God is not good to them or doth not love them because of the evill that is before them how adverse or disasterous soever it is For God having loved his people in Christ he loves them for ever when once he hath broken the enmity in our hearts towards himselfe there is nothing shall ever be done by him towards us which may speak us his enemies or him our enemy though a Job in great affliction may say He counteth me for his enemy And handles me like one too as it followeth Vers 11. He putteth my feet in the stockes he marketh all my paths We had these words expressely Chap 13.27 there they have been opened already Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks and lookest narrowly unto all my pathes That which hath been said as to the Generall sence and scope of that text may serve for this And therefore I referre the reader thither I shall only adde two or three notes from the metaphor He put my feet in the stocks that is he presseth me with very close and sore afflictions Hence Observe First To be in affliction is to be in a painfull condition there is little ease in the stocks No chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb 12.11 To be under a crosse is be under a burden Secondly Afflictions keepe us under restraint He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks afflictions hold us in they are as a prison to us Afflictions are a restraint two wayes First to our corruptions yea through the grace of God afflictions are more then restraints to corruption they become the death of corruption they are appoynted among other services for the mortifying of corruption that it may not live in us much more are they a restraint to corruption that it may not get out nor worke in us as before Many times when a good man hath the world at will his corruptions thinke to have their will too and when he is at liberty lusts would grow licentious Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks that their
have a good assurance that while we are trading with God for the gaine and encrease of our soules our bodyes shall not waste nor be loosers yet we should be ready to waste and weare off the flesh from our bodyes for the gaine and encrease of our soules Sixthly Why should we be unwilling to offer our flesh to be consumed by the fury of men or by the rage of flames in the cause of God seeing it may ere long consume by sickness and not be seene why should we be afraid to let our flesh consume or rot in prisons or by tortures for Christ seeing a disease will doe it and hath often done it Thousands of the blassed Martyrs and suffering Saints have rejoyced they had flesh to consume when God called them to it So some interpret that Scripture before mentioned 2 Cor 12.14 where the Apostle professed I am willing to be spent for you how spent as an offering or sacrifice by fire in the service of your faith and in bearing my witness to those truths of the Gospel which I have preached to you And indeed he in that sense spent his flesh at the last he suffered death and let his flesh fall in holding up and holding out the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ It is better that our flesh should be thus consumed if God call us to it then that we leave it to be consumed by age or sickness by wormes or rottenness How freely should we offer up this flesh to so noble a consumption seeing we cannot keepe it long from so meane a consumption doe what we can Secondly Note Sickness is a consumer sickness is a consumer of all that will consume It consumes the body and it consumes the purse yea it consumes all our worldly comforts and concernments it consumes every thing but grace We say A time of sickness is a spending time the usuall reference of that expression is to spiritualls In health we gather grace and lay up truths which we spend in sickness But though sickness be a spending time yet it is not I am sure it ought not to be a wasting time to grace and spiritualls A spending time it is that is a time wherein a godly man may lay out a great deale of his spirituall stock and heavenly treasure a great deale of faith and patience a great deale of sweet contentation and selfe-submission to God But sickness is not a wasting time to any of these graces or heavenly treasures yea where grace is reall and active it is not only not wasted or consumed but encreased and improved occasionally by sickness God having promised that all things shall worke together for good to them that love him Rom 8.28 will not suffer the best things of those that love him their graces to take hurt by the worst of bodyly sicknesses Sickness doth only dammage the body and deface the beauty of the flesh and it quickly doth as Elihu affirme of his sick man in the text His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene yea as it followeth And his bones that were not seene stick out Flesh and bones are the two eminent materialls of this faire and most regular building The Body of man The Bones of a healthy and strong man are not seene because they are covered with flesh they are only felt or perceived through their clothing skin and flesh God hath put these very comely and beautifull garments as a covering upon our bones but sickness pulls away these coverings it pulls away the cloaths from our bones and makes them appeare as it were naked When the fat is dript away and the flesh is spent the bones seeme to start out We commonly say of a man that hath been consumed by a lingring sickness He is a very Skelleton he lookes like an Anatomy which is nothing else but a pack of bones the flesh is gone Thus David mourned Psal 31.10 My life is spent with griefe my yeares with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed The sin-sickness of a sencible soule consumes the bones more then any bodyly sickness This was not only the consuming but the breaking of Davids bones Psal 51.8 And as his sorrow for his owne transgressions so his sorrow for the afflictions of Sion had the like effect in him Psal 102.3 4 5. My dayes are consumed like smoake or into smoake they vanish like smoake and my bones are burnt as a hearth My heart is smitten and withereth like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread By reason of the voyce of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin Et comminuentur ossa ejus non videntur interpretantes vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in significatione Syriaca Pisc SignificationeÌ„ Syriacam malo quam omnes penè hebraei sequuntur Merc Some read this Text His bones are diminished lessened wasted or broken in pieces as if the consumption reached not only his flesh but his bones too That 's a fierce disease which at once invadeth and wasteth the bones The word which we render to stick out signifieth in the Syriack Idiom the abating lessening or breaking of any thing into lesser parts or pieces And so those words are not seen in the text which according to our translation refer to the time of health when a man is so fat and full fleshed that his bones cannot be seen scarcely felt those words I say are referred according to this translation to the time of sickness which is supposed so to diminish and wast the bones that by an ordinary straine of Rhetorick they are said not to be seen His bâ—â—â—â— are diminished they are not seen We also render this word◠〈◊〉 that first propheticall word concerning our restoring by Christ Gen. 3.15 by bruising It that is the womans seed shall bruise thy head that is the Devills and thou shalt bruise his heele When bones are bruised and as it were shuffled together they cannot be seen in their proper places or as once they were fixt by nature This various reading doth not vary the generall sence of the Text but only heighten and encrease it We render fully and significantly his bones that were not seen stick out Hence note There is no man so strong there is nothing in man so strong that can stand out against the strength of sickness Our bones are not made of brasse sickness will diminish them and pain master them Secondly Whereas 't is said His flesh that was seen is not seen and his bones that were not seen stick out or are seen Observe Sicknesse makes a wonderfull change in man It puts that out of sight which was seen and it brings that in sight which was not seen This holds true not only as to that which is naturall in man his flesh and bones of which this text treats in the letter but 't is true also as to that which is morall and spirituall in man his virtues and his vices his graces and his lusts
to him spoken of in the former verse and the declaration of it in that word or warrant which went out from God to the messenger about his deliverance from going downe to the pit This mercy or recovery in the full extent of it hath a two-fold respect First to his body Secondly to his soule The mercy as it respects his body is layd downe in the 25th verse His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall returne as in the dayes of his youth The mercy which respects his soule or the state of his inward man is layd downe in the 26th verse He shall pray unto God and be will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto him his righteousness In this recovery of his soule-state we may further consider First the causes of it First The Instrumentall cause prayer He shall pray unto God Secondly The principall or efficient cause of it together with the first moving cause The kindness of God He will be favourable unto him Secondly The consequence of this his renewed soule-state He shall see his face with joy Thirdly The matter wherein this joyfull state doth consist in the close of the 26th verse For he will render to man his righteousness So much for the scope and parts of these two verses which shew the blessed issue which God gives this distressed and sick man from his afflictions and sorrowes Vers 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childes By flesh he meanes the naturall flesh of the body this flesh shall be fresh yea fresher and not only fresher then it was before he fell sick in his man-hood but then it was in his child-hood fresher then a childes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollitur recreatus fuit alibi quam hic non legitur Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod virentem significat ac vegetuÌ„ ut cap 8. 16. et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod syriacè significat crescere q. d. revirescet plantarum more et germinum Merc The word which we render comparatively fresher signifies to wax soft or tender 'T is no where read in the whole Bible but here Grammarians say it is compounded of an Hebrew word which signifies to be greene or flourishing Chap 8.16 and of a Syriack word which signifies to increase and grow as a plant we render it as noting the man mending apace as some sick men upon recovery doe in his strength and health He shall be fresh-coloured who before was pale and wan he shall be full-fleshed who before was fallen and leane so that when he saith His flesh shall be fresher then a childes 'T is an Elegant hyperbolical expression to shew his perfect recovery from that mortal sickness to health As if he had sayd God will restore him so that there shall be no scarr nor print no dregs nor appearance of his former disease seene upon him We know how tender and soft how delicate and faire the flesh of a little child is how sweete his countenance is how full of good blood his veines are how healthy and strong as to his time his whole body is Thus it shall be with this sick man His flesh shall be freshâ—r then a childes he shall be as if he were new-borne or entred a second time upon the stage of this world Our spirituall estate of renovation by Christ is set forth as a youthfull or child-like state as to the purity and perfection of it Eph 5.27 Christ shall present us to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing The Church hath her sin-spots and wrinckles now in her militancy but when Christ shall present the Church at last triumphantly to himselfe then as himselfe was ever without spot or wrinckle so shall the Church be Her flesh shall indeed be fresher then a childes being perfectly recovered out of her spirituall sickness Notat perfectissimum sanitatis modum qui nullum transacti morbi vestigium relinquit Mert And thus in proportion Elihu assures the penitent sick man that when his peace is renewed with God and his spirit set right for God his very flesh shall be without spot or wrinckle fresher then a childes The latter part of the verse beares the same sence He shall returne as in the dayes of his youth That is he shall not barely recover his health and get upon his leggs againe as we say he shall not meerely escape death and the grave but he shall have an addition of bodily ability he shall as it were be young againe As sickness makes a young man look old so recovery from sickness makes the old man look young That 's to returne to the dayes of his youth Hence Note First Bodily beauty health and strength are the Gift of God He gives them and takes them away at pleasure or having taken them away he can give them backe when he pleaseth He kills and he makes alive he bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up as Hannah sayd in her Song 1 Sam 2.6 How low soever a man is brought by sickness either proper or metaphoricall the Lord is able to rayse him up againe We read v. 21. in how pitifull a plight the sick man was how rather like a carkasse then a living man he lookt His flesh was consumed that it could not be seene and his bones which were not seene stood out as much as to say He was nothing but skin and bones yet when in that case all hopes were gone and all natural helps fayled it was no hard matter with God to cure him When the skill of the Physician and the vertue of medicines fayle the power of God fayleth not As it is in reference to those outward dangers and desperate exigents which we meete with in this world by enemies and persecutors when we look upon our selves as dead men when all hope of deliverance seems past gone then the Lord alwayes can and often doth deliver The Apostle gives us his experience of it 2 Cor 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves he spake not thus in regard of sickness but of trouble and persecution As if he had sayd The malice and wrath of our enemies was such that we thought we should never escape We had the sentence of death in our selves but providence suffered it to be so that we should not trust in our selves but in God who rayseth the dead As it is I say in such dangers so in dangerous deadly sicknesses when a poore creature hath the sentence of death in himselfe when he makes no other reckoning but to dye as good King Hezekiah sayd of himselfe in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lyon so will he breake all my bones from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me yet then as in his case so in many cases the Lord stretcheth forth a healing hand and takes the sick man up againe to continue in
at the second verse of the former Chapter First and chiefly 't is applyed or attributed to God himselfe Rom 8.33 It is God that justifieth God puts man into a state of justification he justifieth his person so fully that none can of right lay any thing to his charge much lesse condemne him upon any charge layd against him Secondly Man justifieth God Luke 7.29 30. And all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John God himselfe who is the Judge of all men is condemned by many men and when things are at worst he alwayes hath some to justifie him Man justifieth God when he honoureth God taking his part and owning both his power and his righteousnesse in whatsoever he doth It is impossible God should be unjust and God is pleased to say we justifie him when we maintaine his wayes as just and righteous Thirdly Man justifieth himselfe when he is either lifted up proudly in the thoughts of what he is or hath done well Luke 18.11 or when he upon good grounds can maintaine that to be well done which he hath done Fourthly Man justifieth man when he either consents to or approves of what he hath done or spoken whether it be good or bad he that approves of a man justifies him though the man be unjust Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination unto the Lord. Let a man be never so wicked and doe never so wickedly some through ignorance of his wickednesse and others through love to and liking of his wickednesse being such themselves will approve of him and give him their good word But as Christ speaks Math. 11.19 Wisdome is justified of her children that is the true lovers and followers of wisdome having a right knowledge and estimation of her worth will stand by her and speake for her when slighted by the blind and unknowing world And as this is true of declarative wisdome so especially of Christ who is essentiall wisdome His children highly prize and justifie him while the world condemns and contemns him In this fourth sence Elihu is to be understood here I desire to justifie thee that is to give testimony unto thee or subscribe thy certificate that thou art worthy of commendation Though Elihu was a man of a very warme and keene spirit full of fire and mettle yet he discovered a very honest bent and a well governed intention towards Job in saying I desire to justifie thee for 't is as if he had said It would not please me at all to see cause of further censure but it would please me fully to see cause of approving and acquitting thee Therefore doe but state thy case and make out the merits of it and I shall yield so soon as I see cause So then Elihu did not carry himself in this business first as a party or as one that had taken a side and was resolved to hold it as some doe right or wrong because he had appeared in it Nor Secondly was he hurryed by passion or intemperance of spirit Nor Thirdly was he hood-winkt by prejudice or fore-stalled by his opinion against the person Nor Fourthly was he engaged by love to contention or hopes of victory Nor Fifthly was he purposed to suppresse smother or keepe downe the truth Nor Sixthly had he any desire to asperse Job and make him appear black Nor Seventhly had he a mind to grieve the man or burthen him with accusations but declared a cleare candor and much melting compassion towards his afflicted Antagonist hungring and thirsting yea even longing for a just occasion to justifie him Verbum justificare sumitur pro justitiam exercere justè ac recte procedere q. d. statui apud me juxta aequitatis leges tecum agere Bold Some I grant expound this word justifie as used here by Elihu in a very bare and barren sence as if it implyed only thus much I will doe thee right or I have no mind to doe thee wrong but surely the word is much more fruitfull and beares the signification of a great willingness in Elihu to render Job as faire as possibly he could or as his cause would beare to all the world he waited to understand so much of him and by him as might enable him to say he had neither spoken nor done any thing amisse Hence note First A good man is glad to see any mans cause or case prove good or better then he thought it The Apostle giving severall Characters of Gospell love or charity saith 1 Cor. 13.6 It rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth As charity rejoyceth not in the doing of iniquity so neither doth it when others are found to have done iniquity But it rejoyceth much when any who are either suspected or charged with iniquity are upon due tryall found cleare and acquitted Paul wished that all who heard him had been not only almost but altogether such as he except his bonds Acts 26.29 It is a great argument that a man is good and just when he heartily wisheth that he who hath given occasion to others to think ill of him may at last appeare better then they thought him Secondly note A good man seekes not victory but truth and the good of those he deals with When he contends earnestly with others he desires as earnestly that truth may gaine by that contention Where a spirit of strife uncharitableness possesseth the minds of many men they love to be vexing trampling upon those they deale with rather then helping and enforming them This evill spirit is the familiar of this age That which the Apostle spake Phil. 1.15 of not a few who had the name of Gospel Ministers some preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerely the same may be said of many disputers and polemicall writers they doe it enviously they doe it out of love to strife and contention not out of love either to truth or to those with whom they contend and strive this is a bad spirit a spirit far unlike that which ruled in Elihu who wished that the sharpest reprehensions he gave Job might end in his justification There should be such a spirit in man contending with man as there is in God contending with man who doth not thunder against sinners because he would have them perish or delighteth in their destruction but doth it first to awaken them secondly to humble them thirdly to convert them fourthly to justifie them and lastly to save them for ever I write not these things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.14 to shame you but as my beloved sons I warne you As if he had said I intend not to asperse you or throw dirt upon you but only advise you to wipe off the dirt that is cast upon you or to keep your selves out of the dirt I would either be
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
gall and the fruit of righteousness into Hemlock Right done is sweete and wholesome but right denied is bitter as Gall and banefull like Hemlock Secondly When Judgement is defer'd stopped or delayed then 't is taken away for a time To have judgement long delayed is alwayes next degree to the deniall of it and sometimes delay is more cruciating and grievous then a deniall Thirdly A mans judgement is sayd to be taken away when the ground or cause of Gods proceeding with him in judgement is hid or unmanifest Judgement as to us is not when the reason of it doth not appeare to us or when we see not the reason of it To feel Judgement and not to see the cause of it turnes it into a torment we say commonly Things that appeare not are as if they were not When the reason or ground of our sufferings is not understood 't is as if we suffered without any ground of reason When Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement we are not to understand him as if Elihu intended it in the first or grossest sence that God had subverted his judgement or had done him wrong Elihu could not suspect he had any such blasphemous opinion of God for that had fullfilled the Devills prophecy of him He will curse thee to thy face But when he sayd God hath taken away my Judgement he meant it according to the two latter interpretations either that God deferred long to restore him and answer his prayer or that God had hid from him the reason of his dealing with him so that he could not make it out how or why he was so sorely and grievously handled Job knew well his owne innocency but he did not well consider Gods soveraignty which alone answers enough for him how much soever he in this world afflicts the innocent And therefore for as much as God held him long in that sad condition and in the meane time hid his judgement or the reason of it from him this was Jobs grievance and the burden of it pressed him to cry out God hath taken away my Judgement In this he was too bold with God and therefore he justly fell under this censure of Elihu As if he had sayd It doth not at all become thee O Job as a creature as a man much lesse as a new creature or as a godly man to cry out as thou hast done that God hath taken away thy Judgement because he doth not give thee an account nor tell thee why he judgeth thee therefore humble thy selfe that ever thou hast sayd and take heed thou say it no more God hath taken away my Judgement Hence note First God sometimes lets the goodness of his most precious servants lâ—e in the dark He goeth unusuall wayes with many of his choycest servants he doth not alwayes declare their right nor deale with them according to the ordinary rule in giving good to them that are good as not alwayes evill to them that are evill the Lord is at his liberty in these present distributions he is supream and hath power over all flesh and so keepes their judgement in the clouds or a secret to himselfe Secondly Note The Lord sometimes is pleased to defer and delay to doe his servants right And thus he takes away their Judgement Though he hath a purpose to give it them yet he doth not presently give it them at last he will make even with all men each man shall have his judgement he will reward every one according to his worke and the righteous shall without doubt have a good reward Thirdly Note When God doth either hide or defer the Judgement of a godly man it doth very much affect yea and afflict his heart We are usually much afflicted with any dark dispensation upon many accounts especially upon this because it makes us obnoxious to every mans censure When God takes away our judgement we fall under the hard judgements of men And to lie under the ill opinions of men unvindicated or unrighted is no easie burden We have that promise Psal 37.6 He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noone-day The righteousness and judgement of a good man may be in a mid-night darkness as to man and till that be brought to the light of other mens knowledge himselfe hath sometimes little light of comfort Fourthly Note It is sinfull to complaine and to be troubled as if God had not done us right because we see it not done or because he deferrs to doe it In this Job was most faulty he uttered many passionate speeches about what God had done because things were not brought to an issue nor his condition stated and cleared up either to the world or to himselfe This troubled him more then the extremity of his paine or the greatest of his troubles How stiffely Job stood upon it that his Judgement was taken away will appeare yet further in the next words which Elihu makes further matter of accusation Vers 6. Should I lie against my right my wound is incurable without transgression In this verse we have two other parts of the Inditement brought against Job neere of the same nature with the former wherein he yet more vehemently urgeth his owne integrity and cryeth out both of the greatness and causelessness on his part of his present sufferings More distinctly Elihu in this verse chargeth him First That he did over-eagerly maintaine his owne cause Should I lie against my right Secondly That he spake of God as dealing over-harshly with him My wound is incurable without transgression These things saith Elihu thou hast also sayd Should I lie against my right We read the words as a Question others read them as a direct proposition There is a lie in Judging me or In judicando enim me mendacium est Vulg There is a lie against my right The word which we here translate right is the same which we translate Judgement in the former verse And when he saith There is a lie against my right It is as if he had plainly sayd I am falsely charged I am wrongfully accused I am not such a man as I am supposed nor have I done those things whereof I am suspected Every false accusation brought against a man is a lie against his right Secondly Others read it thus Super judiâ—ium meum faciam mentiri i. e. falsi arguam hominem qui volet mâ—cum contendere Cajet Item Chald I shall make liers against my right that is whosoever stands up to prove any thing against me as you have done saying I am wicked unrighteous or hypocriticall I shall be able to prove him a lier But neither the Grammaticall signification of the words will fairely beare this sence nor doth it well correspond with the former verse In judicio meo mentior Pisc Probarem si mentiri hoc sensu de persona dici inveniretur nam de re usurpari certum est Drus Thirdly Thus I lie
great men to do evil then for others to tell them so And as the faults of Princes seldome finde reprovers so it requires a great deal of wisdome not to commit a fault in reproving them Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked Is this a comly thing Or will Kings endure it And if so doth it become thee O Job to speak hardly of God Or will he endure it Elihu did not charge Job with speaking evil of God directly but would intimate to him that while he was so unquiet under the afflicting hand of God and pressed him so often for a further hearing of his cause he did very dangerously reflect upon his Justice and that seeing we stand in awe of Kings and Soveraigne Princes and dare not misbehave our selves before them nor let fall an unreverend word concerning them how durst he presume to speak any thing unseemly of God Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked Kings are supream they are cloathed with Soveraigne power over all persons within their Dominion Is it therefore fit to use such course language such down-right unhewen speeches in any address to them Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked The original word imports the worst sort the most infamous among wicked men So Mr Broughton renders Is it meet that one say to a King Belial Some give it in the Vocative case Is it meet for a subject to say to his Soveraigne O thou Belial O thou wicked one Dare any speak thus to a King This word Belial is often used in Scripture to note not only a wicked man in general but an eminently wicked man even a man in whom all wickedness is as it were centred and setled the very lees and dregs of all men who may be called wicked When Jezabel procured and suborned two false witnesses against Naboth it is said There came in two men children of Belial 1 Kings 21.13 and sate before him and the men of Belial witnessed against him even against Naboth in the presence of the people saying c. These witnesses were perjured persons to tell a lye is the worst of sins what then is it to swear a lye no word could reach the height of this wickedness more fully then to call them children of Belial When the Lord comforted the Church with the glad tydings of the Gospel Nah. 1.15 Behold the feet of those upon the mountains that preach peace O Jerusalem keep thy solemn Feasts perform thy Vowes He subjoyns this promise as a reason The wicked shall no more pass thorow thee he is utterly cut off We put in the margin Belial shall no more pass thorow thee that is thou shalt then be freed from those Belialists who formerly interrupted thy peace by vexing and persecuting thee or prophaned thy holy Assemblies by mixing themselves with thee But I give thee assurance the time is coming when Belial shall no more trouble thee Yea Belial is a Title so full of wickedness that it fits the Devil himself whom the Scripture brands with that black mark The wicked one or the evil one The Apostle puts that question with much holy disdain 2 Cor. 6.14 15. What communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial that is Christ with the Devil They differ from the Devil only in flesh and blood in nature they are as bad as he who bear his name This may yet further appear if we look into the Grammatical derivation of it Belial is commonly expounded a man without a yoke or a man that will not be yoked that is a man who will not come under command a lawless person so we translate the Apostle's word 1 Tim. 1.9 Aliqui a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jugo deducunt qui nullis legum vinculis teneatur aut jugo The Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners c. that is for the sons of Belial or for such as will not endure the yoke the Law is a yoke Christ calls the Law of the Gospel his yoke Matth. 11.29 and they that will not bear the yoke of Christ shall never have benefit by the Cross of Christ we must take up the yoke of Christ if we would taste the fruit of the Cross of Christ Now a Beliallist will not hear of nor have to do with the yoke he is like the wilde Ass described in the 39th of Job who will not be taught to plow nor be bound in the furrow you cannot make the wilde Ass work like the Oxe Wicked men have hard and stony hearts yet such soft tender and delicate necks that they cannot abide the yoke 't is their bondage to be tyed to obedience Again The notation of the word Belial Alii a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proficere deducunt quasi significet hominem qui ad nihil sit utilis Merc. imports a person of no use or altogether unprofitable a man that is good for nothing a meer unthrift or spendthrift a man that neither doth good to himself nor to any others as if he were born only to spoil and devour all that is before him as if he came into the world to eat other mens labours and not to labour that he might have to eat Christ calleth the idle or slothful servant an unprofitable servant Matth. 25.30 and to be an unprofitable servant is to be a son of Belial one that hath no good in his heart nor doth any good in his place neither in his private nor publick capacity neither in his own family nor in the neighbourhood and Nation where he lives No man is born for himself nor ought any man to live to himself It were better not to live then not to be doing good while we live He that liveth only to profit himself liveth to little purpose to what purpose then doth he live whose life is altogether unprofitable to himself And indeed he that is not in some respect or other a common good or good to others cannot be good nor do any true good to himself yet such is the wicked man represented under the notion of this Text. Seeing then there are such bad and base significancies in the bowels of this word is it sufferable by a King Is it fit to say to a King thou art Belial or wicked What can be said more unfitly What greater reproach can be cast upon a King who ought to be a living Law a breathing Law as also the Keeper of the Law by way of conservation and protection then to call him Belial or one that will not keep the Law at all by way of observation There are two wayes of keeping the Law First By Conservation so Kings preserve the Laws that they may have their free course to others and be obeyed by others in which sence Kings are commonly called Keepers of both Tables Secondly By observation
and practices as procured them that ruine Thus the righteous rejoyce when they see the vengeance yea they wash their feere in the blood of the ungodly that is they get comfort and encouragement by seeing the Lord avenge their cause against their adversaries It is sayd Exod 14.30 31. that God having overwhelmed the Egyptians in the red Sea the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the shoar God did not suffer the carcasses of the Egyptians to sink to the bottom of the Sea but caused them to lie upon the shoar that the Israelites might see them And when Israel saw that dreadfull stroak of the Lord upon the Egyptians It is sayd The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Thus they were confirmed in their faith by Gods open Judgements upon the Egyptians They were smitten in the place of beholders or in the open sight of others There are yet two other interpretations of these words which I shall touch He striketh them in the place of beholders In loco videntium i. e. exiflentes in statu in quo videre poterant tum per naturalem rationem tum per sacram doctrinam quid esset faciendum et quid esset vitandum Aquin that is saith my Author in such an estate or condition wherein themselves might see both by that natural light which every man hath especially by the light of doctrine and instruction what they ought to doe and what to shun or avoyd In this sense to be smitten in the place of Seers is to see and behold to have light and understanding what to doe or forbeare doing and yet to act against that light and so provoke the Lord to strike us which is a great aggravation both of the sin and punishment of man A second gives it thus He striketh them in the place of seers or where they saw that is he striketh them in the eye of their understanding or in their Judgement he striketh them with spirituall blindness as the Sodomites were with corporall so that they are not able to see their way or what becomes them to doe This is a most severe stroake There are many who when they have abused the light and would not doe what they saw they ought God hath struck them with such blindness that they should not see what they ought to doe Both these are rather tropologicall Expositions then literall yet they may have their use and improvement by way of allusion In this place Elihu having thus held out the openness and exemplariness of the judgements of God upon wicked men proceeds in the following words to shew the equity and righteousnesse of them Vers 27. Because they have turned back from him and would not Consider any of his wayes Here I say lest any should surmise that God takes vengeance without cause the cause is named and assigned why God takes vengeance 't is because they turned back from him they in the pride and stoutnesse of their hearts which great men especially are much subject to refused to obey and follow God and therefore his wrath followed and brake them They turned back from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum è verbo de post eum sic alibi scortati sunt de post dominum i. e. deserto domino There is a two-fold turning back First Corporall Secondly Morall or spirituall none can corporally turn back from God though some attempt it to what hiding place soever we turn our selves we cannot be hid from him who filleth every place But there are many who morally turn back and depart from the living God Sinners would turn their persons back from God and hide their heads they would get quite out of his sight and reach though they cannot but all of them turn back from God in their hearts In two respects sinners in generall may be sayd to turne back from God First when he commands and they will not obey him or withdraw their obedience from his commandements Secondly when he entreates and invites them and they will not come to him nor accept his tendered respects and favours Thus the Lord complained of his owne people Psal 81.11 Israel would none of me God wooed them but they had other lovers and after them they would goe even Israel lightly regarded the God of Israel yea they made a defection from him More distinctly There is a three-fold turning back from God or they who turne back from God are of three sorts First There is a turning back from God by those who have openly followed him or made profession of his name Thus hypocrites and formalists turne back from God This the Scripture calls back-sliding revolting and going a whoring from God Such as these are like perfidious Souldiers who enter and list themselves in an Army marching with them for a while taking their pay yet soon after forsake their colours and turn to the enemy Thus many apostatize from God to the Devill and to the creature or as Paul sayd of Demas they forsake Christ and embrace this present world Luther was charged by his enemies that he was an Apostate and he acknowledged he was but he thanked God for it he indeed turned back from what he did once professe but it was to a better profession he did not turne from God to the world but he turned from the world to God and that 's a blessed Apostacy he did not turn from truth to error but from error to truth he did not turn from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition but from Idolatry and superstition to pure worship How wretched is their condition who are indeed Apostates who turn from God to the world from truth to error from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition from a holy conversation to prophaness loosness and libertenisme to a complyance with the world and a symbolizing with them in their lusts and wickednesse This abominable apostacy is a fruit of hypocrisie Hypocrites turne only their faces to God and Apostates turne their backes upon him or turn back from him And all they who turn only their faces unto God will for their owne advantage or to save themselves turn their backs upon him Hypocrites when put to it when the storme comes ever prove Apostates Secondly There is a turning from God found even in the best followers of God who is there among the Saints on earth that keepes constant un-interrupted communion with God The least degree of inordinate letting downe or turning the heart to the creature is a degree of turning back from God As holiness is our motion toward God and to act holyly is to keep the eye of the soule alwayes upon God so unholiness is an aversion from God David did not say nor could he say though as holy a man as lived that he had never turned from God he could only say that he had not wickedly departed from God Psal 18.21 Thirdly There is a turning back from God proper to all unregenerate
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
in a pretence made long prayers As it is a very great point of ungodliness prophaneness indeed to say What profit is there in serving the Lord So it is gross hypocrisie to take up Religion meerly for profit there is profit even worldly profit in Religion Godliness is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 and hath the promise of this life as well as of that to come but wo to those that take it up designing profit and the filling either of their purses or their bellies Our Saviours Divine Spirit quickly discovered this carnal spirit in his followers John 6.26 Ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Judas followed Christ but the motive of it was in the bag John 12.6 The zeal of Demetrius to his Idol Diana was kindled by as pure a fire as the zeal of these hypocrites to Jesus Christ Acts 19.24 By this we get our living They know nothing of the life of Religion who are religious only that they may live If profit be the Loadstone of our profession our profession will never profit us for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world by a profession of the name of Christ if he lose his own soul Sathan charged Job with this gross hypocrisie chap. 1.9 Doth Job fear God for nought as if he had said Job findes 't is no lean business to be religious and therefore no wonder if he be found so religious Who would not do and be as much as he in Religion to have his fields full of Cattel and his folds full of Sheep and his house full of Riches He knows well enough which side his bread is buttered on what makes for his profit all the account he makes of Religion is that he perceives by his books and the inventory of his goods that it turns every year to a good account Jobs slander is the just charge of many they use Religion but as a stalking horse to catch worldly riches Fourthly The grosse hypocrite often designes that which is higher in the esteeme and more taking upon the spirits of many then worldly riches even worldly power or to get very high if not uppermost in the world 'T is no new thing for men to make religion a stayre to ascend the highest roomes among men or a stirrup to get into the saddle of honour and when they have got high enough then downe with the stayres or 't is no matter for the stirrup by which they ascended Jehu was very zealous in the cause of God and for reformation but his designe was for a kingdome or his owne exaltation 2 Kings 10.16 he made a noyse of much piety Come see my zeale for the Lord yet all was but a piece of State-hypocrisie His care in destroying Ahabs house and Baals Priests according to the command of God was but to pave the way to the throne The same way Absolom was taking to his fathers Crowne he told the people he was troubled that they were no better governed that they had no quicker dispatch in their suites and businesses he told his father he had made a vow and desired the liberty of his absence from Court that he might goe and performe it all he pretended was righteousnesse and religion yet he intended only to get an advanâ—â—ge to make his party strong that so he might thrust his fa her out of the throne and get up himselfe He seemed a Saint whilâ— he meant to be a Traytor The History of the Church reports of Juliaâ— the Apostate Socrates Hist Ecclesiast lib 3. c. 1. that when his predecessor being a Christian held the Empire he highly pretended the profession of Christ and read a Gospel-Lecture in the Church of Nichomedia yet while he was in shew a Christian and in hope an Emperour he was in heart a pagan He saw the times served him not to act the pagan openly and therefore he subtlely betooke himselfe to his disguise and personated the Christian even in the mortified way of a monasticke life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tandem simulationem professionis christianae penitus deposuit Socrat ubi supra that he might smooth his way to the Empire To which having once attained he presently put off his disguise and to his utmost disgraced and opposed the name and faith of Christ which he had formerly owned and professed Thus I have touch't upon the foure grand designes of the Grosse hypocrite First praise among all men Secondly revenge upon some men Thirdly the gaine of worldly riches Fourthly the attainment of power dominion and Greatness in the world These are as the foure wheeles of Satans chariot wherein he hurrieth thousands to the land of darkness while they would be esteemed children of the light Or some one of these is as the primum mobile first mover of which Philosophers speake in their doctrine of the heavens carrying many with a rapt and violent motion in the spheare of religion while they have in the Interim a secret undiscerned natural motion of their owne directly opposite to this by which they hope at last to steale on faire and softly to their wished periods Having thus farre shewed the close purposes of the designing hypocrite who is so hatefull to God and hurtfull to man I shall a little discover and unmaske his hypocrisie by shewing how we may know him how we may looke through these vayles and see his ugly face Designing hypocrites are usually discovered these foure wayes First By their affectation to be seene and taken notice of they that will have praise and glory with men must needs affect to be seene of men for no glory comes to man from men but by what falls under the eye and observation of man Job saith of murderers Chap 24.13 They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof The murderer cannot endure the light either natural or moral because that tells who he is or what he hath been about The contrary in one sense is true of the hypocrite he loveth the light and will doe nothing willingly but as he may be taken notice of and seene of men as for those acts or exercises of religion which are private retirements between God and his owne soule he is a great stranger to them he cannot delight in them but any thing that may fall under publick observation he can be forward enough in Christ Math. 6.5 gives us this plaine discovery of the hypocricall Pharisees They love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men This was so much in Jehu's heart that he could not but blab it out with his tongue 2 Kings 10. Come see my zeale A false fire kindled his zeale else he had not made such a blaze It was insincere rotten-hearted Saul that sayd 1 Sam 15.13 Come thou blessed of the Lord I
sent to destroy 362. How the Angels come to know the mystery of the Gospel 408 Anger full of heate 10 11. Anger in the cause of God is good 15. Anger prevailes most in those who have least reason 27. They who give counsel must bridle anger 28. We should see good reason to be angry before we are 40 Answer unlesse we answer home we give no answer 82. A fourefold way of answering 232 233. Apostates who are so 620. Apostacy or turning back from God 700. Apostates grow worse and worse every day 705 Archimedes much transported with joy and why 85 Arrow put for a wound 525. Two sorts of arrows 525 Attention the best men may need to have their attentions quickned 551. B Barachel what that name signifieth 11. Behold a fourefold use of it in the Scripture 460 461. Behold to behold taken two wayes in Scripture 658 Belial what it signifieth and who may be called Belial 622 623 Bernard his description of an Opinionist in his time 115 Best not barely good but the best things to be looked after and chosen 508 510 Binding the great use of it for healing 608 Bladders wicked men how like them 691 Blindness spirituall or of the understanding to be smitten with it how sore a judgement 699 Boasting man is very apt to boast of himselfe 83 84 Man is apt to boast in the evill he doth much more of the good he doth 84. His boasting of wisdome 85 Bones what they are to the body 337. Paine in the bones grievous 337 338 Breath and spirit their difference 590 C Call of God it is dangerous to refuse or not hearken to his first call 268 Cato his answer to a voluptuous person 505 Change or turning of a man into another man twofold 55 Changes God can quickly make the greatest changes both in naturall and civill things 418 Charities done rightly produce a great encrease 566 Chastisements are documents 340. What properly a chastisement is 789. Chastisement is for amendment 797. When God chastneth us we should promise amendment 797. In what sence we may promise being chastned to offend no more 798 Chirurgion three things required in him answerably those three in those who would cure the soule 101 Christ remembrance of his humbling himselfe a great meanes to humble us 325. Christ the Angel of the Covenant 371. We must have union with Christ else we can have no benefit by him 429. Christ the only hiding place for sinners 672. Sinners under a fourefold consideration may hide themselves in Christ 672 Churches of the Gentiles to be warned by the severe dealings of God with the Church of the Jewes 697 Chusing or chusing of Instruments how it differs from Gods 61. Chusing or election what it is 506. The chusing of judgement what 506. It is not enough to know or doe good unlesse we chuse it 509 Clay that all men are clay how it should worke 187 Comforts the best in the creature vaine 347 Company to chuse ill company the signe of an evill man 538 543. To be much in the company of good men a signe of goodness 540. In what sense a good man may be sayd to goe in company with evill men 541 542 Condemnation supposeth a man to be wicked 29. To condemne and make wicked the same in Scripture 29 30 31. Condemnation out of our owne mouth must needs stop the mouth 196 Condemne to condemne those whom we cannot answer how sinfull 29 30 31. To condemn God the great wickedness of it and in what sense many doe it 618 619 Conditional acts of grace 398 Confession threefold 445. Sin must be confessed 449. Whether a generall confession be enough 449 Confidence or trust in man a strong argument against it from mans weakness 600 Conviction what or when a person may be sayd to be convinced 78 79. Three great convincers shewed 80 81 Conversion the worke of God not of man 89 Consideration what it is 707 711. Not to consider the wayes and word of God very sinfull 713 714. The duty of consideration prest 717 Corruption doth not prevaile upon the dead body of man till the fourth day 328. Corruption why sin is so called 797 800 Courtesies They watch for a discourtesie who aske courtesies of us beyond our power 210 Croesus the answer which the Oracle gave him ambiguous 160 Cry of the oppressed will goe up to God 718. Their affliction hath a cry though they cry not 719. They are the worst of wicked men who cause the poore to cry 720. God graciously heareth the cry of humble oppressed ones 722. Vide oppressed D. Darkness twofold 666 Death is a going downe to the pit 402. Sickness hath a tendency to death 402. When man dyeth he is gathered to God 593. Death is called a gathering in a threefold sense 594. No man hath priviledge against death 597. Death of two sorts 639. Death of any sort may befall all sorts of men 640. Death comes suddenly upon many men and may upon all men 640. Violent death sweepes away many in a moment 641 Declining how a good man may decline and grow worse 860 Deferre God sometimes deferrs to doe his servants right 520. Deferrings are very afflictive 520 Deficiencies of the best men two wayes to be considered for their humbling 323 Delaying dangerous though God be patient 467. Delayes in business may be no stop of it 483 Delighting in God what 545 546 Deliverances of five sorts 399. Deliverance is from God only 403. God conveighs deliverance by man or meanes usually 403. Our deliverance from sin is costly 410. Deliverances are obtained three wayes 410 411. Temporall deliverance by Christ also 412. Great deliverances give us a new life 470 Despayre of the end puts an end to endeavour 6. Despayre in creatures yet hope in God 528 Destruction in whose destruction God hath pleasure 811 Devills sin and condemnation what 86 Diadumenus his resolution 12 Differences what hinders the healing of them 483 484 486 487 488 Diligence how it makes rich 635 Discontent the Devills sin 59 Diseases and death not farre asunder 360. Diseases are destroyers 365. Diseases at the command of God 400 Displeasure of God renders all outward comforts nothing to us 348 Disputing tough and hard worke 3 Disputation the true law of it 193 Drawing and withdrawing two gracious acts of God towards man 299 Dreame what it is 280. Naturall dreams caused foure wayes 281 Diabolicall dreames 282. Divine dreames five messages upon which they are sent 282 283. It hath been the use of God to reveale himselfe by dreames 285. Five reasons why God revealed himselfe in dreames 286. Dreames the way of Gods revealing himselfe to the Church of old 287. Luthers prayer about dreames 288. A profitable use may be made of dreames at this day 289 Drinking what it signifieth in Scripture 533. A threefold measure of drinking 534. To drinke scorning like water what it imports 535 Dust in what sence all men are but dust 598. Humbling