Baal 1 King 18.40 But these are not to be imitated and we are to take heed to wild-fire instead of true zeal And particularly well managed and sober zeal hath those properties which may be gathered from the Text. 1. It will nor drive men rashly and in an headlong way to engage in quarrels and debates which they can avoid For he waited long to see if these mistakes might be cleared and rectified without him This rule is transgressed by all who do precipitantly rush and engage in debates and particularly by private men when they do needlesly engage in Controversies and Church quarrels which lye out of their way See Prov. 26 17 2. Right and sober zeal proceeds according to knowledge see Rom. 10.2 and will not pass judgement upon any thing but after a fair hearing and serious tryal of the matter For before his anger was kindled and brake forth he had waited and heard them patiently that he might take up the business well as he professeth v. 11. See Prov. 13.10 and 18.13 This is little observed by an any whose wit is all in their fore-head and their heart at their mouth And therefore they rush upon courses before they ponder them they are beguiled with fair masks and pretences and they look not to the consequences of courses before they do engage in them 3. True and sober zeal will never lead men to seek themselves but makes them content that a good turn be done though they be not seen in it For he waited upon them as minding if the matter were otherwise cleared not to appear Hence it may be concluded That boasters of themselves and extollers of themselves do reflect upon their own zeal as not found 4. True zeal teacheth men to reverence those with whom they have to do for their age parts and experience For he waited and heard them patiently and reverently because they were elder than he Of this afterward Only it argues passion and not zeal when men leave the defence of their cause to reflect upon persons and do behave themselves unsoberly toward them Doct. 2. Though true zeal ought to be managed with sobriety as hath been said yet it is no evidence of sobriety or of a right temper of zeal for men not to see the errours that are in the best of men and not to defend truth were it even against never so many godly men For Elihu marks errours in Job and here also and v. 3. in his three Friends and argues against them all 3. It is also no kindly mark of zeal for men to be furious at a fit and then to cool if they be not taken at first but true zeal is constant in its heat and fervour For here after all his long waiting his wrath is kindled 4. Men and even good men may have that opinion of themselves and their way which differs very farr from truth For v. 1. they judged they had said enough and that Job was obstinate and yet Elihu finds there was no answer in their mouth as hath been fully cleared v. 3. 5. They are justly censurable in the judgement of all zealous men who deserts cause of God and either in a neutral way or otherwise lye by from defending it For this kindles his wrath that they had no answer to Job especially on Gods behalf Verse 6. And Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am young and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid and durst not shew you mine opinion 7. I said Dayes should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdome The rest of this Chapter contains Elihu's general Preface directed to both parties but chiefly to Jobs three Friends And he insists the longer in Prefacing Partly because he was a young man in which case it was necessary to clear that he appeared not in this cause out of any arrogance or impudence but meerly out of love to truth and to plead that it was equitable they should lay aside all extrinsick advantages of age experience wit c. which they had on their side in this debate and that none of these should pre-judge his cause but let naked truth carry it Partly that he might here once for all condemn and lay by the three Friends with whom he deals no more after this Preface but leaves them to see the errour of their proceeding by taking notice of that right way which he followed whereby also he might insinuate into Jobs affection and invite him to hearken more patiently to what he was to say seeing he did not take part with his Friends against him In these Verses we have the first branch of this Preface wherein he gâ—â—â— a reason why he had kept silence so long and had not interposed sooner to end this difference Namely That the conscience of his own youth and his respect to their age and opinion of their wisdome made him afraid to speak in so grave an audience upon such a subject v. 6. As reckoning and judging within himself for so this phrase I said is to be understood here as Gen. 20.11 where it is said and not thought in the Original that it became such aged men and they were only fit to speak to such a matter seeing their long experience should teach them more wisdome which they might communicate to others v 7. In general Learn 1. Albeit zeal should be managed with sobriety yet that zeal is not approved which burns only in mens breasts against an evil course or errour unless it break forth also as need requires in their station For he whose wrath was kindled v. 2 3 5. now answered and said c. and spake when he was called to it Not as many who dislike evil courses if men may trust their professions and discourses and yet they never appear to do any thing against them in their stations 2. Zeal in defending of a good cause may yet suffer prejudices in mens opinions by reason of disadvantages in the person who manageth it As here his youth might readily cause them mistake his zeal and frequently we find many ready to except against and reflect upon the persons of men that thereby they may render their cause suspicious And therefore men who would find out truth had need to try a cause impartially abstracting from the consideration of persons who manage it 3. Albeit real disadvantages in mens persons do not warrant them to desert a good cause yet they should teach them to manage it with soberness and fear As here Elihu doth considering his youth wherein he is imitated but by very few young men who have any thing of zeal and honesty in them In particular Learn 1. Youth considered in it self is attended with many weaknesses For so doth Elihu grant That his youth gave him cause to fear lâ—st he run into mistakâ—s in speaking of so weighty and grave matters and that their age gave them many advantages which he wanted Who so will consider the heat of young
man here did See Isa 6.5 5. It is not enough that men receive gifts from the Spirit of God unless they receive also continual influences to quicken and excite those gifts and keep them fresh and in vigour For there must be a Spirit in man and the inspiration or breathing of the Almighty to give understanding See Cant. 4.16 Without this most eminent gifts yea and habitual graces will soon wither and fall into a decay 6. As Gods bounty in giving gifts to men doth proclaim his All-sufficiency So those to whom these gifts are sanctified will have high thoughts of him and his fulness Therefore is he called the Almighty or All-sufficient here to intimate that this gift proclaims him to be such and that he to whom it was sanctified esteemed of him as such From v. 9. Learn 1. Albeit men generally have a great conceit of their own Wisdome and readily they have most conceit who have least of wisdome yet it is not a gift given in common to all men For here some have it not 2. Albeit ordinarily God blesseth the use of means yet in some cases it is verified that wisdome and sound judgement doth not follow upon greatness and good education nor is attained by age or by men who might have had much experience For Great men are not alwayes wise or are not wise that is there are great men found who are not wise neither do the aged understand judgement There are great men who have had much pains taken upon them in their education and aged men who yet have not been wise men And what wisdome they had it did not slow principally from their greatness and age but from the gift and inspiration of God This point doth more particularly import 1. When men have any wisdome they must not sacrifice to their own net as if they had acquired it of themselves by the improvement of their means and time but they should ascribe the glory of all to God 2. Because this is much forgotten by men and God little seen and acknowledged by them therefore God makes it visible that he is the Author of all they enjoy by with-holding wisdome from great men and men of years which stroak is the just fruit of the want of self-denial 3. Which is the case in the Text When men are indeed other-wayes wise and great men as Job and his Friends were yet in some things and cases they may be found destitute of wisdome and in an errour and mistake As all of them were in this debate This the Lord ordereth not only that he may declare that he is tyed to no condition or age of men but that we may not take things upon trust from any men or pin our faith upon their sleeve but may be careful to try and examine all that men say or do by the rule laying aside the consideration of their persons And as we should not reject truth though it be offered by obscure young and unexperienced persons so we should not implicitely give credit to men in every thing because they are known to be wise and holy persons For that may be our very tryal and that whereby God takes proof of our sincerity and respect to his Word if we will call no man Rabbi Only in this case men should walk in much sobriety as hath been formerly marked For as God is not tyed to great able and experienced men so neither is he tyed to others Farr less are men to be cryed down by their inferiours in parts and experience upon this account that great men are not alwayes wise when yet they are never able to refute them as Elihu solidly refutes both parties here From v. 10. Learn 1. When God hath given abilities to men they should communicate their Talents to others for their edification and clearing of mistakes For saith he I also as well as ye will shew mine opinion As it is a sin for men to be idle and not put forth their Talents to use especially when there is great need of them as here there was So no bashfulness and modesty which were ready to hinder him being a young man will warrant them to lye by from that work to which they are called 2. Such as undertake to clear controverted truths and particularly to contradict holy able and experienced men themselves being young had need to be well grounded fitted and called to such a work For this resolution to shew his opinion comes in with a Therefore or by way of inference from what he hath said That being inspired and excited by God as he hints in general v. 8. and having noted their mistakes as he also insinuates in general v. 9 therefore he may well hazard to take his turn having the call and assistance of God and being able to instruct wherein they had erred This young men had need to advert unto in debates For however it may encourage men to stand for truth if it be on their side that the gifts of God are free to bestow them upon whom he will and in what particular exigents and controversies he pleaseth Yet as it is a sin to have a partial and implicite respect to the persons of great and experienced men as hath been marked So it is a double sin for young men to engage against them without cause and to cry them down and the truth which they maintain 3. Whoever they be that speak having a calling to matters in controversie they ought to be heard with attention without stumbling through prejudices at their persons till what they say be tryed For even this young man when he is speaking to old and grave men bids them hearken unto him 4. Then do men hear aright when every one doth not pass what is spoken to many together as nothing concerning them but is careful to apply to himself what is spoken as if none else were present Therefore is this exhortation directed in the singular number as hath been explained 5. It evidenceth wisdome in speakers when they single out those to deal with who stand in greatest need of help and when they are careful to speak what may tend most to edification On this account also it may be conceived that he will not insist to deal with the three Friends but singles out needy Job in particular to whom it was to good purpose to speak And this is indeed an evidence of a man who is guided by the Spirit of God in speaking when he minds edification and the need of Souls much Verse 11. Behold I waited for your words I gave ear to your reasons whilest you searched out what to say 12. Yea I attended unto you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words The second Reason of Elihu's interposing to speak which is more special and particular is the insufficiency of what they had spoken to convince Job So that having marked all that they had said and searched out all that long time
weakness that his good Conscience could afford him no comfort but in this out-gate of death which was of his own devising whereas the testimony of his Conscience had been better imployed in bearing patiently the present trouble And indeed we are ordinarily better in our own conceit at any thing then what is our present work and duty and do fancy that we could like any case but our present lot when yet it is the will of God we should take it as it is Yet herein 1. We may with admiration behold the invincible power of a good Conscience that cannot only grapple with death when it cometh but can run to meet it and that on any tearms and at greatest disadvantage and can even then expect comfort in and by it So was it with Job here I should yet have comfort c. A good Conscience is neither afraid of death nor of wrath as it should seem cutting us off nor even of destroying of foundations Psal 11.3 4. nor of any trouble Job 34.29 even which may shake others Isai 33.14 15 16. And the reason of this is every lot to the reconciled man hath this in it from God fear not ye Mat. 28.5 Which may invite men to be careful that their own hearts do not condemn them 1 Joh. 3.21 Act. 24.16 2. We may hence also gather That no fortitude against death or any trouble is worth the speaking of but what is grounded on a good Conscience For Job founds his resolution and comfort on this I have not concealed the words of the holy One. Natural Magnanimity is of little worth without this Only they who would be resolute and magnanimous upon the account of a good Conscience ought not only to have a good Conscience in the particular cause and matter of their tryal but in their other carriage also the want whereof will weaken their hands in most cleanly tryals and especially wherein Job was somewhat faulty in the way of their deportment under trouble which ought to be such as may witness that it is Conscience and not their own spirits that lead them Jam. 1.20 3. Men in trying their resolution and courage flowing from a good Conscience ought not to take themselves at the first word but ought to search and search again For so doth Job repeat his confidence upon this ground once and again I should yet have comfort yea I would harden my self in sorrow let him not spare Our hearts are very deceitful in undertaking and therefore godly jealousie fear and suâ—pition are oft-times antecedent to true courage Hab. 3.16 17 18. 4. The testimony of a good Conscience yielding hope of a blessed issue will make present trouble to be tolerable and more easie For Job expecting to be approved of God at death would yet have comfort and harden himself in sorrow in expectation of so great a good 5. Such as would approve themselves to be sincere ought to entertain right thoughts of God particularly of his holiness For the rise of his upright walk was that he looked on God as the holy One. This doth not only evince that God is not to be reflected upon in any of his dealings Psal 22.3 and in this Job's Principles were sound though his Passions did sometimes over-drive him to complain But doth also teach that none can have communion with God but such as study holiness nor can the holy God endure wickedness Psal 5.5 6 7. Hab. 1.13 And they who want holiness may come to him the Fountain of Holiness to get it 6. Such as do rightly improve the study of the holiness of God to press the necessity of real holiness upon themselves ought with Job not to conceal the words of the holy One. Which imports 1. God must be taken up obeyed and acknowledged according as he hath revealed himself and his will in his Words For they had the words of God among them even in Jobs days though not yet written and to those he cleaves neither lying of God by Error contrary to his Word nor taking up God and his Will according to his own fancy and humour 2. When God reveals his will in any particular it is our duty not to smother or put out our light and so sin against God and his Deputy in our bosom but we ought to avow and profess it in our station For he concealed not these words 3. Beside our Profession of Truth we must be careful not to belie it in our practice For thus also he concealed not the words of the holy One as is above explained Vers 11 What is my strength that I should hope and what is mine end that I should prolong my life 12. Is my strength the strength of Stones or is my flesh of Brass The second Argument wherein he appeals to themselves is taken from his inability to subsist under this trouble and consequently the improbability of the restitution they promised him upon his repentance He had no strength that might give him ground of hope to bear this trouble and avoid death and upon his repentance to be restored as Eliphaz promised unto him For he had not flesh with sense only as Beasts have but with reason also which sharpeneth crosses Far less was his flesh of stones or brass which want both sense and reason to endure this and therefore nothing was fitter for him then to resolve for death As for those words What is mine end c Some understand them thus For what end should I live which is a very sinful question if God will have us live Others thus What evil is in mine end that I should be afraid to die wherein can death prejudice me that I should so seek to avoid it But it agrees best with the rest of the purpose thus as if Job had said Seeing my strength is so disproportionable to my trouble my end by the ordinary course of nature especially being so crushed cannot be far off So that it were folly suppose I should be delivered to hope for any continuance of time wherein I might get reparation of these great evils or what can I expect or design in the rest of my short time that I should seek to prolong it and not presently desire to die So doth himself express it Chap. 16.22 In sum his Argument is this He hath neither strength to subsist under these troubles till he should repent and be restored as Eliphaz had prescribed nor could he look for any thing in the declining part of his life the expectation whereof might encourage him to endure his present troubles till he attained it But he had rather lose all the expected good before he endured the present troubles waiting for it This Argument thus explained doth insinuate these Truths 1. God hath made mans constitution such as it is easily subduable by afflictions For Jobs strength could afford him no hope of bearing through till he saw an issue on the back of troubles Man is made weak and more infirm then brass
only do they in so doing bear testimony for God and his Truth in that particular but they retain that which will be a strong Bulwark against many other assaults which Job expresseth well Chap. 10 15. If I be wicked wo were unto me For further clearing of this Point It may be enquired 1. What course shall we take to be clear off the truth of our integrity and righteousness when it is cryed down by men and sad dispensations seem to condemn us Answ In Job's case where the only thing in question was his Piety the matter may be cleared by these many Characters of true godliness recorded in the Word But for more general satisfaction in all cases those rules would be observed 1. Men may be righteous as to the state of their persons being justified by faith when yet some of their actions may be faulty Every thing that we ought to mourn for as a sin doth not alter the state of our persons but our feet may need to be washed when our body is already clean Joh. 13.9 10. This consideration may contribute to solve many doubts arising upon the sense of guilt and if well improved will advance and not hinder our repentance 2. Men ought to beware of turning such Scepticks as to question whether there be righteousness and unrighteousness a right and a wrong in the courses of men in the world or to be so unsettled as to quit and abandon every course as wrong which is crossed and borne down No dispensation of Providence condemneth any thing as sinful which the word accounts integrity It is a woful way of being above Scriptures when Providences thrust the Bible out of our hands and do hinder us to go to the Law and the Testimony thereby to judge of our own and others cause and way 3. Men may be heinously guilty of many sins before the Lord and because of them justly punished by him immediately or mediately And yet may be innocent as to the instruments afflicting them and as to the cause of their tryal by men David when he is lying in the dust before God because of his folly and sins of his youth yet croweth over Saul as an innocent man in the matter of his tryal and suffering And when God sent Judah into captivity yet he pleads their cause against the Chaldeans Thus the Church distinguisheth betwixt her case before God and before men in her suffering Mic. 7.9 and we ought not to confound them 4. Men may be righteous both before God and men in the main point of their tryal and yet may sin in many accessories and in the way of managing that which is right As here in this case Job bears all the strokes and God pleads more against his carriage then the carriage of his Friends and yet the issue of all is Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Chap. 42.8 It may be enquired 2. How they who under sufferings have a testimony of their integrity in any of the forementioned respects shall improve it or adhere to it in a right and acceptable way Answ Here Job's errour who managed a good cause sinfully may give us warning that we are apt to miscarry in this And therefore these rules are to be observed 1. Men are then right and do in a right way adhere to their integrity when they are so fixed as they are ready to suffer and abide a storm for their adherence thereunto It is a dangerous case when men are confirmed in their way meerly because it prospereth in their hand for what will they do when that Argument fails them or when let a cause be never so just men cannot suffer any thing for it And when I speak of suffering I do not only mean that men in a righteous cause do act in their stations amidst many hazards or do resolve to endure trouble from implacable men who bring them at under But that they do not accept deliverance albeit it were offered upon their forsaking what is right Heb. 11.35 2. Right maintainers of their integrity ought to be no less tender and zealous for it when sin would assault it within and so wound the Conscience then when tryals and outward dispensations would decry it 3. In this case also the Conscience of our integrity ought not to imbitter our spirits against God who exerciseth and afflicteth us which was Jobs fault Chap. 40 8. For albeit the Conscience of uprightness may help a man to courage and confidence in trouble yet we ought to be humble before God making as good use of cross dispensations as if we were unrighteous and mourning for any thing that God may have to say against us And this seems to have been Job's way at sometimes Chap. 9.15 10.15 though his passion did at other times ouer-drive him 4. Is there iniquity in my tongue c ver 30 The sum whereof is They ought to hear him for he will speak right things and if it were otherwise his judgment and experience would â—s easily discern it as his taste doth discern meat and having a tender Conscience he would abominate any unsound Principles as his taste would disrelish unsavoury meats In this matter he is so confident that he believes themselves are perswaded of it and therefore propounds it by way of question posing them if they judged otherwise of him And yet he did mistake himself for in some respects there was iniquity or sin at best in his tongue nor did his taste discern the perversity or sinfulness that was in his passionate desire of death upon which he insists so much in the next Chapter Hence Learn 1. It is duty of godly men and their property when in a right frame that their Consciences are very tender touch-stones of their Principles and way either to prevent their engaging in an evil way or to cause them relent it if they be engaged For so is here supposed that there should not be iniquity in their tongue and that their taste should discern perverse things Thus Joseph's Conscience broke the snares laid by his Mistriss Gen. 39 9. Thus David's reins did instruct him Psal 16.7 and his heart smote him when he had faln in an appearance of evil 1 Sam. 24 5. Hence it is a challenge that men are not ashamed when they do evil Jer. 6 15. This may give a check to men who bear down this light in themselves the doing whereof may soon lead them to do evils which even Pagans would be ashamed of Ezek. 16.27 2. Whatever be the duty of Gods people or their practice at sometimes in this particular Yet there may be great hazard in the best of men their leaning to their own discerning and spirits For Job missed his mark here in venturing too much on this Our own light spirits or impulses are dangerous guides seeing we have the Word wherewith we may consult in every thing and not only are all men lyars but many
things may concurr to corrupt the senses of men in particular exigents Prosperity may blunt their tenderness and bribe their light to allow them ease Desertion as befel David in the matter of Bathsheba and Hezekiah in the matter of the Ambassadours of the King of Babylon may draw forth proofs of weakness and good men may miscarry under it especially when they are not sensible that they are deserted but the refreshments of prosperity do supply the the room of spiritual life And troubles do readily produce a feverish distemper of senses especially when false Christs appears in time of trouble Matth. 24 22 23 24. This may teach us to walk in a continual jealousie of our selves and not to lean to our own understanding Prov. 3.5 CHAP. VII Job having in the preceeding Chapter excused his own complaints renewed his desire of Death and sharply rebuked his Friends for their inhumane cruelty and for their being deficient in that duty he might have expected from them in his need and withal having exhorted them that laying aside prejudices they would take a second look of his condition He now in this Chapter for their further Information falls on a new Discourse concerning his case wherein he labours to justifie his desire of death desires pity and commiseration and complains he can find it at no hand So in this Chapter 1. He studies to justifie his desire of death For seeing mans life was not perpetual but had a prefixed period ver 1. and it being lawful for all oppressed creatures to seek a lawful and attainable out-gate ver 2. Why might not he seek that lawful out-gate of death who was afflicted beyond others ver 3 4. and so neer unto death that he expected not ease but by it ver 5 6. 2. He pleads for pity in regard of his frailty and his miserable and hopeless condition ver 7 8 9 10. 3. He complains sadly of Gods dealing toward him and having resolved to ease himself that way ver 11. regrets that his trouble was greater then he needed to tame him ver 12. that it was uncessant ver 13 14. and put him to hard shifts ver 15 16. And that God needed not deal so severely with him either for tryal ver 17 18 19. or for punishment of his sin ver 20 21. Vers 1. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth are not his days also like the days of an hireling IN this Discourse concerning Job's desire of death I need not debate whether the discourse be directed to God to move him to grant him that desired out-gate or to his Friends to convince them of their errour in the matter as he judged it For both may be intended in the Discourse as spoken in their audience to God His conclusion or particular desire of death is no further expressed here then in that general Proposition v. 2. and as it may be gathered from the Arguments and the account he gives of the causes pressing him to seek after it Only it is more expressly afterward poured out in the complaint His Arguments justifying this desire may be taken up in that one sum set down in the Analysis of the Chapter But for more clear unfolding of the Text I shall take up three Arguments in it Whereof the first in this verse is taken from the condition of mans life which is not to be perpetual but limited by God to such a period at which it shall end as a Souldier hath a set time of his warfare and watching and an hireling of working And therefore he thinks he may safely desire that end of his task and service on which all men ought to be resolving This argument he holds forth in a general Proposition and appeals to God or his Friends Consciences to which soever of them we take the speech to be directed if this were not a truth That there is an appointed time for man upon earth it being prefixed by God and mans frailty as his name here in the Original imports holding out that he cannot be perpetual within time The word rendered an appointed time signifieth also a warfare which is very opposite to the purpose in hand as not only pointing at the condition of mans life being a perpetual toil and a condition of many tentations and hazards such as a souldier is exposed to in wars See Chap. 10.17 But serving also illustrate the matter of prefixing a period to mans life man being like a Souldier who hath a prefixed age for his coming on service and for going off as Miles emeritus Or a certain time for which he is conduced for such a service in war and afterward disbanded and dismissed Or a prefixed time for standing on his Watch as Centinel after which he is relieved And to this purpose also serveth that other similitude of an hirelings days both pointing at their hard service and toil and the prefixed time for which they are hired This General Proposition holds forth these truths 1. The time of our life is prefixed to us by God There is an appointed time to man upon earth See Job 14.5 Which as it gives us no latitude for unwarrantable hazarding of our life for we ought to live according to his appointment who hath appointed our time So it may teach us not to live as those who are Masters of their own time Isa 56.12 Luk. 12.19 20. To be willing to die when God declares we shall live no longer for many are so far from Job's temper here that they come not the length of duty in this and not to fear them who threaten our life for his sake for they will not get our life till his time come Psal 31 13 14 15. 2. Mans life will end his glass will run and his course draw at last to a period For there is but an appointed time for man upon earth Let men think to make themselves never so perpetual yet they cannot avoid death Psal 49.6 c. Which men ought seriously to think upon Gal. 11.9 and not to be excessively eager in seeking great things seeing they must die and leave them all 3. Our life till we come to the period of it is like unto a warfare wherein as good Souldiers we are not to serve or please our selves 2 Tim. 2.4 nor to dispute our Generals Orders and should resolve to be in perpetual motion and travail and watching to â—un many hazards and look for no issue but either absolute victory or death or to be led captives by Satan And it is also like the dayes of an hireling who is bound to many hard services and much toil So much doth the Text hold forth and they who look otherwise on their life will be deceived Yet in all this we have this encouragement That we are doing our Captain and Master service that we are working our own work as well as his for a Souldier earns pay and an hireling wages by his work and that the worst of it will
have an end As for the Inference that Job would draw from this Proposition That because mans life hath a prefixed period therefore he might peremptorily desire to attain this end of his toil It is faulty in divers respects the observing whereof may give light in the rest of his Discourse And 1. The condition of our life before God is not in all respects like the condition of a Souldier or hireling For our task and service is just debt as theirs is not always it is not needed by God as men need the assistance of Souldiers and Servants we have no skill of our selves to do our work as they have nor do we know our term-day as they do and therefore cannot prescribe it Unless we take him up to be God and our selves but creatures we will never steer a steady course especially under trouble 2. It is ill reasoning to say that because God hath determined our time therefore we should fix the end of it when we will For God hath kept up that from us that we may be ready either to die or honour him in the World as he shall please to order 3. Because there is an end of our toil it is ill argued that when toil cometh we should seek presently to be at the end of it Whereas we should rather bear it couragiously remembering the end of the Lord and that it will not be perpetual Jam. 5.11 4. It was unseasonable for Job to wish so eagerly for the end of his warfare and toil when such a dark cloud was betwixt God and him Saints have acknowledged â—t a mercy that death was kept off in such a condition Lam. 3.22 Psal 27 13. But this was an evidence of his great distress and of his distemper of mind which corrupted his sense and discerning Vers 2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work 3 So am I made to possess months of vanity and wearisome nights are appointed me 4. When I lie down I say When shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day The second Argument which presseth the former and cleareth it is taken from that common liberty allowed to all creatures in their strait to press and long for a possible and lawful out-gate The sum of it is as if Job had said If hirelings being weary do long after refreshment and the end of their task when they shall receive their wages So may I under my troubles long after death which is the appointed end of my toil and that so much tâ— rather as my task is sorer then any of theirs In this Argument Consider First The Proposition of the Argument in a comparison ver 2. That as a wearied servant oâ— hireling longeth after some cool shadow or the shadow of the night wherein he may rest and longeth â—oâ— the time wherein he may receive his wages For to work as it is in the Original is taken not â—o much oâ— the end of work as for the reward of it Psal 10â— 20. Jer. 22.13 So mighâ— he long for death whâ—â—e he expected to find the only true eâ—se of his grievances and reward of his integrity In this reasoning beside the former mistakes we may further add 1. That bâ—â—ng an hireling to so great and so good a Master and so uncertain of the length of his day he ought so to long for the close oâ— it as yet he prescribed not to God 2. It was his fault to look on death as the only out-gate and shadow from this â—oil â—â—â—peâ—â—ing that sufficient grace and proofs of love in the midst of trouble might have relâ—â—sheâ— him 3. It was also his fault to eye so much his own ease and the reward of his integrity and that he 〈…〉 rather condescend to what might honour God and edifie others albeit it were greivous to himself as was Paul's practice Phil. 1.22 25. Every one of those mistakes and faults may afford us Instruction But further these Lessons may be observâ—d in it 1. It pleaseth God to let some of Adam's posterity endure much toil in earning their bread that they may be sensible of sin and that others may learn thankfulness who have an easier lot though they be in the same guilt and of the same lump For so is held out in the instance of those wearied servants and hirelings Yea it is to be marked that though many are not put to those hard pinches yet even the greatest of men want not their own toil 2. It is ordinary for men not to find rest in their present condition but they are driven still to look after somewhat they want before them For so are servants and hirelings put to desire and look for somewhat they want And this holds not only true of men in great misery but generally of all men while they are within time Contentment with every estate is a choice lesson Phil. 4.11 Heb. 13.5 and would be more easily attained if men remembered they are within time where complete satisfaction is not to be expected and if they were studying to get the right use of every lot as it cometh 3. The many tossings and vexations wherewith the godly are essayed within time may allow them to look toward death with submission to the will of God as a sweet issue and to make it welcom when it cometh For this comparison imports that there is a lawful desire of death as the servant desires the shadow See 2 Cor. 5.4 Rom 8.23 A spiritual mind finds many calls thither though with submission and therefore do Saints find so many worms in their goâ—â—ds Only it should be our care that a desire to be freed from sin and a body of death do chiefly prevail with us to look to that issue 4. Death will never be a shadow to a man from his trouble who hath not so walked as he may expect a reward of his integrity then also For so much also doth the similitude import As the hireling looks both for the shadow and reward of his work so they whoÌ„ look comfortably on death must see both these in it And therefore a desperate desire of death in wicked men is abominable Secondly we have to consider the amplification and further pressing of this Argument from his particular case ver 3 4. Where in stead of inferring from that Proposition ver 2. that he might long for death as servants do for the shadow or more earnestly long for that issue then they do for their ease He only sheweth that he had greater cause so to long then they had being more hardly put to it And to prove this he holds out the dissimilitude betwixt his case and an hirelings in two 1. The hirelings task is ordinarily for a day but this was much longer even whole Moneths of vanity or eminently vain for any fruit of ease or comfort otherwise in respect of perfection all
must â—moâ—â— of his Friends against him This sharpning and quickning of our renewed tryals is ordered by God to keep us from formality and carelesness under them 3. The Children of God in their tryals may expect not only hard usage from God himself but to be hardly allowed audience by others in their complaints or get a good construction in what they say that so they may be fully tried on all hands For so doth Bildad carry toward Job and his discourses How long wilt thou speak these things and the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind full of violent impetuous passion but without any thing of reason Not only are the godly to lay their account to be mocked by the wicked in their troubles Psal 69.10 but to be a fear to their acquaintance Psal 31.11 and to have their godly friends not only mistaking but very angry at them as here This the Lord doth That he may wean his people from applause That he alone may have the glory of supporting them under all those loads superadded to their burdens And That by such examples as these we may be armed for such a tryal to have many godly friends on our tops and condemning us not only in a particular cause and debate but even in our personal state As here they dealt with Job 4. Passion prejudice and mistakes will breed ill constructions and misrepresentations of things which would appear otherwise to the impartial observer For from these causes it flowed that Bildad so judgeth of Job's discourses which were true and serious though mixed with frailty Prejudices do indeed hinder the sight of truth and our right estimation of things And while we charge every consequence that may follow upon a principle upon the maintainer of the principle as if that consequence were expresly intended by him while we charge every thing as a design upon a man that his way leads to and while we judge that such and such persons or persons so and so dealt with by God cannot have a good cause we will never judge right And therefore jealousie over our selves and love and calmness in reference to others are requisite if we would judge righteous judgment Vers 3. Doth God pervert judgment or doth the Almighty pervert justice In this verse which begins the second part of the Chapter he asserts the justice of God which he thought Job reflected upon and so taxes his doctrine more particularly And for confirmation of this Assertion he appeals to Job's own conscience if it be right to assert that God who is Omnipotent doth not walk according to the title of justice in his procedure with men As for the two words here used Judgment and Justice they may be taken indifferently as expressing one and the same thing Or if we distinguish them sometime one of them serves to express Gods righteous procedure in punishing the wicked and the other his procedure in vindicating the righteous when they are oppressed Yet so as both these words are indifferently used in Scripture to express the one or other of these Or they may be differenced thus judgment points at the accurate tryal of the cause speaking after the manner of men before he proceed to sentence and justice at his sentencing according as the cause requireth Or they may be more exactly differenced thus justice is between two the Judge and the Party judgment is betwixt three the Judg and two Parties And accordingly the meaning of Bildad's assertion may be thus extended That Job had no cause to impeach Gods justice neither in what he had inflicted upon him immediately by his own hand or in punishing him for his sins against himself nor yet in what he inflicted mediately by instruments or for his sins against his neighbours This is a true Assertion but Job is unjustly charged with the denial and quarrelling of it in their sense and accordingly he vindicates himself Chap. 9.2 For 1. Job's maintaining of his own righteousness is not a quarrelling of Gods righteousness who afflicted him Job held both to be true though he could not reconcile Gods deâ—ling with the testimony of his own Conscience that did evidence his weakness but not charge God with unrighteousness 2. As for his complaints of Gods dealing he was indeed more culpable therein and convinced to be so by God then he would at first see and acknowledge Yet therein he intended no direct accusation against Gods righteousness But they only shew that the weight of trouble and frailty of the flesh will put Saints so hard 〈◊〉 it that there will be a conflict betwixt Faith and Sense about Gods dealing in which case there is a liberty of laying out their perplexity before God as a mean to break and weaken their tentations This was Job's way though sometime his sense prevailed too much in it which because Bildad understood not through want of experience therefore he mistook him From this purpose we may Learn 1. The Justice of God is so uncontrovertedly clear in all his proceeding whether he act immediately or mediately by instruments that the Conscience of the greatest complainer when put to it seriously must subscribe to it and all are bound to the defence of it as witnesses for God So much doth Bildad's way of propounding this doctrine import He is not content nakedly to assert it that God is righteous but by way of interrogation puts it home to Job's Conscience as a truth he could not deny Doth God pervert judgment c And by his vehemency in asserting this he witnesseth his own bounden duty zealously to stand for the maintenance thereof And therefore they do sin egregiously who do indeed quarrel God Psal 73.10 Mal. 2.17 3.13 14 15. And Saints ought to be very careful of justifying God even in his hardest dispensations Neh. 9.32 33. Psal 22.3 51.4 and to be very wary of giving any occasion to others to misconstruct them as if they were quarrelling God as Job did to Bildad by his passionate complaints 2. Such as know God in his perfect and holy nature and Attributes will see clear cause to justifie God in his proceeding and particularly they who look upon his Omnipotent Power and All sufficiency will see that he can neither be moved to injustice by hope of any reward nor hindered to be just by the fear of the greatness of any or any other by-respect and therefore must be unquestionably just This confirmation of Gods righteousness is insinuated in that he calls him God who is infinitely pure and holy and the Almighty or All-sufficient And this doth teach us partly that the right way to judge of Gods dealing and his righteousness therein is not only to look downward upon his sharp dispensations wherein passion and sense may be ready to bemist us but to look upward to God the worker believing that his work is like himself whatever our sense say to the contrary And partly that such as quarrel Gods dealing do indeed reflect
to cause him know himself 3. No man can free himself from being quarreller of Gods Righteousness except the man who is sensible of sinfulness and misery under afflictions though he cannot condescend upon a particular cause for which God afflicts him Thus Job takes up man to be a frail sinful creature though he knew not in particular wherefore God contended with him Chap. 10.2 that he may witness that he is not quarrelling 4. Sense of sin is an especial mean to make a man carry right before God under trouble Therefore Job begins with this as his chief Argument why he would not quarrel with God For trouble and terrour may crush and silence the spirits of men but sense of sin bows them and makes them stoop to God In ver 3. Job as hath been said amplifieth that Argument formerly insinuated taken from mans sinfulness We need not enquire who this He is that will contend and with whom For it may be understood both of God and of the man that dare offer to quarrel with him And in sum it cometh to this Man is so environed with so innumerable infirmities and sins that if he should attempt to enter the lists with God and Gold undertake to contend with him he could not clear himself of one among never so many challenges but should be as often condemned as accused Hence Learn 1. Man is naturally a contentious striving creature As here is implied he would be at contending Not only is he apt to be contentious with men 1 Cor. 11.16 Rom. 2.8 Hab. 1.3 which is a fruit of flesh Gal. 5.19 20. but he is even ready to quarrel with God in the matter of his deep counsels Rom. 9.20 of his Law and Directions Rom. 8.7 Joh. 6.60 of his Providences and dispensations Psal 73. Jer. 12.1 Isa 45.9 58.3 and particularly in the matter of denying his own righteousness Rom. 10.3 This we should look upon as the result of our pride and the ordinary root and rise of much of our vexing exercise whereby we obstruct the use and profit we might reap by our condition 2. Nothing will subdue this proud contentious humour in man but sin discovered and charged home putting man to answer Either the Lord awaking the Consciences of contenders with him or with men either and so putting other work in their hand and curing their idleness which causeth contention or permitting them to fall in some sin to recover them from conceit and security which make them so quarrelsome 3. The best of the Children of God are environed with innumerable evils and frailties which may humble them For there are thousands of them here See Jam. 3.2 These should be seriously laid to heart Psal 40 11 12. lest we prove them to be not infirmities but presumptuous sins They should also be watched over and observed in every step of our way and when this is remembered it will call for charity one toward another and to bear one anothers burdens 4. Our unrighteousness and multitude of failings must be of Gods discovering when he comes to contend For he must make the challenge and put them to answer This is not only true of the wicked Psal 50.21 and of refined Formalists Rom. 7.9 But even of Saints who with David may lie over for a time in sin without discerning it either in the Glass of the Law or checks of their own Conscience till God come and put the Conscience to it So little cause have we to lean to our inherent grace And when we are most tender and vigilant in observing our own escapes yet how little are we able to pry into the Law or our own Consciences Who knoweth the perfection of the Law the depth of his own heart and all his escapes See 1 Joh. 3.20 This teacheth us to be mindful what strangers we are to our own errours Psal 19 12. and that therefore we ought not to lean to our own verdict of our selves 1 Cor. 4.4 Psal 139 23 24. 5. Albeit a spirit of bondage under tentation may cause Saints restore what they took not away and subscribe to every accusation of Satan as a true challenge yet all Gods challenges are true whether we see it or the conscience take with it or not And they are challenges which no man can ward off or answer but in a Mediator Every challenge of God is in it self a sentence of condemnation as often as we are challenged by him so often are we condemned For Man cannot answer him even one of a thousand He can neither deny them nor defend himself but must succumb in that debate See Rom. 3 4. Psal 130.3 and 143.2 This may demonstrate their folly who will not be concluded by the verdict of God in his Word concerning them but do stand out against it or who being convinced do not flee to a mediatour in whom alone they are able to answer to their dittay Vers 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered The Second Argument confirming this Assertion concerning the Righteousness of God and that he is not to be contended with as unrighteous is taken from the consideration of his power and wisdom This is propounded in this verse and amplified and enlarged in the several branches thereof His power especially though not secluding his wisdom ver 5. 10. and his wisdom especially ver 11. In this verse God is asserted to be wise and mighty where he is said to be wise in heart which is an expression borrowed from what the Scripture speaks of mens wisdom where the heart is taken not only for the seat of wisdom Prov 2 10. but for wisdom it self a man of heart is a wise man Job 34 34. Prov. 6 3â— 19 8. in the Original So the meaning here is that God is singularly and infinitely wise and powerful And in this 1. There is a proof of Gods Righteousness supposed For he neither wants wisdom which might cause him err or mistake in any thing nor wants he power for execution to cause him fail and come short in any of his purposes as we see men of best integrity may miscarry or come short through want of either of those 2. There is proposed an express argument wherefore God should not be contended with He being so wise and powerful none will offer to contend with him but fools seeing they are not able to prosecute a controversie with him either by skill or power And this is confirmed from experience that never any who yet essayed this course found it thrive in their hand Hence Learn 1. A right study of the Attributes of God will prove a solid ground for religious dispositions toward God it will help faith to judge what he is doing and will do and teach us to expect that his operations according to his Word will be like himself and that our behaviour before him should be sutable to such a One Therefore doth Job recâ—â—r to
and in such a way 4. No rod is so sad to a Child of God as a dumb rod when he can know nothing of the cause end or use of it that he might walk accordingly and justifie God For this makes God seeming to condemn Job â—ad unto him when he knew not wherefore he contended with him 5. Mens afflictions may be so involved and intricate through their own mistakes or otherwise that even Saints when they are under trouble may feel the stroke but see no more till God teach them who when he hath inflicted a stroke must give light to discern his mind in it and grace to make use of it For when Job is sadly afflicted he is yet left in the dark till God shew him wherefore he contended with him Where his ignorance did not slow so much from his present desertion and confusion as from this false Principle that God was condemning him as a wicked man In which case it was no wonder if he could see no cause for that having the testimony of a good Conscience However Saints in trouble may expect to have other perplexities beside this and that when they have taken up the nature of their trouble aright only as a tryal or chastisement they may yet be kept in the dark about the particular cause of it or the special use they should make of it Beside those Truths we may here also observe some failings and weaknesses in Job and his reasonings which may serve for caution and instruction to us 1. It was but his mistake while he judged by his present sense that God was condemning him and this raised the tempest in his soul It is our weakness to fasten mistakes upon Gods dealing and by so doing make our lot more unsupportable then really it is Likewise It should seriously be looked upon as a mistake That even saddest afflictions do always speak Gods condemning of the afflicted For he may chastise them most sharply whom he approves 2. Albeit God were not condemning him to perish eternally with the wicked for neither could that be nor did Job believe it was so but dealing with him in outward corrections as he useth to deal the wicked when he plagues them for their wickedness yet it was his fault not to see sufficient cause of all this within himself but he will put God to it to shew wherefore he contended For the best of Saints have sins which deserve more then all this Psal 130.3 143.2 and even Original sin in man doth justifie God in inflicting saddest corrections For the wages thereof is death Rom 5 12 14. 3. Though he had never so much integrity and could see no procuring cause of his afflictions yet there was cause enough why God should exercise even an innocent and much more why he should try him to draw forth what either of weakness or of grace was in him 4. Though he could neither see a procuring cause nor the final cause of Gods dealing yet it became not him to quarrel with God as if his dealing were unjust For absolute soveraignty in God might silence him and God is not bound to give a reason of his ways as himself acknowledged Chap 9.12 Vers 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked Followeth Job's Prosecution of the complaint which he had propounded v. 2. wherein he presseth his Expostulation and desire by several other Arguments beside those formerly insinuated in the Rise and Proposition of his complaint In all which he leaveth to his Friends to judge of the relevancy and justness of his complaint by the strength of his reasons propounded to God to whom alone he makes his address So the third Argument pressing his expostulation and desire in this verse doth prosecute what he had propounded v. 2. and give some general hints of what is further enlarged in the â—est of his discourse In it he points out his apprehension of what was in Gods severe dealing in condemning him and dealing with him as a wicked man 1. That it seemed to be an oppression of a righteous man 2. That it seemed to speak Gods despising of him who was the work of his hands both by Creation and by Grace for so it may be interpreted by what he subjoyns in this discourse both of Gods creating of him and of his grace in him 3. That God by his dealing toward him seemed to give favourable countenance to the plots projects and courses of the wicked Partly while the wicked as well as his Friends were ready to judge him to be a wicked man because afflicted Partly while God seemed to concur with and approve the deeds of the Sabeans and Chaldeans who robbed him and to give occasion to other wicked men to insult over him and abuse him now when he had afflicted him as Chap. 30.1 14. But chiefly while the wickeds prosperity and his adversity confirmed them who measure all things by outward advantages in this opinion that piety is of no worth Thus the counsel of the wicked is expounded of their sleighting of Piety because of their own prosperity Ch. 21.7 15. with 16. See Eccl. 8.11 Mal. 2.17 3.14 15. Upon these apprehensions Job founds his Argument which he propounds by way of question to God Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress c The meaning whereof is as if he had said Lord doth it beseem thy Nature and Goodness or can it be any pleasure or profit to thee thus to oppress and sleight thy own creature and servant and to seem as if thou would confirm and harden the wicked in their evil way The sense and use of this Argument and Expostulation may be reduced to these three General Heads First As to the way of propounding this Argument as also some that follow it is by way of question to God Is it good to thee that thou shouldest oppress c Wherein we have the language of two parties within him his sense and his faith His sense would absolutely have concluded all this to be true of God that he delighted to oppress and despise him and shine upon the counsel of the wicked But faith could not subscribe to all these conclusions and not being able to refute them yet it stands as it were a great stone in an impetuous River to stop the current of tentation if it were but with a question Can it be as sense saith as Psal 77.7 8 9. And here faith goeth further and propounds the matter to God wherein as sense layeth out its apprehensions of Gods dealing so faith propounds those apprehensions as questions to be resolved and cleared by God From this way of pleading in general Learn 1. Tentations may flie very high under trouble even against God himself For all that is here questioned was suggested to Job So also those apprehensions Psal 77. We are not to think it strange if a storm raise
knew him better then he knew himself Yet it is indeed incomprehensible nor is man capable to find it out by any search of his For he could sooner scale Heaven and dive to Hell or the depths of the Earth and search through and measure all the Earth and Sea which yet are an impossible task for man then comprehend this Wisdom which infinitely surmounts all those Albeit the Text speaks only of searching to find out God and the Almighty And it is true that his Nature and every one of his Attributes are unsearchable Yet the Context and what he hath spoken before of the secrets of Wisdom v. 6. lead us to understand it chiefly of the Wisdom of God the secrets whereof cannot be dived into by men nor can they ascend into the heights thereof nor fathom it as being Infinite and Incomprehensible The Original Text favours this Interpretation for not only may v. 7. be rendered as diverse also do read it Canst thou find out the searchings of God or his Wisdom whereby speaking after the manner of men he searcheth and knoweth all things But in the rest of the verses that which he saith cannot be comprehended of God is expressed by words in the Feminine Gender which have a reference to that Attribute of Wisdom which is expressed by a word of the same Gender v. 6. It is further to be marked as was also hinted v. 6 that albeit Zophar do only speak of the secrets of Gods Wisdom v. 6. in that one particular of knowing man and his faults Yet here he commends his Wisdom in general as it shineth in all his counsels and purposes his Providences and proceedings in the world in all which it is unsearchable and incomprehensible and therefore must be so also in that particular upon which he insists Were this Doctrine concerning the unsearchable Wisdom of God made use of by Zophar only to check Job for thinking that either he behoved to see such causes of Gods dispensations towards him as he thought reasonable or otherwise he had just cause to challenge and complain of Gods proceedings there would be no cause to censure him for any thing here spoken Only Job's miscarriage in that could prove no more but that he was in a fit of passion and under the power of tentation And therefore could not conclude against his state that he was wicked Or were this Doctrine only made use of to convince Job that God saw more in him then he could discern in himself there were no cause to quarrel it as hath been hinted on v. 6. See 1 Job 3.20 Jer. 17.9 10. But when it is made use of to prove that God knew him to be wicked and plagued him as such for his iniquity or sins which use to reign in the unregenerate as may be gathered from v. 6. and from his counsel v. 13 14. this cannot be granted For the matter of our state is none of those depths which are hid up in the unsearchable wisdom of God but is revealed from the Word for our comfort Rom. 5.1 2. 8.15 16. From all this Learn 1. The Counsels and Wisdom of God are deep and unsearchable For so is here held out And mens Consciences may tell them that they are so Therefore he poseth Job with it by way of question to shew that his Conscience cannot deny it See Rom. 11.33 This should teach us to be sober in our thoughts of our knowledge 1 Cor. 8.2 especially in this particular wherein though we may know somewhat yet we should be sensible of our short-coming and that we are far from finding it out to perfection See Job 26.14 42.4 5. We should also be sober in prying into Gods deep counsels in his ordering the affairs of the World and whatever we believe we know of them yet we should beware of laying weight upon our own searching and should lean only to Divine Revelation Likewise we should adore and not quarrel God in his Providences when we cannot see through the wisdom that is in them blessing him that we are allowed to believe that deep and unsearchable Wisdom is imployed about us and our affairs 2. As Gods Al-sufficiency and Infinite fulness proves his Wisdom in particular to be Infinite so he is Almighty to crush all those who obstinately oppose him And all those who dare to pry too curiously and presumptuously into his deep Counsels Therefore gets he the Name of Almighty or Alsufficient here To demonstrate that it is no wonder if such a One be deep in his wisdom and counsels And to deter Job from his supposed opposition to God and his presumption in judging of his counsels 3. All that large vastness that is in the creatures for height and depth length and breadth is short of the infinite depth that is in the wisdom of God For so is here held out that the heights of Heaven the depth of Hell the length of the Earth and breadth of the Sea are nothing to this wisdom See Chap. 28. throughout 4. Mans inability to reach the knowledge of the perfection of the creatures and to travel through them all for that effect and his ignorance of things neer and about him much more of things far from him may humble him for his conceit of his knowledge of the deep counsels of God and his presumptuous essays to pâ—ie into them For if man cannot get up to the height of Heaven nor dig down to Hell c. How much less can he reach this He can do nothing nor undertake any thing whereby to find it out nor can he know it if he should essay it 5. It is mans great mercy that his being in a state of grace is not hid up in a mystery but may be known from the Word by the help of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 And so the thoughts of the Infinite Wisdom of God needs not drive a godly man from any assurance of this nor ought he suffer any thoughts of the perfections of God to discourage him in it For this was Zophar's mistake that the Infinite Wisdom of God was enough to prove Job to be wicked which failing to be true his whole Argument proveâ— naught To which add 6. If there be such a depth here from the search whereof he would deter Job and from the consideration whereof he would have Job concluding that he was not righteous How comes it that he himself is so bold and so little sober in judging of Job's state meerly because God who is infinitely wise had afflicted him Might it not as safely be concluded that Gods Infinite Wisdom might see causes wherefore to afflict Job though righteous which none of them could comprehend But self-love is so blind that it will see a mote in anothers eye and pass over a beam in a mans own eye and pre judged Opinions shut mens eyes against most obvious and clear Truths Vers 10. If he cut off and shut up or gather together then who can hinder him The
with God and his service as Isai 33.14 2. From this it followeth That they prove themselves honest men who in the height of trouble will abide by it and go to God and keep his way and will not cast away confidence and dependance come what will For this is Job's proof of his honesty that he will come before God which an Hypocrite will not do Thus honesty is proved in troubles by waiting and desires Isai 26.8 by cleaving to Gods way Psal 44.17 c. by persevering in Prayer Psal 88.13 14 15. and by confidence in these Prayers expecting wonders to be shewed to the dead ere the honest seeker of God be utterly forsaken Psal 88.10 11. In a word when Saints blush and are ashamed to come to God Ezra 9.6 when they are affrighted with trouble or whatever their disadvantages be yet to come to God and cleave to him is good and a proof of honesty Vers 17. Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears 18. Behold now I have ordered my cause I know that I shall be justified Unto all these commendations of his confidence and evidences of his sincerity Job subjoyns an inference and conclusion wherein he wisheth they would diligently attend to what he was to say to God both by way of declaration of his sorrow to plead for pity and especially by way of pleading his own integrity being confident as one who had considered and examined his own cause exactly that God would justifie and absolve him not approving every escape in him especially in the way of managing the debate but declaring him a righteous man in a Mediatour and that he had better cause in this debate betwixt him and them Hence Learn 1. Men in trouble should have much liberty and allowance to speak their mind and what they say should be well attended to as not being rashly spoken but from real pressure of mind For saith he hear diligently my speech and my declaration either of my sorrows or integrity or both with your ears This he presseth that so they might see what Truth is in what he said and what his case was that made him speak as he did Men get pressures to teach them to speak solidly and not at random and what such speak should not be sleighted but albeit all they say cannot be justified yet their pressures should plead for much allowance and compassion as in another case 2 King 4.27 2. Even good men when themselves are unconcerned are ordinarily but little sensible of the condition of others and do little regard their complaints Therefore he must double Exhortation that they would hear and hear diligently and with their 〈◊〉 The neglect of this duty is an ordinary presage â—f trouble to come upon our selves as Reuben observed Gen. 42.21 22. And the Disciples who were little tender of the multitude who crowded after Christ to enjoy his company which themselves had without interruption are sent away to Sea without him that they might learn to pity others who could not at all times be with him Matth. 14.15 22 c. 3. Saints may attain to assurance of Gods approbation As here Job knoweth he shall be justified This assurance hath been attained even in sad distresses Rom. 8.35 38. And for godly men to doubt of it is their sin though every doubting be not inconsistent with faith nor even with some degree of assurance And therefore such ought not to habituate themselves to unbelief and doubtings which may have sad fruits But they should study to attain assurance that they may manage their approaches to God with hope and confidence 4. Such as would maintain their confidence assurance and integrity ought to try and examine their own estate well For saith he Behold now I have ordered my causes or taken notice of all I have to say for my self Not only is a delusion in the main matter dangerous but even in every particular evidence of our sincerity and ground of confidence For if we build upon any unsure Principle the discovery of that may readily cast all loose when yet there is no cause why we should do so seeing one may be truly honest who yet may be mistaken of some evidences of it And therefore we ought to be very exact and cautious 5. Albeit men having searched themselves never so exactly cannot conclude that they can abide Gods search and judgment as he is a severe Judge nor yet that they are perfect according to the tenour of the Covenant of Works which is the meaning of Paul's words 1 Cor. 4.4 Yet it is of Gods great mercy that upon mens impartial search of themselves and finding things right they may believe God will absolve them and approve them as sincere according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace For so Job having ordered his cause knows that he shall be justified If our hearts do condemn us upon just grounds and not upon a mistake the thoughts of Gods Omniscience may indeed affright us 1 Joh. 3.20 But if our hearts upon solid grounds condemn us not thoughts of his Al-seeing eye need not weaken our confidence 1 Joh. 3.21 Vers 19. Who is he that will plead with me for now if I hold my tongue I shall give up the ghost In this verse Job concludes his first Argument upon which he hath so long insisted taken from his confidence professing that since he know of such a Judge as God was and had so studied his cause he would gladly know his party being ready to enter the lists with any of them in this quarrel Unto whâ—h 〈◊〉 subjoyns the Second Argument confirming and 〈◊〉 his resolution to plead his câ—use with 〈…〉 is taken â—rom his great pressure and dis◠〈◊〉 He dâ—clares that as his assurance to be 〈…〉 of which he hath already spoken is not â—mall so his pâ—nt pressure to speak was not little 〈◊〉 if he should hold his peace as they judged was his duty it would cost him his life Not only was he to dâ—e shortly hâ—ng in such a weaâ— condition and so if he spake not in time he would leave his integrity unclear'd under all the bloâ—s they had cast upon him and Gods severe dispensations seemed to charge him with But unless he got a vent to his grief by speaking and complaining it would crush him and hasten his death And this Argument is so pressing upon Job's own spirit that having once named it without more ado he betakes himself to God and begins his address to him in the following verses Doct. 1. Saints must resolve that they will not always get their assurance held up in confident assertions not contradicted by any person or thing but must lay their account to have it questioned with pleadings and fightings As Job here supposeth 2. They must not resolve to cast away their assurance when it is ooposed not only by temptations from within but by misconstructers from without But they ought valiantly and resolutely engage against whatsoever
and how unable he was to abide that For if the most fixed and solid things cannot endure continual assaults especially from the hand of God how much more easily can he over-turn mans hopes ver 18 19. and get a complete Victory over him especially by cutting him off ver 20. and in the mean time so exercise him with his own afflictions that he cannot be affected with the good or ill condition of his nearest relations ver 21 22. Vers 1. Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble JOb's first Argument v. 1 2 3. whereby he pleads against Gods severe dealing toward him is taken from the condition and misery of all Men by Nature Wherein he propounds that they have but a short life and that obnoxious to many troubles and all their enjoyments are but transient and passing And from thence inferrs as to his own particular that seeing he would certainly die and had trouble enough otherwise though God dealt not thus extraordinarily with him he could not but wonder that God should notice him as if he were a fit party to be thus afflicted and exercised by him In this verse we have Job's Proposition of Mans misery wherein he evidenceth himself to be well versed by reason of his own trouble in the knowledge of mans vanity and misery which he describes First in its Universality It is common to Man or to all that are come of Adam which is the name here given to Man He speaks thus of men in general though with an eye to his own condition as appears from his inference v. 3 Because this is Mans common condition which is after mentioned And it Teacheth That whatever may be the particular and various dispensations of God toward men yet to be miserable by Nature is common to Adam and all his Posterity who come of him Aâ—l the sons of men are attended with some of thâ— common miseries of mankind and though some want the peculiar cross-lots of others yet they may have some of another kind no less sad and all of them whatever their condition be yet if their eyes be opened will find themselves but in a state of misery This teacheth men not to weary of their particular lots and tryals For did they shift never so oft they will find that they are still Man whom misery attends It Teacheth also That we have no cause to complain so long as our tryal is but common 1 Cor. 10.13 and our selfe-love should not get place to perswade us to aggravate our sorrows that we may have some pretence to complain of their singularity as Job oft-times doth for they will still be proportioned to what our case requires and to what strength God will give his own people Secondly Mans misery is described from its â—ise which is insinuated in mans Original that he is born of a woman This he mentions rather then that he is begotten of a man 1. Because the Woman was first in the transgression 1. Tim. 2.14 whence is the rise of all sin and of a defiled issue which produceth trouble So Job 15.14 2. Because the Woman is the weaker vessel 1 Pet. 3.7 And 3. Because a peculiar threatening and sâ—ntence is past against her in the matter of Conception and Birth Gen. 3 16. and so her issue must be weak and wretched like her self Hence Learn A sight of Mans original may humble him and make him see his misery when he considers what a sinful womb he comes from how ugly he comes out of it and how he begins his life with crying and weeping This is a lesson should stick by us as a document of our misery in all our mirth and jollity Thirdly This common misery of mankind is described in its parts That man is of short days and those full of trouble as Jacob also professeth Gen. 47.9 Doct. 1. Mans life is but short and it is a part of his misery that it is so For Job brings this as a proof of mans misery that he is of few days or short of days his time is but short That mans life is but short is evident from Scripture and from daily experience And it is to be accounted short especially now and â—ven in Job's time also though then they lived much longer then men do now both in respect of eternity and in respect of the continuance of Mans life if he had not sinned and even in respect of the age untill which men lived of old For as men now live but short while in comparison of the times about which Job lived so in those days their age was far short of the Patriarchs before the Floud And as mans days are thus few so for the misery that is in this shortness of his life though it be true that it is a mercy to the Godly that their days being ill are few and shortened see Math. 24.22 and that thereby they are hastened to glory Yet the shortness of mans life is in many respects a misery 1. If we consider it in the root and rise of it Mortality is the fruit of sin and therefore whatever beauty God put upon it yet in it self it is bitter and a misery 2. If we look upon it and consider what it is to natural men it must be concluded a great misery For whatever be their portion within time yet they must die and being dead sink into the pit eternally And in the mean time their life is so short and uncertain that it can hardly be measured even by days and they are exposed to so many hazards that they know not at what turn death may take hold of them and hurry them away 3. There is a misery in our few days in regard of the ill improvement of them We are for a while in the state of infancy before we know what it is to live After that many spend along time of youth before they settle and before they know how to number their days even as Rational Men And when we come to be more composed business sickness and distractions do impede and interrupt us and old age disables us to spend our time to any purpose In those inconveniences even the Godly do so much and frequently share that in that respect their short time is a misery 4. There is this misery also incident to us in our short time that both godly men and others are pulled away by death before they see many of those things which they desire accomplished So did Job apprehend to be hurried away in a cloud such also was David's exercise Psal 39.13 And this made Jacob complain of his days that they were few and evil Gen. 47.9 The study of this Point affords many useful Lessons That we do not doat on long life or an Eternity here as Luk. 12.19 20. for we will be disappointed and sin will help to shorten our dayes Psal 55.23 Prov. 10 27. And that we make not that use of the shortness of our
Loquacity and that he would never make an end of words or of his discourses which were but words and no more It is indeed true that Job spake much and more then they and belike Bildad did interrupt Job's Discourse which he was about to have continued if he had not broken in thus upon him as a talkative man Yet it was only out of the aboundance of his distress and in his own necessary defence against their unjust censures and imputations that he spake so much Whereas themselves rather were guilty of this fault who vexed him with so many Tautologies to no purpose still repeating what he had so often refuted The second fault charged upon him v. 2. is Inadvertency and that his arrogance and passion made him so little heed or ponder what they said that all they had hitherto spoken was fruitless as to him And therefore Bildad adviseth Job now to consider and take heed that he may repeat what he thinks may convince him Yet this was not Job's fault more then the former For he had attended and marked their discourses and found them empty Chap. 16.2 But it was rather their own fault who being nettled with a supposed reproach as it is v. 3. Chap. 20.3 did not heed his discourses but would obtrude their dictates upon him It is also to be marked that in this and the following verse Bildad speaks to Job in the plural number as if he had others with him either because he had indeed some present who assented to what he said in this debate as seems also to be hinted Ch. 34 4. or rather by this way of speaking he would reflect upon Job as an arrogant man who esteemed of himself as if he were as good and able as many put together and himself alone to be preferred in the matter of his Judgment and Opinion to all of them who opposed him From these verses Learn 1. Controversies and Debates once started are not soon ended But mens Interests Reputation and Passions will hold them on and obstruct the clear discovery of Truth on the one hand at least For hence it is that this debate continueth so long and after all that hath been said Bildad answered and engaged again This serves to discover their guilt who rashly open this sluce of Contention Prov. 17.14 and to warn them who are engaged in such unpleasant exercises to walk with much caution fear and trembling 2. Gods Children must resolve to be tossed on all hands till their tryal be perfected For Job hath here three Friends one of whom when the rest are weary doth assault him continually 3 Debates will readily raise passions and beget personal prejudices and reflections and other mistakes For in all their discourses ere they enter upon the main Controversie they have still a fling of passion at him upon the account of his way which they mistook and Bildad observes that same method here 4. Men ought to consider not only what they are doing but to what purpose they do it For Bildad challengeth Job that though he seemed to be very busie yet he was really idle speaking many words and but words as he judged Wherein though he was mistaken yet the General Doctrine is found 5. To triffle away precious time especially when men have opportunity to imploy it better is an hainous sin For so much also may be gathered in general from this challenge wherein Bildad supposeth it to be Job's fault and by making a question of it implieth Job could not justifie it as it could not have been justified had it been true that he was so long wasting time with words when he should have been about another work and hearkening to them while they propounded grounds for his humiliation 6. Such as would judge aright of the actions of others ought also seriously to consider what their condition is and what puts them upon these actions For herein Bildad failed in looking only how much Job spake not minding his distress which drave him to it See 2 Kings 4.27 7. Self-love will readily so blind men especially while they are in heat and passion that they may impute faults to others whereof themselves are really guilty For he chargeth Job with Loquacity when himself and the rest were only guilty of it in speaking so much and nothing to the afflicted mans case 8. Inadvertency and not attending to what is spoken is a great evil as being the cause of fruitless bearing and rendering mens pains and diligence in Doctrine useless For so much may be gathered in general from that Exhortation Mark and afterward we will speak which implies that it is to no purpose to speak unless they who hear do mark or consider and understand as the word is 9. It is a very great fault to judge of men and their proficiency by their acquiescing in our judgments For in Particular this Errour is supposed in this Exhortation that Bildad judged Job to be still arrogant and inadvertent so long as he heard not so as to become of their opinion Vers 3. Wherefore are we counted as beasts and reputed vile in your sight The third fault which he challengeth in Job's discourse and way is his proud and arrogant contempt and sleighting of them as if they had been Beasts and vile things in his eyes Job had indeed sent some of them to the Beasts to be taught Chap. 12.7 and had called them all liars and Physicians of no value Chap. 13.4 and told them that they were not wise Chap. 17.4 10 But all this was spoken in the necessary defence of his cause and of the truth it self Neither doth he reflect upon their persons nor their Piety nor yet doth he simply and absolutely call them erroneous and unwise but only in this particular cause wherein they were indeed faulty and defective And yet Bildad cannot endure it but doth resent it as a notable injury From all which Learn 1. As mens Credit and Reputation ought not unjustly to be blasted nor they irritated thereby Matth. 5.22 So Reputation is so great an Idol to the most of men that it may not be touched upon any terms and whatsoever is said of their real faults they look upon it as reflecting upon their Reputation Thus doth Bildad here judge of what Job spake of their Errours and challengeth him by way of question witnessing his indignation Such spirits may look for many rubs 2. Proud men look upon what others do to them through a multiplying and false glass which represents their way worse then it is and sometime what it is not at all For when Job abases them in his own defence that he might discover their Errour and humble them Bildad says they are affronted and when he speaks sharply to them of their ignorance he makes it worse then it is as if he called them beasts and esteemed them to be vile and polluted persons whereas all he said was that they were mistaken in their Doctrine and ignorant of truth
time For thus also no man shall look for his goods as hath been explained Vers 22. In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits every hand of the wicked shall come upon him Followeth to v. 29. The third part of this Narration Containing a further Amplification both of the downfal and subsequent miseries of a wicked man Wherein he is represented as a terrible delinquent pursued by God And having already spoken of the procuring cause of his fall and miseries he gives here a further account of the time and efficient cause of his ruine both instrumental v. 22. And principal v. 23. of the means of his ruine or weapons imployed against him to make him miserable v. 24 25 26. of the witnesses that shall be led against him in this process v. 27. of the effects of all v. 28. In this verse we have an account of the time of the wicked mans ruine and of the instruments imployed to bring it about Namely That when he is at the height of his prosperity and full and abounding in all things that are sufficient for a contented life then straits shall come upon him and that by the means of all the wicked or troublesome men as the word signifies that are about him who shall do to him as he did to others Here he hath another unjust reflection upon Job's case who was oppressed by the Sabeans and Caldeans when he was in a flourishing condition and his Children were feasting But the General Doctrine teacheth 1. Albeit wicked oppressours may for a time take elbow-room enough in the world yet when God reckons with them they will be pinched For then he is in straits or straitened And by this partly the Lord meets with their lawless dispositions and he straitens them who will not be hemmed in by his Law And partly he plagues them for their taking liberty and loosing the reins to themselves in prosperity by causing trouble pinch them sore 2. The height of the wickeds prosperity is so far from securing them that ordinarily ruine comes upon them when they are so exalted For in the fulness of his sufficiencie and when he abounds in all things and hath a full sufficiency of them he shall be in slâ—â—ites See Psal 92.5 6 7. Luke 12.19 20. 1 Thess 5 3. As in then most flourishing condition they are for most part in wants through the want of satisfaction and contentment Eccl. 5.10 So God in the time brings real wants and straits upon them and oft-times their stroke is but waiting for them till they be higher that the stroke may be sadder 3. Such as wickedly and unjustly oppress others God justly turns them ove unto as wicked hands who will shew them as little pity For as he oppressed the poor v 19. So every hand of the wicked â—â—â—â—els of those are about him and can reach him shall come upon him Thus the very wickedness of 〈◊〉 instruments of vengeance which prompts them to be cruel ought to be remarked Ezek. 7.21 22 â—3 24. Vers 23. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating In this verse we have a more particular account of the time of the wicked mans ruine together with the principal Efficient Cause thereof Namely God who shall rain the fury of his anger or some effects of his hot displeasure upon the wicked man even when he is about to satisfie himself with his purchases and with what he wished for to make him happy Thus the words are to be understood not so much literally that while he is eating his meat his ruine comes as befel Job's Children and the People of Israel Numb 11.33 as according to the scope of the former Metaphor v. 12 13 14 15. that he shall be destroyed even when he is about to glut himself with these sweet morsels which he had acquired with so much labour and toil Doct. 1. Who ever be the Instruments of the wickeds ruine yet God is the Principal Cause of it who should be waited upon that he may bring it about in his due time and should be seen in it when it cometh to pass For God shall cast upon him c. And though the word God be not in the Original yet it is to be reputed from v. 15. And the expressions of fury of his wrath and raining it down upon the wicked do evince that it is his work 2. When God is a mans party all instruments that he shall be pleased to employ will also be against him For every hand of the wicked shall be against him v. 22. when God is pursuing him in the fury of his wrath .. 3. God can holily make use of wicked men and their wicked actions to scourge other wicked men As this verse compared with the former doth also teach See Isa 10 5. 4. God chooseth the time for plaguing of wicked men so as they may be most surprised and their plagues prove most bitter to them For he is plagued when he is about to fill his belly and is eating when he is at the height of his expectation and beginning to joy in it this cometh upon him He begins to eat and taste of sweetness but gets not leave to fill his belly 5. It is the great misery of the wicked that whatever plague come upon them it flows from wrath and the fury of wrath As here we are taught And it warns men not to judge of the greatness of a stroke by what it is in it self but by the measure of divine displeasure that is manifested in and by it 6. Wicked men may expect that the effects of Divine displeasure will not only come suddenly and unexpectedly upon them as a plump-shower in the fairest day and will fall upon them from heaven whence the ruine cometh when there is no appearance they can be reached by any upon earth but that they will be powred down abundantly upon them to compense all former delays and sparing them All this is imported in this that God will rain wrath upon him when he is about to fill his belly and is eating Vers 24. He shall flee from the iron weapon and the bow of steel shall strike him through 25. It is drawn and cometh out of the body yea the glistering sword cometh out of his gall terrours are upon him In these verses and the next that followeth this ruine of the wicked man is illustrated from the consideration of the means of it or the weapons employed to bring it about And in these verses he asserts 1. That though the wicked man flee one mean of ruine yet another shall reach him As a man fleeing the sword or the like Iron weapon which kils at a nearer distance is overtaken by an arrow shot out of a Bow of steel or of brass which they used to temper well in those days v. 24. 2. That as when a man is thus
against sinners as the word threatens Jer. 12.4 Or that God doth not send his messsengers with all these hard messages they hear Jer. 5.12 13. So others fear not him nor his Word at all do what they will Exod. 5.2 Isa 36.20 Jer. 17.15 Isa 5.19 2 Pet. 3.4 7. When men have most low thoughts of God and of the advantage of Piety and are most presumptuous judgments may be nearest to them as in the like case it was with the old world And it is indeed true that such insolency in sin highly provokes God to plague though yet he may spare as Job cleared in the former Chapter 8. Men may be equal in sin who yet meet with different lots in the World For those who were overthrown by the floud and these whom Job asserteth to have been spared Chap. 21.13 14 15. are guilty of the same sins Vers 18. Yet he filled their houses with good things but the counsel of the wicked is far from me In the Fourth Branch of the Argument He subjoyns a caution to these corrupt Principles of the wicked as Job had done before him Chap. 25.16 And 1. He asserts that though they sleighted God as an unprofitable Master Yet he had for a time given them prosperity which gave the lie to the insolent undervaluing of him 2. Lest he should seem to be taken with that he had spoken of their impiety he expresses his abhorrency thereof in these same words that had been used by Job Chap. 21.16 Hereby intimating that he might more justly say their counsel was far from him who believed their speedy ruine than Job who flattered them with hopes of prosperity till their death Doct. 1. Though wicked men have low thoughts of God yet his bounty may for a time follow them to refute their ingratitude and contempt of him For though they saw not what the Almighty could do for them v. 17. Yet he filled their houses with good things See Matth. 5.45 2. The things of this present life are not only good in the wickeds esteem who have no other portion but they are good in themselves and ought so to be esteemed of and God praised for them and however the wicked abuse them which will heighten their guilt they are given for good ends not only to supply mens pressing necessities but to draw them to repentance Rom. 2.4 Therefore are they here called good things as also Job 2.9 Luke 16.25 though other things be comparatively far better Luke 10.41 42. 3. God may heap prosperity upon wicked men and may fill their houses with his good things that so he may give a large proof of his bounty and long suffering toward them who sin against so much mercy and that in his righteous judgement it may prove a snare whereby wicked men harden themselves in sleighting of him For he filled their houses with good things 4. All the favours that wicked men get are but temporary For they are only good things filling their houses in this life For they seek after no more and by this the godly are warned not to think too much of these things but to leave them to the wicked who have there Portion in this life Psal 17.14 5. The more kind God hath been mens sin in despising of him is the more hainous As here their impiety v. 17. is aggravated from this that he filled their houses with good things See Jer. 2.2 3 4 31. Mic. 6.3 4. 6. They may receive great heaps of temporal mercies who will be sadly plagued ere all be done As here these who thus prospered were overthrown with the floud 7. In all debates amongst godly men it is commendable to emulate who shall be most opposite to impiety As here he contends with Job about that which of them put the counsel of the wicked far from them 8. Men may pretend to be most against impiety and for godliness and may look upon others as hypocrites in that matter when yet it is nothing so but themselves have the worst cause For Eliphaz thinks he may better say The counsel of the wicked is far from him than Job might who as he judged said he hated the wicked when yet he continued in his wicked course and strengthned the hands of the wicked by his principles and discourses and yet Job was a godly man and maintained nothing but what was truth in that matter Vers 19. The righteous see it and are glad and the innocent laugh them to scorn 20. Whereas our substance is not cut down but the remnant of them the fire consumeth The sixt and last Argument and an Amplification of the former is taken from the estate of godly men contrary to what befals the wicked This is first propounded more generally v. 19. That the righteous shall have cause of joy and of deriding the wicked when they are afflicted 2. The ground of this their carriage is more particularly subjoyned v. 20. which is Gods different dealing with the wicked and them the one being preserved from ruine and the other consumed even to their very least remnants As the former Argument pointed chiefly at the time of the general deluge So this may point at the lot and practice of Noah who was preserved and had occasion to sing that Song v. 20. yet so as the godly may make use of it in all ages when they meet with such a dispensation And as Eliphaz and the rest did look upon Job as the instance of a wicked man consumed by God while themselves were preserved so it is like he repeats this Song even in reference to that As for the strength of this Argument it contains a truth of the preservation of some godly men at sometimes when the wicked were destroyed as we see in Noah Lot c. yet it is not so universally or frequently true as to contradict Job's Doctrine And as for this joy and laughing at the wicked it is not to be approved if it flow from the want of humanity or from a spirit of private revenge Job 31 29 30. Prov. 24.17 18. Yet it is lawful and right when it flows from love to the glory of God whose justice shines in these acts of vengeance See Psal 58.10 11. 107.42 Doct. 1. God when he pleaseth can make the plagues of wicked men remarkable For the righteous shall see it So also Psal 58.10 Men should make use of more secret and hid tryals blessing God that they are not made Beacons much more are they called to be fruitful when the world may see their calamities 2. As the prosperity of the wicked and especially their insolent profanity and cruelty when they prosper do sadden godly men so their calamities will revive and make them glad Fot this in particular is the cause of joy here The righteous shall see it or what befals such insolent profane men as have been above described and be glad As the godly may find matter of comfort in all their tribulations James 1.2 Rom.
continue the afflictions of his people so long as he pleaseth as having Soveraign Dominion Their own bitterness under trouble may contribute to lengthen their sorrows and complaints And the discovery and purging of their dross even when trouble hath touched upon their sores may be so long in working as may continue their exercise long upon them 5. Endeavours to comfort and relieve the afflicted may sometimes adde to the bitterness of their tryall For even to day is my complaint bitter imports also that his bitterness was not a little augmented by the cures they applyed to his sores so that every speech of theirs did for that time awake all his sorrows and bitterness upon him As it is not an easie task to deal with troubled and afflicted Saints so they themselves ought to guard against supervenient irritations when they are afflicted 6. Stroaks may so confound the afflicted that they can hardly so much as make distinct complaints of them but only groan or at least when they have vented never so much by complaining there will be much more left to be uttered by inexpressible groans For with his complaint he had groaning As this points out the emptiness of the creature that a man dare not so much as promise to himself to be able to ease himself by dâ—stinct uttering of his case So Saints in such a condition should be comforted by considering how much a groan may speak to God if it be uttered by his own Spirit Rom. 8.26 27. 7. It is a great ease to Saints in trouble to get leave to vent their grievances and complaints were it but even by groans For here Job complains that his stroak is heavier than his groaning or that it could not be uttered even by groans Where the word rendred my stroak in the Original is my hand So also Psal 77.2 Whereby we are to understand his stâ—oak coming from the hand of God and it gets the name of his hand or the hand upon him to shew that this is the right sight of our afflictions when we especially eye the hand of God in them This point may teach them to be thankful who get if it were but the mercy of such an ease And when it is wanting we must look to him who seeth our condition as well as he hears our complaints about it 8. It is an evidence of a sinful distemper when men complain more than they have cause and when their cry is louder than their stroak is smarting For Jobs defending of his complaint by shewing that his stroak is heavier than his groaning doth import that it could not be justified if his groaning were heavier than his stroak It is the duty of Saints to study to be moderate in their resentments and not to aggravate their sorrows and stroaks And for this end they ought to remember how much they deserve above what they feel Ezr. 9.13 to observe any moderation and mercy that is in their lot Lam. 3.18.22 and to be content with whatsoever affliction God will enable them to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 9. Saints in their distempers are unfit Judges of themselves and their way For Job did indeed exceed In his complaints but doth not discern it As men ought not simply to trust their own knowledge of themselves as having to do with God who knoweth them farr better 1 Cor. 4.4 So in particular they ought to be jealous of themselves when they are in any distemper or trouble Verse 3. O that I knew where I might find him That I might come even to his seat 4. I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with Arguments 5. I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me In the second branch of his complaint to v. 10. he regrates that he could not get access to God where he was sure to be absolved though he was condemned by men And in this his scope is not only to ease himself by complaining of his sad condition But withall 1. To assert his own integrity in that he expected to be assoyled by God 2. To insinuate that his Friends had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him which makes him seek to another Judge and complain that he gets not access In all which albeit his honesty and the strength of the grace of God in him do appear Yet it is further to be marked 1. That while he studies to avoid and repell their unjust censures he runs to another extremity in the way of asserting his confidence of his integrity Which sheweth that even a good cause may prove an occasion though not a cause to a man to manage it ill when he is tempted by the injuries of others 2. That being ill used by his Friends and so irritated and put in a distemper he reflects too much upon God who gave him not that satisfaction which he desired Which also warneth us that when passions are aloft they are madd steers-men and will readily drive us upon a rock This branch of his complaint and the grounds of it may be taken up in four particulars First His earnest desire to meet with God to argue his cause with him since he found so little help or comfort among his Friends v. 3. Where if we look upon the matter abstractly it is sound and right that a man desire to draw near unto God in his trouble especially when he is mistaken and ill guided by his Friends But if we look to the way of his desire and his particular scope in it he will be found passionate and faulty and therefore he is checked for his escape in it by Elihu For his scope here is to desire that since he missed of comfort and satisfaction in his addresses to God by faith and prayer therefore God would not so much help him to appear before him in Heaven by taking away his life as speaking after the manner of men set up some visible Tribunal before which he might plead his cause The whole Discourse alludes to such a finding of God as this which was granted to him afterward in the person of Elihu and by Gods own interposing in the debate though not so much to his advantage as he expected The second Particular in this branch of the complaint contained also in these Verses is an account of the use he would make of this liberty and opportunity of finding God Namely That he would boldly approach to God being set upon such a Tribunal v. 3. That he would propound and argue his cause and plead in defence of his integrity v. 4. and would answer all exceptions against it v. 5. and so formally deduce and manage the process Here there are great evidences of his integrity but vented without that modesty and reverence that were requisite and therefore he is afterward reproved for this However it may afford us useful instructions And First From his desire v. 3. Learn 1. A mans good conscience is a sure friend in
which he could not answer and repell Verse 6. Will he plead against me with his great power No but he would put strength in me 7. There the righteous might dispute with him so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge The third Particular in this branch of his complaint is an account of his encouragements which make him so earnestly desire to plead his cause with God One v. 6. is That he would thus if he could have access come unto God because God would not employ his great power against him in the debate but would even strengthen him to plead and prevail Or God would not destroy him when he appeared to debate his integrity but would only produce Arguments if there were any against him as some read the latter part of the Verse and strengthen him to answer if he had any thing to say And it is indeed true That God will not employ his power to crush men if they be able to answer what may be excepted against them Yet if any come presumptuously to plead they deserve that he should put forth his power to cause them know themselves Another ground of encouragement v. 7. is That at the Throne of grace the righteous may plead their cause with God and by that debate and the sentence upon it he should not only be delivered from their slanders who took upon them to be his Judges but from Gods condemnatory sentence in the day of Judgement and from the judgement and sentence which he might pass by vertue of his transcendent Soveraignty From v. 6. Learn 1. If God proceed in justice or exercise his Soveraignty over the best of men and put forth his power against them they cannot stand For Job declines to have God so pleading with him 2. God in his dealing with Saints doth not proceed according to their perfection but their sincerity nor doth he employ his Soveraign power to crush them For Will he plead against me with his great power No. See Job 37.23 24. Psal 99.4 This is a great encouragement to humble Saints though Job did justly fore-fault his priviledge if God had pleased to deal in severity by his pride and passion 3. God not only with-holds his great power in pleading with his people but he strengthens his people when he pleads with them to make them prevail For He would put strength in me or would put in me for strength is not in the Original that which would bear me out in this plea. Thus did he strengthen Jacob to wrestle and prevail with himself Gen. 32. And thus doth he deal with his people even when he leaves them to be pursuers of him Ps 63.8 4. As Saints who know the great power of God will not hazard to make it their party So they dare not lean to their own inherent strength as sufficient to bear them out even when God condescends to plead most gently and tenderly with them For Job needs that strength should be put in him even when God makes no use of his great power in pleading From v. 7. Learn 1. Albeit God allow not quarrellings such as many of Jobs pleas were yet he approves of the pleading of Faith at the Throne of grace For there they may dispute with him if they manage their plea in a right way 2. God allows his Saints even their righteousness and integrity though they be conscious to themselves of many imperfections For the righteous might there dispute with him But hypocrites who are neither perfect nor sincere should not dare to appeal to him 3. Godly men in their pleading may lawfully challenge the effects of Gods goodness and plead against his harsh usage of them and desire him that he would reconcile his present dealing with their priviledges and the testimony of their consciences providing they do all this modestly and reverently For so much is imported in this disputing or arguing which is indeed allowed to the righteous if they do not miscarry in the managing of it 4. Saints notwithstanding their integrity are obnoxious to the misconstructions of men and lyable to the Justice and Soveraignty of God if he please to put it forth to call them to an account for every miscarriage For these are to be understood by that Judge which Job desires to be delivered from 5. Saints by pleading and prevailing at the Throne of grace are liberate from these Tribunals and Judges Gods approbation there fortifieth them against all slanders and answers all the accusations of the Law For so by pleading my cause at the Throne of grace and disputing there with him I should be delivered from my Judge 6. When God assoyles his people at the Throne of grace he assoyles them for ever so that however the godly man may in his tenderness mind his faults often and God may put him in mind thereof to excite him to more tenderness and caution yet the sentence passed there will stand valid and ratified in the great day For saith he so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge Verse 8. Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him 9. On the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him The last Particular of this branch of the complaint is the Complaint it self wherein he regrates that though he had this earnest desire to find God that he might plead his cause with him and had these grounds of hope to be absolved yet let him turn himself where he will upon all hands he cannot get a sight of God nor access to him to plead his cause For clearing whereof Consider 1. Jobs scope in all this is not to deny Gods Omnipresence or that he is to be seen in his works upon every hand But only to assert that he could not find nor discern him in so sensible if not also a visible way of presence as he might plead his cause with him as one party doth with another 2. While he mentions his going forward and backward to the left and to the right hand in his successless quest the meaning is only this that no where and by no means could he meet with God And as to what he speaks of the left hand where he doth work some do understand it of the Northern parts of the World which are on a mans left hand when he stands with his face toward the East the West being behind him the South on his right hand and the East before him which was the way of designing the quarters of the World among the Hebrews where Gods working is more conspicuous as being more inhabited than Southern Climates But however the Jews did indeed so design the quarters of the World and Job alludes to it this is too subtil to be looked on as Jobs scope here For though he speak of his working only here yet it is not to be doubted but that he saw him in his
things are with him to deal with others as he dealt with Job So when the Lord hath tryed any of his people much he is still Soveraign and absolute to try them yet more Thus Job apprehends that many such things are with him to be yet performed against himself And it is true we should not think to shelter our selves under one tryal as if that should exempt us from another Amos 9.4 But God when he pleaseth may send many tryals one upon the back of another or all of them together Lam. 2.22 5. As God hath variety of tryals to send as he pleaseth upon the Sons of men So he hath variety of wayes means whereby to bring about their tryal and exercise Even many such things whether tryals or wayes and means of trying Therefore we ought not to boast that because we have endured one kind of tryal therefore we can stand in whatsoever assault For Hezekiah stood firm in adversity who yet succumbed in prosperity 6. It is an evidence of the weakness of Saints that when they get not their will in being delivered from present trouble they are ready to fear there are yet greater troubles to come upon them For so did Job conclude here that because God would not ease him nor grant his desires therefore many such things were yet abiding him It is our duty in trouble to hold our selves at our present work which is oft-times interrupted by these fears without either presumption or anxiety about what may befall us for the future And as we are not to judge of Gods purposes about our future lot by what is present seeing he can soon change his way of dealing nor yet by the thoughts of our own hearts when they are crushed and distempered by present troubles So neither are we to judge how we will be able to endure future tryals if it please God to send them till they be our tryal at which time we may expect grace to help as being a time of need Provided that for present we be not asleep but self-denied and living in a continual dependance upon God Verse 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him In the last branch of Jobs complaint he summs up all his former complaints in a new complaint Wherein he sheweth how grievous these things formerly mentioned were unto him and what matter of fear perplexity and regrate they ministred unto him In this Verse he propounds in general That the consideration of God as he had taken him up in the former complaints Namely that he had not only smitten him with sad stroaks v. 2. but would not be found of him v. 8 9. was inexorable and unchangeable in his purpose of afflicting him v. 13 14. and particularly seemed to be about to afflict him with more plagues v. 14. The consideration I say of all this did perplex and affright him Whence Learn 1. The sadness of mens afflictions ought not to be measured only by the weight of the stroak inflicted upon them for much trouble may be made easie to some but by the exercise of Spirit which it produceth in the afflicted For Job aggravates all his former complaints and the causes of them from the effects thereof that he was troubled and afraid This is seriously to be considered that men may be pitied when God makes lesser troubles prove heavy to them and that he may be acknowledged and commended when he makes a heavy burden prove very easie to the afflicted 2. It is a sad and humbling effect of afflictions when they so perplex and confound men that they know not what to do and do keep their minds in a perpetual restlessness and tossed with confusions and when they are accompanied with fears and terrours which break the courage of mens Spirits For this is the matter of Jobs sad complaint that he was troubled or perplexed and afraid by reason of his troubles Men should expect to be thus exercised in trouble that they may neither lean to their own wits nor courage and when their Spirits are not broken by trouble they ought not to complain of any sharp tryal 3. Sad stroaks in themselves will not so easily put Saints to perplexities and fears as their apprehensions of Gods thoughts in the stroaks he inflicts For saith he I am troubled at his presence and afraid of him Hence it is that wicked men prove so stout-heatred in outward troubles which may be ready to crush godly men because they do not look to God nor regard his thoughts in their afflictions as the godly do 4. Saints do much augment their own perplexities and fears by their dwelling much upon the consideration of their condition For saith he Whâ—n I consider I am troubled at his presâ—ncâ— and afraid of him As the wicked want exercise through want of consideration of their own wayes and of what God is doing to them So the godly do beget it through too much poring upon their condition And therefore they should be sober and cautious in ruminating upon their tryals 5. As God is terrible and dâ—eadful in himself and in his pursuing of wicked men So a sight and thoughts of him may be affrighting and breed perplexities even in Saints when they are in trouble For so was Job troubled at his presence and afraid of him So that godly men ought not to question their own state because of these apprehensions of God 6. Looking unto God through a wrong Perspective will readily breed Saints more perplexity than is allowed For so was it with Job here His looking upon God not as his revealed will declares it to be our mercy that we are in his hand in trouble and that he minds the good of his children thereby but as his passion and present distress misrepresented him his poring upon his own sad condition and his missing of these out-gates and wayes of appearing to plead his integrity which he devised breed him all this trouble and fear and not any thing God minded to his prejudice by this tryal if he could have discerned aright Verse 16. For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me 17. Because I was not cut off before the darkness neither hath he covered the darkness from my face In these Verses Job expresseth his complaint and grievance more distinctly together with the cause thereof His grievance and sad case v. 16. is That God did not only trouble and confound his spirit and judgement but did make his heart soft not so much soft by reason of tenderness as by taking away the strength and fortitude of his Spirit So that it was apt like wax to take any impression of fainting and terrour A particular cause and reason of this his dejected condition is subjoyned v. 17. Namely That God had made his life bitter with sorrows and had not prevented these his sorrows either by taking of him away by death before they came or by with-holding them from coming upon
his integrity with a sincere purpose to look to his lips and tongue For this is indeed a touch-stone of the truth and measure of our sanctification if we bridle our tongues Jam. 1.26 2. Mens great care should be not to look so much to what concerns themselves in matters as to what is right or wrong For Job declines to speak wickedness because it is wickedness let it concern him never so much and by this he sheweth that he is not byassed in this matter 3. There may be much wickedness in that which seems to be far otherwise to ignorant or partial observers For Job's refusing to speak wickedness in this matter while he defends his integrity insinuates that his denying of his own piety to which his Friends pressed him so much as a mark of honesty at least as opening a door of hope that he might become honest had great wickedness in him And so in many other cases great wickedness may be covered under a fair mask 4. Deceit and dissimulation is a special and eminent branch of wickedness Therefore is it here subjoyned to it as a branch of that general wickedness which he resolves to decline in the following discourse 5. It is in particular an abominable wickedness to make use of deceit in laying claim to integrity or in debates for finding out of truth and errour For Job declines deceit in this cause where his integrity was the truth in controversie As it is wicked hypocrisie to pretend to sincerity where it is not and to make use of plausible pretences that we may appear to be what we are not So the Lord abhors all sort of deceit in debating of controversies when either men conceal part of the truth or mix some falshood with it or do set â—ut an ill cause with specious pretences and fine discourses or are swayed in the matter of truth and errour by prosperity or adversity or the friendship or hatred of men Verse 5. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me In this Verse he gives a more particular account of his resolution That he will not justifie them in their cause or in their condemning of him and that he will not renounce or disavow his own integrity It seems this speech with that v. 4. is reflected upon by Elihu Chap 34.6 not because he speak an untruth but because he spake it not with due sobriety and humility as it is usual for men thus to miscarry when they have a good conscience in the matter of their tryal Doct. 1. To justifie in Scripture-phrase doth not import to make a man just and righteous by putting of such qualities in him but only in a forensick and Court-sense to pronounce and declare him to be just and righteous For here Job's not justifying of his Friends doth only import that he would not absolve or pronounce them innocent in this cause not that he would make them become wicked by any change of qualities wrought in them by him Thus to justifie the wicked is an abomination whereas it were commendable to make them become righteous and is opposite to condemning Prov. 17.15 2. Wrong is not to be justified in any great or small friend or foe godly persons or others but wherein men do evil they are to be condemned and evil ought to be called evil For Job will not justifie his godly Friends in that wherein they were wrong 3. It is an evil not to be justified in any when they discourage and weaken the hands of a godly man under his troubles and so help Satan and tentations to brangle his confidence in God For this was his Friends practice wherein he will not justifie them 4. Evil how cleanly soever ought to be renounced with zeal and abhorrence For saith he God forbid that I should justifie you We ought to study an hatred of all sin Psal 119.104 and particularly those sins which seem to be less gross and more refined such as Job's change of opinion might seem to be as also sins wherein men do prosper ought not to blunt our zeal as being most dangerous unless zeal be kept on foot 5. Though Adam's posterity cannot attain to perfection in this life yet they may attain through grace to integrity to be sincere and to have a respect unto all the Commandments Psal 119 6. and to be sincere and righteous in their cause For Job hath his integrity here 6. Integrity is a rich prize not to be easily quit or disavowed as being a sweet Cordial in all exigents Is 38.3 and affording other advantages than hypocrites know of For therefore Job cleaves to the defence of it as of a precious Iewel See Psal 25.21 7. Where integrity is it is good service to maintain it and as we ought not to justifie the wicked so also not to condemn the righteous or deny our own being in the state of grace if we be righteous Therefore Job is resolute in this that it is good service not to remove his integrity from him or to disavow that he is an upright man Such as are ready upon every occasion to call the truth of their own grace in question do still keep the foundation unsetled and so cannot make any progress nor build superstructures upon it 8. It is no less than wickedness to deny the truth of our grace and our integrity under any pretence of humility For Job looks upon the removing of his integrity from him as an instance of that wickedness which he resolves not to speak v. 4. As indeed it wrongs both God and the truth beside the prejudice that redounds thereby to our selves 9. Mens resolutions against sin particularly against the quitting of the testimony of their integrity under tentations ought to be perpetual and constant For Job fixeth upon this resolution till he die as arming himself against any continuance of tryals about his integrity that he weary not and resolving to quit any thing were it even his life rather than his integrity 10. Whatever assaults godly men may endure about their integrity yet it is not their part not to be consenting to quit it For saith he I will not remove my integrity from me nor consent that I am an hypocrite whatever ye my Friends or tentations from within may say to the contrary And as the misconstructions of others do not concern godly men so as to make them guilty of every thing that is charged upon them So Satans fiery darts within them are not their sin if they consent not 11. Men do not then only maintain their integrity aright when yet they are sensible of sin and daily imperfections For herein Job miscarried in his defence of this good cause while he was not unmindful of his sinfulness which might have made him humble and sober in his way of pleading it and therefore he is censured by Elihu This tells us that our sight of the grace of God in our selves needs to be ballanced
a godly mans esteem For here Job reflects on this as a desirable coâ—dâ—tion when he had darkness and Gods light whereby he might walk through it when he had humbling steps and God remembring him in his low estate as Ps 136.23 Such a trade as that is the most enriching trade that a Saint can drive and far beyond ease and idleness with whatsoever refreshment it seem to be attended 9. Gods people must not expect that they will alwayes get easily and comfortably through their difficulties or that they shall have a life-time of these sweet proofs of Gods favour which they sometimes finde For now Jobs case is altered He may wish for the Dayes when by his sight he walked through darkness but doth not enjoy them In those dayes see got easily through his difficulties and could see through a thick cloud but now he sticks in the mire and is involved in the clouds of thick darkness Thus we finde the people of God walking in darkness without any light Is 50.10 groping like blinde men Is 59.10 yea foolish and ignorant like very beasts Ps 73.22 This other life is no less necessary and needfull in its season as contributing to squeeze out our lusts and corruptions to pluck up these weeds in us which are apt to abound when we receive showres of refreshfull influences to discover us to our selves and exercise our faith and to fit us for proofs of Gods care and love when we are emptied Ps 73.22 23. And particularly Saints are not to mistake if after they have got easily through trials for a while they finde them stick faster afterward For hereby the Lord trains them on in his service till they be so engaged that they cannot retire and then he ministers strong Physick which will be more operative upon them As they grow in grace so their trials may grow in sharpness and continuance Whereas their Spirits were fresh and vigorous at first they may crush them afterwards by discouragement and then difficulties which were easie before become unsupportable burdens and their Spirits growing peevish and bitter they may make themselves an uncomfortable life And besides instead of lively tenderness security and lazyness may creep upon them and then they will take worse with disquiet and exercise than formerly they did All which should be adverted unto in this change of Saints lot and exercise Verse 4. As I was in the dayes of my youth when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle In the third Branch of this Description to Verse 18. Job gives an account of the parts of his former prosperity And first to verse 7. of his prosperity as a Parent and Master of a Family wherein also he continues to point out the presence and favour of God as the fountain and cause of his good Condition The good condition of his Family is generally propounded in this Verse and instanced in two Particulars v. 5 6. In the general Proposition he wisheth to be as he was in the dayes of his Youth when the secret of God was upon his House and Family Where consider 1. By the dayes of his youth we are to understand the time of his former prosperity which began early in his youth and was very sweet then unto him Some instead of youth read winter as the word will also bear And it points out that these dayes of his prosperity in his youth were dayes of case like a Souldier in his winter-quarters Or the words may also be read the dayes of my reproach or These dayes of his Prosperity for which he was now reproached by his Friends as if he had been a wicked man in them but he would be content he had them again All these Readings come to one purpose but that which we have in our Translation is clearest in this place 2. By the secret of God which was upon his tabernacle we are to understand both that special favour of God which the World knoweth not wherewith he was made acquainted in his youth when God dwelt in his Family as in his Church and the providence of God which protected his Family and made it to prosper Ps 91.1 3. He calleth his House and Family his Tabernacle not so much because these Arabians dwelt sometimes in Tents for we finde here a City where he dwelt v. 7. and his Sons had Houses chap. 1.18 19. as because he looked upon his House as but a Tabernacle that might easily be pulled down when God would and as the place of his pilgrimage his constant Dwelling-place being above Doct. 1. Acquaintance with God in youth is a great mercy and will prove comfortable to men when they come to old age For Job reflects upon the dayes of his youth as desirable dayes not onely for the prosperity thereof but because of the favour of God from which that flowed See Eccl. 12.1 Many have sad reflections upon the sins and follyes of youth who did not begin to look toward God in time 2. Rewards of Piety will begin as early as men can begin to be godly For these dayes were desiâ—able also upon the account of prosperity that flowed from the favour of God And albeit these temporal advantages do not alwayes accompany Piety yet men when ever they begin to seek God shall finde they do it not in vain Is 45.19 And they who are long a beginning to seek God do lose many precious opportunities and advantages they might have enjoyed especially when they had youth and vigour to have improved them 3. Prosperity accompanying Piety is a mercy especially when men have youth and health to make use of it and it should be improved as such For Job accounts his former prosperous condition in his youth desirable However Prosperity in it self be still a Mercy yet to the wicked who want piety it proves a snare and though it be a mercy at any time yet especially in youth and when old age hath not taken away mens pleasure in their dayes Eccl. 12.1 And therefore such as are made partakers of this mercy ought to remember the account they must make to God for it 4. Such as do make right use of Prosperity they do look upon it as an uncertain passing thing As Job calls it here his Tabernacle See 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. Undervaluers of Gods bounty in a prosperous lot do proclaim their ingratitude and their immortified lusts and that they are seeking happiness in temporal enjoyments which because they cannot finde they are therefore discontented and deprive themselves of that good which is really to be found in the good things of this life As Solomon missing of happiness and finding only vanity as to any felicity the creatures can bring to man in his pursuits after pleasure and delights falls a dispairing and hating of all his labour and hates his very life till he recollect himself and acquiesce in that good thing which God allows in the use of the creatures though they cannot make man happy Eccl. 2.1
desert them or afflict them yet more And afflicted persons are hereby taught not to expect that one affliction will hide them from another when God hath them to try exactly 4. Albeit Magistrates ought to do justice to all nor ought they to countenance poor men indifferently in whatsoever cause they have Exod. 23.3 Yet it is their Duty by vertue of their Office to protect the poor in their just rights For Job delivered the poor that cryed or from crying so that they needed cry no more and the fatherless c. 5. Albeit Magistrates in protecting and delivering the poor can look for no reward from them and may expect to be much maligned and hated by Oppressours Yet it is a blessed work so to do and a mean and way to be blessed of God Prov. 24.11 12. And such Magistrates ought to be blessed by these who are helped by them For in all these respects it is true that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon Job 6. It is the duty of the afflicted when God raiseth up Instruments to do for them to be comsorted in his providence and care even though their condition be otherwise sad For even the desolate and sad widows heart did sing for joy by Jobs means 7. It is no strange thing to see compassionate men meet with misery themselves As here befell Job who had been a compassionate man to the afflicted Hereby the Lord in his wise and holy providence layeth stumbling blocks in the way of many as no doubt many took advantage of Jobs misery to reproach him and his justice and tenderness as we have heard from Chap. 22.5 6 7. And hereby also God teacheth godly men to be sober and denied to all the good they are enabled to do that they may not alwayes expect visible advantages thereof but may be satisfied in the testimony of a good Conscience Verse 14. I put on righteousness and it cloathed me my judgement was as a robe and a diadem Lest any might object that Job did all this for the poor out of an affected desire of vain-glory and popularity or as being byassed with pity He in this Verse vindicates his practice and clears that he did all this justly and in righteousness which he persevered in and gloried in it above a robe and diadem and all other ornaments of his magistracy and dignity Whence Learn 1. No action can he rendred acceptable by any pretences unless it be good in it self Nor will pity to the distressed render a Magistrate approved unless his actings be just and he so relieve them that he do no wrong to others For therefore doth Job clear that his actings for the poor and fatherless c. v. 12 13. were in righteousness and judgement Where the two words righteousness and judgement may signifie one and the same thing Or judgement subjoyned to righteousness may import that he did not alwayes judge according to the strict rigour of the Law but did observe moderation and equity when the cause required it 2. It will not commend a Magistrate nor be comfortable to him that sometime he is just unless he be constant in it against all opposition For Job put on righteousness and it cloathed him his judgement was as a robe and a diadem Righteousness and Judgement were no less conspicuous in his administrations and habitual to him than his very garments and they did cover him on his head as a diadem and on his body as a robe so that there could be no access for injustice at any passage and being so it proved indeed warm and comfortable as mens garments are to their bodies that good practice being indeed commendable wherein men are habitual and constant and from which they are not driven by any tentations 3. As Magistrates have their badges of honour and eminent persons have that allowance in their apparel to which inferiour persons ought not to aspire as Job had his robe and diadem So to a godly discerning Magistrate the faithful discharge of his Office is his chief crown and ornament without which he is but a Statue in all his robes and splendour For Jobs righteousness and judgement were in his eyes a robe and diadem Yea vertues are the chief ornament of any person without which their gorgeous apparel doth but serve to cover so many monsters See 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Verse 15. I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame 16. I was a Father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out In these Verses Job gives a further and more particular account of his pains and the active assistance which he gave to the afflicted in judging their cause That he was any thing to them that they needed to set their cause right He helped such as had no skill in legal proceedings with his counsel and so was as eyes to the blind He was feet also to the lame not only in supporting those who were weak and like to be crushed and their righteous cause ready to be lost by the violence of potent Adversaries but in directing and helping them to act and strirr in defence of their cause and it may be going about it himself And he was in a word not only a Judge but a Father to all the poor and searched out the cause which he knew not that is he took pains to sift it to the bottom that he might find out what truth and justice was in it Or he searched out causes which otherwise he could not know as not being brought before him because either persons were unwilling or durst not complain that so he might prevent contentions and remove secret grudges and discontents among the people Or he searched out every cause that came before him even the causes of these persons whom he knew not as well as the cause of his acquaintances Doct. 1. It is not enough that Magistrates do judge justly in causes as they come and are presented before them But they must have a care especially if they be superiour Magistrates that righteous causes be not crushed in the very entry and either hindred from being presented in judgement or misguided and mis-represented in judgement through the simplicity weakness or poverty of the party wronged but that all these defects be supplyed For Job was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame c. He either acted all that was needful himself or caused others do it and saw that it was done and did not leave all to his inferiour Officers 2. As variety of causes and persons come before Magistrates and innocent persons may lye at many disadvantages So Magistrates must be ready to do all that the poor need who are oppressed and for any poor oppressed persons who need their help and that never so often For he was eyes or feet or whatever they needed in any cause and he was all those to the blind and lame indefinitely and he was those things to them not
prevent them or repent of them will not only meet them in their greatest straits and take them at a disadvantage but may provoke God to arise and visit them with judgements Therefore Job mentions Gods rising up and visiting in case he had failed in this and puts a perplexing question What he shall do or answer if God do rise up To intimate not only that such a miscarriage might sadly trouble him when God riseth up to visit Jam. 2.13 but that it might justly provoke God to arise and plague him Ps 12.5 4. It is also seriously to be studied that however some men be set on high above others yet God is infinitely more high above them and able to reach them For so much doth the scope of Gods argument import that though he needed not regard what his servants could do to him though he wronged them being so eminent above them Yet he durst not grapple with God above him when he should arise to plead their cause See Eccl. 5.8 No eminency of men should make them forget the super-eminency of God or cause them say Who is the Lord Exod. 5.2 But they should abase themselves daily before him lest he make them know upon their own expences that these that walk in pride he is able to abase Dan. 4.37 5. Such as do rightly study the super-eminent Majesty of God will tremble to do wrong to the meanest as considering that all sinners and particularly Oppressours will be at their wits end when he calls them to an account For this perswaded Job not to despise the cause of his man-servant c. v. 13. For if it had been otherwise What then saith he shall I do when God riseth up And When he visiteth what shall I answer him See Is 10.1 2 3. Eph. 6.9 Col. 4.1 From v. 15. Learn 1. God is the curious framer of man in the womb as well as he created man at first For saith Job He made me in the womb This doth demonstrate the perfection of God this little World Man pointing out what a God he is who made him as well as the greater World is full of his glory Ps 139.13 14 15 16. is a ground upon which we may claim an interest in him when other grounds do disappear Ps 22.9 and 119.73 Job 10.8 c. and an argument why we should not employ what he hath made as weapons wherewith to fight against him 2. God is the framer of all mankind the small as well as the great and that equally of the same kind and in the same way whatever difference of state there be afterward For He that made me made him and one did fashion us in the womb or in one womb The meanest have favours of this kind which they should acknowledge albeit they want other things See Pro. 22.2 3. The greatest of men if they be gracious will not forget their Original common to them with others though they differ in degrees of Civil dignity from them For so did Job here and propounds it by way of question as a certain truth and a truth which he seriously thought upon Humility is the Ornament of Eminency and it is sweet to see men a base themselves when God exalts them and not swelling up with pride because they are raised out of the dust and set above others 4. Such as do seriously consider their Original common to them with others will bear a low sayl toward the meanest as considering they are their own flesh Is 58.7 That by sleighting or wronging them because they are mean they reflect upon God who made them and who carved out their lot Pro. 14.31 And that God can soon cause those who are insolent because of their eminency know themselves and that they are but men Ps 9.19 20. Ezek. 28.9 For this was an argument disswading Job from sleighting or wronging of his servants Did not he that made me in the womb make him c. Verse 16. If I have with-held the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail The sixth Vertue whereof he maketh profession whereby also he refutes that challenge of injustice Chap. 22.6 7. is Humanity toward all distressed and indigent persons and that he was so farr from wronging any of them that he was helpful to all of them This he instanceth in several particular branches to v. 24. according to the several sorts of distressed persons and their several necessities which he supplyed Confirming those several assertions by tacite asseverations intimated in the form of expression If I have done so and so which imply an Imprecation or submission to Gods judgements if it were not as he said and subjoyning to the last an express Imprecation and Argument In this Verse we have the first branch of that Humanity whereof he professeth to have made conscience That not only he appeared for the righteous cause of the poor and of widows but having promised to assist them in their cause he did not disappoint and kill them with delayes but chearfully and speedily performed what he had promised Or it may be understood more generally That whatever were their lawful desires whereof rationally they might expect satisfaction from a man of his piety wealth prudence or authority or wherein he had promised to give them satisfaction he chearfully and readily satisfied them Whence Learn 1. Mens Consciences in a day of distress will find as much peace in their humanity and tenderness toward others as in any other fruit of faith and act of piety Therefore doth Job insist so much upon that here See Jam. 1.27 When men are thus tender and compassionate it evidenceth that they are humble and have a sense of the common miseries of mankind that have entred by sin and that they do read their own deservings in the sad lots of others It is also an evidence that they are sensible of Christs kindness to them which kindleth these bowels of compassion Yea this is the touchstone whereby men will be tryed in the last day Mat. 25.54 55. And therefore it cannot but be refreshful when men find this fruit of the Spirit in themselves 2. The Lord hath so ordered that poverty widow-hood accompanied with distresses and other miseries will not be wanting among the children of men both for the tryal and exercise of those who are under these lots and to be a tryal to others also and a touchstone of their sympathy and humanity For so were there poor and widows in Jobs dayes who were afflicted with their miseries and driven to seek relief from others and who gave Job occasion to give proof of his disposition See Deut. 15.11 Crosses of all kinds will not be wanting in any time and who so are free of these particular afflictions here mentioned may yet look for others no less searching and trying to them 3. Albeit poverty or widow-hood or any other affliction doth not warrant any to countenance men in an ill cause Exod. 23.3 Lev. 19.15
And albeit men may pretend many excuses why they should not pity such even in a just cause such as their multitude unworthiness ingratitude c. Yet it is the will of God that men who have wealth skill to advise power or authority do help them in what is right and as they need For so did Job here satisfie the desires of the poor and the expectation of the widows Men ought to consider that they are advanced not for themselves only but for the good of others also as Mordecai said to Esther Est 4.14 And as it is an evidence of the grace of God in them to be helpful to those whom God doth compassionate Ps 68.5 So the neglect thereof is a cause of Gods controversie against great men especially Is 1.23 And doth provoke him to cause themselves smart under the like difficulties Pro. 21.13 4. It is not sufficient in Gods account that men do somewhat for the poor widows or others in distress unless as the desires and expectations of the indigent are earnest and pressing so it be chearfully and speedily done For Job was so active in doing good that he caused not the eyes of the widdows to fail or did not out-weary them with expecting and looking for relief before he gave it for so this phrase signifieth in Scripture Ps 69.3 and 119.82 123. Lam. 4.17 nor did he cause them weep out their eyes with complaining of his backwardness See Pro. 3.27 28. 5. Men should walk so streightly and deal so ingenuously in the matter of their carriage as if they were to give an Oath upon it that they are what they declare themselves to be and as if they were to undergoe a present curse and judgement if it be otherwise For so much is imported in this taciâ—e Oath and Imprecation If I have with-held c. whereby he confirmeth this assertion and many others in this Chapter Which is both a tacite Oath and appeal to God that he speaks true and implyes a consenting to what God shall please to inflict if he do lye though he do forbear to express it as elsewhere he doth Mens want of seriousness and their putting of an evil day farr from them make them very loose in their walk and professions But if they would look upon Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire Lev. 10. Zimri and Cozbi cut off by Phinehas Num. 25. Jeroboams hand withering 1 King 13. Uzziah smitten with leprosie 2 Chr. 26. All of them in the very act of their sin If I say they would look upon these as beacons warning all what they deserve and for ought they know what they may meet with they might see cause to look better to their way Verse 17. Or have eaten my morsel my self alone and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof 18. For from my youth he was brought up with me as with a Father and I have guided her from my Mothers womb 19. If I have seen any perish for want of cloathing or any poor without covering 20. If his loyns have not blessed me and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep The next branch of this profession of Humanity confirmed also by a tacire asseveration is That he was a liberal Communicator of his own substance to the indigent both in food and apparel As for his meat he professeth not only that he did not eat it alone but Orphans shared with him in it v. 17. But that he had been habituated from his youth to tenderness and fatherly care of Orphan boyes and had also been a Guide Conducter and Patron to Orphan maids whose weak Sex exposed them to many hazards even from his infancy v. 18. Where it is to be considered that Job speaks of persons of both Sexes of whom he had been tender and careful He was brought up and I guided her Which some understand thus That by the first are meant the fatherless spoken of v. 17. and by the second the widow of whom he had spoken v. 16. And it is not to be doubted but Job was liberal to all those and many others in distress But the words run more smoothly if we understand them of fatherless boyes and girls who were poor and that having spoken in general of the fatherless v. 17. here he points out more particularly his tenderness to every sort and sex of them It is further to be considered that while he professeth he was thus tender not only from his youth but from his mothers womb the meaning of that hyperbolick expression is only this That as the grace of God began early to work in him and which probably was a mean of that his parents began soon to instruct him in the principles of piety compassion and charity so the fruits of his tenderness appeared very early as if it had come into the world and been born with him As for his humanity and liberality in the matter of cloathing he professeth that he gave apparel to the naked and poor who were ready to perish through want v. 19 So that they had cause to bless him being warmed by the apparel that was made of the fleece of his sheep v. 20. It is said the loynes of the poor blessed him where the loynes are put for the whole body that was cloathed possibly because their garments were girded upon their loynes and the meaning is that the poor man was excited to bless him when he found his loynes or body warmed with the apparel he had given him Or whatever the poor man did the very covering of his loynes and body spake Job to be a blessed man who had done that act of compassion From Verse 17. Learn 1. It is not enough that men be liberal of their power credit and authority to do good thereby unto others unless they expend of their wealth and meat also as need requires without which neither professions of love Jam. 2.15 16. nor of piety Isa 58.5 6 7. will avail Therefore beside what is professed v. 16. Job addes this that he had not eaten his morsel alone 2. As it is the commendation of great men if they be sober in their diet So albeit men had never so little they are bound to communicate of it to others as their need requires In both these respects he calls his allowance his morsel because he was sober in his diet and because he was charitable Not onely because he was a great and rich man who might well spare somewhat to others but he was ready to have given a share even of a little Nature needs but little to maintain it and charitable men will straiten themselves much that they may be beneficial to others And if men would indeed be sober their very supersluities might relieve many who are in distress 3. As hospitality is a commanded duty Rom. 12.13 and ought to be performed to these who are really indigent not to the rich onely who are able to requite us Luâ—e 14.12 13 14. far less to sturdy vagrants
word for word from the Original They found no answer and they condemned Job And so they will contain his censure of a double fault whereof they were guilty One is that already mentioned That they had unjustly condemned Job And the other is That by their finding no answer to Jobs Apologies they had quit Gods cause which he is now about to maintain against Job as overcome And by their silence in what they might and should have spoken in answer to his discourses they had condemned God no less than they had unjustly condemned Job by what they had spoken Though the former reading be most agreeable to the scope here yet both may very well be joyned together For as they were faulty in condemning Job without a reason and without answering his defences for himself So they were no less guilty in finding no answer such as he afterward produceth on Gods behalf against Jobs complaints and quarrellings From this Verse Learn 1. It is an evidence of a truly sober and gracious Spirit so to be taken up with one evil or errour as not to be blind in discerning others also upon another hand For Elihu discerns exactly the errours of both parties and on both hands in this debate and passeth his censure upon both And did not as the three Friends who to avoid the errour upon the one extreme of impeaching the righteousness of God who had afflicted Job do run to an errour on the other extreme and conclude Job to be wicked because afflicted As it is too usual for men while they are eagerly opposing one errour to rush into another on the other hand 2. As mens light should be universally clear in discerning errours and mistakes So their zeal ought to be uniform and against every one of them For against his three Friends was his wrath kindled for their errour as well as against Job for his Not as many who in their heat of opposition to one errour which it may be is their present exercise and in so farr it is commendable that their zeal is most bent against it do look with more indifferency upon another which seems to be opposite unto it as being upon the other extreme 3. It is a very great and yet a very usual fault in many to condemn men and bury them and their opinions and way under imputations and calumnies which neither are nor can be proved and made out For this was their practice and Elihu is angry because of this that they condemned Job when they had found no answer to his discourses proving his integrity as he tells them v. 12. Malice prejudices serving of designes c. as well as ignorance and errour which were the cause of their miscarriage may drive men to take such courses whereby they commit great cruelty and do justly provoke the anger and zeal of godly men against them As Elihu is hereby provoked to anger against Jobs Friends 4. Though it be a fault at any time or in any case to condemn men unjustly yet this fault is much aggravated and true zeal and indignation is provoked thereby when men deal so with afflicted men and so add to their affliction For this was an addition to their fault and helped to kindle Elihu's anger that they had so condemned Job who was now so sadly afflicted as himself states the case in this very particular Chap. 19.5 6 c. It is very sad when men are so cruel as to give a godly man a load above a burden See Psa 69.26 5. Albeit a multitude of words and fine discourses may blind many who think they have the best cause who talk most and who are easily deceived with good words and fair speeches Rom. 16.18 Yet that will not satisfie consciencious and rational men For these Friends spake enough as themselves thought to purpose and seemed to plead much for God and against impiety and yet Elihu discerns that they found no answer even to clear these things they intended to conclude against Job farr less did they hit upon the true answer which should have been returned to Job See Prov. 18.17 Men have need of solid wisdome that they may discern what is truth or errour in well-busked discourses and they who would speak to purpose in a debate ought to beware that unsound principles and heat in dispute do not blind-fold them and so cause them miss their mark as befell these Friends 6. In whatever case silence be lawful in some debates yet it is a great fault in any case to desert a cause of God when it is controverted and opposed For thus according to the other reading it is a fault by it self that they found no answer for God as well as that they condemned Job Verse 4. Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken because they were elder than he 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men then his wrath was kindled The third Antecedent and a more near occasion of Elihu's speech which explains and enlargeth that Antecedent v. 1. is That having patiently kept silence so long as they spake however they spake not right as reverencing their age now he must break off his silence with indignation considering that they gave over without any reply to Job which was to purpose and particlarly without speaking a word to his last discourses It is said only He had waited till Job had spoken but it imports also that he had waited and hearkned to what all of them had spoken all the while of the dispute For when a reason is given of this his silence they are all of them spoken of in the plural number They were elder than he to intimate that he had waited on them all Only it is here said that he waited till Job had spoken or expected Job in his words because Job spake last and because this is spoken more particularly with a reference to that last discourse which closed that debate upon which he is now to pass a judgement And so it importeth That he waited patiently in hearing Jobs long discourses and waited also after Job had spoken to see if they would say ought in answer to him And finding them silent his zeal breaks forth in the following discourse This purpose will come to be spoken of afterward when Elihu himself mentions it Here Learn 1. True zeal is not furious but bounded with sobriety and drives not a man without his station For such is Elihu's zeal here who silently waits all the time they spake however he was dis-satisfied and le ts not hâ—s zeal and wrath break forth till they have all given over whereby a call is given him to interpose It is true there are some heroick acts of zeal which fall not under ordinary rules As when Phinchas a Priest slew Zimri and Cazbi Numb 25.7 8 12 13 14. Samuel then only a Prophet slew Agag whom the Magistrate had spared 1 Sam. 15.32 33. And Elijah slew the Prophets of
blood which makes young men rash and precipitant and their zeal to out-strip their knowledge and light their youthful lusts want of experience c. will easily perceive that youth is not easie to manage aright Whereas to men of age many of these snares are broken Time and experience will let them see many things to be but folly and vanity which youth will not believe that they are such Those strong passions which do oft times master and over-power even true grace in younger persons may be more subdued and cooled in them c. This may let us see that it is a great mercy to be helped well through a time of youth and to be kept from the snares of it and the sad effects of these disadvantages which attend it 2. One great advantage of age above youth is in the matter of wisdome gathered by study and experience and in the cooling of their heat and passions which usually represent things to men through false Perspectives For this is the advantage intimated here On his own part he was afraid and durst not shew his opinion considering that he was young and they old Not only was he afraid lest he should goe without the bounds of his station in offering to speak before them but lest being but a young man he should miscarry in speaking to the matter it self And on their part he reckoned this their advantage That dayes or men of dayes should speak that is Not only is it their priviledge to speak when young men should be silent and hear but it is expected they should be able to speak to purpose on such weighty subjects and that multitude of years should teach wisdome that is their long life should be so improved as they may be taught much experimental knowledge by living long in the world which also they should teach and communicate to others It is true this difference betwixt age and youth doth not universally hold as Elihu afterwards tells them yet many times it proves true that age out-strips youth in these things as Rehoboam found by experience in the matter of his Counsellours 1 King 12. And however it hold eventually yet the characters here assigned of youth and old age do point out that it is a great defect in young men not to be well acquainted with their own precipitancy and want of experience And that it is a great shame for aged persons if as they have place to speak so they be not wise and able to speak to purpose and if the long time they have had hath not so taught them as makes them both able and willing to communicate their light to others who possibly are not so able or sensible of the good and evil of courses as themselves are But they themselves are no less rash and head-strong than if they were still children 3. It is an evidence of grace and a great mercy to young persons when they are made to discern and take notice of the disadvantages they lye under For so is Elihu sensible here of what might rationally be expected from his youth and their age Thus Solomon is sensible of the disadvantages of his youth 1 King 3.7 8 9. When young men are not sensible of their disadvantages they cannot but run headlong on snares while they think themselves wise enough and so prove in effect but mad fools Whereas these who are afraid lâ—st they do miscarry and so are not rash to do or speak any thing they prove themselves to be most able and do seldome miscarry 4. When God gives young men a blessed sight of their own disadvantages it will produce much sobriety As here it doth in Elihu See Tit. 2.6 And if we consider the words we will find these evidences of sobriety in young men 1. They who are sober will have no conceit of themselves For Elihu here is free of that And where conceit is it is an evidence that the weaknesses of youth are not well studied 2. Sober young men will have a good esteem of aged men and their opinions till they find very clear cause to judge otherwise For he judged that such should speak and teach wisdome 3. They will still be modest and respect age even when they are dis-satisfied with their opinion As here he waited till they had spoken out and reckoned that dayes should speak or had place to speak before him 4. They will be farr from presumptuous boldness and full of humble fears in their undertakings especially when they are called to oppose others who are elder than themselves As here he enters with much fear upon this undertaking Verse 8. But there is a Spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding 9. Great men are not alwayes wise neither do the aged understand judgement 10. Therefore I said Hearken to me I also will shew mine opinion Followeth to v. 21. the second branch of this Preface wherein he gives five Reasons why he now interposeth to speak in this cause The first Reason in these Verses is more general containing this in summ That the fountain of wisdome not being in man himself but from God who giveth it to whom he pleaseth v. 8. And who doth not always give it to great men and men of experience v. 9. Therefore though he be a young man yet they having given over he will hazard to speak somewhat in that cause v. 10. Which he might well undertake being indeed inspired by God as he tells them v. 18 19. though here he speak of that inspiration only in general and abstractly v. 8. which might supply his want of years and experience For clearing of this purpose Consider 1. These tearms of Wisdome understanding and Judgement are here to be taken promiscuously for a gift of discerning to judge betwixt right and wrong and truth and errour in matters and opinions together with a gift of prudence or ability to speak rightly and pertinently to a cause For these are the particulars of which Elihu is treating which he expresseth by all these words 2. As for that Spirit which he saith is in man Some understand it of the reasonable Soul of man and take up the purpose thus That all men have a reasonable Soul which by the special inspiration of God may be so elevated that even young men by that assistance may comprehend these things which aged and experienced persons cannot know without it Others understand it of the Soul of man yet they take up the scope of the Verse thus That though there be such a Spirit in man yet it is not that but the inspiâ—ation of the Almighty which makes truly wise But it is clearer to understand it of the Spirit of God and so the latter part of the Verse is exegetâ—ke and explains the former That it is by that Spirit in man even by the inspiration of the Almighty that any attain to this understanding here spoken of 3. As for this Spirit or inspiration as it is not
uncapableness and unfruitfulness than to complain of God And this Argument he prosecutes at length that he may take occasion to give some further account of Gods mind in troubles and afflictions In this Verse we have this Argument more generally propounded both as to Gods condescendence and mans unfruitfulness That God speaks his mind oftner than men perceive it And for clearing of the words Consider 1. For the matter which God is here supposed to speak to man it is of his matters v. 13. so farr as it concerns or is profitable for man to know in order to his Souls good as the enlargement of this Argument makes clear 2. For the manner of his speaking or the means whereby he communicates his mind to man the following instances clear that he speaks both by his Word extraordinarily revealed by visions v. 15. or dispensed in ordinary way by Ministers v. 23. and by afflictions v. 19. Under which though Elihu's present scope lead him to speak only of afflictions all other dispensations of Providence are to be comprehended by which God speaks his mind to men 3. As for his frequency in speaking while it is said God speaketh once yea twice and that he worketh twice thrice which is translated oftentimes v. 29. it is not to be restricted to any certain number though afterward three means of Gods speaking be instanced by Visions Sickness and a Ministry but the meaning is That which soever of these wayes he speak though it were enough if he spake but once yet he is pleased to speak more frequently though after frequent warnings once twice or thrice he may give over to warn any more Some understand it thus That if God speak once and men perceive it not he will speak again till men take it up And it is true that God doth pursue his people with instructions till they learn their lesson yea God will also speak at last to the wicked in a language which they will understand however now they slight many warnings and instructions But that is not the scope which Elihu aims at in this Argument but rather to give a check to mans quarrelling of God while himself is rather ignorant even after all those admonitions 4. For mans not perceiving when God speaks albeit in the first place it be meant of his ignorance or inadvertency in taking up those frequent warnings Yet it includes also as a consequent and effect of the former his not improving or making use of that which possibly he may perceive of Gods mind when he speaks In this Verse that I may more distinctly speak to it we may consider First The connexion and dependance of this Verse upon the former held out in the Particle For. Some do here translate it otherwise as judging there is no connexion betwixt this and the other Argument and instead of For they read When or Albeit which the word doth also signifie And so the whole Verse will run thus When God speaks or Albeit God speak yet man perceiveth it not or he that is man as is well supplyed in the Translation doth not perceive or contemplate it But I shall follow our Translation as conceiving that this Argument serves not only to prove the principal Conclusion but is an amplification of the former Argument also And the Connexion may be taken up in these two 1. Why should God give an account of his matters v. 13. seeing man doth not perceive what he is pleased to reveal and give him some account of Which teacheth That the ill use men make of what they receive is the ready way to obstruct and hinder their getting of more 2. If men perceive not what is obvious and revealed to them for their instruction v. 14. why should God give them an account of his deep counsels v. 13. This is Gods own Argument which he afterward presseth by many instances to convince Job of his presumption and folly in desiring to plead with him And it teacheth That our blindness and inadvertency in many obvious things may silence our quarrellings when God keeps us in the dark in other things Secondly Consider the general scope of this Argument which is To lead Job from quarelling of God about his afflictions and his being kept ignorant of the reasons thereof to accuse himself of ignorance and inadvertency It teacheth 1. It is an usual fault in men to complain of God and his dealing when themselves are to blame For here he sheweth That however Job complained of Gods way and that he could not see a cause of his dealing toward him yet God had rather cause to complain that he saw so ill what he had revealed concerning it Thus the hearts of many fret against the Lord when their own foolishness hath perverted their way Prov. 19.3 And the Lord Ezek. 18.23 declares That that people reasoned ill when they said His wayes were not equal when indeed their wayes were unequal Thus also men are apt to complain of sharp rods when they should complain of their own boily skins or their want of mortification casting away of strength c. which make the rod grievous In a word as Hagar had a Well near her in her distress though her eyes were not open to discern it Gen. 21.15 19. So in many of our distempers and grievances we have a cure very near us if we saw it even within by the change of our dispositions more mortification and encouragement in God c. 2. Whatever needful humbling there be through want of light under trouble yet light is not mens greatest want in such a case For that is the particular wherein Elihu asserts that Job wanted not instruction and means of light however he complained Thus the Lord answers the question of Hypocrites Mich. 6.6 7 with 8. So that when Saints do mistake troubles or mistake God because of their troubles or when they think they have cause to run away from God because he hath afflicted them or do sit idle under the Cross as not knowing what to do c. they do but evidence that their own petted and peevish Spirits have bemisted themselves For Gods mind hath been often spoken to those businesses if men would employ his Spirit for grace to take it up Thirdly Consider the matter of this Argument as it contains this general challenge against man That God speaks and reveals his mind to him by his Word and Dispensations and yet he perceiveth it not It teacheth 1. Albeit the Lord will have men to acknowledge his Soveraignty yet he deals not alwayes at that rate with them For albeit he be not bound to give account of any of his matters v. 13. yet he condescends to speak of those things to man Albeit he keep up mysteries yet so much is said to man as is needful for him to know Job 28.28 And even when dispensations are dark yet something of Gods mind concerning them is revealed We need not fear Gods exercising of his Soveraignty where we do
respects he saith to Job I will teach thee wisdome intimating that Job a great and wise man needs instruction that he may be more wise especially now when he is in the dark through much perplexity and trouble And though Job was a great Prince and Elihu but a young man yet he counts it no arrogance having truth on his side to say that he is able to teach Job in this matter CHAP. XXXIV This Chapter contains Elihu's second Speech wherein he proceeds as would appear after some pause to deal yet further with Job For Job by not replying evidencing that he liked him better than his other Friends he goeth on to teach and improve him ye more The Speech is much in substance like the former as tending to reprehend Job unhappy expressions under trouble Only he is more sharp in this than in his forme discourse And having gained audience he speaks freely and home to his faults no denying him to be an honest man but asserting that he had said things which were no honest The Chapter may be taken up in the four parts First A Preface wherein he calls for attention from the judicious Auditory v. 1 4. Secondly A Charge or a Proposition of those expressions in Jobs discourses which at this time he intends to refute v. 5 6. Thirdly A Refutation of these expressions by shewing the absurdities thereof and the gross consequences which might justly be fastened upon them v. 7 8 9. And by Arguments taken from the Justice and Dominion of God which he First propounds to the Auditory v. 10 15. and then presseth them home largely upon Job himself v. 16 30. Fourthly A Conclusion wherein he adviseth Job and reprehends him sharply desiring that he may be yet further tryed v. 31 37. Verse 1. Furthermore Elihu answered and said 2. Hear my words O ye wise men and give ear unto me ye that have knowledge 3. For the ear tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat 4. Let us choose to us judgement let us know among our selves what is good THese Verses contain the Preface and Introduction to Elihu's second Speech wherein after a transition made by the Writer of the Book shewing that Elihu proceeded to speak v. 1. First He desires attention from judicious and understanding hearers v. 2. This he doth not speak Ironically as thinking there was no wisdome among them but because he really judged so of their abilities And we are to conceive that he propounds this desire generally to such understanding persons as were present whether the three Friends who were wise men though they erred in that particular in debate or others Only it seems he secludes Job in this desire as being a Party and therefore speaks of him in the third person v. 5 7. Though yet he doth not simply seclude him for he speaks of his cause in his hearing and afterward speaks to him Only he desires that judicious men may hear the matter debated betwixt Job and him Secondly He subjoynes reasons pressing this desire 1. That they were able to discern what was true or false in this matter v. 3. It is expressed in a common Proverb and therefore it was made use of by Job Chap. 12.11 the meaning whereof is That God hath given men an ear which includes the discerning faculty to hear and try doctrine as he hath given them a mouth to receive and taste meat And therefore Elihu might well press them to give an hearing For since all Doctrine is to be tryed they who were wise and judicious were most fit to do it and they could easily discern if he wronged Job seeing he had not appealed to Ideots but to them who had greatest abilities 2. That he was not seeking victory in this debate but only that in a friendly way they should commune and seek out what is just and right and good v. 4. From v. 1. which is the transition Learn 1. Godly men are not soon convinced of all their failings in an hour of tentation For Elihu hath yet more of Jobs miscarriage to answer and refute 2. Albeit even godly men may be hard to convince when they are under tentation and albeit unskilful usage may distemper and irritate them more Yet those who are called to deal with them should still continue hoping they may at last prevail with them And wise managing of reproof will through the blessing of God convince them at last and cause them take with sharpest reproofs For here Elihu's proceeding was not only his duty though Job had not yet been convinced in the least But Jobs allowing him by his silence to goe on doth evidence that he had taken with his wise reproofs though he could not relish nor digest what his other Friends had said 3. When men have opportunity and hope of doing goods it should so much the more encourage them to goe on without wearying For finding no resentment nor reply from Job as he had wont to do to his other Friends he goeth on and furthermore answered and said 4. When men begin to be sober and somewhat convinced of their miscarriages their work is not yet all done who deal with them but they need that their convictions should be rivited upon them For though Jobs silence and possibly his other carriage witnessed how he relished what Elihu had said yet he proceeds furthermore to answer not only because he had yet more faults to charge him with and more expressions of his to condemn but because he would have what he had heard and received take deeper impression upon him From v. 2. Learn 1. Albeit godly men become somewhat tractable in trouble yet they are not at first so fit as others to judge of their own way and carriage Therefore though Job do hear him silently as liking what he said better than what his Friends said yet he calls to others also to hear his words and what he hath to charge upon Job 2. There are many passages of Divine Providence and many truths concerning his way with his people which require all the skill and experience of men to judge of them aright For he requires not only men that have knowledge or light but wise men or men who have experience which many want who yet have knowledge to hear his words and give ear and judge in this matter There are depths of wisdome about the people of God which without much light and experience they will readily mistake 3. Such as are for truth will not huddle up their opinions among the simple as is the practice of Seducers Rom. 16.17 18. 2 Tim. 3.6 7. but will not decline that even the most able hear and judge For not only did the weightiness of the matter require such Auditors but even his confidence in his cause makes him appeal to them 4. It is the character of these who are truly wise and understanding and not filled only with a conceit of their own abilities that they are never above the means of instruction but
marked his complaints or were but weak persons and less able to distinguish would readily stumble at them as suspecting that he cryed down all advantages that were to be found in piety And it is not to be denied that however Job in debating with his Friends spake clearly enough of the eternal reward of piety whatever might befall godly men in this life in common with the wicked or in an harder measure than they felt yet in his fits of complaining he sometime forgot that eternal reward and complained too much that his righteousness and integrity were not regarded seeing he was afflicted 4. It being thus cleared how he said this it doth sufficiently make out that charge v. 2. which it is produced to confirm or that he said also upon the matter that his righteousness was more than Gods For when he spake so much of his own righteousness and complained of his afflictions he was more carefull to maintain his own righteousness who was afflicted than the righteousness of God who had afflicted him which was in effect to cry up the one above the other 5. It is also to be considered that though Elihu mention only this challenge in the entry yet in the progress of the refutation he reflects upon more of his speeches which were to the same purpose and had a dependance upon this great mistake and failing Namely upon his complaints that God heard not his cry though he was a godly man v. 9 c. and that he could not see God when he desired to find him v. 14. Of which in their proper places From v. 2. Learn 1. Such is the gracious condescendence of God that some of Adam's unrighteous posterity do attain to be righteous in their persons and in some particular causes which they maintain For so is here supposed that Job had a righteousness for the asserting whereof he is not quarrelled if he had done it modestly 2. Not only may men attain to be righteous but they may come up to know and be assured that it is so As Job here was 3. So much corruption and infirmity doth attend the most righteous of meer men in this life that very rarely do they manage their righteousness and the testimony of their good consciences well under trouble For herein Job did miscarry 4. It is an hainous abuse of mens righteousness and of the testimony of their consciences when because thereof they do any way reflect upon God or his righteousness in his dispensations Which was Jobs failing here 5. When men because they have a good conscience do not stoop meekly under Gods afflicting hand they are guilty upon the matter of crying up their own righteousness above Gods For so Elihu affirmeth that Job in effect had said My righteousness is more than Gods 6. However men may be furious in their passion yet their consciences in cold blood will condemn their reflecting upon God and their want of meekness and submission in their carriage toward him For therefore doth Elihu appeal to himself Thinkest thou this to be right that thou saidst c So that they may expect a sad after-game in their own bosomes who fall into those evils 7. When passion is up readily conscience is asleep even in most tender walkers For here there is a necessity that Elihu do put Jobs conscience to it to condemn his own way From v. 3. Learn 1. It is great injustice to raise calumnies or cast reproaches upon men but we should be able to prove what we alledge against them Therefore doth Elihu subjoyn a proof of his former charge For thou saidst c. 2. Men in their passions are so little masters of themselves that they will fall in evils which not only they do not see but their hearts do even abhorr them and yet they are committing them For so was it with Job When any of his Friends laid any such reflections upon the righteousness of God to his charge he not only denieth them but out-strips them in commending his righteousness and Elihu proves that charge v. 2. from his words or what he had said not to prove him wicked which was his Friends design but to humble him 3. When men let loose the reins to their passion they must answer not only for what they expresly say or intend in their words but for all the consequences that may justly be fastened upon them and for all the mistakes of others occasioned by them For it is upon these two accounts that Elihu thus cites Jobs words and makes use of them to prove that he had said that his righteousness was more than Gods as hath been cleared When men are in passion they little consider what they say or what may be made of it and being out of Gods way and the way of their duty they are justly made to answer for all those consequences and effects 4. Albeit God will not enter into strict judgement with his people for all that may be justly fastened upon them Yet it is the part of a friend faithfully to lay their faults before them in their worst colours that so they may be humbled For it is upon this friendly account that Elihu deals so sharply with Job and chargeth upon him that his words imported or might seem to others to import no less than that he saw no advantage nor profit in his righteousness and purity more than if he had been a gross sinner And indeed it is better that a faithfull friend do this unto us than that either our enemy or our own consciences alarmed with wrath should do it 5. It is one great evidence of passion in godly men when they look too much to temporal events and rewards forgetting what is eternal And this may be the fault even of godly men For this made Job say What advantage will it be c Because he measured his advantages by his present temporal lot 6. It is also an evidence of distemper when godly men do not ponder and prize the advantage of a good conscience under trouble seeing the conscience of sin would be much more bitter than simple trouble For in this also Job was faulty that though his righteousness gave him no priviledge to be exempted from trouble Yet the mercy of being free from the challenge of unrighteousness was but too little prized by him But when he should have blessed God that he was righteous and free of the checks of an evil conscience however he was afflicted he was complaining and quarrelling that he who was a righteous man should be afflicted Verse 4. I will answer thee and thy companions with thee Followeth Elihu's Refutation of these expressions To which in this Verse a Preface is premitted Wherein he undertakes to answer those his speeches v. 3. upon which he had grounded that challenge v 2. He saith he will answer also his companâ—ons with him See also Chap. 18.2 Where by his companions we are not to understand his three Friends for some of them spake
with willingness 4. As we presume oft times to bring God to our Bar by censuring his dispensations Hab. 1.13 14. So it is very laudable service to plead for him whether against our selves or others As here it is Elihu's commendable scope to speak on Gods behalf Thus did Jeremiah plead for God against himself Jer. 12.1 And whoso do otherwise will get cause to repent of it Ps 73.21 22. 5. Such is the perversity of some and the weakness of others of the Sons of men that they can very frequently tax God but will need the help of others to clear their mistakes otherwise they cannot do it themselves For Job needs one to speak on Gods behalf Which may warn us when we are in trouble to suspect our own judgements and that our passion haste self-love c. may readily bemist us 6. Albeit in our passions we think we have reason for our mistakes and that little or nothing can be said against our apprehensions yet God is so holy and so just that when men have said most there is still more to say for him whereby we may be convinced that it is not an act of charity but of justice to have a good opinion of him and his dealing Therefore saith Elihu after all he hath spoken formerly I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on Gods behalf or that there are yet words to be spoken for God So that they sin hainously who have wrong thoughts of him and his holiness in his dispensations may be cleared upon more accounts than one And when the tide turns and the children of God cool of their feavers they will have thoughts of Gods dispensations far different from those they entertained in their distempers as the Psalmist found by experience Ps 73.3 c. with v. 16 17 18 19 20. and Ps 77.7 8 9. with v. 10 c. And they will see cause to admire those infinite perfections of God which shine in his guiding things below and are every way so holy and unreprovable 7. It beseems the people of God as to hearken to all that God saith unto them by his Messengers so particularly to give good ear to what is said for vindicating of God from their misconstructions For the subject matter of his discourse and that be is to speak on Gods behalf is here propounded as an Argument to presse attention Saints should delight to hear that subject of the commendation of God and particularly they should not be obstinate and willfull in maintaining of their own mistakes as if they were unquestionably right in them But being sensible of their own ignorance and weaknesses and loathing to live in such termes with God they should be glad of any mean and help which may clear them to them Verse 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar and will ascribe righteousnesse to my maker This second Argument taken from the subject matter of his discourse is here further prosecuted and amplified And 1 He sheweth what way he will take in his pleading for God and that he will fetch his knowledge from afar Which may both point at this in general That in managing this cause he will not bring forth what first comes to hand what his humane reason suggests and his weak judgement fancieth but what he searcheth into and gets by inspiration from above And at this in particular That in debating this cause he will not break in at first upon Jobs particular ease but will fetch a rise to his discourse from more remote and general principles and grounds concerning Gods nature and Attributes and his ancient works and proceedings which when they are well studied will easily furnish light for clearing of Jobs case And this we finde to be his way and method throughout this Discourse 2. He declareth what his scope will be in pleading even to ascribe or give righteousness to God that is to plead that he is One who can do no wrong nor ought he to be complained of as if he had done any 3. He insinuates a reason why he will thus plead even because he is his Maker of which see chap. 32.22 Which doth not so much point out that Gods being a Creatour and his making of all his creatures among which Elihu was one so holily and wisely pleads for him against all our misconstructions and quarrels about particular dispensations of Providence As that his being Gods creature did engage him to own his Makers quarrel Yet so as this Argument was not peculiar to him alone but Job himself had the like engagement to have joyned with him in the same cause Doct. 1. Such as do speak in Gods name or for him should make conscience to speak that which is worth the hearing and in some measure sutable to the purpose treated of As here Elihu promiseth to fetch his knowledge from afar See Psalm 78.1 2 3. 2. If men would speak aright for God they must not speak at randome nor trust their corrupt reason or sense but they should search well into matters and especially should seek light from God himself and study to be near him For in this respect doth Elihu promise to fetch his knowledge from afar 3. If men were but true to their common principles they would easily refute their mistakes of God in their particular cases As here Elihu fetcheth his knowledge from afar or from general and acknowledged principles to refute Job who otherwise was ready to mistake in his own particular 4. What ever we think of Gods dealing in our particular case Yet his common and general way of working pleads for him and whoso are not satisfied with his common way of proceeding but would be singularly dealt with they are in the wrong For therefore also makes he use of knowledge from afar or of an account of Gods ancient way of working in the world in this cause 5. Whoever have due and right thoughts of God or do plead â—ightly for him must exalt him as holy and righteous in all his proceedings For this is his scope in pleading to ascribe righteousness unto him 6. Were there no other engagements lying upon us our very being which we have from God obligeth us to plead for him and that against any who dare oppose him were they otherwise never so great or dear to us For hereby he sheweth himself to be engaged in this quarrel and indirectry taxeth Job that he joyned not with him because God was his Maker And if this be a strong engagement upon men how much more ought they to plead for God who are engaged to him upon the account of many special favours Verse 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee The third Argument pressing attention is taken from the manner of his handling this subject and that he will speak truly and sincerely to Job and not as he charged his other Friends to have done Chap. 13.7 8. and 17.5 This he confirmeth from
him For what is said of God v. 5. is here proved by what he doth Saints get not alwayes Faith to live by but Performances to confirm them Is 25.9 And they will be made to observe and bear witness to what is said of God Ps 139.14 2. Albeit the most holy God govern the World yet in all ages there have been both godly and wicked the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent in it And he who is bound to none seeth it not meet to convert all For here there are the wicked and the poor who are afterward declared to be the righteous God serveth himself even of the vessels of dishonour and bringeth about his own ends and purposes by them and they serve for tryals to the godly not only by reason of their cruelty against them but of their wickedness also and their success in it 3. It is the very frequent lot of the godly to suffer hard things at the hand of the wicked and of those who are born after the Spirit to be persecuted by those who are born after the Flesh Gal. 4.29 Therefore are the godly here designed by their being poor or afflicted See Act 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 This lot is very necessary for godly men to try their faith and purge their dross 1 Pet. 1.6 7. and to put them in mind that they are not at home So that it is their great folly to expect and doat upon another lot 4. God is and will continue a party against wicked men as here we are assured Their prosperity and success doth not speak his approbation of them or that he is a friend to them and were there none else he will be their party to appear against them See Obad. v. 3 4. Hence it is that God so frequently avoweth that he is against wicked men Jer. 21.13 and 50.31 and 51.25 Ezek. 5.8 and else-where 5. Albeit the Lord do not alwayes evidence his opposition to the wicked by sad dispensations but sometime by raining snares of prosperity and success upon them Yet the opposition still continueth to be in due time visibly manifested and in the mean time they lye continually under the lash without assurance of safety for a moment For his not preserving the life of the wicked imports not only that he will reach it in due time but in the mean time it is not continued in favour or preserved out of any special respect to them however it is of him that it is continued not have they a moments assurance of the continuance thereof but their enemies may arise very suddenly and inexpectedly to cut them off Hab. 2.7 Which is a sad case were it well seen and considered 6. It is not only the petty concernments of the wicked that are in Gods reverence and obnoxious to his stroak when he pleaseth but even their very life as here we are taught So that whatever else befall them Justice hath never done with them so long as their life which they employ so ill is in them 7. The Lord is not more opposite to the wicked than he is favourable to the righteous even though they be brought low by oppression Yea so much the more favourable as they are so For here a good word is subjoyned to the former threatning concerning the righteous and poor who should neither quarrel God because of their sad lot nor apprehend that all is gone because they get not their will in the petty things of time But should judge of Gods favour by their righteous and reconciled estate Eccl. 8.12 13. Is 3.10 11. 8. Godly men in expecting proofs of Gods favour in particular exigents should make sure not only that they are truly godly but that they have right upon their side otherwise piety will not warrant men to expect that God will own them in every cause And that they be sensible humble and poor under afflictions otherwise God will be a party against them as well as man is to humble them So much is imported in that he giveth right and that to the poor 9. Whoever have right on their side especially if they be godly men may be sure to have it sooner or later vindicated by God and to get right done them For he giveth right to the poor Honesty and right will bear out in end and will be a planck to bring ship-wracked men to shore 10 Albeit ordinarily all things come alike to all Eccl. 9.2 yet in due time God will put a difference betwixt the godly and the wicked Yea sometime he will even make it conspicuous in this life As here is imported in the opposite sentences concerning them See Exod. 14.28 29 30. Psal 58.10 11. Mal. 3.18 From v. 7 Learn 1. Those are truly godly men who are righteous both by Justification without which no moral changes will suffice and by righteous and streight walking particularly in the matter of their tryals and in those causes about which they are called to contend with others Therefore are godly men here designed the righteous 2. As Gods Providence is universal and taketh notice of all things whatsoever So especially his care is about and his eye upon the godly to see to all their conditions and that he may do to them and provide for them according as their case requireth For he withdraweth not his eyes from but they are still intent upon the righteous See Matth. 6. from v. 25. to the end This is a great comfort to them when they come short in their prayers that God hath an observing eye as well as an hearing ear toward them Psal 33.18 19. and 34.15 Hos 14.8 And it may ease them in their solicitudes seeing their help may come where they least expect it as Hagar sound for Abraham's sake Gen. 16.13 And may make them answer many perplexing Questions with God will provide Gen. 22.7 8. 3. Albeit we think little of this observing eye of God and improve it but little Yet it should be more prized seeing we would be in a sad plight if we wanted it Therefore is this encouragement propounded negatively He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous to put us in mind how sad it would be if he withdrew his eye and care from off us and about us as is intimated Deut. 32.20 Zech. 11.9 And we do enjoy many mercies whereof we do not see the worth but by Gods withdrawing of them 4. It is also the mercy of the Lords people that whatever be his dealing toward them or their apprehensions of it Yet his eye is ever upon them Is 49.14 15 16 to notice who wrongs them when his displeasure gives them an opportunity Is 47 6. Zech. 1.15 to notice their miseries that he may pity and moderate them Judg. 10.16 Is 57.16 17 18. and to give them a good issue even though they should be cut off in the trouble Psal 31.23 and 94.18 and 116.15 For it is still a certain truth that however he deal with the visible Church
sheweth what light he can cause arise unto his people even in darkness how God hath so disposed all things and ballanced them as he makes us dwell safely under such a weight of Clouds which hang over our heads in the thin air whereby he sheweth that he is able to preserve his people when they are kept under the hazard of eminent perils how much of God doth shine in warm seasons whence we may gather some Documents concerning the refreshful warmth of the light of his countenance lifted up upon us after cold blasts especially in our heavenly Countrey Also concerning the emptiness of all temporal enjoyments and the Mercy that is in their being moderated evidenced in this that however we desire hot seasons in cold weather yet we can no more endure the extremity of heat than of cold and that our Cloaths which sometimes we find comfortable do at other times prove a burden through heat And how much of his Glory shineth in the stately Canopy of the Firmament Psal 8 19. Whence we may gather how much more glorious those upper Mansions are But passing all these I shall only take a few Observations with an eye to Elihu's scope in these Instances And 1. All things in the world whether more permanent or transient are of Gods sole making As here we are taught Which affords much ground to Faith upon which it may lean in greatest difficulties See Rom. 4.17 2 Cor. 4.6 1 Pet. 4.19 2. Not only Gods power in making but his Wisdom in ordering all things ought to be observed For he disposed them So that there is not so much as an hot day but his Wisdom shâ—nes in it 3. As all things are ordered by God so they are at his Command and in his Hand to sâ—cure his People As he causeth the light of his Cloud to shine when he wâ—ll ballanceth the Clouds c. 4 As Gods Gâ—ory shineth in every one of his particular works so it shines yet more illustriously if we consider many of them together For which cause they are here represented to Job together 5. Not only singular and extraordinary works of God but even those which are ordinary and obvious are full of deep and unsearchable things For here he goeth no further than to the Sky Clouds Heat c. to convince Job that God is incomprehensible in his works 6 Gods works being all so incomprehensible it is the duty of those who would contemplate them aright to raise their thoughts of them As here they are called his wondrous works v. 16. which he again repeats from v. 14. 7. In studying of the works of God we should ascend up to high thoughts of himself As here he subjoyns to his sight of those wondrous works that he is perfect in knowledge 8. Whatever else we see in Gods works we should be careful to observe his perfect and infinite Wisdom to be adored and trusted by us therefore doth he point him out as perfect in knowledge and declared to be such by the operations of his hand 9. Whatever may be the frame of men unconcerned or how easie soever they think Lessons are yet men under tentation are not easily brought to adore God in his working or to learn these Lessons which are inculcated thereby Therefore must this counsel v. 14. be so much pressed upon Job by so many new Instances For men are then peevish too confident of their own opinions and apprehensions apt to pore too much upon their own case c. All which do darken their understanding 10. When men are disordered and mistake in their thoughts of God he hath not one only but many witnesses to convince them and even to overwhelm their stiffness as here he heaps up instances to refute Job 11. Whoso study Gods ordinary works well will find cause to stoop to him in his singular dispensations as here we are taught For if no man be his Counseller in his ordinary working nor will he give an account of it nor should any murmure at it much less will he give an account of his special dispensations about man but man must acquiesce and submit to his pleasure And we who are but of yesterday and ignorant of what is most obvious as here he confounds Job by enquiring what he knoweth of these works must not think to pry into his deep counsels Verse 19. Teach us what we shall say unto him for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness 20. Shall it be told him that I speak if a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up In the second branch of this Application Elihu checks Job for his desire to plead with God the reproof whereof he coucheth in a counsel or desire by way of sharp Irony v. 19 That if Job desired to plead with God or would have them Elihu or any of his Friends to plead or interpose for him he would give them inâ—ormation how to go about it and furnish them with some of those Arguments wherewith he said he was well stored Chap. 23.4 This in effect imports that however Job was so daring as to desire to plead yeâ— he could satisfie no impartial and unconcerned man that he had a just ground of Plea or valid Arguments to produce This is further confirmed from their experience and observation that God could not be so pleaded with 1. Because it is impossible mans darkness and ignorance and the mysteries in Gods dispensations being so great that none can order their pleas or defences before him v. 19. 2. Because of the hazard that is in such an attempt v. 20. Where he alludes to the customs of those times wherein men did record their Names in a Book or otherwise gave publick notice that they were to plead such a Cause as they did also write all their disputes in the Cause Chap. 19.23 31.35 Now Elihu professeth that he durst not make any intimation to God that he was about to speak in these terms that Job desired to plead with him seeing he could not plead but he was in hazard to be swallowed up From v. 19. Learn 1. It is mens great fault that they presume to quarrel with God as this check given to Job imports 2. It heightens mens faults when they are not satisfied to harbour inward thoughts of secret murmurings and resentments against God which yet are their sin but they presume to utter and speak them out For this check imports That Job was about to say somewhat unto him 3. How high soever mens resolutions fly in their passions yet they will not know how to follow them out in cold blood for he supposeth that Job cannot teach what to say nor convince even the Auditory who were but men that he had any valid Arguments or defences 4. However men will not be convinced of their irrational presumption in offering to plead with God as a party while they are in their fits of distemper yet it may help to calm them if they consider that no
He deals with Job to convince him of his miscarriages to Chap. 42.7 Insisting upon Elihu 's last Argument taken from his Greatness which might let Job see how far he had miscarried in quarrelling him as shall be more fully cleared when I come to give a general account of his Scope in his debate with Job on v. 4 c. 2. He decides the principal Controversie betwixt Job and his Friends in a few words Chap. 42.7 8 9. His dealing with Job is divided into two Speeches By the first whereof contained in Ch. 38 39. 40.1 2. he brings him to some sense and confession of his weakness Ch. 40 3 4 5. And by the second from Chap. 40.6 till the end of Chap. 41. he brings him to a more ample confession of his Folly Chap. 42.1 6. This Chap. may be taken up in these three First An Historical transition of the Writer of the Book Shewing that God did appear and speak in this Cause and began first to deal with Job v. 1. Secondly An introduction premitted by God himself to the dispute with Job wherein he checks him for his presumption v. 2. And provokes him to the dispute v. 3. Thirdly The Dispute it self begun in this Chapter wherein he non-plusseth him with a number of Questions Concerning the Earth v. 4. 7. the Sea v. 8-11 Light and Darkness v. 12-21 Various Meteors with the Causes thereof v. 22 38. And concerning his Providence about Beasts and Birds which is instanced in the Lion v. 39 40. And the Ravens v. 41. to which many moe are added throughout the next Chapter Verse 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said IN this Verse we have the Historical Transition wherein is declared that God manifesting his glorious presence in a Whirlwind did by an audible voice speak to Job In it consider First That the Lord answered Job As for the time when he began to speak it is indefinitely expressed Then the Lord answered Where in the Original we have only the Copulative And which hath various significations to be gathered from the Circumstances of the place where it is used And here it imports that after Elihu had spoken God also answered Job And particularly it is not probable that God brake in and interrupted Elihu for he doth formally conclude his Discourse Chap. 37.23 24. Nor yet that he hindered Job to answer Elihu for I find not that Job had any such inclination Yet it seems God began to speak immediately after Elihu had closed and it may be the Tempest and Whirlwind wherein God appeared being somewhat singular had made Elihu draw to a close It is said He answered Job which is an usual phrase in Scripture where there hath been no precedent question moved but mens case and condition is only spoken to But here this Answer is relative to many Propositions formerly made by Job in his appeals to God and in his desires that he would give him an hearing beside that his complaints and murmurings made God a party who therefore appears to plead for himself and returns a sutable answer to his Proposals and Desires Doct. 1. Albeit the world be troubled with many controversies and debates and that even amongst Gods people yet it is matter of comfort that they will once be all decided as here a notable and hot dispute begins to be decided And albeit there will still be some differences till the end of the world yet beside what particular decisions within time there may be of some controversies such as this the right and wrong that is in all debates will be one day finally decided 2. It is proper to God and his Prerogative to be the decider of Controversies as here he proved in this cause So that mens decrees in their own favours or against others will not carry it but all causes however they have been once decided amongst men will be over again decided by God Which may warn all to take heed how they judge and may encourage them who are wronged by men Eccl. 3.16 17. 5.8 3. As God is the competent decider of Controversies so even in debates among godly men he must appear before they come to a close As here he appeareth in this Cause For though Elihu's authority was sufficient to convince the parties quarrelling in respect thaâ— he was employed by God and spake clear and convincing truths yet he had not Majesty enough fully to compesce all their boiling humors and to over-awe these great men against whom he argued And though such an extraordinary manifestation may not always be expected to clear every controversie his mind being now fully manifested in his written Word dispensed by his ordinary Messengers Yet Gods Spirit must interpose to accompany the light which we get from the Word and to make it effectual and calm mens spirits and passions which are raised by debates 4. Albeit there be a right and wrong in every controversie debated among men Yet ordinarily when God cometh to decide controversies he finds cause to humble both parties Some for false opinions and their way in promoting thereof and others for their failings in their way of maintaining truth for here when God appeareth he deals with Job who had maintained truth as well as with the Friends who had erred And this had need to be adverted unto by those who because they are on truths side in a debate are not sensible of their failings in maintaining it 5. Albeit Godly men discover much dross in the furnace yet God according to his rich mercy and free grace accounts them worthy to be waâ—ted upon that he may purge their dross and recover them out of the snare Therefore after that Jobs Friends had given him over as incorrigible God will not deal so with him but takes pains upon him though he had indeed miscarried 6. It is no small proof of Gods Favour to his people that he pursueth them hotly for their failings and lets not their folly thrive in their hand Therefore he begins with this sharp Answer to Job first because he respected him and leaves the censure of the three Friends last 7. Whatever mercy or favour God intend to any of his people yet he may suspend it till first they be humbled for their folly nor were it a mercy to deal otherwise with them Therefore also doth he begin with this sharp answer to Job to humble him befor he decide the main controversie in his favours And godly men will find that their not being humbled stands in the way of many mercies which otherwise they might enjoy See Ezek. 43.11 8. This answer had been long desired by Job and he often complained that his desire was not granted yet it came at last And albeit it was sharp yet in the issue it proved refreshful and comfortable This teacheth That Gods delaying long to satisfie the pressing desires of his people doth not say that he will never answer but at last he may
wherein we presume to prescribe to him he may justly put us to care for all that concerns us were it even to order the Light which we need when it should come and shine 3. That Job could let God order and guide common things such as the light of the day c. without him and will not quarrel God for longer or shorter colder or hotter days but he will not pay him that submission in his own particular concernments Which sheweth That our Self-love is the cause of all our quarrellings God by our own confession doth still well enough till it come to our particular and we can construe well of he lot of any other but not of our own which is an evil for which we ought to be humbled Doct. 5. It is an useful study to ponder how the Lord hath ordered a variety and vicissitude in time and that Light should succeed Darkness for the morning light and day-spring import so much here And by this the Lord would teach us to expect changes and not to settle upon flâ—eting time for we will find it but vanity he would have us seeing a beauty in every thing in its time Eccl. 3.11 as the darkness of the night hath iâ—s own usefulness as well as the light of the day and would teach his people not to cast away their confidence in a dark hour as if a morning would never succeed to a dark night See Psal 71.16 8. 6. It is also to be observed that this vicissitude and the coming of light after darkness is at Gods command not at our disposal nor any others nor to be impeded when he will have it come for he commandeth the morning and causeth the day-spring to know its place All things are aâ— his disposal so that till he command nothing will be effectual but we may look for peace and behold trouble Jer. 14 19. And when he commands nothing will hinder neither hâ—s peoples fears nor their enemies will be able to obstruct their mercies Isa 49 13 14 15 24 25. 7. We should also observe that God will keep no fixed course in things below save in exercising a constant variety for as the day-spring hath its various places and every day is shorter or longer than another and the Sun riseth not still at the same place in our Horizon so are his other dispensations various And he is pleased to alter them that we may be preserved from formality that we may get variety of Experiences and that our dependance may be entirely upon him Only as long nights are recompensed with long days at another time and cold with heat so will it prove with the people of God Psal 90.15 Secondly This work of God in sending of the morning-light is further commended v. 13. from the effects 1. That it quickly spreads to the ends or wings and extremities of the earth not absolutely of all the earth for then it should be no night any where whenever this light shines and seeing it still shines in some place there should be no night at all but only of that part of the earth which is within the compass of that Horizon where this light ariseth where in a moment it spreads far and near enlightening the most remote parts 2. That hereby the wicked are shaken out of it that is out of the earth by being discovered and punished where the phrase may allude to that ancient practise of executing judgment in the morning Jer. 21.12 Or out of that part of the earth where the light appeareth and so they are shaken out of the light as some understand it by being made to flee and seek to darkness Job 24.13.17 John 3.20 For the first effect beside the general observation That the Glory of God shineth in this work in that he giveth the morning these wings whereby it spreads so quickly Psal 139.9 We may further gather in reference to the scope 1. If God communicate so rich a common benefit to the earth and wicked men in it Mat. 5.45 How little cause have Saints to quarrel his special dispensations towards them 2. God can very quickly and unexpectedly transmit comfort to his Children as they need it as the morning light doth quickly take hold of the ends of the earth From the second effect Learn 1. Whatever wicked men seem to gain by their impiety yet they have but a poor trade of it as here is supposed 2. Whatever Consolations God dispenses yet they are not allowed on the wicked for this mercy of the light is not allowed to be comfortable to them 3. Albeit some wicked men may be so impudent as to avow their sin in the open light yet generally sinners want not their own fears and horrors to torment them and however they are obnoxious to hazards for the light is a terrour to them and they are shaken out of it or out of the earth by a violent stroak of Justice or by the violent agitations of their own disquieted minds 4. In reference to the scope this may teach That as the light dissipates darkness contributes to the shaking out of wicked men and drives wild beasts to their dens Psal 104.22 So whenever God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance that will dispel all the tentations and fears of Saints that they will not appear Which if Job had hoped for he might have seen cause to forbear his quarrelling Thirdly These effects of the morning-light are further enlarged and amplified in the two following verses And 1. The lights spreading of it self is further amplified v. 14. from this That the earth which by darkness loseth its lustre as to our sense for then we cannot discern it doth by the morning-light recover as to our sense a new lustre as if Clay were new stamped and received a new impression by a Seal and as if the earth were decked with a new garment and variety of Ornaments See Mat. 6.28 29. Psal 104. 30. Doct. 1. Our Mercies are oft-times taken out of our sight that we may learn to prize them as darkness turneth the earth â—o be as it were without form and shape 2. Mercies are not always lost when they disappear and are taken out of our sight as the earth loseth not that real lustre which it hath in the day though want of light hide it from our sight 3. After Mercies seem to be lost and gone they may yet be recovered and restored as the earth recovers its beauty and is seen in its lustre by the morning light 4. God exerciseth men with variety of changes in their condition that their mercies may have a new lustre when they are restored to them as here the earth appears every morning as if it had got a new stamp and new ornaments and so should we look upon the earth and all our other mercies every day Lam. 3.22 23. 5. It may encourage Saints to wait on God in dark times seeing those will but contribute to make their mercies more
excess thereof as moderation is the mercy of our temporal mercies Prov. 30.8 9. or by the unseasonableness thereof as every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles 3.11 For he causeth it to come for correction or a rod. 4 Mercieâ— unto the earth are mercies to men seeing even Kings are served by the field Eccles 5.9 For the coming of rain for his Land or Earth is a mercy to men So that men should not think little of these common mercies 5. Though God hath given the Earth to the Children of men for their use and benefit Psal 115.16 Yet he testifieth his interest in it by constant watering of it For by this he proveth it to be his Land or his Earth The necessities of the Earth of young Lions Psal 104.21 and young Ravens Job 38.41 and of other Beasts Joel 1.20 have a mouth to God as being the necessities of his Creatures when none else can help them Which sheweth That an interest in God were it even upon the account of Creation is a claim whereof we should make use and whereof humble persons will make use if other interests be darkned Job 10.8 Psal 119.73 And that if God by rain testifie his respects unto the earth much more doth he witness his respects to men by many favours if they would be affected with them 6. God can easily make ordinary mercies be seen to be signal Mercies when we undervalue them because they are ordinary As here at sometimes rain cometh eminently for mercy in rescuing those persons and other Creatures which are ready to be destroyed with droughâ— Verse 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God Elihu having propounded these several Instances for proving of his Assertion doth now make application of his Dâ—ctrine to Job wherein 1. He excites him to attend and remark those works of God as proving him to be great and unsearchable to v. 19. 2. Hence he checks him for his presumption in desiring to dispute with God to v. 23. In this Verse he begins the Application and propounds his Counsel That he would mark and seriously consider these wonderful works of God Which doth not imply that Job was either not attending or going about to make a reply but doth only declare his own earnestness to have Job study that Point well for proving whereof he had produced those Instances Doct. 1 It is not sufficient nor will it satisfie conscientious men that they speak well of God and to mens cases unless they apply and put home their Doctrine to those they deal with As here he applieth his former Doctrine to Job 2. Even they who are silently hearing may yet need excitation to attend and to ponder what is said As here he requires of Job â—hat he will hearken unto this though he had been hearing all the while 3. Such as would profit by what they hear or take up of God would fix their own minds well on what they are about As here he bids him stand still or seriously compose himself 4. It is required also of those who would profit at this study that they rest not upoâ— what they may take up of Gods working at first view wherein their blindness prejudices and passions may wrong them but that they seriously consider what is before them as here he required 5. As it is our duty to see all things that are wrought to be Gods works so also to remember that they are wonderful as here they are called the wondrous works of God Which sheweth that they are not easily taken up or comprehended nor are we right Proficients in the study thereof unless we be effected with them as admirable 6. Such as would do good to others by what they say ought not only to excite them to attention but ought themselves so to commend God and his works as may evidence that they are affected therewith as here Elihu in exciting of Job is careful to commend Gods works as wondrous that thereby he may stir him up yet more to be serious Verse 15. Dost thou know when God disposed them and caused the light of his cloud to shine 16. Dost thou know the ballancings of the Clouds the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge 17. How thy Garments are warm when he quieteth the earth by the South-wind 18. Hast thou with him spread out the Sky which is strong and as a molten Looking-glass The counsel propounded v. 14. is here pressed by overcharging Job with new Instances which might discover unto him his incapacity and ignorance Where he propounds 1. In general Gods disposing and ordering of all these works formerly mentioned and afterward to be produced v. 15. 2. The matter of Light that God caused the Light of his Cloud to shine v. 15. Whereby we are not so much to understand the Rainbow or the light of the Sun breaking through the divided Clouds as the lightning which appears in the Cloud 3. The ballancing of the clouds in the Air sometime lifting them up and sometime letting them down nearer the earth as he pleaseth which is a wondrous work of God declaring him to be perfect in knowledge v. 16. 4. The heaâ— which is caused by the calm and warm winds or Sun-shine which come from the South and was so vehement in these Countreys that is made mens very garments a burden to them v. 17. 5. The Sky or air which though fluid and thin and often rent with those thunders and lightnings yet is strong and transparent like a Looking glass which it seems in these Countreys they made of some Mettal molten and refined v. 18. Elihu's scope in propounding of all those Instances in this his Advice to Job may be taken up in these First To point out thereby that God is infinitely great in power and wisdom which is the Conclusion to be confirmed in all this â—iscourse as appears in his ordering and disposing of all those wherein Job had no hand Secondly That Job cannot comprehend God who is unsearchable in his operations seeing 1. He is infinitely inferiour to God and was not with him in doing of thâ—se things v. 18. But God is the Creator and he but a Creature 2. He was but of yesterday and far to seek when God disposed all these things v. 15. from eternity or from the beginning and so was none of his Counsellers 3. That he cannot dive into the depths and reasons of Gods works for if he cannot know the reasons and causes of these natural and ordinary things which are obvious and felt by him v. 16 17. as indeed though men may know somewhat of them yet they cannot dive into the bottom of them or comprehend them fully and exactly how can he be able to comprehend his more singular and extraordinary works I shall not insist here upon what might be gathered from the particular Instances how much of Gods glory shineth in bright lightnings coming out of the dark cloud whereby he
fight it to the last v. 3. Nor if he cannot escape will he covenant to work or serve for his Life as Elephants and other Wild Beasts do v. 4. And as he would decline to work so neither would he be taught to play to Boys and Maids as himself playeth in the Sea Psal 104.26 and as Birds and some Beasts make sport to men when they are tamed v. 5. 3. That since he cannot be taken mens expectation of advantage by him doth fail When Fishers take a great prey at Sea the Society make a Feast and sell the super-plus to Merchants for gain as is usual in Whale-fishing But no such advantage is to be got here v 6. 4. That as he is not to be taken as men do take small fishes v. 1. So neither can men take him as they take Whales or other Sea-Monsters by shooting Darts to wound them v. 7. For if any would offer to lay their hand upon him to take him the remembrance of that battel they would have with him might make them give over their attempt v. 8. yea all hope of taking him is in vain seeing the vâ—ry sighâ— of him is enough to confound the stoutest v. 9. If against all this it be objected that all sorts of Creatures even in the Sea may be tamed and consequently taken by men Jam. 3.7 It is sufficient for verifying of that Assertion and the scope thereof in that place that so many of all kinds of Creatures have been tamed albeit some be still excepted From all this Observe 1. If we look upon this Instance in the Sea as it is added to all that are before it may point out 1. God hath still more and more Evidences and Instances to demonstrate what he is as men are able to take him up for here is another Instance more 2. Such is mans Stupidity and his Distemper when he is under Tentation that he needs that much pains should be taken upon him to inculcate what God is and he hath reason to suspect that he is not serious and solid enough in that study even when he observeth most therefore doth God insist so much to take pains upon Job 3. As the Earth so also the Sea is a Store-house full of Gods Riches wherein Travellers may see much of God both for the variety and vast greatness of Creatures in it so that Seafaring men who oft-times want Ordinances among them are without excuse if they reap not much edification by their Journey Therefore is Leviathan instanced in the Sea that we may be led to study God in all his Works thâ—re See Psal 104.25 26. 107.23 24. Obs 2. This Description serveth to point out the the fruit of mans sin in his loss of that primitive Dominion over the Creatures Gen. 1.26 28. So that albeit in the indulgence of God some of them are tamed by their continual converse with men yet many of them are wild and not usually if at all tamed This should excite men to lament their own slavery under sin which hath caused this change and should make them endeavour to recover a right to all things in Christ 1 Cor. 3.21 21 23. Heb. 2.6 7 8.9 Obs 3. When we consider this fierce and untameable Creature we may be helped to remark many advantages we reap by other Creatures which cannot be expected by this As 1. It is a mercy that other Creatures though wild are yet taken by men for their use as is insinuated v. 1 2. though the Leviathan will not be taken Thus many men have their Dinner to â—etch out of the Sea in the morning and others live by hunting of wild Beasts and yet are provided for 2. It is a mercy that so many of the Creatures as we need serve us yea and fawn upon us and do their service so willingly as if they had covenanted to do it all which Leviathan declines to do v. 3 4. 3. It is a mercy that we have and may lawfully use Recreations and Refreshments by some of them as we have not by the Leviathan v. 5 6. 4. It is a mercy that mens labour about the Creatures doth not only furnish them with plentiful Allowances of food but gain also by their Traffick neither of which Leviathan will afford them v 6. 5. It is a mercy that even some fierce Creatures may be taken for the use of man without any inevitable hazard which they run who grapple with Leviathan v. 7 8. 6. It is a mercy that God hath not made the sight of every Creature a terrour to us as Leviathan would be v. 9. All which may be useful meditations to us when we read this Scripture Verse 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up who then is able to stand before me 11. Who hath prevented me that I should repay him whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine In these Verses we have an Inference from and an Application of this Instance to convince Job of his Folly in thinking to enter the Lists to grapple with God and so to stand before him or set himself before him in judgment as a Party able to contend with him This is propounded in Thesi or in a general Interrogation leaving to Job to see how it concerned him And it is confirmed First From this Instance v. 10. That if no man were he never so fierce dare stir up or provoke this Creature how much less dare any offer to deal with God Secondly From other Arguments v. 11. Such as 1. That God oweth no man any thing whereby he might be obliged to guide him as he likes and not as himself pleases 2. On the contrary all things are his by Right of Creation so that he may dispose of them as he pleaseth and they have no cause to quarrel From these Verses Obs 1. This Application considered in general points out 1. There is nothing which God speaks nor any parcel of Scripture that is barren but hath profitable and special Instructions in it if we could discern them for when God insists on this Subject concerning this Sea-Monster to an afflicted sick man it shews that there is somewhat in it as here he clears 2. It is not enough that we hear what is spoken in Scripture unless we make some application and use of it as here God teacheth Job 3. God must be employed not only to point out what is seasonable to our condition but to apply it also as here he doth to Job Obs 2. The Challenge or Proposition v. 10. imports 1. We are forgetful of the Greatness of God for this is the point here inculcated 2. This our forgetfulness appears much in our thinking to stand before God or to enter the Lists with him as a party in our complaints 3. When mens Consciences are well informed they will decline this undertaking as this Question imports 4. Men are far more clear and â—ound in acknowledging general Principles than when it cometh to their own particular for this
cause doth he propound the Challenge in general 5. No personal Advantages of one man above another will bear them out in their Quarrelling with God therefore also is it propounded in general Who is able c to shew that none can undertake this but the mighty man and the godly man must give it over as well as others Obs 3. The first Argument v. 10. Imports 1. Men are naturally fierce and violent and that appears eminently in some for here there are some fierce and daring And though many do not evidence that they are of daring disposition by running upon hazards yet there is no man but by nature he is a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke be the hazard what it will 2. Even some of the very Creatures are sufficient to give a check to the pride of fierce men for none is so fierce that dare stir him up 3. The dreadfulness of some Creatures may convince men of their Folly in their fierce and stubborn way with God for since none is so fierce that dare stir him up or grapple with a Creature made by God Who then is able to stand before him Hence 4. Such as would walk before God as becometh whenever they see any Glory Beauty Strength Terrour c. among the Creatures they ought to be spiritual minded and ascend up to the Fountain whence those Excellencies flow as here God leads Job from the study of this Creature to the study of himself Obs 4. These Arguments v. 11. do teach 1. What men see of God they should dwell upon it till it be rooted and fixed in their hearts for therefore is that truth which is cleared by this Instance v. 10. here confirmed by new Arguments 2. Men have ordinarily a great conceit of themselves as if God were some way or other obliged to them and bound to repay and requite them as here is supposed 3. Such as complain that they are afflicted being righteous are not free of this proud and vain opinion this is reflected upon as Jobs fault though it be generally propounded for the Reasons formerly marked 4. Such proud complainers should know that God was never prevented by a good turn done him by any man which might put him in his debt and that this may silence all their complaints that God oweth them nothing for the want whereof they may complain for who hath prevented me that I should repay him See Rom. 11 35 36. 5. All things under heaven being Gods by right of Creation Psal 24.1 He not only needs not man nor his services to be obliged thereby Psal 50.8 13. But he may dispose of men as he will without doing them any wrong or giving them any cause of complaint for this both proves that he cannot be prevented by man or obliged to him and that Job hath no just cause of complaint that whatsoever is under the whole heaven is his 6. Whatever be Gods condescendence to his humble people yet he will plead his Soveraignty even against them when they are stubborn As here he pleads against it Job because of his stubbornness though otherwise he was a broken and afflicted man and so seemed to need more tender usage Verse 12. I will not conceal his parts nor his power nor his comely proportion Followeth a more particular Description of this Leviathan to which this is a Preface wherein God sheweth that he will not conceal what he is nor forbear to set him out in his particular members or parts in his great strength and comely proportion or proportionable greatness and sutableness of every part to so vast a bulk of his body Whence Learn 1. God is a faithful revealer of what concerns his people and may be for their good for he will not conceal from Job what is necessary to be told him concerning this Creature See also John 14.2 Thus also may he be trusted in his dispensations toward his people wherein he is faithful and tender 2. When God speaks to us it engageth us to look upon what he speaks as worth the marking whatever it be in it self for his not concealing of this Description is an Argument why Job should hearken to the Discourse how barren soever it seem to be since God insists to speak it Thus also his dispensations should be observed and improved because they are his of how little soever moment they seem to be in themselves 3. We ought frequently to remember how much need we have that our Lessons be inculcated upon us for so here what is already said of this Creature is not enough without this further addition 4 Even the vastest and most monstrous-like of Creatures have their own beauty and comely proportion which should be observed as here is said of Leviathan Verse 13. Who can discover the face of his Garment or who can come to him with his double bridle 14 Who can open the doors of his face his teeth are terrible round about Followeth the Description it self which may be taken up in six Branches The first whereof in these Verses is That he is terrible inaccessible and untameable This is expressed in terms alluding to mens taking off the sheets or coverings of Horses when they bridle them or take them forth and he sheweth that none dare deal so with Leviathan None can draw him out of the Sea wherewith he is surrounded as with a garment or offer to bridle him though with a double Bridle v. 13. for though he were otherwise accessible none durst open his mouth which is big like a door or gate to bridle him his teeth being terrible v. 14. This Branch of the Description doth demonstrate and point out 1. That it is a mercy those Creatures whereof we have need are accessible 2. That it is a mercy they suffer themselves to be approached unto and bridled and otherwise commanded by us Jam. 3.3 3. That it is a mercy that God hath given man skill to tame and manage those other Creatures for his necessary use and affairs 4. That if Leviathan be so terrible and inaccessible much more is God inaccessible and incomprehensible whose counsels are deeper than the Sea wherein Leviathan haunts and who hath more terrour than what appears in the teeth of Leviathan which may affright these who dare hazard to contend with him Verse 15. His scales are his pride shut up together as with a close seal 16. One is so near to another that no air can come between them 17. They are joined one to another they stick together that they cannot be sundred In the second Branch of this Description it is declared that he is strongly armed for defence with thick Scales like Shields as the word signifieth wherein he glorieth which are so joyned as if they were sealed together v. 15. So that no air can get in betwixt them v. 16. Nor can they be sundred by force v. 17. This points out 1. The Providence of God who hath guarded his Creatures with natural defences against cold