determine the Question under debate Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken Hence note First As it is alwayes our duty to waite on God so sometimes on men We should waite First to see what men will doe for us we should waite Secondly to heare what men have to say to us we should waite for counsell for comfort for instructionâ— for conviction We should waite Thirdly to performe duty and to doe good to men Thus God is pleased to waite upon his creature man Isa 30.18 Therefore will I waite to be gracious As God waiteth to bestow acts of grace on man so man should waite to performe offices of love and respect to man or to give him advice helpe and assistance as his case and needs require Secondly Consider Elihu who had waited long as a hearer was afterwards a great speaker Hence note They that will speak to any mans case rightly must first heare him patiently They must be hearers who would be learners Paul sate at the feete of Gamaliel there he waited as a learner And if they must waite as hearers who would be learners how much more ought they who would be reachers reprovers or reformers Thirdly Elihu waited that he might speake opportunely or in time Hence note Due times and seasons of speaking must be observed and taken Ecclesiastes 3.7 There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence The providences of God poâ—nt wise men to both And usually times of silence fit us for times of speaking Every thing is beautifull in its season words spoken in their season are not only more effectuall but more beautifull they are like apples of gold in pictures of silver And therefore as the wise man gives us caution Eccles 5.2 Not to be rash with our mouths to utter any thing before God So we should not be rash with our mouths to utter any thing before men but well to consider what we have to say and waite our time to say it The Apostle James Chap. 1.19 would have us swift to heare slow to speak and probably the slower we are to speak the surer we speake Hasty speaking hath given men more dangerous stumbles and falls then ever hasty going did The Prophet represents our Lord Jesus Christ thus be speaking his Father as to his preparation and furniture for the exercise of his Propheticall yea of his whole Mediatoriall office Isa 50.4 Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned that I might know how to speake a word in season As there is much wisdome in hitting the matter what to speak and the manner of speaking how to cloath and dresse the matter of our speech so there is much wisdome in hitting the time and season when to speake And as to time a thing well in acting so to time it well in speaking is the better halfe of it Elihu waited till Job had spoken What I have now touched may be one reason of his waiting But the speciall reason of it follows in the text Because they were elder then he and good reason that he should waite upon his elders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat non tantum fenem sed senia confectum non tantum senem aetate sed sapientia The Hebrew is They were elder for dayes they were not only old men for dayes but elder for dayes then he The word strictly taken imports a man more then old even one that is worne with age Further it denotes a two-fold eldership First an eldership in time dayes or yeares Secondly an eldership in wisdome and understanding They are our elders indeed who are wiser then we eldership in time deserves respect but eldership in wisdome commands it And as such are exprest by this word in the Hebrew so both the Grecians and Romans expresse their wise men by a word of the same force Senators were elders not alwayes in time there was no Law much lesse necessity that every Senator should be an old man but in understanding every Senator ought to be a wise man though not an old man They who are to governe others wisely had need be furnished with wisdome themselves Gray haires alone cannot make a good Magistrate We read the word applyed both to Church-Elders called Isa 37.2 The Elders of the Priests and to State-Elders called Elders of the people Exod. 17.5 or of the Land Gen. 50.7 The Elders of the Land of Egypt went with them 'T is said Psal 105.21 22. Pharoah made Joseph Lord of his house and ruler of all his substance to binde his Princes at his pleasure teach his Senators wisdome Young Joseph made Pharaohs wise men wiser and gave counsel to his counsellers Here Elihu calls Jobs friends Elders and we may take him either speaking strictly that they were his Elders in time or speaking modestly that they were his Elders in wisdome knowledge and understanding and therefore he was not hasty to speake but gave them their scope waiting till Job had spoken Because they were elder then he Hence note First in General Young men should shew respect and waite upon their Elders The Apostle would not have Timothy slighted though young 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth He chargeth the people not to despise Timothy because young and he chargeth Timothy to carry it so that none might have the shew of a cause to despise him though young Let no man despise thy youth let not those that seeke occasion finde it Now as young men especially young Ministers should be so holy and grave in their conversation as not to draw disrespect or contempt upon themselves and as no man ought to despise the young meerly because they are young so all men ought to honour old age The old Law was expresse for it Levit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and feare thy God I am the Lord. See how these two are joyned together Thou shalt honour the face of the old man and feare thy God As if he had said honour old men in the feare of God or shew feare to God in the reverence and honour which thou givest to old men who having lived a long time or many dayes in the world bear at least a shadow of the eternity of God who is The anciant of dayes who lives and abides for ever There is a two-fold stampe of God upon old men more then upon other men First their very age hath a stamp of God upon it for though all ages put together are not a moment to eternity yet as to our computation and reckoning old age beares the fairest image of eternity Secondly old men bear a resemblance of God in their wisdome 't is to be supposed that the oldest are wilest as Elihu speaks v. 7. So then old men are to be reverenced not only for their precedence in time but for their experience wisdome knowledge and prudence Seris venit usus ab annis all which represent
them more like to God then younger men Secondly Look to the speciall way wherein Elihu shewed reverence to his Elders even by his long silence he did not rudely not rashly breake into discourse but waited till they had done This modesty of Elihu is both commendable and imitable who would say nothing as longe as Job or any of his friends had any thing to say Mira in hoc elucet antiquuorum in publicis concertationibus gravitas et stupendum inviolabilitèr servati in dicendo ac respondendo ordinis exemplum Bold because they were elder then he As the light of nature teacheth reverence to the aged in all cases so more particularly in this There shines as to this poynt an admirable comlinesse in the disputes of the Ancients and a most eminent example of order inviolably kept both in proposing and answering Their rule or maxime was Let the Seniors speake let the Juniors hear Let Old men teach let young men learne It is the note of a learned Commentator upon this place from what himselfe had observed Living saith he once at Paris in France where in a Monastery Majores natu loquantur juniores audiant senes doceant adolescentes discant Pulcherrima disciplinae sententia Drus three Indians were brought up and instructed in the Christian Religion I could not but admire to behold how studiously and strictly they kept to the Lawes of speaking the younger not offering a word till the Elder had done The practice of these Indians brought with them out of Heathenisme may reprove the imprudence of many yea the impudence of some young men among us who will be first in talk when their betters and elders are in place The Prophet threatned this as a great judgment Isa 3.5 The Child shall behave himself proudly against the Ancient The child is not to be taken here strictly but for any inferiour in age though possibly himself be arrived to the state of manhood As if the Prophet had said there shall be a generall confusion among all degrees of men without respect had to age or place every stripling will take the boldness to talk and act unseemly before his betters Obeysance and silence bowing the body and holding the peace are respects which ought to be paid to our Superiours whether in time or authority But as young men should not be forward to speak in the presence of their elders so they should not be afraid to speak when there is cause for it especially when their elders forbear or refuse to speak any more Thus Elihu who had long kept his mouth as David in another case did Psal 39.1 with a bridle and was dumb with silence yet at last his heart was hot within him and while he was musing the fire burned and as it followeth he spake with his tongue Vers 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men then his wrath was kindled When Elihu saw it that is when he was as much assured of it by their gesture and carriage as if it had been visible that those three men had no more to say or would say no more for the words may be referred indifferently to their will or power when I say he saw they had no more to say Either first to convince Job of error or secondly to defend the truth of God which they had undertaken when he saw this his wrath was kindled at that instant time and for that very reason his wrath was kindled Some conceive as was shewed before that this anger proceeded from the passionateness of his spirit and so tax him with it as his fault but I rather consent with those who say it proceeded from his zeal for God and so it was his vertue and his praise I have met with these words two or three times already since I entred upon this Chapter and therefore I shall not stay upon them here And as this anger of Elihu was spoken of before so the same reason which was given before of his anger is repeated and reported hear again Then his wrath was kindled because they had no answer in their mouths that is because they had no more to say against Job whom they had condemned and because they had no more to say for God whose cause in afflicting Job they had defended I shall only adde a few brief Notes upon this Verse and so passe on First Some men answer till they have no more to answer 'T is very possible for a good and a wise man to be at the bottom of his reason in some points or to be brought to such a wall that he can go no further David saith I have seen an end of all perfection which as it is true of all outward commodities and conveniences which men enjoy so both of their corporal and intellectual abilities or of what they can either do or say The best of men may see the end of their best perfections in all things but Grace and the hope of Glory Their stock and treasure may be quite spent their spring exhausted and they gone ro their utmost line and length There 's no more answer in their mouth nor work in their hand Secondly note It may put a wise man into passion to see how ill some wise men use their reason or that they can make no further use of it Then was the anger of Elihu kindled when he saw they could answer no more or that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men Thirdly As the anger of Elihu is often spoken of so still we find some what or other is assigned as a ground of it Whence note We should see good reason for our anger before we are angry whether in our own cause or in the cause of God There is nothing can excuse anger but the cause of it Reason is a good plea for passion And he that hath a true reason for his anger will probably manage his anger with reason yea and mingle it with grace And so his proves not only a rational but a gracious anger Fourthly note Provoked patience breaks out into greater passion In the former Verse we find Job waiting he waited long and patiently but being disappointed of what he waited for his wrath broke out His anger was kindled As when God waits long and is disappointed his anger is encreased in the manifestation of it Rom. 2.4 5. ver Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leads thee to repentance but after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath c. As if he had said the more patience God spends upon thee the more wrath is treasured up â—â—r thee and that wrath will break out the more fiercely and violently to consume thee the longer it hath been treasured up Now I say as the wrath of God is the more declared against man by how much his patience is the more abused So
parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
the poynt The aged speak like children when they speak foolishly or unfruitfully He only is a good speaker who speaks that which may doe others good or make them better We say proverbially and truly both of saying and doing As good never a whit as never the better I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Elihu reckons the age of aged men by multitude of yeares this he doth only to highten the matter what wisdome might he not expect from a multitude of yeares that is from such as had lived a multitude of yeares Certainly thought Elihu they will Teach wisdome There is a twofold wisdome First that which is meerely rational Secondly that which is spirituall or there is first a common secondly an holy wisdome Elihu expected wisdome of both sorts but chiefely of the latter from multitude of yeares He expected they would teach the wisdome which the Spirit of God had taught them Sapientiam intelligit quae in vera dei nostri cognitione sita est cujus author sit spiritus dei non hominis animus non anni non usus non experientia Merl that wisdome which consists in the true knowledge of God and of our selves that wisdome which is from above that which man hath not from himselfe nor is taught him by dayes or yeares by use or experience only And it was very probable that they who from their youth had been instructed in the things of God being growne old should also be growne further in this wisdome and riper in this sort of knowledge And therefore Elihu spake according to the rule of right reason when he judged that those three aged men had attained to a very high degree of divine light Such is the goodnesse of God to his people that usually they grow in grace and knowledge as they grow in yeares For though God is Debror to no man but Creditor to all men and though old age in it selfe considered deserves nothing of God yea is not only undeserving but because sin multiplyes as our dayes doe ill deserving yet as Christ saith To him that hath that is who useth and improveth what he hath more shall be given And therefore though true wisdome be a free gift and is infused and wrought by the Spirit of God yet we may in probability and ought according to charity judge that they who have most dayes have also most wisdome Though wisdome be not entayled upon old age yet there we are most likely to finde it I sayd multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Hence observe first We may well expect they should be very wise and knowing who have had much meanes and many opportunities of obtaining knowledge and wisdome And therefore we have reason to expect much wisdome from those who have had a multitude of yeares past over their heads It is a common rule in Logick Causis sufficientibus positis in aâ—tu necessario sequitur effectus When sufficient causes are put in act the effect must needs follow And so where probable causes are in act probably the effect will follow Old men having been well brought up in youth and having had faire opportunities to attaine knowledge and wisdome are rightly presumed and judged well stor'd and stockt with both Where shall we finde wisdome if not among the Ancients where if not among a multitude or throng of yeares and dayes where else should we look for it shall we goe and enquire among the greene heads and young beginners for it shall we goe to novices and children for it We may say surely they who have been long taught have learned much surely they who have heard many soule-searching Sermons and continued from day to day under the droppings of divine truths are full of fruit and very fruitfull whether shall we goe for fruit else if not to these shall we goe to those that live as upon the mountaines of Gilboa where David prayed no raine might fall shall we goe for Gospel-fruit to the wild naked untaught Indians and Barbarians or to the rightly instituted and plentifully instructed Churches of Christ may we not more then say conclude surely these are wise and full of spirituall understanding Quanquam te Marce Fili Annum jam audientem Cratippum idque Athenis abundare oportet praeceptis institutisque philosophiae c. Cic de Offi lib. t. The Roman Orator Cicero took it for granted that his son Marcus was well grounded in and plentifully furnished with the principles of Philosophy because he had been at Athens a whole yeare and there heard Cratippus a famous Philosopher read many excellent Lectures about things natural and morall And may we not say to many thousands of Gospel-hearers and professors what you that have heard such and such able Ministers you that have had the word so long preached and that at London more famous for Gospel knowledge then Athens for philosophy surely you are filled with all knowledge in the mystery of Christ and with all goodnesse in the practice of goâ—linesse And doubtlesse the Lord will argue it with those that have had time and opportunities as a rich price in their hand to get wisdome as Elihu did with his friends being aged men Who can imagine but that they are full of wisdome that they abound in knowledge and spirituall understanding who abounding in dayes and yeares have abounded also in meanes of knowledge Note Secondly As old men should abound in knowledge so they should approve themselves ready to teach the ignorant I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome 'T is a duty incumbent upon them who have learned much to teach much To conveigh wisdome and knowledge to others is most proper to such as well as most ornamental and honourable To be knowing our selves is a great mercy and to helpe others to the knowledge of what we know is a great duty we loose one speciall end of knowing if we know only for our selves To communicate and diffuse our knowledge to others is the noblest way of using it and the best way of improving it and that in a double respect First it is the best way of improving it as to encrease Secondly it is the best way of improving it as to reward The more we give out our knowledge the more we shall have of it and the more we shall have for it both from God and men The Apostle saith of a Gospel Minister 1 Tim. 3.2 He must be apt to teach not only able but apt that is ready and willing to teach now what the Apostle speaks there of an Elder by office is true of those that are elders in time they also should be apt to teach not only able but ready and willing to teach in and according to their spheare and power I said dayes should speak c. Thirdly Note 'T is a reproach to old age not to be knowing and wâ—se not to be able and apt to teach wisdome That old age
doing my Maker would soon take me away IN these two verses Elihu concludes in which he had continued long the Preface to his following discourse and procedure with Job Here also he acquaints us in what manner he meant to proceed with him about which we may consider two things First His resolvednesse or the setlednesse of his purpose what course to take Secondly the reasons which moved him to it The former he expresseth negatively in the 21th verse and that in two points First He would not accept any mans person Secondly He would not give flattering titles unto man These two negatives as the negative precepts in the Law of God are to be understood with their affirmatives I will not accept any mans person is I will have and give an equall or neither a more nor lesse to the best of my understanding then a due regard to every mans person And I will not give flattering titles that is I purpose to speak plainly I will not complement men but doe my best to accomplish the matter And as he assures us how he will proceed in this 11th verse so Secondly He gives us the reasons of this his intended impartiall plaine and down-right proceeding in the 22d. These reasons are two-fold First He would not doe otherwise because he could not with any content to himselfe It was against the very graine of his spirit to doe otherwise his disposition lay a quite contrary way he was a man of another genius or temper a man of another mould and make then to doe such low and unworthy things as accepting the persons of or giving flattering titles unto men He is expresse in this v. 22. I know not to give flattering titles Secondly He would not because he durst not give flattering titles nor accept the persons of men The danger and dammage he should incurre by doing so kept him from doing so as wel as his owne indisposition to it He should lay himselfe open and obnoxious to the wrath of God by such seeking the favour of men as appeares in the close of the verse In so doing my Maker would soon take me away Thus you have the parts and purpose of these words I shall now give a more distinct explication and account of them Vers 21. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person or let me not now So that particle is rendred Job 5.1 Call now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverbium seu particula obsecrantis seu ad horiandi ut fades amabo latinis if there be any that will answer thee yet 't is an Adverb of beseeching or intreating and therefore we render wel Let me not I pray you which rendring seemes to have in it these two things As if Elihu had sayd First Expect not that I should nor believe that I will doe any such thing as the accepting of persons or the giving of flattering titles Secondly Be not offended if I doe not be not angry with me if I deale plainly with you pray give me leave to use my owne freedome and liberty when I am speaking for I am resolved to doe it and not to accept the persons of men nor to give them flattering titles The words may be rendred also in a direct negation Verily I will not accept any mans person Non accipiam ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae enallage insolens non est Drus But I shall keep to our reading Let me not I pray you accept any mans person The Hebrew is Let me not lift up any mans person or which the Apostle forbids Let me not have any mans person in admiration I will not over-reverence any man nor give him a respect beyond himselfe The word which we render person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Hebrew face Let me not lift up the face of a man or wonder at any mans face as the Septuagint often render this phrase And it is usuall to put the face or the countenance for the person because the face declares the person and shews who the mans is and it is elegantly expressed by the face because accepting of persons importeth a respect to others for their outside or in consideration of some externall glory Let me not accept the face of any man or person let him be who he will The originall word ish most properly signifieth an eminent or honourable man a learned or wise man As if Elihu had sayd I will not accept or lift up the face of a man though he be ish a man never so much lifted up and exalted above his brethren To accept the person of a man is not a fault in it selfe for as our persons are accepted of God so ought our persons to be accepted with one another yea it is a duty to accept the person of a man that is to give him favour honour and due respect Not only civility and humanity but religion it selfe calls us to give outward reverence to them who excell and are superior either to others of our selves God himselfe is sayd to accept the persons of his people first and thâ—â— their sacrifices or services And we ought to accept the persons of men according to their differences in place and power especially according to those gifts and Graces which shine in them Therefore when Elihu saith Let me not I pray you accept any mans person his meaning is let me not doe it in prejudice to the cause or truth that is before us Then we are properly and strictly sayd to accept persons when in any matter businesse or poynt of controversie our eyes are so dazel'd or blinded by external appearances that we have respect rather to the person of the man then to the matter or the truth of the cause in hand So then this sin of accepting persons is alwayes committed when we are more swayed by or when there is more attributed to persons then to things that is when the mans worth is more looked to then the woâ—th or merit of his cause or further when something in a person which hath no respect to the goodnes or badnes of his cause moves us to give him more or lesse then is meete this is sinfully to accept or respect a person Thus Elihu acquits himselfe from all those bonds and blinds which his respect to those worthy persons before him might lay upon him They were ancient and grave men they were wise and good men he had a great respect for them he owed much reverence to them considering their age and gravity their degree and dignity yet he owed a greater respect to God and to the truth then to their persons and was thereupon resolved though he had many and great temptations to doe it not to accept the persons of men Hence note To accept persons in prejudice to the cause or truth before us is a high offence both to God and good men 'T is so in a double notion First in the act of it
because we doe that which in it selfe is not right nor according to the mind of God Secondly in the issue consequence or effects of it because by respecting persons we are endangered to many other sins While Solomon only saith Prov 28.21 To have respect of persons is not good his meaning is 't is very evill 't is starke naught And the reason which he gives of the evill of it is not only because the act in it selfe is evill but because the issue and consequence of it is worse For saith that Scripture for a piece of bread that man will transgresse That is he that respects persons will turn aside from Justice for his owne advantage though it be very small even for a piece of bread The Prophet complaines of those Amos 2.6 who sold the righteous for silver and the poore for a paire of shoes They who have sold or given up themselves to this crooked Spirit of respecting persons will not sticke to sell both the persons of the righteous and the most righteous causes not only as the Prophet saith for a paire of shoes but as we say for a paire of shoe-buckles They will soone judge amisse of things who have respect to persons and they alwayes looke beside the cause who looke too much upon the face nothing should weigh with us in judgement but truth or right and that in a five-fold opposition First Truth and right must weigh with us in opposition to relation When a Brother or a neere kinsman be in the cause we must not decline nor be biassed from the truth yea though it be on his side to whom we have no relation but that of man Secondly We must keep to the truth and doe justice in opposition to friendship Though he be my friend my old friend and my fathers friend I must not respect him if truth stand upon the other side upon the side of the meerest stranger It was anciently sayd Socrates is my friend and Plato is my friend Amicus Socrates Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas but truth is more my friend and therefore I will stick to that Thirdly We must hold to truth in opposition to or notwithstanding the hatred of men suppose a man beares us ill will yea in other things hath wronged us yet if his present cause be righteous we must doe him right We may not bring in our particular wrongs or quarrells upon any cause but that about which the wrong or quarrel riseth They shew the purest love to righteousnesse who act righteously towards those that hate them and will not wrong those who have attempted to oppresse and ruine them A true lover of Justice will do to others as himselfe would have others doe to him yea though they have not done to him as they would be done to Fourthly We must stand to truth in opposition to riches and worldly aboundance riches usually find more friends and favourers then righteousnesse doth And 't is usuall to favour the rich more then the righteous How often is truth on the poore mans side over-ballanced by his adversaries purse But O how poore are they in spiritualls and morals who thus respect the persons of the rich Fifthly We must judge for truth in opposition to worldly greatness and power and that in a two-fold consideration First Though men have a power to reward and preferre us to doe great things for us yet this should not draw us aside woe to those who respect the greatnesse of the person instead of the goodnesse of the cause yet how many are there who care not how bad a great mans cause is if he will but engage to do them good yea some great men look upon themselves as much undervalued if they be not favoured in their cause how bad soever it be because they are able to doe them good who favour it Balak tooke it very ill at Balaams hands when he seemed unmoved by his ability to advance and reward him Did not I earnestly send for thee to call thee Wherefore camest thou not to me am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour Numb 22.37 And wilt not thou serve my interest when I have such a power to advance thine Thus also Saul thought all must cleave to him and forsake the cause of David because he was great and could preferre them 1 Sam 22.7 Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds Hath he any great places to bestow and honours to give Why then doe ye seeme to adhere to him and his party Hope of reward makes a great bias upon some mens spirits and carrieth them quite off from truth There is a second consideration prevailing much with many in this matter for though they are unmoved by rewards and will not bite at the bayte of selfe-advancement yet say they O he is a great man and hath great power he may do me a shrewd turne he may vex me and undoe me he may sit upon my skirts hereafter and ruine me Thus where hope doth not feare may carry a man from respect to right to the respect of persons But know That be a man never so great and able to doe me a mischiefe yet truth must be maintained and Justice be done though we should be quite undone by appearing for it It hath been sayd of old Let justice be done though heaven fall much more should it be done though we for doing and abetting it fall to the earth Moses gave that charge more then once Levit. 19.15 Deut. 1.16 17. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou judge thy neighbour Againe Ye shall not respect persons in Judgement but ye shall heare the small as well as the great you shall not be afraid of the face of man for the judgement is Gods neither undue pity to the poore nor carnal feare of the great which two often doe ought to put any check or stop to the execution of Justice So in that excellent model of instructions which Jehoshaphat gave his Judges 2 Chron 19.7 Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts As if he had said Do not you respect persons for God respects no persons he is no gift-taker therefore be ye no gift-takers your duty is to give every one his due That which is right to one man is right to another either in the same or in any paralel case That which is the rich mans right in his cause is the right of the poore man in his cause Quod uni aequum est non debet alteri in eodem casu esse iniquum yea it is as sinfull not to have a due respect to the rich man in his case as not to have respect to the poore man
corruption Man is called not only Adam noting the matter of which he was made earth red earth but he is called Enosh that is sorrowfull sighing groaning man he is a pined and a pining man He is also called Abel vanity a poor vain man which two latter Titles have befallen man since man fell from God Fourthly which may check the grosse Atheisme of many Observe Pain and sicknesse come not by chance nor are we to stay in nature for the cause of their coming They come not at all by chance nor doe they come altogether from naturall causes Nature hath somewhat to doe in their coming but somewhat else much more even so much more that in respect of that naturall considerations may be quite shut out and the whole cause ascribed to that But what is that surely nothing else but and nothing lesse then the will of God He is pleased to give commission to pains and sicknesses and then they come Elihu would teach Job what he owned before that God was the sender and orderer of all his afflictions as of the losses he had in his estate and children so of the pains and sicknesses which he felt in his body Moses tells the children of Israel not only that sword and captivity but the Pestilence Consumptions Feavers and burning Agues are sent by God himself Deut. 28.21 22. What are diseases but the Lords Messengers When he pleaseth he can trouble the temper and cause the humours of the body to corrupt He can make them contend with one another to the death let Physitians doe what they can to quiet and pacifie them Yea though some skillfull Physitians have kept their own bodies in so due a temper and to so exact a diet that they could not see which way a disease could take hold of them or have any advantage against them yet sicknesse hath come upon them like an armed man and carryed them away to the grave Further When Elihu saith of the sick man the multitude of his bones are chastened with strong paine Note No man is so strong but the Lord is able to bring him down by pain and sicknesse He that is strong as an Oake and hath as it were a body of brasse and sinews of iron yet the Lord can make him as weak as water The Lord hath strong pains for strong men and can quickly turne our strength into weaknesse Thus Hezekiah lamented in his sicknesse Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lion so will he break all my bones God can arme diseases with the strength of a Lion who not only teareth the flesh but breaketh the bones with his teeth David saith Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth surely every man is vanity The word there rendred beauty signifieth desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desiderabile bene sanum et bene curatum corpus denotat thou makest his desire or that which is most desireable in him to fade away we well translate beauty because beauty draweth the desires of man after it and is so much desired yea lusted after by man Now as when the Lord doth but touch the body he can make the beauty so also the strength of it to consume away as a moth Sixtly whereas it is said He is chastened with pain upon his bed We learne The Lord can make those things easelesse and restless to us which use to give us most ease and rest He that being up is weary weary with walking riding or labouring hopeth to find ease in his bed yet then doth pain deny him rest there and filleth him as Job complained Chap. 7.4 with tossings too and fro unto the dawning of the day The Lord can make the Stocks or a Rack easie to us and our beds as uneasie to us as the Stocks or a Rack usually are Lastly observe The purpose of God in chastening man with sickness is to teach and instruct him not vex and destroy him The Lord hath many designes upon man when he afflicts him about all which he instructs him by affliction He designes First To humble and breake the stoutness of mans spirit hence sicknesses and afflictions are called humiliations and the same word signifies both to be afflicted and humbled Secondly To make men taste how bitter a thing sin is This is thy wickâ—dness saith the Lord of his sore Judgements brought upon his people Israel Jer 4.18 Because it is bitter Ye would not taste the evill or bitterness of sin by instruction therefore I will teach you by affliction Thirdly To put sorrowfull sinfull man upon the search of his owne heart and the finding out of the errour of his wayes While men are strong and healthfull they seldome find leisure for that worke And therefore they are confined by sickness to their houses to their chambers yea to their beds that they may attend it and read over the whole book of their lives Lam 3.39 40. Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Let us search and try our wayes and turne to the Lord. That 's mans worke upon his bed and 't is Gods aime in binding him to his bed that he may have liberty for that worke Fourthly Afflictions are design'd by God to bring man out of love with sin yea to stirre up a holy hatred and revenge in him against it as upon many other accounts so upon this because it rewardeth him so ill and he finds such unsavoury fruits of it A little digging will discover sin to be the roote of all those evill and bitter fruits which we at any time are fed with in this world Sin is the gall in our cup and the gravel in our bread and we are made to taste bitterness and finde trouble that we may both know and acknowledge it to be so Fifthly The purpose of God in afflicting us is to set us a praying to and seeking after him We seldome know our need of him till we feele it Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seek me early affliction puts man upon supplication yet every man who is afflicted doth not presently seek God many in their affliction mind not God they seek to men not to God a crosse without a Christ never made any seek God but affliction through the workings of the Spirit of Christ is a meanes to bring the soule to God and we see the effect of it at the beginning of the next Chapter in the same Prophet Hos 6.1 Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heale us c. Sixthly God is pleased to exercise us with crosses for the exercise of our Graces or to set grace aworke Grace hath most businesse to doe when we are taken off from all worldly business and are layd upon our bed our sick-bed Some worke is not done so well any where else as there And many graces worke best when 't is worst
Numb 12.1 though they were thus neerely related yet speaking irreverently of Moses the Chiefe Magistrate the Lord sayd to them v. 8. Wherefore were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses Yet how common is this sin the tongues of men walke exceeding loosly in their discourses about the persons and powers of Princes And we every where find most pleased to heare well of themselves and ill of others or to speake well of themselves and ill of others and the higher they are who are spoken of or of whom they speake evill the more they are pleased both in hearing and speaking evill of them How unruly are their tongues who cannot forbeare their rulers Thus much of Elihu's question as it is resolved into a Negative proposition It is not fit to say to a King thou art ungodly We may further consider it as an argument from the greater to the lesse to prove That it is a most wicked thing to speake a word unduely of God Is it fit to say to a King Thou are wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Vers 19. How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Who is that The words are a cleare Periphrasis of God he accepts not the persons of Princes As if Elihu had said the Kings and Princes of the earth expect such great respect from their subjects that no man should dare to censure them or speake evill of them though they doe evill or deale unjustly how much more unfit is it to speake evill of God or to charge his government with injustice who never doth any evill all whose wayes are not only just but justice He that accepteth not the persons of Princes who are the greatest of men can have neither will nor motive to deale unjustly with any man I shall not stay to shew what it is to accept persons because that hath been shewed at the 7th verse of the 13th Chapter as also Chapter 32.21 only I 'le give it in one word To accept persons is to have more respect to the man then to the matter and that 's a very common fault among men and as commonly condemned by God 'T is a received axiom He that would or doth put on the person of a Judge must put off the person of a friend that is he must not be sway'd by any respect whatsoever of friendship or allyance but must judge purely as the cause deserveth Nor shall I stay to urge the greatness of the sin of speaking any thing uncomely of God that also hath been spoken to in many former passages of this Chapter Only from these words How much lesse to him that accepth not the person of Princes Note First That which ought not to be done or spoken to the greatest of men ought much lesse to be either done or spoken to God The reason is because first God is infinitely more to be reverenced then any man Secondly because God is infinitely more able to take vengeance and certainly will of any that shall doe or speake evill to him then the greatest among the children of men Yet how many are there who dare not offend a man not a great man especially either by word or deed who are not afraid by both to offend and provoke the great God O remember the force of this text If it be not fit to speake unduely of Princes How much lesse of him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Hence note Secondly God is no accepter of persons He hath no respect to Princes in prejudice to truth and righteousnesse but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse be he never so poore is accepted with him Acts 10.35 and in every nation he that feareth him not but worketh unrighteousnesse be he never so great is unacceptable yea abominable to him The Scripture often attributes this glory to God Deut 10.17 2 Chron 19.7 Gal 2.6 Col 3.25 And as it is the glory of God that he is no accepter of persons so it is the duty of man Deut 1.17 Judgement must proceed and conclude with respect to the rule and command of God not with respect to the persons of men or our relations to them Levi was highly commended for this Deut 33.9 who sayd unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children c. When man accepteth not the persons of men he acteth most like God of whom Elihu saith He accepteth not the persons of Princes Nor regardeth the rich more then the poore That 's a further description of God He doth not regard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aguoscere familiaritèr tractare that is acknowledge or know the one more then the other He is in the best things as communicative to and converseth as familiarly with the poore as the rich yea he doth not value or prize the rich man more then the poore the poor man is worth as much as the rich man in Gods account suppose the rich man worth thousands yea ten thousands of gold and silver and the poore man so poore that he is not worth a shilling yet in the account of God the poor man is worth as much as the rich man The Scripture speakes of two sorts both of rich and poor men There are men rich in spiritualls such Christ intimates who are Luke 12.20 rich towards God or as he speakes of the Church of Smyrna Rev 2.9 rich in grace I know thy poverty but thou art rich That is I know thou art poor in earthly pelfe but rich in spiritualls The Apostle James puts the question Chap 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome Now it is most certaine that God regardeth the rich in spiritualls more then the poore in spiritualls he highly regardeth those that are poore in spirit and pronounceth them blessed Math 5.3 for theirs is the kingdome of heaven But he regardeth not those who are poore in spiritualls not them especially who boast of their spirituall riches when they have none they that have them are thankfull for them they do not boast of them as the Church of Laodicea did of whom Christ sayd Rev 3.16 17. I will spew thee out of my mouth because thou sayest I am rich encreased in goods and knowest not that thou art poore Thus you see there are a sort of rich men whom Christ regardeth more then the poore of that sort But as poore and rich are distinguished meerely by aboundance and want by the smallness and greatness of their portion in the things of this world as Dives and Lazarus in the parable were so he regardeth not the rich more then the poore When a poor man is gracious as wel as poore God regardeth him more then any rich man who hath no grace And when either both have grace alike or both are alike without grace he regardeth them both alike When rich and poore
hands Histories have given many examples and dreadful instances of such calamities falling upon Princes by the rising of the people and then they are said to be taken away Without hand That is Without any foreseen appearance of such a mischief a hand which was not thought of being lifted up against them It is said of wicked Zimri who slew his master that when he saw the people conspire against him and the City taken he went into the Palace of the King's house and in the heat of his rage set it on fire and burnt the Kings house over him and died 1 Kin. 16.18 Justine reports the like conclusion upon a like occasion of Sardanapalus that effeminate and voluptuous Monarch of the Assyrian Empire They who prosecute this Translation conceive Elihu reflecting upon Job in all this who was very uncivilly treated by his own people from whom he had deserved highest respects as he complained at the 30th chapter they raised up against him the wayes of their destruction they used him very rudely even despightfully and he was in a pining consuming condition as a man taken away without hand But I shall not insist upon this reading but take the words according to the scope before given as a description of a mixt judgement from God a judgement partly upon the people and partly upon Princes a judgement upon the many and a judgement upon the mighty In a moment shall they die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Punctum momontum tempus exiguum Illipsis praeposition◠ב In a moment The Text is a moment they die Not that they shall die but a moment or be only for a moment dead but they shall die before a moment is over there is an Elipsis of the preposition Beth in the Hebrew which we supply in our Translation In a moment they shall die A moment is the least particle or parcel of time we cannot imagine any thing shorter then a moment 't is the very point of time Psal 30.5 His anger endureth for a moment saith David when he would shew how very short comparatively the anger of God towards his people is but in his favour is life Thus Solomon Prov. 2.19 He that speaketh truth his tongue shall be established but a lying tongue is for a moment A lye cannot last long he that speaks truth what he speaks to day is good to morrow and to morrow and will be good for ever but a lying tongue is for a moment that is his lies will be discovered and usually they are quickly discovered though he live long to tell lies or doth nothing but tell lies as long as he liveth yet his lyes are not long lived Job describing the joy of the hypocrite chap. 20.5 saith It is but for a moment like a fire of thorns a blaze and gone when the Apostle would strengthen and encourage the hearts of believers against all the troubles and sorrows of this present life he calls them 2 Cor. 4.17 First light Secondly short Our light afflictions that are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And that we might know how quick the devil was at his work with Christ the Scripture saith Luke 4.5 He shewed him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time As to shew the instantaneousness of our change from death to life in the resurrection it is said 1 Cor. 15.52 In a moment in the twinckling of an eye at the last Trump we shall be changed So to shew the extream suddenness of these mens change from life to death it is said here In a moment They shall die They Who Both great and small one and another of them shall die or be swept away by death in a moment There is a twofold death First Natural When either sickness or old age dissolves the earthly house of this tabernacle The natural death of some is very lingring and slow others are suddenly snatcht away they die in a moment Secondly There is a violent death thus many are taken away by the sword Martial or Civil others casually The Text is true both of natural and violent death either of them may overtake us in a moment yet I conceive the latter is here chiefly intended In a moment shall they die that is some sudden destruction shall come upon them they shall be surprized by an unlooked for disaster and removed out of the world while they had not a thought of their removal Hence Note First Death of any sort may befal all sorts of men None can plead exemption or priviledge from the grave It is appointed to men once to die most die a natural death and any man may die a violent death who knows how he shall go out of this world Christ told Peter John 21.18 When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not This spake he signifying by what death he should glorifie God And what kinde of death was that The Church History assureth us 't was a violent death He as his master Jesus Christ was nailed to a Cross and dyed We come but one way into the world but there are a thousand wayes of going out Note Secondly Death comes suddenly upon many men and may upon all men The whole life of the longest liver in this world is but a moment compared to eternity and there is not any moment of our life but with respect to second causes we are subject to death in it We alwayes in some sense though at some times more carry our lives in our hand and how soon or by what hand they may be snatcht out of ours we know not Now if our whole life be but a moment and we subject to death every moment how should we stand prepared for death every moment And how sad is it to think that they who may die the next moment should for dayes and weeks and moneths and years never prepare for death Most are loth to think of the end of their lives till they are nearer the end of them yet no man knoweth how near he is to the end of his life Many put off the thoughts of death till it cometh yet none can put off the coming of death they would remove the meditation of death to the fall of their leaf to the winter and worst of their old age yet they are not able to remove death one moment from the Spring and best of their youth Note Thirdly Violent death by the sore and severe judgement of God often sweeps multitudes away in a moment God can thrust whole throngs of men yea whole Nations into their graves together it is said Numb 16.21 of Corah and his companions The earth did cover or swallow them up in a moment And the Lord commanded Moses to say unto the children of Israel Exod. 33.5 ye are a stiff-necked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume