Solomons advice Eccles 7.14 In the day of prosperity be joyfull but in the day of adversitie consider What shall we consider Consider this and marke it well that as the day of prosperity was from God so the day of adversitie is from God likewise for it followes God also hath set the one over against the other Therefore seeing God hath set one over against the other thou must take the one well as well as the other at least thou must beare the latter as patiently as thou did'st receive the former joyfully They who have shared with others in gaines thinke it but equall to share with them in losses they set the one over against the other And so must we in respect of Gods dispensations towards us If we set our present wants over against our former fullnesse our present sorrowes over against our former comforts our present sicknesse over against our former health our present warre over against our former peace If we thus set the one over against the other our accounts will be ballanc'd yea our former receipts of good will be far greater and out-ballance our present sufferings of evill Especially if we remember that we never deserved the least part of the good we have received but we have deserved more then all the evill that we suffer Wee may say as Ezra did Chap. 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities and we may say as Jacob Gen. 32.10 Lord we are not worthy the least of all thy mercies This argument may be of great use to us of this Nation in these times of darkenesse and feare What shall not we receive evill from the hand of God who have received so much good we have received many yeares of peace from God foure-score yeares of peace shall we receive so many yeares of peace from the hands of God and shall we take it ill if we receive some yeares of warre We have received many yeares of plenty shall we take it ill if we should have some yeares of scarcitie We have had the Gospell many yeares every one sitting under his Vine and under his Fig-tree what if now we hold the Gospell standing upon our guard or marching in the field what if we hold it a while sitting in Tents and standing under our displayed banners Fourthly Forasmuch as the same word is applied here to expresse the act of the mind in reference both to good and evill Observe That outward evills are to be received in the same manner and with the same mind that good things are received with Yet a caution is to be given in with this There are two sorts of outward evils or sufferings Sinne is the cause of some sufferings and grace is the cause of other sufferings either grace acted or grace to be tryed Now we are not to receive the evill of suffering whereof sin is the cause with the same mind as we doe good joy and cheerefulnesse doth not become such evills But when our sufferings are caused by grace either of those wayes then it becomes us to rejoyce The Apostle saith more Rom. 5.3 We glory in tribulation And againe 2 Cor. 6.10 as sorrowfull yet alway rejoycing The sorrow of godly men is like the joy of the wicked only in appearance Paul had only a shadow of sorrow as sorrowfull but his joy was substantiall and continuall alwayes rejoycing though his outward estate cast up amounted but to this poore and having nothing The reason is because God is the same in all variety of our estates God loves as well when we are poore as when we are rich yea as well when himselfe smites as when he heales He is as good to us when we receive evill as when we receive good therefore if God be the same surely we ought to be the same too and take it as kindly at his hands when we are impoverisht as when we are inricht when we are sick as when we are in health when we are in prison as when we are free Shall present evills make us either insensible of or unthankfull for past mercies Shall present troubles be as a grave wherein to bury the memory of all our former comforts shall as it was in Pharaohs dreame the leane kine and the blasted eares of corne eate up and devoure the fat kine and the full eares The Heathen Philosopher censures him for a foole who thinks there is no benefit in benefits nor blessing in blessings except they be present And he brands him as unthankfull who accounts the end of a mercy an injury or thinks he is wrong'd when free gifts are not continued If a Heathen saw so much obligation in the past benefits of a man Christians should see it much more in the past mercies and blessings of their God Wherefore to conclude this point with the counsell of the Ancient Remember the heapes of good things received weigh the good and the evill together Thou shalt never find any mans life at all times alike It is the priviledge of God alone to be without changes but if thou grievest at what is present take comfort in what is past Now thou mournest but heretofore thou didst rejoyce now thou art in want but thou hast had aboundance We have a saying It is a miserable thing to have been happy But a godly man is happy in the mid'st of all his misery he may say with undaunted Luther Let him be miserable that can be miserable I cannot He that hath not a God to loose nor a soule to loose cannot be miserable whatsoever he looses while Christ is safe a beleever hath no reason to be unsatisfied Thus we have discus'd Jobs answer and have found it full of wisedome and of holinesse like those words of the Wise which the Preacher saith Eccles 12.11 are as goads and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies Jobs words were as goads by the sharpnesse of reproofe to awake and quicken lazie drones they were as nailes by the piercing efficacy and strength of reason to confirme and fasten wavering minds We have the word and warrant of God for this in that high Elogium or commendation given him at the conclusion of all In all this did not Job sinne with his lips Job reprooves his wife for speaking so and he refutes what she had spoken in both he hits the right Now In all this did not Job sinne with his lips This is the same testimony for the matter and almost the same in words with that given of Jobs victory in the close of the first dayes battell and having explicated them in that place I shall but briefely touch them here In all this did not Job sin with his lips We see in generall the holy Ghost gives the victory to Job Satan is foiled his plot failes the weapons of his war-fare are all broken and successelesse all his fiery darts are either quench't or beaten back upon himselfe Job stands like a mighty rock or like a house built
AN EXPOSITION WITH PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS Vpon the three first CHAPTERS of the Booke of IOB Delivered in XXI Lectures at MAGNUS neare the Bridge London By JOSEPH CARYL Preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne JAMES 5. ver 10 11. Take my bretheren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Behold we count them happy which endure Yee have heard of the patience of Job and have seene the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercy LONDON Printed by G. Miller for Henry Overton in Popes-head-Alley and Luke Fawne and Iohn Rothwell in Pauls Church-yard M.DC.XLIII IT is this eleventh Day of May 1643. Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing that this Book intituled An Exposition upon the three first Chapters of IOB be printed for Henry Overton Luke Fawne Iohn Rothwell IOHN WHITE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER To those especially of this City who have bin the Movers and Promoters of this work THis Book of JOB beares the Image of these times and presents us with a resemblance of the past present and much hoped for future condition of this Nation As the personall prosperity of Job so his troubles looke like our Nationall troubles and why may not the parallel be made up by a likenesse in our Restauration Job was the most flourishing the greatest man of all the men of the East We are the greatest and lately were the most flourishing Nation of all the Nations of the North. Our Oxen like his were strong to labour our Sheep brought forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets our garners were full affording all manner of store our sonnes like his as plants growne up in their youth our daughters as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace There was no breaking-in nor going out no complaining in reference to outward wants in our streets We washed our steps with butter and the rock powred us out rivers of oyl The Candle of God shined upon our Heads and the secret of God was upon our Tabernacles Our roots were spread out by the waters and the dew of blessings lay all night upon our branches Unto us the Nations gave ear and waited kept silence at our counsel After our words they spake not again and our speech dropped upon them If we laughed on them they believed it not our glory was fresh in us and the light of our countenance they cast not down we chose out their way and sate chief and dwelt as a King in the army as one that comforteth the Mourners Surely a happy people were we being in such a case yea most happy were we having the Lord many ways declaring himselfe for our God And had we as these mercies did oblige us fill'd up or labour'd to fill up th' other part the better part of Jobs character Had we beene a People perfect and upright fearing God and eschewing evill We might according to the promis'd and often experienc'd tenour of Gods dealing with his people have continued and encreased in all that happinesse unto this day But We herein unlike to Job and like a foolish Nation and unwise have ill-requited the Lord yea we have requited the Lord with evill for and in the midst of all this Goodnesse Our Provocations have bin many and our Backe-slidings have bin multiplied Our sinnes have put a Sword into the Hand of God And God in Justice hath put a Sword into the Hands of unjust men men skilfull to destroy He hath made Babylonians the rod of his anger and the staffe of his Indignation against us He hath given Commission to Caldeans and Sabeans who rob and spoyle us Our young men are slaine by the edge of the Sword and the stinke of our Campes comes up into our Nostrils How many sad Messengers have hastened unto us as unto Job with the Reports of Cities surrendered and plundered of Townes fired and pillaged of Villages and Countries laid waste and almost desolate Now seeing all this is come upon us is it not time for us with Job to rent our Garments yea our hearts with godly sorrow and falling upon the ground worship God and say The Lord hath freely given and the Lord hath justly taken Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Our sinnes have brought these sorrowes let not our sorrowes bring in more sin by causing us to murmur against or charge God foolishly God never sends such troubles upon a Nation he doth sometimes upon a Person and did upon Job without cause that is without respecting sinne as a cause Job might say in one sense My Uprightnesse and my Integritie have procured these things unto me But wee must say our way and our doings have procured these things unto us This is our wickednes Yet though all this evill hath been done by us though all these evils are come upon us yet there is hope in our Israel concerning this thing yea I beleeve there is mercie in and from all these evils to us and all the Israel of our God Onely what Integrity we have let us still hold it stedfastly what evils are and what evils almost are not amongst us let us reforme them speedily Without this at least without hearty desires and faithfull endeavours after this wee may presume but we cannot beleeve or hope our Deliverance I grant that whensoever God restores us he must restore us freely and must both make us good and doe us good for his owne Name sake in Jesus Christ For as he hath punished us lesse then our sinnes deserve so whensoever or in what degree soever he restores us it will bee more then any or all our repentings and reformings can deserve yet he commands us to repent and reforme that we may be restored God never delivered any people for their Repentance and rarely any if any without Repentance Yea I may say it plainely that he never delivered any in Mercie without Repentance for either he gave them Repentance before they were delivered or Repentance which is farre the greater blessing of the two with the Deliverance Better have our troubles continue then our sinnes continue To have Peace returne and our hearts unturn'd were infinitely worse then warre And as Repentance is better then Peace so it will be an argument that we shall have Peace May wee not well conclude that God is upon the giving-hand when he gives a new heart And that hee hath somewhat else to give when he hath given a love unto and a longing after his Truth When God feeds us with and we have a right taste of this Manna in our Wildernesse wee may rest assured that God hath humbled us all this while and all the while his Wisdome shall see fit to humble us yet will be only to proove us that he may doe us good at our latter end and make this Nation at least like Job in the end which he will
the souls under the Altar cry How long Lord how long They cry to God how long they knew that he only had the time in his hand he only could tell how long and it should be as long as he pleased How long Lord They cryed not to cruell tyrants how long will ye persecute but Lord how long will it be before thou come to revenge And so David Psal 31.15 My time it is in thy hand speaking of his afflictions There is no affliction but it is in the hand of God for the continuance of it as well as for the manner of it and as no enemie man or devill can make thy crosse greater or longer or heavier so no friend man or Angell can make thy crosse lighter or lesser or shorter then God himselfe hath appointed Onely upon himselfe shalt thou not put forth thine hand thou shalt not move an inch further not a haires bredth further As our afflictions for the matter of them are by the will of God as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.19 While you suffer saith he according to the will of God those words according to the will of God note not only the righteousnesse of suffering that it must be in a good cause but also the spring from whence those sufferings come they are Ex voluntate Dei so Mr. Beza translates it they are out of the will of God Now I say as they are out of the will of God or from the will of God springing from his will and flowing from his dispensation of things in the matter of them so also in every circumstance God himself gives thy crosse length and bredth and thicknesse he fills thy cup of sorrow he directeth how many drops to a drop shall be put into it thou shalt not have a drop more then God prescribes and which is more comfortable knowes will be for thy good Secondly Observe That Satan is boundlesse in his malice toward the people of God If God did not set him bounds he would set himselfe no bounds therefore saith God unto him Onely upon himselfe c. He had a mind to have gone further he would have been upon Job himselfe as well as upon his estate if God had not stop'd and curb'd him Therefore the Apostle gives that assurance for the comfort of the people of God 1 Cor. 10.13 God saith he is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able As if he should say Satan would with all his heart lay more upon you than you are able to beare Satan would breake your backs if he were let alone but God will not suffer it Satan hath a boundlesse malice against the people of God Some observe this from his name Leviathan Isa 27.1 In that day the Lord with his great and strong Sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent Leviathan is put there for Satan and for all the instruments of Satan now Leviathan signifieth in the Hebrew an augmentation an addition or an increase And Satan is so called because say they he ever desires to lay more burdens upon to increase the afflictions troubles and temptations of Gods people he never thinkes he hath done enough against them His thirst to worke mischiefe is never quenched but still he desires to doe more he would faine have his Commission inlarged to doe more mischiefe in the world Therefore God is said not to strike after their stroake in the 7th verse of that 27. of Isa Hath hee smitten him as he smit those that smote him In the Hebrew it is Hee hath not smitten him according to the stroake of those that smote him according to their stroake noting that the stroake of Leviathan and the stroake of his instruments is an unmeasurable stroake a boundlesse stroake they would never give over striking They thinke the wound is never deepe enough nor blood shed enough but saith the Prophet verse 8. God doth it in measure so that he opposeth their striking to Gods afflicting by the measure of it God keepeth his afflictions in such a bound and compasse he afflicts in measure but Satans stroake and the stroakes of wicked men are without all measure that is without all moderation unlesse God stop them they would never make an end Lastly Observe how Satan is by this proved a deceiver he intended more than he spake you may see it plainly in this because God put a restraint upon him Touch all that he hath saith Satan that referred to his possessions outward estate as if that had bin the mind of Satan in the motion do but afflict him in his outward estate I desire no more to make this tryal now when the Lord saith All that he hath is in thy hand there he grants him the motion in the letter of it but the Lord God saw that Satan had a further reach when he said Touch all that he hath which words seeme to extend no further then his estate but had not God limited and restrain'd him he by an indefinite grant to his motion had likewise fallen upon his person that was the great morsell he gaped after all this while he would have been doing with Job himselfe else there was no need of this limitation Onely upon himselfe put not forth thy hand Satans fingers itcht to be medling with Job though his words called for what he had not for himselfe And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. As soone as he hath leave and his Commission he is gone presently He went out from the presence of the Lord. The word is he went out from the face of the Lord Now the face of the Lord in Scripture it is taken sometimes for the essentiall glory of God that inaccessible Majesty of God Exod. 33. ult Thou canst not behold my face Sometimes the face of God is put for the favour and love of God Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolate Dan. 9.17 and cause thy face to shine upon thy servant So in many other places the face of God is put for the favour of God because as the favour and love of a man is seene and discovered in his face so there is somewhat in those dealings of God which discover God he is said to make his face to shine upon his people when he doth discover by any act of his that he loves and favours them that is the shining of his face upon them The face interprets the heart and shewes the meaning of the spirit so in those things which interpret somewhat of the love of God to us God is said to make his face shine upon us On the other side the face of God is put sometimes for the anger and wrath of God because anger is seene in the face too so in those things by which God discovereth his anger he is said to set his face against men there is an expresse place for it in this sense Lam. 4.16 The anger of the Lord the
worldly comforts and possessions Death is called an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 We that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed that is not that we would die Death is called an uncloathing because it pulleth all outward things off from a man it pulleth off all his raiment his riches his lands his honours yea death uncloathes the very bones our flesh weares off quickely in the grave Wee have a usuall phrase among us and it is a very proper one when a rich man dies we say he left a great estate he leaves it indeed for he cannot carry it with him he must goe out naked how well cloathed so ever he was while he was here The Apostle doth more then intimate that some rich men do scarce beleeve this for sound doctrine he speaks as if he would beat them off from some thought of carrying the world with them out of the world while they live they are buried in their riches and when they die they hope their riches will be buried with them yea and rise with them againe Such a conceit I say the Apostle seemes to meet with for in the 1 Tim. 6.7 having said We brought nothing with us into this world he addeth in the next words and it is certaine we can carry nothing out he doth not say we brought nothing into the world and we can carry nothing out as Job here speakes but as if Jobs assertion had come into question in Pauls time he saith we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine never doubt of the truth of it we can carry nothing out we shall goe out as we came-in Many as the Prophet Habbakkuk speakes Chap. 2.6 lade themselves with thick clay But as the question there followes How long This lading must be laid downe againe If riches end not before thee as thine they must end with thee Yet if any would carry riches and cloathing out of the world it will be their wisdome to labour for spirituall riches for spirituall cloathing when such die as they shall not be found naked so they shall not goe out naked All your other cloathing and riches must be left on this side the grave but get spirituall cloathing and riches and you shall goe out of the world adorn'd and enrich'd for ever the cloathing of grace the robe of righteousnesse a vesture of spirituall ornaments will endure to all eternity Thirdly note here further how the Holy Ghost describes the life of man Naked came I into the world and naked shall I returne The life of man it is nothing else but a comming and a returning Here is nothing said of staying or abiding We have here no continuing City while we are here we can hardly be said to continue here and after a few dayes we shall not be here at all It is but a comming and a going it is but a flood and an ebbe and then we are carried into the Ocean of eternity We may yet consider the words as they are an argument and so I shall note two things from them So Job uses them as an argument both to support himselfe and to acquit God Then observe First That a godly man in his straights studieth arguments to acquit and justifie God in all his dealings with him Job could not have found out upon longest study a better or a stronger argument for the acquitting of God then this is I have as much as I brought then what wrong is done me in all this As wicked men when they fall into straits or troubles especially when they fall into sin study arguments how to shift themselves out and lay all the blame upon God as Adam and Eve our first Parents in Paradise there it began when they had sinned and were naked they began to devise shifts how to put it from themselves and to fasten the fault upon God David on the other side labours as much to cleare God if ever he should be stript naked Psa 51.4 I will confesse my sinne that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest Weigh the reason why David confesseth his sinne in that Psalme I doe it saith he that I may by this meanes acquit God whatsoever God shall doe with me hereafter whatsoever affliction God shall bring upon me men it may be will begin to judge Gâ—d for it and to say that he hath dealt hardly with me notice having been taken what an eminent servant of God I have been Behold saith he I confesse my sinne before thee that thou maist be cleare when thou judgest or as the Apostle Paul quotes the place according to the Septuagint Rom. 3.4 That thou mightest overcome when thou art judged David knew men would be apt to judge God if they saw him afflicted and therefore to stop their mouthes or to give God the day against them he confesses his sin thereby shewing cause why God might chastise him either for correction of sin past or prevention of sin to come Secondly As the argument referreth unto Job himselfe we may observe this That the consideration of what we once were and of what at last we must be may releeve our spirits in the greatest outward afflictions of this life Art thou for the present in a naked condition Consider thou wast naked once and ere long shalt be naked againe Consider the two extreames the beginning and the ending and that will beare thee up in the middle condition There is many a man that complaines and saith I have nothing but the cloathes upon my backe left me and they are but raggs but meane ones neither Why With nothing but the cloathes upon thy backe Know O man thou wast borne with nothing but thy skin upon thy backe Consider this and leave complaining this was one thought which helped Job to beare this burden the want of all And the Apostle Paul useth this argument to the very same purpose 1 Tim. 6.6 having said That godlinesse with contentment is great gaine he subjoynes presently this argument of Job for saith he we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we shall carry nothing out To consider what not long agoe we were and what very shortly we must be will mightily work the soule to contentation in what estate soever wee are It followes The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away This is the second argument which Job useth to both the former purposes and it is a more spirituall and sublime argument than the former A man who hath nothing in him but nature may say as much as Job did before though he could never say it with Jobs spirit for though godly persons use naturall arguments and common reasons yet being concocted in their spirits they become heavenly and spirituall Naturall men I say or Heathens have taken up such an argument as that as when word was brought to a Heathen Philosopher that his sonne was dead I knew saith he that I
no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Isa 62. ver 6 7. This duty is now doubled on us by the great afflictions and greater feares of Sion When Christ was in his agony he prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 And when his Church is in an agony we ought to pray more earnestly At such a time we must mingle more fire with our prayers we must pray more fervently At such a time we must mingle more water with our prayers wee must pray more repentingly We must with Jacob Hos 12. weepe and make supplication At such a time we must mingle more faith with our prayers we must pray more beleevingly In a word at such a time every prayer must be a pleading yea a wrestling with God a wrestling with resolution not to let him goe untill wee have got a blessing till wee prevaile with God to destroy his Churches enemies as Satan in the text moved God to destroy Job his servant and his friend So it followes Thou movedst me against him to destroy him To destroy him The word Destroy signifieth to swallow up or to devoure You have it Gen. 41.4 where it is said that the seven leane eares and seven leane kine did devoure or eat up the seven full eares and the seven fat kine And Exod. 7.12 the text saith That Moses his rod did swallow up the rods of the Magicians Psal 124.3 Vnles the Lord had been on our side they had swallowed us up quicke In all these places it is the same word we have here thou movedst me to destroy him In the former Chapter where Satan desired God to touch Job I shewed what kind of touches Satan desired to lay upon the people of God you see it now cleared by God himselfe Thou movedst me to destroy him to swallow him up Thy words were moderate and diminitive doe but touch him but thy intentions were bloody and destructive thou movedst me to destroy him to make an end of him that was thy meaning Without cause But will the Lord the wise God doe any thing without cause A wise a prudent man will not doe any thing without cause though Satan may be so brutish and unreasonable to move God to doe a thing for which there is no cause would the Lord be so perswaded by his motion to doe it without cause The text seemeth here to speake so thou movedst me to destroy him without cause and God hearkned to his motion before and gave him up all his estate to doe with it what he pleased Briefly to cleare this Without cause It is the same originall word used in the former Chapter Doth Job serve God for nought or without cause as was then opened so here Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause or thou movedst me against him for nothing or for nought We may consider this phrase of speech without cause three wayes First in reference unto Satan Secondly in reference unto God Thirdly in reference unto Job himselfe From each of these considerations light will shine into this point First in reference unto Satan God tells Satan thou movedst me against him without cause that is Job never gave thee any cause why thou shouldest make such a motion against him Job had never wronged thee or done thee any hurt as David saith of his enemies they are mine enemies without cause I was never injurious or unjust unto them So Satan was Jobs enemy without cause Job never gave him occasion Indeed the holinesse and goodnesse of Job was Satans griefe and Satans trouble but for any other trouble or wrong Job never did him therâ—fore without cause it was in reference unto Satan 2. In reference unto Satan without cause that is Thou didst not alleadge any sufficient cause or charge him with any particular crime thou didst onely bring in a generall suspition against him there was not so much as a common fame as you know it was a course to accuse men upon common fame So saith God here it was nothing but a suspition raised out of thine owne braine as indeed those common fames that we heard of not long since upon which many were accused yea condemn'd were only suspitions borne in the brains of those men So here Job was charged meerly upon the suspition of Satan there was no crime directly alleadged nor any evill report in the world against him cause was not shew'd legally therefore without cause thou movedst me against him 3. In reference unto Satan without cause that is it now appeareth upon the tryall that thou didst move me against him without cause that which thou didst pretend to be the cause was not found in Job thou pretendest he was an hypocrite and served me for himselfe now thou seâ—st thy selfe confuted it appeareth he did serve me for nought sincerely and not for his owne endâ— He is no painted sepulcher no rotten self-seeker If we consider the words in the second place with reference unto God Thou didst move me against him without cause then we must take heed of thinking that God doth any thing without cause No the wise God doth every thing in number weight and measure he doth every thing upon great reason upon the highest reason God will not doe the lowest thing but upon the height of reason he doth the least thing upon greater reason than the greatest Polititians in the world doe the greatest Therefore God had reason important reason to give Job up to be afflicted He did it for the tryall of Job he did it for the magnifying of his free-grace and the graces of his free Spirit in his weake creature he did it that Job might be set up as an example of patience he did it to discover the slander of the devill therefore he did it for strong reasons it was not without cause in reference unto God himselfe Lastly If we consider it in reference unto Job it was not absolutely without cause neither for though there was not that cause in him which Satan pretended namely grosse hypocrisie yet if the Lord should search and sift him narrowly as if he should search and sift the holiest of his servants his pure eyes and holy nature would find sinne enough in them which might justifie him or shew to his justice sufficient cause take the sinne in it selfe not onely to afflict them temporally but to lay his hand upon them for ever Should God I say have tryed him thoroughly and looked upon sinne in it selfe he might finde cause to afflict him in regard of his sinne So then absolutely in reference unto Job it was not without cause God might have found cause in regard of his sinne But there were other causes in reference unto Job it was to try Iob to exercise Iob it was that Iob might have further honour after the tryall There might have been a reason in sinne if the Lord had marked iniquity And there were many reasons in referrence to his good why
the Lord did leave him thus in the hands of Satan to be afflicted To winde it up If we looke upon Satan then it was without that cause he pretended it was without any direct charge it was a meer suspition Iob had never wronged him But if we respect God it is not without cause God doth all things for weighty reasons And if we respect Iob God possibly yea easily might have found a sin in him any sin in it self considered would do it as the cause of his affliction And he had other actuall reasons in reference both to the being and improvement of his graces why he left him thus in the hands of Satan Hence we may learne First in that God saith Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause That pure or rather impure malice stirreth Satan against the people of God Though he alwayes pretends somewhat in them yet the cause is in himselfe God now discovers he doth nothing but out of very malice pure malice against his servants Satan hath two names in Scripture noting his two speciall workes Temptation and accusation He sollicits good men to doe evill against God Hence he hath his name the Tempter He sollicites God to conceive evill of good men and hence he hath his name the Slanderer or Accuser Secondly we may note That God doth afflict his people sometimes without respect unto their sinnes Thou diddest move me against him without cause It was not in regard of his hypocrisie or of any thing thou diddest charge him with why I did afflict him and lay my hand upon him Though all men have alwayes sinne enough to be the meritorious cause yet oftentimes sinne is not the moving cause of their afflictions When the Disciples put that question to Christ concerning the blind man Joh. 9.2 Master who did sinne this man or his parents that he was borne blind Iesus answered neither hath this man sinned nor his parents not as if either of them were without sinne but to shew that they had not sinned as to this purpose sc their sinne was not the cause of this blindnesse and therefore in the next words he assignes the cause But sc he was borne blind that the workes of God should be made manifest Afflictions are alwayes from sinne but not alwayes for sinne Neither are they at all for sinne upon beleevers by way of the least satisfaction to the justice of God that chastisement Christ hath so fully borne Isa 53. that no beleevers finger shall ever ake in that sense But they are often afflicted for sinne by way of purgation or prevention Thirdly we may note this likewise That God will at the last give testimony for the clearing of the innocency of his servants against all Satans malicious accusations God himselfe gives testimony here a second time concerning Iob Thou didst move me against him without cause thou diddest move me to it but it is cleare and I give my sentence there was no such cause as thou didst suggest against him why I should destroy him When the Lord had thus called Satan to account concerning Iob whether he had considered him both in his radicall graces and in this additionall grace the holding fast of his integrity Then Satan comes forth to answer this also Hast thou saith God considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause Yes saith Satan in the 4th verse And Satan answered the Lord and said Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face Here is Satans answer with his motion upon it By his answer he labours to blot and obscure the glory which Job had gained in the former battell and by his motion he labours to bring him about unto a second tryall As by his answer in the former Chapter a little to compare him with himselfe Satan slandered Jobs actions so by his answer here he slanders Jobs sufferings There it was for something that Job served God and here that which Job had suffered is nothing It is Satans trade and he hath many children of the same occupation to slander and to slight whatsoever the servants of God either doe or suffer Before he slandered Jobs active obedience now hee slanders his passive obedience What is this saith hee tush Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life It is a slight tryall that he hath past yet what great matter is it if he hold fast his integrity who would not who could not hold-fast for any thing that hath been done to him yet Let us try him againe For the clearing of this we will examine the words Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life We see here that malice is steeped in wit Satan answereth by a Proverbe Skin for skin c. A proverbiall quick sharp speech the generall sense of which and Satans intendments are very cleare The generall sense of this proverbiall speech is this That life is the most precious treasure that a man will part with any thing upon these tearmes The saving of his life That all a man suffers comes not very neare him while that is out of danger Such is the generall sense and Satans intendment in speaking this is as cleare namely that as Iob before had served God for his wealth so now he doth serve him for his breath that as before Iob kept close to God that hee might enrich him so now Iob keepes close to God lest he should destroy him He seemeth to hold fast his integrity so you tell me but it is onely that he may hold fast his life He served you before for wealth and now he serves you for breath His feare of loosing that makes him humble himselfe and give many thankes Search him to the bottome and you will find him still a mercenary servant holding his integrity that hee may hold in with thee and live This is the generall drift of Satan But to give the speciall meaning of his words doth somewhat trouble Interpreters Skin for skin and all that a man hath will hee give for his life First Skin for skin Some interpret it thus A man will venture the skin of one member to save the skin of another which being cut-off or wounded his life is more in danger As for instance if a blow come at a mans head he will hold up his hand or his naked arme he will venture the skin of his hand to save his head And the reason is because his life is more in danger if he be wounded in his head then in his hand Here is skin for skin he gives the skin of a member which is further off
but also lowder and lowder It becomes us not only to continue our mourning and our crying unto God but to cry lowder and lowder If we increase not our humiliations God will yet increase our judgements if we will not sit in ashes he will bring us to ashes and punish us yet seven times more for our sins Wherefore receive the counsell of the Apostle James in these your afflictions Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up God lifts them up who cast themselves down and if in this sence we be afflicted we shall not be afflicted Christ hath purchased Free Grace bestowes deliverance and we receive it when we returne repent and beleeve JOB 2.9 10. Then said his wife unto him Doest thou still retaine thine integritie Curse God and die But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh what shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil In all this did not Job sin with his lips WEE have already considered out of the former parts of the Chapter Jobs second affliction First in the occasion of it secondly in the causes of it and thirdly in the manner of it together with those aggravating circumstances which made his sorrowes out of measure sorrowfull And now we must look upon that Jewell among the ashes and consider what befell him there These things make the fourth part of the Chapter namely the consequents of his affliction These consequents are three 1. His wives unseemly and sinfull counsell vers 9. 2. His wise and holy reply vers 10. 3. His friends visit to comfort him verses 11 12 13. First we will discusse his wives unseemly and sinfull counsell Then said his wife unto him c. There are two Questions raised concerning Jobs wife 1. Who she was 2. How it came to passe that she was spared when all his outward comforts were removed For the first in a word It is the opinion of many among the ancient Jewes that Job lived in the time of Jacob the Patriark And that he took to wife Dinah Jacobs daughter but I leave the Rabbins to prove that if they can Why she was spared in the time of so generall a calamity may beare some further inquirie For seeing a wife is the chiefest of creature comforts and the very reason why God at the first did institute that relation was that man might have a help meet for him it may seeme somewhat strange why Satan going about to bring upon Job trouble in its perfection should leave him that which is the perfection of all outward comforts a wife What were Jobs Oxen and Asses and Sheep and Camels to a wife And what were his children to a wife When Adam had not only such a number of cattell but all the cattell and riches in the world in his possession and under his dominion God saw him defective till he provided him a wife a wife was the complement of all How then cometh it to passe that when Satan would afflict Iob to the uttermost he leaves him his wife To cleare this before we come to examine the words that she spake The Jewes which are the Authors of that afore-named opinion that his wife was Dinah tell us to lengthen out the dreame that she was spared for Iacob her fathers sake It is a truth That children doe often fare the better for holy Fore-fathers It is no mean privilege to be born of those that are in Covenant As God visits the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him so he shewes mercy to thousands of those that love him c. Exod. 20.5 6. but in this place we have no stock to graft this truth upon but a meere imagination I passe on Secondly some conceive that his wife was out of Satans Commission that he had nothing to do to meddle with her she being comprehended under that clause of exception in the first Chapter vers 12. All that he hath is in thy power only upon himselfe put not forth thine hand his wife they say was a part of himself according to that Gen. 2.24 And they viz. the husband and the wife shall be one flesh So that Satan could not smite her but he must smite Iob too therefore she was exempted say they and set beyond the reach of Satans stroake Though this may have some shew of wit in it and somewhat of reason too referring unto the first part of Iobs affliction yet there is no shew of either in reference unto the second where Satan had a Commission to afflict his bodie his flesh and his bone for then she also take it in the sense before was comprehended under the Commission of Satan being though not as Eve from Adam bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh yet according to the law of marriage given to all One flesh with him Gen. 2.24 Therefore in the third place that which I conceive and agree with others in for the true reason why she was spared is this That she might be a further instrument of her husbands affliction Satan meant to make use of her for his owne purpose to drive on the main designe and whereas she should have been a help to her husband Satan employes her against her husband this was his aime and therefore she was spared Hence one of the Ancients cals her the strongest and fittest weapon with which Satan did assault the choisest Arrow in his Quiver by which he wounded the soul and spirit of Iob. She that should have had her hands busied in the washing suppling curing and healing of his wounds smites him with her tongue a piercing and a poyson'd instrument The rib was not smitten that it might smite the head Another compares her to a Ladder by which Satan hoped to scale this impregnable tower that death might creep in at the window of his eares by hearing and consenting to her sinfull perswasions Seeing then Satan spared Jobs wife that she might be the instrument of this additionall affliction which most conclude to be as the sting of all his afflictions First note this That Satans mercies have alwayes somewhat of crueltie in them He spareth the wife but it was that she might further vex the husband His mercies are like the mercies of wicked men Their tender mercies are cruell that is they are no mercies at all Prov. 12.10 There is a punishing mercy and there is a sparing cruelty among men Such are Satans sparings ever lined with cruell and bloudy intendments Secondly observe That the greatest outward blessings may prove the greatest outward afflictions A wife is made a crosse a snare Our greatest danger may be from our helper And that which was given for our good may be to us an occasion of falsing Satan can
birth-day that he made a feast unto all his servants And Mat. 14.6 we reade that when Herods birth-day was kept the daughter of Herodias danced before them It is generally conceived that Job did solemnize his birth-day and so many interpreters take those feasts spoken of in the first Chapter to have been the birth-day feasts of Jobs Children Origen in his fragments upon Matthew affirmes that the Scripture gives no testimony of any one good man celebrating his birth-day The truth is while we reflect upon our birth-birth-sin we have little cause to rejoyce in our birth-day The new-borne infant seemes to forbid this solemnity and by his teares weepes and speakes downe this joy The birth-day of nature should be mourned over every day much more upon the day of our birth The birth-day of Grace is our joy and our glory and is worthy to be rejoyced in not only in this day of grace but in that of glory and so it shall Eternity which is the day of glory is one continued triumph for our birth-day in grace Notwithstanding this I see no cogent reason why a godly man may not celebrate and rejoyce in his naturall birth-day so he rejoyce in God who tooke him out of his mothers wombe and hath preserved him ever since he was borne So then we taking Jobs day for his birth-day he saying let that day perish meanes let it be no more solemnized let there be no more joy no feasts upon that day Or fourthly Let that day perish may be thus understood let not that be reckoned upon let it be lost let it not be counted in the Calender of the yeare A day whereof no use is made is called in Scripture a lost day a fallen or perished day In the sixt of Numbers the number of dayes is prescribed for the separation of the Nazarites thus and thus it shall be and so many dayes Now if the Nazarite had cantinued many dayes according to the Law of his separation yet if he were polluted with a dead body before the full number was accomplisht then he must begin againe for saith Moses the dayes that were before shall be lost because his separation was defiled ver 12. In the Hebrew it is all the other dayes shall fall he must not reckon upon those So here Job saith let the day perish that is let it not be numbred or reckon'd let it be as a day lost or fallen So then the summe of all is this let the joy and solemnity of my birth-day be laid aside let it never be celebrated more in the returne of the yeare I could wish that day had never beene but seeing that is impossible it having been already yet let it be as if it had never been let it be put out of all accounts let it be taken off from all records and not only not remembred with mirth and feasting but not be remembred at all And the night wherein it was said a man child is conceived So we translate The elegancy of the Hebrew speakes thus The night which said a man-child is conceived as if the night had been the messenger and had brought word of his conception Some render the Hebrew word Hara which we translate conceived Borne applying both parts of the verse to his birth Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night in which it was said a man-child is brought forth And the Originall word will beare it being used as learned Mercer observes for production as well as conception So 1 Chron. 4.17 And she bare Miriam and Shammai c. She bare is the word in this text of Job We may take it either way the sense is cleare according to our translation that Job sends this curse beyond his birth-day even to the night wherein he was conceived Or if we referre it no further back then to his birth It is as if he had said whether I were borne by night or by day let the time of my birth be accursed if it were upon the day time let that day perish wherein I was borne Was I borne in the night let that night perish wherein it was said a man-child is brought forth This distribution notes a resolvednesse to curse it and least he should misse the time of the day he curses both the divisions of time in every day As Benhadad in his charge for the taking of of those young-men that came out of Samaria to shew how fully he was resolved to have them taken saith Whether they be come out for peace take them alive or whether they be come out for warre take them alive 1 King 20.18 as if he had said I 'le have them taken whatsoever comes on 't or for whatsoever they come they shall not escape Or as Herod who that he might be sure to slay Christ in his infancy commands all infants to be slaine So Job that the curse might not misse the time of his birth-day curses all the time of that day the day and the night For though a man be borne in the night yet that is not called his birth-night but his birth-day And to be borne is to come into the light though the birth-time be the darkest of the night Hence the Heathen called their Juno whose helpe they invoked in time of womens travell Deam lucinam the goddesse bringing into light So much for the opening of this curse both in the generall and in the parts of it respecting the object day and night In the next words hee cuts out or proportions a speciall curse as the portion of each part The day hath a share and the night hath a share each by it selfe Before I open this box of curses any further I shall observe somewhat from the discovery thus farre made And first I must answer a doubt arising upon the whole matter for it may be questioned upon this you have already heard though we carry on his complaint no further How Job can be set up with so much admiration for a mirrour of patience who makes such bitter complainings and breakes out into such distemper'd passion cursing his day May he not rather be an example of impatience an unimitable patterne of an unquiet and uncomposed spirit Are these the words of patience and sobriety Is this the language of submission and humility Cursed be my day He seemeth to be so farre from patience that he wants prudence so farre from grace that he wants reason it selfe and good nature his speeches report him mad or distracted breaking the bounds of modesty and moderation striking that which had not hurt him and striking that which he could not hurt his birth-day In this Job appeares much like that proud Emperour Zerxes of whom the Historian reports that when the raging Hellespont broke downe the bridge that he had made over it he in a rage caused some hundreds of stripes to be inflicted as a punishment on those waters and caused a paire of shackles to be cast upon those waves
complained but she was check't for complaining that her way was hid from God Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel My way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Yet that place is not to be understood of a hiding from the eye of Gods inspection as if the Church had any suspition that the Lord did not know or did not see how matters went with them or in what condition they were but it is to be understood of the eye of Gods compassion There is a seeing eye or contemplating eye and a compassionating or succouring eye So the meaning of that complaint is only this Why sayest thou my way is hidden from the Lord that is why doest thou speake as if God did not regard thee in thy troubles as if God had no pitty nor compassion on thee no bowels toward thee why sayest thou my way is hid from the Lord In the third of Exodus when God comes to help the people of Israel he telleth Moses I have seene I have seene or I have surely seene namely with an eye compassionating their condition as the next words shew for I know their sorrowes Now when the Church complained that her way was hid from God her meaning was that God did not take notice so as to pitty and deliver her Excepting in that sense she could not conceive that her way was hidden from God neither is the way of the Church So hidden from God but as to our sense for the Lord pities his people when he corrects them and therefore Jacob is chidden for saying so Why sayest thou O Jacob my way is hidden from the Lord Therefore this Text is not to be understood of Jobs way in respect of God but of the hiding of Gods way or the hidden dealings of God toward Job My way is hid saith Job that I cannot understand nor interpret nor expound the meaning of Gods dealing with me I am not able to give an interpretation of it I know not what this thing meaneth My way is hid The way of Gods dealing with him was a hidden way in two respects First In regard of the cause of his affliction It was hidden from him why God had layed so sore and so heavy a burthen upon him and that is it which Elihu in the 34. of this booke ver 31 32. hints at where he telleth Job surely saith he it is meet to be said unto God that which I see not teach thou me He answers such a complaint as this I saith Job cannot see the reason why God doth afflict me Elihu tells him It is meet to be said unto God that which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will doe so no more Lord if thou wilt shew me that my sin is the cause and what sin is the cause I doe here promise I will lay down my sin and through thy helpe doe so no more Or againe It was hidden in regard of the issue or event My way is hid that is I can see no passage out of this way I cannot tell when these troubles will end I see no helpe I have no glimpse of light breaking out to me in this way it is a darke a hidden way unto me This darkenesse troubles him as much as all his troubles And it is as if he had said I am so encompast with clouds that I walke in darkenesse and see no light My life is so entangled and wrapt up in troubles that I see no way of deliverance or escape And this exposition seemes most proper if we take in the latter part of the verse where he saith and whom God hath hedged in This explaines the hiding of his way to be the hedging of his way such an incompassing of him about with sorrowes that he could not make his way out In the first Chapter you may remember that Satan was much troubled that God had made a hedge about Job And now Job himselfe is much troubled that God had made a hedge about him I am the man saith he whom God hath hedged in That which before was the object of Satans envy is now become the object of Jobs complaint a hedge Sure then it was not the same hedge No that which Satan complained of and envied at was a hedge of mercy and a hedge of blessings a hedge of favour and of protection But this which Job complaineth of is a hedge of thorny troubles and of pricking sorrows The former was as we may speake a hedge of Roses and this was a hedge of Bryars That was a hedge so high and strong that no evill could come in to or breake through to annoy him And this was a hedge so high and strong that no good could come or be brought unto him So then take the sense thus Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in that is why doth God continue my life when I am in such a condition as that I can neither discover the reason why I came into it nor am I able to discover any passage out of it And this is it which the Church complaines of Lament 3.7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out and verse 9. He hath enclosed my wayes with hewen stones God had built up a wall as it were by art with hewen stones he had set them so close together that there was no passing by no getting through Observe hence first That affliction is usually accompanied with much darkenesse Affliction is often called darknesse in Scripture And as it is darkenesse without so it often causeth darkenesse within An afflicted person hath such darkenesse upon his person that he cannot discerne many times either why God doth afflict him or when God will make an end of his afflictions That in the Prophet Isa 50.10 is true of outward afflictions as well as inward Who is there among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkenesse Ther 's many an afflicted person walkes in a way hidden in a three-fold darknesse First The way is hid in the darkenesse of the cause for which he came into it Secondly The way is hid in the darkenesse of the event how to get out of it Thirdly The way is hid in the darkenesse of his present duty what to doe in it The way of affliction is often wrapt up and hidden in this threefold-darkenesse Further Seeing Job speakes of this as an addition to all his sorrowes and as the complement of them all that he was thus shut up and hedged in and that his way was thus darke in regard of the cause of it Observe That It increaseth an affliction greatly not to know the reason of an affliction or to have the way of Gods dealing hidden from our eyes It is a trouble not to see the reason of things The mind is exceedingly eased when the understanding hath light This
sorrowings are of the same continuance with my refreshings The phrase imports the un-intermittednesse as we may so speake of his sorrowes that he had no stop no breathing time which was not a sighing time no not for a meale time while he was eating with every bit of meate he had a morsell of sorrowes He might say as the Psalmist Psal 102.9 I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drinke with weeping when I drinke my teares flow into my cup When I take in a few drops of comfort I weepe out streames of sorrow Or my sighings come and returne so fast upon me that I have no time to eate my bread I am so plied and followed with these afflictions that I have no leisure to be comforted If at any time a man gets respite from his griefe it is when he eates how respitlesse then was Jobs griefe before whom sorrow and sighings sate as guests continually at his table My roarings are powred out like water As the former words shewed the continuance so this the extremity of Jobs sorrowes It is a great affliction that makes a man of spirit speake or complaine It is a greater affliction that makes a man of spirit weepe or mourne How great an affliction then is it which makes a man of spirit cry out and roare when a man of courage roares he is pained to purpose Job a man of spirit and courage doth not only sigh but roare Sighings are more secret sorrowes but roarings must be heard especially his roarings which were powred out like water Roaring is the Lyons voice and here is an allusion to the hungry Lyon roaring on his prey Or to the troubled waves of the sea which also are said to roare Excessive sorrow is often set forth by roaring Psal 22.1 Why art thou so farre from the voice of my roaring saith David typing the sorrowes of Christ I doe not only cry but I roare out unto thee Lord why doest thou not heare my strong cries cries like the roaring of the Lyon or the noyse of troubled waters So Psal 32.3 David to shew his extremity of paine and trouble while he kept in and did not confesse his sin speakes thus while I kept silence while I smothered my sin in secret I roared for the very disquietnesse of my soule silence in not confessing sin causes roaring under the guilt of sin Those are great burdens of sin and great burdens of sorrow that cause roaring My roarings are powred out like water This notes further yet the abundance and the strength of his sorrowes I am powred out like water I am as it were all melted into sorrowes is said of Christ in that Psalme of his passion Psa 22.14 I am powred out like water my heart in the middest of my bowels is like melted wax When the Prophet Ezekiel would shew how that people should be affected with the tidings of their afflictions he saith Every heart shall melt and all hands shall be feeble and every spirit shall faint and all knees shall be weake as water chap. 21.7 The Hebrew is all knees shall goe into water The sorrowes of repentance are exprest by the powring out of water to note both the abundance of them and the intensivenes of them in that known place 1 Sam. 7.6 They gathered together to Mizpeh and drew water and powred it out before the Lord that is they mourned abundantly and they mourned with all their strength How strong and abundant the sorrowes of Job were hath beene often shewed before and observations drawn down from them And therefore I shall need doe no more then cleare the words and give the sense It followeth For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me For the thing which I greatly feared The causall particle in the beginning doth not alway inferre a cause this verse is not a reason of what he spake before but this particle is often used in Scripture for affirmation or illustration and not as causall or by way of demonstration As Joh. 4.17 Christ tells the woman of Samaria Thâ—u speakest well I have no husband the Greeke is for I have no husband We translate it only by way of assertion So Mat. 7.23 Then will I professe unto them I never knew you the Greeke is then I will professe unto them for I never knew you we render it only as an asseveration So very frequent in the Hebrew the particle Chi which is here used hath in it only the force of an affirmation For the thing I greatly feared is come upon me that is certainely or assuredly the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me as if Job should make this as the conclusion and the summe of all his complainings this is it which now I must conclude that the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto mee The thing which I greatly feared The Hebrew is I feared a feare and it is come upon me And so feare is in the Scripture frequently put for the thing feared by a Metanomy of the effect for the cause the abstract being put for the concrete As Prov. 1.26 I will mock when your feare cometh that is when the trouble which you feared shall come upon you As if Job should have said this evill is that which I have fore-seene and fore-thought I had such misgivings in my spirit long before this that such a black day might come upon me and I might be thus hedged in now I see my thoughts are come to passe and my conjectures prove true the thing which I feared and greatly feared is come upon me We translate well I greatly feared the Hebrew is I feared a feare Such expressions raise the sense As when we are said to be bought with a price it notes that there was a great price paid for our redemption To rejoyce with joy shewes the greatnesse of joy So here To feare a feare shewes that he was in a great feare as we translate I feared a feare I greatly feared Here it may be questioned whether these feares of Job were lawfull doth it become us to have such mis-givings of heart in respect of our outward condition The Apostle biddeth us be carefull in nothing Phil. 4 6. and was it a vertue or a grace was it commendable or so much as approveable in Job to be fearfull in all things Christ rebukes his Disciples because they were afraid in a storme and was it well in Job that he was fearfull in a Sun-shine when he had the fairest weather and prospered in all things Doth it become a godly man to be alwayes solicitous about his estate and doubting that troubles will come One would thinke there is trouble enough in troubles when they come a man should not trouble himselfe with them before they come Besides it is said Prov. 10.24 respecting wicked men that God will