thus Hath not the Potter power over his clay Some think they could doe things better then God hath done or at least that God might have done better if they had the power in their hands things should not goe thus and thus What an insufferable indignity is this to the wisdome and power of God that He whose works are unsearchable should be made accountable for his works That of Augustine when he was in a deep meditation about the nature of God may well be applied to the works of God who walking by the sea side in deepe thoughts of God either heard this voyce or was filled with this thought That he might as soone empty the sea with or comprehend the Ocean in one of those little cockle-shels which lay on the shore as with the narrow vessell of his Spirit comprehend the infinite greatnesse of the God of Spirits Marvellous things * Inscrutabile mirabile differunt inscrutabile est qued laâ—et perquiri non potest Miâ—abile est quod ipsum qâ—idem apparet sed causa ejus perquiri non potest Aquin. in loc Unsearchable things and marvellous differ thus Those things are unsearchable which lie hid and cannot be found that is a marvell whose cause cannot be found though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it selfe be not hid This is the third adjunct or attribute of the works of God The word is derived from a root which signifies Seperated Disjoyned or Divided And marvellous things are exprest by that word because marvels or wonders are seperated or Separatus disjunctus Hinc significat mirabâ—lia quia talia sunt à nobis separata captum su erant ita ut ratione quis asse qui aut re praestare â—equeat removed from us three degrees at least They are seperated First from our knowledge or reason Secondly from our sense not that marvels are invisible marvels and miracles are wrought to be seen and the use of them lies in this from the sence to confirme faith or to convince of unbeliefe Which by the way quite overthrowes the Popish refuge of a miracle in their supposed transubstantiation of the bread at the Eucharist who tell us of a miracle but can shew us none But though in all miracles and marvails the thing wrought is plain to the sences yet both the power and manner of doing it are removed from the sences The marvell wrought is seene but the working of the marvell is not seen Thirdly Marvels are seperated or removed from our imitation we cannot doe such things The Lord stands alone working wonders They are seperated part and portion for God himself The Egyptian Sorcerers seemed to doe by their devillish inchantments what Moses did by the command and power of God But at the best they did but seeme to doe like Moses and presently they could not so much as seeme Exod. 8. 18. And the Magicians did so that is they attempted to doe so but they could not They that worke by the devils art or power cannot worke long They will quickly be at A Could not Both their religions and their miraculous workes are at best but in appearance at last they will not so much as appeare In these three respects marvels are rightly called separate Further the word also signifies sometimes A hard or a difficult thing because those things that are very hard and difficult have somewhat of wonder in them and cause us to wonder at them Deut. 17. 8. If a matter come which is too hard the word is which is too marvellous and wonderfull for thee c. And Gen. 18. 14. Is any thing too hard for me saith God the word is Is any thing wonderfull to me Nothing is wonderfull to us but that which is too hard for us There is nothing wonderfull to God who doth all wonders and is himselfe all Wonder It hath beene said concerning those lovers of and searchers after secret wisedome called Philosophers that it doth not become a Philosopher to wonder For admiration is usually the daughter of ignorance we marvell at most things because we know the causes of few things It was therefore a shame for a Philosopher to wonder because it betrayed his ignorance who would be thought studied in yea a master of all causes and able to give a reason of all things in nature But it is most certaine the great God never marvelleth at any thing For is any thing too hard for me saith the Lord. Wonders are things too hard for us and the same word signifies a wonder and a thing too hard There are three words of neare alliancec in the Hebrew Signes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miracles and Mervails And they may be distinguisht thus A Signe is the representation of a thing present or before us A Miracle or Portentum as contra-distinct from the former shews forth somewhat future or that is to come A Mervaile as differing from both is any act of providence secret or separate from us in the manner of doing or producing it a thing to us unsearchable so Exod. 33. 16. Wherein shall it be knowne that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight saith Moses Is it not in that thou goest with us So shall we be separated I and thy people So we translate it or made wonderfull that is if thou goest along with us thou wilt doe such marvails for us as will make a difference betweene us and all the people in the world we shall be a people marvell'd at all the world over or a spectacle to the world Angels and Men. The presence of God with a people is their difference or will make them differ from all people with whom God is not under the Notion of Favour and Protection present Againe Marvels are taken sometimes for Miracles which are meerely and purely supernaturall For in ordinary acceptation of the word a Marvell is only the heightning and sublimating of nature or acting in the highest Spheare of nature but a Miracle is a crossing or a contradicting of nature A worke altogether above yea against Nature Now we are not to take marvels here in that strict sense for miracles for the great works of God are call'd marvels or wonders which yet are but either the ordinary constitutions of Nature or the extraordinary motions of nature as Psal 136. 4. O give thanks to the Lord to him who alone doth great wonders What are these In the 5 6 and 7. verses instances are given in naturall things as making the heavens and stretching out the earth above the waters The making of those great lights the Sun and Moon * Mirabilior est grani in terra multiplâ—catio quam illa quinque Panum August Tâ—act 24 in Joh in Quicquid mirabile fit in mundo profectò minus est quà m totus hic mundus Qua â—vis ilaque miracula visibiliuÌ„ naturaâ—um videndi assiduitate vile scunt tamen cum ea sapienter intuemur
upon his estate upon the branches and the fruit of that goodly tree much like that in the vision Dan. 4. 13 14. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed and behold a watcher and a holy One came downe from Heaven He cryed aloud and said thus Hew downe the tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit c. This Allegory may be rendred in the plaine words of Eliphaz I cursed his habitation his children are far from safety The Master of the Family is the tree His children are either fruit or branches His leaves are riches and honour the beauty and pleasantnesse of his habitation Some things in the letter of the text are to be opened but I shall first observe one thing in the generall from the connection of this fourth verse with the third I suddenly cursed his habitation verse 3. Then follows his children are far from safety Observe from it That Creatures cannot stand before the curse of God How strongly soever they are rooted the blast of the breath of Gods displeasure will either blow them downe or wither them standing The curse comes powerfully suddenly and secretly it is often an invisible stroake When we see neither axe nor spade at the roote nor strome at rhe top yet downe it comes or stands without leafe or fruit When Christ in the Gospell curst the fruitlesse figg-tree his Disciples passing by that way wondred saying how quickly is this figg-tree whithered it was but onely a word from Christ Never beare fruit more and the fig-tree which had no fruit lost its life Some are such tall Cedars such mighty Oakes that men conclude there is no stirring of them no Axe can fell them or blast loosen them yet a word from the Lord will turne them up side downe or if he doe but say to them never fruit grow upon your actions or out of your counsels presently they wither The curse causlesse shall not come but when there is a cause and God speaks the word the curse will come Neither power nor policies neither threatnings or entreaties can hinder or block it up It is said of the water of jealousie in the booke of Numbers that when the woman dranke that water if there were cause of her husbands suspition presently her belly swel'd and her thighes did rot the effect was inevitable So if God bid judgement take hold of a man family or Nation it will obey A word made the world and a word is able to destroy it There is no armour of proofe against the shot or stroake of a curse Suddenly I cursed his habitation and the next news is His children are far from safety If God speake the word it is done as soone as spoken as that mysterious Letter said of the Gun-pouder plot As soone as the paper is burnt the thing is done Surely God can cause his judgements to passe upon his implacable enemies such horrid conspiratours against Churches and Common-wealths truth and peace with as much speed as a paper burns with a blaze and a blast they are consumed That in the generall from the connexion of these two verses Assoone as he was cursed his children and his estate all that he had went to wrack and ruine I shall now open the words distinctly His children are far from safety Some reade Were far from safety and so the whole passage in the time past because he speaks of a particular example which he himself had observeâ— in those daies as is cleare v. 2. Having shewed the curse upon the eoot he now shews the withering of the brauches Some of the Rabbins understand by Children the Followers or Imitators of wicked men such as assisted them or such as were like them These are morall children but take it rather in the letter for naturall children such as were borne to them or adopted by them these come under their fathers unhappinesse They are far from safety The Hebrew word is commonly rendred salvation His children are farre from salvation But then we must understand it for temporall salvation which our translation expresses clearely by safety His children are farre from safety It is possible that the children of a wicked man may be neare unto eternall salvation Though godly parents have a promise for their seed yet grace doth not runne in a bloud neither is the love of God tied or entayl'd upon any linage of men Election sometimes crosses the line and steps into the family of a reprobate father Therefore it is not said His children are farre from salvation in a strict but in a large sence We find the word salvation frequently used for safetie 2 Kings 13. 17. when Elisha bad Joash the King of Israel shot the arrow he called it the arrow of the Lords salvation which we render the arrow of the Lords deliverance So Moses bespeakes the trembling Israelites aâ— the red Sea Stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord that is behold what safety the Lord will give you from all these dangers what deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh The Prophet represents the Jewes thus bemoaning their outward judgements We roare all like Beares and mourne sore like Doves we looke for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is farre off Isa 59. 11. They are far from safety To be far from safety is a phrase importing extreame danger As when a man is said to be far from light he is in extreame darknesse and when a man is said to be far from health he is in extreame sicknesse and when a man is said to be far from riches he is in extreame poverty So here His children are far from safety that is they are in extreame danger and perill they walk as it were in the regions of trouble in the valley of the shadow of death continually That phrase is used also respecting the spirituall estate of unbeleevers They are far off from God far off from the Covenant Isa 57. 19. Ephes 12. 13. that is they have no benefit by the Covenant no interest in no favour at all or mercy from the Lord. To be far off from mercy is to be neare wrath and to be far from safety is to dwell upon the borders of danger And they are crushed in the gate In the forth Chapter Eliphaz describes man as crushed before the moth to shew how suddenly how easily man is destroyed This mans children are crushed in the gate as a man would crush a flie or a moth between his fingers They are crushed in the gate That notes two things First the publikenesse of their destruction they shall be destroyed in the sight of all men for the gate was a publike place Pro 31. 31. her workes praise her in the gates that is she is publikely knowne by her good works To doe a thing in the gate is opposed to the doing of a thing secretly To suffer in the gate is to suffer publikely Secondly to be crushed in the gate
stile and falls to counsell and exhortation directing and advising Job what becomes him what he ought to doe in his condition His exhortation consists of two distinct branches The former whereof begins at this sixth and is continued to the seventeenth verse of the Chapter The summe of this exhortation is That for as much as he had found him so distempered in his speech and carriage he now earnestly beseeches and intreats him that he would seek unto God beg favour and believingly commit himselfe and his cause unto God The second branch of exhortation begins at the 17 verse and is continued to the end of the Chapter The Scope whereof is That Job would humbly and patiently submit himselfe unto and under the correcting hand of God quietly waiting the time of his deliverance The matter of the former exhortation lies in the words of the 8 verse I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause He strengthneth this exhortation by two arguments whereof The first is taken from the cause of his afflictions and that either the efficient or the meritorious cause of his afflictions both which we find in the 6 and 7 verses The second argument by which he strengthneth his first exhortation is contained in the 9 10 11 and 12 verses following and it is grounded upon the power wisdome and goodness of God As if he should say Who would not seek unto God who is of infinite power able to deliver Who would not seek unto a God and commit his cause unto him who is gracious and pittifull mercifull and ready to deliver Who would not seeke unto a God and commit his cause unto him who is of infinite wisdome to find out wayes and means for the contriving of deliverance though mans condition to the eye of sence or humane reason seem altogether desperate and remedilesse These three verses containe the first exhortation together with the first argument And we may forme it thus both respecting the efficient and the meritorious cause of his afflictions First respecting the efficient cause the argument seemes to lie thus He is to be sought unto in our afflictions who is the principall efficient cause or sender of our afflictions But God is the principall efficient cause and sender of our afflictions Therefore he is to be sought unto and to him our cause is to be committed The Major or first Proposition is not expresly in this text but it is plainly supposed and logically to be understood The Minor or the Assumption lies in the 6 and 7 verses where he proves that God is the efficient cause or sender of afflictions And his proof is grounded upon a deniall or a removall of all other efficient causes As if he should say there must be some efficient cause of affliction but no efficient cause can be assigned or named except God therefore God is the efficient cause the sender and orderer of afflictions That no other efficient cause can be assigned he proveth plainly in the sixth verse thus Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground yet man is borne to trouble c. As if he should say our eyes teach us we see plainly man is full of trouble man is no sooner borne but he is afflicted these afflictions must have some efficient cause some hand or other doth frame forme and fashion them they come not alone and if they come not alone then we must find out this cause either in earth or in heaven we must find it either in the Creatour or among the creatures but from the earth or from creatures they come not Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground that is it rises not by or from the creatures in themselves and alone considered and if so it must needs come from heaven from the hand of God who dwelleth above and disposeth all things according to the pleasure of his own will It is such a kind of speech as often falls from us when a thing is lost we say some body must have it Sure it is not gone into the gound You or You must have it for there were none else in the place So Eliphaz seems here to argue about the afflictions which he saw upon Job here are heavy afflictions upon thee these afflictions must come some way upon thee They come not out forth of the dust neither doe they spring out of the ground they come not up alone Either then they must come from God or man and from man they come not they spring not out of the earth therefore he leaves it as a clear inference that God is the efficient cause or sender of affliction Againe if we consider this argument as it strengthneth the exhortation from the meritorious cause of his afflictions It may be formed thus If the sin of man be from himselfe and the sufferings of man be for his sin then in his sufferings for sin he ought to seek unto God and to commit his cause unto him But the sin of man is from himselfe and the sufferings of man are for his sin Therefore he ought in such a condition to seeke unto God and commit his cause unto him For remedy is no where else to be had This second argument is grounded rather upon the exposition then the letter of the text as shall be further cleared in pursuance of the words Thus you see how the Minor or second Proposition is confirmed both as it respects the efficient cause and the meritorious cause of mans affliction The conclusion lies in the 8 verse which Eliphaz Conclusi enunciata in persona Eliphazi quod modestum cohortationis genus magnam vim habet est usitatissimum Merl. pronounces in his own person I would seeke unto God therefore seek thou unto God he speakes it in his own person thereby more freely to insinuate his counsell and make way for his exhortation As if he had said Were I in thy case I would doe so therefore doe thou so likewise Seeke unto God and commit thy cause unto him So much of this context and the Logick of it as it contains an exhortation with an argument to strengthen and back that exhortation Now for the clearing of the words Although afflictions come not forth of the dust The Hebrew particle which we translate Although may be taken three wayes and so I find it rendred upon this place First which is its most proper sence it is taken causally and then the text is read For affliction commeth not forth of the dust So Mr. Broughton for sorrow issueth not from the dust Secondly It may be taken Adversatively as we reade it Although affliction or sorrow comes not forth of the dust Thirdly it may be taken Affirmatively according to which acception the text is thus carried Certainly Affliction cometh not out of the dust or Surely affliction commeth not out of the dust Either of these wayes the sense is
good yet to me our translation by the Adversative Although doth a little obscure the sense And to say Surely or certainly affliction comes not forth of the dust seemes to carry it more clearly Surely affliction cometh not out of the dust It is considerable that the word by which affliction is here exprest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquitas vanitas molestia bibor quia iniquitas laborem afflictionemq parturit Sept. vertunt per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sclund beares a double signification in Scripture and I conceive it may also in this text properly it signifies sinne iniquity iniquity of all sorts but especially That sinne of Idolatry As Hos 4. 15. when the house of God Bethel was polluted with idolatry the name is changed and it is called Bethaven the house of an Idoll or the house of iniquity or of that speciall iniquity namely of idolatry Sinne alters the nature of man no marvell then if it alter the names of things Hos 10. 15. and often in the old testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ascendit Eliphaz ad comunem naturalem sortem hominis quod omnes â—n peccato et ad miseriam nascimur damnati in Adamo Coc we find this word added to set out the worst of men the workers of iniquity Psal 5. 5. c. Iniquity comes not out of the dust the soyle where it grows or the shop where it is wrought and formed is mans heart Eliphaz would carry us to the wel-head our sinfull natures or our birth-sin Secondly the word signifies affliction or sorrow calamity or misery because sinne is the cause of affliction the mother of sorrow And therefore by a Metonimie of the effect for the cause which is frequent in Scripture The same word notes both sinne and sorrow The mother and the daughter are called by the same name We translate by the effect Surely affliction commeth not out of the dust Many by the cause Surely iniquity comes not out of the dust And for the full understanding of the text we must take in both where the effect only is mentioned the cause is supposed Affliction springs not out of the dust because sin springs not out of the dust Now this forme of speaking Iniquity or affliction springs or commeth not forth of the dust is proverbiall and no doubt was Pâ—oveâ—bialis quaedam sententia est qua tollat casum asseratque divinam eâ—ga res humanas imâ—â—â—ruâ— supplicâ—um providentiam Pâ—nâ—d Sanct. well knowne and often used in those times When they would remove chance or fortune as we say or deny any event to be without a certaine directive power They spake in this language This came not from the ground thereupon the vulgar translates it so in termes * Nihil in terra sine causa sit Vulg. Quasi dicerit non casu ma â— nabis accidunt neque ex terra germinant ut solent herbae nullo jacto semine There is nothing in the world without cause alluding it is probable to the Proverbe Hence a man obscurely borne whose parents and originall are unknowne is called †Terrae filius A sonnne of the earth Which imports that no man can tell whence he is or how descended They whose originall cannot be assigned are usually assigned to the common originall ‖ Mogna parens terra est or parent of us all the earth and as in regard of persons so of things when no man can tell how or which way they come they are said to come out of the ground We speak also in the other extreame affirmatively Such a thing comes out of the clouds that is we know not but God knows how it comes So then here is a deniall of chance or fortune As if Eliphaz should say reason may be found and assigned for these things they come not out of the dust Further for the clearing of this The dust and the ground stand in a two-fold opposition First unto God and secondly unto our selves First in opposition to God thus Affliction springeth not from the ground that is it comes from the wisdome power and disposition of God as the efficient cause Secondly in opposition to our selves and then the sense may be thus conceived that the materiall and meritorious cause of our affliction is not without us Nâ—n exi◠è pulvere iniquitas q. d. ab hominibus est non eter na vol pulvere nam terra non profert iniquitatem sed homines ea est natura eoâ—um coâ—rupta proin proclives aâ— eaÌ„ jucuntur D. us it is not in the ground or in other creatures but it is in our selves Every man in himselfe hath the ground which beares the source or fountain which bubbles out his sorrowes and his sufferings Man hath no reason to accuse or charge heaven or earth as the authors of his sorrow he carries the reason about with him The sinfullnes or sinke of his owne polluted nature And therefore to allude to that of the Apostle in the point of Justification Rom. 10. 6 7. Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring thy troubles downe from above or who shall decend into the deepe that is to bring up thy troubles from below for the cause is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is The corruption of nature which we preach The latter branch of this verse Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground is of the very same importance with the former therefore I shall not need to stay upon it The word which we translate Trouble signifies properly toylesome labour or any laborious toyl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accidentall to man in this life as a fruit of sinne This doth not spring out of the ground It is an allusion to plants or herbs which grow in the open field without the worke or care of man and so are opposed to plants or herbes in a garden As if he should say Terrâ nata dicuntur illa quibus nulla ab agricolis impensa est opera ut suÌ„â— herbae quas â—â—tro terra fund â— in pratis locis incuâ—â—is Saâ—ct thy troubles are not like those herbes that grow wild in the fields without the labour and paines the care or art of man There is some hand or other that both plants and waters them We may ground some observations as the text is read Iniquity comes not forth of the dust And then as it is read Affliction comes not forth of the dust And it is necessary to give it this latitude the word equally bearing both senses As it is read Iniquity comes not c. We learn First The materiall cause of sin is in our selves We bring forth the fruit at our tongues or fingers ends and the root is in our hearts Our sinnes spring not out of the dust but out of the dirt and filth of our owne corruptions Gen. 6. 5. Every thought
hath every affliction all sorrowes in him and the justice of God may forme the most dreadfull shapt afflictions out of his sins And as the sparke lyes closely in the fire or the flint till you smite or blow them up so sin lyes secretly in our hearts till some temptation or occasion smites and brings it out Againe we may observe That Man can sin without a teacher You need not instruct him or teach him to doe evill He doth that by a naturall instinct since his nature was corrupted He sins as the sparks fly upwards or as a bird flyes in the ayre whom no man directs how to use her wings Nature is her rute There needs much teaching against sin and it is the businesse of all the Ordinances to bridle us from acting our corruptions But man walkes in the ways of wickedness without guide or precept It was the ancient error of the Pelagians that the sin of man came only by imitation they denied that man had a stock of corruption in his nature or that his nature was corrupted but seeing others sin he sinned an opinion which carries its condemnation in its own face as wel as in our hearts And though similitudes are no proofs yet the reason of a similitude is mans sinning is therefore compared to a sparks flying to shew how naturally he sins A spark flyes upward without any to lead it the way and a bird would flye though she should never see another bird flye And if a man could live so as never to see any one example of sin all his dayes yet that man out of his own heart might bring forth every sin every day Example quickens and encourages the principles of sin within us but we can sin without any extrinsick motion or provocation without pattern or president from without Lastly observe To sin is no burden or labour to a natural man For it is his nature It is no paines to the sparke to flye upwards what we doe naturally we doe easily Holy duties are no burdens to a godly man because through grace he doth them naturally he hath an inward principle which dictates the law of holines to him though he should want outward teaching He hath an unction from the holy Ghost and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. Not that a godly man becomes like God Omniscient or knowing all for at most we know here but in part but he knows all things necessary and so farre as necessary his new birth teaches him He lives not meerely upon the outward teaching he hath both light liberty in himself and so hath a tendency to these things in his own spirit as there is a tendency in fire to ascend We should wonder and rejoyce to see how grace conquers the course of sinful nature The new man is born to mercy and holinesse to grace and glory as the sparks fly upward Hence it is said He that is born of God cannot commit sin for the seed of God remaineth in him As the sparke cannot flye downward because the heate of fire remaines in it The Apostle affirmes it of himselfe and his Fellow-labourers in the Gospell we can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor 13. 8. The possibilities and impossibilities of a regenerate man are directly opposite to those of a naturall man The one cannot sin the other cannot but sin the one can doe nothing against the truth the other can doe nothing for the truth gracious acts become as naturall as sinfull when nature is changed from sin to grace What a blessed change is this that man should doe good as readily as once he did evill that he who was borne free to iniquity should be re-borne free to righteousness as the sparke flye upward A godly man is a heavenly sparke He hath a fire in his nature which carries him upward for ever Thus having opened these two verses being the grounds of the following exhortation let us now examine the matter of the exhortation it selfe contained in the 8th verse Verse 8. I would seeke unto God and unto God would I commit my cause Our Translation omits one word in the beginning of this sentence which though it may be understood in our reading yet the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expression of it betters the sense Surely or truly I would seeke c. There are two opinions about the meaning of these words Some conceive that Eliphaz speaks in high contempt of Job and I may give you their sense by that proud schooling which the Pharisee gave the poor Publican Luke 18. As that Pharisee insulted over the publican thus I thank God I am not such a one as thou art c. but I fast and I pray c. So they represent Eliphaz here insulting over Job I thank God I am not such an impatient person as thou art no such rude curser of my day or complainer of my trouble I am not I thank God so distracted and so distempered as thou art and if I had been in thy case I should have shewed more wit and grace too then to do as thou hast done I should never have been so vaine and foolish so forgetfull of my own duty or the Lords Soveraignty as to cry out against and accuse his providence and dealings with me to lay about me like a mad man as thou hast done no I would have songht unto God and committed my cause unto him this should have been my course such and such the frame and temper of my spirit But I rather take these words in a good sense implying much sweetnesse and meeknesse of spirit in Eliphaz And so this verse is as an application of the Doctrine contained in the former two As if Eliphaz had said Seeing matters stand thus in themselves and these are undoubted truths that afflictions come from our selves and that our sinnes are our own and seeing thy case stands thus that now thou art under great afflictions and troubles I doe assure thee my loving friend Job were I in thy condition I will give thee faithfull counsell and tell thee my heart what I would doe I would no longer stay complaining against my day cursing creatures distempering my head and disquieting my heart with these passions but I would even goe and addresse my selfe unto God I would apply my selfe to Heaven I would seeke for remedy there earth affords it not I have ever found this the way to ease my heart when burdened to asswage my sorrowes when encreased to compose my spirit when distracted to strengthen my resolutions when unsetled I can give thee this rule with A Probatum est an assurance from mine own experience in the use of it and with clearnesse of conscience that it is my purpose in such cases to use it ever I would seeke unto God The word signifies a very diligent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat quaerere diligenter cuâ— curâ— sed interregatione veâ—biâ— ut plurimum search I would
seeke exactly and enquire laboriously unto God It signifies to seek by asking questions or by interrogating And it imports seeking with much wisedome and skill a curious or a criticall enquirie So Eccles 1. 13. I gave my heart saith Solomon to seeke and search out by wisedome And this seeking implies foure things First A supposition and a sense of our wants no man seekes that which he hath already or but thinks he hath it He that is full loathes a hony-combe Secondly A strong desire to find that which we want it notes not a bare desire only or woulding but a kind of unquietnesse or restlessenesse till we find such a desire tooke hold of David Psal 132. 4. I will not give rest to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I find out a place for the Lord or untill I find the Lord. Thirdly A care to be directed about the meanes which may facilitate the finding or recovery of what we want and thus earnestly desire A seeking spirit is a carefull spirit after light and counsell Fourthly A diligent and faithfull endeavour in or about the use those meanes to which counsell directs us Through desire a man having separated himselfe seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdome Prov. 18. 1. That is he is very industrious in pursuing those advices which wisdome shews him or which are shewed him as the wayes of wisdome A lazy spirit is unfit to seeke I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause In the former clause the word for God is El and in the latrer Elohim both names note the power of God El notes power or strength to act and execute Elohim power or authority to judge and determine I would seek unto El The strong God I would commit my cause to Elohim the Mighty God As if he had said Thou art in a weake and low condition now therefore seeke unto God the strong God the mighty God who is able to deliver thee Thou wantest the help of such a friend as he The Hebrew word for word is thus rendred Vnto God would I put my words or turne my speech We reach the meaning fully rendring Vnto God I would commit my cause or put my case The terme which we translate cause signifies any businesse or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat verâ—um vel negotium res meas ei committeâ—eÌ„ cause but most properly a word Explicite prayer is the turning of our thoughts into words or the putting of our case to God It is a speaking to or a pleading with the Lord. The Septuagint is clear in this sense I would deprecate the Lord I would call upon the Lord the governor of all things Both these significations of the word are profitable for us and congruous with the scope of the text I would turne my speech and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. prayer or I would commit my cause unto God The committing of our cause to God notes a resignation of our selves and of our condition into the hands of God It is as much as to say Let God doe what he will or determine what he pleaseth concerning me I will not strive or contend about question or dispute his decision or judgement of my cause I will lay my selfe down at his feet and tell him how she case stands with me then let him doe with me what seems good in his eyes This is the committing of our cause and condition unto God And the Originall word here used for God doth very well suite and correspond with this sense I will commit my cause unto God unto Elohim the great and impartiall Judge of Heaven and earth the God who loves Judgement and the habitation of whose Throne is righteousnes The God who knowes how to discern exactly between cause and cause person and person and will undoubtedly give a righteous sentence concerning every cause and person that comes before him Unto this Elohim would I commit my cause and refer my self to his arbitration Observe first in the general Eliphaz having reproved Job turnes himself to counsell and exhortation From which we may learne That As it is our duty to reprove a fault in our brother so it is our duty to advise and counsell him how to amend or come out of that fault for which we reprove him It is not enough to espy an error but we must labour to rectifie it or to tell another that he is out of the way but we must endeavour to reduce him Many can espy faults and failings in others who either know not how or care not to reforme and helpe them out Secondly observe That It is a duty to exhort and excite our bretheren to those duties wherein we find them flack or negligent Eliphaz conceived that Job was much behind in the duty of prayer and self-resignation unto God and therefore he quickens him up to it The Apostle calls us to this Christian inspection Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne sin growing and getting strength hardens the heart it is best to oppose it betimes and therefore he bids them doe it at all times exhort one another daily Though the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1. 12. was perswaded of the Saints establishment in the present truth yet saith he I will not cease to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things It is a dangerous error which some hold that the Saints in this life may out grow counsell and exhortation as if there were no need to bid a godly man pray seek unto God no need to bid a godly man repent or humble himself or believe he cannot but do these things say they these are connaturall to him They are indeed to the new man within him But let them withall remember that the neglect of all these duties is as connaturall to the old man within him While there are two men within us we had need every man to look not only to one but to one another It may goe ill with the better part the new man if while he hath an enemy within to oppose him he hath not a friend without to help him On this ground besides the command of Christ the holiest man on earth may be exhorted to look to his holinesse none are in more danger then they who think they are past danger And as it is a certaine argument that a man was never good if he desires not to be better so it is a great argument that a man was never good who feares not that he may be worse They who are truly assured they cannot fall from grace are assured also that they may fall in grace and fall into sin The foundation of God stands sure but the footing of man doth not and therefore Let him that stands take heed least he fall And let them who see their brethren heedlesly falling lend them the right hand of exhortation to raise them up againe and when
of presumption against God We may commit a doubtfull cause to God desiring that he would try and examine whether it be good or bad But we must not commit a doubtfull cause to God desiring him to protect it or us in it whether it be good or bad And if in this sence we may not commit a doubtfull cause to God What shall we thinke of those who shall dare to commit an openly unjust and wicked cause to God A wicked mans prayer is alwayes sinfull but how abominable is it when he prayes to be prospered or directed in acting his sin or to be strengthned in suffering impenitently for his sin There is no gracious act but a wicked man at one time or other will imitate He will pray and repent and forgive and commit his cause to God and when he dyes commit his soule to God There is no trusting to a mouth full of good words while the heart will not empty it selfe of wickednesse It is good alwayes to commit our cause and our soules to God but a cause or a soule are not therefore good because committed unto God The language of Israel is often spoken by the men of Ashdod And many who never had the least part of holinesse in them can yet set themselves when there is no remedie to act a part in it The Apostle Peter gives us this rule 1 Epist 4. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour Except we suffer according to the will or from the hand of God and also doe well in our sufferings Christ will not admit this Feofement though we commit our selves to him he will not accept the trust But he that suffers according to or by the will of God and doth well in suffering that is hath a good cause and a good conscience He I say may commit all to God and in the mercy of the most High he shall not miscarry Lastly Whereas Eliphaz saith I would seeke unto God were I in thy case observe That It is a wise course in advising others to shew our selves readie to follow the same advise It wins exceedingly upon others to take our counsell when it appeares we are ready to follow the same counsell our selves We ought to doe nothing unto others but what we would have done unto our selves and we should advise nothing to others but what we our selves would doe It puts strength into a rule when he that gives it is ready to enliven it by his owne practice As a Physitian for the encouragement of his patient to take a nauseous medicine will say to him Sir you seeme unwilling to drinke it but if I were sicke and distempered as you are I would drinke it readily and that you may see there is no hurt in it I will tast a little my selfe His tasting sweetens it and the patient likes it well Thus when either Minister or private friend offers advise or counsell and shall say thus I would doe this I would follow This takes upon the heart whereas it disparages prayer or any duty to say to another Seeke unto God put your case unto him fast and pray When he that gives the counsell neglects all these duties and is carelesse of communion with God Christ saith of the Pharisees that they bound heavy burthens upon the shoulders of others These burdens were counsels and directions rules and canons they would have men doe thus and thus in the manner of Gods worship or daily converse with men But They themselves would not touch them with one of their fingers Mat. 23. 4. That is they would not practise them in the least degree As to do evil with both hands Mic. 7. 3. notes the highest degree both of desire endeavour in doing evill So not to touch that which is good with a finger notes a total neglect of doing good A finger is the least member and a Touch is the least act then these Pharisees not touching with a finger imports they did not act at all It is good to act a rule privately by way of experiment before we put it upon others but it is most necessary to act it by way of example when we have published it to and press'd it upon others It was a speech of one of the Ancients I never taught my people any thing but what I had first practised and experimented my selfe Doctrine is sooner followed by the eye then by the eare He that like the Scribes and pharisees Mat. 23. 3. saith and doth not shall find but few to doe what he saith No man ought to teach any thing which he is not willing as he is call'd to doe and observe himselfe It is very sinfull to give counsell which we will not take Our works ought to be the practise of our words and as practicable as our words Woe unto those of whom it may be said as Christ of the Pharisees Mat. 23. 3. Whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe but doe not ye after their works JOB Chap. 5. Vers 9. Which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number c. THis context unto the 17 verse containes the second argument by which Eliphaz strengthneth his former Exhortation To seeke unto God and to commit his cause unto him The argument may be thus formed He is to be sought unto both in duty and in wisdome and unto him our cause is to be committed who is of absolute infinite power wisdome and goodnesse But God is of absolute infinite power wisdome and goodnesse Therefore it is our duty and our wisdome to seeke unto God and unto God to commit our cause That God is infinite in power wisdome and goodnesse Eliphaz proves by an enumeration or induction of divers effects and works which call for infinite power wisdome and goodnesse to produce and actuate them These effects are laid down first in generall v. 9. Who doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Then these works or effects are given in particulars and the first particular instance of Gods mighty power is in naturall things or his preservation of the world at the 10 verse Who giveth raine upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields The second instance is given in civill things or his administrations in the world at the 12 13 14. verses And that we may consider two wayes 1. In destroying the counsels and plots of the wicked in the 12 13 and 14. verses He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprise c. 2. In delivering those who are in trouble at the 15. verse He saveth the poore from the Sword c. These are works of Power Further the goodnesse of God shines forth in two things 1. By the present intendment or end aimed at in these mighty works ver 11. To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may
grace yet he did give them light and restraint too in nature Neverthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gave us raine from heaven Acts 14. 17. As if he had said though yee have not had the raine of the word yet the raine of the cloud if such a Preacher of Gods power and goodnesse as will leave you for ever without excuse The Lord himselfe seemes to glory in this as one of the chiefest of his works Job 38. 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdome Or who can stay the bottles of heaven I challenge all creatures to a competition with me in this And again in this book Ch. 36. 26. Elihu lifts up the greatnesse of God in this act of his providence Behold God is great and we know him not wherein doth he instance his greatnesse it follows ver 27. For he maketh small the drops of water they powre downe raine according to the vapour thereof Reade paralell texts Jer. 10. 13. Psal 65. 10 11. Psal 147. 8. So much of this first worke of God the raine and of his power wisdome goodnes bounty visible and apparent in it The second instance of Gods power and wisdome c. is in civill things both in setting up and pulling downe First in raising and setting up To set up on high those that be low that those which mourne may be exalted to safetie As if he should say will you see another way wherein God shews himself in his power wisdome and goodnesse It is in looking thorough the world for such as are low that he may lift them up in espying out mourners and weeping eyes that he may wipe them and more exalt them to safety Some of the Jewish Writers connect this verse with the former making this as an effect of Gods bounty wonderfull worke in sending raine He sendeth raine and showers upon the earth with such plenty of blessings that by this means many who were poore low meane and sad-hearted may be set in high estate and exalted unto safety And there is a truth in it Gods blessing upon the earth hath exalted many that were low to an high estate to riches and prosperity But rather we shall take it in a more generall sence And so Eliphaz in these words seemes to comfort Job by giving him a hint that though his estate was now very low yet if he would apply himselfe unto God as he had advised ver 8. By seeking unto and committing his cause to him as low as he was he might be set high againe and though he was now a mourner sitting in dust and ashes He might be exalted to joy and safetie for in this the power wisdome and goodnesse of God are usually put forth and exalted The words carry an allusion to that custome of Princes and Magistrates who sit in high places upon erected thrones As 1K 16. 19. it is said of Solomon that he built him a magnificent throne or chaire of state which had an assent of six steps to it he sate on high And the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6. ver 1. describes the Lord in the same manner sitting in state I saw the Lord saith he sitting upon a throne high and lifted up The pride and arrogancy of the Assyrian is thus exprest Isa 14. 13. He hath said in his heart I will exalt my throne above the stars I will sit also upon the Mount of the Congregation So that to sit on high is as much as to be preferred or advanced whether we respect honour or riches dignity or authority To set on high those that be low The word may note either those that are low in their own eyes or those that are made low by others active or passive lownesse Grace in our own hearts causes the former lownesse and sinfull oppression from the hand of others causes the latter The former are humble the latter are humbled The Lord sets both these on high And Those which mourne The Hebrew word signifies to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscurus obscuritus luce privatus fuit nigruit per Metaphoram câ—nâ—ristatus fuit in tristitia enim fugit spleÌ„dor faciei Sic latinè Atriti dicuntùr lugentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maesti vultus blacke darke or obscured And the reason why that word is borrowed to note mourning or sorrow is because sorrow causeth blacknesse or darknesse of habit or countenance Mourning and blacknesse usually goe together Jer. 4. 28. For this cause shall the earth mourne and the heavens above shall be blacke And usually Mourners goe in blacke it is the die and dresse of Mourners As white is the colour of joy Let thy garments be alwayes white saith the Preacher to him that is to eat his bread with joy Eccles 8. 8. Yea the very beauty of the face is obscured the light of the countenance shadowed or clouded with teares and sorrow Hence the Seventy render it They whose faces are sad or sowre It is the word used Mat. 6. 16. When yee fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance It implies an affected studied sadnesse severity austerity grimnesse gastlinesse unpleasantnesse of countenance proceeding from art rather then from nature much lesse from grace as the words following imply for they disfigure vitiate or discolour their faces corrupt or abolish their native complexion so as it appeares not what it is that they may appeare what they are not Hypocrisie can paint the face with blacke as well or rather worse then pride with red and white and so doth reall sorrow sometimes whether for sin or outward affliction True passion in the heart will dim the brightnesse and staine the beauty of the face These Mourners shall be exalted to safety The word which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in loâ—â—â—ubâ—â—mi sterit exalâ—aâ—us adeò ut ab hostibus pertingi nequeat Per Metaphorem taâ—us in expugnabilis Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uâ—â—is Olim munitiones extruebâ—ntur in locis editioribus in montibus prae uptis inaccessis ut latinê arx ab hoste arcendo dicto est we translate Exalted signifies to set in a high place and in a place so high that a man so placed is beyond the reach of danger or the power of an adversary it is to be set upon a place impregnable Hence the word is used for a Fort Tower or Castle because forts and Towers being places of defence were for the most part built upon some high place upon some rocke or praecipice Prov. 18. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong Tower That is we are as safe under his protection as in a strong Tower founded on the steepest rocke And the Prophet describing the safety of him who walks uprightly gives it in this word The place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks Isa 33. 16. So Jer. 48. 1. Misgab is confounded and dismayed That is the high place or Castle of
though at present he hath made thy head onely to ake a little yet can kill thy body and after he hath killed hath power to to cast into hell Luke 12. 5. Secondly In that afflictions come from Shaddai a God all-sufficient God would have us conceive in all our troubles That When he takes away any or all created comforts from us yet he is himselfe Allsufficient for us When we are chastned by the losse of any good things Shaddai doth it who hath the power of all good things in his hand When he takes away riches or health or relations if he doth not take away himselfe from us we cannot be comfortlesse for Alsufficiency stands by us Lastly He dealeth with us but as a tender nurse or mother in all his chastnings The mother strikes the child a little blow with one hand and gives it the breast with the other she gives it a little tap with one hand and a spoon with the other Consider your chastnings they are the chastnings of Shaddai who as a tender mother hath a breast ready to nourish and a spoon to feed while he chides or chastens And if by greater afflictions he wounds or makes you very sore you shall not want carefull dressing and assured healing Vers 18. For he maketh sore and he bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole This verse containes an exemplification of the former ground why we should not despise the chastning of the Almighty For if it should be objected against the former assertion Happy is the man whom God correcteth Where is this happinesse Is there happinesse in sores and wounds in sicknesse and weaknesse in poverty and in wants Who cannot easily want this happinesse and not complaine Eliphaz seemes to answer for God in this text If your faith cannot come up to believe this stay but a while and your sence shall teach it you Who would not be glad of a wound when he knows he shall have Shaddai for his Chyrurgion If you will not allow a man is happy when he is sore will you not allow him happy when his sore is bound up by such a hand If you will not grant a man is happy when wounded you cannot deny him happy when he is thus healed The Almighty will not leave them in their sores in their wounds As he hath a rod so he hath a swath as he hath a sword so a salve His plaister is ready for your wound and his medicines for your diseases It is true of God above all others One and the same hand smites and cures Thus of the generall Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit meaning and connexion of this verse He maketh sore The word is used in the second Chapter of this book ver 13. of Jobs friends that they stood silent for they saw his griefe was great or his sorenesse was very great It notes the griefe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doâ—uit anima vel corpore sorenesse either of mind or body Some translate He woundeth But the next clause bears that distinctly or we may joyne both the one as the cause the other as the effect He maketh sore by wounding And bindeth up The word is appliable to any kind of binding 1. To the binding of captives in prison with chaines 2. To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ligavit colligavit the binding of ornaments upon the head Ezek. 29. 9. 3. It is used metaphorically for binding to obedience or punishment Job 34. 17. Shall even he that hateth right governe The Hebrew is shall he bind because Governours bind their subjects or servants either to doe what they command or to suffer what they inflict 4. It is also applied by a metaphor to the binding up of those civill breaches or ruines which are upon a people Isa 3. 6 7. A man shall take hold of his brother c saying be thou our Ruler and let this ruine be under thy hand In that day he shall sweare saying I will not be a Healer or a Binder up 5. It is used for the applying of ligatures with which the medicine or plaister is bound upon the wound or sore And this word doth therefore also signifie the healing of a wound because the due binding of the wound is one halfe of the patients cure and a very great part of a Partim quidem iâ—sa deligatio sanat c. Maxima deligationis vis est Hip. in Offiâ—ina Chyrurg Chyrurgions skill as the learned Physitians observe in their Discourses about wounds and chyrurgerie Ligature contributes so much to healing that the same word serves for both or either Now Shaddai the Almighty is admirable at this when he hath made a sore he can make an exact Ligature We often find these two together Psal 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds The Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 34. 4. complaines of the false Prophets Because they did not heale that which was sicke and bound not up that which was broken They had neither skill nor conscience either spiritually to break hearts or when they found them broken to bind them up They knew not how to fasten Gospel promises and holy counsels upon the heart that the wounds of it might be closed and were therefore Physitians of no value There are two interpretations given of these words He maketh sore and he bindeth up First Some expound them by an Enallage of the Participle for the Verbe thus He maketh sore and he bindeth up that is He making sore bindeth up as if the very act by which God smites had an influence upon the healing and a tendency to the restoring Vulnerat medetur i. e. vulnerans medetur vulnerando sanat of his afflicted ones He making sore bindeth up We find such constructions frequent in Scripture Isa 65. 22. They shall not build and another inhabit They shall not plant and another eate That is They building another shall not inhabit and they planting another shall not eate The negative is not fixed upon their building c. but upon other inhabiting And so Deut. 22. 4. Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Oxe fall down by the way and hide thy selfe from them That is Thou seeing thy brothers Asse or Oxe fall down shalt not hide thy selfe from them A man sometimes could not but see his brothers Asse or Oxe fall down but he seeing must not at any time hide himselfe from them that is not succour them so by the way that phrase of hiding may be interpreted by that of the Prophet Isa 58. 7. Thou shalt not hide thy self from thy own flesh But to the poynt here we see He maketh sore bindeth up may congruously to other Scripture speakings be rendred He making sore doth bind up as if the wound were a part of the cure and the sore a plaister We know that a wound in nature is sometime a part of the cure It is a common and a
friends from the 13 unto the 24 verse To him that is afflicted saith he pity should be shewed from his friend my brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brooke c. Fourthly He yet submits himself to their judgement and direction if they would speak reason to him at last and come home to his case indeed or if they could fully and candidly discover to him any errour he was willing to be rectified This he professes and it is a most ingenious profession in the 24. and 25. verses Teach me saith he and I will hold my tongue and cause me to understand wherein I have erred c. As if he had said All that you have spoken hitherto doth not reach my condition ye have quite mistook my case yet you shall see I doe not stand out against you because I will stand out it is not my will that opposes what you have spoken but my understanding therefore if you can shew me better reason I lay down the bucklers and yield my selfe a prisoner to your selves and unto truth I delight not to lengthen out contentions nor am I resolved to have the last word Teach me and I will hold my tongue Fifthly He adds an expostulation mixed with an aggravation An expostulation about and an aggravation of their high jealousie and low opinion of him in the 26. and 27. verses Doe ye imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are â—â— wind As if he had said Doe you think that you have had to deale with a man that onely makes a noyse or speaks a great many words which have more sound then sence doe ye think I am out of my wits and in stead of arguing with you doe onely rave like a mad man at you Ye have not had vaine windy words from me but words full of weight and matter words of truth and sobernesse wherefore then doe you speak thus Doe ye imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate Doe ye think I speak like one who knows not what he speaks Or that I have at once lost my hope and my understanding Sixthly He gives them advice and admonition to take better heed to what they should after say if they intended to to say any more or to continue their counsell and discourse with him in the three last verses of this sixth Chapter Now therefore be content looke upon me for it is evident to you if I lie returne I pray you c. In the 7th which concludes his speech he offers three things especially to be observed First A renewing of many arguments and considerations by which he confirmes the equity of his request to have his life cut off upon which sad subject he insists from the beginning of the Chapter to the end of the 17th verse Is there not an appointed time to man upon the earth Are not his dayes like the dayes of an Hireling c. Secondly After all his high straines of contest with man we have an abasement of himselfe as unworthy that God should take notice of him either by mercies or judgements in the 18. and 19. verses What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning c. A godly man will stand when he sees cause upon his termes with men but he ever falls low before and hath not a word to reply against God He is sometime angry when men vilifie him but he ever admires why God should magnifie him What is man c. Thirdly He concludes his speech with an humble acknowledgement of his own sinfulnesse and with an earnest request for the pardon of his sin Lord saith he I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men vers 20 c. After all this heat and passion after all these complainings Jobs heart lay levell before the Lord yea he abases himselfe to exalt and give glory to God with humble confession and an earnest supplication for the pardon of his sin Thus we have the generall parts and substance of his answer to that charge of Eliphaz in the two former Chapters But Job answered and said c. In these words and the three following verses Job gives us the refutation or rejection of that reproof given him by Eliphaz And he refutes it by shewing the reason why Eliphaz as he supposed was so sharpe and bitter in reproving him And further he shews cause why he rejects his counsell or consolation The reason upon Amicos taxat quod antequam ipsum reprehender ent non expendissent suam miseriam Coc. which he puts off those reproofs is this because Eliphaz had not duly considered his sorrowes or was not so sensible of them as a man should be that undertakes a friend in his condition The sum of his argument against what Eliphaz had spoken may be thus formed He cannot duly reprove or convince another of impatience in complaining who hath not fully weighed those calamities which are the cause and ground of those complaints But Eliph z thou hast not fully weighed and considered my case and condition my troubles and calamities which are the ground and cause of my complaints Therefore thou canst not duly reprove or convince me of impatience The Assumption or second Proposition of this argument is couched in the second verse O that my griefe were throughly weighed and that my calamity were laid in the ballances together As if he had said I had never received such harsh censures such a judgement or reproofe if thou hadst duly weighed my sorrows if thou hadst faithfully studied my case thou hadst never rebuked me thus The weight of his calamity himselfe expresseth two ways First Comparatively at the third verse by putting it into the ballance with the sand of the sea For now saith he it would be heavier than the sand of the sea Secondly He sets forth the greatness of his calamity demonstratively by declaring in what manner he had been afflicted My affliction is not an ordinary affliction I am wounded with the arrows of the Almighty and those poisoned arrows and those arrows drinking up my spirits I have not onely some single great affliction or many small ones upon me but I have terrour and terrours yea I have an army of terrours yea an army of terrours always incamping about me and charging me continually why Eliphaz thou didst never clearly consider these things much lesse hast thou had a sympathy or fellow-feeling of them Thou hast not bin afflicted in my afflictions Thou hast not sorrowed my sorrowes nor wept my tears Therefore it is that thou hast so sharply reproved me and put so much gall and wormwood into thy discourse So then the summe of this first part may be thus given taking it out of those high and hyperbolicall straines in which his passion was carried as if Job had thus answered Eliphaz It is an easie matter to slight that which a man doth not know and to thinke
originall beare such a translation when our sins are put into the ballance with our sufferings all our sufferings the heaviest we can feele or goe under in this life are but as a feather to a talent of lead As all the afflictions of this life are light in comparison of that exceeding weight of glory prepared for us in the next life So all the suffering of this life are light in comparison of the exceeding weight of one sin commited by us Therefore Job makes no such comparison here as if he had bin afflicted more than he deserved That of Ezra concerning the Church of the Jewes Chap. 9. 13. Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve is true of every punishment put any punishment of this world spiritual or temporall in one scale and the least sin in another that lightest sin out-weighs our heaviest punishment Only in hell sins and sufferings shall be of equall poyse God will then powre and measure our punishments which shall come up to the proportion and demension of our sins and what the creature cannot bear at once in weight shall be weighed to him in eternity But to passe that rendring as unsafe O that my griefe were throughly weighed Our English word scale which is the instrument by which we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libravit ponderavit olim moneta libraebatur ex pondere habebatur summa pecuniae ut mini ex numero nummoruÌ„ Ulpian weigh is well conceived to come from the Hebrew word here used Shakal signifying to weigh any thing but especially to weigh coyne or mony to weigh gold and silver As Gen. 23. 16. Abraham upon the purchace of that field which he bought of the children of Heth for a burying place weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named It was the custom of those times in stead of telling to weigh their mony and that was the most exact and ready way of paiment And from that word Shakal signifying to weigh money comes the Hebrew word for one speciall sort of mony the Shekel because they weighed by the shekel that being as their standard or a special coyne of such a known weight and value that all their coyne was weighed and valued by it So in Siclus moneta certi ponderis omnium ponderum reguâ—a the Latin and likewise in our English we call one speciall summe of mony A pound which is a weight and by which mony is commonly accounted and paid And hence by a Metaphor this word signifies to judge or to consider of a thing exactly and fully because of all matters that men weigh they will weigh gold and silver most exactly if a man weigh gold he weigheth it to a graine if gold want but the turning of the scale more then due weight or allowance it will not passe Isa 33. 18. Where is the Scribe where Vil begis verba ponderant Sanc. Quaestor praefectus aeratio militari Jun. is the Receiver The Hebrew is Where is the weigher that is either the spirituall weigher He that uses to be so exact in weighing every tittle of the law Or the Civill weigher because they used to weigh all the mony they received So then O that my griefe were throughly weighed is as if he had said O that my grief were weighed as gold and silver is weighed weighed exactly to the least to the utmost that you might fully know what it is The word single by it selfe notes an exact examination by weighing but when as here the word is doubled or by an Hebraisme repeated O that my griefe in weighing were weighed it heightens and increases the sense exceedingly Hence we translate O that my griefe were throughly weighed weighed so as that there might be a cleare discovery how much my sorrows weigh The doubling of a word to this sence is very frequent in Scripture I shall not need to instance Take only that Gen. 2. 17. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof in dying thou shalt die that is thou shalt surely die So here O that in weighing it were weighed that is O that it were throughly and exactly weighed Lay all together and it imports thus much as if Job had said I would not have my sorrows weighed at a vulgar beame or in ordinary ballances I would not have the sound or letter only of what I have spoken considered but I desire that you would take my complaints together the words and the matter and that you would weigh all impartially that you may come to a full understanding what my condition is and then surely you would give up a better judgement and make a fairer interpretation of my words then as yet you have put forth Thus he speaks also Chapter 31 6. Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know my integrity Uneven ballances will not make a perfect discovery That which is false cannot give a true report Things and persons act as they are therefore Job desireth to be weighed in an even ballance such a beame will speake the truth of my estate both to God and man God needs no meanes to make him know he knowes all immediately and he weighes by his eye not one thing by another but all things in themselves Job speakes of God after the manner of men And my calamity laid in the ballances together My griefe and my calamity Griefe caused by my calamity and calamity the cause of that griefe My calamity The word signifies any troublesome evil sad event 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or accident vulgularly called a mis-fortune O that this sad à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 estate and condition wherein I am were put into the ballance The Originall for ballances is very observeable As there is fuit eventus malus infortunium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trutina statera quod duas sc habeat lances velvt aures Pagn much elegancy in the word by which the action so in this by which the instrument of weighing is express'd It is found only in the plurall or duall number as many of that nature are The same word in Hebrew signifies also the eares which are the organ of hearing and the reason of it is thus given because as the tongue of the ballance stands like a judge between the two scales inclining to neither till the weight be laid in so should the eare of a Judge by office or of any man by deputation called to heare and determine of things in difference stand indifferent to both parties till he heare the matter debated and the reasons brought forth on either side The Moralists embleme this by the place of that Signe in the Zodiacke which they call the Virgin standing according to the doctrine of Astronomers between the Lion and the Bellances The Lion bids Virgin Justice be stout and fearelesse The Ballances advise her to weigh the matter
on both sides with moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be cautious inclining neither one way nor other but as the merit of the cause fully heard shall sway her judgement à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job desires that his calamity might be layed thus in the ballances Levavit sustulit nam qui appendit ali quid tollit lances in altum Drus before his sentence Laid The word is O that my calamity might ascend in the ballances And that manner of speaking is used either because in weighing the lighter scale of the ballances doth ascend or because when things are weighed the ballances ascend or are lifted up A man takes up the ballances in his hand to weigh So it is as if he had said O that these might be poised together and lifted up to see which way the scales will turne Together There is some difference in opinion about that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pariter vel potius similiter Nulla ejus parte praeter missa Together whether he meaneth thus O that all my griefe and calamity were weighed you consider things to halves and leave out those points which are most weighty and material you should take in all together Or whether his desire be that his griefe and calamity both together might be put into one ballance and the sand of the sea into another and so an experiment be made whether his griefe and calamity or the sand of the sea were heavier Or thirdly Whether thus that his griefe should be put into one ballance and his calamity into another and then triall be made which of those two were heavier his griefe and sorrow or his calamity and trouble A learned interpreter conceives that Iob Mercerus wishes his griefe and calamity might both together be put into one ballance and all the sand of the sea if it were possible in the other supposing that his griefe and calamity would out-weigh that vast ponderous aggregated body His opinion is chiefely strengthned by some difficulties in the Gramatical construction unlesse this be admitted and yet if it be a greater difficulty is shewed by a second and therefore I rather take it thus O that Bolduc my griefe and calamity were laid in the ballances together that is O that my griefe were put one into one ballance and my calamity into another or O that my griefe might be weighed with my calamity and it would appeare notwithstanding your judgement of me that yet there is nothing so much weight in my greife as there is in my calamity that is I have not yet grieved or complained up to the height or weight of those calamities which are upon me So that if my sorrow were laid in one ballance and my affliction in another my affliction would outweigh my sorrow and it would appeare that I have complained not only not without a cause but not so much as I had cause And to prove that his calamity was heavier then his griefe he adds in the next words It namely his calamity thus weighed would be heavier then the sand of the sea As if he had said it is possible that in trying all heavy things somewhat might be found heavier then my griefe or my complaint hath been but I am sure nothing can be found of equal weight with my calamity for my calamity which is the immediate antecedent would be heavier than the sand of the sea then which nothing can be found more heavy That of David Psal 62. 9. is paralell to this expression in Job Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye To be laid in the ballances they are altogether lighter then vanity The meaning is That if men of all degrees high and low were put in one scale and vanity in the other vanity it selfe would be weightier then the gravest and most weighty men Hence some reade They together are lighter then vanity Others to this sence Men and vanity being weighed together vanity will not be so light as vaine man As David to shew mans lightnesse makes him lighter then the lightest thing vanity So Iob to shew the heavinesse of his calamity makes it heavier then the heaviest thing the fand of the sea Observe hence first That it is a duty to weigh the sad estate and afflicted condition of our brethren thoroughly But you will say what is it to weigh them throughly I answer It is not only to weigh the matter of an affliction to see what it is which aman suffers but to weigh an affliction in every circumstance and aggravation of it The circumstance of an affliction is often more considerable then the matter of the affliction If a man would confesse his sins and confesse them throughly he is to confesse not only the matter of them as sins are the transgressions of the Law and errors against the rule but he must eye the manner in which sin hath been committed the circumstances with which it is cloathed these render his sin out of measure and out of weight sinful Likewise would a man consider the mercies and favours received from God would he know them throughly and see how much they weigh let him look not only what but how and when and where and by whom he hath received them There may be and often is a great wickedness in a little evil committed and a great mercy in a little good received As relations so circumstances have the least entitie but they have the greatest efficacie Now as there is often more in the circumstances than in the matter of a sin or of a mercy so there is often more in the circumstance than there is in the matter of an affliction therefore he that would thoroughly weigh the afflictions of another must consider all these accidents as wel as the substance of it As namely the time when sent the time how long endured whether a single affliction or in conjucture with other afflictions the strength of the patient and the dependencies that are upon him Secondly He that would weigh an affliction throughly must put himselfe in the case of the afflicted and as it were make anothers griefe his owne He must act the passions of his brother and a while personate the poore the sick the afflicted man He must get atast of the wormwood and of the gall upon which his brother feedeth In a word He must lay such a condition to heart The Prophet Malachy threatens a curse upon those who laid not the word and works of God to heart Chap. 2. 2 I will curse your blessings saith the Lord because ye doe not lay it to heart that is ye doe not consider what I say or doe throughly God cursed them throughly because they would not throughly consider His Laws and judgements So then to weigh the affliction of another throughly is to put our soules as it were in their soules stead Hence that we may be assured Christ hath throughly weighed all our
griefe either through want of power or through the restraint of power both wayes griefe increases Some who have been dying Apud SophocleÌ„ electra faelicem vocat Niobem cui lugere filiorum interâ—tum permissum est cum id sibi matris crudelitas negaverita upon cruell rackes or under bloudie tortures have yet esteemed this beyond all their tortures that they might not freely speak out their minds and sorrows to have their mouthes stopt was worse to them then to have their breath stopt It is a pain to be kept from speaking To command a man to swallow or eat downe his words is next to the command of eating and swallowing downe his own flesh The cruelty of a disease may gagge a man as well as the cruelty of a Tyrant Such is my griefe that my words are swallowed up JOB Chap. 6. Vers 4 5 6 7. For the arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against me Doth the wilde Asse bray when he hath grasse Or loweth the Ox over his fodder Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt Or is there any taste in the white of an Egge The things that my soule refused to touch are as my sorrowfull meate JOB continueth his reply and his complaint He had exprest the greatnesse of his calamity by comparing it with the sand of the sea for weightinesse now he proceeds in the same sad aggravation by comparing it to an arrow for sharpenesse and to an army for terriblenesse For the arrows of the Almighty are within me The terrours of the Lord set themselves in array against me We are in this verse to open a quiver full of poysoned arrowes and to marshall an army full of divine terrours The arrows of the Almighty c. An Arrow is a deadly engine so called in the Hebrew from its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sagitta à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dimidiavit discidit qaod scindit rem percussaâ— effect cutting or wounding Being taken properly it is an instrument shot out of a Bow of wood or iron either for sport or fight But here figuratively And arrows in Scripture are taken in a figure divers wayes First For the word of God Psal 4. 5. Thine arrowes are sharpe in the heart of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under thee That is thy words are sharpe and peircing whereby thou convincest and beatest downe sin and sinners either converting or destroying them The Rider on the white Horse going out conquering and to conquer who is conceived to be Truth or the word of God triumphing is described with a Bowe in his hand Rev. 6. 2. Secondly Arrows are put for the bitter and reproachfull words of men Ps 64. 3. 4. Ps 120. 4. They bend their bowes to shoot their arrows even bitter words Thirdly For any evill or mischievous purpose which a man intends or aimes to the hurt of his brother Psal 58. 7. When he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrowes let them be as cut in peeces Bending of the bow notes the preparing and setting of mischiefe The arrow shot out of this bent bowe is the mischiefe acted and finished Psal 2. The wicked bend their bowe they make ready their arrow upon the string they prepare mischiefs against their neighbour Fourthly For any kind of affliction judgement or punishment Zech. 9. 14. And the Lord shall be seene over them and his arrow shall goe forth as the lightning Particularly 1. For Famine Ezek. 5. 16. When I shall send upon them the evill arrowes of famine 2 For Pestilence Psal 91. 5. Thou shalt not be affraid for the terrour by nigbt nor for the arrow that fleeth by day What the terrour and the arrow are is explained in the next verse which is not an addition of other evils from which safety is promised but an explication of the same The pestilence that walks in darknesse and the destruction being the same pestilence wasting at noone-day The meaning of all is Thou shalt be kept or antidoted against the plague both night and day 3. Those thunder-bolts and haile-stones which God sends out of the Magazine of heaven and discharges in his wrath against wicked men are called the arrows of his indignation 2 Sam. 22. 15. Psal 144. 6. Hab. 3. 11. compared with Josh 10. 11. Further the arrows of God signifie inward afflictions troubles of the mind and spirit God often shoots an arrow which pierces into the very soule It was said of Joseph The iron entred into his soule And it is in this sense very usuall for the arrowes of God to enter into the soules of his people Psal 38. 1 2. O Lord rebuke me not in Thy wrath c. For Thine arrows sticke fast in me Where stuck they He meanes it not of his body haply the skin of that was not razed There is an arrow which touches not the sides but stickes fast in the soule of a childe of God Understand it here of the arrowes of affliction and those either externall outward calamities fastning in the flesh of Job or internall galling him to the soule and spirit Therefore he saith The Haret lateri Leâ—halis aruÌ„do arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit These arrowes are described in the text two waies 1. From the Efficient cause The arrowes of the Almighty They drink up my spirit Effect 2 They are the arrowes of the Almighty Shaddai Of which word we have spoken in the former Chapter verse 17th at large it being one of the names of God noting out his power and omnipotence There he cals them the chastnings of Shaddai the Almighty And here The Arrowes of Shaddai the Almighty 1. Because they are sent out from him His arme bends and draws the bow And 2. Because of the mighty force and strength in which they are sent home to the marke The strength in which those arrowes come and the depth of the wound which they make speak an Almighty arme drawing the bow None but an Almighty arme can shoot an arrow thus deep up to the feathers in the soul and spirit It is not in the power of all the tyrants in the world to strik or shoot thus deep The soule of a Saint hath such armour upon it as no bodily weapon can enter And therefore the Martyrs when all was wound in their flesh spoke and triumph'd because their spirits were whole and untoucht Onely a spirit can shoot arrowes into our spirits We finde it frequent among heathen Poets and others to describe Poetae deos arcu jaâ—ulis sagittisque armant intelligentes quas inserunt mortalibus clades quae feriunt eminus quod propriâ—m Dei videtur Bold their gods arm'd with bowes and arrowes And in that they shadowed their power to wound the minds of men and to wound them suddenly and secretly The Scripture describes the true God
verba Domini Opin Nonnullorum Hebraeorum apud Merc. Yea I would account every blow an embrace and every wound a reward For not concealing the words of the holy One In these words Job gives the reason or an account of his renewed prayer and request to die As the desire of Job was strong and passionate so likewise it was well grounded He had a very high reason an excellent ground upon which he bottom'd this request to die His reason was spirituall and therefore strong He beggs to be delivered from the troubles of his life though by a painfull death because he was clear in himselfe that he had led a blamelesse life That which set him above the paines of bodily death was the tranquillity of his spirit in this testmony of his conscience I have not concealed the words of the holy One As if he had said You may wonder why I should be so forward and ready to die why I seeme so greedy after the grave why I am such an importunate suiter for my dissolution The account I give you is this I have the testimony of a good conscience within me notwithstanding all the troubles which are upon me notwithstanding all your harsh vnfriendly accusations jealousies and suspitions of me yet my own breast is my friend my heart speakes me faire and gives me good words even these It tells me that I have not concealed the words Mirum est ut mihi non parcat quum illius verba non celarim neque dissimulaverim Aben Azr. of the holy One That I have not smothered any light he hath sent me that I have not refused any councell he hath given me that I have not wilfully departed from any rule he hath prescribed me that I have been faithfull to God to his cause and to his truth that I have declared his will and spoken his minde to others that I have not hidden any thing he hath given me in charge to declare or committed to my trust the word of God hath appeared in my life and therefore I am not afraid yea I have boldnesse to die and to appear before God I have not concealed The word signifieth to hide a thing so as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat abscondere ne vidleatur vel audeatur ne amplius appareat it be neither heard of or seen But may not we conceal the words of the most high it is said of Mary that she hid the words of Christ in her heart and of David that he hid the commandements of God in his heart Psal 119. 11. Did not the wise merchant hide the treasure namely Gospel truth Math. 13. 44. as soon as he had found it It should seem all these concealed the word of God how then is it that Job improves this as a speciall point of comfort that he had not concealed the words of the holy One There is a double hiding or concealement of the truth There is first a hiding from danger Secondly a hiding from use There is a hiding to keep a thing safe that others shall not take it from us and there is a hiding to keep a thing close that others may not take the benefit of it with us When it is said that Mary and David and the wise Merchant hid the word of God it was lest they themselves should lose it lest any should deprive them of it they hid it from danger They layed it up as a treasure in their hearts but they did not hide it from the knowledge or use of others and that is it which Job affirmes of himselfe I have not concealed the words of the holy One And there are four wayes by which the word of God is sinfully hid or concealed from all which Job seemes to acquit himselfe The first is when we conceal the word of God by our own silence when we know the word and truth of God and yet we draw a vaile over them by not revealing them The Apostle Paul Acts 20. 27. acquits himself in this to the Church of Ephesus I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsell of God and verse 20. You know how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you Silence to what is spoken is consent and silence when we should speak is concealement There is a second way of concealing the word of God and that is by silencing others Some conceale the words of the holy One themselves and they cannot endure that others should publish them The chiefe Priests and the Rulers Acts 4 18. charged Peter and John that they should not speake at all nor teach any more in the name of Jesus They would stop the Apostles mouthes from speaking the words of the holy One These keep the truth lockt up as Christ charges the Lawyers Luk. 11. 52. by taking away the key of knowledge Thirdly There is a concealing of the word of God under false glosses and misinterpretations or a hiding of it under errours and misconstructions This is a very dangerous way of concealing the words of the holy One The Pharisees made the law of God of none effect by their expositions as well as by their traditions by the sence they made of it as well as by the additions they made unto it Fourthly The word of the holy One may be concealed in our practise and conversations The Apostle exhorts Phil. 2. 16. To hold forth the word of life in a pure conversation The lives of Christians should publish the word of life The best way of preaching the word is by the praictse of the word The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse that is who by their unrighteous practises and ungodly conversations imprison fetter restrain and keep in the word Mans holy life is the loudest Proclamation of the word of God And a sinfull life is the concealment of it Job here acquits himselfe from all these concealements I have not eâ—ncealed the words of the holy One either by my own silence or by imposing silence upon others I have not concealed the word of the holy One by my own corrupt glosses and interpretations nor by a corrupt practise and conversation I have desired and endeavoured that the whole word of God might be visible in my actions and audible in my speeches that I might walke cloathed as it were with the holy counsels and commandements of my God There is a reading of the words different from this Whereas we Malo potentialiter exponi omnia utinam inquit non parceret Nequenim occultarem dicta sancti sed ejus in me sententiam praedicarem laudarem Merc. say I have not concealed the words of the holy One that gives it thus I would not conceale the words of the holy One and so the word of the holy One is taken not for the truths of God in generall but for that special word of decree or sentence which God should
to have found water there and it grieved and repented them that ever they had hope to find water there because there was none to be found They were confounded The word signifies indifferently to be ashamed or to be confounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Puduit rei vel facti and to be confounded in regard of events or actions The word is very neer in sound to our English Abashed It notes also a waxing pale and wan when the colour failes and withers comes and goes If a man be failed much in what he much hoped his countenance fails too his visage changes as his thoughts change and he waxeth pale Therefore we translate it well confounded And it is expressed by confounding for two reasons First because the complexion is confounded at such a time shame and blushing make a kinde of confusion upon nature Secondly the Spirits are confounded the heart is troubled Disappointments of our hope perplex a man both within and without He is disordered quite through And because long delaies cause shame therefore by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect this word signifies to delay time Exod. 32. 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down c. that is when Ainsworth on Exod. the people saw that Moses made them ashamed by his long delay they gathered themselves together c. They waited for Moses 40. daies and now Moses had staied so long that they were ashamed of his stay that is they expected but he came not as they expected this troubled them We read the word in the same sence Judg. 5. 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the latice why is his chariot so long in comming Why tarry the wheels of his chariots Why is his chariot ashamed that is why doth his chariot stay so long as to make us ashamed of our stay We have long looked what trophies Sisera would bring home why doth his chariot by delayes make us ashamed Thus in the text these travellers are said to be confounded because they had great hope to find water but were disappointed They were confounded because they had hoped the latter clause carries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fodit effodit-per Metaphoram traductam a fodientibus erubuit Nam qui rubore perfusâ— sunt ex peccato caâ—ut in terram dimittunt instar eorum qui terram defodiunt Cartâ— the same sence They came thither and were ashamed Yet there is a special elegancy in the word ashamed which signifies to digge to digge that we may hide a thing At it is said of the evil servant who received but one talent that he went and digged and hid his Lords mony Mat. 25. 18. And so by a Metaphor this word is translated to signifie being ashamed because a man that is ashamed would hide his head in a hole as we say if he could he would runne his head into the ground and rather be at the pains to digge a hole in the earth to hide himself then to endure the shame of shewing himselfe No man loves that should appear or to appeare in that which is his shame These two things to be ashamed and confounded are often owned by the Saints in their repentance It is best not to doe any thing whereof to be ashamed but when we have done evil iâ— is good to be ashamed To hide our sinnes for shame and not to be ashamed of them when they are not hid are equall aggravations of sinne Hence when the holy Ghost would set â—orth mâ—n impudent or shameless in sinning who sinned and cared not who saw them he saith Jer. 2. 34. Also upon thy skirts is found the blood of innocents I have not found iâ— by secret search so we translate it the Hebrew is I have not found it by digging As if he had said some men are so ashamed of their sins that when God comes to finde them out he must dig for them because they have digged into the earth as it were to hide their sins but others are so impudent in sinning that God needs not digg to finde out their sins they are so shameless that they let their sinnes lie above ground or as the Prophet speaks Isa 3. 9. They declare their sinnes like Sodome that is openly Truth and holiness never seek corners and sometimes sinne and wickedness do not And as the doing of evill forbidden causeth or should cause shame so doth the not receiving of good expected Hence when the Lord would assure his people that they should undoubtedly receive all the good he had promised and which they on that ground could expect he concludes with them thus And my people shall never be ashamed Why The reason is plain in the Text Ye shall eaâ— in plenty and be satisfyed Joel 2 26. which is directly opposite to this in Job The Temanites were ashamed because being thirsty they were not satisfyed And because Jesus Christ shall so aboundantly satisfy all the hunger and thirst and supply all â—hâ— wants and weaknesses of every believing soul therefore it is exprest under this word and notion Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9. 33. Such a meaning the word bears in this text They were ashamed Foderunt putees sc ad aquam inveniendam That is when they saw there was no water to be had they would have hid themselves in the earth or digged holes to hide themselves in for grief and shame And some render this word here though to another sence They digged That is when they saw that there was no water in the streames then they fell a digging to see if they could finde any springs That 's a good sense But rather take digging as before To shew what shame would have us do when we have done amisse or when we Misse what we would find then we seek covert and hide our selves Hence these two are often joyned in Scripture Shame and hiding with the disappointment of hope Reade a text of near compliance with this in the letter Jer. 14. 3. Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water it was in a time of drought they returned with their vessels empty What followeth they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads Again verse 4. Because the ground is chapt for there was no raine in the earth the plow-men were ashamed they covered their heads And Joel 1. 10. 11. The corn is wasted the new wine is dried up What followeth Be ashamed O ye husband-men howle O ye Vinedressers because the harvest of the field is perished So that in the common language and current of the Scripture shame is an effect of disappointment and hiding the face or covering the head an effect of both Observe hence First That deceived hopes trouble us as much if not more than present wants A present want is a present smart but deceived hopes are a perpetual smart And that
of man in whom there is no help why not For his breath goeth forth that 's one reason he must die he must return to the earth therefore trust him not But besides that we may say trust not in Princes c. while their breath tarrieth in them for it is possible their help and faithfulness may goe forth though their breath doth not Therefore trust â—eâ—ly in the living God he will never leave us though men doe God only is unchangeable he only hath preserved this honour without touch or stain never to forsake those who trusted him how forlorn and forsaken soever their condition was JOB Chap. 6. Vers 22 23 24 25. Did I say bring unto me or give a reward for me of your substance Or deliver me from the Enemies hand or redeem me from the hand of the mighty Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to understand wherein I have erred How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove JOB Having shadowed out his friends unfaithfulnesse by an elegant similitude in the context fore-going now aggravates their unfaithfulness to him in his wants by his own modesty in seeking to them for supplies Did I say bring unto me or give a revvard for me of your substance As if he had said I have not been burthensome or troublesome to you I have not called for your contributions and benevolences or sought to have my estate made up out of your purses Why do ye charge me with impatience at my loss as if that were it which pinches and presses me did I ever charge you for my reparation or redemption That in deed might have been either burdensome or dangerous to you All that I expected from you was your comfort and your counsell these would not have put you to much expence or if you could not have reacht so far as to comfort me yet you might have forborn to contribute so largely to my sorrows by overtaxing me with impatience and charging me with hypocrisie Did I say I was not clamorous or importunate no I did not so much as open my mouth to move you in that point I have been so far from begging that ye have not heard me saying bring to me Bring unto me The word is Give unto me Hos 4. 18. Their Princes love Give ye or bring ye so saith Job I did not say bring ye or give ye my spirit was not set upon money or the repair of my losses out of your estates I did not either write or send for your charity you were not invited to visit me that you might contribute to my necessity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie munus quod datur ad corrumpendum Iudicem a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uuus quod unum facit dantem scilicet occipientem The word here used for a reward properly taken signifies that which is given to a Judge to corrupt or turn him aside in judgement One of the Rabbins gives this reason why it notes a bribing reward because it is compounded of a word signifying One and a bribe makes the giver and the receiver the Judge and party One or of one mind A Judge should ever stand indifferent between both parties till the cause be heard but a bribe makes him One of them Yet ordinarily this word is put for any gift or help subsidy or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humor nativus in quo vigor corporis consistit opes nam in opibus Consistit potentia hominum supply of anothers wants Of your substance The word implies the native naturall strength which supplies the wants or supports the weaknesses of the body As also the strength of the earth by which it puts forth fruit Lev. 26. 20. And because riches are a mans civil strength therefore the same word expresses both Verse 23. Or did I say deliver me from the enemies hand The enemies Or the hand of those that have brought me into straights For the original imports the shutting a man up in a narrow compass so that he knows not how to get out he that is in the hand of an enemy is in a straight hand Ahab commands 1 Kings 22. 29. Goe carry Micaiah back and feed him with the bread of affliction or with the bread of straights such bread as an enemy provides The Greek word used by the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 8. reaches this fully We are troubled but not distressed or straightned Now saith Job did I say deliver me out of the hand or power of mine enemies who have brought me into these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straights alluding as is conceived to those Chaldeans and Sabeans who had spoiled his estate and slain his servants Or redeem me out of the hand of the mighty Redeem me That is my goods which they have carried away captive To redeem signifies the fetching back of a thing by price or force Christ is a Redeemer in both sences he redeemed or fetch'd back captivated man by compact and by price in respect of God his father We are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. that is bought with a full prize Christ did not compound with the justice of his father but satisfied it to redeem us and he redeemed us by force out of the hands of Satan Spoiling principalities and powers and making a shew of them openly Col. 2. 15. As in Triumphs the Romans used to doe with their spoiled captivated enemies Job had not begged redemption of his friends from the power of his enemies either way did I desire you by compact and by price to ransome me Or did I desire you to levy an Army with power and force to recover my estate out of the hands of those mighty oppressours The word Mighty signifies also terrible the hand of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terribilis sua potentia formidabilis terrible one It is often applied to God when he shewes himself in terrour to wicked men Psal 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared Isa 2 19. He shakes terribly the earth But most commonly to cruel powerful men who make no other use of their strength but to be a terrour to innocents The Apostle Phil. 1. 28. explaines this word while he saith and in nothing be ye terrified by your adversities that word in the Greek answers this in the Hebrew your adversities are terrible men men who think to beat down all with their great looks but be not ye terrified by these terrible ones So here Did I call unto you to redeem me out of the hand of the mighty the terrible out of the hand of those cruel plunderers the Sabeans and Chaldeans De manu Tribulationis Vatab Puto cum Allegoricè tam graves vehementes calamitates intelligere Merc. Further Some understand by the hand of the mighty not the persons afflicting him but the affliction it self which was upon him Trouble is sometimes compared to a mighty enemy Prov. 6. 11. So shall thy poverty come
or departed from a good conscience Further Others conceive Job bespeakes his friends in this quicke language Return yea return again to recall his Forte in dignaebundi discessum papabane-aut jaÌ„ surrexerâ—nt discessuri quaere illos invitat ad promovenâ—aÌ„ disputationem Pined friends who were ready to goe away in a pett or in a fume as we use to say They were rising to be gone and Job hastily calls them back Return I pray return As a man in discourse growing so hot that the house cannot hold him but he will breake away is usually re-invited pray stay sir return again so Job return againe my righteousnesse is in it you shall see I mill make the matter good Hence observe first taking the rerurn in a Metaphoricall sence That a passionate or inconsiderate man goes from hemself and from the matter Passion carries from the businesse before us An angry mans discourse runs wild he had need be reduced Consideration is the returning of a man unto himself or his comming home As the passions of the concupiscible appetite and intemperancies of youth carrie a man beyond his boundes and therefore the Prodigall repenting is said to come to himself Luk. 15. 17. so likewise do the passions of the irascible appetite Anger disorders and discomposes the spirit as much as luxury Secondly observe To persist in evill is worse than the committing if evill The one is common to man the other peculiar to the Devill and his peculiars who know no repentance It is bad enough to doe ill but not to returne from evill is inexcusable therefore the Lord often by his Prophets laies this as the heaviest charge of all upon his people He taxes them with their departures from him But especially with their refusals to returne unto him Yet have ye not returned unto me this is more sinfull than all the sins you have committed you have not returned you goe on and persevere in evill The sword of God proclaimes alike voice in our eares at this day Return return again We have departed and gone away from God let us not draw that ancient change upon our selves I have smitten you yet have ye not returned unto me It is not sinning but not returning which brings finall condemnation impenitency seales the stone of destruction upon Persons and Nations Thirdly whereas these words Returne let it not be iniquity are referred to Jobs friends as if he had said Let not this your passion make your sinne fouler and greater you have sinned already but if you returne not your sin will be iniquity shortly Note He stops his sin from bâ—ing an iniquity who hastens his returning from sin Every sin the least sin is sin as the least drop of water is water but every sin in a strict sence is not iniquity The nature is the same but the degree varies As many a child never comes to be a man so many a sin comes not to be an iniquity Happy â—s he that taketh those little ones and dasheth them against the stones That returnes before his sin be iniquity Fourthly observe further how Job cals upon his friends when he sees them transported as he thought with passion he leaves complaining of his owne sorrowes and gives them good counsell he for that present forgets his owne ruines that he might amend them It is our duty to reclaime and to appease those by gentle intreaties who we suppose have wronged us or gone astray from truth Job doth not raile upon or revile his friends but beseeches them to be better advised and consider what they did Fifthly in that he saith Return yea return again taking this for a call to a more serious consideration of the businesse we may note That a mans cause and condition must be considered and considered again twice that is fully considered before he be condemned We must give account of every idle word much more then of every unjust sentence or censure It is but wisdome to consider that strictly about which we must give so strict an account Sixthly in that he saith My righteousnesse is in it Observe That a good cause the more it is searched into the better it will appeare the deeper you digge into it the more truth and holinesse you will finde in it Search a godly man and the lower you goe the better he proves the nearer you come to his heart the richer treasures of grace and uprightnesse will be discovered at his tongue or his lips may be gilded over with good words but Whereas take an hypocrite and you may have a little good mettal search him to the bottome and there is all rottennesse even seven abominations at his heart A godly man is not gilded but gold Search a Job quite through try him to the center righteousnesse is in all his wayes the further you search the better he is and he will be best of all at last Vers 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue Gannot my taste discerne perverse things Formula est seipsum compellantis animum suum scrutantis facta examinantis Coc Verbaper stultitiam temeritatem prolata latentis pravitatis indices Thus he concludes his Directory to his friends and his preparatory for what himself intended to pursue in the next Chapter Is there iniquity in my tongue doth my tongue speak unequall or evil things Hath any thing bin spoken by me against common right or against the divine rule hath my tongue uttered any iniquity from my heart Hath the sinfulnesse of my heart broken forth at my lips Or hath it appeared that I have done wickedly by what I have said When my words are duly weighed I shall not appeare the man you make mee The word signifies calamity or misery as well as iniquity and so we may take it here Is there calamity in my tongue That is do my words bespeake or invite my afflictions We finde the word used in that sence Psal 52. 2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefe or calamity Iniquity devised or framed by the tongue is often a scourge upon the back Micha 7. 3. the great man uttereth his mischievous desire The mischievous evill words of his soule Is there saith Job any such mischievous device in my tongue Dober Havoth Naphshi Have I spoken poison to infect you or blasphemie to dishonour God Cannot my taste discerne perverse things Cannot my taste The Hebrews is Cannot my pallate And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Palatum eleganti Metaphora a sensibus externis ad interiores translata appellat illam animae facultatem qua justa ab injustis vera â falsis aequa ac recta ab iniquis perversis dignoscuntur nonsecus ac palato cibi dulces ab amaris c. Merc. Habet anima suum palatum because the pallate is exquisite in tasting therefore by a trope the organ is expressed for the act Cannot my taste discern cannot my pallate Or as others Cannot my mouth discern perverse things That faculty of
In Heaven our time knows no bounds there are no termes or distinctions in eternity Seasons and variety of times vanish and shall not be heard of in Heaven Eterenity is time fixt But there is an appointed time To man upon earth The word is Enosh miserable weake fraile man is there not an appointed time to this man upon earth that is while he walks in this lower region of the world and lives on mould The summe of all may be thus conceived as if Job had said Singulis dichâ—â— sua certaminae praesto sunt adeo non nisi cum ipso vitae terminautor labores vitae ac proinde se cuâ—dum naturam finem vitae expeto Jun. Every day hath evill annexed some affliction or other waites upon every houre so that there is no period of mans sorrow but the period of his life and therefore I walk by the rule of sound reason when that I might see an end of my trouble I call for the end of my daies Observe hence first The life of man is measured out by the will of God Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth There is As God hath set out bounds and limits to the sea Hitherto thou shalt come and no further by a perpetuall decree so he hath also set out bounds and limits to the life of man his life it is an appointed time Thus far the line of thy life shall reach and no further We live not at adventures neither can our care lengthen out our own dayes As all our care cannot adde one cubit to our stature so not one minute to our glasse or houre And as we cannot lengthen so we cannot shorten our own dayes in respect of this appointed time They who die in a time when God forbids yet die when God appoints And they live â—ut all Gods time who wickedly shorten their owne They cut their thread of life but they cannot cut the thread of Gods decree we live not at our own will but at the will of God we are tenants at his will in these houses of clay He is the maker of time and the measurer of our dayes he gives us the lease of our lives for what yeares he pleases and it is most fit that he who created time should dispose of time God is the Lord of time and farmes it out as and to whom he thinks good Christ might doe what he pleased upon the Sabbath for saith he the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath God is the Lord of time and therefore hath power to appoint to one more to another lesse My times saith David are in thy hand Psal 31. 15. Thou mayest lengthen or shorten continue or break them off as thy pleasure is Some live as if they were masters of time and could appoint out their own term as if they lived at their own discretion and could make a covenant with the grave and agree with death when to come for them They article with it for this yeare and the next rhey say to the grave thou shalt not take me yet thou shalt spare me yet I have such ends to drive such pleasures to take before I would die They Isa 56. 12. speak as if their tongues and their time were their own and they knew no Lord of either To morrow shall be as this day and much more aboundant they speak of the next day as if they could command it and bid it come to serve their lusts That wretched rich man Lu. 12. could say soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeares see how liberall he is to his soule out of anothers right and because he had got a great stock of riches he gives himself a rich stock of time many yeares He resolved to make his life larger as he had done his barns and because they were full of corne he also will be full of dayes whereas the word came Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee And he could not live till next morning who resolved upon many yeares to live Secondly observe That the decrees of God concerning our lives must not lessen our care to preserve our lives Is their not an appointed time to Non in absurdum trabenda est haec Iobi sententia ut temere se quispiam periculis objiciat quia spatium vitae definitum est man upon earth Yes that there is man lives at Gods appointment but he must not live upon that appointment that is withdraw himself from meanes of his preservation and say God hath appointed how long I shall live therefore what need I take care how to live or what need I take care for the preserving of my life As it is in spirituals so also in temporals God hath determined and appointed the portion of every man all comes under a decree under an everlasting and unmoveable decree yet the decree which is past concerning us must not take us from our care about our selves Though only the elect are saved yet none are saved by their election Infants who attaine not the use of reason much lesse the actings of grace yet are not saved barely by election what they cannot doe is done for them they are saved as elect in Christ not precisely as elect how they are united to Christ we know not but we know they must be united or else they could not be saved But they who grow in yeares must also grow in the graces of sanctification otherwise they are not saved by the grace of election The decree of God appoints us to salvation but the decree of God doth not save us we must runne through all the second causes and wayes which the word of God hath chalked out to eternal life and glory Thus also our temporall life passeth under a decree it is by appointment but woe unto those that shall say God hath appointed how long I shall live therefore what need I take care about my life This is to walk contrary to one part of the decree while we seeme to submit unto the other For God who appoints life appoints all the means which concerne the preservation of life It hath no shadow of a warrant for any man to cast himself upon needlesse dangers or to forbear necessary helps for the sustaining of his life because he heares his time is appointed and that his dayes one earth are all reckoned and numbred to him from Heaven Thirdly for as much as there is an appointed time we should learne patience and wait quietly upon God It is not in creatures be they never so angry to prolong the time of our sorrows The same word which shews us that our life is a warfare shews us also that it is an appointed time Men cannot appoint you one moments trouble or lengthen this warre when God will shorten it Our haires are numbred much more our daies Honour God and have good thoughts of him for whether your times be faire or foule calme or
to businesse while he is unfit for any businesse A sicke man is full of inward tossings of wandring thoughts his thoughts run fastest when himself is bed-rid or confin'd to his bed all the night is spent in the travell of his mind while his body cannot stirre But rather undestand it of corporall tossings A sick man full of Aegrotantes mutationibus ut remedijs utuntur Sen. paine removes from one side of his bed to another from one corner to another sometimes from the head of the bed to the foot The Moralist expresses it excellently Sick men use changes as if they were medicines they hope by changing their place to loose their pain by the way I am full of tossings to and fro Till the dawning of the day Till the day breake that is the whole night though Some understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crepusculum vespertinuÌ„ vel matutinum this for the evening the word signifies both the evening and the morning And these interpret this latter part of the verse for his troubles in the day having complained before that wearisome nights were appointed to him When I lie downe I say when will the night be gone There is an end of the night but when the night is gone have I any ease in the day No I am full of tossings to and fro untill the evening And so it is an amplification of his troubles in regard of both parts of the naturall day light and darknesse But we may more properly keep it to the description of a wearisome night and that word which may note the evening is here to be appropriated to the dawning of the day when darknes begins to depart and give way to the prevailing light This was a great aggravation of the afflictions of this holy man he had no rest no ease in any part of the night he could not so much as get a nap towards morning The night is the time of our truce with troubles through a man be in conflicts with businesse all day long yet there is a cessation at night all is laid by till morning Hence the night and sleepe are well called The Conquerours of evill and Victors over sorrow Malurum Domiâ—ices because in the night a man gets rid of them Christ saith Mat. 6. ult Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof if there be evil enough in the day who is able to stand before the evils of day and night too When our very sleepe becomes our fight what can flesh and blood doe any more Sleepe is a medicine for all diseases and Physitians often give a sleepie potion for a medicine that the body may have a little refreshing after it hath been worne and tired out with a wakefull sicknesse Observe from the text as it is the description of a sick man That a man in pain loâ—ks upon every time as better to him than the present time When I lie down I say when shall I arise I hope it will be better with me anon I hope the day will be better to me than the night and when the day comes then he wisheth for night hoping the night will be better than the day An afflicted troublesome time is so described Deut. 28. 67. In the Morning thou shalt say would God it were Even and at Even thou shalt say would God it were Morning They shall think any thing or time to come better to them then the present therefore when they had night they call'd for day and when they had day they sent a messenger for the night ever thinking the next change of time would be-friend them with a change in their condition Observe Secondly Change of place giveth no ease of pain I am full of tossings to and fro to the dawning of the day he had changed and changed and changed but could not change his paine for ease that continued still Some travell to other Countries to mend their Estates Some goe from kingdom to kingdome to ease their minds and some to better their manners but as he that runs to another country caelum non animam mutat qui trans mare currit changes his aire but not his heart alters place but not his manners the same is the same still So it brings no health to the sick no ease to the pained to change place As a man sin-sick before he comes to rest and healing in Christ tosses from place to place from this duty to that duty from this meanes to that meanes to get a little ease for his wounded spirit and aking conscience he hopeth this will do him good and that will doe him good but all in vaine And as worldly men hope their pleasures and their riches will do them good and so they tosse from one pleasure to another from creture to creature but al fails there is no settlement no composednesse no peace no redresse till the soul fixes upon Christ So in bodily paines there is no ease no refreshing but in God it is not this or that place of the bed it is not the bed or the couch it is not the Country or the City a sharp or a temperate aire can do it God can alone and he can command any creature to do it You that have moneths of comfort and to whome refreshing nights are appointed blesse God it is not your bed that gives you rest but his blessing Remember this description of a sicke man present the condition of a sick man to your thoughts thinke what a wearisome thing it is to lie all night telling the clock calling for day and tossing to and fro praise God for quiet nights and pity those to whom wearisome nights are appointed JOB Chap. 7. vers 5 6 7 8. My flesh is cloathed with wormes and clods of dust my skin is broken and become loathsome My daies are swifter than a Weavers shuttle and are spent without hope O remember that my life is wind mine eye shall no more see good The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more thine eyes are upon me and I am not VVE have seen Job in this Chapter confirming his former desires of death 1. From the generall condition of man-kind v. 1. 2. From the condition of some parlicular man v. 2. And 3. From his own present condition which he draws forth in the 3 4 5 and 6 verses The third and the fourth verses have been already opened In this fifth he gives us a further description of himself and such a one as might well assure us that his restlesse nights were not without reason My flesh is cloathed c. As if he had said if you think I am thus unquiet without cause then behold my body look upon me and see what a pitifull spectacle I am My flesh is cloathed with worms my skin is broken and hecome loathsome These words give us Jobs picture here is his delineation and pourtracture as he was under the hand of God They who would
Thirdly They as the sea have huge treasures in their houses yet all satisfies not their desires they are as greedy as if they were not worth a groat Looke upon man in the other comparison He is a whale a devourer In the worst of bruits you may see the picture of mans nature They who have power to doe what they will and will doe when their advantage is in it to the utmost of their power These are your Leviathans upon dry land Senacherib was a mighty whale gaping to swallow up the people of God and therefore the Lord expresses his dealing with him in a word very sutable to this sence 2 King 19. 28. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine eares therefore I will put my hooke in thy nose and my bridle in thy lips c. See how God uses him Senacherib came raging and threatning to swallow all up God uses him like an unruly beast of the earth or like a devouring fish of the sea He puts a hooke in his nose It is said of Leviathan that he scorns the hooke and the angle Job 41. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hooke implying that no hook no tackle is strong enough to hold this sea-monster but God hath a hooke can hold him Some men are like this sea-monster no tackling of mans making will hold them no power under heaven can stop them then the Lord prepares his engines and inctruments he can make a hooke will catch Senacherib the great whale as if he were but a sprat I will put my hook into his nose and turne him about or pull him up What devouring enemies have come out against us threatning to swollow or as the Moabites said of the children of Israel Num. 22. 4. to licke up all that were round about as the oxe licketh up the grasse of the field Yea they thought as it is said of Leviathan that they could draw up Iordan into their mouths that is remove the greatest difficulties and overcome all opposition But how often hath God put a bridle into the lips of the horse and a hooke into the nose of these whales Further if we consider the words as Iobs question in application unto himselfe Am I a whale Am I a sea Observe Man is apt to have good thoughts of himself Iob would not be the whale or the sea Secondly note Man is apt to judge that God layes more upon him than there is need Am I a whale or a sea as if Iob had said Lord thou needest not deale thus strictly and severely with me or bestow so much care to watch me I would have come in at a call thou needest not have bounded me with these afflictions and put such a hooke in my nose a nod or a beck would have fetched me in Wise men suite their preparations to their occasion we carry not out a peece of Ordinance to shoot at a flye which we can kill with a phillip so saith Job Lord I need not all this a little admonition a little chastning or a check should have reduced me such are mans thoughts But the most wise God never layes more upon man than he hath need of when God streightens us with such afflictions he seeth there is somewhat of the sea in us he must bound us somewhat of the whale in us he must watch and bring us under If we see God bestow more rods and blowes upon us we must conclude we could not be without them some apprehend that such is Jobs meaning in the sixteenth verse What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him as if he had said it is too great an honour for man to be afflicted by thy hand If we see a King make great provisions of warre to goe out against an enemy we say he magnifies the enemy It is an argument they have great strength against whom we prepare great strength So Job Lord thou magnifiest me thou makest me to be lookt at as some powerful creature a sea a whale against whom thou actest so much of thy power Job having as he resolved begun to complaine of his sorrows now amplifies them Verse 13. When I say my bed shall cemfort me my couch shall ease my complaint 14. Then thou skarest me c. He amplisies his sorrows upon this generall ground because they were such as he could not find any ease or abatement of no not at any time no not by any meanes As if he had said my griefe and my paine is so remedilesse that neither artificiall nor naturall meanes give me any ease those things which have the greatest probability of refreshing yeeld me none He instances in those ordinary wayes which give sick and distempered bodies some abatement or intermission of their paines lying down upon their bed or couch When I say my bed shall comfort me my chouch shall ease my complaint As if he had said while I was wrastling all day and conflicting with my sorrowes I yet had some hope to find comfort at night and that I should meete with rest in my bed but my hope failes me ever or while in the day time my thoughts are overburthened and my spirit overwhelmed within me I think sometimes to deceive my paines a little by taking a nap or a slumber upon my couch but alas my paines will not be deceived when I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint I find in stead of ease farther trouble and in stead of comfort terrours For then thou skarest me with dreames When I say my bed shall comfort me The word signifies to mourne and repent as well as to comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doluit paenituit per antiphrasin dolere desijt consolationem invonit because comfort usually followes holy mourning and repenting Godly sorrow is the mother of spirituall joy In the words we have either that ordinary figure Prosopopeia the fiction of a person when acts of life and reason are ascribed to things without life and so Job brings in his bed as his friend speaking to him when I say my bed shall comfort me my bed and I will conferre together I am perswaded that will afford me a word of comfort Or we may rather understand it by a Metonymy of the effect when I say my bed shall comfort me Comfort is the common and usuall effect or benefit of lying down upon the bed The bed is said to comfort because ordinarily we find comfort in resting upon the bed that being a meanes or instrumentall cause of comfort is called a Comforter My couch shall ease my complaint The words are indifferently translated in Scripture either for a bed or for a couch but if we take them distinctly then the bed is the place where we rest in the night and the couch by day When Job saith My couch shall ease my complaint It notes his complaint or sorrow lay as a heavy burthen or weight upon him for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Almighty chastens us p. 329. Children of wicked parents often wrapt up in the same judgement with their parents p. 200. Children of godly parents nearest the blessing p. 389. Blessings upon children are the parents blessings p. 390. Chirurgion Three necessary qualifications for him either in a natural or mystical sence p. 337. Christ confirmed the good Angels p. 139. No stability in any estate out of Christ ib. Christ is not onely a principle but a pattern of holiness 175. Faith can live upon nothing but Christ p. 487. Cloud what p. 613. Dying man like a cloud ib. Commendations with a But wound p. 17. Committing our cause to God what it imports p. 228. Committing our cause to God a great ease to the soul 231. A caution about committing our cause to God p. 232. Complaining when sinful 622. Concealing the word of God sinful four wayes of concealing it p. 462 463. Confession of sin a general confession may be a sound one p. 679. Divers ingredients of it p. 680. The holiest have cause to confesse sin and why p. 682. Sin not confessed gets strength three mayes p. 683. It makes the soul very active about the remedies of sin p. 684. Confidence Holy confidence what it is p. 21. Confidence in God settles the heart in all conditions p. 30. Conscience the testimony of it the best ground of willingness to die p. 465. Correction what it is p. 313. The greatest afflictions upon the children of God are but corrections 314. How a correction differs from a judgment ib. 315. A child of God is happy under all corrections 316. What it is to despise corrections opened 319 320 Crafty men who they are 273. Craft wisedome of natural men is craft 275. Crafty men Satan desires to get to his side and service why pag. 276 277 c. Crafty men full of hopes 279. and industry ib. They want power to effect what they devise 279. It is a wonderful work of God to stop the devices of crafty men p. 281. In what sence any of their devices prosper 282. How God takes the wise in their craftiness p. 284 287. No craft of man can stand before the wisdome of God p. 286. Creatures a book wherein we may learn much both of God and our selves 618. Creatures cannot give us any comfort without God 633. He can make any creature helpful to us ib. Counsel in counselling others we should shew our selves ready to follow the same counsel p. 233. God turns the counsels of wicked men against themselves p. 287. What counsel is 290. Rash hasty counsels are successless pag. 292. Curse What it is to curse p. 190 The Saints in Scripture rather prophesie of then pray for curses upon the heads of wicked men 191 No creature can stand before the curse of God p. 196. D DAlilah What it signifies pag. 303. Darkness in the day time what it signifies p. 293. Death consumes us without noise p. 153. Man cannot stand out the assauts of death p. 154. We are subject to death every moment 155. Death hastens upon us all the dayes we live 156 157. What death is p. 162. In death all natural and civil excellencies go away p. 162. Greatest wisedome to prepare to die well 164. How man is said to perish for ever when he dies 157 158. Few of the living observe how suddenly others do or themselves may die 159. Thoughts of death laid to the heart are a good medicine for an evil heart 160. A happy death what 390. A godly man is a volunteer in death 395. When a godly man dies he hath had his fill of living 396. In what sence a man may be said to die before his time and in the midst of his dayes 397. Assurance of a better life carries us through all the paine of death with comfort 457. So doth the testimony of a good conscience 465. No evill in the death of a godly man 480. Death the end of worldly comforts pag. 618 Deliverance is of the Lord pag. 341. The Lord can deliver as often as we can need deliverance 341. God delivers his people from evill while they are in trouble pa. 344. Despaire A godly man may think his estate desperate p. 545. Devices what p. 272. Discontent at the dealings of God with us a high point of folly 182. Discontent at the afflictions of God afflicts more than those afflictions p. 183. Dreams The several sorts and causes of them p. 636 637. Our dreams are ordered by God 638. Satan makes them terrible p. 639. E EGg White of an egg what it emblems p. 443 End two wayes taken p 599. Envy what it is p. 180. Fnvy a killing passion ib. 181. Envy a sign of folly p. 184. Errour he that is shewed his errour should sit down convinc'd 529. He is in a fair way to truth who acknowledges he may erre p. 533. What is properly called an errour as distinct from heresie 533. Vpon what terms an errour is to be left p. 534 Eternity how the longest and the shortest p. 644. Example of God and Christ how our rule p. 175. Exhortation a duty p. 229. It must be joyned with reproof ib. The best Saints on earth may need brotherly exhortations ib. Exhortations must be managed with meekness p. 230. Experience the mistress of truth 186. Experience works hope pag. 305. F FAll A three-fold fall in Scripture p. 12. Family To order a family well is a great point of wisdome p. 387. A family well ordered is usually a prosperouus family ib. Famine A very sore judgement the effect of it p. 345 346. How many wayes the Lord redeems from famine p. 347. Fatherless who p. 546. Such in a sad condition 548. A grievous sin to oppress them p. 549. Faith ought to be great because God can do great things p. 224. We must beleeve not only what we cannot see but what we cannot understand 248. Faith should encrease in us when God works wonders for us p. 253 254. Fear Natural what p. 92. It is natural for man to fear at the appearances of God why ib. Four effects or symptoms of natural fear 93. It is a strong passion 98. From what kind of fear God exempts his people in times of danger p. 358. Fear Holy fear what it is pag. 19 20. They who have most holy fear in times of peace shall have most confidence in times of trouble 27. It keeps the heart and life holy 30. Fear of God ever joyned with love to our brethren p. 495. Fearful persons cannot be helpfull p. 516. Eellow-feeling of others afflictions a duty p. 415. It adds to a mans affliction when others have no feeling of it 416. We cannot be truly sensible of the afflictions of others till we troughly weigh them 417. He that hath not been afflicted seldome feels the afflictions of others ib. Fool who and what a fool is p. 177. Every wicked man is a fool 181 186. A fool ever worst when he is at ease p. 186.