the Word 844. Word of God how powerful to effect what he willeth 115 Words some light others weighty 511 Words should give light to things spoken of 27. Darkning words very bad 28. Words soft and hard 670. A few words will please God where he sees much faith 788. Our words and understandings should go together 812 Works of God how dangerous to find fault with any of them 508 509. The works especially the great works of God are very much to be considered 607. Works of God why called his wayes 624. They are wonderful 316 World the frame of it very beautiful 64 65. Things of the world how like a Sea of glass 231 Worship outward and inward must be according to the command of God 918 Wrath of God 578. Sin causeth the kindlings and discoveries of wrath 860 God sometimes declareth against those whom he loveth 861. God dedeclares the cause of his wrath 861 Wrongs must be forgiven 887. A godly man is ready both to give and take satisfaction in case of wrong 8â—8 It is a duty to pray for those that have done us wrong 889. X Xerxes his vanity in attempting to bind the Sea 109 Y Youth What young ones are used to they hold long 487 A TABLE OF Those Scriptures which are occasionally cleered and briefly illustrated in the fore-going EXPOSITIONS The First Number directs to the Chapter the Second to the Verse the Third to the Page of the BOOKE Chap. Vers Page  Genesis  2. 18. 726. 6. 5. 150. 6. 6. 929. 10. 10. 623. 11. 6. 801. 14. 22. 55. 16. 12. 330. 19. 14. 447. 22. 1. 264. 22. 2. 916. 29. 1. 314. 32. 24. 21. 41. 30. 413. 44. 16. 520. 49. 14. 623 49. 24. 552.  Exodus  1. 12. 977. 3. 2. 13. 3. 14. 49. 4. 11. 60. 8. 9. 547. 12. 41 42. 318. 19. 5. 490. 26. 5. 735. 30. 23. 624. 32. 10. 504.  Leviticus  4. 3. 878. 19. 17. 855. 26. 11 15 30. 829.  Numbers  13. 32. 61. 14. 24. 919. 20. 14. 956. 23. 22. 380. 32. 23. 186.  Deuteronomy  28. 33. 373. 28. 59. 456. 32. 11 12. 490. 32. 15. 905. 32. 36. 929. 33. 13 14 15. 240. 33. 17. 380 348. 33. 28. 224.  Joshua  1. 5. 694. 10. 11. 191.  Judges  5. 12. 931. 5. 20. 191. 6. 37 40. 226. 7. 2. 600. 7. 21. 85.  I. Samuel  1. 6. 432. 2. 3. 745. 2. 31. 547. 12. 21. 685. 15. 11. 929. 17. 40. 637. 24. 2. 307. 24. 14. 665.  II. Samuel  6. 3. 918. 8. 2. 64. 17. 12. 223.  I. Kings  8. 11. 568. 12. 10. 548. 19. 11. 14. 20. 11. 35.  II. Kings  4. 29. 34. 5. 7. 602. 6. 22. 962. 21. 13. 63.  I. Chronicles  15. 13. 918.  Ezra  9. 13. 538.  Nehemiah  4. 6. 364 375.  Psalms  2. 4. 420. 8. 4. 23. 9. 9. 183. 9. 14. 723. 11. 3. 56. 14. 6. 669 982. 18. 7 8 9. 14. 18. 21. 524. 18. 26. 904. 18. 33. 313. 19. 4. 167. 19. 12. 814. 22. Title 312 313. 22. 21. 382. 22. 27. 130. 23. 1 2. 343. 24. 1. 54. 27. 8. 264. 27. 10. 403. 29. 8 9. 315. 30. 5. 117. 31. 23. 950. 33. 9. 114. 33. 17. 426. 34. 10. 288. 35. 12 13. 940. 35. 21. 460. 36. 6. 148. 36. 9. 50. 37. 6. 960. 39. 4. 316 48. 40. 5. 802. 40. 15. 460. 46. 2. 52. 50. 3 4. 18. 50. 21. 834. 51. 4. 499. 65. 1. 65. 65. 5. 20. 65. 8. 122. 66. 11 12. 933. 68. 18. 931. 68. 20. 154 934. 68. 35. 729. 69. 23. 619. 71. 1. 503. 73. 22. 610 814. 74. 14. 678. 74. 20. 170. 75. 5. 433 745. 77. 19. 149. 78. 72. 898. 80. 3 7 19. 581. 88. 13. 700. 90. 1 2. 49. 91. 16. 213. 94. 12. 794. 97. 3. 744. 101. 8. 134. 102. 17. 947. 104. 4. 262. 104. 5. 51. 104. 19. 128 248. 104. 21. 287. 105. 17 18 19. 244. 105. 25. 246. 105. 44. 373. 106. 20. 568. 107. 42. 522. 108. 1. 81. 109. 4. 938. 110. 3. 359. 111. 2. 151. 118. 22 23 24. 74. 118. 27. 122. 119. 17. 828 794. 119. 21. 591. 119. 33 34 35. 820. 119. 126. 538. 119. 160. 624. 126. 1. 323. 126. 4. 934. 126. 6. 376. 127. 4. 763. 128. 2. 373. 133. 1. 914. 138. 6. 486. 139. 9. 131. 141. 5. 939. 141. 7. 154. 144. 3. 515. 145. 10. 79. 145. 11. 80. 146. 3. 555. 147. 16 17. 228.  Proverbs  3. 20. 223. 6. 32. 692. 8. 36. 692. 9. 1. 610. 10. 32. 898. 14. 4. 362 378. 14. 8. 810. 15. 15. 668. 17. 17. 958. 19. 2. 33. 19. 12. 225. 19. 21. 800. 21. 3. 901. 21. 5. 371. 23. 5. 475. 23. 31. 655. 24. 16. 310 25. 19. 374. 27. 22. 794. 29. 23. 581. 30. 1. 789. 30. 4. 200. 31. 17. 619. 31. 25. 338.  Ecclesiastes  1. 4. 52. 1. 15. 161. 7. 13 14. 244. 8. 15. 963. 9. 7. 897. 9. 11. 287.  Canticles  1. 6. 779. 1. 9. 464. 2. 10 11 12. 232. 2. 12. 78. 2. 14. 944.  Isaiah  1. 31. 639. 2. 22. 439 513. 2. 22. 958. 6. 5. 833. 8. 9. 595. 10. 13. 601. 11. 3. 461. 11. 9. 792. 14. 12. 82. 18. 2 7 63. 20. 5. 555. 21. 10. 763. 22. 8 9. 983. 27. 5. 195. 27. 8. 190. 27. 11. 415. 28. 16. 69. 28. 24. 366. 28. 29. 816. 31. 1. 427. 31. 4. 283. 32. 2. 189. 33. 17. 491. 34. 7. 382. 34. 11. 63. 35. 1 2 6 7. 210. 40. 2. 940. 40. 26. 250. 40. 31. 492. 43. 4. 514. 44. 3 4 5. 210. 45. 5. 575. 45. 7. 169. 49. 4. 682. 49. 15. 403. 50. 4. 32. 51. 12. 29. 53. 1. 549. 54. 10. 52. 54. 16 17. 766 639. 56. 11. 285. 58. 5. 745. 58. 7. 409. 61. 7. 952. 63. 12. 548. 64. 2. 231. 64. 7. 536 37. 64. 6 7. 692. 65. 1. 551. 66. 2. 15.  Jeremiah  1. 17. 35. 2. 24. 316. 2. 30. 683. 3. 5. 789. 4. 1. 844. 4. 14. 804. 4. 18. 908. 4. 30. 1001. 5. 5. 329. 8. 15. 683. 10. 11 12. 54. 14. 11. 892. 14. 21. 905. 14. 22. 219. 18. 7 8. 929. 21. 3. 134. 22. 14. 60. 22. 15 23. 595. 25. 38. 290. 29. 11. 802. 29. 12. 946. 32. 15 17 27. 798. 51. 26. 71.  Lamentations  1. 15. 263. 3. 13. 763. 3. 65. 737. 4. 3. 408.  Ezekiel  7. 17. 757. 21. 6. 619. 28. 2. 100. 30. 21. 556. 44. 5. 826. 47. 3 4 5. 792.  Daniel  1. 4. 442. 8. 16. 810. 9. 24. 884.  Hosea  1. 7. 702. 2. 21 22. 212. 7. 16. 844. 8. 5. 329. 10. 11. 366. 14. 3. 702.  Joel  2. 13. 848.  Amos.  4. 12. 194. 8. 11. 484.  Jonah  4. 8. 200.  Micah  5. 7. 225. 5. 8. 283. 6. 6. 900. 7. 6. 905. 7. 18. 882.  Nahum  1. 3. 20.  Habakkuk  1. 8. 77. 1. 11. 602. 3. 16. 833. 3. 17. 682. â— 19. 313.  Zephanie  3. 3. 77. 3. 5. 112. 3. 9. 87.  Haggai  1. 9. 682. 2. 17. 194.  Zecharie  2. 13. 754. 3. 1. 696. 4. 7. 470. 4. 10. 63. 4. 14. 696. 8. 6. 798. 10. 1. 260. 10. 3. 465. 11. 17. 547. 12. 3. 686. 12. 10. 689. 12. 11 12. 915.  Matthew  5. 44. 85. 5. 45. 210 116. 6. 22. 740 6. 24. 874. 10. 13. 940. 11. 30. 917. 16. 18. 686. 16. 26. 683. 20. 6 7. 731 121. 23. 8. 16. 23. 23. 608. 24. 28. 488.  Luke  10. 15. 687. 84. 23. 341. 17. 37. 488. 19 38 39 40. 79 80.  John  1. 11 408. 3. 8. 200 201. 4. 24. 918. 6. 46. 827. 9. 4. 121. 15. 19. 408. 21. 17. 803.  Acts.  2. 37. 921. 4. 32. 736. 6. 15. 81. 9. 11. 936. 10. 35. 899. 17. 26. 334. 17. 28. 220 50. 20. 22. 241.  Romans  1. 20. 89 90. 1. 23. 568. 3. 4. 499. 6. 19. 332. 6. 21. 685. 8. 22. 320. 8. 34. 946. 8. 38 39. 420. 9. 20. 29. 10. 3. 838. 11. 35. 700. 14. 18. 901. 15. 3. 343. 16. 20. 587.  1 Corinth  4. 7. 390. 4. 6 7. 734. 7. 21 22 24. 330. 8. 2. 813. 9. 9. 288. 10. 26 28. 707. 13. 8. 161. 15. 8. 248.  2 Corinth  1. 20. 924. 3. 12. 31. 3. 18. 568. 5. 9. 896. 5. 10 11. 18 19. 5. 21. 884. 6. 1. 914 86. 7. 1. 922. 8. 5. 371. 8. 12. 902. 10. 4 5. 561. 10. 12. 564. 10. 8 13. 62 63.  Galathians  1. 15 16. 916. 1. 16. 264. 3. 10. 842. 4. 26. 332. 6. 2. 134.  Ephesians  2. 9. 733. 2. 14. 70. 4. 8. 931. 5. 10. 901. 5. 29. 408.  Philippians  2. 4. 341. 2. 15. 124. 2. 13. 412. 3. 7 8. 836. 3. 21. 513.  1 Timothy  1. 5. 92â— 2. 8. 886. 2. 9. 975. 5. 8. 409.  2 Timothy  1. 6. 37. 2. 3. 407. 2. 3 4 5. 590. 2. 6. 769. 4. 15. 284.  Titus  2. 9. 917  Hebrews  1. 5. 83. 1. 8. 263. 11. 3. 51. 11. 10. 47. 12. 17. 982. 12. 26. 51. 13. 14. 47.  James  1. 6 7. 942 1. 17. 268. 1. 18. 221. 4. 12. 598. 5. 11. 952. 5. 16. 942.  1 Peter  1. 13. 37. 3. 3. 975. 3. 7. 937. 3. 13. 907. 4. 11. 31. 4. 17. 534. 5. 7. 7. 5. 8. 293.  2 Peter  3. 16. 32. 3. 18. 792.  1 John  3. 9. 525. 4. 12. 823. 4. 18. 756. 5. 3. 917. 5. 16. 892. 5. 19. 591.  3 John  0 4. 1024.  Jude  0 6. 89 186. 0 14 15. 18.  Revelation  1. 18. 154. 4. 6. 231. 8. 3 5. 945. 11. 2 3. 318. 11. 3 34. 12 13 14. 336. 12. 15. 493. 17. 12 13. 736. 18. 6 7. 950. FINIS
c. The Hebrew Text doth not expresse this Adverb of time there 't is onely the Lord answered but we well supply it rendering then the Lord answered as if the Penman had said at that very nick instant or juncture of time the Lord came in the words were no sooner out of the mouth of Elihu he had no sooner concluded his speech with Job but the Lord began and answered Job and if the Lord had not just then interposed possibly Job might have replyed and a new heat might have risen to the encreasing of his troubles and the inflaming of all their Spirits as was hinted before therefore the Lord to stop all further proceedings or speech between them two began presently to speak himself Then the Lord answered Take this Observation from it The Lord will appear in the fittest season It was time for the Lord to appear lest this poor man should have been utterly swallowed up with sorrows and over-whelmed with his affliction or lest he should have been drawn out too long and too far in his bitter complainings and impatiency The Lord is a God of judgement blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He is a wise God and knows how to time every action he knowes when to appear when to shew himself As he himself will not contend for ever Isa 57.16 so neither will he let others contend overlong least the Spirit should sail before him and the soules which he hath made This is a comfortable truth with respect both to Nations and Persons both to the case of the Church of God in general and of every believer in particular The Apostle Peter having counselled the afflicted to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 addes this encouragement in the next words to do so that he may exalt you in due time though not in your time nor at your day the day when you would have him do it yet he will do it in time and in due time that is when it shall be most fit and best for you Thus he appeared to and for Job in the Text when the sorrowes of his heart were enlarged and when he had most need of such an appearance The Lord knows how at any time and when 't is the most proper time to relieve his servants Then The Lord answered Job The word here used is Jehovah and several of the Learned take notice that it is here used with a special significancy for in the discourses of Job and his friends throughout this Book other names of God are if not universally yet mostly used as Elshaddai Eloah c. In the first Chapter indeed where God is spoken of by the divine Historian or sacred Penman of this History he is named Jehovah as also in some other such like places but in the body of the dispute not so And two reasons may be given of it First The name Jehovah imports the Being of God and therefore God himself being about to speak of his giving a Being to the whole Creation and to several sorts of creatures he is most properly represented by his name Jehovah which as it implyeth that he is the First Being the Fountain of his own Being or that he is of himself so that he gives a Being to all things and that in him as the Apostle told the great Philosophers of Athens Acts 17. we live and move and have our being Secondly The Lord though he came in a Whirle-wind yet manifested himself in a clearer light to Job than ever he had done before Now as in the third of Exodus when the Lord sent Moses to the people of Israel to bring them up out of Egypt to Canaan which was a great work one of the greatest that was ever done in the world and in which the Lord made the most glorious discovery of his Power Justice and Mercy when God I say sent Moses upon this service he said unto him Exod. 6.2 3. I am the Lord I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them God being about to make himself more known in the world than he had been to that day by his dreadful plagues upon Pharaoh and the miraculous deliverance of his people out of Egypt as he said chap. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared in all the earth The Lord I say being about to doe these great things for the manifestation of his own greatness gave this charge to Moses at the sixth verse of the sixth chapter before mentioned Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am Jehovah and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians c. Thus in this latter part of the book of Job the Lord being about to loosen the bonds of Jobs affliction and to ease him of his burden as also to declare and manifest himself more clearly to him than formerly as he confessed chap. 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eyes have seen thee he therefore assumed his great name Jehovah Then the Lord Answered Job c. But some may say Job had not spoken lately much lesse last Elihu spake out six whole Chapters since Job spake a word and though Elihu gave him the liberty yea almost provoked him to speak yet he laid his hand upon his mouth he spake not a word How then can it be said The Lord answered Job To avoid this difficulty Some render Then the Lord answered concerning or about Job And these turn the whole discourse of God in this and the next Chapter upon Elihu in favour of Job I shall touch upon that opinion and interpretation as was said afterwards but at present affirm that Job was the person to whom the Lord here directed his Answer and to take off this doubt how the Lord could be said to answer Job when Job had not spoken last but Elihu I answer as upon a like occasion it hath been elsewhere shewed in this book ch 3.2 that sometimes in Scripture a Speech begun is called an Answer where nothing had been spoken before to which that speech could be applied in way of answer Matth. 11.25 Matth. 17.4 The reason of this Hebraisme is because such as begin to speak do either answer the necessity of the matter or the desire of the hearers and so they give a real and vertual though not a formal Answer Yet there are two considerations in which we may apply the word Answer formally and strictly taken to Job First If we consider Job's wishes and requests Secondly If we consider Job's complaints and though the word be somewhat hard his murmurings The Lord may be said to answer Job as to his wish desire or request because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once that God would take
verse they confess not only their being in him throughout all generations but his most blessed Being before all generations Before Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth and the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God The first Being is an eternal Being and therefore the Prophet saith Isa 57.15 God inhabiteth Eternity The Eternal dwells in Eternity But what is Eternity One of the Ancients calleth it Aeternitas est interminabilis vitae tota simul et perfect possessio Boeth de Consol l. 6. The perfect possession of a boundless or limitless life whole and all at once Eternity hath no terms nor bounds of beginning or ending 'T is a possession of all at once there is nothing past or to come but all is alwayes present to God Note Fourthly God is the fountain of all being he hath given a being to all things The Apostle Paul Acts 17.28 discoursing with the Athenians having said In him we live and move and have our being convinceth them further by that saying of their own Poets for we are also his off-spring We spring from him as from a root or fountain With him is the fountain of lives Psal 36.9 even of natural life as well as of spiritual and eternal Every life every being is but a stream issuing from Jehovah And as every life is from God so also is the being of all things without life The Lord gave the liveless Earth its being its beginning Some Naturalists have asserted the eternity of the World and so the eternity of the Earth They could not compass which way or how the World could have a beginning and therefore said it had none Here we have the Founder of the World God himself teaching man this Divine Philosophy about the beginning of the World and taking it to himself I laid the foundations of the Earth When the Heathen Philosopher read what Moses had written concerning the Creation of the World Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the host of them Ger. 2.1 He presently said The man speaks wonders but how doth he prove what he hath spoken Where are his demonstrations He would put Moses to his proof but Moses's proof was faith in the testimony of God Through faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Heb. 11.3 We understand the Work of Creation yet not by the strength of natural reason but through faith which gives credit to the Word of God and perswades the heart that the report therein made is a truth Plato in Timaeo For though some Philosophers have evinced by arguments grounded upon reason that the World was made yet that it was made by the Word of God either the Essential Word the Son of God spoken of John 1.1 who is the efficient cause of it or by the Declarative Word spoken of in this place of the Hebrews which was the means or instrumental cause of making the World Gen. 1.3 6. This I say cannot at all be understood by reason but purely and only by faith because it is so revealed in the Scriptures Fifthly In that the Lord here saith I laid the foundations of the Earth Observe God hath made the Earth firm and immoveable The stability of the Earth is of God as much as the being and existence of it Psal 104.5 He laid the foundations of the Earth that it should not be removed for ever There have been many Earthquakes or movings of the Earth in several parts of it but the whole body of the Earth was never removed so much as one hairs breadth out of its place since the foundations thereof were laid Archimedes the great Mathematician said If you will give me a place to set my Engine on I will remove the Earth It was a great bâ—ag but the Lord hath laid it fast enough for mans removing Himself can make it quake and shake he can move it when he pleaseth but he never hath nor will remove it He hath laid the foundations of the Earth that it shall not be removed nor can it be at all moved but at his pleasure and when it moves at any time it is to mind the sons of men that they by their sins have moved him to displeasure There hath been or will be a shaking of the Earth in mercy for we have it in a promise Heb. 12.26 Whose voice then namely at the giving of the Law shook the Earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven Some understand this promise as fulfilled at the coming of Christ in the flesh at which time indeed there were notable and amazing motions and alterations both in Heaven and Earth Others expound it of the Day of the ultimate Judgement not a few of some great providential dispensations of God which shall shake not the Earth only but also the Heavens as taken in a Metaphor for earthly and heavenly things referring to the Church of God and the Kingdomes of Men. I shall not interpose in this matter about the sense of that Text but onely say whatever the Apostle meant by Earth or Heaven and the shaking of it yet this remains as an unshaken Axiom that the Fabrick of the Earth properly taken stands fast The Lord hath laid the foundations of it that it should not be removed David to shew the stedfastness of his faith put that supposition Psal 46.2 Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be moved The Prophet also did the like to assure us of the stability of the Covenant of Grace Isa 54.10 yet we need not fear that either the Earth shall be removed or the Mountains depart Such suppositions shew indeed the immoveableness of the Word which God hath spoken not the moveableness by any natural power or natural decay of the Earth whose foundations he hath laid And hence the Psalmist argues the Lords faithfulness to his Word Psal 119.90 Non magis moveronaturaliter terra quam quiescere coelum potest Bold All earthly things move but the Earth wherein all these motions are made stands still Eccl. 1.4 The Earth can no more move than the Heavens can stand still Some modern Philosophers have turned the scale of Nature and would perswade us that the Heavens stand still and the Earth moves but 't is good for us to stand to and abide by the Scripture which tells us the Earth stands still and abideth or it abideth that is it standeth as the Margin explains it Psal 119.90 And that it standeth still or abideth not only because it hath still a being as things in motion have but because it is still or stands without moving is so much my faith as well as my sense that I see no reason to be moved from it Sixthly The Power and Will of God are the onely foundation of the Earth 'T is said by the Psalmist
than humane he commanded his chair to be set on the Sea-shore at the time of flood and sitting down thus bespake that Element I charge thee not to enter my land nor wet these robes but the sea keeping on its course he rose up and spake in the hearing of all about him Let all the inhabitants of the world know that vain and weak is the power of Kings and that none is indeed worthy of that Name but he that keeps both heaven and earth and sea in obedience Thirdly Then tremble at the power of God who can let the sea loose upon us in a moment We tremble at the sea if it break loose then tremble at the power of God who can let loose the sea It is he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his Name Amos 9.6 Fourthly when the sea breaks bounds in any degree either when we see a storm at sea or a deluge at land let us go only to the Lord who onely can still the raging of the sea and put swadling-bands about it even as if it were a child God alone is to be invocated when the winds are tempestuous and threaten either a deluge at land or a wrack at sea Heathens invoked Neptune and Aeolus Popish votaries call upon St. Nicholas and St. Christopher Let us learn of the Disciples who fearing to be swallowed up of a tempest went to Christ and said Master save us we perish Matth. 8.27 The poor Mariners in Jonah called every one upon his God Jorah 1.5 but none of them called upon the true God It is Jehovah the Lord the true God onely that raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves of the sea and it is he that maketh the storm a calm Psal 107.24 25 29. Fifthly If the sea so vast and violent a creature receive the bridle from God and is bound up by him even as an infant in swadling-bands how much more should man receive the bridle from him The Lord saith to the sons of men hitherto shall ye come and no further hitherto your works and actions shall go and no further yet how do the men of the world over-flow and break their bounds The prophet makes this application clearly Jer. 5.22 23. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it but this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone As if he had said The sea doth not revolt against my command but this people doth they are more unruly than the sea All the wicked at best are like the troubled sea that cannot rest as the Prophet speaks Isa 57.20 How much worser then are they than the sea when they are at worst Lastly We may hence infer for our comfort If the Lord hath put bounds to the natural sea what unnatural sea is there to which the Lord cannot put bounds There is a five-fold metaphorical sea to which the Lord hath said hitherto shalt thou come and no further Or at least he hath said though thou come hither thou shalt come no further This the Lord hath said First To the sea of mans wrath The wrath of man is a grievous sea and of that David saith Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Let men be as angry as they will let them be as stormy as a sea yet the Lord hath said hitherto shall ye come and no further For Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people Yea great men raging like the sea are sometimes stopt by very small matters such as the sea-sands The Chief-priest and Elders of the people were offended at Christ and therefore questioned his Authority yet forbare to answer his question as they had most mind to do it for fear of the people Matth. 21.23 26. Secondly He bounds the sea of the devils rage The devil is a sea in bonds We read of a special thousand years wherein it is prophesied that Satan shall be bound Rev. 20.2 yet indeed he is alwayes bound else no man could live a quiet hour for him nor have any rest from his furious temptations and vexations but his professed slaves and votaries Thirdly There is a sea of Affliction which we meet with in this world the Lord bounds that also and saith hitherto it shall come and no further 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Fourthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of prophaneness and ungodliness in the world that 's a sea that would over-flow all and that is a sea fâ—r whose over-flowing we have cause to pour out floods of tears Hence that prayer of David Psal 7.9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Did not the Loâ—d put an end to the prophaneness and ungodliness of men they would be endless in prophaneness and ungodliness The unjâ—st knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 That is he is never ashamed of any injustice but would go on to do unjustly and wickedly in infinitum who knows how long Fifthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of error and false dâ—ct ine the Lord saith Hitherto shalt thou c me and no further Error would be as extravagant and boundless as the sea if the Lord did not bound it Epiphanius in his treatise of heresies alludes to this Scripture for the comfort of himself and oâ—hers when he saw such a high-grown sea of error broken in upon the Church As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do such ungodly men withstand the truth of Christ but saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.9 They shall proceed no further Did not the Lord give a stop to the spirit of seduction that goeth out from the Devil and the false Prophet it would bring in a deluge of delusions upon the whole world and as Christ himself hath fore-warned us Matth. 24.24 deceive if it were possible the very Elect. But there is a bar and a bound for this sea also though they come hitherto to this and that person with their errors to this and that point of error yet they shall proceed no further and here even here their proud and poisonous waves shall be stayed JOB Chap. 38. Vers 12 13 14 15. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days and caused the day-spring to know his place 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be
not a Country of Mountains or Hills Now saith the Lord even as Egypt by the drawing of Water-courses is made fruitful and abundantly supplied with moisture though no rain falls there so I will water the Wilderness with rain from the clouds as well as they water Egypt Nemo aratorum in Egypto respicit coelum Sen. l. 4. Natur. quest c. 2. Plinius in Panegyr Te propter nullos tellus tuo postulat imbres Arida nec pluvio supplicat herbâ— fovi Tibul. by sluces from the river Nilus Egypt grew very proud or atheistical rather because they had such an advantage by the river which caused one of the Ancients to say There is never a Plow-man in Egypt will so much as look up to Heaven They took not themselves at all beholding to God for the fertillity of their land they had it all from Nilus Well saith the Lord I will moisten the very barren wildernesse it shall be satisfied with rain even as Egypt with the waters of the river The Desert shall be as well watered by rivers from heaven as Egypt is by the river Nilus But whether the Lord had any respect to that or no I dare not assert yet it is plain that the Lord waters the wilderness where no man is even as well as Egypt is watered Now forasmuch as the rain cometh upon the wilderness where 't is very improbâ—ble to have rain Vapores plâ—viosi elevantur maximè ex locis â—umidis unde siâ—ubes plâ—viae non impellerentur à ventis sequeretur quòd nunquam in loâ—is siccis plueretur Aquin. because vapours which are the matter of rain are raised uâ—ually from moist places from the seas and rivers but from the wilderness and from heaths and deserts which are dry places how should vapours rise yet saith God though there is no rain begotten there yet I will send rain thither I will cause the wind to rise and carry the clouds and the thundeâ— shall break the clouds and they shall pour down wateâ—s upon the wilderness Did not the Lord cause the winds to d ive the clouds over wildernesses and desert places and there to unburthen themselves they would be altogether without rain Hence Note Where Nature denies or natural causes produce no rain God can give it The clouds may deny rain to the wildernesse because the wilde ness yiâ—lds no moisture to make clouds yet the Lord sends rain thither Again Consider the wilderness and desert places as they are here hâ—ld forth together with the providence of God concerning them And so Note The care and providence of God extends it self to all places even to places uninhabited It is no wonder that God should provide rain so places that aâ—e inhabi ed but where no man is there to water the eaâ—th to what puâ—pose is that yet the Lord will water such places as it were by his own hand and as 't is said Psal 107.35 Turn the wilderness into standing water and dry ground into Water-springs Though there be no man to eat the fruit which the rain produceth from the earth of which the Text speaks afterward yet God will send rain to make that land fruitful for the beasts sake that they may have grass and green things to feed upon God will provide for the beasts of the earth where there are no men to provide for them nor to be provided for God is a great House-keeper He nourisheth all living creatures as well as men as he preserves so he feeds the beasts of the Earth and the fishes of the Sea as well as men Psal 104.27 These all wait upon thee O Lord that thou maist give them their meat in due season the very fishes in the Sea wait upon God for their meat and so do fowls of the air together with all things moving upon the face of the Earth Psal 145.15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season and that he may do so he gives them rain in due season He causeth it to rain on the Earth where no man is and upon the wildernesse where there is no man God hath beasts to provide for where men are not and he will not let a beast that he hath made want food the very worms shall have a support of life Hence Christ argues away all undue care and thoughtfulnesse in man for the succours of this life Matth. 6.25 26. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Behold the fowls of the air for they sowe not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they Surely ye are therefore ye shall be better provided for than they Hath God a break-fast ready for every little bird that comes chirping out of her Nest Hath he a break-fast ready for every beast in the Wildernesse that comes out of his den and will he not much more provide for you O ye of little faith How encouraging an argument is this to our Faith that the Lord will provide for all men and especially for his own seeing he provides for the fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth where there is no man to give them any food or take any care of them This consideration may strengthen our dependance on God though we are brought into a Wilderness condition where there is no man to pity us or give us a morsel of bread Surely the Lord that feeds the wild beasts where there is no man can and will provide for his own people when the hearts of all men are shut up against them he can make the fowls of the air and the beasts of the earth to bring them food as the ravens did to Elijah Further This is an instance of the inexhaustible treasure of the Lords goodness For if he giveth rain in the wilderness for the beasts of the earth may we not thence infer surely the Lord will take care even of those who are unworthy What have the beasts deserved at the hand of God that he should provide for them Yea the Lord doth not onely give food to those that are of no desert as the beasts but to those that are of ill desert he gives rain to those who are but beasts in the shape of men men of beastly spirits The Lord feeds the Lions and the Bears the Tygers and the Swine of the World that is men like them he causeth his rain to fall upon the just and unjust Matth. 5.45 Satius est prodesse malis propter bonos quam bonis â—cesse propter malos Sen. de Benef. lib. 4. cap. 28. He will rather give good to the bad for the goods sake than be wanting to the good because of the wickedness of the bad and therefore the rain comes not onely upon the just but upon the unjust too This is true also in a spiritual way The
to speak very sparingly 'T is seldom that the tongue is left loose but it speaks loosly and it often speaks those things which give occasion of offence both to God and man As all iniquity shall at last stop her mouth Psal 107.42 that is evil men the abstract is put for the concrete shall be so ashamed and confounded for their evil deeds that when they are charged with them or convinced of them they shall hold their peace as if their mouths were stopped or like the man that came to the feast in the Gospel without his Wedding-garment they shall be speechless Now I say as all iniquity shall stop her mouth for shame so it is good for the best somtimes to stop their own mouths for fear they should speak any iniquity This godly fear as well as a gracious shame for what he had spoken amiss before caused Job to say Agnoscit se imparem esse sustinendae disputationi cum Deo illo summo aeterno bono Pro unum duo licet vertere semel bis sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semel in anno intrabit Pontifex fanctum sanctorum Levit. 16.34 Drus I will lay my hand upon my mouth which resolve he further confirms in the next verse Vers 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Once have I spoken That is once have I spoken amiss not that he never spoke but once for he had spoken often but once he had spoken amiss and been too forward with his tongue But I will not answer That is I will not speak so again But had Job spoken amiss but once he confesseth more in the latter part of the verse Yea twice but I will proceed no furthor Once yea twice Some Interpreters are much in shewing what that once or twice speaking should be First Some say it was that he so importunately desired to plead with God Secondly Others that he did so much justifie himself for though he did well in maintaining his integrity yet his over-doing it or being so much in it was not well Others That his once was his complaining of the afflictions of the godly especially of his own as if they were too heavy and he not weighed in an even ballance at least afflicted more than needed That his twice was his heightning the prosperity of the wicked as if God favoured them at least that he did not punish them as they deserved nor shew displeasure enough against them But we need not stay upon such particulars nor take once and twice strictly This expression once yea twice implies only that he had spoken often I have spoken not only once but twice that is I have spoken several times amiss The first step beyond once is twice and who knows how much beyond twice he had spake when he said once have I spoken yea twice the meaning plainly is I have several times spoken amiss We had this form of speech Job 33.14 where Elihu told Job that the Lord speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not that is he speaks often in a dream in a vision of the night and man understands not the meaning of it So here I saith Job have spoken once yea twice or many times But I will proceed no further or I will not adde saith the Hebrew I will no more apologize for my self nor stand in my own defence for in so doing I shall stand in my own light but lay my self low in the presence of God As if he had said My sin is already too great in that I have divers times spoken too boldly and freely if not presumptuously about thy proceedings but I will refrain from offending in that kind any more The sum of all that Job had spoken may be thus conceived Now Lord I confess to thee and before all the world my sin and folly in questioning any of thy dealings with me instead of submitting to them especially in urging a hearing of my cause in thy presence Therefore I revoke my challenge and cast my self at thy footstool acknowledging my self in comparison of thee every way vile and base utterly unable to satisfie any of thy demands And as I my self purpose so I humbly beg leave of thee that I may be silent I grant all that thou hast said of thy own greatness and of my vileness and I bewail my over-daring rashness I will not defend pertinaciously what I have said unadvisedly and to make sure of that I am resolved to say no more lest carryed out in heaâ— of speech I should heat my passions lâ—st multiplying words I should multiply my errours and so dash against the same reck again First In that Job confesseth once have I spoken yea twice Note A good man may fall often Once and more than once once and twice yea more than twice We cannot limit the number nor say to this or that number the failings or sinnings of a good man may come and no further Though it be very sad to multiply sins yet the best of men have multiplied them From the latter words I will proceed no further Note Secondly Though a good man may fall often yet a good man will not take leave to sin often no nor once He will not give himself a liberty to proceed or continue in sin When he hath sinned once or twice he does not say possibly I may sin again therefore what should I trouble my self about it who knows how often any man may sin no though he knoweth not how often he may sin yet he will not give himself liberty to sin not only not knowingly but not at all once more but saith in the strength of Christ I will proceed no further I will do so no more A gracious heart is so far from taking liberty to sin often that he takes up a resolve not to sin and will to the utmost watch against and keep himself pure from sin especially from his special sin as David did who said Psal 18.21 I have kept my self from mine iniquity As if he had said There is an iniquity which dogs me and follows me a sin which easily besets me but I have kept my self to the utmost of my power from falling into that iniquity And I say though a good man may multiply iniquity yet wo to those who give themselves scope to multiply iniquity or to commit any one iniquity The voice of true repentance is this I will sin no more Though I deny not but a man who hath truly repented of some particular sin and sincerely purposed not to commit it any more may being over-powered by corruption and temptation be overtaken with the same sin again yet the voice of true repentance is this and thus the penitent soul speaks in truth I will sin no more I will proceed no further Again Job had been confessing his fault his failings Once have I spoken yea twice The words are a penitent confession or the confession
him It is said of that Land-leviathan Alexander the Great before mentioned that he even leaped for joy when he was engaged in great dangers and hazardous attempts then he would say exultingly Now I see danger suitable to the greatnss of my spirit Jam video animo meo par periculum In such a sense it may be said here of Leviathan sorrow is turned into joy before him But whence was this surely from his strength and the confidence he had in it Hence note They who have great strength think themselves above sorrow and danger Leviathan is so strong that sorrow is turned into joy before him how full of joy or how joyful then is he as Christ saith Mat. 6 23. If the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness so if our sorrow be turned into joy to us how great is our joy Some good men have found it so according to their faith and most stâ—ong men hope it shall be so to them according to their pre umption A st ong man rejoyceth to run a race whereas a weak man is afraid of it going is grievous to him much more running Whatsoever we have strength to do if we have hearts also to do it we rejoyce to do it yea we are so apt to rejoyce in our carnal strength of any kind that the Lord by his Prophet Jer. 9.23 forbids it in every kind of strength in strength of understanding Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom he forbids it also in strength of estate Let not the rich man glory in his riches and lastly he forbids it in this particular strength of body Let not the mighty man glory in his might And there is great reason we should take heed of being found Leviathans in this seing none have been more oppressed and weakned with sorrow than they who upon confidence in self-strength have thought themselves above it or that it should certainly be turned into joy before them Further It will not be unuseful to consider That as here it is said Leviathans sorrow is turned into joy before him so it is promised to and the priviledge of all true believers to have their sorrows or that their sorrows shall be turned into joy before them John 16.20 Verily I say unto you said Christ himself that ye shall weep and lament and the world shall rejoyce here 's the case of Christs Disciples in this world they shall weep and lament that is they shall have cause to weep and many times shall actually weep and lament but your sorrow shall be turned into joy As ye shall rejoyce in spirit under those dispensations which have the greatest occasion and matter of sorrow in them or as Eliphaz said Job 5.22 At destruction and famine ye shall laugh ye shall laugh at destruction it self so at last all the very matter of your sorrow shall be turned into joy The most sorrowful things shall not now be able to swallow you up with sorrow and at last you shall not know by any then present experience any sorrowful thing All your tears shall be not only wiped off from but out of your eyes Christ will then renew that miracle in a metaphorical sense which be once wrought in a natural of which we read John 2. he will turn water into wine the waters of sorrow and tribulation into the wine of joy and consolation Which blessed priviledge is also clearly prophesied Isa 65.13 14. Lastly If by reason of Leviathans strength his sorrow is turned into joy surely the faithful who have the Lord for their strength may turn their sorrow into joy into such joys as none shall take from them or turn back or again into sorrows Thus far concerning the strength of Leviathans neck and the effect of it his joyful or merry life The next words shew him strong all over or in all the parts of his body Vers 23. The flakes of his flesh are joyned together they are firm in themselves they cannot be moved This compactness of Leviathans flesh argues an universal strength His flesh is so compact as if it were a molten thing or as the word rendred firm in the latter paâ—t of the verse signifies like brass or bell-mettal moulton in a furnace and cast into a body Such is the force of the Hebrew The flakes of his flesh are joyned Though Leviathan be a fish an inhabitant of the waters yet the Scripture calls the bulk of his body flesh So Levit. 11.10 11. All that have not sins nor scales in the seas and in the rivers of all that move in the waters they shall be even an abomination unto you ye shall not eat of their flesh In Scripture sence fish is flesh the Apostle useth the same language 1 Cor. 15.39 All flesh is not the same flesh that is it is not of the same kind but there is one kind of flesh of men and another flesh of beasts another of fishes The fish of the sea have flesh as well as the beasts of the earth And that which Job denied of his flesh Chap 6.12 we may affirm of Leviathans flesh His strength is as the strength of stones and his flesh as of brass As the scales of Leviathan without so now his whole flesh within is spoken of as if it were made of solid brass The very refuge the vilest parts of his flesh as the word which we translate flakes is rendred Amos 8.6 are firm and strong being joyned or glued fast together as the Septuagint express the significancy of the word by us rendred joyned And as it followeth They are firm in themselves they cannot be moved That is one part of his flesh cannot be taken from the other or he cannot be moved that is Leviathan is so strong that nothing can stir him or cause him to give ground unless himself pleaseth And as his flesh covering his bones is thus firm so is his heart covered and defended by both Vers 24. His heart is as firm as a stone yea as hard as a piece of the nether mill-stone Corin omnibus animantibus spissum nervosum bend compactum est Arist l. 3. do part c. 4. Superior molo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicebatur ab inequitando The heart is the principal internal part of any creature and the flesh of the heart in every creature is harder than the flesh of any other part of his body the heart is a very compact and hard piece of flesh And the Lord would have us know that the heart of Leviathan is so hard that the heart of any other creature in comparison of his may be called soft and tender His heart Is as firm as a stone That is 't is extraordinary hard which is further intended by the last words of this verse Yea as hard as a piece of the nether mill-stone Mills have two stones an upper which in Hebrew is expressed by a word which signifies to ride because it seems to ride moving