be at the highest most violent and impetuous then the Lord will be a refuge from the storm The same God who saves many from the storms of man did himself storm Job He breaketh me with a tempest Job was storm'd yet supposes his praier was answered Hence observe Praiers may be heard and answered when greatest afflictions are upon us Doe not thinke your praiers are lost because your afflictions are not removed or that God doth not hear you Quaedam non negantur sed ut congruo tempore dentur differuntur Aug. because he doth not presently relieve you God forbears when he doth not deny He answers to our profit when he answereth not to our feeling He answereth to our spirituall interest when not to our corporall The sick man calleth to the Physician to take away the bitter loathsome potion Exaudit saepe ad profectum licet non ad votum Aquin. in loc Saevitur in vulnus ut homo sanetur Aug. and the wounded man calleth to the Chyrurgion to take away those corroding plaisters and to forbear those torturing operations But the one gives him his potion and the other lances his sores and laies corrosives to his flesh both these while they vex the patient answer him for what 's the reason why the patient would have his bitter potion taken away is it not because he would be better And why would he have those painfull operations forborn is it not because he would have ease Now for those very reasons the Masters of those professions keep him to both neither could they give him his desire but by doing contrary to his will Thus also the Lord is healing us when we think he is only wounding us and fulfilling our desires while we cry out he is crossing them Secondly Observe Even while we are praying the Lord may be thundering he may be breaking us when we are beseeching him We must learn to keep to our duty whatsoever the dealings of God be whether it be fowl weather or fair pray still whether it be storm or calm go on in praier still Pray still though God break still It is our duty to pray and it is Gods priviledge to break Thirdly Observe from the loftinesse of the language That the Lord laies very sore afflictions upon those that are very dear to him Job expresseth his afflictions by breaking with a tempest Strokes from the clouds are most terrible The same afflictions and scourges which he laies upon his enemies he laies in the matter yea and often in degree upon his best friends What can the Lord doe to his greatest enemies but break them with a tempest He doth not only chasten with a rod but sometimes scatter with a storm He hath not only a sword but a thunder-bolt for his servants He hath terrible stroaks and blows for them who lie in his arms and live in his embraces Therefore we cannot distinguish men by the matter no nor by the measure of their afflictions That which is a judgement to one is but a chastening to another with the same weapon he wounds a friend and destroies an enemy Fourthly Observe That afflictions continued cause us to suspect that our praiers are not answered Why doth Job thinke that God hearkned not to him I would not believe saith he that God had hearkned unto my voice why because still he continues to break me Faith is put hard to it at such a time Licet Deus verè exaudiat tamen homo in miseriu constitutu◠se exaudiri non credit Aquin. and this is the thing which stumbled Job he could not tell how to make it out that God had heard his praier for him because he heard so great a noise of tempests and storms against him It is very difficult for faith to see mercy thorow clouds of trouble It is a hard thing for faith to look upon the pleased face of God thorow a lowring tempest or to believe the calmnes of Gods heart to us in troublesome dispensations Therefore he speaks here as if his faith were even master'd The providences of God are often too hard for man And with this temptation Satan helps on unbelief If he come to a soul in affliction which keepeth close to his interests in Christ Yea saith he you may doe so though afflictions were upon you but yours are more then afflictions yours are tempests and storms God dealeth with you as with an enemy yours are no ordinary matters yours are like the portion he gives to those he hates I would not weaken your faith because of a chastening rod but you are beaten with scorpions and will you still believe Can God love you and deal thus with you Thus the serpent whispers in those louder tempests of affliction Fifthly Observe That Afflictions continued cause us to suspect that our praiers shall not be answered And so I finde some rendering the former verse in connexion with this If I have called and he hath answered me yet will I not believe that he will hearken to my voice As if he had said I know God hath heard me heretofore but I fear he will hear me no more because I finde his hand so heavy upon me Surely then he hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up his tender mercies Former experiences can hardly keep faith whole while we are under present breakings Lastly If we take the words as importing a calling to God for answer in a way of provocation as was shewed before then the sense is If I had an ambition to contend with God and he had answered me by condescending to that course yet I could not believe he had hearkned to my voice that is I could not believe that he had yeelded the cause to me why because he goes on still to break me with tempests he follows me with trouble still he shews he hath done me no wrong in my former afflictions by his going on to afflict me still he is so farre from acknowledging the least injustice in what is past of my sufferings that I suffer more He breaks me with a tempest and Multiplies my wounds without cause But is not this injustice to multiply wounds without cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratis Is not this a charge of blasphemy upon God May we not think that now Satan had his wish and that Job cursed God indeed The Hebrew word which we translate Vulnera sine causa sunt mala flagella quae non ob aliquod mittuntur peccatum without cause hath been opened Chap. 1.9 and Chap. 2.3 and it hath occurred elsewhere Here He multiplies my wounds without cause is not a charge of injustice upon God Jobs heart was farre from the least thought of that as you may see in all the dispute But it is an acknowledgement of the soveraignty and power of God Though he hath wounded me already yet he may wound me still without giving me a reason or though I have given him no cause What Doe
ye think God would yeeld to me if I should contend with him He multiplieth or He hath multiplied my wounds without cause that is His verbis evidenter exponit quae supra occultè dixerat si venerit adme non video Hoc enim ubique fere in dictis Jobi observanaum quod obscurè dicta per aliqua consequentia exponuntur Aquin. without giving me any account hitherto and do you think that now I shall have liberty to call him to an account or that he will give me one He wounds without cause is * Sine causa manifesta et ab homine afflâ—cto perceptibili Aquin. without cause manifested God hath not told me the reason of his chastenings And I doe not perceive the reason I know not why he contendeth with me And so he expounds what he spake at the 12th verse Loe he passeth by me and I see him not There are mysteries in providence Mans eye is not clear enough to see all that God doth before his eyes Job is his own Expositour This later expression gives us a comment upon the former And it is observable that both in this book and in the whole body of the Scripture easier texts may be found to interpret the harder and clear ones to enlighten those which are darker and more obscure The Word of God is not only a light and a rule to us but to it self Or He multiplieth my wounds without cause is Haec à Job dicta sunt quod intell gat se non tam flagellari quam probari as if Job had said I know the Lord deals not with me as with a guilty person nor doth he judge me as a malefactour mine is a probation not a punishment God doth only try me to see what is in my heart and how I can stand in an evil day He multiplieth my wounds without cause that is without the cause which you have so often objected against me namely that I am an hypocrite and wicked I know God looks upon me as a childe Animus in DeuÌ„ praeclare affectus sed tamen affectus doloribus Sanct. or a friend not as an enemy Therefore I have no cause to multiply words with God though God go on to multiply my wounds without cause To multiply wounds notes numerous and manifold afflictions many in number and many in kinde Iobs were deep deadly wounds and he had many of them he was all over wound body and soul were wounds he was smitten within and without as to multiply to pardon is to pardon abundantly Isa 55.7 So to multiply wounds or to multiply to wound is to wound abundantly Here a Question would be resolved How the justice of God may be acquitted in laying on and multiplying afflictions without cause I shall referre the Reader for further light about this point to the third verse of the second Chapter where those words are opened Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause yet take here three considerations more by way of answer to the doubt First Whatsoever the Lord wounds and takes from any man he wounds and takes his own He is Lord over all Our health and strength are his our riches are his The world is his and the fulnesse of it Psal 50. If he be hungry he needs not tell us he can goe to his own store It is no wrong to dispose what is our own wheresoever we finde it That rule is as true in revocations as distributions Friend I doe thee no wrong Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine own Though there were no sinne in man yet there were no injustice in God because he takes nothing from us but what he gave us and hath full power to recall and take away Secondly Suppose man could say that what he had were his own that his riches were his own that health and strength of body were his own yet God may take them away and doe no wrong It is so among men Kings and States call out their Subjects to warre and in that warre their wounds are multiplied without any cause given by them They gave no occasion vvhy they should be appointed to such hazards of life and limb to such hardships of hunger and cold yet there is no injustice in this When God casts man into trouble he cals him out to his service he hath a vvarre some noble enterprize and design to send him upon To you it is given to suffer for his sake saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 he puts it among the speciall priviledges vvhich some Saints are graced vvith not only above the vvorld but above many of the Saints To whom it is given and that 's a royall gift only to believe Now if in prosecuting this suffering task whether for Christ or from Christ a believer laies out his estate credit liberty or life he is so farre from being wronged that he is honoured Thousands are slain in publike imploiments who have given no cause to be so slain If according to the line of men this be no injustice much lesse is it injustice in God who is without line himself being the only line and rule to himself and to all besides himself Thirdly I may answer it thus Though the Lord multiply wounds without cause yet he doth it without wrong to the wounded because he wounds with an intent to heal and takes away with a purpose to give more as in the present case God made Iob an amends for all the wounds whether of his body or goods good name or spirit Now though it be a truth in respect of man that we may not break anothers head and say vve vvill give him a plaister or take away from a man his possession and say vve vvill give it him again yet God may Man must not be so bold vvith man because he hath no right to take away and vvound nor is he sure that he can restore and heal but it is no boldnesse but a due right in God to doe thus for he as Lord hath power to take away and ability to restore And he restores sometimes in temporals as to Iob but alwaies to his people in spirituals and eternals Hence the Apostle argueth 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us an eternall weight of glory Afflictions vvork glory for us not in a vvay of meriting glory but in a tendency to the receiving of glory and in preparations for it There is no wrong in those losses by which we are made gainers Those losses being sent that we may gain and the sender of the losse being able effectually to make us gainers He multiplieth my wounds without cause Hence observe First Afflictions are no argument that God doth not love us As the Lord hath a multitude of mercies in his heart so a multitude of afflictions in his hand and a multitude of afflictions may consist vvith a multitude of mercies At the same time
saith he men are not my Judges God is my Judge It is a comfort to the Saints to remember that God is their Judge Job vvas not afraid of God in that relation no it was a rich consolation to think that God vvas his Judge He is a righteous Judge a mercifull Judge a pitifull Judge we need not be afraid to speak to him under that notion Iob saith not I vvill make supplications to my father vvhich is a sweet relation but vvhich is most dreadfull to vvicked men he considers God as a Judge The Saints are enabled by faith to look upon God as a Judge vvith assurances of mercy Lastly Observe The whole world stands guilty before God Rom. 3.19 Every mouth must be stopped Iob vvill only make supplication he had nothing else to doe or say We doe not present our supplications unto thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercy Dan. 9.8 We can get nothing from God by opening our mouths in any other stile or upon any other title then this of an humble acknowledgement of our unworthinesse the lower we goe in our own thoughts the higher we are in the thoughts of God and we finde the more acceptance with him by how much the lesse acceptance vve think vve deserve Nothing is gained from God either by disputing or by boasting All our victory is humility JOB Chap. 9. Vers 16 17 18. If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice For he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without cause He will not suffer me to take my breath but filleth me with bitternesse THis holy man having abased himself in the sense of his own inability and unrighteousnesse before the Lord and disclaimed the least intendment of contending or disputing with him as vvas seen in the former context now confirms it by a further supposition in the 16 17 18. verses and so forward As if he had said Ye shall finde I am so farre from vvording it with God or standing upon mine own justification vvith him though I have pleaded mine integrity before you my friends that I here make this hypothesis or supposition If I had called and he had answered yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice There is much variety in making out the sense of these vvords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Septuagint read it negatively If I had called and he had not answered me I would not believe c. Most of the Hebrew vvriters fall very foul upon Job and tax him harshly for this speech What Would he not believe that God hearkned unto him when he had answered him Is not this unbelief a plain deniall of providence Atrae loliginis succum hic aspergit Rab. Levi. Asserons JobuÌ„ nâ—gare provident tam sivecuram particularium Coc. Verba diffiâ—entis desperantis de divina misericordia Opinio Rab. Moyses R. Levi. apudi Merc. or at least of speciall providence I would not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice is in their sense as if he had said I thinke God takes no care or makes no account of particulars he looks not after this or that man what he speaks or for what he praies I can scarce believe that my condition is under the care of God or that he will take notice of me if I should call upon him or if I plead before him what shall I get by it Doe ye thinke he will descend to the relief of such a one as I am Why then doe ye move me to call upon him c. If I should pray and if he should answer me I can hardly be perswaded that he will pity me and do me good A second opinion casts him into the deeps of despair as if Job had altogether laid aside hope of receiving any favour by calling upon God or of comfort by putting his case to him Iudaicum commentum atque Jobi sanctitate indignissimum Pined But all these aspersions are unworthily cast upon Job a man full of humility and submission to the will of God his frequent praiers and applications of himselfe to God doe abundantly confute all such unsavoury conjectures But the Jewish Commentatours carry on their former strain being all along very rigid towards this holy man very apt to put the vvorst constructions upon doubtfull passages and sometimes ill ones upon those vvhich are plainly good More distinctly There is a difficulty about the Grammaticall meaning of one word in the text vvhich carries the sense two vvaies If I had called and he had answered me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alij invocare alij provocare vertunt The Hebrew vvord vvhich vve translate call signifies sometimes to pray and sometimes to plead or challenge An act of invocation or an act of provocation it is rendered both waies here By most as we If I had called upon him that is if I had praied or made my sute unto him By some If I had sent in my plea as to begin a sute of law with him or my challenge as to enter the combate with him c. As it is taken for a challenge so the sense lies thus If I should stand upon terms with God and call him to an account to make good what he hath done And he had answered me that is if he had condescended to give me an account of his vvaies yet I would not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice that is that he had yeelded to me or acknowledged that he had done me wrong Shall I who am but dust and ashes prevail in my sute and get the day by pleading and contending vvith the great God of heaven and earth Take the word as it signifies invocation or calling by vvay of petition Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee And so two or three interpretations are offered Tam infirma est caro ut etiaÌ„ propositis divinis promissionibus nolit credere Isidor Clar. First Some in favour of Job conceive that he speaks this only through the infirmity of his flesh that it was sin within him that spake and not Job according to that of the Apostle Rom. 7. Not I but sinne that dwelleth in me So Job speaks as if he did not believe that God would hear him when he praid but whose voice was this Not Jobs but his sinnes the corruption the infirmitie of Job gave out such language not he As we may say in reference to an action I did it not but sinne that dwelleth in me so to a word I spake it not but sinne and corruption that dwelleth in me gave out such language Secondly I would not believe that God had hearkned to me Plerique Latini ad eas conditiones referunt quas oratio efficax requirit quarum defectus non exaudimur atque ea ratione sibi timere Jobum though he had answered me may referre
up alwaies at the same height in the same plight and degree There is a faith which believes that God doth answer before he answers and there is a faith that cannot believe God will answer when he hath answered Faith in strength prevents the answer of God As God in answering sometimes prevents our askings Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear So faith saith Before the Lord giveth I know I have it before the Lord doth this thing I see it is done Faith in it's strength realizes the mercies of God before they have a being and is an evidence to us of what we see not When mercies are but in their principles in their conception and birth or at most when they are but in their cradle and swadling-clouts faith speaks as gloriously of them as if they were fully acted and grown up before the eye Strong faith in God like God himself quickens the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were Weake faith deadens the quick and calleth those things which are as if they were not The Israelites were no sooner over the red sea but they believed themselves in the land of Canaan Exod. 15.13 14 15. and in their Song tell the story of the submission and fears of the uncircumcised Nations round about which yet their after unbelief kept off fourty years There is a further understanding of the words which I shall clear in connexion with that which followeth I would not believe that he had hearkned to my voice For he breaketh me with a tempest as if the reason why he doubted his voice was not heard Etiamsi Deâ—â—o peccantem exaudierit minime credo cum malorum niâ—bo me obiuat lay in this because of those continuall breakings which were upon him I would not believe that he had hearkened to my voice for he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without a cause As if Job had said the dealings of God are such towards me that I know not how to make it out that I am heard For though the Lord in some things carries it so graciously toward me that I have great assurance I am heard yet many things appear reporting that I am not heard Afflictions continued are no evidence that praier is not heard yet usually it is very inevident to an afflicted person that his praier is heard I shall now examine the 16 and 17. verse as holding a reason why Jobs faith was thus weakned Verse 17. For he breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without cause Jobs sorrows put him to his rhetorick still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turbo He breaketh me with a tempest An expression raising his afflictions to the height yet not beyond the reality of them He breaketh me with a tempest The word we translate break signifies an utter contusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the totall ruining of a thing or person Contudit contrivit obminuit the dashing of either to pieces The word is used reciprocally of Christ and the devil in that great and first promise of Christ The seed of the woman Gen. 13.16 It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Christ having infinite power utterly destroied the serpents power he spoil'd and ruin'd him for ever the Apostle phrases it so Coloss 2.15 He spoiled principalities and powers he took away the prey or booty of souls which they had got and led them disarm'd like prisoners of warre And the devil did what he could to ruine and spoil Christ to break Christ to pieces Thus Christ and Satan strove and contended one with another And the word Shuph hath an elegant neernesse in sound to our English We call that noise which is made by the ruder motion of the feet shufling and when men contend much we hear the shufling of their feet Job was striving and shufling with God in praier and God was striving and shufling with Job in storms and tempests He breaketh me with a tempest The word signifies not only storms and tempests but likewise Chaldaeus legit usque ad filum lineuâ— vel adfila piâ—orum subtiliter disputat mecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filum significat A little hair or twined threed So the Chaldee Paraphrast translates it here He disputes or contends with me to a hair or to a threed making the sense out thus I will not believe that God hath answered me why He standeth with me upon the smallest matters he disputes with me to a hair and debates every thing to a threed As Abraham said to the King of Sodome Gen. 14.23 I will not take any thing that is thine from a threed even to a shoe-latchet that is I will not make the smallest gain by thee So to dispute to a hair or to a threed notes contending upon or about the smallest differences But generally the word is render'd a Tempest and thus God is often described contending with man Nah. 1.3 His way is in the whirlwinde and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet that is He sends storms and whirlwindes by these he afflicts the children of men and as an army of horsmen raises clouds of dust from the earth with their feet so the Lord raises the dust of clouds with his Behold a whirlwinde or a tempest of the Lord is gone forth in fury even a grievous whirlwinde it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked Jer. 23.19 To break with a tempest or with a whirlwinde implies two things 1. A sudden and an unexpected affliction Tempests are never welcome and but seldom looked for When the sea is so calm and smooth that you may throw a die upon it a storm ariseth in a moment and the vessell in danger of a wreck 2. It noteth the fiercenesse and violence of an affliction Tempests are the most violent motions they come with power A tempest is irresistible Who can stand before it Who can contend with storms and windes When the Lord made totall conquests of his enemies he contended in the letter by storms and tempests As in the 10th of Joshua and in the first of Samuel Chap. 7.10 When the Philistines drew neer to battell against Israel the Lord thundered with a great thunder that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them The story is famous of a legion of Christian souldiers called the thundering legion because by praier they obtained a refreshing rain for the army in which they were commanded and a terrible storm of thunder and lightning c. upon the enemy The word is used figuratively in warre when besiegers comming to a Town or Fort are resolved to carry it presently what ever it cost them they are said to storm the place or to get it by storm The Prophet alludes to this Isa 25.4 When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall that is when their rage shall
vvhen vve are visibly encompast about and besieged vvith an army of sorrows and opposers an army of invisible comforts and protectours may be encamping round about us As Elisha assured his servant 2 King 6.17 Secondly Which I shall but only name because I have met it heretofore The Lord is not accountable to any creature for his actions He multiplieth my wounds without cause or He multiplieth my wounds without shewing cause God is the only Judge who may give sentence without hearing parties or shewing cause It is unrighteous in an earthly Judge to doe so he must not judge a man to any suffering and not shew reason of his judgement But the first cause needs not shew second causes God hath the reason of all things in himself and therefore we cannot call him to give his reason Where the will of the Agent may lawfully be all the reason of his actions there is no reason he should give any account of his actions but vvhat himself wils The next verse is of the same tenour in sense vvith the former the difference is only in expression Verse 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath but filleth me with bitternesse He not only breaks me vvith a tempest and multiplies my wounds but He will not suffer me to take my breath This implies the unintermittednesse of afflictions as if he had said I have not only many afflictions Non dedit mihi retrahere spiritum and great afflictions but continuall afflictions The Hebrew is He will not give me to draw back my breath or suffer my breath to return The vvords are of the same importance vvith those of the 7th Chapter ver 19. How long wilt thou not depart from me Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle That is vvilt thou not give me so much respite as to swallow down my spittle Here which is more he affirms He will not give me so much as a breathing time Some interpret this of a bodily distemper or disease that God had brought a sicknesse upon him vvhich did even stop his breath as if Iob had been troubled with hardnesse of breathing Quidam ad morbum referuÌ„t quasi Job Astmate laborasset Beda with the Tissick as Physicians call it or a stopping in the lungs But we may rather take it figuratively my sorrows put me out of breath the Lord doth not only afflict me without giving me any account but I have uncessant afflictions which cannot be counted No man can tell how often he doth or suffers that which he alwaies doth or suffers I am so farre from seeing a period of my troubles that I have not so much as any pause or stop He speaks in that high strain of rhetorick called hyperbole for in strictnesse of the letter not to suffer a man to take his breath is to kill and quite destroy him but when he saith God will not suffer me to breathe it noteth the continuation of his sorrows not the expiration of his daies Again Not to suffer a man to take his breath before he hath done such a thing is a * Fortosse proverbâ—â—n erat ad significanduÌ„ facere aliquid indesinenter absque ulla vel minima morula aut intermissione Vna saliva Hieron in ep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. uno spiritu aliquid facere est diligenter facere Theoph. in Charact. Clivum istum uno si potes spiritu exupera SeÌ„ Proverb for speedy doing Like that used by some of the Ancients to doe a thing with one spit that is in as little time as a man may spit When the b Va presto non fietare q. d. uno halitu egressum regressum perfice Italians would expresse acting without delay they say Goe about this businesse and doe not fetch a breath till you are here again goe and come with a breath That direction given by Elisha to his servant Gehezi when he sent him to restore the Shunammites son 2 King 4.29 Take my staff in thine hand and go thy way if thou meet any man salute him not and if any salute thee answer him not again c. And that of Christ to his Disciples when he gave them their Commission to preach the Gospel Luk. 10.4 Salute no man by the way are of the same intendment Christ did not mean that his Disciples should be uncivil nor Elisha his he did not forbid them to use common courtesies to men when they went to call men to speciall grace No but his meaning is Go speedily about the work doe not stand complementing and talking with How doe you and how doe you by the way doe not entertain the time or trifle it away with Ceremonies having an imploiment of such infinite concernment put into your hands So he seems to allude to and reprove that ill custome of idle servants who when they are sent forth upon businesse will yet stand and talk with every one they meet Now as not to suffer a man to talk a word while he is upon a service imports sudden dispatch So when Iob saith He will not suffer me to take my breath in these my sufferings his meaning is mine are no lazy dull sufferings I am forced to be active at them I cannot stand breathing and cooling my self I have no leisure no vacation at all from this passive service He will not suffer me to take my breath But or for he filleth me with bitternesse or with bitternesses I have opened this word before c. 3.10 As in Scripture sweetnes implies all comfort so bitternesse all trouble and sorrow When God complains about the services of his people Ier. 6.20 Sicut dulcedo omnia jucunda amica naturae significat sic nomine amaritudinis praesertim in numero multitudinis gravissimae quaeque offlictiones intelliguntur Bold Victimae non dulcuerunt Hos 9.4 Hose 9. he saith Your Sacrifices are not sweet to me So the Originall that is your Sacrifices are not acceptable to me or pleasing to me Sweet things are pleasing things bitter things are unpleasing Afflictions are unpleasant to flesh and bloud Heb. 12.11 No affliction for the present is joyous but grievous Bitternesse is put for the extreamest affliction and in the plurall as here for all afflictions Surely the bitternesse of death is past saith Agag 1 Sam. 15.32 that is I have escaped bitter death at this time the souldier spared me in the heat of the battell surely then a Prophet will not slay me in cold bloud To be filled with bitternesse notes abundance of afflictions As to be filled with the Spirit to be filled with the fulnesse of Christ c. note the plentifull receiving of the Spirit and of the grace of Christ To taste of a bitter cup to sip a little of it is unpleasant but to drinke large draughts to be fild with bitternesse who can abide it When Christ was come to Golgotha They gave him vineger to drinke mingled with gall but though
he drank up that cup of his fathers wrath to the very bottom though he drank up all the gall and wormwood of sinne for the salvation of men yet when he had tasted thereof He would not drink Mat. 27.34 If it be grievous to taste but a little of a bitter cup then judge how grievous Iobs sufferings were who was filled with bitternes he had his belly full of trouble his belly full of Gall and Wormwood his stomack could hold no more bitternesse was both his meat and drink Note First Afflictions may come uncessantly Not so much as a breathing time between then while thou art assaulted prepare for fresh assaults Observe Secondly The Lord sometimes mixes a very bitter cup for his own people Yea they have not only a bitter cup but bitternesse is their cup and they have not only a taste of it but are filled with it The Psalmist shews us a bitter cup which is the proper portion of wicked men There is a cup in the hand of the Lord and it is full of mixture the wine is red and the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them Psal 75.8 The Lord hath a cup of red wine that is a cup filled with wrath fury and indignation Wicked men how much soever their stomacks loath it and turn against it shall drink it up to the bottom or he will pour it down their throats whether they will or no. They shall be filled with bitternesse after all their sweet morsels and pleasant draughts The Saints are filled with bitternesse from God but not with the wrath of God many sorrows may be mingled in their cup but everlasting love is ever mingled in it Saints never drink pure wrath as wicked men never taste pure love To conclude we may observe here a Climax or gradation of four steps First Vers 14. Iob acknowledged that he was unable to answer the Lord. And secondly He professed that if he could he would not no he would humble himself vers 15. Thirdly If in mercy God should answer his petition yet he would not be confident at all in regard of himself that God had heard him or hearkned unto his voice Lastly He acknowledged that God might go on to afflict him still for some read this text in the future tense He will multiply my wounds and afflict me without cause He will fill me with bitternesse A godly man reckons up his afflictions as well as his comforts to the praise and honour of God And the more God afflicts him the more he abases himself though he doth not thinke the worse of himselfe because God doth afflict him JOB Chap. 9. Vers 19 20 21. If I speak of strength loe he is strong and if of judgement Who shall set me a time to plead If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Though I were perfect yet would I not know my own soul I would despise my life JOB goeth on to lay himself yet lower before God and having in the three former verses proved that weak man is not able to contend with the Almighty he giveth an additionall proof in this 19th verse from the consideration of a two-fold adjunct in God First his strength And secondly his justice From both he concludeth according to the former argument given upon the whole matter in the 10th verse seeing God is so strong and just Surely if I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me and if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse If I speak of strength loe he is strong There are two waies whereby a man makes his part good against another man First By the strength of his arm and dint of his sword Secondly By the equity of his cause and the goodnesse of his conscience Iob declareth his inability to deal with God in either If I speak of strength loe he is strong c. M. Broughton translates thus As for force he is valiant if I think to carry it by force with God He is a God of valour or as Moses in his Song Exod. 15.3 describeth him The Lord is a man of warre I cannot deal with him upon that point In originali indifferens est naÌ„ tantum habetur si ad potentiam ut suppleri possit venero aut respexero vel aliquid simile The originall speaks only thus much If of strength he strong we supply the word speak If men talk of strength or boast of strength or shew forth their strength we may supply it with any of those words Loe he is strong As it is usuall with us when we would set a man up in the perfections of any quality we say What doe ye speak of knowledge why There 's a learned man What doe ye speak of riches why there 's a rich man c. Such an emphasis is carried in this expression If I speak of strength why here 's one that is strong indeed There are five words in the Hebrew which signifie strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first notes strength in generall The second Prevalens vincens invicto quodam obfirmato animo praeditus dici solet de eo qui viribus superior est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vis generaliâ—er 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 connotat proportionem ad efficentiam vel conteÌ„t onem virium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est durabilitas in agenti actione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strength to endure labour The third efficacy The fourth vigour the fifth which is that of the text superiority of strength or prevailing strength It is one thing to be strong and another thing to prevail The Lord is not only strong but strongest he hath a strength above all strength he is strong overcommingly strong prevailingly Christ in the Gospel speaks of a strong man he means the devil that kept the house but he was not strong prevailingly for there came a stronger then he that spoil'd him and took away all his armour from him wherein he trusted Luk. 11.22 but when the holy Ghost saith That the Lord is strong the meaning is that he is stronger then all and so generally the positive is expounded by the superlative If we speak of strength loe he is strong that is he is most strong Thus we finde the word used 2 Sam. 22.18 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them that hated me for they were too strong for me Efficaciam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vigorem significat Coc. they were prevailingly strong for me and therefore unlesse I had found a supply of help unlesse some auxiliaries had come from heaven to take my part they had hâ—â—â— too hard for me I had been overmatâ—ht they were prevailingly strong or too strong for me We have the word in the same sense Gen. 25.23 in that resolution which the unerring oracle of heaven gave Rebekah enquiring about the children
way might be cleared to him Secondly observe A godly man may be long in the dark about the reason of Gods dealing with him He labours alwaies to give an account of his own heart and waies to God but he is seldom able to give an account of the waies of God toward him The way of God both in mercy and in judgement is in the sea and his foot-steps are not seen As there is much of the Word of God which a sincere heart after many praiers and much study is not able to give a reason of so also are there many of his works The text of both is dark to us till God make the Comment and he sees it best sometimes to make us call and call wait and wait before he makes it There was famine in the Land of Israel three years year after year and yet David knew not the cause doubtles he did often examine his own heart look into the Kingdom to see what might be a provocation there but saw nothing till after three years he enquired of the Lord who answered It is for Saul and for his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 It is more then probable that David had enquired of the Lord before that time A holy heart especially one so holy as Davids was can hardly let personall affliction be a day or an hour old without enquiring of the Lord about it And shall we think that David let this Nationall affliction grow three years old before he enquired of the Lord about it surely then this enquiry after the end of three years was that grand and most solemn enquiry by Vrim and Thummim appointed as the last resort to God in cases of greatest difficulty and concernment till David used this means he found no resolution of that case why the Lord contended with his Kingdom by famine year after year Neither had Iob got resolution when he thus complained why the Lord contended with him by sore diseases and mighty terrours day after day But because it might yet be wondered at by some how he durst adventure to put up such a request to God he argues further in the next verse that the state wherein he was seemed to necessitate him to it and to prompt or put that request into his mouth Ne cui mirum videatur istud a me postulari res ipsa huc me adegit absit enim a me ut tibi placere posse existimem vioâ—eÌ„tam cujuspiam oppressionem Bez. As if he had said My condition cries aloud to me that I should cry aloud to God Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me For farre be it from me to think that the Lord delighteth in oppression in breaking the work of his own hands or in maintaining the works of wicked men wicked Iudges use to doe so whom God will never encourage as with a light shining from heaven by his example Farre be it from me to thinke so dishonourably of God and therefore I am thus importunate to know the reason of his dealings with me and what his thoughts are concerning me Verse 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good c I am sure it is not it is not pleasing unto thee to oppresse to despise the work of thy hands thou delightest not to shine upon the counsel of the wicked Nequaquam probat alioâ—um iniquam vim multò minus ipse alios opprimit Sanct. Thou canst not endure any of these evils acted by man much lesse wilt thou act them thy self Thou who art just even justice it self canst not love oppression thou who art mercifull even mercy it self wilt not despise the work of thine hands thou who art holy even holinesse it self how shouldest thou delight in wicked men Thou art of purer eies then to behold iniquity and approve of it What blasphemy then is it to imagine that thou dost practise it Thy justice thy mercy thy holinesse are such as cannot admit the taint of these aspersions Omnes vias injustitiae quibus terreni julices corrumpi jus pervertere solent a Domino conator amoliri Merc. Interrogatio sensum reddit omninâ— contrarium me â—uaquaÌ„ probas c. Sanct. So then in this third and fourth verse Iob reckons up those waies by which earthly men corrupt ot pervert justice and he removes them all from the Lord. Some men do but God doth not oppresse Some men do but God doth not destroy the work of his hands Some men do but God never doth shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good to thee that thou doest oppresse c These interrogations we see are vehement negations they flatly and peremptorily deny what they seem doubtingly to enquire The sense is It is not good unto thee yea it is evil in thy sight to oppresse c. Thou hatest oppression Ab absurdis argumentatur quae in Deo minimè sunt tameÌ„ cogitari possunt ab infirmitate humana Jun. wrong dealing shall not dwell with thee Iob puts these questions not as if he questioned whether it were good to the Lord to oppresse or good to destroy the work of his hands and to shine upon the counsel of the wicked These were no points of controversie with him nor did he seek resolution about them Yea he therefore begs a reason of the Lord wherefore he was so oppressed becaase he knew it was not good unto Him that he should oppresse Is it good unto thee The Hebrew signifies three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bonum triplex denotat 1. Vtile 2. Iucundum 3. Honestum First That which is profitable Secondly That which is pleasant Thirdly That which is just right or honourable any thing tendâ—ng to reputation And there may be this three-fold sense of it in this place 1. Is it good unto thee that is Numquid tibi proderit Vatab. comes there any advantage unto the Lord by oppressing Surely none What profit is there in our bloud 2. Is it good unto thee that is Is it pleasing or delightfull Is the Lord taken with the afflicting of his people I know he doth not willingly afflict the children of men 3. Is it good unto thee that is Doest thou reckon it thine honour to lay thy hand severely upon thy poor creatures No it is thy glory to passe by a transgression Now seeing it it not good unto thee any of these waies seeing thou hast no gain or profit by it no joy or delight in it no glory or honour from it Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me That 's still the burden of this mournfull Song Is it good unto thee That thou shouldest oppresse The word which we translate to oppresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat opprimere aliqueÌ„ verbu aut factis Numquid loâ—uÌ„ tibi videtur si calumnieris me Vulg. signifies a