Hab. 1.13 Seeing then there is much iniquity in our holy things we must doe all by our High Priest who as the typical High Priest did for the Children of Israel Exod. 28.38 beares the iniquity of our holy things that we as they may be accepted before the Lord. Sixthly That and onely that is pure prayer which is breathed in and breathed out by the spirit of God Edifie your selves in your â—ost holy Faith pray in the holy Ghost Jude Vers 20. Or praying by the holy Ghost as some translate that is by the strength and helpe of the holy Ghost We cannot make pure prayer with our owne breath parts and gifts the holy spirit breathes holy prayer into and draws it out of our hearts As we know not what to beleeve or doe aright till the spirit teacheth us so we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.26 The spirit maketh intercession not as Christ doth the spirit doth not mediate between God and us but as it is the office of Christ to intercede for us with God so it is the office of the holy Ghost to make those intercessions in us which we put up to God So that the spirit is said to make intercession for us because the intercessions and prayers which we make are made by the spirit the spirit formes them in us As some duller Schollers in a Schoole who cannot make their Exercises get their exercises made for them by those that are more pregnant so the spirit makes intercession for us We are dull and low 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nos laborantes refertur quorum tamen vis omnis ab eo spiritu proficiscitur qui sicut nos penitus collapsos erexit ita etiam erectos regit ideoque dicitur ipse vicissim onus attollere ne sub eo fatiscamus Bez. in Epist ad Rom. and straitned wee cannot make a prayer the spirit makes them for us in our hearts Hence it is said in the beginning of the Verse The spirit also helpeth our infirmities The Greek word signifieth to helpe as a Nurse helpeth a little Childe to goe or as a weake decrepid old man is upholden by a staffe or rather as the composition of the word implyes The spirit helpeth together And then it is a Metaphor taken from those who lift a weight or a peece of Timber too heavy for one together The spirit lends us his hand in this duty and they who have received grace act also with the spirit Thus the spirit helpeth together The Spirit and a Beleever are both at it to carry on this praying worke yet all that strength which we put to the worke flowes from the spirit who as he raiseth us when wee are quite fallen so hee assists us when we are raised and then wee make good worke pure worke of it in prayer Lastly That is a pure prayer which comes from a pure person And there is a double purity of the person necessary to a pure prayer First There is the purity of his state he must be a converted and regenerated person otherwise his prayer is abominable though he should be right in as many of the forementioned requisites as it is possible for an unregenerate man to be as suppose he not onely prayeth to God and for such things as are agreeable to the will of God but also as he thinks for the glory of God yet the mans prayer is impure because himselfe is impure God hath respect to the person before he hath respect to his supplication Prov. 15.8 The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God but the prayer of the upright is his delight And againe Hee that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall bee abomination Prov. 28.9 Secondly As there must be purity of state before there can be a pure prayer so also purity of life that is he must be renewed in purity not lying or continuing in any sin 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubtings Holy hands note the purity of our actions as a holy heart notes the purity of our state To lift up the hands is to pray the signe being put for the thing signified The meaning is let your prayers be holy First without wrath to men come not to seeke the favour of God with anger and revenge in thy heart against man Secondly pray without doubting that respects God and is opposed to Faith As if the Apostle had sayd Pray both in actuall Faith and Love Yet the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used is rendered by some Disceptation or wrangling as if the Apostle had in that specified one effect of wrath 'T is expounded also by others for any internall distraction or distemper of the mind for the minde of man is often carryed away from God in prayer and maintaines secret Dialogismes discourses and conferences in and with it selfe when it should be wholly taken up with God The covetous mans heart talkes of Gold and the voluptuous mans heart talkes of pleasures when hee seemes to pray yea these Foules will often come downe upon the Sacrifice of an Abraham onely as soone as hee espies them hee drives them away yet by these interruptions in prayer as well as by any sinfull action unrepented of before prayer the holinesse of prayer or the lifting up of holy hands in prayer is hindred and defaced even in those whose persons are holy David was a man that was pure in state he was a converted person yet he saith Ps 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayers Though I am pure in state yet if I am impure in life the eare of God will shut against my suites Isa 1.14 15. God rejects the prayers of his owne people because their hands were full of blood and hence his counsell Wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes c. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Vers 18. As if he had said while I see your sins I cannot heare your prayers while your iniquities are before mine eyes your supplications cannot enter into mine eare nor will I answer them How can any soule expect with Faith that God should doe what he requests when hee will not doe what God commands Or that God should fulfill our desires while wee in any thing neglect his rules As the prayer of an unholy person is turned into sin so the sin of a holy person may cause the Lord to turne away his prayer Then take that counsell of the Apostle writing to and of Saints Heb. 10.22 Let us draw nigh to God with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water There is a twofold evill conscience First That which
from the presence of the Lord Here was no appearance of terrour it was the voice of God walking as a freind not marching as an enemy and it was in in thr coole not heat of the day these circumstances argue the guiltinesse of Adam and his Wife who fled and hid themselves at this appearance of the Lord. The voice of God walking was a dreadfull sound in their eares because they had not hearkned to the voice of God commanding Wicked Pashur who opposed the good Prophet is branded with a new name Jer. 20.3.4 The Lord sayd his name shall no more be called Pashur but Magor-Misabib that is Feare round about and in the next Verse the reason is given why this name was given him For I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe He that is a terrour to himselfe can no more be without terrour then he can be without himselfe Nor can any thing be a comfort to him who is his owne terrour And therefore a guilty conscience heares a dreadfull sound what sound soever he heares he ever expects to heare bad newes and he puts fearefull glosses and comments upon that which is good A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses either To the discredit of others Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor Stat or to the disquiet of himselfe Bring what text of providence you can to him he corrupts it with one of these glosses Yea the faithfull counsells of his owne Friends are dreadfull sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good it is but a contriving of evill against him or a setting of snares to catch him Againe sometimes God creates a sound or causeth the wicked to heare a dreadfull sound 2 Kings 7.6 The Lord made the Hoast of the Syrians to hear a noyse of Charriots and a noyse of Horses even the noyse of a great Hoast c. Upon this dreadfull sound they arose and fled Sometimes a wicked heart creates a sound and what the Prophet threatens he heares the stone out of the Wall the beame out of the Timber crying against him The Story tells us of one who thought that the Swallowes in the Chimney spake and told tales of him We say in our Proverbe As the Foole thinketh so the Bell clinketh much more may we say As an evill conscience thinketh so every thing clinketh As he that hath a prejudice against another takes all he heares spoken of him and all that he heares him speak in the worst sense and most disadvantageous construction to his reputation so he that hath a preâ—udice against himselfe construes all that he either heares or sees against his owne Peace Hence it is that he doth not onely flee when he is pursued but when none pursue Prov. 28.1 The wicked flies when none pursueth except his owne feares but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon This terrour was threatned in the old Law Levit. 26.36 They that are left alive of you in the time of your Captivity I will send fainting in their hearts in the Land of their Enemy and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them What poore spirits have they who are chased by the motion of a leafe The sound of a leafe is a pleasant sound it is a kind of naturall musick Feare doth not onely make the heart move Homines tui non expectato adventu hostis velut transsossi examinantur metu Jun. As the Trees of the Forrest are moved with the winde Isa 7. but it makes the heart move if the winde doe but move the Trees of the Forrest The Prophet Isaiah tells Jerusalem Thy slaine men are not slaine with the Sword not dead in Battell Isai 22.2 With what then were they slaine And how dyed they a learned Interpreter tells us how They were slaine with feare and dyed with a sound of Battell before ever they joyned Battell This answereth the judgement denounced by Moses in another place Deut. 28.65 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and fayling of eyes and sorrow of minde and thy life shall hange in doubt before thee and thou shalt feare day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy life But here some may object Is this the portion of wicked men Doth a dreadful sound in their eares afflict their hearts Have not many such much peace and doe they not either smile or wonder to heart others complaining of an afflicted spirit and beg prayers for the appeasing of their troubled conscience which are matters they have no acquaintance with nor knowledge of I answer First We are not to understand the proposition as if all wicked men have or that any wicked man at all times hath this dreadfull sound in his eare but thus it is very often and thus it may be alwayes thus it is with many and thus it may be with all wicked men A wicked man hath as we say no fence for it no priviledge nor promise to secure him from it Againe though some wicked men have not this dreadfull sound in their eares yea though they have pleasant sounds in their eares like them who sang to the Viall c. Amos 6. yet first their peace is not a true peace secondly it is not a lasting peace thirdly that which they have ariseth from one of these two grounds either from neglect of their consciences or from some defect in their consciences The neglect of conscience from whence this ariseth is twofold either first when they neglect to speake to conscience conscience and they never have a word much lesse any serious conference or discourse either concerning the state of their hearts or the course of their lives and then all 's peace with them Secondly when the speakings of conscience are neglected conscience hath a double voice of direction and correction conscience tells a man what he ought and what he ought not to doe conscience checks a man for not doing what he ought or for doing what he ought not Yet many over power and restrain conscience from this office and never leave opposing till they have silenced yea conquered it Such as these have peace such a one as it is and heare nothing but a sound of delight in their eares while this silence lasteth Againe this may arise from some defect disabling conscience to doe its ordinary or naturall duty the conscience of an evill man may have some goodnesse in it Conscience may be considered two wayes either morally or naturally that onely is a morally good conscience which is pure and holy a conscience cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ thus no wicked man can be sayd to have a good conscience That is a naturally good conscience which performes the office or duty to which conscience is appointed conscience is set up in man to performe certaine offices if the conscience of a bad man performe them his conscience in that sense is good The first
stretch out their hands against him in his Law But he will not stretch out his hand unlesse to smite to a gain-saying and rebellious people who in this sense stretch out their hands against him in the Gospell Secondly From the connexion of this Verse with the former Observe That God proportions the punishment of man unto his sin There is a twofold proportionating of punishment to sin First In the quality or manner of it Secondly In the quantity or degree of it The Justice of God is visible in both according to the exact rules of retaliation As I have done so the Lord hath requited me sayd Adonibezek Judg. 1. He was punished in the same manner that he had sinned and so have many others But all shall be punished in the same degree that they have sinned If sin be great so shall the punishment of it be When the iniquity of the Amorite was full he had his fill of wrath When God himselfe was pressed with the sin of Israel as a Cart with Sheaves then he layd on load in judgement If any wonder why the wicked man should be hurryed troubled vexed why he travelleth in paine all his dayes he may cease to wonder when he reads that the wicked man stretcheth out his hand against God Is it any wonder God should shew himselfe an Enemy to them who practice the Enemy against him Or that they should be highest in suffering who have been highest in sin The Prophet Amos reproves and complaines of those who made the Ephah small and the Shekel great Chap. 8.5 That is who abated the measure and enhanced or raised the price of their commodities But if man make the Ephah or measure of his sin small God will not make the Shekel of his punishment great The wages which the Justice of God payes the sinner shall not be a penny more then his sinning worke hath deserved Thirdly In that the stretching out the hand against God is a sin against light Observe That sins committed against light leave the soule in the greatest darknesse A sin committed in the darknesse of ignorance deserves yet to be punished with darknesse even with everlasting darknesse much more those sins which are committed not onely in but against the light of knowledge Some shall perish for want of light they cannot but perish who live and dye in the abuse of light Many shall perish because they have not stretched forth their hands according to the light received to worke for God how deeply then shall they perish who in the midst of received light stretch out their hands to work wickednesse against God Fourthly Eliphaz describes the wicked man stretching out his hand that is all the power which God hath trusted him with to provoke God with Hence Observe That wicked men abuse the good gifts of God and turne them against God himselfe They use their hand properly taken against God as also their metaphoricall hand their whole strength against God they stretch their authority their high places their parts and wits against God they forme weapons out of all the good gifts of God to fight against God such sinning is out of measure sinfull The idle Servant was condemned who did not employ and improve the one Talent which he had received to his Masters advantage of how much sorer condemnation shall they be thought worthy who employ their many Talents to their Masters losse and disadvantage Lastly Observe Sin is the greatest evill That must needs be the greatest evill which opposeth the greatest good God is the greatest good every sin is against God and some sins directly oppose God The Apostle argues the evill of sin from the opposition it makes against us 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearely beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts he doth not say which fight against or dishonour God but which warr against the soule We have no reason to be dallying with lusts or to be freinds with them when we heare that our lusts warr against us but when we remember that our lusts warr against God we should not onely abstaine from them but abhorr them Every thing is by so much the worse by how much that is better which it is contrary unto There are foure considerations which heighten the evill of sinne upon this account that it is a stretching out of the hand against God First Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a word against God Secondly Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a thought against God Thirdly Stretch out a hand against God! Every man ought to fall downe before God and be well pleased with whatsoever God saith or doth Fourthly Every man is bound to stretch out heart and tongue and hand to thinke and speake and doe for God and when all this is done we have done but our duty and the utmost that any man doth or can doe in these is not halfe his duty How wide then is he from how opposite to his duty who stretcheth out his hand against God And as it follows in the next words Strengthens himselfe against the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roboravit fortem bellatorem conatur se praebere virum atque masculum in Deum se erigere insultare praesumpsit Contra omnipotentem se virum exhibuit Jun. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16.13 That is As the Originall imports who makes himselfe a strong Warrier and will shew his valour against the Almighty So Master Broughton He would be valiant against the Almighty Or as another translates to the letter of the Text He shews himselfe a man against the Almighty as if he had sayd This wicked man straines all the strength he hath to shew himselfe a man of his hands or to play the man against God The Apostle useth that word in reference to temptation Play the men or quit your selves like men Saints play the man against Satan wicked ones play the man against God he strengthens himselfe against God But how What doth the wicked man to strengthen himselfe Doth he gather Armies lay in Ammunition fortifie Cities and Castles Doth he thus strengthen himselfe against the Almighty All these are no strength against God and this is not the way the wicked man takes to strengthen himselfe against God how then Hee strengthens himselfe against God by hardening his heart by stopping his eares by setting his face by debauching his conscience against the call and command of God Thus He strengthens himselfe against the Almighty Before we had the word God the strong God here the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word in the Hebrew signifies not onely one that hath great power But First All power Shaddai is he that hath power to doe all things Omnipotency is one of the incommunicable Attributes of God Qui omnia potest All the power of man is of his giving but he
hath not given all power to any man no nor to all men Onely Christ as Mediator or God-man hath all power given to him It is not the will of God to doe all that is in his power but it is in his power to doe whatsoever he will If the wicked mans power were such what worke would he make If he could doe as much as himselfe pleaseth he would doe nothing which should please either God or good men Qui sibi sufficit nullius ope indiget nullis externis armis aut munimentis Secondly The word signifieth such a one as hath a sufficiency in himselfe to doe what he will God needeth not to goe out for any ayde or call in the assistance of any creature Shaddai is the Originall of power he hath all his power layd up in his owne compasse and his compasse is infinitenesse he is selfe sufficient Some Princes thinke they have power enough to doe what they will but they must doe it with other mens hands Though they have a civill power or authority to command all yet they have not a naturall power strength or ability to execute all God hath both these powers he hath absolute authority to command all to serve and help him and he hath such an absolute ability that he needs none to serve or helpe him He that made the World alone what cannot he doe alone God calls for our helpe that we may have the honour of it not that hee hath any want of it Qui sufficit omnibus aliis Thirdly Shaddai is he who hath not onely enough for himselfe but for all others the five wise Virgins had Oyle in their Lamps and they had enough for themselves but they had none to spare they could not furnish the five foolish Virgins But the Lord God Almighty hath strength and wisedome for all that come to him and call upon him As he is selfe-sufficient so he is all-sufficient his Ocean can quickly fill all our empty Vessells and his treasury supply and beare all our charges This Almighty God who hath power to doe what he pleaseth who hath all this power in himselfe and who hath power enough to give out to all that need and aske it of him this is the Almighty against whom the wicked man strengthens himselfe Hence Observe First That the heart of man is very busie to arme against God As when a people are threatned with an invasion they then strengthen themselves they lay in their Provisions of Warr and get Forces in a readinesse even thus doth the heart of man Man hath three usuall wayes of strengthening himselfe against the Almigty First By carnall pleas and reasonings He pretends reason for what he doth and hee strengthens himselfe against all that God saith by reason he sets up reason against that Law which is the quintessence of reason and will not be madd but by reason such as it is and that is such as he is a madd one These reasonings are the strong holds spoken of by the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.5 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God As the weapons of this warfare are not carnall but spirituall so the strong holds which these cast downe are not corporeall but carnall they are not made of Stones and Timber of Earth or Iron but of the subtiltyes slights excuses subterfuges and arguings of fleshly minded men All which the Apostle wraps up in the latter words calling them imaginations or ratiocinations and high things that is such things as are formed in the high and proud conceits of the creature exalting it selfe against the sound and saving knowledge of God Such as these First Others doe so Secondly Great ones doe so Thirdly This is the custome of the World Fourthly If I should not doe so I should dishonour yea and undo my selfe And why should I refraine what others doe or what would be my owne undoing No reason for any of these Thus he strengthens himselfe against the Almighty his reason such as it is will beare him out Secondly He strengthens himselfe against God upon presumption of mercy from God why may not I doe thus God hath mercy for sinners why not for me though I sin The Apostle cautions the Ephesians Chap. 5.6 against such presumptions Let no man deceive you with vaine words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the Children of disobedience It is good to plead mercy to strengthen Faith that sin committed shall be pardoned but woe be to those who plead mercy to strengthen themselves in the committing of sin Thirdly Others strengthen themselves against the Almighty with hopes of worldly gaine and they incourage themselves in an evill matter with promises of good Wee shall finde all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoyle cast in thy Lot among us let us all have one Purse Thus Solomon personates the inticements of sinners Prov. 1.13 14. As a gracious heart strengthens it selfe for God First By the promises of God Secondly By the experiences which himselfe or others have had of Gods dispensations Thirdly By considering the nature of God how gracious how good how powerfull how faithfull he is Fourthly By remembring his relations to God he is my Father my King c. Shall I not venture to doe or suffer for him Now I say as a gracious heart strengthens it selfe for the Lord or as the Apostle adviseth Ephes 6.10 Grows strong in the Lord and in the power of his might putting on the whole Armour of God So a wicked heart strengthens it selfe against the Lord or grows strong against the Lord and the power of his might yea of his Almightinesse putting on the whole Armour of the Devill that he may be able to stand against all the encounters of the Word and of his owne conscience For as the Word of God and the graces of the spirit are the Armour and weapons by which the Saints strengthen themselves against Satan so carnall reasonings and the lusts of the flesh are the Armour and weapons by which wicked men strengthen themselves against God A wicked mans chiefe care is to fortifie and incourage his lusts to put warme cloaths to his sinfull heart and make it stout against God Sin begins with turning the heart from God and sin ends in turning the heart against God The first step in sin is a neglect of God the second step is contempt of God the third and last is a Warr with God He strengthens himselfe for the Battell against the Almighty Secondly Observe Sin runs us against reason and causeth us to act not onely wickedly but foolishly Is it not folly and madnesse for weaknesse to contend with Omnipotency When a sinner hath strengthned himselfe the best he can the very weaknesse of God as the Apostle speaks is stronger then he What
Doctrine is the purity of it and the sincerity of prayer is the purity of it Job did not boast his prayer pure without infirmity but he did professe it pure without hypocrisie Yet besides this casting out of hypocrisie there are diverse ingredients to be taken in towards the composition of a pure prayer of which I shall touch more distinctly by and by We read in the Institutes of the Ceremoniall Law of pure Myrrhe of pure Frankincense of pure Oyle of pure Incense all which concurred to pure worship among the Jewes and typed out all pure worship both among Jewes and Gentiles of the latter the Lord saith Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the Sun unto the going downe of the same my name shall be called upon among the Gentiles and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering This pure offering Job intends when he saith My prayer is pure Under these two There is no injustice in my hand and my prayer is pure Job conteines the whole duty of man both to God and to man Here is Justice comprehending the dutyes of the second Table His duobus membris utramque tabulam complectitur Merc. and Prayer comprehending the duties of the first Table Thus Job was compleat in all the will of God and had respect to all his Commandements And thus he verified Gods testimony of him Chap. 1.1 and approved himselfe to be A man perfect and upright fearing God and eschewing evill which is the whole duty of man From the words in generall Observe First Man hath great support in bearing afflictions from the witnesse which his heart gives of his owne integrity 'T is matter of wonder that ever Job should beare so many burdens and endure breach upon breach till wee remember that though he had many breaches upon his body and estate yet he had none upon his conscience Indeed his spirit had breaches by way of tryall and temptation from God but it had none by way of disobedience against God The spirit of a man saith Solomon will sustaine his infirmities Prov. 18.14 There are two sorts of infirmities First Sinfull infirmities such are impatience doubtings deadnesse of heart and vanity of thoughts Secondly Penall or painefull infirmities such as are poverty sicknesse diseases or any outward crosse whatsoever These latter are the infirmities which Solomon meanes and these the spirit of a man will sustaine even while his flesh or body sinks under them Yet here spirit is not taken meerely in opposition to bodily or materiall flesh though the spirit under that Physicall notion is able to beare much more then the body can but as spirit is opposed to spirituall and sinfull flesh that is to a carnall corrupt minde The spirit of a man furnished with grace supported with the favour of God and the testimony of a good conscience will sustaine all his infirmities that is cause him to beare with much not onely patience but courage and cheerfulnesse the heaviest burdens of affliction which eyther the wisedome of God doth or the malice of man can lay upon him Holinesse makes the weake strong and the strong like Giants to endure all shocks of trouble and hardship A whole skin feeles no smart though you bath it with brine and if a man have a sound conscience if his spirit be not galled and raw he is able to stand at any time and sometimes to rejoyce in the saltest waters of worldly sorrow For though he be not as was shewed before senslesse of or without outward smart yet having no inward smart which is the worst smart hee is above it The paines and wants of the body are almost lost and swallowed up in the comforts and enjoyments of the minde A wounded spirit who can beare A spirit unwounded what can it not beare He that hath no injustice in his hands hath much peace in his heart and while our prayer is pure our spirits will not be much troubled in any of our troubles Secondly Observe It is possible to live without any knowne sin Job knew of no injustice in his hand nor was he conscious of any impurity in his prayer The Apostle John writes to Saints of all Ages and Statures under the title of His little Children not to sin 1 John 2.1 And in that he doth not only admonish them of what they ought not to doe but of what they might attain not to doe For though he that saith he hath no sin deceives himselfe and sins in saying so 1 Joh. 1.9 yet it may be sayd of some without sin and they in Jobs case may say it of themselves without sin that they sin not The best Saints have and know they have sin in their natures and sin in their lives yea and sometimes they fall into great sins yet such a degree of holinesse is attaineable in this life that a man may be sayd not to sin For then in a Gospell sense we are sayd not to sin when we cast off and are free from all grosse and scandalous sins and doe both carefully avoyd and make conscience of the least and the most secret sin Zacharie and Elizabeth Luke 1.16 were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse that is They did not live in any open or knowne sin they lived so that no man could blame them or bring any just complaint against them eyther in matters of morality which seeme to be meant in the word Commandement or in matters of worship which seeme to be meant by the word Ordinance And when I speak of not living in any knowne sin I meane not onely that Saints may rise so high as not to live in any sin which the World takes notice of but they may yea and often doe arrive at that hight of holinesse not to live in any sin knowne to themselves if once a true Beleever discovers sin he cannot owne it much lesse live in it be it injustice or wrong towards men be it any fayling in the worship and service of God he will not suffer it to lodge with him He that hath grace in his heart cannot live with injustice in his hand there is an inconsistence between these two a life of grace and to live in sin Sin may be much alive in him that hath grace but he cannot live in sin he may be often tempted to the act of it and sometimes possibly overtaken with it yet he cannot live in it He cannot keep injustice in his hand nor frame an impure prayer in his heart A good man may doe an act of injustice but he continues not unjust he restores what he hath taken unjustly from men and repents before the Lord but usually he is not conscious to himselfe of doing unjustly towards men If a Laban one with whom hee hath had converse and dealing twenty yeares together should come and search his house he is able to say to him as honest Jacob did to his Uncle
lives in any knowne sinne unrepented of Secondly That which is unquiet and unsetled about the pardon of those sins which we have repented of We should get both these evil consciences but especially the first cured and removed by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ before we draw nigh to God in prayer as also our bodies washed in pure water which is either an allusion to the old Ceremonies among the Jewes who before they came to worship at the Tabernacle purged themselves with diverse outward washings leading them to the consideration of that morall puritie both of heart and life in which God is to be worshipped or it is an allusion to Baptisme in speciall in which there is an externall washing of the body signifying the washing of the soule by the blood of Christ and by the effectuall working of the spirit The sum of all is unlesse the person be pure his prayer is not pure These are the ingredients which constitute pure prayer all these met in Job and therefore he concluded not onely confidently but truely My prayer is pure And as these are the ingredients of prayer so they are all necessary ingredients so necessary that if any one of them be wanting the whole prayer is impure They are necessary by a double necessity First As commanded by God in prayer Secondly As meanes without which man cannot attaine his end in prayer The generall end of prayer is that prayer may be heard accepted and answered God heares accepts answers no one prayer without some concurrence of all these The Incense of the Ceremoniall Law was a shadow of prayer which is so great a duty of the morall Law But if this Incense had not been made exactly according to the will of God both for the matter and the manner of the composition prescribed Exod. 30.34 35 36. If after it had been thus made it had not also been offered according to those rules given Levit. 16.12 13. it had been an abomination to the Lord or as the Prophet Isaiah speaks Chap. 66.3 Such a burning of Incense had been but as the blessing of an Idol We may conclude also That if prayer be either composed or presented in any other way then God himselfe hath directed it is not onely turned away but turned into sin That man hath spoken a great word who can say in Jobs sense My prayer is pure Thus Job justifies the prayer he made to God and mainetaines his justice towards men There is no injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure A high profession yet in the next words he goes higher and makes both an imprecation against himselfe if it were not thus with him and an appeale to God for his testimony that it was thus with him JOB CHAP. 16. Vers 18 19. O Earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place Also now behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high JOB having with much confidence asserted the integrity of his heart and the righteousnesse of his way both towards God and Man confirmes what he had thus confidently asserted by a double Argument First By a vehement imprecation Vers 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place Secondly By a free appeale an appeale to God himselfe Vers 19. Also now behold my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high He shewes the necessity of this appeale Vers 20. My Freinds scorne me therefore I am constrained to goe to God When men have done us wrong and will not doe us right it is both time and duty to appeale to God Upon this ground Job appeales Est juramenti deprecatorii forma quo asseverat nullius sibi iniquitatis consâ—ium esse Aben. Ezra and he concludes according to our translation his appeale with a passionate yet holy wish Vers 21. O that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleadeth for his Neighbour The reason both of his appeale and wish is given us further Vers 22. he looked on himselfe as a man standing upon the very confines of death the Grave was ready for him therefore hee beggs that this businesse might be dispatched and his integrity cleared before hee dyed Hee was loath to goe out of the World like a Candle burnt downe to the Socket with an ill savour He that hath lived unstained in his reputation cannot well beare it to dye with a blot and therefore he will be diligent by all due meanes to maintaine the credit which he hath got and to recover what he hath lost This was the reason of Jobs importunity discovered in these two Verses now further to be opened Vers 18. O earth cover not thou my blood and let my cry have no place There are two branches of this imprecation or rather these make two distinct imprecations The first in these words O earth cover not thou my blood The second in these Let my cry have no place Job engages all upon the truth of what he had sayd being willing that his worst might be seen and his best not heard if he had not spoken truth O earth cover not thou my blood Poeticum sane patheticum in dolore aut re alia gravissima res mutas mortuasve omni sensu audituque carentes testes auditores compellare Job speaks pathetically or as some render him Poetically while he bespeakes the earth and makes the inanimate creature his hearer The sacred Pen-men doe often turne their speech to the Heavens and to the Earth Thus Moses Deut. 32.2 in the Preface of his Sermon his last Sermon to that people Give eare O yee Heavens and I will speak and hear O earth the words of my mouth So the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 1.2 Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me God speaks to that which hath no eares to heare eyther to reprove those who have eares but heare not or to raise up and provoke their attention in hearing Thus Job O earth c. as if the earth were able to take his complaint and returne an answer as if the earth were able to make inquisition and bring in a verdict about his blood O earth cover not thou my blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit abscondit The word signifies not onely common but a twofold metaphoricall covering First Covering by way of dissimulation to dissemble a matter is to cover a matter In that sense Solomon speakes Prov. 12.16 A fooles wraâ—h is presently knowne but a prudent man covereth shame that is He dissembleth his wrath or his anger he will not let it alway break forth for that would be a shame to him Secondly The word signifies to cover by forgetfulnesse That which is not remembred is hid or covered Eccles 6.4 He commeth in with vanity speaking of man and departeth in darknesse and his name shall be covered with darknesse that
spoke my conscience and the truth The Jewes accused Christ falsely yet called for his blood upon their heads therefore God gave them their wicked wish and they lye under the weight of this imprecation to this very day they prayed that the blood of Christ might be upon them and it is upon them As God poures the blood of Christ upon some in mercy so upon others in wrath The blood of Christ is upon Beleevers to wash and cleanse them from their sins but the blood of Christ hath been upon the Jewes to condemne and scatter them as a vile people all the World over for their sin The Lord hath been most exact in answering this cry even in the very place where they made it The History of the Jewes reports that about thirty eight years after this dreadfull curse upon themselves Herod called the Jewes together and demanded a summ of Money of them for making a water-course which they refusing to give he sent for Souldiers to come secretly armed who slew great multitudes of them in that place where they cryed Let his blood be upon us c. At another time Florus who was Generall of the Common Souldiers made a second and that a more bloody massacre of them there And when Jerusalem was taken by Vespasian the blood of Christ was powred upon the heads of many hundred thousands who were slaine by Fire and Sword Famine and Pestilence besides more then seven thousand of them who were led Captive And the Story informes us further that Caesar sold the younger and common sort of those Captives at that contemptible rate of thirty a penny as they or their Fathers sold Christ for thirty pence so by the just judgement of God thirty of them were sold for a penny There was never any people in the World who tasted more justly or more deeply of that cup of self-cursing then the Jews have done yet many persons have tasted deeply of it too besides the Jewes This sin hath so much not only of wickednesse but boldnesse in it that God never lets it goe altogether unpunished though being repented of it may be pardoned Master Perkins in his Booke of the right government of the tongue touching upon this point tels us of certaine English Souldiers in the time of King Edward the sixth who were cast upon the French shore by a storme in which stresse they went to prayer that they might be delivered but one Souldier in stead of praying cryed out Gallowes take thy right or claime thy due and when hee came home he was hanged indeed Master Fox in his Booke of Acts and Monuments hath a notable example to this purpose of one John Peters Keeper of Newgate who was wont at every ordinary thing he spoke whether it were true or false it made with him no great matter to averr it with this imprecation if it be not so I pray God I may rot before I dye and so it came to passe I might give many such instances of rash imprecations which God hath followed with severest vengeance I shall add one more which is fresh in the memory of many yet living of a Gentleman of quality a Knight Sir Gervaise Ellowayes that suffered at the Tower-hill about the death of Sir Thomas Overburie who confessed it was just with God that hee should undergoe that ignominious death for oft in Gaming sayd he I have used this wish I pray God I be hanged if it be not so I wil conclude this point with a neerer instance A Woman who accidentally came into the Congregation while this word was Preached did afterwards by writing certifie me that shee being convinced in conscience of her sin in wishing evill upon her selfe thereby to cover a sin which shee had committed but denyed did feele the sad effects of it according to her wish begging earnest prayers that it might be forgiveâ— her and that God would be entreated to take off his hand Let those wretches heare and feare and doe no more so presumptuously who feare not to wish The Devill take them and God damne them lest indeed God let the Devill loose upon them and take them at their word And here it may be observed that such as are most guilty are most apt to imprecate vengeance upon themselves that they may appeare guiltlesse They have no way left to perswade others that they are good or have not done evill but by wishing evill to themselves Such is the stupidity of a misled conscience that when it is deepest in sin it dares defie Gods justice to gaine an opinion among men of its owne innocency O earth cover not thou my bloood More particularly Observe Great sins bloody sins especially this sin of shedding innocent blood shall not passe undiscovered God will give a tongue to the earth he will make speechlesse creatures speak rather then blood shall be concealed Blood may be concealed a long time but blood shall not alwayes be concealed Gen. 4.7 What hast thou done The voyce of thy Brethers blood cryeth to me from the ground The blood had no voyce and the ground was silent blood hath no more voyce of its owne then water hath or then a Fish that lives in the water hath these did not speake formally but the Lord speakes thus to shew that hee will certainely bring bloody sins chiefely the sin of blood to light The justice of God in all Ages hath sent out his Writ of enquirie after bloody men and for the blood of the innocent Psal 9.12 When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the poore But doth not the Lord make inquisition for all sin Or is there any sin that God doth not enquire after Surely no there was never any sin committed in the World but the Lord inquired hath after it sin shal not be lost God wil finde it out and keep it upon record But when it is sayd God makes inquisition for blood it argues the greatnesse of that sin For while that act of God which extendeth to every sin is appropriated to some one particular sin it is an argument that God takes speciall noâ—ice of it or that it is a very provoking sin Though God makes inquisition for all sin yet as if he would let all other sins passe unsought and un enquired after it is sayd onely of this sin that he makes inquisition for it we finde not the like expression about any other particular sin in all the Book of God though it be a truth that hee enquires for all sin Thirdly Observe O earth cover not thou my blood Innocency feares no discovery Come who will Angels from Heaven Devils from Hell Men on Earth let all creatures be summoned into one Jury of grand Inquest an innocent person will neyther run nor hide his head for it He whose heart beares witnesse with him feares no witnesse that can be brought against him While conscience acquits the matter is not much who accuseth
of the unrighteousnesse of man And then he shall though too late abhor himselfe for ever There hath been a dispute whether the sins of Beleevers shall be opened at that day but there is no question but the sins of Unbeleevers shall and that not onely to shame them but to punish and torment them yea possibly the sight of sin will be a greater torment to them then all their other torments and to be led about as the Prophet was in reference to others from one uncleane roome of their hearts to another there to behold all the abominations of their hearts will be the very pit of Hell O how abominable and as it followes in the Text. Filthy is Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Putridus foetidus graveolentus translatio a carnibus rancidis non despumatis Drus Pagninus existimat deduci a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rubigo ollae Spuma excrementum The word is derived from a root that signifies corrupt rotten putrified the scum of a Pot the rust of Mettalls the dunge or excrement of man and beasts there are no words filthy enough to expresse the filthinesse of man The word is found but three times as some observe in the Scripture in this construction and in all of them it is applyed to shew the abominable wickednesse of Man the first place is this of Job it is found also Psal 14.3 Psal 53.3 Which Psalmes are most pregnant descriptions of the corrupt state of man as if this were a word pickt out on purpose as a glasse to shew man his face and naturall complexion in There is a second translation of the word which gives more light to this How much more abominable and unprofitable is man One word signifies filthy and unprofitable because that which is corrupt and filthy â—â—â—â—lis Vulg. â—â—x putrida sunt inutilia suâ— is also unprofitable and unfit for use It is an extreame debasement unto man that he is unprofitable so filthy that he is good for nothing The Apostle puts thse together Tit. 1.16 Abominable disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate that is unfit for every good worke We may say of man in this sense as the Prophet Ezek. 15.3 doth of the Vine Sonne of man what is the Vine tree more then another tree excellent to yeeld Wine but in the third Verse we have another answer Shall wood be taken thereof to doe any worke or will men make a pin of it to hange any Vessell thereon will you build a house of Vine Timber or will you so much as make a Pin of it The Vine is not fit to make a Pin of thus we may say of a carnall man he is unprofitable Qui sibi nequam est cui usui bonus est will the Lord use him in any worke no he is reprobate to every good worke will he serve the Lords turne so much as to make a Pin of That is is he profitable for the least service No he is not He is also like the Corne growing upon the house top whereof The Reaper filleth not his hand nor he that binds up the Sheaves his bosome The reason why man appeares thus filthy is because he deales so much with filth and he is thus unfit to doe any good because he is continually doing evill as it followes in the last clause of this Verse Which drinketh iniquity like water Will you know what declares man abominable and filthy in the sight of God It is not his poverty his sicknesse his raggs or any externall defilement nothing but sinne makes him so He drinkes in iniquity like water this makes him as filthy as the dirt and mire he treads upon or as the vomit and dunge which he casteth out Hence Note in generall Sin and sin onely makes man abominable and filthy in the sight of God nothing can defile the soule but sin though a man be cloathed with filthy garments though his skin be over-run with filthy sores though he lye in a stinking Channel yet the Lord will not say he is abominable or filthy in these respects for even in such a state or at such a time Christ may have taken him in his armes and kissed him with the kisses of his lips But though he goe cloathed in Scarlet though he lye in a bed of Ivory and is perfumed with all the spices of Arabia yet sin makes him filthy and abominable in the eye of the Lord. Secondly Observe The multiplyed acts of sin are an evidence that man is habitually sinfull or that he is abominable and filthy He that doth righteousnesse is righteous and he that doth unrighteousnesse is unrighteous If man were not filthy he could not drinke iniquity that is feed upon and delight in sin which is but filthinesse This expression of mans sinfulnesse is further considerable he doth not onely commit iniquity but hee drinkes iniquity and he doth not sip at it but hee drinkes it like water Elihu speaks thus Job 34.7 What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water and so doth Solomon Prov. 26.6 Hee that sends a message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage that is he shall have dammage enough a full draught of it his belly-full of it by sending such an empty-headed messenger upon his errand So to drinke iniquity and to drinke it like water is to doe aboundance of iniquity I shall give seven observations which will discover the intendment of this manner of speaking and draw out the meaning of He drinks iniquity like water First thus Men naturally hath a strong appetite or desire to sin Mans naturall desire is to nothing else but sin Drinking implyes appetite a man doth not drink ordinarily till he is thirsty And though Drunkards have sometimes no thirst yet they have alwayes a strong desire to drink Sinfull man is a thirst for and desires the drafts of sin Ephes 4.19 He commits iniquity with greedinesse which is a Metaphor taken from eating and drinking And because man hath not a greater desire after any thing then to drinke therefore it is gone to a Proverbe among us when we would shew our willingnesse to doe a thing we say We will doe it as willingly as to drink when we are a thirst Such is the bent of man to sin that he hath no more reluctance to commit it then the thirsty man hath to drink He thirsteth after it as vehemently as David did after God Psal 42.2 My soule thirsteth for God for the living God as the Hartpanteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God Or againe the heart of man thirsteth after the waters of iniquity as David thirsted after the waters of the well of Bethlem who will give me to drink of the waters of the Well of Bethlem At which word some of his mighty men brake through the whole Host of the Enemy to fetch that water When man thirsts for this water of iniquity his owne heart or hand
will breake through all oppositions through Lawe through conscience through counsell through an host of threatnings armed against him through judgements inflicted on him he will breake through all these that he may have a draught of his beloved iniquity-water Secondly To drinke notes a strong desire so pleasure and content and where there is a great deale of desire there is also much content and pleasure in drinking Hence observe That it is a very pleasant thing to a carnall man to sin he drinkes iniquity not onely like water but in this sense like the sweetest Wine a draught of sin is the onely Merry-goe-downe to a carnall man A drunkard likes his drinke well but he likes his drunkennesse better His liquor is sweet to him but O how sweet is the satisfying of his lust When he hath his desire he is pleased when he is frustrated of his desire he is sullen and like Ahab when he could not obtaine Naboaths Vineyard he is displeased and refuses as he did to eate bread because he cannot have this water of iniquity to drink Thirdly Consider the easinesse of it to drink is no hard labour hence we speake proverbially I can do◠such a thing as easily as I can drinke there are no bones in drink Good liquor we say also needs no chewing Besides it is easie to drink because it is naturall to drink Children have no Tutors to teach them to drink Againe to drink water is easie because we may get it easily water is not kept under Lock and Key but in the common Storehouses or Cellars of nature Hence Note A naturall man sins with ease it is no paine to him to sin Sin is not easie in the effects so it leaves us in Little-ease q.d. Facillimè laxatis conscientiae habenis in omnia omnis generis scelera se dat praecipitem Bold paine and sorrow enough are the fruits of it but it is easie in the act of it it is to a wicked heart as easie as to drinke water which is every way easie For first Sin is a common thing every where to be had sin may be found like water in every Ditch sin also is like those waters which flow naturally you need not pumpe for it or fetch it up with Buckets Secondly No man needs be taught to sin children learne that lesson and till the spirit of God teach them they cannot unlearne it without a Schoole-master Thirdly Most sins in the act of them have little labour or difficulty in them Psal 50.20 Quasi per in curiam otium quasi nihil agens Thou sattest and spakest against thy Mothers Son A man may both speake and doe evill while he sits still and doth nothing an idle posture may serve the turne for such work as that Fourthly Water is but small drinke water hath little pleasure in it and lesse strength in it And therefore when Christ would shew that the lowest courtesie or charity done to one of his shall be highly esteemed by him he saith Whosoever shall give to drinke unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple he shall not loose his reward Matth. 10.42 Hence Observe Man will sin upon very easie tearmes and smallest considerations Though there be little got by it though he get but a draught of water by it though his sin bring him in scare any thing of advantage yet sin he will the act of sinning pleaseth some more then the consequence or gaine of sin They care not much whether it be water or Wine which they drinke Eo improbitatis evadit impius ut vel solo peccati impietatis nomine nulla praeterea mercede proposita peccato inserviat so it be iniquity which they drinke As the Saints in a height of holinesse will doe good though they doe themselves little good or get no outward advantage by it They resolve to do good for good sake the duty abstractly considered or the act it selfe is the thing that pleaseth them so to a naturall man the very committing of sin satisfieth him more then the outward Income or Revenue of his sin He doth evill for evill sake and serves his lust for love not for wages Fifthly Drinking is a frequent act a temperate man drinkes every day and often every day healthy men eate often and most men drink oftner then they eate So that to drinke iniquity hints also the frequency of committing iniquity Hence Observe A carnall heart sins often He sins and sins hee cannot but sin Inveteratum ac inseparabilem peccandi habitum consuetudinem denotat it is a continuall yea a continued act he hath never done he is like the Drunkard that must alwayes be tipling Or like the covetous man who is alwaies having and the more he hath the more he desires to have Covetousnesse is a dry drunkennesse and drunkennesse is a wet covetousnesse both returne often upon the same acts and so doth every sinner naturally He cannot cease from sin as the Apostle Peter speakes Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill and that continually The cup of iniquity is never from his mouth Sixtly To drink iniquity like water notes not onely the frequency of sinning but the abundance of sinning they take great draughts of sin who drinke iniquity like water Such as are accustomed to drink water in many places it is the common drink such I say drink more then men usually doe of Wine or strong drinke first because Wine and artificiall liquors are costly but you may drinke water good cheape and none will grutch you Secondly Water is not strong nor vaporous it doth not burden the braine like your heady liquors Now though iniquity be somewhat unlike water in both these respects for to some their sins are costly enough at present and they will cost all very deare except they repent of them before at the day of reckoning sin also flyes up into the braine and doth as much besot as defile the soule Now I say though sin be thus unlike water yet the naturall man drinkes it like water he takes in and sends out abundance of it what cares he what it costs him or how it besots him neither the present distemperings of it nor the after reckonings for it trouble him Seventhly Eating and drinking are the support of nature by these the body is maintained in life now as the body of nature is maintained by eating and drinking Perbibisti iniquitatem ita visceribus immiscuisti ut nisi cum ipsis exire non possit Sen. lib. P. de ira so the body and life of sin the corrupt state and strength of man are maintained by the continuall actings of sin The old Adam is nourished by these waters of iniquity We say in nature wee are nourished by that out of which we are made that which is the matter of our constitution is the matter of our nutrition so in this