suffer us a little we will not burthen you much There are two things of admirable use in speaking First Brevity Secondly Perspicuity 'T is true that they that strive to be short prove very obscure yet doubtless 't is no very hard thing in most matters to joyn perspicuity with brevity and to give a clear sense in a few words And though it be a truth That when we have said much of God and of the things of God we have said but little yea that when we have spoken our all there remains infinitely more to be spoken yet we should as much as may be aim at brevity especially where the Person spoken to is weak and unfitted by bodily indispositions to hear much Suffer me a little And I will shew thee c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amplam et susiorem rei elucidationem et declarationem importat Bold That is I will make all plain to thee I will give thee a full declaration of my mind and I hope of the truth I will set all before thee that so upon a â—eview thou mayest the easier apprehend my sense and give thy sentence about it Day unto day uttereth speech saith David Psal 19.2 and night unto night sheweth knowledge 'T is this word and it notes a very plain and evident manifestation of that which is offered to be known the very night carrieth a light in it concerning the glory of God I will shew thee That I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Dativus verba addities indicat honorem et cultum loqui Deo est non solum pro Deo defendendo sed etiam honorificando sermonem assumere Bold Some read for God or to God that is for the glory of God or to the honour of God in the clearing up of his righteousness against those blemishes which thy speech if not intentionally yet consequentially hath cast upon it I will speak that which may both convince thee and justifie God The Original Text strictly is thus I will shew thee that there are yet words for God that is I will make it appear that many things more may be said and proved in pursuance of this Poynt for thy further humiliation under the mighty hand of God and for the Lords vindication in all his dealings with thee I speak for God Nor was this a meer pretence Quia saepe arrogantes sibi sentium silentii reverentiam non deberi Domini non nunquam potentiam de quo quasi loquuntur insinuant c. Greg. in Loc. or a vain boast as I find some Expositers I conceive very causelesly charging Elihu as if here he published a zeal to speak for God that he might gain applause or draw a reverence upon himself in what he had to speak Some 't is granted have câ—yed up the Name of God when they closely aimed at their own But doubtless Elihu was honest and plain hearted when he said that what he had to say was for God as he pretended so he was really for God I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Hence Observe First It is a mans honour as well as his duty to be an Advocate for God As it is mans comfort his choicest comfort that God hath pâ—ovided an Advocate for him that he hath found out one to speak to himself in our behalf namely Jesus Christ so it is both the duty and honour of man to be an Advocate for God For if First it be a great honour to know God and to have God made known to us He hath not dealt so with any Nation as he dealt with the Jews in giving them the knowledge of his mind and as for his Judgements they have not known them Psal 147.20 Secondly If it be a greater honour to believe and obey according to what we know then Thirdly When we know when we believe and obey our greatest honour of all is to plead for and stand up in Gods behalf to undertake being called the defence of his truth and of his wayes to contend earnestly for the Faith once by God delivered to the Saints which is indeed the only good contention Paul saith Phil. 1.17 I am set for the defence of the Gospel Paul was a Champion ready to cope and buckle with all comers for Christ or the Gospel and therefore at the 20th verse of the same Chapter he saith the great thing he lookt after was That Jesus Christ might be magnified in his body whether by life or by death There are three wayes whereby we appear as Advocates on Gods behalf First By saying or arguing Secondly By doing or practising Thirdly By enduring and suffering and by all Christ is magnified in our body the two former wayes by life the latter by death or by that which bears the Image of it There 's noâ—hing needs a fuller measure of defence for God than the Truth of God and we never stand up so fully on Gods behalf as when we stand for his Truth though â—ur selves fall To speak and do on Gods behalf is most for our own behoof though we get but small fees or wages yea though we lose our all in this world for such speaking and doing I could wish there were not too much cause of complaint that God hath not many to speak on his behalf and that Christ Jesus our great our only Advocate with God hath few Advocates among men When God as it were calls to us Who is on my side who Truly there are but few that will appear for him that is for Truth for Holiness for holy Worship few appear for these things when differences arise about them The corrupt part of the world in any Age will not and the better part are not so free as they ought to speak and appear in such Cases on Gods behalf The world saith St. John in the Revelation wondred after the Beast he cannot want Advocates who hath so many Admirers But as the Admirers so the Advocates of the Lamb are not many they are only a sealed a selected Company We can be very warm in speaking in our own Cause and on our own behalf but how cold and dead-hearted are we when we come to speak in the behalf of God! what a sad withdrawing is there from that duty God stands up often on the behalf of his People and owns them in their need yet few own God or the Truth of God when there is most need Remember as it is our honour so our duty to speak on Gods behalf and they will come to a bad reckoning at last both for their doings and speakings for the work both of hand and tongue who have done and spoken much in their own behalf and little or nothing on Gods Again As Elihu makes this an Argument to provoke Job to hear him patiently Note They that speak for God ought to have audience It is an Argument commanding attention to say I speak from God or for God As when the Lord himself speaks all ought
of prophane spirits usually dye in their youth and are cut off in the Flower of their Age. They who multiply their sins substract from their dayes and they have least gâ—ound of hope to live long who live ill As bloody so deceitful men such are hypocrites in heart shall not live out half their dayes They who live not out half their dayes dye in youth That also is the meaning of Eliphaz Chap. 15.32 where he saith The wicked man shall have his recompence before his time as also when he saith Chap. 22.16 They were cut down out of time that is before the ordinary time of cutting man down by Death was come And therefore I answer Secondly they die in youth needs not be taken in that strictness as importing that they die before they come to mens estate but only that they die before the common time of dying To die in youth signifieth any immature death or when death cometh suddainly upon any they may be said to die in youth Thus here they die in youth that is some immature or suddain death overtakes them they come to an hasty or untimely end they prolong not their dayes on earth Thirdly this dying in youth may refer to the hypocrites unpreparedness or unfitness to die Unprepared persons may be said to die in youth because youths or younger men aâ—e usually unprepared to die Hence that serious memento or warning given them Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Young men are commonly so unprepared to die that whosoever die unprepared may be said to die in youth yea though they die in old age they die infants I may say at least in alusion to that of the Prophet possibly it may be a proof of what I say Isa 65.20 An old man that hath not filled his dayes by being good and doing good dieth a child As a child may be said to die an hundred years old when he dies full of grace so a man of an hundred years old may be said to die a child an infant when he hath no grace for though he hath been long in the world yet he can hardly be said to have lived at all So then how long soever the hypocrite in heart hath had a being on the earth and a breathing in the air he alwayes dieth in youth or before his time Moritur cum Juventa Jun. Ponitur ב pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut cap. 9.26 Psal 143.7 Pisc Aeque morientur pari judicio Dei conterentur atque juveniles illi animi qui proterve obnituntur Deo palam ad omne flagitium projecti sunt Jun. Vt hic vita mori dicitur sic Authores Latini dicunt vita vivere vitam vivere vita moritur cum homo vitam cum morte commutat Drus Vita eorum suppleo ausertur Pisc Cum meritoriis Pisc Latini vacant cinaedos pathicos qui in concubitu libidinoso vice mulieris funguntur Id. because he hath not yet learned the way to eternal life There is yet another reading of the woâ—ds we say they die in youth that saith they die with youth or young men that is as dissolute deboyst vitious and riotous young men die so hypocrites die The hypocrite is opposed to the outwardly profane in his life but he shall be like him in his death As if Elihu had said look as vain voluptuous youths carnal youths or young men who give themselves up to their pleasures look as or how they die look what wrath is upon them when they die even so shall the hypocrites in heart die they die with the youth I shall touch this further upon the last clause where Elihu gives us this sence in other words and in words that more fully reach this sence for having said they die in or with youth he thus concludes And their life is among the unclean Here it may be queried forasmuch as he said before they die in youth how doth he here say Their life is among the unclean what life have they when dead I answer By their liâ—e we may understand that life which hypocrites in heart shall have after death which may be taken two wayes First for the life of the soul while the body remaines a consuming or consumed caâ—kass in the grave that life after death the life of their soules is among the unclean Secondly for the life which they shall have after the resurrection of their bodies that will be among the unclean too Some translate the words thus Their life is taken away among the unclean we say their life is among the unclean The word is is not in the original text and we may make the supply by a word signifying to take away Their life is taken away among the unclean that is they shall die like the worst of sinners they shall make no better an end than the unclean and profane no better than the most foul and filthy Sodomites as the original imports For The word which we render unclean hath a double yea a contrary signification holy and unholy clean and unclean They who are holy onely in name are most unholy in heart and life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duo contraria signifiâ—at sanctura profanum pollutum scortatorem Recte simulatores effaeminatis comparat quia ex pravitate animi contingit quod homines sint simulatores est enim proprium magnanimi esse manifestum Aquin. The Scripture often by the same word expresseth things of utmost opposition so here he calleth those who are most unholy by a word which signifieth holiness the Hebrew saith their life is among the Sodomites Mr. Broughton translates and their life with fornicators Sodomites who are the most unclean and filthy sinners worse than fornicators are expressed by a word by this word which also signifieth holy or holy ones Deut. 23.17 There shall not be a Sodomites or an holy one among you and therefore as we read of Sodomites in the land who are sinners against the the law of nature 1 Kings 14.24 so according to that law of Moses we read 1 Kings 15.12 and Chapter 22.46 as also 2 Kings 23.7 of the destroying of the houses of the Sodomites and of the removing of Sodomites out of the land Sodomites being the most abominable of all unclean ones how unclean are they whose life is among them or whose life is taken away wiâ—h them The Spirit of God doth rightly compare hypocrites to Sodomites and filthy persons because it proceeds from the heat of some base lust or other that any are hypocrites 'T is proper to those who are magnanimous or of noble spirits to be open clear-hearted and ingenious Their life is with the unclean Hypocrites have a great affectation to be numbered among the clean and holy and possibly they have been or may be high in the opinion of men for holiness for very Sainâ—s But their life shall be among the Sodomites or the unclean It being a shame to
The Prophet saith concerning Ephraim Hos 7.9 Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not That is Enemies have swallowed up or taken away that wealth those riches they have subdued those Armies those Forces which he looked upon and boasted of as his strengâ—h they have broken him quite with Warrs Invasions yet Ephraim knew it not and not only so but as it followeth Yea Gray hairs are here and there upon him that is he hath many Symptomes or Signs or ruine and destruction yet he knoweth it not Grief of heart for great changes in our Estate change the hair many grow gray with sorrow So that when 't is said gray hairs are upon him 't is an allusion taken from the Body Natural to the Body Politick for as when the natural Body of a man hath gray hairs appearing or as Solomon allegorizeth Eccl. 12.5 when the Almond Tree flourisheth it is an argument that old Age and infirmities are coming upon him Gray hairs tell us that Death and the Grave are not farr off they signifie some decay of nature Now as the natural Body hath its gray hairs so a Politick Body the body of a State hath its gray hairs too that is somthing may come upon a State which sheweth that it is declining and waxing old that it is ready to break and go to the Grave I shall not stay to enquire what are the gray hairs of a Nation I only bring that Scripture to prove that many are insensible of the hand of God he visiteth in his anger yet man possibly a good man knoweth it not as Ephraim knew not of his gray hairs But did not Ephraim know his affliction or did not Job know his what is it to know or who may be said to know an affliction I answer they only know their afflictions or that God is visiting in his anger First who labour to find out the cause of Gods visitation If we feel the afflicting hand of God upon us and enquire not whence is this why is it so what hath moved or provoked the Lord to this manner of proceeding with us If I say we make not such enquiries we are visited in anger and know it not And therefore in that case the Prophet Jeremy exhorts the afflicted captivated Church of the Jewes in Babylon to search and try their wayes Lam. 3.41 that is to consider why it was so with them what was the cause of their captivity Till we sit down and make diligent search why we are visited why any affliction or calamity is upon our Persons and Families or upon the Kingdomes and Nations respectively where we live we know neither the day of our visitation nor what our visitation is Then only we know Gods visitation when we are studying the causes of it Scire est per causas scire To know a thing is to know it in the causes of it Secondly They may be said to know the visitation of the Lord that are studying as the cause which they have given so the ends and purposes which God hath in visiting them for how much soever we find and see the causes of an affliction yet till our hearts are drawn out to answer the ends of it we do not truly know it But you will say what are the usual ends which the Lord hath in afflicting his people I answer First to turn them from sin Secondly to unglew and wean them from the world Thirdly that they may live nearer to or more with him Fourthly that they may live more unto him or which takes in both the latter ends that they may enjoy him more while they live honour him more with their lives Now I say till we are upon this kind of study both of the causes of our visitation and the ends of it beg that we may both remove those causes comply with or answer those ends we may be said not to know the visitation of the Lord though it be and we are in great extremity And if this be to know the visitation of God surely many are perishing and sinking under the hand of his visitation wâ—â— yet know it not How many are there who neither endeavour to search out the causes nor to fulfil the ends for which the Lord visiteth them in his anger I conceive this assertion or supposition at least of Elihu's concerning Job both as to his not trusting God in his affliction and not knowing his visitation was though in part true and occasion'd on Jobs part yet over-harsh and severe nor was the inference which he made from it in the next verse less severe and harsh Vers 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain he multiplyeth words without knowledge Here 's the conclusion of Elihu's third Discourse with Job Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Some connect this verse with the former according to the first reading of it before mentioned that giving a reason of this But now his anger or he in anger hath visited thee but a little or nothing c. Therefore thou O Job openest thy mouth in vain As if he had said Because the anger of God hath not punished Job sharply enough nor in proportion to the multitude and greatness of his sins therefore he speaks thus boldly and rashly Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain To open the mouth is a Pariphrasis of speaking As if he had said therefore Job speaks in vain To speak in vain or to use vain words is to speak to little or no purpose as I have had occasion to shew upon other places of this Book Chap. 15.2 Chap. 16.3 and therefore shall not stay upon it here Job was no vain speaker he used to speak words of weight words of soberness and truth yet was overborn by passion though not to speak vain words in the matter yet to speak or open his mouth in vain Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Consider the Inference therefore that is First Because he doth not humble himself in a patient dependance upon God Secondly because he doth not as he ought duly take notice of the purpose of God in visiting him Thirdly because he seems more solicitous and zealous in defending his own right and credit than the honour and righteâ—usness of God for all these Reasons he openeth his mouth in vain that is he loseth his labour in all this discourse and might as we speak proverbially have saved his breath to cool his broth Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain Taking the Charge which Elihu brought against Job in the former verse to be well grounded and true we may Note All our complaints to and debates with God as also all our Apologies for our selves in affliction are fruitless and succesless till we give Glory to God and answer his purposes in laying his hand upon us Gratio vana sensus atque sapientiae inops tantum sonitu verborum querimoniarum clamosa Unless our hearts bow to
make our lives comfortable to us I answer Secondly This promise or promises of a like nature were fitted to the time wherein Elihu spake he spake of the times long before Christs appearing in the flesh when the Lord did as it were lead on his people very much by promises of temporal and outward prosperity of which the Scripture is more sparing in the new Testament where we are come to the fulness of Christ and the riches of the grace of God to us in him of which there is but liâ—tle comparatively spoken in the old Testament And therefore under that darker dispensation of spirituals the Lord saw it good to encourage that people to obedience by a multitude of very particular outward promises as we may read Deut. 28. He would bless their basket and their store the fruit of the field c. These promises were suted to the state of that under-age people who were led on and enticed by visible and sensible blessings as we do children with toyes and Gaudees and indeed all visible enjoyments are but such in comparison of spirituals Believers under the Gospel being come to a higher state to fuller attainments the promises made to them run not much in that channel yet it cannot be denied that the Gospel also holds out promises for temporals as well as the Law and this latter dispensation of the Covenant as well as the former hath provided sufficiently for our outward comforts Thirdly For answer let us consider the drift of the Spirit of God in this promise of pleasure Job had often complained of his own sorrowfull condition and concluded himself a man of sorrow for all the remainder of his dayes though his faith was strong for the resurrection of his body after death yet he had little if any faith at all that he should be raised out of that miserable estate wherein he was in this life He also had spoken somewhat rashly and amiss concerning the dealings of God with his servants in general as if nothing but trouble and sorrow did attend them and that the wicked went away with all the sweet and good of this world Now Elihu to take him off from these sad and almost despairing thoughtâ— as to the return of his own comforts and to rectifie his judgement in the general poynt as to the dealings of God with others he assureth Job that if righteous men being bound in fetters c. hear and obey God will break those bonds and cut the cords of their affliction and they shall spend the remainder of their dayes in prosperity and the rest of their years in pleasures So that Elihu in holding out this promise to Job would rather clear his judgement from an error concerning the lastingness or continuance of his pains and sorrows than heat his affections in the expectation of joyes and pleasures in this world Fourthly I answer Though the people of God have nor alwayes dayes of such outward prosperity nor years of such sensitive pleasures yet they have that which is better and if they have no pleasures they do not want them The Apostle could say Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what state scever I am therewith to be content What is pleasure if content be not We may have outward pleasures yet no content but he that hath content within cannot miss of pleasure A man may have riches but no contentment but he that hath contentment is very rich 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment is great gaine and great gaine is prosperity this great gaine this heart-pleasure or soul-rest contentment is the assured portion of those who obey and serve the Lord what-ever their outward portion be in this world And he may be said to spend his dayes in good and his years in pleasure who hath these pure gaines of gracious contentment resting the soul in God in all conditions The life of man that is the comfort of his life doth not consist in the abundance of that which he possesseth Luke 12.15 or in sense-pleasures but in that sweet composure and sedateness of his soul resting by faith in the promises of God or rather in the God of the promises and so sucking sweetness from them Lastly As though a servant of God should be exercised with sorrows all the dayes of his life yet he cannot be said to spend his dayes in sorrow because he meets with many refreshing intervalls and shines of favour from the face of God in the midst of those clouds so he may be said to spend his dayes in pleasure because at least when his dayes here are spent he consummates his dayes which is one signification of the word by an entrance into everlasting pleasures So much for the answer of these questions concerning this promise They shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasure From the promise it self Note Fiâ—st Obedience to God is profitable to man God hath no profit by our Obedience but we have God doth not call us to serve him in his work as we call servants to do our work to get his living by us or better himself no the Lord calls us to serve him and obey him for our own good They consult their own good best who do most good I may say these three things of those who do good and what is serving God but doing of good or what is doing good but serving God First they shall receive true good Secondly they shall for ever hold the best good the chief good they shall not only spend their dayes and years in good but when their dayes and years are spent they shall have good and a greater good than any they had in spending the dayes and years of this life they shall have good in death they shall come to a fuller enjoyment of God the chief Good when they have left and let fall the possession of all earthly goods Thirdly they that do good shall find all things working together for their good if they have a loss they shall receive good by it if they bear a Cross that shall bear good Outward troubles cannot disturb much less pollute our spiritual good for All things work together for good to them that love God who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Surely then the service of God is a gainful service a profitable service though the work may be hard and the way painful yet the wages will be sweet and the end pleasant The contemplation of this put David upon putting that question Psal 34.12 13. What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good that is that he may enjoy good keep thy tongue from evil and thy mouth that it speak no guile depart from evil and do good The Psalmist makes Proclamation What man is he that would have good let him do good let him obey and serve God and he shall have good Again Consider the Promise in relation to the Persons described vers 8 9 10. They
which the neglect of giving God the glory of his corrections and chastenings may bring upon the righteous Hence note Disobedience or neglect of duty is dangerous wheresoever it is found The Church of Corinth felt this many of them died in the sence given without knowledge or not having a due spiritual knowledge of Christ in the holy supper which the Apostle calls their not discerning the Lords body 1 Cor. 11.29 and presently tells them ver 30. for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep that is are taken away by death Any kind or degree of sin is dangerous not to obey a hint of providence not to obey an intimation of the mind of God in an affliction may be very dangerous afflictions may end in destructions and fetters in death if the purpose of God in them be not attended and answered by us Secondly note Not to obey when God calls and commands is folly and ignorance Such do as if they had no knowledge at all what or how to do Lastly in that he saith they shall dye without knowledge we may learn this from it The ignorance and heedlesness of men undo them and bring destruction upon them Many die because they have no knowledge others not heeding or minding what they know Holy David confessed that in on◠point he was ignorant and foolish even as a beast Psal 73.22 and when good men act like beasts without a due improvement of reason and understanding they may perish as to this temporal life like beasts Isa 5.13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge The Prophet I conceive is to be understood as this text not that they had no knowledge at all or were utterly ignorant but they had no knowledge as to that special dispensation of God how to make use of it or improve it at least they took no heed no care to use or improve it and saith he they therefore are gone into captivity they are brought under bondage to their enemies they are scattered ruin'd and as to this world quite lost and undone Wicked men are undone by acting against their knowledge good men may be undone by acting below their knowledge or by not acting according to what they know or should have known and so through their ignorance or heedlesness they dye without knowledge JOB Chap. 36. Vers 13 14. 13. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them 14. They die in youth and their life is among the unclean ELihu having put the case of the righteous in these two conditional propositions last opened as somewhat doubtful what at least some of them may do as to a right-improvement of outward afflictions he proceeds in these two verses to shew the case of the wicked wholly desperate in their affliction There is an if put upon the righteous but he is conclusive upon the hypocrite to be sure he will neither hear nor obey neither submit nor conform to the voyce of the rod. So that in these words he sets forth the common yea constant issue of the hand of God upon hypocrites in heart Possibly good men righteous men may not alwayes answer the expectation of God when affliction is upon them but as for hypocrites they alwayes heap up wrath And in this we may conceive Elihu hath a respect to Job For though he did not conclude him to be an hypocrite in heart yet he put it home upon him to consider the matter whether he himself had not at least acted and carried it like an hypocrite in heart under the afflicting hand of God forasmuch as he was no more humbled and subdued under it And indeed Elihu turns every stone and tryeth every way to bring down the spirit of Job And therefore as he had shewed what the usuall effects of the hand of God upon the righteous are so he tells him how it is with the wicked in that case thereby to put him upon the triall whether he had not reason to suspect himself to be an hypocrite because his carriage was so like theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 13. But the hypocrites in heart c. That adversative particle shews that he is dealing upon another subject hypocrites in heart are far from righteousness I have discoursed somewhat largely concerning the hypocrite in chap. 34 v. 30. upon these words That the hypocrite reign not lest the people 〈…〉 snared Therefore I intend not here to revive that subject but shall only a little open the additional tearm or amplification which is here put upon the hypocrite Elihu doth not say barely hypocrites heap up wrath but The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath as implying some special character and brand of hypocrisie upon the persons here aimed at An hypocrite in heart is no more but this nor is it any thing less than an hearty hypocrite he is one that is not to the halves but wholly hypocritical he that is but half with God such is the hypocrite is wholly profane wholly wicked The same word which signifyeth an hypocrite signifyeth a profane person and so we put it in the margine of this text The hypocrite or the profane in heart This expression is very paralel with that of the Apostle Paul Col. 1.21 Ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled He doth not only call natural men enemies to God as indeed they all are the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God But he calls them enemies in their minds that is such as have a mind to be enemies or such as have a good will to do evil So here an hypocrite in heart is a man heartily hypocritical whosoever is an hypocrite is an hypocrite in heart Hypocrisie is that which lyeth at the bottome it is an heart-sin though hypocirsie act and vent it self at the tongue and by the hand yet all hypocrisie lyeth at the heart nevertheless every hypocrite is not strictly taken an hypocrite in heart The hypocrite in heart is opposed to the upright in heart Psal 92.11 The hypocrite in heart hath a heart as full of hypocrisie as the upright in heart would have hearts full of uprightness Yet further to characterize the hypocrite in heart Take these three considerations to clear it Data opera inpius est First an hypocrite in heart is one who doth evil not out of mistake but our of designe not because he cannot do otherwise but because he will not and is resolved on it such a sinful piece or such a piece of sinfulness is the hypocrite in heart he sins as he should love and serve and obey God with all his heart Secondly as this hypocrite doth evil upon design so also he doth good with a wicked mind It is possible for a man to do good unsincerely or not to be sincere in the doing of it and yet not to do it with a wicked mind and
express the abomination of that sort of sinners by a word proper to them the Scripture by an Euphemisme calls them holy we translate the Scripture sense and call them unholy or unclean Their life is among the unclean among Sodâ—mites Thus as the death of the hypocrite here is fully expressed in the former words He shall die with the youth that is like those sinful Sodomitish youths like those youths who live in the heat of abominable lusts though he seemed to have an heat of holiness so their life heâ—eafter is fully expressed in these latter words Their life is with the unclean This clearly sets forth hypocrites they are spiritual adulterers they pretend love to Christ as their husband but their hearts go a whoting after the world And therefore as their life was really in this world though they pretended otherwise so it shall be visible in the world to come among the unclean Hence Note First They who are like the unclean in this life shall be wrapped up with them in the next life after death or in the second death They who live like the wicked shall dy like the wicked and live with them if theirs may be called a life for evermore The hypocrite with all his varnish and fair colours shall not die like a godly man nor live with him after death though he hath lived the life of a godly man as to appearance yet he shal not die so nor live so when the dead rise he shal die and live like and among his own company the unclean He was secretly unclean in his life and he shall openly live among the unclean when he dyes Balaam a Sorcerer a Witch a false Prophet how did he beg that he might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Num. 23.14 The hypocrite would sain die like those whom he hath imitated and made a shew of all the dayes of his life But did Balaam dy like the righteous no he dyed as he lived like one that had loved the wages of unrighteousness Though hypocrites have lived in reputation with godly and good men yea have been reputed godly and good men yet when they die they shal go down among the unclean even among the debauched and filthy Sodomites they shal go to their own place and to their own company It is said of Judas when he hanged himself Acts. 1.25 He went to his own place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper place All things naturally tend to that which is congeniall or like to them heavy things downward light things upward What place is congenial to what place is the center of wicked men Surely Hell the bottomless pit is their own place and that 's the meaning of the text there Judas was a great while among the Apostles in an high place in a very excellent place he went like an Apostle or for an Apostle but that was not his owne place he was an hypocrite and when he dyed then he went to his owne place to thâ—t place which was proper to him In this life good and bad are mingled together in the same place the hypocrites and the sincere may be in one House in one Cong egation in one Church in the purest Church on eaâ—th there may be hypocrites in heart as well as sincere but when hypocrites die they shall be divided from all those with whom they were never truly or in heart united If it were possible all the godly or sincere should be in one place as to spirituals here that 's most comely and desirable though not attainable yet we cannot make the separation perfect in this life but at death it will be done perfectly death will not leave one hypocrite among the sincere not a weed among the herbs nor a chaff in the floor death will make perfect separation after death all the holy shall be gathered together into one society and all the unholy into another society by themselves It is said of Abraham he was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 Not only to his kindred in the flesh but to all those that were of his faith Death will gather all to their proper place and company Godly Josiah was gathered to his fathers 2 Chron. 34.28 and the wicked are said Psal 49.19 to go to the generation of their fathers where they shall never see light Death will send every one to his owne The hypocrite shall no more shuffle himself among the righteous nor Satan himself nor any of his Sons among the Sons of God every man shall be for ever among his like Further note The smoothest-faced and closest hypocrite in the world shall fare as bad or no better then the foulest and deboystest sinner They shall die with the vile and be taken away among the unclean The fairest hypocrite shall have no more esteem with God then the foulest Sodomite that ever was in the world Christ saith if any refuse to receive the Gospel it shall be worse with them then with Sodom the cry of whose sins went up to heaven nor shall it be any whit better but rather worse with them who â—eceive the Gospel of Christ only in shew their hearts not being right with him How woful is their present condition who daily heap up wrath who in the sense opened die in or with youth and whose life after death is among the unclean JOB Chap. 36. Vers 15 16 17. 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth their ear in oppression 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee ELihu having shewed how terrible God will be how dreadfully he will deal with subtile hypocrites The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath proceeds in this context to do two things further First that he might raise some hope in Job if he did it last humble himself he repeats the gracious dealings of God with humble and upright-hearted ones at the 15th verse I say he repeats it because he had spoken of it before vers 6 7. and this is a very useful and profitable repetition by which Job is doubly admonished to raise himself from his despair of a better condition forasmuch as God doth not afflict with a purpose to destroy but that he may heal and help the afflicted The greatest design of God in chastening us should be alwayes remembred that he intends only our good especially to make us thereby better or more partakers of his holiness Secondly he makes application of the whole doctrine to Job and that two wayes First by way of consolation assuring him he had been delivered in case he had humbled himself duly deeply before the Lord v. 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a large place