eternall death or going downe to the pit of hell Fourthly In that this word deliver him is given to the messenger Observe God conveighs deliverance and mercy to us by men like our selves He will have the creature beholding to the creature for his mercy though mercy come freely and only from himselfe God delivereth the sick and the sinner in such a method that we may owne though not stay in his messengers as the instruments of his favour God who can doe all things by himselfe will not doe many things but by meanes He saith to the messenger Deliver him from going downe to the pit You will say How can a Minister or a Messenger deliver the sick from going downe to the pit I answer as was touched before he delivers him by declaring to him the minde of God by acquainting the sick with the promises of deliverance and by pressing him to believe and rest upon them by assuring him that as God is able to performe the promise so he is faithfull and willing to performe it yea that he hath given some tokens for good that he will deliver him from going downe to the pit Thus the worke of Gods free grace mercy and power is oftentimes attributed to instruments and second causes because they have their place and use in the bringing about the purposes of God for the good of his people Hence some men are called Saviours And Saviours shall come up on mount Zion Obad v. 21. No man can save either from temporall or eternall destruction He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Ps 68.20 yet saith the Prophet there shall come Saviours that is God will rayse up worthy men principall men as another Prophet cals them Mic 5.5 who shall destroy Zions enemies Thus Paul admonisheth Timothy Take heed to thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee 1 Tim 4.16 The Apostle James Chap 5.20 speakes the same thing He which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins And the same Apostle faith as to the case in the text at the 15th verse of the same Chapter The prayer of faith shall save the sicke Though none can save yet many are means of our salvation And the Lord is pleased to honour those who are the meanes of any salvation so farre as to say They save It is indeed the duty of all to ascribe the all of every worke and piece of salvation and deliverance to God only When the people stood wondering at Peter and John after they had healed the lame man Peter answered Acts 3.12 Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why looke ye so earnestly on us as if we by our own power or holiness had made this man to walke The God of Abraham c. hath glorified his Son Jesus As if they had said Therefore doe ye also glorifie him not us for delivering this lame man Though God is pleased to put much honour upon man by speaking of what himselfe doth as if man had done it yet he will not give the glory of what he doth to any man nor may any take it God saith to the messenger deliver him from going downe to the pit but woe to that messenger who saith when he is delivered I have delivered him from going downe to the pit Thus we see the spring of the sick mans recovery it is from the graciousness of God and we see the meanes of it God gives a warrant to his messenger saying Deliver him from going down to the pit But what is the procuring or meritorious cause of this deliverance As the Text hath shewed us the first moving cause The grace of God so it shewes us the meritorious cause by which his deliverance is procured Things are so ordered in the Covenant of grace that though the Lord acts with infinite freeness yet he hath appointed and ordered a way in which alone he will doe what he freely doth This is expressed in the last clause of the verse Fer I have found a ransome But where did God find it certainly in his own bosome in his own heart Jesus Christ came out of the bosome of the Father there he was God found him in and with himself God did not find the ransome by chance nor did he find it by advice and consultation with others but he found it in himself in his own infinite wisdome and goodness that is he contrived it he invented i◠there This rare this most excellent thing a ransome is the Lords own invention I have found it I know how to doe this man good I know how to save him and doe my own honour and Justice no hurt no wrong my honour is saved Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotet expiationem aut redemptionem tum etiam pretium quod pro redemptione offertur Significat etiam cooperire linire aut operire bitumine quasi pristinam faciē rei alicujus aut immunditiem abscondere quod elegantèr refertur ad ab stertionem peccati Pined my Justice is satisfied in doing it I have found a ransome The word here rendred a ransome signifies in the Verb to cover or to hide that which before lay open that it appeare no more Grace brings another face upon things a new face I may say upon our souls The covering of sin elegantly denotes the pardon of sin And what reason have we to be thankfull and rejoyce when sin our soul durt and deformity is covered We have very foul faces I meane outward conversations and more foul souls or inward inclinations till the Lord is graciously pleased to put a covering upon them If we cover our own sins we shall have no mercy but if the Lord once cover our sins he cannot deny us mercy that being it self our greatest mercy and the fruit of his great mercy The Mercy-seat so famous in the Mosaicall Poedogogy is exprest by this word which properly signifieth a Covering The Mercy-seat was it self a Covering of pure gold laid over the Arke in which Arke the Law was put Exod. 25.17.21 Thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the Arke and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee And as the dimensions of the Arke were two Cubits and a halfe in length and a Cubit and a half in breadth so the same were the dimensions of the Mercy-seat Vers 10.17 which figured that as the Mercy-seat fully covered the Arke wherein the Law was so Christ should fully cover all our sins which are transgressions of the Law The righteousness of Christ is as long and as broad as the Law and so our sins being covered with that shall never appeare against us Therefore also from above this Mercy-seat between the two Cherubims the Lord said vers 22. I will meete thee and I will
parable asserting there was no such reall thing But this one passage gives an undeniable proofe that this was a reall history and the matter really acted This person being described by his owne name and his fathers name and the next of his kindred From the consideration of the person who carried on so great a part in this businesse Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram who was of a strange Country and if allyed to Abraham yet at a great distance we may observe God did preserve a seed of religion and of holy men to maintaine his truth among those who lived in darke places and were wrapt up in many errors and superstitions This was also noted from the first words of this booke There was a man in the Land of Vz A man of gracious accomplishments and of a heavenly light Here also was Elihu the Buzite A man that had great knowledge about holy things as we shall see afterwards in those parts and times when and where abundance of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance reigned Having thus described Elihu The history proceeds Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God In the former part of the verse it is said Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu Not specifying against whom nor the cause why here he doubles the same words with an addition first of the person with whom he was angry Against Job was his wrath kindled And as he tells us the marke or object of his wrath so he gives secondly the reason of it Because he justified himself rather then God Before I come to the explication of this latter branch take these two brief notes First A godly man in maintaining a good cause may give just reason of anothers passion or anger Job was a good man and his cause was good yet you see a wise and a good mans wrath is kindled Paul and Barnabas were two good men yet a difference arose between them Acts 15.39 And the contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder Secondly Considering the cause of this anger in generall Because he justified himselfe rather then God we see it was an anger for Gods cause Hence note Anger for God or in the cause of God is holy anger Though for the most part the flesh or our carnall corruption is the cause of anger and it begins at selfe yet sometimes it is stirr'd in the cause of God It is said of Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 that when he saw the idolatry of the people Exod. 32.19 His anger waxed hot He was so angry that he cast the Tables of the Law which God had written with his own hand out of his hand and broke them It is said Mar. 3.5 Jesus Christ looked about on them with anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts He also exprest a great deale of zealous anger Joh. 2.15 When he made a whip of small cords and drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id genus irae notat quo fertur quis ad abolitionem peccati cum quo si sit veritas justissimus effectus est Coc Some of the Hebrews tell us that the word here used for anger signifieth anger carried out to the destruction of sin and that is a very gracious anger There are two things which exceedingly declare the holinesse of a mans spirit First when he can patiently beare loads of evills and wrongs in his owne cause or which have but a private respect Secondly When he is ready to take fire in the cause of God many dull and sluggish soules can heare God abused Hoc probes abnegationem tui mundi si injuriarum ferens sis peccatum autem ferre non possiis idque ita ut non ad vindicandum sed ad emendandum exstimulares and their spirits stirre no more then a stone Elihu was angry but it was in the cause of God or Because Job Justified himselfe rather then God When we are angry with sin we are angry as the Apostle adviseth us to be and sin not That 's anger without sin when we are angry with sin and are stirred up to oppose and suppresse the pride and insolency of mans spirit or speeches against God To be angry for our owne honour and interest or Gourd is an argument of undue love to selfe When God spared Nineveh the Prophet was exceeding angry Jon. 4.1 But his was sinfull anger because he was angry for his owne sake fearing to be called a false Prophet He set himselfe downe to see what would become of the City that he might have a personall glory and be cryed up for a Prophet indeed And when God had smitten his Gourd he was angry and angry unto the death ver 8. and all because he missed that which pleased himselfe Many can be angry when they themselves are discredited but when dishonour is cast upon God or his interest slighted how quiet and tame how cold and dull are their spirits The anger of this man was a noble anger as to the occasion and rise of it Jobs selfe-justification or Because he justified himselfe rather then God This is a high poynt and may justly provoke our anger Elihu was not angry with Job because he justified himselfe against his friends but because he justified himselfe rather then God Here a question will arise and it will ask some paines to determine it Was this true did Job justifie himselfe rather then God Was it possible Job should do so I shall give only a generall answer to this question Job did not justifie himself rather then God either explicitely or intentionally but by consequents he did And though it be granted that Job gave just occasion of this sharp reproofe by his rash and passionate speeches uttered in the heate of dispute and in the grief of his heart yet it cannot be denied that Elihu did somewhat strain Jobs words though not beyond their sence yet beyond his sence and gave them the hardest interpretation somewhat beside the rule of charity which they could beare nor did he observe that meeknesse and moderation which might well have become him to a man in that case O how hard is it not to offend or doe ill while we are doing well To cleare this a little further consider There is a twofold straining of words First beyond the sence of the words spoken Secondly beyond the sence of the speaker I doe not say Elihu in affirming this of Job strained his words beyond their sence but he strained them beyond Jobs sence Job spake words which might lay him under this censure that he justified himselfe rather then God But this was far from his intention For doubtlesse he had rather a thousand times his tongue should have been cut out of his mouth then to justifie himselfe with it rather then God or to speak a word to the disparagement of Gods Justice So then
in any kinde justifie our selves few having done it without incurring censure if not condemnation from others But what was Jobs selfe-justification or of what kinde that it raised such a dust yea kindled such a flame of Anger in the breast of Elihu I answer Job did not justifie himselfe by lyes or falshoods that was not the matter for which Elihu was angry with Job but because he supposed he was more tender of his owne name then of Gods Thus the Text speakes expressely Against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himselfe rather then God Hence note To justifie our selves rather then God is not only sinfull but flagitious not only sinfull but blasphemous Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3.4 woe to those who goe about to save their owne honour by speaking that which reflects dishonour upon God or who keepe their owne credit untoucht by exposing his to any hazzard let God be just and every man unrighteous As whosoever exalts himselfe humbles God when we exalt our selves vainely we humble God as much as we can and so it will be interpreted so he that justifies himselfe in any degree unduely accuseth God how much more he that justifieth himselfe rather then God To commend or praise our selves in the hearing of men is unsavory to commend or praise our selves rather then men who are our fellowes yea though our inferiors is odious how much more to justifie our selves rather then God who is infinitely above us It becomes the best of men to accuse judge and condemne themselves to draw up their owne enditement and say we have deserved worse then we suffer from the hand of God and have done lesse then duty requires at our hand But because to justifie our selves rather then God is a thing so horrid few will be brought under this conviction that they are guilty of it or chargeable with it And therefore I shall endeavour to make it appeare that there are many who though they doe not justifie themselves rather then God directly and bare-faced yet they doe it secretly or constructively I shall make out this in generall as it may concern any man while I more distinctly shew how Job incurred this suspition and gave Elihu more then a probable ground to say that he justified himselfe rather then God Job never said he was more just then God but he said many things which gave Elihu occasion to say That surely he justified himselfe rather then God First When he spake so largely of his own innocency spending five whole Chapters in the vindication of it and spake so little comparatively of the righteousnesse and justice of God this might bring him under a suspition of justifying himselfe rather then God For what could this intimate to his hearers but that he had better performed the part of a gracious and righteous man then God had of a gracious Father or righteous Judge Though all that be true how much soever it is which we speak of our selves yet it is not good to speak much much lesse all of our selves especially when upon that account we may seeme to dispute either the justice or goodnesse of God in dealing out the troubles and afflictions under which we suffer Secondly While Job did so often and so boldly offer to plead his cause before Gods tribunall and was so importunate for a Hearing this carried a secret implication that God had not dealt well with him or at least had not considered his cause throughly for if he had surely he should have found more favorable dealing from God then he dayly experienced Thirdly While Job complained so often and greatly of the greatnesse of his afflictions of the weight and heavinesse of the hand of God upon him and that he being but a poore worme the great and mighty God should stretch out his strong hand against him This also might be construed as if he thought God did not take a due measure of his infirmities but let temptations take hold of him which were not common to man and burdened him beyond what he was able to beare Now what was this but to justifie himselfe rather then God Fourthly While he complained that the hand of God had not only touched him but even abode and dwelt upon him that he was consumed from morning to morning that he had not only wearisome nights but moneths of vanity appointed to him that his afflictions were not only exceeding sharpe but exceeding long yea that though they were extreamly violent yet perpetuall this bare hard upon the goodness and wisdome of God For to say that God over-acts in the measure and exceeds in the continuance of our afflictions reflect alike upon the honour of God and are rather a justification of our selves in bearing the crosse then of God in laying it onn Fifthly Job in severall passages of this booke desired God to make an end of him and take him out of this world he was troubled that God did not kill him out of hand or out-right this was a justification of himselfe rather then God as if he knew better whether it were more fit for him to live in a sickly weakly painfull condition or to be delivered out of it by death As we should be willing to die when God calls so to live till God calls and not to hasten death He that beleeves as he ought will not make hast out of the troubles of this world much lesse out of the world because he finds it troublesome Sixthly He seemed to justifie himselfe rather then God while he was so much troubled because God did not presently reveale to him the reason of his troubles Why is light given to a man whose way is hid and whom God hath hedged in was his complaint Chap. 3.23 that is wherefore is the light of this naturall life given to me whose way is in the darke and who know not the reason why I am thus afflicted We ought to sit downe in this assurance be our condition never so restlesse that the most wise God hath a reason for every stroake of trouble 〈◊〉 layeth upon our loynes though we see it not They who cannot fully resigne themselves and their wayes to God yea resolve their wills into the will of God are much disquieted and restlesse in their minds when they see not the reason of Gods dealing with them or why it is so with them Let all such know this also is to make our selves wiser then God and to justifie our selves rather then him And therefore from all these considerations take these two Inferences which may keepe us ever at a distance from this high presumption yea which we should carefully avoyd from the shaddow and appearance of it The justifying of our selves rather then God First It is enough to condemne us under the guilt of this sin if we allow not all that God doth to be good yea and best for us how much or how long or in what kinde soever be is pleased
incorruptible it hath naturally no seedes of dissolution in it because no contrariety no contrary qualities in it as all bodyes or corporeall substances have I know the Apostle saith 1 Tim 6.16 God only hath immortality it 's true he only hath it in himselfe independently originally but he derives and gives it as a talent to some creatures in a way of dependance upon himselfe Secondly Observe The soule brings in the life of the body The life of man What is the body without the soule but a lumpe of clay As soone as ever the soule departs life departs man dyeth and becomes a putrifying carkasse yet such is the folly of most men that all their care is for the life of the body which is at best a dying life they utterly neglect the soule which as it is the life of the body so it selfe never dyeth The soule is the Jewell the body is but the Cabinet the soule is the kernel the body is but the shell Will you be sollicitous about a Cabinet and a shell and slight the Jewel or throw away the kernel Will you take care of that which liveth the body and will you not take care of that which holds your life the soule Againe Note Life is the gift of God If the soule which is the cause of life in man be of God then the life of man is of God also The cause of the cause is the cause of the effect or thing caused But we need not argue it from Logick rules Scripture testimony being so aboundant in this thing Acts 17.25 He giveth to all life and breath and all things And v. 28. In him we live and move and have our being Spirituall and eternall life are the gift of God so also is naturall life And if so Then First Live to God Secondly Seeing God gives us life we should be willing to give our lives to God Yea Thirdly We should therefore be ready to give up or rather to lay downe our lives for God And as we should give up our lives to God when he calls for them by natural death so we should give up our lives for God when he calls us to beare witness to his name and truth by violent death I shall yet take notice of one thing further before I passe from this verse The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Some upon good grounds referre the first clause The Spirit of God hath made me to the creation both of soule and body and the second or latter clause the breath of the Almighty hath given me life to that quickning which we receive by the Spirit to the duties whereinto we are called in this life The breath of the Almighty hath given me life that is hath fitted and prepared me for the severall offices and services of life As if Elihu had sayd The Spirit of God hath not only made me a man but a man for worke yea the Spirit of God hath quickned me to the present worke and businesse I am come about Thus life imports not only spirituall life in the being of it but all the furniture ornaments and abilities of a spirituall life The Septuagint render this profession made by Elihu expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiratio omnipotentis est quae docet me Sept Haud me latet non a meipso sed a deo hunc prudentiae sensum me accepisse Nicet to this sence holding out a strong assurance which Elihu had that God had both called and prepared him for the service he was come about and engaged in The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath instructed me Another of the Greek Interpreters speaks as much I am not ignorant that of my selfe I am able to doe nothing but I have received this power from God As if Elihu had said The Spirit of the Almighty hath quickned me to this worke I am now upon and taught me what both to say and doe in thy case O Job Hence note God giveth not only the life of nature unto men but he fits them for all the duties and services of this life We indeed are scarcely to be reckoned among the living if we have no more but a naturall life what is it to be able to eate and drinke to heare and see and speake unlesse we have more then this we deserve not to be numbred or written among the living we are upon the matter but dead lumps and clods of clay It is the breath of the Almighty that quickens us and superadds ability to doe good that frames fashions and fits us for every good word and worke This is the life of man when a man is fitted for duty and service when he is furnished for imployment to stand God and his Brethren in some stead while he is in this world then he lives The motions impulses and influences the teachings and guidings of the Spirit of God are the life of our lives We can doe nothing of our selves till the Almighty bestows a new life upon us and as we can doe nothing at all in spiritualls till he gives us a new life so we can do nothing to purpose till the Spirit acts stirres up that life in us It is the Spirit who first bestows Secondly encreaseth Thirdly excites our spirituall life puts the new creature into motion All our good thoughts and holy actings all our uprightnesse and sincerity all our strength and ability flow from the Spirit untill the holy Spirit workes in us we sit still and when the Spirit worketh we must not sit still I saith the Apostle Rom 15.18 will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed As if he had sayd My owne workes are not worth the naming I will not so much as mention any thing that Christ hath not wrought in me by the Spirit That was a mighty worke which he was enabled to doe to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed Christ did not leave him to doe it in his owne power The breath of the Almighty enabled him and so he doth all those that are able and willing ready for and successefull in any such holy worke Let us therefore ascribe all to his working and quickening let us set down our severall Items of receit in our account-books confessing that we have nothing of our own This gift that grace that ability to doe to speake to suffer to act we have received from him Let the whole Inventory of our soules riches have Gods name written upon it and ascribed to his praise alone And if we thus uncloath our selves by giving God the glory of all we shall loose nothing by it for God will apparrell and furnish us deck and adorne us better every day The poorer we are in our selves the richer will he make us To be thus diminish't is the best way to
Thirdly Such strivings with God are the exercisings of our lusts and corruptions Then is the time for anger and discontent or any evill affection to come forth and act their part Fourthly Striving with God is an argument that sin hath much strength in us and that corruption hath got a mighty hand over us Fifthly Striving with God layeth us open to all the temptations of Satan to all the fiery darts of the Devill Our shield is gone when once we strive with God who is our shield in all Satans strivings and assaults against us And then we stand naked before that armed enemy Sixthly Striving with God doth at once unfit us for every good duty and putteth us further off from every desired mercy Seventhly and lastly Striving against God makes man most like the Devill who is the most unquiet and discontented creature in the world and is alwayes both striving with God and vexing at his owne condition The devill 's sin at first was striving with God and 't is the summe of all his actings and workings against man ever since None resemble the devill more lively then male-contents and who are they but such as strive and struggle against the afflictive providences of God Now for the preserving and keeping of our hearts from this great this complicated sin a sin containing many sins in it and disposing us to all sin Lay these things to heart First let us consider our own nothingness in comparison of God God is all and what are we we are nothing and shall we strive with God shall folly strive against wisdome and weaknesse against strength When the Prophet would comfort the people of God against the strivings of the nations with them he doth it upon this consideration Isa 40 17. All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity To whom will ye compare him And surely we may by the same argument much more deterre all men from striving with God Shall single persons strive against him to whom not only they but whole nations are nothing yea and lesse then nothing Secondly Doe we find our selves under a crosse or in a hard condition remember we have deserved no better As we are nothing so we have deserved nothing Jacob to keepe his spirit quiet in a time of great distresse confessed Gen 32.10 Lord I am unworthy of the least of thy mercies As if he had sayd I have no reason to complaine or be angry to fret or vex at this dispensation yea though thou shouldst let the cloud of my brothers wrath breake upon me and swallow me up for what am I If we consider we have deserved no good we shall never strive with God about any evill that befalls us especially if we consider Thirdly That we are ill-deserving or such as deserve the greatest evills None of us suffer but what our owne sin hath procured yea sin might have procured us soarer sufferings Every sin hath a crosse in the belly of it And shall we strive with God because of our crosses when our sins have made them Fourthly Why should we strive with God about these things are they worth the striving with God about surely they are not wotth the striving with men about much lesse with God If we were in the best outward estate that ever any man enjoyed in this world yet we were not then got a step beyond vanity Psal 39.5 Every man in his best estate is altogether vanity Suppose God should give you a blank and bid you sit downe and write what you would have as to your outward state and then bestow it upon you yet in this best estate you and your all are altogether vanity And will ye strive with God for taking a vaine thing from you Will you be so much dissatisfied for the taking away or want of that which could not satisfie you when you had it nor can when you have it againe If a man had all these comforts which he strives for they could not make him happy why then should he strive because they are removed from him But as they are vanity because unable to satisfie when we have them so they are vanity because of our uncertainty to hold them Yea suppose we hold them as long as we can have them it is but a while And shall we strive with God about loosing that which at longest we cannot keepe long To be sure these things are not necessary for us Christ sayd to Martha There is one thing necessary Luke 10.42 But a worldly comfort of any kind is not the neceâ—â—â—â—y thing which Christ there intends And shall we strive with God about unnecessaries Fifthly Know afflictions are the portion of the people of God in this life They are the corrections of a father and there is no son but hath his correction or may have it And shall we strive with God for sending us our portion our son-like child-like portion Sixthly I would say this to believers Why will ye strive with God about any of your afflictions they are for your good and benefit And will ye strive with God because he is doing you good let your afflictions be never so sad never so sore and to sence never so bad yet God is doing you good by them be not angry with your owne good Lastly Why doe we strive with God under our afflictions He loveth us as much under affliction as in a prosperous condition God is tender to his in their troubles and shall they be harsh to him when he is so tender towards them A parent that hath but nature will tender his child most when sick and weak and will not God Let us take heed we be not found striving with or having hard thoughts of God while the bowels of his most tender compassions are moving towards us To shut up this whole poynt As Christ when he saw his Disciples in danger to be carried away with the feare of man saith to them Luke 12.4 5. Be not afraid of them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare feare him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you feare him Now as because men are apt to feare yea mostly to feare that which they should not Christ sheweth them whom to feare So as hath been shewed because men are very apt to strive but they commonly strive with those and about those things which they should not Therefore I will tell you with whom and with what ye should strive If ye will needs be striving pray First Strive with the sin in your owne bosomes strive with your owne lusts and corruptions One of the great Gospel duties which we are called to is to mortifie our earthly members To strive with all inordinate affections with pride with envie with love of the world and with uncharitablenesse to the death is our duty if ye will
or corruptions How often is the flesh in a morall sence that is the outward profession of a hypocrite consumed in sickness and no more seen will the hypocrite alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 He will not He that doth all to be seen that 's the character of a hypocrite Math. 6.5 will in a little time doe such a little or rather such a nothing in Religion that it cannot be seen at all His profession is sick when he is fick and then also that which was not seen sticks out the hypocrite covereth many of his corruptions his impatiency murmuring and unbelief in a day of prosperity with the skin at left or fair shew of faith but in a day of trouble those dead bones appear and stick out A day of sorrow sicknesse and trouble is a great discoverer it occasions the appearance and sticking out of many base lusts that were not seen before 'T is so also in the better way with godly men their corruptions that appeared upon them before are abated wasted and consumed by affliction and many of their graces which lay hid and unseen stick out and appear gloriously in a day of trouble or upon a sick bed Their patience submission of spirit under the hand of God their long-sufferance and sweet self-resignation to the will of God which lay hid shew themselves Sicknesse and affliction make wonderfull changes and discoveries both as to the outward and inward man 't is seldome seen or known either how good or how bad any man is till he is in paine or reduced to some extreamity till his very bones are vexed or till as Elihu further describes the sick man in the next verse Vers 22. His soul draweth nigh to the grave and his life to the destroyer When the disease is at the height as Physitians speak then the sick mans soul draweth nigh unto and is ready to goe downe into the grave But doth the soul goe to the grave I answer the soul here as frequently in Scripture is put for the person as if he had said the man draweth nigh to his grave The soul being the noblest and most princely part of man is honoured with the denomination of the whole man or because all the world is nothing to us as Christ told his Disciples Math. 16.26 if we lose our souls therefore man is spoken of as if he were nothing but a soul Gen. 14.21 The King of Sodom said unto Abram give me the souls and take the goods to thy self we translate give me the persons and put in the Margin give me the souls Thus 't is said Gen. 46.27 All the souls of the house of Jacob that came into Egypt were threescore and ten The Apostles rule of obedience to Magistrates runs in this straine Let every soul that is let every man be subject to the higher Powers Rom. 13. And I conceive the Apostle expresseth it so because there ought to be an inward subjection to that as to any other Ordinance of God the soul must be subject as well as the body to the powers of this world that is there must be though no subjection of conscience yet a conscientious subjection unto Magistrates Thus here his soul that is himself the man draweth neer Vnto the grave to corruption say some to the pit say others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corruptioni sepulchrum a graecis vocatur Sarcophagus Both are joyned or meete in the grave for that is the pit of corruption The Greeks call the grave Flesh-eater to draw nigh to the grave imports such a prevalency of diseases as bring a man to the graves mouth to the very poynt of death and then as we say he is drawing on Whither is a sick man drawing on surely to his grave David Psal 107.18 having described the condition of sick men adds they draw nigh unto the gates of death Here which is the same Elihu saith his soul draweth near to the grave Hence note Diseases and death are near one another A sick bed and a grave are not far distant David speaking of himself and others in extreame danger of death by the cruell plots and cunning snares of the enemy hath a like expression Psal 141.7 Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth as if he had said we are so near death that 't is a miracle if we escape it Though we are yet alive yet we have the sentence of death in our selves and are within sight of our graves What David spake there of himself in consort with others Heman spake personally of himself Psal 88.3 My life draweth nigh unto the grave We are alwayes in our health drawing towards the grave but in sickness we are drawing near unto it There is but a little distance between any man and the grave there is scarcely any distance at all between a man that is very sick and the grave Now if the sick man be drawing near unto the grave then First Let them that are sick remember the grave 't is our duty to be alwayes remembring and meditating upon the grave in our health much more should that be our remembrance meditation when we are sick most of all when we are sick unto death or ready to dye and drop into the grave Secondly If the sick are drawing neare unto the grave then let sick men draw near unto God if ever you will draw near unto God the living God be sure to doe it upon the borders of death 't is good yea best to draw nigh unto God when we are well and all is well with us even at best in the world Psal 73.25 But when we are in danger or drawing nigh unto death O how earnestly should we draw nigh unto God in the actings of faith and love To whom should we goe as Peter said to Christ Joh. 6.68 in the appearances and approaches of temporall death but unto him who hath the words of eternall life It is high time for us to draw nigh unto God when any of the comforts of this life are withdrawing from us is it not more then high time therefore to draw nigh to him when life it selfe is withdrawing from us and we drawing nigh to the grave How miserable is their condition who have death near them and God far from them Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet as David professed he would not Psal 23.4 we need not feare any evill while God is with us but how will the very shadowes of death put us in feare if God be not with us and what confidence can we have of his being with us if we are not acquainted with him if we use not to draw neare to him Thirdly If they that are sick draw near unto the grave then it is good for such as come to visit their sick friends wisely to mind them of the grave when will a discourse with our friends of death and the grave
breath bloweth away sickness if he doe but speak to a disease to a feaver to an ague to a dropsie to a consumption O killing malady spare him thou hast done enough any disease might prevaile to death did not God say spare him hold thy hand not a blow more not a fit more O killing malady Death it selfe much more sickness heareth the voyce of God And it may be said to heare him because it doth that which they who have the power of hearing ought to doe that is it obeyeth or yeildeth to the voyce and command of God will no longer afflict the sick man Diseases may be said to deliver a man from death the pit when they depart from him Yet Secondly I conceive this warrant for the deliverance of the sick man is given out to the messenger or interpreter to the one among a thousand that visiteth him in his sickness He having been with him and dealt with his conscience he having brought him into a good frame the Lord is gracious Sequestrem illum Jubebit ei renunciare impetratum esse sibi liberationem Bez and in answer to his prayer sets it upon his heart that he shall recover and warrants him to tell him so which is declaratively to deliver him from going downe to the pit This act of mans delivering the sicke is like that act of man pardoning the sinner John 20.23 that is 't is ministeriall or declarative not originall nor Authoritative The interpreter doth not deliver him but tells him God will We have the Psalmist speaking thus after his supplication and prayer made to the Lord for a sick State or Nation or for a sick Church that 's his scope Psal 85. Wilt thou not revive us againe that thy people may rejoycâ— in thee v. 6. Surely thou wilt and he expresseth his confidence that God would v. 8. I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints When he had prayed he would harken for news or for a message from heaven whether or no the Lord would order him to speak peace to those for whom he had been praying and say deliver them from going downe to the pit Thus did the Prophet Habakkuk I will stand upon my watch and set me upon my tower and see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved Chap 2.1 In the next verse The Lord answered and sayd write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it And what was the answer surely deliverance for having sayd in the end it shall speake and not lye v. 3. he concludes v. 4. The just shall live by his faith Believing deliverance he shall at last be delivered from the pit of captivity and live Here in the text we must suppose this messenger had prayed and having prayed he did not neglect his prayer but was hearkning what the Lord would say Elihu was confident the Lord would give a gracious answer though not by an immediate voyce or revelation to his eare yet by an assurance of the mercy given into his spirit When that good king Hezekiah was not only sick unto death but had received an expresse message from the Lord Set thy house in order for thou shalt dye and not live 2 Kings 20.1 'T is sayd at the 2d verse He turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying c. And at the 4th verse The word of the Lord came to Isaiah the Prophet saying turne againe and tell Hezekiah the Captain of my people Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seene thy teares behold I will heale thee c. Here God gave a word formally and put it into the Prophets mouth Goe deliver him from going downe to the pit And though the Lord doth not thus now in such an explicite and open way nor may we expect it yet there is a virtuall saying of this word from the Lord and that sometimes mightily imprest upon the hearts of those who have prayed and sought unto him for the sick man whereby not by an ungrounded vaine confidence but by a scripturall holy confidence comparing the promise with the mans condition they are enabled to tell him The Lord hath delivered thee from going downe to the pit And he shall as certainly be delivered as if the Lord had sent an expresse from heaven to tell him so Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him from going downe to the pit Hence observe First Death is a going to the pit a going to destruction Thus it is ordinarily with all who dye to the pit they goe Many dye and goe downe to the bottomless pit all who dye may be sayd to goe to the pit To goe to the bottomless pit is the circumlocution of eternall death as to goe to the pit is the circumlocution of temporall death Secondly Forasmuch as the man being sick the Lord gives out this word deliver him from going downe to the pit Note Sickness hath in it a tendency unto death The sick stand as it were upon the borders of the grave Some not only put death farr from them in health but in their sickness untill they are even dead they scarce thinke themselves dying It is good for us in our health and best strength to be looking into the pit and considering upon what grounds of comfort we can descend into the grave How much more should we be thinking of and looking into the pit when we are in a languishing and dying condition Thirdly Observe The word and work of deliverance is from God alone Then he will be gracious and say deliver him from going downe to the pit God can and God only can deliver from death no creature in heaven or earth can speak this but by commission from God none can open this secret till God interpret it Deliverance is the Lords salvation and the word of salvation from sickness as well as of salvation from hell comes out from the Lord. But is it not sayd Pro 11.4 Righteousness delivereth from death I answer when it is sayd Righteousness delivereth from death The meaning is God delivereth the righteous from death He delivereth them from the sting and terror from all that which is properly called the evill of corporall death and he delivereth them wholly from the least touch or shadow of eternall death And this righteousness which delivers from death is not our own but the righteousness of Christ made ours by the appoyntment of God and received as ours by faith 'T is neither any righteousness wrought in us nor any righteousness wrought by us but that righteousness which is wrought for us which delivereth from death and that delivereth us from death because God saith of such a righteous person deliver him as often from temporall death or going downe to the pit of the grave so alwayes from
have cause to boast of the penny-worth he hath had by sin which hath occasion'd the sorrows of that repentance One houres communion with God in wayes of holiness is better then all the profits and pleasures which any man hath got while he was committing that sin or running any course of sin whereof he now repenteth At the best sin dishonours God troubles our consciences and breakes our peace at the best nothing is got by sin which is worth the having at worst the soule is lost by it which of all things we have is most worth the having Thirdly Note Sin is exceeding dangerous and destructive to man Some would sin for the pleasures and carnal contentments which are found in sin though they knew they should make no earnings or get no profit by it yea though they knew they should be and dye beggers by it Once more if this were all that they should loose heaven by it or if the meaning of loosing their soules were only this that their soules should be no more they would easily venture it But there is an affirmative in the negative and when 't is sayd sin profiteth not the meaning is it brings trouble and renders us miserable for ever Fooles that is all sinfull men saith the Spirit of God Psal 107.17 because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted and all such among these fooles as dye in their sin are damned and who is able to summe up the dammage of damnation Fourthly Learne Sinners shall be forced at last to confesse that there is no profit in sin True penitents confesse it willingly now and impenitents shall confesse it at last whether they will or no they shall have such a conviction of the evill of sin by their sufferings as will make them say what hath pride profited me and what hath envy profited me what hath malice and wrath profited me And what hath the fraudulent deceiving of my neighbour profited me this will be the cry of sinners to all eternity Oh what hath sin profited us That which is the willing confession of a gracious repentant here will be the forced confession of damned impenitents for ever hereafter This will be a bitter repentance Hell is and will be full of the words of repentance but no fruit of repentance shall be found there The damned shall not find either amendment in themselves or mercy from God This will be the confession of all sinners at last as of those that repent and are saved so of those who repent when damned we have sinned and perverted that which was right and it hath not profited us And when once man hath made this hearty confession to God of his sin and folly then God maketh him a gracious promise of deliverance and mercy as appeares in the tenour of the next verse Vers 28. He will deliver his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light There is a two-fold reading of this 28th verse as was shewed in opening the former For whereas that 27th verse is understood by some as the humble confession of the sick man recovered and so read in this forme He looketh upon men and saith I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not then this 28th verse is rendred to make up that sence as a thankfull acknowledgement of his recovery He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit and my life seeth the light Thus as we had his confession of repentance in the verse fore-going I have sinned Juâ—ta hanc loctionem erit etiamnuÌ„ hic versus ex coÌ„fessione restituti aegri dei in se summam beneficentiam agnoscâ—ntis Merc c. so here we have his confession of praise and thankfulness He hath delivered my soule from going into the pit Mr Broughton translates to this sence He saved my soule from going into the pit that my life doth see the light Thus the sick man being restored breakes out into thanksgiving The Lord in mercy hath freed me from death hell and the grave I need not feare Satans accusations my body enjoyes the light of the world and my soule the light of Gods countenance shining upon me which is better then life But because our owne reading is cleare in the originall text and holds out the scope of the context fully enough therefore I shall prosecute that only He will deliver his soule from going into the pit The words are an assertion of the favour and goodnesse of God to the penitent sick man He that is God looketh upon men and if he heare any saying I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not if he make such an humble and gracious confession this will be the issue the Lord will deliver his soule from going into the pit At the 18th verse we had words of the same import He keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword And againe at the 24th verse Deliver him from going downe to the pit To be delivered from the pit as was there shewed is to be delivered from death And the word soule as was then likewise expounded is put for the person As if it were sayd He will deliver him the penitent man from death and that both from temporall death the death of the body and from eternall death the destruction of body and soule or he will deliver him first from the pit of the grave and secondly from the pit of hell He will deliver his soule from the pit And his life shall see the light Videre lucem periphrasis est vitae sicut è contrario tenebrae sunt symbolum mortis Pined That is he shall live to see the light To see the light is a circumlocution of life As if it had been sayd He shall recover out of his deadly sickness and behold the light of the Sun as living men doe Thus David prayed Psal 56.13 That he might walke before God in the light of the living And thus the wicked man is threatned with eternall death Psal 49.19 He shall goe to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light That is they shall never enjoy life but be shut up in a perpetuall night of death or in the night of perpetuall death Secondly When 't is sayd his life shall see the light we may understand it not only for a bare returne to life or that he shall live but that he shall live comfortably and prosperously he shall lead a happy life To see the light is to live and rejoyce light is pleasant it is comfortable to behold the Sun as Solomon speakes To see light comprehends all the comforts of this life and of that to come which is called the inheritance of the Saints in light Col 1.12 For as darkness is put not only for death but for all the troubles of this life and the torments of the next so light is put both for life and
those who are true fruit-bearing branches more and more that they may bring forth more fruit And the means by which he purgeth them that is mortifieth their corruptions seldome reach this blessed effect at once or twice working and therefore the Lord is even constrained to worke these things twice thrice or oftentimes else the worke would not be brought to the intended issue Thirdly In that it is sayd All these things worketh God oftentimes not alwayes Observe Man should make hast to answer the call of God and come up to what he requireth of him For though God worke these things oftentimes yet no man knowes how often he will worke and we may all know he will not worke alwayes 'T is a high and dangerous presumption to deferre at any time upon hopes that God will work at another time because in some cases he workes oftentimes Remember as was shewed before in opening the words this thrice is the least number of often as twice is the least number of any two or three are the least number that makes a Church-assembly Math 18.20 The Prophet saith Amos 2.4 For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof Implying that if men multiply their transgressions God will not alwayes give them meanes of repentance but powre out wrath upon them So Elihu saith God worketh twice and thrice but if men will sin three or foure times where is their warrant that God will pardon or passe by their sins The Prophet did not binde up the mercy of God precisely to two or three transgressions Rabbi Solom colligit tertantum homini ignoscere deum at quarto si ad peccandum redierit esse quod sibiâ—Ã gehenna timeat et id esse putat quod hoc loco ab Elihu dicatur but if men sin without bounds he shewes they have no ground to expect God should be mercifull One of the Jewish Rabbins as some expound him concludes peremptorily If man sin twice or thrice God will spare but if foure times God will punish We doe not circumscribe the grace of God to a speciall number and possibly that Rabbin did not intend it so but only that all should take heed they doe not abuse the grace of God That God multiplyeth to pardon or as we render Isa 55.7 Pardoneth aboundantly is no security for any man to sin aboundantly or to multiply transgressions My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man saith the Lord Gen 6.3 I have striven long already and I will yet strive longer even an hundred and twenty yeares but I will not strive alwayes God gave Jezebel a space to repent Rev 2.21 but when she repented not he did not promise her a new space to repent in but threatned her with wrath to the utmost if she repented not There is a frequency in the worke of God to reduce sinners but not a perpetuity And as in this verse Elihu reports this frequency of his worke so in the next he reports that to be the designe of it Vers 30. To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living This verse I say sheweth the purpose of God in working twice thrice or oftentimes with man This purpose as was touched before is two-fold First to free and deliver him from evill the worst of evills a horrible pit Secondly to estate him in and give him possession of not only that which is good but best of all the light of the living Not is this purpose of God a bare desire that 's often fruitless and successless but a strong or setled resolution to bring back the sick mans soule from the pit And Elihu we may suppose spake thus as to presse Job to hasten the worke of his repentance so to put him in hope upon consideration of this designe of God in afflicting him that he should be delivered from his afflictions and have not only his life continued but the comforts of it restored to him As if he had sayd Be not afraid doe not look upon thy condition as hopeless or that the humiliation of thy selfe will be fruitlesse for I dare assure thee God hath gracious purposes and intendments towards thee in working these things And here we have a two-fold gracious purpose of God expressed First to deliver him from evill to bring back his soule from the pit Secondly to doe him good or to bestow positive blessings upon him as was shewed at the 28th verse even to be enlightned with the light of the living As if he had sayd God in all this aymes only at mans good that his sin unrepented of be not his death and destruction and that under a sence of Divine favour towards him he may lead a comfortable life here and be happy for ever To bring back his soule from the pit It is sayd at the 28th verse He will deliver his soule from going into the pit in both places the pit is the same But seeing the Lord there promised to deliver his soule from going into the pit how is he sayd here to bring back his soule from the pit A man being delivered from going to the pit cannot be sayd to be brought back from the pit I answer in two things the words rendred to bring back his soule from the pit may be read thus to turne away his soule from the pit that is to preserve him from death So the Hebrew word is used Chap 15.13 as also Mal 2.6 He walked with me in peace and equity and did turne away many from iniquity If we take that rendring of the word then the expressions in both places beare the same sence But taking it according to our reading in which to bring back his soule from the pit sounds as if the man had been in the pit already and it may well be sayd so because a man in great affliction whether of soule or body is as it were dead or buried alive For as when God converts a sinner he upon the matter brings him back from hell so when he delivers him from any grievous sickness he doth upon the matter bring him back from the grave Heman in spirituall afflictions and soule-desertions the terrours of the Lord being upon him called himselfe free among the dead like the slaine that lye in the grave whom God remembreth no more and they are cut off from thy hand Psal 88.5 They that are neere the pit of death are not much improperly called dead and they that being in such a desperate case are kept from going downe to the pit are not much improperly sayd to be brought back from the pit or pulled out of it In which sence we may keep to our owne reading and so to bring back his soule from the pit notes only the extreame danger wherein he was whether spirituall or temporall and Gods graciousness in delivering him from it Hence note When God restores a man out of any desperate condition whether of
soule or body he gives him a new life he brings him in one respect back from the grave and in another from hell As a sick man he is brought from the grave and as a sinner he is brought from hell Great deliverances are a kind of new creation And fresh blessings are to us as fresh beings Take these two inferences from it First How should they who have been under great outward afflictions praise the Lord when they are delivered They who having had the sentence of death in themselves should look upon themselves when restored as men raised from the dead And how should sinners praise the Lord when he hath reconciled them to himselfe and pardoned their sins In doing this for them he delivereth them from wrath from hell and from eternall death Let such praise the name of the Lord and say as in the text He hath delivered our soules from the pit Secondly Let such live unto God having received a new life from God They that have received a new temporall life from God ought to dedicate it unto God how much more they that have received new spirituall life They that have received it indeed cannot but dedicate it unto God This negative mercy calls aloud for all that we are or have to be given up to God but that positive mercy which followeth calleth yet lowder for it And to be enlightned with the light of the living Nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sumitur pro quibuslibet hominibus hac vita fruentibus sed pro diviâ—ibus potentibuâ— vivere est vigere valere Sunt qui ad futuram vitaÌ„ referunt sed id sâ—nam quidem Allegoricè intelligi postquam ad literam de hac vita intellecteru Merc Take it for temporall spirituall or eternall life all these ends are accomplished in those mercifull workes of God to poore sinners some restraine the text to the light of this temporall life others enlarge it to the light of spirituall and eternall life We are enlightned with the light of the living When the comforts of this life are restored much more are they who are restored to the comforts of their spirituall life and so to the hope of eternall life By the living we are not to understand those who are barely on this side the grave and yet breath in the ayre or who have only a weake shadowed spirituall life which they scarce know of or perceive The living here are they that live comfortably and prosperously both as to soule and body Thus 't is sayd in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 72.13 He shall live and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba prayer also shall be made for him continually and dayly shall he be praised Christ lives to purpose he lives as a Prince in power and dignity yea he is the Prince of life It was more then a sensitive or rationall life which Davids faith was assured of when he sayd Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live his meaning was I shall live honourably and triumphantly declaring with joy the workes of the Lord. Thus here To be enlightned with the light of the living is to enjoy a comfortable life or to live happily Hence note A troubled state is a dark state sickness and sorrow whether inward or outward are darkness They are darkned with the darkness of the dead whose life is wrapped up in anguish and sorrow Secondly Note The designe and purpose of God in all his ordinances and providences towards his people is for their good All that hath been sayd before emptieth it selfe into these sayings To keep back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living The Lord hath no eye in these workes to his owne gaine but mans good The Lord doth not willingly grieve nor afflict the children of men Lam 3.35 He taketh no pleasure in it abstractly considered nor doth he look for any profit by it Much lesse doth he it as it follows v. 36. meerely to crush under his feete all the prisoners of the earth All that he expects by it as to himselfe is to be glorified by all for himselfe is above all and therefore designeth himselfe in all yet the glory which God hath by man is only the manifestation of his glory not any addition to it The benefit which God aymes at in afflicting man returnes to man He would have man bettered by affliction and as soone as man is bettered by affliction every thing shall goe better with him and he shall be delivered from affliction Rom 8.28 All things worke together for the good of them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose And as all things worke together for the good of them who are the called according to his purpose so it is the purpose of God that all things should worke together for their good and that is not a successless purpose Indeed every rod upon the backs of the wicked hath a voyce in it to call them from the pit of death and destruction and to be enlightned with the light of the living but God makes this call effectuall to all his elect none of whom shall perish with the world So that a godly man should be so farre from judging himselfe dealt with as an enemy as Job in his extremity did when he is most sorely afflicted that indeed he may see the love and fatherly care of God in it All the providentiall dispensations of God worke to glorious ends Sometimes for the outward good of his people in this life alwayes for good as to their spirituall and eternall life Therefore lay aside hard thoughts of God whatsoever hard things he is a doing or you are suffering The wayes in which God leads us may possibly be very darke yet they run to this poynt to keep us from the pit of darkness and that we may be enlightned with the light of the living Thirdly Note Man would undoe himselfe both for here and for ever if God did not worke wonderfully for him and powerfully keep him from destruction All these things God worketh twice and thrice to keep our soules from the pit man left to himselfe would run head-long upon mischiefe in this world upon eternall misery in the world to come Nothing but the hand of God can hold man from ruining himselfe The heart of man is so set upon sin that he will rather loose his soule then leave his lust and will rather dye then that shall 'T is as easie to stay the motion of the Sun or to turne back the course of nature as to stay or turne back the naturall motion or course of the heart in sinning An almighty power must doe the latter as well as the former So that if the Lord did not put forth more then mercy even mercy clothed with power no man could be saved should God wish us never so well and tell us what good he hath layd up for us if we
all flesh perisheth and turneth again unto what it once was dust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word which we render to gather signifieth to add one thing or person to another When Rachel had conceived and bare a son Gen. 30.22 23. she called from this word his name Joseph and said the Lord shall add to me another son Thus here If God add or gather to himself his spirit and his breath that is the spirit and breath of man c. We may distinguish between these two Spiritus animam flatus vitam quae ab anima provenit conservatur significat ego opinâ—r idem esse hoc loco Sanct. spirit and breath Some insist much and curiously upon this distinction The spirit denoting the soul or the internal rational power of man and the breath that effect of life which followeth or floweth from the union of soul and body The life of man is often expressed by breath Cease ye from man whose breath or life is in his nostrils Isa 2.22 If once man's breath goeth out his life cannot stay behinde the spirit of a man is in this sence distinct from his breath for when the breath is vanished and is no more the soul or spirit liveth The Apostle in his prayer for the Thessalonians 1 Thess 5.23 puts soul and spirit together The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved harmless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ There 't is most probable by the soul he intends the inferiour powers in man or his affections and by the spirit his higher powers of reason and understanding yet the spirit is often put for that whole part of man which is contradistinct to his body Into thy hands I commend my spirit that is my soul not forgetting my body And I conceive we may safely expound it here in that latitude as comprehending the whole inner man Yet it is all one as to the sence of this place whether we take spirit and breath distinctly or for the same the spirit being so called from spiration or breathing If he gather unto him his spirit and his breath The gathering of the spirit and breath of man unto God is but a periphrasis or circumlocution of death or of man's departure out of this life when man was formed or created Gen. 2.7 it is said God breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul And when man dyeth his breath or spirit may be said to be gathered or returned back unto God so then the meaning of Elihu in this double supposition If he set his heart upon man if he he gather to himself his spirit and his breath is clearly this if God were once resolved or should but say the word that man must presently die die he must and that presently Hence Note First God can easily do whatsoever he hath a minde to do If he do put his heart upon the doing of any thing it is done Men often set their hearts yea and their hands unto that which they cannot do if men could do that which they set their hearts to do or have a minde to do and thereupon set their hands to do we should have strange work in the world 'T is a mercy to many men that man is often frustrated in his thoughts and purposes in his attempts and undertakings and 't is a glorious mercy to all that have an interest in God that God never lost a thought nor can be hindred in any work he setteth his heart upon He that can lett or stop all men in their works can work and none shall lett or stop him What God will do is not defecible or undoeable if I may so express it by any power in heaven or earth And as God can do what he will and ask no man leave so he can do what he will without trouble to himself 't is but the resolve of his will the turning of his hand or the cast of his eye all which are soon dispatcht and 't is done Thus God breathed out his wishes for the welfare of Israel Psal 81.13 O that my people had hearkned unto me c. I should soon have subdued theâ—r enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries As if he had said I could and would have eased them of all their enemies even of all that rose up against them easily even with the turning of my hand What is more easily done or moâ—e speedily done then the turning of a hand Many things are hard to man and indeed very few things are easie to him except it be to sin or to do evil he can do evil easily some things are not only hard but too hard impossible for man but there is nothing hard much less too hard for God he can easily do the hardest things yea the hardest things are as easie to him as the easiest for as Psal 139.12 Darkness hideth not from the sight of God the darkness and the light are both alike to him so hardness hinders not the work of God hardness and easiness are both alike to him if he set his heart upon it From this general truth take two inferences First How should we fear before this God How should we tremble at the remembrance of and walk humbly in our highest assurance with this God We are much afraid to displease those men who can easily hurt us and in whose hand it is to ruine us every hour But O how little are we in this thought to fear the Lord to take heed of displeasing the Lord who can with ease either help or hurt either bring salvation or destruction who in a moment can thrust the soul out of the body and cast both into hell Secondly We may hence make a strong inference for the comfort of the people of God when their straits are most pinching and their difficulties look like impossibilities and are so indeed while they look to man when their enemies are strongest and the mountains which stand in the way of their expected comforts greatest if then God will be entreated to set his heart and cast his eye upon them their straits are presently turned into enlargements difficulties become easie and mountains plains If we can but engage the Lord his own promise is the surest engagement and indeed all that we can put upon him or minde him of if I say we can thus engage the Lord to be with us who can be to our hurt many will be to their own against us Secondly Note Our life is at the beck dispose and pleasure of God He can gather the spirit and the breath to himself whensoever he pleaseth Psal 104.29 Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled and thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust If God hideth his face from us 't is death while we live but if he take away our breath we cannot live but die Psal 90.3 Thou
turnest man to destruction and sayest Return ye children of men Here 's man turning and returning upon the saying of God man turneth to death he returneth to dust and shall at last return from the dust and all this when God saith he must Our life is a very frail thing and it is in the hand of God to continue or take it away to let us hold it or gather it home to himself Thirdly From the manner of speaking If he gather to himself his spirit and his breath Note When man dieth he is gathered to God When as Solomon allegorizeth the death of man Eccl. 12.6 7. The silver cord is loosed and the golden bowl broken c. Then shall the dust that is the body return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it that is each part of man when he departeth this world shall go its proper way and return to that which is most congenial to it his body to the earth from whence it is his soul to God of whom it is God is a Spirit the creating Spirit and our created spirits are gathered to God when they are separated from the body yet remember there is a two-fold gathering or returning of the spirit to God First To abide and be blessed with him for ever thus the spirits of believers or saints only are gathered to God when they depart out of this world Secondly There is a gathering of the spirit to God to be judged and disposed of by him to receive a sentence of life or death from him And thus the spirit of every man or woman that dieth is gathered to God be they good or bad believers or unbelievers Heb. 9.27 It is appointed for men once to die but after this the judgement 'T is the Statute Law of God man must die and the sound of Judgement is at the heels of death That Text saith but after this the Judgement The general day of judgement shall not be till the resurrection of man from the dead But there is a personal judgement or a determining of every mans state when he dieth and for that end every mans spirit is gathered to God to receive his sentence The spirits of wicked men are gathered to him and condemned the spirits of the righteous are gathered to him and acquitted We are come saith the Apostle Heb. 12.23 to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect David knew he must be gathered to God but he earnestly deprecated such a gathering as most shall have Psal 26.9 Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men It is this word when sinners die they are gathered but David would not be gathered as they are gathered They are gathered to God but it is that they may be for ever separated from him they are gathered to a day of vengeance and wrath Therefore David prayed Gather not my soul with sinners Death is called a gathering in a threefold reference First A gathering to our people Thus it is said of Aaron Num. 20.24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people for he shall not enter into the land c. Death separates the people of God from their people that is from those that are like them on earth but it will be a means of bringing them into the society of their people or fellow believers who are gone before them into heaven Secondly Death is called a gathering to our Fathers 2 Chron. 34 28. Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace There 's a gathering to a more special company and that with other like Scriptures are an argument that we shall know our relations in heaven For to be gathered to our Fathers spoken of in the first part of the verse is more then to be gathered to the grave spoken of in the latter and by our fathers we are to understand more of our fathers then the grave hath in its keeping which is but their bodies even their souls which are kept in heaven Thirdly According to the phrase of this Text death is called a gathering to God If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath Whence Note Fourthly The spirit or soul of man hath its original from God It is of him to whom it returneth The soul or spirit of man is of God in a more special way then his body is for though God giveth both yet the Scripture in the place before named speaks of the soul as the gift of God but passeth by the body Eccles 12.7 The dust shall return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it 'T is God not man alone who hath given us these bodies but 't is not man but God alone who hath given us these spirits therefore men are called the fathers of our flesh that is of the body in way of distinction from God who is the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live that is shall we not rather be subject to God then to man Father of spirits is an Attribute or Title too high and honourable for any but God One of the Ancients in his gracious breathing after God brake out into this holy Passion My soul O God came from thee and my heart is unquiet or restless until it return to thee again God is our center and our rest He gathereth to himself mans spirit and when he doth so what then what 's the issue of it Elihu tells us what in the next verse Vers 15. All flesh shall perish together and man shall turn again to his dust As if he had said As soon as ever the spirit is gathered the flesh is consumed or as we render perisheth All flesh may be taken in the largest sence not only for all men that live but for all living creatures Thus largely Moses extendeth it Gen. 6.17 Behold saith the Lord I will bring a flood of water to destroy all flesh that is all the Beasts of the earth and Fowls of the ayre together with Mankinde except a few of each in the Ark so Psal 136.25 Who giveth food to all flesh that is to man and beast for his mercy endureth for ever Yet some understand this first part more narrowly for all flesh except man because he addeth in the latter part of the verse and man shall return again to his dust But I conceive we are to take all flesh here for all men and only for men it being usual in Scripture to put the same thing twice under different expressions So then All flesh that is every man be he who he will shall perish Thus as all flesh is restrained to man so it extendeth over all men yea over all things of man Isa 40.6 All flesh is grass and all the
Psalmes The 32d Psalme as also the 42d Psalme is called Maschil as much as to say a teaching or an instructing Psalme a Psalme giving understanding and requiring deep and serious consideration Thus in the text they would not consider nor understand nor know nor contemplate any of his wayes The Hebrew is all his wayes that is none at all of them The wayes of God in Scripture are taken in a two-fold notion First for those wherein he would have us walk such are the wayes of his commandements they are called the wayes of God because he directs us to walke in them A holy life consists in our walking with God and we cannot walke with God any further or any longer then we keep in the wayes of his commandements It is sayd of the children of Israel after the death of Joshua Judg 2.17 they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandements of the Lord but they did not so To obey the commandements is to walke in the way of them Taking the wayes of God in this sence when Elihu saith They would not consider any of his wayes his meaning is they did not intend nor had any heart to set themselves to learne the mind of God revealed in his word concerning their duty or what they ought to doe they know not the wayes of God practically The word properly denotes the wisdome and prudence which stayeth not in notion but proceeds to action These men lived as if they had never heard of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad prudentiam sapientiam practicam rerum agendarum pertinet at least never understood the Law of God which is the rule of life They considered not the wayes of God to walke in them as Moses exhorted the people of Israel Deut 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant to doe them Secondly The wayes of God are those wherein himself walketh the works of God are the wayes of God the works of his providence either in mercy or in judgement either in doing good or in doing evil that is poenal evil these are the wayes of God in these God shewes himself as in a way in these he goeth forth in his power and goodness in his mercy and justice All these divine glories and perfections are discovered in the works of God Thus David is to be understood when he saith Psal 25.10 All the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant that is all the providential works of God are mercy and truth though all of them are not mercy in the matter or precisely taken as works done though none of them are mercy respecting some persons to whom they are done for many of them are materially chastisements afflictions and crosses to good men and all of them are wrath and judgement to evil and impenitently wicked men yet they are all mercy in the issue or result of them to good men or to those who fear God and keep his covenants For whether he do good or whether he do evil whether he wounds or whether he heals all these providential wayes of God are as truth in themselves so mercy to his people or as the Apostle concludes Rom. 8.28 They work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose In both these sences we may expound this Text They would not consider any of his wayes that is they would neither consider the Lawes of God which were the way wherein they should walk towards him nor would they consider the works of God which are the wayes wherein himself walketh towards them This was the spirit of that evil generation intended in this Scripture they had not much understanding in and less consideration of the wayes of God Hence first we may take notice Elihu doth not say they did not consider his wayes but they would not It was not so much an act of carelesness and negligence as of contempt and rebellious resolution Hence Observe Evil men have no will to consider or understand the good wayes of God yea their will is against such an understanding A natural man liketh not to retain God in his knowledge Rom. 1.28 Now he that doth not like to retain God in his knowledge or had rather think of any thing then of God he can never while such like to retain the wayes of God in his knowledge he that layeth God out of his thoughts will much more lay the law of God out of his thoughts The natural man hath not only a blindness in his minde which hinders him from discerning the things of God they being discernable only by a spiritual eye but he hath an obstinacy in his Will or he hath not only an inability to know but an enmity against the knowledge of that which is spiritual He shuts his eyes and draws a curtain between himself and the light which is ready to dart in upon him away with this light saith he Thus he rebelleth against the light and as his understanding is dark so his affections are corrupt Solomon gives us all this in the expostulations of wisdome with wicked men Prov. 1.20 21 22. Wisdome cryeth c. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge That which a man hateth he hath no will no minde to know An impotency or inability unto God argues a very sad condition but a rebellion a frowardness a wilfulness against it demonstrates a condition much more sad not to know because we have no means of knowledge will make us miserable enough but not to know because unwilling to receive or because wilfully set against the means of knowledge renders any mans condition most miserable Such were these in the Text They would not consider any of his wayes Secondly Elihu saith not they did not know any of his wayes or they knew not which way to go but they would not consider them There is no man but knowes some yea many of the ways of God that is of those wayes wherein God would have him to walk these wayes of God are written in the heart by nature there is an impression of the Will of God upon every soul though not such an impression or writing as grace maketh there that 's another kinde or manner of work for when once through grace the Law of God is written in and impressed upon the heart then the heart is suited to the Law yea the heart is not only conformed unto but transformed into the Law of God whereas by nature the Law is written only so far as to give us the knowledge of the Law and a conviction of that duty or conformity which we owe to it The men here intended by Elihu knew the Law or wayes of God by the light of a natural conscience but not by the light of a renewed conscience and therefore they would not consider any of his wayes
to flow in upon us Christ said to the sick man Matth. 9.2 Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee Fourthly It is a precious mercy because it stops and keeps off all evils and judgements strictly so called I forgive I will not destroy Our comforts cannot stand before the guilt of sin and our troubles cannot stand long before the pardon of sin Isa 33.24 The highest wtath of God appears in this when he will not pardon and it argues the greatest displeasure of man against man when he prayeth that he may not be pardoned That was a most dreadful prayer of the Prophet Isa 2.9 The mean man is bowed down and the mighty man humbles himself therefore forgive them not here was a prayer that they might not be forgiven and the ground why he prayed so seems to be as strange as the matter of it was dreadful Is it a sin to be excepted from pardon to see a mean man bow down and a mighty man humble himself The meaning is they bowed themselves not to God but to idols all bowing and humbling our selves either to worship an idol or in idol worship is rebelling against God We have a like prayer Jer. 18.23 the Prophet having spoken of the plots and devisings of the people against him turns himself thus to God Thou knowest all their counsel to slay me forgive not their iniquity neither blot their sin from thy sight Nothing can be wisht worse to any man then this that his sin may never be pardoned And here it may be questioned how the Prophet could make such a prayer which seems to have the height of all uncharitableness in it I answer first The Prophet was led by an extraordinary Spirit to do this Secondly We are not to conceive that the Prophet prayed for their eternal condemnation but that God would call them to a reckoning and make them feel the evil of their own doings There is a sin unto death for the pardon of which we are not to pray 1 John 5.16 yet there is no sin about which we are to pray that it may never be pardoned The worst prayer that can be made against any man is that he may not be pardoned and there is nothing better to be prayed for then pardon It shewed the height of Christs love when hanging on the Cross he prayed thus for his enemies Luke 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do And the Protomartyr Stephen breathed out a like spirit of charity while he was breathing out his life in a shower of stones powred upon him from more stony hearts Acts 7.60 with this prayer Lord lay not this sin to their charge Thus I have finished this 31th verse both according to our own Translation and that other insisted upon by many of the learned only from the connexion of this verse with the next according to the latter reading To God who saith I pardon I will not destroy it should be said that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Observe The very consideration that God is ready to pardon sin should make us resolved against the committing of sin The sin-pardoning mercy of God is one of the highest and most spiritual arguments by which the soul is kept from sin There is forgiveness with thee saith David Psal 130.4 that thou mayst be feared that is because thou art so merciful as to forgive sinners therefore they ought to fear thee in doing what thy will is and in avoiding whatsoever is contrary to thy will 'T is prophesied that frame of spirit shall dwell upon the people of God in the latter dayes Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness that is Si scirem homines ignoraturos Deos ignoscituros tamen non facerem Sen◠they shall fear to offend the Lord because he is so good and ready to pardon It was said by a Heathen and it may shame many who profess themselves Christians that a heathen said so if I did know that men should never know the evil which I do and that the gods so he speaks in their language would pardon and forgive the evil which I do yet I would not do it Surely the spirit of a true believer must needs rise thus high and higher upon the clear grounds of Gospel grace and discoveries of the free love of God Cannot a true believer say though I know that God will pardon my sin though he hath declared that my sin is pardoned and though I could be assured that men should never know of this sin if I commit it yet I will not do it To God who saith I pardon it should be said I will sin no more I shall now proceed to the 32d verse which stands fair to either reading Vers 32. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Some carry the general sence of these words as if spoken by God himself to Job and spoken by an irony or in scorn as if he had thus bespoken him If I have afflicted thee beyond thy desert or have overthrown thy judgement that Job had more then once complained of Si quid me fugit in te affligendo vel si quid errarem tu me doceas Si te venando perperam egi vel injustè me habui non ultra id fecero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc. if I have not kept to the true rules of reason and righteousness in chastening thee if in my dealings with thee I have done amiss or have not done thee right Shew me wherein O Job and I will afflict thee so no more I shall not stay upon this but take the words according to our Translation as the whole verse intends a further description of a person deeply humbled under and sensible of the hand the chastening the afflicting hand of God who having said with respect to all known sins in the former verse I will offend no more saith here in this verse concerning all unknown sins That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more That which I see not There is a two-sold sight First Corporal the sight of the bodily eye Secondly Intellectual the sight of the eye of the minde or of the understanding when Elihu represents the penitent afflicted person speaking thus What I see not c. he intends not a corporal sight but an intellectual Seeing is here as often elsewhere in Scripture put for knowing the understanding is the eye of the soul How blinde and dark are those men who have no understanding in the things of God! Eph. 4.18 When Christ had sayd For judgement am I come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde some of the Pharisees said unto him John 9.41 are we blinde also have we no eyes Jesus said unto them If ye were blinde ye should have
sent to destroy 362. How the Angels come to know the mystery of the Gospel 408 Anger full of heate 10 11. Anger in the cause of God is good 15. Anger prevailes most in those who have least reason 27. They who give counsel must bridle anger 28. We should see good reason to be angry before we are 40 Answer unlesse we answer home we give no answer 82. A fourefold way of answering 232 233. Apostates who are so 620. Apostacy or turning back from God 700. Apostates grow worse and worse every day 705 Archimedes much transported with joy and why 85 Arrow put for a wound 525. Two sorts of arrows 525 Attention the best men may need to have their attentions quickned 551. B Barachel what that name signifieth 11. Behold a fourefold use of it in the Scripture 460 461. Behold to behold taken two wayes in Scripture 658 Belial what it signifieth and who may be called Belial 622 623 Bernard his description of an Opinionist in his time 115 Best not barely good but the best things to be looked after and chosen 508 510 Binding the great use of it for healing 608 Bladders wicked men how like them 691 Blindness spirituall or of the understanding to be smitten with it how sore a judgement 699 Boasting man is very apt to boast of himselfe 83 84 Man is apt to boast in the evill he doth much more of the good he doth 84. His boasting of wisdome 85 Bones what they are to the body 337. Paine in the bones grievous 337 338 Breath and spirit their difference 590 C Call of God it is dangerous to refuse or not hearken to his first call 268 Cato his answer to a voluptuous person 505 Change or turning of a man into another man twofold 55 Changes God can quickly make the greatest changes both in naturall and civill things 418 Charities done rightly produce a great encrease 566 Chastisements are documents 340. What properly a chastisement is 789. Chastisement is for amendment 797. When God chastneth us we should promise amendment 797. In what sence we may promise being chastned to offend no more 798 Chirurgion three things required in him answerably those three in those who would cure the soule 101 Christ remembrance of his humbling himselfe a great meanes to humble us 325. Christ the Angel of the Covenant 371. We must have union with Christ else we can have no benefit by him 429. Christ the only hiding place for sinners 672. Sinners under a fourefold consideration may hide themselves in Christ 672 Churches of the Gentiles to be warned by the severe dealings of God with the Church of the Jewes 697 Chusing or chusing of Instruments how it differs from Gods 61. Chusing or election what it is 506. The chusing of judgement what 506. It is not enough to know or doe good unlesse we chuse it 509 Clay that all men are clay how it should worke 187 Comforts the best in the creature vaine 347 Company to chuse ill company the signe of an evill man 538 543. To be much in the company of good men a signe of goodness 540. In what sense a good man may be sayd to goe in company with evill men 541 542 Condemnation supposeth a man to be wicked 29. To condemne and make wicked the same in Scripture 29 30 31. Condemnation out of our owne mouth must needs stop the mouth 196 Condemne to condemne those whom we cannot answer how sinfull 29 30 31. To condemn God the great wickedness of it and in what sense many doe it 618 619 Conditional acts of grace 398 Confession threefold 445. Sin must be confessed 449. Whether a generall confession be enough 449 Confidence or trust in man a strong argument against it from mans weakness 600 Conviction what or when a person may be sayd to be convinced 78 79. Three great convincers shewed 80 81 Conversion the worke of God not of man 89 Consideration what it is 707 711. Not to consider the wayes and word of God very sinfull 713 714. The duty of consideration prest 717 Corruption doth not prevaile upon the dead body of man till the fourth day 328. Corruption why sin is so called 797 800 Courtesies They watch for a discourtesie who aske courtesies of us beyond our power 210 Croesus the answer which the Oracle gave him ambiguous 160 Cry of the oppressed will goe up to God 718. Their affliction hath a cry though they cry not 719. They are the worst of wicked men who cause the poore to cry 720. God graciously heareth the cry of humble oppressed ones 722. Vide oppressed D. Darkness twofold 666 Death is a going downe to the pit 402. Sickness hath a tendency to death 402. When man dyeth he is gathered to God 593. Death is called a gathering in a threefold sense 594. No man hath priviledge against death 597. Death of two sorts 639. Death of any sort may befall all sorts of men 640. Death comes suddenly upon many men and may upon all men 640. Violent death sweepes away many in a moment 641 Declining how a good man may decline and grow worse 860 Deferre God sometimes deferrs to doe his servants right 520. Deferrings are very afflictive 520 Deficiencies of the best men two wayes to be considered for their humbling 323 Delaying dangerous though God be patient 467. Delayes in business may be no stop of it 483 Delighting in God what 545 546 Deliverances of five sorts 399. Deliverance is from God only 403. God conveighs deliverance by man or meanes usually 403. Our deliverance from sin is costly 410. Deliverances are obtained three wayes 410 411. Temporall deliverance by Christ also 412. Great deliverances give us a new life 470 Despayre of the end puts an end to endeavour 6. Despayre in creatures yet hope in God 528 Destruction in whose destruction God hath pleasure 811 Devills sin and condemnation what 86 Diadumenus his resolution 12 Differences what hinders the healing of them 483 484 486 487 488 Diligence how it makes rich 635 Discontent the Devills sin 59 Diseases and death not farre asunder 360. Diseases are destroyers 365. Diseases at the command of God 400 Displeasure of God renders all outward comforts nothing to us 348 Disputing tough and hard worke 3 Disputation the true law of it 193 Drawing and withdrawing two gracious acts of God towards man 299 Dreame what it is 280. Naturall dreams caused foure wayes 281 Diabolicall dreames 282. Divine dreames five messages upon which they are sent 282 283. It hath been the use of God to reveale himselfe by dreames 285. Five reasons why God revealed himselfe in dreames 286. Dreames the way of Gods revealing himselfe to the Church of old 287. Luthers prayer about dreames 288. A profitable use may be made of dreames at this day 289 Drinking what it signifieth in Scripture 533. A threefold measure of drinking 534. To drinke scorning like water what it imports 535 Dust in what sence all men are but dust 598. Humbling
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.