of prophane spirits usually dye in their youth and are cut off in the Flower of their Age. They who multiply their sins substract from their dayes and they have least gâ—ound of hope to live long who live ill As bloody so deceitful men such are hypocrites in heart shall not live out half their dayes They who live not out half their dayes dye in youth That also is the meaning of Eliphaz Chap. 15.32 where he saith The wicked man shall have his recompence before his time as also when he saith Chap. 22.16 They were cut down out of time that is before the ordinary time of cutting man down by Death was come And therefore I answer Secondly they die in youth needs not be taken in that strictness as importing that they die before they come to mens estate but only that they die before the common time of dying To die in youth signifieth any immature death or when death cometh suddainly upon any they may be said to die in youth Thus here they die in youth that is some immature or suddain death overtakes them they come to an hasty or untimely end they prolong not their dayes on earth Thirdly this dying in youth may refer to the hypocrites unpreparedness or unfitness to die Unprepared persons may be said to die in youth because youths or younger men aâ—e usually unprepared to die Hence that serious memento or warning given them Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Young men are commonly so unprepared to die that whosoever die unprepared may be said to die in youth yea though they die in old age they die infants I may say at least in alusion to that of the Prophet possibly it may be a proof of what I say Isa 65.20 An old man that hath not filled his dayes by being good and doing good dieth a child As a child may be said to die an hundred years old when he dies full of grace so a man of an hundred years old may be said to die a child an infant when he hath no grace for though he hath been long in the world yet he can hardly be said to have lived at all So then how long soever the hypocrite in heart hath had a being on the earth and a breathing in the air he alwayes dieth in youth or before his time Moritur cum Juventa Jun. Ponitur ב pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut cap. 9.26 Psal 143.7 Pisc Aeque morientur pari judicio Dei conterentur atque juveniles illi animi qui proterve obnituntur Deo palam ad omne flagitium projecti sunt Jun. Vt hic vita mori dicitur sic Authores Latini dicunt vita vivere vitam vivere vita moritur cum homo vitam cum morte commutat Drus Vita eorum suppleo ausertur Pisc Cum meritoriis Pisc Latini vacant cinaedos pathicos qui in concubitu libidinoso vice mulieris funguntur Id. because he hath not yet learned the way to eternal life There is yet another reading of the woâ—ds we say they die in youth that saith they die with youth or young men that is as dissolute deboyst vitious and riotous young men die so hypocrites die The hypocrite is opposed to the outwardly profane in his life but he shall be like him in his death As if Elihu had said look as vain voluptuous youths carnal youths or young men who give themselves up to their pleasures look as or how they die look what wrath is upon them when they die even so shall the hypocrites in heart die they die with the youth I shall touch this further upon the last clause where Elihu gives us this sence in other words and in words that more fully reach this sence for having said they die in or with youth he thus concludes And their life is among the unclean Here it may be queried forasmuch as he said before they die in youth how doth he here say Their life is among the unclean what life have they when dead I answer By their liâ—e we may understand that life which hypocrites in heart shall have after death which may be taken two wayes First for the life of the soul while the body remaines a consuming or consumed caâ—kass in the grave that life after death the life of their soules is among the unclean Secondly for the life which they shall have after the resurrection of their bodies that will be among the unclean too Some translate the words thus Their life is taken away among the unclean we say their life is among the unclean The word is is not in the original text and we may make the supply by a word signifying to take away Their life is taken away among the unclean that is they shall die like the worst of sinners they shall make no better an end than the unclean and profane no better than the most foul and filthy Sodomites as the original imports For The word which we render unclean hath a double yea a contrary signification holy and unholy clean and unclean They who are holy onely in name are most unholy in heart and life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duo contraria signifiâ—at sanctura profanum pollutum scortatorem Recte simulatores effaeminatis comparat quia ex pravitate animi contingit quod homines sint simulatores est enim proprium magnanimi esse manifestum Aquin. The Scripture often by the same word expresseth things of utmost opposition so here he calleth those who are most unholy by a word which signifieth holiness the Hebrew saith their life is among the Sodomites Mr. Broughton translates and their life with fornicators Sodomites who are the most unclean and filthy sinners worse than fornicators are expressed by a word by this word which also signifieth holy or holy ones Deut. 23.17 There shall not be a Sodomites or an holy one among you and therefore as we read of Sodomites in the land who are sinners against the the law of nature 1 Kings 14.24 so according to that law of Moses we read 1 Kings 15.12 and Chapter 22.46 as also 2 Kings 23.7 of the destroying of the houses of the Sodomites and of the removing of Sodomites out of the land Sodomites being the most abominable of all unclean ones how unclean are they whose life is among them or whose life is taken away wiâ—h them The Spirit of God doth rightly compare hypocrites to Sodomites and filthy persons because it proceeds from the heat of some base lust or other that any are hypocrites 'T is proper to those who are magnanimous or of noble spirits to be open clear-hearted and ingenious Their life is with the unclean Hypocrites have a great affectation to be numbered among the clean and holy and possibly they have been or may be high in the opinion of men for holiness for very Sainâ—s But their life shall be among the Sodomites or the unclean It being a shame to
are wrought above of those both useful and dreadful or terrible Meteors the snow and raine the windes the lightening and the thunder these things may be thought very forreigne and heterogeneal very far off from the business in hand but I will speak to thee of these things even of the woâ—ks of God in the Heavens in the Air in the Chambers of the Clouds and I will convince thee by what God doth there above of his righteousness in what he doth here below The wisdome and power of God in ordering those natural works in the Clouds and in the Air prove that man hath no cause to complain about his providential works on earth For as those wonderful visible works of God are real demonstrations of those invisible things of God his eternal power and God-head so they declare both his righteousness and goodness his wrath and mercy towards the children of men in the various dispensations of them And so although those things might be thought far from the poynt which Elihu supposed Job questioned at least by consequences the righteousness of God in his severe dealings with him yet indeed they contained principles or general grounds by which that which Elihu had engaged to maintain might be fully confirmed and unanswerably concluded This I conceive is the special afar off that Elihu intended to fetch his knowledge from as may appear in the close of this Chapter and in the next quite thorow I will fetch my knowledge from afar Hence note First The natural works of God or the works of God in nature are to be studied and searched out As the works of grace are afar off from all men in a state of nature so the works of God in nature are very far off from the most of men they know little of Gods works in the Heavens or in the Earth in the Sea or in the Aire yet all these are to be searched out with diligence by the sons of men Secondly Note The works of Creation and Providence shew that God is and what he is We may see who God is in what he hath done we say things are in their working as they are in their being God hath done like himself in all that he hath done his own works as well as his own Word speak him best Psal 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work c. The raine and snow declare the power of God Thunder and Lightening shew what he can do Thirdly Note Knowledge is worth our longest travel it will quit cost to go far for it We say Some things are far fetcht and dear bought true knowledge especially the knowledge of Jesus Christ deserves to be far fetcht and it cannot be too dear bought we must drive a strange kind of trade with the truths of God we must be alwayes buying and never selling yet that 's a commodity will never lye upon our hands never brayde If we were to fetch our knowledge from afar as to the distance of place we should not think much of it The Queen of the South fetcht her knowledge from afar she came a very great way undertook a long jouâ—ney to hear the wisdome of Solomon in that sense we should be willing to fetch our knowledge from afar yet some will scarce step over the threshold to fetch in knowledge It is prophesied Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Knowledge ought to be travell'd for as much as any thing in the world We fetch our gold and silver and rich Commodiâ—ies afar off we go to the ends of the Earth for them through a thousand deaths and dangers we sayle within three inches of death for many moneths together to fetch woâ—ldly riches f om afar off and shall we not fetch knowledge afar off how far soever it is from us in distance of place and what labour or cost soever we bestow to fetch it in I will fetch my knowledge from afar I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker These words contain the ground purpose or designe of Elihu in this whole discourse which was to maintain the righteousness of God I saith he will ascribe the Hebrew strictly is give righteousness to my Maker here 's a very great undertaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give righteousness to God God gives and imputes righteousness to us 'T is the summe of the Gospel that God imputes or ascribes righteousness to sinners Now as God in a Gospel sense gives righteousness to us both the righteousness of justification which is lodged in the person of Christ and the righteousness of sanctification which is lodged in our own persons though the spring and principle of that also be in Christ still so we must give righteousness to God that is both believe and declare or publish to all the world that God is just and give him the praise of his justice which is the best and noblest work we can do on Gods behalf in this world There are two most excellent works which indeed contain all our work in this world First To do righteously or act righteousness our selves Secondly To ascribe righteousness unto God But you will say what is it to give or ascribe righteousness to God I answer It is to acknowledge that God is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works 'T is mans duty to justifie God to ascribe that righteousness to him which is properly his own 'T is Gods grace his free-grace to justifie man to ascribe that righteousness to him which is properly anothers David made profession of the former as his duty Psal 50.3 4. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and clear when thou judgest That is I 'le confess my sin Is qui peccat et confitâ—tur deo peccatum justifi at deum cedens ei vincenti et ab eo gratiam sperans Ambros l. 6. in Luc that all the world may see the righteousness of thy dealings with me though thou shouldest deale never so severely with me though thou shouldest speak the bitterest things against me pronounce a sentence of heaviest judgement upon me The Apostle referring to this place in the Psalmes quotes the words in a passive forme and sense not of God judging man but of God judged by man Rom. 3.4 Let God be true but every man a lyar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged As if David had said according to the Apostles reading out of the Septuagint which yet as learned Beza in his Annotations affiâ—meth Istud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 active meo quidem judicio necessario explicandum est ut Graeco Hebraeu respondeant Bez in Rom 3.4 ought to be expounded actively as if I say David had thus expressed himself Lord I know some men will take the boldness to question thee yea and to condemn thee
express the abomination of that sort of sinners by a word proper to them the Scripture by an Euphemisme calls them holy we translate the Scripture sense and call them unholy or unclean Their life is among the unclean among Sodâ—mites Thus as the death of the hypocrite here is fully expressed in the former words He shall die with the youth that is like those sinful Sodomitish youths like those youths who live in the heat of abominable lusts though he seemed to have an heat of holiness so their life heâ—eafter is fully expressed in these latter words Their life is with the unclean This clearly sets forth hypocrites they are spiritual adulterers they pretend love to Christ as their husband but their hearts go a whoting after the world And therefore as their life was really in this world though they pretended otherwise so it shall be visible in the world to come among the unclean Hence Note First They who are like the unclean in this life shall be wrapped up with them in the next life after death or in the second death They who live like the wicked shall dy like the wicked and live with them if theirs may be called a life for evermore The hypocrite with all his varnish and fair colours shall not die like a godly man nor live with him after death though he hath lived the life of a godly man as to appearance yet he shal not die so nor live so when the dead rise he shal die and live like and among his own company the unclean He was secretly unclean in his life and he shall openly live among the unclean when he dyes Balaam a Sorcerer a Witch a false Prophet how did he beg that he might die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Num. 23.14 The hypocrite would sain die like those whom he hath imitated and made a shew of all the dayes of his life But did Balaam dy like the righteous no he dyed as he lived like one that had loved the wages of unrighteousness Though hypocrites have lived in reputation with godly and good men yea have been reputed godly and good men yet when they die they shal go down among the unclean even among the debauched and filthy Sodomites they shal go to their own place and to their own company It is said of Judas when he hanged himself Acts. 1.25 He went to his own place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper place All things naturally tend to that which is congeniall or like to them heavy things downward light things upward What place is congenial to what place is the center of wicked men Surely Hell the bottomless pit is their own place and that 's the meaning of the text there Judas was a great while among the Apostles in an high place in a very excellent place he went like an Apostle or for an Apostle but that was not his owne place he was an hypocrite and when he dyed then he went to his owne place to thâ—t place which was proper to him In this life good and bad are mingled together in the same place the hypocrites and the sincere may be in one House in one Cong egation in one Church in the purest Church on eaâ—th there may be hypocrites in heart as well as sincere but when hypocrites die they shall be divided from all those with whom they were never truly or in heart united If it were possible all the godly or sincere should be in one place as to spirituals here that 's most comely and desirable though not attainable yet we cannot make the separation perfect in this life but at death it will be done perfectly death will not leave one hypocrite among the sincere not a weed among the herbs nor a chaff in the floor death will make perfect separation after death all the holy shall be gathered together into one society and all the unholy into another society by themselves It is said of Abraham he was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 Not only to his kindred in the flesh but to all those that were of his faith Death will gather all to their proper place and company Godly Josiah was gathered to his fathers 2 Chron. 34.28 and the wicked are said Psal 49.19 to go to the generation of their fathers where they shall never see light Death will send every one to his owne The hypocrite shall no more shuffle himself among the righteous nor Satan himself nor any of his Sons among the Sons of God every man shall be for ever among his like Further note The smoothest-faced and closest hypocrite in the world shall fare as bad or no better then the foulest and deboystest sinner They shall die with the vile and be taken away among the unclean The fairest hypocrite shall have no more esteem with God then the foulest Sodomite that ever was in the world Christ saith if any refuse to receive the Gospel it shall be worse with them then with Sodom the cry of whose sins went up to heaven nor shall it be any whit better but rather worse with them who â—eceive the Gospel of Christ only in shew their hearts not being right with him How woful is their present condition who daily heap up wrath who in the sense opened die in or with youth and whose life after death is among the unclean JOB Chap. 36. Vers 15 16 17. 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth their ear in oppression 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee ELihu having shewed how terrible God will be how dreadfully he will deal with subtile hypocrites The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath proceeds in this context to do two things further First that he might raise some hope in Job if he did it last humble himself he repeats the gracious dealings of God with humble and upright-hearted ones at the 15th verse I say he repeats it because he had spoken of it before vers 6 7. and this is a very useful and profitable repetition by which Job is doubly admonished to raise himself from his despair of a better condition forasmuch as God doth not afflict with a purpose to destroy but that he may heal and help the afflicted The greatest design of God in chastening us should be alwayes remembred that he intends only our good especially to make us thereby better or more partakers of his holiness Secondly he makes application of the whole doctrine to Job and that two wayes First by way of consolation assuring him he had been delivered in case he had humbled himself duly deeply before the Lord v. 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a large place