examples must not teach us to sinne but they teach us how unable we alone are to keep our selves from sinne they teach us also what need we have to depend upon and look up to Christ that we may be kept from sin if he leave us but a little unto our selves the flesh will discover much of it self and we shall quickly shew what our natures are though we are renewed by grace We must trust to the supplies not to the receipts of grace Secondly When Job saith My soul is weary of my life We learn That Soul and life in man are two distinct things For howsoever as was toucht in explication the soul is often put for the whole man and so the sense of my soul is weary may be but this I am weary of my life yet the holy Ghost would never denominate all man by that which is 〈◊〉 not a part of man That 's a brutish opinion which makes the soul nothing or nothing else but life and this life no more in entity then the life of a beast which vanisheth when it dieth That these opinionists tell us they believe the body shall rise again by the power of God cannot satisfie for this fall which their opinion gives the soul neither doth the immortality of the soul at all contradict which was threatned for and is the wages of sin the death of the whole man For death consists not if we may say a privation doth consist in the annihilation but in the separation of those parts of man soul and body which by life are united and kept close together Thirdly When Job saith My soul is weary of my life we learn That the life of man may grow to be a burthen to him In the third Chapter Job wished for death his wish was examined there about the lawfulnesse of it I shall now only examine a touch about which was given lately whence this wearinesse of life causing wishes to be rid of life doth arise There is a wearinesse of life incident only and proper to wicked men And there is a wearinesse of life which may grow upon the best of men Take a brief account of the usuall grounds of both First Carnall men are often sick with discontent and die of a humour If the Lord will not give them their lusts they bid him take their lives Necessaries and competencies will not satisfie them they must have superfluities they languish if they have not quails to their Manna as Israel once desired and had Was it any thing but this which made Ahab goe home sullen and sad Sullen sadnesse is a degree of this wearinesse Ahab had a Kingdom and yet he could not live without a vineyard He that takes away another mans life to obtain what he desires thinkes his own life searee desirable unlesse he may obtain it There was a spice of this distemper in Jonah though a good man and a Prophet Jonah 4.8 because the Lord did but kill his gourd kill me too saith Ionah He wished himself to die and said his gourd being dead It is better for me to die then to live It is an excesse of desire when we desire any outward thing much more when we desire things unnecessary things not to supply our wants but to serve our lusts As Rachel did children who are the best and noblest of outward things Give me them or else I die Gen. 30.1 Secondly Some wicked men are wearied of their lives by the horrour of their consciences A hell within makes the world without a hell too They who have a sight of eternall death as the wages of sin without the sight of a remedy may soon be weary of a temporall life As much peace of conscience and soul joy in believing makes some of the Saints wish themselves out of the body so also doth trouble of conscience and grief of soul make many of the wicked A man who is not at all weary of committing sin may be weary of his life because he hath committed it And he who was never troubled that his wickednesse is as an offence against God may feel his wickednesse extremely offensive against himself To such a soul the evil of sinne is so great an evil of punishment that he is ready to cry out with Cain My punishment is greater then I can bear Yea what his guilty conscience feared comes to be the desire of many under the same guilt That every one that findeth them would slay them And some are so weary of their lives at the sight of sinne that they make away their lives themselves hoping to get out of the sight of sin There are sins which cry to God for vengeance and some cry to the sinner himself for vengeance This cry was so loud and forcible in the ears of Judas that it caused him to go away and hang himself And what made Ahithophel weary of his life but his wickednesse The rejecting of his counsel was not so much the reason of it as the sinfulnesse of his counsel A good man may be troubled at others when his good counsel is not accepted but he grows not unacceptable to himself nay he is well-pleased that he hath given honest counsel though none will take it though all are displeased at it But they who aim not at the pleasing of God in what they doe thinke themselves undone and die they will if they please not men Thirdly Inordinate cares for the things of this life make others weary of their lives He that cannot cast his care upon God may soon be cast down himself Christ Luk. 21.34 cautions his Disciples Take heed lest your hearts be over-charged with the cares of this life That which Christ would prevent in the Saints fals often upon carnall men their hearts are over-charged with cares cares are compared to a burden and they are compared to thorns they doe not only presse but vex and wound Their weight presses some to death their sharpnesse wounds others to death And not a few would go out of the world because they cannot get so much of it as they would These things among others make wicked men weary of their lives There are other things which make godly men weary of their lives such are these First The violence of Satans and the worlds temptations The soul would gladly be rid of the body that it might be beyond the reach and assaults of the devil and his assistants There 's a serpent every where but in the heavenly paradise Only they complain not of temptation who are willing slaves to the tempter The Apostle 1 Cor. 10.13 assures the Corinthians There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it as if he had said Temptations are sore burdens and although yours hitherto have been but ordinary temptations such
power are ascribed to sinne because God gives men over to those punishments which their sins challenge at his hands Some sinnes have a louder voice then others but every sinne unpardoned the mouth whereof is not stopt by the bloud of Christ cries to God for vengeance till God put the sinner into the hand of sin that he may at once receive pay for and from his own folly Observe from the former interpretation First That The Lord doth often in judgement give man up to the power of his sinfull lusts This is a generall truth though we cannot draw it down to the instance of Jobs children The Lord in wrath leaves man to himself Every man by nature sins freely and many are left by God to a judiciary freedome in sinning He cannot restrain himself and sometimes God will not restrain him but lets him take his fill of sinne and be as wicked as he will Revel 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still he that is filthy let him be filthy still This permission is the highest and sorest affliction This liberty is worse then any bondage Thus also the Church leaves those to their ignorance who obstinately refuse instruction 1 Cor. 14.38 He tha◠is ignorant let him be ignorant still Those souls are in a desperate condition who are put out of the care either of God or of his Church Secondly Observe That Sin is a punishment Sinne is the punishment of sinne Thy children sinned against him and he gave them into the hand of their sinne Tu Domine dixisti ita est ut omna malus animus sibi ipsi fit poena August he never goes unpunished for sinne who sins and repents not Thou Lord saith one of the Ancients hast decreed it and so it is That every evil minde is it 's own scourge The Apostle tels us Heb. 10.31 that it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hand of the living God it is indeed and it is as fearfull a thing to fall into the hand of deadly sins or dead works How dreadfull a thing is it to be under the power and tyranny of our own hearts The committing of sinne is worse then the enduring of trouble The Lord doth not only punish men according to their sins but he makes their sinne their punishment yea their sins are their punishers He puts them into the hand of sin as into the hand of a tormentour A Heathen could threaten a wicked man Vlciscentur eū mones sui Cicero ad Attich thus His manners shall be his revenge Holinesse carries its reward with it and though no creature will recompense the good we doe yet doing good is a recompence In keeping the Commandments of God there is an exceeding great reward Psal 19.11 The act of keeping them is a reward as well as the issue A good work is pay enough to the worker So also is an evil work Prov. 1.32 The turning away of the simple shall slay him A simple childe that will not be ruled counsell'd or ordered such Solomon speaks of Ye simple ones how long will ye love simplicity That is your own foolish vain waies The turning away of such simple ones from the counsell of the wise shall slay them The way of sinne is death as well as the end or wages of it As faith the Proverb of the Ancients they are the words of David concerning Saul 1 Sam. 24.14 Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked but mine hand shall not be upon him David knew that Saul was a man so wicked that he needed no other revenger but his own self his own sinne would bring misery enough upon him therefore saith he Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked that is the punishment of wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked man himself Observe the occasion of those words it was when some about David advised him to slay Saul not I saith he my hand shall not be upon him I know he is a man so given up to sinne so enslaved to his own vile affections that ther 's enough upon him already and in a short time more will be upon him Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked but mine hand shall not be upon him I will leave him to the hand of his sin which is his plague already and which in a little time will attach him and doe me right though he never would When God took up a resolution against his own people that he would not hear or be intreated and protested his minde could not be towards them he saith Jer. 15.2 Let them go forth such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity This was a dreadfull sentence but for God to say to a people Let them go forth in the waies of their sinne he that is for drunkennesse to be drunk he that is for uncleannesse to be unclean he that is for pride to be proud he that is for swearing to oaths and he that is for envy to be envious and he that is for idolatry to his idols O how unconceivably miserable are such a people To be left in the hand of these sins is a spirituall judgement and these sinnes will quickly bring in temporall judgements and not long hence eternall From the later interpretation Observe Sinne shall not alway goe away unpunished by outward sensible evils God will sinke and cast men away for their transgressions If sinne be in the house punishment lies at the doors and will turn the lock and open it or break it open upon the sinner And though he hide himself in vaults or secret corners yet his iniquity will finde him out He that will not cast away his transgression shall be cast away for his transgression whether he will or no. So much for these words wherein Bildad sets before Job the sinfulnesse of his children thereby to vindicate the justice of God in giving them up to the dominion of their sin or to destruction for their sinne In the next words he advises Job to take heed by their harms and assures him of happy successe in case he doe As if he had said Though they perished in their transgression yet doe not thou despair For Verse 5. If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty c. God hath been just in punishing thy children and he will be mercifull in pardoning thee in accepting thy person in prospering thy estate if now at last thou apply thy self to seek him diligently Though thy children have fallen into the hand of their transgression yet there is hope that thou maiest escape Thus he deals with him in a way of counsell as Eliphaz had done before Chap. 5. v. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause this is the counsell I give thee and the course I would take my self Bildad speaks the same in effect and almost in the letter If thou wouldest
as usually befall the Saints though yours be moderate afflictions and 〈◊〉 common stature such as in the eye of reason any man may 〈◊〉 with by a common assistance of grace yet there are temptations which if God the faithfull God should not come in with greater assistances then usuall you are not able to bear They who wrestle with more then flesh and bloud alwaies need more then the strength of flesh and bloud to help them in their wrestlings And because they are often assaulted with greater strength therefore they are assisted with greater strength For if God doe either with-draw his help from the Saints or leave them to wrestle with Satan alone and to fight single with his Armies or if he doe not proportion the aid he sends to the temptation he permits they are sadly over-charged though they can never be totally overcome and 't is possible to grow weary of the battell though we are assured of the victory It is the honour of the Saints to conquer when they are tempted but it is their happinesse to be above or without temptation How many poor souls put up bils of complaint and beg praiers against temptations Paul praid thrice that is often and much when the messenger of Satan buffeted him whether his were an inward or an outward temptation is doubted but without doubt that temptation made his life burdensome to him till he received that answer from God My grace is sufficient for thee Secondly The Saints are wearied with the weight of their sinfull hearts Inward corruption burdens more then outward temptation and were it not for corruption within temptation without could not be very burdensome The devil tempted Christ but because he found nothing at all in him complying with or sutable to his temptations therefore Christ threw them off with ease That enemy without could doe us no hurt he might put us to some trouble if he found no correspondence within The traitour in our own bowels opens our ports and lets in the adversary His sparks could never enflame us if he found no tindar in us The basenesse and unbelief the lusts and vanities of our mindes are apt to take fire at every injection A gracious soul cannot live here without sinne and yet can easier die then sinne Paul Rom. 7.24 cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or from this body of death That is from my body which is subject to death by reason of these remains of carnall corruption or from my carnall corruptions which are the remains of my spirituall death and are worse to me then any death All the afflictions of his 〈◊〉 and the pains of his body were but a play and a kinde of so 〈◊〉 compared with the trouble which this body of death put him to He rejoyced in tribulation but he could not but mourn under corruption Many poor souls are so vexed with these mysticall Canaanites that their spirituall Canaan the state of grace is to them like Egypt the land of their captivity And when they are commanded to rejoyce they answer if we could not sin we could rejoyce How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land O that we might goe home Thirdly The Saints grow weary of their lives through the wickednesse of other mens lives not only doe their own corruptions burthen them but which shews the holinesse of their hearts more the corruptions of others The sinfulnesse and pollutions of the times and places wherein they live especially of persons they are related to makes their lives grievous and imbitters all their comforts Rebekah that good woman tels her husband Isaac Gen. 27.46 I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth for if Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these which are of the daughters of the land What good shall my life doe me The sweetnesse of my life is gone if this son miscarry as his brother hath done before him The Prophet Jeremy cries out O that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of waifaring men that I might leave my people and go from them What made him so weary of living among them and that was but a step on this side being weary of his life The next words shew us They be all adulterers an assembly of treacherous men Jer. 9.2 Better be in a waste wildernesse among vvilde beasts then in a populous City among beastly men 'T is a part of our compleat happinesse in heaven that vve shall have no ill neighbours there They vvho are evil can take pleasure in those who do evil But the more holinesse any one hath the more is he burthened with the unholinesse of others And that 's the reason why God himself is exprest to be so exceedingly burdened with the sins of men to be wearied and broken with them to be laden with them as a Cart with sheaves He is infinitely holy Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4.30 The Spirit is so holy that sin which is unholinesse grieves him presently And in proportion look how much any man is more holy then others by so much is he more afflicted with the impurity of others As the holy Spirit of God who is all holy so the spirits of holy men who yet have a mixture of sin cannot but be afflicted with the sins of men Fourthly Some of the Saints would part with this life because they have got such assurance and evidence of a better life When much of eternall life appears to a godly man he is weary of a temporall life Naturall things are but burdensome trifles to those who are stored with spirituall Christ saith Luk. 5.39 No man having drunke old wine straight way desireth new for he saith the old is better He that tastes what is better then he enjoyes is unsatisfied with all he enjoyes We can hardly be perswaded what we have is good when we see better of the same kinde How much more hardly is this perswasion wrought in us that earthly things which differ in kinde from heavenly are any great good when heavenly things are open before us When the Disciples at the transfiguration had but a glimpse of glory They say It is good to be here Let us build three tabernacles They do not speak comparatively as if now they had met with somewhat better then ever they had before but positively as if they had never met with any good before When the Spirit carries the Saints into his wine-cellar and gives them a draught of everlasting consolations the wine of worldly comforts will not down they begin to disrelish the dainties and delicacies of the creature A true sight of heaven makes the earth scarce worth the looking after or the living in Such live because God will have them live to doe him service not because they desire to live to serve their own ends Paul was in a great straight betwixt two Phil. 1.23 whether he
somewhat besides the Lord causeth his joy He rejoyces in his green boughs in his goodly branches in his supposed strong root but to rejoyce in God as God he knows not how Davids joy was the opposite of this Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and that will put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and wine encreased Let me have the Sun-shine of thy love and then though I have nothing but darknesse and clouds from the world I shall rejoyce But what saith the hypocrite let my corn and wine encrease let the Sunne of outward prosperity shine warm upon me let me have my greennesse of creature-contentments let me have credit and fair repute among men these will put gladnesse in my heart These glad his heart when he hath not a dram of grace or goodnesse there Thirdly The joy of an hypocrite is but for a moment It is a perishing joy This is the joy of his way you see what it amounts to how well it last His greennesse is turned into withering his root rots and his fruit fals off This is his joy He is like those spoken of in the Epistle of Jude vers 14. Trees twice dead and plucked up by the roots That 's the conclusion of the hypocrite he hath a name to live but he is dead twice dead naturally dead in sinne and judicially dead under wrath he was born spiritually dead and his whole life is a passage to eternall death He hath rejoyced a while but he must mourn for ever The portion of hypocrites is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24.51 Their joy is but for a morning or a day weeping comes at night that night hath no morning after it And out of the earth shall others grow Some read Out of the earth shall somewhat else some other thing grow We out of the earth when these are removed other persons shall grow who shall inherit the place and possesse the dwelling of these prosperous trees For he follows the similitude of a tree when or where one is pulled up another is planted and grows up in it's room Or others shall possesse what he hath gotten In which sense Job speaks Chap. 27.16 17. Alij qui alieni erunt ab eo quasi è terra alia germinabuÌ„t in bona ipsius su cedeâ—tes juxta illud repositâ—e sunt justo opes peccatoris Dâ—â—l Though he heap up silver as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay he may prepare it but the just shall put it on and the innocent shall divide the silver Which words may be a Comment upon these Out of the earth shall others grow that is others shall rise up God will bring a new generation to enjoy his ill-gotten substance and eat the sweet of all his labours Solomon Eccles 2.18 was much afflicted because he knew not who should grow up after him I hated saith he all my labour which I have taken under the Sunne because I shall leave it to a man and I know not what he shall be whether a wise man or a fool It is a part of the vanity which lies upon man-kinde that after all a mans labour and pains he must leave all unto some body he knows not certainly who But there is a greater and sorer vanity upon the hypocrite he seldome staies to take his part He shall not rost that which he hath takâ—n in hunting Pro. 12. that is he shall not have the benefit himself of what he hath but others unthought of shall come out of the ground and grow in his place This is the upshot or summe of all his misery he hath laboured for others in temporall things and he hath got nothing for himself in spirituall things Further the words may carry this sense That When wiâ—ked men are taken away the righteous shall grow in their roome Pull up the bryars and thorns and then vines and fig-trees lilies and roses will grow the better When wicked men are removed good men will prosper Again Out of the earth shall others grow they were not worth the ground they went upon though they were worth a great deal of ground therefore out of the ground shall others grow God will raise up a generation which shall be more faithfull and serviceable unto him There is a fourth sense of this expression Out of the earth shall others grow that is out of the meanest and lowest condition others shall grow and so it carries an opposition between the condition of an hypocrite and of a godly man The hypocrite in his flourishing greennesse shall be cut down to the ground but they whose hearts are sincere and upright though they are as low as the ground though they are upon the earth and are trodden down as mire in the streets yet they shall grow up They who were growing high shall be cut down and they who were below shall grow up such as they feared not nor suspected shall prevail over them They who are lowest even as low as the earth shall be raised built up and set on high in the world when God speaks the word There is an Exposition of this whole context about which because many close with it I shall give a brief account Divers of the learned understand this third similitude not as describing the state of an hypocrite but as an instance in opposition to the state of an hypocrite set forth by the rush and by the spider in the former verses Hence it is that the Italian version begins the sixteenth verse thus But the perfect man is green before the Sun c. And so the sense may be given to this effect As if Bildad had said Though hypocrites wither like a rush or like a flag though they are suddenly swept down like a spiders web yet a godly man is a green tree before the Sunne he is not like a rush without water but like a tree planted by the rivers side which is able to endure the heat of the Sunne yea the hottest Sunne of persecution His branches shoot forth in his garden he is no wilde tree no tree of the forest or of the wildernesse he is a tree of the inclosed garden which if it want the water from the clouds the Gardener will take care to water it with his hand Or his roots are wrapped about the heap about the fountain he is strongly set and he hath water continually to feed and supply his branches Thus the Church is so described by Balaam Numb 24.6 How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel as the valleys are they spread forth as gardens by the rivers sides as the trees of Lign aloes which the Lord hath planted and as Cedar-trees besides the waters Thus the godly mans roots are wrapped about the fountain and there he is fruitfull though the Sunne shine hot upon him yet it cannot exhale his moysture faster then the river can supply him with
perfect Whereas in other places he justifies himself and saith that he was perfect if you read the 29th and 30th Chapters of this book you shall finde them to be but a continued justification of himself or a manifest of his own innocency There he proclaims how holy he had been and how righteous in all his waies that he had put on judgement as a robe and justice as a diadem that he had delivered the oppressed and distributed of his fulnesse to the necessities of the poor Those two Chapters being a professed Catalogue of his good deeds why is he so shie and modest here I answer In this and the like expressions Pius sensus pulchrè expressus in hac Jobi disputatione nunc peccatum suum dimisse confiteÌ„ t is nuÌ„c justitiaÌ„ suam acerrimè defendeâ—tis Merl. while Job saith He will not justifie himself or say he is perfect he declines the plea of personall righteousnesse or perfection in the sight of God as hath frequently appeared in this argument But in those Chapters and in other places where he is upon his defence he speaks only in reference to the charge of his friends As if he had said Ye accuse me for an hypocrite and censure me deeply I can justifie my self and plead my innocency with you though I have not a word to say for my self before the Lord I will bear any thing at his hands let him say of me and doe with me what he pleaseth I will take shame to my self and give him glory but as for you my friends I will justifie my self in your sight I am not the man ye take me for These speakings are not crosse to each other but helps us to understand Jobs sense in this argument He stands much upon his integrity but it is to his friends he humbles himself in the sight of his own vilenesse but it is to God Paul Rom. 7.24 bewails his sinfulnesse O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sinne and of death I finde a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Yet when he answers false Apostles about his personall carriage and the discharge of his Apostleship then he saith I know nothing by my self 1 Cor. 4.4 I am charged thus and thus I am slandered so and so but my conscience acquits me I know nothing by my self The sinfulnesse of his nature made him groan and sigh out O wretched man that I am The sincerity of his heart made him boast and sing out like a happy man as sorrowfull but alwaies rejoycing A man may be conscious of his own naturall corruption and yet confident of his own practicall integrity If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words in strictnesse of sense referre to the inward purpose of his heart ad facta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad animuâ— referuntur or bent of his minde as the former did to the outward way of his life If I say I am perfect that is if I say there is no meditated obliquity in my heart no intended goings astray or wanderings no close hypocrisie or falsenesse there if I should say I am perfect in the bent and purposes of my heart yet this is not such as I dare appear before God in As if I justifie my self by the actings and puttings forth of my life My mouth will condemn me So if I say I am perfect in the thinkings and secret motions of my spirit it will prove me perverse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word which we translate perverse signifies to wander as a man uncertain of his way Prov. 28.18 Who so walketh uprightly having the frame of his inward man right he shall be saved Qui certo est proposito 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui vago diverso qui se dividit distorquet in duas vias Coc. In Hebraâ—o simplex est perversuaevit me but he that is perverse in his waies having a wandering vagrant minde going sometime this way and sometime that holding somewhat of this and somewhat of that but nothing to purpose or steadily of any thing this man shall fall at once a man of an uncertain spirit shall have a certain downfall But was Job thus perverse No Job was perfect and not perverse yet a boast of his perfection had been a proof of his perversenesse Nothing discovers an evil heart more then a profession of it's own goodnesse It shall prove me perverse What shall prove me perverse Some referre it to the former clause My mouth or the speaking of those words I am perfect shall prove me perverse Penversus evadaâ— Others referre it to God God will prove me perverse if I justifie my self The Seventy leave it without restriction to any antecedent If I say I am perfect I shall go away perverse or I shall appear perverse Observe hence that famous Gospel-doctrine No man can be justified before God by the works of the law Nobilis locus clarissimè ostendens neminem ex lege justificari Coc. It is as noble a proof of free justification in the old Testament as any in the new The Saints have been acquainted with this truth from the beginning That man is nothing in himself and that free grace doth all The doctrine of free grace is no new doctrine the doctrine of free will is Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne And that he must say who justifies himself before God Every legall justiciary takes up this language I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne It is a task too hard for men yea for all the Angels in heaven to make one heart clean only Jesus Christ is able to fetch out the filth and rubbish that lodgeth in and pollutes our spirits To be a heart cleanser is the peculiar work and honour of Christ. Quot tenebrae quot nubes quot maculae quem non pudebit si fidem suam innocentiam ad illustre illud legis speculum contempletur Coc. A man that knows himself and sees his face in the glasse of the word which flatters no man will never say I am clean nor will he say I can cleanse my self How many spots and blots how many defects and deformities will that glasse represent unto him which he is not able to heal or fetch out Every mans face will blush who sees his heart or his life in that glasse unlesse he Who beholding himself goeth his way and straight way forgetteth what manner of man he was Jam. 1.24 Secondly Observe Job had received testimony from God He could produce Letters testimoniall subscribed by the hand of heaven that he was a just and a perfect man one that feared God and eschewed evil Yet this Job let God speak as well as he will of him will not
before Impositio manâ—um potestatis signum q. d qui utrumque nostruÌ„ valet mano imposita coâ—rcere Merc. Ponere manum est litem companere controversiae authores ad fâ—edus concordeâ—â—que adducere Paâ—â—fi aâ—oris esfigies describitur ad alterutrum litigant um manum alte natim exâ—endens ut junctis dex ris pacis foedus iniretur Qâ—intil were sent away with fasting and praier and the laying on of hands Act. 13.3 3. The hand specially signifies civil power Ps 89.25 I will set his hand also in the sea and his right-hand in the flouds that is I will give him power over them who dwel by the seas And then Laying on of hands implies the authority which one man hath over another to determine or resolve a case or to settle a businesse between them and that is the intendment of it here There is no Daieâ—-man that might lay his hands upon us both that is who may authoritatively decide and make an end of this controversie To impose the hand was to compose the difference I finde a three-fold posture of the Daies-man observed in the action of his hand First He put forth his hand towards the parties desiring them to joyn hands or as we speak to shake hands and be friends Joyning hands signifies consent Exod. 23.1 Thou shalt not put thy hand with the wicked that is thou shalt make no agreement with him Some of the Ancients describe the Pacificatour or Daies-man having his hands closed into the hands of those between whom he was to make peace Hence they who are unfaithfull in Covenant are said to have a lying or a deceitfull right-hand Quibus nulla foederis servati fides mendacem dextram habere dicuntur The Prophet Isaiah speaking of a false worshipper who had engaged his faith to serve Idols concludes He feedeth of ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right-hand Isa 44.20 or as others translate Is there not a lie at my right-hand noting that the Idol to which he had given his heart and hand would deceive him most when he trusted most to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum qualâ—m attentione studio industria ponâ—re Arbiter medius inter litigantes benignè manum nunc super hunc nunc super illam ponere selâ—bat dicenâ— Tum hoc hallucinariâ— tu veno bene egisti sed hoc hoc sacere non debuisti Bold Secondly The Daies-man eying the temper or distemper both of the complainant and defendant laid his hand gently now upon one and then upon another using his best Rhetorick to perswade yea to conjure them to peace and quietnesse Sir said he to one I beseech you to accept of these terms and conditions 't is you that have done the wrong and trespassed against your neighbour and presently he bespake the other that he would passe by the offence heal the breach forget the injury or take reasonable satisfaction for his damage Thirdly The Daies-man giving sentence laid his hand upon the head of him whom he found faulty and to have done the wrong in token of condemnation Among the Ceremonies of consecrating the Leviticall Priests this is given in command Exod. 29.10 Thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock And in the rules given concerning the burnt offerings of the people it is directed that the bringer shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering c. Levit. 1.4 Now this laying of their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice implied the laying of their sins upon the head of the Sacrifice and that the laying of their sins upon the head of Christ on whom the Prophet assures us The Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 And as the laying on of the hand upon the head of the beast transfer'd their sins upon him so likewise that sentence of death and condemnation which was due to their sin and was presently executed by slaying of the beast which was a lively type of Christ the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world dying under a sentence of condemnation in the stead of sinners Lastly The laying on of the hand notes the keeping of the parties in compasse for contenders use to be very violent one against another Thus to the present text The laying on of the hand signifies only the composing or compounding of a difference When Job complained or affirmed only There is no Daies-man betwixt us his meaning was that there was no man who could take up the matter betwixt God and him there was none such to be found Non potest dari Deo mihique simul litigantibus arbiter quasi in Deum aequè ac in me potestateÌ„ exercendo for he speaks not only De facto that there was no Daies-man but de impossibili as of a thing which was impossible to be As if he had said I would gladly referre this matter to arbitration but the Lord who is engaged with me is above the arbitration of men or Angels Creatures may not meddle with any of his matters further then they are called and I know not of any whom God hath called to or appointed over this matter Hence observe First When controversies arise the rule of love bids us refer our differences to the determination of brethren Job speaks according to the usage of those daies men did not presently run to law and call one another before the Judge they had daies-men and umpires to determine matters between them Thus Jacob bespeaks Laban Gen. 31.37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff what hast thou found of all thy housholdstuff set it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge betwixt us both The Apostle 1 Cor. 6.1 5. is very angry with the Corinthians because they were so hasty to go to Law Verily there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another What is there not a Daies-man among you Is there not a man among you fit to be an Arbitratour I speak to your shame saith Paul Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren But brother goeth to law with brother and that before the unbelievers The sin of these Corinthians was the greater because the Judges were Heathen yet such contendings bear a proportion of sinfulnesse though Judges be Christians To bring every matter to the judgment seat when possibly a brother or a friend might take up the matter is a transgression against the law of love We should rather labour after reconcilements then sutes in Law which are a cause not only of trouble and expence In proverbio est portores esse iniquas pacis conditiones optiâ— a judicis sententia but of great breaches and
a Judge Chap. 29.16 The cause which I know not I searched out but God searches out those causes which he knows God doth not search us that he may know us or to inform himself but to make us know him and our selves There are not many who know themselves at all there are none who know themselves enough The Lord searches us that we may search our selves There are not many who know God at all there are none who know God enough God searches us that we may seek after him By every affliction the Lord would make us know our selves and Himself better It is said of Manasseh when he was in the briars That then Manasseh knew the Lord and then doubtlesse he began to know himself The same light that brings us to the knowledge of what God is brings us also to the knowledge of what our selves are Secondly Observe Afflictions are searchers Thou searchest for mine iniquity saith Job Job supposed that the Lord came to try him and to finde out the bottom of his heart when God smites our bodies or our estates he searcheth our hearts and maketh enquiry in our lives The Prophet threatens the Jews Zeph. 1.12 That God would come and search Ierusalem with candles That is as some interpret he would cause the Chaldeans to search for their most hidden treasures and finde them out Others understand it of God himself searching Ierusalem But God is not like the woman in the Parable who had lost her groat he needeth no candle-light to finde out the lost groat or to finde out the filthinesse that is in the most secret corners of the heart The meaning then is that God would search Ierusalem that is the people of Ierusalem as exactly as if they were searched with a candle Quùm minutatèm cognoscam de peccatis potuli cum eo inibo rationes meas accuratissimè ut solent qui adhibitis lucernis perlustrant omnia Jun. he would bring forth their secret sins and all their hidden abominations This search was made by those terrible and sore judgements brought upon Ierusalem God kindled a fire of affliction and searched them by the light of that fire Troubles are as so many candles lighted up to search our selves by and they will be as so many fires kindled to consume us with if we search not our selves At this time God is searching England with candles The Prophet describing the great sorrows of the Jews in their captivity directs us what to do Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our waies When God is searching us it is high time for us to search our selves It is sad when God is searching for our sins if we are not searching for them too and it is more sad if when God commeth to search for our sins we be found hiding our sins These are searching times God is searching let us search too else we may be sure as Moses Numb 32.23 tels the people of Israel our sins will finde us out They who endeavour not to finde their sins shall be found by their sins Our iniquity will enquire after us if we enquire not after it But what if iniquity enquire after us What If iniquity enquire after us it will finde us and if iniquity finde us trouble will finde us yea if iniquity finde us alone without Christ hell and death will finde us If iniquity finde any man he hath reason enough to say unto it what Ahab said to Eliah without reason Hast thou found me O my enemy The best of men have reason to look out what is evil in them when God brings evil upon them or wraps them up in common evils They who have no wickednes in them to cast them under condemnation have yet sin enough in them to make them smart under correction Though Iob could say from the testimony of a pure conscience Thou knowest I am not wicked yet he durst not say thou knowest I have not sinned Iob acknowledged he was sinfull and God knew he was not wicked In searching after iniquity he found not hypocrisie yea he knew he was not an hypocrite before he searched him so it follows Verse 7. Thou knowest that I am not wicked and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand Continet versus septimus id quod praecipuè in hac causa disputatione spectandum est sc Iobum non esse improbum Pined This 7. verse containeth one of the chiefest questions of that grand controversie handled in this book whether Job were a wicked man or no Satan represented him for such to God and therefore called that he might be tried the Lord tried him upon that challenge and he was brought to a grievous triall Job appeals to the Lords own knowledge and is contented to stand or fall according to his determination being yet assured that he stood right in the thoughts of God Thou knowest I am not wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apud scire tuuÌ„ est Multo plus dicit per hanc phrasin apud scire tuum est quam si diceret tu scis In scientia tua est penes notitiam tuam est non aliundè sed ex te optimè nosti me non esse improbum Dru. Haeret in regenitis peccatum improbi taâ—en dici nec possunt nec debent Mer. Thou knowest The Hebrew is rendered word for word thus It is upon thy knowledge or It is upon thy know that I am not wicked As if he had said Thou hast not this knowledge from without thou dost not ground thy judgement concerning the state of any man upon what others say of him upon reports or hear-saies no thy knowledge is from thy self Thou knowest upon thine own knowledge thine is an internall an immediate and so a perfect an infallible knowledge and that tels thee of me I am not wicked That I am not wicked He doth not say Thou knowest that I am not a sinner or Thou knowest that I have not sinned Job had no such opinion of himself and he knew God had no such knowledge of him There is a great difference between being a sinner and a wicked man The best of Saints while they are here upon the earth are sinners but the worst of Saints even here upon the earth are not wicked they have a new nature they are new creatures regenerate and born again by the Word and Spirit therefore they are not wicked though much sin be in them yet no wickednesse is in them and they are denominated from their better part not wicked from their remaining corruption but holy from their received renovation Thou knowest that I am not wicked Again The word in the originall being in the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod non impiè egerim Mont. we may translate as many do Thou knowest that I have not done wickedly But the sense is the same for every man is in doing as he is in being He that is not wicked in his state cannot act
and yet that no raigning sin The raign of sin or of grace are chiefly seen in that professed subjection or resignation of our selves to the dictates and commands of grace or sinne No man can be at once Gods Son and sins servant no nor at once a servant to both Secondly A vvicked man is a customary sinner he driveth a trade in sinne A godly man possibly may commit the same sinne again yet the custom is broken because he putteth in a plea against sinne and often moveth God for power not only against but over it if he attain not this blessed victory yet he ceaseth not to complain and pray O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death When shall I be delivered from this burden and bâ—â—dage of corruption When shall it once be O that it might once be Wicked men are so far from pleading against that they usually plead for their sins and labour more to make excuses and apologies for them then to get power and victory over them They in stead of making preparation to resist the lusts of the flesh make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Thirdly A vvicked man preserves in himself a purpose to sinne vvhile he seems to pray and protest against his sinne He is as Augustine confessed of himself before his conversion afraid God should grant his praier vvhile he praieth that his corruptions may be mortified He may put up praiers against sin but he puts up no desires against it As custom is the rode of our lives so purposes are the rode of our hearts What a mans purposes are such the movings of his heart are Isa 56.12 To morrow shall be as to day and much more abundant say they in their beastly abuse of the creatures we have been drunk to day and hope to be more to morrow Ezek. 11.21 Their heart doth go after the heart of their abominable things that is the inclinations and resolutions of their hearts go or walk after their abominations A godly man sinneth but he doth not purpose to sinne his purposes are not to sinne holinesse is his way and as sinne is it self a by-way so it is besides his way The honest traveller intends to keep straight on to his journeys end if he misse his vvay at any time he misses his purpose The robber skulks about in by-vvaies and comes not into the rode but to finde and seize upon his prey Peter denied Christ but did Peter purpose to deny Christ No Peter purposed not to deny Christ yea Peter promised not to deny Christ Peter resolved that he would die rather then deny Christ yet he denied Christ Peter did not go out and make a bargain vvith the Scribes and Pharisees as Judas did to betray his Master Peter was betraied when he denied his Master Peter was suddenly attached with a violent temptation arrested vvith base fear He did not deny Christ because he resolved to do it but because he resolved so much not to do it vvithout due dependance upon Christ for power not to do it A godly man may have some deliberations about sin yet no resolutions He may deliberate upon the acting of some sin vvhen the occasion is given but he doth not deliberate upon the finding of occasions to provoke him to the acting of sinne David did not go up to his house top to invite an incentive of lust though he there met with one Fourthly Wickednesse carrieth clearnesse yea fulnesse of consent in sinne A wicked man may have many checks at sinne from his conscience but he hath none from his will And a wicked man may have some motions to good from his conscience but he hath none from his will When a wicked man abstains from doing evil he wils it and when he doth good he wils it not In nature the act and the consent go both to evil I doe evil and I will do it is the stubborn voice of corrupt nature In grace though the act goes sometimes to evil yet the consent doth not The evil which I would not that do I is the mournfull voice of grace In glory both act and consent go to good and neither of them to any evil The good which I will I doe the evil which I would not I do not shall be for ever the triumphant voice of glory When the Apostle Paul Rom. 7. bewailed his own bondage under corruption he yet professed that what ever evil he did he consented not to do it And though there may be some kinde of consent in the sinning of a godly man yet it is not such a consent as in a wicked man For as a wicked man though he may sometimes shew his willingnesse and give his consent to do good to hear the Word to pray c. Yet it is not a clear a full and free consent the will never comes up heartily in it so there may be some kinde of consent a negative consent in a godly man doing evil he may not as to that act resist or deny as when a question is put to the vote a man who doth not affirm may be said to give some consent when he suspends his voice and doth not openly oppose Thus a godly man when a temptation cometh never gives a direct yea of consent yet sometimes not giving his no there is a kinde of consent a middle act not a clear or determinate act of consent Now a wicked man as he is taken captive by the devil at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 that is at Satans will the devil takes him captive when he pleaseth so also at his own will He is pleased to be taken captive by the devil Eram gratis malus malitiae meae causa nulla erat nisi malitia August lib. 3. confess c. 4. Fifthly Where there is a wickednesse in sinning there is delight in sin Pure delight in sin is impurest wickednesse To disobey for nought is the most wicked disobedience as to serve God for nought is the most holy service What is it which sheweth the eminency of grace Is it not the joy which the soul findes in the waies of grace When we can delight in the law of God as his law abstracted from ends and fruits When it is meat and drink to us to do the will of God though we suffer hunger and are ready to starve in doing it here is godlinesse at the highest and when any delight in sinne as sinne as contrary to the will of God abstracted from ends and fruits here is wickednesse at the highest To act in such a degree of sin is inconsistent with any degree of grace Job appeals to the testimony of God that he had not sinned in any of these degrees while he saith Thou knowest that I am not wicked Observe Fifthly A godly man may know that he is so and be confident of it He that saith God knoweth he is not wicked knoweth it himself For though the Lord hath a
nulla mihi illaâ—o injuria Bol. Take the words as a direct assertion Thou wilt bring me into the dust again So they may have reference to the decree of God concerning man as those before had to the creation of man As if he had said By creation and naturall constitution I am frail and weak made of the clay by thy purpose and decree I am appointed unto death Thou wilt bring me into the dust again therefore spare me for the short time I have to live Some change the conjunction And into the adverb of likenesse so to note a right power or priviledge and the text runs in this form Remember that as thou hast made me of or as the clay so thou maist it is thy priviledge none can contradict thee in it and thou doest me no wrong in it thou maiest as thou hast purposed bring me to the dust again Though it be common and naturall to all creatures mixt of elements to be resolved and turned back into that out of which they were made that is to die yet to man it is more then naturall there is a decree upon it besides the naturality of it Man dieth by a statute-law of heaven To die is a penalty inflicted upon man for sinne for he had not been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinned And therefore though God formed man as the holy story informs us Gen. 2.7 out of the dust of the earth yet so long as man stood he never said to him To dust thou shalt return God only put a supposition that in case man did fall he should surely die But when man had fallen by sin then he hears what he was and what he must be For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 As if God had thus bespoken sinfull man Thy body was framed out of dust and now I charge this burden upon thee thou shalt return to the dust again It is a Question and I shall touch upon it Whether death were naturall to man or no Whether man were made mortall or whether he made himself mortall Some affirm That death was naturall not accidentall or occasionall to man-kinde They argue for this opinion First thus Adam died not the death of the body or a naturall death when he had sinned therefore the death of the body was not inflicted for sin upon his person and his posterity but was seated in or a consequent of his nature I answer Though Adam died not presently a naturall death yet he was presently made subject or liable unto death the sentence was past upon him though the sentence was not executed upon him A malefactour who is cast at the barre is a dead man in law though he be reprieved from the present stroke of death Again Though death it self did not instantly seize upon him yet the symptoms of death and tokens of mortality did Fear and shame pains and distempers sweat and wearinesse quickly shewed themselves as so many harbingers or forerunners of his approaching dissolution we see and feel death in these before we see or feel death it self These bid us prepare our bodies for the grave and our souls for heaven Secondly Others reason thus Christ hath delivered his people the elect from all that punishment which the sin of Adam did contract and deserve but Christ hath not delivered his elect his own people from turning to the dust Godly men die as well as the ungodly believers as well as infidels therefore say they the death of the body was not procured by sin I answer Whatsoever is an evil in death Christ hath delivered his people from he hath taken away all that from death which is punishment or annoiance though death be not taken away Christ hath freed us from the effects of sin as he hath freed us from sin it self that is from their prevalence and dominion over us not from their presence or being in and upon us Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. triumpheth over death O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory As if he had said Death once had a power over man to sting him to death death once had a victorious power and would have bin the great conquerour riding in triumph over all the posterity of Adam but now death hath neither sting nor sword to use against believers it hath nothing of victory over the Saints It is now but a sleep a sleep in Christ a rest from labour a putting off the rags the worn rags of mortality that we may be dress'd in the robes of glory The evil of death is removed and that which remains of death the separation of soul and body proves the greatest good to both it being but a preparatory to their everlasting union Thirdly It is argued That death and corruption were naturall to man because the matter out of which man was made was dying and corruptible Omne principiatum sequitur naturam principiorum for that which is made must follow the nature of that principle out of which it is made The effect cannot be say they more noble then the cause nor the subject constituted more durable then that which goes into its constitution To clear up an answer to this we must distinguish of a three-fold immortality 1. A primitive simple independent essentiall immortality this is proper and peculiar to God in which sense the Apostle affirmeth He only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6.16 2. There is a derivative dependant essentiall immortality Some substances have no seed of corruptibility nor of death in them Being either separate from all matter which is the seat and root of corruption as the Angels or united to matter yet so as not being produced from it or having any affinity with it such are the souls of men Whole man in his creation was not immortall either of these waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graec. Int. a part of man was but man was not created immortall Man was of a middle state and condition neither altogether so mortall nor altogether immortall but capable of either 3. There is an immortality by the power or gift by the mercy or justice of God The power and justice of God shall give an immortality to the bodies of the damned in hell they shall ever live a dying life who were dead all while they lived They who have slighted the mercy of God shall be upheld by his power to endure his justice to all eternity wicked men would have sinned with delight for ever upon the earth if they could have lived for ever upon the earth and they shall live for ever with pain in hell to suffer for their sinne The power goodnesse and mercy of God shall much more give immortality to the bodies of the Saints in glory they who have had a will to delight in obeying God that short time they lived on earth shall have a power to live for ever in delight praising God in heaven The body of man
flower of the field Some read goodnesse for goodlinesse the sense holds if we take it so the naturall the morall goodnes of man is but a flower As no goodlines so no goodnes of man except spiritual lasteth long and that lasteth long and long even for ever Grace is not as the flower of the field that is durable substance that as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8. shall stand for ever The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God for his Word is the externall seed or principle of grace But all other goodnesse and goodlinesse of man how good how goodly soever his other beauty how beautifull soever his strength how strong his favour how well favoured so ever is but as the flower of the field which is either cut down while it is green or soon fades while it stands Take favour in this sense and the sense of the whole verse is harmonious and sound Thou hast granted me life my body is formed and quickned and more then so Thou hast given me favour my body is full of beauty and comelinesse The comelinesse of the body is a favour received and many receive favour because they are comely From either of which considerations we may call the comelinesse of the body favour and it is no common favour God denies this to many he grants them the life of nature but not favour yea he grants many the life of grace but not favour Beautifull souls are often ill-housed and filthy souls clearly housed 't is admirable when both beauties meet in the same man Moses was a goodly childe Exod. 2.2 and a good man As grace in the inward man is the best favour so favour is gracefull to the outward man Thou hast granted me life and favour And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit Here is the third benefit of this Royall grant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspectio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The visitation of God One reads Thy presence A second Thy assistance A third Thy inspection thy over-looking or super intendency hath preserved my spirit The Hebrew word signifies The visitation of a superiour over an inferiour as when masters enquire into their families or governours into their Colledges and Hospitals Visitatio est Dominorum superiorum cum ad Deum refertur denotat providentiam Pined to see whether the statutes and orders appointed by the founders and benefactours be observed There is a three-fold visitation of God held forth in Scripture 1. A visitation of condemnation God visits to take vengeance by destructive punishments when warning is not taken nor repentance shewed after corrective punishments Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5.9 2. A visitation of correction Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him c Though they break my laws yet I will not break my Covenant they shall smart for it but they shall not perish for it This is a fatherly visitation 3. A visitation of consolation And this two-fold 1. For deliverance out of an evil estate and that either temporall the Lord is said to visit his people Israel when he delivered them out of Aegypt Exod. 4.31 or spirituall and eternall God hath visited and redeemed his people saith the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.68 that is he hath visited his people to redeem them from sin and Satan death and hell by Jesus Christ Secondly Which is most proper to this Text there is a visitation for protection in a good estate When God having caused our line to fall in a fair place draws his line of providentiall communication round about us So M. Broughton translates Life and loving kindenesse hast thou dealt to me and thy providence preserveth my spirit As if Iob had said Thou didst not only give me life and favour but thou didst protect me for many years in the enjoyment of those favours Providence was the hedge not only of his outward but of his inward estate Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb which we translate hath preserved signifieth to preserve Summa solertia atque diligentia prospexit cavit oberravit ut solent custodiae excubiae nocturnae vel gregum custodes both by strength and watchfulnesse The Noun expresseth a Watch-tower in Hebrew because a watch-man standeth upon his Tower and looks round about him to espy and give notice of approaching dangers The Lord preserveth both waies by his watchfulnes and by his strength his eie is wakefull enough and his arm is powerfull enough to preserve us He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.1 the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 He that is thus wakefull can easily visit and he that is thus powerfull can easily preserve those whom he visiteth Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But how did the visitation of God preserve the spirit of Iob Or what are we to understand by his spirit which was thus preserved The spirit of a man is taken three waies First For life Thus God keepeth us from death while he preserves our spirits Secondly For the soul Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from falling into or from falling in temptation while he keeps our corruptions from prevailing and our graces from decaying Thirdly The spirit of man is taken for his courage Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from needlesse fears and cowardly despondencies Doubtlesse Iob had experience of the visitation of God preserving his spirit in all these senses yet here he seems chiefly to intend the preservation of his life which God had granted him with favour or of those comforts which were granted him with his life Hence observe First in generall That what God granteth he preserveth It is a part of his grant that he will preserve Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us and leave us to the wide world we should quickly loose all God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason who buildeth up a house and then leaveth it to it self or to the care of others The Lord surveys what he builds and keeps up what he sets up all would come down else Providence succeedeth Creation or Providence is a continued Creation Assoon as ever the Lord had made man and a garden He took the man and put him into the Garden which he had made to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2.15 God putteth the creatures under mans charge yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge and especially man A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wildernesse And man without God to visit him would soon be or be in a wildernesse either
Is there any beauty in darknes in thick darknes where there is no order in darknes where the very light is darknes One of the greatest plagues upon Egypt Nostri theologizantes ad infernum referuÌ„t sed Iob ad sepulchrum respexit Merc. was three daies darknes what then is there in death naturally considered but a plague seeing it is perpetuall darknes If death be such in it self and such to those who die in sin how should our hearts be raised up in thankfulnes to Christ who hath put other terms upon death and the grave by dying for our sins Christ hath made the grave look like a heaven to his Christ hath abolished death not death it self for even believers die but all the trouble and terrour of death the darknes and the disorder of it are taken away Christ hath mortified death kill'd death so that now death is not so much an opening of the door of the grave as it is an opening of the door of heaven Christ who is the Sun of righteousnes lay in the grave and hath left perpetuall beams of light there for his purchased people The way to the grave is very dark but Christ hath set up lights for us or caused light to shine into the way Christ hath put death into a method yea Christ hath put death into a kinde of life or he hath put life into the death of believers All the gastlinesse horrour yea the darknes and death of death is removed The Saints may look upon the grave as a land of light like light it self yea as a land of life like life it self where there is nothing but order and where the darknes is as light Jobs reply to Bildad and complaints to God have carried his discourse as far as death and the grave he gives over in a dark disordered place God still leaving him under much darknes and many disorders of spirit As his great afflictions are yet continued so his weaknesses continue too His graces break forth many times and sometimes his corruption Both are coming to a further discovery while his third friend Zophar takes up the bucklers and renews the battel upon what terms he engages with Job how Job acquits himself and comes off from that engagement is the summe of the four succeeding Chapters FINIS Errata PAg. 18. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 63. l. 5. for 29. r. 19. p. 69 l. 39. for 7. r. 29. p. 152. l. 21. for need r needs p. 201. in marg fòr Apollo r. Achilles in some copies p. 311 l 17. dele the. p. 331. l. 2. dele in p 430. l 22. for affliction r. afflictions p 361. l. 37. for Apologues r. Apologies ib. l. 38. put in to after arguments p. 366. in mâ—rg for polluerunt r. polluerent p. 401. l. 27. for an idol u r. idols are p 413. l. 22. for wearied r. weary p. 418. l. 27. dele not A TABLE Directing to some speciall Points noted in the precedent EXPOSITIONS A ABib the Jewish moneth why so called p. 73 Adamant why so called 160. Affliction A good heart give â— testimony to the righteousnesse of God in the midst of greatest afflictions p. 14 God laies very sore afflictions upon them that are very dear to him p. 279. Afflictions continued cause â—s to suspect that our praier is not answered p. 280. A godly man may be much opprest with the fears of affliction p. â—54 There was not such a spirit of rejoycing in affliction among the Saints of the old Testament as is under the New p. 358. After purgings God goes on sometimes with afflictions p. 372. It is lawfull to pray against affliction p. 399. Affliction removed three waies p. 400. Great afflictions carry a charge of wickednesse upon the afflicted p. 432. An afflicted person is very solicitous about the reason of his afflictions p. 436. Afflictions are searchers p. 469. Afflictions affect with shame p. 573. Vnder great afflictions our requests are modest p. 579. Age what meant by it taken three waies p. 55. Ancient of daies why God is so called p. 460. Angels falling why their sinne greater then mans and God so irreconcilable to them p. 506. Anger in man what it is p. 180 How God is angry p. 181. The troubles that fall upon the creature are the effects of Gods anger p. 181. It is not in the power of man to turn away the anger of God p. 247. How praier is said to do it 10. The anger of God is more grievous to the Saints then all their other afflictions p. 433. Answering of two kindes p. 250. Antiquity True antiquity gives testimony to the truth p. 58. What true antiquity is p. 59. Appearance we must not judge by it p. 360. Arcturus described p. 209. Assurance that we are in a state of grace possible and how wrought p. 479. Awake In what sense God awakes p. 37 38. His awaking and sleeping note only the changes of providence p. 39. Two things awaken God the praier of his people and the rage of his enemies p. 40. B BItternesse put for sorest affliction p. 285. The Lord sometime mixes a very bitter cup for his own people p. 286. Body of man the excellent frame of it p. 516. Five things shew this p. 517. Body of man an excellent frame p. 494. How called a viâ— body ib. Bones and sinews their use in the body of man p. 516. C CAbits a sect of babling Poets p. 7. Cause Second causes can doe nothing without the first p. 493. Chambers of the South what and why so called p. 210. Chistu the tenth moneth among the Jews why so called p. 209. Christ is the medium by which we see God p. 231 Clay that man was made of clay intimates three things p. 504. Commands God can make every word he speaks a command p. 192. Every creature must submit to his command ib. God hath a negative voice of command to stay the motion of any creature p. 193. Comfort comes only from God p. 348. Yet a man in affliction may help on his own comforts or sorrows p. 351. Comforts put off upon two ground ib. Commendation To commend our selvâ—s very unseemly p. 296 297. Conâ—emnation hath three thing in it which make it very gâ—evous p. 432. It is the adjudging a man to be wicked p. 434. Conscience A good conscience to be kept rather then our lives p. 303. God and conscience keep a record of our lives p. 540. Consent to sinne how proper to the wicked p. 478. Contention Man naturally loves it p. 150. Man is apt to contend with God p. 152. Especially about three things p. 153. Man is unable to contend with God in any thing p. 154. Counsels of wicked men not shined on by God p. 447. Custom in sin what p. 476. D DAies-man who p. 385. why so called p. 386. Five things belonging to a daies-man p. 387. A three-fold posture of the daies-man in laying on his