hopes of avoiding evil and keeping out of hazzard and harmes-way But what-ever worldly good any gain or danger they escape by choosing iniquity that choice brings them into greater danger and subjects them to the loss of a greater good This thou hast chosen rather than affliction The particular iniquity as hath been shewed was impatience Hence note He that gives himself up to unquietness and impatience under the afflicting hand of God chooses sin rather than affliction The Lord by Moses told his People when they should be brought into great tribulation because of their sin and uneven walkings because of their breaking the Lords Statutes and Commandments Lev. 26.41 If they shall accept of the punishment of their Iniquity then it shall be well with them If at such a time ye stand not complaining and murmuring against me but shall well accept or take the punishment kindly and kiss the Rod acknowledging how you have provoked me and walked unworthy of former mercy then I will shew you favour and renew your mercies But if in affliction you fall a murmuring and say surely the Lord hath cast us quite off there 's no hope you chuse iniquity rather than affliction Thirdly Elihu in this doth not only reprove Job for doing that which was very evil in it self but he reproves him for doing that which was very evil to himself this thou hast chosen rather than affliction As if he had said Thou dost not know thine own good in making this choyce We say He is a wise man that understands his own good Hence note They make a very bad and miserable choyce for themselvâ—s who chuse iniquity rather than affliction Thus Solomon concludes for Wisdom Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul He that sinneth wrongs Christ but Christ passeth that over and seemeth to say I will bare your wrongs but pray take heed to your selves will you not love your selves will you not abstain from sin out of love to your selves he that sinneth against me wrongs his own soul all that hate me that is my wayes they love death And surely there is no great beauty in death that we should love it and desire it They chuse very ill for themselves that chuse sin the wages whereof is death I grant to chuse affliction is but a hard choyce affliction is not good in it self but affliction if chosen may prove good it may be very good to us it may bring in much good to us and therefore there is wisdome not only in chusing any affliction rather than sin but in chusing some one affliction rather than another But what good doth he chuse that chuses sin Happy is the man that endures correction or affliction saith the Scripture in many places but doth it say any where Happy is the man that commits iniquity If you chuse affliction rather than iniquity you chuse a great deal of good First David could say upon tryal Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Did ever David say it is good for me that I have sinned which is to unlearn or break Statutes did he ever please himself in thinking that he had sinned he did even please himself that he had been afflicted that was good because he learned Commandments by it he grew a better Scholler then he was in that best learning of all the knowledge of the Commandments of God Again Secondly It is good to be afflicted why afflictions are the exercises of our Graces the exercise of our Faith the exercise of our patience the exercise of our self-denyal 'T is a good thing to have our Graces exercised for thereby they are encreased If you chuse affliction you shall probably have that good by it the encrease of your best things your Graces Thirdly Affliction purgeth out our corruptions and that is good Is it not good to have a disease or an ill humour purged out this good comes by affliction But doth the committing of sin purge sin doth the Stock of sin abate by sinning does the ill humour spend it self no the ill humour rather increaseth When you chuse sin you weaken your Graces and cherish your corruptions but when you refuse sin your corruptions weaken or spend their strength Do you think when you have committed one sin that the soul is made more unable to or more averse from the same or another sin When you have satisfied the call of one lust will it now let you alone and call no more no not at all the more you sin the more you may the more you sin the more doth the Stock of sin increase and grow in you Fourthly Affliction is a means to take us off or wean us from the World O what a good is that we being so apt to dote upon it The sin of the Age is falling in love with the World therefore it may be good for us to be soundly afflicted that we may be weaned from the World and from all things in the world and be kept where our true interest is in the bosom of Christ or close to him But if you chuse iniquity will that take you off from the World no the more sin the more love of the World for sin and the World are akin they are of a Blood therefore the more you have to do with the one the more you will have to do with the other Fifthly Affliction bâ—ings us nearer to God That which takes us off from the World brings us neerer to God this is an excellent advantage a great good of affliction But chuse sin and will that bring us neerer to God Sin is a departure from God The Lord saith to sinners Ye are departed and gone Sin is so far from bringing us nearer to God that as all in a state of sin are far off from God so every act of sin widens the distance and puts us farther off from God Sixthly Affliction is our conformity to Christ If you chuse affliction you chuse that which makes you look like Christ for he was a man of sorrows in this world he was not in the ruff and jollity in the power and pomp of this world but low and of no reputation acquainted with grief all his dayes If then you chuse affliction rather than sin you chuse conformity to Christ but chusing iniquity rather than affliction you take up the utmost disformity to Christ who knew no sin nâ—r was any guile found in his mouth He took all our afflictions upon him but he would not touch our sin as a doer of it only as in our stead a sufferer for it How great is the good of affliction But is there any good at all in sin Upon all these considerations the Apostle saith When God the Father of spirits afflicts his sons and daughters he doth it for their profit that they may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12.10 11. The Lord afflicts us for our profit but he doth not
we may see much of God they are a Natural Alphabet the Letters whereof being well placed and rightly put together we may spell the name of God his Wisdome Power and Goodnesse Thus the Apostle argues Rom. 1.19 20. That which may be known of God is manifest in them or to them that is to the very Heathens His proof for this is taken from the poynt now proposed For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and God-head The Apostle layes it down in general Whatsoever is made whatsoever is part of the Creation holds out somewhat of God The very Clods of the Earth declare his Power how much more the Clouds and Starrs of Heaven Therefore Look to the Heavens Behold the Clouds consider them Psal 19.2 They declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work If you ask more particularly what do they declare I answer First That God is every Creature doth so if there be a Creature there must needs be a Creator If there be Effects there must be an Efficient the made Heavens declare their Maker Secondly The Heavens declare not only that God is but that he is above Christ hath taught us to pray Our Father which art in Heaven God is every where yet there especially Heaven is the Habitation of his Holinesse and of his Glory Thirdly In the purity of the Heavens we may see the holinesse and purity of God and they being so incorruptible and unchangeable declare Fourthly The incorruptibility and unchangeablenesse of God He that made them such is much more such himself The very unchangeablenesse of the Heavens is changeable compared with the unchangeablenesse of God The Heavens saith David Psal 102.25 26. are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure or stand yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Fifthly The Heavens which God hath built as a House for himself being so high above the touch of the Creature shew us that God is infinitely exalted above the reach and molestation of sinful man that 's the thing which Elihu aims at as appears by what followeth in the next words Look to the Heavens and see behold the Clouds which are higher than thou Vers 6. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplyed what dost thou unto him As if he had said When thou lookest to the Heavens thou plainly seest thou canst do nothing against them it would be a vain thing for thee to attempt the Heavens to clamber up to the Clouds surely then thy sinnings thy frettings thy discontents and complaints cannot hurt God therefore be quiet If thou sinnest The word here used notes sin in the least degree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erraviâ— any error or deviation from the Rule but it comprehends sins of the highest degree even such as the Prophet calls Amos 5.12 Mighty sins If thou sinnest at the greatest rate at the height of blasphemy What dost thou against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non tam nocere quam opâ—rare et laborare significat q. d. Laborando et adnitendo quid tandem efficies quo illum laedas Pined The Hebrew is What workest thou against him Properly the word signifieth only to work we render it by working against that is to the hurt and disadvanâ—age of another to his mischief and undoing As if he had said If thou shouldest set thy shoulder to the work if thou shouldest do evil with both hands greedily yet thou canst make no work of it in this matter what dost thou against him what hurt hath he by it And to assure Job that he hath none nor can have any Elihu serves him up the same Messe in another Dish of words in the close of the verse Or if thy transgressions be multiplyed Here Elihu speaks as high as he meant before Transgressing is more thâ—n ordinary sinning though as was toucht upon the word under sinning he comprehended any the most extraordinary transgressings If thy sins be transgressions rebellions or prevarications and they be multiplyed if thou sinnest out of malice and wrathful purpose against God himself and dost not only commit some one of these but many and heapest them up together yet c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et ad molem et numerum communis est If thy transgressions be multiplyed The word signifies both magnitude and multitude hence some render If thy transgressions be great we say If they be many Sin as much as thou wilt and sin as often as thou wilt sin as much as thou canst what hurt hath God by it Some by sin in the former part of the verse understand that evil which is committed immediately against God and by transgressions in this latter clause such evils as are done against our neighbour But I see no need at all to be so distinct we may take it respecting God or man or both for those sins which we commit against man are also against God he is the person offended his Law is broken against whomsoever the sin is committed If thou multiply thy transgressions What dost thou unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word What dost thou signifies not only or not so much strong labour and endeavour as the former did but cunning in labour and skill in labour As if he had said Though a man set all his wits awork to do evil what can he do to him Neither pains nor skill neither industry nor policy neither open force nor secret stratagems can do him any the least annoyance Some Creatures are weak and inconsiderable as to any thing they can do by outward power yet they can do much by their subtilty and cunning but neither the one nor the other can do any thing unto God Scrue up thy wits to the highest pin or peg yet thou canst do nothing really prejudicial unto him The words are plain from them Observe First God receives no dammage by the sin of man how great or how many soever his sins are A man may quickly vex and undo himself by sin Wisdome saith Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul All they that hate me love death But the sinner cannot hurt God he is far above us man can no more hurt God by sin than he can hurt the Clouds or the highest Heavens Had we an enemy above the Clouds were it not a madnesse to shoot arrows or bend our forces against him What is man to God! The School-man concludes Nothing can be added to Per actum hominis Deo nihil potest accrescere vel deperire Sed tamen homo in quantum in se est aliquid subtrahit Deo vel ei exhibet cum sâ—rvat vel non servat ordinem
their life nor their death is precious in the Lords sight as both of the meanest Saints are Psal 116.15 The special Promises of preservation are made to the godly the common Providences of preservation extend to the wicked God preserves many wicked men but not one of them can plead a Promise for his preservation or say Lord thou hast undertaken to preserve me I have thy Word or Warrant for my preservation So then the Lord doth not preserve the life of any wicked man upon a word of Promise Secondly I answer When the lives of the wicked are preserved they are not preserved for any love which God bears to their persons as such but either First to bring them into a better state that is to turn them from their wickedness that being converted they may be saved at last according to his purpose Or Secondly they are preserved to serve some ends and purposes of his in this World For though God hath no pleasure in them yet he makes some use of them and doth his pleasure by them Or I may say they are preserved to be Executioners of his displeasure in chastening and correcting his own people The King of Assyria was preserved in great Power and to what end I will send him against an hypocritical Nation Isa 10.6 He must go on my Errand though he meaneth not so nor doth his heart think so as the Lord spake vers 7. He hath other matters and designs in his head but I have this use of him and of his power even to punish the people of my wrath The Lord made use also of Nebuchadnezar and his Army to serve him in the destroying of Tyrus and of him and his Army he saith They wrought for me Ezek. 29.20 Thus the Lord doth some of his work his strange work especially his work of Judgment by the hands of wicked men and therefore he preserves their lives Yea he preserves them many a time to be a help and a defence to his people A Thorn Hedge keeps the Pasture that strange Cattle break not in and eat it up Wicked men are as Bryars and Thorns and they are suffered to live because the Lord can make use of them as a Fence to his people When the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the woman the Church that he might cause her to be carryed away of the Flood then the Earth that is earthly carnal men helped the Woman Rev. 12.15 16 The Lord used bad men to do that good work the preservation of his distressed and persecuted Church Thirdly As the Lord suffers many wicked men to live that they may be brought out of their sins so he suffers others to live that they may fill up the measure of their sins Why did the Lord preserve the Amorites was it because he loved or liked them no but because they were not then ripe for Judgment Gen. 15.16 The Iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full Some wicked men are to fill up their dayes that they may fill up the measure of their Fathers sins by their own as Christ threatned the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 23.32 Such a grant of life though for a thousand years is worse than a thousand Deaths Fourthly we may answer The wicked are not so much preserved from as reserved unto further wrath 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished God doth not presently punish all the wicked nor take away their lives there is a day of Judgment coming and till that day come their lives are preserved as persons reserved unto Judgment Fifthly VVhen wicked men are said to be out of the Lords Protection consider There is a twofold Protection First ordinary Secondly extraordinary The Lord doth preserve and protect wicked men in an ordinary not in an extraordinary way he doth not work wonders much less miracles to preserve them as he often doth for the preservation of his own people God will not be at such cost in preserving of wicked men as he is at in the preserving the lives and liberties of his eminent Servants rather than they shall perish or not be preserved he will somtimes work a miracle and put Nature out of its course to save their lives VVhen those three VVorthies were cast into the midst of the burning fiery Furnace God stopt the rage of that furious Element that the Fire had no power upon their bodyes nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smel of fire had passed on them Dan. 3.27 Did we ever hear that the Lord restrained the power of the fire to preserve wicked men When Daniel a man precious in the sight of God was cast into the Lions Den the Lord preserved his life also by stopping the Mouths of the Lyons Dan. 6.22 Did we ever hear that God preserved the lives of wicked men in such a way No sooner were Daniels accusers cast into the Lyons Den but the Lyons had the Mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces e're ever they came to the bottome of the Den v. 24. The Lord doth not preserve the lives of the wicked by miraculous manifestations of his Power and Glory Sixthly I answer Though some wicked men are commonly preserved as other men yet many by their wickedness hasten their ruine and shorten the number of their dayes We may distinguish of wicked men First wicked men may be taken in a General notion for all that are unconverted and unregenerate Many persons pass for honest and good men in the world who yet are wicked being carnal and abiding in a state of nature wicked men of this sort are ordinarily preserved Secondly Take wicked men and such I conceive the Text especially intends for notorious wicked men such as are murderers blasphemers c. the Lord doth not preserve the lives of such but lets mans Justice seize upon them or divine vengeance overtake them Psal 55.23 The blood-thirsty and deceitful man shall not live out half his dayes that is he shall not live half so long as he might according to the course of Nature because of his nefarious sinful courses Histories are full of dreadful Tragedies sealing to this Truth with the blood and untimely death of gross offenders How often have we seen or heard of the Veâ—geance of God following and falling upon those that were signanter notoriously wicked and of â—â—ese we are especially to understand the Poynt and Text He preserveth not the life of the wicked Take this Inference from all that hath been said about this awakening Observation How sad is the life of a wicked man indeed of any man on this side the Line of grace but especially of any very wicked man He can scarce be said to live whose life is not preferved by God a wicked man is alwayes in death seeing God doth not preserve his life The Apostle
Paul said he was in Deaths often but God had as often preserved his life but they are in Deaths alwayes whose life God never preserveth VVhat preservation of life can he have who hath not God for his preserver God in Creation or Propagation giveth us our life as to being but Preservation gives us our life as to well-being Can it be well with them that are not under the preservation of God To be redeemed by Christ would be but a small comfort unless we were also preserved by him Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called If we were only redeemed from death and not preserved in life what were our spiritual life to us So I may say in respect of the life of the body to be meerly created or propagated what is it if we are not preserved 'T is a high Priviledge when a man can not only say he hath received life from God but his life is preserved by God That 's the first poynt He preserveth not the Life of the wicked Again From that other Interpretation of the words as not to preserve is as much as to destroy and ruine Note As God utterly disowneth so he will at last utterly ruine all wicked men He not only doth not favour them but pours out fury upon them Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name The Prophesie of Isaiah speaks no better concerning them than that prayer of Jeremy Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him And what can the hand of a wicked man earn the wages of sin is death he can get nothing but wrath and death nothing but tribulation and anguish here and eternal misery hereafter by the work of his hands VVoe to the wicked for the reward of his hands shall be given him that is eternal destruction and sorrow shall be given him according to the iniquity of his hand A godly man is rewarded according to the cleanness of his hands Psal 18.20 24. He labours to keep his hands much more his heart clean whatever the VVorld judge of him But woe to the wicked when God giveth them the reward of their hands of their unclean soul and filthy hands for what can such hands get or procure by all their labour but their own mischief and sorrow There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 No peace is to them because no good is done by them their portion lyes in promises who keep Commandements so theirs must needs lye in threatnings who do nothing but break them or break them in all they do My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord said David Pâ—al 104.34 As if he had said I know that I and eveâ—y Godly man shall receive so much good from the Lord that it doth me good at the heart to think of it But as for the wicked I can fore-see as we say with half an eye how ill it will be with them and so let it be I must subscribe to and vote with the righteous judgement of the Lord againâ—t them ver 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more Lastly Consider these words He preserveth not the life of the wicked with respect to the wicked specially intended and treated of in this Context The Lord is mighty and despiseth not the mighty because they are mighty he preserveth not the wicked Hence Note Wicked men how mighty soever cannot preserve themselves nor doth the Lord undertake for their preservation The strongest of wicked men cannot stand by their own strength they cannot protect nor preserve themselves and the Lord will not put forth his strength to preserve them from falling As no mightiness no power can bear man up or maintain him against the Lord so not without the Lord if he preserveth not the life of the wicked they cannot escape death and destruction though high as Cedars and strong as Oakes They cannot but perish whom God preserveth not He preserveth not the life of the wicked But giveth right to the poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pauperes afflicti Or to the afflicted Poverty it self is a great affliction and usually the poor are afflicted by others Here is a second instance of Gods goodnesse in the exercise of his power and might As He preserveth not the life of the wicked So he giveth right to the poor as he destroyeth wrong-doers so he will do right to those that suffer wrong Every word is considerable First He giveth that 's an act of bounty Secondly He giveth right that 's an act of equity And that Thirdly To the poor that 's an act of pity and charity Further When 't is said He giveth that implyes First a present or speedy act Secondly a constant and setled course of acting As the word giveth imports that the Lord doth it now and doth not put it off to hereafter only so it likewise importeth that the Lord will do it hereafter as well as now He giveth Right to the poor The poor suffer wrong but the Lord comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gives them right or rights them and that in a twofold notion First He gives them that right which is due to them according to his own righteous Laws or the righteous Laws of men That 's right done which is done according to a righteous Law Secondly He giveth them that right which is due to them according to the integrity of their own hearts and wayes We may say Thirdly The Lord giveth them right not according to the strictnesse of the Law but according to the integrity of their hearts Thus David prayed Psal 7.3 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me that is according to my honest meaning and the simplicity of my Soul As if he had said O Lord do me right men have done me wrong they have false and wrong apprehensions of me they raise false reports concerning me but thou O Lord who knowest my integrity wilt judge me accordingly and 't is my humble and earnest Prayer that thou wouldest He giveth right To the poor The poor in Scripture are taken two wayes First as they stand in opposition to the rich Secondly as they are opposed to the proud thus here he giveth right to the poor as well as to the rich and he will especially give right to the humble poor to the righteous poor to the poor in spirit Such the Prophet speaks of Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor He means not the poor in purse as such he means not those as such who wear poor cloaths the Lord doth not always look to or respect such poor for many such are both proud and wicked but he
which the neglect of giving God the glory of his corrections and chastenings may bring upon the righteous Hence note Disobedience or neglect of duty is dangerous wheresoever it is found The Church of Corinth felt this many of them died in the sence given without knowledge or not having a due spiritual knowledge of Christ in the holy supper which the Apostle calls their not discerning the Lords body 1 Cor. 11.29 and presently tells them ver 30. for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep that is are taken away by death Any kind or degree of sin is dangerous not to obey a hint of providence not to obey an intimation of the mind of God in an affliction may be very dangerous afflictions may end in destructions and fetters in death if the purpose of God in them be not attended and answered by us Secondly note Not to obey when God calls and commands is folly and ignorance Such do as if they had no knowledge at all what or how to do Lastly in that he saith they shall dye without knowledge we may learn this from it The ignorance and heedlesness of men undo them and bring destruction upon them Many die because they have no knowledge others not heeding or minding what they know Holy David confessed that in on◠point he was ignorant and foolish even as a beast Psal 73.22 and when good men act like beasts without a due improvement of reason and understanding they may perish as to this temporal life like beasts Isa 5.13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge The Prophet I conceive is to be understood as this text not that they had no knowledge at all or were utterly ignorant but they had no knowledge as to that special dispensation of God how to make use of it or improve it at least they took no heed no care to use or improve it and saith he they therefore are gone into captivity they are brought under bondage to their enemies they are scattered ruin'd and as to this world quite lost and undone Wicked men are undone by acting against their knowledge good men may be undone by acting below their knowledge or by not acting according to what they know or should have known and so through their ignorance or heedlesness they dye without knowledge JOB Chap. 36. Vers 13 14. 13. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath they cry not when he bindeth them 14. They die in youth and their life is among the unclean ELihu having put the case of the righteous in these two conditional propositions last opened as somewhat doubtful what at least some of them may do as to a right-improvement of outward afflictions he proceeds in these two verses to shew the case of the wicked wholly desperate in their affliction There is an if put upon the righteous but he is conclusive upon the hypocrite to be sure he will neither hear nor obey neither submit nor conform to the voyce of the rod. So that in these words he sets forth the common yea constant issue of the hand of God upon hypocrites in heart Possibly good men righteous men may not alwayes answer the expectation of God when affliction is upon them but as for hypocrites they alwayes heap up wrath And in this we may conceive Elihu hath a respect to Job For though he did not conclude him to be an hypocrite in heart yet he put it home upon him to consider the matter whether he himself had not at least acted and carried it like an hypocrite in heart under the afflicting hand of God forasmuch as he was no more humbled and subdued under it And indeed Elihu turns every stone and tryeth every way to bring down the spirit of Job And therefore as he had shewed what the usuall effects of the hand of God upon the righteous are so he tells him how it is with the wicked in that case thereby to put him upon the triall whether he had not reason to suspect himself to be an hypocrite because his carriage was so like theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 13. But the hypocrites in heart c. That adversative particle shews that he is dealing upon another subject hypocrites in heart are far from righteousness I have discoursed somewhat largely concerning the hypocrite in chap. 34 v. 30. upon these words That the hypocrite reign not lest the people 〈…〉 snared Therefore I intend not here to revive that subject but shall only a little open the additional tearm or amplification which is here put upon the hypocrite Elihu doth not say barely hypocrites heap up wrath but The hypocrites in heart heap up wrath as implying some special character and brand of hypocrisie upon the persons here aimed at An hypocrite in heart is no more but this nor is it any thing less than an hearty hypocrite he is one that is not to the halves but wholly hypocritical he that is but half with God such is the hypocrite is wholly profane wholly wicked The same word which signifyeth an hypocrite signifyeth a profane person and so we put it in the margine of this text The hypocrite or the profane in heart This expression is very paralel with that of the Apostle Paul Col. 1.21 Ye that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled He doth not only call natural men enemies to God as indeed they all are the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God But he calls them enemies in their minds that is such as have a mind to be enemies or such as have a good will to do evil So here an hypocrite in heart is a man heartily hypocritical whosoever is an hypocrite is an hypocrite in heart Hypocrisie is that which lyeth at the bottome it is an heart-sin though hypocirsie act and vent it self at the tongue and by the hand yet all hypocrisie lyeth at the heart nevertheless every hypocrite is not strictly taken an hypocrite in heart The hypocrite in heart is opposed to the upright in heart Psal 92.11 The hypocrite in heart hath a heart as full of hypocrisie as the upright in heart would have hearts full of uprightness Yet further to characterize the hypocrite in heart Take these three considerations to clear it Data opera inpius est First an hypocrite in heart is one who doth evil not out of mistake but our of designe not because he cannot do otherwise but because he will not and is resolved on it such a sinful piece or such a piece of sinfulness is the hypocrite in heart he sins as he should love and serve and obey God with all his heart Secondly as this hypocrite doth evil upon design so also he doth good with a wicked mind It is possible for a man to do good unsincerely or not to be sincere in the doing of it and yet not to do it with a wicked mind and
against the men of the World they were better have Tales told and reports made against them to all the Princes of the earth than have reports made to God against them To have a poor soul upon just grounds telling God what evil men have done against him how they have slandâ—ed and reproached him how they have opprest and vext him will come at last to a sad account against them Shall it be told God that I speak saith Elihu And shall it be told God that we do evil and we regard it not Shall we answer thoâ—e that tell us they have told o will tell God of our evil doings as impudent childâ—en and servants do such as threaâ—en them with telling thâ—ir Pâ—â—ents and Masters of their evil doings What care we do if yâ—u will O let us take heed how we do or speak that which if told in the ears of God may cause blame and bring his displeasure upon us There are a sâ—rt of Tale-bearers very odious in the sight of God and all good men such are spoken of Prov. 11.13 Prov. 18.8 But they who bring reports to God as Joseph did to his Father Jacob concerning his brethren Gen. 37.2 of the evils done by men such Tale-bearers if I may so call them do but their duty and as their reports are accepted with God so they hasten wrath upon evil men Luke 18.7 Shall it be told him that I speak If a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up Si dixerit Heb scil apud se illud nempe se velle talem sermonem Deo narrare Pisc That is if any man speak if a wise man speak and if he speak as wisely as he can and place his words in the best oâ—der he can yet if he shall desiâ—e as Job hath done to come near unto â—od and plead with him surely he shall be swallowed up Job in the hottest of those desiâ—es to plead with God did not as haâ—h formerly been noted in favour of him challenge God he diâ— not think himself a Match for God in pleading his cause before him he good man was far from such a presumptuous spirit yet because he insisted so much upon that desire of pleading his cause with God Elihu had reason to check him in such language as this If a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up We that are dust and ashes may not be so bold with God 't is best for us to lye at his foot and let him do what he will with us only beg of him that we may improve his dealings and profit by his corrections if the wisest and holiest of men shall speak otherwise Surely they shall be Swallowed up The word implies that a man so speaking shall be ruined and brought to nought Mr. Broughton renders Would any man plead when he shall be undone No man but a mad man would speak in a business wherein he must needs be ruined We say well swallowed up that is both he and his understanding shall be utterly confounded This phrase of speech is often used in Scripture when a greater power undertakes a lesser thus fire swalloweth up stubble and oppressors their poor underlings David saith of his enemies with respect to the greatness of their malice Ps 56.1 Ps 57.3 They would swallow me up Possibly they had not power enough to do it or no fitting opportunity to do it but they wanted no will to do it They would swallow me up if they could that is they would make an utter end of me or dispatch me quite So this word is used in several other places Isa 28.7 They are swallowed up of wine Some swallow down the wine so long till the wine swalloweth them up the wine gets the mastery over them and they are no longer as we speak proverbially their own men The Apostle gives order concerning the incestuous person that had been cast out of the Church 2 Cor. 2.5 receive him saith he lest he be swallowed up of over-much sorrow that is lest sorrow get the mastery of him It is not good that the floods of sorrow though it be a sorâ—ow for sin should prevail over us so as to swallow us up in the gulph of despair Again while the Apostle â—â—sures us and would have us triumph in that assurance that death shall never do a godly man any hurt he thus expresseth it 1 Cor. 15.54 Death is swallowed up in victory that is in and by the victory of Jesus â—hrist He by dying quite overcame death he did not only wound it and worst it or get the better of it or â—our it but toâ—ally ruin'd it as to any power of hurting us all which and whatsoever else concerns the death of death and the destruction of the grave is wrapt up in that one word Death is swallowed up in victory And therefore also it is said by the same Apostle 2 Cor. 5.4 Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life Jesus Christ hath brought in such a life through the Gospel as shall at last put an utter end to Mortality Our Mortality now by degrees puts an end to or swalloweth up our Lives but then Life will quite swallow up or put an end to our Mortality that is our Mortality shall be quite removed and taken out of the way by that Life which Christ haâ—h purchased for his people by his own death All these Scriptures shew the force of the word here used by Elihu when he saith If a man speak surely he shall be swallowed up If a man speak How or to whom The answer is If a man speak to God he shall be swallowed up But shall every one that speaks to God be swallâ—wed up Not so therefore we must go to the manner of speaking If a man speak to God not keeping his distance if a man speak to God without a Mediatour he shall be swallowed up as a drop of water is swallowed up of the Ocean or as a spark of fire is swallowed up in a great flame Perdetur vir ille fulgore celsitudinis Majestatis ejus perstrictus or as the light of a Candle or Glow-worm is swallowed up by the Sun there is no standing for the Creature before God in such a nearness of access but by faith in a Mediator If a man speak he shall be swallowed up Man is no match for God or he is a most unâ—qual match Yet further these words may note the coâ—quest of the mind or understanding of man by an object which is too high and excellent for it for then his thoughts yea and his Reason too are swallowed up and he is carried out of himself as a man in an extasie or trance When St. Paul was caught up to the third heavens and heard unspeakable words he was swallowed up with the greatness of the matter and was in a divine extasie whether in the body he could not tell or whether out of the bâ—dy he could not tell 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. Thus saith Elihu shall