among the learned It would be too great a diversion and possibly an unprofitable one to stay upon them We have him here described First by his name The Hebrew Etymologists say This proper name Elihu signifieth He is my God or my God is he And as he is described by his name so by his nativity or parentage Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite of the kindred of Ram. His Fathers name Barachel signifies in the Hebrew one whom God hath blessed or the blessing of God The sons name was my God is the Lord. And the fathers name was the blessing of God or one whom God hath blessed We may note a piece oâ— holy devotion in the old fathers in giving significant names to their children And surely it may be of much use to give our children good and significant names such names as carry a remembrance of duty or of mercy When Alexander the Great met with a common Souldier whose name was Alexander He said to him Be sure thou doe nothing unworthy the name of Alexander His name had a great encouragement in it to gallantry in warre And it is noted of Diadumenus Ego curabo ne desim nomini Amoninorum that having obtained both the Empire and the name of Antoninus he said I will labour all I can that I may not be injurious to the name of the Anthonines This should be much more our care and study where holinesse makes the name honourable John signifieth the grace of God And as I remember it is the saying of one of the ancients concerning a bad man so called Thy name is John but thou art not John thy name signifieth grace but thou art not gracious Ambrose said to the virgin Agnes or Anne There is chastity in thy name doe not contradict thy name So Jerome writing to Pammachius which name signifieth a fighter against all Do thou saith he fight against all sin against the Devill the world and thy owne corruption The same Author writing to Melecius which signifies Honey sweetness Have thou saith he the sweetnesse of honey in thy manners And to Probus he writes Thy name signifieth honesty Then be thou an honest man The Apostle exhorts 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity It is a great argument seeing all who professe the Gospel are called Christians from Christ that therefore they should adorne that most worthy name by worthy walking And let me say to all those whose names signifie any thing of God of Grace or goodnesse ye have a good and gracious name let not your actions be a reproach to God nor a shame to the profession of his grace A good heart will make a good use of every thing and is provoked to have more then a name for that grace or goodnesse which is in his name even to be really that which his name is How should an Elihu whose name signifies He is my God labour after this holy assurance that God is his How should a Barachel whose name signifieth the Blessing of God be alwayes praying and waiting for the blessing of God or returning praise to God both in heart and life for all his blessings Elihu the son of Barachel The Buzite Here Elihu is described by his family as before by his father The Buzite that is coming from Buz. Yet there is a difference about that some say he had that name from the place where he dwelt we read Jer. 25.23 of a place called Buz. Others say he was called the Buzite from the name of his family As he descended from Buz the son of Nabor Abrahams brother Gen. 22.21 Miâ—cah hath borne children unto thy brother Nahor Huz his first born and Buz his brother Master Broughton is cleare in it who gives this glosse upon the text Elihu the Buzite of Buz Abrahams brothers son of the family of Ram famous then for knowledge Rebecca and Jacob seeme to have left religion in Nahors house Thus farre he Jerome saith Hieron in tract Heb super Genesm Elihu was descended from the second son of Milcah whom the Septuagint call Bauz from him was Balaam the sorcerer who according to the Tradition of the Jewes was this Elihu spoken of in the book of Job at first an holy man and a Prophet but afterwards an apostate But I leave that as a Rabbinicall Tradition Apparet quod sicut Eliu dicitur Buzitis quia originem traxit ex Buz ita dicitur de Ram rationae maternae originis Melcha enim mater Buz fuit filia Aram unde et 70 loco Ram legunt Aram Proindé sicut tres reges visitaverunt Job causa amicitiae ita Eliu causa cognationis de qua vendicavit sibi in Job plusculum audacioris licentiae Ianson Quis iste fuerâ— quaerunt interpretes Gramatici certant adhuc sub judice lis est Drust We have yet a further description of Elihu in the Text. Of the kindred of Ram of the family or posterity of Ram. Who this Ram was is much controverted by Interpreters nor is the controversie yet ended who this Ram was Some say he was that Ram spoken of Ruth 4.19 But it is not likely that he was so ancient as Job or if he were he would not leave the Israelites from whom Pharez was descended to dwell among the Edomites Others say he was that Aram mentioned Gen 22.21 But neither doth this appeare true for then Elihu could not be a Buzite but must draw his line from Kemuel the brother of Buz. The Chaldee Paraphrase tells us he was Abraham And to cleare this 't is said as our owne learned Annotators have given it that he had a threefold gradation in his name First he was called only Ram which signifieth high Secondly Abram which signifieth A high father Thirdly Abraham which signifieth the high father of a multitude But upon which to determine I conceive it impossible nor is there any great matter in it Only this seemes cleare that the family of Ram was some great and illustrious family in those times and we may take notice how distinct and punctuall the penman of this book was in describing the pedegree of Elihu And there may be two reasons why the Spirit of God directed him to be so First because he was but a young man Neutrae sententiae accederom sed Ram alium quempiam fuisse putarim virum celebrem et clarum ex familia Nahor Merc And therefore as Saul 1 Sam. 17.56 when he saw David a young man he asked after his parentage Enquire whose Son this stripling is I would faine know his kindred So the kindred of Elihu is thus distinctly set downe that he who by reason of his youth was little knowne as to his person might be the better knowne by his Ancestors or parentage Secondly His parentage is thus distinctly set downe to assure us that this is a true history For some have made the whole booke of Job to be but a
respects Thus you have the answer to that question by which it appears that 't is no easie matter to say what Elihu saith It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement There is yet another question for some may demand why should chastisements be thus born I answer First We must bear them according to all the rules before given because they come from God Our afflictions are Gods allotment we must bear what he appoints therefore old Eli though he had failed and sinned greatly and so brought a cloud of calamity upon himself and his family the very report whereof as Samuel told him would make both ears of every one that heard it to tingle yet he composed his spirit to a submissive hearing of it upon this single consideration It is the Lord and there is enough in that consideration to make all men submit For first The Lord is supream and therefore what he doth must be born Secondly He is a Father a childe must bear what a Father layeth upon him and as the Lord is a father so he is not a hasty imprudent or passionate father but a most wise and judicious father therefore 't is our interest as well as our duty to bear his chastisements Yea he is a gracious tender and compassionate father and when we know he that layeth a hand of affliction upon us hath also a heart full of compassion towards us we should willingly bear his hand Secondly Chastisements are to be born in the manner directed because they are for our good and shall we not bear what is good for us It is good for me said David Psal 119.71 that I have been afflicted and so the Apostle Heb. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Chastisements are for our profit and shall not we bear that which is for our profit If God should lay chastisements on us for our hurt meerly to vex us to put us to pain or meerly because he delights in our sufferings who could bear them But it is meet to bear what God layes upon us because he doth it for our good and profit Thirdly We must bear chastisements in the manner shewed because unless we bear them so they will do us no good or we shall have no profit by them and that 's a misery indeed To bear smart and finde no advantage coming in by it to drink gall and to have no sweetness come out of it to endure loss and to have no kinde of profit by it is very grievous Now what ever chastisement is laid upon any it doth them no good and they can have no profit by it unless they bear it as was before described it is not the bare being afflicted that doth us good but it is the wise management or the skilful bearing of it that doth us good and therefore we finde that the Apostle Heb. 12.11 when he had said There is no affliction joyous for the present but grievous adds Nevertheless afterwards it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness but to whom What to every one that is afflicted have they these sweet fruits No but to them that are exercised thereby Afflictions bring no sweet fruits to them that have them unless they be exercised by them how exercised Afflictions exercise every one that hath them they are to all a passive exercise but to be exercised notes here an active exercise they who graciously exercise themselves in affliction shall without doubt finde benefit and fruit by affliction But some may say what is it to be thus exercised by affliction I answer for the opening of that Scripture to be exercised is First To be much in searching our own hearts and wayes or how 't is with us and what hath been done by us Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider that is bethink your selves First What God is doing Secondly What you have been doing Thirdly What becomes you to do in such a day The prophet points us to the two latter Duties of such a day in one verse Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. To search our wayes is to consider what we have been doing to turn to the Lord is the great thing to be done in a day of adversity Secondly As this exercise of the soul consists in searching our own hearts so in searching the heart of God if I may so speak that is in an humble enquiry to the utmost what God meaneth by any affliction what hath moved him to afflict us and we have as much cause to search Gods heart as our own in this case Thus in that National affliction 2 Sam. 21.1 when the famine continued three years year after year it is said David enquired of the Lord why is it thus he search'd Gods heart by desiring an answer from the Lord what sin it was which provoked him to that sad dispensation And thus we should be enquiring of God by prayer what sin he striketh at or what grace he specially calleth us to act by any affliction which he sendeth either upon our families or persons Thirdly There is an exercising of our selves in searching the affliction it self first into the nature of it Secondly into the circumstances of it how timed and measured by what hand and in what way the Lord deals with us this is a great exercise and unless we are thus exercised under affliction we get smart and loss and bitterness but no good at all by it So much for the first counsel given Job by Elihu It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement His second counsel as it lies here in the order of the Text is about the reformation or the amendment of what is amiss I will not offend any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat magna nocendi cupiditate ardere sicut mulieres ardent desiderio concipiendi foetum transfertur in secunda conjugations vel ad parturientium dolores vel ad concupiscendi libidinem Moller in Psal 7.14 It is fit the afflicted should say unto God I wil not offend The root of the word here used signifieth somtimes the pains of travel in childe-bearing Cant. 8.5 I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee And again Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood It signifieth also in Scripture to corrupt or to pollute Neh. 1.7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgements which thou commandest thy servant Moses To deal corruptly or to do corruptly what is it but to sin against or offend God Every offence or sin springs from the corruption of our own hearts and is a corruption of our wayes and manners Both these
therefore though he know well enough how to doe evill yet he is truely sayd not to know how to doe it Thirdly Not to know a thing is not to be accustomed or practised in it Thus when Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles he seemes to say It is not my manner I have not been used to flatter As use doth not only make fitnesse but encreaseth our knowledge so disuse doth at once unfit us to doe a thing and diminisheth our knowledge how to doe it And therefore what we use not to doe we are rightly sayd not to know to doe I know not to give flattering titles Hence note The spirit of a good man is set against all that is evill he cannot close nor comply with it His understanding assenteth not to it his will chuseth it not his conscience cannot swallow it though not a camel but a gnat the least of sin-evils much lesse doth he give himselfe up to the free and customary practise of great sins A good man may well be sayd not to know to sin because though he knoweth the nature of all sins yet he knowingly declines the doing of every sin I know not to give flattering titles In so doing my Maker would soone take me away Those words in so doing are not expressed in the Originall but supplyed to make up the sence and yet we may very well read the text without them I know not to give flattering titles my Maker would soone take me away or as Mr Broughton renders my Maker would be my taker away My Maker Elihu expresseth God by the work of creation or by his relation to God as a creator Elihu doth but include himselfe in the number of those whom God hath made he doth not exclude others from being made by God as much as himselfe while he saith My Maker God is the maker of every man and is so in a three-fold consideration First He is the maker of every man in his naturall constitution as he is a man consisting of a reasonable soule and body I am fearefully and wonderfully made sayd David with respect to both Psal 119.14 Secondly God is every mans maker in his civill state as well as in his naturall he formeth us up into such and such a condition as rich or as poore as high or as low as Governours or as governed according to the pleasure of his owne will Prov. 22.2 The rich and the poore meete together the Lord is the maker of them both he meaneth it not only if at all in that place that the Lord hath made them both as men but he hath made the one a rich man and the other a poore man Thus the Lord is the maker of them both And as the Lord makes men rich so Great and honorable Psal 75.6 Promotion cometh not from the East nor from the West nor from the South It cometh from none of these parts or points of earth or heaven it cometh from nothing under heaven but from the God of heaven God is the Judge he putteth downe one and setteth up another Thirdly The Lord is the maker of every man in his spirituall state as good and holy and gracious Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works till we are wrought by God we can doe none of Gods worke nor have we any mind to doe it Now when Elihu saith My Maker would soone take me away we may understand it in all these three sences he that made me this body and soule when I came into the world he that ordered my way and state all this while that I have been in this world he that formed me up into a new life the life of Grace and hath made me a new man in this and for another world This my Maker would soone take me away Hence note It is good to remember God as our maker Man would not make such ill worke in the world if he remembred God his maker or that himselfe is the work of God We should remember God our maker First as to our being as from him we receive life and breath Secondly as to our well-being as from him we receive all good things both for this life and a better Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy creator not only that God is a creator but thy creator remember this in the dayes of thy youth And surely if thou remembrest him well thou wilt not forget thy selfe so much as to forget the duty which thou owest him Thinke often upon thy maker and then this thought will be upon thee alwayes If I owe my selfe wholly unto God for making me in nature how much more doe I owe my selfe unto God for making me a new creature We ought to live wholly to him from whom we have received our lives He that hath made us should have the use of us He hath made all things for himselfe Prov 16.4 chiefely man who is the chiefe of all visibles which he hath made Those two memento's That we are made by the power of God and that the price by which we are redeemed is the blood of God should constraine us at all times and in all things to be at the call and command of God My Maker Would soone take me away Invoce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tolleret me alludit ad praecedens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q d. Si capiam faciem me capiet Coc We had the same word in the former verse there 't is used for accepting a person here for taking away a person The Learned Hebricians take notice of an elegant flower of Rhetorick in this expression If I take persons God will take away my person so we may translate the Text If I take men my God will take me away Yea my maker would not only take me away at last or as we say first or last but he would make dispatch and be quicke with me My maker would Soone take me away Some render He would take me away as a little thing But the mind of our translation is he would take me away in a little time The originall word beares either signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so may the scope of the text My Maker would take me away as a little thing he would blow me away as a feather or as dust and crush me as a moth and he would doe it in a moment in a little time all the men of the world yea the whole world is but a little thing before God and he can quickly take both away Isa 40.15 Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance Behold he taketh up the Islands as a very little thing Now if Whole Islands if all nations are such little things as drops and dusts then what is any one particular man how big soever he be And how soone can God take him away Little things are taken away in a little time So the word is
Psalmes The 32d Psalme as also the 42d Psalme is called Maschil as much as to say a teaching or an instructing Psalme a Psalme giving understanding and requiring deep and serious consideration Thus in the text they would not consider nor understand nor know nor contemplate any of his wayes The Hebrew is all his wayes that is none at all of them The wayes of God in Scripture are taken in a two-fold notion First for those wherein he would have us walk such are the wayes of his commandements they are called the wayes of God because he directs us to walke in them A holy life consists in our walking with God and we cannot walke with God any further or any longer then we keep in the wayes of his commandements It is sayd of the children of Israel after the death of Joshua Judg 2.17 they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandements of the Lord but they did not so To obey the commandements is to walke in the way of them Taking the wayes of God in this sence when Elihu saith They would not consider any of his wayes his meaning is they did not intend nor had any heart to set themselves to learne the mind of God revealed in his word concerning their duty or what they ought to doe they know not the wayes of God practically The word properly denotes the wisdome and prudence which stayeth not in notion but proceeds to action These men lived as if they had never heard of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad prudentiam sapientiam practicam rerum agendarum pertinet at least never understood the Law of God which is the rule of life They considered not the wayes of God to walke in them as Moses exhorted the people of Israel Deut 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant to doe them Secondly The wayes of God are those wherein himself walketh the works of God are the wayes of God the works of his providence either in mercy or in judgement either in doing good or in doing evil that is poenal evil these are the wayes of God in these God shewes himself as in a way in these he goeth forth in his power and goodness in his mercy and justice All these divine glories and perfections are discovered in the works of God Thus David is to be understood when he saith Psal 25.10 All the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant that is all the providential works of God are mercy and truth though all of them are not mercy in the matter or precisely taken as works done though none of them are mercy respecting some persons to whom they are done for many of them are materially chastisements afflictions and crosses to good men and all of them are wrath and judgement to evil and impenitently wicked men yet they are all mercy in the issue or result of them to good men or to those who fear God and keep his covenants For whether he do good or whether he do evil whether he wounds or whether he heals all these providential wayes of God are as truth in themselves so mercy to his people or as the Apostle concludes Rom. 8.28 They work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose In both these sences we may expound this Text They would not consider any of his wayes that is they would neither consider the Lawes of God which were the way wherein they should walk towards him nor would they consider the works of God which are the wayes wherein himself walketh towards them This was the spirit of that evil generation intended in this Scripture they had not much understanding in and less consideration of the wayes of God Hence first we may take notice Elihu doth not say they did not consider his wayes but they would not It was not so much an act of carelesness and negligence as of contempt and rebellious resolution Hence Observe Evil men have no will to consider or understand the good wayes of God yea their will is against such an understanding A natural man liketh not to retain God in his knowledge Rom. 1.28 Now he that doth not like to retain God in his knowledge or had rather think of any thing then of God he can never while such like to retain the wayes of God in his knowledge he that layeth God out of his thoughts will much more lay the law of God out of his thoughts The natural man hath not only a blindness in his minde which hinders him from discerning the things of God they being discernable only by a spiritual eye but he hath an obstinacy in his Will or he hath not only an inability to know but an enmity against the knowledge of that which is spiritual He shuts his eyes and draws a curtain between himself and the light which is ready to dart in upon him away with this light saith he Thus he rebelleth against the light and as his understanding is dark so his affections are corrupt Solomon gives us all this in the expostulations of wisdome with wicked men Prov. 1.20 21 22. Wisdome cryeth c. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge That which a man hateth he hath no will no minde to know An impotency or inability unto God argues a very sad condition but a rebellion a frowardness a wilfulness against it demonstrates a condition much more sad not to know because we have no means of knowledge will make us miserable enough but not to know because unwilling to receive or because wilfully set against the means of knowledge renders any mans condition most miserable Such were these in the Text They would not consider any of his wayes Secondly Elihu saith not they did not know any of his wayes or they knew not which way to go but they would not consider them There is no man but knowes some yea many of the ways of God that is of those wayes wherein God would have him to walk these wayes of God are written in the heart by nature there is an impression of the Will of God upon every soul though not such an impression or writing as grace maketh there that 's another kinde or manner of work for when once through grace the Law of God is written in and impressed upon the heart then the heart is suited to the Law yea the heart is not only conformed unto but transformed into the Law of God whereas by nature the Law is written only so far as to give us the knowledge of the Law and a conviction of that duty or conformity which we owe to it The men here intended by Elihu knew the Law or wayes of God by the light of a natural conscience but not by the light of a renewed conscience and therefore they would not consider any of his wayes
chastisement also is not expresly in the original there it is only I have borne but because bearing must needs import that somewhat is borne as a burthen and seeing according unto the subject matter that Elihu is upon with Job it must referre to some affliction or chastisement laid upon him therefore we fitly supply this word chastisement It is to be sayd unto God I have borne what it cannot be meant of any outward corporall burthen or visible loade layd upon his back but I have borne chastisement affliction or correction It is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement that is I both have and will beare whatsoever thou hast or shalt be pleased to lay upon me I will not dispute thy burthens but take them up So then this first part of the verse is a direction ministred to Job shewing him how to behave himselfe in the bearing of affliction He must not strive or struggle with them nor with God about them but sustaine them And this direction is not peculiar to Job's person or to his case alone but it belongs to all that are in affliction let their case be what it will all such ought to beare quietly or patiently to abide under the burthen which God layeth upon them I shall not stay upon the opening of the speciall signification of that word chastisement because it is not in the Hebrew text only thus chastisements are usually taken for those afflictions or afflicting providences which God layeth upon his owne children he layeth judgements upon the wicked and punishments upon the ungodly but properly and strictly that which falls upon his owne people is called chastisement For though in Scripture there are dispensations of God towards his owne people spoken of under the notion of judgement yet they have not a proper sense of judgement as proceeding from wrath and intended for revenge Wrath is the spring from whence judgements flow and as to their issue they tend to the satisfaction of Justice This God doth not expect at the hands of his owne children and therefore their afflictions are most properly called chastisements Surely it is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement Hence note It is our duty when the hand of God is upon us or when we are under chastisements to speake humbly meekly and submissively to God We ought alwayes to be humble and carry it humbly towards God but then especially when God by any afflicting providence is humbling us The Prophet Hos 14.2 calling that people to returne unto the Lord adviseth thus Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips As Elihu here makes a kinde of directory what a person in affliction should say unto God It is meete to say unto God that is for a man in thy case to say thus unto God so that Prophet by the Spirit saith Take unto you words and turne to the Lord and say or speake thus unto him though not strictly syllabically in so many words yet to this sence and purpose or according to this tenour speak thus Take away iniquity and receive us graciously And when the Prophet saith Take unto you words his meaning is not that they should affectedly study a forme of words for God much lesse that they should artificially counterfeit words which their hearts had not conceived or were not correspondent to their hearts many speake words even to God which never come neare but are meere strangers to the intents of their hearts but sincere words humble words words of supplication not expostulating words not quarrelling words not murmuring words not meere complaining words but take to you words of confession and submission and so present your selves and your condition before the Lord. The Preacher Eccles 12.10 sought to finde out acceptable words and so should we when we speake unto men Preachers of the word should seeke to finde out acceptable words not fine words not swelling words of vanity not slattering soothing words but acceptable words that is such as may finde easie passage into the heart or such words as may make their passage into the heart through the power of the Spirit of God Now if the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words when he spake to the people much more should we when we speak to God O how should we labour then to finde out acceptable words All words are not fit to be spoken unto God the words that are in such cases as the text speakes of may be reduced to these two heads First They must be God justifying words that is words by which we acquit the Justice of God how sore and how heavy soever his hand is upon us When Daniel Chap 9.7 14. was laying before the Lord the calamitous state of that people they were under as sore judgements as ever nation was For under the whole heavens saith he there hath not been done as God hath done unto Jerusalem yet all the words he spake unto God tended unto the justification of God O Lord said he righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem c. We have not had one stroake more then we have deserved there hath not been a grain of weight more in our burthen then we have brought upon our selves there hath not been a drop in our cup more then we have given just cause for Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice these are words fit to be spoken unto God Secondly We are to take to our selves self-condemning self-abasing self-emptying words Such we finde in that chapter v. 5 6 7. To us belong shame and confusion of face c. these are the words we should take to our selves and thus it is meet to be said unto God whensoever his chastisements are upon us Secondly Observe It is our duty to acknowledge it to God that he hath chastened us when he hath We must own his hand in afflicting us as much as in prospering us in casting us down as much as in lifting us up in wounding us as much as in healing us It is meet to be said unto God we have born chastisement thy hand hath been upon us The neglect of or rather obstinacy against this is charged as a great sin Isa 26.17 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see that is they will not acknowledge thy most eminent appearances in anger against them 'T is so with many at this day though there be a hand of God as it were visibly afflicting their bodies and estates their children and families yet they will not see that it is a hand of God but say as the Philistines it is a chance or it is our ill fortune