sight nor sound of the curse for a long time As light is sowne for the righteous Psal 97.11 that is They shall have a crop of good things though it lye as seed doth a great while under the clods and as dead in the furrowes So darkenes is sowne for the wicked they perceive it not yet but they shall be wrapt up in it for ever yea while they perceive it not they are in it and they are by so much the more in it by how much the lesse they perceive it For this is ever true The portion of the wicked is Cursed in the Earth though they seeme compassed about with blessings I will Curse your blessings saith the Lord Mala. 2.2 yea I have cursed them already The wicked may be rich and yet cursed honourable and yet cursed successefull in busienes and yet cursed blessed and yet cursed God doth curse their blessings That which is a blessing in the kinde and matter of it is to some a curse in the use and issue of it So then as godlynes is profitable for all things and hath the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlynes is compassed about and cloathed with promises of all sorts and seasons So ungodlynes is unprofitable for all things makes him that is so miserable in all things For it hath the curse of this life and of that which is to come if the promise doe not meet a godly man in this life or in the things of this life yet it will in the life to come and in the things of the life to come yea in all things so farre as concernes the life to come the blessing alwayes meetes him And if the curse doe not meet a wicked man in this life yet it will in the life to come and in the things of the life to come yea in all things so farre as concernes the life to come The curse alwayes meetes him Then see the folly of those who feare the Curse and are not afraid of sin as if a man should feare drowning and yet cast himselfe into the water or feare burning and yet throw himselfe into the fire thus doe they who love sin and feare the curse If the beauty of holynes doth not take upon the heart yet the curse that attends sin may deterre from medling with it And did men know the terror of the Lord as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 5.11 they would easily be perswaded to take heed of sin even of every sin for though usually great sins bring the curse yet the least sins may They who know what the curse of the Lord is cannot but know what the terror of the Lord is that is that the Lord is to sinners very terrible For the curse of the Lord abiding upon a sinner makes him every way and alwayes miserable There needs no more to be said to prove a man miserable then this that his portion is cursed or that he is under the curse For as the blessing of God makes us happy with any portion that 's enough the blessing being it selfe the best and most aboundant portion Every good thing is vertually in the blessing so the Curse is vertually every evill thing therefore that must needs make a man miserable When the Lord blesseth it is not an empty word but a power goes with it to make a man blessed And when the Lord curseth it is not an empty word but a power goes with it to make a mans portion cursed in the earth Job having layd downe this position gives a proofe of it in the last words of the verse Hee beholdeth not the way of the vineyards Some reade these as the former words Cohaerebit cum superioribus si haec sit quasi praecedentis expositio imprecationis Nullam habeat impius partem in agris locisque frugiferis ex quibus ullum fructum percipere possit Pined by way of imprecation Let his portion be cursed in the earth and let him not behold the way of the vineyards We translate assertively He beholdeth not c. But what is meant here by not beholding is it onely this he commeth not within the view or sight of them I conceave there is more in it then so and that when Job sayth he beholdeth not his meaning is he enjoyeth vineyards no more or he dwelleth no more in a fruitfull and pleasant land such as that land is which aboundeth in vineyards and so consequently with wine but he shall live miserably in a barren soyle So that we may now interrogate wicked men whether murtherers Adulterers or theeves as Paul doth every sinner Rom. 6.21 What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are or ought to be ashamed have ye any fruit of the vine surely no For such behold not the way of the vineyards To behold is to enjoy the pleasantnes to tast the sweetnes of the fruit of the vineyards Wine which is the fruit of the vineyard is pleasant and delightfull it makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 And vineyards are here named to signifie all sorts of outward good things they being the Chiefe of outward good things For as sometimes bread signifieth all outward good things because that strengthens mans heart so Wine because that cheareth and comforteth the heart of man So that when Job saith He shall not behold the way of the vineyards It is as if he had sayd He shall not tast of or enjoy any good thing For Againe Those words he heholdeth not c. are not to be understood as if he did voluntarily refuse to behold or cared not to behold the way of the vineyards but as implying a force or constraint upon him by which he was kept or hindred from looking that way Whence take this briefe note The losse of good is a great misery as well as the enduring of evill It hath been questioned which is greater the punishment of losse or the punishment of paine but without all question losse is a very great punishment not to behold the way of the vineyards not to returne to house and land to wife and children is a sore affliction What will it then be never to behold the face of God but to be under a sentence of eternal banishment from his presence His portion is cursed in the earth here in this world who beholdeth not the way of the vineyards how then is his portion cursed in the next world who shall never behold the path or way of life There are yet several other readings and expositions of these words Abstinebit a via regia et frequētia hominum ne cognoscatur Vatabl ita festinat fugere ut ne proprias quidem vineas olim tam gratas aspiciat Isidor First As if the meaning were to shew the wicked mans feare of being seene because of his guilt and that therefore he would not behold or come neere the way of the vineyards that is those places which many people
the Lord hath blessed that is as the smel of a fruitfull feild So it may be sayd that the earth or land where a man lives Describit quomodo sese gereresoleant ut suae maleficia coÌ„modius tegant eligunt sibi sedâ—s in vastis locis unde dicit nec se convertit ad vias vinearum quia vineae in locis cultis sitae sunt non procul ab urbibus Merc and his portion in it is cursed while he lives in a barren desolate land which looks as if it were under the perpetuall curse of God And according to this interpretation the later part of the verse and he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards may be thus understood He comes not into any fruitfull fields Vineyards are planted in a fruitfull soyle and fruitfull vines are full of the blessing of God Thus as the portion of the wicked in the earth is alwayes cursed by a decree from God so it may be sayd that their portion is sometimes cursed by their owne Election because for the better secreting and hiding of themselves from the eye of Justice they spend their dayes in such places as by reason of their wastnes and barrennes seeme to confesse themselves under a curse Their portion is cursed in the earth Hence note First Sin brings a Curse with it When Jâ—b had described the wickednesse of these men their murthers their adulteries and their thefts he concludes Their portion is Cursed Sin calleth for a Curse from men and it calleth for a Curse from God Solomon saith Pro. 12.26 He that withholdeth Corne that is who hoards it up and will not sel it at a reasonable rate resolving to make a dearth when God hath made none he who thus withholdeth Corne the people will curse him Now if the people curse him that will not let them have corne for money then much more him that stealeth or taketh away their corne without money He that destroyeth other mens goods gets a Curse in stead of good Eliphaz saith Chap. 5.3 I have seene the foolish taking roote but suddenly I Cursed his habitation that is I saw his habitation was Cursed or under a curse I knew what would become of him shortly In some Cases it may be lawfull for man to wish a Curse upon man and the Curse of man may be the Curse of God too and usually it is so when any man is generally cursed by men Vox populi vox dei The voyce of the people is the voyce of God When a man is followed with a Curse from the most of men good and bad it is an argument that there is a Curse gone out from God against him and that his portion is Cursed in the earth Sin is the deserving or procuring Cause and the wrath of God is the inflicting or productive Cause of the Curse Balaak hired Balaam to Curse the people of God but the Curse could not take the traine was laid but he could not make the powder take fire the Curse came not why the reason is given yea Balaam himselfe gives it Numb 23.21 He that is God hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversnes in Israel If there had been iniquity that is any national iniquity or publicke iniquity persisted in and not repented of among them that had brought the Curse inevitably but though Balaam laboured to Curse them though he went from hill to hill and tryed all meanes to get an opportunity to Curse them yet he could not for saith he God hath blessed them and I cannot reverse it There is no Iniquity in Jacob nor perversnes in Israel therefore their portion was blessed in the Earth Sin in whomsoever it is hath a Curse in the belly or bowels of it Even Christ himselfe taking our sin upon him was necessitated to take the Curse upon him which was due to our sin Christ taking our sin upon him was as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 made sin for us that is an offering or a sacrifice for our sin yea as the same Apostle saith Gal. 3.13 He was therefore made a Curse for us And if Christ who having no sin in him did onely take our sin upon him could not avoyd the curse how shall they avoyd it who having no part in Christ have all manner of sin in them But it may be objected All men sin and yet many have no appearance of a Curse upon them nor is their portion Cursed in the earth I answer First This assertion is to be limited to unbeleevers or ungodly men Secondly unbeleevers and ungodly men are under a Curse though the Curse doe not breake out and appeare visibly upon them As the portion of a godly man may be blessed though there be no appearance of the blessing when nothing appeares upon him but affliction and the Cross yet the Godly man is blessed The Cross of a Godly man is like the prosperity of a wicked man The former hath an outward Cross but a Blessing at the bottome the latter hath outward prosperity but a curse at the bottome and bitternes in the end Againe the peace of the prophane is like the grace of hypocrites onely a shew hypocrites have a shew of grace an appearance of holynes yet they are but painted Sepulchres full of rottennes within So the wicked have a shew of peace and prosperity of benefits and blessings but a curse is within them and a curse hangs over them ready every moment to drop downe upon their heads For Secondly His portion is cursed that is 't is under a curse though the curse be not actually inflicted As the mercies of God are sure to his people yet many times very slow they come not presently but they will come So also the wrath and curse of God will surely come upon the wicked though as to outward effects impressions they are slow and long in comming Actings of mercy are for an appointed time Every vision is for an appointed time as the Lord told his Prophet Hab. 2.3 The vision of Judgement and wrath is for an appointed time as well as the vision of love and mercy That is all the love and all the wrath the blessing and the curse which are revealed in any way of vision are for an appointed time but at the end the vision will speake and not lye if it tarry waite for it for it will surely come and not tarry As it is I say in the visions of mercy and blessing so in those of wrath and of the curse They are for an appointed time in the end they will speake Sometimes the Curse is quick it apprehendeth the sinner in the very act it takes him in the manner as Phineas did Zimri and Cozbi And as Psal 78.30 While their meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them The sound of the Curse is sometimes at the heeles of sin at other times the sound of the Curse is a great way behind the sin no
and as a hater of wickednesse He reproves man because he hath sinned against him not because he is afraid of him as Eliphaz shews in the words which follow JOB CHAP. 22. 5 6 7 8 9. Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquity infinite For thou hast taken a pledge of thy Brother for nought and stripped the naked of their clothing Thou hast not given water to the weary to drinke and thou hast with holden bread from the hungry But as for the mighty man he had the earth and the honourable man dwelt in it Thou hast sent widdows away empty and the arms of the fatherlesse have been broken IN this Context Eliphaz intends to shew the true reason why God reproved Job and entred into judgment with him it was not as was sayd at the 4th Verse either because God was afraid of him or because he feared God but it was for his wickednesse as Eliphaz though mistaken concluded against him as if he had said God doth not punish thee because he is afraid of thee but because he loveth justice and hateth iniquity Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquity infinite That 's the scope of these words which we may fitly call Job's Indictment and this Indictment is laid down first in general words vers 5. Is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquity infinite And here Job is not charged with wickednesse and iniquity barely but under a two-fold aggravation 1. Great 2. Infinite Secondly We have his Indictment drawn on t into particular Charges or a spefication of some notorious sins given against him in the Verses following This particular Charge consists of two heads First Sinnes against man Secondly Sinnes against God His supposed sinnes against man contained in the words now read are of two sorts First Sinnes of commission or of the evill which he had done Secondly Sinnes of omission or of the good that he had not done The evill which he chargeth him to have done is twofold first an act of injustice taking a pledge in the sixt verse secondly an act of uncharitablenesse stripping the naked in the same verse Both which evills or miscarriages towards the honest poore are aggravated ver 8th by his undue connivence at the wicked rich as he was too severe against the poore so he was over-favourable towards the great and mighty But as for the mighty man he had the earth and the honourable man be dwelt in it as if he had said Thou didst never set thy selfe to doe justice upon the great ones be they and doe they what they will they have the earth thou didst never put forth or exercise thy power to suppresse and oppose their insolencies thy edge was turned only against inferior ones Thou tookest a pledge from the poore and hast stripped the naked of their cloathing His sinnes of omission are expressed in the 7th verse Thou hast not given water to the weary thou hast withholden bread from the hungry and in the 9th verse Thou hast sent widdows away empty and the armes of the fatherlesse have been broken Which may be either taken thus Thou hast broken their armes or thou hast not given thy helpe and assistance to restore and releive them when broken Thus we have a light into the meaning of these five verses as they are a charge of sinne upon Job Vers 5. Is not thy wickednesse great The question may be taken two wayes either conjecturally and doubtingly or assertively and affirmingly Usually in Scripture such questions are resolved into assertions and so divers Interpreters resolve this here Is not thy wickednesse great That is I conclude against thee that thy wickednesse is great and that thy iniquities are infinite so Mr Broughton renders Doubtlesse thy evill is great Others conceive it more cleare to the minde of the Text that this question should be interpreted conjecturally Non tam haec ei ex professo obijcit quam cogitandum ei relinquit num haec fecerit Merc. Is not thy wickednesse great That is may we not suppose that thy wickednesse is great may we not from at least probable grounds thinke thus of thee And that First from the generall state of man by nature mans heart being sinfull he may sinne and sinne as it were without bounds greatly There is no man sayth Solomon 1 Kings 8. 46. that liveth and sinneth not Solomon puts it as a parenthesis in his prayer but it is such a parenthesis as hoocks in all man kinde it takes all in Who is there that sinneth not so Pro. 20.9 Who can say I am cleane from my sinne Now upon this generall ground Eliphaz might suppose Is not thy wickednesse great All men have this in their nature and hast not thou made improvement of it in thy life All men being sinfull by nature art not thou extreamely sinfull in practise Againe He might make the supposition upon this ground his present condition or his affliction thou art greatly afflicted thy afflictions are not of an ordinary sise or measure therefore is not thy wickednesse great and thine iniquity beyond the ordinary measure Upon this common rule he might suppose his sin very great for usually God doth proportion and measure out punishments by our sinnes Thy sufferings are very great therefore are not thy sinnes great too Thus he might speake conjecturally upon both these considerations And yet if we consider how positively he speaks of particulars at the 6th and 7th verses c Thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their cloathing c. He gives us but too much ground to thinke that he did more then barely conjecture while he sayd Is not thy wickednesse great The word which we render wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malum tuū vox Hebraea pertinet ad improbitatē quandam impudentiam contra jus aequum omnia conculcantem is by some specially expounded of that wickednesse which hath a kinde of impudence in it and which doth not onely breake transgresse or step over the Law but spurns against it every man that sinneth steppeth over the Law over the line but there are some that kicke at it some who trample upon it yea they would destroy it so some highten the emphasis of the word Againe the word is rendred by others as signifying the evill of punishment in this part of the verse and not the evill of sinne Is not thy affliction great therefore thy iniquity is infinite Malitia in sacris interdū est afflictio aerumna vexatio pro malo paenae non culpae accipit Rab Lev The Greeke word Matth. 6.34 answers this Sufficient to the day is the evill thereof that is the trouble and the sorrow of it Amos 3.6 Is there any evill in the Citie which the Lord hath not done So here Is not thy evill great thy evill of punishment therefore thy iniquity is infinite But I rather fix it upon the former though the word sometimes
as to have none about them or with them but the meaning is they would have none in power but themselves none in possession but themselves they are unwilling that any should have an estate but themselves they would have all others to be their underlings and tenants their servants and villaines to till their ground and gather in their revenewes they onely would be Freeholders all others must hold by their Copy and doe them homage If the greatest man in the world were turned alone into the world he would have but an ill being of it therefore the meaning of the Prophet is that they would be placed alone in the midst of the Earth to command and rule all others must serve them And they whose pride ambition or covetousnesse provokes them to dwell thus alone in the earth shall finde nothing beyond this earth but fire to dwell in Secondly Observe this That for a Magistrate to favour men because of their greatnesse and power is an utter departure from his duty The poore man should have the Earth that belongs to him as well as the rich The meane mans right to his little is as good as the mighty mans to his great deale Justice gives every man his owne without respect to the Owner Thirdly Consider the words as a charge brought against Job hee being a man in Authority and in place Then Note He that lets wicked men oppresse or wrong others when he is invested and entrusted with power to hinder them betrayeth his trust and looseth the ends of his investiture The Lord chargeth Eli 1 Sam. 3.13 because of the great Iniquitie which his Sonnes committed but it might be said What was their sin to him Yes it lay in his power to hinder them for Eli was the chiefe Magistrate in Israel and therefore the Lord concluded I will judge his house for ever for the Iniquity which he knoweth because his Sonnes made themselves vile and he restrained them not But did not Eli restraine them there is a restraining First By way of Councell and advice and in this sense Eli did restraine them Chap. 2.23 24. Hee said unto them why doe yee such things for I heare of your evill dealings with all the people nay my Sonnes for it is no good report that I heare yee make the Lords people to transgresse Thus he put a morall stopp in their way shewing the hainousnesse of their sinne and dehorting them from it but Eli being a man in Power and Authoritie might have gone another way to worke with them hee might have punished them for their sinne And because hee did not here was Elies sinne and this is suggested as Jobs sinne Hee was a man in Power yet he winked at those violent ones and let them carry all in the Earth when as hee might have mended the matter by checking their insolencies doing the poor right This is charged on Thiatira in reference to the neglect of using their Church-power Revel 2.20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabell that Cals her selfe a Prophetess to teach and to seduce my Servants to commit fornication c. That Angel sufferd her how did he suffer her hee did not use that Power that Christ had Committed to the Church to admonish to reprove to cast out he did not stopp that seducing Prophetesse by a due Exercise of Spirituall Power but sufferd her to seduce uncontrol'd The more Power wee have to prevent or remove eyther Spirituall or civill Evills the greater is our sinne when it is not done if Eliphaz had not supposed Job a Magistrate hee could not have layd this burden upon him or have represented him in fault because the mighty man had the Earth and the honourable man dwelt in it oppressing the weake and vexing those of low degree Eliphaz goes yet one step further in the prosecution of this charge and Arraignes him for another Crime and that a very great one The mighty man had the Earth the honourable man dwells in it But Vers 9. The widdow thou hast sent empty away and the armes of the fatherless have been broken As if he had said Thou didst fill the full with good things but the hungry thou hast sent empty away The honourable have been provided for but they who were destitute of all friends found no friendship at thy hands unlesse the breaking of their owne armes Thou hast sent widows away empty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum dimittendi violentiam quandam affert ut sit idem quod eijcere extrudere expellere There is somewhat considerable in the nature of the word which wee render sent for it implyes a putting away with a kinde of violence thou hast cast them out or bid them be packing thou hast put them off with rigour and distast As if he had sayd Thou hast not onely let them goe from thy house unreleeved but thou hast reviled them and thrust them away because they asked releife So we may expound it by that Gen. 3.23 24. And the Lord God sent him that is Adam forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken What this sending forth was is expressed in the next verse So hee drove out the man Such a sending away is here intended thou hast sent widows away as we speake with a witness thou hast chide or rated them out of thy presence As it is said of Gallio Acts 18.16 17. That he cared for none of those things and hee drave them from the Judgement-seate Thus thou hast sent widdows away Complutenses Further In the Chaldee Language the word signifies to stripe or to pluck off the very skinne This is yet more tyrannical Thou hast sent them away spoyled and stript or as it followeth in the Text empty Thou hast sent widowes away c. It was not the mighty man nor the great ones of the earth that he is charged to deale thus unkindly or rather cruelly with but the widow that hightens the sinfullnes of his tyranny This very word by which a widow is expressed in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est colligare ergo ligata dicitur per contrarium intellectum quia jam soluta viro Significat etiaÌ„ habere linguam colligatam i. e. â—bmutescere aut mutuÌ„ esse quòd mortuo viro non valeat loqui litigare quamvis contra aequuÌ„ jus rapinam bonorum suorum patiatur Rab Mord. as well as her condition calls for helpe and pitty It comes from a roote that signifies either to binde or to be silent taking it in the first signification to binde the widdow may be so called for two reasons First because the widow is as it were bound about with afflictions and sorrowes shee hath many troubles about her as so many bonds from which shee cannot free her selfe without running into many other troubles Secondly The widow is so called by
by the Holy Ghost was minded to put her away secretly and would not make her a publique example He was unwilling to bring her to justice or that others should see eyther her supposed sin or punishment But as God doth worke many glorious salvations for his people that the wicked may see it and be ashamed so he brings many visible destructions upon the wicked not onely that the righteous may see it and rejoyce or be glad which act follows next to be opened but that the wicked may see it and tremble to doe wickedly Hence observe First That the Lord sets up wicked men many times as examples of his wrathfull justice Not onely doe they feele wrath upon themselves but others see it The Lord sometimes chastens his owne people in the view of the world and sets them up as examples of his fatherly displeasure Thus Nathan speakes in the name of the Lord to David 2 Sam 12.12 Thou didst it secretly but I will doe this thing what thing I will afflict and chasten thee for this great offence before all Israel and before the Sâ—nne that is in plaine and cleare light Though thou hast done this evill in the darknes ot many close contrivances yet I will draw the curtaine and make the poenall effects of thy sinne as conspicuous as the actings of thy sin have been close and covert Againe Numb 25.4 when the people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab and Israel had joynâ—d himselfe unto Baal peor so that the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel Then the Lord said to Moses take all the heads of the people that is the capital offenders or chiefe rulers who gave way or at best gave no stop to such wickednes and hang them up before the Lord against the Sunne that the feirce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel To hang them up before the Sunne is a phrase of speech importing the publicknes of their punishment as it is sayd of the seven Sons of Saul that they were hanged on the hill before the Lord 2 Sam. 21.9 for caution unto all whatsoever is done in the fight of all or so that all may see is sayd in the Language of the Jewes to be done before the Sunne To which sence also we may interpret that vision of the Prophet Zechariah Chap. 5 6. 9 10 11. at the 6th verse we reade of an Ephah and this lift up ver 9th between earth and heaven the Ephah was a measure of dry things among the Jewes and in that vision it signified that the sinne and punishment of the Jewes were measured and proportioned This Ephah being lifted up and carried I sayth the Prophet said whether doe these beare the Ephah ver 10. And he said unto me to build it an house in the land of Shinar and it shall be established and set there upon her owne base The building it a house in the land of Shinar that is in Babylon signified the lastingnes or continuance of their sinne in the sad consequents of it their punishment and banishment in strange lands not for the space of seventy yeares onely as by the Babylonians but as some of the Learned expound the vision for many seventyes by the Romanes and as this Ephah had a house built for it noting the setlednes and durâ—tion of the Judgement which should come upon them for their sinne so also it was set upon its own base to signifie the notoriousnes or conspicuousnes of the Judgement it being as a house set upon pillars for all to behold and take notice of as we see fullfilled to this day since the first overthrow of their estate by Titus Vespatianus and their final dispersion by Aelius Adrianus There are I grant other conceptions about that vision but as this suits wel with the poynt in hand so with the calamitous state of that people to this day And thus the Lord threatned the King of Tyrus Ezek. 28.17 Whose heart was lifted up because of his beauty and who had corrupted his wisdome by reason of his brightnesse Now what will the Lord doe what course will he take with him The next words enforme us I will cast thee to the ground and I will lay thee before Kings that they may behold thee He doth not say I will cast thee into the ground but to the ground and lay thee before Kings that is thou shalt he a spectacle for all the Kings of the Earth that they may behold as what thy pride and selfe-confidence have brought thee to so what their owne if they tread thy path eyther will or justly may bring them unto Thus also in the 7th verse of Jude Epistle the Apostle sayth that Sodome and Gomorrha and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire The Judgements of God are not onely punishments to them who went before but premonotions to them who come after The righteous see it and are glad Here is the effect which that sight wrought upon the righteous The eye affects the heart and the heart is affected sutably to the object eyther with joy or with sorrow The destruction of men is a sorrowfull object and therefore we might rather expect that the righteous beholding it should be affected with sorrow but the Text affirmes a direct contrary effect of this fight The righteous see it and are glad Hence observe The judgements of God upon the wicked are matter of joy to the righteous It is the duty of the Saints to mourne with them that mourne and to rejoyce with them that rejoyce Rom. 12.15 But then we must understand these mourners and rejoycers to be such as themselves are Saints must mourne with mourning Saints and rejoyce with rejoycing Saint The godly are not bound eyther to joy the joyes or sorrow the sorrowes of the wicked The judgements of God upon the wicked have a twofold effect eminently noted in Scripture First they cause feare and secondly they cause joy When exemplary justice was to be done according to the law of Moses upon presumptuous transgressours it is sayd Deut. 13.11 All Israel shall heare and feare and shall doe no more any such wickednes David Psal 64. having complained to God in prayer of the cruelty of his enemies and begged protection from their malicious practises growes up to much assurance that downe they must v. 7 8. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded and then ver 9. All men shall feare and shall declare the worke of God for they shall wisely consider of his doings Thus feare is the issue of divine judgement And yet joy is the issue of them at the 10th verse of the same Psalme The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Feare is a common effect All men shall
come to such so to stay and abide with them As good comes so good continues according to the command and commission which it hath from God Thus he promised in the Prophet Isa 48.18 in case his people had harkned to his commandements Then had thy peace been as a River and thy prosperity as the waves of the Sea Thy peace and prosperity had not been as a Land flood or Brooks of water which faile in summer when we have most need of them all worldly things are apt to doe so but they should have flowed perpetually as a river doth which is fed by a constant Spring or as the Sea doth which is the feeder of all Springs A godly man gets not onely a large portion of good things but a lasting portion yea a portion of those good things which are everlasting by acquainting himselfe with God And because by acquaintance with God so much good comes to us Therefore Eliphaz presseth Job further to it in the next verse Vers 22. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart Receive that is learne from his mouth he that teaches gives Dat Magister quando docet capit discipulus quando discit Drus and he that learnes receives and the Hebrew word which we render here to Receive signifies not ordinary receiving but receiving with an earnest desire yea it implyeth a kinde of violence in desire such as they have who take spoyles in warre They fly upon the spoyle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum hoc ad praedam quae cum violentia tollitur referri potest and catch it with as much eargernes as they wonne it with courage So Receive the Law from his mouth David saith I have rejoyced in thy word more then they that finde great spoyles Psal 119.162 O how strongly did his heart run out to the word And there is an Elegancy also in it that this word which signifies to receive the Law Ex hac radice dicitur doctrina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quase accepta vel accipienda quia sc lex debet accipi grato lubenti animo doth also signifie the Law or doctrine to be received Prov. 4.2 I give you good doctrine forsake you not my Law The word which is there used for doctrine is the same that â—s here rendred to receive the reason is because wholsome doctrine â—s worthy to be received and ought to be received willingly chearfully and gladly and therefore the Gospel which is the highest and most precious doctrine is called an Acceptable doctrine This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all Acceptation 1 Tim. 1.11 The Gospel is worthy not onely of Acceptation or of great but of all Acceptation and that from all men even from the Greatest And so also is the Law for as shall be opened further afterwards the Law in this place comprehends the Gospel also Receive the Law at his mouth Further The word which we expresse Receive is rendred by some to buy we may connect both sences here Receive the Law as a thing bought and carry it home with thee That of Solomon Prov. 23.23 suites it well Buy the truth and sell it not Truth is a Commodity the trade whereof goes but one way all Civill Trades and Merchandizes are continued by buying and selling but this spirituall trade is continued by buying onely without selling it will be our profit to have this Commodity alwayes upon our hands or rather alwayes in our hands Thus here Receive the Law at a price buy it and keepe it not that the Lord doth expect any price from us or that vve can bring any thing to him valuable for it We buy it when vve take paines for it vvhen vve doe our utmost endeavour to receive the truth vvhen vve receive the truth not onely as it is offered and brought home to us but vvhen we goe out for it and seeke after it in all the meanes vvhich God hath appoynted as conveyances of it that 's buying the Law of truth Receive the Law Againe We may profitably consider a double derivation of that word vvhich vve trenslate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explorare aut circumquaque lustrare quia lex universa est diligentèr observanda ne qâ—is in uno offendat Law Some say it is from a roote that signifies to behold or Contemplate to Consider to looke about and the Lavv is vvell exprest by a word of that sence because the vvhole Law is diligently to be observed and considered looked into and meditated upon vvee are alwayes to behold it and that in every part For the vvhole Lavv is copulative and he that offends in one part offends in all David speaking of the righteous man Psal 1.2 saith hee meditates in the law of the Lord day and night What 's meditation but the Inward view of a thing or the beholding it with an Intellectuall eye meditation is the continuall turning of things over in the minde to behold the excellencies and perfections that are in them A radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est pâ—uere irrigare quare commune fere idem est nomen pluviae Doctoris legislatoris Secondly Say others it proceeds from another radicall vvord that signifies to raine and that not onely some small drissling dewing raine but full showers or as we say to powre downe and in the Hebrew the same vvord signifies to raine and to teach because teaching by the vvord is like raining or the sending dovvne of raine The Apostle Heb. 6.7 alludes to it For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft upon it c. by the earth he meanes those vvho heare the vvord or doctrine vvhich comes dovvne upon them like raine to soften their hearts and make them fruitfull There are tvvo other Texts of Scripture very suitable to this Exposition Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into Corners any more but thine eye shall see thy teachers Thy teachers shall not be removed so wee render but strictly from the letter of the Hebrew we may read it thus 〈◊〉 elongabit â—â—viam Though the Lord give thee the bread of adversitie c. yet shall not thy raine be removed from thee It may seeme strange that they should have the bread of adversity and the vvater of Affliction and yet have also raine vvhich naturally causeth the earth to bring forth bread and fills the pooles vvith vvater But the Prophet vvho speakes of corporall bread and vvater in the former part of the verse speakes of spirituall raine in the latter making this so full a compensation to the people of God for the want of other tvvo that they should have no cause to complain of it As if the Prophet had said Though you are cut short in outward things yet you shall not
a cause to complaine Thanksgiving will be all our worke and the worke of all in heaven And by how much we are the more in thanksgiving and the lesse in complaining on earth unlesse it be of and against our selves for sinne the more heavenly we are When we are stricken we should complaine as little as we can and we should alwayes be able to say as Job here That our complaint is not greater then our stroake JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 3 4 5. Oh that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seate I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me JOb having shewed in the former verse how bitter and how sad his Condition was even farre beyond his owne Complaint and that his stroake was heavier then his groaning he now turnes himselfe from earth to heaven from the creature to the Creator from man to God Job had been among his friends a great while they had debated the matter long but all in vaine and without fruit to his soule he had yet received no Comfort What will he doe next see here his address to God Vers 3. O that I knew where I might finde him that I might come even to his seat O that I knew The Hebrew is who will give me to know c. The words are a forme of wishing ordinary among the Jewes Who will give or who will grant mee this or that O that I knew c. And it Intimates or Implyes two things First A vehement and strong desire after somewhat much desierable who will give mee this or where shall I have it Secondly It Implyes selfe-Inability or selfe-Insufficiency to attaine and reach the thing desiered As if Job had said I am not able of my selfe to finde him O that I knew where I might finde him O that I eyther had the light of this knowledge in my selfe or that some body would enforme and teach mee O that I had a friend to Chalke mee out the way to lead mee by the hand and bring mee neer to God Quis mihi tribuat ut cognos cam inveni am illum Vulg. The vulgar latine Reading fixeth both those acts upon God as the Object O that some one or other would give mee to know and finde him As if his wish and longing desire were first to know God secondly to finde him or in finding to know him Our translation determines this knowing in Job and finding upon God O That I knew where I might finde him Who it is that Job would finde is not exprest in the text by name nor is there any Anticedent in the verse before with which we can Connect this relative him Yet 't is beyond question or dispute that he meanes God O that I might finde him that is God But why did he not say O that I knew where to finde God but O that I knew where to finde him I answer He doth it because his heart being full of God he supposed that those to whom he spake had their hearts full of him too and so would easily understand whom he meant or that he could mean none but God Wee finde such kinde of abrupt speeches as I may call them in other Texts of Scripture still arising from fullnes and strength of affection in the speaker See how Solomon begins his Love-song his Song of Songs The Song of Songs which is Solomons that 's the title of it How doth it begin Let him kiss mee c. Here is a strange Exordium to a Song none having been spoken of before Let him kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth by whom the Church would be kissed shee expresseth not but her heart was so full of Christ so full of love to Christ her Bridegroom her husband that shee thinks it needlesse to mention him by name when shee speakes of him whose kisses shee desiered Her love had passed through the whole Creation through men and Angels through all things here below and fixt it selfe onely upon Christ her Lord and Love Therefore shee never stood speaking personally of him but onely relatively and leaves all to understand whom she intended Thus saith Job O that I knew where I might finde him when as he had not spoken of any distinct person before in this Chapter And wee have a like passage flowing from a like abundant love to Christ in the 20 â—h of John ver 15. where Mary comes to the Sepulchre Christ being risen and the Angel seing her weepe asked her the reason of it To whom shee replyed Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him having thus said shee turned her selfe backe and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus he saith unto her Woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou Shee supposing him to be the Gardiner said Sir if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou hast laid him Shee never names Christ but onely saith If thou have borne him hence c. because her heart was full of Christ shee thought his heart was full of him too and that hee understood her well enough whom she meant though shee sayd not whom shee meant Thus in the present text Job was to God at that time as Mary to Christ at a losse for him not knowing where to finde him God was as it were removed from him as Christ was risen from the Sepulchre Therefore he complainingly and affectionately enquires O that I knew where I might finde him My soule is a thirst for God my heart pants after him O that I knew where I might finde him The Hebrew word signifieth to finde Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat saepius obviam habere quemquam vel alâ—cui obvium fieri by going out to meet a man or as we say to light upon him As Ahab said to Elijah 1 King 21.20 Hast thou found or met mee O mine enemy and he answered I have found or met thee So the word is used 2 King 10.13 Jehu mett with the Brethren of Ahaziah King of Judah In the Margin wee say Jehu found the Brethren of Ahaziah that is he mett them upon the way for he went out to meet them Read also 1 Sam. 10.3 As if the sence were thus given O that I knew where I might finde him that is whither I might goe to meet him though I should not finde him by accident or as wee say stumble upon him I would goe out I would travell and take paines upon hopes to meet him Secondly That word signifies so to finde as to take hold and apprehend to take fast hold of a thing and then O that I might finde him is O that I might lay hold on him if I knew where I might have him I would lay fast hold on him and cleave close to him So the word is used Esay 10.10 As
And who can but feare to be under that power which hath no limits but a corrupt will But who would feare to be under the power of God acted by his will seing he willeth nothing but what is righteous just and good What can we expect but right from him who is righteousnesse what but good from him in a good cause who is goodnes it selfe how great or how unlimited soever his power is If some men might doe what they would what evill would they not doe There 's nothing stands between some men and the wronging of all men they have to doe with but the want eyther of power or of opportunity to doe it The Lord can doe what he will but he will doe nothing but what is good He is able to ruine all men but he will wrong no man no not the worst of men What his soule desireth even that he doth but it is impossible his soule should desire to any thing but what is right Lastly When it is sayd Whatsoever his soule desireth even that he doth or more close to the Originall He desireth He doth We learne That It is as easie with God to doe a thing as to desire to have it done All men would doe what their soules desire but most men desire that which they cannot doe yea though men have a desire to doe a thing and a power to doe it also yet it is not so soone done as desired there must be a preparation and the use of meanes before man can doe what he hath a power to doe so that though a man hath power proportionable to his desire yet he is not presently a partaker of his desire But God can make his power as speedy as his desire He can make the declaration of his will and the execution of it contiguous For though many things lie long in the will of God before they are done and what he willed from eternity is don in time and the time of doing it be yet a great way off yet he can doe any thing as soone as will it and whatsoever he willeth or desireth is to him as done already Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The creation there spoken of is providence for that is a continued creation The first creation was the production of all things out of nothing to that being which they had but there is another work of creation which is the continuing or renewing of things in their being and of this he sayth Thou sendest forth thy Spirit that is thy power they are created And thou renewest the face of the earth Thou makest a new world And thus God makes a new world every yeare sending forth his Spirit or quickning power in the raine and Sun to renew the face of the earth And as the Lord sends forth his power in providenciall mercies so in providenciall Judgements He looketh on the earth and it trembleth He toucheth the hils and they smoake ver 32. A man can soone give a cast with his eye so soone can God shake the earth that is eyther the whole masse of the earth or the inferior sort of men on the earth When he looketh or casts an angry eye upon the earth it trembleth He toucheth the hils that is the powers and principalities of the world and they smoake If he doe but touch them they smoake that is the dreadfull effects of the power and Jugement of God are visible upon them As soone as the Lord calls all creatures readily tender their service Psal 105.31 34. He spake and there came divers sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts ver 34. He spake and the Locusts came and caterpillers and that without number If the Lord speake the word it is done God spake the world into this beautie he did but say Let there be light and there was light And he can speake the world into trouble and confusion He doth but say Let there be darknes and there is darknes It was an high speech of Caesar who meeting with some opposition from that yong noble Roman Metellus sayd Let me alone lest I destroy thee And presently added It is easier for me to doe this then to speake it Such was his power that he could easier take away a mans life then give sentence of death against him This is most true concerning the great God of heaven and earth there is no more difficultie in his doing of a thing then in his desiring and willing it to be done The generall truth of this verse carryeth in it a twofold inference First Of terrour to the wicked God is in one minde the same opinion which he had of their wayes and persons heretofore the same he hath still The same curses and Judgements which he hath denounced against them formerly are in force still Is it not a terrible thing to incorrigible wicked men to remember that what the soule of God desireth he doth when his soule desireth nothing but vengeance and wrath for them Therefore tremble before the Lord ye wicked and be ye sore affraid at the remembrance of his unchangeablenes Secondly Of abundant comfort to the faithfull and righteous The mind of God is mercy to them and he is in this one minde towards them none can turne him His soule desireth to doe them good And whatsoever his soule desireth that he doth What can Saints desire more then that God should doe all that for them which he desireth and all that he will assuredly doe Therefore rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thankes at the remembrance of his unchangeablenes JOB CHAP. 23. Vers 14 15 16 17. For he performeth the thing that is appoynted for mee and many such things are with him Therefore I am troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth mee Because I was not cut off before the darknesse neither hath he covered the darknesse from my face IN the former verse Job exalteth God first in his unchangeablenes He is in one minde who can turne him Secondly in his Almightines What his soule desireth even that he doth In the 14th ver he speaks of God in reference to his personal experience and brings downe the generall proposition to his owne particular case As if he had sayd I indeed have found that what his soule desireth even that he doth mine owne sad experience proves and beares witnes to this truth my present state makes the Comment of this text for he performeth the thing that is appoynted for mee Vers 14. Hee performeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in primaria significatione denotat implere finire deinde in pace esse etiam solvere compensare Pined The word hath various translations but all are well summ'd up in this Hee performeth First It signifies to pay payment is performance therefore the same word is used both for performing and paying Secondly The word signifies to be at peace
the fatherlesse they take the widows Ox for a pledge They turne the needy out of the way the poore of the earth hide themselves together IN the first verse of this Chapter it was shewed that they who know God that is godly men doe not in this world see his dayes that is the dayes of his judgement and vengeance upon the wicked In the following part of this Chapter Job proceeds to describe wicked men in severall acts of wickednesse and how they carry it on and have many faire dayes in the world while they are doing fowle and filthy worke They doe as much mischiefe as they can and they enjoy as much outward prosperity as they can desire to have or tell what to doe with it when they have it so that they seeme equally to abound in the practice of evill and in the possession of Good See what havocke they make in the words of this context Vers 2. Some remove the Land-marks they violently take away flocks and feed thereof Some remove Of whom Job spake in particular or of what particular time he spake is uncertaine Some referre it to the dayes before the Floud for that was a time wherein the world was filled with violence and that was the speciall sinne of that age set forth Gen. 6.11 The earth also was corrupt before God That is men dwelling upon the earth were corrupt morally corrupt corrupt in their manners Thus the earth was corrupt before God and he shews wherein that corruption did consist and the earth was filled with violence But as the character which Job gives of these men may wel suite those times so what times have not produced such a sort of men And though some times have been more tainted with and notorious for those sinnes then others yet all times have been tainted with them and therefore we may take the words generally as applicable to any age of the world Some remove the Land-markes That is those marks which are set up for the distinction or division of Lands that every man may know his owne and not entrench upon his neighbours inheritance These land-marks or bounds they remove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retigit apprehendit vis verbi ea est ut ita res attingatur quò◠apprehendatur peâ—tinet ad vim potentioris manuÌ„ inijcientis The Hebrew is they touch so 't is translated some touch the land-marks land-marks were sacred things they ought not to be touched nor medled with The Lord speaks of his holy people Psal 105.15 Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme Another word is used in the Psalme but we may give the same emphasis here some touch the land-marks as if it were a fault so much as to handdle or meddle with them yet the word here used signifies both to touch and to take and so to take as violently to carry away Zech. 1.6 Did not my word take hold of your fathers that is did it not apprehend and seaze upon them yea remove them out of the land of the living Where the word of God toucheth it taketh away eyther to destruction or salvation And that word in the Prophet hath a double allusion either to the hunting of beasts or to fighting and contending with men the word followed your fathers it overtooke them it tooke them it laid hold on them as the hunter layeth hold upon his prey or as an enemy follows and over-takes a fleeing enemy did not my word take hold of your fathers yes it did and that to purpose The word is used Psal 40.12 Mine iniquities sayth David take hold of me so that I am not able to looke up they have dealt with me as with a fugitive that runneth away They have taken hold of me and they hold me fast my sinne hath apprehended me So that though this originall word signifies to touch yet it is so to touch as to offer violence to take away to remove as is expressed in those instances 1 Sam. 30.8 David inquired of the Lord saying shall I pursue after this troope shall I over-take them so 2 Sam. 15.14 David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem arise let us flee for we shall not escape from Absolom make speed to depart least he overtake us suddenly In which places as this word is used so the use of it is about violent and forcible actings so that this touching is taking or removing they remove or pull up the land-marks to set them in some other place for their owne advantage This was their first sin the removing of land-marks which was upon the matter to take away propriety and to put all men out of possession There can be no possession without distinction Mira fuit in antiquis tum in constituendis tum in servandis limitibus fides atque religio naturall riches consist in lands and cattle both beare their owners mark The care and industry of the ancients was exceeding great and accurate about their land-marks both in setting them up and in observing them that every man might have his owne wherefore to remove the land-marks was indeed to take away the land Hence note That God hath given unto man a proper speciall and personall right in his lands and goods If it were not so then first it were no sinne to remove land-marks or a vaine thing to set them up if there be no distinction of inheritances by propriety what needs there be any distinction by marks or limits to shew this is such a mans land and that anothers No man may set a speciall marke where he hath not a speciall right Secondly if there were no propriety there could not be such a sinne as stealing and theeving that which is every mans any man may take and be blamelesse Thirdly if there were not propriety there would be but little industry If mens lands and goods were not their owne who would be found to take care of them or paines about them Fourthly to make all things common were to run all into confusion There is nothing more unequall then this kinde of equality If all had a like right in the things of the world all would thinke to have a like power in the government of the world Propriety and Magistracy must stand and fall together But some may object that practice of the primitive Church Acts 2.44 who had all things common And if all things with them were in a community where was propriety I answer First This practice of theirs was purely voluntary not at all imposed as appeares plainely from the words of Peter to Ananias Acts 5.4 While it remained was it not thine owne or more close to the Greek Remaining did it not remaine to thee that is it was properly thine before thou soldest it and thou mightest have kept thy interest in it No man compelled thee to sell or give and if thou hadst not sold it thou mightest still have held communion with the Church for all that But
of the way to give them place or they made the poore to keepe out of their sight for feare of them lest as they had already spoyled them of their estates so they should also abuse their persons Illis grassantibus nullis ne tenuis quidem sortis viatoribus tuta est via adeo ut deflectere a via publica et latebras quaerere passim cogantur Bez and make them slaves Thus they turned the poore out of the way that is they durst not come in sight for feare this suites well with the last clause of the verse The poore of the earth hide themselves together The word needy in the former part of the verse as was toucht before signifies one full of desires here the word which we render poore notes one that is humble meeke lowly not onely one low in estate but lowly in minde not onely him that is poore in purse but poore in spirit so 't is translated Zeph. 2.3 Seeke ye the Lord ye meeke of the earth even these poore of the earth hide themselves together Invisibiles fecerunt Author Cat wicked proud men make the poore seeke corners the poore have often had experience of their cruelty and rough dealing and therefore run together into holes and corners to hide themselves as desireing rather the society of wild beasts then of such beastly men Further the word which we render together may be translated alike They hide themselves alike that is one poore godly man as well as another they all fare alike they deale no better with one then with another none have hope to escape the hands of these unmercifull tyrants Thus it was in the time of that great oppression which the Israelites were under by the Philistims The Israelites hid themselves When Jonathan and his Armour-bearer got up and discovered themselves to the Garrison of the Philistims the Philistims said Behold the Hebrewes come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves 1 Sam. 14.11 The Author to the Hebrewes gives us a description of the poore Saints thus hiding themselves together Heb. 11.37 They wandred about in sheepe-skins and goate-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth The poore and meeke of the earth hid themselves together Thus we have had a large enumeration of those violences which Job had observed among men and men prospering in them First violence upon lands secondly upon cattle thirdly upon persons the needy and the poore are forced to run together into corners While The sin of some encreaseth the affliction of others must needes encrease Hence note Sinners know no bounds They who at first wrong men in their lands will not sticke to wrong them in their cattle and within a while they make no bones to fall upon their persons Secondly Note Those evills which are done to men immediately in their persons are more sinfull then those that are done to them in their goods cattle and estate Job shews the worst of their doings last 'T is bad enough to touch the goods of a poore man but to trouble his person or causelessely to make him hide his head is farre worse Thirdly Note That the promotion and exaltation of wicked men is the oppression and vexation of poore men especially of all of poore godly men It is a sad time with poore men most of all with poore godly men when the wicked are exalted Solomon gives us this note in expresse termes Prov. 28.28 When the wicked rise that is when they rise in power and authority men hide themselves that is good men hide themselves poore men hide themselves when the wicked rise but most of all such poore men as are godly The reigne of wicked men is the ruine of the godly Which is more plaine by the opposition made in the last clause of the verse When the wicked rise men hide themselves but when they perish the righteous increase In which Proverb rising is opposed to perishing but men and righteous are the same When the wicked perish those righteous men who before hid themselves appeare and shew themselves againe Some poore men are turbulent proud untractable seditious men of unquiet spirits if such be dealt with by justice and made to hide themselves they have their desert But the poore who are also humble meeke and of a quiet spirit as the word here imports are the aime of the wicked Such David found in his low estate and against them he prayed Psal 35.19 20. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neyther let them winke with the eye that is let them not have occasion to contemne and despise me of which winking with the eye was a token that hate me without a cause For they speake not peace but they devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the land Lastly Note The poore goe by the worst and the weakest to the wall the needy are turned out of the way and the poore hide themselves And therefore saith God Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise and set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Oppression may quickly empoverish the rich but usually the poore fall under oppression they that are full sigh when they are made needy and empty when all is taken from them but usually the needy and empty are made to sigh for the oppression of the poore will I arise saith the Lord. Rich and great men can defend themselves from oppression but the poore have no shelter rich men will purchase their right but the poore who hath nothing to give seldome finds a friend to deliver him and get him his right The storme falls upon the poore and most upon Gods poore they are most subject or lie most open to the evills of this world of whom this present evill world is not worthy and for whom the good of the next world is prepared And therefore they should fly to shelter while they are here get under covert run into the name of God for safety and protection they who are most subject to oppression need most protection Some are so poore that they have nothing to loose and so needy that they need not feare oppression They have neyther bread to eate nor cloathes to put onne These are no baite for covetousnes But they also are to be reckoned among the poore who have no more then will save them from poverty and they are among the needy who have onely so much as serves to supply their owne needs These poore and needy ones are game for the oppressors these the Wolves and Lyons of the earth make their prey The oppression and wickednes of these hath ascended three steps in the context now opened They are first Land-invaders secondly Cattel-takers thirdly men-troublers Job carrieth on the description of their wickednes yet further in the following parts of this Chapter JOB CHAP.
24. Vers 5 6 7 8. Behold as wilde asses in the desert goe they forth to their worke rising betimes for a prey the wildernes yieldeth food for them and for their Children They reap every one his Corne in the field and they gather the vintage of the wicked They cause the naked to lodge without Cloathing that they have no Covering in the Cold. They are wet with the showers of the mountaines and embrace the rock for want of a shelter JOb proceeds to enumerate the wickednesses of those men whom yet God spared and bare with he had set downe many of their sinfull wayes before they removed the land-marks they violently tooke away flocks they spared not the asse of the fatherles nor the widdows oxe They turned the needy out of the way so that the poore of the earth were forced to hide themselves together See now the further progresse of their wickednes even to admiration for so much the word Behold with which Job leads on his discovery of their vexatious practices doth import Vers 5. Behold as wilde asses in the desert they goe forth to their worke There is a difference in opinion among Interpreters about the subject of this verse whom wee are to understand under this description As wilde asses in the desert going forth to their worke Some of Note conceave that the poore are the subject of these words Exegesis praeordentis dicti de intoleranda inproborum sevâ—tia in pauperes quorum opera contra legem abutuntur Jun or the persons here intended And then they hold forth the hardship and misery to which they were reduced by those mercilesse tyrants Behold as wilde asses in the desert they goe forth to their worke Oppressors did so vex them and strip them out of all that they who heretofore had enough to live upon were constrained to goe forth to day-labour and worke for their living at the command or under the cruel bondage of those inhumane Taske-Masters Yet I conceive that wee may more clearly expound these words as carrying a continued series of the practices of wicked men who are here compared to wilde asses and there is a word in the 5th verse which gives a speciall reason why this should not be understood of the poore or oppressed but of the oppressor where it is sayd they rise betimes for a prey now that word which we render a prey cometh from a root which signifies to teare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carpsit discarpsit dilaceravit dentibus prâ—prium ferarum est to rend to pull assunder after the manner of wilde beasts and is of the same sound as well as significatioÌ„ with our English word teare therefore it should rather be understood of oppressors then of the oppressed for a man that goes forth to labour and worke for his living cannot properly be said to rise betimes for a prey for he goes forth to get his bread honestly now a prey is that which is got by violence and the word is never applyed to men but in allusion to ravenous and devouring beasts Jacob comparing his son Judah to a Lyons whelpe Gen. 49.9 saith From the prey my Sonn thou art gone up So Moses Deut. 33.20 And of Gad he said Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad hee dwelleth as a Lyon and teareth the Arme with the Crowne of the head And David praying to be delivered out of the hand of his enemy gives this reason Psal 7.2 Lest he teare my soule like a Lyon while there is none to deliver So that the word noting properly the act of a ravenous beast who lives upon spoyle and prey It is very improper to apply it to the worke of a labouring man who lives and earnes his bread with the sweat of his brows Yet I finde that word signifying food in generall Mal 3.10 Bring yee all the tythes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house Which the interlineral renders that there may be a prey in mine house Vt sit praeda in domo mea Mont Vt sit quod rapitis c. Pâ—gna and another thus that there may be that which ye snatch in mine house Surely the Lord strikes at some misdemeanour while he expresseth the food of the Priests Levites by a word signifying that which is torne away by violence And I conceave it may either reflect upon the people who parted so hardly with the tythes which did belong to the Temple at that time that they were rather torne or pulled from them by a kinde of violence then freely payd or brought in according to the Law of God or it might reflect upon the extreme greedines of the Priests that did administer in the Temple as if they did look upon the tyths their portioÌ„ in them with as earnest desire as wild beasts hang over wait for a prey So that where this word is used to signifie food there is somewhat in the circumstance of the Text which leaves a touch of rapine and violence upon it And therefore it is not applicable to the earnings of honest labourers but to the cruel gettings of theeves and oppressors The mountaines of prey spoken of Psal 76.4 were eyther those places where conquering Armyes devided the spoyle after a victory obtained or where robbers preyed upon passengers And therefore I shall take the subject of this verse to be the oppressors of the poore not the poore oppressed Behold as wilde asses in the desert they goe forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The particle of likenes as is not in the Hebrew nor yet the word Asses expressely And therefore Mr Broughton reads strictly to the Original Behold the wilde in the wildernes goe forth to their worke The word signifies wilde at large but because wilde asses are extreamely wilde therefore the word is specially applyed to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ferus homo Thus the Angel sayd of Ishmael Gen. 16.12 And he will be a wilde man Behold as wilde asses in the desert The desert is the dwelling place of wilde asses Tame asses or asses brought to hand are about the house or in the enclosed pastures but wilde asses inhabit the desert The word that wee render desert comes from a roote that signifies to speake and the desert is so called by the figure of Contrary speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Locutus est per antiphrasin quasi locus a sermone remotus because there is little or no speaking in deserts many words are heard onely in Cities or places where many people frequent It signifies also to lay wast because deserts are wast and barren places in comparison of drest and Enclosed grounds such is the place whether these spoylers goe forth as wilde asses To their worke But wild asses worke not onely tame asses are labouring asses So that the similitude runs not upon that poynt yet we may say wilde asses have a worke and 't is much like that which
the skie So the face of the earth is the superficies or upper part of the earth and the face of the waters is the upper part of the waters The word in the text is plural faces he is swift upon the faces of the water that is when he hath murtherd committed Adultery and robbed at land when the Earth is weary of him then he betakes himselfe to the Sea and turnes Pyrate There is a truth in this Velocitêr manâ— se ad mare recipiunt Vatab Levis est ad nâ—tandum sive remiganduÌ„ super faciens aquae Targ some men make such a progresse in wickednesse they try all trades of sin upon the earth and then trade sinfully upon the water defileing both earth and water both sea and shoare polluting all the Elements with their abominations And in pursuance of this exposition the two other Clauses of the verse are thus expounded Their portion is Cursed in the earth that is they who live at land Curse them when they are gone to Sea fearing lest they should take their ships spoyl them of their goods by pyracy And then he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards that is he will come no more on shoare he will not live at land vineyards by a synecdoche of the part for the whole being put for any kinde of home or land possession of which vineyards in many places are the chiefe he who lived by dressing and planting the earth now takes another course of life hee beholdeth not the way of the vineyards he will labour no more in a Country life he will not get his liveing by the sweat of his face but by the face of the waters What cares he to get wine by dressing of vineyards when he can get whole Shiploads of wine upon the waters And having got a smatch of the sweetnes of robbing at Sea he will worke no more aland We have too much experience of it that when a man hath once given himselfe up to stealing he cannot abide labouring He is better pleased with an easie life that is sinfull then with an honest life that is painefull and because ease pleaseth him more then honesty therefore he will not behold the way of the vineyards nor the way of the Corne feilds nor of the pasture grounds Ad piratas referre divinare est ex proprio cerebro cum hic tantum de infesâ—â—toribus agâ—orum mentio fiat non navium aut maris Pined for all these are wayes of labour But I shall not Insist upon this Interpretation it may suffice onely to name it And though as to the thing it selfe as also to the practice of many this be a truth yet it is scarsely probable that Job had that practice in his eye Secondly Wee may here conceave that Job is describing the miserable and unsetled Condition of the murtherer of the Adulterer and of the Theife hee is swift upon the waters or swift as the waters say wee Mr Broughton renders He is lighter then the face of the waters The Hebrew particle serves eyther reading as or upon He is swift or light upon the face of the waters that is he is as a light thing that swimmeth upon the face of the waters light things swim there things which are of no worth of no price as strawes or chips or feathers or the foame which is light and hoven swim upon the face of the water Mr Broughton translates thus He is lighter then the face of the waters The sence is the same for as those things which swim upon the face of the waters are light so also is the face of the waters Every blast or puffe of winde moves and tosseth up the face of the waters Levitas pro velocitate sumitur leve enim facile movetur quod facile movetur velox est He is swift or light upon the face of the waters The Hebrew word which we render swift in our translation signifieth also light because those things that are swift in motion are light wee say of one that is slow paced hee is heavie heel'd and that he is a heavy man or that a heavy beast which is slow of foot all swift things are light The meaning of this Interpretation is that a wicked man is a Contemptible Creature what is hee when he hath done all those mischiefes before specifyed and walked to wearynes in all those sinfull wayes Proverbialis loquutio ad exprimendum aliquid quod flocci penditur fere nihil est Bold Leves erunt ut res quae super aquas natant fluctuabunt abibant diffluent The best account which we can give of him is this Hee is light or as a light thing upon the face of the water which is a Proverbiall speech to Expresse that which is nothing worth Thus the destruction of the King of Samaria is expressed Hos 10.7 As for Samaria her King is cut off as the foame upon the water or as the Margin hath it upon the face of the water that is though he be a great King yet he shall perish as a very light and contemptible thing even as a little foame and froth or as a buble upon the water Hence observe Wickednes makes men Contemptible and vile they are but as light things upon the water In the 21th of this booke v. 18. the wicked are sayd to be as stubble before the fire and as Chaff before the whirle-winde So David Psal 1.4 speaking of the wicked in general saith They are like the chaffe which the wind driveth away Stubble and chaffe are light things and they are also worthles things what 's the stubble worth or what the chaffe What is the chaffe to the wheat such are wicked men in comparison of the Godly The Scripture doth even strive for Expressions as I may say to set forth the lightnes the vanity Indeed the nullity the non-entity the nothingnes of men given up to their lusts David Psal 62.9 speaking of them who trust in oppression and become vaine in robberie saith they are vanity and a lye and that to be layd in the ballance they are alltogether lighter then vanity And Solomon putting the tongue of a Godly man and the heart of a wicked man together into the ballance gives this determination between them Pro. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choyce silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth The heart is there taken in the highest sence for the best thing that the wicked man hath for though where the heart is nought it is the worst thing that a man hath yet the sence of the proverbe is to shew that the best thing that a wicked man hath is of little worth and therefore the instance is made in that which he accounts his chiefest treasure his heart for by the heart all that man hath within him all the powers and faculties of the soule with their best and richest furniture are understood all these saith Solomon in a wicked man
hee leaves that to be understood And what or whom can wee understand but God or the power of God by whom or whereby dead things are formed as well as living things for all things whether animate or inanimate receave their being and forme from him Dead things are formed from under the waters Hence note That all things are produced in their beings by the power of God Dead things as well as living things gold and silver minerals and gemms are formed by God as well as men or beasts And as they were of God in Creation at the beginning so there is a continuall putting forth of the power of God in the continuing or renewing of them God is dayly forming rich and rare things in the secret Cabinets of the earth and from under the waters And the inhabitants thereof That is as dead things are formed under the waters so are the inhabitants thereof or those living things that dwell in the water wee put in the Margin with the inhabitants who are they The inhabitants of the water are the fishes they are bred and abide in the water As if he had sayd Those precious stones and minerals called dead things are formed from under or in the waters as well as the fishes who are the proper inhabitants of the water Mr Broughton reades thus Dead things are formed under the waters and places neere them that is in the mountaines and hills in the clifts and rocks are these precious things formed But I rather take our reading and so the Text gives a further illustration of the power of God who as he formeth dead things under the waters so living things or the inhabitants of the water Hence note The power of God is great in forming the fishes of the Sea And the greatness of it will appeare if we consider three things about them First Their number as to us the fish of the Sea are infinite in number there is no sort of creatures that multiply so fast as fishes doe therefore when God created the inhabitants of the water we read Gen. 1.21 how emphatically their encrease is exprest And God created great Whales and every living creature that moveth which the waters brought forth aboundantly after their kinde The waters did not bring them forth by any power of their owne but they were brought forth in the waters by that power which God had planted in the waters for that purpose Now it is not onely sayd that the waters brought them forth but the waters brought them forth aboundantly implying that fish doe multiply and bring forth more then other creatures and therefore when the Spirit of God would shew a great increase of men 't is sayd They shall increase like fish Gen. 48.16 Jacob blessing the children of Joseph prayed thus Inter omnes bestias nihil est foecundius piscibus igitur trāffertur ad multiplicationem immensum The Angel which redeemed mee from all evill blesse the ladds and let my name be named on them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth The Originall is Let them grow or multiply like fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth or let them be as numerous upon the land as fishes are in the Sea And we finde in the sacred History how the blessing and providence of God made good this history For of the sons of Joseph Manasseh and Ephraim were numbred eighty five thousand and two hundred men meete for warre Numb 26.34.37 which exceeded the encrease of any one Tribe beside How wonderfully doth the Lords power appeare not onely in those infinite sholes of lesser fishes but in the greater also Who is able to report the number of these Sea-inhabitants or of the fishes who people the Sea Secondly If wee consider their various kindes that also sheweth forth the great power of God Naturalists observe that there is no creature upon the earth but hath as I may say its representative in the Sea besides those that have nothing like them on the earth so various are their kindes Thirdly Many of these inhabitants of the waters are wonderfull for the vastnesse and greatnesse of their bodyes the greatest of all living creatures are in the Sea Psal 104.25 So is this great and wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts The Psalmist calleth the fishes beasts and there are small beasts in the Sea and great beasts even of a stupendious greatnesse The greatest beasts of the earth are as nothing compared to them The Elephant is little to the Leviathan Naturalists have written much of this subject the numerousnes variousnes and vastnes of these water-Inhabitants So that wee may see much of the Majesty and power of God as in these things that are formed under the waters so in those that are formed in the waters Job descends lower yet in the next words Vers 6. Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering 'T is questioned what is here meant by hell Some expound hell of the lowest parts of the earth so Master Broughton The lowest earth is naked before him and the lost that is that which seemes to be lost and condemned as himselfe Glosseth it hath no covering Secondly Hel is often put for the grave Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my soule that is me in hel that is in the grave nor wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thirdly It is most usually taken for that prison or place of torment where the Lord detaynes all those in hold that have rebelled against him and dyed impaenitently in that rebellion In this third sence we may interpret it here as I conceive most suitably to the scope and purpose of Job in this place Hell is naked before him That is it is fully discovered to him he sees who are there and what is done there he observes all passages there even in that bottomlesse pit of hel as wel as in heaven or upon the earth As if Job had sayd to Bildad You told me that God maketh peace in his high places I tell you God hath to doe in hell or in the lowest places The lowest hell is naked before him The Apostle speaketh in this phrase Heb 4.13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe The words are an allusion unto bodyes which being stript and uncloathed all see what they are there may be many deformities blemishes and scarrs yea ulcers upon the body undiscerned while 't is cloathed or covered but when naked nothing is hid All things are naked before God that is he as plainly discernes what they are as wee discerne what a body is that stands naked before us Hell is called darknesse and utter darknesse yet it is light to God And destruction hath no covering Here the same thing is againe repeated
Nesciah that is the land of forgetfulnesse as the grave so hell is called the land of forgetfulnesse where the wicked shall be remembred no more God will remember them no more to doe them any good and they are forgotten how much soever they are remembred who are not remembred for good And as God will not remember those in hell for good so they shall forget all the good they have had upon the earth or the remembrance which they have of it shall onely be to encrease their sorrow under present evills Abraham in the Parable Luk. 16.25 sayd to the rich man in hel Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and that remembrance of the good things which he once enjoyed was but an addition to all the evills and miseries which he then endured It is better never to have had any good thing then onely to remember that we have had it How miserable is their condition who shall neither be â—â—membred for good nor remember any good but to make them more miserable Seventhly Hel is called Erets choscec that is a land of darknesse a region of darknesse there is nothing but darknesse in hell The wicked goe to the generation of their fathers where they shall never see light Psal 49.19 They loved darknesse here rather then light and they shall be punished with darkenes hereafter which hath no light Darknes was their choyce in this life and it shall be their curse in the next Eightly Hel is called Gehinon whence the Greeke Gehenna from the valley of Hinnon in which the Idolatrous Israelites imitating the abomination of the Heathens were wont to sacrifice their children with horrible cruelty And hence the Scripture often makes use of that word to signifie the place of torment or the torments of that place where the damned must abide separate for ever from the favourable presence and subjected under the wrath of God This Hel is naked before God and this destruction hath no covering Vers 7. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing In this verse Job exalts God in his Almighty power upholding the mighty fabrick of heaven and earth His discourse mounts up from the earth from the waters and from hell as high as heaven it selfe and he speakes of heaven and of the earth in their conjunction together He stretcheth out the North over the empty place Bildad had spoken of the power of God in the heavens Dominion and feare are with him hee maketh peace in his high places is there any number of his armies and upon whom doth not his light arise Job also speaks of the power of God in the creation and disposition of these things He stretcheth out the North over the empty place The word is so rendred to signifie a gracious act of God to regardlesse men Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded God stretcheth out his hand to smite and he stretcheth it out to save but man layeth it not to heart It is used also to signifie that powerfull act of God in preparing the heavens for himselfe Ps 104.2 Who coverest thy selfe with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtaine As wee draw or stretch out a curtaine so God stretcheth out the heavens But why doth Job say He stretcheth out the North I answer by the North he meaneth that part of heaven that is Northward or the northerne heavens Againe the North may be taken for the whole heavens by a Synechdoche and Job might speak of the North because the North-pole was neerest the climate where he dwelt He stretcheth out the North or the northerne heavens that is the whole heavens both the North and South East and West Hee stretcheth out the North over the empty place What is this empty place First By the empty place some understand the most remote and uninhabited places of the earth Hee over-spreads them with heavens and disposeth things there as well as here hee spreads the heavens over those parts where there is no man and so may be called Empty places because un-inhabited or not fill'd with men God causeth it to raine on the earth where no man is on the Wildernes where there is no man as he speaketh of himselfe to Job in the 38â—h Chapter of this booke ver 26th Now as God raineth upon those in this sence empty places so he stretcheth out the heavens over these empty places that is he takes care of them as well as of those that are peopled or inhabited Secondly Rather by the empty place wee are to understand the ayre for in the natural disposition or systeame of the world the earth is lowest the water next the ayre is the third and the fire fourth over which God stretcheth out the heavens And because nothing is visible to us upwards on this side heaven but the ayre therefore it may wel be sayd that he stretcheth out the heavens immediately over the ayre or the empty place Super inane quod juxta communem opinioneÌ„ intelligi decet Vulgo enim totum spatium a terra usque ad coelum vacuum putatur quum plenum aere sit But is the ayre or that place which we call the ayre empty no the ayre is not empty there is no vacuity no empty place in nature and nature will put it selfe into strange courses to avoide a vacuity water will ascend to avoide vacuity and it will not descend to avoide vacuity but though the ayre be not empty or voide taking emptines strictly and philosophically for every place hath its filling yet as emptines is taken largely and vulgarly so the ayre may be called an empty place when wee come into a roome where there is no artificiall furniture wee say it is an empty roome so the space between us and the heavens in a vulgar sence is an empty place The Scripture speakes often of things according to the vulgar acceptation and understanding Mr Broughton translates thus He stretcheth out the North upon the empty And wee may conceave Job using this forme of speech the more to magnifie and shew forth the great power of God As if he had sayd The heavens have nothing to beare them up but an empty place what can the ayre beare the ayre will beare nothing yet the Lord useth no support for the whole heavens but this empty place Thirdly I conceave that this phrase may be expounded barely of the Creation For Moses sayth Gen. 1.1 2. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without forme and voyd or empty It is the word Tohu used here in Job over this Tohu or empty place did God at the first stretch the heavens And as this was the worke of God at first in Creation so it is his worke still in providence and therefore the Lord speakes of it as of a continued worke Isa 44.24 Thus sayth the Lord thy
out the call of God but God hath chosen foolish things to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are dispised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that is those things which are so foolish and weake and base and despised they seeme to have no being or are accounted as nothing even these non-entityes these poore tooles doth God chuse and take up to doe great things by and to nullifie or bring those things to nought which are all in all among or in the estimations of men Therefore so God owne the worke the matter is not much I speake not in regard of lawfullnes but likelynes I say the matter is not much what the meanes is God can over-wit wise men by fooles he can over-power mighty men by those who are weake Thus God trivmphs over humane improbabilityes yea impossibilityes and would have no flesh eyther despayre because of the smalnes of meanes or glory in his sight because of the greatnes of it How glorious was Abrahams faith in the former Chapter who was so farre from despayring that he was strong in faith giving glory to God though he saw nothing but death upon all the meanes which tended to attaine the blessing promised Rom. 4.17 18 19. As it is written I have made thee a father of many Nations before him whom he beleeved even God who was it that Abraham beleeved it was God And under what notion did his faith eye God even as he who quickeneth the dead when God is closed with under this notion as quickning the dead what can be too hard for faith but there is more in it Abrahams faith eyed God not onely as quickning the dead but as he that calleth those things which be not as though they were that is as he who maketh something of nothing when once Abraham had these apprehensions of God then nothing stucke with him his faith could digest iron and therefore as it followeth he against hope beleeved in hope c. and being not weake in faith he considered not his owne body being now dead as to the procreation of children when he was about an hundred yeares old neyther yet the deadnesse as to conception of Sarahs wombe He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe that is he never made any scruples or queries how the promise should be accomplished but was strong in faith giving glory to God that is gloryfying God by beleeving that he was able to make good the promise or that it was as easie for God to create a performance as to make the promise Thirdly Then feare not when God is a working but he will cary on his worke deficiencyes in the creature are no stop to his actings his immediate or sole power is enough who hangeth the earth upno nothing Where are the pillars that sustaine this mighty masse It hangeth fast by no fastning but the order of God And his order is strong enough to hang the greatest busienes that ever was in the world upon The Jewes have a saying in reverence of the written word of God That upon or at every Iota or the least title of the Law there hangeth a mountaine of sence and 't is as true in reference to his doings as his sayings God can hang mountaines upon mole-hils and turne mountaines into mole-hils for his peoples sake and safety It is rare that we are put to the actings of faith at so high a rate There is usually somewhat in sight to encourage the actings of our faith and dependance upon God they that are in the lowest condition have somewhat to looke to but if there be nothing to be seene then doe but remember that God hangeth the earth upon nothing and faith will say I have all Although the meale in the Barrell and the oyle in the Cruse should fayle Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neyther shall there be fruit in the Vines Although the labour of the Olive shall fayle and the fields shall yeild no meate c. yet the Lord fayleth not eyther in his power for us or compassions towards us and therefore the beleever can even then rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation For while there is nothing in appearance there is not onely some thing but all things are that are for our good in the promise Faith may make all sorts of comfortable Conclusions to and for it selfe and not build Castles in the ayre from this one Assertion That The earth hangeth in the ayre or to give it in the words of the text That God hangeth the earth upon nothing The Constitution or syntaxe of Nature wel considered is no small advantage to our hightning and strengthning in grace JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 8 9 10. He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds and the cloud is not broken under him He holdeth backe the face of his throane and spreadeth his cloud upon it He hath compassed the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end JOB having shewed how wonderfully God upholdeth the earth which is under us goeth on to shew no lesse a wonder in his binding up those waters in clouds which are above us Whatsoever God hath done or doth in heaven above or upon the earth beneath eyther as to creation and the first constitution of tâ—ings or as to providence and the continuall motion of things is wonderfull and glorious Vers 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds As our English word Bind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colligavit vinxit compressit so the Original implyeth a force upon the waters to keepe them within the cloud Water would not stay there but that it must whether it will or no It would rush downe presently and disorderly to the ruine of all below but God bindeth it to its good behaviour As the mouth of a sacke is tyed or bound about that the corne put into it fall not out Or which allusion comes neerest the text as barrels are bound with hoopes lest the liquor put into them should leake out thus God bindeth up the waters What waters There are two sorts of waters first upper waters or waters in the ayre of which the Psalmist speaketh when he sayth Psal 104.3 Hee layeth the beames of his chambers in the waters that is in those upper waters which are neerest the heaven called in Scripture The habitation of his holynes and of his glory Earthly Architects must have strong walls to lay the beames of their chambers upon but the Lord who made heaven and earth can make fluid waters beare up the beames of his chambers for ever Secondly theâ—e are lower waters or waters on the earth Which distinction Moses gave long before Aristotle Gen. 1.7 And God made the firmament and it divided the waters which were under the firmament
swallow up his Church and people The Church blesseth God for her deliverance from troubles under this Allegorie of Waters Psal 124.2 3 4 5. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quicke when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the streame had gone over our soule then the proud waters had gone over our soule Waters streames proud waters are nothing else but the persecuting spirit and proceedings of ungodly enemyes And why did not these lay all wast God would not suffer them When the Serpent Rev 12.15 16. cast out of his mouth waters as a flood after the woman that is stirred up many troubles that he might cause her to be carryed away that is utterly ruin'd of the flood The earth helped the woman saith the text that is as is conceaved God made earthly men by the use of earthly meanes and for the attaining of earthly ends as a bound to stop those waters or as a gulfe to swallow up those waters which should have swallowed up the Church All these things doth he and we may be fully assured he can doe all these things and many more who hath compassed the waters with bounds yea we may be assured that he will continue to them because as he hath so he will compasse the waters with bounds Vntill the day and night come to an end or as our Marginal reading hath it untill the end of light with darkenes This last clause of the verse is a proverbiall speech signifying perpetuity or that such a thing eyther shall not be at all or shall be as long as the world lasteth But shall day and night light and darkenes end when the world or this frame or constitution of things endeth Will there not be day and light or an eternal day of light in the heavenly Glory is not that called An inheritance among the Saints in light Col. 1.12 And will there not be night and darkenes or an eternal night of darkenes in hellish misery is not that called outer darkenes How then is it sayd here that day and night shall come to an end I answer Though after the end of this world there shall be both day and night light and darkenes yet there shall be no vicissitude of day and night as there is in this present world and as 't is promised there shall be to the end of this world Gen 8.22 While the earth remaineth seed-time and harvest and cold and heate and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease These are called the Ordinances of the day and of the night and the stability of them is made the shadow of that stability of God to his gracious promise that the seed of Israel should not cease from being a nation before him for ever Jer. 31.35 36. In this world light and darkenes day and night are comming and going departing and returning continually And in this sence day and night shall come to an end at the worlds end Job speakes of day and night in course and succession not of day and night in being or constitution when he sayth he hath compassed the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end The Hebrew strictly translated makes this resolution of the doubt more cleare and doubtlesse for that doth not say absolutely that day and night light or darkenes shall come to an end but that there shall be an end of light with darkenes that is of the intercourse or change between day and night between light and darkenes Ad consummationeÌ„ lucis cum tenebris Jun or untill the consummation of light with darkenes that is untill light and darkenes have consummated or fulfilled their course one with another Hence observe First Beyond this world there are no changes of times or seasons In the world to come all is day and light to the Godly to those who dye in the Lord and all is night and darkenes to the wicked to those who dye out of the Lord. Heaven and hell a state of eternal Blessednes or wretchednes have no changes in them nor any thing that is Heterogeneall or of another kinde Heaven which hath light and joy in it hath no darkenes no sorrow at all in it Hell which hath darkenes and sorrow in it hath no light nor joy at all in it The mixtures and changes of light and darkenes of joy and sorrow of paine and pleasure are made here on earth The wine of the wrath of God and the wine of the love and consolations of God shall be powred out without any the least contrary tincture or mixture in the life which is to come Light with darkenes shall no more be heard of They who goe into light shall never see darkenes and they who goe into darkenes shall never see light Wee are now as Job speakes in the 14th Chapter of this Booke v. 14. Waiting all the dayes of our appoynted time untill our change come and when that change is once fully come we shall goe beyond all changes Day with night will then be at an end Secondly Observe What God doth he can alwayes doe As he hath hitherto compassed the waters with bounds so he can compasse them with bounds untill the day and night come to an end Men can doe that to day which they are so farre from being able to doe untill the end of dayes that possibly they cannot doe it the next day The hand of man is continually shortning in regard of naturall strength or activity and it seldome keepes long at the same length in regard of civil strength or Authority As there are many things which man cannot nor ever could doe so there are many things which once a man could doe but now he cannot He is changed or the times are changed eyther he hath not the same power in himselfe or the same powers are not continued unto him That man may be found shaking and trembling who a while before as it is sayd of the Assyrian Isa 14.16 made the earth to tremble and did shake kingdomes insomuch that all as 't is at the 10â—h verse of the same Chapter shall speake and say unto him Art thou also become weake as we art thou become like unto us Thus we see the mightiest men cannot doe what they have done they who have compassed the rage and fury of men with bounds can bound them no more bat they breake in upon them like a wide breaking in of the Sea and beare downe all before them But the power of God knowes no abatings nor his hand any shortnings as he hath bounded both the natural and mysticall waters so he can and will bound them and none shall hinder untill the day and night come to an end The Lord sayth David Psal 29.10 sitteth upon the flood yea the Lord sitteth king for ever As if he had sayd The Lord doth not onely sit upon that is
rule and governe the floods for a while but he ruleth and governeth them alwayes he sitteth upon them king for ever even untill day and night come to an end Thirdly note The waters shall never totally overflow the earth As God hath given them a bound so such a bound as shall keepe them in compasse for ever And as we have an assurance in the power of God that he can keepe or compasse the waters with bounds to the end of the world so also we have his promise and his faithfullnes engaged that he will maintaine those bankes and bounds and keepe them in such repayre that the waters shall never prevaile over them Gen. 9.8 9 10 11. And God spake unto Noah and to his sons with him saying and I behold I establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you c. neyther shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood neyther shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth And as mankinde is under this promise of freedome from an universal deluge so every godly man may rise up to this assurance that no waters of any sort can wet so much as the sole of his foote or the hemme of his garment but as they have leave and commission from him who hath compassed the waters with bonnds untill the day and night come to an end JOB CHAP. 26. Vers 11 12. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe He divideth the Sea by his power and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud JOB still proceedeth in the enumeration and illustration of the mighty works of God what he doth in the clouds and what in the heavens was shewed from the former context Here Job tells us what the Lord doth with the heavens He who made the heavens and stretched out the North over the empty place can make these heavens totter in their place and tremble when he pleaseth The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe There are three things to be enquired into for the opening of this verse First What is meant by the pillars of heaven Secondly How the pillars of heaven may be said to tremble and be astonished Thirdly What we are to understand by the reproofe of God Columnae coeli i. e. Angeli contremiscunt Aquin Angelos vocat columnas coeli quia sâ—ilicet eorum officio admâ—nistratur motus coelorum Aquin when he sayth they are astonished at his reproofe The pillars of heaven tremble There are various opinions about these pillars first many of the Latins hold that these pillars of heaven are the Angells by whose assistance say some Philosophers the motions of the heavenly bodyes with their orbes or spheares are guided and maintained And doubtlesse as the Angels have great employments upon and about the earth so also in and about the heavens and therefore may not improperly be called the pillars of heaven in which sence also the Angels are called the powers of heaven as some interpret Math 24.29 where Christ prophesieth that immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes the Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not give her light the starrs shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken Many of the antients interpret those powers of heaven by the Angels as if the Lord would doe such things in that great day as should trouble and astonish not onely men on earth but the Angels in heaven who may be called the pillars of heaven as some eminent men for parts and power are called the pillars of the earth And wee may suppose them pillars of heaven not for the strength and sustainement of heaven Stabilitaâ—eÌ„ permanenteÌ„ in natura angelorum intelligamus nemine Columnarum Philip but for the beauty and ornament of it As we see many pillars in stately Pallaces which are not placed there to beare up the weight of those buildings but only to adorn beautifie them Or Angels may be called the pillars of heaven because of the firmenes and stability of their owne nature not as if they were any firmenes or establishment unto heaven Secondly By these pillars of heaven are conceaved to be meant the high mountaines of the earth which seeme to touch the heavens according to sence and so to sustaine and beare them up as pillars but this opinion not being grounded upon any truth in nature but onely upon a popular errour though it be a truth that even these supposed pillars of heaven tremble at the reproofes of God I shall not insist at all upon this interpretalion Thirdly These pillars of heaven say others are the ayre for as the lowest parts of the earth are called the foundations of the earth because the foundation of a building is layd lowest so the lower parts of heaven the ayre which is sometimes called heaven yea the firmament of heaven Gen. 1.20 may be called the pillar of heaven 'T is true also that the Lord maketh dreadfull combustions by stormes and tempests in the ayre insomuch that those pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproofe But I shall not give this neyther as Jobs meaning here Terra tota velut orbis totius fundamentum ac firmanentum Merc Fourthly By the pillars of heaven others understand not the ayre or the mountains but the whole body on globe of the earth Thus David speakes 2 Sam. 22.8 Then the earth shooke and trembled the foundations of heaven moved and shooke because he was wroth where the foundations of heaven in the latter part of the verse may be expounded by the earth in the former part of the verse For if we consider the whole fabricke of the world together then the earth seemes to be the foundation or pillar of heaven And frequent experiences in all ages especially in some parts of the world have felt and reported the trembling of the earth We commonly call it an Earth-quake and Philosophers teach us that the reason of it in nature is the strength of vapours included in and striving to make their way out of the bowels of the earth And as this trembling of the earth hath a reason in nature so it is often caused by speciall command from God as a reproofe of the sinfullnes of man or to awaken him from his sin yet Fifthly I rather conceive that this phrase The pillars of heaven is used onely in a generall sense and not particularly intended eyther of Angels or mountains of the ayre or of the earth but that the pillars of heaven are the strength of heaven the strength of a building consists in the pillars that beare it up take away the pillars and it falls downe as Sampson sayd to the lad that held him by the hand suffer me that I may feele the pillars whereupon the house standeth and when he had once moved them the house fell Judg. 16.26.30 so that when Job sayth the pillars of heaven tremble the
if the meaning of these words His hand hath formed the crooked serpent Draco volans were this God hath wrought and formed by his power wisdome all those fiery meteors that are often seene as it were flying and shooting in the ayre to the wonder of many and the astonishment of not a few There are the treasures of the snow and of the hayle there God prepareth a way for the lightning of the thunder Job 38.22.25 Some learned interpreters insist much upon this Exposition placing the crooked serpent in the heavens eyther the upper or lower as hath been shewed under foure distinct titles nor can it be denyed but that the hand of God hath wrought all these things much lesse can it be denyed that the working of these things is a great argument and demonstration of the power and wisedome of God which is the purpose of Job in this place therefore I shall not totally lay it aside Neyther yet will I leave it with the reader as the speciall meaning of this place for this reason because I much doubt whether those poeticall phancyes in giving such fictitious names to the Starres of heaven as The Lion the Beare the Bull the Dragon the Serpent c. of which Philosophers and Astronomers have made use were at all borne or ever so much as heard of in those elder times in which and before which Job lived For though both in the 9th Chapter of this booke v. 9. as also in the 38th Chapter v. 21 22. many Names are given to the Starres which both the Greeke and Latine translaters and we following them in the English render by those poeticall names yet The Original Hebrew words beare no allusion at all to those phancyes As for instance The Hebrew word which we render Arcturus Chap 9.9 hath nothing at all in it signifying The Tayle of a Beare But here in this text the word properly signifyeth a crooked serpent and therefore to place it in the heavens as a Starre when as in the times when this was written there is so little if any probability at all that any such apprehensions were taken up by any or any such allusive names given to the Starres seemes to me somewhat improper There is another veine of interpretation carrying the sence of these words His hand hath formed the crooked serpent to quite another poynt for 't is conceaved by the Authors of this opinion that as Job gave instance before in the workes of God above his highest workes in nature the garnishing of the heavens so hee now giveth instance in his workes below or in his lowest workes This general interpretation is delivered two wayes distinctly First That as God hath garnished the heavens so he hath made and now governeth hel too His hand hath formed the crocked serpent that is the Devill That which favoureth this opinion and hath possibly cast the thoughts of many upon it is that in Scripture the devil is often called a serpent yea a crooked serpent and that he acted a serpent as his instrument in the first temptation Gen. 3.1 Now the serpent was more subtile then any of the beasts of the feild which the Lord God had made and he sayd unto the woman that is The Devill in or by the Serpent sayd unto her c. He hath wel deserved to be called a Serpent who acted his first malice against mankinde by the helpe of a Serpent And for his thus early making use of a Serpent he is called not only a serpent but that old Serpent Rev. 12.9 The great Dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his Angells were cast out with him The hand of God hath formed this crooked serpent To cleare which some interpret the former part of the verse in complyance with this sence for the good Angells thus By his Spirit he hath Garnished the heavens Spiritus ejus ornavit coelos Vulg i. e. coelestes spiritus ornamētis scilicet spiritualium denorum Aquin Et obstetricante manu ejus eductus est coleber tortuosus Vulg that is he hath bestowed excellent gifts upon the Angels who are the great ornament of heaven and may tropically be called heaven as men are called earth And as holy wise just and faithfull men are the ornaments and garnishings of the earth so the holy Angels are the garnishings of heaven they having such mighty power and excellent gifts Now saith this interpretation as God garnished the heavens with good Angels so he brought forth the crooked serpent the Devill by his working power Not as if they who stand up for this exposition did affirme that God did make the Devill by his immediate hand as he did the good Angels and the rest of the Creatures for when God saw every thing that he had made behold it was very good and therefore the crooked-serpent as taken under this Notion for the Devill who is the Evill one could not be of his making Therefore though the Devill according to his original or general nature as an Angel was formed of God yet the crookednes of his nature as wel as of his wayes which properly and formally denominate him a Devill was of himselfe he having turned away from God and defiled that state by the freedom of his own will in which he was created pure and had society with his fellow-Angels Eduxit deus diabolum è medio Angelorum Aquin till God for his sin did as it were pull him and his Adhaerents from the midst of them and as the Apostle Jude saith v. 6. Hath reserved them together in chaines of darknesse unto the judgement of the great day But I conceave that Job is not here speaking of an Allegoricall or Metaphoricall serpent such a one as the Devill is but of a reall and proper one And therefore I lay by this exposition as unsutable to the text in hand And conclude that Job having in the former part of the verse set forth the power and wisedome of God in garnishing the heavens his meditation descendeth in this latter part of it though not so low as hel yet as low as the waters especially the waters of the Sea and there sheweth us the hand of God at worke both in making and destroying in forming and wounding the crooked serpent For the Hebrew word which we render hath formed signifyes also to wound and so we translate it Isa 51.9 Awake awake O arme of the Lord c. art not thou it which hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon yea it is so translated by some in this text of Job His hand hath wounded the crooked serpent Which cometh neere that of the Prophet according to the bare literal reading Isa 27.1 In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the peircing or as we put in the Margin the crossing like a bar serpent even Leviathan that crooked
though I confesse if God should put forth his power I were not able to hold up my head before him and that he could easily overthrow me with a breath yet I am perswaded he will take a more favourable course and deale with me in mercy not with rigour or severity Vers 6. Will he plead against me with his great power I know he is cloathed with Majesty and that the greatnes of power is his but will he plead against me with it The Hebrew text is will he plead with me to plead with and to plead against are the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contenâ—et quasi de jure suo ut illud exigat To plead is a Law terme He that pleadeth against another discovers eyther the faultines of his person when accused or the weaknes of his Title when controverted This word is used by the Prophet Isa 57.16 I will not contend or plead for ever I will not argue my owne prerogative nor will I argue thy sinfullnesse alwayes or without end why not if I should the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made where though spirit and soule are put synechdochically for the whole man that is for flesh and spirit for soule and body together yet the Lord mentions onely spirit and soule because of their strength to beare divine contendings beyond the body or the flesh As if he had sayd even that which is strongest in man would fayle if God should alwayes contend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num copia sui roboris c. Will he plead against me with his great power or strictly to the Letter with the multitude of his power with the forces of his power The power of God is great yea the power of God is greatest all his power is allmighty power yet God doth not alwayes put forth the greatnes of his power He is a most free agent and so can restraine and hold in his owne power when he pleaseth and not use it to the terror of a poore creature or plead against him with it Againe The power of God may be taken two wayes First for his strength or his power of doing and executing secondly for his prerogative authority or his power of commanding and ruling we may interpret it here of the latter will God deale with me by his prerogative power thinke you will he oppresse me with his meere authority Per multaÌ„ dei fortìtudineÌ„ potentiam ejus absolutam summum jus dici solet intelliguÌ„t multi Bold I have another opinion of God surely he will not doe so For he is good and gratious and he will attemper his prerogative with pity his great power with much mercy Will he plead against me with this great power Jobs question is a confident negation such negative interrogations are frequent in Scripture will he is he will not plead against me with his great power but Job is not satisfied that his speech carrieth a negation in it and therefore lest any should not fully enough understand him so he expresseth his negative will he plead with me with his great power no His power is not nor ever will it be against me He will take some other course with me he will deale with me upon the account of goodnes and mercy not upon the account of power He will not breake me a bruised reed nor quench me who am but smoaking flax he will rather bind me up and cherish the least sparke which he perceiveth alive in me Will he plead against me with his great power Hence observe First God hath great power much power All power is his The power of men and Angels is his What power soever whether for kinde or degree is in the hand of any creature that power belongs to God Thus David a man of Great power states it God hath spoken once twice have I heard this That power belongeth unto God The power that is scattered and divided all the world over is centred and united in him God hath a greatnesse of power in commanding and disposing what and how things shall be done he also hath a greatnes of power in doing and executing what he hath commanded The commands of men are often unperformed eyther because they to whom their commands are sent have no power to performe them or because they want power to backe their owne commands Wee may consider the Greatnes of the power of God several wayes First As he can doe all things and is omnipotent there is nothing too hard for him his hand is not shortened in reference to the longest or the greatest workes and difficulties And as he can doe whatsoever he hath a will to doe so he will doe whatsoever he pleaseth to have done whatsoever he purposeth to doe whatsoever is upon his heart to doe none of his counsells ever fayled nor have any of the thoughts of his heart been frustrated Men often purpose to doe but they seldome have power to doe what they have purposed they are bigge with the conceptions of many great matters but when the children come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth God never failes in his power to doe whatsoever he hath a purpose or a mind to doe God hath power enough to backe his commands and he can supply power to those whom he calleth to execute them Secondly The greatnesse of Gods power is seene in this that He hath a right to doe all that he doth As he hath a fullnesse of strength so a fulnesse of Authority he doth not usurp or intrench upon any other power in what he doth nor upon any mans property in what he hath it is his due to doe what he doth and to have what he hath God is supream giving the Law to all receiving the Law from none his is not a tyrannicall but a just and a righteous power his is not a might without right but a might with right What the Prophet speakes of the Chaldeans Hab. 1.7 is true of God in every sence in the strictest sence His judgement and his dignity proceedeth of himselfe he is a law unto himselfe his rule is internall and his power intrinsecall All derive power from him therefore his power is altogether underived Power underived must needs be great power yea the Greatnes of power Thirdly The greatnesse of his power appeareth further in this that no man may presume to question him for what he doth He hath great power in what he doth whom none may so much as aske what doest thou Nebucadnezzar a heathen in highest earthly power confesseth as much of the power of God as soone as he regained the reason of a man Dan. 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes that is after the terme of seven yeares was accomplished when for the heart of a beast a mans heart was restored to him I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes to heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I
praised and honoured him that liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdome is from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou that is none may so much as question much lesse reprove him for any thing that he doth Though there are many who in the pride of their hearts and through the forgetfullnes of their duty will presume to question God about what he hath done and even controule his doings yet of right or according to rule none can Hence the Apostle having asserted the soveraignty of God he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth brings in some questioning his proceedings but he checks them soundly for their boldnes in questioning and instructs them by many upbrayding questions that they ought not to put that or any such question Thou wilt say then ver 18 19 20. why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will nay but who art thou ô man that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour and another of dishonour what if God were willing to shew his wrath in some as well as his grace mercy in others what have you or I to doe with it who gave you or I leave to examine God upon intergatoryes about it Thus he pleads the power or prerogative of God this must silence all our queries and satisfie all our doubts none may aske him a reason of what he doth the reason is in himselfe The will of God is his reason and there is all the reason in the world it should for his is not onely a soveraigne will but a just and a holy will Solomon saith Eccl. 8.4 Where the word of a king is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou In all lawfull administrations it is true of kings and supream earthly powers in what forme soever none may say unto them what doe yee their word must stand much more is this true of him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the supream power of heaven and earth all whose wayes are equall and his dispensations righteous though we see not the equity and righteousnesse of them That is not onely great but the greatest power which none may question Fourthly This also demonstrates the greatnesse of Gods power that none can stop or hinder him in what it hath a minde to doe what he appoints he executes and none can stop it or as Nebuchadnezzar speakes in the place before mentioned Dan. 4.35 stay his hand The hand of the strongest power upon the earth may be and hath been staid kings have had a check their hands have been stayd but none can stay the hand of God I will worke saith he and none shall let it Isa 43.17 God should doe but little worke in the world if men could let it Wicked men would let or hinder God in all his workes and the godly through their mistakes would hinder him in some of his workes but none can He speaks to the Sunne and it shineth not yea he speakes to the Sunne and it moveth not This is the greatnesse and the muchnes of the power of God But saith Job Will he plead against me with this great power All this power God hath and this power he can put forth but he will not put it forth against me saith Job 1. And what was Job that he should be thus confident and rise up to such a strong assurance that God would not use his strength against him Job was a godly man a man fearing God a man perfect and upright a man full of faith even full of faith though he lived in dark times and under dark dispensations yet I say he was a man full of faith in the Redeemer Now it is no wonder if a man of this character a man thus qualified and priviledged had this confidence and was much assured that he should prosper and speed in it That God would not plead against him with his great power Hence Observe A godly man may be confident that God will deale gently and graciously with him or That God will deale with him according to the greatnes of his mercy not according to the greatnes of his power The greatnes of the power of God is an exceeding great comfort to the sincere because they know it is acted towards them in the greatnes of his mercy It is comfortable to heare that the Lord who as the Prophet describes him Nah 1.3 is great in power is also slow to anger the greatnes of mans power doth usually quicken not clogg his passions but it is more comfortable to know that God who is great in power is quick and speedy to shew mercy And hence it is that a true beleever rejoyceth in the power o◠God as well as in his mercy because he knoweth that God hath declared himselfe powerfull for him as well as mercifull He knoweth God will not put forth power alone or nothing but power towards him God doth exercise all his refreshing attributes and divine perfections in dealing with Saints Whereas upon the wicked he exerciseth his power chiefely though not onely What if God to make his power knowne endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 God pleads with the wicked according to the tenour of the Covenant of workes but with Beleevers according to the Covenant of grace in which he doth as it were uncloath himselfe of his power and cloath himselfe with love mercy goodnesse and tendernes to his people The Lord as the Psalmist speakes Psal 93.1 is cloathed with strength wherewith he hath girded himselfe he is cloathed also with mercy and with that he hath girded himselfe he pleads with his people I grant in righteousnesse as well as in mercy as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3.25 26. God hath set forth Jesus Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his rightenesse for the remission or passing over of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse and the justifyer of him that beleeveth in Jesus The justice or righteousnesse of God was never so fully declared as in Christ for God did not spare him at all but he having taken our debt upon him discharged it to the utmost farthing God pleaded against Christ with his great power and with his perfect righteousnesse To which plea Christ made answer with as Great a power his being the power of God and with as perfect a righteousnes his being also the righteousnesse of God And hence it