Lord sends his rain upon the wilderness he hath done so and he hath promised to do so still that is he hath sent and will send the rain of the Gospel upon the Heathen Some Nations are a wilderness as they live in a wilderness so they are themselves a wilderness a desert and we have a promise that the Lord will cause the rain spiritual rain to fall upon this wilderness Isa 35.1 2. The wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad for them for whom for the Church and for the sending forth of the Gospel by them and the desert shall rejoyce and blossom as the rose it shall blossom abundantly and rejoyce even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it the excellency of Carmel and of Sharon That is it shall be fertile and fruitful in spirituals as those places Lebanon Câ—rmel and Sharon which was the glory and excellency of them were in temporals But how should the wilderness and solitary places attain this glory That 's shewed at the sixth and seventh verses for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert and the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water This Prophesie contains a promise of sending the Gospel and with that the Holy Spirit who is often compared in Scripture to water to those who were or are in their soul-state as a dry heath or as a barren wilderness This prophet doth not only hold out a like promise in the same Metaphors but explains it thus Isa 44.3 4 5. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground what is meant by water and floods we may learn from the next words I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grasse as willows by the water-courses that is they shall grow and flourish internally in grace and knowledge and not onely so but they shall openly professe it and avouch it as it followeth in the fifth verse One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob c. That is they shall give up their Names to be enrolled and registred as our Annotators express it in Gods Church-book or among his faithful servants In deserto pluere est verbum dei gentilitatè praedicare Greg. l. 29. Moral c. 16. It was the saying of one of the Ancients with respect to this Allegory To send rain upon the desert is to preach the word of God unto the heathens And the Lord magnifies himself in the dispensation of this spiritual rain when as he sends it upon his Garden the Church so also upon the wilderness the Heathen that the wilderness may become a garden and the desert a paradise that they knowing the Lord and believing on him may be joyned to the Church Thus also the Lord divides a water-course to cause it to rain on the earth where no believing man is on the wilderness where there is no good man The reason of his so doing is given expresly in the next words Vers 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth Here is the reason of sending rain upon the wilderness it is to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Mr. Broughton renders The wast and vast ground The Vulgar Latine renders Inviam desolatam Vulg. The unpassable ground or at least that which none passes and so being disused lies wast and desolate But in what sense soever 't is desolate or by what means soever it became desolate the Lord sends rain to satisfie it that is to water it abundantly Vt riget ad satietatem usque satisfaction is to have our fill The very wast ground shall have enough enough to allay the heat and drought of it enough to make it fruitful and enough to fructifie the trees and plants that grow there and so to feed and fatten the beasts thâ—t live there The Vulgar Latine renders Vt impleret c. Vulg. Satur dierum plenus dierum synonyma sunt Drus That he may fill the desolate and wast ground that which is filled is or should be satisfied To be full of dayes in Scripture is to be satisfied with living A man may have lived many dayes yet not be full of dayes but he who is full of dayes as 't is said of some of the Patriarchs is not hungry after more time or dayes in this world therefore to be filled and satisfied import the same thing And to be sure they who are not satisfied when they are full will not be satisfied when they are empty But however it is with man we know the earth spoken of in the Text is fully satisfied it gapes for no more when 't is filled with rain And this the Lord will send To satisfie the desolate and wast ground But why is the Lord so careful to satisfie the desolate and wast ground The ground is a senselesse thing that feels not the want of rain I answer The Lord doth not satisfie the ground for the grounds sake but for their sake who live upon and are maintained by the ground Fruit-bearing trees and grass are maintained by the moisture and fatnesse of the ground beasts are maintained by those fruits and grasse therefore the Lord satisfies the ground with rain that it may satisfie the trees and grasse and they the beasts that live upon it So then the Lord satisfieth the ground that it may satisfie all sorts of vegetables growing out of the ground and that they may satisfie all kinds of animals living upon the ground Such a gradation we find Hos 2.21 22. I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil and they shall hear Jezrael that is my people We may run up the meaning of this promise backwards thus When my people whom I now call Jezrael in a way of promise as in a way of threatning chap. 1.4 being pressed with hunger and famine cry to the corn and the wine and the oil for food they shall hear them and when the corn and wine call to the earth for moisture to feed them that shall hear and when the earth calls to the heavens for rain they shall hear and when the heavens call to God for orders to carry rain he will hear them It is for mans use that God makes the earth fruitful and where there are no men 't is for the beasts sake that he satisfieth the desolate and wast ground Hence Note First God is not wanting to any of his creatures according to their state He will not let the senseless ground suffer hunger and thirst overlong that shall have food after its kind or proper for it Secondly Note Even the Earth knows when it hath enough It is
or wings of the earth The prophet Malachi comforts those that fear the Name of the Lord with this promise The Sun of Righteousness shall arise to them with healing in his wings The Sun-beams or the light that is conveyed in those beams are compared to wings and they are spread to the very wings of the earth and extend themselves over the whole Hemisphere The morning light like lightning is diffused from East to West in a moment When it is day with one half of the world 't is night with the other but where the Sun comes it gives light all over that half-face of the earth The Sun is an universal benefit and therefore the most excellent outward benefit We say of every good thing by how much 't is the more common communicative and extensive by so much the better it is As evil by how much it spâ—eads it self the further by so much the worse it is so good by how much the more it spreads it self it is the better As the natural light of the day so the spiritual light of the Gospel is very diffusive When the Gospel was first preacht by the Apostles of Christ the day-spring from on high then visiting the world O how speedily did that take hold of the ends of the earth David Psal 22.27 speaking of the Prophetical Office of Christ in sending forth the light of his truth saith All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to God What caused the ends of the earth to remember and what did they remember Surely it was the light of the Gospel taking hold of the ends of the earth which caused the ends of the earth to remember God and themselves they saw their danger and their duty and so turned to God By the ends of the earth in that place of the Psalm we are to understand the inhabitants of the utmost parts of the earth who had never remembred themselves never considered themselves never awakened out of sin never turned to God if the light of the Gospel had not shined to them The natural light is not onely very extensive but powerful and so is the light of the Gospel it goes to the ends of the earth with wonderful effects The Apostles had a Commission from Christ like that which God gives to the Sun to carry their light or to preach the Gospel to every creature The Sun gives light and influence to every creature Psal 19.6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Nor shall any thing be hid from the light heat and influences of the Gospel Secondly The light is exceeding swift and spreads it self far and near in a moment Many can go far if you give them time but the light goes very far even to the ends of the earth upon the matter without time it goes almost in an instant in the twinkling of an eye it immediately takes hold of the ends of the earth As soon as the Sun ariseth light appeareth day breaks and with an unconceivable speed illustrates all places within its eye or which lie open to it The body of the Sun moves fast to a wonder but the beams of the Sun move faster David Psal 139.9 speaks of the wings of the morning If I take saith he the wings of the morning that is the morning light and flâ—e to the utmost parts of the earth even there shall thy hand lead me c. The morning light is winged and moves with incredible swiftness The Scripture speaks of the morning light with respect to its sudden motion as if it were a feathered or winged fowl spreading its rayes as so many feathers or plumes over all at an instant Though darkness thick darkness hath got possession of the earth in the night yet no sooner doth the light glimmer above the Horizon but darkness is suddenly scattered One would think there should be a great battel a long contest between light and darkness before light could conquer darkness and get it off the face of the earth whereas daily experience teacheth us that the morning having once opened its eye-lids light gets an easie victory and sheddeth it self abroad every where without controul Darkness is soon dispelled and driven out of the field by light Darkness cannot stand its ground before the Sun who is Lord of the day according to the appointment of God Thus the day-spring takes hold of the ends of the earth And if any ask Why doth it so I answer The day-spring is a great and a faithful servant to man There are many uses of light many services which the light doth for us I toucht some of them in opening the former Context We have one especial use or service of it expressed in the close of this verse It takes hold of the ends of the earth That the wicked may be shaken out of it This latter part of the verse seems to have little cognation with and to be of a very difficult connexion with the former for it may be said What hath this shaking of the wicked out of the earth to do with the light taking hold of the ends of the earth I answer The light that takes hold of the ends of the earth is as a Serjeant to arrest and take hold of the wicked and so is a means to shake them out of the earth The words may carry a double Metaphor Lux orat terrae tanquam pallâ—i apprehendit ita impios excutit Rab. Solom First To the shaking of a garment When dust or moths or any thing hurtful to a garment is found upon it we shake it out Thus the Lord sends forth the morning light to take hold of the ends of the earth as of the ends of a great garment that the wicked who are but as dust and vermin may be shaken out of it Secondly The metaphor or allusion may be taken from a sieve As the sieve is shaken when we would separate the chaffe or that which is vile and worthless from among the good corn so the Lord by the light takes hold of the ends of the earth and shakes the wicked like dross or darnel out of the company of honest men I saith the Lord Amos 9.9 will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth that is be lost or perish But the wicked who are as chaffe shall be scattered and perish for ever when the Lord sifts them Again These words That the wicked may be shaken out of it are by some expounded actively The day-spring taketh hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked may shake sc themselves out of it For when the light cometh wicked men do as it were shake themselves out of the earth that is they hide themselves and run their heads into a corner They who in the night and darkness
out the renewed face of the earth upon the rising of the Sun or the appearance of the morning light First From clay altered by the seal Secondly From mans putting fresh garments and ornaments upon his body It is turned as clay to the seal That is The approach of light makes a great change upon the face of the earth even as if it had received a new or fresh impression as clay doth from a seal A piece of clay is a rude lump without form or figure but if you take a seal and stamp it that clay readily receives any figure or coat of arms engraven on the seal and so 't is turned from what it was in appearance Thus the meaning seems to be this The earth before the Sun riseth is like a rude piece of clay in the night we see no more beauty in the earth than if it had no beauty at all go to a well composed garden walk there in a dark night you cannot discern the figure of any border nor the rarest beauty of any flower nor the pleasantest fruit of any tree planted there your eye cannot take in nor feast it self upon any of those delights while darkness covers the face of the earth but when the light comes Terra ad Solis exâ—ntum immutâ—ta novas infinitus rerum aspâ—ctabilium formas instâ—rluti quod siguli aâ—bitrio effirgitur recipiet quibus tanquam vesto versicolori induatur â—ez then you see the form and figure of every thing before you then the earth is turned as clay to the seal the Sun as it were stamps and impresseth a new beauty and bravery upon it and then the earth which lookt like a void or rude heap appears in its form and figure whether natural or artificial This sense is much insisted upon in opening this Scripture and 't is a good sense setting forth that benefit of the light causing the earth to appear in its propeâ— shape which night or darkness had hidden or obscured Hence Note The shining of the light puts a new face in appearance upon the face of the earth Things that appear not are as if they were not Nothing appears but by the light This is most true of spiritual light when that ariseth upon any place or people that place or people are turned as clay to the seal onely with this difference the natural light of the Sun doth only manifest what figures or stamps are already impressed upon the earth it doth not make any there which were not there before but where the Sun-shine of the Gospel comes though it were a place as rude as Barbarisme it self 't is turned into another shape the people are quite another people in their manners and conversation It was so with this Nation we were once as rude heathens as any in the world but by the light of the Gospel we were turned as clay to the seal we received the figure of Grace the figure of Christianity And at this day in those places among the Indians where the Gospel hath lately come marvelous changes are wrought upon them they have another stamp upon their tongues another kind of language another stamp both upon hand and foot another kind of working and walking than before As the light of the Gospel discovers evil persons to themselves a natural man knows not of what shape he is till he sees himself in that light so it makes them good and puts a new stamp a new figure upon them it makes them indeed new creatures new men they are turned through the mighty power of the Spirit accompanying that light as clay to the seal Such that is as bad as could be were some of you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.11 but ye are washed c. that is ye are now other manner of men than once ye were It is turned as clay to the seal And they stand as a garment They stand Who stand as a garment The things of the earth they stand to look on as a garment All thingâ— present themselves before us in a goodly hue when the Sun riseth then they appear in their beauty the whole body of the earth is then clothed to the eye of every beholder Hoc hemistichium impersonaliter accipio Sistent sc omnes res tanquam cum vestimento i. e. ornatissina omnia lucis beneficio apparent Coc. As light it self is like a golden robe which the earth puts off every night and puts on again every morning so light shews us all those goodly things which are the earths robes or with which the earth is clothed as with a garment The earth is not onely as a thing without form but as a naked thing as a body without clothing to appearance till the light appears but as soon as the light appears then whatsoever may be called the earths clothing and apparel appears also If any would know more distinctly what the clothing apparel or garment of the earth is I answer First That may be called the earths garment which grows out of it the grass corn herbs flowers trees all these vegetables are as a garment upon the earth Secondly Not only vegetables but animals the beasts of the earth are as a garment to the earth Psal 65.13 The pastures are clothed with flocks the valleys also are covered with corn Corn is to the valleys what flocks are to the pastures their clothing Thirdly Artificial things as well as natural are also the earths garment All those fair buildings Towns and Cities all those goodly Edifices and Pallaces any where raised upon the earth are they not as a garment to the earth so then fruits and flowers growing out of the earth flocks and herds living upon the earth Vt ea mutata sicut argilla sigillari sisterentur illi velâ—â— indumento obducto Jun. i. e. ut cohiberentur improbi à pergendo sceleribus suis promovendis tanquam si obvolverentur panno vultus aut pedes ipsorum ut sequâ—ns versus amplius explicat Jun. Vt mutetur ea sicut lutum cui sigilluxi imprimitur sistentur illi tanquam velati indumento Vt moris erat velari sontes Pisc houses and dwellings built on the earth are a clothing to the earth and they appear to be so by the coming forth and appearance of the light that shews the beauty and figure of the earth the trimings and adornings of it Those things are to the earth as a rich embroidered garment and light manifests them to be so There is yet another exposition of this 14th verse They stand as a garment that is the wicked spoken of in the latter end of the former verse and are there said to be shaken out of the earth who are also spoken of in the following verse where it is said Their light is with-holden and their high arm shall be broken These wicked ones when the light shines are made to stand forth as in a garment That is saith one Author noted in the Margin the wicked
assureth us there is not a drop that falleth but he takes notice of it and therefore saith by his knowleâ—ge the Clouds drop down Dew And indeed such and so wonderful is the destillation of the Dew that it may well be said to drop even through his divine fingers The Dew is very useful and beneficial to the earth two wayes or in two things chiefly First Iâ— moystens the earth Secondly It cools the earth When Isaac was giving the blessing to Jacob he put this in particularly Gen. 27.28 God give thee of the Dew of Heaven the fatness of the earth and plenty of Corn and Wine implying that the fatness of the earth causing plenty of Corn and Wine is caused by the Dew of Heaven Answerable to this blessing given by Isaac to his son Jacob is that promise or prophesie given out by Moses Deut. 33.28 The Fountain of Jacob shall be upon a Land of Corn and Wâ—ne also his Heavens shall drop down Dew By the Fountain of Jacob some understand the posterity of Jacob or the whole house of Israel spread abâ—oad like the overflowing of a Fountain to which David seems to allude Psal 68.26 Bless ye God in the Congregations even the Lord from the Fountain of Israel or as the words may be rendred Ye that are of the Fountain of Israel Now saith Moses in that Prophesie The Fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine that is upon a plentiful land also his heavens shall drop down Dew that is he shall have the best blessings of heaven Temporal blessings as Canaan was of heaven being but a shadow of spiritual and eternal blessings And when the Lord would shew how plentious in mercy chiefly in spiritual mercies he would be to his people he saith Hosea 14.5 6. I will be as a Dew unto Israel and he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon Thus the Lord spake by the Prophet in allusion to those great effects which the natural Dew produceth on Earth Solomon having said Prov. 19.12 that the just and deserved wrath of a King is like the roaring of a lion presently adds but his favour is as the Dew upon the grass that is he exceedingly comforts and refresheth the hearts of all upon whom his favour falls And when the Prophet Micah chap. 5.7 would shew how great a blessing the people of God would be to any place where they were cast he saith The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people how as Dew from the Lord and as showers upon the grass By the remnant of Jacob he means the chosen and faithful remainder of Jacob after many scatterings and trials those few of the people of God in the midst of the world wheresoever they are shall be as Dew upon the g ass that is they shall be a great blessing to them The woâ—ld will scarce let that remnant be any where in some places of the world there are scarce any of them yet see of what benefit they are to any place They are as Dew from the Lord. The Apostle useth such an expression concerning himself and other faithful Ministers of the Gospel 2 Cor. 2.15 We are unto God a sweet favour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish that is we are a means of salvation and eternal life to them that are saved and we offer eternal life and salvation to them that perish So saith the Prophet concerning all the remnant of Jacob they shall be in the midst of many people as a dew upon the grass that waiteth not for man nor tarrieth for the son of man they shall be as a Dew from the Lord that is there shall be a great multitude of them and they shall be as a Dew that is they shall distill sweetly upon those many people as a Dew from the Lord and as the showres upon the grass that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sons of men The grass in the field is not watered by man as herbs and flowers in a garden are and therefore may be said not to tarry nor to depend upon man nor upon the sons of men but upon God for the Dew and Showers of heaven to water it Thus those many people shall have help and sweet supplies though men neglect them yet God will take care of them and send the remnant of Jacob some or other that are faithful to be as a Dew from him upon them to make them grow and be fruitful Before I pass from this verse we may consider a threefold allusion of the Dew First To Christ himself One of the Ancients expounding that place Judges 6.37 40. where Gideon desired as a sign from the Lord that he would save Israel by his hand that the Dew might fall on the fleece the floor remaining dry and afterward that the Dew might fall upon the floor the fleece remaining dry concludes Ros in vellere Christus in virgine Rupertus in Hos 14. The Dew in the fleece is Christ in the Virgin Jesus Christ indeed came down from heaven as the Dew for the refreshing and comforting of poor sinners he came down also as a Dew to make us fruitful and grow as the Lilly and to cast forth our roots as Lebanon Secondly In the Dew there is an allusion to the word of God preached The dispensers of the Gospel are compared to Clouds Moses was a Cloud and his speech distilled as the dew Deut. 32.2 that is it came down sweetly and efficaciously As the manna and the dew fell together Exod. 16.12 14. so the graces comforts and powers of the Spirit come with the word there 's dew with the Manna and Manna with the dew When the dew of divine doctrine comes down Christ the Manna comes down too Thirdly It carries in it an allusion to that sweetness of affection that is among brethren Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwel together in unity then follows vers 3. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore Love and unity among brethren is like dew it refresheth them and makes them fruitful They who provoke one another to love will also to good works Heb. 10.24 Unity makes a great increase Small things grow great by concord Concordia parvae res crescunt discordia magnae dilabuntur whereas discord dwindleth or reduceth great things to little things and at last to nothing So much of Gods Father-hood or relation to the Rain and Dew In the next words he is pleased to enquire of Job concerning the original of Ice and Frost Verse 29. Out of whose womb came the Ice These words are an elegant Metaphor taken from Child-bearing What woman can the Ice call Mother
with them to send lightning hast thou the command of thunder and lightning will the lightnings come forth at thy bidding The words may have a double allusion 1. To the General of an Army commanding his Souldiers and they going at his word 2. To the Master of a Family who gives orders to his Se vants and they go at his word Canst thou send lightnings that they may go And say unto thee here we are or as the Hebrew is Behold us That manner of speech here we are or behold us is a description of the most ready obedience either of Souldiers to their General or of Servants to their Master Will the lightnings obey thee thus and say here we are Some expound these words as supposed to be spoken by the lightnings upon their return from some former service given them in charge by God as having dispatcht what they were sent for and were ready to go again Hence the Latine translator gives it thus Vt reverentia tibi dicent adsumus Vulg. That they being returned or after their return should say unto thee with reverence here we are 1. Ready to go whithersoever thou wilt send us 2. Ready to do whatsoever thou wilt enjoyn us As if the Lord had said Canst thou send forth the lightnings and will they return to thee and say we have done thy commands and here we are again to receive fresh commands or new orders from thee Surely as the rain will not thus obey thee so neither will the lightnings neither the one nor the other will be thy servants to go of thy errand or execute thy will The same note which I gave before concerning the rain might be taken up here again concerning the lightnings They are not under the command of man c. Secondly for as much as the Lord here denies this priviledge both respecting the rain and lightning unto man he would have us understand and know that both are in himself though you cannot yet I can command them both are under my dominion While the Lord shews Job his impotency to command these meteors he asserts his own omnipotency as he hath made them so he can rule them Hence observe All treatures even those which seem to be most out of command are fully under the command of God What to appearance is more out of command than the lightning that quick that piercing that fierce and fiery creature yet that stirs no more than a stone till the Lord commands and at his command it stirs and is gone in a moment The Lord God hath spoken saith the Prophet Amos 3.8 who can but prophesie And as a faithful Prophet cannot but prophecy so the not only faithless but senseless creatures cannot but do what God hath spoken That of the Psalmist Psal 104.4 which we read who maketh his Angels spirits his Ministers a flaming fire some render thus who maketh the winds his messengers and the flames of fire his ministers That is he useth tempestuous winds and flames of fire as his messengers and ministers The same Hebrew word that signifieth an Angel signifieth a Messenger at large and the same word that signifieth a Spirit signifieth also the Wind. And as the words so the truth will bear both translations or constructions for as those higher or highest of rational creatures the Angels so those high inanimate creatures the winds and lightnings which may properly be called flames of fire are the Ministers and messengers of God that is they go forth and Minister according to his Word they say Here we are The Lord by a call or word speaking can have whom and what he will to serve his purpose and fulfil his decrees It is said 2 King 8.1 as also Psal 105.16 The Lord called for a famine a famine of bread and he no sooner called but the famine came and said Here am I the famine presently brake the staff of bread and did eat up all the good of the Land The Prophet Haggai Chap. 1.11 represents the Lord saying I called for a drought which is the usual fore-runner of famine and the drought said Here am I it came presently as soon as the Lord commanded On the other hand when the Lord made many promises under the new Covenant among other things he said I will call for plenty Ezek. 36.29 I will call for the corn and will increase it and lay no famine upon you As in those other places he called for famine and drought so here he saith I will call for plenty and it shall say Here am I abundance of corn and grass and fruits of the earth came at that call Lamenting Jeremiah speaking of the woful captivity of the people of Israel saith Lam. 1.15 The Lord called an assembly against me that is I conceive an assembly of the Assyrians and Babylonians an assembly of men an army of men he caused them to assemble and come together he did but call and they said Here we are and we will go vex Judah and Jerusalem Thus if the Lord call for famine and drought if he call for an assembly of men for men assembled with the sword of war in their hand to punish and chastise any people for their sin they will surely come and do his pleasure whatever the Lord calls for cannot but come Take this inference from it If the Lord have such a command upon all creatures even the inanimate creatures if the lightnings answer him when he calls Here we are Then how readily should men the best of visible creatures answer his call and say Here we are When the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers house unto a Land that I shall shew thee he never disputed the case but saith the Apostle Heb. 11.8 Obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went He never enquired what the place was to which he was to go nor what accommodations he should find when he came thither Abraham knew he was to go whither God called him to go though whither he was to go he knew not And when long after this the Lord called to Abraham Gen. 22.1 he said Behold here I am or Behold me as if he had said Lord I am here ready to obey thy command to go of thy errand to carry whatever message thou shalt put into my mouth to do whatever work thou shalt put into my hand and that Abraham did not complement with God it appears in the same Chapter for though when God commanded him to offer up his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved every word was enough to wound his heart the last deepest to part with a Son is hard with an only Son harder with a son dearly beloved is hardest of all especially when he must be not only passive but active in this loss his own hand must give the parting blow yet Abraham being called to this hard and hot service said Here am I and readily
attained to half their work quickly Strong hearts and feeble hands will dispatch a business better and sooner than strong hands and feeble hearts 'T is thus as in corporal so in spiritual labour where there is a mind to the work though we have but a little strength we shall do great things This was the high commendation of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.8 Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name He doth a great deal of work for God who keeps the Word of God But how unfit the Unicorn is or any strong one like the Unicorn to be trusted or have labour left with them appears further in the next verse Vers 12. Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credidit fisus est Credere in Deum credere Deo synonyma sunt reperitur etiam credere in Deo Drus Here is another piece of service which the Unicorn might not be trusted with Wilt thou believe him c. The root-word signifieth that act of faith which we put forth upon God for our free justification and eternal salvation as also for our sustentation under and deliverance from any trouble inward or outward of soul or body in and for all which the just live by faith There is believing God and believing in God both which are expressions sometimes of a like importance Wilt thou believe him or in him saith God of the Unicorn As if he had said Suppose thou couldst get a promise from the Unicorn that he will bring home 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod reddat Mont relaturum esse Jun. or return thy seed so the Hebrew strictly that he will make thy seed to return or as we render fully bring it home Wilt thou take his word or believe him that he will keep his word that he will indeed return or bring home Thy seed Credesnè quod relaturus sit somen tuum ad terras tuas Vatab. Seed may be taken two wayes First For that which is to be sowed it is ordinary with the Husband-man to call that seed-seed-corn which he reserveth for sowing The grain or corn intended to be sowed on the earth is properly seed-corn in allusion whereunto the Psalmist saith Psal 126.6 He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him The people of God mourning and praying sow precious seed Believing prayers and repenting tears never failed nor shall ever fail of a merciful of a plentiful Harvest or of a plentiful Harvest of mercy Some understand this Text thus Wilt thou believe that he will return thy seed will he do this service for thee will he carry thy seed which is to be sown into the field But though that be a piece of service to carry the seed-corn into the field yet the scope of the place doth not well comply with it here and therefore leaving that interpretation I shall rather Secondly Take seed for ripe corn or for that which is reaped as in Haggai Chap. 2.19 Is the seed yet in the Barn That is is the Harvest yet come in No the seed is not in the Barn So in this place seed is that which hath been sown and grown up and ready to be gathered into the Barn And that may be taken two wayes First Thus Num credes ei quod dum humum tuam ei arandam committis ita aptè eam arare possit ut tandem reddat tuam sementem vel ut ex ejus labore proveniat crescat seges ut tandem demetatur in aream deportatur ad triturandum Merc. Sperandum non est ut ager à Monocerote subactus sementem acceptam cum usura reddat Sanct. Will the Unicorn by plowing and harrowing the ground procure that thy seed shall return again to thee or that the seed which is sown shall come home to thy Barn yielding a good crop so returning what was sowed with advantage and increase Wilt thou believe him that he will cause thy seed thus to return home to thee Surely no do not believe that he will do thee any such service for he will deceive thy credulity if thou dost Secondly Thus Wilt thou believe that he will draw the cart and so help thee home with thy corn at Harvest This Exposition is most favoured not only by our Translation but by the words following in the latter part of the verse both which intimate that the seed here spoken of is the seed reaped rather than that to be sowed Will he bring home thy seed And gather it into thy barn Seed to be sowed is carried into the field not into the barn seed or corn reaped is carried into the barn not into the field As if it had been said The Unicorn will do thee no service As he would not go to plow so neither will he go to cart for the gathering of thy seed into thy barn Sowing reaping and gathering into the barn are the three principal parts of the Husband-mans labour and therefore our Lord Jesus Christ shewing how the fowls of the air live purely upon the providence of God without labour saith Mat. 6.26 They sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them The word which we translate Barn is used Numb 18.27 2 Sam. 6.6 and in both places it is rendred Threshing-floor The threshing-floor is usually in the barn and therefore the same word may well signifie both Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn Hence note First The labour of beasts is very profitable to man The Ox and Horse bring the seed home formally when 't is reaped and they bring it home or make it to return vertually when they labour and take pains about or for the sowing of it The Psalmist having prayed Psal 144. vers 13. That our garners may be full affording all manner of store presently adds vers 14. That our Oxen may be strong to labour for Prov. 14.4 where no Oxen are the crib is clean Not only First Because there is no need to fill the crib where no oxen are to eat up the fodder as was shewed a little before But Secondly Because where no Oxen are there is nothing to fill it The crib must needs be empty when the barn is empty food faileth both for man and beast where there are no Oxen. Barns and garners are full when the Ox is strong to labour or because the strong Ox hath been in labour For as it followeth Much increase cometh by the strength of the Ox. Why doth Solomon impute increase to the strength of the Ox Surely because the Ox being strong is also willing to labour and lay out his strength and so much increase cometh by the strength and labour of the Ox though that
to Joshua Josh 1.5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life What a promise was here to a man Joshua was indeed one of the worthiest warriers that ever was upon the earth and may well be reckoned not only one of but the cheif or most worthy among the nine Worthies of the world seing no man could stand before him nor should in way of opposition all the days of his life Now if the Lord promised such a power unto Joshua and made it good that none should be able to stand before him all the days of his life then who among the children of men shall be able to stand before God The Prophet Malachy speaking of Christs coming Chap. 3.1 saith Behold he shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant But what follows ver 2. Who may abide the day of his coming If there was such a terribleness in Christs coming in the flesh as to the spiritual power and effects of it that the Prophet saith Who may abide the day of his coming O then who shall be able to stand before Christ when he shall come in glory to judge the earth If they could not abide the day of his coming when he came with refiners fire and fullers sope how will they be able to stand before him when he cometh with consuming fire No man can stand before God in any of these four ways First In his own wisdom to plead it out with God If we plead with God our wisdom will be found foolishness and we our selves shall be confounded as fools The Lord saith Job Chap. 12.17 maketh the Judges fools Judges are usually full of wisdom yet God maketh even them fools God in strict sense maketh none nor would he have any made Judges but the wise yet he himself can make the wisest of them fools And if so then there is no standing before God in our own wisdom Secondly There is no standing before God in our own strength or power Our strength is but weakness yea rottennâ—ss to his as the Prophet speaks Isa 5.24 Their root shall be rottenness and there blossome shall go up as the dust Thus it is with all flesh if they stand in their own strength their root which is their strength shall be as rottenness and their blossome which is their beauty shall go up as the dust Thirdly There is no standing before God in our own righteousness to be acquitted accepted and justified There are many deficiencies and flawâ— in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it there is much unrighteousness in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it and how righteous if I may so speak soever our righteousness is or may be yet we cannot stand before God in it because he hath appointed another righteousness or the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus Christ for us to stand before him in So then if we would stand before God all these must be laid down we must lay down our own wisdom we must become fools that we may be wise we must lay down our own strength we must become weak that we may be strong and we must lay down our own righteousness and look upon our selves as guilty creatures as condemned persons as cast and lost in our selves we must have nothing but the wisdom and strength and righteousness of God to stand before God in that is we must stand before God by faith God is not terrible to such they may stand before God the poorest sinner may stand before God in the wisdom and strength and righteousness of Jesus Christ Thus we may answer the question Who can stand before me saith God I can stand before thee saith a believer I can stand before thee with boldness being quit of self-wisdom strength and righteousness and looking to Christ Jesus for all How sweet how gracious and how delightful is the presence of God to an humble believing soul to a broken-hearted sinner The Lord saith I will dwell with such a one he shall not only come and stand before me but I will come and sit down with him I will take up my abode in an humble soul in an empty soul Who is able to stand before me saith God None can in their own wisdom strength or righteousness but in Christ we may From hence we may more than conclude Fourthly That there is no standing before God in our sins God is terrible to sinners that is to those who continue in the love and practice of their sins God is of purer eyes than to behold and approve evil David having spoken of those Psal 1.1 that stand in the way of sinners saith at the 5th ver there is a standing for them in the Judgment They that stand in the way of sinners cannot stand at the Judgment-seat of God Job said Chap. 13.16 A hypocrite shall not come before him that is he shall not come with acceptance before God Though hypocrites will thrust themselves into the presence of God yet they shall not come before him though now an hypocrite may come before God in any outward performance yet not with any acceptance and to be sure he shall not come before God in glory and if he shall not come before him how can he stand before him The Lord will even blow him away Only they that fall down before God are able to stand before him We must fall down before God in a sence of our own vileness and wretchedness and then we shall be able to stand before him and to behold his pleased face by an eye of faith A stout sinner shall never stand before him It is said Zech. 3.1 Joshua stood before the Angel of the Lord. He had much ado to keep his standing why because the Devil stood there to resist him and pointed to his filthy garments but the Angel pleaded with the Lord to take away his filthy garments and when they were taken away then he was able to stand before God It is said Zech. 4.14 which is conceived to be meant of Joshua and Zerubbabel These are the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth And as they in the type so all that are Olive-branches that have the pure oil of the Spirit may and shall stand before God We become Olive-branches in Christ having the oil or the graces of the Spirit sent down into our hearts according to the promise Holy and humble souls Olive-branches they that are full of the grace and Spirit of our Lord Jesus shall stand before God but as for man himself that is man in himself in his own wisdom strength or righteousness above all in his sins and unrighteousness can never stand before God If he cannot stand before Leviathan how can he stand before the Lord This is a great Gospel truth given in by himself while he is treating of this sea-monster There is no standing before