of him will honour him with what they have even with their substance and with the first fruits of all their increase Prov. 3.9 Thirdly We may infer Seing God founded the earth He is also the Ruler of it And that the Lord rules the earth is a mercy to all men on the earth The Lord reigns let the earth rejoyce Psal 97.1 That is men of the earth have cause to rejoyce because they have God who is infinitely both wise and good to rule them The Lord is King over all the earth sing ye praises with understanding Psal 47.7 And surely they who understand what a King he is will praise him Fourthly We may be encouraged to go unto God or apply our selves to God about all things here on earth seeing â—e hath laid the fouâ—dations of the earth The Lord having invited his people to ask him things to come concerning his sons and concerning the work of his hands to command him Isa 45.11 adds this in the next words as an encouragement to do so I have made the earth and created man upon it As if he had said Ask of me whatever you would have me do or would have done on earth for I am he that created the earth It may help our faith much when as David expresseth it Psal 11.3 the very foundations of earthly things are destroyed to consider that God laid the foundations of the earth In such a case it may be said as it followeth there in the Psalme What can the righteous do but may it not be said even in that hard case when foundations are destroyed What cannot the Lord do who laid the foundations of the earth This argument the Psalmist also useth Psal 124.8 Our help stands in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Though earth and heaven shake and seem to be confounded or mingled together yet he who made heaven and earth without help can give us help or be our helper If our help stood in the best of men made of earth they might fail us but while our help stands in him that made the earth he will never fail us for he hath said he will not Heb. 13.5 and their experience who have trusted the Lord hath said it too Psal 9.10 This is the great priviledge of all that believe they may address to God by Christ for any thing in this earth because he is the Maker of it and having made it by a word speaking what cannot he do for them if he speak the word Fifthly Let us be much in praising the Lord for his wisdom power and greatness all which gloriously appear and shine forth in his laying the foundations of the earth David makes this a special part of Divine praise Psal 136.6 VVe should not onely praise the Lord for the great things he hath done on the earth but for this that he hath made the earth The work of God in laying the foundations of the earth calls as loudly for our praise as any thing except our redemption from the earth Rev. 5.9 chap. 14.3 which ever God wrought upon the face of the earth The making of the earth calls us to praise the Lord First Because he hath made so vast a body as this earth is or because he hath made such a large house for us Secondly Because he hath founded it so miraculosly hanging upon nothing that appears but in the ayre yet standing more firmly than any house built upon a rock Thirdly VVe should praise the wisdom of God that hath formed it so exactly and adorned it so richly It 's not a house huddled and clapt up together without skill or art though it was made word a word speaking in six days yet it was made with infinite wisdom as is more particularly held out v. 5. where the Lord speaks of laying the measures thereof and stretching the line upon it as also of fastning the foundations and laying the câ—rner-stone thereof all which â—â—ew it is not a house clapt up in haste but made with admirable exactness so that as 't is usual when great houses are built there were great acclamations made at the building of it as we have it the seventh verse of this Chapter then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy to see such a magnificent pile reared up Lastly Take this inference If the visible world be such a building what is the invisible world the City having foundations which God hath prepared for those that love him Thus much of the first part of Jobs Conviction he had nothing to do in laying the foundations of the earth and he had as little in setting up and finishing that goodly structure as will appear in that which followeth Yet before the Lord proceeded any further to question Job about this great work of Creation he requires or calls for his answer in the close of this fourth verse to the question propounded in the former part of it Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Declare if thou hast understanding God challengeth Job to answer The Hebrew is If thou knowest understanding And so the word is used Isa 29.24 where we render They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding or as the Margin hath it shall know understanding Again Huram said 2 Chron. 2.12 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise son endued with prudence and understanding The Original is thus strictly read Knowing prudence and understanding Daniel spake in the same forme chap. 2.21 He giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding To know is a work of the understanding No man knoweth any thing but by the help of his understanding The understanding is the first or Master-wheel in that noble engine the soul of man and when rightly informed and inlightned all the other wheels or faculties of the soul move aright unless over-poized by passions and self-ends Every rational creature hath an understanding yet every rational creature doth not know understanding that is doth not is not able to speak knowingly or to use and act his understanding knowingly about every matter The Lord supposeth Job might be defective here and therefore bespeaks him thus Declare if thou hast understanding or knowest understanding As if he had said The things which I question thee about may possibly be too high or too big for thy understanding Si perituâ— sis tantarum rerum Vatab. such as possibly thou canst not reach And hence some render or rather paraphrase the Text thus Declare if thou art skilful in such great things as I now speak of If thou art so wise as thou seemest to be by thy former contesting with my provideâ—ces declare thy wisdom in this point wherein I know thou wilt but declare thy ignorance thy infancy or inability to speak as one speaks Thou wilt shew thy self but a child while thou
Thus there are men of the Night men of the Evening and men of the Morning or Morning Men. In this sense the Stars may be called Morning Stars because they were so early at that best work the praises of God When the Morning Stars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerundium est a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inter aliâ— canere significat unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—ntus Drus Sang together Singing is an act of the voice and as there is a natural singing that of birds so an artificial But how could Stars sing either artificially seeing they have no reason or naturally seeing they have not so much as a life of sense I answer 'T is frequent in Scripture to attribute acts of life to liveless creatures and acts of reason to those things which have no sense The Earth is somewhere said to mourn Isa 33.9 The Trees of the Forrest as also the Hills and the Valleys are said to rejoyce and sing for joy Psal 65.12 13. And in the same senâ—e the Stars are here represented singing and in what sense they may be said to sing will be further shewed afterwards Nor did they onely sing but they sang Simul unico concentu unico consensu Together There was a kind of concord and harmony in their singing they sang as I may say with one consent or in consort Some translate They sang alone That is when there were no other creatures to jâ—yn with them yet as soon as they were in being they sang alone The word sometimes signifies only as well as together chap 34.29 Ezra 4.3 They did not sing every one of them alone but they all sang alone without any other creatures to joyn with them Thus they sang both alone and together Hence Note First Singing is an act of divine worship and praise They sang to the glory of God Note Secondly Singing is an expression of joy Is any one merry saith the Apostle Jam. 5.13 let him sing Though there are mouâ—nful songs and some sing in the very heaviness of their souls yet properly singing imports rejoycing When Christ told his Church Cant. 2 1â— The time of the singing of birds is come his meaning was rejoycing time is come sorrow and mouâ—ning are fled away Thirdly In that singing is attributed to the Stars Note Liveless creatures rejoyce and set forth the praises of God as they are able David saith All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 All thy works that is the very lowest and least of thy works even the clods of the earth shall praise thee how much more the Stars of Heaven We find all the creatures called to sing the praise of the Lord quite through the 148th Psalm Praise him Sun and Moon praise him all ye Stars of light There 's the special instance of the Text. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal 19.1 There is a kind of dutiful conspiration among all Creatures even among the inanimate Creatures in their places to praise God And if you ask how they praise God or how they sing I answer in general after their manner More suo as they are able or as is suitable to their condition The Stars sing not formally and yet some say there is a harmony in the motions of the Heavens which being so constant concordant and uniform hath a kind of Musick in it but though they cannot praise God formally yet First They do it Materially That is they are that matter In caelestibus corporibus amplior occurrit dei collaundandi materia ideo illis cantus seu laeta proclamatio seu ovatio figurate tribuitur Merc for which God is to be praised they being such excellent and noble creatures The work praiseth the Workman That which is well done commends the Doer of it though all tongues be silent In this sense the Stars sing the praise of God They sing the praise of God as they are the objects of his praise or as they provoke Men and Angels to praise God for making them Secondly They praise God Vertually or equivalently they shew how praise-worthy God is Thirdly When we say the Stars praise God it intimates there is so much excellency in the Works of God that if the Stars could speak they would declare and shew forth his praise When the Disciples of Christ rejoyced and praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest Luke 19.37 38. The envious Pharisees did not like the Musick and therefore â—aid to him from among the multitude Master rebuke thy Disciples vers 39. To these morose Masters Christ answered vers 40. I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out As if he had said you labour in vain to suppress or hinder the testimony given me by my Disciples for if they should be silent the stones would cry shame of them for neglecting their duty and God would rather cause senseless creatures to proclaim his praise in giving me an honourable testimony than I should want it Now as there was such a worth in the work of Redemption and in all the works of the Redeemer while here on Earth that the stones would have shewed forth his praise if men had not So there is such a worth in that Work of God the Creation of the Earth that rather than God should not have the glory of it the Stars would have done it by breaking out into joyful singing Lastly As Birds praise God by their singing so Stars may be said to sing the high praises of God by their shining by their brightness by their motion by their influence for all which God is to be praised and glorified And hence we may infer If not only irrational but inanimate creatures sing the praises of God at least by giving occasion of his praise then how much more should men set forth his praise who are not only living but reasonable creatures and if creatures without life and reason should provoke mankind in general as having life and reason to praise God how much more should godly men be provoked by them to sing his praise they having not only life which Stars have not and reason which Birds and Beasts have not but grace which the most of men have not Among visible creatures Men have most reason because they have reason to praise God and among Men Godly Men have most reason to praise God because they have Grace And therefore as soon as ever David had said All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 11. he adds in the next words and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy power As if he had said As all thy works O Lord praise thee so Saints who are the choicest pieces
he hath founded it upon the waters as was shewed before yet that cannot be meant properly for how can water a fluid body naturally bear up or sustain the Earth a heavy body and not at all boyant We all see it hangeth or standeth in the ayre But what foundation can the ayre be to the Earth which will scarcely bear a feather It remains then undeniable that the Will and Power of God are the foundations of the Earth Rationi nihil occurrit cui innitatur terra si divinam exceperis voluntatem Nazian Orat. 24. There 's nothing can be given or assigned in reason if you look not to the Will of God for the foundation of the Earth Besides that there 's no bottom for it One of the Ancients giving a description of the Creation saith All things are laid up in his Power and Will these are the foundations the stay and establishment of all things Omnia reposita existimo in ejus potestate quod voluntas ejus sit fundamentum universorum Ambr. l. 1. Hexam c. 6. And as it is so with respect to the standing of the Earth so with respect to all those great things which God hath promised to do in the Earth the foundation of them all is his own Power and Will or his Powerful Will The foundation laid in Election and the foundation laid in Redemption by Jesus Christ other foundation can no man lay for all our spiritual comforts present priviledges and future hopes 1 Cor. 3.11 These foundations I say were laid in the Will of God Lo I come to do thy Will O God Heb. 10.7.9 The Will of God is the foundation and establishment of all things whether Natural or Civil Spiritual or Eternal Seventhly From the scope of these words we may Observe God who hath made the Earth by his Power doth also govern it and man who inhabits it And therefore man ought to be quiet and sit down in his governing as well as in his Creating Will. To convince and perswade Job of this is as hath been toucht the purpose of God in all that followeth He that hath made the World governs the World and if so shall poor creatures you or I or any other though a Job find fault with his government of it Will a Master-Builder suffer any one to find fault with his work who understands not how to lay a stone in it much less to give the rule or direction for the whole work Forasmuch then as the Lord is not only the Master-Builder but the sole Maker of this great House the World it becomes man for whose use it was made to acquiesce or rest quietly in his Government of it Surely the Maker of all things hath a right to dispose of all things and therefore all persons are to be satisfied in his disposal of them From the whole verse and the observations given upon it take these Scripture inferences First The Scripture makes this inference from it God is one and there is none like to him Isa 40.26 Isa 46.8 To whom will ye liken me to whom will you compare me I am he that stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth there 's none like to him in Wisdome none in Power who laid the foundation of the Earth There was never such a visible piece of work done in the World as the making of the World therefore theâ—e is none such as the Maker of the World The hypocrite is brought in dreaming that God was altogether such as himself Psal 50.21 And 't is as it hath been the common guise of Idolaters to think that God is no better than their Idol But what the Lord by his Prophet Jer. 10.11 12 taught the captive Jews to say to their great Lords the Babylonians the same hath he taught us to say to all Hypocrites and Idolaters The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens Then presently followeth as in Job He hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion As if it had been said Will ye imagine that the Idols which you have made are like him who made you and all things And 't is considerable that whereas the whole Prophesie of Jeremy is written in the Hebrew Tongue this eleventh verse which holds out at once a testimony and a threatning against those Idolaters is written in the Chaldean Language with which the Jews by their long Captivity in Babylon were well acquainted that so the Babylonians might hear of it and know that the God of Israel who made heaven and earth was altogether unlike their gods who did never so much as arrogate to themsâ—lves any hand in much less the sole power of making heaven and earth Secondly Take this Scripture inference Seeing the Lord hath laid the foundations of the earth by his own Power and Wisdome then He is the Proprietor of the whole earth or the whole earth is the Lords proper possession Psal 34.1 The earth is the Lords aâ—d the fulness thereof the Lord made it and it is his He was not called nor set a work to build this great House for another but he made iâ— as by his own power so for his own pleasure all the inhabitants of the earth are his tenants and not only the earth but the whole stock and furniture of it is his For as the Lord made the earth so all that the earth is stored with Thus spake Abraham Gen. 14.22 to the King of Sodome who bid him take the goods to himself I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord the most high God possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take from a threed even to a shoe latchet c. As if he had said The Lord who is possessor of heaven and earth is my portion my possession and he can give me enough of the earth yea he will give me heaven also therefore I will not take any thing of thine lest thou shouldest say I have made Abraham rich The Lord who is possessor of the earth can give his people what earthly portions or possessions of the earth he pleaseth And let us remember what earthly portions soever we have in this world we have no reason to boast seeing all is the Lords and we are but his stewards and tenants at will And because 't is the Lords earth which we possess let us also remember to pay our rent our quit-rent to him that is thanks duly and daily lest we provoke him to distrain upon us or to take the forfeiture and turn us out of all Many hold lands from great Lords to pay only some small rent or service in a way of acknowledgement O let us remember to pay our rent to our Great Land-Lord The Lord of the whole earth They who acknowledge what they have is his or that they have and hold all they have
it is said that David smote Moab and measured them with a line casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full line to keep alive and so the Moabites became Davids servants and brought gifts Some understand this act of David in measuring the Moabites with a line strictly and literally that David having made a full Conquest of their Country did cause it to be measured with a line and then appointed or allotted two thirds of the Land together with the inhabitants to ruin and destruction receiving only the third of the people to mercy and reserving only a third part of the Land to be planted by them Others take it only allusively that having conquered them he used them and their Country at his own pleasure as we do that which we measure out by line But whether we take Davids measuring the Moabites with a line in the one sense or in the other it fully reaches this third notion of it under hand Here in the Text when the Lord demanded of Job Who hath stretched the line upon it It is as if he had said Shew me if thou canst who hath given this great building this fabrick of the earth such symetry such a proportion and evenness that no fault or flaw can possibly be found in it From these two figurative expressions in the fifth verse implying the exactness of the earths frame Note The frame of the world is every way and in every respect proportionable and beautiful 'T is done as it were by measure and line The Lord is infinitely above the use of measures or lines yet condescending to our understanding he gives us to know that 't is as perfect a piece as if he had done it by measure and by line Survay the whole world or any part of it is it not a most exact piece The heavens are as the roof of the house the earth as the floor and foundation of it those elements aire and water as the walls and sides of it The lower parts of the earth are as pillars and bases hills and high mountains appear like emboslements of the earth to the eye of the beholder What can be added whether we consider the compleatness of the whole or the symetry of the parts Have we not reason to say admiringly or to cry out as Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thâ—u made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the great aâ—d wide sea c. Our hearts should be drawn up by all the works of God to admire his workmanship That thy name is near thy wondrous works declare said David Psal 65.1 speaking of the Woâ—ks of Providence and that the name of God is near his Works of Creation declare also his name is written upon them that is his power wisdome and goodness And therefore when we behold this Woâ—k of God in special his laying the measures of the earth we should admire both his goodness wisdom and power There are five things in this part of the Creation the earth as expressed to be done by line and measure which may raise up our admiration of God First The greatness of the work It is a vast peece or pile a huge fabrick though but a point to the Heavens We admire great buildings but what are the greatest buildings upon earth to the earth it self which the Lord hath built Secondly The harmony or uniformity of the building and so the beauty of it Thirdly The compactness of the building as knit close together and so the firmness of it Fourthly That all was done in so short a time We say Rome was not built in a day Solomon was seven years in building the Temple 1 Kings 6.38 And he was thirteen years in building his own house 1 Kings 7.1 And doubtlesse Solomon laid out all the power and skill he had for the setting up of those buildings But behold a greater building than either the Temple which Solomon built for God or the house which he built for himself set up as we say in a trice The Lord finished all his work in six dayes and that part of it the earth in one Nor did the Lord take either six dayes to finish the whole work or one to finish any one part of it because he needed so much time to do it in but because he would not do it in less Fifthly The Lord did all this without the use of any instrument rule or compass axe or hammer though here is mention made of a measure and of a line The skilfullest Aâ—chitect cannot raise up any considerable building without these though he hath the platform and idea of it in his head yet take away his line and his rule and he can do nothing But such is the glorious skill and power of God that though he is pleased to speak of a measure and of a line yet we must not be so gross as to think that he made use of any The whole work was natural to God and therefore he needed no artificial helps nor was any instrument employed in it but only his own creating word and will Some faithless Atheists of old and possibly there are such at this day asked in scorn with what tools and instruments with what ladders and scaffolds this building was set up But let us at once pity such in their unbeliefe and horrible prophaneness and labour to edifie or build up our selves in grace and holiness in the faith and fear of his great Name who built this world without tools or instruments without ladders or scaffolds Secondly As our hearts should be drawn out in admiration so in thankfulness forasmuch as God hath made such a world for us he hath laid the foundations of the earth he hath measured it out and stretched the line upon it that we might have the use of it that we might tenant and inhabit this house Man is the chief inhabitant of the earth that other creatures dwell there is for the service of man then let us be thankful Our greatest cause of thankfulness is that the Lord hath made another house for us of which the Apostle professeth his assurance 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle whether of our body or of the body of this world is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens O how should we rejoyce in he thankful for that house But that we have this inferiour house built for us which is also a building of God an house not made with hands but purely and immediately by the power of God is and should be continual matter of great thankfulness Thirdly Seeing the Lord hath thus laid the measures of the earth and stretched forth the line upon it seeing he hath made such an exact building for us this earth let us walk exactly and orderly upon this earth which he hath made
As he hath laid his measures in framing the earth so we should keep our measures in living upon the earth He hath stretched out his line upon it and we should take heed that we do not exceed our line God hath given a line by which mans conversation should be squared as exactly as any building is or can be by line As the work of God for us is beautiful so should our works be We as to our spiritual state are a Creation a new noble Creation And certainly he who made the earth this old outward Creation in such exactness hath also made the new Creation our spiritual heavenly state much more if more may be exactly he hath made it by measure and by line Let us therefore walk and speak yea and think by measure and by line let us appear and approve our selves as the building of God as the work of Gods holy Spirit fair and beautiful Many profess godliness but do they appear as Gods Workmanship as if God had stretched his line and laid the measure of the New Spiritual Creation upon them Beleevers are the Workmanship of God Eph. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so they should appear as created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them The Apostle saith Phil. 1.27 Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ whom ye believe in The Gospel is an exact thing ordered in all things as David spake of it 2 Sam. 23.5 under the notion of the everlasting Covenant Now saith St. Paul Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ let it be an orderly conversation I may say also let your conversation be such as becometh the earth ye walk upon that 's an accurate frame the Lord hath made it in measure and stretched the line upon it Let us take heed we be not found walking besides that line those measures which he hath given us Fourthly If God hath been thus exact in framing the earth as it were by line and measure for us if he hath given us so perfect a piece to inhabit and dwell in while we are in this sinful state What do you think is that paradise which he hath prepared for us in our sinless state VVhat are the measures of our heavenly City VVhat the lines that have been stretched out upon those eternal Mansions If visible things which our eye seeth are so taking what are things invisible And if this earth which we tread on be a Looking-glass as indeed it is wherein we may see the wisdom and power of God what will heaven be How will that reflect the wisdom power and goodness of God If this world be a beauty and is therefore expressed by a word in the Greek signifying beauty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comeliness decency what will that world be which is to come Thus much of the exactness of the building The next verse holds out the strength and firmness of it Vers 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened Or who hath laid the corner-stone thereof Two things make a building strong and firm First The fastening of the foundations Secondly The right laying of the Corner-stone VVe had the laying of the foundations at the fourth verse here we have the fastening of them If a foundation be laid loosly the building will not stand Christ in the Parable Mat. 7.27 speaks of a foundation laid in the loose sand that could not make a firm building But the house which had its foundation laid on a compacted rock or had the rock for a foundation stood fast in all winds and weathers The Lord hath not only laid the foundations of the earth lis qui nos percunctantur cuinam corpori veluti subjecto fundamento tam immensum hoc terrae pondus innitatur dicamus oportet quod in manu terrae sunt omnes fines terrae Basil in Psal 94. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immersus infâ—ous impressus hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oâ—â—ulus quod digito vel potius digitus ei infigitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basis columna â—ui aliquid innititur imponitur atque ab ea gestatur but hath fastened the foundations he hath built upon a Rock You will say what is that rock-like thing upon which the foundations of the earth are fastened I answer it is nothing but the power and will of God The will and power of God are the pillars or bases upon which the earth is fastened and made sure for ever The word which we translate foundations is often in Scripture rendred sockets Exod. 26.19 chap. 35.11 chap. 38.27 Cant. 5.15 Now sockets are places cut in timber and stone or cast in mettal in which the several strengthning pieces of a building are fastened and such is the foundation to a house the fastening of it Foundations are laid in the ground and beams are fastened with sockets Mr. Broughton translates Whereupon are the foundations thereof sunk fast We usually say we must sink a foundation Foundations are sunk and then the Superstructure fastened on it Further Take notice The word which here we render foundations or sockets is not that which properly signifieth a foundation And from it the word Adon is derived which signifieth a Lord or Master or chief among men because Lords and Princes are or should be as the sockets and pillars of a Nation to fasten and secure all in their places and upon the fall of Princes often followeth the fall and ruin of Nations The Spanish word Don or Lord is supposed a derivative from it Per literam in fine additam praecedente Camets And from this Appellative one of the proper Names of God is formed by the addition of a letter in the end Under which royal Title he is represented to our faith as the Lord and Upholder of all things Some have observed that God is called by this Name one hundred thirty and four times in Scripture All which shew that he who is the Creator is also the Sustainer and Supporter of the whole fabrick of Nature such is the significancy of this word Now when the Lord asks Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened There 's no answer can be given to this question but what was given to the former God hath fastened them upon himself in his power and will they stand sure Or who hath laid the Corner-stone thereof Or Who hath cast her Corner-stone As if he had said Videntur obscure significari poli terrae Grot. Lapis anguli i. e. qui positus est in angulo Pisc Who made the parts of the earth to keep so close together and to keep up one another This is another very considerable part in a building As strong buildings must have a sure foundation to hold up the whole so they must have corner-stones to hold the parts together The corner-stone bindeth and strengtheneth the fabrick as well as gives beauty and ornament to it There are two sorts
our thoughts to the praise of God to sing and shout his praises Did the Stars take them properly and did the Sons of God the Angels rejoyce when the work first began and is not the work to be rejoyced in now 't is finished Though sin hath sullied the work yet the glory of God is still transparent in it the power goodness and wisdom of God are gloriously seen in the things that are made Rom. 1.20 not onely were they seen but they are â—een to this day The creatures are still a glass wherein we may â—â—hold the invisible things of God even his eternal Power and God-head so that they who glorifie him not in and for those works will be found and left without excuse They are a book a volume consisting of as many leaves and lines as there are distinct sorts of creatures wherein we may read the great God plainly described to us and if so let us remember our fault this day Is it not our sin and shame that we are so little in admiring God for this work which set all the Angels in heaven a singing a shouting a wondring There are several things in the Works of Creation which well considered will soon provoke us to singing and to shouting First The multitude of Creatures Secondly The various kinds of Creatures Thirdly The beauty and excellency that is in the Creatures Fourthly The profit and the usefulness of the Creatures These laid together should draw out our praises and cause us to exalt the power wisdom and goodness of God manifested in and by his Creatures Lastly Consider what was iâ— that caused the Angels to â—hout for jâ—y when they saw this woâ—k of God begun Surely it was the appearance or manifestation of God shining brightly in the Work of Creation Hence Observe The discoveries of the power wisdom and goodness of God should stir up and engage every man and cannot but effectually stir up and engage those who are wise and good to rejoyce in God Somewhat of God is stamped or there are certain lines of his transcendent perfections drawn upon every Creature here a line of wisdom and there a line of power here a line of goodness and there a line of mercy the sight of these should cause us to shout for joy especially that this God the Creator of the ends of the Earth is our God for ever and ever and will be our guide even unto death How many lines have we of God in the World which we have not read much less studied and commented upon In how many things is God visible and yet we see him not nor acknowledge him as we ought Take onely these two things by way of inference from the whole First To be of a praising of a rejoycing spirit iâ—â—o be of an excellent spirit of an angelical spirit Let us imitate â—he Angels in praising God The Angels are called the Sons of God because they imitate him let us imitate the Angels in praising God so shall we approve our selves the Sons of God too Secondly Consider The Angels rejoyced at the laying of the foundations of the Earth The Earth was made for man Heaven was the Angels habitation they were well provided for if there had never been an Earth they had been provided for yet they shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the Earth for the use of man and beast Hence take this Inference It shews a good spirit to rejoyce at the good of others or to be pleased with that which is beneficial to others though it be no benefit to us This argues an excellent spirit an angelical spirit Some if they are well housed and provided for care not whether others are housed and provided for or no nor can they rejoyce at the good of others but as their own good is concern'd In glory we shall be like to the Angels our very bodies shall be like to the Angels living without food without sleep without marriage in Heaven we shall neither marry nor be given in marriage but shall be like the Angels O let us strive to be like the Angels in our minds now as we hope to have our bodies like the Angels hereafter even clothed as the Schoolmen call them with angelical endowments Unless our spirits are like the Angels here unless we have hearts like the hearts of Angels in this World we shall never have bodies like them hereafter or in the World to come JOB Chap. 38. Vers 8 9 10 11. 8. Or who shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb 9. When I made the Cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors 11. And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed THe Lord having questioned Job about the Fabrick of the Earth and shewed the triumph and acclamations of Angels at it in the former Context He next leads him to the waters or carrieth him to the Sea there to consider his Works of wonder As Moses in the beginning of Genesis having summarily and in general spoken of the Creation of Heaven and Earth descendeth to particulars so here we have the Lord passing from one part of the Creation to another from the Creation of the Earth to that other great part of the Creation the Waters or the Sea Vers 8. Who shut up the Sea with doors c. In these words we have First The Creation of the Sea Secondly Its Constitution both set forth by most elegant Metaphors The Creation or Production of the Sea is shadowed by allusion to an Infant breaking forth out of the womb Vers 8. The Constitution or settlement of the Sea is carried on in suitable Metaphors to the end of the eleventh Verse Vers 8. Or who hath shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth c. We have here First The Birth or Nativity of the Sea Secondly What God did with the Sea when it was born and issued out of the womb Then God shut it in with doors and prepared garments and swadling bands for it then he restrained the rage force and fury of it and held it as his prisoner or captive in bonds As soon as an Infant is born it is bound up and swadled and as soon as the Sea as I may say was born or come into the World God took order with it and to keep it in order he provided doors to shut it in and garments to bind it up with What the Scripture speaks of Gods coercing the Sea may be reduced to two heads First To that restraint which he laid upon the Sea presently upon its Creation some say the first others the third day of the Creation according to that Gen. 1.9 God said Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear and it was so Thus the
hard labour This makes the sense of the whole Context run more clearly than our reading of it And so we have Sea-doors of two sorts in this Context In this eighth verse the doors of the Sea are the doors by which the Sea came forth and in the tenth verse we have the doors by which the Sea is kept in whereas according to our rendring the doors in both places are interpreted as keeping the Sea in and so there would be a mention of the same doors twice which though it may be admitted yet this latter seems to be the clearest as taking the first doors for those by which the Sea was let out or had its birth and the latter for those doors by which the Sea is kept within its bounds Who shut up the Sea with doors When it brake forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exivit cum impâ—tu The word which we translate to break forth signifies in other places of Scripture the breaking forth of a Child in the birth David useth it Psal 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb there it is taken as Grammarians speak transitively here intransitively When it brake foterth noting a kind of rapture or violence as when Tamar was in travel Gen. 38.27 28. There were twins in her womb and it came to pass when she travelled that the one put out his hand and the Midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet threed saying this came out first and it came to pass as he drew back his hand that behold his brother came forth and she said how hast thou broken forth this breach be upon thee therefore his Name was called Pharez Thus the Sea brake forth violently as if it had issued Out of the womb Ex occulto divinae providentiae Aquin. Creavit deus terram non inanem sed gravidam aquis quae licet eodem temporis momento 〈◊〉 What Womb Some say of the Providence of God say others of the Decree or Counsel of God for that is the womb out of which all things proceed A third saith out of the Power and Omnipotence of God All these sayings are true either of these is as the womb out of which all things issue but these the Providence the Decree and Counsel the Power and Omnipotence of God are the Common Womb out of which all things issue whereas here the Lord seems to speak of some special womb out of which the Sea issued And therefore I rather adhere to that Interpretation which saith plainly that the womb out of which the Sea is said to issue was the Abysse or bowels of the Earth The Sea brake forth out of the bowels of the Earth as out of a womb The Earth is the Common Parent the Parent of the Sea the Sea was created in the bowels of the Earth or the Earth was created big with the waters of the Sea as a woman big with child and shortly after the Lord caused the earth like a woman with child to travel and bâ—ing forth the Sea So that the Lord doth here more distinctly open to us the manner of the Creation of the Sea than in the first of Genesis It is true the Element of Water hath its seat naturally above the Earth it being the lighter Element but as to the first conception of it this Scripture implies that its place was within the Earth and that it issued forth from the Earth The bowels of the Earth were the womb in which the Sea was conceived and out of which by the Word of the Lord it issued The waters were not at first created above the Earth as some have affirmed but they being created with the Earth and conceived within the Earth brake out of the Earth and invested or covered it all over and so continued in that condition till the third day and then the Lord commanded them to retire into certain vast channels now called Sea that so the dry land might appear Thus the Lord when the waters were issued forth disposed of them in their proper place According to this Interpretation we are to take these words of the time past Who is he that shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth that is after it had broken forth after it had issued out Who was he that then shut it up with doors This description of the Nativity of the Sea may be drawn out into these concluâ—ions First The Earth and Waters were created both together Secondly The Waters were at first created within the bowels of the Earth for saith the Text They issued forth they brake forth Thirdly At the Command of God the Waters were brought forth out of the Earth as a Child out of the Mothers Womb Psal 33.7 He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heap he layeth up the deep in store-houses Psal 104 vers 5 9. Bless the Lord c. who laid the foundations of the Earth that it should not be removed for ever thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the Waters stood above the Mountains Fourthly The Waters being thus brought forth did at first cover the Earth and so would have continued if God had let them alone In the method of Nature things lie thus First The earth is lowest being the grossest element Secondly The water riseth above the earth as being more pure than that Thirdly The air is above the water as being much more pure than the water Fourthly The fire gets above all as being the thinnest and purest of all the elements and therefore the water issuing out of the earth would have continually covered the face of the earth if the Lord by his power had not ordered it off and shut it up with doors when come off according to our reading the words in this verse and according to the general reading of the tenth verse where the whole earth being covered with water the Lord brake up for it his decreed place and there kept it fast Thus David Psal 104.7 8. speaking of the waters above the mountains and over-flowing all presently adds At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away they go up by the mountains they go down by the vallies unto the place which thou hast founded for them There the Lord by David as here by himself sets forth his mighty power in the disposal of the waters to a certain place But if we take that other reading of this verse Who hath annointed the doors of the Sea then by doors we are not to understand that which stops the Sea from over-flowing the earth as in the tenth verse but for those passages at which the waters brake out of the earth as an infant from the womb which seems most distinct and clear And because the Sea is so huge a body so great a part of the world we may not unprofitably I hope before I pass from this verse consider a three-fold representation of the Sea or the Sea as a glass
garment for the sea Clouds are water condensed and they dissolve into water and here the Lord having separated the sea from the earth made the cloud which is a kind of sea a sea in the air as a garment to cover and keep it warm And because a new-born child lest the limbs should not grow right hath not the liberty of its arms and feet for a time but is wrapt up with a swadling band therefore in pursuance of the Allegory the Text speaks of a swadling band prepared for the sea as soon as it was born But what was the swadling-band of the sea As the matter of its garment is a cloud so its swadling-band is thick darkness that is say some very dark clouds making this latter part of the verse but a repetition of the former because clouds are dark in themselves they are often expressed by darkness they are called black clouds and dark clouds yea sometimes clouds are called darkness So that the cloud and the thick darkness may be the same onely it is here exprest in different terms to shew the exactness of the Lords proceeding and the accurateness of his providing for the due ordering of the unruly child the sea And that the sea had at first such a swadling-band we find Gen. 1.2 Darkness was upon the face of the deep Hence First From the purpose of the Spirit of God as we may well conceive in representing the sea in such a dress a child in swadling-bands Note God can as easily rule and bind the sea a vast bulky body as a mother or a nurse can bind a little infant in swadling-bands And surely the Spirit of God would have us to take notice that though the sea be indeed such a giant such a monster as will make a heart of oak shake or a heart of brass melt yet what is it to God but an infant he can bind it and lay it to sleep even as a little child And if the great sea be in the hand of God as a little child what is great to God! and how great is God! What is strong to God! and how strong is God! What or who is too great or too strong for God to deal with Cannot God who hath swadled the turbulent sea provide swadling-bands to wrap up the stoutest and most turbulent spirits of this world Job â—pâ—aking of himself wondered that God should deal so with him chap. 7.12 Am I a Sea or a Whale that thou settest a watch over me The sea is a boisterous creature and had need be watched Am I a Sea or a Whale said Job Though a man be as a sea or a whale God can watch him and bind him from doing mischief Therefore fear not any power of the creature though a great sea while your behaviour is good but fear the Lord who binds the sea to its good behaviour Nations are before him but as the drop of a bucket Isa 40.15 A Nation confidered in it self is a mighty sea much more The Nations which indefinite is universal taking in all Nations yet they are all but as the drop of a bucket and how easily can we dispose of the drop of a bucket Even so easily can God dispose of those who are as the sea in opinion and appearance Secondly Consider what the Lord makes the swadling-band of the sea some strong thing no doubt the Text tells us it is but a dark cloud or a mist arising from the sea these are the bands with which God binds this mighty giant the sea Hence Observe The Lord can make weak and improbable means to do and effect the greatest things One would think we should have heard of some other matter even of adamantine chains to bind the Sea with but we see mists and fogs and clouds shall do it if God will Mists are but vapours gathered up and thickened a little in the air Is it not a wonder that they should get the upper hand of and bind the sea so that as soon as a mist riseth in the air by and by the sea is still There is indeed a natural reason why as calms are seldome without mists so mists can never be without calms because mists cannot endure nor live in the wind much less in a storm but must presently be dispersed or blown away by it yet 't is much that a mist or a fog or a cloud in the air should have a binding force upon the sea This was the Lords work to keep the sea quiet in its place And having considered this we are called to consider another Work of God whereby he keeps the sea from roving out of its place in the two verses following Vers 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors c. Here the Lord speaks of the second state of the sea according to one reading though according to ours of the first When the Lord had said Let the waters be gathered together into one place he prepared a place to receive the waters as when a man would have a place to hold water he digs or makes an earthen vessel or receptacle for it So when the waters issued out of the earth in their nativity the Lord gathered them together into a sea and prepared a stupendious pit or as some follow the allusion here of a new-born infant wrapt in swadling-bands he provided a great bed or cradle to put it into That vast concave into which the waters are put is somewhat like a cradle those channels I say which God made for the sea are as the cradle wherein it is laid The banks and shores are those bars and doors with which the infant is kept in his cradle What can be spoken more significantly than these similitudes to express the greatness of God who keeps in the sea by his power and leads it forth gently into several creeks and bosoms for the safety of Navigaâ—iâ—n and represseth its fury and violence by the sands and shores Thus saith the Lord I brake up for it my decreed place a hollow place for the holding of the sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et fregi i. e. decidi vâ—l decreviâ—i per illâ— stâ—tutiâ—â—â—eum q. d. de iâ—â—â— decretum meum coâ—stitui cum ei limiâ—es sunt à me praefiniti Merc. Vocabulum terrâ— recte hic suppleri tum ipsa historiae veritas tum pâ—opria fignitiâ—atio vâ—rbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evincit Itaque alii nâ—n recte cum vâ—rbo illo â—â—â—â—runt vâ—â—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrâ—â—o defâ—â—it prepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pisc Cum difregi pro eo sâ—â— terraâ—â— decreto meo i. e. Alveos velut â—unas exaravi circummuâ—iâ—i Jun. Some translate And established my decree upon it for the word place is not expressed in the Text there it is only and brake up my decree but it is more clear to the general sense of the Text and to the particular sense of the
the sea Here shall thy proud waves Be stayed The Hebrew is And here it shall set it self against the pride of thy waves As if the Lord had said if they come here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fluctus recte dicti quia volvuntur ventis Et magnos volvunt ad littora fluctus Dicuntur etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fragore vel quod franguntur in littora scopulos vel quod inter se colliduntur my doors shall meet them my commands like bars shall stop them that they shall not be able to go a step further they shall not conquer my commands nor break down the doors nor dissolve the bars which I have set up The word rendred waves properly signifies a heap because waves role in heaps one upon the neck of another First In that this Text makes so particular a description of the provision which God made to keep the sea in order as soon as it was born he bound it up in swadling-bands and then brake up a decreed place for it and there set up bars and doors that it should come no further He put the sea under confinement Hence Note The sea left to it self would mischief all the sea would return and cover the earth quickly As soon as ever it brake forth out of the earth it covered the earth and so it would do again if the Lord should let it alone David took special notice of this work of God Psal 104.9 Thou hast set a bound that they the waters spoken of vers 6 7 8. cannot pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth Which plainly implieth that the waters would turn again to cover the earth and so recover their first liberty even to overspread the face of the whole earth did not God restrain and hold them in as was shewed before in the general explication of this verse Secondly Note The creature can go no farther than God permits or suffers Rational creatures often go beyond the commands of God but neither they nor any creature can go beyond the counsel of God They who transgress or pass over the line of his revealed will cannot pass over the line of his secret will The Lord secretly puts a stop to all creatures as here to the sea How extravagant soever mens spirits are or their practices are yet they are under an over-ruling power The sea hath continued under this command ever since God made it it hath gone no further than the Lord would Though it be a truth that the sea hath broken visible and natural yea artificial banks and bounds and bars yet it hath never broken those special invisible banks bounds and bars Deus non sibi eas rerum leges fixit quas nequeat ad tempus cum libot mutâ—re which God hath made for it his decree When God gave the sea visible banks and bounds and bars he did not intend them for banks and bounds and bars to his own will and therefore he sometimes bids the sea go beyond and break its visible bounds and bars He commanded a general deluge in Noahs time then all was sea no dry land appeared And though we have the Lords promise that he will never destroy the world how sinful soever by an universal deluge any moâ—e Gen. 9.11 yet Histories and experiences have told us there have been many particular inundations of the sea breaking its anciently known bounds and bars nevertheless it never did nor ever shall break the bars of this word hitherto shalt thou come but no further The divine pillar of this Ne plus ultra No further stands inviolable If the sea break bounds at any time 't is because God hath given it a special commission to do so for the punishment of men who break their bounds by sin The sea is still Gods prisoner and goes not out of those doors which God hath set up and barred without his licence it stirs not a foot from the decreed place which God broke up for it but as he lengthens its chain Thirdly Note To God alone that power belongs which keeps the sea within compass It is not the sands nor the banks nor the rocks that can do it The water is a very barbarous and head-strong element none can put a bridle into the lips of it but God himself A late Historian speaking of the siege of Rochel saith there was a stupendious dike made which might be called a bridle to the sea but God alone can make a bridle for the sea his word in the Text Hitherto shalt thou come and no further is the bridle Some dispute whether it be not a continued Miracle that the sea is kept within its compass We say miracles are discontinued and I conceive 't is beside the nature of a miracle to be continual yet without dispute 't is a continued marvel or wonder that the sea is thus kept in if the Lord should let it loose if he should remove the bar and unlock the door of that prohibition here given it but one hour no natural doors nor bars could hinder it from returning to cover the face of the earth Take a few inferences from the whole First The sea is Gods and he hath made it Psal 95.5 And he made it as to declare his own glory so to promote our good Psal 104.25 26. The earth O Lord is full of thy riches so is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts there go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein O magnifie God who hath made the sea so vast so wide so great yet so useful and commodious As the sea is a terrible creature so a beneficial creature bringing forth and feeding an innumerable company of beasts as the Psalmist speaks We may as soon number the sands as the shoals of fish bred and nourished in those mighty waters Secondly As the sea is the Lords and he made it so the sea is the Lords and he masters it Psal 89.9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them Glorifie the Lord in this No earthly potentate can coerce the sea Xerxes presumed he could tame the Heâ—espont a little brook comparatively to the Ocean but it would not obey him he disciplined it with three hundred stroaks for attempting his bridge of boats but it would not mend he cast fetters into it as if it had been his vassal but it would not be bound It is God who binds the sea That knows no Lord but him that made both it and the dry land It was proof enough of Christs Divinity that rebuking the winds and the sea there was a great calm This made the men marvel saying what manner of man is this surely he is more than man that even the winds and the sea obey him Matth. 8.26 27. When some Courtiers would have flattered our Danish King Canutus into a belief that his power was more
than humane he commanded his chair to be set on the Sea-shore at the time of flood and sitting down thus bespake that Element I charge thee not to enter my land nor wet these robes but the sea keeping on its course he rose up and spake in the hearing of all about him Let all the inhabitants of the world know that vain and weak is the power of Kings and that none is indeed worthy of that Name but he that keeps both heaven and earth and sea in obedience Thirdly Then tremble at the power of God who can let the sea loose upon us in a moment We tremble at the sea if it break loose then tremble at the power of God who can let loose the sea It is he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his Name Amos 9.6 Fourthly when the sea breaks bounds in any degree either when we see a storm at sea or a deluge at land let us go only to the Lord who onely can still the raging of the sea and put swadling-bands about it even as if it were a child God alone is to be invocated when the winds are tempestuous and threaten either a deluge at land or a wrack at sea Heathens invoked Neptune and Aeolus Popish votaries call upon St. Nicholas and St. Christopher Let us learn of the Disciples who fearing to be swallowed up of a tempest went to Christ and said Master save us we perish Matth. 8.27 The poor Mariners in Jonah called every one upon his God Jorah 1.5 but none of them called upon the true God It is Jehovah the Lord the true God onely that raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves of the sea and it is he that maketh the storm a calm Psal 107.24 25 29. Fifthly If the sea so vast and violent a creature receive the bridle from God and is bound up by him even as an infant in swadling-bands how much more should man receive the bridle from him The Lord saith to the sons of men hitherto shall ye come and no further hitherto your works and actions shall go and no further yet how do the men of the world over-flow and break their bounds The prophet makes this application clearly Jer. 5.22 23. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it but this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone As if he had said The sea doth not revolt against my command but this people doth they are more unruly than the sea All the wicked at best are like the troubled sea that cannot rest as the Prophet speaks Isa 57.20 How much worser then are they than the sea when they are at worst Lastly We may hence infer for our comfort If the Lord hath put bounds to the natural sea what unnatural sea is there to which the Lord cannot put bounds There is a five-fold metaphorical sea to which the Lord hath said hitherto shalt thou come and no further Or at least he hath said though thou come hither thou shalt come no further This the Lord hath said First To the sea of mans wrath The wrath of man is a grievous sea and of that David saith Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Let men be as angry as they will let them be as stormy as a sea yet the Lord hath said hitherto shall ye come and no further For Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people Yea great men raging like the sea are sometimes stopt by very small matters such as the sea-sands The Chief-priest and Elders of the people were offended at Christ and therefore questioned his Authority yet forbare to answer his question as they had most mind to do it for fear of the people Matth. 21.23 26. Secondly He bounds the sea of the devils rage The devil is a sea in bonds We read of a special thousand years wherein it is prophesied that Satan shall be bound Rev. 20.2 yet indeed he is alwayes bound else no man could live a quiet hour for him nor have any rest from his furious temptations and vexations but his professed slaves and votaries Thirdly There is a sea of Affliction which we meet with in this world the Lord bounds that also and saith hitherto it shall come and no further 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Fourthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of prophaneness and ungodliness in the world that 's a sea that would over-flow all and that is a sea fâ—r whose over-flowing we have cause to pour out floods of tears Hence that prayer of David Psal 7.9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Did not the Loâ—d put an end to the prophaneness and ungodliness of men they would be endless in prophaneness and ungodliness The unjâ—st knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 That is he is never ashamed of any injustice but would go on to do unjustly and wickedly in infinitum who knows how long Fifthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of error and false dâ—ct ine the Lord saith Hitherto shalt thou c me and no further Error would be as extravagant and boundless as the sea if the Lord did not bound it Epiphanius in his treatise of heresies alludes to this Scripture for the comfort of himself and oâ—hers when he saw such a high-grown sea of error broken in upon the Church As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do such ungodly men withstand the truth of Christ but saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.9 They shall proceed no further Did not the Lord give a stop to the spirit of seduction that goeth out from the Devil and the false Prophet it would bring in a deluge of delusions upon the whole world and as Christ himself hath fore-warned us Matth. 24.24 deceive if it were possible the very Elect. But there is a bar and a bound for this sea also though they come hitherto to this and that person with their errors to this and that point of error yet they shall proceed no further and here even here their proud and poisonous waves shall be stayed JOB Chap. 38. Vers 12 13 14 15. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days and caused the day-spring to know his place 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be
our blessed Saviouâ— the light and life of the world hath counselled us Let our light shine and so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 We that have light commanded for us every day how should we be lights and go forth as the Sun casting out our rays and beams in a holy and godly conversation And while we go forth and walk in such a conversation we go forth and walk as the Sun in its strength we enlighten all the world where we come and dazel the eyes of the wicked world or of the wicked in the world Sixthly How should we who have light commanded for us avoid all the works of darkness yea We should as the Apostle exhorts Rom. 13.12 13. cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we should walk honestly as in the day As in the day which the light of the natural Sun makes and as in the day which the light of the mystical Sun our Lord Jesus Christ hath made Seventhly Remember as God hath commanded a morning for us here so he will command a light or a morning a morning light for all our actions hereafter As God hath made the the light so he will bring all things to light Many now live in the light of this world whose works are in the dark as well as theirs are works of darkness Now as the Lord hath commanded a morning to shine for us to worke by so he will have a morning wherein all our works shall be seen 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and the manifest the counsels of the heart Men may dig deep to hide their counsels from God but God knows how to bring them and their counsels to the morning and will cause a light to shine upon them though they have no light of truth or righteousness in them God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing Eccl. 12.14 We must all appear saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 or we must all be manifest we must appear and so must our works too Those works of men shall be light as to their discovery which are nothing but darkness as to their impurity Those deeds which have no light in them shall come in the clearest light and be plainly seen to the bottom both by Men and Angels The Lord who hath commanded this moâ—ning light for us to do our work in will command another morning light to judge our works in and to give us the reward of them And let all the wicked of the earth to whom the morning of any day because they are in danger to be discovered by it is as the shadow of death Job 24.17 Let them I say consider how many thousand deaths that morning will be to them which will actually fully and impartially discover all their wickedness with all the secrets of it Lastly Consider if the Lord hath bestowed so great a mercy upon us in commanding the morning or in giving us light the light of the Sun then let us be minded how great a mercy the Lord hath bestowed upon us in commanding the light or morning of the Gospel to come upon us It was night with us and so it would have been for ever for any means we could have devised or used to help out selves out of it till God commanded Christ the bright Morning Star Rev. 22.16 and Sun of Righteousness to rise and shine upon us How unspeakable a mercy is it that such a light should appear to us who not only were in darkness but were darkness If we account it a mercy that God hath commanded a morning to shine to us O what a mercy is it that we have a Christ to shine upon us That the Day-Star from on high hath visited us That he who is the true light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 hath risen upon us both to scatter the darkness of sin and ignorance and to chear our souls with the sweet beams of his healing wings So much of the first part of the verse Hast thou commanded the mâ—rning since thy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—ir◠〈◊〉 auâ—â—râ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aurora dâ—ssâ—runt Nam prima dici 〈…〉 diâ—tum 〈…〉 hâ—c a nigri◠〈◊〉 specio ut vid tur Nam 〈◊〉 res sub diâ—â—rulo apparere inâ—pturâ— nigricâ—â—â— viâ—entur Câ—c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—t nigrescâ—re bin nigrescentem lucem scil diluculum significat Sol varie nec uno loco oritur quotidie ejus loâ—â—s mutatirut sol ascendit aut descendit in signis Zodiaci Merc. And caused the day-spring to know his place That is when and where it should break forth and appear every morning The day-spring is exprest by a different word in the original from the morning light it implieth the first of the morning when the air is darkish or duskish we commonly call it the gray of the morning The word signifies to be dark or that darkness which we call twilight When the day-spring ushers in the morning there is a kind of dimness in the light Now saith the Lord Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place hast thou taught it where to shew it self to the world The Lord speaks nere of the day-spring as if it were a rational creature that took instructions or a word of direction where to begin the morning light God not man hath taught the day-spring to know its place We have a like expression Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me or thou wilt cause me to know the path of life Thus the Lord makes the day-spring know the path to its own place The day never springs twice immediately in one place but is in a continual variation as Astronomers with experience teach The place of the light or Sun-rising differeth every morning and from thence we have the difference of the dayes The Sun passing through the twelve signs of the Zodiack beginning with Aries c. I shall not trouble you with their names which have been devised and are used only for learning sake the Sun I say passing every year thâ—ough these twelve Signs all which Astronomers present unto us under various forms or figures such as themselves fancied most useful to subserve the understanding of that Art according to the situation of these Signs through which the Sun runs his course in the Heavens the day-spring to us on Earth changeth its place every day appearing sometimes more southerly and sometimes more easterly as the Sun either ascends to the Summer Solstice at which time the day is at longest and the night at shortest as about the eleventh of our Moneth called June or when it descends to the Winter Solstice at which time the day is shortest and the night longest as about the eleventh of our December To which we may add the Suns coming in its
the Egyptians with all their learning could not tell the way how God parted the light then that it should be light in Goshen and darkness to feeling or darkness that might be felt in all the other parts of Egypt so who can give a reason of that distribution of Gospel light which God makes to some parts of the world while other parts of it sit in darkness and in the very shadow of death Secondly In that the Lord puts the Qâ—estion to Job Knowest thou c. for we are still to repeat those words in these questions though not exprest Knowest thou that is thou knowest not Hence Note Man is much in the dark about the light and how God distrubuteth disposeth and dispenseth forth the light Those things that are clear to our sense are often very obscure to our undeâ—standing Nothing more clear to sense than that the light is parted yet what is more obscure than this in what way and how the light is parted And as this parting of the light is marvellous so also in the effect of it held out in the latter part of the Verse Which scattereth the East-wind upon the Earth Some because the relative Which is not expressed in the Original take these words as a distinct question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ventum Orientálem seu trentem subsolanum signifiâ—at per synechdochen hic omnem ventum Sanct. Eurum ventum vehementissimum loco omnium ponit Scult Sol dicitur ventorum pater eurus dicitur subsolanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod sit sub regimine solis Knowest thou by what way the light is parted and taking up that again by what way he scattereth the East-wind upon the Earth But I shall speak of these words as intending this effect of light the scattering the East-wind The Hebrew Word signifies strictly the Eastern part of the World the Sun-rising and so the East-wind which riseth often with the Sun or upon which the Sun hath a great command and may be here put synechdechically for all the Winds Naturalists tell us that lightning which was the first interpretation doth raise the East-wind or causeth it to blow and that the light of the Sun or the Sun-rising hatâ— also an influence upon the wind or raiseth the East-wind is both the observation of Naturalists and an assertion which hath ground in Scripture The Sun is by some called the Father of the Winds and especially of the East-wind and the East-wind hath denominations both in the Greek and Latine Tongue as the Margin shews implying that it is much as it were under the dominion of the Sun It is said Jonah 4.8 that The Lord at the Sun-rising commanded or prepared a vehement East-wind to blow upon the head of Jonah As if the rising of the Sun had some power in the bâ—inging the East-wind and without all doubt the East-wind as one elegantly describes it at that time by Gods Call fought under the banner of the Sun and was confederate with him for the affliction of that angry Prophet Jonah The East-wind is a vehement wind a drying wind a scorching wind Exod. 14.21 When the Lord lead the people of Israel through the Red Sea it is said He commanded a strong East wind to blow all night and divided the Sea The East-wind it seems was the most proper instrument to serve the Providence of God in dividing or scattering and then in gathering the waters of the Sea as here the light is said to scatter the East-wind upon the Earth Mr. Broughton renders these words as expressing the natural aptitude of the wind to spread it self thus And which way the East-wind scattereth it self over the Earth That is which way it will scatter or in what Country it will blow The winds are of a most diffusive nature they scatter themselves they disperse and pass through the air with much violence and vehemence But I shall not stay upon that The main scope and purpose of the Lord in putting this question being onely this To shew that as the light take it either for the lightning or for the light of the Sun is in the hands of God so also that the wind even the East-wind is at his dispose too Hence Note Winds the most vehement and violent winds are under the power of God He who commands the light commands the winds Prov. 30.4 He gathereth the winds in his fist he comprehends them all in his hand 'Ts a wonderful expression of the power of God that he hath the loose winds as fast as a man hath that which he gripes in his fist and 't is at the opening of his hand that they pass forth Whatever natural causes there are of the winds we must look beyond them all at the power of God as the cause reigning over all other causes Christ John 3. treating with Nicodemus about that most spiritual Doctrine of Regeneration or the New Birth to shew how free an agent the Spirit of God is in it compares his workings to that of the Wind of which he saith vers 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth which yet we are not to understand as if the winds did blow at randome or were carried out by their own power and impression Christ speaks of the wind there as if it had a will or wilfulness rather but we are to understand it thus The wind bloweth where it listeth for any thing man can do or say to it let man say what he will let man do what he can the wind blows where it listeth The wind is not under the controul or command of any man no not of the mightiest Prince on Earth yet it bloweth not absolutely where it self but where God listeth The power and skill of all the men in the World cannot alter oâ— controul the wind Some indeed have traded with Witches for winds as if they had the command of them yet know it is onely the Lords chusing their delusions or his giving them up to those delusions and wickednesses which their hearts chuse if at any time any gain a breath of winâ— by trading with them We should onely look by faith and trade with him by pâ—ayer for the managing and disposing of the winds it is he that scattereth the East-wind over the Earth Knowest thou how the East-winds are scattered over the Earth or by what way the Lord scattereth the East-wind over the Earth Hence Note Secondly The way of the Wind is a secret to man as well as the way of the Light The Lord Christ sheweth mans ignorance with respect to the way of the wind John 3.8 Thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Which we are not to understand as if when a man perceives the wind to blow he did not know whence or out of what part of the compasse it comes or towards what point it goes We know when it comes from the East and when it comes from thence we know
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
the Stars have a great power upon the bodies of men as well as upon Plants and all sorts of Vegetables subordinately to the power and appointment of God who ruleth all things and persons according to the pleasure and uncontroulable soveraignty of his own will Again Naturalists tell us and many are not far from believing them that the Planets have great power over minerals and metals They say Gold is under the dominion of the Sun Silver of the Moon Iron of Mars Lead of Saturn and that Tin and Coppar are under the dominion of that Planet by them called Jupiter Now whether or no God hath set these metals under the peculiar dominion of these stars I will not dispute not will I deny that there may be a natural sympathy and congeniality between them nor that their influences may be very operative and effectual towards their geneâ—ation production and full concoction in the bowels of the earth Only let us take heed that we be not found giving that to the Heavens which God hath not given them Remember the dominion here intended of the heavens over the earth is a ministerial not a supream dominion 't is not I dare say any such dominion as those Astrologers cry up who would perswade or make us believe First That the dispositions and manners of all men are under the dominion of the Planets and Stars Secondly That the very way and course of every mans life is ordered by the dominion of Stars and Planets Thirdly That all the successes and events good or bad of mens actions and undertakings depend upon the Stars and Planets Fourthly which some have adventured to affirm That the rise and fall of great persons and families together with the growths and declinings of whole Kingdoms and Common-wealths are under the dominion of the Stars Fifthly That the flourishings and decayings of Arts and Sciences depend upon them Yea Sixthly That the stars operate much towards the planting and progress towards the rooting up or going back of Religion But this Scripture intends not any such dominion of heaven over the earth Moses hath told us long since what this dominion is Gen. 1.14 And God said let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years The ordinary lights or stars of heaven are always for ordinary signes and seasons and sometimes there are extraordinary lights seen in heaven or the ordinary are seen appearing in an extraordinary manner to signifie that God is about to do extraordinary things or to bring forth extraordinary times and seasons So then they who say the heavenly bodies have no power or produce no effects upon the earth or earthly bodies oppose not only the testimony of sense and daily experience but this and other express testimonies of Scripture And as for those who ascribe all those things before mentioned or any one of them absolutely to the dominion of the heavenly bodies or luminaries they put them in the place of God himself and overthrow the common foundations of Religion which teacheth us to depend wholly upon God for all things which teacheth us also to trust in him alone and to look upon his favour not the favourable looks or aspects of the Stars as the fountain of all our good as also to fear him and his displeasure alone not the displeased looks of the Stars as the fountain of all penal evils Therefore let us in these things speak and think according to sobriety All that I shall add for the conclusion of this Point is First Let us be warned and awakened by the signes of Heaven but let us not be dismayed at them let us leave that to the Heathen who know not God Jer. 10.2 or rather let us pray that the Heathen may no longer be left under that blindness and bondage Secondly If any would know what shall come to pass or would acquaint themselves with future events whether with respect to persons or Nations let them not go to nor consult Star-gazers but the holy Scriptures the Word of God for he hath given us a written word wherein as in a glass we may see First What God would have us to do and how to order the whole course of our lives Secondly What good what blessings what successes we are like to have or may expect through his free favour to us in Christ we walking humbly holily believingly before him Thirdly What evils what crosses what curses what miseries what mischances as we speak we are subject to and may fear if we walk proudly impenitently frowardly in the way of our own hearts We need not go to the Stars if we would know what is like to befal us in this life let us consult the Promises and they will tell us what good we shall receive if we believe and obey let us go to the threatnings and they will tell us what evils will be our portion if we are unbelieving and disobedient Let us fear God not the Stars let our hope be in God not in the Stars If we are evil and do evil the most auspicious conjunctions benigne and promising appearances of the Stars in our nativity will never produce us any true good and if we are good and do good their most inauspitious harsh and threatning appearances shall do us no hurt It needs not trouble us under what Star we were born if we are new born One being told that the Stars in power or which had the dominion in his birth bare him no good will answered I care not for that I have had a second birth Do not my words saith the Lord Mic. 2.7 do good to him that walketh uprightly doubtless they do and so they will let the Stars do their worst Let us sit down quietly in this assurance That whatsoever rule or dominion Heaven hath in the earth the dominion of God is over and over-ruleth the Heavens JOB Chap. 38. Vers 34 35 36 37 38. 34. Canst thou list up thy voice to the clouds that abundance of waters may cover thee 35. Canst thou send lightnings that they may go and say unto thee Here we are 36. Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart 37. Who can number the clouds in wisdom or who can stay the bottles of heaven 38. When the dust groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together IN the context of these five Verses return is made to the Meteors of Heaven The Lord having questioned Job about the Stars those pure heavenly bodies the Pleiades Orion Mazzaroth and Arcturus with his Sons here puts the question afresh about the aireal bodies or the natural works of God in the Air. The first question concerns the Clouds and the effects or births of them the waters Vers 34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds That is canst thou do it effectually Canst thou speak so loudly that
two interpretations First Some expound it of staying the rain when there is most need of rain or when the earth wants it most or in a time of drought For then the earth groweth hard like a molten-pillar and the clods thereof cleaving one to another make clefts in the body of the earth In a time of great drought the earth at once cleaves asunder and runs closet together as it were to succour it self Who stayeth the bottles of heaven when the earth is chapt and gapes for rain to soften and cool it Surely man doth it not nor can he be said to do it unless meritoriously It is God alone who efficiently stays the clouds from rain in a time of drought or when the necessities of the earth call aloud for it Taking the words in this sense Observe God can stop any of our mercies as here the rain when we have most need of them I saith the Lord Amos 4.7 have withholden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another City one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered One months drought before harvest threatens a scarsity or dearth of Corn but two yea three months drought must needs usher in a dreadful famine Voce◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—o sermentâ—tiâ—â—m â—erbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ—d â—â—gnificat â—â—rmentari atque intâ—mescere E. Pisc The second interpretation of these words seems yet more clear Who can stay the bottles of heaven when the dust groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together that is who but God can stop rain when there is no farther need of rain As it the Loâ—d had said When the bottles of heaven have given out so much rain as may sit the earth for fruit-bearing or when the ground hath had its fill so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth and that dust which was raised and tossed with every breath of wiâ—d is clodded and agglutinated by water into a massie substance when I say 't is thus with the earth who can stay or stop the bottles of heaven from raining more to the spâ—il of all but my self So then the true use of rain is held forth in this 38. vers namely that the dust of the earth being moistened with rain may coalesce or be joyned close together This I conceive is the most natural and proper sense of the Text. For the earth which by drought was cruâ—bled into dust rain falling plentifully upon it is knit again into one body like meal or flower into which leven is put and so is made ready to receive Humore aquae terrae puries continentur uniuntur quae ante disjunctae fuerant Merc. Vt perfusio sit formentandae terrae ut conglutinentur glebae Jun. Trans I. e. ut terram quum pulverulenta est ab ariditate immissis pluviis sermentet ad glebarum comâ—agem rerum ex ea nascentium alimentum Jun. nourish and b ing forth whatever grain is cast into the bosome of it Rain falling upon the dust embodies it The ground moulders in a time of drought but when rain comes that hardens it The dust as we commonly say slyes before but as drought cleaves the earth so rain causeth the parts to unite anâ— then the earth which like a heap of sand would not hang together becomes solid and fit for tillage Now when so much rain hath fallen as prepares the earth and as the word imports fermentates or levens it to receive the seed cast into it then who stayeth the bottles of heaven Hence note First Rain compacts the earth As moisture loosens compacted things so it compacts or knit together loose things The earth is soon made dust by droughts and it would be a very dust-heap if it had no moisture to reunite it The Lord threatens his people in case of disobedience Deut. 28.24 to make the rain of their Land powder and dust that is they should have dust and powder instead of water Long drought turns the earth to dust In this learn how great a mercy there is in rain Secondly note The Lord knows when the earth hath had sufficient rain And therefore unless in judgement he will not let the clouds run wast he will stay his bottles from letting down one drop more when once the dust by rain falling upon it groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together Note Thirdly 'T is a mercy when the earth hath enough that God stops the bottles As it is a duty when we have drank enough to stop the bottle that is to give over drinking so 't is a mercy that the Lord stops the bottles when the earth hath drank enough When the earth hath enough the Lord sometimes will not stop the bottles of heaven but lets them pour down rain till the fruits of the earth are utterly spoyled and this he doth for the punishment of mans sin always and sometimes for the punishment of those special sins mans unthankfulness for and abuse of the fruits of the earth that is because he did not stay the bottle when he had taken enough Now if the Lord knows when to give rain and when to stop it with respect to husbandry and the natural fruits of the earth then doubtless he knows and will take care to give rain for the souls of his people when they have need Psal 68.2 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary which is specially meant of spiritual rain There are bottles of heaven which water souls The Preachers of the word are those bottles or clouds which hold and destil the mystical rain the Lord will not stop them till he sees the hearts of men made fit to bring forth the fruits of righteousness holiness he will not stop I say that spiritual rain till this be effected unless in judgement to a people that have despised the rain and slighted those showers of divine doctrine against such the Lord will stop the bottles of heaven then their souls turn to dust and their hearts become hard as rocks or like the mountains upon which neither rain nor dew falls fruitless and barren of every good word and work JOB Chap. 38. Vers 39 40 41. 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion or fill the appetite of the young Lions 40 When they couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lie in wait 41. Who provideth for the Raven his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat THe Lord having by a multitude of questions proposed to Job concerning inanimates or creatures without life such as are the Earth the Sea the Heavens the Clouds and Meteors having I say by these questions convinced him of his weakness and insufficiency as also of the transcendent power and wisdom which abideth
he waits for the innocent he draws him into his net he first entangles him and then devours him David gives a like description of evil men in another place Psal 17.11 12. They have now compassed us in our steps they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a young Lion lurking in secret places These Scriptures plainly shew the natural subtlety of the Lion waiting in his covert that he may do mischief unawares and that in this piece of mischievous policy wicked men are not behind him they shew as plainly Thirdly Whereas in the former verse the Lion is said to hunt his prey in the field and this in to abide in his covert to lye in wait for it Observe What some cannot do by strength they do by craft We say of craft or power 't is hard to say which is most dangerous or undesirable in an enemy Where these two meet where craft power ability and subtilty are joyned what will they not do We may say of men in whom these are united as the Lord said concerning the men of the new world soon after the Flood who were united in heart and tongue the people are one and they have all one language nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do Gen. 11.6 The devil is alwayes like a Lion both strong and subtle He is so strong that he sometimes hunts his prey as I may say in open field and overcomes by fine force He is so crafty that at other times he knows 't is best for him to abide in his covert and lie in wait to catch souls He goeth about like a roaring Lion saith the Apostle Peter 1 Epist 5.8 but he is craftier than to roar always like a Lion when he goeth about seeking whom he may devour he often fawns and flatters he useth his wits and puts tricks upon poor souls whom he would devour We saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. are not ignorant of his devices Christ adviseth all his Disciples to joyn the wisdom of the Serpent with the innocency of the Dove subtilty and honesty craft and innocency working together work well or make good work But where there is the strength and craft of a Lion without a dove-like integrity what sad work do men make Godly men or men truly fearing God sometimes have the wisdom of the serpent together with their dove-like innocency and when to both the former the Lions strength is joyned what good may they not do they may do as we say a world of good in an evil world Fourthly In that the Lion coucheth in his den and retireth sometimes to his covert we may take notice of the good providence of God towards man God hath ordered it that the Lion coucheth all day in his den and is quiet that men may go out quietly to their labour The Psalmist commends the providence of God in this Psal 104.20 21 22. Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest do creep forth the young Lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God Thus they are roaring and raging for their prey all night but how is it with them or what do they in the day The next words tell us The Sun riseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens Then it follows Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening Such is the care of God that he clears fields and Countries of these ravenous beasts that man may go safely to his work and not be troubled When the Lion comes forth in the day 't is usually to execute some judgement of God witness that of the Prophet who going out of Gods way God told him by another Prophet a Lion shall meet thee and tear thee and so it came to pass a Lion met him and executed the judgement of God upon him because he went beyond the command he had received from God 1 King 13.24 We read also that God sent Lions to vex the people continually when they fell to idolatry and false worship 2 King 17.26 It was of the Lord that Lions which used to keep their covert in the day time were so bold as to come by day to their houses and destroy them And such is the mighty power of God that though hungry Lions are altogether for prey yet God can stop their mouths and check their appetite Dan. 6.8 When Daniel was cast into the Lions den amongst a company of hungry Lions yet not one touched him but were as meek to him as so many lambs whereas no sooner were his enemies and accusers let down into that den but they brake their bones before they came to the ground Thus much of the Lion a King among the beasts of the earth The Lords next question concerns the Raven none of the best if not one of the worst among the birds of the Air. Vers 41. Who provideth for the Raven his food When his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat As the Lion is a devourer among beasts so is the Raven among birds The Lion as was said is so curious that he will not feed upon a carcase in the way but the Raven feeds upon any dead or corrupted body and that is the reason why in many great Cities there 's a Law or custom that Raven sneer them shall not be shot at nor terrified because they eat up the filth and carrion which might infect the air and breed pestilential diseases Now the Lord puts the question Who provideth for the Raven As if he had said I provide not only for the Kingly Lion but for the carrion-eating Raven The Lord made provision of food for Lions and Ravens for all sorts of beasts and birds and creeping things in the work of Creation and in his works of providence he makes all things ready and brings them to hand for their use and sustentation He as it were dresseth and disheth out meat for all his creatures and then sets it before them that they may eat and be satisfied Who provideth for the Raven The Hebrew word rendred provideth hath two significations Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notat indulgentissimam creatoris providentiam non solum necessaria sed etiam usque ad delicias which wonderfully set forth the care of God towards this creature First the certainty of their provision for the word signifies to establish as if the Lord did give them a necessary settled or constant diet Secondly It notes the sutableness and pleasingness of their food to their nature and constitution yea to their gust and appetite as if the Lord fitted their food as we say to their tooth or palate and gave them not only meat but savoury meat to them like that which Isaac bespake of his son Esau such as they love for though the food of Ravens be unpleasant to us
oftentimes bestoweth the gay and glitter of worldly things upon the worst the unworthiest among the sons of men upon such as have no more wisdom in them than a Peacock or an Ostrich And if so then Secondly take this inference We should not envy any sort of men in the world their gay feathers Job stumbled at this and so did David who said of himself I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psal 73.3 David was troubled to see them garnished and trim'd like Peacocks and Ostriches flaunting with their feathers while he poor man was chastned every morning yet he quickly saw he had little reason for this trouble when once he went into the sanctuary For there he learned in what a slippery place they stood and therefore called himself ignorant fool and beast for envying them their gayest feathers their greatest prosperity ver 22. Let it not offend us to behold bad men in the best array Is any man offended because a Peacock or an Ostrich hath such goodly feathers Surely no man ought to complain of or find fault with the dispensations of God because he hath bestowed a richer suit of feathers upon the proud Peacock and the foolish Ostrich than he hath upon the pious kind-hearted well-natur'd Storke or the innocent Dove Why then should any be offended or murmur if God give the good things of the world to those that have no more goodness than Peacocks or Ostriches if he fills and adorns some bad men with better things of this life than many that are good The Prophet Ezek. 17.4 gives the description of an Eagle having long wings and embroydered feathers or feathers of many colours Yet that Eagle was but a Heathen Prince and he none of the best though one of the greatest of that sort Bad men have their embroiderirs the paint of an earthly glory and that is all the portion all the good they are ever like to have As Abraham told the rich man in the Parable Luk. 16. Who was cloathed with purple and fine linnen and fared deliciously every day while he lived Son remember thou hast had thy good things Fine cloaths and delicious fare is the all of good and how poor an all is that which some men desire and which any ungodly man shall receive from the hand of God Thirdly We may infer Let all learn to be content with and thankful for their own clothing or portion in this world though it be but mean course or plain and much inferiour to what they see others have Argumentum videtur esse tale Sicut quaelibet avis suis plumis ita tu O Job alii homines sua sorte contenti esse debent Scult Those birds which have but poor feathers are satisfied with them as well as the Peacock and the Ostrich with their gaudy ones By this argument God would perswade Job to be quiet and patient though his clothing at that time was very mean yea though all the gay feathers of his former prosperity were pluckt oft and he stript naked as he poor man said at the 21th verse of the first Chapter Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither that is to the womb of the earth mans common parent Though we make not a fair shew as the Apostle saith some desired to do Gal. 6.12 in the flesh though we have not such goodly feathers on our backs in our outward robes as others have let us be thankful for a dress of the meanest clothing and patient though dressed in sackcloth God is a soveraign Lord he is at his liberty to give goodly wings and glorious feathers to this bird and plain ones to another And the same liberty he may and doth take and exercise when and where he pleaseth among the children of men Gavest thou the goodly wings to the Peacocks or wings and feathers to the Ostrich The Lord having thus described the Ostrich by her outside her wings and feathers proceeds to shew her inside her disposition and qualities And we might expect that a creature clothed with such lovely wings and feathers would have had some lovely and rare qualities whereas the Ostrich hath not one that 's commendable all that is said of her signifying an ignoble disposition For first she is forgetful and careless of that which she should be very careful of Vers 14 15. Which leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beasts may break them Here 's the folly the carelessness and blockishness of this creature She leaveth her eggs in the earth The eggs of the Ostrich are great and the shell very hard we often see them set curiously in gold or silver and so used as cups or drinking vessels But of what worth or use soever her eggs are she useth them very coursely and carries it towards them as if they were little worth Oâ—her birds when they lâ—y their eggs do their utmost to put them out of danger they sit upon them themselves and hatch them but the Ostrich say some leaves them in the earth and is gone she takes no further care of them where once they are laid there she lets them lye This I say is contrary to the nature of other birds who lay their eggs in nests as much as they can from danger but she leaveth them in the earth And warmeth them in the dust Solis aestis sovet ova sc Deus quae struthio-camelus in arena posuerat donec excludantur pulli Jun. Which is not to be understood as if she left them there on purpose or designedly to warm them in the dust for that were a piece of discretion but she is reproved for improvidence and therefore where 't is said she leaves them the meaning is she looks no more after them they are little beholding to her she will not as some intimate take pains nor hath she the patience to sit on them and hatch them as other fowls do Several Authours affirm that the eggs thus left are hatcht by the heat or warmth of the Sun This Rochartus rejects as a meer dream affirming That all her eggs so left in the sands are corrupted not hatched and tells us from others that the Ostrich having forgotten where she left her own eggs happening upon the eggs of some other Ostrich sits upon and hatches them according to which the Chaldee saith She brings young ones which are not truly hers But I leave these things to the consideration of the Reader Others give two reasons why the Ostrich leaves her eggs in the dust and doth not sit upon them both which are very unsuitable to what God himself saith of the Ostrich First They say she leaveth them and warms them in the dust lest she should break them with the weight of her body but doubtless there is no fowl so heavy but may sit on her eggs and not break
bad men and that 's the first Case Secondly When good men are vexed oppressed and trodden under feet as mire in the streets what risings of heart and what unsatisfiedness of spirit is there in many good men In both these Cases there is much contending with God though in both our hearts upon many accounts should acquiesce and rest in the will of God who in the former doth not declare himself a friend to evil men nor doth he in the latter declare himself an enemy to those who are good But seeing there is a spirit in man even to contend with God let us watch our selves in this thing that such thoughts rise not or let us carefully suppress them as soon as they are risen It is good for us and our duty to keep down the Contendings of our hearts with men for we are very apt to be out with one another 'T is sad to see breaches the fruit of heart-burnings between man and man But much more should we keep down those contendings yea qâ—ench the first sparkes which may kindle heart-burnings about the works of God for they may soon come to be Contendings with him For the close of thiâ— point take these four Considerations which may move all sorts of men to watch their hearts against Contendings with God whether as to his dealings in the world or with themselves First Remember Whatsoever the Lord doth he may do for he is an absolutely sovereign Lord and therefore not to be contended with about any thing he doth because no way accountable for any thing he doth as hath been shewed upon several occasions offered in opening this Book He is Lord of our being and hath given to all life breath and all things as the Apostle told the superstitious Athenians Acts 17.25 and may not he do what he will to all beings in whom all have their being and who hath given all things to all which concern that being He is our Maker and hath not the potter power over the clay to do what he will with it Hath not the Creator power over the creature to dispose of it as he pleaseth Isa 45.9 Let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth If any will be striving let them strive with their like potsheards with potsheards not potsheards with the potter to whom they are so unlike The Lord used no other aâ—gument but this to quiet all Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God remember that and you will either not begin or quickly have done contending with God Yet in that Psalm the Lord is represented making most dreadful work Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made on the earth Though God make that which was as a garden to become a desolate wilderness yet contend not with him be still and know that he is God Secondly Remember whatsoever work the Lord makes in the world it is all righteous workâ— there is nothing amiss in it He is a rock said Moses Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect for all his wayes are judgements not as judgements are opposed to mercies but to injustice as it followeth in that verse a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he To this David gives witness Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Not only is he righteous and holy in this and that way or work but in all his wayes and works in wayes of judgement as well as in wayes of mercy in wayes of destruction as well as in wayes of salvation He is righteous in pulling down as well as in building up in rooting up as well as in planting Now if there be a righteousness in all the wayes and works of God who shall contend with him about any of his wayes or works Thirdly All the works of God have an infinite wisdom in them they are done wisely even in exactest wisdom and shall we fools contend with him who is not onely a wise God but the God onely wise Rom. 16.27 and all whose works are done in and according to the Idea or platforme of his own infinite and eternal wisdom The foolishness of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 is wiser than men that is the wisest men are meer fools to God or that work of God which some men call foolishness is infinitely more wisely done than the wisest work that the wisest men in the world ever did or can do with all their wisdome Fourthly Let all that fear and love God especially take heed of contending with God about any of his works for God is good to all such in all his works and all his works are good to such Shall any contend with God about that which is for their own good Not onely are those works of God good to such which are good in themselves that is which we call good being favourable providences and for our comfort and support in this world but even those works of God which we call cross providences or providences which bring the Crosse with them are all good to such even to all them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Shall they contend with God about any thing who hear and may be assured that he hath an intendment of good to them in all things Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel that is though he afflicts them and the Cup be very bitter which he gives them to drink yet he is good to them Or thus Truly God not the world or though the world be not is good to Israel Once more we may take the Psalmist thus Truly God is good to Israel not so as to them to the world though as it followeth in the Psalme they enjoy never so much worldly good These Considerations may perswade all not to contend with God about his works to which I shall adde onely this counsel If the works of God are grievous to us at any time let us go the right way to work in our Contendings with him For I do not urge this point as if we should sit still and let the Lord alone as he seemingly said to Moses Exod. 32.10 when he dealeth out hard and grievous things to us There is a contending with God by supplication and prayer by mourning and humiliation this becomes us when the works of God are hard when they are breaking desolating scattering and afflictive towards us Take heed of discontent with providence yet wrestle and contend earnestly with God by prayer when providences go hard with you or with the whole Israel of God Moses in a holy manner assaulted God and contended with him in that case and therefore the Lord said to him in the place last mentioned Let me alone as we say to a man that contends and strives with us Let me alone Moses was contending with the Lord about that dispensation but it was in a gracious way and so may we yea so must we The Lord
and wicked men then saith the Lord ver 14. I will confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee that is I will yield thee the cause I will acknowledge that thou who canst thus bring down the pride of men in the height of their iniquity art also able to help thy self out of all thy misery yea that thou art able to contend with me who often have done and still can do these great things with ease with the turning of my hand with a word of my mouth yea then I will confess that thou art as I am that thou art God as I am But alas poor worm thou canst do none of these things therefore humble thy self and be quiet under mine afflicting hand This seems to be the general scope of the holy Ghost in these five verses even yet further to convince Job that he had not an arm like God nor could thunder with a voice like him forasmuch as he could not put forth such acts nor shew such effects of power as God both had and could put forth and shew in the face of all the world Vers 10. Deck thy self now with majesty c. Deck or adorn thy self the word signifieth to adorn to put on ornaments make as fair a shew of thy self as thou canst The Apostle Gal. 6.12 speaks of some who desired to make a fair shew in the flesh The Lord bids Job make as fair a shew of himself as he could in flesh Deck Thy self Let thy majesty proceed from thy self Thus it is with God he needs no hand to adorn and deck him to apparel him or put on his robes as the Kings and Princes of the earth need others deck them others adorn them and put on their robes but the Lord decks himself Now saith the Lord to Job Deck thy self as I do With majesty and excellency Kings and Princes are decked with majesty and excellency at all times a majestick excellency is inherent in their estate and when they shew themselves in state or shew their state they put on their Crowns and Robes Thus saith the Lord to Job Put on majesty and excellency Both words signifie highness exaltation and are often used to signifie pride because they that are high and exalted are usually proud and are alwayes under a temptation to be proud of their highness and greatness And these words which here in the abstract we translate majesty and excellency are rendred in the concrete proud vers 11 12. Behold every one that is proud vers 11. Look upon every one that is proud vers 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majesty is proper to Kings and therefore we speak to them in that language Your Majesty Excellency belongs to persons of great dignity we say to Princes and great Commanders Your Excellency because they excel and exceed others in honour and power Moses spake so of God Exod. 15.7 In the greatness of thy Excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee In the greatness of thy Excellency or in the greatness of thy lifting up and exaltation the word notes both Gods high magnificence Psal 68.35 and mans pride or haughtiness Psal 10.2 The wicked in his pride or haughtiness of spirit persecutes the poor Deck thy self with Majesty as a King and with Excellency as a Prince put on thy Emperial robes and thy Princely garments Yea further Array thy self with glory and beauty Dicimus etiam nidui dedecore vel ignominia nam quare ornamur vel dedecoramur ea elegantèr niduâ— dicimur Diuâ— Here are two other ornamental expressions Glory and Beauty Glory is man in his best array or mans best array yea Glory is God in his best array or Gods best array The perfect happiness of man in heaven is called glory mans best suit is his suit of glory Grace Gloria est clara cum laude notitia Ambros 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat spendorem claritatem quae efficere potest assensum confessionem apud spectatores ad gloriam ipsius quòd omnia â—gat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus non habet circundatum decorem quasi superadditum ejus essentiae Sed ipsa essentia ejus decor est Aquin. which is our best suit on earth is sometimes called glory 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord that is fâ—om grace to grace Mans first change is from sin to grace his second is from grace to grace or from one degree of grace to another Grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected Now as glory is mans best suit so glory is as I may say Gods best suit He is as the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 so the God of all glory for all glory is to be given unto him and his glory will he not give to any other The glory of God is twofold First Essential and internal for ever unchangeably abiding in himself indeed the very Essence of God is glory Of this we read Exod. 33.18 I will make all my goodness pass before thee I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy this kind of glory I will shew thee but thou canst not see my face and live that is my essential glory Secondly There is a providential or external glory of God the manifestations of God in his greatness goodness and power are his glory Thus 't is said at the dedication of Solomons Temple 1 King 8.11 The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord that is there was a glorious and wonderful manifestation of the presence of the Lord in his house Whatever God manifests of himself whether his power or his goodness or his mercy or his grace or his patience or his justice is his glory The Lord often arrayeth himself with these glories that is he declares both by his word and by his works that he is powerful good merciful gracious patient and just towards the children of men The Scripture calleth God the glory of his people Psal 106.20 that is it is the glory of any people or that which they should glory in that God is known to them or that they are owned by God But the idolatrizing Jews changed their glory into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass that is they changed God who was their glory and in whom they should have gloried into the form of an in-glorious beast while they either worshipped the image of a beast or their God in that image And it is considerable that the Apostle Rom. 1.23 at least alluding to as the reference in our Bible intimates if not quoting that place last mentioned in the Psalm whilst he speaks of the idolatrous Gentiles doth not say as there They changed their glory c. for the true God was not the glory of the Gentiles in those dayes they owned him not as their only
or rather as the Prophet there speaks will not behold it no not when it shines in the plainest demonstrations whether of wrath against wicked men or of love and mercy to the godly as clearly as the Sun at noon day Secondly As we should tremble at the majesty of the Lord so admire his excellency they that excel others especially they who excel all others in any kind are much admired The Lord is cloathed with excellency how then should we admire him and say Who is a God like unto thee This God is our God Thirdly Seeing the Lord is cloathed with glory we should glorifie him and that First in his essential glory Secondly in the glory of his acts and operations We should glorifie him for the greatness of his power especially for the greatness of his grace because the grace and mercy of God are his glory as the Apostle spake in that prayer Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory that is of his grace and favour towards you to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man And as the grace and goodness of God is his glory so also is his holiness Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness Let us glorifie God in and for all his glories in and for the glory of his power mercy grace and holiness Fourthly God is arrayed with beauty Beauty is a taking thing then how should our souls delight in the Lord We delight in things that are beautiful we love beauty how should this draw forth our love our affections to God! All the beauty of the world is but a blot 't is darkness and a stained thing in comparison of the Lords beauty the beauty of his holiness and therefore if we have a love to beauty let us love the Lord who is arrayed with beauty even with the perfection of beauty Lastly In general Seeing the Lord is deckt with majesty and excellency arrayed with glory and beauty let us continually ascribe all these to God What God is and hath shewed himself to be we should shew forth 1 Chron. 29.11 Thine O Lord saith David is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven and in earth is thine David ascribed all to God there as also Psal 145.10 All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious majesty of his Kingdom thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations Thus Saints are to blazon the name of God and to make his praise glorious The Apostle Jude concludes his Epistle with this Doxology To the only wise God our Saviour that is Jesus Christ be glory and majesty and dominion and power now and ever Amen Further to remember the majesty and excellency of God may and should be First an incouragement to serve him Who would not serve a Prince who is decked with majesty and excellency who is arrayed with glory and beauty who would not serve such a King as this How ambitious are men to serve those who are deckt with worldly majesty and excellency shall not we have a holy ambition to serve the Lord who is thus decked and arrayed Secondly This may exceedingly hearten and embolden us against all the danger we may meet with in the Lords service If we encounter with hardships and hazards in Gods work let us remember he that is cloathed with majesty and excellency c. can protect us in his service and reward us for it we can lose nothing by him though we should lose all for him life and all Thirdly This should fill our souls with reverential thoughts of God continually Did we know the Lord in these divine discoveries of himself in his majesty and excellency in his glory and beauty how would our hearts be filled with high thoughts of him we would neither speak nor think of God but with a gracious awe upon our spirits Fourthly This should provoke us in all holy duties to do our best The Lord reproved the Jews Mal. 1.8 when they brought him a poor lean sacrifice Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person Shall we put off God who is full of majesty and excellency of glory and beauty with poor weak and sickly services such as our Governours men in high place power will not accept from our hands but turn back with disdain upon our hands The worship and service of God consists not in a bodily exercise nor in any outward beauty he is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth that is in truth of heart and according to the truth of his word which the Apostle calls the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 The glory and beauty of God is spiritual and the beauty that he must be served with is above all the inward beauty of faith and love and holy fear in our hearts Fifthly If God be thus deckt with majesty c. This may assure us in praying to him and calling upon him that we shall not seek him in vain It is worth the while to attend such a God and pour out our hearts before him We may safely depend upon God for all seeing majesty and excellency are his The Lords prayer by which we are to form or unto which we should conform all our prayers concludes with this thine is the kingdom power and glory all is thine and therefore we have great encouragement to ask all of thee Men can give to those that ask them according to the extent of their power There is a confluence or comprehension of all power in the majesty excellency and glory of God and therefore he can give whatsoever we ask Now as that God is thus deckt and arrayed with majesty and excellency is implied in this Text so 't is also implied that he hath thus deckt himself while he saith to Job Deck thy self with majesty and excellency Hence observe Secondly The majesty and excellency the glory and beauty of God are all of and from himself He is the fountain as of his own being so of the majesty and excellency of the glory and beauty of his being he decks and arrays himself he is not decked by others Moralists say honour is not or resides not in him that is honoured but in him that honoureth yet here honour is seated in him that is honoured We honour God and give glory to him but we cannot add any honour to him all is originally in himself he is the beginning without beginning of his own majesty And as Gods majesty is his own so of his own putting on he borroweth nothing from the creature nor needs he any creature to deck him He is not what others will make
pride of the Assyrian put him upon other sins upon oppression especially he could not keep at home nor be contented with his own Dominion thâ—ugh a very large and vast one he must go abroad and invade other mens Territories his pride sent him to do mischief and he enlarged his desire as hell Proud men must oppress and wrong others to bring in fewel for their own lusts Pride calls in aid from many sins to serve its turn Lastly If Pride provokes God if he looketh upon every one that is proud to abase him and bring him low then how should we labour to be humble ones that the Lord may look upon us with a favourable eye and so he doth upon all them that walk humbly with him As God resisteth the proud so he giveth grace to the humble that is favour The humble shall have his favour and the proud his frowns As to do justly and to love mercy is the sum of all duty to man so to walk humbly is the sum of all duty to God Mic. 6.8 They who walk humbly walk not onely holily but safely They who are low in their own eyes are under the special protection of the high God The Lord having called upon Job to shew the effect of his wrath against one sort of bad men the proud calleth upon him in the next words to shew the effects of his wrath upon all sorts of bad men comprehended under this general word The wicked And tread down the wicked in their place The Lord bids Job do this if he could indeed he could not that he might shew himself a competent match for God As if the Lord had said I tread down the wicked in their places do thou so too if thou canst God had said before Abase every one that is proud and bring him low now he saith Tread down the wicked Tread them down As mire in the street We tread upon vile and contemptible things To tread upon any tâ—ing a person especially notes utter contempt of him and abâ—olute conquest over him and therefore Josh 10.24 to shew the compleat victory which the Lords people had goâ— over the Kings of Canaan Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said unto the Captains of the men of war which went with him Come near put your feet upon the necks of these Kings and they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them And that 's it which the Apostle gives in way of promise as an assurance of our conquest over the evil spirit the devil Rom. 16.20 God shall bruise we put in the Margin tread the Greek word signiâ—ies to bruise by treading God shall tread Satan under your feet shortly that is God will give you a full and a final victory over the devil We have a like expression or promise Psal 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet God will give his people power not onely over hurtful beasts but over men which are hurtful as those beasts and over Satan who is eminently shadowed by the Lion the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon in that evil spirit all these evil beasts are trodden under feet that is subdued and conquered When David would shew how he in case he were faulty was willing to be made a very slave to his enemies he phrases it thus Psal 7.5 Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust that is let him have full power over me let me be at his mercy though he be mercilesse Once more saith the Church Psal 44.5 Through thee will we push down our enemies through thy name will we tread them down that rise up against us Thus the Lord bespake Job Come saith he Let me see you tread down the wicked get an absolute conquest over them that they may rise up no more in this world to do wickedly Tread down The wicked The word wicked is often taken largely so every man in a sinful state may be called a wicked man every person unconverted or unregenerate every person that hath not true grace is wicked There is no middle estate among men between good and bad converted and unconverted yet here the wicked are not to be taken onely in a large sense for sinners in common but strictly First For the proud before spoken of There the Lord said abase the proud here he saith Tread down the wicked that is the wicked who are proud To be wicked and to be proud are the same For as most wicked men are proud so all proud men are wicked for pride it self is a great wickednesse and it is pride that causeth most men to do wickedly even to rebel against God and his righteous laws to rise up against his wayes and truths When we have said of a man he is proud if we have not said all evil we have said one of the worst evils of him and that which layes him open as to suffer the worst penal evils so to do the worst sinful evils Secondly If we take the words distinctly as we may then by the wicked are meant grosse and flagitious sinners notorious sinners for though as I said before any one that hath not grace may be called wicked yet properly and in Scripture sense wicked ones are notorious presumptuous and flagitious sinners such as sin with a high hand and with a stiffe neck Thirdly By the wicked we may especially understand oppressors who are troublesome and vexatious to others As some are wicked in taking their own pleasure and in satisfying their vain desires so many are wicked in vexing afflicting and oppressing others The Hebrew word for a wicked man signifies such a one as is both unquiet himself and will not suffer others to be quiet In any of or in all these three notions we may expound the word wicked here the wicked are proud ones or notorious evil ones or oppressors of others Tread down the wicked In their place The Hebrew is Vnder them The word also signifieth as we render a proper place and that 's considerable Tread them down in their place The Lord doth not say in thy place but in their place which may note these two things First Wheresoever thou findest them tread them down Secondly In their place that is where they flourish most where they are best rooted or most strongly secured where they have the greatest advantages and strengths to save them harmlesse That is specially a mans place Non est difficile superbum hominem petentem in alieno loco superare quia in eo minus habet potentiae Sanct. where he seateth and hopes to settle himself Now saith God Tread them down in their place I do so I destroy the wicked when and where they think themselves safest where they think no hand can touch them nor arm reach them there my foot shall tread
these is a blessed covetousness Yet neither are these to be coveted meerly for self-ends but as by them we may be fitted and furnished to do good to honour God and serve our generation according to his will To affect chiefdome in any thing but in grace and goodness is not good and our affecting of them must be without affectation though it ought to be with strength of affection And if we are chief or have the preheminence above others in the things of this world it will be well with us as to that matter if we are where the hand of God not any ambitious desires or practises of our own hath set us It was the Lord who made and called Behemoth The chief of his ways Bochartus conceives this high commendation well becoming the Hippopotame For though saith he he be a pernicious animal yet there are many things in him which may move admiration the vast bulk of his body his huge strength his impenetrable hide the stupendous wideness of hiâ— mouth his prodigious voracity the whiteness and hardness of his teeth his living in common in the sea land and river and together with so great a hardness of his skin a sagacious ingenie exceeding all irrational animals as he is reported by Ammianus in his 22d book of which he there gives two proofs not omitted by Pliny and Solinus Yet if what is written of the Elephant may obtain credit I much believe that he bears away the bell from the Hippopotame for natural sagacity and ingenuity as also for quantity and largeness of his limbs and so of his whole body And there are many things wherein the Elephant is reported to excel all other beasts Alii ad duodecimum alii ad decimum tertium dodrantem exâ—elsitateprocedunt alii ad decimum quartum Aelian l. 1 c. 2 A Dodrans is nine inches which being reduced to our measure 14. of them make 10. foot and a half Plinius l. 8. c. 10. Coesar Scal. Exercit. 204. I shall give instance in Twelve and leave the matter of difference between him and the Hippopotame which shall carry the day for chief of the ways of God which God himself affirms of Behemoth to the Readers vote First He is said to excel all beasts in the bulk of his body or in bigness He hath huge limbes huge bones and a height commensurable Natural Historians give us these dimensions and proportions of him His height I mean if fully grown is reckoned according to our measure ten foot and a half Others report that in India there are Elephants of thirteen foot and a half in height and what the bulk of his whole body is we may collect by his teeth The Elephant hath two teeth growing upward out of his lower mandible or jaw of a vast bigness and eight foot in length Coesar Scaliger saith from the report of some Indian Historians that two of those teeth have weighed three hundred twenty and five pounds So big they are that the Indians use them for posts to their houses The Scripture tells us that Solomons throne was made of Elephants teeth or Ivory as we translate 1 Kings 10.18 22. And if any desire further information concerning the greatness of his body and his admirable qualities let him read Pliny in his eighth Book the twelve first Chapters Aedificia evertunt magnos dentes admovendo Arist de Hist Animal l. 9. The second thing wherein the Elephant seems chief and to excel all the beasts of the earth is his strength which is so great that with his trunck he will overthrow a great tree or a house Elephants have such strength of body that in war they carry upon their backs great towers made of timber We read 1 Mach. 6.37 that Antiochus had thirty Elephants in one battel which bare towers in every one of which were thirty and two fighting men with their weapons What a vast strength hath this creature which can bear a tower with thirty and two men and their instruments of war And from this we may gather nor only the mighty strength of his back or loins but also of his belly or navel mentioned ver 16. for those huge towers upon his back must of necessity be fastned by huge bands under his belly Maximum inter animalia est Elephas proximum humanis sensibus Plin. l. 8. c. 1. Ad rationale animal proxima accedit Strabo Juxta sensum humanum intellectum habet Solinus Elephanto belluarum nulla prudentior Cic. de Nat. Deorum Thirdly The Elephant may be called chief of the ways of God among beasts as to his understanding He hath a kind of natural rationality and is therefore said to be next man or to come nearest man of any creature There is no beast more prudent than the Elephant said the Romane Orator Fourthly The Elephant excels all beasts in the strength of his memory and he is memoriz'd for his memory of three things especially First For his memory of commands and instructions given him Secondly Of courtesies done him Thirdly Of unkindnesses and injuries offered him Fifthly He is the chief of the ways of God in that which must needs follow the former two his understanding such as it is and memory that is his teachableness or aptness to learn what is taught him Though he be a wild beast yet he is easily tamed or brought to hand and when he is tamed he is as easily taught The highest excellency of man is when as the Apostle speaks of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3. he is apt to teach and the next excellency of man is when he is apt to be taught It is the misery of many that they have none to teach them and it is the wickedness of not a few that they will not be taught nor receive instruction The Elephant is in nothing more eminent than in his aptness to be taught Regem adorant genua submittunt coronas porrigunt Plin l. 8. c 1. Funambulos se vidisse qui Graecas literas pedibus exararent testatur Plin. l. 8. Elephanto admorum facilitatem erudito nihil mitius nihil ad id quod volumus obtemperatius Aelian lib. 4. Arist l. 9. c. 46. Vbi semel hominis imperio subjectus est omnia ei obsequia praebet et ab eo capit morum similitudinem gaudetque non minus quam parvi canes ex manu ejus cibum capere venientem sua promuscide compleâ—titur quinctiamcapus intra suas fauces immittero hominem patitur Philostr l. 2. c. 5. Plin. l. 8. c. 7. Plin. l. 8. c. 5. or in his readiness to receive the impression of any thing spoken to him and fitting for him to learn or do The Elephant is an apt scholar he soon grows perfect in any piece of art or activity taught him Some tell us Elephants have learnt the art of dancing and that they have learnt to draw the letters of the Greek Alphabet with their feet and that they learn to make legs
to be had without running such a hazard and thou mayst take thy choice all the world over for the earth is the Lords Fourthly This grand Assertion carrieth in it great encouragement to be much in the Lords work Why because he is able to give us a good reward We shall not need to fear any loss of labour in doing what we do for him he can recompence us fully for all is his under the whole heaven he is able to pay us well for any service we do him Saul wondered why the Benjamites followed David what 's the matter said he 1 Sam. 22.7 Hear ye Benjamites will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds Can the Son of Jess do these things for you It is a wonder that any should serve him that hath nothing to bestow upon them but who can wonder that the people of God should serve him and stick close to his service while they do but remember that he hath fields and vineyards the silver and the gold together with all the great offices and preferments that he hath in his hand This was the Motive which the Apostle used to edge his Exhortation 1 Cor. 15.5 8. Be ye stedfast and immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. He saith as much 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Godliness hath the promise of a comfortable portion in this life as well as of a full one in the life to come Fifthly Fear not to lose for Christ Do not fear to lose any thing under heaven for Christ for whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Christs he is able to make up all again We need not wonder at that promise which is made by Christ He that suffers loss of any thing for my name sake shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time Mark 10.36 Not only dotâ— the Lord promise a hundred fold in sweet inward contentments in this time to them who lose for him but he is able to supply a hundred fold even in this life of the things of this life and as he is able so he will surely fulfill it according to that promise when he sees it fit to give or us fit to receive such enjoyments O saith one I may lose my lands and I my trade saith another and I my liberty saith a third As many fear and fly from suffering because of the punishment of sense so not a few because of the punishment of loss they are in danger of losing all and they are not willing to lose any thing for Christ Now I may answer all who upon that account fear of loss refuse to suffer for Christ as the Prophet did that King of Judah 2 Chron. 25.9 who when he had word brought him from the Lord that he must let go the Army of Israel that he had hired against the Edomites presently objected But what shall I do for the hundred talents of silver that I have given to the Army The man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Do thou obey the Lords command and do not trouble thy self about the hundred talents the Lord is able to give thee more than this This hath been the question of many when called to suffer What shall we do for the hundred talents what shall we do for our worldly substance and subsistence what shall we do for a lively-hood I may say as the Prophet then did the Lord is able to give you abundantly more than what you lose for him Sixthly As we should not fear to lose for the Lord's sake so let us not forbear to give for the Lords sake Some are afraid to give for the Lords sake to supply the necessities of their brethren but remember what you give to the poor you lend to the Lord and to such a Lord as hath all things under the whole heaven for his If we give the Lord is able to repay us The Apostle makes use of this very argument Phil. 4.18.19 I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God What follows But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Do not think you shall want because of the supply you give to my wants no my God shall supply your wants or needs according to his riches in glory that is according to his rich and glorious grace There is no need to be supplied in the glory of the next life but there is a glory in rich grace which readily and plentifully supplieth all our needs in this life Seventhly If all under the whole heaven be the Lords then all places are the Lords This is comfort to those who are at any time Gods out-casts he can say to any place as he did to Moab Isa 16.4 Let mine out-casts dwell with thee c. All countries are the Lords he can make room for his in any part of the world for all the world is his The Lord provided a place for the Church Rev. 12.6 14. when she was cast out The Church fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God The wilderness was her troublesome condition but the Lord provided a place for her then and there The Lord can command a place for his any where if not in one country yet in another because all the countries and kingdoms under heaven are his demean he is Lord over all blessed for evermore Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is his both in his possession and at his disposition Eighthly If all that is under the whole heaven be the Lords then go to God for all Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand he is at hand as a Judge to right you and he is at hand as a Father to provide for you therefore be careful in nothing but let your request be made known unto God by prayer and supplication If you would have any thing of the earth you must go to God for it as well as for heaven it self Ninthly If all things under the whole heaven be the Lords then whatever good things you have under the whole heaven acknowledge the Lord as the Donor and Giver of them all 1 Chron. 29.14 When David together with the Princes and People of Israel had offered so freely towards the building of the Temple he said Lord who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee He acknowledged the Lord as the giver of all that himself and
afraid Hence Note First Great dangers may put the stoutest into a fear Natural fear is a passion or perturbation of the mind raised by the appearance or our apprehension of some eminent or imminent evil ready to take hold of us or fall upon us And as some are of so fearful a nature or are made so fearful by a secret judgement of God upon them that they are afraid where no fear is Psal 53.5 and being pursued with their own guilt flee when no man pursueth Prov. 28.1 or as another Scripture speaks At the sound of a shaken leaf so it is natural to all men to fear in case of real and apparent danger especially if the danger be like a Leviathan very great or if a Leviathan raise himself against them And therefore Jesus Christ himself being in our nature and cloathed with flesh though sinless flesh began not only to be afraid but amazed Mark 14.33 a little before his passion when he saw that greatest Leviathan the Devil together with many great Leviathans raising themselves to swallow him up And if when a Leviathan raiseth up himself the mighty are afraid how shall the mighty be afraid when God raiseth up himself that 's the design of God in this passage The holy Prophet gave this caution to all men Zach. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation As if it had been said the Lord now shews himself he was before as one asleep or laid down upon his bed but now the Lord is raised up What then Be silent O all flesh The mightiest have reason then to be silent How silent There 's a twofold silence First from speaking Secondly from boasting That charge in the Prophet is not to be understood of a silence from speaking but from boasting as if it had been said Be in fear and reverence for the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Another Prophet tells us that at the Lords appearances the mighty shall tremble and be afraid Isa 2.19 having said a little before The loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness of man shall be made low He adds They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth When the Lord ariseth to shake this world by his judgements he will make the mighty tremble and run into the holes of the rocks to hide themselves from his dreadful presence If a creature a Leviathan causeth the mighty to fear when he ariseth how much more may the mightiest of the world fear when God ariseth and therefore that prayer of David Psal 68.1 Let God arise let his enemies be scattered let them that hate him flee before him may well be resolved into this conditional proposition If God ariseth his enemies shall be scattered and all that hate him shall flee before him This may teach the mean and poor of the earth to fear him who can make the mightiest afraid When God is angry the mighty cannot then much less can mean underlings stand before him When Leviathan raiseth himself the mighty are afraid And by reason of breakings they purifie themselves Mr. Broughton saith by reason of shiverings But what are these shiverings or breakings Leviathan breaks the waves and waters The waves of the Sea Confractiones vocat quando Leviathan elevando se fluctus excitat qui propterâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellantur quod se invicem frangant are expressed in the Hebrew tongue by a word which signifieth breakin gs because they break themselves one against another as also possibly because Ships are broken by the waves And when 't is here said By reason of breakings they purifie themselves the meaning may be this by reason of the waves and troubled waters which Leviathan makes when he bestirs or raiseth up himself they purifie themselves Nor doth Levithan break the waves and waters only but whatever comes neer him he breaks and shivers to pieces if a Ship be in his way he breaks it as some have been taught to their cost by sad experience By reason of breakings They purifie themselves The mighty are afraid when he raiseth himself up and seeing him make such work they purifie themselves What 's that There are various understandings and expositions of this clause Aliqui verbum purgant exponunt aberrant i. e. Ita percelluntur metu ut animis toti cancidunt nec sciunt quid agant Merl. Peccant i. e. errore se obstringunt ut nesciant quid faciant Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur qui aberrat à scopo Drus First The word rendred to purifie properly signifies to erre or to wander out of the way and it notes as outward erring or wandring that of the body when we know not whither to go so inward wandring that of the mind when we know not what to do The mind or understanding wanders often and roves up and down we know not whither In this sense several understand the words By reason of breakings they wander they are struck with such a fear and amazement that they run about like men distracted and out of their wits or they suppose it of Mariners know not how to guide the Ship nor how to handle their sails and tacklings Some chiefly insist upon this interpretation By reason of breakings they wander or know not what to do next to help or save themselves from perishing A man in streights usually saith I know not what to do They who are in much fear of suffering in any kind seldom know what to do in any way for their own safety and often take the unsafest way running themselves further into danger while they endeavour to escape it This is a proper and profitable exposition and we may note this from it Great fears causeth great distractions Every worldly fear hath somewhat of distraction in it and in proportion to the fear is the distraction therefore great fear must needs cause great distraction When men in a storm mount up to heaven and go down again to the depths 't is said Psal 107.26 27. their soul is melted because of trouble they reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end their wit cannot go a step further with them nor their reason conduct them any longer We say in the margin All their wisdom is swallowed up He that fears Leviathan will swallow him up may soon find his wisdom swallowed up Wise and mighty men may be mightily puzled in great dangers and utterly disabled to make use either of their wisdom or of their might Good Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 when a great enemy was invading him cryed out O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against them neither do we know what to do we are bereft
dew 223 224. A three-fold allusion of the dew 226 Disdain or despising who most apt to do it 780 Disposition two-fold 717 Divisions among good men very bad 736 Don the Spanish word for a Lord whence derived 68 Double what it signifies in Scripture 948 Drinking much in bruits is from their constitution not from their lusts 653 Duty God would have us do our best in every duty 38. Two things needful to it 38. Better do duty late than not at all 961 Dwellings appointed by God to every creature sutable to his nature 334 E Eagle what the Hebrew word imports 474. Exceeds any Hawk in three things 475. Two reasons why the Eagle mounts so high 476. Fâ—ur reasons why she makes her nest on high 480. What food she most delights in 484. The quickness of the Eagles eye-sight 485. How she tryeth her young ones 486. Eagles presage or smell a battel long before 488. The similitude between the Eagle and Christ in seven particulars 489 490. The similitude between an Eagle and a true Christian â—pened in seven things 491. Two wings of a greet Eagle are said to be given the Church 493 Earth how immoveable 51 52. The earths foundations 47 52 God the maker of the earth five inferences from it 53 54. Three things in the making of the earth should stir us up to praise God 56 57. The form and firmness of the earth set forth four ways 59 60. Measures of the earth different opinions about it 61 62. Five things admirable in the frame of the earth 65. Inferences from it to thankfulness and an exact frame of life on this earth so exactly framed for us 66 67. What are the garments or clothing of the earth 137. Breadth of the earth 157 158. Two inferences from the greatness of the earth 158 Eastwind much under the dominion of the Sun 199 200 Egypt why not looking to heaven for rain 207 Election of free grace not of fore-seen works 702 Elements their natural order 98 Elephant the manner of his eating grass described 618. Twelve things for which the Elephant is eminent above other beasts 627 628. Four inferences from it 630 Encrease in the field five things needful to produce it 378 Enemy no wisdom in provoking one too strong for us 691 Enemies to be prayed for and how 941 Entreaty the strong will not use entreaties 669 Equinox when 127 Error wise and good men may erre 869 Eternity three sorts of beings 49. God only absolutely eternal 49. Eternity what 50 Exacters of two sorts 339 340 Examples of two sorts recorded in Scripture 1036 Experience experimental knowledge best 793 Eye hath a great force upon the heart in three things 688 689. The Eye called the light of the body in two respects 740 F Face binding of it in secret what 590 Failings God overlooks them in his upright servants 178 Faith the only way of understanding the worlds creation 51. Faith is the eye of the soul 689. Only faith keeps down the prevailings of fear 756. All must be done in a two-fold faith 918. Faith and repentance must go together 943 Fault God will not charge any man beyond his fault 33 Favourites God shews favour to all good men yet some only are his favourites 891 Fear of two sorts 411. A due fear puts us upon the use of means for the â—reservation of our selves and others 412. Fear put for the thing feared 445. That which is not feared is usually derided 447. Fear what it is 733. Fear disturbs reason 755 756. The less natural fear the more perfection 777 Feasting moderate lawful 963. Seven cautions about it 663 Feathers goodly feathers the gift of God to birds 387. Three inferences from it 388. All birds are not of a feather 389 Folly sin is folly shewed four ways 906 907 Food God gives food to all creatures convenient to their nature 342 641 642. Forgetfulness we may be said to forget that which we never had as well as that which once we had 413 Forgiveness God is ready to forgive 882. We should be ready to forgive one another 887 888 Foundation of a building four Attributes of it 46. What the foundations of the earth are 47. Why the earth is said to have foundations 47. What the foundations of the earth are shewed further 52. A different word in the Hebrew signifying a foundation 68. Acclamations used at the laying of the foundation of great buildings 74 Freedom some creatures are free from others bound to service by Gods appointment 328. Inference from it 328. To be free from labour and service is but a low priviledge 329. To desire freedom from duty and service is very sinful 330. A mercy to be free from three yoakes or bonds 331. To be free to serve is better than to be free from service 332. To be forced is grievous 341 Friends their loss a great loss 957. In times of afflâ—ction worldly friends will leave us and godly friends may prove unkind to us 957. Two inferences from it 958. Friends should be friendly 961 Frost and Ice from God 228. Frost compared to ashes in three respects 228. The force of frost 229 230. A two-fold resemblance of frost and ice 231 232 Fruitfulness how the Wilderness will witness against unfruitful professors 215. What spiritual good fruits are 215 216 Fullness of two sorts 1028 G Garment natural what 725. Every creature hath some kind of garment or other 726. Christ and his graces the best garment 726 Gates of death what vid. death Gifts or endowments God gives not all to any one creature and why 421 Gifts or presents a duty to send them in some cases 973. Six sorts of gifts lawful a seventh utterly unlawful 973 Glory that which any creature eâ—cels in is his glory 440 567 569. Glory of God twofold 568 Goates the signification of the word both in the Hebrew and Latine 307. Seven things wherein wild goates resemble a godly man 308 309 God is present with his in troblous dispensations 20. The outward appearances of God very terrible when he intends nothing but mercy 20 21. God is the first being 49. God an eternal being 49. God is the fountain of all being 50. None like God 54. God the proprietor and possessor of all things Inferences from it 55. All creatures are at the command of God 262. Contendings with God See contending God hath terrible ways of revealing himself 530. God hath a mighty power 547. A three-fold gradation in expressing it 547 548. God is full of majesty beauty and glory 570. Inferences from it 571. 573. God terrible to sinners 690. No standing before God four ways 694 695. God is in no mans debt 698. God self-sufficient 700. All things are his by a four-fold title 705. The excellencies of God must not be concealed 722. God terrible 728 729 God is good at any work that is good 795. God is omnipotent 796. God hath right to do whatsoever he doth 799. Not a thought of
Metaphorical Whirlwind in those three senses opened But Thirdly with others I take the Whirlwind here in proper sense that is for such a Whiâ—lwind as is often heard and felt sounding blustering and making great disturbance in the ayre blowing up Trees by the roots and overthrowing Houses to the very foundation Ex nube obscura Rab. Levi. Ex Nimbo Bez. Ex procella venti turbine horrifico Eturbine i. e. e nube e qua erupit turbo seu ventus turbineus Pisc Di nube aliqua praeter naturae ordinem facta Grot. De ipsa caligine in qua sc videtur nobis Deus delitescere Vatabl. One of the Rabbins calls it a dark cloud several of the Moderns express it by a rainy or watry cloud out of which issued that dreadful Storm called a Whirlwind Doubtless some sudden extraordinary Wind exceeding the constant order and common course of Nature gathered the clouds at that time Thus God at once hid the glory of his Majesty and testified it much after the same manner as he did at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai when he answered Job out of the Whirlwind But it may be questioned why did God answer Job out of a Whirlwind First Such a way of answering was most proper to the dispensation of those Old Testament Times when the Covenant of Grace lay covered with Legal Shadows and was usually administred in a clothing or shew of terror especially as was said before at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. Deut. 4.12 when so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 And surely the Lord appeared and spake very dreadfully to some of the Prophets in those Elder Times especially to the Prophet Habakkuk who thus reports the consternation of his mind chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Now Gospel Times being more clear and calm Christ speaks more clearly and calmly as it was phophesied Isa 42.2 3. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice in the street Christ did not speak out of a Whirlwind A bruised reed he shall not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgement unto Victory That is he shall with all tenderness condescend to the weakest souls and deal with them most sweetly gently and compassionately Secondly The Lord spake in a Whirlwind that he might shew the greater State and Majesty to awaken Job yet more or to make him more attentive as also to affect him yet more deeply with the apprehension of his Power and Glory and to leave a greater impression upon his spirit of his own vileness weakness and nothingness Job was yet too big in his own eyes the Lord would annihilate or make him nothing the Lord would beat him out of all conceit with himself out of an opinion of his own integrity and righteousness that he might see and confess there was no way but to lie at his foot abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Such to this day is the pride and stupidness of mans flesh that he hardly attends the Word or Works of God unless awed by some extraordinary Ministration Thirdly We may conceive the Lord appeared and spake in this Whirlwind Aerumnoso homini conformem exhibens aspoctum Munst that he might therein suit his appearance to the state and condition of Job at that time or that he might as it were symbolize with Jobs troubled estate Job as I toucht before was in a Storm and now God declares himself in a storm and that is the reason which some give why the Lord appeared to Moses Exod. 3.2 in a burning bush it was say they that his apparition might answer their present condition The Children of Israel were then in the fire of affliction and entangled in the bush of cruel bondage they were scratcht and torn with briars and thorns and the Lord spake out of a burning bush to Moses as here to Job out of the Whirlwind Fourthly and lastly I conceive the reason why the Lord spake o him in a Storm or Whirlwind was to let him know that he was not well pleased with him but purposed to reprove and chide him De turbine indignationis indice Though Job was a precious servant of God yet God was not well pleased with many passages under his affliction and therefore he would not flatter but humble him For though Job spake from an honest heart and what he said was truth yet God did not like his manner of defence and pleading for himself He was not pleased to see him hold up the Bucklers so long when he should have laid them down rather and submitted David to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased with his enemies tells us what dreadful effects followed the hearing and granting of his prayer against them Psal 18.7 8 9 c. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth there went a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals also were kindled by it he bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet c. Thus the Lord appeared in an Earthquake in smoke in fire and darknesse to make the proud opposers of his faithful Servant David know how much his anger was kindled against them Thus also when the Lord revealed himself to Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 it s said a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake the rocks and after the wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire before the still voice was heard And why all this but to shew that the Lord was highly displeased with the doings of the Kings of Israel at that time and with that idolatrous generation therefore he appeared in such a dreadful manner while he purposed to conclude all in a still voice Though the Lord was not in the Wind in the Earthquake nor in the Fire yet these were fore-runners of his appearance and signified that the Lord would shake that people with a mighty Wind and Earthquake of Judgement yea even consume them with the fire of his wrathful jealousie for their superstitious following after Baal and deserting his appointed Worship When the lusts of wicked men grow fiery and stormy God will convince them with fire and stormes and if his own servants grow too bold with him he will make them sensible of it as here he did Job by speaking to them out of a Whirlwind though he be intended to speak to them at last as he did to Elijah in a still voice and to Job with favour and approbation Thus much for the opening of these words Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said Hence Observe First The great goodness of God who condescends or lets
himself down to speak and treat with dust and ashes What a wonder is it that the Lord of Heaven and Earth should admit and enter into a parly with man who is but a well-shaped clod of Earth Solomon was in a kind of amazement at the mercy when he said at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.22 But will God indeed dwell on Earth And may not we that God should come down to confer with an afflicted bed-rid man on Earth I know some are of opinion that the Lord spake by an Angel to Job however here was the Lords presence it was Jehovah who manifested himself to Job what Ministry soever he used Thus the Lord is pleased often to interpose in the case and cause of his afflicted servants though we see him not nor have such formal apparitions as here in the Text. The Lord the high and lofty One who dwelleth in the high and holy Place dwelleth also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit and be dwelleth with him to revive him Isa 57.15 Therefore surely he manifests himself to him in his loving-kindness which is better than life and the very life of our lives The Lord who hath Heaven for his Throne and the Earth his footstool saith by the same prophet Isa 66.1 2. To this man will I look and lest any should take this man to be one of the mighty ones of this world he giveth us both a signal specification and clear character of this man to whom he looketh even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my Word And if the Lord look to such a man if he vouchsafe him his gracious â—ye doubtless he also reveals himself graciously and freely to him Secondly The Lord came here to instruct and teach Job Several persons had dealt with him before and they very worthy good and learned persons and they came with a purpose to do him good yet all would not do All that his three friends said who undertook him first in their turns was to little purpose in appearance And though Elihu a spritely young man discours'd him with much life and heat yet neither could he do the business Jobs spirit began indeed to yeeld upon the last engagement of Elihu with him yet he did not convince him fully God came at last and he prevailed he did the deed Then the Lord answered Job Hence Note We need the teachings of God besides all the teachings of men that we may rightly know him and our selves together with the intendment of his dealings with us and our own duty under them 'T is the mercy of the New Covenant that we shall be taught of God and not by man onely nor alone As here Job had three or four so we may have thrice three men toyling with us a long time in vain The work is never well done till God comes and though we have not such appearances of God now yet he doth the same thing in effect to this day This and that man a thousand men yea a man who is an Interpreter one of a thousand as Elihu spake may be labouring upon the conscience of a sinner and never bring things home either to convince or comfort him till God is pleased to come in by the power of his blessed Spirit and then who can but be convinced and comforted Hence our Lord Christ had no sooner reported the Covenant Promise out of the Prophet They shall be all taught of God John 6.45 but presently he makes this inference from it Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me We may say to all who are savingly wrought upon as Christ to Peter upon that Confession which he made Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to you but your Father which is in Heaven Impossibile est deum discere sine deo Iraen l. 4. adversus Haret c. 10. A deo discendum quicquid de deo intelligendum Hilar. l. 5. de Trin. It was said by one of the Ancients it is impossible to know God without God And so said another We must learn all that from God which we understand of God Unless God be our Tutor we shall never be good Scholars We know neither God nor our selves any further than God teacheth us Christ saith Be not called Masters for one is your Master even Christ Matth. 23.8 There are two sorts of Masters 1. Ruling or Commanding Masters 2. Teaching Masters To the former we are Servants to the latter we are Scholars In the eighth verse Christ speaks of Teaching Masters as of Ruling Masters at the tenth verse Now when Christ would not have any man take upon him or own the Title of Master or Teacher his meaning is that no man should arrogate to himself the honour of principal Teacher which is the peculiar of God but to acknowledge that all mans teaching is nothing without Gods as the Apostle also saith 1 Cor. 3. We must learn from God whatever we know aright either of God or of our selves Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar spake much of God to Job but Job was never effectually humbled till God spake Thirdly Note As God here by his Word so alwayes the Word of God is the true determiner of controversies and resolver of doubts No question can be truly stated but by the Word of God Rectum est index sui obliqui As the statutes of the Lord are right Psal 19.8 So they shew what is right and what is not A strait Rule declares it self to be strait and detects the crookedness of whatsoever is crooked The last appeal in all things doubtful is to the Law Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light or as the Margin hath it no morning in them The Sun of righteousness hath not risen upon them who speak and hold unrighteous things Search the Scriptures saith Christ John 5.39 or as 't is well rendred in the Indicative Mood Ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life Nor did they think amiss in thinking so but that which Christ secretly reproved while he said so was that they did amiss or contradicted the Scripture in their lives while they boastingly thought so Not what this or that man saith but what God saith is the true ground of mans faith Sumamus exlibris divinitus inspiratis solutionem questionum Theod. l. 1. Hist Eccles c. 7. It was a worthy speech of Constantine in the Nicene Council Let us take out of that Book divinely inspired the solution of our Questions It is not what the Fathers say nor what the Pope saith nor what Councils say but what the Word of God saith that must be heard and relied upon for salvation The Word is the Judge that is the rule of Judgement As here God was the
of corner-stones First There is a corner-stone laid below or beneath in the earth with the foundation The Master-builder is very careful to set that right Secondly There is a corner-stone laid upon the foundation or in the joyning of the walls both below as soon as the building appears above ground and up to the top or utmost height of the building Our Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in Scripture under the notion of a corner-stone as to both these uses First He is the corner-stone laid below in the earth with the foundation Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation In fundamentum fundatum Quae sorte fundamenti repetitio significat infimam fundamenti partem 〈◊〉 out potissimam So we translate this latter part of the verse Some others render it thus A corner-stone founded upon a foundation implying that Châ—ist is the lowest the chiefest and firmest foundation stone as well as a tried precious corner-stone The Apostle affirms both these of Christ in one verse Eph. 2.20 Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets not upon their persons but doctrine which is Christ Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Christus dicitur caput anguli quod non solum sit principium sed fâ—rtis spiritualis aedificii Nyssen In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord. Again 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house c. Some conceive that in this place the Lord fore-shewed Job the Incarnation of Christ who is the true corner-stone knitting all in One. For mostly when the Scripture would set forth the security of our salvation by Christ it doth it by this resemblance Upon him believers are founded and in him fastened If we had not Christ a corner-stone for our salvation it were not possible that our salvation should be sure to us The building cannot be fixt without it Christ is said to be our peace who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 where the Apostle speaks first of taking away the middle wall of partition and then of making both that is Jews and Gentiles one by Christ the only corner stone By one and the same faith in Christ two people Jews and Gentiles are joyned in one As in the corner of a building two walls alwayes meet and are closed together by the corner-stone And as Christ is a corner-stone laid in with the foundation so he is a corner-stone upon the foundation in the continued rising of the building till raised to the top As the corner-stone hath its use in any part of the corner from the foundation to the roof so it is placed in the highest part of the building There Christ is the chief corner-stone The Prophet speaks thus of Christ Zach. 4.7 And he that is Zerubbabel shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace unto it which seems to signifie that Christ should be manifested and brought publickly forth like the chief or uppermost corner-stone The corner-stone is called the Head-stone because 't is set above in the building and 't is called also the Head-stone because it is polished and appeareth above the rest like an head above the body Educet lapidem capitis Heb. Quod instar capitis promineat aut quod emineat in supremo loco Thus you see the use of the corner-stone in Scripture as applied to Christ in allusion to a building for the security and firmness of it the corner-stone being that which bindeth the building and fastens the contiguous walls together Here the Lord speaking of his framing the Earth tells us of a corner-stone to shew that the frame of the earth shall stand and continue unshaken undivided In opposition to this phrase when the prophet describeth the irreparable destruction of Babylon or that it shall be ruined without recovery he expresseth it thus Jer. 51.26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundation but thou shalt be desolate for ever saith the Lord. Babylon shall have neither foundation nor corner-stone as much as to say it shall never be built Magistrates and chief Governours are also called corner-stones Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Which words as they relate to Christ chiefly so also to King David as a type of Christ The Scripture in several other places gives that title to great men 1 Sam. 14.38 Judges 20.2 Isa 20. Zeph. 3.6 In all these Texts Princes and great men are called corners or corner-stones because as the corner-stone holdeth the wall together so they hold Nations in their civil capacity together Who laid the corner-stone thereof saith God to Job Tell me who did it Didst thou do it Did Angels do it Consider the greatness the firmness of the work and thou wilt be convinced that it was I that laid the corner-stone thereof So then the general sense of this verse is to shew the stability of the Work of God Here are foundations and foundations fastened in the wisdom and power of God who is an everlasting strength the rock of ages Isa 26.4 Here also the corner-stone is laid therefore all is sure and firm Now what did the Lord aime at in all this Surely it was not barely to convince Job that the earth was a beautiful piece and a strong one There was somewhat else in it and what was that Even to convince Job that forasmuch as he could not deny but this admirable and well ordered building was the work of God that therefore he should sit down satisfied in all his other works If God alone perfected this work by his power if he contrived it by his wisdom shall man find fault with any of the works of God Doth not he who put the world into this beautiful frame wherein we see it carry on all his works on earth in beauty and order though we see it not And is there not a firmness and strength in all his works Is there not a measure laid in all his providences and a line stretched out upon all his dealings with the children of men Hath he not fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone of all his dispensations right Job seemed to speak sometimes as if the Lord had not dealt with him in measure nor stretched an equal line upon his proceedings he looked upon all as off the hooks and out of course Now saith the Lord have I laid the measures of the earth and stretched the line upon it Have I fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone thereof Have I done all these things and dost thou think that I will let the world in general or any mans case in particular run to ruin as if my works of providence had
neither foundation nor corner-stone Remember O Job and well consider that as when in the beginning I saw the earth without form and void Gen. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I by a creating word commanded it into form and fulness So when thou seest nothing but Tohu and Bohu confusion and disorder voidness and darkness in the earth even then I am laying the measures of Justice and stretching the line of Truth and Equity upon all that is done or suffered and will bring forth my work in full perfection Nothing shall be amiss or out of order when my work is finished how much soever it may seem to be amiss as to beginnings or present actings Therefore O Job leave off thy complainings and rest quietly in my dealings Some have questioned the Natural Works of God yet 't is impossible to mend any part or the least pin of them And 't is as impossible for the wit and understanding of Men or Angels to mend any thing in the Providential Works of God That 's the scope of this discourse even that the consideration of Gods power and wisdom in making the world should bâ—idle our curiosity and awe our spirits when they begin to quarrel with yea but to query about any thing that God hath done though it appear to us altogether irregular and confused or as done without either line or measure The Lords work is beautiful and glorious 't is also sure and strong As his Promise or Covenant is ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 So are his Providences too for they are the issues and accomplishments of his Promises oâ—dered as to means and sure as to the end They shall end oâ— issue in b inging about the things which are laid in the foundation and corner-stone of his purposes counsels and decrees all which work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 And to convince Job from the Works of Creation that he ought not only to acquiesce or rest quietly under the Works of Providence whatsoever they were but to rejoyce in them the Lord tells him in the next verse that there was great rejoycing yea shouting for joy when the foundations of the earth were fastened and the corner-stone thereof laid JOB Chap. 38. Vers 7. 7. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy THere are two opinions among learned Interpreters concerning the general state of this verse First Some here reassuming the first words of these questions proposed at the fourth verse by God to Job Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. make this the second instance of Gods mighty power in the works of Creation Where wast thou when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy As if the Lord had said I have as yet questioned thee only where thou wast when I made the earth which is the most inferiour part of the world But now I purpose to rise higher in my discourse and therefore I put these questions to thee Where wast thou when I set up the morning stars those sparkling lights which shine to the earth through the firmament of heaven as also the sons of God those blessed spirits all which sang together and shouted for joy at the appearance of my power and wisdom Secondly Others connect these words in a continued sense and sentence with the verse going before Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. at which sight the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Taking the words thus they carry an allusion to or are a similitude taken from noble buildings or structures whose foundations use to be laid with solemnity and their corner-stones to be set up with shouting and acclamation That it was anciently customary to make such acclamations at the laying of the foundation of some eminent building besides what is clear out of humane Authors and Histories we have several Scripture evidences The 87th Psalm throughout setting forth the structure of the Gospel Church of the spiritual Zion by way of prophesie begins thus His foundation is in the holy mountains there 's the foundation of Zion laid Then followeth as at the second verse The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! Selah As if he had said there was a great acclamation high praises at the laying the foundation of Zion with which the Psalme closeth more expresly v. 7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my Springs are in thee Again Psal 118.22 23 24. there is no sooner mention made of the corner-stone the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner but presently we have acclamations about it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes This is a blessed work indeed This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That corner-stone of salvation Jesus Christ being laid as I may say all the stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy This is the day which the Lord hath made If we go to those material buildings which were figurative of the Church and Christ we shall find the like Ezra 3.10 When the Jewes at the return of their Captivity began to build the Temple the Text saith at the tenth verse And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord then they set the Priests in their apparel and with their voices with the Levits and the sons of Asaph to praise the Lord. As soon as the foundation was laid they were all in song and raised up in holy rejoycings though some of the old men who remembred the first Temple wept when the foundation of this was laid That Scripture Zach. 4.7 speaks of the same thing where the Prophet in the Spirit fore-seeing the disappointments of all the enemies of the people of God thus triumphs over them by faith Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting That is the building of Hierusalem or the restoring of the Temple shall be brought to perfection and then they shall cry grace grace unto it Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common and of the people of God in special at the raising of great structures the Lord tells us here that when he laid the foundations of the earth and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof there was a Triumph made Then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Thus we have the state of this verse either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels or else subjoyning it as an acclamation
Lord reduced it to a certain place Secondly To that restraint which God laid upon it after this reducement that it should no more return to overflow the Earth Both these restraints or laws put upon the Sea are contained in this Context the former of them in the eighth and ninth verses As soon as the Sea issued out of the Earth God set up its doors and made it bands The latter of these the giving of a special Law that when it was shut in it should no more break forth but according to his appointment we have in the tenth and eleventh verses where it is said I brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors and said hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed So then here we have First Bounds and limits assigned by God to that vast and unruly Element the Water that the Earth might be habitable and useful both for man and beast And Secondly We have the Lord restraining all power or liberty which naturally it would have had and taken to violate or break those bounds For had not God given the Waters of the Sea such a special command though bounds had been assigned them they would quickly have broken their bounds These two orders of God differ much though not in the time when they were given out yet in the nature of the thing and both suppose the Sea in being when these orders were given out For when it is said vers 8. It brake forth as if it issued out of the womb this implieth its birth and nativity and when God saith He shut it up with doors this supposeth that it not onely had a being but that it was violent and furious and would have over-flowed all and regained as large a Territory as it possessed at first when it issued out of the womb of the Earth even the face of the whole Earth if the Lord had not bridled and restrained it Yet further and more distinctly to open the words in their Order Quis Haec vox recte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repetitur â—x versu 5. 6. Drus Vers 8. Or Who shut up the Sea with doers The disjunctive particle Or succeeds those disjunctives ver 5 6. Who did this Or Who did that Or Who a third thing concerning the Earths formation Here again Or Who shut up the Sea with doors The Hebrew is onely Shut up the Sea with doors the word who is repeated out of the fifth and sixth verses The Lord by this query or question put to Job would then have him and now us know that it was himself alone that did it It was the Lord who bridled the Sea and shut it up with doors As if he said Where wast thou O Job when I did this great thing as thou gavest no assistance towards the laying of the foundations of Earth and the fastening of the corner-stone thereof so tell me what assistance didst thou give me in bringing forth and setling the vast Sea Or at least if thou canst give me an account hâ—w these things were done and how they continue as they were done by an everlasting decree who hath shut up the Sea with doors was it I or thou or any other Creature Thus the Lord still brings Job upon his knees by humbling questions knowing that he was not able to take any of that honour to himself He poor man had no more to do in this great work than he had in the former and therefore he ought to submit to the works of God in providence whatsoever he was pleased to do seeing all the works of Creation were done by God alone without his counsel or assistance Who hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saepe est protegere aliqui legunt â—bsâ—psu vel circumsepsit ac si esset a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sopio cum siâ— a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tego obiego operio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem per samech significat ungere Drus Shut up the Sea with doors There is a two-fold rendring of that word translated Shut up We take it from a root which signifies to hedge in or compass about as also to protect because those things which are compassed about with strong hedges are under protection and safe from danger Water being a fluid body spreads it self over all the water cannot contain it self in itâ— own bounds fluids cannot but it must be bound it must be shut in or shut up The Lord shut up the Sea as the waters of a great River are shut up by flood-gates or as the waters upon which a Mill is built some carry the allusion to that are pent for the service of it and are caused by art to run gradually or by inches as the Master of that useful engine gives direction Thus the Lord shut up the Sea The Sea is a great Convention or Assembly of Waters as Moses spake Gen. 1.10 The gathering together of waters the Lord called Sea The Sea is a confluence or meeting of waters There may be a great water yet that not the Sea the confluence of all or many waters together that is Sea The waters being thus gathered or assembled by the Lords Summons or Command he hedged them in or shut them up Secondly Others render Who anointed the doors of the Sea Quis valvat maris inunxit Codur when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb They who give this Translation derive the word from a root which signifies to anâ—int Some Interpreters insist much upon this sense of the word and I find one who asserts it as the onely sense of it in this place Who anointed the doors of the Sea that is the passages by which the Sea issued forth And saith he the reason why other learned Interpreters pitch upon that Translation of shutting up the Sea with doors is because they knew not what to make of anointing the doors of the Sea nor to what practice such an expression should allude that the doors of the Sea were anointed whereas indeed that notion of the Word beaâ—s the fairest allusion and proportion to the Metaphor of Child-bearing begun in this and carried on as it were professedly in the next verse under which the Spirit of God is pleased to express the coming forth and original of the Sea Now saith my Author Quaerit dominus a Jobo quae lucina praesuerit parentis naturae puerperlo quan do est enixa mare Id. it is a thing commonly known both to Physitians and Mid-wives that those parts of the body by which the Infant comes into the world uâ—e to be anointed for its more easie passage Thus saith God to Job Didst thou anoint the doers of the Sea when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb It was my Mid-wisery my wisdom and skill not thine that brought the Sea into the World and gave it an easie birth or delivered the Earth of it without