upon as evill doers when we have done nothing for the matter but our duty and that in the manner according to rule Thus when Paul had justified himselfe by denying the evill which Tertullus accused him of Acts 24.12 13. he presently justified himselfe also in what he had done well though his enemies judged it evill ver 14. But this I confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets This selfe-justification is often very needfull For as there are some who call evill good so there are others who call good evill and make that a mans fault which is his commendation It was accounted a crime by some of old to be lesse vitious then others and it is accounted a crime by some at this day to be more vertuous then others to be more holy more exact more wisely precise and circumspect in our wayes then others many interpret folly and stamp with madnesse 2 Corinth 5.13 Paul was thought beside himselfe a meere Fanatick in his high actings for Jesus Christ when our actions are thus mis-represented and put under such disguises every good man is obliged to doe himselfe right For as we may honestly accuse others and declare the evill that we know they have done when called to it so we may speak out and declare the good we have done maintaine that to be good if it be good which we have done though many call it evill when called to it Thus a man may stand upon his termes with all men and yet be humble and deeply sensible of his owne sinfullnesse and vilenesse before God Paul saw nothing upon the matter but sin in himselfe Rom. 7.14 24. When I would doe good evill is present with me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That is of sin as 't is called Rom. 6.6 Thus he spake when he had to doe with God But when he had to doe with men when he saw himselfe called to answer the accusations and wipe off the aspersions which the enemies of the Gospel cast upon him 1 Corinth 4.4 then he saith I know nothing that is no evill by my selfe Paul was very conscious of his naturall infirmity yet very confident of his spirituall integrity And therefore when he saw the Glory of God was like to be obscured through his abasement and to be ecclipsed by the shadowes and darknesse which men cast upon his Ministery then he tooke due honour to himselfe and made the most of himselfe according to truth in the eyes of all the world Thus I have shewed what justifying of our selves is lawfull and I have done it that we may more clearely discerne what I am to shew next or Secondly Namely what that justifying of our selves is which indeed is unlawfull reprovable and blame-worthy I shall instance it in a few particulars First They justifie themselves sinfully who doe good with a desire to be seene and applauded of men for it thus Christ charged the Pharisees Math 6.5 They pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men and ver 16. They disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast It is not a sin to be seene of men in doing good but to doe good to be seene of men is sinfull and the patching up of a selfe-justification Secondly They justifie themselves sinfully who would pretend or seeme to have done that good which indeed they have not There is as much of this hypocrisie lodging and working now in the hearts of the children of men as was of old in the heart of Saul 1 Sam 15.13 14. to the 22d verse who professed highly to have fulfilled the will of God to a haires breadth Blessed be thou of the Lord said he to Samuel I have performed the commandment of the Lord Thus he insisted upon his integrity and justified himselfe to the face of Samuel who quickly convinced him that he had done the Lords worke to halves Thirdly They justifie themselves sinfully who either totally deny or extenuate and lessen the evill that they have done this kinde of sinfull selfe-justification was opened largely at the 33d verse of the former Chapter upon that imprecation made by Job If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome I referre the Reader thither for a fuller discovery of it Fourthly They justifie themselves sinfully who mingle their owne workes with the workes or righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for justification for though such pretend to Christ and say they take up Christ and his righteousnesse for justification yet it will be found a selfe-justification only seeing unlesse Christ justifie us wholly he justifieth us not at all As the Apostle concludes Galat 5.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace That is yee who mingle your workes with Grace are not justified by Grace but which will be unlesse repented of your condemnation by your workes Lastly They justifie themselves sinfully who say they are justified by Christ from their sins while they continue in their sins and hold fast their iniquities For as they that mingle their owne good workes with the righteousnesse of Christ are selfe-justifiers so also are they that take hold of the righteousnesse of Christ while they will not let goe nor part with their evill workes To looke for justification while we continue in the love and practise of any knowne sin and unrighteousnesse is as sinfull as to expect justification by our owne righteousnesse Object But doth not the Scripture say that God justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 I answer Though God justifieth the ungodly yet the justified are not ungodly God justifieth the ungodly and makes them holy by the grace of sanctification as well as righteous by the grace of justification righteousnesse of life is alwayes the fruit of righteousnesse by faith Therefore if any man continuing in any knowne sin saith he is justified he hath justified himselfe for none doe so who are justified of God O how deeply are they condemned by God who thus justifie themselves Nothing is more desirable then to be justified by God and nothing is more dangerous then to justifie our selves either by our owne righteousnesse or in our unrighteousnesse Now as to justifie our selves any of these wayes is exceeding sinfull before God so to justifie our selves any way layeth us open or obnoxious to the censures of men And that 's the reason why this holy man Job was so deeply censured For though he justified not himselfe in any of those sences which are are sinfull yet he did some way justifie himselfe and while he justified himselfe only as he might he was condemned as having justified himselfe in a way which he might not We had need be very cautious how we any way or
himselfe And as these charges so Job's answers have been opened heretofore upon those former passages and therefore I shall not stay much upon the poynt here Yet because Elihu reassumes this argument yea makes it his strongest argument against Job I shall a little consider whether he did rightly or no in this thing To cleare which we must remember that Job's innocency had received a three-fold testimony in this booke First He received a testimony from God himselfe and that a very notable and glorious one Chap 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man Secondly He received a further testimony from the pen-man of this book who having recorded the severall afflictions of Job and his behaviour under them repeats it twice Chap 1. 21. Chap 2. 10. In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly The testimony which God gave him referred to his former actions or conversation before his affliction The testimony which the writer gave him referred specially to his latter words or speeches under his affliction Besides these testimonies which are not at all questioned nor can be we find a third testimony and that he gives of himselfe Now though Elihu did highly reverence the testimony which God had given if we may suppose he had notice of it and would also the testimony of the pen-man of the booke had it then been written yet he questioned the testimony which Job gave of himselfe Now that there was some severity in this charge upon that suspition may appeare by considering it in a few particulars First It must be sayd on Job's part or in favour of him according to truth that he never affirmed he was not a sinner Nay we shall find him more then once twice or thrice confessing the sinfulness of his nature and the sins of his life We find him also confessing that notwithstanding all the righteousness and integrity in him yet he would owne none of it before God and that if he should justifie himselfe his owne cloaths would abhorre him Therefore Job was far from saying he had no sin in him in a strict sence Secondly Most of those passages wherein he speakes of himselfe as cleane and righteous may be understood of his imputative cleanness and righteousness as a person justified in the redeemer of whom he spake with such a Gospel spirit and full assurance of faith that he might well assert this of himselfe I know that being justified I am cleane and without sin It is no fault for a believer to say I am cleane without transgression through free Grace in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Much of what Job spake in this matter is to be taken that way Thirdly When Job affirmes these things of himselfe we may say this in favour of him he meanes it of great transgressions The words in the text note defection and wilfull swerving from the right way His friends charged him with hypocrisie with oppression with taking the pledge for nought with stripping the naked of their clothing Thine iniquity is great said Eliphaz and thy sin is infinite Now saith Job I am cleane I have no such transgressions And he might well answer his friends charge of impiety against God and iniquity towards men with a flat deniall yea with an affirmation of the contrary There is no such iniquity in me prove it if you can He was unblameable in the sight of man Fourthly In favour of Job this may be sayd what he spake of himselfe and of his owne righteousness was upon much provocation of when his spirit was heated by his friends who so constantly urged these crimes against him In these heats he spake highly of himselfe and though it doth not excuse any mans sin when he hath spoken sinfully to say I was provoked yet it doth abate the greatness of the sin Good Moses who was the meekest man upon the earth when through provocation he spake unadvisedly with his lips felt the smart of it and God reckoned sorely with him for it Yet to speake amisse upon provocation is not so much amisse as to speake so in cold blood or unprovoked Fifthly Elihu might have put a fairer interpretation and construction upon these sayings of Job He might have taken them in the best sence as Job meant them that he was righteous cleane and innocent in all his transactions with men and had not wickedly at any time departed from God And then ther had not been such matter of fault in what he said as was broughe against him Yet in vindication of Elihu it must be granted Job gave him occasion to rebuke and blame what he had said and that chiefly upon these three accounts First Because he spake many things of himselfe which had an appearance of boasting and so of vaine speaking A little truly sayd of our selves or in our owne commendation may be thought too much how much more when we say much Secondly He spake such things as carri'd a shew of over-boldness with God He did not observe his distance as he ought when he so earnestly pressed for a hearing to plead his cause before God especially when he so often complained of the severity of Gods proceedure with him with which Elihu taxeth him directly in the two verses following Upon both these grounds Elihu thought and was no doubt guided in it by the Spirit of God to cut him to the quick that Job might learne to speake more humbly of himselfe and more temperately to God And therefore Thirdly The Lord did righteously yea and graciously let out the spirit of Elihu upon him in another way then his friends before had done He did not charge him with wickedness in fact but dealt with him about the unwariness of his words Job could not say he had never spoken such words for such words he did speake though he did not speake them as Elihu tooke them When words are out they must stand to the mercy of the hearers and abide such a judgement as may with truth be made of them though possibly besides the purpose of the speaker A man in that case is not wronged he should learne to speak more warily and not give occasion of offence Doubtlesse the Lord had a gracious intent upon Job in stirring the spirit of Elihu to represent his words in the hardest sence that he might humble him Job's spirit was yet too high and not broken enough as it was afterwards Nor doth Job reply or retort upon Elihu for this And when the Lord himselfe began to deal with him he saith Who is this that darkeneth councell by words without knowledge Chap 38. 2. and Job himselfe being brought upon his knees confesseth Chap 42. 3. I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not I have been too bold I confesse Though it was not Jobs purpose or meaning to speake so he had integrity in what he spake yet his words
is sayd he will render unto man his righteousness we are not to understand it of righteousness in kinde but of the reward or fruit of his righteousness For here Elihu speaks of a person already righteous or at least of him who had repented of and turned from his unrighteousness So that to returne or render unto man his righteousness is to returne the mercy promised to those that are righteous Reddet justitiam i. e. praemium justitiae Drus For as iniquity or unrighteousness is often put for the punishment of unrighteousness so equity or righteousness is often put for the reward of righteousness or for that which God according to his righteous promise returnes unto a righteous person Thus we may understand Elihu here As if he had sayd God dealt with this man before as with a sinner or he afflicted him for his sin But now he will deale kindly with him as with a righteous person and removing his affliction and taking his hand off from him he will render his righteousness to him he will not reckon with him for any former unrighteousness From this notion of the word Observe God usually deals with men as they are and according to what they doe If a godly man sin he shall smart for it and if a sinner return and repent God will shew him kindness Though the mercy and kindness which God shews to a returning sinner be not for his returnings or repentings yet 't is according to them The favour which God sheweth any man is for Christs sake or for what Christ hath done and suffered but it is according to what himselfe hath done or suffered David experienced this himselfe Psal 18.20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes c. That is as I have been a righteous and just person so the Lord hath dealt with me And he gives the rule with respect to all others v. 25. With the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure c. That is Thou wilt be such to men in thy dispensations as they are in their conversations and dispositions in the frame and bent of their hearts and lives And as it followeth v. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted or humble people but wilt bring downe high lookes that is those that are proud and high-minded The Prophet holds out the same truth in way of direction Isa 3.10 Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings that is they shall have good for the good they have done or according to the good which they have done Rom 2.10 Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile If any object But may it not be ill with men that doe good and are good doth the Lord alwayes render to man according to his righteousness I answer It is well at present with most that doe well look over all the sons of men and generally ye shall find that usually the better they are the better they live Secondly I answer It shall be well with all that doe well in the issue and for ever This truth will abide to eternity God will render unto man according to his righteousness Secondly We may take the word righteousness Justiam quam ei confert in Christo reputans eum pro justo Jun for the righteousness of justification Mr Broughton inclines to that sence He will restore unto man his justice And presently adds by way of glosse Justice is Christ It is Christs Justice or righteousness that is restored to man Christ is indeed The Lord our righteousness Jer 23.6 And thus severall others of the learned expound these words He will render unto man his righteousness That is he will bestow upon him or restore to him righteousness in Christ he will account him righteous though he hath no righteousness of his owne which will hold in Gods account Elihu I grant calleth it Mans righteousness his righteousness yet we may well understand him calling it so not because it is wrought by but because it is imputed to or bestowed upon man as his righteousness That is ours which is freely given us so is righteousness in justification by faith in Christ We have no righteousness wrought in us or by us for that purpose but we have a righteousness wrought for us and freely bestowed upon us for that purpose which is therefore truely called mans righteousness But some may question how can it be sayd that God doth render or return to man this righteousness that is the righteousness of justification Can this righteousness be lost can a person justified fall out of a justified state I answer The righteousness of justification which is true also of the righteousness of sanctification as to the substance and being of it cannot be lost But it may be lost as to the comfortable enjoyments and fruits of it or as to our apprehension of it And the Lord is sayd to returne to man the righteousness of his justification not as if the grace it selfe were lost or taken away from him but because the sight and sence of it the sweetness and joy of it Non enim ablata justitia redditur sed ablatae justitiae sensus Coc the workings and effects of it having been lost are now restored to him againe When the Lord by his Spirit gives the soule a cleare and fresh evidence of it or reneweth the testimony of his Spirit with our spirits that our sins are forgiven and that we are justified beloved and accepted in Christ then the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness otherwise neither the faith by which this righteousness is applyed nor the righteousness it selfe which is applyed to us by faith is at any time lost or removed Only in this sence as in many other Scriptures so in this the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness both of sanctification and justification For when a beleever through sin hath blotted his own evidences and God hath left him under the darkness of his own spirit for his negligent unwatchfull unworthy walking or when the Lord hideth his face to try him what he will doe whether he will trust in his name while he walketh in darkness and seeth no light when I say after withdrawings for either of these reasons or for any other the Lord gives him in a renewed evidence of his love then he is sayd to render unto man his righteousness It is in this case as with a man that labours under some strong and dangerous disease which taketh away his sences and leaves him halfe dead we say the man is gone yet he recovers his speech returnes and his spirits revive and then we say his life is rendred to him or he is brought back from the grave we have fetched him againe not that his life was quite taken away for he was not a carkasse in
owne righteousness and goodness though we are both good and righteous is evill and very blameable For whereas Job said I am righteous he should rather have left others to say it he should have been satisfied that he was so without saying so and though it cannot be denied that Job was extreamly urged to it as hath been shewed more then once in opening this Booke and it had been but necessary for him to say it once or twice in his owne defence yet because he sayd it so often it drew and that deservedly this censure or charge upon him Hence take this corolary or inference If to speake much of our owne righteousness be displeasing then how abominable is it to be proud of it or trust upon it There is nothing more pleasing to God then to see man walking in wayes of righteousness nor is there any thing more displeasing unto God then to see a man lifted up with or leaning upon his owne righteousness If we make our owne righteousness our staffe God will make it our rod. And though he is farre from scourging us because we are righteous yet he will correct us if we proclaime our owne righteousness yea if we thinke it much or thinke much of it We must have a very great occasion when at any time we beare witness to our owne righteousness and goodness but if the heart be lifted up in pride or trust at all upon it this renders man odious in the sight of God God saved Noah out of that common deluge in which the old world perished For saith the Lord Gen 7.1 thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation Noah was righteous before God and was saved when others perished but surely had he vainely boasted or unnecessarily voted himselfe righteous before men he had perished as wel as others It comes much to one and the same account with God whether men be openly unrighteous or whether without a just cause and call they open their righteousness before men Secondly Note How righteous soever we are in life yea though we are righteous by faith which is our righteousness unto life yet we must not plead that for our freedome from afflictions We may plead the righteousness of faith against condemnation but not against correction if any man be in Christ he shall never be condemned but though a man be in Christ and justified by the highest actings of faith in the blood of the Covenant yet he may be severely corrected This was I conceive the principall scope and intent of Elihu in charging Job thus even to convince him that though he was a faithfull servant of God and of a very unstained conversation among men yet he must not thinke himselfe above the crosse but quietly and meekly submit to it Job spake sometimes fully to that poynt He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked if the scourge slay suddenly he laugheth at the tryall of the innocent Chap 9.23 yet at other times he forgot himselfe and therefore he was justly as to his present case and profitably as to the future issue remembred of it by this plaine and home-dealer Elihu Job hath said I am righteous And God hath taken away my Judgement As if he had sayd Once thou didst say God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked but now thou seemest to say thou art greatly wrong'd and thy Judgement quite taken away because being a righteous man thou art thus afflicted Mr Broughton renders But the Omnipotent keeps back my right As Judgement is right fully given so there is but little difference between keeping back our right and taking it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est auserre declinare divertere subvertere therefore the word signifieth not only to take away or cause to decline to divert and subvert but to keep back or withhold any thing in any kind as Mr Broughton translates expressely This is the thing saith Elihu which Job hath said God hath taken away or kept back my Judgement But where did Job say this he said it Chap 27.2 As the Lord liveth who hath taken away my Judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule Bildad charged Job with it Chap 8. 3. while he put this question to him Doth God pervert Judgement or the Almighty pervert Justice Implying that Job had spoken words reflecting upon the Justice and Judgement of God in taking away his Judgement But you will say What is Judgement and what is it to take away Judgement or how is a mans Judgement taken away I answer There is a three-fold notion of Judgement in Scripture First Judgement is the result or issue of a mans reason about any matter or question propounded to him God sometimes takes away mans Judgement in that sense and then he becomes a foole and unable to judge 'T is a dreadfull judgement when God thus takes away mans judgement and gives him up to a Reprobate or an unjudicious minde as he did the old Gentiles Rom 1.28 for then he will quickly doe those things which are not convenient not being able to distinguish nor discerne between true or false he must needs put light for darkness bitter for sweet sweet for bitter Elihu doth not represent Job complaining that God had taken away his judgement in this notion Secondly Judgement is any angry dispensation or wrath powred out or executed upon persons nations or Churches If judgement begin at the house of God that is if trouble or wrath begin at the Church of God what will the end of those be that obey not the Gospel 1 Pet 4.17 Davids Song consisted of two parts Psal 101.1 judgement was one of them I will sing of mercy and judgement This notion of judgement is every where found in Scripture yet neither is this the notion of it in this Scripture God had not thus taken away Jobs judgement he begg'd indeed that God would take away this his judgement and it was the matter of his complaint because he did not take it away Thirdly Judgement is right done or right due right due is judgement due right done is judgement done Thus David prayed Psal 72.1 Give the King thy Judgements O God and thy righteousness to the Kings son that is give him an understanding to doe right or to give every man his right To doe this is a thing so desireable in all men especially in Kings and Princes that when God at Gibeon sent young king Solomon a blanke from heaven and bid him aske what he would he asked only this 1 Kings 3.9 Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discerne between good and bad This is properly the judgement intended here Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement that is my right or hath not done me right But how is Judgement taken away I shall answer it in three things First When right is quite subverted and over-throwne This the Prophet elegantly expresseth and reproveth Amos 6.12 Ye have turned judgement into
in dealing and tugging with Job And now as if their seventh day or Saboth were come they sate downe and took their rest Speaking especially arguing and disputing with a knowing and resolved adversary is tough worke And they who have been at it to purpose may for very wearinesse have causee-nough to rest or take their Saboth so did these three men they ceased or sabbatiz'd from answering Job We may yet further enquire why did they cease First some men cease to answer because they have no more to answer Secondly others cease to answer because they suppose they have answered enough already and will answer no more Some say the former was the reason why Jobs three friends ceased to answer they had no more to answer Others take the latter that they had no mind no will to give any further answer But the reason expressed in the text which should satisfie us and superseed further queries is Because he was righteous in his owne eyes As if it had been said Because they saw they had done no good upon him Job kept his ground and maintained his standing he disputed every inch with them and yeilded not an inch as they found him at first so he was at last they saw him a man immoveably set downe in his owne purpose and opinion and therefore because they could get nothing by speaking they would speak no more 'T is but lost labour as we say to wash the Blackmore The constancy and warmth of Job in defending himselfe they judged obstinacy and a humour to oppose or but the swelling of a proud spirit whereas indeed it was the love of truth not of contention a zeale to doe himselfe right not to doe them wrong which caused him still to hold up the Bucklers and adhere so stiffely to his owne opinion Thus despayring to convince or bring him to an acknowledgement that he was unrighteous they ceased Because he was righteous in his owne eyes That 's such another forme of speaking Pro. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes As also that Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him You may easier reduce a man that is indeed ignorant then him that thinks himselfe very wise or knowing but is not This was the apprehension of Jobs friends concerning him He was a man thought they and so they said righteous in his owne eyes There are three sorts of righteous persons First such as are righteous in the eyes of God and so the Godly are under a twofold notion First as being pardoned for or justified from their unrighteousnesse through faith in Christ Blessed are they who are thus accounted righteous in the eyes of God Secondly they are righteous as avoyding unrighteous and doing righteous things There is a seed a principle of righteousnesse in persons justified and regenerated which dayly puts it selfe forth in righteous actings He that doth righteousnesse is righteous 1 Joh 3.7 He is so both as to his state and as to his actions in the eyes of God and good men Secondly Many are righteous in the eyes of men they have faire appearances and out-sides you can read nothing amisse in their conversation yet they are unrighteous yea altogether unrighteous in the eyes of God yea and possibly in their owne too They cannot but see their own wickednesse though they can conceale it from the sight of others Hypocrites are like painted Sepulchers faire without as Christ spake of the Pharisees but within full of rottennesse They seeme that to men which God seeth they are not They can shew their best side to and hide their worst from men but they cannot play this game with God he seeth their best is bad because it is but the covering not the hating not the mortifying of that which is bad Thirdly There is another sort who are righteous in their own eyes such Solomon describes Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse These have a great opinion of themselves They think all is right and well with them when indeed they are filthy and uncleane their hearts being yet unchanged though their wayes are smoothed and though they may have left off to doe many filthy things yet they are not washed from their filthinesse The text in hand puts Job into this third sort of righteous men But was it thus with him I answer First Job was a man righteous in the eyes of God in both the notions mentioned he was righteous as justified and righteous as sanctified Secondly Job was a man righteous in the eyes of many men for he saith Chap. 29.11 The ear which heard me blessed me and the eye which saw me gave witnesse to me yet Job had not an universall testimony given by men There were some I cannot say many in whose eyes he was unrighteous He was so in the eyes and opinion of his friends especially Though none could as to the eye tax Job with any unrighteousnesse no not they who doubtlesse had sifted his life to the bran yet his friends thought him unrighteous and he stood judg'd as unrighteous in their eye As for the third sort of righteousnesse that of being righteous in our owne eyes we must distinguish Job was indeed righteous in his owne eyes in a good sence and that under a twofold consideration First as not having committed any gross or scandalous act of wickednesse as he professed at large and with much confidence in that apologie and vindication which he made for himselfe in the Chapter foregoing where he calls downe the severest judgements of God upon himselfe if he had done such things as he was suspected of especially if he had defiled himselfe with those common polutions of the world wantonnesse injustice and oppression Job stood upon it that he was thus righteous Secondly Job was righteous in his owne eyes as to the allowing of himselfe in any the least sin or unevennesse either of heart or life Thus much his protestation or imprecation amounts to in the 33d verse of that Chapter If I have covered my transgressions as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome As if he had said I have not lived in the love of any sin whatsoever Thus Job was righteous in his owne eyes protesting to God and before men that as he was not scandalously wicked in any kinde so he was not closely nor hypocritically wicked every sin was his burden and the abhorrence of his soule In any other sence Job was far from being righteous in his owne eyes He never either said or thought he had done no evill or was altogether sin-lesse like white paper without blot or blur yea we very often find him confessing his sins and failings Chap. 7.20 I have sinned what shall I doe unto thee thou preserver of men He maketh a like acknowledgement Chap. 9.2 I know it is so of a truth but how shall man be just
it was hard for Elihu to charge Job thus though Job had let fall some inconsiderate speeches which administred occasion for such a charge And as one of the Ancients speakes of difficulties and seeming contradictions in Scripture Distinguish the times and the Scriptures will accord So distinguish the time of this dispute take Job at the beginning of it before he was teazed and heated by his friends and then he spake at a very low rate of himselfe If I were righteous I would not know my owne soule But in the heat and towards the later end of this long dispute Job gave too much advantage for such a construction to be put upon his words that he justified himselfe rather then God then which nothing can be said more unjustifiable nor more reproveable Hence observe To justifie our selves doth usually and justly lay us open to the reproofe of others or To justifie our selves drawes blame upon our selves To justifie is foure wayes used in Scripture First which is the most remarkable and excellent act of it God justifieth man Rom. 8.33 It is God that justifieth This act of divine Grace consists in two things First in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to us Secondly in the free remission of our sins Secondly Man justifieth God Luk. 7.29 30. And all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Where to justifie imports as much as to Glorifie doth Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord That is they readily approved and received the word of the Lord when we approve the Doctrine and doings of God his word and works then we justifie him And how ready should we be on all occasions to justifie God who only is and is altogether good when he is so graciously ready to justifie us who are evill altogether evill and ungodly Thirdly We read in Scripture of man justifying man which is done any of these three wayes First He that consents to what another hath done though the deed be evill justifieth him in doing it A secret liking of any mans action is as much as that amounts to the justification of his person Secondly He that openly approveth or applaudeth what another hath done justifieth him much more To consent with sinners is sinfull to flatter them in their sin is abominable Thirdly He that stands up to maintaine and defend what another hath done justifies him most of all All these acts of justification Job denied his friends while he said Chap. 27.5 God forbid I should justifie you That is that I should secretly consent to or openly approve and maintaine what you have said concerning me or you in saying it Fourthly The same man is said to justifie himselfe this selfe-justification is that which kindled the wrath of Elihu against Job The text is expresse Because he justified himselfe c. This justification of our selves is of two sorts First Internall and mentall when in our hearts we give sentence for or approve of our selves when we inwardly boast and glory of our selves whether in what we are or in what we doe and affirme The Pharisee Luk. 18.11 stood and prayed thus with himselfe or to himselfe that is silently God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publicane I fast twice in the weeke c. Thus he justified himselfe Secondly There is an externall and vocall selfe-justification when we openly commend and cry up our selves Thus Jehu justified himselfe 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my zeale for the Lord He would needs blow a trumpet and proclaime before all men how good a man he was and what good he had done Yet further the justification of our selves is two-fold First Lawfull yea and commendable Take that in two particulars First That man who is really and indeed in a justified state through the free grace of God in Christ he when a just occasion is offered may justifie himselfe declaratively before men For as we ought alwayes to justifie our selves declaratively by our works that is give evidence by our workes that we are justified by faith so we may justifie our selves by our words to magnifie the rich grace of God in justifying us freely through Christ David called others to take notice of what God had done for his soule Psal 66.16 Thus a beleever may lawfully at any time and at all times it is his duty to justifie himselfe before men by giving as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 3.15 an answer to every one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in him that is of his justified state with meekness and feare Secondly A man that is sound at heart honest and upright with God may lawfully justifie himselfe as to the integrity of his intentions purposes and designes when he falls under other mens jealousies and suspicions David being often unjustly condemned by Saul was as often in this worke of justifying himselfe against him Psal 7.8 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me As if he had said I am judged unrighteously but I appeale to thy righteous judgement who fully knowest which I also know my conscience bearing witness mine integrity I appeale to thy mercy for the many sins which I have committed against thy selfe bâ—â— I appeale to thy Justice whether as I am accused I have at all sinned against Saul We may reade Paul doing the same at large while he professed 1 Thes 2.3 4. that he did not act upon covetous designes for himselfe nor was a flatterer of others but as he was allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so he spake not as pleasing men but God which tryeth the heart As it was the continuall practise of false Apostles and others to discredit Pauls Ministery by bringing his person out of credit so it was his continuall care to counter-worke them by a professed vindication of himselfe We may lawfully justifie our selves and our actings when we are not only suspected but falsly accused and wrongfully charged about them and that either of these two wayes First When we are charged to have done that evill which we never did then we may justifie our selves by a flat deniall David did so in that case Psal 7.3 4. O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hand c. As if he had said O God thou knowest I have not done this which many burden me with Againe Psal 35.11 False witnesse did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not I have not had so much as a thought to do that which they say I have actually done Thus he discharged himselfe of those crimes which indeed he never committed nor was guilty of Secondly We may justifie our selves lawfully when the good we have done is charged upon us as an evill deed or we looked