soules to sleep All sorts of sleepers covet the darke and therefore they who sleep in death are elegantly described making their bâ—d in darknesse that so they may have as it were all accommodations for their rest I have made my bed in the darknesse It may be questioned towards the clearing of this Verse Did not Job waite Why doth he say If I waite Was hee upon Iffs or And 's about that great and necessary duty Hee resolved peremptorily Chap. 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come And is hee so much changed already into an unresolvednesse about his waiting I answer This supposition about waiting is not a negation nor is it a note of his irresolution to waite for any thing but only for that particular about which his Freinds were so busie to awaken and heighten his expectations Job waited upon God for all things which he desired to have onely he did not waite upon God for that which the visible dispensations of God seemed to tell him aloud that he should not have a temporall deliverance yea when he saith If I waite namely for this thing it is an Argument that he acknowledged it a duty to waite upon God for all those things for the receiving of which he had any rule or ground of hope from God Every exception confirmes the rule Hee that saith he doth not wait upon God about that for which hee hath no warrant saith strongly that he ought to waite upon God where he hath a warrant From which consequence we may Observe this unquestionable truth That it is the duty of man to waite upon God Waiting upon God is a duty of the first Commandement it is a part of naturall worship It is not in mans liberty whether he will waite or no hee is commanded to waite David speaks it double and no doubt he laboured to act it double Psal 40.1 Waiting I waited or I waited patiently upon God The Apostle gives that advice to the Saints Heb. 10.36 Yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of God yee may receive the promise There is doing the will of God and then there is receiving the promise yet we must doe somewhat after we have done the will of God before we can receive the promise and that is we must waite upon him You have need of patience saith the Apostle What kinde of patience There are three sorts of patience First The patience of labouring that he puts in the former part of the Verse it is our doing the will of God Secondly There is the patience of suffering Thirdly There is the patience of waiting after we have both done and suffered the will of God We have need of this patience the patience of waiting that we may receive the promise that is the mercy promised God hath preventing mercies and they come to us before we wait for them but his rewarding mercies must be waited for he will exercise the grace of patience in us by causing us to wait for our reward as he exerciseth the graces of love and zeale in commanding us to doe his will and usually without waiting after we have done his will there is no receiving of the reward for doing his will And for the promises and Prophesies in generall though God never faile his owne time yet he seldome comes at ours That great promise about the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Aegypt was performed punctually to an houre Exod. 12.41 42. It came to passe at the end of foure hundred and thirty yeares even that very night it came to passe that God brought out all the Host of Israel The time being out in the night God did not stay till morning but brought them out that very night We count it a very veniall sin to breake our word for a day or to let a man waite a day beyond the time promised we commonly say A day breakes no square It is not so with God he keeps his time punctually he will not break his word one day Wee read of the shortning of evill times but not of their lengthening God never makes his people waite for good longer then hee hath promised But though God keep his time exactly and come just at the moment he hath prefixed and foreshewed yet we are apt to antedate the promise of God and to set it a time before Gods time We are short sighted and short breathed that which is but a moment in the Kalendar of Heaven seemes more then an age to us Now in this regard there is much need of patience of waiting patience to tarry not onely our time but Gods time which is the meaning of the Prophet Habakkuk Chap. 2.3 The vision is for an appointed time but at the end it will speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come and will not tarry The Prophet advises Though it tarry waite for it there 's our duty yet hee presently affirmes It will not tarry So then it may tarry and yet it tarryeth not it may tarry beyond our time but it tarryeth not beyond Gods time It will come and will not tarry that is not beyond the time which God hath prefixed though it may soone tarry beyond the time which we have prefixed therefore if it tarry waite there is no remedy but patience The Apostle James gives the rule Chap. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect worke that is Let all manner of patience worke in you to the end and let it worke to all those ends or purposes to which it is appointed Patience hath her perfect worke First When it puts forth perfect acts Secondly When it perseveres in acting Patience ascends by three steps to the perfection of her worke The first is a silent not a sullen submission or resignation of our selves to the dispose of God Psal 39.9 I was dumb saith David and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Secondly A kinde of thankfull acceptation or kissing of the Rod which smites us If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled saith the Lord Levit. 26.41 and they accept the punishment of their iniquity The phrase imports a welcome receiving of it as of a love-token from the hand of a Freind or that the Rod is not onely justly but mercifully and graciously inflicted This a great perfection of patience and to this Jobs patience attained the very first day of his sorrows while he blessed the Name of the Lord not onely for giving him so many good things but also for taking them away Chap. 1.21 The third step is spirituall joy and serious cheerfulnesse under sorrowfull dispensations This the Apostle exhorts the Brethren to Vers 2. Count it all joy when yee fall into diverse temptations And presently adds intimating that the highest perfection of patience consists in this joy Let patience have her perfect worke As if hee had sayd I have told you what the perfect worke of patience is doe not
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practicall Observations CONTINUED UPON The fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth Chapters of the Book of JOB BEING The Summe of twenty three Lectures delivered at Magnus neer the Bridge LONDON By JOSEPH CARYL Preacher of the Word and Pastour of the Congregation there JAMES CHAP. 1. VERS 12. Blessed is the Man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons and are to be sould by Thomas Eglesfeild at the Marigold and at the Brasen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1650. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER TO THOSE ESPECIALLY OF THIS City who have been the movers and continue the Promoters of this WORK SOLOMON who made Many Bookes tells us toward the end of one of them Eccl. 12.12 That of making many Books there is no end and that much study is a wearinesse to the flesh But while Solomon speakes thus doth he not at once blot those many Books which himselfe had written and discourage others from writing any more Though study be a wearinesse to the flesh yet 't is granted that 's no sufficient reason why we should desist the flesh must be wearied and hard wrought 't is good it should be so But there 's no colour of reason why we should begin that which eyther cannot be finisht and brought to an end or which is to no end when 't is brought to an end and finisht How then saith Solomon that of making many Books there is no end His scope cleares this scruple for having read his Son a Lecture upon the vanity of the Creature and having given him many excellent advices for the due steering of his course through this World he applyes all in the former part of this Verse And further by these my Son be admonished Let what is now written take upon thy heart and be accepted with thee For Vers 10. The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth Againe Vers 11. The words of the Wise are as Goads and as Nayles fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepheard Therefore let these words like Goads put thee on and like Nayles fasten thee to the obedience of my counsels By these my Son be admonished As if he had sayd Let not this Booke which discovers the vanity of all worldly things be it selfe accounted vaine If this Book prevaile not with thee if it master not thy judgement and mannage not thy affections 't is to no end for me to make many Bookes seeing this is cloathed with as much compleatnesse of rule to direct as a Book of this Argument can be and is stampt with as much strength of Authority to command as any Book of any Argument can be And further why shouldest thou my Son put mee to the making of many Bookes What if I could make many with as much ease to my owne spirit as I have made this one which was given me in immediately by the spirit yet thou canst not study or as we put in the Margin read many Books without weaâ—inesse to thy flesh So then though Solomon might have just had ground to put the affectation both of writing and reading many Books upon the file of his observed vanities yet hee doth not disoblige from the study of necessary and serious Books nor at all condemne those many Monuments of profitable learning which industrious Pens have in any Age bequeathed to Posterity He indeed which yet is but a second designe if it be at all the designe of that place takes us off from vaine studies and censures those Bookes be they few as well as many which have no tendency to make any man eyther the wiser or the better by reading them Nor can those Books how many soever they are be to their disparagement called Many which center in and promote what is but one in every kinde any kinde of Truth cheifely that which we call Divine or Holy Truth Any One uselesse or erroneous Booke is too many Many usefull and Orthodox Bookes are but One. The five Bookes of Moses are but One Law The foure Bookes of the Birth Life and Death of our ever blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ are but One Gospell All the Bookes of both Testaments are but one Booke Vpon which account we may also say that All those many and many Bookes which faithfully interpret That one Booke are but one Booke And though of making many such Bookes there should as I conceive there will be no end till this World ends as End is taken for a ceasing to make them yet of making many such Bookes there is an end yea many noble ends as End is taken for the good or benefit which comes by making them The making of such Bookes is good and a benefit to the Reader as communicating to him those manifestations of the spirit which are given to every man to whom they are given to profit withall The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used by the Apostle signifies such a profit as streameth out to community The making of such Bookes is also good and a benefit to the Maker as being an improvement of his Time and Talents to his owne peace and his Masters glory 'T is reward beyond all the World can give for any worke that God hath glory and man peace in doing it As this small peice of worke is directed to these last mentioned ends and as it ought principally to the first of them so that it may reach the former by adding a Mite or two to the Treasury of the Readers knowledge in the best things and by being his encouragement to walke in the best wayes is the hope and prayer and the reaching of it will be indeed a very rich reward and payment of Your affectionate Freind and Servant in this Worke of the Lord Joseph Caryl May 22. 1650. AN EXPOSITION Upon the Fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 15. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite and sayd Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge And fill his belly with the East winde Should be reason with unprofitable talke Or with speeches wherewith he can doe no good Yea thou castest off feare and restrainest prayer before God For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity and thou chusest the tongue of the crafty Thine owne mouth condemneth thee and not I Yea thine owne lips testifie against thee WEE are come to the second Session of this great dispute between Job and his three Freinds they have all spoken one turne and now they returne to speake Eliphaz who led the first charge leads the second and that with a very violent march against this sorrowfull man Yet we are not to conceive Eliphaz upon any designe to revile his person or to vex his spirit That were most unsuitable in any Freind much more such we suppose Eliphaz to
them O what provoketh such to such wayes of answering There is yet a third reading of this clause which I will but touch Quid tibi molestum est si loquaris Vulg. When shall vaine words have an end But what trouble is it to thee if thou speakest Or Is it any trouble to thee if thou speakest As if he had sayd I cannot much wonder though thou doest not end these vaine ruffling discourses for I am perswaded they are no great trouble to thee how much soever they are to others such words cost thee little study thou needest not beat thy braines or byte thy nayles for such matter as this That which comes next and lyes uppermost is all that some men have to say when they have sayd all They that speake most to the paine of others take least paines themselves We say Good words are cheape it costs little to speake fayre but ill words are cheaper Foule language costs little in the preparation though it may prove costly enough in the event There is a profitable sense in this translation though I will not give it for the meaning of the Text. It is our duty to consider before we speake as well as before we act and to put our selves to some trouble in preparing what we have to say before we give others the trouble of hearing it When God cals us to speake either in our owne defence or for the edification of others on a sudden we may expect according to the promise Matth. 10.19 That it shall be given us in that houre what we shall speake If the providence of God straiten us the spirit of God will enlarge us that promise will helpe us when wee have no time to prepare our selves but it will not if wee neglect the time in which vve should prepare our selves For when Christ saith in that place Take no thought how or what yee shall speake we must expound it like that Matth. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what yee shall eate or what yee shall drinke Which is not a prohibition of all thought about those things but onely of those thoughts which are distracting and distrustfull Job having reproved his Freinds these three wayes for the manner of their dealing with him Now reproves them by a serious profession of his better dealing with them in case as we commonly say The Tables were turned they comming in his place and he in theirs This he doth in the two Verses following Vers 4. I also could speake as yee doe if your soule were in my soules stead I could heap up words against you and shake mine head at you 5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your griefe Job in this context tels his Freinds two things First What he could doe And secondly What he would doe The former of these is layd downe expressely in the fourth Verse Vers 4. I also could speak as you doe if your soule were in my soules stead c. The Soule is here put as often elsewhere in Scripture for the vvhole man then his meaning is and so Master Broughton translates If you were in my place or in my condition If God should transcribe my vvounds and sorrows upon your backs and consciences or if my greife dwelt in your bowels I could speake as you doe c. The sufferings of the soule hold out the sufferings of the vvhole man upon a twofold consideration First Because the soule is the principall part of man When that vvhich is cheife suffers all may be sayd to suffer Secondly Because afflictions vvhich lye upon the soule are most afflictive The sensitive power of the body is called the soule and vve are most sensible of those afflictions vvhich fall immediately upon the rationall soule That man forgets the sorrowes of his body whose soule is sorrowfull The more inward any suffering is the more greivous it is I also could speake as you doe if your soule were in my soules stead c. Some read the vvords Interrogatively Could I speake as you doe If your soule were in my soules stead could I heap up words against you and shake my head at you Master Broughton gives that sense fully Would I speake as you if you were in my place would I compose bare words against you and nod upon you with my head The meaning is Negative If you were in my soules stead I could doe none of these things Could I doe them No as we say I could as soone eate my owne flesh as doe them If I were at ease and you in paine could I deale thus with you I would dye rather then deale so with you This reading is good and hath a greater emphasis in it then our bare affirmative reading though the sense and scope of both be the same If your soule were in my soules stead Some read this Optatively or as a wish O that your soule were in my soules stead and then the latter vvords are taken as a promise or profession of offices of love First I would heap up words for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concinnare apte disponere The Hebrew word vvhich vve translate to heap signifies properly to prepare and fit a thing to fashion and put it into a good frame it is not a rude inartificiall heaping of things together vvithout forme or fashion as the first Chaos was but a beautifull elegant digestion or composure of them in the exactest forme and fashion like that of the severall peices of the World conjoyned in that vvorke of the six dayes creation As if he had sayd O that your soule were a while in my soules stead see how I would use you how I would deale with you truely all the hurt I would doe to you should be this I would prepare the softest and the sweetest words I could with all my skill and rhetorick to ease your sorrows I would speake musicke to your eares and joy to your hearts I would study and compose a speech on purpose to revive and raise your drooping desponding spirits So also the second branch may be interpreted And shake mine head at you or over you For to shake the head notes pitty and compassion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et movissem super vos caput condolenter Chrysost to shake the head is the posture of those vvho mourne vvith or for their Freinds Hence the word is translated to bemoane Nah. 3.7 Who will bemoane him Chap. 42.11 Jobs Freinds came to bemoane him 't is this vvord They came to shake their heads over him because of all the evill which the Lord had brought upon him One of the Ancients makes this exposition the Text I would have shaken my head over you bemoaningly or with compassion The same vvord may vvell signifie to shake the head and to pity seeing they who pity others use to shake their heads over them and say Ah my Freind or Ah my Brother So then if vve read
be able to get off in haste There are many who have struck yea wounded their owne hearts incurably by striking hands for their Freinds Goe to the Courts of Justice and there is nothing more frequently heard of then the sighes of Sureties He disassures his owne Estate who assures for others Secondly As Contracts and Suretiship for Money were confirmed by striking hands so it is very probable that those suretiships which were given about Tryals and for appearing to the Action of the Plaintiffe in Judgement were also confirmed by that outward ceremony in which sense we are to understand it here Further The word which we translate to Strike signifies also to Fasten which shewes another part of the ceremony for as striking so joyning and clasping of hands was used Once more the word signifies Clangere tuba Complosis manibus sonus editur and oft is applyed to the sounding of a Trumpet or the giving of any sound This also carries on the same allusion because when two men strike hands they make a sound the interpretation of which is that the bargaine is made or it speâ—kes the parties agreed and hence that knowne expression among us Of striking up a bargaine or a businesse Thus the whole Text is carryed on in termes alluding to the ordinary proceeding eyther in becomming bound with another for Money or in giving assurance to performe and stand to the arbitrement or award of those who shall judge and determine any matter in difference But how are wee to apply this to the present case Lay downe now put me in a surety with thee who is hee that will strike hands with me There are three or foure expositions given about it First That Job in these words desires God to give surety that he would stand to the judgement which should be given or he would have God assure him Da fidejussorem apud te qui in hac contentione quae mihi tecum intercidit spondeat te staturum iis quae judicata fuerint ut te non tanquam judicem geras sed tanquam litigato rem Merc. Familiarius quam par erat cum Deo agit Merc. that hee would not deale with him according to the severity of his Justice or the excellency of his Soveraignty as a Judge but descend to such a course as is usuall among men while they are engaged in any controversie between themselves Job hath spoken the same sense cleerely before in some other passages of this Book especially Chap. 9 33 34. But this sense is not cleere to the scope of the present place And therefore as they who maintaine it confesse that Job was somewhat too bold with God so wee may say that they are somewhat too bold with the Text. For the reason or ground upon which Job desires that God would give him a surety hath no correspondence with this interpretation Vers 4. For thou hast hid their heart from understanding Now what coherence is there betweene these two that Job should say Thou hast hid their heart that is the heart of these men from understanding therefore give mee a surety that thou wilt proceed with me after the manner of men Besides the words of the fifth Verse oppose it yet more He that speaks flattery to his Freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Now for Job to desire God to put him in a surety that hee would deale thus or thus with him because the man who speakes flattery to his Freind his Childrens eyes shall faile hath no argument at all in it yet the abetters of this Interpretation mollifie all by saying that Job spake from a disturbed spirit being much moved with the ill dealing of his Freinds and though there may be some inconsistence with the context yet the Text considered in its owne compasse beares it well enough but I passe from it Secondly That Job desires God to appoint a Surety betweene him and his Freinds who should undertake both Gods cause and his against them three As if hee had sayd Lord my Freinds have wronged me and they have wronged thee too O that thou wouldest provide a man furnished with wisedome and a spirit of discerning both to right thy honour and to cleare up my integrity Such a one was Elihu who appeared shortly after upon the Stage and there acted such a part as this Thirdly say others Job desires that God himselfe would be his Surety and take up the whole matter betweene him and his Freinds which hee also did in the latter end of this Book giving judgement for Job and blaming the miscarriage of his Freinds So the word is used Isa 38.14 when Hezekiah lay sick even unto death he prayed Lord I am oppressed undertake for me It is this word Be Surety for me A learned Translator renders it Weave me through or weave me to the end for the word signifies the Thred in weaving Pertexe me Jun. called the Woofe which being put upon the Shuttle is cast through the Warpe in making Cloath whether Linnen or Woollen thus it is used Lev. 13.52 and so these words of Hezekiah carry on the Allegory of the tenth Verse I sayd in the cutting off of my dayes c. and of the twelfth Verse I have cut off like a Weaver my life he will cut me off with pining sicknesse In both which Verses Hezekiah compares mans life to a peece of Cloath in the Loome which is made sometimes shorter and sometimes longer and wheresoever it ends the Woofe or running Thred is cut off Hence Hezekiah prayeth Lord these sicknesses like a sharpe Knife threaten to cut the thred of my life yet I beseech thee doe thou weave on weave me to the end of that Warpe which is given to man in the common course of nature and let not this sicknesse cut my thred in the mid-way This is a good sense of the Text. But when our Translators render the word Vndertake for me the meaning is I am sore oppressed with the violence of this sicknesse which like one of the Sergeants of cruell death hath arrested me nor is there any way for me to escape unlesse thou O Lord rescue me out of its hands or as it were give Bayle and become surety for me I am opprest O Lord undertake for me David having done a great peece of Justice which contracted him much envy and had drawne many Enemies upon him thus bespeakes God Psal 119.121 122. I have done judgement and justice leave me not to mine oppressors be surety for thy Servant that is mainetaine mee against those who vvould wrong me because I have done right put thy selfe or interpose betweene mee and mine Enemies as if thou wert my pledge Impartiall justice upon oppressors layes the Judges open to oppression but they who run greatest hazzards in zeale for God shall finde God ready to be their Surety when they pray Be surety for thy servants And thus we may conceive Job entreating the Lord to be his Surety and
from the King of Moab the misery which fell upon the Moabites by that Warr was put into Verse and passed into a Proverbe Numb 21.27 28 29 30. Wherefore they that speake in Proverbs say Come into Heshbon let the City of Sihon be built and prepared For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon a flame from the City of Sihon c. That is A feirce hot Warr is made which hath consumed Ar of Moab and the Lords of the high places of Arnon Holy David met with this measure from men in the day of his sorrowes Psal 69.10 11. When I wept and chastned my soule with fasting that was to my reproach I made sack-cloath my Garment I became a Proverbe or a By-word 't is Jobs language to them In the next Verse he tels us who did this by way of distribution They that sit in the Gate that is Great ones speake against me and I was the song of the Drunkard that is Of the common sort When those false Prophets Ahab and Zedekiah who to put the Jewes into a hope of a speedy returne from their Captivity in Babylon prophesied the speedy ruine of Babylon it selfe when I say those false Prophets should be cruelly put to death by the command of the King of Babylon according to the Prediction of the Prophet Jeremiah then the same Prophet foretels also that this judgement of God upon them for their lyes should be made a By-word and their names a curse Jer. 29.21 22. And of them shall be taken up a curse Plagae Zedikiae tangant te sit frater servus Zedekiae Vatabl. by all the Captivity of Judah which are in Babylon saying The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire That signall Victory of Gideon over the Midianites became a Proverbe in Israel Isa 9.4 As in the day of Midian And the Lord promises his people that the fall of the King of Babylon shall be so notorious that they shall take up this Proverbe and say How hath the oppressor ceased The golden City ceased Isa 14.4 The Prophet Habakkuk assured them that this should be while he sayd Chap. 2.6 Shall not all these certainely they shall take up a Parable against him and say Woe to him that encreaseth that which is not bis how long And to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay Secondly Observe It is a great burden to be made a disgracefull by-word â—hus God threatned his owne people and numbered it among the sorest punishments of their disobedience Deut. 28. 37. The Lord shall bring thee and thy King whom thou hast set over thee to a Nation whom thou nor thy Fathers have knowne and there thou shalt serve other Gods Wood and Stone and thou shalt become an astonishment and a Proverbe and a by-word among all the Nations whither the Lord shall lead thee This threat was renewed 1 Kings 9.7 And the Psalmist bewailes it that God had brought his people into such a condition Thou hast made us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people thou hast made us a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us Psal 44.13 The Prophet Jeremiah speakes terrour from the Lord Jer. 24.9 I will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach and a proverbe and a taunt and a curse in all the places whither I shall drive them The Hypocrite who putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and commeth to a Prophet to enquire of the Lord hath his doome denounced in this tenour Ezek. 14.8 I will set my face against that man and make him a signe and a proverbe and cut him off from amidst my people Againe Ezek. 16.44 They that speake in proverbs shall say Such as the Mother is such is the Daughter The Hittites and the Israelites were both alike in sin and they should not be unlike in punishment Such short sentences are an advantage to memory and serve in stead of larger Histories of eminent providences whether mercies or judgements Thirdly Observe God often turnes that to the honour of his servants which men intended to their disgrace Job was a by-word in disgrace God made him a by-word too but for his honour Job is famous to a Proverbe at this day for as when wee would set forth the greatnesse of any mans suffering we say Hee is as poore as Job so when wee would set forth the greatnesse of any mans patience we say He is as patient as Job or he is another Job All the vertues In proverbium abiit Jobi patientia and graces which the Saints have manifested under sufferings are proverbially exprest under the sufferings and patience of Job Never did Caesar nor Alexander nor any of the great Hero's of the World obtaine such a Name and glory by victories over men as Job did by patient suffering under the hand of God And as hee is proverbially spoken of for his suffering so likewise for his holinesse God made his Piety a Proverbe too though his Freinds suspected him for an Hypocrite When the Lord would shew himselfe so unalterably resolved that nothing should take him off from bringing judgement upon a sinfull people he saith I will not doe it though Noah Daniel and Job stood before me Ezek 14.14 As if he had sayd I will not doe it though the most eminent men in holinesse or the greatest favorites that ever I had in the World should sue that they might be spared if any in the World could obtaine this of God Noah Daniel and Job could but they should not therefore none shall See with what honourable Names he is listed Noah and Daniel men remembred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interpretatur antea prius i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel ante facies i. e. in conspectu hominum in oculis eorum Exemplum sum coram eis Vulg. Sumitur ver bum Tophet ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portentum prodigium res mira i e. Exemplum quod dam prodigiosum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et nollet eam ignomi iae expâ—nere Bez. Graeci dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitaâ—p oscriptus publicè in cippo yea crowned with honour by God and all good men are but company good enough for Job Thou hast made me a by-word And aforetime I was as a Tabret Aforetime The word may be taken two wayes First As signifying what was or hath been done in former times in which sense we translate Aforetime or formerly I was as a Tabret Secondly As signifying what is or hath been done in the presence of others Before them I was as a Tabret Wee put in the Margin Before their face or in their sight that is They being witnesses of it I was as a Tabret The Vulgar Latine translates the word which wee render
extinguisht and the fountaines dry Thus Eliphaz asserts that his abâ—ttors and instructers in the opinion he maintained were both old and learned old men From this contest about Antiquity and ancient men so often renewed and so much urged betweene Job and his Friends We may observe First That they who have most yeares upon their backs are or may be supposed to have most knowledge and wisedome in their heads and hearts Secondly They who have Antiquity on their side are apt to conclude that they have Truth on their side That which is indeed most ancient is most true yet there are very many very ancient untruths It is no new thing to see a gray-headed errour and a false Doctrine much older then our Fathers But I shall not prosecute either of these points having met with matter of this straine before Chap. 8. v. 8 9 10. Chap. 12. v. 12. to which places I refer the Reader Eliphaz having finished his third reproofe of Job for his arrogancy and the high conceit he had of himselfe proceeds to a fourth and that is as hath been sayd for the low conceit which he had of the comforts tendered him in the Name of God Num parum a te consolationes Dei Heb. Supplendum est verbum reputantur Numquid grande est ut consoletur te Deus Vulg. q. d. facile est Deo ut te ad statum prosperitatis reducat Aquin. Existimasnè tuis aerumnis non posse Deum parem consolationem afferre Vers 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee or is there any secret thing with thee These words undergoe much variety of interpretation the Vulgar Latine neer which some others translate gives a faire sense but at too great a distance from the letter of the Originall thus Is it a great thing that God should comfort thee As if he had sayd Art thou so low that all the consolations of God are not able to raise thee up Is it a worke too big for God himselfe to comfort thee Cannot he change thy outward and inward sorrowes into joyes Will not the consolations of one that is infinite serve thy turne Hath not hee balme enough in store to heale thy wounds nor treasure enough in stock to repaire thy losses T is no hard thing with God to comfort the most disconsolate soule that ever was he that made light to shine out of darknesse can give us light in our thickest darkenesse An minores sunt consolationes dei quà m ut te consolari possint Vatab. This is a truth but for the reason above I stay not upon it The Septuagint translation is farre wider then the former Thou hast received but few wounds in comparison of the sinnes that thou hast committed which is a Paraphrase not a translation and such a Paraphrase as seemes to lye quite without the compasse of the text The meaning and intendment of it may be given thus as if he had sayd Thou complainest that thou art greatly afflicted that thy sorrowes are innumerable Pauca prae iis quae peccasti accepisti vulnera Sep. but if thou considerest thy great and many sinnes thy sufferings are few yea thy sufferings may rather be called consolations and thy losses gaines Are the consolations of God small to thee seeing thou hast sinned so much When God layes but a little affliction upon sinfull man he may be sayd to give a great deale of mercy A third gives this sense An consolationes Dei tam contemptibiles judicas ut projiciat eas ante blasphematores Are the consolations of God small to thee That is Doest thou esteeme the consolations of God so cheape that he will give them to such a one as thou or that hee will lavish them out upon the wicked and cast these Pearles to Swine to such as are blasphemers and contemners of God But why doth Eliphaz call these the consolations of God Did God administer them to Job with his owne hand or did he speake to Job from Heaven Some conceive that though he and his Freinds spake them yet Eliphaz calls them the consolations of God by an Hebraisme because he judged them great consolations Thus in Scripture The Mountaine of God Suas et sociorum consolationes vocat Dei consolationes non sine arrogantia fastu Drus and the River of God are put for a great Mountaine and a great River so here As if he had fayd Thou hast received many great consolations from us thy Freinds and doest thou account them small But I rather take the sense plainely that he calls them so because God is the author and giver the fountaine and originall from whom all consolations spring and flow The Consolations of God are two-fold First Arising from good things already exhibited to us Secondly From good things promised to us The Consolations of God in this place are good things promised or offered Promises are Divine conveyances of Consolation The Freinds of Job had made him many promises that he repenting God would make his latter end better then his beginning c. Hence Eliphaz tells him that he had slighted the consolations of God Any man who reads his story may wonder why he should Surely Job was not in case to refuse comfort considering how he was stript of all comfort The full soule indeed loatheth the honey Combe but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet that is those things which dainty palates distast he eates very savourly Job was kept short and low enough he had nothing of consolation left either without or within he was poore and sore without he was full of horrour and terrour within the arrowes of the Almighty had even drunk up his spirit and layd all his comforts wast and doth he yet neglect or undervalue comforts 'T is true he had reall consolations as appeares by that profession of his assurance of Gods favour towards him I know that I shall be justified yet he had no sensible consolations his frequent complaints shew he had not So then the consolations of God for esteeming which little he is reproved were the promises of consolation made to him in the name of God by the Ministry of his Friends Are the consolations of God small unto thee Hence observe First That consolation is the gift and proper worke of God Thou saith David Psal 71.21 shalt encrease my greatnesse and comfort me on every side The Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all he wast places Is 51.3 And againe As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem God comforts as a Mother tenderly and he comforts as a Father yea as a Master effectually I will comfort you and yee shall be comforted As the corrections of God are effectuall and prosper in the worke for which they are sent so also are his consolations Ephraim sayd Jer. 31.18 Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised So every soule
from the presence of the Lord Here was no appearance of terrour it was the voice of God walking as a freind not marching as an enemy and it was in in thr coole not heat of the day these circumstances argue the guiltinesse of Adam and his Wife who fled and hid themselves at this appearance of the Lord. The voice of God walking was a dreadfull sound in their eares because they had not hearkned to the voice of God commanding Wicked Pashur who opposed the good Prophet is branded with a new name Jer. 20.3.4 The Lord sayd his name shall no more be called Pashur but Magor-Misabib that is Feare round about and in the next Verse the reason is given why this name was given him For I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe He that is a terrour to himselfe can no more be without terrour then he can be without himselfe Nor can any thing be a comfort to him who is his owne terrour And therefore a guilty conscience heares a dreadfull sound what sound soever he heares he ever expects to heare bad newes and he puts fearefull glosses and comments upon that which is good A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses either To the discredit of others Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor Stat or to the disquiet of himselfe Bring what text of providence you can to him he corrupts it with one of these glosses Yea the faithfull counsells of his owne Friends are dreadfull sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good it is but a contriving of evill against him or a setting of snares to catch him Againe sometimes God creates a sound or causeth the wicked to heare a dreadfull sound 2 Kings 7.6 The Lord made the Hoast of the Syrians to hear a noyse of Charriots and a noyse of Horses even the noyse of a great Hoast c. Upon this dreadfull sound they arose and fled Sometimes a wicked heart creates a sound and what the Prophet threatens he heares the stone out of the Wall the beame out of the Timber crying against him The Story tells us of one who thought that the Swallowes in the Chimney spake and told tales of him We say in our Proverbe As the Foole thinketh so the Bell clinketh much more may we say As an evill conscience thinketh so every thing clinketh As he that hath a prejudice against another takes all he heares spoken of him and all that he heares him speak in the worst sense and most disadvantageous construction to his reputation so he that hath a preâ—udice against himselfe construes all that he either heares or sees against his owne Peace Hence it is that he doth not onely flee when he is pursued but when none pursue Prov. 28.1 The wicked flies when none pursueth except his owne feares but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon This terrour was threatned in the old Law Levit. 26.36 They that are left alive of you in the time of your Captivity I will send fainting in their hearts in the Land of their Enemy and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them What poore spirits have they who are chased by the motion of a leafe The sound of a leafe is a pleasant sound it is a kind of naturall musick Feare doth not onely make the heart move Homines tui non expectato adventu hostis velut transsossi examinantur metu Jun. As the Trees of the Forrest are moved with the winde Isa 7. but it makes the heart move if the winde doe but move the Trees of the Forrest The Prophet Isaiah tells Jerusalem Thy slaine men are not slaine with the Sword not dead in Battell Isai 22.2 With what then were they slaine And how dyed they a learned Interpreter tells us how They were slaine with feare and dyed with a sound of Battell before ever they joyned Battell This answereth the judgement denounced by Moses in another place Deut. 28.65 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and fayling of eyes and sorrow of minde and thy life shall hange in doubt before thee and thou shalt feare day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy life But here some may object Is this the portion of wicked men Doth a dreadful sound in their eares afflict their hearts Have not many such much peace and doe they not either smile or wonder to heart others complaining of an afflicted spirit and beg prayers for the appeasing of their troubled conscience which are matters they have no acquaintance with nor knowledge of I answer First We are not to understand the proposition as if all wicked men have or that any wicked man at all times hath this dreadfull sound in his eare but thus it is very often and thus it may be alwayes thus it is with many and thus it may be with all wicked men A wicked man hath as we say no fence for it no priviledge nor promise to secure him from it Againe though some wicked men have not this dreadfull sound in their eares yea though they have pleasant sounds in their eares like them who sang to the Viall c. Amos 6. yet first their peace is not a true peace secondly it is not a lasting peace thirdly that which they have ariseth from one of these two grounds either from neglect of their consciences or from some defect in their consciences The neglect of conscience from whence this ariseth is twofold either first when they neglect to speake to conscience conscience and they never have a word much lesse any serious conference or discourse either concerning the state of their hearts or the course of their lives and then all 's peace with them Secondly when the speakings of conscience are neglected conscience hath a double voice of direction and correction conscience tells a man what he ought and what he ought not to doe conscience checks a man for not doing what he ought or for doing what he ought not Yet many over power and restrain conscience from this office and never leave opposing till they have silenced yea conquered it Such as these have peace such a one as it is and heare nothing but a sound of delight in their eares while this silence lasteth Againe this may arise from some defect disabling conscience to doe its ordinary or naturall duty the conscience of an evill man may have some goodnesse in it Conscience may be considered two wayes either morally or naturally that onely is a morally good conscience which is pure and holy a conscience cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ thus no wicked man can be sayd to have a good conscience That is a naturally good conscience which performes the office or duty to which conscience is appointed conscience is set up in man to performe certaine offices if the conscience of a bad man performe them his conscience in that sense is good The first
lodgeth in the hearts of debauched sinners they doe they know not what they rage and are furious as if they would pull God out of Heaven and throw the House yea the World out at the Windows These stretch their hands against God and they doe it three wayes First Against the very being of God such a wicked man opposeth God as God he wisheth there were no God or that himselfe were God he would have all power in his owne hand Francis Spira in his despayring distraction sayd I would I were above God In him nature spake her mind plainly and not in Parables Nature heightned in wickednesse would be above God therefore a carnall man is called A hater of God Now that which we hate we would destroy and take out of the way Secondly There is a stretching out the hand against God not onely in this open bold challenge or professed opposition this very few will owne Few Atheists will speak out their blasphemy or send their Trumpet to defie God and most wicked men take a suspicion of this as the highest dishonour and affront that can be put upon them What They oppose God They stretch out their hand against God They will tell you they love God and it may be they will tell you that God is their God and yet will be found sâ—retching out their hand against God therefore not onely doe his professed Enemies stretch out their hand against God but even those his professed Friends who live in the open violation of his righteous Laws they who oppose the will and Word of God the Statutes and Ordinances of God these will be found to stretch forth their hand against God himselfe The Lord complaines Mal. 3.13 Your words have beene stout against me Who we stout against God when did we speak against God we never had such a thought in our hearts much lesse such words in our mouthes So it followes Yet yee say What have we spoken so much against thee The Lord tells them because it seems they could not Vers 14 Yee have sayd it is a vaine thing to serve the Lord and what profit have we that wee have kept his Ordinances and yee call the proud happy c. To speak or thinke thus though such a word be not spoken formally as it is probable they did not is to be stout against God To say It is a vaine thing to serve the Lord is not onely a disservice but a Rebellion against the Lord To say There is no profit in keeping his Ordinances is the highest prophanation of his Ordinances to call The proud happy is to stretch out the hand against God for he stretcheth out his hand against and resisteth the proud Thirdly The hand is stretched out against God when it is stretched out against his people his Servants or any that are under his tuition and speciall protection to oppose or stretch out the hand against these is to stretch out the hand against God The Prophet Zacharie sets forth both the care of God to keep his people from trouble and his Sympathy with them in trouble by an elegant Similitude Hee that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zach. 2.8 What part is more sensible of the least hurt then the eye or being hurt causeth a greater smart God is as tender of his people as any man is of his owne eyes He that toucheth them sc to wrong or vexe them toucheth the apple of Gods eye he lifts up his hand against Gods face and against the most excellent part of his face his eye and against the most excellent part of his eye the apple of it or ball of the eye which is the proper instrument of seeing We use to say There is no sporting with the eyes men doe not like it to have their eyes played with Surely then God will not beare it Dicimus vulgo cum oculis non ludendum est that any should smite or wound his eyes And he interprets any hurt done to his people as done to his owne eye yea to the apple of his eye When it was under debate in the Councell what should be done with the Apostles Gamaliel advises Refraine from these men and let them alone c. Lest haply yee be found to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. Some possibly would reply We fighters against God We love God here is a company of turbulent Fellows called Apostles who disquiet the City may we not punish them but we must presently be judged fighters against God No saith Gamaliel you fight against God if they and their Apostleship be of God Saul was zealous of the Law and as he thought for God yet Christ rebukes him from Heaven with Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thou stretchest forth thy hand against me when thou dost it against the Saints then there is a stretching out the hand against God not onely by a boysterous opposition of God As Pharoah Senacharib and Julian did but by opposing the wayes or word the Messengers or Servants of God Hence Observe First Though every sinne be against God yet some sinnes are more against God Wee cannot say that every one who sins stretcheth out his hand against God there is a difference of sins in degree though they are all in their nature deadly there is a presumptuous sin a sin committed with a high hand which hath these two things chiefely in it First A sinning against cleare light Secondly A sinning with full consent and swindge of will In that place of Numbers where this sin is described Chap. 15.30 There are two other Characters put upon it First it is called A reproaching the Lord And secondly a despising of the Word of the Lord Every sin is a transgression of the Word of the Lord but every sin is not a despising of the Word of the Lord every sin is displeasing to God but every sin is not a reproaching of God Every sin even the least is a departure from God but some sins are full of activity against God It is conceived that the presumptuous sin in the old Testament is the same with or answers to the sin against the holy Ghost in the New and that which leads to this apprehension is because no sacrifice was appointed for that under the Law as this is sayd to be unpardonable under the Gospell And the Author to the Hebrewes is expresse Chap. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins The Gospell knowes but of one Sacrifice for sin and that but once offered they who despise that have despised all for there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin God will not send his Son to dye a second time for those who have trodden the Son of God in his death under foot and have counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing God indeed stretcheth out his hand all the day long to a gainesaying and rebellious people that is to those who
say What if the wicked man doe not grow rich for the present What if his substance doth not continue What if he prolong not his perfections or fall from the top-stayre of his high condition Yet we hope at last he may outgrow all this and get riches which he had not or regaine those which he had No saith Eliphaz Either the wicked man shall not rise to riches or if he rise he shall fall and when once he is fallen he shall rise no more eithâ—â— he shall not get into the light or if he doe he shall be soon overtaken with darknesse and when once he is in the dark he shall come out no more Hee shall not depart out of darknesse When the wicked man is in the light he sings Loth to depart but he must and when he is cast into darknesse he crys Hast to depart but he cannot The wicked man like the evill Angels is held in chaines of darknesse which he is neither able to break off nor to file off He hath sayd to God who is light yea because he is light Depart from me and God saith to him Thou shalt not depart out of darknesse There is a twofold darknesse First Inward Secondly Outward Both metaphoricall By darknesse some understand inward trouble or griefe of spirit others expound it of outward troubles and calamities upon his estate 'T is true of both for he shall depart neither out of the one nor the other but rather take it here for outward trouble and then Not to depart out of darknesse imports abiding misery irrecoverable sicknesse decayes and losses which shall never bee repayred Hence Note Wicked men falling into trouble shall not know the mercy of a resurrection out of trouble The just man falleth seven times and riseth againe Prov. 24.16 The just man is subject to take falls of two sorts and both of them Seven times that is often First He falls into sin Secondly He falls into trouble He riseth from both these falls He riseth from the first by repentance he riseth from the second by deliverance Solomons Text is to be understood of this second sort of falls and may therefore be expounded by the direct words of David Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all The righteous have as many resurrections as falls But as Solomon makes the Antithesis in the place fore-cited the wicked shall fall into mischiefe Solomon doth not tell us expressely what the just mans fals into but he tells us he shall rise againe He tells us expressely what the wicked man shall fall into but he doth not tell us that he shall rise againe nay he tells us implicitely that he shall never rise againe He that riseth againe did not fall into mischiefe how great soever the evill was which he fell into and he that doth not rise againe fell into mischiefe how little soever the evill was which he fell into Nothing makes our falling either into sin or trouble a mischiefe to us but our continuing in it He goes farr we say in our Proverbe who never returnes surely he fals low who never riseth and he stayes long in darknesse who never departs out of it Darknesse is the portion of a wicked man and he shall never depart out of darknesse neither out of that darknesse of sin nor misery he hath no desire to depart out of the former and he hath no promise to depart out of the latter Thus we have seen the negative punishment of a wicked man what he shall not be what he shall not receive this is enough to make him miserable but positive evill will make him outright miserable This Eliphaz prosecutes in the next words The flame shall dry up his branches The flame is taken two wayes either First For the wrath of God which goeth forth causing judgement to take hold of sinners or Secondly For the judgement it selfe which is an effect of his wrath The wrath of God burneth against the wicked as a flame and then judgements burne up the wicked there is no heat to the heat of Divine wrath neither is any thing punitively hot till Divine wrath heats it Sunt qui eius liberâ—s intelligunt sed noâ— allegoriâ—è intelligimus omnem ejus splendorem opes c. Meâ—c The flame shall dry up his branches Some by his branches understand his Children they shall dye Children are branches they stand saith the Psalmist like Olive plants or branches round about the Table of a man fearing God Such branches Job had but they were dryed up and probably Eliphaz might give him a rub upon that soare in this expression Secondly Others by branches understand His followers and flatterers who live upon him as branches upon a Tree but to passe these restrained Interpretations Flamma exurens in Heb. est vehementissimi supplicii atque adeo aeterni symbolum Duci videtur translatio a more hostium vastantium regionem aliquam qui segeâ—â— arberes succendunt I conceive we may take the Branch in generall for all that belongs to a wicked man his Children his Freinds his followers his flatterers his Honour his Riches his Power all these look green and are his beautifull branches and all these the flame dryeth up The Prophet complaines Joel 1.19 O Lord to thee will I cry for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the Wildernesse and the flame hath burnt all the Trees of the Field The flame of which he cryes out and which did not onely dry the branches but devour the Trees of the Feild was the extreame heat of the Sun which as it usually sends out refreshing beams so when God is angry it can send out scorching flames and those beames which tempered with showers of raine nourish the Earth in the long withholding of raine scorch the Earth And what then befell the Trees properly taken and their branches doth often befall both Trees and branches taken in the metaphoricall sense as herein the Text a flame dryes them up A godly man is compared to a Tree flourishing and growing by the water side wicked men are compared somtimes to flourishing Trees but they grow by the fire side The flame dryes up their branches Hence Note First The wrath of God is a drying yea a devouring flame the flame of Gods displeasure puts all into a flame That flame will burn up branches how goodly how strong how high soever they are growne though as strong as the Oakes of Bashan though as high as the Cedars in Lebanon yet this flame will dry them up The Prophet Zechariah speaks this point while he thus bespeaks Lebanon Zech. 11.1 Open thy doores O Lebanon that the fire may devoure thy Cedars 'T is interpreted as a Prophesie of the destruction of Jerusalem and Judea by the Roman power as Christ after threatned them for rejecting him and his Counsell The words of the Prophet may be understood two wayes either litterally for the
a Servant of God Holy Job cannot be excused for his faylings in this who as he complaines here that he was reproached by his Enemies yea and by his Freinds too yet he gave his Freinds some advantage to complaine also of harsh words if not of reproaches cast upon them Thirdly Observe Reproach is a very heavy burthen Remember Lord the reproach of thy Servant how I doe beare in my bosome the reproach of all the mighty people wherewâ—th thine Enemies have reproached thee O Lord wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine annoynted Psal 89.50 51. And againe Psal 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen on me Yet more Psal 42.10 As with a Sword in my bowels or in my bones they reproach me while they say c. Reproach is not onely a burden upon the back but a Sword in the bowels A reviling reproaching tongue is compared in Scripture to three things First To a Raisor Secondly To a Sword Thirdly To an Arrow A Raisor is so keene that it takes off every little hayre reproach cuts a hayre it will have to doe even with undiscernable evils A Sword wounds at hand and smites those that are neere an Arrow wounds afarr off So that whether a man be farr off or neer whether his error be small or great or but imaginary it is all one to a reproachfull spirit his tongue serves him for all turnes David was tryed by all manner of reproaches but those which pinched and pressed him most were his reproaches about spirituall things Any reproach is bad enough but a reproach in Religion is worst to be reproached with our prayers and with our God Where is your God Such reproaches how deep doe they goe They strike to the very heart Credit is a precious commodity a man is more tender of it then of his flesh now all reproach falls upon our credit and the more excellent that peece of our credit is upon which the reproach fals the more greivous is that reproach to us Credit in spirituall things is the most excellent credit Thus David was reproached and so was Job Is this thy feare and thy confidence Is this the thing thou hast so long boasted of Christ was to beare the greatest burden of affliction and therefore he did not onely beare the Crosse but reproach with it he suffered death and reproach with death he suffered the shamefull death of the Crosse in which there was more then a reproach a curse Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Christ must dye an ignominious death as well as a painefull and the ignominy was a heavier burden then the paine Wee are exhorted Heb. 13.13 To goe out bearing his reproach as intimating that to beare the reproach of Christ would be harder to us and a stronger temptation then to beare the crosse of Christ As the greatest part of Christs sufferings for us was to beare our reproach so the greatest part of our sufferings for Christ is to beare Christs reproach Let us goe forth unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach And indeed reproach is so great a burden that were not this consideration in it that is Christs no man would bear it and they will yeeld to doe any thing rather then suffer reproach who are not able to say that their reproach is the reproach of Christ Moses looked upon his reproach as the reproach of Christ he did not esteeme his owne reproach but the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.26 Our reproach is nothing but dung or drosse which hath weight in it to presse us but no worth in it to enrich us but the reproach of Christ is treasure which though it have weight in it to presse us yet it hath abundance of worth in it to enrich and crowne us The Apostle cals it The reproach of Christ both because Christ did beare such reproach himselfe and because Christ owned Moses in bearing that reproach yea he owned that reproach which Moses bare as if he had borne it himselfe while we are reproached for Christs sake Christ is reproached and though it should grieve us that Christ is reproached in us yet it may comfort us that Christ takes our reproach as his They have smitten me on the cheek reproachfully and yet they have not done with me They have gathered them selves together against me It seemes they contemned and reproached him singly or every man apart but they joyned altogether in consulting and plotting against him The word that we translate to gather together hath a second signification namely to fill either as a roome is filled with Goods or Persons or as the stomack is filled with meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Implere complere 2. Colligere congregare quod rebus collectis impleantur loca or food or as an Army with Men. Hence Master Broughton translates They come by full Troops upon mee And another They will be filled with me or upon me The Vulgar explaines it thus They are filled or satiated with my punishment or as a third They have taken their fill of pleasure at my miseries The reason of this sense ariseth from the former because where many things or persons are gathered together they fill up that place First It signifies to gather together as men are gathered in a civill Society and combination Job supposed his Freinds conspired his hurt and that they gathered themselves together against him who pretended to gather themselves together for him or wee may apply this to his professed Enemies who were very unanimous to vex and trouble him Hence Note Super me implebuntur Mont. Men are apt to agree in doing hurt Union is not alwayes a signe of a good cause 'T is but seldome we can agree to doe a common duty Good men want the cement of love in a good cause evill men seldome want it in a bad Behold saith God Gen. 11.5 6. This people are one and they all speake one language their language was one and so were their hearts to build a Tower whose top might reach to Heaven The builders of Babel are more united then the builders of Sion The Psalmist complaines of the Enemies onenesse Psal 83.5 6 7. They have consulted together with one consent or heart they are confederate against thee Gebal and Amon and Amalek the Philistims and them that dwell at Tyre Ashur is also joyned with them c. All Nations even Hetrogeniall Nations can joyne in mischiefe men of severall Kingdomes and spirits Pilate and Herod joyne to crucifie Christ but as it is most beautifull and pleasant Psal 133. So O how hard a thing is it for Brethren to dwell in unity They who have one God one Lord one Faith one Spirit one Baptisme one Hope yea they who in one sense are one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4.4 5. are seldome one Satiati sunt paenis meis Vulg. In malis meis voluptatem suam exploverunt Tygur From
that is One wickednesse is heaped upon another There is an aggregation Aggrâ—gant peccata peccatis Chald. or a combination of many sins together their sins are so thick set that there is not the least space eyther of time or place betweene them they sin continually and they sin contiguously sin toucheth sin Thirdly By blood in this active sense we may understand those speciall sins which draw blood the sin of oppression and the sin of murder The Scriptures last cited include these principally though not these alone or not these exclusively to other sins Sins of cruelty are often called blood by name and such are named bloody men who commit such sins Psal 55.24 Blood-thirsty and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes that is Murderers and Oppressours shall not When Shimei cursed David he sayd Goe thou bloody man thou Son of Belial 2 Sam. 16.7 8. He calls him bloody man in reference to that particular act with which David had stained his hands the murder of Vriah Hab. 2.12 Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with blood that stablisheth a City with iniquity that is By the iniquity of oppression Hee builds with blood who to set his owne nest on high throwes downe the right or takes away the lives of others Under this third as also the second notion of blood wee may best interpret Jobs imprecation O earth cover not thou my blood that is The oppressions and cruelties which I have committed if I have committed any Some conceive that Job referrs to the story of Cain and Abel Gen. 4.10 The earth would not cover Cains blood that is the blood of Abel which Cain had spilt Eliphaz told Job before in a third person that his Tabernacle was a Tabernacle of bribery as much as to say That hee had done wrong in his place Si quam caedem maleficiumvè quod objicitis patravi illud revelet testificetur terra Jun. O Tellus ne celes scelera mea capitalia Tygur and had been a grinder of the faces of the poore Now saith Job O earth cover not my blood if I have been an oppressour if I have drank the blood of the poore or am guilty of such like abominations I desire that the earth would not cover or dissemble it but let it be published to my shame and brought forth to my judgement Master Broughtons note is full to this sense If there be any injury in my hands let the earth reveale it And the Tygurine O earth doe not conceale my capitall crimes The second branch of the imprecation fals crosse to this for in this Job prayes that his evill deeds might be discovered in that he prays that his very prayers which were his best deeds might not be accepted if he had eyther been or done as was suspected And let my cry have no place The word signifies a loud cry a greevous cry the cry of a man extreamely pressed yea even utterly opprest This cry is expounded three wayes First For the very cry of griefe or for a cry caused meerly by griefe Let my cry have no place that is Let not my paines and sorrows my groanes and sighes in midst of all these evills be regarded either by God or Men if I have done such evils as I am accused of 'T is a great affliction which puts a man to his cry whether to God or Man but it is a greater affliction to cry and not to be heard neither by God nor man The cry of a poore man is then said to have no place with a Judge when he will not heare it or take notice of it Secondly Others expound this for the cry of sin Great sins are called a cry not onely because they make others cry but because themselves are very clamarous and crying Clamat quia innocens effusus est dicitur inter pellare dominum non prosecutione Eloquii sed indignitate commissi Ambros Sin hath a tongue to speake and it hath teeth to bite every sin speakes but some sins have a loud voice they cry The blood of thy Brother which thou hast spilt cryes unto me saith God to Cain Gen. 4.10 The sin of Sodome cryed up to Heaven Gen. 18.20 Oppression causeth a cry so here Let my cry that is my crying sins or the cry of my sins have no place that is none to hide or shelter themselves in And then this clause of the imprecation is of the same sense with the former O earth cover not thou my blood Thirdly By this cry we may understand Jobs prayer and that of two sorts First Prayers Petitions or complaints to men let not any Freind regard my cry Secondly Prayers to God for as there are crying sins so there are crying prayers The Lord sayd to Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto mee Exod. 14.15 Asa cryed unto the Lord 2 Chron. 14. The Ninevites were commanded to cry mightily to God John 3.8 and Christ himselfe prayed with strong cryes Heb. 5.7 As there are two things especially which make sins crying sins First When they are earnestly committed Secondly When they are constantly committed So two things make prayers crying prayers First When we pray with earnestnesse Secondly When we pray with continuance or perseverance Ne in Caelum efferatur suscipiaturce clamor meus si sim eâ—â—smodi Jun. We find David often crying to God in prayer so that when Job saith Let my cry have no place his meaning is Let not God hear my most earnest prayer A dreadfull imprecation When wee who have no helpe on earth shall wish that we may have none in Heaven neither what can wee wish worse to our selves then this From the words in generall Observe It is lawfull to use imprecations Job did not sin in this There are imprecations of two sorts First Upon others when we wish them evill or curse them this in some rare cases may be done David useth imprecations against the incorrigible enemies of the Church and so may we but in reference to personall injuries the Gospel-rule is Blesse them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you Matth. 5.44 Secondly Upon our selves such are the imprecations intended in this point Job cals downe mischeife upon his owne head in both parts of the Verse Let all my sins be discovered let all my prayers be refused if ever I have done this thing Imprecations or wishes of evill upon our selves may proceed upon a double ground First For the assuring of what we promise or engage our selves to doe As to say I will doe such a thing or I promise to doe it if I doe it not I wish evill may befall me This is to put our selves under a curse which we doe at least implicitely in taking any promissory Oath There are two sorts of Oaths First Assertory Oaths when we affirme such a thing to be true Secondly Promissory Oaths when wee promise to doe such a thing calling God to witnesse and laying our selves under a penalty
up Zerubbabel and others of the Jewish line to reassume the Government of Judah But this Prophesie was chiefely intended and verified in a spirituall sense when God sent Jesus Christ A Governour proceeding from the midst of them of whom Zerubbabel was but a type for of him the Lord speakes chiefely in this admiring Question Who is this that engageth his heart to approach â—nto me Or who is this that with his heart that is with so much chearefulnesse and willingnesse hath put himselfe as a surety for this people with me to approach to me in their cause and to take upon him the dispatch of all their affaires and concernments with me in the Court of Heaven Who is this great this forward Engager but he who also sayd Loe I come to doe thy will O God What will came he to doe Even this To be a Surety and so a Sacrifice to God for sinners Heb. 10. Thus the whole businesse of our deliverance and the first motions to it lay quite without us God appointed and put in Christ our surety with him and Christ freely condiscended to be our surety knowing that the whole debt must lye upon his discharge Put me in a surety with thee But here it may be doubted how this notion of a Surety suites with this place seeing Jobs controversie was with man not with God and himselfe also had professed that all was cleare for him in Heaven I answer That although men accused Job yet their accusation reacht his peace with God for had he been such a one as they represented him he must needs have fallen under the divine displeasure more then he did under theirs And therefore while he pleaded Not-guilty to their charge he beggs further discoveries of the favour of God to him through the Mediatour by the remembrance of whose Suretiship his heart was confirmed in the pardon of all his sinfull faylings against God vvhereof he was guilty as well as his heart told him that hee was not guilty of those wilfull sins wherewith hee was accused by men When we lye under wrongfull accusations of which we indeed need no surety to acquit us it is good to view and renew our Interest in the Surety who will acquit us where there is need Job proceeeds to re-inforce the reason why he desired God to undertake or to provide a Surety for him Vers 4. Thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore shalt thou not exalt them Or Thou hast hid understanding from their heart As if he had sayd Thou hast cast such a mist before the eyes of these men who mocke me and judge me wicked that they are unfit to be trusted with the determination of my cause for did they not want a due light of understanding they might quickly discerne my integrity and cleare me from their owne suspitions God sometimes as it were wraps or folds up the hearts of the Children of men in ignorance blindnesse and darknesse and so hides not onely understanding from their hearts but their hearts from understanding As God is sayd to circumcize the heart to open the eyes to take away the vaile when he gives the knowledge of his truth so he is sayd to blinde the eyes to cover the heart with fat and to cloud the understanding vvhen hee denyes or withholds the knowledge of the truth Thou hast hid their hearts from understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est mens ratio intellectus dexteritas in agendâ— The vvord which we translate Vnderstanding signifies any of or all the intellectuall powers together with a readinesse or activity for dispatch in any service we are called unto Thou hast hid their heart from understanding therefore they doe but bungle at the businesse and cannot judge aright they cannot discerne the manner of thy dispensations towards me nor see the bottome of my condition Job did not censure his Freinds as fooles or ignorant as if they were witlesse or worthlesse men they were wise and learned yea honest and godly too But when Job saith Thou hast hid their heart from understanding we are to restraine it to the matter in hand or to his particular case As if he had sayd Thou hast hid the understanding of what thou hast done to me from their hearts thy providences are mysteries and riddles which they cannot unfold and as they know not the meaning of what thou dost so they know not my meaning when I sayd Chap. 9.17 He hath multiplyed my wounds without cause Nor vvhen I sayd Vers 22. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked These sayings are secrets to my Freinds Now Lord for as much as these men have no true insight in this present controversie therefore I begg that thou wouldest undertake for me or put me in a surety with thee Further For the clearing of this Scripture it may be questioned First how God is sayd to hide the heart from understanding God doth this foure wayes First By speaking darkely or in such a manner as the understanding cannot easily finde a passage to the things that are spoken A Parable is a darke saying And when Christ Preached in Parables His Disciples came and sayd unto him Why speakest thou to them in Parables Matth. 13.10 Now among other reasons which Christ was pleased to give of that dispensation this was one Vers 14. In them is fulfilled the Prophesie of Isaiah which saith By hearing yee shall heare and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive As if Christ had sayd These men have justly deserved to be punished with spirituall darknesse which is not Vnderstanding and therefore I have spoken to them in a darke way They did not heare to obey vvhat was plaine and easie to be understood and therefore now they shall heare what they cannot understand Secondly God hides the heart from understanding by denying or not giving light and that a twofold light First The outward light of his word Thus all those people are sayd to sit in darknesse that is To have no understanding in the things of God where the Gospell is not published Secondly By denying or not giving the inward light of his spirit though the light of the World abound For as a man may have the Sun shining in his face and yet be in the darke if he wants eyesight So as the Apostle speakes 2 Cor. 4.3 4. the Gospell is hid in the most glorious shining of it to those whose mindes the God of this World hath blinded Now every man is borne spiritually blinde or he is blinde by nature and he is blinded by the God of this Worlds till the God of all Worlds sends his spirit with the Word for the opening of his eyes Thirdly God hides the heart from understanding as by not giving so by vvithdrawing the light vvhich he hath given Many have forfeited their eye-sight and their light and God hath taken the forfeiture of them Which he doth first when men are proud of the
but as Parties putting in their accusation and pleading against him Hence Observe It is an honour and an exaltation to win the day in any cause or to get the better Whatsoever the contention be or in what way so ever mannaged whether by the Sword or by the tongue or by the Pen to be victorious in it is honourable and hee that loses his Causes loses much of his credit also And though prevailing or successe doth not at all justifie the matter it is the matter which must justifie the successe yet successe doth alwayes exalt the man He that overcomes in a dispute carries away the honour though possibly he carry not away the truth Lastly From the connexion of this with the former part of the Verse Observe They who maintaine errour among men shall not finde favour with God A heart hid from understanding is hid from the truth God loves his truth so well that he will not exalt those who depresse his truth Jobs Freinds being left in the darke as to that point in question Did not speake of God the thing that was right Chap. 42.7 And therefore the Lord sayd to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two Freinds Though an error be held unknowne and in zeale for God as they did yet the jealousie of God waxeth hot against such These repenting were and such as they repenting may be pardoned but they shall not be exalted And if they who for want of light of knowledge and in much heat of honest zeale defend a lesser error such was theirs shall not be exalted how will the Lord cast them downe who broach and spread blasphemous errors and damnable Doctrines in a time of cleere light and against frequent admonitions if not convictions Whosoever saith Christ Matth. 5.19 shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so Joyning the error of his practice with or turning it into the error of his opinion he shall be called least that is nothing at all or No-body in the Kingdome of Heaven And he who is nothing in the Kingdome of Heaven is not exalted how high soever he may get in the Kingdomes of the earth And if the teacher of error against the least Commandement of the Law shall have no place in Heaven where vvill their place be who teach errors against the greatest Commandements of the Law yea against the most precious and absolute necessary principles and foundations of the Gospell Vers 5. He that speakes flattery to his freind even the eyes of his Children shall faile There is some variety in expounding these words because of the severall notions into which the Originall is rendred As we read the Text it is a plaine affirmation of judgment upon the posterity of Flatterers The word vvhich we translate Flatterie signifies in the Verbe to divide into parts and hence in the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divisit in partes in Hiphil emollivit laevigavit blanditus fuit a lott or portion because every lott or portion is divided from the whole it signifies also a prey or booty which men take in Warr or which Theeves and Robbers take from Travellers upon the high way and that upon the former reason because when a prey is taken they divide or cast it into severall portions or parts Hence also say some it signifies to flatter because the tongue of a flatterer is divided from his heart Further It signifieth to smooth and pollish or as wee say to make a thing very glib and neate This comes neerest our translation for a flatterer hath a smooth pollished tongue and his trade is to smooth or sooth both things and persons The flatterers tongue is like the Harlots tongue to whom this word is applyed Prov. 7.21 With much faire speech shee caused him to yeild with the flattering of her lips with the smoothnesse or as some translate with the lenity of her lips shee forced him Flattery seemes to be farr from force yet nothing puts or holds men under a greater force then flattery He that speakes flattery to his freind Flattery is a speciall language though it be spoken in all languages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men learne to speake flattery even as we learne to speake Latine French Italian Spanish or any other language Flattery is an Art it hath rules of its owne and termes of its owne he that speakes flattery Master Broughton in this place calls it Vaine-goodly-speech And the Apostle Paul calls it Good words and faire speeches Rom. 16.18 The expressions which the Apostle useth are most proper to the description of flattery they are both Compounds as the spirit of the Flatterer also is He hates simplicity or singlenesse of heart making a shew of much goodnesse in word but is voyd of deed and substance Hee promiseth faire and when hee speakes you would thinke hee minded nothing or were sollicitous about nothing but the Honour and advantage of him to whom hee speakes when indeed he minds nothing but himselfe and selfe-concernements as the Apostle in that place desciphers him He serves not our Lord Jesus Christ Haec est blandities quae a Graecis vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoteles vulgo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellari docet eos qui comiter cum omnibus conversantur sed veram amicitiam cum nemine colunt Arist l. 8. ad Nicom Pertinax Imperator dictus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod blandus esset magis quam benignus Bez. in loc ex Aurelio Vict. but his owne belly and by his good words and faire speeches he deceives the hearts of the simple The Greeks have another characteristicall word for this sort of men by which they meane all such as seeme to carry it faire with all men but maintaine true freindship with no man wee may call them Men-pleasers but Selfe-seekers As also one of the old Emperours had his Sir-name from that word used by the Apostle in the place last mentioned because hee was observed very ready to give all men good words but had no regard to doe good yea he did very much evill or as another gives the reason because he was a Fanning Prince rather then a kinde one Job seemes to charge his Freinds that they were men of such a temperament and had rather faund upon him then been reall freinds to him But here it may be questioned Why doth Job speake his Freinds speakers of flattery Hee had little reason to complaine he was flattered and wee finde him often complaining that he was roughly dealt with Job heard few pollished or buttered words but bitter words great store why then doth he say He that speakes flattery to his freind We may understand it two wayes In reference to Job God First His Freinds had spoken flattery to him for though in some things they were very severe and harsh yet in other things he might interpret their sayings to be but soothings Is est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui
say it shewed that the deed was very good because the Lord promised to reward his Children for it with the possession of the Throne of Israel to the fourth generation 2 Kings 10.30 Now as those acts have a great deale of excellency in them for which God rewards and blesseth to posterity so those sins have a speciall malignity in them which are threatened and pursued with revenges to Posterity Such sins have a touch of the first sin in them The punishment of Adams first sin is hereditary to the last man all have smarted for that sin and the eyes of his Children have failed because he looked upon and eate the forbidden fruit Now every sin which is thus spoken of in Scripture as Idolatry in the second Commandement and here flattery hath a speciall stampe of the first sin upon it not onely as being a sin and so a derivative from it but as having much of the sinfulnesse of that sin in it The evils of which did not dye with those who gave it life And as all flattery is very sinfull so spirituall flattery or flattery about spirituall things is most sinfull both because about them we ought to be most plaine-hearted and because a deceit about them doth most hurt Any kinde of flattery is bad enough but this is worst such was that of the falfe Prophets who daubed with untempered morter and cryed Peace peace when there was no peaee Who set themselves to please not to instruct the people and were therefore busie in sewing pillowes under every elbow A flatterer would make all men leane soft sit easie and be well perswaded of themselves though their case be starke naught He that thus speakes flattery to his Freind doth indeed speake misery yea and death to his Freind The flatterer is the greatest hater and no man speakes worse of another then hee who speakes better of him then he deserves or then his state will beare It is dangerous to speake all the good of a man that is true but to speake good of him which is not true may be his utter undoing And though it hath beene sayd and often experienced that flattery gaines Freinds and Truth-speaking hatred yet none have run into so much hatred as flatterers For as it is sayd of Treason That many love the Treason but all hate the Taytor so many love to heare themselves flattered but all hate flatterers And though true reproofes are bitter Pills and very distastfull to most in the taking downe yet wise Solomon hath assured us That he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall finde more favour even with that man then he that flattereth with his lips Prov. 28.23 There are many who as the Psalmist speakes Psal 36.2 Flatter themselves they are their owne Parasites But as they who flatter others doe most commonly fall under their displeasure so all they sooner or latter shall fall under their owne displeasure and that 's worse then the displeasure of any yea then of all men who have flattered themselves It is our wisedome and our peace to be plaine with our selves and with all men how much present disquiet so ever we get by it Paul speakes it out to the Thessalonians 1 Epist 2.3 4 5. Our exhortation was not of deceit neyther at any time used we flattering words But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speake not as pleasing men but God Further these words may be expounded not as a threat against his Freinds for their flattering of him but as a threat against himselfe in case he should have flattered them And so they carry also the weight of a reason why hee used so much freedome in reproving them and shewing them the danger that hung over their heads As if he had sayd You my Freinds may perhaps wonder at my boldnesse and plainenesse of speech while I tell you that God hath hid your hearts from understanding and that he will not exalt you But you must pardon me I had rather incurr your frownes by my downeright dealing with you then Gods by flattering you I had rather make your eares tingle by reproving you then make the eyes of my Children ake by my applauding you for this I have learned as a certaine truth that hee who speakes flattery to his Freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Hence Observe That even a godly man doth and ought to strengthen himselfe in doing his duty by the remembrance of those evills which are threatned against the neglect of it A Beleever makes use of the threatnings as well as of the promises to keep his heart close in obedience That is the best obedience which springs from the feare of the Lord and his goodnesse but that may be a good and a pure act of obedience which springs from the feare of the Lord and his wrath Christ exhorts and forewarnes his freinds to feare him who after hee hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Luke 12.5 'T is noblest and most spirituall to obey God for himselfe without respect eyther to Heaven or Hell yet wee may have respect both to Heaven and Hell to reward and punishment in our obedience Joseph resisted temptation by the highest argument when he sayd How can I doe this great evill and sinne against God Gen. 39.9 He resists temptation by a good argument who saith How can I sin against God which will doe so much evill to my selfe or draw many evils upon mine And thus Job argued according to this interpretation when he sayd He that speakes flattery to his freind the eyes of his Children shall faile Or as Master Broughton renders The eyes of the given that way that is to flattery shall be consumed Vox Ban in non filios sed intelligentes vel considerantes significat a Verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est intelligere hinc sic conficitur textus Et ooculi considerantium eum deficient Bold There is another reading of the latter clause and so of the whole Verse The eyes of those that consider observe or attend him shall faile and so they derive the word Bamin not from Ben a Son or a Childe but from Bin which signifies to understand or consider The eyes of those that consider him shall faile Then the meaning is my freinds are so exact and accute in flattery in composing and uttering fauning speeches that they who heare them are wrapt into an extasie and their very eyes doe faile with their intentnesse in beholding them They are such powerfull Orators that they can draw the mindes and eyes of their Auditors whither they please and cause their eyes to ake with looking so wistly on them having as the Apostle speakes in a like case their persons in admiration Job having thus complained against and taxed his Freinds of flattery goes on to aggravate the sadnesse of his condition and upon the whole to move the Lord to hasten an end of his miseries or to hasten
new thing in the World to see those a by-word of the people who even now were their Tabret to adore one while and to despise another to applaud to day and to dislike to morrow now to smile and anon to frowne is the constant inconstancy of the creature Therefore Live not upon the breath of men upon popular ayre or the speech of people Though to have credit with men be a blessing yet let us live upon the credit which we have with God and rejoyce onely in his esteeme Most men are full of change and are apt to vary their aspects every moment their affections are as moveable as their outward condition is Onely God never alters his opinion of any man he never rejects where he hath accepted nor casts off where he hath embraced once a freind and alwayes a freind once pleased with us and alwayes pleased with us yea God is pleased with his while he manifests a fatherly displeasure against them and they are as a Tabret to him while he makes them a By-word among the people Job was a Tabret in the eares of God when he was a By-word among the people Thirdly Because a Tabret or Drum is empty of all but ayre and giveth nothing but a sound some interpret thus I am before them as an empty Vessell or as one who hath nothing in him but winde and from whom nothing comes but a sound of words that is They looke upon me as a man of no reall worth Paul saith of himselfe that though hee spake with the tongues of men and Angels that is With the most excellent tongues Angels have no tongues nor have they any faces as men have yet in Scripture the face of an Angell is put for the most beautifull face and the tongue of an Angell for the most eloquent tongue among all the children of m n Now saith Paul though I had the tongue of Angels or men and were the best speaker that ever was yet being voyd of true charity I should become as a sounding brasse and a tinckling Cimball 1 Cor. 13.1 Such a tinckling Cimball was Job esteemed a Drum full of ayre or an empty Vessell as Jerusalem was left by the King of Babylon Jâ—r 51.34 Fourthly Some both of the Rabbins and latter Writers tell us Existimant esse vocem Chaldaicam quae significat Dominum vel principem q. d. qui princeps eram factus sum in proverbium fabulam Rab. Lev. Vatabl. that Tophet is a Chaldee word signifying Lord or a Prince And they referr us for a confirmation to Dan. 3.2 Where we finde the word put into the Summons which Nebuchadnezzar sent to his Nobles and great Officers for their attendance at the dedication of the Image which he had set up We render it Sheriffs whether our word hits that is doubtfull but without doubt it signifies such as were in high Authority being there marshall'd before the Rulers of the Provinces Taking this interpretation of the word Jobs meaning is I am now a proverbe or a man of no credit though heretofore I was as a Prince or a Ruler in their presence Some reject this because the mixture of the Chaldee with the Hebrew was long after Jobs time which yet may easily be reconciled And the sense is good being indeed the same in substance with the second Exposition Fifthly This word Tophet which signifies a Drum or as we a Tabret which is a smaller Drum for there is the Martiall Drum or the Drum of Warr and the Tabret which is a Mirth Drum a Drum used at sports and dancing this word I say gives denomination to a place very famous or infamous rather in the Scripture of the Old Testament A part of good Josiah his reformation is thus described 2 Kings 23.10 And he defiled in the opinion of Idol-worshippers though indeed the purest worship used there was more filthy then any filth which Josiah threw into it He saith the Text defiled Tophet which is in the Valley of the Children of Hinnon that no man might make his Sons and Daughters passe through the fire to Moloch The Prophet Jeremiah complained of and threatned that place Chap. 7.31 32 They have built the high places of Tophet which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnon to burne their Sons and Daughters in the fire c. Now the reason why that place was called Tophet from the word in the Text arose thus because when the Jewes in those abominable Idolatries offered their owne Children the fruit of their bodies in sacrifice to Moloch the reputed God of the Moabites and Ammonites who was so called from Malac signifying to rule or reigne for as all Idols would rule as Kings so this was a cheife a King Idol hence some conceive Moloch to be the same with Baal which is also a name of supremacy signifying Lord or Master This Moloch was an hollow Image of Brasse into which they put much fire having the face of a Bullock and hands spread abroad like a Man He had seven Chappels and whosoever offered his Son to him entred into the seventh which when any did they used to beat upon Drums and Tabrets Barathrum quod supplicii locus erat apud Athenienses pro inferno usurpatur Beâ—m de Orig. Ling. Lat. A nomine Gehinnon i. e. Vallis Hinnon infernus dictus est Gehenna Hieron in 10. Cap. Math. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vallis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruguit gemâ—it that the shreekes and cries of the poore Childe might not be heard by the Father Hence the place was called Tophet from Toph a Drum which comes from a radicall word signifying to beat or strike with the hand because Drums are artifâ—cially beaten and we ordinarily say Beat the Drum or At the beat of Drum And hence this place Tophet where those Children were superstitiously tormented by fire and burnt to ashes grew to a Proverbe so that any place of extreame torment was called Tophet As Hell is called Barathrum because Barathrum was a place so called among the Athenians into which they cast notorious malefactors Hence also Hell is called Gehenna from the Valley of the Son of Hinnon where those Children were sacrificed or from Ge signifying a Valley and Naham roaring or crying So that it was called Gehinnon from the cry of the Children and Tophet from the beating of Drums to drowne the cry of the Children And upon this account some learned Translators render the sense thus Et ignis gehennae prius ero Rab. Da. Pagn Sum velut Gehenna q. d. Etiam me vivum adjudicant Gehennae vel miserandae alicujus mortis generi Sedâ—res haec quadrare non potest nam ignis illius vallis Gehennae multo posterior suit quam Job Pined Merc. He hath made me a by-word and I am as Hell that is They judge me worthy of Hell and damnation yea that I am a very Hell I am as Tophet before them or they looke upon me as a man
This evill is of the Lord wherefore should I waite on the Lord any longer As if he had sayd I will never waite for any kindnesse at his hand who hath already used me thus unkindly Hee that takes an affliction in ill part at the hand of God will never expect good from him or if he doe it must come very speedily or else his waiting is over 'T is not unlikely that this King by the advice of the Prophet Elisha had waited a little but he was soone weary Why should I waite any longer There was reason enough why he should but his unbeleife would not let him see what he saw nor understand what himselfe had spoken For the reason which he gave why hee would waite no longer is the strongest reason that can be given why he should have waited longer This evill is of the Lord. 'T is true that among men they from or of whom evils are are usually the unfittest to remove them Men who wound are seldome skil'd at curing but the Lord brings no evill but what he can remove nor doth he make any wound but what he can heale yea no power nor art in the World can heale the wounds that he makes or remove the evills which hee brings but his owne Hence the patient Beleever cryes out with the Church Hos 6.1 Let us returne to the Lord yea let us waite upon the Lord for hee hath torne and hee will heale But the impatient unbeleever saith Let us turne away from the Lord let us waite upon the Lord no longer for 't is he that hath torne us therefore surely hee will not heale us Grace and corruption may take up the same principles but they draw conclusions from them as contrary as themselves are Thirdly It is exceeding sinfull to give over waiting as thinking that God cannot helpe Some shorten their patience by shortning the hand of God That such were the apprehensions of the Jewes is more then probable by the Prophets Negative assertion Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save Fourthly It is exceeding sinfull to give over waiting upon God by turning aside to sinfull wayes Some finde out as they suppose neerer wayes to helpe themselves then by attending upon God they like not as such have prophanely called them those pious delayes and so over Hedge and Ditch they will to the overtaking of their owne ends The Prophet Jeremiah describes such Chap. 18.12 And they sayd there is no hope or our case is desperate all 's lost What then but we will walke after our owne devises and every one doe after the imagination of his evill heart The Lord had told them Vers 11. Behold I frame evill against you and devise a device against you But did the Lord devise a device meerely to ensnare them or did he frame evill against them onely to undoe them No his ayme was their repentance not their ruine and therefore he adds in the same Verse Returne yee now every one from his evill wayes and make your wayes and your doings good As if the Lord had sayd Though I am about to frame evill against you yet doe yee returne to me and all shall be well How doe they resent this threatning and this Counsell They grow desperate upon it And seeing God had brought them into such straits they would get out as well as they could And as he was devising devices against them so they had devices of their owne and them they would follow Thus they would not waite upon God for a remedy in the way of repentance for their old sins but they would provide themselves a remedy by running into new sins They had a device in their heads which should match the device of God Now what the Prophet subjoynes Vers 13 14 15. as a strong redargution of that people who refused to waite upon God in that way the same may we say to all those who refuse to waite upon God in any way The Virgin of Israel he cals her so to minde her what shee should be not to commend her for what shee was hath done a very horrible thing will a man leave the Snow of Lebanon which commeth from the rock of the feild Or will a man as our Margin hath it leave my feilds for a rock or for the Snow of Lebanon that is Will any traveller be so foolish as to leave the plaine feilds where hee may passe with ease and pleasure without let or hinderance to climbe over craggy Rocks and precipitious Hils will hee leave a beaten path to goe through vast Woods and desolate Forrests covered with Snow where no track or footsteps are to be seene or as it followes in that Verse shall the cold flowing waters which come from another place be forsaken or shall the coole running waters be forsaken for strange waters that is Will any man who hath fresh Fountaine-water of his owne at home goe to seeke water in a stincking Ditch in standing pooles and miery puddles when he is a thirst Such is the choice or exchange which they make who cease waiting upon God in his wayes and turne aside for helpe to their owne crooked wayes Stumbling as the Prophet speakes at the fifteenth Verse of the same Chapter in their wayes from the ancient paths to walke in paths in a way not cast up or where no Causey is Though the hand or providence of God doth sometimes bring his people as the Prophet speakes Isa 42.16 By a way which they knew not and leads them in paths that they have not knowne that is Into a way which they knew not by any former teachings of men or experiences of their owne yet his hand never leads them into any way which is not cast up or which may not be made out by some rule or example in the word To leave waiting upon God in his ordinary wayes and to goe in any extraordinary way which hath no ground in the word is purely to follow our owne wayes and to goe after the imaginations of our evill hearts Job in this place apprehended it unseasonable for him to waite for those worldly attainments and enjoyments which his Freinds promised him but he was not unwilling to tarry the Lords leisure nor was he displeased with God for afflicting him nor did he say God could not helpe him much lesse did he turne from God to any wicked way to helpe himselfe when he sayd If I wait the Grave is mine house Secondly Observe from it A good man may give up all his worldly expectations A Beleever may in this sense be an unbeleever and lay down all his hopes in this life of long life and of good dayes of riches and temporall greatnesse When Freinds bid such on their sick beds Be of good cheere we hope to see you abroad shortly we hope God will raise you up againe they will even forbid those comforts and say Doe not intice us back into the World with these hopes the Graves
his end eyther to determine them or to determine him JOB Chap. 17. Vers 6 7. He hath made me also a by-word of the people and afore time I was as a Tabret Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow and all my members are as a shadow IN these two Verses Job repeats and aggravates his affliction and he doth it as hee had done before by shewing the effects of his affliction Wee judge of causes by the effects that which produceth a great effect must needs have a greatnesse of causality in it Two effects or his affliction are layd downe in this context The first tels us what his afflictions wrought in others The second what it wrought upon himselfe What his affliction wrought in others is set forth Vers 6. He was become the talke of all possibly the sport of not a few The argument stands thus That is a very great affliction which every man speakes of or which makes a man a by-word But such is my affliction every one talkes of it and I am made a by-word of the people Therefore my affliction is very great What his affliction wrought upon him selfe is expressed in the seventh Verse Dimnesse in his eye and weaknesse in his whole body Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow and all my members are as a shaddow The Argument may be formed thus That is a very great affliction the sorrows whereof dim the eyes and macerate all the members of the body But such is the sorrow of my affliction that my very eyes are dim and all my members are macerated therefore mine is a great affliction As if he had sayd Should I hold my peace and sit downe in silence yet my dim eyes and dryed bones my withered skin and cripled limbes are as so many tongues yea trumpets to speake and speake aloud the sorrows of my heart and the sufferings of my outward man This seemes to be Jobs scope in the words now under hand Vers 6. He hath made me a by-word of the people He Who is that The antecedent is inquired for Our late Annotations fix it upon Eliphaz who spake last and at whom he pointed in the Verse bâ—fore He hath talked so of me that now I am a common talke He hath spoken such words by mee that now I am made a by-word We had need take heed what we say of any Brother for if one man give out the word e-now will follow to make him a by-word Haec de domino dicit quem ubique facit suarum calamitatum authorem Merc. Others resolve it upon God himselfe Hee that is God hath made me a by-word Job at first acknowledged God the author of his troubles and so he hath done all along as hath been toucht in diverse passages of this dispute As no man lifts up his hand so no man lifts up his tongue without God As afflicting actions so afflicting speeches are at his dispose He hath made me A by-word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Potestatem quandam habet excellentiam significat proverbium parabolam axioma quod vocatur propositio maxima The Hebrew word in the Verbe signifies properly to rule to governe to have dominion or supretme power as a Prince or Potentate And by a Metaphor it signifies any thing that excelleth or is eminent in any kinde upon this account it is oft employed to signifie those rules of truth and holinesse to which every mans reason must yeeld obeysance such are called in a way of excellency by Moralists Proverbs by Orators Sentences by Logicians Maxims or Principles which are not to be proved but supposed No man must deny them or if any man doe he is not to be disputed with such rules are Rulers and they are thus expressed upon a twofold reason First Because of the difficulty and mysteriousnesse of their meaning they are of few words but of so large and multiplying a sense that they doe as much master as enlighten the understanding Secondly They are so expressed because of the extent or universality of their usefulnesse they being such as beare sway in and have an influence upon all transactions that One sentence or rule of Equity What you would have others doe to you doe so to them runs through the whole course of mans life and reacheth us in all acts of Justice whether distributive or commutative And as those proverbiall sentences which direct justice and good manners are of great command and authority among men so likewise are those which had their rise from the reproofe of any mans injustice or evill manners If once a man be made a by-word whether the grounds of it be true or false makes no matter as to this point it will stick by him and overcome his credit let him doe what he can he shall hardly claw it off againe as long as he lives Thou hast made me a by-word Further to cleare the Text In parabolizare populorum Nam est infinitum q. d. ut sim illis proverbio vulgi fabula vel ut de me proverbium faciant Merc. we may consider that the word By-word in the Hebrew is of the Infinitive Mood and so some render it Thou hast made me for the parabolizing of the people or that the people make Parables and Proverbs of me which we render fully to the sense Thou hast made me a Parable a Proverbe or a by-word among the people Two things are usually implyed when a man is sayd to be a by-word First That he is in a very low condition some men are so high that the tongues of the common people dare not climbe over them but where the Hedge is low every man goes over Secondly That he is in a despised condition to be a by-word carries a reflexion of disgrace He that is much spoken of in this sense is ill spoken of and he is quite lost in the opinion of men who is thus found in their discourse It is possible though rare for a man to be in a low or bad condition and yet to be well spoken of yea to be highly honoured some are had in precious esteeme while they lye upon the dunghill but usually a man greatly afflicted is little valued and he whose state is layd low in the World his person is also low in the opinion of the World Job was at that time a By-word in both these Notions hee was low in state and he was lower in esteeme Hence Observe First Great sufferers in the things of this World Fieri solet ut insignes virorum illustrium calamitates in proverbium abeant deque iis fiant cantiones Merl. are the common subject of discourse and often the subject of disgrace Such evils as few men have felt or seen all men will be speaking of Great sorrowes especially if they be the sorrows of great men are turned into Songs and Poetry playes its part with the saddest disasters When Sihon King of the Amorites had taken many strong Cities