a fitt or a convenient time implying that time in that notion is not hidden from God Isa 50.4 God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I might speake a word in season to him that is weary Which some translate thus That I might know the appointed time to the afflicted An afflicted soule must be watched and a season taken these times are not hidden from the Almighty he knoweth the opportunity and therefore can direct him that speakes to a wearyed soule as to speake proper and taking matter so to speake it in a proper and taking time when it shall be as welcome to the soule as raine to the dry and thirsty ground David saith to the Lord Psal 119.23 It is time Lord for thee to worke for they have made voide thy Law that is now is the season and opportunity for thee to work if ever thou wilt shew thy selfe doe it now And when David confessed Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand He meanes that the seasons of his comforts Per tempora intelligit rerum vicissitudines divitias et pauperiem pacem bellum c. Theodoret and of his sorrowes all the turnings and changes of his life from one condition to another were cast and ordered by the power and wisdome of God Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty Doe they that know him not see his dayes Thus Job describes the persons that see not the dayes of God they are such as know him Which character as was shewed before belongs to every Godly man though it be more peculiar to some Hence note First Every Godly man knoweth God And none but the Godly know him indeed many ungodly men professe they know God and they may know him notionally but no ungodly man knoweth him truly experimentally or practically Many ungodly men have a forme of knowledge and of the truth in the Law as the Apostle speakes of the Jewes Rom. 2.20 but no ungodly man feeleth the power of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Pietas est cognitio scientiaque dei Trismeg And therefore the wicked are spoken of in Scripture as not knowing God Jere. 10.25 Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not And when the Prophet describes the wickednesse of the Jewish State he saith Hos 4.1 There is no knowledge of God in the Land Which the Chalde Paraphrast renders thus Neither are there any who walke in the feare of God in the land where there is no knowledge of God there is no feare of God We neyther love nor feare him of whom we have no knowledge nor can we beleeve in or trust him whom we know not Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee That is the truly godly will trust in thee for they know thy name but they that know thee not how can they trust upon thee and therefore the Prophet calls us to boast in the knowledge of God Jere. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord whech exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. There is nothing in this world worth the boasting in but the holy knowledge of a holy God or such a knowledge of God the fruit whereof is a godly life here and the end whereof is an eternall life hereafter Joh. 17.3 This is eternall life that they may know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This knowledge of God doth not floate in the braine but sinkes into the heart and is rooted in the affections Thus the Apostle John argues 1 Epist Chap. 2. v. 3 4 5 6. Hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements he that sayth he knows him and keepeth not his commandement is a liar and the truth is not in him As if he had sayd The true knowledge of God is an obedientiall knowledge so that if any man sayth he knoweth God while his life is not sutable to what he knoweth this mans profession is vaine and himselfe is a lyar Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected that is he loveth God with a perfect or sincere love and the love of God is perfected towards him The scope of his whole discourse there is to shew that the true knowledge of God is the keeping of the word of God Many are so ignorant of God that they know not the word which they should keepe and all they who knowing the word keepe it not will at last be numbered among the ignorant or among those that know not God But their condition will be worse and their punishment greater then theirs who never knew God according to the teachings of his word Their estate will be bad enough who perish for want of the knowledge of God then what will their end be who perish in the neglect or abuse of plentifull knowledge From the second notion of the words they that know him as they intimate a sort of Godly men who have neerer acquaintance with and freer accesse to God then others Observe That as all godly men know God which the wicked doe not so some godly men have such a knowledge of God as many who are godly have not Though the knowledge of all godly men be of the same nature and kinde yet not of the same degree and height We reade of some who in old time were called Seers 1 Sam. 9.9 as if they onely had been endued with sight and all others were blinde in the things of God They were the onely seers yea they were fore-seers because God did often reveale himselfe and declare to them what he was about to doe in dreames and visions Now as in those times there were some men called seers so in these times some may be called knowers as if none knew any thing of God comparatively to them or as if other godly men were ignorant and understood nothing of him When God 1 Sam. 3. appeared to Samuel in a vision and revealed the doome of Elies house to him the Text sayth at the 7th verse Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord surely Samuel did know the Lord as other godly did in those times though he were but young yea it is said The childe Samuel ministred before the Lord and did not he know the Lord no doubt he did The meaning therefore is Samuel did not yet know the Lord by any speciall intimacy with him or particular revelation from him as afterward he did he became a knower of God at last though then he did not know God in this peculiar sence But God having revealed to him the secret what he would doe to Elies house then he knew God he
is self-sufficient needs not to receive any addition from another is an argument of imperfection And seing God neither receives nor can receive any thing from another he must needs be perfect in himself David Psal 16.2 speaking of himselfe as the type of Christ saith O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord that is thou art my Portion and my All but my goodnesse extendeth not to thee I am not able to doe any good which reacheth to thy benefit or encreaseth thy happiness for thou art mine In the 50th Psalm the Lord asserts this his own independency If I were hungry I would not tel thee for the world is mine the fulnesse thereof If I had any hunger that is any defect upon me I need not go to the creature to aske a supply I could supply my selfe if there were any need but there 's none The Lord is infinitely above all hunger above all wants and defects whatsoever He indeed threatens Idolaters that he will famish all their gods Zeph. 2.11 Idols shall be hungry they shal be famisht and have none to administer any thing to them This the Lord doth when hee with-draws their respect and worship that name and reputation which once they had in the world from them worship is the food of Idols that keeps livelesse Idols as it were alive and therefore fals gods are famished when their false worship is cast downe but who can famish the Lord If I were hungry c. I would not tell you Can man be profitable unto God But it may be objected Cannot a man be profitable to God is man no advantage no help to him why then Judg. 5.23 Sings Deborah Curse ye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty It should seem then that the Lord had need of the help of these inhabitants of Meroz and if they had come forth it had been an advantage to him why else were they cursed for not coming forth to the help of the Lord I answer man is said to help the Lord when he helps in the Lords cause Personally the Lord needeth not my helpe but the Lord may be helped relatively in his Cause and in his people Thus we help the Lord when we help man when we help the Church and people of God It is our honour as well as our duty to help his People and give assistance in his Cause This the Lord takes so well at our hands that he reckons it as help given to himself Againe if wee consider the help as given to the Lords people we are not to conceive that the Lord needed the helpe of these men of Meroz as if hee could not helpe them himselfe without the assistance or ayd of man For when he seeth that there is no man then his owne arme brings salvation Isa 59.16 'T is the duty of man to come forth and draw his sword in the Lords quarrell against the mighty but the Lord needeth not the sword of man to subdue the mightiest Secondly It may be objected Cannot man be profitable unto God he speaks of the Church of the Jewes in such language as implies them a profit to him Exod. 19.5 Now if yee will obey my voyce indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And is there no profit in a treasure Again Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance Hath a man no profit by his portion no advantage by his Inheritance Now if the Lords People be his Portion his Inheritance his Treasure his peculiar special treasure how then can it be said they are no profit no advantage to him I answer the Lords people are his treasure not because they enrich him but because he hath a high esteem of them The Lords People are his treasure not because they profit him but because he protects them If I say to a man you shal be a treasure to me I may do it not because I expect any profit from him but because I have a high esteem of him and resolve to protect and defend him as I do my own portion and treasure In this sense doth the Lord say of his People Yee are my treasure We esteem treasure and treasures are under protection lest any take them from us Thus the Lord speaks of his People not that he hath any profit or gaine by them as men who ordinarily have Portions and Inheritances in Fields or Houses which are their stock and livelihood Indeed there is a Revenue which the Lord hath by his People as they are his portion that is a Revenue of glory and honour not a revenue of profit But if you say glory and honour is profit and an advantage to man is it not then an advantage to God to be glorified by man I answer It is no advantage to God when he is glorified by man Our glorifying of God doth not add any glory to him that he had not but it is only the setting forth of that glory which he had there is no encrease of his fullnesse by all the honour and glory that the creature gives him We are commanded to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven But God doth not receive any additionall glory by us how much or how clearly soever our light shineth before men A candle adds more light to the Sun then all the creatures in the world can adde to the glory of God when they have studied his glory and laboured to glorifie him to the utmost all their dayes Thirdly that of David may be yet objected Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart for himselfe the man that is godly And is so then it seems he intends to make some profit of him it is an allusion unto those that vend wares A Merchant looks upon this and that commodity and then saith this is for my turn this I like set it apart for me Seeing then the Loâ—d sets the godly apart for himselfe it sounds as if he meant to make some gaine or advantage by him I answer the meaning of that Scripture is not that God sets a godly man apart as one that he gets profit by but as one that he intends to bestow mercy upon or he sets him apart for service not for gaine The Lord serves his own ends by the service of man every day and sets apart the godly man for his speciall service Yet a little further I shall demonstrate that a man cannot be profitable to God First God had all perfection before man was therefore man cannot profit God Psal 90.2 From everlasting and to everlasting thou art God shat is thou art infinite in glory and excellency from everlasting God was God as much before
there was a creature as he hath been ever since the creatures were therefore creatures adde nothing at all to him 2. All the goodnesse and profitableness of man comes from God therefore no profit goes unto God from man that 's the Apostles argument Acts 17.25 where he shews that man cannot advantage God no not by worship He is not worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing What doe you think God calleth for your worship because he needs your worship or as if hee could not tell how to be without your worship Nothing lesse Seeing he giveth to all life and breath all things He that gives all things to all men needs nothing of any man here 's the Apostles argument the Lord giveth out all things life breath and all comforts whatsoever to all men therefore he needs nothing of any man no not the worship of any man 1 Cor. 4.7 The Apostle assigns that reason against boasting What hast thou that thou hast not received wherefore then dost thou boast When do men boast even when they think they have done God a good turn What hast thou that thou hast not received therefore why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it What can he receive of us from whom we receive our all And though wee must returne all to him in a way of thankefulnesse and duty yet God needs not that we should return any thing to him in a way of largesse or supply 3. Take this demonstration of it they who live much in God even they upon the matter need little or nothing of the creature they upon the matter are Independent as to the creature who depend fully upon the Creator The good or evill of this world is not much to them who are much with God They have but little to do with the creature and can do well enough without the creature Hab. 3.17 Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation As if he had said what if all creature comforts are taken away from me I can live upon God alone The life of a Believer is much above the creature how much more is the life of the Creator The Apostle 2 Cor. 6.10 speaking of himself saith as having nothing yet possessing all things If Paul by the high actings of his faith dependencies upon God could say he possessed all things while he was as having nothing in the creature Surely God hath all when he hath nothing of or from the creature He may say in the strictest sense having nothing of these things and yet possessing all things Lay these two observations together First That the Creature cannot oblige God Secondly That God is Independent absolute perfect without the creature and the result of both will rise up in these eight conclusions First this will follow That we should not murmure nor be discontented with our Estate whatsoever it is why we are not profitable unto God we have deserved nothing at his hand Discontent ariseth from pride from an opinion that we are not answered according to our worth we should never be discontented were we convinced that we are altogether worthlesse Do but sit down in this thought that man cannot be profitable unto God in any state and then be discontented with your state if you can Secondly If the creature cannot be profitable unto God Then all that God doth for man yea for Angells proceedeth from his free grace We give him nothing afore-hand nor any thing afterward therefore it is grace before and grace after grace in all We receive grace when we have no grace and we receive more grace when we have it yet by the grace we have we do not deserve to receive more As we received the first grace meerly of gracc so we doe the second No man is aforehand with God if any think they are let them shew their Bills what they have brought in and it shall be acknowledged Rom. 11.35 36. Who hath first given and it shall be recompensed to him again For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Thirdly If man cannot be profitable unto God then as none should dare to come to God in their owne worthinesse so none should feare to come to God because of their unworthiness We should not be discouraged though as yet dead and fruitless though vain and unbelieving The worst of men should not keep off from God because they are unprofitable seing the best cannot profit him If we have don much it is nothing to the Lord and if we have done nothing it is no barr to the Lords doing much for us God will not turn us back because we bring him nothing nay he invites us to come without any thing Esay 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters buy c. Here is buying but for what for profit no but come buy wine milk without money and without price God doth not expect any profit there is a kind of buying but it s not for money nor for money worth As the Lord sometimes sells his people so he alwayes sels his graces and comforts for nought Psal 44.12 Thou sellest thy people for nought and dost not encrease thy wealth by their price That is thou leavest thy people under miseries and afflictions by which it doth not appeare that thou gettest any honour Now as the Lord doth sometimes sell his people so he also sells his mercy and grace to his people as to any desert of theirs for nought hee sells without money and without price therefore be not discourag'd if you have nothing of your own of any worth to present unto him Say not Wherewith shall we come before the Lord The poorer you come in your owne thoughts the richer you shall returne For he filleth the hungry with good things but the rich he sendeth empty away Fourthly If man cannot be profitable unto God then our gifts and parts yea our holinesse and graces do not make us necessary unto God God may say unto the great Ones of the Earth I have no need of you and to the rich I have no need of you and to the wise I have no need of you yea he may say unto the godly and to the holy I have no need of you neither There is no creature necessary to God seeing he cannot only as we say live but live in the heights of happinesse without the Creature Fiftly If no man can be profitable unto God then whatsoever God requires of us he aims at our profit and not at his own all is for us or for our good which will appear more fully in the opening the nâ—xt clause He that is
fulfilled or done on earth as it is in Heaven Thus we see the second Propnsition cleared for the understanding of these words That as the Lord takes pleasure in those who are righteous by the imputed righteousnesse of his Son so even in those also who are reghteous by the Implanted righteousnesse or holinesse of his spirit Thirdly God takes pleasure to see a sincere and upright person justifie himselfe or plead his owne justice against all the false accusations and suspitions of men The Lord likes it well to hear a man who is falsly accused to stand up and maintaine his own innocency yea it is our duty and we are bound in conscience to maintain our own innocency So David in the seventh Psalm and in the eighteenth Psalm justified himselfe against Saul And thus Job all along in this Book justified himselfe against the opinion of his friends in this sense God takes pleasure when we are so righteous in all our dealings and perfect in all our wayes that we dare encounter whosoever speaks the contrary and can wash off all the aspersions which either misguided and mistaken friends or professed Enemies cast upon us You have now had those three affirmative Propositions for the understanding of the Text. Take three more in the Negative First God hath no pleasure to see us justifie our selves before him or to plead our own righteousnesse with him yea he is extreamly displeased at it This some conceive the chief thing which Eliphaz aimed at Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou doest justifie thy selfe No thou dost highly provoke him in doing so to plead with or to justifie our selves before God that we are righteous is worse then all our unrighteousnesse for this overthrowes the whole design of the Gospel which is 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence but be that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. And Rom. 3.19 20. The Law convinceth all That all the world may become guilty before God therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight God will have every mouth stopped or cry guilty and therefore for any one to open his mouth and justifie himselfe before God is to overthrow the Gospel They are ignorant of the righteousnesse of God who goe about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 And as God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their righteousnesse to justifie themselves before him so Secondly God hath no pleasure in them who boast of their owne righteousnesse and contemne others Though a man may assert the righteousnesse of his Conversation against all them who question it yet God resents it highly when any proclaim their own righteousnesse to the despising of others Christ speaks a Parable against those in the 18th of Luke v. 9 10 11. who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publican The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himselfe God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners adulterers unjust or even as this Publican Here was one that advanced his owne active righteousnesse and he did it with the contempt of another I am not as this Publican The Lord takes no pleasure in this yea the Lord is highly displeased with this And Isa 65.5 the Prophet represents the Lords indignation against this pharisaicall spirit in dreadful eloquence Stand by thy selfe come not near to me for I am holier then thou Thus they pleaded their righteousnes in contempt of others These saith the Lord are a smoak in my nose that is greevous and displeasing a fire that burneth all the day Thirdly God hath no pleasure at all in any of our righteousnesse either in the righteousnesse of our Justification or the righteousnesse of our Sanctification as the least addition to his owne happiness The reason of it is because as was shewed from the former Verse God is self-sufficient and hath no dependance at all upon the Creature So that what pleasure soever the Lord hath in the righteousnesse of our Justification or of our Sanctification we cannot put it to this account that we add any thing to his happines All the pleasure which God taketh is in himselfe or in the fulfilling of his owne good pleasure in Christ And therefore the work which Jesus was to doe on Earth is called the pleasure of God Isa 53.10 Deus nullis rebus quae extra ipsum sunt tangitur aut mutatur It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand That pleasure of the Lord was the work which the Lord put into his hand or which he gave him to doe even the bringing about his eternal purpose for the recovery of lost man that 's a work in which the Lord takes pleasure so much pleasure that the Prophet calleth it His pleasure And thus the Apostle speaks Eph. 1.5 6. Having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his owne will c. The good pleasure of God is onely in his owne will that 's his pleasure The Lord delights to see his will accomplisht in the saving of sinners as well as in the obedience of Saints that 's a part of the good will of God why doth he take pleasure in the obedience of Saints even because his own will is done It 's not any thing in us that doth it So when he saves us the pleasure which he takes is in the fulfilling of his owne will rather then in our salvation Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Vers 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee Or will he enter with thee into judgement The Question is to be resolved into this negative He will not reprove thee for fear of thee c. Will he reprove thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arguit redarguit corripuit judicavit The word signifies first to argue or dispute and so to convince by the authority of reason Secondly to plead so to convince by evidence of the Law and fact Mich. 6.2 Hear yee O Mountaines the Lords Controversie and ye strong foundations of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel The Mountaines and the strong foundations of the earth are the great men of the earth or Magistratical powers with these the Lord threatens a Controversie and that he will plead or argue his cause with them Thirdly it signifies to argue or plead not with words onely but with blowes to reprove with correction Job 5.17 Happy is the man whom thou correctest The word which here we render reprove is there rendred to correct which is reproving by blowes Fourthly
of the way by the perswasion of others A subtle head and a smooth oyly tongue may worke them off from their owne resolutions It hath been a question disputed among moral Philosophers Whether a wise man may be an uncertaine or a various man And they resolve it Negatively Wisdome is as balast which keeps the minde from floating And it hath been sayd of a wise man among the Heathen that the Sun might as soone be thrust out of his line as he from the line of Justice yet let no man glory in man no not in wise men The wisest and most constant among men may doe unwisely and prove unconstant The most resolved among the children of men may be wrought upon and brought over to what they purposed not But this is the glory of God that as he is in one minde so none can turn him or make him in two None can turne him out of the way eyther of his intended Judgements or promised mercies what he hath a minde to doe he will not be put by the doing it We may affirme three things concerning the workes of God or concerning God in his workings First The workes of God are so full of mystery that none can fully comprehend them there is much in his ordinary workes beyond man and his extraordinary workes are all beyond man We by reason of our indiligence see but little of any of his workes and some of his workes are such as we can see but a little way into them with all our diligence Secondly The workes of God are so full of righteousnesse that no man can justly reprove or finde fault with them They who come with the most curious critical eyes to examine the workes of God shall not finde any flaw or defect in them There have been many who through their presumptuous folly have found fault with the workes of God but there was never any who with his most refined wit could finde a fault in them The Jewes of old complained of and quarrel'd at the wayes of God as unequall Ezek. 18.25 but when it came to tryall they could prove nothing but the inequality of their owne Thirdly The workes of God are so full of power that none can put a stop to or hinder the accomplishment of them These are three excellent perfections of the workes of God And the last is that which is here under hand Hezekiah though a great King was not able to bring a worke about which he had a minde to The rescue of Jerusalem out of the hand of the Assyrians and therefore he sends this pitifull cry to the Prophet Isaiah 2 King 19.3 The children are come to the birth that is the busines is ripe for execution and there is no strength to bring forth The workes of the strongest men may sticke in the birth for want of strength to bring them forth But the workes of God never sticke in the birth upon that or any other account He is in one minde and who can turne him There are foure wayes by which men are usually turned off from or stopped in their workes but by none of them will God be turned when he hath a minde to worke First Men are often stopt by outward power they doe not eyther that good or that evill which they would because they cannot and their cannot possibly doth not lie in this that they have not a power in themselves proportionable to the worke or because they have medled with a matter too great for them and for which they are no match but they therefore onely cannot doe what they would because they are hindered from doing it A man may have ability to master the worke he is about to doe yet not to master the impediments that stand in the way of it But all the power of the creature cannot hinder God If he will worke none can let him Isa 43.13 The power of men is weaknesse unto God And that which lookes like weaknesse in God is stronger then the united strength of all men 1 Cor. 1.25 The foolishnes of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men Secondly Men are or may be turned by counsel or advice and some who could not be stopt by power have yet been stopt by perswasion An eloquent tongue hath prevailed where a violent hand could not We read how Abigail prevailed upon David a mightie warrier and mightily resolved to destroy Nabal and all his house 1 Sam. 25.22 So and more also doe God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall David spake not onely peremptorily but with a kinde of adjuration And he was upon his march with foure hundred armed men at his heeles to put his purpose into Execution Yet a discreet woman goes out to meet and turne him from his course and turne him she did she did it effectually But what could Abigail a woman doe to prevaile with David and his Souldiers What she did she did by perswasion she layed arguments before him and managed them with so much pathetical rhetoricke and clearnes that he could not withstand her ver 32.33 And David said unto Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meete me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and to avenge my selfe with mine owne hand Thus men may be turned from what they have resolved especially when they doe not well deliberate before they resolve But God cannot be turned by any counsel or advice seing whatsoever he purposeth to doe he doth it upon the unerring advice and counsel of his owne will Those passions of anger and jealousie in which as he is set forth to us in Scripture God is sayd to act are yet the issues of infinite deliberation He that doth all things by the best counsel can never be turned by any Thirdly Men are often turned by petition when they will not by argument and you may entreate them to desist from what they were about to doe though you cannot advise them out of it And we know that of all things prayer is the most prevailing with God Nothing hath ever turned God so much as prayer hath and yet prayer it selfe in the sence here intended cannot turne God We must not thinke that we change God by our prayers though when we pray God often makes a gratious change for us Whatsoever his minde is to doe he doth it yea though prayer stand in his way Wee may say that the greatest providentiall changes that were ever made in the world God hath made them upon the prayers of his people yet he never changed his owne minde in the least at the prayer of his people The Lord calls his people earnestly to call upon him so and meeting him by prayer to stop him when he is preparing to doe some great thing against them
dread God as a Judge and revenger This feare is the issue of the Covenant of workes and the beginning of sorrow Thirdly There is a mixt feare not a pure filial nor a pure slavish feare but with a mixture or ingrediency of both Such I conceive the feare of Job was his was a mixt feare it had some tang of slavery in it and it had some touch of Son-ship in it there was much of the spirit of Bondage in it and something of the Spirit of Adoption in it With the former feare many good men have been much exercised in all ages especially before Christ came in the flesh and the clearer breaking and beaming out of Gospel light Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe And Job 14.27 Let not your hearts be troubled nor be yee afraid that is be not burdened and opprest with that servile and slavish feare which you are subject to Christ spake it to his owne Disciples for even at that time deep impressions of that feare were upon them doubting much what would become of them when he should of which he had told them leave the world and be gone from them And besides that speciall reason which the Disciples then had to feare at that time This feare usually ariseth from two reasons in others at all times First From the Consideration of their owne weaknesse and faylings Secondly From the Consideration of the Majesty and greatnes of God when they Consider these things they are afraid And though Beleevers are freed from the praedominancy of slavish feare and are endued with infusions of true filial feare yet they are often taken with this mixt feare as in reference to their owne weaknes so respecting the Majesty of God with whom they have to doe When I Consider I am afraid of him Observe That the Majesty and power of God duely Considered are terrible even to his owne people Many men have slight thoughts of the great God they tremble not they feare not what 's the reason they Consider not they are careles and therefore they are fearelesse they are ignorant and therefore they are confident There are none so bold as they who are thus blind Who is the Lord sayd Hard-hearted Pharaoh that I should obey his voyce to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neyther will I let Israel goe That 's a sad Confidence that proceeds from ignorance and a sad fearelesnes that hath no ground but carelesnesse I remember what the answer was of a very Godly man upon his death-bed who having much trembling upon his spirit at the apprehension of the greatnes Majesty and glory of God it was said to him by a Godly friend that came to visit him Sir you have knowne God and been long acquainted with him why are you thus full of feare and trembling O saith he if I knew God more I should tremble more If we were but more acquainted with and did more Consider of the Infinite greatnes of God and of our owne distance from him as creatures much more as sinners how should we be swallowed up with divine amazements so that we must charge it upon the want of Consideration that so many have such undue and unbecoming thoughts of God as also that their thoughts fall so much below both their duty and their sins if wee did but Consider how sinfull we are and how holy God is we should alwayes serve him with feare and rejoyce with trembling When I consider I am afraid of him Job was afraid of him when he considered him and so was Asaph Psal 77.3 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soule refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Such a remembering of God is not a bare act of the minde in opposition to forgetfulnes as if Asaph had sayd I remembered God that is I did not forget him but I remembered God that is I fixed my heart upon him I minded him fully or set him fully before my minde though the rememberance of God is the spring of Comfort to us and that many wayes yet an Asaph a holy man The holyest among many men may be troubled when he remembers God when he Considers his glory greatnes power and Majesty and himselfe a poore worme When the holy Prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in vision sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and saw the Seraphims covering their faces and their feete and heard them crying one unto another and saying Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Then he sayd Woe is mee for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips c. What a concussion was there upon his spirit upon the meeting of these two visions first that of the holines of God secondly that of his own uncleanenes Isa 6.1 2 3 4 5. Moses who had such intimacy with and accesse unto God is yet described trembling at his giving the Law Heb. 12.21 And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I am exceedingly afraid and tremble Moses knew that God was his friend a God in Covenant with him yet Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake the sight and voyce oâ— God is our Blessednes yet there may be a troublesome and a terrible both sight and voyce of God even Moses was afraid and so was Habakkuk Chap. 3.16 When I heard that is thy speech v. 2. my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe c. And at last wicked men though now so unconsidering who God is shall have such Considerations of him as shall for ever drowne and swallow them up in a deluge of feare the thoughts of the presence of God will be Eternall terror to them who now are unmoved with the thoughts of his presence or who have not God in all their thoughts There is a presence of God which shall be death to them who have not lived in a due and awfull consideration of his presence Thus the Apostle describes the punishment of wicked men 2 Thes 1.9 They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Wee may understand it two wayes First They shall be punished by being put from the presence of the Lord That 's the punishment of losse they shall be for ever excluded and banished from his presence That which was their desire here shall be their misery hereafter They who care not for the presence of God in this world shall be everlastingly cursed with the want of it in the world which is to come Secondly I rather conceive the meaning of that Text to be this there shall be a manifestation of the wrathfull presence of God to them and that shall be their punishment the presence of the Lord is everlasting life and light and joy to his owne people but
say a worme thou art and to wormes thou shalt returne Thus wee see man is a poore thing a very poore thing and hence I shall make foure or five briefe inferences First Let no man be proud or have high thoughts of himselfe the son of man is but a worme O why doth man swel above the clouds or proudly make his nest among the Starres when as he must shortly fall among the clods and as he is a worme so be eaten up of wormes Secondly Let men take heed of adorning one another with great words and flattering titles let us take heed of having the persons of men in admiration it is as vaine a thing for any man to give great flattering titles to others as it is to have high thoughts of himselfe The titles which the Spirit of God gives to man are humbling titles a flower a shadow c. any thing which may keep downe his spirit and abate selfe-valuations we should learne as to thinke of our selves so to speake of other men as the Holy Ghost speaketh As he doth not paint man out with praises nor speake of him as Courtiers whose hearts are the shops of complements and their tongues the venters of them doe of Princes So neyther should we There are two extreames which wee should labour exceedingly to avoyd in our references to men and yet most men walke in one of these extreames towards men First we should take heed or reproaching vilifying and despising others for though it be a duty for every man to thinke meanely of himselfe and to say of himselfe I am a worme and though wee may lawfully thinke and say so of all men as to the general truth of the proposition yet it is so farre from being a duty that it is not at all lawfull to call any man worme with reproach and contempt of the meanenes of his person Secondly we should take heed of flattering and daubing others as those Tyrians did Herod crying out it is the voyce of God and not of man Acts 12.22 whereas God to shew their mistake and that he was indeed but a worme smote him and he was eaten up of wormes Elihu concludes and resolves excellently to this poynt Job 32.21 22. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neyther let me give flattering titles unto man for I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my maker would soone take me away As God tooke away Herod for receaving flattering titles so they who give them are in danger to be taken away by God Thirdly Be not Envious at others what if another have a little more glory riches beauty strength power then thou hast what though he have a little more knowledge and be a little higher in gifts then others yet hee is but a worme still what 's man but a worme and what 's the son of man the best of men but a worme why should a worme Envy a worme what though some men are silke wormes a little better furnished and richer then others in mind and body yet they are but wormes in silke and many who appeare so are but Glow-wormes which shine a little but have no consistence Fourthly Let the sons of men take heed of vexing one another why should wormes rise up against wormes why should wormes destroy wormes cruelly bloodily Wee are all weake as wormes let us therefore engage that little strength wee have for the supporting not for the ruining of one another Wee usually have so much tendernes towards wormes in kinde that when wee see them crawling upō the ground we avoyd treading upon them yet how doe men purposely tread upon wormes in likenes All men are wormes in likenes we should not willingly tread upon or hurt any man But poore men and men of low degree are more wormes then rich men and men in high places are therefore take heed of oppressing the poore for that is indeed a treading upon wormes And though while you tread upon wormes the weake and needy they cannot as Christ speakes of swine Math. 7.6 turne againe and rent you yet if you doe so God the strong God will turne upon you and teare you while there is none to deliver Lastly Take this inference from it Man by sin is much degraded and fallen below himselfe Man by sin is become inferiour to the meanest creatures who was once above all visible creatures man in the state of Creation was the chiefe piece of the visible world hee was next to the Angels who are of the Invisible world but now man is fallen very low he is levell'd with the lowest of the Creatures a worme not onely doe the heavenly bodyes exceed him in beauty but even the earthly bodyes the beasts of the field and the worme that crawles upon the earth and lives in the bowels of it is good enough to make comparison with him See what man hath lost by sin see how hee is degraded and fallen from his state and statelynes yea I may say that man by sin is not onely fallen from that state and statelynes wherein he was created but he is fallen below the state of the lowest creature Man by sin is not onely a worme but worse then a worme A worme is not capable of morall polution a toad hath naturall poyson but man hath morall poyson in him which is worse then naturall poyson and which makes the condition of man yet more vile his moral poyson sin I meane is to him naturall It is his misery and his dishonour that he hath it and it is his greater misery and dishonour that he loves it and that it is not so much his disease as his desire and as the first sin the sin of nature hath debased all mankinde at once so every man that goeth on in and multiplyeth with desire the acts of sin debaseth himselfe yet more and maketh himselfe not onely lower then the worme which is the lowest of living things but even lower then the lowest things that have no life Sencelesse livelesse creatures are better then sinfull men such I meane as live in sin and better it had been for any never to have had a being or not to have lived at all then to dye in sin Seeing then sin hath degraded us and placed us among and below the wormes who were once next to Angels how are we engaged to Jesus Christ who by becoming a worme for us hath raised us to be heyres of blessedness with the holy Angels for ever and hath lifted us up to that hight of honour that even the holy Angels minister to us as long as we are here And how should we strive to raise our selves up higher and higher in the Improvement of all that grace which is freely offered to us in Christ even to our dayly conversation in heaven and our sitting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus as the Apostle speakes Eph. 2.16 It is sad for any man who is but a worme to be lifted up in himselfe
and proper to it Further as God hideth his glory from man because he is not able to beare it all so he hideth much of that from him which he is able to beare both to make him hunger and thirst the more after it and to draw him into the greater reverence and estimation of it We usually esteeme that more which is veyled and under a cloud then that which is very cleare and openly revealed and according to our present state and frame that is most reverenced by us which is most concealed from us When a cloud hath dwelt a while upon the Sunne we desire the more to see the face of it and are the more affected with the sight of it God will not hold backe the face of his throne from us in glory nor will he ever spread a cloud upon it and yet we shall have fresh desires after it and high valuations of it everlastingly But while we dwel in this corrupt and corruptible flesh wee are apt to neglect that which is alwayes with us especially if it be alwayes alike with us And therefore as the wise and gracious God will not let us see his throne here at all in the full glory of it because we cannot beare it so he will not let us see that glory of it continually which we are able to beare lest we should grow eyther carelesse of it or unthankfull for it It is even best for us that we have but a darke and imperfect sight of God in this world both in reference to what he is and to what he doth or first in reference to himselfe in his nature and Excellencyes Secondly in reference to his wayes or workes in their speciall reasons and ends As our darkenes cannot at all comprehend the light of God so God is pleased to cover much of his own light with darkenes that we should not comprehend it How many glorious truths are there the face of which he holdeth backe from many of his precious servants how often doth he spread a cloud as upon the truths which he sendeth in his Word so upon the graces which he hath wrought in us by his Spirit so that the soule is not onely hindred from beholding what is without but what is within and is so farre from beholding the glorious perfection of God and his workes abroad that it cannot so much as discerne any of the gracious workes of God at home He spreadeth his cloud upon it Vers 10. He compasseth the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end Job having described marvaylous acts of divine power in the heavens descends againe to shew his marvayles in or about the Seas and mighty waters He compasseth the waters with bounds The word which we render to compasse Proprietas pecaliaris verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est lineam vel circulum describere quasi circino Forte etiam in dicatur eodem circumdandi verbo unum effici globuÌ„ ex terra et aqua atque unum idem utriusque elementi esse centrum Pined signifyeth properly to draw a line or make a circle as Mathematicians doe with a payre of Compasses so that it notes the shutting up or circumscribing any thing to a certaine place or measure beyond which it cannot move And thus God compasseth the waters At the 8th verse Job shewed how God compasseth the upper waters the waters in the ayre He bindeth up the waters in his thicke clouds Here he sheweth how God by the same almighty power compasseth about the lower waters the waters of the Sea The Hebrew is The face of the waters as in the former verse The face of his throne The face of the earth is the upper part of the earth Gen. 1.29 I have given you every herbe bearing or seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth And so the face of the waters is the upper part of the waters because the upper part of the water as also of the earth lyeth open to the eye as the face of a man doth And it may therefore be sayd that he compasseth the face of the waters because though the whole body and bulke of the waters swel and rage yet the face or upper part of the waters is that which at any times breaketh over and overfloweth And therefore the face of the waters onely as to us is compassed about with bounds The word noteth a legal bound a statute or decree and is frequently used in Scripture especially in the 119th Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stanuum constitutie dec câ—etum sign ficat praecepti constantiam durationem nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est insculpere seu incidere lapidi ligno vel Metallo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septu for the Law or rule which God hath given man both for his worship and continuall course of life And hence the Prophet Jeremiah speaking to the Jewes about this thing useth another word to signifie the bound of the Sea and the word which here we render Bound is there rendred Decree Jer 5.22 Feare ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it And there is so much of a Law or of an appoyntment in it that the word is applicable to any thing which is put under a certaine law or appoyntment So it is put for an appoynted time in the 14th Chapter of this booke v. 13th and for appoynted foode in the 23d Chapter of this booke v. 12th as here for an appoynted space or circle within which as within a wall or with gates and barrs the waters of the Sea are kept He compasseth the waters with bounds Hence Note First The Sea is bounded by the power of God As God hath given man understanding to provide a bit and a bridle for the mouth of the horse and mule which have no understanding lest they come neere unto him Psal 32.9 that is neerer to him then they should or neere to him not to serve him or be used by him but to kicke him or tread upon him Thus God himselfe who is infinite in understanding hath put a bit or bridle into the mouth of the Sea which is further from understanding then eyther Horse or mule lest it come neere to drowne and overwhelme us Neyther shoares nor sands neyther cliffs nor rockes are the bound and bridle of the Sea but the Decree and command of God Observe Secondly It is an unanswerable argument of the glorious power and soveraignetie of God that he is able to compasse the waters with bounds Who shut up the Sea with dores was Gods humbling Question to Job in the 38th Chapter of this booke v. 8.10 11. and sayd hitherto shalt thou come and no further here shall thy proud waves be stayed The Psalmist Ps 104. having shewed how at first Gen. 1 1. the whole earth was covered with the deep as
so for the probation or tryall of others Christ saith Math 10.35 I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter with her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law and a mans enemies shall be they of his owne house Such divisions the Lord makes on the earth that it may appeare how strongly and immoveably his faithfull ones are united unto him As we are to ascribe our union so our divisions to God it is he that ordereth all these things though they flow from the corruption pride and selfeishnesse of men When there are divisions and emulations among us we shew our selves as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor 3.3 and walke as men But God sheweth himselfe righteous and acteth as God He divideth the Sea by his power And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud The dividing of the Sea was ascribed to the power of God in the former part of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ictu deprimere ut quum paxillus ictu corpori solido imprimitur and here his smiting through the proud is ascribed to his understanding The word signifies to strike so as to destroy or kill to strike dead Isa 30.26 Numb 24.8 God striketh home when he striketh the proud But who or what are the proud ones whom God smiteth through The word is Rahab as was toucht before in the generall interpretation of the verse signifies two things first strength so some render it here By his understanding he smiteth through strength that is those things which are strongest The very weakenesse of God is stronger then man and therefore there is nothing so strong but God can quickly smite it through or destroy it Secondly it signifyeth pride because men usually are proud of their strength whence that caution Jer. 9.23 Let not the mighty man glory in his might Any kinde of strength is apt to make man proud the strength of his estate and purse is a great temptation to pride strength of body strength of parts strength of wit and understanding which is the highest and noblest naturall strength puts on to pride yea so strange are the wayes and methods of temptation the very strength of grace or spirituall strength hath blowne up some with pride For though humility flow properly from the strength of grace and the more grace the more humility yet upon a presumption of the greatnesse and strength of their graces some have been proud and high-minded that is they have not lived in such dependance upon Christ as they ought Our strength lyes much in the sence of our weakenes because then we goe out of our selves to Christ for strength that is the meaning of the Apostles confession When I am weake then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 And they who are strong in themselves must needs be weake because the strength of God goeth out against them And therefore it will not be unprofitable for us before I come to the speciall explication of the proud here intended to meditate upon and make use of this Scripture in the full latitude compasse of the word For whosoever he is that is proud whether he be proud of his naturall or civill or supernaturall strength let him looke to himselfe God understandeth him and by his understanding he will smite through the proud The proud man is alwayes in danger of falling though because of his pride he least of all men eyther feareth or suspecteth a fall How can they be safe against whom God hath declared himselfe an enemy There 's no armour of proofe against the stroakes of God if God smite as an enemy he smiteth through and so he alwayes smiteth the proud Saul attempted more then once to smite David to the wall with his Javelin yet David avoyded his blow and got out of his furious presence But when God casteth his Javelin at the proud they shall not escape a smiting through and nayling to the wall By his understanding he smiteth through the proud But more distinctly who is the proud in the text whom God smiteth through First Some say the Devill He indeed is the proud one his pride was his fall from God and God hath smitten him through for his pride Secondly Others understand by the proud the whale in the Sea Et scientia stratus est cetus 70 i. e suo imperio subegit thus the seventy translate and by his knowledge he hath destroyed the Whale or Leviathan of whom the Lord saith in the 41th Chapter of this booke v. 34. He is a king over all the children of pride Intelligentia sia percussit Gigantus Targ Thirdly The Chaldee paraphrase sayth He hath smitten through the Giants Which whether it be meant of the Whales who are Giants among the fishes of the Sea or of Giants who are like Whales at land bigger and more formidable then the rest of men the sence is the same both agreeing in this that God can quickly destroy and subdue those who are greatest strongest and so proudest in this world But leaving all these suppositions I shall conclude Fourthly That by the proud we are rather to understand the strong and mighty waves and waters of the Sea in their greatest hight and pride This holdeth fayrest correspondence with the former part of the verse He divideth the sea by his power that is Percutit i. e. domat compescit superbiam maris Drus Sua potentia scâ—nâ—it mara intelligentia sua compescit ejus ferociam Tygur Cum deus tranquillat mare percutere et â—onculcare videtur superbum Pined He rayseth stormes and so divides the waters and when the Sea is in its greatest rage then by his understanding he smiteth through the proud the proud waves aad so maketh a calme The sea in it selfe especially in its swellings and stormings is a proud creature and that title or epethite of pride is often given to it we reade Psal 124.5 of proud waters and Job 38.11 of the proud waves at the 13th verse of the Epistle of Jude we reade of raging waves of the sea and Luke 21.25 of roring waves of the sea The Prophet Jer 12.5 speaketh of the swelling of Jordan so that when Job sayth by his understanding he smiteth through the proud we may clearely interpret him of the sea-waves then which nothing in appearance is more proud and swelling and therefore when God allayeth and guideth the high-growne waves of the Sea he may well be sayd to smite through the proud Hence note God knoweth how to bring downe the Sea in its greatest rage and pride God doth it by his understanding as wel as by his power As God hath power enough to divide the Sea and make it stormy so he hath understanding enough to calme and quiet it We read Math 8.23 24 25 26 27. That Christ being entred into a ship with his Disciples a great tempest arose insomuch that the ship was covered with the