upon as evill doers when we have done nothing for the matter but our duty and that in the manner according to rule Thus when Paul had justified himselfe by denying the evill which Tertullus accused him of Acts 24.12 13. he presently justified himselfe also in what he had done well though his enemies judged it evill ver 14. But this I confesse that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets This selfe-justification is often very needfull For as there are some who call evill good so there are others who call good evill and make that a mans fault which is his commendation It was accounted a crime by some of old to be lesse vitious then others and it is accounted a crime by some at this day to be more vertuous then others to be more holy more exact more wisely precise and circumspect in our wayes then others many interpret folly and stamp with madnesse 2 Corinth 5.13 Paul was thought beside himselfe a meere Fanatick in his high actings for Jesus Christ when our actions are thus mis-represented and put under such disguises every good man is obliged to doe himselfe right For as we may honestly accuse others and declare the evill that we know they have done when called to it so we may speak out and declare the good we have done maintaine that to be good if it be good which we have done though many call it evill when called to it Thus a man may stand upon his termes with all men and yet be humble and deeply sensible of his owne sinfullnesse and vilenesse before God Paul saw nothing upon the matter but sin in himselfe Rom. 7.14 24. When I would doe good evill is present with me O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death That is of sin as 't is called Rom. 6.6 Thus he spake when he had to doe with God But when he had to doe with men when he saw himselfe called to answer the accusations and wipe off the aspersions which the enemies of the Gospel cast upon him 1 Corinth 4.4 then he saith I know nothing that is no evill by my selfe Paul was very conscious of his naturall infirmity yet very confident of his spirituall integrity And therefore when he saw the Glory of God was like to be obscured through his abasement and to be ecclipsed by the shadowes and darknesse which men cast upon his Ministery then he tooke due honour to himselfe and made the most of himselfe according to truth in the eyes of all the world Thus I have shewed what justifying of our selves is lawfull and I have done it that we may more clearely discerne what I am to shew next or Secondly Namely what that justifying of our selves is which indeed is unlawfull reprovable and blame-worthy I shall instance it in a few particulars First They justifie themselves sinfully who doe good with a desire to be seene and applauded of men for it thus Christ charged the Pharisees Math 6.5 They pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men and ver 16. They disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast It is not a sin to be seene of men in doing good but to doe good to be seene of men is sinfull and the patching up of a selfe-justification Secondly They justifie themselves sinfully who would pretend or seeme to have done that good which indeed they have not There is as much of this hypocrisie lodging and working now in the hearts of the children of men as was of old in the heart of Saul 1 Sam 15.13 14. to the 22d verse who professed highly to have fulfilled the will of God to a haires breadth Blessed be thou of the Lord said he to Samuel I have performed the commandment of the Lord Thus he insisted upon his integrity and justified himselfe to the face of Samuel who quickly convinced him that he had done the Lords worke to halves Thirdly They justifie themselves sinfully who either totally deny or extenuate and lessen the evill that they have done this kinde of sinfull selfe-justification was opened largely at the 33d verse of the former Chapter upon that imprecation made by Job If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding mine iniquity in my bosome I referre the Reader thither for a fuller discovery of it Fourthly They justifie themselves sinfully who mingle their owne workes with the workes or righteousnesse of Jesus Christ for justification for though such pretend to Christ and say they take up Christ and his righteousnesse for justification yet it will be found a selfe-justification only seeing unlesse Christ justifie us wholly he justifieth us not at all As the Apostle concludes Galat 5.4 Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace That is yee who mingle your workes with Grace are not justified by Grace but which will be unlesse repented of your condemnation by your workes Lastly They justifie themselves sinfully who say they are justified by Christ from their sins while they continue in their sins and hold fast their iniquities For as they that mingle their owne good workes with the righteousnesse of Christ are selfe-justifiers so also are they that take hold of the righteousnesse of Christ while they will not let goe nor part with their evill workes To looke for justification while we continue in the love and practise of any knowne sin and unrighteousnesse is as sinfull as to expect justification by our owne righteousnesse Object But doth not the Scripture say that God justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 I answer Though God justifieth the ungodly yet the justified are not ungodly God justifieth the ungodly and makes them holy by the grace of sanctification as well as righteous by the grace of justification righteousnesse of life is alwayes the fruit of righteousnesse by faith Therefore if any man continuing in any knowne sin saith he is justified he hath justified himselfe for none doe so who are justified of God O how deeply are they condemned by God who thus justifie themselves Nothing is more desirable then to be justified by God and nothing is more dangerous then to justifie our selves either by our owne righteousnesse or in our unrighteousnesse Now as to justifie our selves any of these wayes is exceeding sinfull before God so to justifie our selves any way layeth us open or obnoxious to the censures of men And that 's the reason why this holy man Job was so deeply censured For though he justified not himselfe in any of those sences which are are sinfull yet he did some way justifie himselfe and while he justified himselfe only as he might he was condemned as having justified himselfe in a way which he might not We had need be very cautious how we any way or
it was hard for Elihu to charge Job thus though Job had let fall some inconsiderate speeches which administred occasion for such a charge And as one of the Ancients speakes of difficulties and seeming contradictions in Scripture Distinguish the times and the Scriptures will accord So distinguish the time of this dispute take Job at the beginning of it before he was teazed and heated by his friends and then he spake at a very low rate of himselfe If I were righteous I would not know my owne soule But in the heat and towards the later end of this long dispute Job gave too much advantage for such a construction to be put upon his words that he justified himselfe rather then God then which nothing can be said more unjustifiable nor more reproveable Hence observe To justifie our selves doth usually and justly lay us open to the reproofe of others or To justifie our selves drawes blame upon our selves To justifie is foure wayes used in Scripture First which is the most remarkable and excellent act of it God justifieth man Rom. 8.33 It is God that justifieth This act of divine Grace consists in two things First in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to us Secondly in the free remission of our sins Secondly Man justifieth God Luk. 7.29 30. And all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Where to justifie imports as much as to Glorifie doth Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord That is they readily approved and received the word of the Lord when we approve the Doctrine and doings of God his word and works then we justifie him And how ready should we be on all occasions to justifie God who only is and is altogether good when he is so graciously ready to justifie us who are evill altogether evill and ungodly Thirdly We read in Scripture of man justifying man which is done any of these three wayes First He that consents to what another hath done though the deed be evill justifieth him in doing it A secret liking of any mans action is as much as that amounts to the justification of his person Secondly He that openly approveth or applaudeth what another hath done justifieth him much more To consent with sinners is sinfull to flatter them in their sin is abominable Thirdly He that stands up to maintaine and defend what another hath done justifies him most of all All these acts of justification Job denied his friends while he said Chap. 27.5 God forbid I should justifie you That is that I should secretly consent to or openly approve and maintaine what you have said concerning me or you in saying it Fourthly The same man is said to justifie himselfe this selfe-justification is that which kindled the wrath of Elihu against Job The text is expresse Because he justified himselfe c. This justification of our selves is of two sorts First Internall and mentall when in our hearts we give sentence for or approve of our selves when we inwardly boast and glory of our selves whether in what we are or in what we doe and affirme The Pharisee Luk. 18.11 stood and prayed thus with himselfe or to himselfe that is silently God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publicane I fast twice in the weeke c. Thus he justified himselfe Secondly There is an externall and vocall selfe-justification when we openly commend and cry up our selves Thus Jehu justified himselfe 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my zeale for the Lord He would needs blow a trumpet and proclaime before all men how good a man he was and what good he had done Yet further the justification of our selves is two-fold First Lawfull yea and commendable Take that in two particulars First That man who is really and indeed in a justified state through the free grace of God in Christ he when a just occasion is offered may justifie himselfe declaratively before men For as we ought alwayes to justifie our selves declaratively by our works that is give evidence by our workes that we are justified by faith so we may justifie our selves by our words to magnifie the rich grace of God in justifying us freely through Christ David called others to take notice of what God had done for his soule Psal 66.16 Thus a beleever may lawfully at any time and at all times it is his duty to justifie himselfe before men by giving as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 3.15 an answer to every one that asketh a reason of the hope that is in him that is of his justified state with meekness and feare Secondly A man that is sound at heart honest and upright with God may lawfully justifie himselfe as to the integrity of his intentions purposes and designes when he falls under other mens jealousies and suspicions David being often unjustly condemned by Saul was as often in this worke of justifying himselfe against him Psal 7.8 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me As if he had said I am judged unrighteously but I appeale to thy righteous judgement who fully knowest which I also know my conscience bearing witness mine integrity I appeale to thy mercy for the many sins which I have committed against thy selfe bâ—â— I appeale to thy Justice whether as I am accused I have at all sinned against Saul We may reade Paul doing the same at large while he professed 1 Thes 2.3 4. that he did not act upon covetous designes for himselfe nor was a flatterer of others but as he was allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so he spake not as pleasing men but God which tryeth the heart As it was the continuall practise of false Apostles and others to discredit Pauls Ministery by bringing his person out of credit so it was his continuall care to counter-worke them by a professed vindication of himselfe We may lawfully justifie our selves and our actings when we are not only suspected but falsly accused and wrongfully charged about them and that either of these two wayes First When we are charged to have done that evill which we never did then we may justifie our selves by a flat deniall David did so in that case Psal 7.3 4. O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hand c. As if he had said O God thou knowest I have not done this which many burden me with Againe Psal 35.11 False witnesse did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not I have not had so much as a thought to do that which they say I have actually done Thus he discharged himselfe of those crimes which indeed he never committed nor was guilty of Secondly We may justifie our selves lawfully when the good we have done is charged upon us as an evill deed or we looked
himselfe And as these charges so Job's answers have been opened heretofore upon those former passages and therefore I shall not stay much upon the poynt here Yet because Elihu reassumes this argument yea makes it his strongest argument against Job I shall a little consider whether he did rightly or no in this thing To cleare which we must remember that Job's innocency had received a three-fold testimony in this booke First He received a testimony from God himselfe and that a very notable and glorious one Chap 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man Secondly He received a further testimony from the pen-man of this book who having recorded the severall afflictions of Job and his behaviour under them repeats it twice Chap 1. 21. Chap 2. 10. In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly The testimony which God gave him referred to his former actions or conversation before his affliction The testimony which the writer gave him referred specially to his latter words or speeches under his affliction Besides these testimonies which are not at all questioned nor can be we find a third testimony and that he gives of himselfe Now though Elihu did highly reverence the testimony which God had given if we may suppose he had notice of it and would also the testimony of the pen-man of the booke had it then been written yet he questioned the testimony which Job gave of himselfe Now that there was some severity in this charge upon that suspition may appeare by considering it in a few particulars First It must be sayd on Job's part or in favour of him according to truth that he never affirmed he was not a sinner Nay we shall find him more then once twice or thrice confessing the sinfulness of his nature and the sins of his life We find him also confessing that notwithstanding all the righteousness and integrity in him yet he would owne none of it before God and that if he should justifie himselfe his owne cloaths would abhorre him Therefore Job was far from saying he had no sin in him in a strict sence Secondly Most of those passages wherein he speakes of himselfe as cleane and righteous may be understood of his imputative cleanness and righteousness as a person justified in the redeemer of whom he spake with such a Gospel spirit and full assurance of faith that he might well assert this of himselfe I know that being justified I am cleane and without sin It is no fault for a believer to say I am cleane without transgression through free Grace in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Much of what Job spake in this matter is to be taken that way Thirdly When Job affirmes these things of himselfe we may say this in favour of him he meanes it of great transgressions The words in the text note defection and wilfull swerving from the right way His friends charged him with hypocrisie with oppression with taking the pledge for nought with stripping the naked of their clothing Thine iniquity is great said Eliphaz and thy sin is infinite Now saith Job I am cleane I have no such transgressions And he might well answer his friends charge of impiety against God and iniquity towards men with a flat deniall yea with an affirmation of the contrary There is no such iniquity in me prove it if you can He was unblameable in the sight of man Fourthly In favour of Job this may be sayd what he spake of himselfe and of his owne righteousness was upon much provocation of when his spirit was heated by his friends who so constantly urged these crimes against him In these heats he spake highly of himselfe and though it doth not excuse any mans sin when he hath spoken sinfully to say I was provoked yet it doth abate the greatness of the sin Good Moses who was the meekest man upon the earth when through provocation he spake unadvisedly with his lips felt the smart of it and God reckoned sorely with him for it Yet to speake amisse upon provocation is not so much amisse as to speake so in cold blood or unprovoked Fifthly Elihu might have put a fairer interpretation and construction upon these sayings of Job He might have taken them in the best sence as Job meant them that he was righteous cleane and innocent in all his transactions with men and had not wickedly at any time departed from God And then ther had not been such matter of fault in what he said as was broughe against him Yet in vindication of Elihu it must be granted Job gave him occasion to rebuke and blame what he had said and that chiefly upon these three accounts First Because he spake many things of himselfe which had an appearance of boasting and so of vaine speaking A little truly sayd of our selves or in our owne commendation may be thought too much how much more when we say much Secondly He spake such things as carri'd a shew of over-boldness with God He did not observe his distance as he ought when he so earnestly pressed for a hearing to plead his cause before God especially when he so often complained of the severity of Gods proceedure with him with which Elihu taxeth him directly in the two verses following Upon both these grounds Elihu thought and was no doubt guided in it by the Spirit of God to cut him to the quick that Job might learne to speake more humbly of himselfe and more temperately to God And therefore Thirdly The Lord did righteously yea and graciously let out the spirit of Elihu upon him in another way then his friends before had done He did not charge him with wickedness in fact but dealt with him about the unwariness of his words Job could not say he had never spoken such words for such words he did speake though he did not speake them as Elihu tooke them When words are out they must stand to the mercy of the hearers and abide such a judgement as may with truth be made of them though possibly besides the purpose of the speaker A man in that case is not wronged he should learne to speak more warily and not give occasion of offence Doubtlesse the Lord had a gracious intent upon Job in stirring the spirit of Elihu to represent his words in the hardest sence that he might humble him Job's spirit was yet too high and not broken enough as it was afterwards Nor doth Job reply or retort upon Elihu for this And when the Lord himselfe began to deal with him he saith Who is this that darkeneth councell by words without knowledge Chap 38. 2. and Job himselfe being brought upon his knees confesseth Chap 42. 3. I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not I have been too bold I confesse Though it was not Jobs purpose or meaning to speake so he had integrity in what he spake yet his words
somewhat a strange warning 2 Tim. 2.22 Flee youthfull lusts Timothy was young but was he noted for indulgence to any youthfull lusts what lusts doth he meane surely not drunkennesse nor uncleannesse nor any loose behaviour for though the most sober and temperate young men have in them the seed of all these yea of every lust yet Timothy at that time was a pattern a mirrour not only of sob iety but of holinesse and Paul was even forced to bid him take more liberty in the use of the creature then he used to allow himselfe Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomack sake and for thy often infirmities Surely Timothy was a man that fled such youthfull lusts fast and far enough when he drank nothing but water and must be bid to drink a little wine 1 Tim 5.23 What lusts then were they which Timothy was exhorted to flee the words following ver 23 24 25. seeme to cleare it that because he was young he should take heed of rushing into unnecessary Questions and disputes which young men are apt to doe in the heat of their spirits nor are there any lusts of the lower or sensuall appetite to which the heart of man is more intemperately and vainely carried out then to those of the understanding and therefore the Apostle counsels Timothy to avoid unprofitable Questions knowing that these gender strife Those Questions cannot promote faith in or holinesse towards God which only stirre up and foment strife among men and the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all and patient These vertues and graces are opposed chiefely to the youthfull lusts which Paul exhorts Timothy to take heed of As if he had said Be not too hot-headed and hasty as young men are very apt to be in pursuing of controversies and entangling thy selfe in the thickets of Opinionists Elihu was of an excellent temper who because young was afraid and durst not shew his opinion Secondly Note It is good to feare and suspect our own judgements or to feare that we may erre they seldome doe or speak amisse who feare they may An over-confidence of being in the right hath setled many in a wrong way to be under a sence of our readinesse to fall preserves us from falling Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake trembling then he exalted himselfe There are severall sences given of that place but according to our translation the meaning is carried thus When Ephraim was in an humble frame and jealous of himselfe not confident nor over-bold as some are who presume to carry all before them when he spake trembling or did even tremble to speake then he did that which tended to his own advancement and exaltation This gracious trembling doth at once settle us the faster and rayse us the higher in the wayes and things of God It is a high poynt of wisdome to have low apprehensions of our selves though that be true Tanti eris aliis quanti tibi fueris You shall be esteemed of others as you esteem your selves If a man under-value himselfe others will yet 't is best erring on that hand Let the price be much too low rather then any thing too high when you are occasioned to put a value upon or rate your selves Againe Consider what an excellent speaker Elihu was when he came to it as will appeare hereafter yet see how he stood trembling he durst not speake nor offer his opinion Hence note Vsually they who have most ability to speak are most backward to speak or sparing of speech They are not easily brought to it who have it in them The belly of Elihu was as full with matter as an Egge with meate or a bottle with wine yet how slow was he in opening himselfe They who are and have least are most desirous if not ambitious to appeare most and would make up in seeming what they are not in being As Elihu in this verse hath shewed himselfe afraid to say any thing so he shewes us in the next who he hoped would have said all and altogether have saved him a labour Vers 7. I said dayes should speak and multitude of yeares should teach wisdome Or as the text may be rendred let dayes speak Loquantur dies sunt enim verba permittentis q.d. sinam loqui illos non praeripiam eis loquendi locum Pisc dayes shall not be hindred by me from speaking let dayes speak their fill But what meaneth he when he saith let dayes speak how can dayes speak 't is an elegancy in Rhetorick when that which belongs to a person is ascribed to a thing as here speech to time let dayes speak that is let those who number many dayes who have lived and seene many dayes let them speak they who have lived most dayes on earth are yet indeed as Bildad told Job Chap. 8.9 but of yesterday and so have lived as it were but a day yet according to common account some men are so very old that you may call them dayes and to them we may well say let Dayes speak Johannes de Temporibus We read of one who was called John of Times because he had lived if the Records spake true three hundred yeares and more An old man is a man of dayes and thus Elihu might say let dayes that is old men speak But Children can speak why then doth he say dayes should speak I answer There is a twofold speaking First naturall thus Children as soone as they are out of their swadling-bands learne to speak such speaking is but a naturall act Secondly There is a speaking which is an artificiall or studied act thus Orators and men of eloquence speake such speaking Elihu intended when he sayd dayes should speak He looked they should speake to purpose speak by rule even the quintessence of reason he presumed they would have brought forth somewhat worthy of their yeares and that he should have received such instruction from them as they had learned from old age it selfe I sayd dayes should speak Children can speak words but old men should speak things every word should have its weight their tongues should drop as the honey-combe and be a tree of life to feed and refresh many It is most truly said of the word of God in Scripture Every tittle of it hath a mountaine of sence a mighty weight of truth in it And surely the words of old men should be weighty and convincing They should speak truth with such evidence both of testimony and reason as may put to silence all those who speak against or besides either truth or reason As day unto day saith David Psal 19.2 uttereth speech that is every day speakes somewhat so men of dayes should speak much both for instruction and conviction I said dayes should speak Hence note That 's not to be esteemed as done at all which is not well done or not done to purpose An old man doth not speak unlesse he speaks wisely edifyingly and to
a man of understanding every man is not a man of understanding in naturall and civill things much lesse in things divine and spirituall As some men have so much will or rather wilfulnesse that they are nothing but will and some have so much passion that they are nothing but passion so others have such riches and treasures of understanding as if they were nothing but understanding Now it is the speciall inspiration of the Almighty which giveth such an understanding that is an enlarged and an enriched understanding We say the inspiration of the Almighty g veth understanding The Hebrew is but one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intellectificat eos Brent which we may expresse as some doe It Intellectifieth So then the scope and meaning of this verse is plainly this That howsoever every man the meanest of men hath a reasonable soule yet the furniture of the understanding or mans fulness of wisdome and knowledge is by gift or inspiration of the Almighty and therefore some read the verse thus Surely there is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty maketh them to understand Thus Elihu would gâ—ine credit and authority to what he had to deliver as being by the teachings and dictates of the Spirit of God Est spiritus in hominibus spiratio autem omnipotentis docet Sept The Seventy comply fully with this rendering There is a spirit in men but the inspiration of the Almighty teacheth As if Elihu had said Though man be endewed with naturall knowledge and reason which can doe somewhat yet untill light shines from above till the spirit of God comes in and enlargeth the naturall spirit it cannot see farre nor doe any great matter Or take the sence of the whole verse thus in connection with what went before Though old age hath odds of youth yet one man as well as another hath a spirit of reason and judgement in him whereby through supply of speciall inspiration from God who can doe all things he may be able to know that which want of yeares denieth him From the words thus opened Observe First Wisdome or understanding is the gift of the Spirit of God We have a like assertion by way of question in the 38th Chapter of this booke ver 36. Who hath put wisdome into the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart who hath hath man put wisdome into himselfe or hath he made his own heart to understand the Question denies no man hath not done it Wisdome is an Influence or an Inspiration from the Almighty knowledge to order common things is of the Lord Isa 28.26 29. His God doth instruct him the husbandman he meanes to discretion in ordering the ground and doth teach him how much more in spirituall things and the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven Prov. 16.1 The preparation of the heart in man and the Answer of the tongue that is The fitting of the heart for any right answer of the tongue is from the Lord both the generall preparation of the heart for service or use and the speciall preparation of it to this or that service use is of the Lord so is the Answer of the tongue for the discharge of it Eccles 2.26 God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdome and knowledge and joy As God giveth man the knowledge of things so wisdome to know how to order and manage the things that he knoweth Some have more knowledge then they know how to manage their knowledge masters them they are not masters of their knowledge they have more knowledge then wisdome Now God gives to him that is good in his sight that is to the man whom he chooseth and is pleased with knowledge and wisdome and then he gives him joy that is Comfort in the exercise of that knowledge wherewith he is endued this is a notable and a noble gift of God We read Isa 11.2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirâ—t of wisdome and understanding It is a prophesie of Christ who being made in all things like to man had a naturall spirit or a reasonable faculty and he had that furnished by the spirit without measure the spirit of the Lord rested upon him the spirit of wisdome and understanding the spirit of Counsell and might the spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord even Christ as man received an unction or inspiration from the Almighty for the fullfilling of his Mediatoriall office much more doe meere men for the fullfilling of any office they are called unto 2 Cor 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves so much as to thinke a good thought Our sufficiency is by the Inspiration of the Almighty James 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above It is not a vapour that riseth out of the earth but an Influence which distills and drops downe from heaven it is from above that is from God who though he be every where filling both heaven and earth with his essentiall presence yet according to Scripture language his most glorious and manifestative presence is above and therefore to say every good gift is from above is all one as to say it is from God Daniel and those other three Noble youths of the Jewish race exceeded all the wise men of Chaldea in rare abilities and the Scripture tells us whence it was that they did so Dan. 1.17 As for these foure Children God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome and the assertion is layd downe in General Dan. 2.21 He that is God changeth times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisdome to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding All these Scriptures speak with one Consent the language of this Text It is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding And if we compare 1 Sam 10.1 with the 6th 9th 11th and 12th verses of the same Chapter we have a most remarkable passage to this purpose Where Saul having received the unction from Samuel both as an assurance of and a preparation for the exercise of his kingly office over Israel Samuel tells him ver 6. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophecy with them that is with the company of Prophets spoken of in the former verse and shalt be turned into another man And the holy text adds ver 9. God gave or as we put in the margin turned him another heart There is a twofold turning or changing of the heart or of a man into another man First by gifts of Illumination Secondly by the grace of Sanctification the great change of the heart is that change of Conversion by the grace of Sanctification Saul was not turned into another man nor had he another heart as changed by Grace for he shewed still his old heart in his new kingly state but he had another heart or he was another man as changed by gifts
evill purposes God himself must come to withdraw and fetch him off or otherwise he will be driving them on The heart of man naturally hath no other purposes but evill purposes and upon them it is set as I may say to purpose that is he will effect and bring them about if he can When Moses reproved Aaron concerning the golden Calfe which he had made at the instance and violent importunity of the people Aaron answered for himself Exod. 32.23 Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe they are bent to it they have such a mind to it that there 's no turning them from it they will hear no reason nor take any denyall when the fit is on them There is a setting of the heart of man continually upon evill the wind blowes that way and no other way the wind sits alwayes in that bad corner till God turneth it There are two gracious acts of God spoken of in Scripture which doe exceedingly shew forth the sinfullnesse of man every act of grace doth in its measure aggravate the sinfullnesse of man and alwayes the higher grace acteth the more is the sinfullnesse of man discovered especially I say in this twofold act of grace The former whereof consists in drawing the latter in withdrawing there is a gracious act of God in drawing the sinfull sons and daughters of men to that which is good Man is drawne First into a state of grace or goodnesse by this he is made good He is drawn Secondly to acts of grace or goodnesse by this he doth good Of the former Christ speaks Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him that is no man can beleeve for by faith we come to Christ except he receive power from on high God draweth the soul to Christ and that 's a powerfull act of divine drawing though not a compulsory act and as God must draw man into a state of grace which is our union with Christ by the Spirit in beleeving so he draweth him to the acting of his graces Of this latter the Church speaketh to Christ Cant. 1.4 Draw me and I will run after thee These gracious drawings shew that we are not only utterly unable but averse to the receiving grace and so becoming good while we are in a state of nature as also that we are very backward to doe that which is good even when we are in a state of grace Now as God acts very graciously in drawing man to good so Secondly in withdrawing him from evill from those evill purposes and evill practices to which all men are so easily yet so strongly carried The Prophet Jer. 2. 23 24. elegantly describes the exceeding forwardnesse of that people to evill while he compareth them to the swift Dromodary traversing her wayes and to the wild Asse in the Wildernesse that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure or the desire of her heart in her occasion who can turn her away As the wild Asse set upon her pleasure in her occasion when she hath a mind to it will not be turn'd away such is the heart of man That other Prophet Isa 5.18 telleth us of those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart rope that is they set themselves with all their might to doe mischief When men are thus vainly bent upon vanity 't is a mighty work of God to withdraw them from their work When what men are purposed to doe they are fastened to it as with cords and cart-ropes what but the power of the great God can withdraw them from it Whence note Secondly Vnlesse God did withdraw and fetch us off from sin we should run on in it continually When man is in an evill way he hath no mind to returne till God turneth him let come on 't what will he will venture 'T is only through grace that the heart either abstains or returns from evill David saith Psal 18.23 I have kept my self from mine iniquity David kept himself from his iniquity yet he was not his own keeper It was by the power of God that he kept himself from that sin to which he was most prone even from that sin to which his own corruptions and the Devills temptations were alwayes drawing him David had some speciall iniquity to which his heart was inclined more then any other and from that he kept himself being himself kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Of our selves we can neither keep our selves from doing iniquity nor leave off doing that iniquity which we have once done How can man withhold himself from sin while sin hath so great a hold of him yea the Mastery over him Thirdly Note God is graciously pleased both to withdraw man from doing evill and to draw him to repentance when he hath done evill Between these two the grace of God is daily working in and towards man and it worketh for the effecting of both many wayes First by his word and that in a fourfold consideration First by the word of his command he every where in Scripture forbids man to doe any evill and bids him repent of every evill which he doth Secondly by the word of his threatnings they are as thunderbolts to deterre him Thirdly by the word of his promises they are divine alluremenrs sweetly yet effectually to entice him Fourthly by the word of his perswasions they are full of taking arguments to convince and win him Secondly God withdrawes man from sin and drawes him to repentance when he hath sinned by his works First by his works of Judgment they break him to these duties Secondly by his works of mercy they melt him into these duties Thirdly God withdraws man from sin and drawes him to repentance by his patience and long-suffering Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance As if the Apostle had said O man if thou knowest not the meaning of Gods patience towards thee and that this is the meaning of it thou knowest nothing of the mind and meaning of God towards thee Fourthly The Lord withdraweth man from evill purposes by seasonable counsells David was going on in a very bad purpose 1 Sam. 25. and God stirred up Abigail to meete him and by good counsell to withdraw him from his purpose This David acknowledged vers 32 33. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me As if he had said I was fully purposed to revenge my self upon Naball and had not surely left a man of his house alive by the morning light if thou hadst not met me therefore blessed be God who hath sent thee and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and hast by thy good counsell withdrawne me from that evill
have a good assurance that while we are trading with God for the gaine and encrease of our soules our bodyes shall not waste nor be loosers yet we should be ready to waste and weare off the flesh from our bodyes for the gaine and encrease of our soules Sixthly Why should we be unwilling to offer our flesh to be consumed by the fury of men or by the rage of flames in the cause of God seeing it may ere long consume by sickness and not be seene why should we be afraid to let our flesh consume or rot in prisons or by tortures for Christ seeing a disease will doe it and hath often done it Thousands of the blassed Martyrs and suffering Saints have rejoyced they had flesh to consume when God called them to it So some interpret that Scripture before mentioned 2 Cor 12.14 where the Apostle professed I am willing to be spent for you how spent as an offering or sacrifice by fire in the service of your faith and in bearing my witness to those truths of the Gospel which I have preached to you And indeed he in that sense spent his flesh at the last he suffered death and let his flesh fall in holding up and holding out the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ It is better that our flesh should be thus consumed if God call us to it then that we leave it to be consumed by age or sickness by wormes or rottenness How freely should we offer up this flesh to so noble a consumption seeing we cannot keepe it long from so meane a consumption doe what we can Secondly Note Sickness is a consumer sickness is a consumer of all that will consume It consumes the body and it consumes the purse yea it consumes all our worldly comforts and concernments it consumes every thing but grace We say A time of sickness is a spending time the usuall reference of that expression is to spiritualls In health we gather grace and lay up truths which we spend in sickness But though sickness be a spending time yet it is not I am sure it ought not to be a wasting time to grace and spiritualls A spending time it is that is a time wherein a godly man may lay out a great deale of his spirituall stock and heavenly treasure a great deale of faith and patience a great deale of sweet contentation and selfe-submission to God But sickness is not a wasting time to any of these graces or heavenly treasures yea where grace is reall and active it is not only not wasted or consumed but encreased and improved occasionally by sickness God having promised that all things shall worke together for good to them that love him Rom 8.28 will not suffer the best things of those that love him their graces to take hurt by the worst of bodyly sicknesses Sickness doth only dammage the body and deface the beauty of the flesh and it quickly doth as Elihu affirme of his sick man in the text His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene yea as it followeth And his bones that were not seene stick out Flesh and bones are the two eminent materialls of this faire and most regular building The Body of man The Bones of a healthy and strong man are not seene because they are covered with flesh they are only felt or perceived through their clothing skin and flesh God hath put these very comely and beautifull garments as a covering upon our bones but sickness pulls away these coverings it pulls away the cloaths from our bones and makes them appeare as it were naked When the fat is dript away and the flesh is spent the bones seeme to start out We commonly say of a man that hath been consumed by a lingring sickness He is a very Skelleton he lookes like an Anatomy which is nothing else but a pack of bones the flesh is gone Thus David mourned Psal 31.10 My life is spent with griefe my yeares with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed The sin-sickness of a sencible soule consumes the bones more then any bodyly sickness This was not only the consuming but the breaking of Davids bones Psal 51.8 And as his sorrow for his owne transgressions so his sorrow for the afflictions of Sion had the like effect in him Psal 102.3 4 5. My dayes are consumed like smoake or into smoake they vanish like smoake and my bones are burnt as a hearth My heart is smitten and withereth like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread By reason of the voyce of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin Et comminuentur ossa ejus non videntur interpretantes vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in significatione Syriaca Pisc SignificationeÌ„ Syriacam malo quam omnes penè hebraei sequuntur Merc Some read this Text His bones are diminished lessened wasted or broken in pieces as if the consumption reached not only his flesh but his bones too That 's a fierce disease which at once invadeth and wasteth the bones The word which we render to stick out signifieth in the Syriack Idiom the abating lessening or breaking of any thing into lesser parts or pieces And so those words are not seen in the text which according to our translation refer to the time of health when a man is so fat and full fleshed that his bones cannot be seen scarcely felt those words I say are referred according to this translation to the time of sickness which is supposed so to diminish and wast the bones that by an ordinary straine of Rhetorick they are said not to be seen His bâ—â—â—â— are diminished they are not seen We also render this word◠〈◊〉 that first propheticall word concerning our restoring by Christ Gen. 3.15 by bruising It that is the womans seed shall bruise thy head that is the Devills and thou shalt bruise his heele When bones are bruised and as it were shuffled together they cannot be seen in their proper places or as once they were fixt by nature This various reading doth not vary the generall sence of the Text but only heighten and encrease it We render fully and significantly his bones that were not seen stick out Hence note There is no man so strong there is nothing in man so strong that can stand out against the strength of sickness Our bones are not made of brasse sickness will diminish them and pain master them Secondly Whereas 't is said His flesh that was seen is not seen and his bones that were not seen stick out or are seen Observe Sicknesse makes a wonderfull change in man It puts that out of sight which was seen and it brings that in sight which was not seen This holds true not only as to that which is naturall in man his flesh and bones of which this text treats in the letter but 't is true also as to that which is morall and spirituall in man his virtues and his vices his graces and his lusts
then ten thousand of those vanishing delights Yet how many are there who run themselves to the graves mouth and into the thickest throngs of those destroyers for the taking up of such pitifull and perishing delights who to please their flesh for a few moments in surfeiting drunkenness and wantonness bring many dayes yea moneths and yeares of paine and torment upon their flesh yea and not only shorten I meane as to what they might probably have had by the course of nature the number of their dayes but suddenly end extinguish them It hath been sayd of old Gluttony kills more men then the sword that is it casts â—â—em into killing diseases 'T is a maxime in warre Starve your enemy if you can rather then fight him cut his throat without a knife destroy him without drawing a sword that is with hunger Some are indeed destroyed with hunger and hunger if not relieved will destroy any man Yet surfeiting destroyeth more then hunger and 't is a more quicke and speedy destroyer We have knowne many who have cut their owne throats by cutting too much and too fast for their bellyes Pampering the Body destroyeth more bodies then starving Many while they draw nigh to their Tables their soules as Elihu here saith are drawing neere to the grave and their life to the destroyers Therefore remember and consider O ye that are men given to appetite as Solomon calleth such Pro 23 2. or rather as the Hebrew elegancy there hath it ye that are Masters of appetite studying your Bellyes till indeed ye are mastered by appetite to you I say remember and consider Health is more then meate and life then dainty faire All the content that intemperance can give you cannot recompence you for the paines that sickness will give you you may have pleasure for an houre or two and sickness for a moneth or two for a yeare or two And if all the pleasure we take in satisfying that which though it may be glutted yet will not be satisfied a lust cannot recompence the paines that are found in a sick bed for a few dayes moneths or yeares how will it recompence any for those everlasting paines that are found in hell where the damned shall be alwayes conversing with death and destruction and yet never dye nor be destroyed Fourthly Forasmuch as sickness is often accompanied with such grievous dolours and racking tortures let the sick pray much that they may be armed with patience who knows what tryalls and extremities sickness may bring him to Though the beginnings and first appearances of it are but small like the cloud which first appeared to the servant of Eliah onely of a hands-breadth yea though it begin but with the little finger of the hand yet as that little cloud did the whole face of the heaven so this little distemper may over-spread the whole body and put you to the exercise of all your patience it may hang and encrease upon you till it hath broken your bones and consumed your flesh and brought you to the graves mouth therefore pray for patience Lastly Let not the strong man glory in his â—â—â—ngth nor the healthy man in his health sicknesse may come shortly and then how strong soever any man is downe he must and lye by it There 's no wrestling away sickness any way if God send it and bid it come but by wrestling with God as Jacob did Gen 32. in prayer If you thinke to wrestle away bodily sickness by bodily strength and striving with it you will be throwne and get the fall Who can stand before a feaver or a consumption when they arrest us in the name of the Great King and carry us prisoners to our beds Therefore let no man glory in his strength if any man doe it shewes at present his morall weakness and his naturall weakness may quickly teach him another lesson and spoyle his glorying JOB Chap. 33. Vers 23 24 25 26. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall return to the dayes of his youth He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render to man his righteousness THese words hold forth the third way by which God speakes or reveales himselfe to man and recovers him out of his sin As if Elihu had said When God hath brought a man to his sick bed and he yet continueth in his blindness not perceiving either his owne errour or the purpose and intention of God to him If then besides all this God so order the matter that in his mercifull providence he provideth for his further instruction and sends a speciall messenger as he doth me to thee an interpreter which is a singular favour of God to explain and expound the meaning of his dealings with him and what his owne condition is to bring him to a true sight and sence of his sin and to set him upright in the sight of God by the actings of faith and repentance this soone altereth the case and hereupon God is presently appeased towards him Then he is gracious and then many blessed fruits and effects of his grace doe follow and are heaped on him Here therefore we have a very illustrious instance of Gods loving kindness to poore sinfull man recovering and fetching him backe when he is as it were halfe dead from the gates of death restoring him both as to soule and body putting him into a perfect so farre as on this side heaven it may be called perfect state and giving him indeed what he can reasonably desire of him In the context of these foure verses Consider First The instrument or meanes by which God brings this about and that is by sending a messenger or a choice interpreter to the sick mans bed to counsel and advise him Vers 23. If there be a messenger with him c. Secondly We have here the motive or first moving cause of this mercy that is the grace or free favour of God then he will be gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe to the pit that is being gracious he will give forth this word for his deliverance Then he is gracious to him c. v. 24. Thirdly We have here the meritorious Cause of this mercifull deliverance and that is a ransom I have found a ransom at the latter end of the 24th verse Fourthly We have the speciall benefits of this deliverance which are two-fold First Respecting his body He is delivered from the pit of death v. 24. And not only so but he hath a life as new as when he began to live His flesh shall be fresher then a childes the dayes of youth shall returne to him againe v. 25. Secondly We have the benefit respecting
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
cited They shall be as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold God will be favourable to them that is he will give them favours to wear for him he will put markee of honour upon them they shall not only be benifited but beautified and crowned with salvation God expressed that highest favour and most indeared affection which he bare to his own Son as serving him by no better nor more emphaticall word then this Isa 42.1 Behold my serâ—ant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth What is or can be more delightfull to God then his Son and what can be more comfortable to man then to hear and know that God delighteth in him and bears favour to him through his Son with the same affection as he doth to his only begotten Son He will be favourable unto him Whence note First God is well pleased with he is favourable to and delighted in an humble sinner When a sinner is brought upon his knees and becomes a suppliant when as he is laid low by affliction so he lyeth low in prayer and supplication then the Lord will be savourable to him and shew his delight in him The Lord delighteth not in the strength of the horse he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man Ps 147.10 11. No man is favoured by God because of his outward favour because he hath a beautifull face or strong cleane limbs yea not only hath the Lord no pleasure in any mans legs but not in any mans braines how reaching soever nor in any mans wit how quick soever nor in any mans judgment how deep soever nor in any mans tongue how eloquent or well spoken soever but the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy in those that walk humbly with him and call upon him Let me saith Christ to his Spouse Cant. 2.14 hear thy voyce for it is sweet he meanes it not of an artificiall singing voyce but of a spirituall praying voyce That 's the musick which the Church makes for Christ Nothing is so tunable nor takes the eare and heart of Christ like the voyce of prayer and praise from a gracious heart All the beauties and rarities both of persons and things are dull and flat yea wearisome and loathsome to God in comparison of a gracious honest humble soul Princes have their favourites they are according to the language of this Text favourable to some above many either because they are beautifull and goodly persons or because they are men of excellent speech prudence and comportment All godly men are Gods Favourites he is favourable to them not only above many men in the world but above all the men of this world who have their portion in this life And he therefore favours them because they are the purchase of his Son and the workmanship of his Spirit convincing them of and humbling them for their sins as also creating them after God in righteousness and true holiness Such shall be his favourites Secondly Consider the coherence or dependance of these words He shall call unto God and he will be favourable unto him Whereas before all his complainings and outcryes stood him in no stead now being humbled effectually and taking hold of the righteousness shewed and offered him by the Messenger of God he no sooner makes suit to God but is heard Hence Note God first shewes regard to the person then to the offering to prayers and services This truth may be understood two wayes First in reference to the state of grace When Abel and Cain brought their sacrifices or offerings God had respect to Abel and his offering but to Cain and his offering had no respect Gen. 4.4 5. Abel was in a state of grace Cain was not so the Apostle states their case Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he his person was righteous God testifying of his gifts and what did he testifie surely that his gifts were brought in faith and were presented from a principle of grace which Cain had not and therefore God did not approvingly testifie of his gifts Till we close with God by faith God doth not close with our services by acceptance Secondly as this is true in reference to the state of grace so in reference to somewhat in the present actings or dispositions of those who are gracious 'T is possible for a godly man to act so sinfully and to be so ill disposed to the frame of his heart that God may seem to deny acceptation to his prayers and services David said Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me And God told the Jewes his Covenant people Isa 1.15 When ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Thus while they who have a state interest in Christ walke unworthy of it they are under the frownes of God and his dis-acceptation of all their duties till they renew their repentance and humble themselves And I conceive this was the case of the sick man in the Text in whom doubtlesse he aimed at Job whom Elihu granted to be a godly man yet under great distempers of spirit which must be healed removed before he could so call upon or pray unto God as he would be favourable to him or give him testimonie of his favour Thus we see in both these references how the person of a man must be respected and in favour before his prayers can For as we can have no benefit by the intercession of Christ till we accept his person so God will not give us any benefit by our supplications till himself accepteth our persons which he doth only in Christ Many would be saved by Christ they would be pardoned and get to heaven they would enjoy the benefits and priviledges which he hath purchased for his people but they neglect Christ himself nor doe they think of closing with his person Now I say as unlesse we have respect to the person of Christ and desire union with him we have nothing to doe with his benefits so unless God hath respect to our persons we get no benefit no answer of our prayers Thirdly Note To have the favour of God or to be accepted with him is the top and summe of all desireable favours 'T is the Alpha and Omega the first and last of all other favours to find God favourable to us if God be favourable to us it matters not much who frowns upon us or what foul weather we meet with in this world And as to be in his favour should be the chief of all our desires so to be assured of his favour should be the chief of all our studies and cares 2 Cor. 5.7 Herein saith the Apostle we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him The word notes to labour ambitiously as if he had said
that condition a body without a soule but his life was for that time withdrawne there was no appearance of it no sencible breathing no motion no vitall visible operation Thus we may conceive what is meant by the rendring unto man his righteousness Hence observe First A justified person is a righteous person He hath a clothing of righteousness that which we call his righteousness is not properly but imputedly his It is not a cloathing of his owne making but made for him and bestowed freely upon him Rom 10.3 They being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their owne righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God It is Gods righteousness not our owne and yet it is our owne as well as the righteousness of God it being imputed and reckoned unto us for our righteousness it is the believers righteousness as given to him it is Christs righteousness as wrought by him Secondly Observe A justified person under great afflictions and temptations often looseth the comfortable sight and sence of his owne righteousness And so may look upon himselfe as an unrighteous person as having no righteousnes or as being unreconciled unjustified For as many bold sinners hypocrites presume they have a righteousness when they have none and boast themselves to be in the number of the justified when they are not So many an afflicted and tempted soule who is indeed justified in the sight of God may be unjustified in his owne Great afflictions have an appearance of divine displeasure which stands most opposite to justification As affliction is a kinde of darkness so it often leaves the soule in much darkness And he that is in the dark is full of feare he is apt to question his state whether he hath any thing of God in him or no. For though it be not good for a Christian alwayes to begin to live he should come to a poynt and labour for a certainty yet some are brought to such a pass that their former evidences and experiences are even dead and lye prostrate and they constrained to begin a new reckoning about their spirituall estate or as it were to begin againe to live Thirdly Note Mans righteousness or justification is as lost to him when he wants the evidence that is the comfort sweetness and peace of it When his soul-state is so ravel'd and intangled that he can make nothing of it then his righteousness is as lost Those things which appeare not are to us as if they were not Not to know what we have is a degree of not having When grace doth not act or is not used we are sayd in Scripture to lack grace or to have none 2 Pet 1.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off The whole context carrieth it of believers who are in a state of grace who yet not using grace are sayd to lack it and are called blinde as not able to see afar off how it was with them when the work of conversion first began so have upon the matter forgotten that they were ever purged from their old sins That is they act as a man that hath never had any acquaintance with God or knew so much as the meaning of repentance from dead workes He in the Gospel who had but one talent and did not use it is sayd to have none From him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath Math 25.29 'T is a strange expression to say that shall be taken away from a man which he hath not yet the idle servant is sayd not to have that one talent which he had because he did not use it but layd it by as a dead stocke Now as in reference unto the grace of sanctification in us when we doe not act we are sayd to lack it or not to have it so in reference to the peace of justification when we have not the comfort of it we are sayd to be without it And therefore when peace is restored to the soule righteousness or justification is restored also Further from the connexion of these words He shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness Note Fourthly When the sight of our righteousness or justified state in Christ returnes to us our comforts returne We may be justified or in a justified state and not rejoyce But if we know we are in a state of justification we cannot but rejoyce It will make a man rejoyce to purpose when he seeth the righteousness of justification is clearely his Isa 45.25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength One shall say this He shall not only have righteousness in the Lord but he shall say he hath that is he shall be able to make it out he shall have the light of it upon his spirit and then as it followeth in the Prophet In him shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory When they are able to say this then they shall not only rejoyce but glory Glorying is the height of joy or joy is in its full strength The Apostle saith Rom 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink What is it then but righteousness and what else peace and joy in the holy Ghost Righteousness brings in peace that 's the first fruit The warre is ended the controversie determined between God and the soule and when once peace is entred joy will follow It is usuall to make triumphs when a formerly broken peace is made between two nations When Abimilech sent commissioners to make a covenant of peace with Isaac the holy Story saith Gen 26.30 He made them a feast and they did eate and drinke Surely when God sends his holy Spirit to speake peace to a troubled soule against whom his terrors have been set in array as Job sayd in his own case Chap 6.4 and the arrowes of the Almighty within him have drunke up his spirit he I say having his peace thus restored to him cannot but have the joy of the Lord restored to him as David prayed his might Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation That is shew me that I am justified that my sin is pardoned this will bring back into my bosome the joy of thy salvation and my drooping soul shall be not only refreshed but feasted as with marrow and fatness Joy is a certaine consequent upon the sight of our justification Yea joy is not only a consequent but a fruit and effect of it joy floweth out of the nature of it nor is it ever interrupted or suspended but upon the hiding of righteousness out of our sight And therefore joy returnes unfayleably when the Lord is pleased thus to render unto man his righteousness JOB Chap. 33. Vers 27 28 29 30. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profiteth me not He will deliver his soule from
others judge what the Word of God no! but whether they speake according to the word of God or no In this sense every one must judg sor himselfe we must not take all for granted but try what we heare by the eare as we doe what we eat by the mouth Thirdly Note A spiritually judicious and considerate man will take time to judge of things that are spoken as the pallate doth of meates that are eaten The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat God hath given man a faculty for that end and he is to use his faculty We commonly fay Look before you leape Surely then we should tast before we eate and prove all things whether they are good or no before we electively hold that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 The noble Bereans received the word with all readinesse of mind yet they would make no more hast then good speed to receive it for as the Text saith Acts 17.11 They searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so Fourthly Here are two Organs of sense spoken of the ear and the mouth both are of great use to man but one of them the eare is of a more frequent and noble use Beasts have both mouths and eares but because theirs is only a sensitive life they make more use of their mouths then of their eares Whereas man whose life is rationall yea and spirituall too must or ought to make more use of his eares then of his mouth How doth this reprove all those who are more in trying meats then in trying words or more for tasting then they are for hearing It was a complaint of some in the former age that they made themselves like bruit beasts which having both those powers of hearing and tasting have yet no regard to hearing but are all for feeding and eating They carry it like beasts and are more bruitish then a beast who employ their mouths more then their eares A beast is made in that low forme to live to eat and worke and so to dye man is of a higher forme next to that of Angells and for him to spend his time in eating and drinking as if his worke lay at his mouth not at his ear is to degrade himself and lead a bruitish life The Apostle brings in such bruits speaking thus 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye not a word of using their eares they say not come let us hear the word of God let us seek bread for our soules but come let us eat and drink now for a man to be so much in eating as to neglect hearing and meditating what doth he but make himselfe like a beast of the earth who should be like the Angels in Heaven dayly rising up to a spirituall and heavenly life God lifts us up to Heaven as I may say by the eares Our eares were not given us only to heare delightfull sounds or to commune one with another about the affaires of this life the use of the eare is yet more noble even to helpe us in the receiving of all saving and sanctifying knowledge Faith comes by hearing Rom. 15.17 and so doth every grace both as to the implantation and growth of it till we come to glory Therefore consider how you use this excellent sense of hearing and how you improve in spirituals by what you have heard We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse and it should be the great designe of our lives to get this image renewed and that is done at the eare 't is wrought by hearing faith repentance and every grace come in and are wrought at the eare Some scoffe at this latter age calling it a hearing age not a working age we say they are much for ear-work little for hand-work all for Preaching nothing for doing nor can this reproach be quite wiped off seeing with our plenty of Preaching there is so little practising as if men had turned all the members of their body into eares and were nothing but hearing To doe nothing but heare or to heare and doe nothing to heare much and act little is a high provocation To have a swel'd head and a feeble hand is the disease of Religion Yet let not voluptuous Epicures who are all for the palate and belly-cheere think to excuse themselves for not hearing or for seldome hearing because some who hear much are found doing little or seldome do what they hear for as these shall be condemned by the word which they have heard and not done so shall these for not hearing the word which would have shewed them what to doe It hath been anciently said The belly hath no eares nor will they either mind hearing or mind what they hear who mind their bellyes not for hunger and the support of nature that is as Solomon speaks Eccles 10.17 for strength but for drunkennesse or surfet Cum eo vivere non possum cui palatum magis sapiat quam cor Plutarchus in vita Catonis When a voluptuous person desired Cato that he might live with him No said Cato I like not your society I doe not love to converse with a man who useth his mouth more then his eares who is busied more to please his tast in eating and drinking then to enrich his understanding by hearing and discoursing The Apostle Tit. 1.12 referring them to one of their own Poets calleth the Cretians evill beasts slow bellies They were not slow to fill their bellyes but their full bellyes their belly being their God as he told some among the Philippians Chap. 3.19 made them slow yea reprobate to every good word and worke Solomon gives man a great charge when he saith Prov. 23.23 Buy truth and sell it not The mart for those most precious commodities grace and truth is kept not at the belly but at the eare there we buy without money and without price both grace and truth to get these is to be wise merchants The best market we can make the best trade we can drive is with and at our eares The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat And from this Elihu infers Vers 4. Let us chuse to our selves judgment let us know among our selves what is good This verse containes the second request which Elihu made to Jobs friends The summe of it is that they might proceed judiciously and fairly in the cause before them As if he had said Seeing it is the office of the eare to try words as the mouth tasteth meat let us see what we can do with our eares towards the determination of this matter Job hath often wished to find one with whom he might debate and try this cause in judgment let us give him his wish and having throughly weighed the matter and merits of his cause let us see what justice will award him Let us chuse to our selves judgment c. Let us chuse To elect or chuse is the worke of the will And to chuse
Job walketh with wicked men The Hebrew Phrase used in the Text is more then as we expresse wicked men we may render it men of wickednesse the Scripture calleth those men so who are as it were transformed into wickednesse or formed up of wickednesse As some men are so witty that we call them men of wit and others so judicious that we call them men of judgment as some are so skilfull and cunning that we call them men of skill and cunning so some are so wicked that the Scripture calls them men of wickednesse even with these very dregs of mankind it seemes Job consorted He goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men But here it may be questioned was it indeed so with Job or was Job such a man as he is expresly charged to be both in this and the former verse Did Elihu judge him a scorner a companion of the workers of iniquity and a walker with men of wickednesse Doubtlesse that 's not Elihu's scope or intention nor could he imagine that Job in strict sence was either a scorner of good men or chose the company of wicked men And surely all that knew Job could certifie upon their knowledge that he was a man of a gracious spirit and unblemisht life that he loved good men and sweetly conversed with them and therefore was farre from closing with deboyst companions or men of a profligate spirit Why then doth Elihu speak thus or spake he the words of truth and sobriety while he spake thus I answer this forme of speaking doth not alwayes import a likenesse of conversation and disposition as sometimes it doth Prov. 1.11 15. Come with us and cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My son walk not thou in the way with them refraine thy foot from their path that is doe not hearken to the call of those workers of iniquity Here in the Text to goe in company with the workers of iniquity and to walke with wicked men notes only the doing or speaking that which carryeth some likenesse to them not a being altogether like them A man is said to goe and walke with others when he speaks or doth that which seemes to suite and favour their principles opinions or practices though in truth they are the abhorrence of his soul Elihu durst not could not assert directly and properly that Job who was a man famous for piety in the dayes of his prosperity and who in his affliction had not the least degree of ability or opportunity for it walked with wicked men But because in the anguish of his soul he spake sometimes intemperately of the dealings of God which is the guise spiriâ— and common language in such cases of wicked and ungodly men therefore he chargeth him as symbolizing or complying with men of wickednesse So that when Elihu saith he goeth with wicked men he doth not accuse him for keeping bad company in his prosperity but with speaking hardly of God in his adversity as ungodly men use to doe when they are under his hand He doth not say you upon such and such a day kept evill company and conversed with men of wickednesse but you have spoken much like the wicked in the day of your calamity That this was his scope appeares plainly by the proofe of this charge which is also a new charge vers 9. For he hath said it profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God Elihu doth not say Job walketh with wicked men for we have seen him in their company and he hath been as vaine and wicked as they But his proofe that Job walked with the wicked was from his words For he hath said it profiteth a man nothing c. This is the language of the wicked thus they use to speak about the wayes of God and Job hath spoken thus therefore What man is like Job that drinketh scorning like water which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men I need not stay here to shew how great an evill it is to keepe evill company for that was not the sin which Job was accused of Yet from the letter of the Text Note first To associate with wicked men or to chuse wicked men for our company is the mark of a wicked man A godly man may be among wicked men but he doth not chuse their company He while with them is as Lot was in Sodom his righteous soule is vexed A godly man is among wicked men as his graces are among his corruptions as his humility is with his pride his faith with his unbeliefe these are all in his soul at once but his faith doth alwayes strive against his unbeliefe his humility opposeth his pride his grace of self-deniall resists his self-seeking his meekness his passions and his patience the unquietness of spirit A godly man is pained in the company of wicked men as David was Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech and dwell in the tents of Kedar David was there but he did not delight to be there To associate with the wicked is proper to the wicked The Apostle gives that caution Eph 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them Seeing the works of darkness are unfruitfull of any good it must needs be bad to have followship with them As we must not at all joyn with wicked men in spirituall communion or Church-fellowship 2 Cor 6.14 Be not unequally yoaked with unbelievers for what communion hath light with darkness and Christ with Belial c. Come out from among them and touch no uncleane thing So we should have as little civill communion or fellowship with them as we can and when we are necessitated to have civill communion with them we must utterly avoyd all sinfull communion with them that is communion with them in their sins It is both a shame to Gospel profession and a great offence to the sincere professors of the Gospel when they who professe it are much in the company of the workers of iniquity and walke with wicked men Secondly From the matter of the charge Observe While godly men behave themselves like wicked men they may be sayd to goe in company with them This heavy charge falls justly upon them whether they demeane themselves in their affliction as Job in some sort did like the wicked or in the dayes of their fullness and prosperity If we speake or doe like wicked men we have our amends in our hands if we are numbred with them though we are not really of their number Some good men when they have got much of the world about them make but an ill use of it Are wicked rich men proud so are they in a great measure you may see vanity in their houses and superfluity upon their tables as if they also were making provision for the flesh to fullfill the lusts thereof Now if a godly man when
persons whether they be such as are civilly honest and possibly such as doe not decline the outside of that religion wherein they were borne and bred or such as are flagitious in their lives and wayes scorning to own religion and being even ashamed of the wayes of God These may be sayd to turn back from God because they have many calls to God and are invited to come unto him which yet they either neglect and mind not at all or refuse and reject and so thrust away God from them and when the light comes they love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evill Joh 3.19 Such were they of whom Job spake Chap 21.14 They say to God depart from us he doth not intend it of Apostates in a strict notion who once made profession of godliness but he speakes of common and prophane persons who have no mind at all to obey or walk with God but mind only the fullfilling of their lusts or the affayres of this present life and so their whole life is nothing else but a turning from God Qui quasi â—d industria recesserunt ab eo vulg sc a deo peccantes ex certa malitia Aquin Thus the vulgar translation renders the text with a good significancy though not with a clearness to the Hebrew who have purposely turned from God distinguishing them from those who through dayly Infirmity turn from God as the best of his people do whereas these sin willingly yea wilfully and resolvedly against God I conceive the words of Elihu in this text are to be understood of turning from God in this third sence For he is not here speaking of those who were eminent professors before and did Apostatize much less of those that turn from God by dayly failings in duty or some neglect of duty but he is speaking of such whose whole course of life is as a continued turning from God themselves never having been wrought upon by the grace of conversion or savingly turned to him This third sort of turners back from God are most proper to the present text though such also are within the reach and compasse of it who doe wickedly after they have made faire pretensions to the best things This is the reason why God striketh the mighty to destruction They have turned back from God The reason being thus explicite and expresse teacheth us First God never punisheth any man without cause God doth not alwayes shew the cause why he punisheth this or that man but he never punisheth any man without cause if he striketh 't is because men turn back from him either by a plain apostacy from what they once professed or by a notorious course of impiety refusing so much as to own his wayes or make profession God electeth some and passeth by others without respect to any thing in them Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom 9.13 15. thus I say God electeth us without respect to any good in us but God never striketh or punisheth us but with respect to some evill in us or done by us Secondly Note It is the duty of all men to follow after God To follow God in his way and to propose God as our end containe the summe of all duty That God hath made man and given him a being that he placed man in the highest forme of his visible creation should draw man after him We ought to follow God because we are his creatures because we have our all from him or because in him we live and move and have our being as the Apostle speakes of mankind in generall even of the heathens Acts 17.28 And forasmuch as we are his off-spring v. 29. our hearts should spring or rise up to him in love and thankfullness as the rivers because they come from the Sea goe back thither so we being the off-spring of God and derived from him should be alwayes returning to him This nature tells us And therefore the Apostle saith Acts 17.27 God hath made of one blood all nations of men that they should seek after him c. The light of nature though dim and dark shews that a man should feele after God as a man in the dark doth after his way And if all men ought to follow God because they have their naturall life and breath from him much more should believers who have a new a spirituall life breathed into them and bestowed upon them be alwayes following after God And the truth is where true faith or the life of grace is that soule cannot live without dayly returnings back to and breathings after God even as meere carnal men who are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them are dayly turning back from him Hence thirdly Note The whole life of every unconverted soule and notorious sinner is a turning from God They who set their faces sin-ward turn their backs God-ward They who pursue their lusts their covetous their ambitious purposes they who gratifie the flesh their pride their luxury their wantonness their malice what doe any of them what doe all of them but turn back from God The best of Saints have their turnings from God but they doe not make it their business to turn from him their business is to draw near to keep close to God to keep as it were in his eye but as for the naturall man and gross sinner his business is a departing from God Heb 3.12 Take heed saith the Apostle lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbelief in departing from the living God He gives Caution to the Church search your selves lest there be found in any of you an evill heart of unbelief c. Where unbelief remaines in any measure unmortified it may quickly doe a great deale of mischiefe And where it remaines in full power or altogether unmortified it doth all manner of mischiefe All which is wrapt up in that one word a departure from the living God Unbelief is the root of Apostacy The reason why sinners turn from God is because they give no Credit to the word of God they are not perswaded God is such a one as he hath declared himselfe to be and will either doe that for the obedient which he hath promised or that against the rebellious which he hath threatned They who believe not in God cannot but depart from God And therefore the life of an unbeliever is a continuall departure from God He sets out with his back upon God the very first step he takes into the world is from God As soon as we are borne we naturally goe astray speaking lyes we are ever out of our way till we look toward God and ayme at him which we never doe till he by his mighty power changeth our hearts turneth our course and bringeth us home to himselfe Further Consider how did these mighty men turn back from God they might say where did we see
God where did God appeare to us that we are thus charged with turning back from him I answer First God manifests himselfe to man in his workes or in his providences Secondly He manifests himselfe in every part of his word especially in his Commands in his promises and in his threatenings in his Commands he manifests himselfe a holy God in his promises a gracious and bountifull God in his threatenings a just and righteous God who will neither do wrong nor suffer himselfe to be wronged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quia declinaverum de leg◠del Sept The Septuagint make this Exposition the text translating these words of Elihu thus Because they have turned from the Law of God Hence note They who turn from the word of God turn back from God When a Command comes if you slight the authority and obligation of it you turn back from God when a promise comes if you doe not believe the truth of it and hope for the good of it you turn back from God look what of the mind of God is manifested to you in the dispensation of the word if you doe not obedientially close with it you neglect to close with God himselfe and while you turn from it you turn from God himselfe Thus the Apostle speakes concerning back-sliders 2 Pet 2.20 21. If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are againe entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had been better for them not to have knowne the way of God then after they have knowne it to turn from the holy commandement delivered unto them so that a turning from the Commandement of God is a turning from God himselfe He turneth back from the holy commanding God who turneth back from the holy commandement of God and he turneth back from the God of the promise who turneth back from the promise of God Fifthly Note As it is exceeding sinfull to turn back from God so they who doe so grow every day more and more sinful If a man be once upon a course of back-sliding and Apostatizing from the commands and promises of God he will find himselfe worse and worse day after day for still the further from God any man goeth the more vaine he groweth and the more doth lust get a hand over him As unbeliefe is the roote of Apostacy from God so Apostacy encreaseth all that wickednesse which is in man As the cause of all evill whether of punishment or of sin is our departure and turning from God so the very nature of sin is a turning from God and therefore the more we turne from God the more sinfull and the fuller of sin we are As the neerer we come to God the more holy and spirituall and heavenly we are while we with open face as in a glasse saith the Apostle 2 Cor 3.18 Behold the glory of God that is while we draw neere to him in his holy ordinances we are changed into the same image that is we become more like to God so the more we keep at a distance from God the more unlike we are to him that is the more unholy we are And as persons unconverted or in an unholy state are wholly alienated from the life of God and cannot endure to come neere him so it is in a degree by any of our withdrawings or turnings from him we are made more unholy and are changed more into the image of those carnal and earthly things which we behold and with which we over-intimately converse in the time of those withdrawings Lastly Note A holy life consists in following of and keeping close to God To keep close to God is both a holy and a comfortable life 'T is the perfection of Saints to walk with God Enoch walked with God and that was his holiness Gen 5.24 Caleb followed God fully Optima vivendi ratio est deum sequi Religiosissimus dei cultus est imitari quem colis Lact lib 5. Instit cap 10. and that was his holiness A spirituall life is nothing else but our following God The most religious worship of God is to imitate whom we worship And our imitation of God is our following of God no man can imitate any thing but when his eye is upon its pattern or the Idaea of it abides in his mind And therefore it is sayd of the ungodly man Psal 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts then followeth v. 5. his wayes are alwayes grievous If God be not in the thoughts of a man nothing of God is stampt upon the wayes of that man In vaine are we called Christians unless we keep close to Christ and in vaine doe any pretend to godliness unless they walke with God Jesus Christ hath called himselfe the way Joh 14.6 chiefly upon this account because by him we goe to the Father and have acceptance with God by the grace of Justification but Jesus Christ is the way also of our Sanctification we must walke in him and as he walked 1 Joh 2.6 that we may be holy every departure from God lets the heart loose to sin That which shall maintaine the Saints holiness to Eternity is They shall alwayes behold the face of God they shall never turn back from God they shall never be taken off one moment from the actuall vision enjoyment and contemplation of God in glory therefore they shall never be taken off from actuall holiness and purity now in proportion as we keep our hearts and spirits steady upon God and doe not turn back from him such is our holiness in this life and as our holiness is such will our comfort and peace and joy be in this life For as because when we arrive at glory we shall never turn back from God much less turn our back 's upon him therefore in glory there is fullness of Joy and pleasure for evermore so the neerer we keep to God and the closer we walke with him in this life the fuller and more lasting will our joyes and pleasures be As in this former part of the 27th verse we have had the first cause opened why God striketh the mighty as wicked men in the open sight of others namely their apostacy from God Because they turned back from him So in the latter part of this verse we have another reason assigned why God doth it and that is because They would not Consider any of his wayes The word which we render Consider signifies also to understand or know which is an act precedent to consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellexit cognovit cōtemplatus est Hinc Maschil carmen erudiens ode didascalica Tit Psal 32. Consideration is a contemplative act by consideration we become more knowing but we cannot consider any thing till we have some understanding or knowledge of it And this word is often in another Conjugation used in the title of some speciall