man here did See Isa 6.5 5. It is not enough that men receive gifts from the Spirit of God unless they receive also continual influences to quicken and excite those gifts and keep them fresh and in vigour For there must be a Spirit in man and the inspiration or breathing of the Almighty to give understanding See Cant. 4.16 Without this most eminent gifts yea and habitual graces will soon wither and fall into a decay 6. As Gods bounty in giving gifts to men doth proclaim his All-sufficiency So those to whom these gifts are sanctified will have high thoughts of him and his fulness Therefore is he called the Almighty or All-sufficient here to intimate that this gift proclaims him to be such and that he to whom it was sanctified esteemed of him as such From v. 9. Learn 1. Albeit men generally have a great conceit of their own Wisdome and readily they have most conceit who have least of wisdome yet it is not a gift given in common to all men For here some have it not 2. Albeit ordinarily God blesseth the use of means yet in some cases it is verified that wisdome and sound judgement doth not follow upon greatness and good education nor is attained by age or by men who might have had much experience For Great men are not alwayes wise or are not wise that is there are great men found who are not wise neither do the aged understand judgement There are great men who have had much pains taken upon them in their education and aged men who yet have not been wise men And what wisdome they had it did not slow principally from their greatness and age but from the gift and inspiration of God This point doth more particularly import 1. When men have any wisdome they must not sacrifice to their own net as if they had acquired it of themselves by the improvement of their means and time but they should ascribe the glory of all to God 2. Because this is much forgotten by men and God little seen and acknowledged by them therefore God makes it visible that he is the Author of all they enjoy by with-holding wisdome from great men and men of years which stroak is the just fruit of the want of self-denial 3. Which is the case in the Text When men are indeed other-wayes wise and great men as Job and his Friends were yet in some things and cases they may be found destitute of wisdome and in an errour and mistake As all of them were in this debate This the Lord ordereth not only that he may declare that he is tyed to no condition or age of men but that we may not take things upon trust from any men or pin our faith upon their sleeve but may be careful to try and examine all that men say or do by the rule laying aside the consideration of their persons And as we should not reject truth though it be offered by obscure young and unexperienced persons so we should not implicitely give credit to men in every thing because they are known to be wise and holy persons For that may be our very tryal and that whereby God takes proof of our sincerity and respect to his Word if we will call no man Rabbi Only in this case men should walk in much sobriety as hath been formerly marked For as God is not tyed to great able and experienced men so neither is he tyed to others Farr less are men to be cryed down by their inferiours in parts and experience upon this account that great men are not alwayes wise when yet they are never able to refute them as Elihu solidly refutes both parties here From v. 10. Learn 1. When God hath given abilities to men they should communicate their Talents to others for their edification and clearing of mistakes For saith he I also as well as ye will shew mine opinion As it is a sin for men to be idle and not put forth their Talents to use especially when there is great need of them as here there was So no bashfulness and modesty which were ready to hinder him being a young man will warrant them to lye by from that work to which they are called 2. Such as undertake to clear controverted truths and particularly to contradict holy able and experienced men themselves being young had need to be well grounded fitted and called to such a work For this resolution to shew his opinion comes in with a Therefore or by way of inference from what he hath said That being inspired and excited by God as he hints in general v. 8. and having noted their mistakes as he also insinuates in general v. 9 therefore he may well hazard to take his turn having the call and assistance of God and being able to instruct wherein they had erred This young men had need to advert unto in debates For however it may encourage men to stand for truth if it be on their side that the gifts of God are free to bestow them upon whom he will and in what particular exigents and controversies he pleaseth Yet as it is a sin to have a partial and implicite respect to the persons of great and experienced men as hath been marked So it is a double sin for young men to engage against them without cause and to cry them down and the truth which they maintain 3. Whoever they be that speak having a calling to matters in controversie they ought to be heard with attention without stumbling through prejudices at their persons till what they say be tryed For even this young man when he is speaking to old and grave men bids them hearken unto him 4. Then do men hear aright when every one doth not pass what is spoken to many together as nothing concerning them but is careful to apply to himself what is spoken as if none else were present Therefore is this exhortation directed in the singular number as hath been explained 5. It evidenceth wisdome in speakers when they single out those to deal with who stand in greatest need of help and when they are careful to speak what may tend most to edification On this account also it may be conceived that he will not insist to deal with the three Friends but singles out needy Job in particular to whom it was to good purpose to speak And this is indeed an evidence of a man who is guided by the Spirit of God in speaking when he minds edification and the need of Souls much Verse 11. Behold I waited for your words I gave ear to your reasons whilest you searched out what to say 12. Yea I attended unto you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words The second Reason of Elihu's interposing to speak which is more special and particular is the insufficiency of what they had spoken to convince Job So that having marked all that they had said and searched out all that long time
yet it appears from her expressions that the thing it self was then known by the light of Nâ—ture or by immediate Revelation 9. We may also from her speech take notice of some of the wicked suggestions of Satan and our corrupt flesh in an hour of tryal As 1. When mens hearts do rise in pride against Gods dealing and do under-value Piety because of afflâ—ction and want of ease Doest thou still retain thine Integrity saâ—th she when thou art thus afflâ—cted See Mal. 3.13 14. 2. When men have such a prejudice against afflictions and tryals that they scruple at no sin which may seem to promise ease of a present trouble Curse God and die saith she and so thou wilt get out of this toil and vexation 3. When men are so earnest to avoid a present trouble as they do not consider that they may be running upon a greater afflâ—ction Curse God saith she and die that so thou may see an end of thy pain little considering that death is not the end of all trouble to all men and especially to those who enter in at the gates of death voluntarily blaspheming and cursing God as she adviseth him to do Vers 10. But he said unto her Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speakâ—th what shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil In all this did not Job sin with his lips Followeth Jobs answer unto and refutation of this suggestion Albeit he had hitherto kept silence yet he cannot let this suggestion pass without a reply And though no doubt he was a tender husband who behaved himself so conscientiously even toward servants Chap. 31.13 14.15 Yet in this case the zeal of God prompts him to make a sharp return to her motion And 1. He points out how unbecoming it was that such a motion should flow from her It might possibly have been expected that one of the foolish women Nabalesses so the word is in the Original or Pagans about them should have spoken so in a day of tryal But it did not beseem one so instructed and who enjoyed so many means of knowledge as she did to be so badly principled 2. He points out the absurdity of her counsel in it self That they who have received good things from the Lord Should not be content to submit to evil things or afflictions when God seeth it meet to exercise them therewith But that whenever the tyde begins to turn they should be weary of Piety and turn blasphemers For clearing whereof consider 1. That question What or also and his propounding of the Refutation by way of Interrogation doth insinuate both the vehemence of Jobs zeal and the clear evidence of the truth propoâ—nded that it may extort a confession from those who are most prejudged if they will but consider it 2. What he speaks of receiving good and evil is not to be understood of the simple act of receiving For in that the Lord doth not sâ—â—k oâ—t confâ—ne but fâ—nds good or evil as it pleaseth him and makes them our lot But he speaks of the manneâ— of receâ—ving that as we receive and entertain good things cheerfully and contentedly so it is our duty to receive evil things submissively and patiently Doct. 1. As zeal for God is seemly and becometh Saints so tentations and suggestâ—ons should be roughly entertained and not dallyed with from whomsoever they come Foâ— Job doth entertain this motion from his wife with much zeal and indignation See Matth 16.22 23. So also ought rising suggestions in our own bosoms be entertained 2. As sin is odious and hateful in any so it is moâ—e abominable in some thâ—n others And when sin is looked upon not only in its own nature but as committed by such persons who have lived under many means and had many engagâ—ments to holy walking put upon them â—t will exceedingly heighten the sinfulness thereof For so doth Job aggravate the sin of his wife Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh 3. To renounce God and Piety under trouble or because of it is an act of the highest folly and rather beseeming Pagans then Professors of the true Religion who will find it their advantage to cleave to God in trouble and that to do otherwise were to lose more then trouble can otherwise take from them and to deprive themselves of a soveraign antidote against the venom of afflictions For in the counsel she gave Job reckons that she speaks as one of the foolish women 4 It is not enough that we reprove faults in others unless we take pains also to inform them and to root out the prejudices and corrupt principles which mislead them Theâ—efore Job after the reproof subjoyns an information What or also as the word will read adding this to the former reproof Shall we receive good c 5. When men do rightly consider their own case they will find that an hour of tentation doth so bemist them and over-cloud their judgments that they want the use of their very common Principles Therefore doth Job put home this Refutation with Questions as being so clear that her Light and Conscience could not decline it if she would advert 6. It is a very great fault in men to arrogate to themselves to be their own carvers and that they will endure no lot but what pleaseth them For we are but receivers not prescribers 7. Seeing all the good we enjoy comes by the gift of God there is no reason we should murmur if he dispose of his own as he will and take back his gift at his pleasure For We receive good at the hand of God and therefore should acquiesce in his disposing thereof at his pleasure 8. It is a very great fault to limit God constantly to one way of dealing with his people and that we cannot endure to submit to changes For Job insinuates that we must resolve both for good and evil in the service of our Generation 9. It is also a fault that men enjoying a long time of prosperity should so settle themselves in case that they cannot endure a new assault of trouble seeing these vicissitudes in our condition are necessary for us and Gods sparing of us long may very well perswade us to endure tryals in their season For Shall we receive good and shall we not receive evil 10. It is yet a further degree of miscarriage when men have received so many proofs of love from God and yet when the same hand le ts out a needful trouble they are ready to question and doubt of this love and so quarrel him For if we have received good we ought without mistaking receive evil when it is made our lot For as evil coming to us out of the hand of God changeth its nature and becometh good so it becometh them who have tasted much of Gods bounty and love not to mistake every change of dealing In a word Jobs arguing doth teach That no man doth rightly improve prosperity
In many cases men may be said to be ignorant of a Providence and Judgment who do not only acknowledge it in General Professions but are really godly For they were godly men and did not deny this truth and yet must be taught to know there is a judgment Men know not their Principles as they ought when they act not according to them as they did not And men may know much in General and by Contemplation who yet in their Passions can but little consider and improve it in particular cases For they considered not their way and whether it tended till God tell them in the close of this debate 4. Afflictions are sent to teach men Lessons and particularly to cause them know and make right use of a just Providence of God For here they are threatned with punishments that they may know there is a judgment Here Consider 1. Men must not only look what they feel but what they are made to know under affliction and must be careful that Rods be not dumb Psal 94.11 2. Though oft times carnal men turn Atheists under and because of great troubles Ezek. 9.9 yet afflictions should lead men to be better acquainted with a Providence in the World which ordinarily is but little minded or studied For that is the lesson here inculcated 3. Such as study the Providence of God in the world will be afraid of doing wrong as knowing that there is a righteous judgement to follow 4. In Particular This study should make men afraid to injure the afflicted especially if they be godly seeing such are left upon Gods hand that he may redress all their wrongs and grievances For that is the particular lesson he would have them taking from this study 5. This study should yet further perswade men to take heed of being incorrigible by the Word seeing there is a Providence and Judgment to inculcate that which men will not learnâ— from the Word Therefore he counsels them to be afraid in time lest to their own cost they be made to know there is a judgment and so have that sad reflection upon their own course that their being untractable made them need the Rod to teach this lesson See Psal 32.9 10. CHAP. XX. In this Chapter Zophar the third of Job's Friends assaults him now the second time It is not the proper place here to enquire how it comes that this is his last speech to Job and that he doth not answer him the third time as the rest did though it be clear that Job did not at all satisfie him by his following discourses and so laid him by but as all of them did at last give him over as a stubborn man Chap. 32.1 So Zophar wearied sooner then the rest as being it may be more passionate then they Here it sufficeth us to know that he takes yet his turn with the rest and falls fiercely upon Job Wherein as hath been marked of the rest also as he brings forth no new matter so he layeth aside all that meekness and all those encouragements whereof he made use in his former Speech Chap. 11. as being now more heated with his own passion and further prejudged in his thoughts of Job The Chapter contains these two First A Preface wherein he declareth that he will answer and gives the reasons of his resolution ver 1 2 3. Secondly The answer it self where in a long Discourse which he confirms from the consent of Antiquity he gives an account of the calamities that befal the wicked that he may perswade Job that his lot is the same with what befals only wicked men and hypocrites And therefore doth prove him to be one of them And having hinted whence he had this Doctrine ver 4. 1. He gives an account of the wickeds ruine in their downfal from their prosperity That it is speedy ver 5. a shameful and utter ruine to the admiration of all from which no grandeur shall secure them ver 6 7. And a ruine which shall discover the emptiness of their former prosperity and which shall not be repaired ver 8 9. 2. He gives an account of the miseries wherewith they are pressed after their fall That their Children shall be miserable ver 10. That their sins and the effects thereof shall accompany them to their grave ver 11. And that all their pleasure in following wickedness shall prove bitter and deadly ver 12 13 14. And particularly they shall have no comfort but much bitterness in their ill purchase ver 15 16. when God shall deprive them of expected sweet ease ver 17. and make them restore what they had unjustly acquired ver 18. as the just fruit of oppression ver 19 20. yea and take away their very meat ver 21. 3. He amplifieth this Narration both concerning the ruine and subsequent miseries of the wicked pointing out That in their greatest prosperity ruine shall come upon them being pursued by wicked men who shall be the instruments of Gods vengeance ver 22. And by God himself pursuing them in anger ver 23. That God shall pursue them with variety of weapons or judgments ver 24 25. From which they shall neither secure themselves nor their families ver 26. And That all creatures shall conspire their ruine thereby as so many witnesses to convince them that they are wicked ver 27. upon which their utter ruine shall follow ver 28. 4. He sums up all this Narration by way of Conclusion that he may press Job to take more notice of it ver 29. Vers 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said 2. Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer and for this I make haste 3. I have heard the check of my reproach and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer IN this Preface is not only recorded that Zophar did answer v. 1. but his profession that his thoughts did drive him to be in great haste with it and caused him to answer who it seems otherwise intended to have kept silence together also with the causes moving him to make this reply which are expressed more generally that somewhat in Job's discourse did so fill him with thoughts as he could not forbear nor delay to answer v. 2. and more particularly v. 3. That he had bin reproached in Job's discourse and therefore would answer for himself though yet that only did not move him but his sound knowledg of the Truth in this debate furnished him with matter which he would bring forth deliberately having gravely thought upon it And so however he had met with passion yet he thinks he will not answer in passion That I may further explain and make use of these verses Observe 1. We find here that Zophar doth yet answer Job And albeit he bring forth no new purpose but what hath been often refuted by Job of which afterward yet he will not give over Yea we find not in all this discourse that he doth any thing consider all those miseries of Job which
Deut. 32.20 yet he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous 5. Albeit we are little comforted especially in the time of our trouble that we have Gods eye upon us yet there is much mercy in it which will be actually manifested in due time As here there followeth no less upon it than high exaltation See Exod. 3.7 8 Zech. 9.8 6. Gods love to his people is so infinitely rich that no mercy will be thought too great for them if it be for their good to have it were it even to be with Kings on the Throne As here that is put in their Charter See 1 Sam. 2.8 Psal 113.7 8. Some proofs of this are given even in this life as the instances formerly mentioned do shew and it is not only the duty but the great advantage of Kings to exalt such who may be Instruments of good to them and their people See Psal 101. But it will be fully cleared hereafter And in the mean time righteous men are no less precious in Gods esteem whatever their lot be than if they were thus exalted Even a Lazarus on a Dunghill is precious as a Joseph in his Grandeur They will also be no less honourable in the eyes of right discerners Eccl. 4.13 And it is no less love which with-holds these advantages from some of them than that which conferreth them upon others 7. Instability is one of the great Moths which attend mens enjoyments within time For it must be added to make it a compleat mercy Yea he establisheth them for ever and they are exalted that is when he exalts them he establisheth them in that state and that doth indeed give it the name of exaltation that being unworthy of the name which is not stable See 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. 8. The godly have a promise of stability when the wicked shall reel and be like a rolling wheel Psal 83.13 which is a judgement upon them And albeit the godly must not think to settle within time yet they have the promise of it to be performed as shall be good for them they will be kept stable in the midst of shakes and reelings Ps 112.7 8. and eternal stability abides them For thus he doth establish them for ever Verse 8. And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction Followeth to v. 16. the third Head of this Vindication or a more particular Vindication of the Righteousness of God in the matter of his afflicting godly men which is the case in hand This consists of four branches In the first whereof in this Verse we have the condition wherein it is supposed righteous men may sometime be that they may be arrested under trouble as a man that is bound and held in cords and fetters Whence Learn 1. It is neither inconsistent with the righteousness of God nor with the piety of men or their priviledges being godly that they be sometimes afflicted as here is supposed Gods Sovereign power to dispose of his creatures at his pleasure is so absolute that mens holiness cannot exempt them from being subject thereunto And seeing he may if he please put even sinless creatures to exercise and impose upon the beeing he hath given them what it is able to bear much more may he exercise Saints who in this life have still some remainders of sin in them And if Saints need rods he will not spare them whomever he spare Amos 3.2 Rev. 3.19 Yea it is their mercy that God makes use even of such a remedy to cure their diseases and distempers And therefore they should not quarrel God nor cast out with him because of afflictions 2. Saints may expect that their afflictions and tryals will be very sharp in their season For they may be bound in fetters as captives which is explained to be that they are holden in cords of affliction Some of them may be made captives and slaves as the letter here bears which is a very sharp tryal and others may have no less tryal though they be free of that See Heb. 12.11 Lesser tryals would neither try our Faith and other graces nor yet reach our corruption to purge it out nor rouze us up from our security and be an exercise unto us And when we pretend that we do not simply dislike tryal but only that tryal which is upon us and do like the rod that is upon any other better than our own we do but reflect upon Gods wisdome who hath thought our own cross fittest for us and would in effect have no tryal but that which would touch none of our corruptions and yet no tryal will ever do us good unless it do humble us and vex our corruptions 3. It is one of Gods special ends in sore afflictions to arrest men and hemm them in with pressures that they may be kept from wandering and made to look over their case and amend it So much doth this binding and holding of men or taking of them as a City is taken import Men are by nature like wild Asses till their Month come Jer. 2.24 And when they turn like wild beasts which need a bridle it is no wonder that many sorrows do follow Psal 32.8 9. And therefore when we are under sharp afflictions we should remember that our neglect of the furnace of self-examination provokes God to set up his furnace of affliction and that it is no wonder that troubles do not only take but hold us considering how long it is before affliction work upon us Dan. 9.13 and how long after it begins to work before it produce kindly fruits Isa 51.20 Jer. 31.18 In which case an issue were no mercy 4. Albeit God be most just and righteous even in afflicting godly men Yet it is not easie to satisfie them who are under the rod that it is so For in this case there is need that Gods righteousness be vindicated And that we may be helped in this case we should learn to suspect our own judgements and to look upon mistaking and quarrelling of God as the scumm of our own Spirits and Satans great Engine and design in our afflictions 2. King 6.33 Ps 73.10 11. Mal. 3.14 15. Verse 9. Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded 10. He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity In the second branch of this part of the Vindication we have an account of Gods end in afflicting righteous men and of the use they should make of it Namely That God afflicts them that he may give them a sight of sin wherein they have exceeded v 9. and may excite them to repentance and conversion from sin v. 10. This doth clearly vindicate Gods righteousness in afflicting them seeing he doth thereby chasten them for their faults and take pains to reclaim them And it is very applicable to Jobs case in respect of his failings not gross hypocrisie or wickedness especially under trouble Though as to what was mainly
him in their Office and carrying of Ambassages unto men It is said these came to present themselves before the Lord not that they are any time absent or out of his presence Matth. 18.10 Luke 1.19 but to express their ready willingness to receive or execute any of his Commands as Ministers of great Princes do come dayly to receive their Instructions Where it is said Satan came also among them by Satan or that Adversary we are to understand that Prince of Devils together with all these evil spirits that fall with him His coming among them or in the midst of them doth not import that he hath any communion with these blessed Spirits nor that he is in the presence of God by way of approbation as they are nor yet that he voluntarily cometh before God as they do But the borrowed expression doth only import That as on great Court days not only Princes and their Guards and Attendants do appear there but Delinquents also So Satan is made to appear before God to whom he is subject and accomptable as the sequel cleareth And as in great Conventions some naughty persons are ready to thrust in among the croud to do some ill turn So Satan is ready to catch at all opportunities to tempt or accuse as the sequel here doth also make manifest In this we may learn 1. Sâ—â—h is the greatness of God that not only all the Angels are obedient but even the very Devils are subject to him as here we see 〈◊〉 this was necessary to be premitted to this dispensation wherein so much oâ— Greatness and Soveraignty was to appear To show that mâ—n maâ— learn to cure many of then distempâ—rs of spirit occasioned by the cross dispensations of Proviâ—â—nce by taking a right view of God the Author 〈◊〉 2. Here we have also a comprehensive view of the Administration and Government of the World Wâ—â—â—â—e 〈◊〉 still to be seen and acknowledged as supreme 〈…〉 â—hings beneath instanced here in the pâ—rson and injoyments of Job are a part of the object about which his Providence is exercised So that it cannot without blasphemy be said that he hath forsaken the earth Ezek. 9.9 oâ— that he doth not take notice of the meanest things therein were it even the hairs of our head Matth. 1â— 39 The Ministers to be imployed for executing of his pleasure are not only Angels whom he imployeth both to good to his people and for evil of punishment also But Devils also whom he imployeth sometime as his Executioners against the wicked and sometime as here to be a scourge to his owne children Nâ—t out of any necessity having sufficient besiâ—e to imploy but because he seeth it best 3. This name Satan or that Adversary As it doth point out a Character of a wicked disposition and of one who is of the Devil to be an adversary to all gâ—â—d As here Satan after his own fall proves to mankind So it reaches us further that the emnity betwixt the seed of the Woman and the Sâ—rpent and hâ—s seed was known by the godly from the beginning and consequently they were taught to resolve on a 〈…〉 conflict in their course of holiness Therefore 〈…〉 he here designed by the name of Satan 〈◊〉 Lesson needful yet to be inculcated after all the â—â—â—ments of his opposition in former ages Eph. 6.10 c The forgetting whereof is the cause why we are â—o often 〈◊〉 prized while we live and walk as if we were 〈…〉 Enemies Thirdly As to the Lords calling of Satan to an account and his answer thereunto ver 7. We are not to conceive that God makes any enquity as needing Information but only that he is supreme to call Satan to an account Nor are we to dream of any speech properly so called betwixt God and Satan the terms here being only figuâ—ative and borrowed to point out some other thing Nor yet are we to understand Satans speech of his going to and fâ—â—iâ— the earth and then of his walking up and down in it as a câ—mplaint that however he used diligence in going to and fro tempting yet was he so â—emaâ—d in that he had no success not could get a desired â—eâ—â— but was still forced to walk up and doâ—n compare Matth. 12 43. It is true indeed Satan is unsatiable in his malice notwithstanding aâ—â—his success yet this form of speech is used where desired success is Zech. 1 10 11. 6.7 And here both the expressions â—o only point out his restless and assiduous activity Withal it is to be considered that Satan is said thus to go to and fro in the earth because however Devils since their fall are thrust down to Hell yet till the Judgment of the great Day till which they are reserved then to get their 〈◊〉 and sin sentence and complâ—â—â— punishment Jude ver 6. they have their chains â—â—gthened to come and tempt and afflict in this 〈…〉 world and so have also power in the 〈◊〉 to raise Tempeâ—ts c. Ephâ—s 2.2 This doth 〈◊〉 out 1. That Satan is restless â—nd assiduously diligent in obstructing mens happiness as being vexed that they should fill that room in Heaven from whâ—ch he fell For this 〈◊〉 doth he go to and fro in the earth and walk up and down in it by temptations calamities and persecutions 〈◊〉 much as he is permitted hindering men from embracing Piety or retarding their progress or weakning their hands therein See 1 Pet. 5. â— Luk 22.31 Rev. 12.12 We should remember that we sojourn in a world where Devils are and do haunt among us He is such a waâ—ker in the Earth as doth diligently mark and observe all particulars that he may apply his tentations sutably to his purpose He doth so go to and from it that no place how remote soever from other distractions can secure us from his tentations if God do not hide us And he is so incessant and restless Going to and fro and walking up and down that he will not be put away by never so many repulses but will again and again assault and tempt 2. Whatever be the malice power or restlesness of Satan Yet it as to be still fixed that he is subject and accountable to God in all he is permitted to do and that God hath an eye upon all his proceedings in the world For this Question Whence comest thou doth import Gods over-ruling Providence over him no less then if a Judicial enquiry were made into his Actions and he called dayly to give an account of them 3. Aâ—bâ—â—t God notwithstanding his over-ruling Providence do not altogether bind up Satan but do suffer him to act many strange parts in the woâ—ld by himself immediately or by his Instruments Yet it is firmly to be believed that God doth not approve of or take pleasure in these hâ—s violences For this Question doth also import Gods indignation and dislike of him and his proceedings as Questions are made use of in Scripture to testifie dislike 1 King
the wicked at any time prospered their prosperity was but momentany and ended in visible judgments And if the godly were at any time afflicted their afflictions speedily ended in visible blessings And therefore when they consider Jobs case being so suddenly turned out of his prosperity and so long and so sore afflicted beyond the ordinary tryals of faithful men especially carrying so ill under it as he had done chap. 3. They conclude that he behoved to have been either a grosly wicked man or a close hypocrite Hence they judge it their most seasonable way to prove him wicked and to bear him down and humble him that so they might have ground whereupon to comfort him being penitent That this was the drift of their Discourses will sufficiently appear from their several speeches and we may find Job noticing this as their particular and chief design chap. 21.27 28. chap. 32.1 they give him up as an obstinate man because he would not take with wickedness But Job upon the other hand maintains that neither love nor hatred can be known by outward afflictions but that Saints may be under as great outward trouble as the wicked And therefore he rejects their counsel to take with former wickedness and hypocrisie and begin anew to seek God and adheres to the testimony of his Conscience which bare witness to his Integrity notwithstanding all assaults from within or from without Hence he grants that he is a sinner but not that he is an hypocrite or wicked man That God is righteous who afflicted him and yet he is not unrighteous though afflicted by a righteous God albeit neither he nor they could sufficiently reconcile these two nor sufficiently clear how they were consistent That though he be not sinless nor perfect to seclude free grace Yet he was sincere according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace and perfect before men Those and many the like Principles we will find scattered throughout his speeches while he constantly insists to defend himself in the main cause 3. Having considered the state of the Controversie it is necessary We pass some verdict and censure upon the dispute on either hand whereby our thoughts may be regulated in going through it For albeit all that is here recorded be Sacred Scripture in so far as it contains an infallible account of what each of them said and that they spake so Yet when we consider that both parties are rebuked by God for what they utter in the debate and that they speak of many things in contradictory terms We can no further justifie the purposes uttered by them then we find the general consent of other Scriptures bearing witness thereunto as we cannot either justifie the complaints and tentations of Saints which are recorded in the Book of Psalms and elsewhere as sound Divinity but do look upon them as recorded in Scripture only for this end that their example and experience may serve for Caution and Instruction to the godly in all Ages Hence on the Friends part we may remark 1. They maintain a false principle throughout the Dispute That God afflicted none as he afflicted Job but wicked men which they insist so much upon because otherwise they were not able to reconcile such sharp dealing with the righteousness of God Whereas the Scripture elsewhere assures us that all things come alike to all Eccles 9.2 to which the Principle Job closely adhereth chap. 9.22 and elsewhere throughout the dispute 2. They do also express a rash and uncharitable judgment in their Discourse in that they judged of the godly mans state by his fits of tentation and disordered frame and expressions in the heat of his distemper Judging that to proceed from a wicked disposition and consequently to be the mark of a wicked man which was extorted from him through the violence of tentation and was only an evidence of that common infirmity of Saints which we find recorded in Scripture to have broken forth in David and other godly men as well as him Hence all their reflections upon his complaints do fall short of their conclusion to prove him a wicked man though indeed they reproved what was truly culpable in him 3. In their Doctrine concerning Gods Judgments upon wicked men which is the great Argument whereby they endeavour to prove him wicked we must acknowledge there is much truth if we take in eternal punishment among the rest to be inflicted upon the wicked whether they escape in this life or not and if we understand it of the deserving of all wicked men according to the sentence of the Law and that God useth so to deal with some wicked men whom he makes publick spectacles of his Justice to deterr others In these respects we find some of their speeches cited or at least alluded unto in other Scriptures as Job 5.13 with 1 Cor. 3.19 and several of their expressions will be found to have some parallels in other Books of the Old Testament Yet in their speaking of these outward and visible judgments that come on wicked men there is a double mistake One That they not only pleaded the Law-sentence and the Deserving of such men or that God did execute these threatnings accordingly on some even in this life which Job never denied chap. 27.11 12 13 14 c. But they pleaded also the real and actual execution of all that was threatned and that on every one of the wicked even in this life And so asserted that to be universally true which is only rue of some For Job agreeably to the Scriptures maintained that God exercised a great variety of dispensations toward wicked men in this life chap. 21.23 24 25. And as may be gathered from the scope of most of his speeches that oft-times God seeth it fit to spare wicked men in this life notwithstanding their ill-deserving yea and to heap prosperity upon them until their death That so he may exercise the faith and patience of the godly and may teach all to look out to a Day of Judgment and the eternal reward of Wickedness and Piety Another mistake is That they asserted these calamities to be proper to the wicked which are common also to the godly For albeit temporal calamities inflicted on a wicked man are real curses and fruits of his sin Yet the Scripture elsewhere cleareth that the same lots may also befal the godly either for chastisement or for the tryal of their faith and patience and that the supporting grace of God may he magnified in them as Jobs own experience doth witness Thus as to the external stroke there may be one event to the righteous and to the wicked c. Eccles 9.2 4. Their Doctrine concerning Gods Sovereignty Holiness and Justice whereby they laboured to drive Job from his confidence is true doctrine and therefore Job strives to out-strip them in commending those Attributes of God Yet they did ill apply this doctrine and made a bad use of it to crush a godly man as
here a Job is provided for those about him Gods faithfulness is engaged that his people under tentation shall find such a way to escape that they may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 And this is one special mean of support among others to have a faithful and useful friend to encourage and direct them So that Saints in distress may certainly expect in Gods due time and way consolation and comforters were it even in Arabia where Job lived 5. In dealing with crushed and tender minds Jobs practice affords two Rules necessary to be observed 1. That the afflicted be well instructed and their judgments informed in divine truth which will cure much anxiety disquiet and diffidence which flow from ignorance Psal 9.10 For Job made it his work to instruct many 2. That whatever Instructions or reproofs and admonitions be found necessary to give them as afflicted souls may need such yet care must be had that they be not thereby weakened but strengthened to keep their grips For Jobs scope in all his Instructions was still to strengthen and uphold See 1 Sam. 12.20 21. Doct. 6. God not only can but when he seeth it fit doth add an effectual blessing to the weak endeavours of his servants and children for strengthning and encouraging of fainting souls and other gracious effects As here his words upheld him that was falling c. which may encourage men as they have a calling to go forth in the strength of the Lord to deal with souls according to their various cases which otherwise doth appear to be an insuperable task as Exod. 6.9 Jer. 22.21 See 1 Cor. 1.22 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Secondly Jobs present behaviour under his own trouble ver 5. He who had been stout enough so long as trouble kept off himself now when it cometh and but toucheth himself becometh so faint in spirit and troubled and perplexed in mind that he knoweth not what to do In this he reflects upon Jobs former complaint Chap 3. wherein there was distemper of spirit more then enough discovered And it doth hold out these Truths 1. Greatness of trouble may drive a man from the comfortable use of what light he may have in his judgment ready to minister to others in cold bloud For Job who comforted others now faints and is troubled This needs not seem strange if we consider Partly That comforting of souls is the work of God and therefore had men never so much clear light yet if God withdraw they will want the use of it when they have most need Yea Ministers who dispense Consolation to others may yet be disconsolate enough themselves till God interpose Not that men are warranted to lie by from making use of what light they have for their own encouragement 1 Sam. 30 6. But that their activity without dependence upon God will not effectuate any thing Partly That there is a great difference betwixt a tryal apprehended in our judgment and felt by sense In the one case a mans judgment may be clear enough and his spirit resolute But in the other his spirit and judgement being over-charged he cannot so easily recollect and fix himself Hence it was that even our Lord was troubled in soul when the real sense of trouble came upon him Joh. 12.27 2. Faintness and discouragement of spirit when way it given thereunto doth soon perplex men that had they never so much light they will want the comfortable use of it for when once fainteth then he is easily troubled confounded and perplexed So that humble fortitude of mind being endeavoured and studied after it keeps a man in a near capacity to receive influences and direction from God for expeding him out of his perplexities Psal 27.14 Yet in this challenge we may observe a double injury done to Job 1. That Eliphaz doth so much aggravate his weakness and frailty For neither did he so faint as to quit his grips of an interest in Gods love and favour Nor is it solidly argued That because in his tentations his weakness did appear in his fainting and perplexities Therefore he is a wicked man as he would infer in the following verses It is our mercy that God doth otherwise judge of the ravings and swoundings of his afflicted Children For if this were sound Divinity that every able comforter of others when he is not able to comfort himself and every one that faints and is perplexed when God is emptying and humbling him under trouble is a wicked man or hypocrite Who of all the Lords tryed Worthies should ever dare to claim to integrity These things do indeed proclaim our frailty and oft-times we our selves have a sinful hand therein Yet the experience of Saints recorded in Scripture doth witness that they are incident to the best of Saints 2. Eliphaz doth also too much extenuate Jobs tryal and tentation drawing forth this weakness calling it but a touch contrary to their thoughts thereof Chap. 2.12 It is true a touch may import a sharp stroke which a man is made to feel as Chap. 2.5 Yet it is but a very slender word to express all Jobs great afflictions And it teacheth That many are apt to pry into and aggravaâ—e the failings of Saints who do little ponder the strong tentations they have to drive them so to slip But God though he be angry with those who raise a clamour above their strait doth ponder our tentations when he judgeth of our failings and consequently pitieth as Elisha did the Shunamite 2 King 4.27 The third head of his Argument is an Inference and conclusion drawn from his comparing the former two together ver 6. Wherein he thinks himself so clear that he dare appeal to Job himself whether this his way did not prove his Religion unsound and hypocriticall and that by his fainting who had comforted others he had given a poor proof of that Piety to which he had so much pretended Some take up those Questions thus Hath not thy fear been thy confidence and the uprightness of thy ways been thy hope That is Doth it not now appear that thy pretending to Piety to fear God and walk uprightly of which Chap. 1.1 was only mercenary because thou trusted and hoped to continue in prosperity thereby seeing now when thou art stripped of what thou enjoyedst thou faintest and discoverest that thou wast not sincere This was Satans very calumny against Job Chap. 1.9 10. now cast in his teeth by a godly friend As oft-times also the child of God may meet with his own very bosom tentations cast up to him by way of reproach for his further tryal and that he may be roused up to resist these tentations which otherwise he doth but too much cherish Psal 22.1 7 8 with 9. And whatever wrong they did to Job in this of which we heard somewhat on the former verse and somewhat will be added hereafter yet there is a general truth in this That time-servers can take up a form of godliness when it
under this imputation that they had been oppressours But if we look on this Discourse in it self abstracting from Eliphaz's mis-application and as it contains Gods sentence against wicked men and oppressours which he doth execute when and upon whom he will and not as Eliphaz prescribed to him it may instruct us in these General Truths 1. God is too hard a party for sinners to grapple with For his blast and the breath of his nostrils can consume them yea a look of him can bring to nothing Chap. 7 8. See Psal 90.11 2. As all gross sinners do evidence their beastly brutishness in the unreasonable beastly courses which they follow to satisfie their lusts 2 Pet. 2.12 So in particular Oppressours are in effect beasts in regard of their cruelty and violence and because no bonds of reason or civility can restrain them from doing evil when it is in the power of their hand Mic. 2.1 Therefore are they compared to Lions young Lions and fierce Lions So also to Dragons and Leviathans Psal 74.13 14. 3. Oppressours do justly meet with the reward of their brutish fury in that when they will no more be held by the bonds of Divine Precepts then Beasts are God takes them in the net of Divine Vengeance whereby their fury is bridled For so much is imported in breaking of their roaring voice and teeth It is a great blessing and a mean to prevent many judgments when men in power are bounded by a Conscience and the fear of God Gen. 48.18 Neh. 5.15 4. Albeit oppressours think to gain much to themselves and their heirs by oppression yet oft-times in Gods righteous judgment it falls out otherwise that they come to great misery themselves and bring dissipation upon their families For this is the Law-sentence against such though not alwayes executed in this life The old Lion perisheth for lack of prey and the stout Lions whelps are scattered abroad Vers 12. Now a thing was secretly brought to me and mine ear received a little thereof 13. In thoughts from the visions of the night when deep sleep falleth on men 14. Fear came upon me and trembling which made all my bones to shake 15. Then a spirit passed before my face the hair of my flesh stood up 16. It stood still but I could not discern the form thereof an image was before mine eyes there was silence and I heard a voice saying The third Argument is contained in a Vision which he had from God belike on this same occasion it being so sutable to Jobs case though mistaken by Eliphaz and produced to prove a wrong conclusion The sum of the Argument is held forth in the first words spoken by God in that Vision v. 17. That it is great presumption and as Eliphaz understood it the character of a wicked man to implead Gods righteousness in his afflicting of men To enforce which Argument Eliphaz produceth 1. The divine Authority of this Doctrine giving a large account how he received it from God v. 12 13 14 15 16. 2. The reasons whereby God speaking to him did confirm that Argument and Challenge v. 18 19 20 21. Before I enter upon the words somewhat must be cleared concerning this Vision in general And 1. It may be enquired whether Eliphaz had indeed such a Vision and Revelation from God or did only feign that he had one to conciliate Authority to his Doctrine Answ The circumstances and manner of this Vision being so exactly consonant to what is elsewhere recorded of the like manifestations the Doctrine here published being divine and the man being a godly man who makes this Narration it is not to be questioned but that indeed he had such a Vision and Revelation 2. It will then be enquired Whether the Lord did approve of Eliphaz's Principles and Opinion that he thus appears in a Vision to confirm him in his judgement Answ Nothing less For Chap 42.7 he tells him that he had not spoken right of him Yea this divine Revelation as we shall hear contains nothing of Eliphaz's Assertions That the righteousness of God who afflicts proves the man who is afflicted to be unrighteous and that there is no mids betwixt these two but either God who afflicts or the man who is afflicted must be unjust This doctrine hath nothing of this but doth only lay down these grounds upon which Elihu and afterward God himself do deal with Job viz. That the righteousness and spotless purity of God being infinitly above the creatures Man ought not to plead his own righteousness under affliction to the prejudice of Gods righteousness who afflicts him 3. It may then further be enquired How Eliphaz comes to make use of this doctrine to prove his Conclusion against Job Answ It may safely be conceived that being byassed and prepossessed with his own opinion he looked through his own prejudicate Spectacles upon Divine Truth judging that this challenge from God did not only bear a charging of Job with infirmity in managing of his cause and bearing of his affliction but a reprehension of gross wickedness such as he had already concluded him guilty of because of his afflictions So great is the power of delusion that even when men are taught by immediate Revelations they will expound them according to their own fancies And even Visions from God may be wrested by them who have prejudices As Act. 21.4 when the Spirit foretold Pauls hazards at Jerusalem his friends affection made them say as if it were from the Spirit of God that he should not go thither which was very far contrary to the purpose of God I come now to open up this Vision and Revelation as it lieth in the Text. And First in these verses he giveth an account how he received it from the Lord. This he doth largely insist upon producing the several circumstances thereof evidencing that he had it indeed from God which did both assure himself and might assure Job that the following Message was from God And it doth teach us How cautâ—ous we ought to be in admitting any light or obtrudâ—ng it upon others but what we know to be truth and thâ— mind of God In prosecution of this purpose I shall not insist to speak of the several ways whereby God did câ—mmunicate his mind of old O which see Heb. 1.1 Numb 12.6 8. Job 33.15 and elsewhere But shall only speak to the particulars in the Text. And First He gives an account of the manner how this Vision came to him and the measure of his receiving it ver 12. That this thing or word and message was brought secretly or by stealth unto him Not only without the knowledge or observation of others but suddainly and unexpectedly to himself and it seems also the voyce was so low and secret that it required special attention to perceive and take it up And accordingly he addeth that his ear received but a little thereof Not only did the Vision soon pass so that he had but a
he declares that not only when the Spirit or Angel passed by before him and first appeared ver 15. but even when it stood still he could not discern its shape and form wherein it appeared distinctly only some image or confused representation of it was before him ver 16. The reason whereof was partly the splendour and brightness wherein the spirit appeared partly his sudden surprizal and the astonishment of his spirit thereby This did insinuate 1. That Divine Truths were not then so clearly known and manifested but kept up in a mystery 2. That within time we are but little capable of more immediate manifestations of God which would dazzle our eyes and confound our judgements And therefore they are in great wisdom suspended till we come to know as we are known 3. That the Lord would hereby keep those who got those manifestations from doating on the Vision or external representations in it that so they might take heed to the message Hence we find Elijah wrapping his face in his Mantle when God spake to him 1 King 19.13 and Moses hiding his face Exod. 3.6 To intimate that though these extraordinary Sights and Visions served to assure them of the presence of God yet gazing thereupon was not the great benefit to be reaped by them but their great care was to hearken to what was said Which teacheth us That no glorious manifestation or operation of God will profit us if we neglect his voice in his Word Lastly He recounts how after all this God did communicate his mind to him by an audible voice ver 16. There was silence and I heard a voice after the tumultuous distempers of his mind were calmed and put to silence he heaâ—d the voice Or as some read it he heard a still calm voice So did he also speak to Elijah 1 Kings 19.12 and because of this it is said ver 12. that it came secretly to him And this way of uttering divine Revelations silently or in a calm voice was imitated by Satan in some of hâ—s Oracles Isa 8.19 29.4 Hence learn 1. Gods humbling dispensations toward his people will all come to a good issue and the close of all his dealing will still be sweet For after all his humbling and fear preparing him for the Vision and assuring him that God was present the voice cometh which bringeth the refreshful light 2. The composing of our spirits from the confusions and tumultuous disorders incident to them is a necessary antecedent to Gods revealing of his mind Foâ— when there was silence as our reading hath it I heard a voice 3. As for this way of the Lords speaking by a still or calm voicâ— as the Original will also bear albeâ—t we nâ—ed enquire after no reason why he mâ—kes use of it who doth all things after the counsel of his own will yet without wresting we may observe these in it 1. The Lord hereby did teach that these supernatural Truths were Mysteries not blazed abroad throughout the world but so to say whispered amâ—ng somâ— few Believers And as the Oracles of God were thus confinâ—d during all the time of the Old Testament Psal 147 19 20 Rom. 3.2 So in all ages thâ—y are but few to whom they are savingly revealed Matth. 11 25. 2. The Lord hereby did press attention on these to whom he revealed his mind as was marked on v. 12. while he spake not so loud as might reach them whether they attended or not but in a still voice which might excite them seriously to hearken 3. Hereby also the Lord declared that he will not be a terrour to such as delight to converse with him in his Word For to such he would not appear in Wind Earth-quakes or Fire 1 King 19. though those were necessary for preparation but in a still sweet voice which needed not affright them 4. Hereby also may be pointed out That however men ought to speak the Truths of God so audibly as they may be heard and with that zeal and fervency that becometh yet it is not the clamorous voyce that makes the word effectual but the weight and importance of the matter seriously pressed home by the Spirit of God For even by this still voice God communicated his will and made it to be obeyed in the world See Eccl. 9.17 Vers 17. Shall mortal man be more just then God shall a man be more pure then his maker Followeth the Revelation it self or the Doctrine which God revealed to him by this still voice consisting of an Assertion or Challenge v. 17. and a confirmation thereof ver 18 21. In the Explication whereof we need not insist to remark any false Principles or mistakes such as we find in Eliphaz's former Arguments For as we said before this is a divine Oracle sent by God to clear this case and according to which God himself deals with Job at last Only Eliphaz mistaking it doth press it upon Job as an argument and proof of his wickedness in which sense Job rejects it with the rest of his doctrine till God cometh to calm his passion and tell him more fully his fault and then he takes with all that is here asserted by way of reproof of his miscarriage Hence in the entry we may Observe 1. It may please God to suffer Saints to meet with no smaller tentations then if God in his Word or speaking from Heaven were condemning them For here Eliphaz chargeth Job as a man condemned by God in this Vision And this is no small tryal if we consider either that Gods sentence in his Word is unrepealable not to be rescinded nor contradicted by our dreams and delusions or the tenderness of Saints whose property it is to tremble at the Word of God 2. A chief cause of raysing groundless tentations and fears from the Word is when men do not distinguish betwixt the standing state of their person and their present condition or carriage Seeing they may be faulty in this last when their state of Reconciliation stands firm And therefore when faults are reproved men ought not to conclude that their persons are condemned which doth hinder repentance and amendment of faults by crushing discouragement For herein did Eliphaz wrest this Vision and render it a tentation and tryal to Jobs faith that he mis-applyed this reproof of his fault to the condemning of his state and person 3. It is a commendable exercise of faith when Saints have made sure their peace with God through Jesus Christ as not to hearken though even a voice from heaven should seem to contradict the Word on which they have builded 2 Pet. 1.18 19. Gal. 1.8 9. So not to hearken to every sentence of Scripture which may seem to brangle that confidence which they have founded upon Christ as he is revealed in the Covenant and general current of the Scriptures As knowing That Satan can wrest Scriptures as he did in tempting Christ Matth. 4. That he can abuse our weakness in a time of tryal
which arise upon our mistakes Vers 2. For wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one Eliphaz proceeds to press his Argument positively That as Job is nothing like the godly So he is very like the wicked This he instanceth first in this verse in the matter of his carriage under trouble which relates as hath been said to that challenge Chap. 4.5 6. Here by wrath we are not to understand the wrath of God but mans own wrath And the meaning in short is Eliphaz judging of Jobs complaint Chap. 3. as testifying much wrath or passion and bitterness under Gods hand so wrath is taken Chap. 18.4 and much envy or resentment whereof Psal 73. is a large Commentary that he was so afflicted while others prospered and that by so doing he tormented himself He doth from this his carriage inferr that he was a fool or wicked man it being their way so to behave themselves in trouble If this had been all true it were by far the sadder charge then that which followeth of his outward case like the wickeds But the mistake lieth here That because of some few fits of Jobs folly flowing from his weakness he chargeth upon him an habit of folly and that he was a fool indeed whereas Saints should not be judged according to their fits of passion With this caution we may here Learn 1. Wicked men how wise so ever they seem to be are really the only fools and silly men in the world not only upon the account of their miscarriage under trouble of which after but in regard they do not ponder things seriously but are taken up only with what is present and before their eyes nor do they prize or seek their own real good so they be deluded with a present shew or appearance of good Psal 4 6. And they do walk at random without any right end oâ— mending any right means for attaining their end Upon this account it is that they get the name of silly men and fools both here and ver 3. Psal 14.1 49.13 73 3. and frequently 2. The Childâ—en of God giving way to their own weaknâ—ss in trouble may fall in some miscarriages which look more like the practice of the wicked then of the godly For in so far his charge is juâ—t though it prove not Job to be wicked These practices godly men ought to avoid considering that they are a foul spot in a fair face and so much the more ugly as they are in them Eccl. 10.1 And what will they leave the wicked to do under trouble when they carry so ill 3. Bitterness murmuration and discontent with our condition whither considered in it self or as it is compared with the more quiet condition of others are usual distempers of heart under trouble and the sparks which fly from unrenewed nature or from the godly in so far as nature prevaileth For that in particular is the distemper reprehended in Job here that he had wrath and envy Such passions are more easily raised by afflictions then repentance humility and submission are attained The one need no Prayer to obtain them but are the product of our corruptions but the other must come down from above 4. To give way to those distempers is an evidence of great folly in men As not only proving that they are in so far ignorant of God what he is and of themselves that they are but creatures But being a way very prejudicial and hurtful For to murmur and fret will not help nor ease a man of his trouble Chap. 18.4 Yea it is the only way to slay him his own bitterness and passion being more grievous and crushing then the simple trouble in it self and provoking God also to destroy him for his presumption Upon these considerations are men called foolish and silly even because by their wrath and envy they kill and slay themselves And this is true even of the godly in so far as they engage in those courses Vers 3. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation 4. His children are far from safety and they are crushed in the gate neither is there any to deliver them 5. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up and taketh it even out of the thorns and the robber swalloweth up their substance In the next place He asserts that Job is like the wicked in his case and outward condition This is instanced in some experiences of the wickeds case very like unto Jobs which Eliphaz had observed That however they had prospered for a time yet their prosperity was but momentany and ended in visible judgments as had befaln Job It is not to be doubted but Eliphaz had seen such passages of Providence in his time as others also before and after him may have seen the like And consequently a sound use may be made of this doctrine Yet it doth not prove his Conclusion against Job For neither do all the wicked fall under these temporal rods nor do they only drink of that cup as hath been already cleared With this caution I proceed to the verses in order The suddain ruine of the wicked is spoken to in general ver 3. That though he saw the foolish or wicked taking root or seeking to fix and settle himself in his prosperity and seeming to be settled like a well planted tree which is a similitude to which the Scripture frequently alludes in speaking of the prosperity of the wicked Psal 37.35 Dan. 4.10 11 c. yet suddainly he cursed his habitation or state and family Not that he prayed for a curse upon him though it be no less true that he could not pray for a blessing upon him while he continued in that state Psal 129.8 Which is no small matter how little soever men regard the Prayers of Saints But that either in the height of the wickeds prosperity he without needing any great deliberation pronounced him accursed and therefore was not taken with his way nor would imitate him Or having seen a suddain curse come upon him he subscribed to it as just abominating him and his way This last Interpretation is agreeable to that experience of the Psalmist Psal 37.35 36. and to his own Commentary here ver 4 5. though we are not to exclude the former as a conclusion gathered by him from experiences of the like kind And though it be not universally true that the wicked are so suddenly cursed Psal 73.3 4 5. Yet that it is verified on some may afford instruction to all Doct. 1. The wicked may be plagued with some prosperity before they reap the final reward of their wickedness As here Eliphaz observed the foolish taking root or somewhat settled in appearance in their prosperity Hereby the Lord doth try the godlies faith and patience and doth ripen the wicked for sadder plagues Psal 92.6 7. Mic. 4 11 12. 2. It is the property of the wicked when they get any prosperity to set up their rest upon it
seeking to root and establish themselves on the earth Whereas the godly being in a right frame do labour to be strangers in the abundance of all things Otherwise they may surely expect to be shaken Psal 30.6 7. For it is an evidence of their folly that they are taking root and settling themselves 3. The Lord seeth it sometime sit suddainly to over-turn the wicked and their families that he may vindicate his justice in the view of the world may give warning to all the wicked of what they deserve that they abuse not his forbearance Rom. 2.4 and may encourage the godly to keep his way and trust in him whose Providence is not asleep in the world Psal 58.10 11. For it is true Eliphaz saw this verified on some that their habitation was suddainly cursed 4. Albeit the Lord do not suddainly and visibly plague every wicked man yet there is still so much of divine displeasure lying upon all of them even in their prosperity as may make godly men look upon their best estate as detestable and not to be desired For in so far this is true of all the wicked that their habitation may be seen to be accursed by right discerners And these instances of visible and suddain judgments observed by Eliphaz are evidences to discover how matters stand with all the rest It is true Saints may be tempted to judge otherwise when they look on their prosperity Psal 73.2 3 c. Yet when they go to the Sanctuary they will find that tentation to flow from their own brutishness Psal 73.16 17 21 22. And though no visible evidences of displeasure appear against every one of them Yet there is still a clear cause why their way should not be affected but their condition abominated even because they fear not before God Eccl. 8.11 12 13. 5. This is an evidence of the deplorable condition of the wicked that whatever their condition be it is a curse to them whether it be adversity or prosperity Psal 69.22 106.15 For that he saw of them suddainly cursed in their habitation or beautiful estate as the word will bear doth evidence that all of them are under and obnoxious to the curse and that visible curse is but a Declaration of what they are under before And this ought to be more adverted unto then any outward lot seeing the curse of any condition whether it be prosperity or a cross is worse then any thing beside 6. As God doth very suddainly plague some wicked men So it becometh the godly to be very clear in their judgment concerning the deserving of all and in their affections to be far from liking of their way For this suddain cursing as it relates to Eliphaz imports that in his judgment there held no long debate to conclude them miserable and that his affections do no otherwise relish their way and state then as under a sad curse And indeed It is the wisdom of the people of God not to hearken much to any debates and suggestions concerning the prosperity of the wicked nor to suffer their hearts to abate any thing of holy zeal and abhorrency of their way lest the abating of their affection and tampering with tentations prove inductive to a snare Eliphaz proceeds to branch out the particulars of this ruine of the wicked which are like the plucking up of so many branches of their roots In ver 4. he speaks of the condition of their Children who bear the prints of Gods judgments in that they are left in an unsafe condition being crushed and burne down without pity and relief from any That they are crushed in the gate may import either that they are condemned by publick Judicatories which usually met in the gates of the Cities Ruth 4.1 2 c. Or further that their afflictions whether immediately from God or from men were seconded with publick acclamations of all men for in the Gates also were the publick concourses of people Gen. 34.20 as justly and righteously inflicted and deserved by them Not to insist on the common defects of this branch of his Argument Nor how it may be the sad exercise of godly men to have their tryals represented by their own hearts or others in their blackest colours As here this reflection on Jobs Children could not but be sad and grievous to him We may further Learn 1. A chief part of a man wealth and prosperity is his Children who are a part of himself in whom he liveth after he is gone and they being pious it is his happiness to have been a parent to such heirs of glory Therefore doth Eliphaz begin at the ruine of Children as the saddest of the wickeds stroke See Psal 127.3 c. And this should teach Parents to esteem of Children and to emprove that mercy according as they are of worth in themselves 2. Albeit none will perish eternally but for their own sins Ezek. 18.2 3 4. And albeit the Lord do punish none even in this life were they only Infants but such as are guilty of sin Yet wicked Parents are ordinarily great snares and Plagues to their Children Partly while the Lord is provoked to punish Parents by afflicting their Children in their Bodies or Estates which they have from their Parents So Exod. 20.5 Thus Gods quarrel for the sins of Manasseh continued in the days of good Josiah 2 King 23.26 Thus also godly Children may bear in their bodies the fruits of their Parents uncleanness or intemperance and their Estates which they had from their Parents may moulder away in their hands Partly while the Lord who is debtor to none doth leave their Children to themselves to imitate their sins and so they serve themselves heirs to their Parents sin and punishments Matth. 23 31-35 For these causes the Plagues that come upon Children are marked as the fruit of wicked Parents sins See Deut. 28.32 And this may teach Parents as they love their Children to beware of leaving such sad debts upon the heads of their posterity 3. To be in an unsafe condition oppressed and trode upon by every one is in it self a great affliction and being the lot of wicked men it ought to be looked on as the just fruit of their insolent spirit toward God and his Law and toward others as they had power For this is the stroke drawn on by sin His children are far from safety they are crushed See Deut. 28.29 33. 4. Albeit godly men in a righteous cause may be oppressed by Judicatories on Earth and in that case they are to look up to an higher Tribunal Eccl. 5.8 Yet in it self it is a sad ingredient in trouble to be condemned by an Assembly of Gods Vicegerents which should perswade all to pray much that Judicatories may be directed of God in judgment and when such do pass a sentence against wicked men for their crimes they ought to look upon it as the sentence of Him who sitteth among the Gods Psal 82.1 pursuing them for their sins
The greatness and unsearchableness of Gods works call us to admire them and his glory shining in them not neglecting marvellous things because they are ordinary nor allowing our selves in our ordinary dispositions when God is doing great things whether in mercy or in judgment For if his works be great and unsearchable they should be marvellous things See Psal 126.2.3 118.23 Amos 3.8 5. In studying the works of God we ought not to confine our selves to any one particular but take such a view of the innumerable works done by him as may discover his infinite Glory and Majesty and his Al-sufficiency and may humble us in the sense of our inability to comprehend that glory of God which shineth even in his works For his works are marvellous things without number In particular If we consider that Eliphaz speaks this to Job as a motive to perswade him to seek unto God we may take up a threefold account upon which he thus describeth God which will afford sound general Doctrine though not seasonably applyed to Job as a man not yet converted 1. That Job being under such an extraordinary dispensation of Providence and great and marvellous things being done toward and upon him and his family He should not look upon them as springing out of the ground or to be sleighted and so neglect to seek God but should see the special hand of God to excite him to his duty And indeed This is the Lords usual method When we regard not God speaking in his Word he begins with the rod and when ordinary rods prevail not he will send judgments which will discover a finger of God Isa 26.11 And if these will not move us we proclaim our selves incorrigible 2. That being under the hand of so great a Lord whose working declareth him to he great and marvellous He should not think to prevail by striving with God who can do so great and unsearchable things But it was his safety to seek to God and stoop and commit his case to him And indeed None do know God aright but they who under afflictions look upon submission and yielding as their safety and upon their coming to God as the only way of out-gate See Chap. 9.9 And that men in trouble may be excited to this they should seriously ponder their case not as those Isa 42 24 25. Hos 7.9 and should lay to heart the severity and displeasure of God manifested therein Psal 90.11 1 Cor. 19.22 3 That in seeking and stooping to God he ought not to be discouraged by any trouble that was upon him considering what a God he is and what his works declare he can do for such as seek him And here all these properties of Gods works are grounds of confidence to such as humbly seek his face 1. God can do great things for his people Joel 2.21 Psal 126.3 65.5 If ordinary working cannot deliver them he will magnifie his work ere his Promise fail 2. God also works unsearchable things for his people things not seen in any second cause for even the eater will afford them meat to allude to that phrase Judg. 14.14 and things that they could little expect in outward appearance Gen. 16.13 Isa 64.1 2 3. 3. He also works marvellous things Not only things little expected that forgetters of prosperity Lam. 3.17 should be remembred that tossed captives should be restored and multiplied Isa 49.21 and little believed Zech. 8.6 But things whereat the world will wonder and wherewith themselves should be affected even to admiration Psal 126.1 2. 4. He can work those wonders without number Hereby clearing That he hath not one blessing only but many for his people That he will be no less potent in one tryal then in another and That former deliverances though abused by us shall not exhaust his resolution and ability to do for those who seek to him Psal 106.43 44. Judg. 10.13 16. All those considerations may exceedingly encourage the afflicted to seek to God And though the Lord do not alwayes visibly appear for them that seek him and it was Eliphaz's errour to strain those encouragements too much in temporal things Yet not only is Piety and seeking of God a reward to it self But that the Lord hath thus appeared at any time doth sufficiently demonstrate what God can and will do for every one that seeks him if it be for their good Vers 10. Who giveth rain upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields 11. To set up on high those that be low that those which mourn may be exalted to safety This general Doctrine concerning Gods working is here instanced in his common Providences in the earth particularly in giving rain ver 10. which is amplified ver 11. from Gods purpose therein which is to encourage those who are brought low and are made to mourn under such a rod Whereby also God doth demonstrate that his scope in all his working is to encourage them humbly and mournfully seek to him From ver 10. Learn 1. God is the Author of rain and other seasons and of the effects thereof on the Earth whatever be the second causes For He giveth Rain upon the Earth and sendeth Waters upon the Fields See Acts 14.17 Jer. 14.22 Psal 65 9 10. 68.9 Amos 4.7 It is our duty to see him more in those and to imploy him as we need them Jam. 5.17 18. 2. The very common works of God are full of his grace and of rich treasures for faith to feed upon For this of rain is a proof of that general ver 9. that he doth great things and unsearchable Those works are set before us that beside the benefit we reap thereby we may by the study of them be raised in our spirits to entertain high thoughts of God Psal 19.1 2 c. and induced to seek him Jer. 5.24 3. Among all other works of common Providence he instanceth in the matter of rain Partly to press Job to his duty by the study thereof For on the one hand Gods common kindness to all men in sending them rain and food Matth 5.45 should lead them to seek God Rom. 2.4 and assure them of much kindness if they seek him seeing he is so kind when they are Rebels that they may seek him And on the other hand if they will not seek God he can easily reach them and make them know how frail they are and that the want â—â— shower of rain in its season will be enough to ruine them Partly this instance is pitched upon rather then other great works of the Heavens Sun and Stars because those being constant are less observed whereas want of rain being oft-times our exercise we are made to see God in it So little of God do we observe in mercies which we ordinarily enjoy unless we be sent often to God about them If we wanted vicissitudes and changes in our condition we would be in peril to turn Atheists See Psal 55.19 From ver 11. Learn 1. It
the rod and whereas we had thosâ— mercie before and provoked God to take them away it is an happiness to have them restored and our selves taught by the rod to improve them better Vers 19. He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee 20. In famine he shall redeem thee from death and in war from the power of the sword 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it commeth 22. At destruction and famin thou shalt laugh neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth 23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee The former general promise and encouragement ver 18 is to ver 27. branched out with particular application to Jobs case in many particular promises of temporal mercies Concerning which it is to be adverted in the general that we understand them aright otherwise we will be ready to doubt of Gods presence with us if they be not fully performed to our mind as Judg. 6.13 But we ought to understand those and the like temporal promises such as these Psal 91. 112. according to those general rules and caveats Rom. 8.28 1 Tim. 4.8 Psal 34.10 and the like And it was Eliphaz's errour if he dreamed of an absolute promise of these to every godly man Those particular Encouragements may be reduced to two Heads whereof the first in these verses may be thus summed up That if Job will stoop to God and be patient he shall have deliverance preservation prevention and security in and from troubles however circumstantiated for number variety singularity or being common This is generally propounded ver 19. and inlarged and instanced ver 20 21 22 23. Where by the various sorts of tryals mentioned and the various promises concerning them we may conceive that he points not only at troubles already come upon Job from which he should be delivered and in the mean time be hid from the evil thereof but at further troubles which he might procure by his impenitencie and impatience and which if he did his duty should be prevented and at those general calamities which might fall out in his time and the common hazards to which all men are obnoxious in the midst of all which he should possess an holy security In unfolding this encouragement we may consider First That concerning which he hath the promise and that is in general troubles Which are particularly circumstantiated 1. From their number six and seven ver 19. Not that we should curiously seek out the number of seven here Famine War Calumnies Destruction hazards from the Wild Beasts of the Earth from the stones and from the tame Beasts of the Field But indefinitely by six are meant many troubles and by seven yet more troubles even to a number of perfection usually expressed by seven See Lev. 26.28 Prov. 6.16 2. In this number there is a variety of troubles which are enumerated to be Famine and Sword ver 20. Calumnies or other injuries of the tongue and some great havock and destruction flowing from some other cause then War or Famine formerly mentioned ver 21. 3. Not only is there a variety of single tryals coming alone but divers of them coming together and at once as Famine and Destruction by some other mean ver 22. 4. Beside extrordinary calamities there are ordinary and common hazards whether from stones of the field of which See Psal 91.11 12. or Beasts wild or tame ver 22 23. Not to insist on every one of those particular tryals Learn 1. It is neither tryal nor want of tryal that is the mark of the godly man There is no blessing in being spared nor evil in being corrected but it is the life of tryal that makes the difference As these suppositions of many troubles do teach us 2. From the multitude of troubles here mentioned we may learn Partly That man hath many doors and inlets to admit trouble and is obnoxious to to trouble by many means whether it be Sword Famine Calumnies of the tongue or other destruction it is enough to afflict frail man and partly That the people of God may need many troubles whether to discover themselvs or to fit them for multitudes of proofs of his love which requires so many open doors to let it in sensibly and comfortably They are to look for many troubles Psal 34.19 and these it may be very frequent six and seven like so many waves and billows coming so thick upon the back one of another till they want leisure to draw their breath Job 9.18 And it may be also a complete number of tryals as the number of seven imports as if none could be added Lam. 2.22 All this may be necessary for the ends mentioned and to hold us in exercise And it teacheth every child of God in looking for troubles to lay his account upon the utmost that may befal him 3. For this variety of sundry kinds of trouble It is necessary partly To keep us in exercise when one tryal becomes blunt through long custome another let loose upon us will have an edge to make us feel Partly to prepare us for variety of experiences of Gods kindness shining one way in War and another way in Famine c. and partly to seek out variety of weaknesses and corruptions in us some tryal working upon one lust some on another Hence it is that the scourge of the tongue is ranked up with sharpest judgments because it will work more on some spirits then a greater tryal 4. For this conjunction of divers tryals together it affords a necessary caution That our being under one tryal doth not exempt us from another if God please to send it on at the same time For where Famine is God may send also other destruction Captivity will not hide from the Sword Amos 9.4 though men under some trouble are ready to become secure as if they should meet with no more and to quarrel if it be otherwise 5. The instances of common hazards do teach That albeit the Lord should keep off extraordinary judgments he can teach man by very common means As all things are enemies to man since the fall So the very Stones of the Field and the Beasts not only these which are wild but the tame which converse with us and serve us are sufficient to bread us a tryal and exercise Angels are appointed to guard Saints in these common hazards Psal 91.11.12 and we ought to observe much special care and providence in our preservation from them Secondly The promise made in reference to these tryals which is branched out in several expressions relating to every one of those cases Not that we are to restrict every particular branch of the promise only to that particular tryal with which it is mentioned though there may be some weight laid on some particular promise
dispositions sutable to their condition whatever it be Vers 8. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Followeth to ver 14. Jobs desire of death which he laboureth to press and justifie by divers Arguments He bringeth it in upon the back of the former debate thus That though they would not give him leave to complain or desire death yet he seeing no comfort within time nor hope beside would take leave His desire is propounded ver 9. That God who is Soveraign Lord of life would be pleased to destroy him and would not measure out affliction by piece-meal and with a bound up hand but would let loose his hand and make an end of him which he might easily do any death so it were speedy being better as he thought then his present condition This sute he ushers in and presseth from the ardency of his desire ver 8. He had desired it before Chap. 3. and now being the worse of their essays to cure him and of more hopeless of any comfortable issue in this life his longing after death is increased This desire hath been spoken to in part Chap. 3.20 It argues great presumption in limiting of God and doating on a remedy of his own prescribing as if it only could serve his turn And albeit he had the testimony of a good Conscience so that he needed not fear death yet many desires had been more sutable then that he should venture on any death from Gods hand and that as it might seem in justice and when he is already lying under so much of that kind It teacheth 1. God is Lord of our life who can take it away when where and by what means he will For so much doth Job's desire import that he can destroy and cut off at his pleasure 2. An afflicted mind is a great strait and pressure so that many sharp dispensations would be a deliverance if they made men rid of it For Job's pressure of mind is such that it makes him account a violent death a deliverance They who enjoy peace and tranquility of mind in sad times have an easie part of it And men would beware to make a breach upon their inward peace by shifting outward trouble See Matth. 10.28 Many by sinful shifting of trouble have been brought to that extremity that many deaths would have been easier 3. A tentation once fixed in a broken spirit cannot easily be pulled out again For Job cannot be driven from this desire on which he hath once fixed but he presseth it over and over again Men had need to beware of the first rise of such distempers and to crush them in the bud 4. Albeit a Child of God may be pestered and haunted with many sinful passions and desires in his trouble yet it is his mercy to be kept from sinful actings in prosecution of those desires For in the midst of this heat of desire Job's honesty appears in that he will not help God to take away his life how much soever he desire death but will wait on him if he may be pleased to grant his desire in his own way Some sparks of honesty may appear even in the greatest weakness of Saints As to his ardency and fervour in pressing his desire it hath been spoken to Chap. 3.21 22. and that men in their distempers are very earnest that God would do what they desire though yet it were oft-times a sad judgment if God should grant it seeing they may in that case be apt to desire that most which is most prejudicial to them Yea our ardent desires after any outward lot are oft times too great an evidence that we are wrong To these add 1. Job's practice holds forth a right pattern though in a wrong instance of pursuing our lawful desires By praying and requesting for it and a longing expectation backing the Prayer and so renewing the sute often and walking under the delay as they who are afflicted and affected thereby Psal 88.11 12 13. This being Job's practice in so unwarrantable a desire it may give a check to our sluggishness in more honest desires 2. When men give way to sinful tentations they may in Gods holy Providence meet with many occasions to entertain them As Job here longing after death his Friends disappointing of him adds fuel to the fire and makes it more vehement as thinking he was hereby confirmed in the equity of his desires Thus tempters of God fall in snares Mal. 3.15 and hearkners also to false Prophets Deut. 13.1 2 3. This may terrifie men who enter upon a way without a rule and warrant that they may meet with such snares and every confirmation they think they meet with in their way may humble them if they consider that God thereby gives them up to strong delusions Vers 10. Then should I yet have comfort yea I would harden my self in sorrow let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the holy One The first Argument whereby he labours to justifie this desire is taken from the comfort he expected having the testimony of a good Conscience He professeth that notwithstanding all that had befaln him or could be in a violent death he should yet have comfort if it were a coming or already come And though it might be apprehended that he would repent and cool of that courage when it came to the push He professeth he would harden himself in sorrow he would harden and confirm his heart against that way of death or any sorrow attending it yea or any sorrow in the mean time provided that death were near and the sorrow hastning it forward And for a proof of this his courage and resolution he renews his request and desires that God will not spare Not that he dares desire to be dealt with in justice but it imports only his desire not to be spared as to cutting of him off but the sharper usage the better so it made an end of him And the ground of all this courage was that he had not concealed the words of the holy One he had been a sincere Professour of Gods Truth and had spoken truth in this particular that he was an upright man Or he had not put out the light of Gods Truth in his mind nor cancelled the Seal of his Spirit in his heart by sin Rom. 1.18 and had held forth the Truth of God in his Profession and Practice Psal 40.10 Phil. 2.15 16. And all this he did because God is the Holy One not to be dallied with and who cannot approve of sin By all which he clears that his desire of death was not a desperate wish but grounded upon the testimony of a good Conscience and his hope to be approved when he should come to be judged by God and not by men In this Discourse it flowed indeed from Jobs
upon and ruining poor Orphans And their disappointing of his expectation in trouble and their pernicious counsel to quit his integrity was no less persidious then if one friend should dig a pit for another to entrap him therein Not to speak any thing here of that crying sin of wronging Orphans which God will judge and avenge Psal 68.5 Or of that faithfulness which ought to be among friends we may from the scope Learn 1. A person afflicted in spirit may compare with any for misery For Job implies that such are fatherless and helpless indeed and therefore such going to God with their trouble may expect pity 2. It is great cruelty to wrong such afflicted ones or to add to their misery Such dealing is to overwhelm the fatherless No cruelty is beyond it See Psal 69.26 3. Such as prove perfidious or are ill counsellers to Saints in trouble ought to consider what snares they do thereby lead them in For such do dig a pit for their friend And this was very sadly verified in Job who by his Friends carriage was driven into many snares and fits of distemper and passion against God and his dealing Vers 28. Now therefore be content look upon me for it is evident unto you if I lie 29. Return I pray you let it not be iniquity yea return again my righteousness is in it 30. Is there iniquity in my tongue cannot my taste discern perverse things Followeth a conclusion by way of preface to what he is to say in the next Chapter Wherein he desireth that since they had so far mistaken him and miscarried in their discourses they would give him audience to speak for himself Here consider First His Exhortation consisting of two branches 1. Which is more principal Now therefore be content look upon me ver 28 As if Job had said Seeing ye are so far wrong I desire ye will lay aside your prejudices and with meekness take a view not only of my countenance but of my case as I shall present it before you or hearken peaceably to my discourse which shall be a true and lively portraiture of my self 2. Which is subservient to the former return again which he presseth very seriously by earnest entreaty return I pray you and by doubling the sute yea return again ver 29 The sum and meaning of which desire is That they might not precepitate in this business nor be blinded and carried on by reason of their being imbarqued in a debate but that they should reflect and in calmness take a review of the business Hence Learn 1. Reproofs when they are given upon just grounds ought to be entertained and to produce some good fruit Therefore after the former sharp reproof Job comes to advise them to that duty which is the necessary fruit of it 2. Such as would judge rightly of the case of others ought to hear them patiently and fully before they give sentence For it is supposed as their duty that before they be concluded as to their judgment concerning him they be content and look on him See Prov. 18.13 3. Men ought to deal candidly and sincerely in giving an account of their condition especially to friends who are apt to mistake them For saith he look on me intending by his discourse to give them a true Character of himself 4. Much soberness and love to truth and much diligence and painfulness are required in them who would find out the truth in dark cases For that they may judge aright in this matter Job requires that they be content or patient to hear and willing to be informed and though they had taken some view of his condition before yet he presseth that yet again they will look on him and that they will return yea return again before they determinately conclude Our light is of great concernment to us and therefore had need to be found It is the Principle of all our motions and actions and as the eye which if it be dark darkneth the whole body And as sound light is necessary so it is difficult to attain our natural darkness lusts negligence interests want of love to the truth and sleighting of it being ready to hide it from us Withal rashness and precipicancy in our closing with light or what seems to be light is very dangerous For even though men in such away fall upon the right yet it doth not commend them because it is not any solid consideration of the truth that perswades them Rashness is a shrewd evidence that men are wrong For it is a principle that needs to be reformed Isa 32.4 and conclusions are readily such as principles are These who are rash do only consider what is presently before them without discerning the future consequents of their way And finally When men once rashly engage in a wrong way they cast themselves upon a snare that their pride will not suffer them to retire as here it needs many Exhortations to look and return again Mans credit is a very dangerous Idol And Herod will not care to sacrifice John the Baptists life to his credit if it be engaged in the quarrel These considerations may teach men and especially such as labour to impose their way upon others in looking toward principles and courses and the snares of the time to which they are exposed to be very serious and deliberate Considering what a rare thing it is to find men examine their own way or suspicious of the inclinations of their heart when once they are engaged 5. What ever prevalency it hath with our hearts to continue in an evil way because we are engaged in it Yet it will not bear any weight before God nor will it serve for a defence or excuse at the day of our accounts Therefore doth Job press it as a necessary though difficult duty return I pray you yea return again And this may sadly rebuke those who resolve to go on in a course which they would never have entered upon had they foreseen ere they embarqued what they now find Secondly Consider the Arguments pressing this Exhortation Which are 1. For it is evident unto you or before your face if it lie ver 28. That is I shall speak nothing but what is plain and distinct as if it were set before your face and so ye will soon discern whether I speak truth or not And if ye will hear me a sober debate will soon clear the matter This Argument presseth the first branch of the Exhortation And doth indeed suppose this truth That not only can God easily manifest the folly of erroneous mâ—n 2 Tim 3 9. But a lie will not long hold â—oot if it be well heâ—d tâ—â—â— but truth may be soon found out through Gods blessing on sober debate and waiting on him if so be Conscience guided men and they were sâ—eking truth for truths sake But the issue shewed both on their part and his that there may be somewhat that will obstruct the discovery of truth
was a godly man approved of God Vers 11. Can the rush grow up without mire Can the flag grow without water 12. Whilest it is yet in his greenness and not cut down it withereth before any other herb 13. So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shall perish Bildad having commended the way of probation proceeds to the thing to be proved And holdeth forth the Doctrine of the Antients concerning the case of Hypocrites in three similitudes The first whereof in these verses is taken from the rush or flag And it is 1. Propounded ver 11 12. That a bulrush or reed cannot grow without mire and water Yea and when it flourisheth it withereth without any violence or cutting down sooner then any herb that is not so flourishing-like 2. It is applyed That forgetters of God and hypocrites and all their hopes both things expected and their expectation of them do so perish ver 13. Where the similitude seems to hold in these two 1. That an hypocrite cannot hold up without prosperity more then a reed can grow without water 2. That as reeds and bulrushes have their fits of suddain withering even when they are most green which demonstrates their want of substance So hypocrites get sudddain strokes from God that he may declare them to be such And he blasts their outward condition and prosperity that their profession may be seen to be blasted by their abandoning thereof in trouble as Chap. 4.4 5 6. This Doctrine is full of the errour formely taxed For 1. If this be understood of the prosperity and outward condition of hypocrites it is not true that all of them or only they are thus made to wither within time 2. If it be understood of their inward condition or spiritual and gracious frame to which they pretend Though it be true that great troubles will discover hypocrisie Mat. 13.20 21. Isa 33.14 Yet every trouble will not make that discovery And on the other hand it is to be considered that even real Saints may have their own fits of blasting and withering notwithstanding the truth of their grace For the Bride Cant. 5.2 and the wise Virgins Mat 25.5 may fall a sleep And particularly under calamities many of the Superfluities of Saints and some hypocrisie in their profession may be blown away Yea judgments may abate much of their life and vigour in Piety though they have not only true grace still but some measure of liveliness also And therefore Saints are not to bâ— judged as to the truth of their grace by their sits and swoundings under sharp and discouraging afflictions in which condition these who are least sensible may seem to have most vigour in their profession though it be otherwise With these Cautions this Doctrine may teach 1. The holding forth of this Doctrine under similitudes by Bildad and those Ancients to whose judgments he refers Job doth point out their desire to speak plainly and to the capacity of people which is indeed a necessary duty and an evidence of honesty For notional Religion and high-flown conceptions about it are an evidence of emptiness See 1 Tim. 1.4 5 6 7. And though many do account men spiritual in their Doctrine because of their sublimated and refined notions and expressions Yet Christ condescended to preach in Parables and Paul laid aside the wisdome of words 1 Cor. 1.17 And indeed many of those fine conceptions are nothing else but those enticing words and that philosophie and vain deceit whereby the simplicity of the Gospel is corrupted and the spirits of professours are spoiled and taken off the substance of Religion Colos 2.4 8. 2. This their way of teaching doth also point out their spiritual mindedness In that as it was their care to imprint heavenly truths in their own and others minds by the consideration of those common objects So habituating themselves and others who would hearken to their Doctrine with meditation upon spiritual things every common object represented to their senses did put them in mind thereof and furnish some memento for that end And this is a pattern most worthy of imitation 3. Whereas Eliphaz in his Doctrine spake much of the wicked Bildad deals chiefly with the hypocrite such as he conceived Job to be and declares them to lie under the same lash and vengeance which Eliphaz declared to be the portion of the wicked Hereby this may be pointed out which is a truth whatever particular mistake be in his Doctrine That hypocrites especially gross dissemblers in the mattter of Religion are in no less woful case then the very wicked and openly prophane Their shew of godliness will help them nothing but only contribute to make up their dittay and to render their sin the more odious and their judgment the more sad that they have done wickedly under a mask of Piety and so prophaned the holy name of God 4. Here also some Characters of wicked and gross hypocrites may be found They are forgetters of God He is not much in their hearts nor before their eyes in their walking how neer soever he seem to be in their mouths Isa 29.13 Jer. 12.2 He is not owned and acknowledged in the good things they get nor his Providence adored and submitted to in what they want Nor is he esteemed of and delighted in continually as their portion but sleighted neglected and forgotten And notwithstanding all this their wickedness yet they are full of hope and presumptuous expectations They are seldom if at all vexed with diffidence as the godly who are allowed to hope in God are in their confidence Nor is their confidence any thing weakened or questioned by reason of their guilt till God by his stroke crush it altogether and make it perish 5. It is an undeniable mark of tâ—â—e grace to keep green and lively when we want prosperity and when the cross doth not cause our Profession to wither but we grow up like the Palm-tree under the burden Psal 92.12 For so much would Bildad himself grant while he makes it an evidence of the hypocrite that he withereth when God smites him See Job 17.8 9. 6. God doth not look chiefly to outward shews or appearances in men nor are we so much to regard those but to look chiefly to our solid â—00â— and that we be substantial in our way For in this other herbs are preferred to the rush and slag that they endure longer then they though yet they do not flourish so fair 7. Whatever be the Lords way and dispensations within time yet this will be the issue of all â—â—al hypocrites Their greatest flourishing shall not hinder a remarkable stroke and the pulling off of the mask of their rotten Profession and all their hopes and expectations will end in disappointments In this sense Bildads Doctrine is sound though he intended more in it See Job 11.20 18.14 Prov. 10.28 Vers 14. Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiders web 15. He shall
it is not so with me Some read it as a reason of his offer Because I am not so with my self as if he had said I would debate my cause with God upon the terms propounded because I am nothing such in my own Conscience as your misapprehensions and aâ—â—ersions would represent me which yet do not move me sâ—â—ce I have a witness in my self to the contrary But the best reading according to the Original is But or because not so I with my self And so it contains both a regret and a resolution As if he had said seeing I am not so as I desire to be that I might plead my cause I have not that advantage to be delivered from Gods rod and terrour that I might get such an heaâ—ing of my cause Therefore I will give over to propound or make the offer and will do the best I can to digest all my grievances with my self in my own bosom A further account of which resolution is subjoyned in the next Chapter Whence Learn 1. Saints may be under disadvantages which God will not remove when they please and yet may remove them when they look upon them as past remedy For saith he But not so I. He obtained not now his desired liberty to plead his cause though afterward he did both with Elihu and God himself albeit the issue was not altogether such as he expected 2. Silent submission under hard dispensations is better then any disputation and quarrelling For so doth he resolve Because not so I with my self CHAP. X. Job having hitherto answered to what Bildad had said Partly concerning Gods Righteousness by acknowledging and magnifying of it Partly concerning his own righteousness by asserting and proving that without any prejudice to the Righteousness of God who had afflicted him he was a righteous man He cometh now to obviate what was insinuated in Bildad's discourse Namely That Job considering Gods Righteousness who had afflicted him and his own unrighteousness should seek to God and give over his complaints To this Job answers by his practice falling upon and renewing his wonted complaints Yet so as he indirectly labours to justifie his practice before his Friends in that he was so hard put to it before he began ver 1. And he more directly labours to justifie it in that he quits them as unfit Judges and dare go to God with his complaints and in that he presseth them home in his own judgment upon so strong and convincings grounds Some of which grounds are indeed sound Truths and clearly and positively asserted by him yet not sufficient to bottom his Conclusions or his Inferences from them proceed upon a mistake Others of them discover him to be brought to a great conflict betwixt faith and his tentation and present sense wherein he owns Truth but with a great debate And others of them declare him to be overpowred with his passion though he calm a little toward close of his discourse The Chapter may be taken up in two Parts In the first whereof to v. 20. we have his complaint or his endeavour to ease his sorrows by complaining This might be taken up in the rise of his complaint v. 1. The Proposition of it v. 2. and the prosecution of it v. 3 c. But I shall sum it up thus There is a complaint carried on in this Discourse which may be summed up in an expostulation with God that he did so sharply afflict him breaking him with present trouble and threatning him with more trouble yea even to cut him off with trouble This sum of his Expostulation may be gathered from ver 2 3 8 9 16 17. And his expostulating about this doth imply a request that God would not deal so with him This being scope of Job's Discourse the whole of it may be taken up in so many Arguments tending not only to justifie his complaints before his Friends as hath been said but chiefly to enforce his complaint and press his desire before God For as he judgeth there was no reason why his Friends should censure his complaint and much reason why God should regard it and change his dealing toward him Considering that he was put hard to it before he did complain ver 1. That it is hard measure if he be condemned before he be convinced of the cause and crime ver 2. That it doth not beseem God by dealing so hardly with him to oppress and sleight his own creature and servant and to seem to favour the wicked ver 3. That Good needs not this way of torturing him to find out what he is ver 4 5 6. That God knew he was not wicked and yet that would not avail him unless himself withdrew his hand ver 7. That God had made and preserved him and therefore he cannot but regret that he should so violently destroy his own workmanship ver 8.9 10 11 12 13. That he can see no cause of Gods dealing thus nor what God meant or intended by all this severity ver 14 15. That his trouble had put him in great confusion and therefore he thinks God should look to the greatness of his trouble which so confounded him ver 15 16 17. And that his trouble was so great it made him repent his being born and wish he had died from the womb ver 18 19. In the second part of â—he Chapter Job calming a little doth suâ—joyn to his former Expostulation a short Petition for respite and leave to breath a while before he died ver 20 21 22. Vers 1. My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon my self I will speak in the bitterness of my soul THis verse contains an account of the rise of Job's Expostulation and complaint which is the first Argument pressing his Friends not to misconstruct him and pleading with God that he would regard it and not deal so sharply with him For when he had resolved to smother his griefs Chap. 9.35 yet he could not but they made his life a burden to him And when again he laboured to suppress his complaints because of such a case yet he could not prevail But at last after many resolutions to the contrary his bitterness by reason of much affliction burst forth in a complaint and made him â—ry if he could find ease by so eloquent a way of pouring out his sorrows before God From which he leaveth it to be inferred That it beseemed God to respect such a complaint and the afflictions which pressed it out of him which were so great that he could not refrain from that way of it which was so contrary to his frequent resolutions and desires And That it was his Friends duty not to judge hardly of him though he complained when he was so pressed and put to it In general Obs 1. Gods Children while they are within time are made up of Flesh and Spirit Nature and Grace which under trouble will have strong wrestlings one with another taking resolutions time about
with God and his service as Isai 33.14 2. From this it followeth That they prove themselves honest men who in the height of trouble will abide by it and go to God and keep his way and will not cast away confidence and dependance come what will For this is Job's proof of his honesty that he will come before God which an Hypocrite will not do Thus honesty is proved in troubles by waiting and desires Isai 26.8 by cleaving to Gods way Psal 44.17 c. by persevering in Prayer Psal 88.13 14 15. and by confidence in these Prayers expecting wonders to be shewed to the dead ere the honest seeker of God be utterly forsaken Psal 88.10 11. In a word when Saints blush and are ashamed to come to God Ezra 9.6 when they are affrighted with trouble or whatever their disadvantages be yet to come to God and cleave to him is good and a proof of honesty Vers 17. Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears 18. Behold now I have ordered my cause I know that I shall be justified Unto all these commendations of his confidence and evidences of his sincerity Job subjoyns an inference and conclusion wherein he wisheth they would diligently attend to what he was to say to God both by way of declaration of his sorrow to plead for pity and especially by way of pleading his own integrity being confident as one who had considered and examined his own cause exactly that God would justifie and absolve him not approving every escape in him especially in the way of managing the debate but declaring him a righteous man in a Mediatour and that he had better cause in this debate betwixt him and them Hence Learn 1. Men in trouble should have much liberty and allowance to speak their mind and what they say should be well attended to as not being rashly spoken but from real pressure of mind For saith he hear diligently my speech and my declaration either of my sorrows or integrity or both with your ears This he presseth that so they might see what Truth is in what he said and what his case was that made him speak as he did Men get pressures to teach them to speak solidly and not at random and what such speak should not be sleighted but albeit all they say cannot be justified yet their pressures should plead for much allowance and compassion as in another case 2 King 4.27 2. Even good men when themselves are unconcerned are ordinarily but little sensible of the condition of others and do little regard their complaints Therefore he must double Exhortation that they would hear and hear diligently and with their 〈◊〉 The neglect of this duty is an ordinary presage â—f trouble to come upon our selves as Reuben observed Gen. 42.21 22. And the Disciples who were little tender of the multitude who crowded after Christ to enjoy his company which themselves had without interruption are sent away to Sea without him that they might learn to pity others who could not at all times be with him Matth. 14.15 22 c. 3. Saints may attain to assurance of Gods approbation As here Job knoweth he shall be justified This assurance hath been attained even in sad distresses Rom. 8.35 38. And for godly men to doubt of it is their sin though every doubting be not inconsistent with faith nor even with some degree of assurance And therefore such ought not to habituate themselves to unbelief and doubtings which may have sad fruits But they should study to attain assurance that they may manage their approaches to God with hope and confidence 4. Such as would maintain their confidence assurance and integrity ought to try and examine their own estate well For saith he Behold now I have ordered my causes or taken notice of all I have to say for my self Not only is a delusion in the main matter dangerous but even in every particular evidence of our sincerity and ground of confidence For if we build upon any unsure Principle the discovery of that may readily cast all loose when yet there is no cause why we should do so seeing one may be truly honest who yet may be mistaken of some evidences of it And therefore we ought to be very exact and cautious 5. Albeit men having searched themselves never so exactly cannot conclude that they can abide Gods search and judgment as he is a severe Judge nor yet that they are perfect according to the tenour of the Covenant of Works which is the meaning of Paul's words 1 Cor. 4.4 Yet it is of Gods great mercy that upon mens impartial search of themselves and finding things right they may believe God will absolve them and approve them as sincere according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace For so Job having ordered his cause knows that he shall be justified If our hearts do condemn us upon just grounds and not upon a mistake the thoughts of Gods Omniscience may indeed affright us 1 Joh. 3.20 But if our hearts upon solid grounds condemn us not thoughts of his Al-seeing eye need not weaken our confidence 1 Joh. 3.21 Vers 19. Who is he that will plead with me for now if I hold my tongue I shall give up the ghost In this verse Job concludes his first Argument upon which he hath so long insisted taken from his confidence professing that since he know of such a Judge as God was and had so studied his cause he would gladly know his party being ready to enter the lists with any of them in this quarrel Unto whâ—h 〈◊〉 subjoyns the Second Argument confirming and 〈◊〉 his resolution to plead his câ—use with 〈…〉 is taken â—rom his great pressure and dis◠〈◊〉 He dâ—clares that as his assurance to be 〈…〉 of which he hath already spoken is not â—mall so his pâ—nt pressure to speak was not little 〈◊〉 if he should hold his peace as they judged was his duty it would cost him his life Not only was he to dâ—e shortly hâ—ng in such a weaâ— condition and so if he spake not in time he would leave his integrity unclear'd under all the bloâ—s they had cast upon him and Gods severe dispensations seemed to charge him with But unless he got a vent to his grief by speaking and complaining it would crush him and hasten his death And this Argument is so pressing upon Job's own spirit that having once named it without more ado he betakes himself to God and begins his address to him in the following verses Doct. 1. Saints must resolve that they will not always get their assurance held up in confident assertions not contradicted by any person or thing but must lay their account to have it questioned with pleadings and fightings As Job here supposeth 2. They must not resolve to cast away their assurance when it is ooposed not only by temptations from within but by misconstructers from without But they ought valiantly and resolutely engage against whatsoever
but that a set time will put an end to it Thus also doth the Psalmist rowze up his confidence under tentations Psal 77.8 9 10. which is worthy of imitation 2. He desires not death desperately as it is only a back-door to shun present trouble but he propounds this extraordinary desire in a way of believing and bodeing well of God in the issue This many do forget in their passionate desires when they cast away all confidence 3. It flowed from his desire of Gods favour and to have it cleared toward him for encouragement to all others to walk in the ways of holiness that he declines to go away for ever in a cloud and would be remembered and appear again when wrath is passed that others seeing the end of the Lord might be incouraged as well as himself would be refreshed And here whatever his failings were his general scope is good to desire to enjoy Gods favour above all things Psal 4.6 7. and that others be not stumbled nor discouraged Psal 69.6 4. As he doth not proudly think he is able to stand out this storm So neither doth he flee from God or to Hills and Mountains Rev. 6.15 16 17. to be hid from this apprehended wrath But knowing that God alone can hide a man from his own indignation he fleeth to him for that effect O that thou wouldest hide me c. Which is a practice well beseeming Saints that whatever anger they apprehend in God they still flee to himself for succour Doct. 5. The perplexities and hard shifts to which Gods people are put is an argument of help especially when somewhat of sincerity appears in the midst of them For as Job's particular scope in this wish is that he may be satisfied in this desire so his general scope in propounding the whole matter to God by way of Plea and Argument in this debate and complaint is to plead for pity and moderation toward a man who was thus perplexed And though it be a mans fault and weakness to be thus distempered yet if we take with it and lay it before God as our weakness as Job doth here v. 14. it will plead pity Isai 57.16 17 18. Namely in so far as is for our good though yet he will humble us that we may know our weakness and will not suffer us to want needful exercise In his correcting of his wish v. 14. wherein as hath been said 1. He corrects it in point of judgment as thinking it absurd to expect that a man once dead should return to this life again 2. He corrects it in his practice resolving to wait submissively and patiently till his great and final change by death shall come We may Learn 1. Such is the Lords mercy towards his tossed Children that their hottest fits of distemper will have sweet cools and abatements As here Job retracts and condemns his former wish 2. A special mean to calm distempered spirits is when they do not persist rashly in their passionate apprehensions and humours as Jonah 4.4 9. but do reflect upon and examine their own frame and desires and when finding that they are wrong they make use of their light and judgment to argue and reason themselves out of their distempers however their affections be pestered Thus doth Job reflect and make use of his light to argue against his own wish If a man die shall he live again See Psal 42.5 3. It is not to be approved in our selves that Gods means and comforts will not satifie us unless impossibilities and wonders be shewed for us and to us For Job finding his desire impossible doth reject it with indignation as his Question imports 4. When our imagined issues fail us there is a nearer and surer issue to be found in Patience Submission and Hope All those are comprehended under waiting which Job fixed upon after he hath found his own desire to be absurd I will wait saith he See 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9 10. 5. Such as resolve to find an issue of their trouble in patient submission must let patience have its perfect work Jam. 1.4 They must not fix their own time how long they will wait upon God and no longer as 2 King 6.33 but must submit that God be the appointer of the time of their patience and exercise For saith he All the days of my appointed time will I wait 6. As it is at death that Saints get a complete relaxation case of all their troubles so they must resolve if it be Gods will to wait all their life in a continual warfare without a satisfactory issue of their troubles For Job resolves to wait till his change come even all the days of his appointed time or life and that in a warfare as the word tendered appointed time also signifies 7. It may encourage Saints to wait thus long that death unto them is not a destruction but a change as here he calleth it And indeed it is a great change as in many respects common to all men in that it turns an animated body to a rotten carcase that it is a change wherein a man is fixed everlastingly in that state of his person wherein it finds him that it levels the greatest of men with the meanest Job 3.13 14 17 18 19. Ezek. 32.17 32 c. So Particularly to the godly in that then they are delivered from sin misery toil and discomfort Rev. 14.13 and then they will have the better of the wicked who trampled upon them in the world Luke 16.25 which will be made manifest in the Resurrection Psal 49.14 From v. 15. wherein he resumes his former wish and expatiates upon the advantages he expected if it were granted Learn 1. Passions may be strong in exercised Saints that they will not be permitted to continue in their resolutions of submission For here after he had corrected and rejected his own wish v. 14. he falls upon it again We must not mistake such tossings For submission must be a new gift every moment 2. Passions and Tentations are oft times fed and cherished with many pleasing fancies of happiness if we got our will in our desires As here those sweet apprehensions how it would be with him if God would hide him till the storm were over drew him to his wish and to hearken to the tentation again Then saith he thou wouldest call and I would answer c. whereas now it is far otherwise v. 16. Herein he failed in thinking his own way of guiding would be far better than that which God took in fancying those advantages which God had never promised on his terms and in fancying them to come in a way of his own when he might have expected them with more advantage in Death and at the Resurrection This doth warn us never to promise our selves any good out of Gods way and to limit our expectation of comforts and issues to Gods Promises lest our loving fancies breed us much trouble if they be not satisfied
falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place 19. The waters wear the stones thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth and thou destroyest the hope of man Secondly In enlarging this Argument Job having told the cause of his with subjoyns how intolerable that procedure was and how he could not endure or subsist under it And therefore having such a pressing cause and intolerable burden lying upon him he could not but be driven to be wish to be dead for a while and though he resisted it all he could yet he could not but be overcome with it This his oppressed and surcharged condition he illustrates by several similitudes v. 18 19. whereof he makes application to the case in hand v. 19 20 21 22. The sum of all which is that if the most strong and fixed things could not subsist under câ—nâ—inual and violent assaults especially from the hand of God how much less could a frail man as his name signifieth v. 19. such as he was endure such assaults as were made up on him In these verses Consider First The particular similitudes whereof Job makes use which are 1. A Mountain which cannot resist Gods power but he makes it fall by Earthquakes and the like accidents and then it comes to nought as to what it was formerly and withers like a dryed leaf as the Original word imports 2. A Rock which is yet harder then a Mountain and yet is removed by the same power 3. The very hard stones which do wear and waste by the continual dropping of water 4. That Deluges will wash away the things that grow out of the Earth though never so well rooted and as some read it covereth the Earth with Dust and Sand. Secondly Consider Job's Application of these Similitudes to his case which is begun here For Job produceth all those instances to shew how unable he was to endure what he felt And therefore he makes a particular enumeration of Gods dealings with Man answerable to what befel those creatures wherein albeit he speak in general of Man yet he hath an eye to his own present condition and many of the particulars do also hold some proportion and resemblance with the former similitudes The first particular which he mentions of Gods dealing with Man is his destroying of his hope or crushing of his expectation by taking away all appearance and probability of what he hopes for This is not to be understood of the eternal hope of the godly though they may have sad fears about that as the hopes of the wicked both temporal and eternal will really be destroyed but of their hopes about temporal things And this Branch of the Application answers to the first two similitudes that as Mountains and Rocks are removed and brought to nought without hope of recovery so by Job's troubles as he supposeth all his hopes within time were irrecoverably gone and all hopes of restitution lost From the Similitudes and Job's general scope in them Learn 1. God is powerful to make strange changes when he pleaseth upon his creatures Everlasting Mountains fixed Rocks hard Stones c. cannot resist him See Nah. 1.4 5 6. Hab. 3.6 Psal 114.3 4 c. Psal 18.7 c. This teâ—cheth us to fix upon nothing within time as permanent and to wait upon him who can do so great things 2. God hath several ways for bringing about of strange shakings and changes as these similitudes also teach He hath extraordinary judgments in store when they are needed like Earthquakes to cause Mountains and Rocks fall and remove David points at somewhat like this in his deliverance Psal 18.6 7 c. He can make very small means like the dropping of water upon an hard stone produce great and singular effects If one shake will not do it he can can carry his point by repeated tryals as continual droppings upon a stone do wear it at last He can do his turn and plague men by that which in ordinary is a blessing As Rain and Water fructifieth the Earth and causeth it produce Fruits and yet it may also be imployed to sweep them away and impede the Earths fruitfulness All this tells us that where-ever we turn us we are no party to God but he can easily reach us 3. The Powâ—r of God over other Creatures should be a document to Man to teach him his weakness who though he have excellencies above them yet is more frail then many of them For that is Job's scope here to shew that if these creatures could not resist or subsist under Gods hand far less was he able 4. Yet this must be admitted with Caution For 1. If as to what Job was formerly and God had done unto him the scope of his reasoning be to shew that he was no terrible creature but a frail man as the name is v. 19. and far inferiour in strength to those creatures which yet could not subsist under his hand And therefore he needed not have dealt so with him See Chap. 6 12. 7.12 It may easily be answered â—hat many men like Pharaoh and others do lift up themselves higher then Mountains and do haâ—den themselves abovâ— Rocks and Stones against God and even the godly have so much of this â—n them that no less then such a shake will suppress it 2. If as matters stood now his scope be to plead weakness and that he could not subsist unless God eased him It may also be answered That God by his strength can make men endure more then any of these creatures And albeit Saints be indeed weak in themselves yet he can mâ—ke them invincible in him Our weakness should humble us but not make us carp or distrust if God be pleased to exercise us From the first branch of the application Learn It is a sore tryal to have our hope crushed and that by God who is able to destroy it when he pleaseth For he resents this first as that which made his lot intollerable thou destroyest the hope of man Hope feeds us when we are in want and it is our last grip in trouble when Sense Enjoyment and strong Confidence are gone and therefore it must be sad when it is cut off Ezek 37.11 But it is much sadder when God doth it when it is not our seats and suspitions but he on whom our hope should lean who strickes at it Lam. 3.18 This may afford us needful Caution and Instruction First Concerning our hope in general And 1. If it be so sad a stroke to have hope destroyed we ought to be careful that we do not voluntarily crush our own hope and cast it away Heb. 10 35. For it draws to Apostasie Jer. 2.25 Heb. 12.12 13. and other sad effects 2 We ought not jealously to suspect God as an Enemy to our Hope For we may be mistaken if we judge by appearances or our own apprehensions Lam 3.18 21 22 Psal 31.22 And therefore should learn to hope
wind and prejudicial to himself so long as he would not grant that he was a wicked hypocrite and that God was pursuing him in anger as is clear from the following part of the Chapter Having premitted this caution for clearing the words I come to observe somewhat upon these verses And First This Reply considered in General may Teach 1. Controversies once started are not soon quieted and composed again For after all the three have assaulted him they again fall to it afresh Gods quarrel for which he sends Debates and Controversies is not soon seen nor laid to heart and the discovery thereof made use of as it ought Mens lusts interest and credit which do engage and being engaged entangle them in debates are not soon compesced and mortified and right use is not soon made of these debates nor are men fully tried and truth cleared by them and therefore it is no wonder they continue to be an exercise to men Hence times of contention and debate are very humbling times and will produce growing and if mercy prevent not endless toil 2. Their order in dealing with him is also remarkable For though they were in passion and it may be did sometime interrupt him yet they do not fall upon him all at once but one by one See 1 Cor. 14 31. This may condemn the confusions and disorders practiced by those who pretend to defend Truth For though these men be eager enough to defend what they account Truth yet they will do it in an orderly way 3. Mistakes of good men may be started and heightened in debate even by good men For he doth mistake Job here And here we are to consider these particulars 1. Good men who have a just cause may yet give too much occasion to others to mistake them when they are sharply tryed and exercised As Job said much that was not justifiable though Eliphaz and the rest drew wrong conclusions from it 2. Debates among sinful mortal men cannot but raise passions and breed alienations which are a false Perspective misrepresenting them and their cause one to another 3. Personal reflections resented will blind mens judgments that they cannot see things as they are As they cannot let pass his undervaluing of their knowledge Chap. 12.2 3. without a taunt retorted that his knowledge was but vain and wind Mens Credit and Reputation is a great Idol and apt to blind-fold them when it is touched upon 4. Ignorance and want of experience of the case of others may cause us construct hardly of their carriage As Eliphaz judged thus of Job because he considered not his distress which drave him to speak as he did See Chap. 16.4 5. It is dangerous when we look upon the distempers of others in tentation from thence to conclude concerning their state For Job's Friends judged him wicked because of his failings in trouble All these considerations may warn men to look well about them and to be a fraid and wary in judging of others in times of contention wherein mistakes are so apt to be predominant More particularly This challenge considered abstractly and without his misapplications to Job may Teach 1. Albeit passion and reflections be never lawful Yet when men are indeed wrong they who have a calling to it ought to be very full and free in reproving of them as Eliphas here was supposing Job to be wrong Real faults are but cherished by bâ—unt reproofs See Tit. 1.13 1 Sam. 2.22 23. with 3.13 2. The best way to get reproofs made effectual is to put the Conscience of the guilty person to it and study to have that on the reprovers side For so doth he here as those many questions posing the Conscience do teach There is much need that Conscience be put to it to do its office in debates For that alone will bind and silence men whereas otherwise their will and parts may stand it out long enough 3. There is a vanity in knowledge wherewith men oft-times are much taken up as Eliphaz here supposeth that there is vain knowledge or knowledge of wind Thus imaginations or reasonings are said to become vain Rom. 1.21 and some use of Philosophy is explained to be a vain deceit Col. 2.8 This vanity omitting many other tryals may be discovered if we press a little the metaphor of wind here made use of It is but vain knowledge which is unprofitable and doth not feed or edifie the man that hath it but is empty and notional like wind That is also vain knowledge which like wind makes a great noise but doth not produce any solid effect And which puffs up and swells the man that hath it as with wind making him unsober in mind or in expressions Such knowledge is but vain even albeit the subject matter which the man knoweth were good 1. Cor. 8.2 4. As vain knowledge is ill in any so especially it is unbeseeming a wise man or him that would be accounted wise For saith he Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and so of all the rest See Eccl. 10.1 A mans conceit of himself doth agreage his fault and folly and prove him to be nothing Gal. 6.3 5. Men notwithstanding all their wit are ready to run on unprofitable hurtful and pernicious courses in trouble For he supposeth that not only there is wind but the East wind in this knowledge breaking forth boysterously against God and them who were his Friends and tending to undo himself And albeit he did mistake Job yet the General Doctrine serveth for caution to all 6. A special mean to drive men on hurtful courses and ways in trouble is the suffering of violent passions to arise and harbour in their hearts For saith he he fills his belly with the East wind or pesters his affections with it and then it breaks forth 7. As much evil cometh by the tongue James 3. So in particular it is an evil when men do not propound this end in discourse that it may be profitable to themselves or others For he supposeth it a fault for a man to utter vain knowledge to reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches wherewith he can do no good Even idle speeches are censurable Math. 12.36 37. as being an evidence of the heart and disposition Math. 12.33 34. Psal 37.30 31. and multitude of words are also condemned Eccl. 5.3 Jam. 1.19 Prov. 10.19 Which teacheth us that care should be had to observe Scripture-cautions in our speeches Eph. 4.29 Col. 2.6 and elsewhere 8. In particular It is an addition to mens fault in trouble when to their vain knowledge and tentations and passions within they add the venting and uttering thereof to others As here he chargeth upon Job that having vain knowledge and the East-wind he did utter it and had such a conceit of it as to presume to reason and argue therewith Thus to speak and utter tentations addeth to the guilt of entertaining them Isai 40.27 Vers 4. Yea thou castest off fear and restrainest prayer
the Ancients true observation of the lot of some wicked men as if it were universally true of all wicked men even in the extremity here recorded For many of the wicked may live in great case as experience verifies and Job often asserts See Chap. 21.13 and frequently 2. In that he reflects upon and misconstructs the exercise of Job's Spirit and Conscience as if it were like unto the wiâ—â—â— lot when yet the difference is very great and wide For though he was under sad tentations and much vexed in spirit yet he still drew near to God and clave to him which wicked men do not This being his great mistake in this matter doth Teach That not only natural men but even such as are truly godly may through want of experience mistake the exercise of mind and the vexations which assault others and may judge of them as unlike the lot of Saints Thus David complains that he was a fear to his acquaintance Psal 31.11 Hence it followeth 1. That men ought wisely to consider the case of the afflicted and poor that they add not to their afflictions by their misconstructions 2. That godly men being exercised in spirit should be armed against such hard measures from their friends not expecting still to be dandled nor stumbling at it when some of their friends who should comfort them do pass by and others do pour Vinegar into their sores and add to their sorrow 3. That since other godly men may mistake such exercises they who are under them should guard lest themselves also stumble at them and for that end should study how useful and necessary they are Having premitted those Generals I shall â—ow explain the parts of this misery as it is branched out in the several verses and draw some general Observations accordâ—ng to those former Rules and Cautions without insisting any more upon Eliphaz his mistakes and reflections in them And first in this verse it is declared that the wicked man hath a miserable life of it being like a woman in travail as the word signifieth throughout his time and that not only through Gods making it to be so with him by afflictions but as the form of the word beaâ—s He makes himself to travel with pain through discontent and anxiety As for that which followeth in the end of the verse Some read it only as an Explication or other expression of all his days thus The wicked man travelleth all his days even the number of years which is â—id or determined by God to the oppressour or wicked man But leaving this and other readings not so apposite as our Translation it contains an Explication and Instance of the wicked mans vexation Wherein 1. Having more generally designed the person he speaks of that he is a wicked man he more particularly restricts what he is to say to the oppressour That so he may reflect upon Job whom he supposeth to have been guilty of that sin when he was in eminency and power 2. He instanceth this as a cause of the oppressours vexation and pain that the number of years is hidden to him Whereby we may understand either That it breeds him great vexation that the time of his death is kept hid by God so that he knows not when it shall arrest him the consideration whereof maâ—â—s all his present mirth or That his vexations are so bitter to him and his mind is so little at ease that he never desires to think on death but hides from himself all thoughts of that subject Both those come to one purpose and may agree in one as shall be marked in the Doctrines From this verse thus explained Learn 1. Whatever wicked men promise to themselves in their way yet if they considered matters well they will find they have but a miserable Dogs-life of it For so much may be gathered in general from this that the wicked man travelleth with pain and from the rest of the Text. Not only doth God make the life of some of them to be visibly miserable but even all of them bear some prints of the truth of this in some measure The best of it is but a drudgery in serving sin and lusts and many times it is seen they do but weary themselves Isai 57.10 Jer. 9.5 Ezek. 24.12 and pierce themselves thorow with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 This may keep us from complaining of Gods service seeing Satan is a most cruel Task-master 2. It adds to the misery of wicked men that their vexations are endless That he travelleth with pain all his days not as women who travel but some days Albeit they have intermissions of visible troubles yet their anxieties and drudgeries continue and whatever they get yet they are far from that sweet issue of trouble which is promised to the godly Psal 30.5 This may warn all to beware of provoking God to imbitter all their moment of time And it teacheth Saints to bless God for any real vicâ—ssitude or change to the better which they find in their condition 3. It adds also to the misery of the wicked that God gives them up to be their own tormenters That he makes himself to travel with pain as the word in the Original bears His own â—theism diffidence love of this present life and the things thereof his fears about them his envy that others speed better than himself c. le ts him never be at quiet And albeit the spirits of godly men may make them very sad exercise which thâ—y should guard against and so this will not always prove a man wicked that he breeds himself vexations yet the point should teach all to try what is real and done by God in their vexations and what is only apprehended and made a vexation by themselves And when men find that they do thus vex themselves they ought to search into the grounds and causes of it whither Idols or unbelief and avoid them lest the increase of their vexations be a just punishment thereof 4. To be an oppressour is a particular evidence of a wicked man whatever he pretend unto otherwise as he may pretend to Piety and an acknowledgment of God Zech. 11.5 There he instanceth that General Assertion concerning a wicked man in the person of an oppressour intending but unjustly to reflect upon Job 5. Albeit Oppressours seem to be the men who should have most quiet since they heap together so many outward delights and think to secure themselves in the enjoyment thereof by the bearing down of others Yet in Gods judgment they are oft times plagued with greatest vexations and sorrows For they in particular are the wicked who travel in pain and of whom the following particulars in this and the rest of the verses are verified And albeit the point hold not fully true in the sense of Eliphaz yet they have their own vexations in purchasing and in keeping their purchase whâ—rewith they dare not trust God And sometimes their Consciences also do vex them Which should keep
James 4.3 Vers 18. O earth cover not thou my bloud and let my cry have no place In this and the two following verses we have the Third Branch of this part of the Chapter Wherein Job confirms the former assertion by three Arguments The first in this verse is by way of imprecation wherein seeing he cannot be cleared otherwise he asserts the testimony of his good conscience by assenting that all the creatures particularly the earth bear witness against him by not concealing his injustice or bloudy crimes if he were guilty of any and consenting that his cry and prayer be not heard if it be not pure As for this way of proving his integrity whatever was Job's distemper when he reflected upon his Friends obstinacy who would not give credit to him Yet the thing it self is not to be condemned as being practiced by Saints in the case of malitious slanders Psal 7.3 4 5. It is far from that sinful disposition that prompts men to curse themselves or others and doth only import That he is convinced that wickedness deserveth such punishments That his Conscience could not but submit to them as just if he were what they called him and That he was so sure of his own integrity that he declined no punishment if it were found he was wicked Whence Learn 1. Innocent Saints may be so oppressed and over-clouded with slanders and unjust aspersions that their innocency cannot be got cleared in an ordinary way Therefore is Job put thus to appeal to the creatures as afterward he appeals to God 2. A man that is reconciled to God through Christ and hath a good Conscience in the matter of his walk may rest secure that no testimony or discovery from Heaven or Earth will make against him and that however he may be belied and slandered yet he will never be condemned as wicked For Job declines no evidence against him here from the earth or from Heaven in sending a return to his cry This points out the great advantage of having the heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience See 1 Joh. 3.21 3. Truly-godly men do so much hate sin and adore the Holiness and Justice of God that they will subscribe to all the judgments due to wickedness as just For so much doth this way of arguing import that none can decline this as the due reward of wickedness and hypocrisie And this the Consciences of the very wicked will be forced to acknowledge at last 4. Cruel and bloudy crimes will not be got hid kept secret let men palliate and cloke them as they will For this assent of Job is sounded upon a Truth that the earth will not cover blood or blood will not hide were there nothing but the very earth to discover it Gen. 4.10 11. Isai 26.21 See also in the matter of oppression Hab. 2.10 11. So that an ill Conscience and unpardoned guilt will prove bad company and it will be to no purpose to bear down the the oppressed that they dare not complain so long as every creature hath a tongue to cry and bear witness against the oppressour 5. Whatever men think of it in the day of their case when they neglect Prayer or superficially go about it yet it is the saddest of strokes not to be heard of God in a strait For Job assents to that as a very sad judgment if his cry have no place See Numb 16.15 1 Sam. 28.6 Hence it is that Saints pray so much for audience Psal 20.3 and rejoyce so much in the hope of it Micah 7.8 6. Albeit the wicked do ordinarily neglect Prayer and albeit sometime God may reward their hypocritical Prayers with temporal advantages 1 King 21.27 28 29. Yet this misery is abiding the wicked that the most profane of them shall be convinced of the usefulness of Prayer and when they set about it in their greatest straits they shall not be heard For so much is here imported that a wicked man may cry and that it shall have no place See Job 27.9 Prov. 1.28 Micah 3.4 Joh 9.31 And no wonder this befal them considering that their persons are not reconciled that they have sleighted Gods call and that they are not sincere in their Prayers nor set on work by the Conscience of sin but only from the sense of troubles Hos 7.14 Vers 19. Also now behold my witness is in heaven and my record is on high The Second Argument confirming his Assertion is taken from Gods testimony and witness-bearing to his integrity which he points out to be admired and repeats it here in divers expressions to confirm the certainty thereof Whence Learn 1. As God is the Judge of all men so he is a witness and observer also of their ways For he is a record and witness He is a witness whose testimony cannot be declined Jer. 29.23 Mal. 3.5 And as this assures us that his procedure cannot be unjust seeing he proceeds upon his own infallible knowledge so it should excite men to walk as before such a Witness and Observer Rom. 1.9 Phil. 1.8 and should perswade upright walkers to be comforted in his testimony 2. Mens Consciences or their Profession that they have a good Conscience will not bear them out unless also God bear witness unto what they say For saith he Also with the former proof v. 18 my witness is in Heaven Where this is not it is heinous impiety for men to pretend or make their boast of their Consciences 3. Innocent Saints may be brought to that low condition that beside their own Consciences they will not find any on earth to witness for them but all speaking against them both friends and foes yea and Gods dispensations and their own inward tentations also For Job can find no witness among men till he ascend to a witness in Heaven It is good for us to know how low Saints may be brought that we stumble not when it is our lot 4. God will be a witness to his sincere Saints were there never so many against them His testimony waits not for the concurrence of others no not of Saints nor will it proceed according to what his own sad dispensations seem to speak of his mind For he is a witness for Job whom his godly Friends did condemn yea whom himself as Job thought had set up as his mark v. 12 13. and that even now while he is dealing so severely with him 5. Gods Testimony and Approbation is not only desirable but sufficient were there never so many against it as being on high above all that can oppose it For however self-seekers cannot be content to want the praise of men and do prefer it to the praise of God Joh. 12.41 42. Yet Job accounts it enough that his witness is in Heaven and his record on high See Rom. 8.31 6. Such as rightly esteem of Gods testimony will look upon it as an admirable favour They will admire his condescendence to own them whom all are ready to condemn and
proves his integrity by this that he dare plead his cause with God even when he thinks he is going to die 7. Saints ought to submit to go out of the world uncleared and under a cloud if it be Gods will For this was Job's exercise wherein for a long time he saw no issue though at last it came And by this delay God exercised his submission as indeed a man that hath a good Conscience may commit the ordering of all these things to God 8. Whatever debates Saints may have with God about his dealing yet at last they may find that they get all their will For whereas Job thought that since he could not be admitted to plead with God he would die shortly and so go out of the world uncleared the Lord at last gave him his will before he died though not in his way nor yet so soon as he desired seeing he died not so soon as he expected CHAP. XVII In this Chapter Job continueth his Reply to Eliphaz and the rest of his Friends And First He prosecutes his desire to plead his cause with God which he had propounded Chap. 16.21 Wherein having premitted somewhat which might evidence his great distress and extremity putting him upon this desire namely that he is very weak ver 1. and ill intreated by his Friends ver 2. he renews his desire to plead with God ver 3. and presseth it by several Arguments taken from his Friends unfitness to determine in the cause ver 4 5. from his great affliction blâ—sting his Reputation ver 6. and wasting his body ver 7. and from the advantage that should be reaped by such dispensations toward a godly man and Gods clearing of his Integrity notwithstanding his troubles ver 8 9. Secondly He rejects all those Consolations as vain which they offered him upon his repentance Wherein he condemneth them as unwise in the way of their dealing with him ver 10. And to instruct this he declares what is his present low condition ver 11 12. and that he could not in reason expect any thing but death to follow it ver 13 14. and consequently that the hopes they laid before him were groundless ver 15 16. Vers 1. My breath is corrupt my days are extinct the graves are ready for me AS it is usual in some cases that in Courts of Judgment the pursuer giveth an Oath de calumnia or that he pursueth not his cause needlesly or maliciously but because he thinks it right so Job being to prosecute his desire that he might enter the lists with God doth premit an Assertion that he did not propound nor pursue this desire out of a wicked disposition as Eliphaz seemed to insinuate of all he said Chap 15.5 but upon pressing grounds and causes And to clear this he gives two grounds of his pressing desire the first whereof in this verse which also clears further what he had said Chap. 16.22 is taken from the weak condition of his body His breath which maintained his life was corrupt and that either in respect of its savour being tainted with his inward diseases and savouring of wasting and being spent Or in respect of motion his breath was so spent and over-charged that he could not breath without great difficulty Hence he concludes that this portended his days to be at a period that his life was ready to be extinguished like the snuffe of a Candle through the decay of natural moisture and that he was near ready to be cast into the graves or some one or other grave The consideration of all which put him to it to insist so much upon this desire In General we may here Observe 1. Job is careful to premit the consideration of his great affliction to his desire of pleading his cause that he may clear how much he is pressed to insist upon it Whatever was his mistake yet the General Doctrine teacheth That men ought not to make too much noise about lesser troubles Unless the pressure of their afflictions be answerable to their cry they do but proclaim that they are unruly and unsubdued and do need more trouble to tame them It argues great moderation of spirit and mortification as not to be stupid so to suppress and digest at least those afflictions that are but ordinary Obs 2. That Job insists thus upon this subject and having begun it Chap. 16.22 he here dwells upon it and that with so much Eloquence it may import some or all of these 1. That it is good for men to be acquainted with their own condition For this was so far commendable in Job that he was not ignorant how much he was spent and how near in appearance to death Men ought not to be forgetful how much of their time is spent what is their debility and what it may portend And in a word they ought not to be strangers to themselves or their condition one way or other 2. That some troubles may be so pressing as they will be Monitors of themselves For it was Job's distress that put him to it that he could not get his thoughts off this subject So was he also continually haunted with the indignities done him by his Friends v. 2. It is no strange thing to see troubles so pressing that they continually haunt our minds and are before our eyes where-ever we turn us It is our mercy that such a condition hath been essayed before us 3. That the Conscience of honesty will make a man very sweetly converse with thoughts of frailty of a decaying Tabernacle mortality and death For not only Job's pressing necessity but his affection and assurance of his own integrity made him dwell upon this subject as sweet to him and as his hoped-for issue So also v. 14. and elsewhere Others are ordinarily so far averse from death that they banish all such thoughts 4. That much poring upon sad conditions doth readily beget many distempers about them For whatever necessity or sweetness drew Job to dwell upon these thoughts as ordinarily tentations fasten themselves on that which is good or justifiable and usher in themselves under the Cloak thereof Yet they beget a false apprehension of approaching death and passionate and unruly desires to be cleared before it came Therefore 1. We ought not to study what is sweet only as thoughts of death were to him but what is our present work and we should set about that however it rellish as oft times our present duty is least pleasant 2. However we may be driven to pore much upon troubles yet we should endevour not to be taken up only therewith but to mix all our exercises of that kind with some other diversions otherwise we will fall in a distemper 3. In eyeing what trouble seemes to threaten we should also look to what God can do in extremities and bring out of our troubles As here God was to give a sweet issue of all those troubles and not to cut him off by them as he apprehended Having
of it So that even terrours may be in so far comfortable as they are known to come out of his hand These are some few of many reasons of this dispensation to be well considered and improved by Gods people in such a condition Having thus cleared this mistake if we look upon this Doctrine as pointing out the lot of a wicked man which is Bildad's scope in it it is true indeed that whatever be Gods indulgence toward some of them yet by the sentence of the Law he deserves this as his lot and portion Lev. 26.16 And so the General Doctrine may teach 1. Among other calamities of a wicked man terrour from God is a part of his portion For so is here supposed that he is assaulted with terrours As indeed in many respects he is obnoxious to them and lieth under the hazard of such a stroke from God So that 1. Whatever be his prosperous condition yet he hath no cause to sleep in a sound skin For God hath terrours as his Serjeants to arrest him when he will 2. Whatever be his troubles within time yet his terrours and fears may justly be above his troubles and may tell him that those are but the beginning of sorrows as his Conscience may tell him he deserves more Yea not only what he feels or foresees but what he can but imagine and apprehend may be his terrour 3. His fears in justice may be not ordinary but singular dreadful and full of terrour he not having God reconciled to him to whom he may flee in such a distress 4. Beside all his exercises about outward and temporal-afflictions God can raise terrour in his Conscience and give him an Hell there Now albeit all this do not befal every wicked man yet the apprehension of those things and how they are deserved by them may affright them from secure trusting in their prosperity and outward comforts see Prov. 23.34 Isa 50.11 and from pleasing themselves in a quiet Conscience when yet it is not a good Conscience as not being sprinkled by the blood of Christ nor purged from dead works Doct. 2. Whatever shift wicked men make under other troubles Isa 9.9 10. and elsewhere yet the terrour of God when it cometh upon them will surround and shut them in on every hand For so is here declared that terrours shall be on every side where-ever he would turn him This is deserved by all of them and inflicted upon some of them Jer. 20.3 4. For God hath terrours in aboundance wherewith to hem them in and their own minds being once terrified can make enow to vex them yet more This 1. Serveth to point out the great mercy and advantage of the godly who however they may sometime to their own sense be thus hemmed in as well as others yet never want an out-gate on some hand if they could see it were it but to run through terrour into mercy as Job professeth he would do Chap. 13.15 2. It teacheth that in other troubles it is not safe to find an issue without God or without going to him as the wicked endeavour to do and sometime the godly are tempted to take that course lest God be provoked to send over-whelming terrours where no such issues will be found 3. When the godly are at any time thus hemmed in on all hands as they ought to read their own stubborness in it Hos 2.5 6 7. and their unwillingness to deny themselves and trust entirely on God 2 Cor. 1.8 9. So being rightly exercised under such a condition they may expect that God is sitting them for a notable proof of his love as Paul found by experience 2 Cor. 1.10 Doct. 3. How stout soever the wicked may be under other troubles and resolute to bear them when they cannot avoid them yet they will find themselves too weak a party to grapple with terrour from God For Terrours shall make him afraid on every side and drive him to his feet or make him ready to betake himself to his heels And though this be unjustly applyed to Job who was never so afraid but he expected God would be his salvation Chap. 13.16 yet it holds true of every wicked man when terrour comes upon him that he being a weak creature and God a strong God and this stroak seizing upon the very fort of his courage he cannot but be confounded and dismayed And this warns those who are stout-hearted under other troubles to expect that God will send terrours to suppress their obstinacy as is said in another case Ezek. 28.6 9. And such as are under the terrours of the Lord ought to look on stooping and humility as their only safety 4. It is the disposition of wicked men under judgments and terrours to run the faster away from God For Terrours shall drive him to his feet or scatter him to his feet and to all corners subterfuges where he may think to find relief Though the godly may have some inclination to this in their fits of tentation by which we are not to judge of their state yet this is unjustly applyed to Job who in his greatest extremity never thought of running away but would gladly have been at God Yet it holds true of wicked men in such a condition that with Adam they seek to hide themselves from God and are ready to run any where before they run to God For terrours do represent God as dreadful especially to them who never tasted of his love and therefore they run away from him They know not Gods scope in those terrours when he lets them loose on godly men which is to drive them to himself and therefore they turn not to him who smiteth them Their guilt if they have any sense of it adds to their amazement and helps to suggest sad thoughts of God to them And they are justly thus scared away by terrour from God who were still careful not to come to him and afraid lest they should be prevailed with to seek him Mat. 13.15 And when godly men under such an exercise are tempted to run away from God they should enquire at themselves what they will leave to the wicked to do if they do so And if they be driven to God thereby they should notice that as the finger of God and a mercy beyond any thing that terrour it self could either promise or produce Vers 12. His strength shall be hunger-bitten and destruction shall be ready at his side In the Second Branch of this Similitude Job's loss of Goods his present pain and that apprehension of death which he speaks of Chap. 17.7 11 c. are pointed at as resembling that affliction which Malefactours suffer in Prison before their execution who being destitute of means are wasted with hunger and live in a continual fear of a violent death and it may be are tortured in the mean time In this reflection also Bildad doth mistake 1. In suspecting Job to be so much afflicted with any apprehensions of his destruction as
shakes as he did uphold Job Doct. 3. Such changes in our outward condition may be a tryal even to the mortified Child of God For though Job did not set up his rest upon his prosperity and dignity yet here he complains of the loss of it and that he wants his Crown and Glory Here Consider 1. Saints have sense and flesh which cannot but feel and grieve under trouble and contempt and they are not to mistake though they find somewhat in themselves that â—epineth at the Cross 2. By this God makes it evident that Saints are not Stoicks or wholly insensible of troubles and that it is not themselves but Grace in them that bears them out 3. When the spirits of Saints are otherwise broken as Job's was then any thing will be a burden though otherewise in their judgment they think little of it 4. Our bitterness and peevishness may cause us have too great an esteem of things when we want them which we were but little thankful for when we had them and so we disquiet our selves Vers 10. He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope hath he removed like a tree The Fifth proof and instance of his misery wherein he alludes to the destroying of Houses and plucking up of Trees whereof Bildad had also spoken and whereby he further explains what he had said v. 6 is That his present enjoyments and future hopes were quite overthrown and gone as an House that is quite overturned and a Tree that is plucked up by the roots Whence Learn 1. The sense of grievances being entertained will make men great Oratours in pointing them out As Job's insisting upon his complaint may teach and experience of others recorded in Scripture who have dwelt long upon their lamentations and complaints doth witness This 1. May encourage them who cannot get an end of their complaints nor have soon done with them when they consider that they want not company at that sad Trade 2. It may warrant us to study our grievances well that they may press humility upon us and we may make use of them as Arguments to plead for pity and by the sense thereof may be fitted for proofs of Gods love and withal we may glorifie God by our submission to him and our hope in him notwithstanding all those grievances Yet 3. We should beware to dwell upon this subject only out of bitterness or a desire to complain Upon those terms we should think one word of our distresses too much and the least moment of time too long to spend about them seeing we have better exercises wherein to be imployed And herein Job failed who spent much time and talk on this in his bitterness when he might have been better imployed Doct. 2. God can and sometime will surround his Children with an universal havock and desolation in their Children Goods Body Name Peace of mind c. As here Job was destroyed on every side See Lam. 2.22 Here 1. The repeating of this again from v. 6. serves to confirm Saints that such a condition is not inconsistent with a gracious state and to warn us that we should not make exception of any outward tryal as if it were inconsistent with grace in a person 2. This doth also teach murmurers that it is their duty to look upon their lesser tryals as abounding with mercies when they consider this total overthrow of a godly man as to his outward condition Too much noise about those and little praise to God who moderates his stroke do argue much self-love ingratitude and need of more afflictions 3. Such as are made to drink of this bitter cup should submit to God in it believing that no less is necessary to try them to put them out of themselves and to fit them for the singular proofs of love which God intends for them Doct. 3. When God engageth with the Creature especially in any measure of severity the Creature will soon succumb For saith he He hath destroyed me and I am gone So that stooping is our best when God becometh our party 4. Hope is the last refuge and life of a destroyed and gone Saint For so is here supposed that whe he is destroyed and gone he looks what hope will afford to comfort him Saints should not cast away hope and confidence Psal 42.11 Heb. 10.35 but should wrestle from under the ruines of their destroyed condition by hope 5. Not only the present enjoyments but the future hopes of Saints may be destroyed and gone to their sense For his hope was removed like a Tree that is rooted out of the ground This is to be understood of his hopes about temporal favours and restitution wherein though Job was mistaken in casting off hopes of restitution men ought to be very sober and submit all to the good pleasure of God For to do at upon those things is to feed murmuring evidence insobriety and breed our selves many disappointments But even other and better hopes of Saints may fail much that God may try how we will hope against hope out of our love to him and may take a proof of our delight to give him credit in difficulties and that he may give proof what he will do for his own Children who sometime will not so much as cherish hope in him 6. God can and will do for his people even far above their present sense and hopes For Job thinks he is gone and his hope removed and yet he is carried through See Ephes 3.19 Psal 94.18 19. Vers 11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies 12. His troops come together and raise up their way against me and encamp round about my tabernacle The Sixth proof and instance of his misery wherein he alludes to a mighty Kings making war against his Enemies or rebellious Subjects is That God seemed to deal with him in wrath as with a Rebel and Enemy v. 11. and accordingly had let loose afflictions and Satan the Sabeans Chaldeans the Wind and Fire and other Instruments of his trouble which irresistibly hemmed him in like so many Troops raising up Trenches and drawing â—nes about their besieged Enemies v. 12. While Job speaks here of Gods wrath kindled against him and Gods accounting him an Enemy he doth not hereby absolutely contradict what elsewhere he speaks concerning his own integrity and his faith in Gods favour For by faith he still cleaves to this that he is a righteous man and beloved of God though in his complaint he sometime speak this language of sense that God was wroth and looked upon him as an Enemy From the first part of v. 11. He hath also kindled his wrath against me Learn 1. The dearest of Saints may be under sad apprehensions of Gods anger and wrath For so was Job here and David frequently They may not only be really under fatherly displeasure but â—ad afflictions joyned with tentation weakness and desertion may cause
excessive but sober in his complaints as we ought to be while we are living men Lam. 3.39 and yet sensible that the least touch of God makes him cry But this Interpretation sutes not with Job's case who doth not extenuate his troubles but rather exceeds in his complaint And therefore I take this expression to point mainly at the event of Gods stroke that it was such a one as had touched him home and made him feel it and smart under it And it teacheth That as a touch of Gods hand is enough to undo man So where he is pleased to assault he will reach and touch So that men will not get it shifted Obad. v 4. nor will they be able to find ease under it 4. Whatever comfort it afford yet to a Child of God it is very sad to lie under Gods afflicting hand For as seeing of the hand of God as hath been marked affords some ground of comfort in trouble so it also represents such a case as humbling And therefore Job sums up all his affliction in this The hand of God hath touched me It is very sad to a Child of God and will affect him that God should deal so with him especially if his strokes be also sharp and Saints may try their Piety by considering how they stand affected with a sight of Gods hand in their Rods. And if this be sad to the godly much more will it be sad to the wicked when they fall in the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 5. When Gods hand is sadly lying upon any of his Children dearest friends cannot help they may well pity them and it is well if they do not worse For whatever supply friends may afford in some outward necessities yet in such a condition as his was all that can be expected and craved of them is pity It is only Gods coming and appearing that will heal such strokes of his own hand And Saints should not mistake though among all their friends hands and notwithstanding all their pity their afflictions continue till God come 6. It is much to an afflicted man if he find simpathy and pity among friends For Job craves have pity upon me as a favour and kindness They who meet with that in trouble should prize it as a favour which is not afforded to every one in the like case Psal 69.20 And they are not idle nor uselesly imployed who are busie at simpathizing with the afflicted though they can do no more 7. Friendship and professed love obligeth men to the duty of sympathy with their friends in trouble For Job claimeth it upon this account Have pity upon me O ye my friends 8. Though they had grieved him and proved unfriendly yet here he calls them Friends at first and pleads and entreats that they would do duty for time to come This he doth not only to check them who were friends and neglected duty but being abased with the sense of all his miseries before enumerated he at first speaks thus calmly and pitifully to them as not willing to resent injuries if they would return to their duty though in the next verse knowing their disposition he speaks more sharply This teacheth That when Saints are themselves they are very calm in their passions they do not easily break bonds of friendship nor cast oft relations and are willing to digest injuries if they could see them any way refrained from for the future 9. The doubling of his sute from his great and pressing necessity teacheth 1. That as we should not make too great noise of our troubles nor let our clamours be above our real necessities So we should also come up to our need with our earnestness For so doth Job double his request in distress 2. That whatever be the judgment of on-lookers or unconcerned persons yet distressed Saints stand in great need of sympathy Therefore doth he so earnestly call for it Doct. 10. Saints may miss and earnestly seek and yet not find sympathy even from their godly friends As Job found here His Friends Principles led them necessarily to endeavour to humble him rather than pity him and God had him yet to humble further though not upon the account they went upon and therefore all expressions of pity are withheld from him Vers 22. Why do ye persecute me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh In this verse Job inferrs his Conclusion by way of Expostulation and Challenge that they should deal so cruelly with him whom God had not only touched but brought very low For clearing of the words Consider 1. To persecute here whether it be applyed to God or them is not to be taken in a strict sense as it imports an afflicting for righteousness But more generally as it signifieth to pursue or prosecute with troubles or other vexing carriage though in some sense it be true that they did trouble him for righteousness or for maintaining a righteous cause 2. Their persecuting him as God is not to be strictly urged or taken up in any exact parallel as if he would challenge them that they afflicted him causelesly as God did and would put them in mind that they might not deal with him as they pleased though God might do so nor might they censure him as an Hypocrite seeing it is Gods Prerogative to judge of mens state But the meaning is more simply this that they ought not thus to fall upon him when God was so severely prosecuting him 3. While he complains that they are not satisfied with his flesh it may be understood either 1. That they were not satisfied with the outward afflictions inflicted by the hand of God which wasted his body unless they also crushed his spirit with their carriage and doctrine As indeed however his spirit was exercised by the immediate hand of God deserting him in his affliction for his tryal Yet it seems they had a great hand in the breach of the peace of his mind by their uncomfortable visit and silence at first and their doctrine afterward As may be gathered from Chap. 2.12 13. with Chap. 3. Or 2. Which may be joyned with the former That though his body or flesh was wasted both with pain and with the inward tentations of his spirit yet it seemed all this would not satisfie them unless they had him quite overthrown and cast in the ditch In sum here he aggravates their cruelty from this That though God was his party and though his stroke from God was not ordinary but such as the effects thereof might be seen on his flesh and carcase yet they would put on for their part to make him utterly miserable if they could From the words thus cleared Learn 1. The Lord by afflictions upon his people especially when they are sharp and of long continuance doth prosecute and pursue them and somewhat in them Therefore trouble gets the name of persecuting or pursuing here And whatever was Job's sense in uttering this word yet it may have a sound
it from others or a reproof if they neglect it And that they do not put themselves to it either to prevent miscarriages or to mourn for them For ye should say Why persecute we him It is sad when Saints are not the first and most severe censurers of their own neglect of duty and when it may be said by others as of the wicked Psal 53.4 where is their Conscience and tenderness that they walk so contrary to their rule 8. Men engaged in debates and over-driven with passions do not readily see their own duty but their actions do out-run their reason and others will see what they ought to do better than themselves For Job must tell them what they should say See Jer. 8.6 Vers 29. Be ye afraid of the sword for wrath brâ—ngeth the punishments of the sword that ye may know there is a judgment In this verse we have Job's last Argument pressing his Challenge taken from their hazard if they went on thus to persecute him Wherein 1. He asserts they had cause to be afraid of the sword or some extraordinary judgment because of their cruelty 2. He confirms his Assertion from this that wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword that is if we take wrath largely the wrath and displeasure of God will inflict it and that because of their rage and wrath against him who was an afflicted godly man 3. He amplifieth and confirmeth the equity of this proceeding by pointing at Gods end in it that ye may know there is a judgment Whereby we are not to understand that by this their punishment God would have them to correct their former Errour and know that there is a judgment to come And that therefore they should not judge of men before the time nor expect that God by his dispensations within time should put a visible difference betwixt the wicked and the godly as their opinion led them to think But the meaning is That God by these punishments would teach them that there is a Providence to execute judgment upon these who offended as they did which they had but sleightly considered As for the Assertion and Exhortation that they should be afraid of the sword If we consider it in it self as is is an Argument diswading them from their cruelty It teacheth 1. The carriage even of Gods people particularly when they are cruel to the godly in affliction doth deserve and may draw on sad strokes even the Sword or some such Rod. So far may they miscarry not only a visible Church but even particular sincere Saints 2 Sam. 12.9 10. and so sharply may God pursue them especially for cruelty 2. The judgments of God even against his sinning people are dreadful Lev. 26. Deut. 28. 1 Sam. 3.11 12. and ought to be feared and will be feared by all godly men who are in their right wits For Job out of his own experience bids them he afraid of the Sword See Psal 90.11 Heb. 10.31 This is true of every judgment of God and of the Sword in particular 3. It is the duty and were the great advantage of men not to need to be put to learn the dreadfulness of Gods judgments by feeling them but to be afraid that they may prevent them For Job bids them before-hand be afraid of the Sword It is sad that we seldom fear Gods displeasure till we feel it and it is yet sadder if we fear not though we feel it but do harden our selves as may be gathered from those complaints Psal 90.11 Isa 1.5 4. There is no fear of Gods displeasure sound or acceptable but that which perswades men not to provoke him by sin or to quit sin if they fall in it For he perswades them so to be afraid as to give over their persecuting of him They do not fear God aright as a Judge who do not fear him as a Law-giver If we look upon this Exhortation not only in it self but as it is made use of by Job and is his counsel to his Friends who had injured him it teacheth further 1. Whatever be the dreams of secure souls yet such as know the sharpness of Gods displeasure against his sinning people and of the corrections that flow from it will even pity their very Enemies if they undergo them For therefore Job warns them who had injured him of their hazard 2. No injury can warrant us to neglect our duty toward those who have injured us or to wish or not study to prevent their hurt who wrong us especially when they are running the hazard of making God their party For therefore also doth Job warn them of their danger who were so cruel to him Mens wronging of God and us also doth not warrant us to sin against God and our own souls by the omission of any duty he hath enjoyned us 3. When men are tender and do duty to others it is not only their advantage to whom they do it but their own much more Therefore Job presseth this not only as their interest and advantage but as affording himself ease and comfort in that he is kept so tender toward them When we reckon right we will find that in doing duty to God or our Neighbours the advantage is chiefly our own and our selves have the greatest disadvantage if we neglect it From the Confirmation of this Assertion For wrath bringeth the punishments of the Sword Learn 1. Even the Children of God may lie under wrath and fatherly displeasure for their faults as here is supposed of these three godly men See 2 Chron. 19.2 Isa 64 7. 2. Rage and wrath against godly men is a special quarrel and cause of Gods displeasure For so this wrath doth also if not chiefly here signifie 3. Though men think little of Gods displeasure particularly against their rage at the godly when it is only intimated in the Word or may be read from their sin yet it will prove sad in the issue and portends sad corrections and those many of them pursuing sinners till they repent For if there be wrath then there are the punishments even many of them of the Sword If God be angry his wrath brings them as is here supplied in the Translation And as for mens wrath and rage it may be thus tendered wrath is the iniquities of the Sword or one of these sins which are punished with the Sword From Gods end in these Corrections That ye may know there is a judgment Learn 1. There is a Providence executing just judgments in the world For there is a judgment See Psal 58.11 But as Atheists deny this Ezek 9 9. Mal. 2.17 So the godly do not enough draw out the comforts of it 2. This Providence and Judgment of God will be exercised against them who rashly judge others For this is directed to them who rashly judged him him which is an heinous fault when the creature set is himself on Gods Throne to pronounce sentence against others Rom. 14.4 James 4.11 12. See Matth. 7.1 3.
grounded testimony of their consciences how much so ever it seem to plead for God For upon this account he did not admit of the comforts offered seeing in their answers there remained falshood or Assertions prejudicial to his Integrity though by them they pretended to plead for God CHAP. XXII Here begins the third Conflict betwixt Job and his Friends wherein two of them the third being laid by give him a third assault and he replies In this Chapter Eliphaz begins who being heated with passion doth lay aside all Prefacing and presently falls to work And since Job had clearly stated the Controversie and shewed that he understood their meaning Chap. 21 27 28. he deals no more indirectly but positively asserts that Job was wicked which for most part he had but hinted at before Only in the close he exhorteth and encourageth him to repentance as he had done in his first speech Chap. 5. though he omitted it in the second Chap. 15. In the Chapter First he shews what their Opinion was of Job's afflictions and that they came because of his wickedness endeavouring to prove that his life was polluted with wickedness and impiety And that by Arguments taken from his conceit of his own righteousness as useful to God v. 1 2 3. From Gods greatness who being above the fear of hurt from any creature cannot but be just in afflicting v. 4. From the many sins against the Second Table whereof he supposeth Job to be guilty v. 5-11 From his sins immediately against God and particularly Atheism wherewith he chargeth him v. 12 13 14. From the judgments that have been inflicted upon wicked men like unto Job's calamities whereby he refutes his supposed Atheism and thinks to prove him wicked v. 15 16 17 18. And From the contrary prosperous estate of godly men v. 19 20 Secondly He exhorts him to true Piety and Repentance wherein he propounds the Exhortation in several Branches with some incouragements intermixed v. 21 22 23. And subjoyns further Arguments of Encouragement assuring him upon these terms that he shall have abundance of outward prosperity v. 24 25. Many spiritual advantages v. 26 27 28. and that in times of calamity he shall not only be upheld himself but shall be useful to others and to the place where he liveth v. 29.30 Vers 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said 2. Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect THese Verses contain the first Argument whereby he endeavours to prove Job wicked Namely That since he boasted of his righteousness as useful to God or that which might advantage him therefore he was a wicked man Which conclusion though it be not expressed here yet it is the design of his whole Discourse to infer it as appears from his express charge v. 5 c. and may be gathered from his counsels to repent and turn to God v. 21 22 23. In managing of this Argument 1. He propounds in a general Interrogatory v. 2. by which way of expression he declares the certainty of what he asserts as being such as cannot be denied that a man cannot be profitable unto God by any thing that he hath and particularly not by his righteousness or piety which is that he intends here as appears from v. 3. and from Chap. 35.7 2. He illustrates this General Assertion by a dissimilitude v 2. that a wise man may be profitable to himself by his wisdom but not so unto God Which holds true in general of all sound moral wisdom but it is intended here chiefly of spiritual wisdom which may profit the man that hath it but cannot bring any advantage unto God See Chap. 35.8 3. He applies all this in particular to Job v. 3. that however he boasted of his piety yet it could neither bring pleasure nor profit unto God though he were such Which doth not contradict what is elsewhere said in Scripture of Gods delighting and taking pleasure in his people and in their righteous ways But the latter word gain expounds the first word pleasure and it imports that God doth not take pleasure in mens Piety because of any advantage he reaps thereby and particularly he will let them know how little pleasure he takes in it or is profited thereby when they boast of it For further clearing of this Argument Consider 1. That this is a true Antecedent or a fault very justly charged upon Job as will appear from the speeches of Elihu and of God himself unto him that he contented not himself to maintain his own integrity but made too much noise of his righteousness and reflected too hardly upon God who as he thought took no notice of him and his Piety Yet all this will not infer Eliphaz's conclusion that therefore Job was a wicked man But only that he had grossly miscarried in a fit of tentation 2. It may also be adverted that that amplification of his assertion v. 2. beside the general scope of the whole Argument hath yet a more particular reflection upon Job's integrity For therein he supposeth that however the Piety of no man could profit God yet it might advantage themselves whereas Job's supposed Piety had not so much as profited himself since it had neither prevented nor delivered him from these afflictions But herein he did mistake for Job had real advantages by his Piety even in the midst of his sufferings From this whole purpose Learn 1. Albeit Eliphaz erred in his judgment concerning Job yet his carriage considered abstractly and in general may teach That it is the duty of godly men in their stations not to daâ—ly with them who are in an evil course especially when mildness will not gain them For now he answered and speaks home what he had hinted before 2. It is not enough that men boast of their righteousness and piety unless they study sincerity and integrity in their ways For he joyns both here to be righteous and of perfect ways 3. Albeit our endeavours will not of themselves reach to make us truly godly yet God will not do it without our endeavours For it should be our care to make our ways perfect 4. Whatever be the judgment of the world yet true Piety is the beginning of Wisdom and he is a wise man who makes Piety his great study and care For the righteous and the perfect man is also called the wise man here 5. The great wisdom that is in Piety may appear from the notable advantages which thereby redound to him who hath it For he that is wise may be profitable to himself See 1 Tim. 4.8 Prov. 3.13 14 c. 6. The profit of Piety must not be measured by outward lots as though it availed not a man if he be not kept free of troubles For in this Eliphaz did mistake as hath been cleared And indeed
trouble may be inflicted upon godly men that it may help them to find the worth of Piety in these cordial supports and refreshments which the favour of God and the testimony of a good Conscience do then afford 7. Whatever profit men reap by Piety yet it redounds not to God who reaps no profit by it nor hath any pleasure in it upon that account For here it is enquired Can a man be profitable to God Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous c. to assure us that it is an undeniable truth that he cannot be profited thereby And this commends the self-sufficiency and infinite goodness of God who takes so much pains to seek us and our service for our own good and cries down all opinion of ouâ— merit all conceit of our selves and all murmuring at Gods dispensations 8. Whatever be the Lords condescendence in taking pleasure in his peoples righteousness and service yet they lose all this advantage who conceit or boast of their own worth For to such in special it may be said Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that that thou art righteous as here it is said to Job in the like case And afterward God confirms it by Elihu See Gal. 6.3 9. Men are naturally so so selfish that they will far more easily assent to general Truths then admit of particular Applications wherein they are concerned Therefore he propounds this Assertion first in general v. 2. that he may make way for the particular Application of it v. 3. 10. Whatever fault there be in a godly mans pleading of his own integrity yet that will not prove him wicked For Eliphaz did mistake in this and his true challenge did not prove his conclusion And we ought to be careful that we fasten no more even upon mens real faults than they will bear and that we judge not of Saints estate by the weaknesses that break forth in an hour of tentation Vers 4. Will he reprove thee for fear of thee will he enter with thee into judgment This verse contains his Second Argument to prove Job wicked which may be interpreted diverse ways The word Fear of thee may be rendered thy fear and so it comes to this sense as if he had said God doth not reprove and enter in judgement with thee as by his rods he doth for thy Fear Reverence and Religion Therefore since he hath entered in judgment with thee it must be for thy wickedness This is indeed a truth That whatever God do to any yet he hath no quarrel at their Piety if it be sincere and godly men ought to reckon that it is so Yet this will not prove Eliphaz's conclusion For God may reprove and even plead his quarrels because he loveth his own and he may afflict them that he may prove and try them and that he may manifest his own glory in their support and the truth of his own grace in them But as the words are translated the sense is as if had said As thy righteousness cannot profit God v. 2 3. so neither doth he fear hurt from thee nor needs he pick a quarrel lest otherwise â—e should sustain prejudice by thee See Chap 35.6 Therefore his proceeding cannot be partial but according to justice and consequently thou must be wicked since he afflicts For thy afflictions must either be for sin or for nothing seeing he needs neither fear thou wilt grow so good that he cannot reward thee or so great that he cannot command thee This Argument is faulty and proceeds upon the same mistake with the former Interpretation that there can be no cause found why God afflicts men but either for wickedness or for goodness or fear of hurt from the party if he were not afflicted whereas as hath been said there are many more wise reasons of his procedure However the General Doctrine may teach 1. Gods reproofs are judicial processes or they will draw to that if not taken with Therefore are they joyned here reproving and entering into judgment the one as explicating the other 2. Mens passions and particularly their cowardly fears are great enemies to justice Therefore it is supposed here that to act out of fear is inconsistent with doing justly cowards being always cruel and unjust 3. God is above all fear of the creatures or of any hazard from them For saith he Will he reprove thee for fear of thee c which as it proves his greatness so also the justice of all his proceedings Vers 5. Is not thy wickedness great and thine Iniquities infinite Followeth to v. 12. the third Argument taken from the many sins against the Second Table wherewith he thinks he may justly charge Job and for which he thinks he is justly punished The argument may be thus framed He whose life abounds with abominable sins is justly plagued But thy life saith he to Job is such Therefore thou art justly plagued The first proposition being supposed as true of it selfe the second is proved partly by a general challenge v. 5. Partly by particular instances of crimes charged upon Job v. 6 7 8 9. Upon all which he infers the conclusion v. 10 11. Here the General Doctrine is sound That the evils here mentioned are gross sins and deservedly punished though yet they be not always actually punished in this life But these faults are unjustly charged upon Job And it may be wondered at upon what pretence Eliphaz could charge all these foul crimes upon him who clears himself so expressly of them Chap. 29. 31. But it appears that he judged thus of Job Partly from the event because he was afflicted as v. 10 11. And because his afflictions of Poverty being oppressed and sleighted c. seemed to be such as a man might read such sins in them as the procuring cause of them And partly it is not improbable that these wicked oppressors whom Job had crushed and made to fall under the hand of Justice as himself declares Chap. 29.12 14 15 16 17. did now complain when they saw him in affliction that he had wronged and oppressed them And that Elipaz harkened to their Calumnies as suiting well with his own Principles But to come to the particulars as they ly in the Text In this verse we have a General Challenge of Gross and multiplied wickedness whereof he poseth Job if he were not guilty not because he did but conjecture it was so and would have Job try if it were true for he asserts it positively v. 6. c. But being sure he was guilty his Principles leading him to judge so of Job he chargeth it upon his Conscience if he could shift it Whence Learn 1. It is not enough men know their faults unless they also ponder the sinfulness thereof and aggravate them Therefore before he speak of the particular faults whereof he supposeth Job to be guilty he premits this General to mind him that he ought to look on these faults as wickedness and iniquity
doth not bottom these Arguments which thou wouldst found upon it 2. If we consider the charge it self it is unquestionably an horrid iniquity to deny a Divine Providence in humane affairs as wicked men do Ezek. 8.12 9.9 Yet 1. It is unjustly charged upon Job who did constantly assert and acknowledge the Providence of God as appears throughout his several discourses And it seems the rise of this accusation was only this that Job asserted that God dealt otherwise with the godly and wicked afflicting the one and suffering the other to prosper than his Friends judged to be agreeable to his holiness and justice which in the judgment of Eliphaz was to deny a Providence 2. Suppose that Job had been overtaken in some tentations of this kind and that it was his great sin so to do Yet this would not prove Eliphaz's conclusion that Job was a wicked man seeing truly godly men may be overtaken with such fits of tentation and distemper Psal 37.10 11. Having cleared the words from v. 12. as it contains a General Truth Learn 1. God is high and glorious having the highest Heavens for his Throne and the place where he especially manifests his glory For in this sense it is true That God is in the highest Heavens Isa 63.15 66.1 Which should lift up our hearts to him and fill us with high thoughts of him and of his glory and power Lam. 3.4 Psal 123.1 Isa 63.15 should cause us admire his condescendence who stoops to notice us Psal 113.5 6 7. should cause us fear and reverence him in our addresses to him Eccl. 5.2 and should teach us that he needs not things below as being above their good or evil 2. We cannot take up God in his glory and excellency immediately and directly till we come to our Country and habitation For here the height of his habitation is pointed out to us by the height of the Stars 3. As the creatures are set before us that we may study their excellency For he bids him Behold or see the height of the Stars how high they are so their excellency is rightly studied not when we rest or doat on them but when we draw some practical use from that study and particularly when we are helped thereby to see and acknowledge the glory and excellency of God As here we are taught See Psal 8.3 19.1 From Job's supposed fault v. 13. Learn 1. All the hurt men can reap by troubles is nothing to this when they are driven thereby to sin As here is supposed Job was see Job 36.21 That is the thing Satan chiefly drives at and therefore afflictions should be looked on as touch-stones of tenderness 2. Atheism is the grossest of all evils as here is also supposed in that his accusation is added to all the former as the cape-stone of them all When this is once given way unto it strikes at the root of all Piety and Obedience Psal 73.11 13 14. And therefore it should be especially guarded against as also every wrong thought of God particularly in trouble Isa 40.27 49 14. as evidencing our pride and ignorance and obstructing the Consolations of God 3 Albeit men do not simply deny a Deity as some do at least in practice Psal 14.1 yet they may be guilty of Atheism in denying and questioning a Providence For that is the Atheism here charged upon Job see also Psal 10.11 73.11 94.7 That God doth not know or doth not exercise a Providence or Government in the world For to know is here put for the whole acts of Providence It being necessary that God do first know the affairs of the world and what is done by men if he do recompense them accordingly To deny this Providence is in effect to deny that God is God And Satan will bend his endeavours to drive us to this as at all times that he may emboâ—den us to security and sin Ezek. 9 9. Zeph. 1.12 so especially in trouble that he may cut short all our pains in seeking to God and may deprive us of that comfortable sight of sad lots that we are still in Gods hand in the midst of them Only we would beware of such a sight of Providence in trouble as drives us away from waiting upon him 2 Kings 6 33. 4. This sin of Atheism is very hainous not only when men entertain the thoughts of it and fix it in their hearts Zeph. 1.12 but especially when they have the impudence to speak it out and say it as here is charged upon Job see Isa 40.27 And when men do only suppress and not mortifie these wicked thoughts of their hearts in prosperity they will readily break out in trouble and hereby God is justified who hath afflicted when men do proclaim their own sinfulness under troubles Ezek. 14.22 23. 5. It is a ready way to turn men Atheists in the matter of Providence when they limit God and prescribe how he should administrate the affairs of the world and if God act not according to their mind they are ready to question whether there be a Providence at all For albeit Job was free of this crime of Atheism yeâ— Eliphaz's Principles were such as did not a little reflect upon and question Providence For he judged as hath been cleared that what Job asserted concerning Providence was in effect Atheistically to deny it which imports that it was his opinion that if God guided the world as Job said which indeed he doth he could not but question whether God did guide it at all 6. It doth also contribute not a little to beget Atheistical thoughts about the Providence of God when men will not believe things because they cannot see the way how they can be For thus doth he propound Job's supposed fault not only What but How doth God know considering the distance and darkness that interveen betwixt him and us Such do little consider that his ways and thoughts are above ours Isa 55.8 9. and that his way and paths are in the Sea and great Waters Psal 77.19 7. Such as do once entertain Atheism will easily fall into foulest miscarriages toward men For however he wronged Job yet this General is true that if once a man deny the Providence and Knowledge of God it is no wonder to see him guilty of all those crimes charged upon Job v. 5 c. See Ezek 9.9 Psal 14.1 2 c. And indeed the wicked courses of men do proclaim their Atheism which if they believed a God or a Providence they durst not commit For though they had not sâ—ith to commit themselves in keeping Gods way to his provident care yet the fear that he in his Providence would reach them might in reason deterr them from provoking of him 8. It is a great injustice in debates to brand and load mens Principles with odious and false consequences As here Job's debate concerning Gods administring of the affairs of the world is branded with Atheism Thus because we
6. It is not enough that converted men abandon sin in their own persons unless they suppress it also in their families and where they have power For iniquity must be put far from a mans tabernacle See Josh 24.15 Psal 101.3 4 c. 7. It is a special motive to perswade men to keep their families pure when they consider how unstable their habitations are upon earth and that they are but pilgrimes in their families hasting to their iournyes end where they must give an account of all their ways Therefore is it called a tabernacle here from which iniquity is to be removed 8. Sin is so great a burden and slavery to a right discerner 2. Tim. 2.26 that to be delivered from it is a reward unto himself For it is an encouragement here as well as a duty Thou shalt put away iniquity if thou return 9. When sin is removed the fruits and punishment of sin will be removed also however God may continue afflictions not any more as plagues but for the converted mans needful exercise and tryal For thus also it is true If thou return thou shalt put away iniquity or the punishment of iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Where he speaks of many Tabernacles alluding to the way of many in those times who kâ—pt their numerous Families in so many several tents set up together See Gen. 24 6â— and 31.33 And here this promise is further confirmed that though his habitation be but a Tabernacle yet God will preserve it and disadvantages will not hinder nor impede needful proofs of his love Vers 24. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver Follow the Encouragements that are subjoyned to these Exhortations whereof the first in these verses is That he shall have abundance of prosperity Even the best of Gold as the first word signifieth and the gold of Ophir is commended as excellent in Scripture Job 28.16 Jsa 13.12 in as great abundance as dust or lying upon the dust no Coffers being able to contain it and as common Stones in a brook and plenty of silver also or strength of Silver as the word also signifieth to support him in all necessities And in order to all this It is promised that the Almighty shall be his defence or his Gold for it is the same word that is used v. 24. to rain out of his Alsufficiency to make him prosperous and secure him in it This encouragement is founded upon their common Errour concerning the prosperity of Godly men Yet it seems these godly men spake so much of this lot of prosperity not out of love to it or because they placed their happiness in it but be cause this promise had been so frequently verified to godly men in their time that they could not notice the Doctrine or few Experiences that spake otherwise of the lot of godly men We may from it Learn 1. It is not that petty measure of Prosperity for which wicked men sell their Souls but most rich abundance of it which the Lord can give to his People as they need it and to which they have right as it is for their good For so much may be gathered from this large Promise 2. The Lord also hath given proofs and experiences of his bounty to his own Children to bear witness unto the truth of his Promises and that we need not question either his Power or his Good-will when it is otherwise For in their days there were many experiences of prospering Saints which made them speak so much to this point 3. That the Lord dealt thus with his People in the infancy of the World though not always and with every godly man even then as Job teacheth may teach how the Lord trains on his People and deals tenderly with them when they are weak that they may the more cheerfully endure hardships when they are stronger Thus also dâ—d Christ deal with his Disciples Matth 9.14 15 16 17. 4. It is not easie to keep men from â—ll principles when they are bred with prosperity but they will readily sleight the Word and if there be a change of their condition they are apt to take it ill and to stumble at it and be unwilling to submit For by reason of the many experiences they had of the prosperity of godly men they not only call it the strength of silver but they cannot endure to look on a contrary dispensation as consistent with true Piety and the favour of God 5. It may discover the emptiness and vanity of all outward prosperity and that it is not the portion and happiness designed for the godly that the more men enjoy of it it is the less esteemed For then it becomes as dust and as the stones of the Brooks not only for abundance but because when it abounds it is little esteemed So was it in Solomon's days 1 Kings 10.21 27 We need no more to point out the emptiness of the things of time but abundance of them 6. Prosperity is nothing worth in the judgment of a right discerner unless we have God to be ours with it Therefore it is pâ—â—â— in the bosom of this Promise yea the Almighty shall be thy Defence or Gold Which imports 1. That we must have God to be our Friend and Portion which is greater wealth even in poverty then any abundance of Silver and Gold 2 That we must have him for our defence to protect us in our prosperity without which it lieth open to many hazards 3. That we must have him for our Gold not only in stead of gold when we want it but to keep the treasure and stream of our wealth running without whose blessing we we may soon waste never so much Vers 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face unto God The Second Encouragement to v. 29. is taken from spiritual advantages to be reaped by turning unto God These are the true and real priviledges of godly men allowed upon them by God yet they must be understood also with needful cautions that godly men may mistake their own condition think they are deprived of these priviledges when they really enjoy them and that God may really desert his own Children and at sometimes deprive them of the sensible comforts that flow from these priviledges This Encouragement may be taken up in three Branches according to the number of the verses whereof the first in this verse is that if he return to God he shall attain to delight in him and to lift up his face to him with cheerfulness and confidence Whence Learn 1. God especially in his Christ is a delectable and desirable object fitted to refresh and make them up who find grievances everywhere else Therefore is he propounded as the Object of delight to Job 2. As God is desirable and refreshful so it is
things are with him to deal with others as he dealt with Job So when the Lord hath tryed any of his people much he is still Soveraign and absolute to try them yet more Thus Job apprehends that many such things are with him to be yet performed against himself And it is true we should not think to shelter our selves under one tryal as if that should exempt us from another Amos 9.4 But God when he pleaseth may send many tryals one upon the back of another or all of them together Lam. 2.22 5. As God hath variety of tryals to send as he pleaseth upon the Sons of men So he hath variety of wayes means whereby to bring about their tryal and exercise Even many such things whether tryals or wayes and means of trying Therefore we ought not to boast that because we have endured one kind of tryal therefore we can stand in whatsoever assault For Hezekiah stood firm in adversity who yet succumbed in prosperity 6. It is an evidence of the weakness of Saints that when they get not their will in being delivered from present trouble they are ready to fear there are yet greater troubles to come upon them For so did Job conclude here that because God would not ease him nor grant his desires therefore many such things were yet abiding him It is our duty in trouble to hold our selves at our present work which is oft-times interrupted by these fears without either presumption or anxiety about what may befall us for the future And as we are not to judge of Gods purposes about our future lot by what is present seeing he can soon change his way of dealing nor yet by the thoughts of our own hearts when they are crushed and distempered by present troubles So neither are we to judge how we will be able to endure future tryals if it please God to send them till they be our tryal at which time we may expect grace to help as being a time of need Provided that for present we be not asleep but self-denied and living in a continual dependance upon God Verse 15. Therefore am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him In the last branch of Jobs complaint he summs up all his former complaints in a new complaint Wherein he sheweth how grievous these things formerly mentioned were unto him and what matter of fear perplexity and regrate they ministred unto him In this Verse he propounds in general That the consideration of God as he had taken him up in the former complaints Namely that he had not only smitten him with sad stroaks v. 2. but would not be found of him v. 8 9. was inexorable and unchangeable in his purpose of afflicting him v. 13 14. and particularly seemed to be about to afflict him with more plagues v. 14. The consideration I say of all this did perplex and affright him Whence Learn 1. The sadness of mens afflictions ought not to be measured only by the weight of the stroak inflicted upon them for much trouble may be made easie to some but by the exercise of Spirit which it produceth in the afflicted For Job aggravates all his former complaints and the causes of them from the effects thereof that he was troubled and afraid This is seriously to be considered that men may be pitied when God makes lesser troubles prove heavy to them and that he may be acknowledged and commended when he makes a heavy burden prove very easie to the afflicted 2. It is a sad and humbling effect of afflictions when they so perplex and confound men that they know not what to do and do keep their minds in a perpetual restlessness and tossed with confusions and when they are accompanied with fears and terrours which break the courage of mens Spirits For this is the matter of Jobs sad complaint that he was troubled or perplexed and afraid by reason of his troubles Men should expect to be thus exercised in trouble that they may neither lean to their own wits nor courage and when their Spirits are not broken by trouble they ought not to complain of any sharp tryal 3. Sad stroaks in themselves will not so easily put Saints to perplexities and fears as their apprehensions of Gods thoughts in the stroaks he inflicts For saith he I am troubled at his presence and afraid of him Hence it is that wicked men prove so stout-heatred in outward troubles which may be ready to crush godly men because they do not look to God nor regard his thoughts in their afflictions as the godly do 4. Saints do much augment their own perplexities and fears by their dwelling much upon the consideration of their condition For saith he Whâ—n I consider I am troubled at his presâ—ncâ— and afraid of him As the wicked want exercise through want of consideration of their own wayes and of what God is doing to them So the godly do beget it through too much poring upon their condition And therefore they should be sober and cautious in ruminating upon their tryals 5. As God is terrible and dâ—eadful in himself and in his pursuing of wicked men So a sight and thoughts of him may be affrighting and breed perplexities even in Saints when they are in trouble For so was Job troubled at his presence and afraid of him So that godly men ought not to question their own state because of these apprehensions of God 6. Looking unto God through a wrong Perspective will readily breed Saints more perplexity than is allowed For so was it with Job here His looking upon God not as his revealed will declares it to be our mercy that we are in his hand in trouble and that he minds the good of his children thereby but as his passion and present distress misrepresented him his poring upon his own sad condition and his missing of these out-gates and wayes of appearing to plead his integrity which he devised breed him all this trouble and fear and not any thing God minded to his prejudice by this tryal if he could have discerned aright Verse 16. For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me 17. Because I was not cut off before the darkness neither hath he covered the darkness from my face In these Verses Job expresseth his complaint and grievance more distinctly together with the cause thereof His grievance and sad case v. 16. is That God did not only trouble and confound his spirit and judgement but did make his heart soft not so much soft by reason of tenderness as by taking away the strength and fortitude of his Spirit So that it was apt like wax to take any impression of fainting and terrour A particular cause and reason of this his dejected condition is subjoyned v. 17. Namely That God had made his life bitter with sorrows and had not prevented these his sorrows either by taking of him away by death before they came or by with-holding them from coming upon
the Church and given up to those sins which ripen them for judgements As hath befallen divers Nations upon whom the light of the Gospel shined at first 3. Many Parents instead of dedicating their Children unto God and principling them with his fear do make Idols of them and do at upon them which provokes God to plague them 4. Sometimes Parents sell their own Souls to make their Children great and God lets them see their folly in the rods that are inflicted upon their Children 5. If Children follow the wicked footsteps of their Parents it is just with God to put their Parents sins as well as their own upon their account Matth. 23.31 32 33 34 35. 6. Though the Children of wicked Parents be godly yet God may punish their wicked Parents in their bodies and estates which they have from them As is seen in the ruine of the godly branches of wicked families both in their persons and estates besides the hereditary diseases which may be transmitted to them by the vicious lives of their Parents Though yet there are none truly godly who are under these rods but they will see their own guilt as well as the guilt of their Parents in them and will not murmur as these did Ezek. 18.2 The summ of all is That Parents as they love their Children should take heed to their way and walk and as Children are to lay to heart Original corruption and their own actual sins so they should also be sensible of the sins of their Progenitours Neh. 9.33 34. Jer. 14.20 Lest with estates and other advantages a quarrel from God be transmitted to them And albeit their immediate Parents have been godly yet they should not stumble though they be afflicted as to the documents of Gods Soveraign dominion and for other wise ends so for their own Progenitours sins seeing the controversie may be pursued even to the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 And that among other reasons because a wicked man may live so long by the ordinary course of nature as to see these branches spring of him himself being accounted one of the four and himself punished in them Doct. 4. Among other judgements which God sends upon the wicked or their posterity the Sword is a sore and remarkable one For here it is put in the first place If his Children be multiplyed it is for the Sword This is a judgement frequently lamented Jer. 4.10 19. and 47.6 7. and elsewhere Yea for a single person be he a great or mean person to dye even in battel is accounted a favour being compared with their condition who share in the National stroak of a War and those calamities which accompany it 2 King 21.20 with Chap. 23.29 And therefore men should look well to these sins which precure this judgement to avoid them Such as Idolatry and corrupting of Religion Judg. 5.8 Breach of Covenant with God Lev. 26.25 Oppression whereunto men are emboldened by the Sword and power that is in their hand Ezek. 33.26 27. See Jer. 34.17 and cruelty in the use of the Sword 1 Sam. 15.33 2 Sam. 12.9 10. and many the like abominations because of which this judgement is threatened in Scripture And withall it excites those who have smarted under this stroak to see how they have found it and their preservation under it blessed to them Zeph. 3.12 13. And how they are sitted for these mercies which are promised to them who are left of the Sword Jer. 31.2 5. Famine is another sad stroak which God hath appointed for some of the wicked and their posterity For here it is subjoyned And his Off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread When people have smarted under other temporal judgements they have yet reason to acknowledge Gods mercy if they have escaped this which is so sharp and bitter Lam. 4.9 And they ought to avoid these evils which ordinarily draw on this stroak Such as 1. Abuse and not improving of other rods which draws out this arrow out of Gods quiver 2. Mens not seeing of Gods hand nor acknowledging him in plenty but ascribing it to a wrong cause Hos 2 5 8 9. 3. Mens murmuring because of plenty as many do look on it as their disadvantage when there is not a dearth and scarcity that they may gain thereby And when they esteem mercies to be scourges it is righteous with God to make them smart under that which is a scourge indeed 4. When men turn bruitish they are justly punished like beasts and their bellye 's pinched since they will not be sensible of other evils Amos 4.1.6 And men should read this sin in such a stroak 5. When Gods servants are neglected and men will not expend any thing but rather intervert and keep back what is due for the maintenance of publick worship they are justly straitened in their own particulars Mal. 3.8 9 10 11. 6. When men are not content with nor thankfull for ordinary and competent allowance which may here be imported by bread but do murmur because they get not affluence of all things they may be taught to know on their own expence how little cause they had to grudge when they shall not get so much as bread to satisfie them See Prov. 30.8 7. Intemperance and excess and riot with a neglect of the miseries of others doth justly portend such a stroak Amos 4.1 6. and Chap. 6.3 4 5 6 with 7. Doct. 6. The mercy of mens temporal enjoyments consists not so much in their enjoying of them as in their being satisfied and contented with their lot For that is Famine not to be satisfied with bread which may hold true of them which have worldly goods as well as of them who want them that they are not satisfied See Luk. 12.15 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8. And it is certain that a mans depriving himself of that satisfaction he may have and is allowed to have provokes God to deprive him of that which might really satisfie him From v. 15. Learn 1. Gods indulgence may be so great as after that several judgements have cut off others some wicked men and their posterity may yet remain unpunished For here there are who remain of him or of the wicked man after Sword and Famine Hereby the Lord leaveth them without excuse who continue incorrigible Amos 4.11 Especially if those who remain judge those only who have smarted to be wicked as Luk. 13.1 2 c. Ezek. 11.15 2. God hath variety of judgements in store whereby to plague wicked men who have escaped former calamities and ordinarily the saddest stroaks abide those who are reserved last For here those who remain shall be buried in death or get an odde and remarkable death and burial So fared it with these Jews who went last into captivity Jer. 24 throughout Ezek. 11.15 21. 3. Death is in it self very terrible to wicked men who are without God and God makes it manifest that it is so by the remarkable way of death which befalls
and the innocent shall divide the silver either divide it among themselves or because the word is singular divide it to others who stand in need See Psal 105.44 Wicked men cannot secure who shall be their heirs Esth 8.2 Psal 39.6 And therefore such as have right and are oppressed by others should keep Gods way as lying nearest the promise and blessing 8. It is a mark of piety to use riches well For therefore it comes in the just and innocent mans hands that he may not only put on the rayment but divide the silver Piety is tryed as by mens purchase and estimation so by their using of riches and therefore when godly men abuse wealth it is just they be also stripped of it Verse 18. He buildeth his house as a moth and as a booth that the keeper maketh In this Verse Job sheweth that the wicked mans house or more setled estate shall be as uncertain as his moveables This he illustrates by two similitudes one is of a moth which houseth it self in cloath but is either swept out of it with a brush or eats it self out of house by eating the cloath so the wicked man ruines his house and estate by sin and shall be thrust out of it The other similitude is that his house shall prove but like a keepers booth which is set up for a season and then pulled down Is 1.8 and 24.20 Lam. 2.6 Doct. 1. Wicked men whose names are written in the earth Jer. 17.13 do seek to fix and settle themselves there without minding any higher portion For in this sense it is true of the wicked man in a peculiar manner that he buildeth his house See Ps 49.11 2. Wicked men care not whom they wrong so they may fix and settle themselves For he builds his house as a moth which eats the best cloath and that which belongs not unto it 3. Were the estate of the wicked never so fixed in appearance yet it is but built upon the sand and is but as a moths house and a keepers booth Their very ill purchase as the moths eating of the cloath will eat them out and make the stones and timber cry out against them Hab. 2.10 11. 4. It is easie for God to ruine the estate of wicked men how strong soever they seem to be For he will prove but as a moth and his house but as a keepers booth There is a greaâ— difference betwixt what mans estate may seem to be and what it will really prove in the hand of a sin-revenging God Verse 19. The rich man shall lie down but he shall not be gathered he openeth his eyes and he is not The third sort of calamities which suddainly befall some of the wicked is the ruine of themselves or their persons especially to which the following Verses chiefly speak though they may relate also to his ruine in the matter of his wealth which may be suddenly brought to pass And this is propounded in borrowed terms v. 19. illustrated by other similitudes v. 20 21. and amplified from the Author in inflicting the stroak v. 22. and from the effect and consequent thereof v. 23. In this Verse the suddenness and unexpectedness of the wicked mans ruine is propounded Some do expound the words thus that though the wicked man shall lie down or die calmely yet he shall not be gathered with the Saints to a blessed life after death but then his eyes shall be opened and he shall see that he is a gone man however he thought himself happy before This interpretation doth indeed hold out a sad discovery which a wicked man gets of himself at death when he is departing from his supposed happiness and made to see that he is lost and gone But it doth not agree with Job's scope here who is speaking of these visible judgements which befall some of the wicked in this life Therefore the plain and simple meaning of the words is That the wicked man shall be as one new lien down and not as yet gathered or fully composed for sleep but half sleeping half waking and then a terrible alarm comes upon him and as he lifts up his eyes he is presently gone Doct. 1. Though riches and piety may consist together yet ordinarily rich men are under a great tentation to be wicked Therefore is the wicked man called here the rich man because as he followed wicked courses to attain riches so his confidence in his riches imboldens him to be yet more wicked See Luke 18.24 25. with Mark 10.23 24. 2. Wicked men may expect that besides stroaks upon their concernments and enjoyments their very persons shall not escape which is the sharpest of outward tryals Job 2.4 for so is here threatned 3. Wicked men may be very near destruction when it appears not to be so For when he lyeth down and is not yet gathered he openeth his eyes and he is not To which also another reading agreeth he lyeth down and nothing is gathered or taken away from him but when he openeth his eyes after his sleep he is not See 1 Thâ—ss 5.3 4. It is a sad ingredient in trouble when it cometh suddenly and unexpectedly For so is here intimated that it is an aggravation of the wicked mans ruine that so suddenly he is not And when a stroak cometh in such a way it should be looked on as the just fruit of mens not looking out and preparing for trouble but dreaming of a perpetual happiness 5. When God beginneth to reckon with wicked men he will not do his work by halves but payeth them home once for all For so is here imported in that the wicked man is not when God begins to call him to an account See Nah. 1.9 1 Sam. 3.12 Verse 20. Terrours take hold of him as waters a tempest stealeth him away in the night 21. The east-wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a storm hurleth him out of his place In these Verses the suddenness and dreadfulness of the wicked mans ruine is illustrated by two similitudes 1. That terrours or terrible plagues shall hurry him away as an innundation of waters breaking in impetuously upon an house built beside it doth carry all away with it v. 20. 2. That he shall be surprized with destruction as when a tempest or whirlwind falleth upon things in a dark night and carrieth them away none can see whither v. 20. This last similitude is yet insisted on v. 21. wherein he declareth that judgements like an East-wind which was very violent in those countries and made a great storm Hosea 12.1 shall carry the wicked man away and drive him out of his fixed habitation From v. 20. Learn 1. No one similitude is sufficient to illustrate the sad condition of wicked men when pursued by God therefore are divers similitudes made use of here to point out how sad their condition shall be 2. Wicked mens ruine will be very violent and terrible and will fill them with terrours seeing they have
give them See 2 Tim 2.25 3. Men are very apt to exalt themselves in any good services they do or think they do For so he supposeth here That if they had hit the mark and thrust him down they would have been ready to speak bigly of themselves Men naturally hunt after glory and do desire to be taken notice of 2 King 10.26 And even those who are humbled and have some self-denial in their entring upon difficult undertakings may yet readily be puffed up if they have success in them 4. Men are apt to be proud of nothing so much as of their wisdome and parts especially if they shine in bringing about some great enterprize For this was the hazard in particular if they had succeeded Ye would say we have found out wisdome Mens wisdome or their opinion of wisdome is their great Idol so that to be self-denied in that matter is a rare art See 1 Cor. 8.1 Job 11.12 5. Mens inclination to boast of themselves doth justly obstruct their success in their undertakings For God thrusts him down not man and they had no hand in humbling Job lest they should say we have found out wisdome Thus God layes men by and blasts them in their best undertakings that he may hide pride from them Which ought to humble them that they should thus render themselves unfit for service and should obstruct their success and comfort in what they goe about 6. Gods care of his people appears not only in curing those evils into which they fall but in preventing their falling into many evils to which they are very prone For here was a preventing mercy however they discerned or improved it that God ordered the business so as he did lest they should say we have found out wisdome Though Saints may discern delivering mercies more than they can reckon yet when they come to think of preventing mercies they will find those a depth into which they cannot dive 7. Men may account themselves very wise in their actings and discourses when yet wise discerners will perceive that it is nothing so For though they judged that there was great wisdome in their way yet Elihu gives them a watch-word that they should not say we have found out wisdome 8. As God may employ weak Instruments in great works that the Instruments may not boast but he alone may be seen in what is done So men who are sincere and humble will see much of God and nothing of themselves in all they do For saith he God thrusteth him down not man He was not an eminent man who was employed that so God might be seen to do it by him and he ascribeth it entirely to God and denieth himself in it See Gen. 41.16 Dan. 2.30 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. and 3.5 Verse 14. Now he hath not directed his words against me neither will I answer him with your speeches The third Reason of his interposing to speak wherein also he points a little at the way and manner of his answer is That as he is not engaged in the heat of mutual reflections as they were nor had Job given him any provocation as they alledged he had done to them so he had some new matter not yet spoken by them which was useful to clear the Controversie And therefore he will bring it forth and that without all irritating reflections which had been too much their way And by this he insinuates upon Job and prepares him to hearken to what he was to say seeing he tells him he had something to inform him of which had not been spoken before and assures him that he will not deal with him as they had done It hath been already cleared in the entry to this Chapter in what respect it is true that he answered not Job with their speeches In summ Not only did he differ from them in the manner of his reply answering with reasons and not with passion as they had done but in the matter also For he never maintained their Thesis against Job That he was a wicked Hypocrite nor did he own their Argument taken from Gods afflicting hand upon him whereby they endeavoured to prove it but looked upon that as a meer Sophism And what he repeats of their Doctrine in so farr as they had spoken truth he makes use of it to prove another Conclusion than theirs was and to press that upon Job which he was bound to receive and admit notwithstanding his personal integrity which he intends not to pre-judge by any thing he saith From this Verse Learn 1. Men may bear out in a debate against others who yet may be faulty in some things which their Antagonists do not discern and men may be able to prove their integrity as to the state of their person who yet may be guilty of many failings In both these respects there is cause to answer Job but not with their speeches For Job was indeed a righteous person and yet he had real failings to be reproved though his Friends discerned them not 2. One main cause of mens mistakes in Controversies is the height of their passions and their being engaged in mutual reflections which not only takes them off the cause but blinds their judgements that they cannot well discern what is right or wrong For this beside their unsound principles was a great cause of their mistake that Job had directed his words against them or ordered his speech so as it might sharply check them for their failings which produced speeches on their part which were full of mistakes and not to be imitated by any who would speak to purpose in that cause 3. Men are bound to communicate in their stations what light God hath given to them for clearing of truth and composing of debates For this is an Argument why he may speak to this cause that even for matter he hath an answer not according to their speeches which may help to put an end to the Controversie 4. As it is mens duty not to speak untruths in debates so also not to bring passion instead of reason or to irritate those with whom they deal and especially the afflicted who have been formerly wounded by others For he will not answer with their speeches because they were false and because they had by their reflections already grieved the afflicted mans spirit too much 5. It is not sufficient to justifie men in an ill course that they do but imitate others therein who possibly are godly and able but these examples should rather warn them to look better to their way For though they had gone before him he will not follow them but having observed wherein they failed he is the more careful not to answer him with their speeches 6. As none are warranted to irritate others by their passionate and provoking speeches So those especially would avoid that evil who have had no provocation given them thereunto For this hath a special influence upon Elihu That since Job had not directed his words
added Only remember that they who become poor in affliction will relye on God on whom they are left and will be tender in their walk Psal 40.17 Zâ—ph 3.12 13. And it will not a little humble them that they needed such a mean to bring them up to that disposition Doct. 4. Men are never right nor will become poor under trouble nor will they be fitted for any good issue till their ears be opened to hear Gods mind in affliction and it be not a dumb rod For their ears are opened or revealed in oppression Of this see on v. 9. Only as frequently the deafness of our ears to the admonitions of the Word draweth on afflictions so rods will never humble us and make us poor till we hear from God what we are and what he mindeth by them And till we not only hear but learn our lesson we are not fit to be delivered from our Schoolmaster So that they have a poor and unprofitable life who are kept toyling only under the rod but have never a lesson inculcated by it 5. However God make use of the rod as a mean in his hand yet it is his own hand and blessing accompanying it that teacheth us any thing thereby For he openeth their ears Of this also somewhat hath been spoken before Only our afflictions are oft-times barren that we may know who doth us good and may eye him when they are barren and acknowledge him when they are made fruitful 6. When God hath humbled and instructed his people under the rod then they are in the way to get deliverance For he delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth or when he openeth their ears in oppression It is true the counsel of the poor may be shamed and scorned by men Psal 14.6 while they wait upon God and are not delivered Yet they have the promise Psal 12.5 They are left upon God who will give a good account of his dealing about them Psal 10.14 and who deviseth concerning them as the Original phrase is Psal 40.17 to do that which is best for them It is a part of the commendation of God that he is good to the poor Psal 35.10 Yea his kindness to them may invite Kings to seek to share with them Psal 72.10 14. And it is frequently pleaded by Gods people that they are poor and needy Psal 69.29 and 74.19 and 86.1 and else-where More particularly as for the way of his dealing with the poor we are to remember that he doth actually deliver some of them out of their troubles and will deliver all of them at last And till that be brought to pass the rod changeth its nature They are delivered in trouble though they be not delivered from trouble by his supporting and comforting them under it by his sanctifying and mitrigating of it and by faith patience and mortification of lusts which make it easie And however it goe with them yet they may be convinced that deliverance would not be a blessing without this previous opening of the ear 7. It is the usual way of truly godly men to get good of their crosses and when it is otherwise and mens miscarriages provoke God to cut them off though that do not prove them graceless yet it should humble them as testifying that they have gone out of the road way wherein Saints use to walk For this issue of trouble on godly men is repeated from v. 11. as the usual way wherein they walk and no mention is made of that supposition of their rebelling under the rod and their being cut off for it v. 12. because real Saints do not usually run that hazard Verse 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked Judgement and justice take hold on thee Followeth to v. 22. the fourth Head of this first part of Elihu's Discourse containing a particular Application of the former general Doctrine to Jobs present case Wherein from what hath been said 1. He layeth the true state of Jobs case before him v. 16 17. 2. He gives him his counsel relative to his case as it stood v. 18 19 20 21. In these Verses Jobs case in pursuance of the former general Doctrine is laid before him in these two First What it might have been v. 16. Namely That if he had followed that course which is usually observed by godly men v. 11.15 he might have been in a prosperous condition which he illustrates by two similitudes One of a large bounds to dwell in opposite to these straits pressures and stocks he had so often complained of Another of a plentiful table opposite to his poverty and his sighing coming before his meat which he had also regrated And if it be enquired Quest How Elihu doth so positively speak to Jobs restitution seeing that is not so absolutely promised to godly men as Job hath all along disputed against his Friends Answ It may be he knew by special Revelation that Job was to be restored upon his repentance and therefore he speaks so and so earnestly presseth him to repent But seeing that cannot make a general and common Rule for others in the like afflicted condition Therefore it would be considered that albeit God may afflict a godly man yea and suffer a penient to come to outward ruine yet such as improve their afflictions aright have the promise of restitution and do oft-times get an out-gate and alwayes they get that which is as good for them Secondly He layeth before him what his case indeed was for present v. 17. Namely That since he had fulfilled the judgement of the wicked justice and judgement had taken hold on him in the present tryal For clearing whereof Consider 1. By the judgement of the wicked here we may understand Either Metonymically those sins for which God inflicts judgements or righteous punishments upon wicked men Or as the word also will read that sentence cause or principles which wicked men maintain and which they persist in and endeavour to bear out against God And so to fulfill their judgement is only to follow their steps and way of it whereby he had not only confirmed them in their proud and insolent carriage and so fulfilled or ratified their sentence and determinations but had drawn himself under the hand of an angry God And so while he chargeth Job with fulfilling of the judgement of the wicked he doth not assert him to be a wicked man but only as he had done before Chap. 34.8 affrights him from his way by letting him see how like some of his pranks were to the practices of the wicked 2. While he asserts that judgement and justice take hold on Job he means not that Job was under a dispensation of pure wrath nor doth it import that Jobs afflictions came not upon him at first only for
the tryal of his faith and other graces but only that his folly and miscarriage under the rod for which also God humbleth him though he employ Elihu first to handle him more sharply did draw on fatherly displeasure From v. 16. Learn 1. General truths will not avail nor prove usefull particularly to persons in affliction till they be applyed Therefore doth he subjoyn this particular Application to the former general Doctrine 2. There is no general promise recorded in Gods Word but it will be forth-coming to every one of his people as they have need Therefore that promise v. 11. is applyed to Job as that he had right unto if he had been in a right frame Yea the promise made to Joshua a great and eminent man Josh 1.5 is repeated Heb. 13.5 as belonging to every particular distressed Hebrew in the general scope of it abstracting from what was personal and relative to his special employment in it 3. The Children of God for their exercise or because of their folly may be brought under great distress As here is supposed in the contrary promises For the promise to remove them out of the mouth of straitness as it is in the Original imports That they may be under pressures which are ready to devour and swallow them up like a beast of prey And the promise of a fat table imports That they may be exercised with penury and want And the conjunction of those two promises imports That their penury and other sad pressures may goe together 4. It may encourage men to stoop to God and to receive instruction under the rod That there is no condition so sad but repentance and turning to God will amend it As here these promises import And albeit he will not take off all our pressures within time nor yet alwayes deliver his penitent people yet our being near to God takes away the bitterness of pressures and affords sweetness in every lot and may assure us that God will care for our table and will have an eye upon our pressures And though godly men before they repent may complain that possibly the promise will never be performed yet let rhem once repent and be near God and that will silence all their complaints 5. It may be matter of sad thoughts to godly men under trouble when they consider how much better their condition might have been were it not for their own folly As here he lets them see Even so would he have removed thee c. if thou had not thus miscarried See Psal 81.13 14. Isa 48.18 19. From v. 17. Learn 1. It is not unusual to see godly men fail in an hour of tryal and so to run away from their own mercy As here he lets him see that his case was farr otherwise than it might have been 2. As it is a kindness to tell Friends their condition freely so they have need to have it told them by others they being ready sometime to take it up too sadly and at other times to look too easily and partially upon it Therefore doth he so freely tell Job his condition here 3. As godly men in their fits of distemper may homologate too much the principles and wayes of the wicked so it is their great fault so to do For here he chargeth him with fulfilling the judgement of the wicked Of many pranks of the godly in trouble it may be said What will they leave to the wicked to do when they do so 4. The longer these courses be persisted in it is the greater sin For it aggravates his fault that he fulfilled this judgement of the wicked or confirmed them in their way by the length that he proceeded in it 5. Sin would appear more formidable if it were looked upon as inseparably attended with judgement As here the wickeds way is called their judgement not only because it is their judgement and determined sentence and fixed principle to follow it but because it is the cause of a sentence of judgement from God 6. Whatever others do find of judgements attending sin the godly may lay their account not to escape For this sinful course is proved to be judgement or sentenced by God because judgement and justice take hold on thee 7. As godly men may come under fatherly displeasure and this will be sad to them when they discern it So it is yet sadder that their own folly should change the nature of their cleanly tryals and mix anger with them As here he lets Job see that his cleanly tryals were turned into judgement and justice though with moderation as Chap. 35.15 8. Whatever Saints may dream of yet Gods fatherly chastisements will not only reach them when they miscarry but will hold them fast till they quit their folly For they take hold on thee The word also signifieth and is else-where rendered to support or sustain but here as also Prov. 5.22 it signifieth to apprehend or hold fast and includeth the person of whom hold is taken as is supplyed in the Translation Verse 18. Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroak Then a great ransome cannot deliver thee 19. Will he esteem thy riches No not gold nor all the forces of strength Elihu having stated Jobs case doth now give him his counsel relative to his case as it stands And though the counsel be but one in substance that he would amend his faults yet I shall take it up as it lyeth in the words in three branches which will clear wherein Elihu thought Job had fulfilled the counsel of the wicked The first whereof in these words is That heing now under wrath he should be afraid to provoke God by his miscarriages when he was under his hand to cut him off without remedy For then no ransome or wealth or power could rescue him Whence Learn 1. It is no proof of true friendship only to reprove men for their faults without giving them counsel how to rectifie what is amiss For here Elihu subjoynes advices to his former reprehensions hereby witnessing that he was a Friend indeed who was not seeking nor taking advantage of him in reprehending his faults 2. It is a special part of our duty especially under trouble to examine and try our condition how it stands and it is a proof of real friendship to help us in this tryal As here Elihu points out unto Job how it is with him and tells him there is wrath 3. It is the great and concerning Question of Saints to try how God is pleased with them and to try what wrath or displeasure may be in their cuâ— when they are afflicted Therefore doth he give Job an account of that especially 4. As Saints may be under wrath or fatherly displeasure as he told Job in the former Verse and here again repeats it So when they are in such a case they ought especially to take heed to their walk that they do not rage and free against God For because there is
and to see what he saith and points out to us as our Duty and Lesson by every thing Fâ—r here it is supposed that he was seeking out God or how he might know him 2. Whoso know God best will find that he is unsearchable and that they must give over that study before they come to an end For he closeth all his discourse and instances with this We I or any other who shall essay it cannot find him out Which may let us see that we ought not to lean in all cases especially in our distempers to our own verdict concerning God seeing he is unsearchable and incomprehensible and should humble us and make us keep a due distance with him 3. High thoughts of God do become all and will be entertained by them who are much conversant with him therefore in the close of all this discourse concerning God he calls him the Almighty So that they who have high thoughts of him do prove that they are near him and do find him to be unsearchable 4. This is a certain truth to be fixed in our hearts that God is infinitely powerful to effectuate what he will to support his people Isa 40.28 29 c. and create what they need Rom. 4.17 and to crush whom he will 1 Cor. 10.22 For it is a concluded truth He is excellent in power Where he doth not content himself to say that he hath power judgment and justice but that he is excellent great or multiplieth in them Which not only points out that those are infinitely and singularly in God but that Elihu esteemed of them as excellent So that it is not enough to acknowledge the Attributes of God unless our hearts be affâ—cted with the excellency thereof and they do look upon them as infinite when they need proofs of them 5. Gods power is attended with singular moderation For he is excellent in judgment See Chap. 23.6 Ps 99.4 Isa 57.16 So that we should adore his greatness which is sweetned with such condescendence Ps 113.5 6 7 138.6 and should exalt him in those proofs of his condescendence as singular and excellent 6. As God will not exercise moderation toward any to their hurt by favouring of their lusts So when he seems to deal in rigour with any he is excellently and plentifully just in so doing whatever we apprehend to the contrary Therefore it is added he is excellent in plenty of justice See Neh. 9 32 33. Dan. 9.7 8 Here it is that men are very sparing to glorifie God as appears in their murmurings and complaints Whence it cometh to pass that men who are impatient under more cleanly trials yet soul Rods dipped as it were in their sin and pollution wherewith to be exercised and their rods are continued till they acknowledge their Iniquity or be guilty in their own eyes as the Original hath it Hos 5.15 And therefore men are to try how they acknowledge his Justice in sharp dispensations by their not murmuring by being more affected with their sin than their trouble and seeing the one to surmount the other Ezra 9.13 and by being more soliciâ—ous about deliverance from sin than from trouble Psal 80.3 7 19. 7. Gods excellent moderation and plentiful Justice do appear in this that he will not afflict As here is subjoyned Some do read it he will not answer or give an account to any which is a truth But our Translation renders the word better in this place And the meaning is not that he will never afflict any for experience witnesseth the contrary and it were no mercy to us considering our sinful frame and the dross that is in us to be simply and altogether free of affliction far less to be afflicted and he not to do it if it were possible such an evil could be without him But the meaning is That notwithstanding his greatness he doth not willingly afflict Lam. 3.33 Nor will he exercise his power to crush or his Justice to deal rigorously with them who stoop to him And when he gives proofs of his power in executing vengeance he makes it evident that it is not without cause Ezek. 14.22 23. From v. 24. Learn 1. Whatever men know of God it should appear in their practice As this practical Inference from the former Doctrine doth teach See Tit. 1.16 2. Mens practical improvement of the knowledge of God should appear in their piety and turning servants to God particularly in seasoning Religion with an holy fear and awe of God and in not quarrelling him or his dispensations For that is the use of all to fear him which may import both Piety and Reverential awe of God in general and a fear to quarrel him in particular 3. Not only Gods greatness but his condescendence doth contribute to beget this fear of God For men do or should therefore fear him not only because he is great and powerful and just but also because he is excellent in Judgment and will not afflict If he did not thus condescend Creatures could never subsist to serve him but would be cut off by his Justice and Power Psal 130 3 4. And his gracious condescendence cannot but affect honest hearts with fear and reverence and make them tremble to think of quarrelling him Hos 3.5 4. Though many do not make this right use of what they know of God yet others will not be wanting to do it whose practice will be a Witness against them therefore he propounds the duty of all in the practice of some Men do therefore fear him 5. Whatever God manifests of himself in his Greatness Justice or Condescendence yet there is so much pride in many that they will not stoop to him nor fear him For so is here supposed that there are who think themselves wise in heart in following another course than here is prescribed 6. This bitter root may be in mens hearts under a crushed condition or humble-like carriage as here it is in their witty heart 7. Mens conceit of their own wit and that they are able to censure Gods dispensations is the great Fosterer of their pride and fountain of their miscarriages under trouble therefore that men are wise in heart or think themselves so is here put for all the miscarriages whereof quarrellers are guilty 8. No Condescendence in God affords any ground of encouragement to proud self-conceited quarrellers but he will deal with them as contemptible objects not worthy to be regarded For notwithstanding what hath been said of his Condescendence yet he respecteth not any that are wise in heart and that is sad enough that they are not respected by him nor enjoy his Favour See Psal 138.6 CHAP. XXXVIII Elihu having proceeded thus far in convincing of Job God begins here to take the matter off his hand and as supreme Judge to whom both Job's friends and himself had appealed Chap. 11.5 23.3 and elsewhere doth give a final decision in this Controversie which had been so long in dependance Wherein 1.
in any as he will have for them for he calls not this fault of Job Blasphemy c as his Friends had done when he reproves it but only a fruit of his Weakness and Ignorance So that they who are sensible of their own infirmities may very confidently go to him who knoweth their frame In particular Learn 1. Gods dispensations in the world are not ordered at random but are full of deep wisdom for there is Counsel in them See Psal 104.24 And this is our mercy that such wisdom is employed about us and that we may trust it when we cannot comprehend it 2. The counsels of God are so deep in ordering the Affairs of the world and particularly the Lots of his people that men are ignorant thereof and cannot take them up for here men are without knowledge not only enemies Psal 92.5 6 7. Mich. 4.11 12 13. but even the godly Psal 73.21 22. And yet men are more ready to tax God of Imprudence than themselves of Ignorance and hence flow their manifold mistakes and quarrellings Psal 77.7 8 9 10. 3. Hence it cometh to pass that when men take upon them at any time to speak of Gods counsels they may be humbled because they do but obscure them especially when in their passions under trouble they do presume to pass a censure upon them For then they darken Counsel by words without knowledge Men may tremble at any time when they begin to study Gods dark dispensations especially when themselves are in a Feaver and whatever thoughts may be boiling in their hearts yet it is dangerous to vent and speak them 4. No Honesty in men nor good intentions do warrant them to think or speak amiss of God nor free them of a fault when they do so for Job is checked for his fault albeit he was a godly man and meant well in what he said yea and sometime did speak very highly to the commendation of God And therefore godly men should not justifie themselves in such failings as Jon. 4.9 but should rather mourn for them 5. Whenever a man doth miscarry in his thoughts or expressions of God or about his dispensations he bewâ—ales ignorance of himself and that he doth not consider what he is or what he is doing for Who is this c. imports that Job had forgot himself and was lifted up in pride See Rom. 9.20 6. Whoever mistake God it beseems Saints who are formed for his praise Isa 43.2 to be tender of his glory for Who is this may reflect also upon Job that it was not to be expected that he would have been so foolish and presumptuous 7. Whatever men think of themselves when they dare carp at God and censure him yet God thinks meanly of them in so doing and will make them know so much for Who is this doth also import that God thought but meanly of a person in such a frame and following such a course His esteem of thâ—se who humbly stoop to him is great but he knoweth the proud afar off Psal 138.6 And the contentioâ—s will gain nothing at his hand Verse 3. Gird up now thy loyns like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me In the second branch of the Introduction God provokes Job to the Dispute upon this subject and sheweth him that since he was so bold as to pass his censure upon his deep Counsels and to desire to debate with him he was now content to speak for himself Here Consider 1. The provocation to the Dispute Gird up thy loins like a man Where he alludes to the Custom of those Countries where people had long Garments which they girded up with a Girdle fastened about their Loins when they went about any work or on a Journey And the meaning of this provocation here is only this That God would have him fit himself for the Dispute and if he had any thing to say let him take courage and produce it Yet herein also an Irony is couched and God indirectly intimates that he little considered what he did when he sought to enter the Lists with him 2. The terms of the Dispute I will demand of thee answer thou me or make me know and inform me Where he alludes to Job's own Offer that if God would debate the Cause with him he should have Liberty to chuse the Weapons and to be either Plaintiffe or Defendant as he pleased Chap. â—3 22 Here God accepts the Offer and chuseth to be Plaintiffe or Pursuer and Questioner and leaves it to Job to give a proof of his abilities in answering and discovering whether he had knowledge in all those things he shall propound to him which in effect as the sequel cleareth containeth an Assertion that in stead of his being able to inform God God could easily puzzle and non-plus him From this v. Learn 1. General Convictions and Challenges will not do men good unless they be particularly instructed and born in upon them therefore doth God subjoin this Dispute to that general Reproof v. 2. 2. God will not suffer Presumption especially in his people to pass without a reproof and check as here he gives a check to Job's presumption by this indirect reflection upon his attempt to dispute with him 3. God is not bound to give any account of his matters far less is he bound to stand at our Bar and defend himself till man once prove that he is a competent Judge of his Actions and that he hath ability and knowledge to comprehend them Therefore he declines to turn an Answer as Job had also offered for his diâ—pensations or to vindicate them from Job's exceptions till Job first answer him and prove that he hath ability to pronounce righteous Judgment 4. Albeit God be great and man be not his equal yet he condescends to give him fair play and will not overthrow any right he hath by his might and power For by this invitation Gird up now thy loins like a man he offers him free liberty to take courage and to say all he can 5. How wise or experienced soever a man be or seem to be yet God is able to puzzle and confound him for if he demand man cannot answer And so Job himself thought in cold blood Chap. 9.3 6. When all things are well considered man will be found to be ridiculous in his attempts to grapple with God for so much doth the scope of this Proposition and provocation import that God by accepting Job's offer would discover his folly in it Verse 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth declare if thou hast understanding 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastned or who laid the Corner-Stone thereof 7. When the morning-stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy Followeth the Dispute it self which is begun in this Chapter And for taking up of Gods scope
a great security And should be no less safe in an house of digged-up mud or in his Tent about which the Arabians used to dig holes for fastning of the stakes or some earth to make the bottom of the Tent close Or made a ditch to receive the water which in a shower of rain might run down from the Tent that so it might not run into the Tent then in a walled City nor should he need to keep a Watch or Guard about him but might sleep quietly And which further confirms the security of his condition whereas he is now contemned and all seek advantage against him then many men or as the Word doth also signifie even great men should respect him and make humble and earnest suits to him or as it is in the Original should entreat his face or countenance and protection to get counsel help justice or preferment by him In this if we guard against the understanding of temporal Promises in an absolute sense we may Observe 1. Great and wonderful may the vicissitudes of time and mens lot within time be And when God pleaseth to interpose he can make a mans case differ wonderfully from what it hath been For so doth this Promise imply and it is indeed possible and Job afterward found it true that he who had been spoiled should be secure Obs 2. The Penitents allowance is security or quiet confidence Which is not to be understood of secure neglect of duty or neglect of seeking God Not yet however Zophar understood it of a secure neglecting to foresee and prepare for difficulties Job 3.25 26. For neither of those are our duty and so cannot be our mercy But the true security allowed to Penitents is to be confident as to events Not that they shall certainly avoid dangers from men or otherwise But that they shall be free of aniety about them either as to their coming upon them or their getting through under them This is indeed their allowance And it is their duty to study to be rid of vexing anxiety which flows from insobriety and diffidence and impedes duty See Phil. 4.6 Psal 127.1 2. For it cannot avail any thing as Matth. 6.27 It oft-times creates us needless troubles Isai 51.11 13. It antedates our real tryals and makes them a cross before they come Matth. 6.34 It draws us upon snares when we are anxiously fearful of men Prov. 29.25 It is not beseeming the peace of a good Conscience Rom 5.1 2 3. and should rather be left to the wicked Deut. 28.66 It gives God little to do but takes his work off his hand 1 Pet. 5.7 and therefore crusheth us because none but God can bear that burden of caring for events And it looks not like faith in his Providence who can cause troublers do us good Jer. 15.11 who can restrain them as he did Laban Gen. 31.24 can fill them with terrour Gen. 35.5 can plague them as he did Sennacherib and can bring good out of what he suffers them to do This being Saints allowance they should press after it and accompt it service to God and not carnal security to seek to be rid of this anxiety Obs 3. The ground of this security is because there is hope Whereby we are to understand not only the grace of hope which the true Penitent hath but dayly new favours strengthning this grace His trouble 's not returning and proofs of love being given him do strengthen his hope and possess him with holy confidence and security This passing his mistakes Teacheth 1. A reconciled Penitent hath still ground of hope Ezra 10.2 After his repentance if he have been a godly man before his evidences are renewed and his hopes revive so that he cannot be desperate unless he will cast away his hope Heb. 10.35 2. As whatever good a penitent man hath he must quit it all and go out of himself to hope in God so hope is enough to secure a man though there be no more For Thou shalt be secure because there is hope Here we should beware of pride which will be ready to undervalue this whereas humility will grip too little 3. Albeit we should not ground our hope on what is seen Rom. 8.24 or upon any thing beside the word Yet when God further confirms us by proofs of his love it should make us ashamed to be diffident For when thus there is hope as hath been explained then we should be secure It is a sin and shame to be diffident after many experiences Psal 78.19 20. And as our not hoping when we have but the naked Word obstructs those proofs of love so our ill improvement of them and our quarrelling still provokes God to send us back again to the naked Word Obs 4. The amplification of this security is That he shall dig about him and take his rest in safety c. or in a poor Cottage or Tent he shall be safe enough This Teacheth That hope in God must not rest upon nor judge by outward probabilities But should give glory to God so much the more as probabilities are few So much may safely be gathered from this Otherwise it is not alwayes true that Saints are safe in Zophar's sense But as God can secure in a most unsafe condition So extremity of troubles and all disadvantages should but raise the spirits of a Penitents hope as Psal 142.4 5. Obs 5. The publick evidence of this his security is sleeping safely and without fear This holds not true in this sense that a reconciled man may not be surprized in his sleep but this is true in it that it is his allowance to sleep confidently when he is called to it under Gods protection as Psal 3.5 However It Teacheth 1. Reconciliation with God makes common mercies to be double mercies Even very sleep comes by promise and by gift to a reconciled man His dinner of green hearbs is a sweet feast if he could discern the mercies in it 2. The Providence of God is over and about the reconciled man in all the turns of his life were it even in watching over him when he sleeps 3. Gods help is nothing the further off from a reconciled man that he can be little active to procure it or do for himself For when we sleep and cannot do for our selves he will do for us 4. Quiet and safe rest without affrightments is a mercy as here is supposed And it is put in the godlies Charter as the rest of temporal promises to be forth coming for him as may be for his good And when a people are deprived of it by Fires Invasions or other Alarms in the night As it is a tryal to the godly so it may put all to search how they have been thankful for ordinary preservation and rest And how they mind judgment wherein it is said the the Lord will come as a theif in the night Obs 6. The confirmation of this his security and safety is that he shall be in honour and
respect and many and even great men shall make suit to him or intreat his face It Teacheth 1. A reconciled man gets all his losses made up one way or other As here is supposed that he will be restored to his dignity again And indeed that is not lost which is in Gods hand but however we may not limit God in these temporal things a good account may be made of it upon our repentance 2. Albeit contempt be a sad lot and oft-times the fruit of our own or others idolizing of us Yet if such as are under it be reconciled to God or study to be so they may expect a good accompt of it For so much may safely be gathered from this Promise 3. Albeit God do not free every godly man from contempt in the world for this promise is not made visibly out to all And albeit he do not raise every godly man whom he vindicates from contempt to honour and state For this Promise is made to Job who was before a Magistrate Yet thus far it holds true in general That as men and particularly great men do respect or vilifie godly men only as may contribute to advance their own interests For as they sleight them in their low condition so they will fawn upon them in their prosperity So whatever mens esteem be true Piety is indeed honourable and would be more respected if it were more known And it is the duty of godly men so to walk as they may conciliate respect to their Profession and not cause the world stumble at it And if they walk so God may so eminently do for them and advance them as even great men yea their very enemies may be glad to sue for their favour Vers 20. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost Zophar's Second Argument pressing his Exhortation is held out in a threatening If Job hearken not to his counsel but think to be deliveâ—ed without repentance He propounds it in general terms without applying it to Job as he had done by the Promises And denounceth that a wicked man may long look for an issue and wear his eyes expecting it ere it come that he shall not escape Gods rods and vengeance any other way then by repentance and any hope he hath shall evanish and die and give him no ground to lean upon but rather end in despair In this Argument as he mistakes Job accounting him a wicked man So his doctrine concerning plagues upon the wicked is no more sound then what he had said in the matter of temporal Promises to the godly For a man may get expected favours escape rods and be satisfied in his hopes and yet be a wicked man still Only he deserves all that is here threatened and he may sometime meet with it in this life and however will meet with it at last Hence Learn 1. Both Law and Gospel terrours and allurements are necessary to stir up men to the duties of Repentance We need terrours to break as well as encouragements to melt our hard hearts Therefore he makes use of both here And of threatnings last Not because that is the order constantly to be observed For the Law should make way for Promises But because he judged him obstinate by reason of his former replies and possibly perceived by some evidences that Job was not taken with what he said which makes him give over to encourage him any more and leave him with this sad word 2. When men are called to threaten such as they suppose to be wicked as they should not dally with sin so in their greatest sharpness they should witness some tenderness to their persons Therefore he only propounds the Doctrine in general Not only to shew that he thought it the lot of all the wicked which therefore Job whom he judged to be wicked needed not think to decline But to witness his tenderness in that he leaveth it to Job to apply it himself 3. General Doctrine ought to be applied by every hearer albeit he who delivers it do not or for some reasons find it not fit to apply it For here he judgeth it to be Job's duty to apply what he speaks in general 4. Albeit wicked men oft-times have enough yet seeing they place their happiness in it they cannot be satiâ—fied but are plagued with the lust of the eye expecting and desiring more For It is supposed they have their eye upon somewhat they expect Not only are they put to look for deliverance when God plagues them which is the thing principally implied here relative to Job's present condition but even in their best condition they are still looking for more 5. As Believers may have much humbling exercise about their hope Psal 119.82 either when they expect that for which they have no ground in the Word at least not in their present condition Lam. 4.17 Jer. 14.19 Or when God would humble and try them Psal 69.3 and about their faintings which yet they will be forced to recall and abandon Lam. 3.18.22 Psal 31.22 Also whatever particular good thing expected by the wicked may be given them Yet they will never meet with all they gape for Deut. 28.32 And in the issue they will be sadly disappointed For thus the eyes of the wicked shall fail 6. Albeit wicked men be fugitives from the Word and so far as they can from corrections as is implyed Zech. 1.6 Jer. 5.3 And albeit they may escape some particular dangers and get terrours of Conscience shaken off Yet all they fear and seek to shun will unavoidably meet them at last without a possibility of declining it For they shall not escape 7. Wicked men are not easily put from their hopes and carnal confidences whatever threatenings or disappointments they meet with For though their eyes fail and it be threatened that they shall not escape Yet it is supposed that they will yet hope for other things 8. Wicked mens hope is but a cold coal and evanishing thing It is but like a sob or two of a dying man and then he is gone For their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost or as a puff of breath of a dying man Whether we look to their hope or their enjoyment of what they hope for they get but a laughter or two of it and a little whiles sport with their own deceivings and then they see the folly of their hope and what they got of what they hoped for doth evanish And so their hope as it is in the Original is the giving up of the Ghost or gives up the Ghost and puffeth out its breath and perisheth CHAP. XII In this and the two following Chapters we have a new Discourse of Job's wherein he replies to what Zophar or his other Friends had said For he speaks to them in the plural number and still joyns them together in his replies to any one of them because they
before Elihu interpose may point out 1. A mans integrity is a very grave and weighty business wherein he is not a little concerned For Job judgeth it so weighty that he may very lawfully take an oath about it 2. A man should guard not only that he really be not but that he seem not to be vain-glorious Therefore Job speaks all upon oath when he speaks to his own commendation to avoid that imputation 3. Men in matters of controversie betwixt them and others ought to speak seriously and not out of spleen or passion Therefore also he takes an oath in this matter to shew that he will speak truth exactly and will not condemn them and their opinions in passion 4. Men had need to be fixed in tryals against all tentations and assaults Therefore doth Job by this oath fix himself against all tentations which might assault him to cause him quit his integrity 5. As men upon oath ought to keep themselves within the bounds of truth as here is insinuated and some Heathen States appointed no punishment for Perjury as supposing none durst hazard upon that sin and sad will be the account of them who swear falsely So an oath should put an end to controversies Therefore doth Job take an oath to put an end to this debate See Heb. 6.16 Doct. 4. His swearing As God liveth doth teach That God liveth most certainly and to live is proper to him in a peculiar way And this as it sheweth that he liveth for â—ver to avenge perjury So further 1. It distinguisheth him from all dead Idols whom men serve 1 Thess 1.9 Jer. 10.8 9 10. 2. It sheweth that all hold their lives of him and therefore should employ them for him 3. It may encourage dead souls to go to him who is the fountain of life and may comfort godly men in all their troubles Ps 18.46 4. It calls for living service Rom. 12.1 Heb. 9.13 14. Secondly in this Verse also unto his oath he subjoyns a description of God by whom he sweareth where he describes him from what he had done to him that he had taken away his judgement and vexed his soul or made his soul bitter as it is in the Original By which we are not so much to understand that God had taken away his sweet way of walking with him imported in his judgement or composed and well ordered frame of spirit and in stead thereof had filled him with bitterness which is a sad change and matter of sad complaint Lam. 3.9 11 15. Job 9.18 As that God had not righted him in his quarrel by judging his cause and delivering him from misconstructions nor had he eventually cleared his integrity by removing the rods that were upon him But by all those calamities misconstructions and other tentations had vexed his spirit and made him bitter of soul This is an expression which is challenged as irreverent and passionate Chap. 34 5. yet not as proving him to be wicked Doct. 1. The best of Saints get not readily through their tryals without some discoveries of weakness which may humble them as here Job's experience may teach who stumbles often by the way though the close of all was sweet So was it also with David Psal 31.22 and 73.1 2 c. and 116.11 12. This teacheth That any good we have received should not hide our miscarriages in managing thereof That we should resolve so to get through tryals as we shall have no ground of gloriation Psal 73.1 with 2. That our corruption defiles our best things as it did Job's necessary defence of his Integrity That humility must be very needful that in all conditions God keeps us so at the study of it and inculcates it upon us from the consideration of our failings and That such as do fail in an hour of tryal may yet get a good issue of all though God humble them by the way as it befel Job 2. Mistakes and hard thoughts of God and of his dealing are the ordinary failings of godly men in affliction For in those Job failed here We should guard especially against that evil in a day of tryal neither carping at his dispensations Psal 22.1 2. with 3. Neh. 9.33 nor looking upon his service as unprofitable Mal. 3.14 15. Psal 73.13 with 28. For right constructions of God will keep our souls in life and cherish hope and love in hardest lots whereas contrary apprehensions breed alienation Zech. 11.8 And for attaining right thoughts of God and his dealing We ought to study his absolute Soveraignty to which we ought to submit in every thing without any debate or contradiction We ought to mind much our guilt and ill deservings which will justifie God in all he doth Psal 51.4 with Rom. 3.4 Lam. 1.18 We ought to judge of his dealing not by our humour or according as it is pleasant to our sense but by its profitableness though it be bitter and we ought to be sensible of our own blindness that cannot discern the depth of wisdom which ordereth our lots whence it cometh to pass that oft-times we forsake our own mercies and quarrel these lots whereby God communicates greatest advantages to us 3. It may please the Lord to suffer the righteousness and integrity of his children to be over-clouded for a time that so both themselves and others also may be tryed For so Job's Judgement or the righteous decision of his cause and the matter of his integrity was with-held for a time and he lay under sad imputations This tryal is supposed in that promise Psal 37.6 and is expressed in that lot of Paul 2 Tim. 2.9 And it should warn others to beware of putting others to that tryal by rash censures especially of the afflicted So godly men should arm themselves against such a tryal which may be the more easily born so long as the truth of their good condition is cleared by the word of God and it may be even in the consciences of these who are most ready to traduce them 4. As God is the orderer of this tryal so it is not for want of power but for other wise reasons that he suffers his children to lye under such a cloud in the matter of their integrity For Job acknowledgeth that he is the strong God as his name in the beginning of the Verse imports and the Almighty though he leave him under this tryal As sin obstructs proofs of Gods power for the good of wicked men Isa 59.1 2. So it is good for Saints to see themselves in Gods hand in this tryal that so they may adore his wisdom in the continuing of it when he could easily remove it And if they were walking tenderly and shunning guilt Is 59.1 2. and were studying his power and love they might have sweet exercise about the saddest of their lots and a comfortable look of them 5. Albeit in many cases godly men are fortified to bear reproaches and misconstructions yet if they be hard put to it and be not
cleared and vindicated they may be ready to take it ill As here Job complains that God had taken away his judgement or had not given him an hearing to silence the reproaches and mistakes of his Friends See Psal 69.20 and 120.3 4. Men should acknowledge it a mercy when they are born out under this tryal and though it do prove sharp unto them yet that is not a mark of wickedness for godly men have been afflicted with it before them and withall others should take heed that they inflict not such a tryal which may prove so sharp and vexing to an afflicted godly man 6. Beside misconstructions and other outward tryals under which godly men may be continued and God not interpose to vindicate and deliver them godly men should resolve to be exercised with soul-trouble by their outward troubles breaking in upon their spirits to distemper them and Gods hiding of his face under it For when Job is not delivered from misconstructions nor his cause cleared he is also vexed in soul Here we are to consider 1. Godly afflicted men may meet with more trouble instead of being delivered from what they are under As Job iâ— not only not delivered and cleared but his soul is also vexed 2. Troubles are never sharp and searching till they get in upon mens spirits and souls For Job complains of this as a sad addition to the former tryal Then tryals will become insupportable Prov. 18.14 and they will readily discover any scum of corruption that is within us So that men have cause to bless God if they be free of this whatever their lot be otherwise Hence 3. Men should look well to what their souls are doing under trouble for if they be not vexed with sin Jer. 2.19 they are justly made to smart under other vexations Doct. 7. Bitterness is ordinarily the result of soul-trouble For here his soul is made bitter as it is in the Original See Chap. 9.18 Troubles are of themselves grievous and bitter Heb. 12.11 and when they break in upon our spirits they work upon our bitterness and we represent them to our selves as more bitter and grievous than indeed they are And therefore we should be upon our guard that we may possess our souls in patience and meekness Luke 21.19 And for this end we ought to remember that it is our distance from God our pride our hearkning to every tentation and our aversion from exercise that breed us all our bitterness 8. Soul-bitterness is the great distemperer and misleader of godly men under affliction For this bred all his resentment here and whatsoever is afterward censured in this discourse flowed from this beginning of it with a reflexion upon his soul-bitterness Which may tell the afflicted where to find a cure of their own distempers even in wrestling against their bitterness 9. It is but a tentation and fruit of bitterness to father our distempers upon God or to reflect on him in what he doth As here Job complains of him that by his dispensations which were most cleanly and justifiable he had made his soul bitter when it was indeed the result of his own weakness See Prov. 19.3 Yea by calling God the Almighty in doing of this he insinuates a sharp reflexion that God had employed his power thus against him who was a weak afflicted man See Jer. 20.7 10. Godly men notwithstanding their weaknesses under affliction are yet giving proofs of honesty and integrity which may be seen by right discerners As here may be seen in Job who notwithstanding all these distempers 1. Seeth Gods hand in all and never takes his eye from off his providence which was commendable though he fathered his own distempers unjustly upon him 2. By his swearing by God though he thus dealt with him he gives proof that he will still worship him and reverence him as the supreme Iudge the witness to the conscience and maintainer of truth and so will cleave to him and appeal to his Tribunal and will not suspect any prejudice from him whatever his sense may say of him for present 3. He loves integrity and will still abide by it yea he will swear himself Gods servant and that he will not deal deceitfully And so he gives proof that he loves piety and integrity even when he thinks God deals hardly with him which may condemn them who are wicked when they are well dealt with Verse 3. All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils Thirdly unto his oath and description of God he subjoyns an account of his constancy in the resolution after-mentioned wherein he swears that he will persevere all the dayes of his life Whence Learn 1. Mans life is but in his lip and nostrils and continues but for a while For it depends upon the breath in his nostrils See Psal 146.3 4. Isa 2.22 So that we ought not to set up our rest upon time or the enjoyments thereof Psal 49.11 12 c. Luk. 12.19 20. 2. Our life and breath are from God and consequently at his disposal For it is the spirit or breath of God given by him in his nostrils See Psal 104.29 30. Act. 17.25 28. The consideration whereof 1. Obligeth man to glorifie God upon this very account Dan. 5.23 2. Is an argument why man should â—ender his life as the gift of God not cutting it off by intemperance neglect of the body wearying of it under trouble or otherwise 3. It may secure us in troubles that our times are in Gods hand Ps 31.15 and 66.8 9. 4. It is an argument perswading us to live in a continual dependence upon God Jam. 4.13 14 15. Doct. 3. Godly men ought to be constant and persevere to the end in good resolutions not being shaken by vicissitudes at length of time For Job swears that all the while his breath is in him c. he will abide at his resolution See Matth. 24.13 4. When men consider the uncertainty of their life and that it is at Gods disposal it should make them very serious and ingenuous in the maâ—â—eâ— of their integrity For that his breath is the breath of God and that but in his nostrils may be looked on also as an argument and reason why he will be sincere in what he hath sworn to declare concerning his integrity Verse 4. My lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue utter deceit Fourthly In this and the two following verses he subjoyns the resolution it self which he swears to abide by so constantly and that is to maintain his own integrity which is the state of the controversie betwixt him and his Friends In this verse he gives an account of this his resolution in general termes That he will not speak wickedness nor use deceit to see off his cause as men use to do when they have a bad cause Whence Learn 1. It is a great proof of piety to take heed to the tongue For Job begins his resolution to maintain