his Spirit Every man saith Christ John 6.45 That hath heard learned of the father cometh unto me that is All that are taught of God believe on me And the more any learn of the father the more they come to abide the more closely with the Son Job understood more of God and the mind of God more in all those questions he put to him concerning the heavens the earth the Sea concerning the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the Air concerning Behemoth and Leviathan than ever he did before The more immediate and extraordinary revelations of God are alwayes accompanied with notable effects And though few profit in knowledge according to the measure of the mediate and ordinary Revelation yet probably the more revelation we have of that kind the more we profit Fifthly Job had these great discoveries after God had kept him long in affliction Hence note God doth usually reveal himself most to his people after great sufferings Hence some are of opinion that in these words Job pointed at his two states First that of his prosperity then he heard of God only by the hearing of the ear Secondly Of his adversity then his eye saw him that is he greatly profited in the knowledge of him There are two things which God usually bestows upon his people in the day of or soon after their affliction First more cordials and consolations He gives that strong drink to those that are ready to perish that wine unto those that be of heavy hearts He bids them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more as Solomons metaphors may well import Prov. 31.6 7. Secondly as the Lord gives more consolation in such a day so more illumination the head is bettered by it as well as the heart Many have got much inward light or knowledge both of God and of themselves of their mercies and of their duties by being or after they have been brought into much outward darkness Davids experience taught him this else he had never said Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes He had never learned either to know the Statutes of God better or to keep them better by his affliction if God had not been with him and revealed himself further to him in the day of his affliction Lastly Note When God manifests himself much to any man great impressions are left upon him As will appear further in opening the next verse Vers 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes This verse concludes that part of the Chapter which I call Jobs humiliation He made confession before of his own ignorance uttering things that he understood not things too wonderful for him which he knew not he confessed also the great goodness of God to him in that he had both heard of him by the hearing of the ear and also that his eye had seen him from all which he inferr'd this resolve of deepest self-abasement before God Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes This word wherefore is diligently to be attended for 't is the hinge upon which the whole matter turneth This wherefore may have a double reference First To the sight which he had gained of his own folly weakness and vileness of which having made confession in the former words he adds wherefore that is for as much as I am thus convinced of mine own sinfulness I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Secondly This wherefore may have reference to those higher clearer and fuller manifestations of God to him He had heard of God by the hearing of the ear there was much in that but now his eye had seen him he had a light or a discovery of the excellency and Majesty of God as much surpassing and exceeding what formerly he had as eye-sight doth the hearing of the ear Wherefore the light being come thus fully in upon him concerning the glory soveraignty goodness faithfulness and all-sufficiency of God he cryeth out I abhorr my self c. The Hebrew word signifieth the greatest disgust against himself a kind of reprobating himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat nauseare vel reprobaro cum fastidio abjicere abominare or as we speak a turning of his stomack at the thought and remembrance of what he had said and was Some render wherefore I reprehend or reprove my self but to abhor our selves is more than to reprehend or reprove our selves Others I reject I despise I slight my self I turn away from my self All these renderings shew to how little or low an account Job was now come in his own sight Our reading I abhor takes in all the rest and more The Lord useth this word negatively concerning his people Levit. 26.11 I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you the meaning is my soul shall greatly delight in you And at the 15th verse of the same chapter affirmatively of them If you shall despise my statutes or if your soul abhor my judgments then c. despising is less than abhorring To abhor the judgments of God is to cast them not only out of our affections but out of our judgment too and to judge them unworthy or unfit to be owned and obeyed Again at the 30th verse of same chapter I will destroy your high places and cut down your images and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols and my soul shall abhor you that is I will manifest the utmost and highest of my displeasure against you Once more in the same chapter When they be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them To abhor is to cast away and to look upon a person or a people as cast-aways Read also Deut. 7.26 Deut. 23.7 Psal 5.6 Psal 129.163 Prov. 24.24 Jerem. 14.21 Amos 5.10 chap. 6.8 Zech. 11.8 from all which texts we may collect the weight and great significancy of this word To abhor things or persons imports the deepest displicency or dislike towards either I saith Job abhor My self The word my self is here supplyed by our translators The Hebrew is only this wherefore I abhor leaving us to suppose what he did abhor Our translators make the suppliment thus I abhor my self that is whatsoever may be called my self self-wisdom self-righteousness self-strength self-ends and I would see the end of sinful-self Another translation saith I abhor those former things Illa priora q. d. non tantum illa prius à me cogitata dictaretracto sed etiam detestor Bez. that is whatsoever I formerly thought or spake amiss I do not only dislike them I do not only retract and recant them but I abhor them And if you would know what those former things were which here he renounceth and abhorreth you may take it in these seven words First I abhor that ever I cursed the day of my birth Secondly I abhor that
lingers nor slumbers as to the Lords time though it may seem to have done both in theirs The wicked how long soever they escape judgement are not preserved from it but onely reserved to it as followeth in the fourth and ninth verse of that Chapter As the fallen angels are reserved in everlasting chains of darkness that is in chains that will hold them fast enough for ever unto the Judgement of the Great Day or to the Great Day of Judgement Which intimates two things concerning the fallen Angels First That their torments are not yet at the greatest nor their sufferings at the highest Secondly That their punishment is unavoidable for they can never break nor file off those chains As I say the fallen Angels are said to be reserved to judgement in chains of darkness at the sixth verse of the Epistle of Jude so at the 13th verse of the same Epistle it is said that to seducers and false teachers who cause many to fall The blackness of dareness is reserved for ever they have it not but 't is reserved for them Their present impunity is no assurance of their future indemnity From the latter part of the verse where the time of trouble is called The day of battel and war Observe First Obstinate and impenitent sinners make war in a manner with God himself Though they send not a Herald formally to defie him yet a resolved progress in sin let God say what he will and do what he will is a real defiance of him or a bidding him do his worst Gigantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicti It was said of the old Giants men of great stature They were fighters against the Gods We may say men of all statures even dwarfs and pigmies for bodily stature raise war against the great God by presumptuous sinning Did not men make a war upon God by doing evil God would never make war upon them by sending evil Men are vain when they fall into sin but they are worse than vanity when they stand out in sinning Who saith the Lord Isa 27.4 would set briars and thorns against me in battel none but a mad-man will I would go thorow or as the Margin hath it march against them I would burn them together Can briars and thorns abide contending with God who is a consuming fire If God send forth an army of his meanest and most contemptible souldiers flies from the air lice from the earth even a mighty Pharaoh must call for a treaty and beg a parly If he command snow and hail much more lightning and thunder out of the clouds to fight against his enemies how soon are they overwhelmed and confounded 'T is best therefore never to begin this war and the next best is speedily to sue for peace Secondly Observe A day of battel and war is eminently a time of trouble There may be trouble where there is no war but where war is there cannot but be trouble War or the sword is not onely one of those four sore judgements but the first of the four with which God threatned Jerusalem to the cutting off or utter destruction of man and beast Ezek. 14.8 Every battel of the warrier is with câ—nfused noise and garments rolled in bloud Isa 9.5 Confused noises are the musick of a battel and bloody garments the bravery of it then prize peace pray for peace That as the Apostle directs 2 Thess 3.16 The Lord of Peace himself would give us peace alwayes by all means For though that may be doubted and queried which some have fully asserted That the most unequal peace is to be preferred before the justest war yet the justest war may bring though peace and honour at last yet in the mean time innumerable troubles and evils with it Thirdly Note God can make any creature hurtful and afflictive to us Snow is of great use and serves much to advance the fruttfulness of the earth and is joyned with rain in that effect Isa 55.10 As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud c. by the concurrent blessing of God So c. Snow as well as rain is a blessing to the earth not an affliction yea snow is used by some as a delicacy to cool their drink in hot Countries and seasons which use of it was first found out by that monster of men Nero saith Pliny who thus declaims and pâ—otests against his intemperance Heu prodigia ventris â—li nivem illi glaciem potant paenasque montium in voluptatem gulae vertunt Plin. l. 19. c. 4. l. 31. c. 3. O the prodigies of luxury some drink snow others ice and so turn the punishments of the mountains so he calls snow and ice as to present sense into their own pleasure or to serve their voluptuousness Now though the snow according to Gods appointment be profitable to the earth and is used by some men to serve their pleasures and please their sensual appetite yet God can make a scourge of it if he pleaseth and destroy both our profits and pleasures by it He can afflict us not onely with strong and stormy winds not onely with dreadful thunder and lightning but with snow which is soft as wool and hail-stones which usually children sport and play with He hath destroyed sinners not onely by lions and bears and such like ravenous beasts but with frogs and mice with lice and locusts as was toucht before There are two things which shew the mighty power of God in the Creature First That he can make the most devouring and destructive creatures harmless and hurtless to us Thus he stopt the fiery furnace from so much as cinging a hair or impressing the least smell of burning upon those three worthies Dan. 3.27 He also shut the mouths of those hungry Lions not onely from tearing and totally devouring but from touching Daniel to hurt him chap. 6.22 Secondly That he can make the most harmless and hurtless creatures to hurt us How powerful is God who can crush the strongest man on earth by the weakest of his creatures There was much of God in it that some of his people of old through faith out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant being 't is like before of a fearful spirit in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens Heb. 11.33 34. And is there not much of God in it when any sort of creatures weak and inconsiderable in themselves are armed by him to conflict with and get the victory over his strongest and proudest enemies Fourthly Note God can make a time of trouble terrible He hath a reserve of snow and hail in his treasury against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war As God can make a day of trouble comfortable to his servants he can be a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and as the
there is no darkness at all And indeed in the latter part of this Book we may well conceive God himself speaking he speaks so like himself For here the understanding Reader may perceive a wonderful copiousness of speech and largness of discourse strengthened with the exactest and weightiest reasons set forth with such variety of matter with such gravity of expressions with such pressing queries and and interrogations that it very much excells all that had been spoken either by the Disputants or the Moderator And such was the condescention of God that he seems to take the words out of Elihu's mouth and urge over his Arguments anew before he would give the final sentence in this case from which as there could be no appeal so in which there could be no mistake All this the Lord contracts into two Orations or Speeches each to of which Job Answers and subscribes by an humble submission The first of these Speeches is contained in this thirty-eighth Chapter and to the end of the thirty-ninth To which God calls for an Answer in the two first Verses of the fortieth Chapter and Job gives his Answer in the third fourth and fifth verses of that Chapter The second Speech or Discourse of God with Job begins at the sixth verse of the fortieth Chapter and is continued to the end of the one and fortieth Chapter to which we have Jobs Answer at the beginning of the forty second Chapter to the end of the sixth verse and then the Chapter closeth with Gods special and irrefragable Judgement upon or determination of the Question between Job and his Friends as also with a description of Jobs blessed restauration after his fall to a higher condition of outward prosperity and tranquility than ever he enjoyed before Thus you have the summe of what 's behind of the whole Book This Chapter with the next hold out the Lords first Argumentation or di course with Job and in it we may consider three things First The Preface or Introduction in the first second and third Verses of this Chapter Secondly The Speech it self to the end of the thirty-ninth Chapter Thirdly Gods demand of an Answer or that Job should give him an account of himself or of what he had said at the beginning of the fortieth Chapter The words under present consideration are a Preface or Introduction leading to the whole business and in them we may consider three things First The Historians transition or an Historical transition vers 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirl-wind and said This the Historian or Pen-man of this Book inserts to connect the matter of this Chapter with that which went before he connects the discourse of Elihu which ended at the thirty-seventh Chapter with the discourse of God at the beginning of this Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirle-wind and said Secondly We have here what the Lord said in form of Preface leading in the intended matter and that First By way of reprehension or by a chiding Question about what Job had said vers 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge This is it which the Lord said when he began with Job Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge As if he had said let me see the man or who is the man that speaketh thus I know there is a Question and I shall speak somewhat to it afterwards Whether these words were directed to Job or Elihu yea some Question whether this whole Chapter be not intended to Elihu rather than to Job I shall answer that Question also afterwards but I give it now in the analysis of the context as I puâ—pose God willing to state it when I come to the Answer of that Question And therefore I say the reproof falls upon Job whom God thus bespake beginning with a chiding Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Secondly by way of provocation to answer or we have here the Lords command given Job to prepare himself for an Answer as well as he could to what himself should say vers 3. Gird up now thy loynes like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me As the Lord reproved and chid him for what he had said so the Lord exhorted and encouraged him to set and fit himself the best he was able to answer what himself had to say unto him Thus we have the intendment of these three Verses and if you would have in one word a Prospect of the whole following Discourse of God with Job the Sum of it may be given and taken thus That as Elihu before so now the Lord would have Job know and confess that no man must presume to be so bold with him as to question his doings that 's the great mark at which God aimed in all he said to Job And the confirmation or proof of it is taken up from this unquestionable ground No man must Question any thing which God doth to him or with him for this very reason Because God doth it or because God often alone alwayes in chief hath done and doth all things God is the alone Creator of all things he hath given all things their Being he hath put all things into the Order in which they stand and he preserves them in their standing and if any evil befal man the hand of God hath done it much more than the hand of any man what then hath any man to do to question his doings Now that God alone hath created and doth order all things he himself proves by calling Job to shew where he was When the Foundation of the Earth was laid and Bounds were set to the Sea c. and so proceeds to assert and hold forth his sole Power in furnishing the Earth with Beasts the Air with Fowls and the Sea with Fish The Lord having thus given Job to understand that the whole World is his Work and that he gave Being to all the Creatures in the World for the help of man without the help of man would have him thereby also understand and be convinced that he and all men ought to adore and quietly submit to his providential workings or the products of his Providence all the world over That 's as was said the general Point carried through this whole Discourse of God with Job the particulars whereof yeeld much matter both of Meditation and Admiration I begin with the Preface Vers 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said In this Verse we have three things First The Person answering Secondly The Person answered Thirdly The manner of his Answer The Person answering is the Lord the Person answered is Job the manner of the Answer is out of a Whirle-wind Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirle-wind In the first word of the Text we have that which our Translation makes emphatical an intimation of the time or season of this Divine interposition then the Lord answered
personal Judge of this so his Word must ever be the Normal Judge of all controversies Fourthly Note The Day of Judgment is like to be a terrible day Here was a little day of Judgement here God came to determine a matter between Job and his three friends and that was a terrible day in it we have an image or representation of the last Judgement Day God appeared in a Storm in a Whirlwind what think you will be the Lords appearance when he comes to judge the whole World The Psalmist speaking of some particular day of Judgement which should fore-run the general judgement sets it forth in dreadful Metaphors Psal 50.3 4. Our God These are the words of Gods faithful servants assuring themselves of a gracious deliverance from the cruelty of wicked men by the goodness and mighty arme of God Our God say they shall come that is he shall certainly come though he seem for a while to defer and put off his coming and shall not keep silence as he hath been thought to do either in not answering the prayers of his people or in not punishing the presumption of his and their enemies as he also said he did at the 21th verse of this Psalme and then woe to the wicked for A fire shall devour before him God will then appear as a consuming fire and a mighty tempest of wrath and indignation round about him so that there can be no escape either before or behind on one side or the other And then v. 4. He shall call to the Heavens from above and to the Earth that is to the heavenly and earthly Powers as witnesses against the ungodly and as aids and assistants that they may judge his people that is assert their integrity and maintain them in it Now I say if there have been or shall be such dreadful appearances of God in this world for the vindication of his people and the avenging of them upon their enemies what will his appearance be when in the end of the world he shall come as the Apostle Jade speaks v. 14 15. of his Epistle with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him That is either directly or reflexively in letting their tongues loose to speak against them The Apostle Paul having said 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things that is the fruit of the things done in his body that is while he was in the body whether it be good or bad he adds at the eleventh verse Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men As if he had said We know that will be a terrible day Christ will come and answer sinners out of a Whirlwind when he comes to Judgement and therefore We being fully perswaded of this our selves perswade men by all means to beleeve and repent and get the peace of their souls well and surely setled upon good Gospel terms in this world that so they may find peace in the great Day of Judgement which will be the commencement or beginning of another world They who know the terror of the Lord will both perswade others and be perswaded themselves to look after reconciliation with God that when Christ cometh terribly they may appear before him comfortably or that he may not be a terror unto them in that day Fifthly Forasmuch as the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind as was said to affect him with the awe and reverence of his great Name while he was speaking Observe The Word of God is to be heard with reverence with fear and trembling or with an holy awe of God upon our hearts Why did the Lord speak out of a Whirlwind Surely that Job might see his distance or that he was but as a feather even like a rolling thing or thistle-down before the Whirl-wind which the Lord could scatter and blow away with the least breath of his mouth as that allusion in the Prophet intimates Isa 17.13 And questionless all the wicked in the world who contemn the Word of God preached by his Ministers Locutione domini blanda dulcedo ejus ostenditur per tempestatem vero potestas ejus metuenda monstratur Greg. l. 28. c. 2. will be blown away by it as thistle-down or a rolling thing before the Whirl-wind of the Lords fierce anger and displeasure All such shall be carried away with a strong irresistable wind and cast into the bottomless pit of perdition for ever The Lord who sometimes speaks out of a Whirl-wind hath a whirl-wind alwayes at his command to scatter those like chaffe who obey not what is spoken as he threatned the enemies of Jacob Isa 41.16 Sixthly From Gods speaking out of the Whirlwind Note God is present with his in troublous dispensations 'T is no argument that God is not with us when storms and whirl-winds are up whether with respect to Nations and Churches or particular Persons Do not think God is gone because there is a storm Read Psal 18. v. 6 7 8. Psal 23.4 Psal 91.15 Isa 43.2 3. and you shall find that in the worst appearances the Lord is present The Prophet speaks it expresly Nahum 1.3 The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind and in the storm and the Clouds are the dust of his feet When and where it 's dark and troublesom the Lord is there and there he is most that 's the Prophets meaning also when he saith The Clouds are the dust of his feet By Clouds we may understand not so much the Clouds of the Air as cloudy Providences these are round about him while Judgment and Justice yea while Mercy and Goodness are the habitation of his Throne And these Clouds may be called the dust of his feet in a Figure we know where Travellers pass often their feet make a dust now it shews that the Lord doth act much in the Clouds that is in dark Providences because 't is said They are the dust of his feet as if he moved so much and so long in them that he raised a dust with his motion Do not think the Lord is gone when whirl-winds and storms that is outward troubles come The Lord answers out of the whirl-wind as often as he answers us by terrible things in Righteousness and thus he often answers us Psal 65.5 Seaventhly and Lastly comparing the manner of Gods coming and speaking to Job with his intent in coming and speaking to him The manner in which God came and spake was in a Whirl-wind but what was his purpose was it to blow the poor man away no it was but to himble him and then to comfort and restore him Observe The outward appearances of God are often very terrible when he intends nothing buâ— mercy and love to his people What more dreadful
go abroad doing mischief following wicked purposes when the light appears dis-appear with-draw and play as we say least in sight Job 24.13 The wicked are they that rebel against the light they hate it cannot endure it they are like the wild beasts of the earth that raven in the night but in the day couch in their dens and coverts no man can tell where to find them Psal 104.20 21 22. Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do creep forth c. The Sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens Thus the wild beasts are shaken out of the earth when the light appears and so are wicked beast-like men John 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light And as such hate the spiritual light of the Gospel so they do not very well like the natural light of the day Wicked men decline the light and are called darkness and their works are called the works of darkness and therefore when the Sun ariseth theeves robbers and all of those wicked trades may be said to shake themselves out of the earth He that doth evil hates the light he looks upon light as an enemy Fourthly These words Mane judicia exercebantur Drus Grot. Sensus horum verborum è ut improbi die exorto trahantur ad judicia ac ita terra excutiantur Pisc That the wicked might be shaken out of it are rather to be understood of the wicked as often apprehended in the morning for evil done in the night When the day-spring appears it discovers wicked men who being taken examined and tried are by the Sentence of the Judge and Decree of the Magistrate shaken out of the earth God the Supream Judge seems to search the whole earth by the Candle of the Sun as he once threatned to search Jerusalem with candles Hence Note First Light is a discoverer Light makes all things manifest As the light of the Word discovers the evil that is in the works of wicked men and makes that manifest so the light of the Sun discovers the persons of wicked men and makes them manifest We cannot distinguish white from black nor can we see where men are nor what they are doing till light be-friend us And as the natural light makes things manifest so much more doth spiritual light the light of Law and Gospel By the power of that light wicked men are shaken and driven out of their sins by that light they see judge and condemn themselves And thus the wicked are indeed shaken out of the earth that is out of their earthly state of sin and unbelief Secondly Note Wicked men and light are at no good agreâ—ment He that will continue in any evil bears no good will to any kind of light Odit lucem qâ—i turpiter agit There is nothing more uncouth and displeasing to a man that resolves to live in sin than the light of the Word yea many times than the light which shines in the air Such say as he of old when the day begins to break Lux inimiâ—a propirquat Virg. Our enemy is coming Common day-light which is a great good much more divine light which is a far greater good is counted an evil by evil ones What communion hath light with darkness said the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 And as they who are light ought not to have any complying communion with darkness so they who are darkness cannot have or hold any pleasing communion with light Thirdly If we take these words as holding out one main design of the Providence of God in sending the light every morning namely that the wicked may be shaken out of the earth This shews that wicked men should be speedily proceeded with and the earth unburdened of them The ordinary use of the light is that men may go forth to their labour Psal 104.23 Now as that is one great use of light that man may see his honest labour and be guided to or in the works of his calling so another great use of it is to apprehend wicked men who do dishonest work and bring them to judgement David said Psal 101.8 I will early or in the morning destroy all the wicked of the land As soon as ever the light takes hold of the ends of the earth if I can I will take hold of evil doers that is I will not delay much less stop the course of justice against them that do wickedly This was a kingly resolve Early will I destroy the wicked of the land This was the Prophets counsel Jer. 21.3 Execute judgement in the morning that is with the first opportunity It is not good to be rash in judgement nor is it to be slack in judgement Wicked men are a burden to the earth therefore 't is fit with the first when there is no other remedy to unburden the earth of them There is yet another reading and exposition of this latter part of the verse taking the word rendred wicked not for persons Bolduc but for things and then 't is read in the Neuter gender The light takes hold of the ends of the earth to shake wicked or evil things that is those things which are noxious to the earth out of it The heat of the Sun rising upon the earth exhales and draws out hurtful vapours from the earth which abiding in the bowels of it would hinder its fruit-bearing or make it barren This sense is prosecuted all along by some Interpreters quite thorow the 14th and 15th verses but I shall not stay upon it The Lord having shewed this use of the light which he commands every morning shews in the next verse some other uses or effects of it Vers 14. It is turned as clay to the seal and they stand as a garment This verse saith a learned Expositer is so difficult Locus difficilis est quo in extricando si aliquis dixerit aliquid vorisimile a benigno lectore respuendum non est Sanct. that he not to be refused who offers any thing probable towards the opening of it I conceive it may best be understood as an Exposition of those words in the former part of the 13th verse That it might take hold of the ends of the earth it is turned as clay to the seal that is the earth is turned as clay to the seal for when the light passeth through the air it sets as it were a new stamp upon the earth And then the former part of the 15th verse may be taken as an Exposition of the latter part of the 13th verse That the wicked might be shaken out of it and from the wicked light is with-holden that is they are utterly destroyed and so shaken out of the earth It is turned as clay to the seal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut lutum sigilli i. e. cui sigillum imponitur Genitivus adjuncti Pisc and they stand as a garment Here are two metaphors to set
fill of them he fills the hungry with good things Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it God hath much respect to fill us with outward good things but much more to fill us with spiâ—iâ—ual good things open thy mouth wide and raise up thy desires after the things of heaven growth in grace encrease in faith and love in patience and holiness and I will fill it He that fills the appetite of the young Lions with natural food will fill the appetite of his Servants with spiritual food which is best of all they shall be abundantly satisfied with the goodness of his house and he will make them drink of the river of his pleasures Psal 36.8 He that fills the appetite of the young Lions will not send hungry souls away empâ—y We may rest in much assurance that God will deal well with us both for soul and body while he questions Job whether he would do that which himself only doth Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion or fâ—ll the appetite of the young Lions Vers 40. When they couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lye in wait This Verse gives a further discription of the Lion whether young or old Before we had them hunting abroad in the fields here we have them couching in their dens and abiding in their covert When they couch in their dens This couching or bowing down in their dens may be upon a three-fold account and so there is a three-fold interpretation of the words First Some taking the Lion for the old Lion and the young Lions for such as are very young interpret this couching as proceeding from weakness they couch in their dens as not being able to go abroad Secondly Others say they câ—uch in their dens only for rest and ease having tired themselves in hunting for their prey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprimit gestus hominis insidiantis alicui Drus Thirdly That they couch in their dens upon design to catch their prey thus the latter part of the Verse seems to carry it where 't is said they lyè in wait So then this couching in their dens is either from necessity as not being able to go forth or it is a couching in policy which I rather pitch upon They couch in their dens As if they were asleep as if they minded nothing but their ease yet even then they are busily minding how to catch their prey As if the Lord had said Hast thou O Job taught the Lion that art and cunning to lye couchant in his den that he may steal upon beasts passant and surprize them unawares They couch in their dens And abide in the covert to lye in wait The word rendred Covert signifieth a Tabernacle or Tent in which men abode for a time and is therefore here opposed as some conceive to the Lions dens or houses spoken of in the beginning of the verse Beasts say they are aware of Lions dens and so avoid them but they may pass unawares by the coverts and thickets where they lye in ambush But I suppose we need not be thus critical in distinguishing between dens and coverts both words may signifie the same place and thing or at least in both places Lions do the same thing Lye in wait It is said of the Lord himself Jerem. 25.38 he hath forsaken his covert as a Lion The meaning of the Prophet was to shew the Lords purpose to come forth and tear and rend his enemies by some sore judgment as a young Lion that rangeth about for his prey We read a little before at the 34th verse of the howling of the shepherds that is of the rulers and governours and of the cry of the principal of the flock that is of the wealthiest among the people When the Lion came forth of his covert there was a howling and a cry made why so the Lion came forth to destroy both sheep and shepherds Thus the Lord comes forth even as a young Lion full of wrath and fury to destroy the wicked He is sometimes like a Lion couching in his den and abiding in his covert but he doth it as the Lion To lye in wait This expression may have a twofold allusion First To Fowlers and Hunters who in some cases keep out of sight that they may with the more advantage take birds or beasts in their snaâ—es and toils For in vain saith Solomon Prov. 1.17 the net is spread in the sight of any bird Secondly To Souldiers who lye in ambush to surprize their enemy Thus do Lions They saith the Text couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lye in wait Here First Taking that interpretation of the words which supposeth the Lion lying down in his den through age and weakness Observe The strongest creatures are tamed anâ— weakened by age The Lion is the strongest among beasts yet he cannot always range in the fields and hunt for prey he must come to his den and keep house there 'T is so with men how strong soever they have been yet old age necessitates them at last to keep house and home All must submit to time and yield to those infirmities which old age inevitably bring upon us Time is called Tempus eâ—aâ— rerum The eater of things 'T is so also of persons that great eater will eat out the strength of the eater himself that is the Lion as Sampson called him in his riddle proposed to the Philistines Judg. 14.14 Time reduceth our strength to weakness our life to death Time confines us first to our chambers then to our beds and then to our graves The Lion must give over his hunting and couch in his den Secondly Taking the Lion as politickly abiding in covert and waiting for his prey Observe As the Lord gives much strength so much craft to some creatures There are creatures of little strength which have much craft others have little craft but much strength in some both meet together and among them we may number the Lion he is a crafty one as well as a strong one he hath his covert there he waits for his prey We may parallel men with beasts in this regard among them some are strong but not crafty others are crafty but not strong and not a few are both Such David compared to a Lion Psal 10.4 8 9. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God What will he seek after then the 8th and 9th verses tell us He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily set against the poor he lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den he lyeth in wait to catch the poor he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones Thus the subtle practices of a wicked man are set forth by the subtlety of the Lion He coucheth and croucheth
when the weather is cold and offensive to them in the place where they are and when the heat returns to the coasts from whence they came thither they return again They know the time of their coming they know when 't is good for them to be in one Country and when in another And is not this a rebuke as the Prophet there applieth it unto a man who many times knows not what 's good for himself knows not the judgement of the Lord that is what God would have him do or what course to take in such a time and season or under such a dispensation of providence knows not as I may say Winter and Summer heat and cold and so is not so wise as the fowls of the air generally are or as the Hawk in particular is here said to be Who stretcheth her wings to the South All the children of men have and the children of God know they have a South to stretch their wings unto that is the goodness and power of God as the Psalmist spake Vnder the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge till these calamities be overpast I will stretch my self to the South to the love and favour of God 't is best for all men to stretch their wings toward those wings of God in an evil day All should do as the Lord gives the invitation Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut the doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past Thus the Lord directs his people to stretch themselves to the South when 't is cold and hard weather abroad in the world and the creatures spoken of by the Prophet as well as the Hawk in the Text will rise up in judgement against us if we stretch not our wings to the South when we feel the Northern cold and Winter frost taking hold of us I shall pass from this part of the verse concerning the Hawk when I have only minded the Reader that some have found a twofold resemblance in the Hawk First They resemble the Devil and evil spirits to the Hawk because of their devouring nature The old Poet said Odimus accipitrem quia semper vivit in armis Ovid. We hate the Hawk because she is alwayes in arms And so is the Devil he is always in arms and at war with the Church of God and with the souls of men and we ought alwayes to be in arms against the Devil yea to take to our selves the whole armour of God spoken of Eph. 6. to resist him and defend our selves Secondly The Hawk is like wicked men especially in three things First For their ravenous nature they love to destroy and live upon the spoyl of others Isa 33.1 Secondly They are like the Hawk preying mostly upon those that are most innocent The Psalmist saith The wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he The Hawk pursues the Dove and poor Partridge harmless creatures Thirdly The Hawk is high-priz'd when alive but when dead cast out upon the dunghil no man regarding her He that took great delight in his Hawk while alive will not call for it to his Table when dead Thus wicked men may be in great esteem while they live but when once dead they are as thrown upon the dunghil their memorial rots and is unsavoury So much for the 26th verse wherein the Spirit of God calls Job to consider the nature of the Hawk at any time flying and sometimes turning her flight to the South And now the question passeth from the Prince of birds to the Queen of birds Vers 27. Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command and make her nest on high The Eagle is a King or Queen chief among the fowls of the air 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum sex punctis aquila sic dicta vel quod recto obtutu solem aspiciat tunc congruentiam habat cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel quod volatum recta in praedam dirigat tunc communicat cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plin. l. 10. c. 3. l. 35. c. 6. as the Lion is among the beasts of the earth and therefore the great King of Babylon is shadowed by a great Eagle with great wings Ezek. 17.3 And the Romans who Lorded it long over the world bare the Eagle in their Ensign The Hebrew word rendred Eagle hath a double derivation According to the first it signifies to Behold The Eagle is so expâ—est because she hath as the Historian describes her not only a quick and clear but a strong sight able to look full upon the Sun shining in its strength as if the name of the Eagle in Engglish were a Looker the Eagle can look the Sun in the face But according to a second derivation given by Grammatians it signifies strait or right forth And the Eagle is so called because she makes a direct course as it were by a strait line in pursuit of her prey Doth the Eagle Mount up The word in the Hebrew signifies to get high very high 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sublimis elatus fuit eminuit per metaphoram superbivit extream high and is therefore used in the Noune to set forth the highness of God Job 11.8 Psal 113.6 Isa 5.16 Isa 52.13 It notes also the highness of heaven Isa 55.9 Psal 103.11 which is called the Throne of God and the habitation of his Holiness and of his Glory 'T is used also to denote the height of a proud mans spirit which would fain rise up to the high of heaven and be like to the most High yea higher than the most High 1 Sam. 2.3 Psal 131.1 Isa 2.11 Ezek. 16.15 In all these places and many more the word is applied to the highness of a proud mans spirit which though it be indeed the lowest and basest thing in the world yet it puts man upon high thoughts of himself and upon high designs for himself he would be mounting like the Eagle Doth the Eagle Mount up The Eagles flight or mount exceeds the Hawks or any other of the winged train in three things First In the swiftness of it The Eagle hath great and long wings Ezek. 17.3 and she can make great hast with them therefore Solomon calling upon us not to set our eyes upon riches gives the reason of his counsel Prov. 23.5 For riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away as an Eagle towards heaven that is they are suddenly gone and will not return at thy call The Eagle will not come to the Lure like the Hawk To flie away as an Eagle notes two things concerning riches First That they will flie away swiftly speedily they are soon gone such is the Eagles flight Secondly That they often flie away irrecoverably there 's no recalling them The Scripture often expresseth the more than ordinary swiftness of men by the swiftness of the Eagle David lamenting the death of Saul and Jonathan
bad men and that 's the first Case Secondly When good men are vexed oppressed and trodden under feet as mire in the streets what risings of heart and what unsatisfiedness of spirit is there in many good men In both these Cases there is much contending with God though in both our hearts upon many accounts should acquiesce and rest in the will of God who in the former doth not declare himself a friend to evil men nor doth he in the latter declare himself an enemy to those who are good But seeing there is a spirit in man even to contend with God let us watch our selves in this thing that such thoughts rise not or let us carefully suppress them as soon as they are risen It is good for us and our duty to keep down the Contendings of our hearts with men for we are very apt to be out with one another 'T is sad to see breaches the fruit of heart-burnings between man and man But much more should we keep down those contendings yea qâ—ench the first sparkes which may kindle heart-burnings about the works of God for they may soon come to be Contendings with him For the close of thiâ— point take these four Considerations which may move all sorts of men to watch their hearts against Contendings with God whether as to his dealings in the world or with themselves First Remember Whatsoever the Lord doth he may do for he is an absolutely sovereign Lord and therefore not to be contended with about any thing he doth because no way accountable for any thing he doth as hath been shewed upon several occasions offered in opening this Book He is Lord of our being and hath given to all life breath and all things as the Apostle told the superstitious Athenians Acts 17.25 and may not he do what he will to all beings in whom all have their being and who hath given all things to all which concern that being He is our Maker and hath not the potter power over the clay to do what he will with it Hath not the Creator power over the creature to dispose of it as he pleaseth Isa 45.9 Let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth If any will be striving let them strive with their like potsheards with potsheards not potsheards with the potter to whom they are so unlike The Lord used no other aâ—gument but this to quiet all Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God remember that and you will either not begin or quickly have done contending with God Yet in that Psalm the Lord is represented making most dreadful work Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made on the earth Though God make that which was as a garden to become a desolate wilderness yet contend not with him be still and know that he is God Secondly Remember whatsoever work the Lord makes in the world it is all righteous workâ— there is nothing amiss in it He is a rock said Moses Deut. 32.4 His work is perfect for all his wayes are judgements not as judgements are opposed to mercies but to injustice as it followeth in that verse a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he To this David gives witness Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Not only is he righteous and holy in this and that way or work but in all his wayes and works in wayes of judgement as well as in wayes of mercy in wayes of destruction as well as in wayes of salvation He is righteous in pulling down as well as in building up in rooting up as well as in planting Now if there be a righteousness in all the wayes and works of God who shall contend with him about any of his wayes or works Thirdly All the works of God have an infinite wisdom in them they are done wisely even in exactest wisdom and shall we fools contend with him who is not onely a wise God but the God onely wise Rom. 16.27 and all whose works are done in and according to the Idea or platforme of his own infinite and eternal wisdom The foolishness of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.25 is wiser than men that is the wisest men are meer fools to God or that work of God which some men call foolishness is infinitely more wisely done than the wisest work that the wisest men in the world ever did or can do with all their wisdome Fourthly Let all that fear and love God especially take heed of contending with God about any of his works for God is good to all such in all his works and all his works are good to such Shall any contend with God about that which is for their own good Not onely are those works of God good to such which are good in themselves that is which we call good being favourable providences and for our comfort and support in this world but even those works of God which we call cross providences or providences which bring the Crosse with them are all good to such even to all them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Shall they contend with God about any thing who hear and may be assured that he hath an intendment of good to them in all things Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel that is though he afflicts them and the Cup be very bitter which he gives them to drink yet he is good to them Or thus Truly God not the world or though the world be not is good to Israel Once more we may take the Psalmist thus Truly God is good to Israel not so as to them to the world though as it followeth in the Psalme they enjoy never so much worldly good These Considerations may perswade all not to contend with God about his works to which I shall adde onely this counsel If the works of God are grievous to us at any time let us go the right way to work in our Contendings with him For I do not urge this point as if we should sit still and let the Lord alone as he seemingly said to Moses Exod. 32.10 when he dealeth out hard and grievous things to us There is a contending with God by supplication and prayer by mourning and humiliation this becomes us when the works of God are hard when they are breaking desolating scattering and afflictive towards us Take heed of discontent with providence yet wrestle and contend earnestly with God by prayer when providences go hard with you or with the whole Israel of God Moses in a holy manner assaulted God and contended with him in that case and therefore the Lord said to him in the place last mentioned Let me alone as we say to a man that contends and strives with us Let me alone Moses was contending with the Lord about that dispensation but it was in a gracious way and so may we yea so must we The Lord
of a penitent Now saith he I will proceed no further Hence note Thirdly When sins and failings are heartily and penitently confessed they are not persisted nor persevered in He that hath really confest his sin will to his utmost put a stop to his sin he will be so far from renewing or continuing in it that he sets himself might and main and prayes in aid from God against it True confession of sin is always seconded and followed with forsaking of sin The Prophet calling the people of Israel to repentance said Isa 1.16 Cease to do evil It will not avail us to say we have done evil unless we cease to do evil The promise of mercy is not to bare confessors but to those who are also forsakers of sin Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy Prov. 30.32 If thou hast done foolishly lifting up thy self or if thou hast thought evil lay thy hand upon thy mouth do no more that is do not open thy mouth to speak a word in defence of it do not put forth thy hand any more to act it Every unfeigned confession of any one sin Confessio peccati est professio desinendi peccare Hilar. in Psal 136. Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod poenitet Bernard is a real profession against that and against all other sins That man let him be who he will is not a confessor of sin to God but a mocker of God who confesseth a sin and takes no care to keep himself pure not only from that but from every sin The Apostle John doth not only say Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin but he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Epist 3.9 Not that he hath not a natural power to sin but he hath not a will a mind to sin or he sins not with the full consent or swing of his will or he hath a sincere bent of will against every sin and would sin no more How wicked and bent to back-sliding were those Jews to whom the Lord said by his Prophet Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more The will of a wicked man is wholly for sin the will of a godly man as such is wholly against sin so that when he sinneth he may be said to sin against his own will as well as against the will of God and therefore being convinced that he hath sinned though but in passion or by impatient words as Jobs case was he gives his honest word for it as Job here did that he will proceed no further In these three verses Job hath shewed his repentance for his unwary speeches and excesses in language he hath confessed his own vileness and sits down as silenced by God yea as imposing silence upon himself Thus he is got a good way in the work of humiliation yet he was not come quite through he had not yet made such a confession of his sin nor was his heart so humbled as it ought to be before God would raise him up and therefore in the following part of this Chapter and in the next God sets upon him again and speaks to him a second time out of the whirlwind The Lord had begun to humble him and Job had begun to humble himself yet the Lord deals further with him to humble him more and speaks to him again out of the whirlwind What again out of the whirlwind Yes Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said c. And not only so but after the Lord had put many questions to him about himself as before about several creatures he had a reserve of two creatures more to question with him about that would more astonish him than all the rest Behemoth and Leviathan Thus we see when once the Lord begins to humble a soul he will make through work of it and never give it over till he hath brought him to the dust indeed Job was so far humbled that he had no more to say unto God but God had much more to say unto Job and all for this end that he might humble him more as will appear in opening that which followeth JOB Chap. 40. Vers 6 7 8 6. Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said 7. Gird up thy loyns now like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me 8. Wilt thou also disannul my judgement wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous IN the former verse Job gave out in the plain field confessing himself overcome not by rigour and force of arms but by reason and strength of argument or rather by that which is above all reasons and arguments the soveraign power and authority of God and thereupon he resolved to meddle no more to answer no further and that though he had spoken once yea twice yet he would not proceed he would adde no more he had enough of it he had already spoken too much much more with respect to God than came to his share Hereupon the Lord at this 6th verse begins again to speak and answer him and his answer is contained and continued quite through this fortieth Chapter together with the whole one and fortieth and in it we may consider these four things distinctly First A pâ—eface at the 6th verse Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said Secondly We have here a challenge at the 7th verse Gird up thy loyns now like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Thirdly We have in this answer of God a reproof of Job or a vehement expostulation with Job in the 8th and 9th verses Wilt thou also disannul my judgement wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous Hast thou an arm like God canst thou thunder with a voice like him Thus he expostulates thus he reproves Fourthly We have here a large proof or demonstration of the greatness power wisdom and soveraignty of God for the further conviction and humiliation of Job And this proof or demonstration of the power of God is laid down two wayes First By his providencial actings in destroying proud and wicked men This we have in the 10 11 12 13 and 14 verses Deck thy self now with majesty and excellency and array thy self with glory and beauty cast abroad the rage of thy wrath and behold every one that is proud and abase him As if the Lord had said these things I do I look on every one that is proud and bring him low I tread down the wicked in their place c. All this I can do and do in my providences daily Job canst thou do so too Thus we have a proof of the great power and soveraignty of God taken from his judiciary proceedings with proud men Secondly He gives of a proof his great power by a double instance from the work of creation as in the former Chapter by the works of
of the Leviathan yet it is questionable what that creature is and to say the Crocodile is meant by Leviathan or the Whale is meant by Leviathan is only matter of opinion and the judgment of man Vers 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan Our Translators say in the Margin a Whale or a Whirle-pool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Septuagint render Canst thou draw out the Dragon As if by way of eminence Leviathan were the chiefest and greatest among all that are or may be called Dragons And say some the word Leviathan is the same with Thannin which in the Hebrew signifies a Dragon Insomuch that these two words Thannin and Laviathan are taken in Scripture promiscuously Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads Thanninim of the Dragons in the waters we put Whales in the Margin Arias renders the Text so then followeth in the next verse Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces c. meaning in both verses Pharaoh and his Captains who pursued Israel not only to but into the Red-sea and were drowned Thus also these two words are used Isa 27.1 where Leviathan the piercing or crossing the sea like a bar Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent whom the Lord will punish with his sore and great and long sword as 't is said in the former part of the verse is the same with the dragon that is in the sea whom he will slay as 't is said in the latter part of the verse Some of the Jewish Writers distinguish these two only in growth or greatness defining Leviathan to be a great Thannin or Dragon But as the word Thannin doth so signifie a Dragon that yet it is often applied to signifie Whales and Sea-beasts because they in some sort resemble the form and flectuation of Dragons thus 't is said Gen. 1.21 that on the fifth day God created great Thanninim Whales Now I say as in Scripture the word Thannin is rendred Whale so Whales and such like great fishes are in Scripture expressed by the word Leviathan And in one place possibly in more nothing else can be understood by the word Leviathan but the Whale or fishes of the Cetacean or Whale kind The Psalmist being wrapt into an admiration of the works of God or rather of God in his works speaks thus Psal 104.24 25 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them them all The earth is full of thy riches So is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Now though it be granted that in some places of Scripture oâ—her animals and for instance the Crocodile of Nilus may be understood by Leviathan yet in this place of the Psalm the Crocodile cannot be understood For the Leviathan there spoken of abides in the great and wide sea where the ships generally go Now though Nilus may be called a Sea as Lakes and great Rivers sometimes are in Scripture yet it cannot be called the great and wide sea 't is at most but a small and a narrow sea and therefore we find the river of Egypt that is Nilus and the great sea distinctly and distinguishingly mentioned Josh 15.47 So then it appears that the Whale is somewhere meant by Leviathan And forasmuch as there is an Emphasis put upon the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm he being there called That Leviathan as if it had been said though there are other Leviathans such as are Dragons Crocodiles in other great waters yet the chief and great Leviathan of all is an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Now seeing the Leviathan described in Job hath such characters given of him as plainly shew that he is the chief Leviathan it may with fair probability be supposed that he is the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm and if so then the Leviathan in Job cannot be the Crocoâ—ile for the Crocodile is not an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Facetae ironicae sunt interregationes quae habentur quinque primis versibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogativum rectè suppletur ex collatione proximè sequentium Pisc Let that be considered as to the negative and what the whole Text in Job holds out for the affirmative I shall leave it to consideration as I pass through the several parts of iâ— Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook The first thing considerable in Leviathan is the greatness and vastness of his body which as was said is plainly intended in these words Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook or his tongue wâ—th a cord which thou lettest down As if the Lord had said Thou canst draw up some great fishes with a hook and line and if it should be told thee there is a fish so big that no man with hook and line is able to draw him out of the water thou wouldst say that must needs be a huge fish now such a one at least is Leviathan This the Lord would convince Job of in putting this question Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook Thou canst not Leviathan is too heavy for thy draught The interrogation is a negation Canst thou thou canst not draw out Leviathan with all thy strength if thou hadst the strength often men thou couldst not draw him out Little fishes yea very great fishes may be drawn out but Leviathan cannot he will break all thy tackling Further Canst than draw out Leviathan with a hook and line No nor with a cart-rope As if we should say to a man canst thou knock down an Oxe with a fillip of thy finger No nor with the force of thy fist And as this question Canst thou c. implyes that man cannot so it seems to intimate that God can as easily take up this huge Leviathan as any man can draw up a small even the smallest fish with hook and line or play with it in the water As he that made Behemoth can make his sword approach unto him Chap. 40.19 so he that made Leviathan hath a hook to draw him out with Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down If the fish bite the hook takes him by the tongue or jaws The Hebrew word is Canst thou take him with a cord which thou drownest That which is let down deep or far into the water may be said to be drowned in the water Unless the line or cord of the angle sink deep into or be drowned in the water the hook is useless and therefore the Angler hath a lead fastned upon his line to make it sink deep as well as a cork or quil to keep it from sinking too deep Canst thou draw out his tongue with a cord which thou drownest or lettest down Vnum hoc animal terrestre linguae usu caret Plin. l. 8. c. 25. The mention
those plagues and they repented not to give him glory And of othe s under the fifth vial ver 11. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their plagues and of their sores and repented not of their deeds It was the character of that bad King Ahaz that in the time of his distress he sinned yet more What! sin in a storm sin when God is scorching plaguing and distressing us This is not only greatest impenitency but highest impudency or most senseless stupidity Such are like him of whom Solomon speaks Prov. 23.33 34. They are as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth sleeping 't is meant upon the top of a mast where by any strong blast of wind or great sway and yawing of the ship he may be tumbled into the deep There are two things we should do when we see breakings or great dangers ready to break us First We should hold fast all the good we have if we have any When we are like to lose all outward good things and that which is better than any or all of them our lives we have reason to hold fast all our spiritual and inward good things the truths of God our faith in God our love to God and all his ways Secondly If as yet we have not really taken hold of God and good things 't is high time for us do it when we can no longer hold but must let go all our loved good things of this life and even our beloved life Thirdly We should in a day of evil Let go all that is evil that is purifie our selves our consciences our lives our hearts our hands from all our sins from all that is sinful then if ever let us be found in the practice of that Apostical counsel Jam. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded They surely are minded or resolved to be filthy still and never to purifie either heart or hand who do not set their minds to purifie themselves from evil in an evil day When the Lord breaks us by any judgment or visitation then 't is high time for us to break off our sins by righteousness as Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar chap. 4.27 JOB Chap. 41. Vers 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34. 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the spear the dart nor the harbergeon 27. He esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood 28. The arrow cannot make him flee sling-stones are turned with him into stubble 29. Darts are counted as stubble he laugheth at the shaking of a spear 30. Sharp stones are under him he spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire 31. He make the deep to boil like a pot he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment 32 He maketh a path to shine after him one would think the deep to be hoary 33. Vpon the earth there is not his like who is made without fear 34. He beholdeth all high things he is a king over all the children of pride IN the former context we have had an accurate delineation of the several parts of this mighty creature Leviathan together with their wonderful operations and effects even to the terrifying of mighty men and the putting them upon speedy preparations for death at his appearance In this the Lord gives proof First Of the imperitrableness or impregnableness of the scales skin and flesh of this Leviathan Secondly Of the greatness of his courage stomack and spirit in the midst of greatest dangers and oppositions both which are shewed in the 26 27 28 and 29. verses of this context which are all of a sence and therefore I shall very briefly pass through them Vers 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold We have in the compass of these four verses as it were a whole magazine of armes of war-like instruments and engines Armes are of two sorts First Offensive Secondly Defensive Offensive armes are likewise of two sorts First Such as we strike with or make use of at hand of which sort we reckon the sword and the spear Secondly Such as are used at a distance of which sort are arrows and darts and sling-stones All these offensive weapons are here expresly mentioned And likewise we have here defensive armes with which we cover and shelter the body in a time of battle or danger from taking hurt of which sort the helmet is a piece of armour for the head and the habergeon or breast-plate for the fore-part of the body So that here I say we have all sorts of armes And as we have all sorts of armes brought together so we have the unprofitableness or unserviceableness of them all or their utter insufficiency to hurt Leviathan or to save any man harmless or from being hurt by him as will appear while I run over and touch upon these words The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold The sword is an offensive weapon with which we assault our adversary at hand Now though a man doth lay at Leviathan with a sword that is useth his utmost skill and strength to make the sword enter yet it cannot hold or as the Hebrew is Resilit duritiè tergaris repulsus gladius Bez. will not stand or abide It will either be broken or dulled and the edge of it turned and abated or it will rebound without leaving any impression Master Broughton renders The sword of him that layeth at him will not fasten As if God had said if any be so bold as to come near with a sword in his hand to strike Leviathan it is to no purpose for such is the strength of his natural armour such the hardness of his scales and skin he is so protected fenced and fortified with these that the sword can do him no more hurt than a thrust or stroke with a bull-rush The sword cannot enter No nor the spear That 's another offensive hand-weapon which we use at hand No nor the dart That 's another offensive weapon which we use at a distance Some put these two the spear and the dart into one conceiving that by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lauco profectionis i. e. quam homo proficisci facit de manu sua Jaculum à jaciendo Bold Hastati spargunt hestas fit ferreus imber Ennius we are to understand not a spear and a dart distinctly but a darting-spear or the spear that goeth forth For there are two sorts of spears There are some spears which are held fast in the hand of him that assaults There are another sort of spears called Javelins which are cast out of the hand Thus some I say conceive that we are to put these two words into one Nor can the darting spear or Javelin which is cast out of a mans hand against an enemy with greatest force enter to wound him Nor the habergeon As if he had said not only cannot these offensive weapons spear and dart or the darting-spear
off from the heat of that long disputation as gold well refined So much of this verse which concludes the first part of the chapter Jobs humiliation the second followeth his friends reconciliation both to God and himself The Reader may here please to take notice that from the beginning of the third chapter to this place the writing is in verse the latter part of the chapter and book is prose JOB Chap. 42. Vers 7 8 9. 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job THese three verses contain the second part of the chapter in which the Lord First Reproves Jobs three friends ver 7. Secondly Directs them what to do for the making up of the breach or for their reconciliation ver 8. Thirdly Accepts them that is Job praying for them the breach was healed and they reconciled ver 9. So then here God appeareth as a Judge of the cause and as a moderator of the controversie between Job and his friends and he appeared as a gracious judge ready to be reconciled to those whom he had blamed and reproved for their folly and misapprehensions of him in his afflicting providences towards Job Vers 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath In this verse we have the divine Judgement given in Jobs case and in it there are four things considerable First The time or season of it thus exprest And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Secondly The manner of it The Lord said he declared his mind Thirdly The special person with whom the Lord dealt and whom he chose out to declare his mind respectively to the other two Eliphaz the Temanite Fourthly The decree or judgement it self in which we may consider two things First The matter of it My wrath saith the Lord is kindled against thee and thy two friends I am not pleased with any of you yea I am highly displeased My wrath is kindled Secondly The ground of it plainly exprest in these words For ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath As if the Lord had said if you would know the reason why I am so angry 't is this Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Thus we have the state of these three verses and the parts of this seventh wherein God appeareth as a determiner of this long disputed controversie between Job and his three friends And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Here is the time when the Lord gave this judgement that 's the first thing to be considered in this verse and it may be questioned whether the Lord gave this Judgement immediately after he had concluded his speech with Job and Job had made his confession to the Lord or whether there were some space of time between The word after may be either presently after or a good while after here is no express limitation of the time it being only said After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job Some conceive it was a good while after God had done with Job that he took his friends to task and they ground it upon those words in the 8th verse Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go to my servant Job And it is said at the 9th verse That they went and did according to what the Lord had commanded Hence they collect that Jobs friends were either returned quite home or far upon their way when the Lord spake this But this reason hath no force in it to prove that Jobs friends were absent and therefore I rather conclude that God spake to and gave this judgement of Jobs friends as it were upon the place as soon as he had done with Job for 't is more than probable that Jobs friends stayed to hear both Elihu's speech and the discourse which the Lord made to Job out of the whirlwind and that as soon as he had done and Job submitted he presently passed this sentence for the comfort of Job and for the conviction of his friends So then as soon as the Lord had spoken these words and finished his business with Job when he had humbled Job when Job had repented and confessed his fault in uttering things that he understood not God proceeded presently to deal with Jobs three friends There are three things which give evidence to this First The Lord would not let them continue long in their hard opinion of Job Secondly If they had continued any long time unreproved they might possibly have gloried as if they had got the victory and had the better of Job Thirdly They might have raised some undue report of Job and have blamed him among others where they came as they had done to his face therefore the Lord to prevent their continuing in any hard opinion of Job or that they had got the better of Job or to stop their mouths from giving forth any hard words of Job presently called them to an account gave them to understand that they had spoken amiss and he as it were with the same breath comforted Job and convicted his three friends Hence note First God doth every thing in its proper season That which is seasonably done is doubly done Words in season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver and therefore the Lord who knows all seasons will do and speak in season and take the fittest season for every work and word for every thing he either doth or saith This should teach us to mind the due timing both of our actions and speeches especially of our reproofs we should not let those who have committed a fault go too long unreproved lest they think themselves faultless and that we approve them or at least that their fault is small and almost faultless We must not suffer sin upon our brother Lev. 19.17 But it may be said how shall we hinder it That Text tells us how Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him Though a man that is rebuked may
the righteousness of God In these things and more which have been noted in opening this book Job spake not right of God yet righter than Eliphaz and his two friends and therefore the Lord told them Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Further To answer the question and to clear the whole matter we must take notice First In what Job and his three friends agreed Secondly In what they disagreed They all agreed first in This that all the afflictions which befal man in this life fall within the sight and certain knowledge of God Secondly they all agreed That God is the author and efficient cause the orderer and disposer of all the afflictions that befal man Thirdly they all agree That God neither doth nor can do wrong to any man whatsoever affliction he layeth upon him or how long soever he continueth it upon him Thus far they all spake right things and agreed in what they spake But Jobs friends held other opinions wherein he totally dissented from them First That whosoever is good and doth good shall receive a present good reward Secondly That whosoever is evil and doth evil shall receive present punishment So that if any wicked man prosper it is but for a while sudden mischief will overtake him And if any godly man be afflicted it is but for a while his affliction will soon end and he return to a flourishing condition in this life From these premises they concluded that whosoever is afflicted and continueth long under affliction certainly that man is wicked and thereupon they judged Job to be such a one But Job held this right position against them all That the providence of God dispenceth outward good and evil so indifferently to good and bad men that no unerring judgment can possibly be made of any mans spiritual state by his outside or temporal state This Job stuck close to as was shewed more fully in the Preface to the Second Part. I conclude then That neither did Eliphaz and his two friends fail so much in speaking as to speak nothing right of God yea there was somewhat right in every thing they spake of God neither did Job speak so right as to speak nothing amiss of God Now God who knew exactly who spake rightest determined the matter for Job Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Yet before I pass from these words it may be questioned and some make it a great question Whether we are to understand this sentence and determination of God preferring what Job had spoken of him before what Eliphaz and his two friends had spoken of him in reference to all that Job had spoken of him in way of assertion throughout the whole dispute when his soul was heated and grieved or of what he spake towards the latter end in a cooler temper when his soul was humbled The Jewish Doctors who for the most part are very severe against and censorious of Job expound this sentence of God as if it respected only what Job spake at the beginning of the 40th chapter ver 3 4 5. Then Job answered the Lord and said behold I am vile what shall I answer thee Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further And what he spake at the 42d chapter ver 1 2. Then Job answered the Lord and said I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee c. Concluding ver 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes In these places say they Job spake righter than his friends but not so in the whole body of his discourse Some others possibly have concurred though I have seen but one and him only in Manuscript with the Rabbins in this censure affirming that Jobs opinion was the worst of all the four yea that it was little less than blasphemy taking men off from at least discouraging them in ways of godliness while he affirmed peremptorily chap. 9.22 23. He that is God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked if the scourge stay suddenly he laugheth at the tryal of the innocent This assertion of his concerning God and of this his whole discourse with his three friends savoured was not say they so right as theirs and therefore they restrain those words of God Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job to what Job spake in the chapters mentioned when he was upon his repentance but will not allow them to reach to or be meant of what he spake of God in the course of his former dispute with his friends But I shall close and joyn with those who refer the words of this final judgment which God gave upon this matter to what Job spake of God from first to last and that they are not to be limited to what Job spake after God had humbled him by speaking to him out of the whirlwind I grant as hath been said Job spake unduely more than once in the days of his anguish and sore affliction for which Elihu reproved him sharply chap. 34 ver 35 36 37. chap. 35.16 And so did God himself chap. 38.2 chap. 40.1 2 8. Nor did Job in the issue spare much less flatter himself as if he had spoken nothing amiss but humbly confessed his error and ignorance in speaking chap. 40.4 5. chap. 42.3 and 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent c. even because in the extremity of my pains I spake so unadvisedly with my lips I grant also that Job spake much more rightly or rightest of God after God had humbled him and brought down his spirit by that dreadful dispensation out of the whirlwind Yet I say Job spake more rightly of God during his affliction than Eliphaz and his two friends had done which as it may appear by that brief account or survey of their opinions a little before given so I shall adde somewhat more towards the making of it yet more apparent For First That assertion laid down chap. 9.22 23. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked c. which hath raised so much dust and is judged by some as a quench-coal to all piety and religion and which occasion'd the Jewish Writers to say that Job sought to turn the charger the bottome upward that his mouth was full of gravel that he began his speech with cursing and continued it with blaspheming That assertion I say is no more than Solomon hath given us Eccles 9.1 2. All things come alike to all and there is one event to the righteous and the wicked Now Job spake this in his first answer to Bildad which was almost at the beginning of the dispute Secondly Job spake altogether right of God and of his providence towards himself and others all along while he constantly maintained First That he was not afflicted for any wickedness committed by him in the former passages