The superiour may ask the inferiour and call him to an account Every inferâ—our Judge and Court is accountable to those above that is the highest Court and he the highest Judge to whom no man can say What doest thou The Parliament of England is therefore the highest Judicatory in this Kingdom because their actions are not questionable in any other Court one Parliament may say to another What hast thou done This Parliament hath said to Parliaments that have gone before What have ye done in making such and such Laws No power of man besides their own can question some men much lesse can any man question God and say to him What doest thou He is supreme there is no appeal to any other higher Judge or higher Court. Hence observe Whatsoever God resolveth and determineth concerning us we must bear it and quietly submit No man may say unto him What doest thou Quicquid de nobis Deus statuit libenter ferendum est Why doe ye sit still saith the Prophet Jer. 8.14 Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord hath put us to silence and given us waters of gall to drinke because we have sinned against him The Lord hath put us to silence that is the Lord hath done these things and we are not to question him about them or to ask him what he hath done or why he hath done thus Therefore let us be silent say they Let us not murmure at and complain over our own sufferings much lesse tax and charge God for his doings It becomes us to obey Gods suspension to be silent when he puts us to silence The Lord never silences any unlesse in wrath to those who would not hear from speaking in his name and publishing his vvord But he hath silenced all from speaking against his works and it will be ill with us if our passions how much soever God seems to act against us shall take off this suspension The Lord is uncontrollable in all his works When Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.35 came to himself and began to think and speak like a man after he had been among the beasts see what an humble acknowledgement he makes concerning God All the inhabitants of the earth saith he are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What doest thou Here we have both parts of Jobs speech none can stay his hand which is the former and none can say unto him What doest thou which is the later That great Monarch acknowledged he had no power to question God though he at that time had power to question all the men upon the earth Nebuchadnezzar speaks like Job A wicked man may make a true report of God Many speak right of the Lord whose hearts are not right with him Nebuchadnezzar was converted from beastlinesse but I finde not that he was converted to holinesse He came home to his own Court but I see no proof that he came home to the Church of God yet see how divinely he speaks and how humbly he walks not so much as offering to ask God who had chang'd him from a Commander of men to a companion of beasts What doest thou We may ask the Lord in one sense what he doth Yea the Lord doth nothing in the world but his Saints and servants are enquiring of him about it He invites them to petition for what they would have Ask of me things to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands command ye me Isa 45.11 Though man cannot order or enjoyn the least thing upon God yet at the entreaty of his people he is as ready to doe as if he were at their command And as we are thus envited to ask things to come so we are not totally denied to ask about things already done We may ask him in an humble way for information not in a bold way of contradiction We may in zeal to his glory not in discontent with our own condition expostulate with him about what he hath done So Joshua Chap. 7.7 8. Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan c. but how durst Joshua speak thus What if God vvould destroy them vvas it not his dury to bear it and let God alone Yes doubtlesse and such I doubt not vvas the frame of Joshuas spirit If Israel only had been to suffer Joshua had held his peace at least from such language but he saw a further matter in it the glory of God vvas like to suffer in their sufferings the close of his praier betraies this holy disposition of his heart vers 9. And what wilt thou doe unto thy great name As if he had said Lord the matter were not much though the name of Israel were blotted out from under heaven so thy Name were written in fairer characters But I fear a blow to Israel will be a blot to thy name and therefore I have taken upon me to pray this praier unto thee and I have praied rather for thee than to thee All praiers are made to God and yet some are made for him Not that he hath any want or is in any the remotest possibility of any danger but only for the promoting of his glory and that the world may not have occasion of a dishonourable thought of him whose honour never abates in it self or in the eyes of his own people Thus we may ask him what he hath done and why he hath brought such desolations upon his people But we may not ask him what he hath done either to question his right to doe it or to question his righteousnesse in doing of it No creature may put the question upon either of these terms What hast thou done much lesse conclude Thou hast done that which thou hast no right to do or thou hast been unrighteous in doing it Either of these is highest blasphemy for whatsoever the Lord doth he hath right to doe and whatsoever the Lord doth he is righteous in doing it Hence it followeth by way of corollary That The Lord is of absolute power He is the Soveraign Lord Lord over all there is no appeal from him no questioning of him Solomon speaketh of the power of a King in this language Eccles 8.4 Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What doest thou But is there nothing which a King doth about which it may be said unto him What dost thou And what is this word of a King The word of a King is the Law of his Kingdom all that a King doth or speaks besides the Law he speaks as a man not as a King and that 's the meaning of Solomons
text vvhich Court-flatterers have corrupted with their unsound glosses as if every word of a King were of absolute power and must have peremptory obedience A King is for his Kingdom and while he commands according to the rules and laws of his Kingdom no Subject may question him or say unto him What doest thou There is no power above his power as he is armed with the power of his Laws And because wheresoever the Word of God is there is his Law therefore wheresoever the Word of God is there is power and no man may say unto him What doest thou Every vvord of direction spoken by God is a Law because his vvill is the Law of all things and persons As the will of man by nature is not subject by obeying to the righteous Law of God neither indeed can be so the will of God by nature is the subject containing all righteous Laws neither indeed can it not be for though God be voluntarily and with highest freenesse righteous yet he is righteous necessarily and with greatest undeclinablenesse As he is freely what he is so it is impossible for him not to be what he is And therefore no man ought to say to God What doest thou seeing God can doe nothing but what he ought In vain then is God either attempted by power or sollicited by praier against his own minde For Verse 13. If God will not with-draw his anger the proud helpers doe stoop under him Though If God taketh away none can hinder him though none ought to say unto him What doest thou whatsoever he doth yet possibly some will be venturing upon this hard task and undertake this impossible adventure attempting to recover Gods booty and his prisoners out of his hand but see the issue If God will not withdraw his anger the proud helpers doe stoop under him Suppose any should come to help protect and patronize those whom God hath a minde to take away and destroy shall they prosper or speed No not only they themselves whom the Lord hath taken away but their assistants and their seconds all that appear for them except God call in his anger shall fall before him If God will not with-draw his anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non revocabit nasum non redibit à furere The letter of the Hebrew is If the Lord will not turn away his nostrils or his face Nostrils or face are taken here as in many other Scriptures for anger because there is such an appearance of anger in the face and nostrils acted passion is seated there as was noted Chap. 4.9 Therefore to turn away the face or nostrill is to turn away from anger Psal 78.38 Many a time turned be away his anger â—vertit nasum suum quasi se vinci permittat ab hu milâ—ante se peccatore fugeret it is this word When the Lord is angry the turning of his face towards a man sheweth he is reconciled and when he is angry the not turning away of his face shews that he is unreconciled or resolved to continue angry And while God is so resolved man is in a sad case his helpers must stoop The strength of Israel will not lie or repent 1 Sam. 15.29 Ipsamet victoâ—ia vinci neâ—cit The Hebrew is The victory of Israel The Lords strength is victory victorious persons can hardly be overcome but victory cannot therefore except himself will with-draw except himself overcome himself it is not in the power of all creatures to overcome him Job 23.13 He is in one minde and who can turn him As if he had said except the Lord will turn himself and alter what he himself hath determined it is not in men to cause him to alter He is in one minde and who can turn him And what his soul desireth even that he doth which is the highest expression of power imaginable How many things doe our souls desire which we cannot doe We are desiring and desiring yet our hands are not able to bring it to passe The desires of the slothfull alwaies slay them because saith Solomon Prov. 21.25 their hands refuse to labour and the desires of the diligent slay them sometimes because they cannot compasse the thing desired with all their labour but as for the Lord What his soul desireth even that he doth And as his desires are irresistible so is his anger his irascible appetite is as victorious as his concupiscible unlesse God withdraw his anger The proud helpers doe stoop under him The vvord is Helpers of pride that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as think themselves most powerfull and able to help The helpers of pride Invaluit robore insolenâ— suit Freti superbia Fagn Auxiliatores superbiae Regia or the strong helpers The same word note that by the vvay signifies strength and pride because we are so apt to be proud of our strength If a man have a little strength in the world strength of friends or of riches strength of body or of minde strength of understanding strength of memory strong parts he is under a strong temptation to pride Pride is one of the greatest weaknesses of man but it is alwaies grounded upon supposed strength But who are these proud these strong helpers Some understand it of the good angels vvho are the strongest the highest of created helpers Angels stoop under the power of God as well as men Others expound these strong helpers to be devils who are evil angels to whom evil men seek sometimes for help If the Lord will not turn away his anger though men seek to the devil for help as Saul did that helper shall stoop under him Saul consulted with a witch the devils oracle yet he could not be delivered by a witch Others understand by these strong helpers godly men if the Lord vvill not turn away his anger the righteous shall stoop under him that is they shall not be able to rescue a person or a Nation from the anger of God by praier or by the utmost improvements of their interest with God Some places have fallen because they wanted godly men to support them and some places have fallen though they had godly men to support them Qui portant orbem Vulg. The Vulgar Latine translation renders They that bear up the pillars of the world shall fall Godly men bear up the pillars of the vvorld Though the Hebrew vvill not bear their translation yet the sense is good Godly men are the worlds supporters It is said Revel 12.16 That the earth helped the woman that is vvorldly men for carnall ends helped the Church vvhen a floud of persecution cast out of the mouth of the dragon vvas ready to swallow her up But the Church continually helps the vvorld and swallows up many of those flouds of Gods displeasure vvhich else vvould drown the vvorld And because the Church vvas so thin and there vvere so few godly men in the old vvorld therefore it vvas drowned Gen.
striving in her womb the Lord answereth thus Two Nations are in thy womb and two manner of people and then addeth The one people shall be stronger then the other people it is this word Regnum regno praevalebit sc populuâ— prae populo robustior the one people shall be prevailingly strong and shall overcome the other both people shall be strong mighty and potent but there is one of them shall have the rule and shall conquer and subdue the other If I speak of strength he is strong The summe is If the Question be about strength and power then the Lord carries the day and the honour he is most powerfull he is strong above all Hence observe That God is of infinite and insuperable strength He hath strength many have malice and wickednesse boldnesse and presumption enough to oppose but none have power enough to overcome him He hath force which none can subdue and he hath authority which none ought to resist These two must concurre wheresoever there is full determining power A man may have authority or right to do a thing and yet have no strength to execute and effect it And many have strength to doe those things as to oppresse a man to take his goods or his life from him for which they have no authority both meet in the Lord therefore he is the Soveraign Lord he hath authority to doe as much as he can and he hath strength to doe as much as he will Some men would make strange work in the world if they had strength sutable to their authority and others would make a good world by their works if they had authority sutable to their strength both these meet in God who can contend with him If we speak of strength loe he is strong There are three things wherein this insuperablenesse of the strength of God appears 1. He hath strength to doe whatsoever he will There is nothing not fecible or too hard for him 2. He hath strength to doe what he willeth not the Lord is able to doe more then ever he will doe he could presently take vengeance upon all the wicked but he will not he is patient and good toward them who look not at all towards repentance to which his goodnesse and patience lead them Rom. 2.5 3. He is so strong that he can doe whatsoeveâ— imports strength because he only doth what he will doe To doâ—â—â—at which is not our will to dâ—e is a note of disability It argues a want of power to be forced to doe a thing as well as not to be able to it He that doth what he would not is not able to doe what he would God is therefore able to doe whatsoever he wils because he never did nor can be drawn to do any thing against his will It follows then That the Lord is so strong that he can doe whatsoever names him strong and only cannot doe those things which if he did he must be weak as was further shewed at the fourth verse of this Chapter Secondly Hence it appears That No creature is able to grapple with God He is strongest The Apostle gives that admonition 1 Cor. 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger then he Surely except man thought he were able to match God he would not be so fool-hardy so vain to throw down the Gauntlet or enter the lists with God The weaknesse of God is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1.25 not that there is any weaknesse in God but take that which men conceive to be weaknesse or weakest in him that 's stronger then man Or The weaknesse of God that is the weakest instruments which God uses are stronger scil in their effects then the strongest which men use God can doe more with ten men then man can doe with an hundred The most stammering tongue and flattest language shall perswade more if God speak with it then the most fluent tongue and sparkling Oratory spoken meerly by man If I speak of strength loe he is strong And if of judgement Who shall set me a time to plead If I cannot by force and power may I not by subtilty and wit by reason and argument by eloquence and rhetorick prevail against him No If of judgement Who shall set me a time to plead As I cannot deal with God at the sword or in the field so neither can I deal with him at the bar or at the judgement seat There are two words in the Hebrew which are used for judging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudicium jus ratio The first is Dan the name of one of the twelve Patriarks and from him of a Tribe in Israel Dan shall judge his people Gen. 49.16 And that word in strictnesse signifies to give doom or sentence in a cause The other word is that in the text Shaphat which signifies more especially the doing of right or the righting of a man in any controversie The Greek word takes in both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now while Job saith If of judgement or if we speak of judgement the Question is What judgement doth he mean Judgement is taken three waies First For the rule of judging or for the Law whereby we judge It is said 1 Sam. 10.25 that Samuel after he had anointed Saul for King told the people the manner of the Kingdom and wrote it in a book this manner of the Kingdom was not the common practice and custom of the Kingdom but it is the word of the text the judgements of the Kingdom that is those rules and laws by which the Kingdoâ—â— ought to be governed and judged Secondly Judgement is put for an ability or fitnesse to judge to discern and weigh things to scan a cause and try out the uttermost truth of every circumstance judgement is the ability of the person judging And Thirdly Judgement is taken for the sentence given upon the person judged after the evidence of his cause is heard and taken Judgement in this third sense is the result of the former two For when by judgement as it is the rule of judging and an ability to judge the Judge hath wrought and tried out what the merit of a mans cause and the truth of a businesse in controversie is then the issue of both is Judgement in this third sense that is an act which is passed or a sentence pronounced upon the person that standeth in or the cause which is brought to judgement So If of judgement is If I bring forth my cause to be tried by the abilities of the Judge and by the rule of the Law this will be no relief to me I shall be in as ill a case as if I were to deal with God by plain strength There is an opinion that takes in a fourth sense about this word judgement as if judgement were not a forensicall or a judiciall term in this text but signified only afflictions or punishments upon a people or person Iulicium sumitur hoc loco
his wrath offer thousands of silver and gold he will not stay judgement a minute for it Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath In the day of mans wrath they sometimes will but never in the day of Gods Thirdly Affection and neernesse of relation pervert judgement Many have clean hands free from bribes and stout hearts free from fears yet they are overcome with affection and relations these put out the eye of justice The Lord is above all relations As he commands us in our cleaving unto Christ not to know father or mother Yea to hate Father and mother wife Etiamsi fuisset Ieconia mihi charissimus quē semper in oculis serrem Jun. c. and those are neerest to us that we may keep close unto Christ So himself doth not know the neerest relation to pervert judgement or doe wrong in favour of it Hence he saith of Coniah Jer. 22.24 Though Coniah be as the signet upon my right hand yet will I pluck him thence Let him plead neernesse as men doe such a man is of your bloud or alliance pray spare him God will not spare the signet on his right hand that is he will not stop justice upon any pretence of neernesse or usefulnesse 5. God is exact take them dictinctly both in judgement and in justice He is as curious in searching out the cause as in sentencing the person As ready to acquit the innocent as to condemn the guilty as carefull to relieve the oppressed as to chasten the oppressour as * Pervertii jus qui non punit improbos pervertit justitiam qui non remunerat justorum bona opera Drus zealous in rewarding those who deserve well as in punishing those who doe evil Not to reward is as great injustice as not to punish What God hath promised shall be performed and what he threatens shall be inflicted He will neither discourage goodnesse by neglecting it nor encourage sinne by winking at it He hath bread in one hand and a sword in the other Thus we see The Lord is most exact in justice Psal 48.10 The right hand of the Lord is full of righteousnesse His power and might are his right hand and that right hand hath nothing but righteousnesse in it Few men come to that of Laban It is in the power of mine hand to doe thee hurt but I will not most doe as much hurt as is in their power God hath all power in his hand but he wrongs no man As none have now any cause to say that they have received wrong from the hand of God so at last all shall confesse they have not Further Bildad speaking upon supposition that God was wronged injustice teacheth us That It is a duty to vindicate the justice of God whensoever we hear i◠wronged When we hear any wounding God is his faithfulnesse truth or justice we should presently stand up to plead for him What will God be unfaithfull Will God pervert judgement Will God be untrue c. Thus we should plead for God When Jeremy could not make out the justice of God he is an advocate for his justice Lord thou art righteous yet let me plead with thee He would not have the matter once questioned though the manner was enquired Lastly Observe That The judgements of God may be secrets to us but they are never injuries to us Justice is in all the dealings of God but his justice is not alwaies visible His judgements are founded upon reason when upon his will for his will is the highest reason God cannot be unjust and he ever punishes those who are He is so farre from subverting judgement that he subverteth Kings and Magistrates yea Nations and Kingdoms for subverting judgement To subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3.36 The Hebrew is The Lord seeth not That is he doth not see it to approve it but he doth see it to punish it He is an avenger of those who will not avenge the oppressed And as he looks for judgement in all places so especially among his own people upon whom he bestows most mercy Isa 5.2 When the Lord done so much for his vineyard He looked for judgements and behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry God makes privy search thorow a Nation to finde this jewell Judgement between man and man in commerce which is commutative justice judgement from Magistrates to the people which is distributive justice for these God is searching at this day one of the greatest sins among us is the perverting of judgement And untill judgement return to man how can we expect mercy should return from God Jer. 5.1 Runne to and fro thorow the streets of Jerusalem and seek in the broad places thereof if you can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement that loves the truth and I will pardon it A Land is seldom fill'd with the judgements of God till it is emptied of judgement among men What a sad thing is it that there should be so many cries against injustice on earth in a time when there is so much crying out for mercy from heaven That in such a time when the judgements of God are upon our selves we should not learn righteousnesse to act it among our selves I am perswaded the Sword of warre had been rusting in it's sheath to this day if the Sword of justice had been used as it ought both to punish offenders and protect the innocent And when the sword of justice shall be both waies imployed I doubt not but the sword of warre shall be sheathed again and imployed no more but be beaten into plow-shares and our spears into pruning hoks Keep ye judgement saith the Lord by his Prophet Isa 56.1 for my salvation is neer to come and my righteousnesse to be revealed God hath done terrible things in righteousnesse among us and we hope he will doe comfortable things in righteousnesse among us seeing the righteous destructions of God have been upon us and his righteous salvations we hope are neer us let not our righteousnesse be farre off JOB Cap. 8. Vers 4 5 6 7. If thy children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty If thou were pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy later end should greatly encrease THese four verses contain the first confirmation of the former generall position That God is just which is resolved out of those Questions Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice He doth not Then God is just there 's the Position And as that Position consisteth of two parts so also doth this proof or confirmation of it 1. That God doth not pervert judgement taking judgement under that strict notion for punishing of offenders he proveth by the example of
Then habitation is the seat of a mans outward estate and his estate the shell and the kernell the outside and inside of all he hath Quasi nihil aliud quam aequitatem justitiam â—edoleant bona justè acquisita Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. l. 5. c. 1. The habitation of thy righteousnesse That is the habitation where righteousnesse doth flourish or wherein thou livest righteously But what is righteousnesse Righteousnesse is a very comprehensive word The Philosopher tels us it takes in all other vertues whatsoever It is not a part of vertue but all vertue When righteousnesse is set as distinct from holinesse and piety then it is restrained to our dealings with men Righteousnesse relates to men and holinesse to God Luk. 1.75 Tit. 2.12 Gospel-grace teaches us to live soberly in opposition to the intemperance of our bodies righteously in opposition to wrong in our actions godly in opposition to all impiety and prophanenesse of our mindes But righteousnesse here takes in our whole duty whether to God or man The habitation of thy righteousnesse that is the place where thou exercisest all manner of holy and righteous duties toward God and toward man Righteousnesse toward man first in distributive justice giving every one his due in judgement as thou art a Magistrate Secondly Righteousnesse towards man in commutative justice giving every one his due in commerce as thou art a neighbour The habitation of thy righteousnesse It is an elegant expression The Church is sometimes called so Jer. 31.23 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the Cities thereof when I shall bring again their captivity The Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse This speech they shall use It seems it had been an ordinary salutation thus to bespeak Judah O thou habitation of justice or righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse Every particular member of the Church is named A tree of righteousnesse Isa 61.3 They shall be called trees of righteousnesse the plantation of the Lord. Each Saint is a tree of righteousnesse and all of them together are an habitation a plantation of righteousnesse God himself is stiled The habitation of righteousnesse because he in a way of highest excellency or in the most superlative degree is the seat of righteousnesse all righteousnesse is as it were housed and dwelling in him The Prophet Jer. 50.7 describing the unkinde usage which the true worshippers should finde in the daies of which he prophesieth speaks thus All that found them have devoured them and their adversaries said we offend not because they have sinned against the Lord They thought their brethren had sinned against the Lord and that therefore they might trouble them without sinne They have sinned against the Lord the habitation of justice even the Lord the hope of their fathers It is but justice say they for us to punish those who sin against the habitation of justice Men take it in passage do evil sometimes out of conscience and think they do God good service while they really wrong their brethren He shall make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pacificabit pâ—catum reddet i. e. integrum perfectum omnibus bonis redundans qualia affert pax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. That is he shall make it peaceable and quiet setled and established The word signifies peace plenty and prosperity He shall pacifie or quiet the habitation of thy righteousnesse The Septuagint thus He shall restore it to or repair it for thee There are three things in that word It may note 1. The quietnesse of all within his family There shall be peace and a good agreement in thy habitation 2. The abundance the fruitfulnesse the great encrease of all within his family he will make thee thrive 3. The peaceable holding or enjoyment of all those good things free from forraign invasion or oppressions Do thus and then neither Sabeans nor Chaldeans shall any more come upon thee and plunder thee Thus he will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous The summe of all is as if Bildad had said unto Job Thy habitation hath heretofore been an habitation of unrighteousnesse of impiety of tyranny thy house hath been filled with spoyl and oppression thy Tabernacle hath been a Sanctuary for wickednesse a lodging or rendezvous for all manner of riot and intemperance of rapine and injustice but now Job if thou wilt make thy self pure and upright thou shalt see the case will alter whereas before troops and armies of miseries have invaded thee and spoil'd all thou hadst within and without now if in thy house where wickednesse formerly dwelt righteousnesse shall enter and dwell Vbi facta fuerit morum studiorum fieâ— etiaÌ„ magna fortunae conversio thou shalt see that with righteousnesse peace will enter too Troubles will depart when wickednesse departs and evils of punishment will dislodge with the evil of sinne when those better guests righteousnesse and holinesse come into and are welcom'd at thy house then thy house shall be better when thy heart and thy life change thy estate shall change and those comforts which have so long been strangers from thee shall return thy banished mercies shall come home again adorn thy wals and strengthen thy familie This is the summe of what he promiseth in these words He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Hence observe First Prosperity is in the power of God If he awakes he can make us prosperous and peacefull If he doe but speak the word our captivity shall teturn He saith to a dry stick flourish and to a green tree wither his word is cloathed with power to do good or evil Secondly Observe A righteous habitation shall be a prosperous habitation Whether we respect persons families or nations thus it is in the ordinary dispensations of God As in regard of our spirituall and eternall estate The work of righteousnesse is peace Isa 32.17 so in regard of our temporall and outward Christ who is the Prince of righteousnesse is also the Prince of peace He brought righteousnesse into the world and then peace came into the world If he had not made an habitation of righteousnesse in the world there had never been an habitation of peace in the world in that work of his the foundation of our prosperity was laid Jesus Christ who as a Priest purchased our peace is also The King of righteousnesse Blessings crown the head of a righteous people Jer. 31.23 They shall say the Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse If thou art a habitation of righteousnesse a blessing shall rest upon thee The Kingdom of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 as the spirituall Kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost So the joy and peace
7. And because ten righteous persons vvere not found in Sodome fire from heaven consumed it Gen. 18. God seeks for Saints many times to stand in the gap and save a Kingdome Ezek. 22.30 Jer. 5.1 and yet sometimes Kingdoms are not saved though many such stand in the gap Except the Lord turn away his anger these Porters of the world shall not support it these spirituall Atlasses shall faint and fall under him The Heathens had a fiction of a mighty Gigantine man vvhom they called Atlas him they fancied bearing up the frame of nature it is most true in a spirituall sense the Saints bear up the vvorld yet if the Lord turn not away his anger the vvorld must totter and fall too notwithstanding these helpers For the Saints doe not bear up the vvorld or save Kingdoms from vvrath by giving the least satisfaction to the justice of God that 's the sole Prerogative of Jesus Christ but onely by imploring the mercy of God Or they are therefore said to turn away the vvrath of God from a people because God vvill not pour out his vvrath upon that people vvhile his Saints are mingled vvith them The tares are let grow lest in pulling them up the vvheat should be pulled up also It is good for the vvorst to have the neighbourhood of those vvho are good Rab Sol. Ei succumbent conspiratores potentissiâ—â—i Illi scilicet qui cum arrogantia superbia alijs autcilium pollicentur Vâ—tabl Further More generally these proud helpers are supposed to be Kings and Common-wealths joyned in strongest confederacies and then the sense is If God come against a Nation though it joyn with other Nations though hand joyn in hand the hand of one King in the hand of another yet it shall not escape or go unpunished The proud helpers shall stoop under him There is yet another interpretation which restrains and limits the word Rahab particularly to Aegypt Superbi eoruâ— patroni Appellatur Aegyptâ—â— hoc nomine propter summam suam superbiam Vnlesse the Lord turn away his anger helpers out of Aegypt shall stoop under him or Aegypt helping shall stoop under him We finde frequently in the Scriptures of the old Testament that Aegypt is called Rahab And that name did well sute with Aegypt which was both a strong and a proud Kingdom Psal 87.4 We will remember Rahab and Babylon that is Aegypt and Babylon Aegypt and Babylon are matcht together for pride and for oppression persecuting the people of God And Isa 51.9 Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon That is Art not thou O Lord he that didst cut Aegypt in pieces when they opposed thy people and woundedst Pharaoh in the midst of the red sea In the 26th of this book of Job verse 12. some translate Rahab Aegypt Ex circumstantijs horum locorum non valde incongruum est hanc vocem sumi pro Aegypto prophaarone in mare demâ—rso Bold Rab. Sol. we render the Text thus He divideth the sea with his power and by his understanding he smiteth thorow the proud so we By his understanding he strikes thorow Rahab that is thorow Aegypt say others And so they make that Text and this an argument that the book of Job was penned after the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Aegypt and that in these passages Job had reference to the mighty work of God in destroying the Aegyptians at the red sea Taking the word thus the Text is Vnlesse the Lord turn away his anger Aegypt shall stoop under him as if he had said Doe you not remember a late instance of Gods power Aegypt thought to contend with God to hold his people in bondage whether he would or no when he had a minde to bring them forth but you know Aegypt stooped God brought down the pride and abated the strength of it And that other place Chap. 26.12 may be glossed thus He divided the sea by his power that is the red sea and by his understanding he struck thorow Rahab that is Loquitur propheticè Bold Adjuâ—ores Aegypti i. e. angeli ejuâ— gentis Vt in prophetiaâ— Danielis princeps Persidu Drus when the Aegyptians pursued his people he destroied them Which interpretation carries a very clear proof that Job alludes to the deliverance of Israel out of Aegypt and therefore lived after the time of that deliverance though others who grant the exposition deny the inference maintain that Job spake this prophetically not historically This we know that Aegypt was a place much sought to for help and therefore it is elegantly said If the Lord turn not away his anger Aegypt shall stoop that Nation which hath bin so often called out to help and relive other Nations that Nation which hath so often helped and relieved other Nations shall not be able to help Isa 31.1 They goe down to Aegypt for help as if Aegypt had been as a City of refuge or the place of common resort for help And Isa 30.7 The Aegyptians shall help in vain the Text is very appliable to this point we read it thus The Aegyptians shall helpe in vain and to no purpose therefore have I cried concerning this their strength is to sit still Their strength shall not deliver you they shall help in vain therefore I have warned you saith the Prophet to sit still to be quiet with your own strength and it is better to doe so than to go down thither for help But the word which we translate strength Superbia tantuÌ„ est quâ—esce fortasse vult dicere nihil aliud esse in ea quam superbiam is that in the Text Rahab and we may render the whole thus The Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose therefore I cried to them in this thing They are proud or only pride Therefore sit still As if he had said Will ye goe to Aegypt for help Ye go but to a proud people for help and ye had better have no helpers then proud helpers ye had better be quiet and sit still at home for they shall help you in vain So it is an elegant allusion to their nature and disposition The truth is proud helpers are very unsafe helpers for the Lord resisteth the proud and I wonder how they can help us to resist our enemies who are resisted by the Lord himself They will prove but ill friends to us who have the Lord for their enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall stoop under him Est valde dejici penitus humiliari hoc loco servilem potissimum conditionem designat The word is often used for worshipping it imports likewise any casting down or abasement because we in the worship of God ought to be exceedingly abased and humbled before him Psal 38.6 I am troubled I am bowed down greatly So Habak 3.6 The perpetuall hils did bow that is the power for it is conceived to be a continued Allegory of
rottennesse of his spirit blisters upon his tongue in unsavoury speeches so those passions and affections of the heart joy and sorrow anger and heavinesse appear in the face and we may read the distempers of the heart in the disguisednesse of a look Cordis index vultus totusque homo est in facie Nomen faciei in Scriptura sâ—gnificat exteriorem hâ—bitum sicut facies terrae coeli reip Bold Latina vox facies significat non solum os ocutos genas sed formam omnem modum facturam totius corporis à faciendo dictaâ— Aul. Gel. The face is the Index of the heart that tels you how things goe within Therefore Job saith If I leave off my face meaning as we translate If I leave off heavinesse which is so evident in my face or which is as easie to be seen as my face If I resolve to appear chearfull and merry and will not let clouds darken my countenance any longer yet c. The face is put generally for the appearance or out-side of any thing as we say the face of the earth the face of the heavens the face of the Church or Common-wealth So that To leave off heavinesse or the face is to leave off all shew of heavinesse As Joseph left off his tears of joy Gen. 43.30 31. who having eased his heart of his joyfull sorrows by weeping secretly in his chamber Washed his face went out and refrained himself Thus Iob would have washed his mournfull tears from his face he attempted to refrain himself but he could not his sorrows were too strong for him and as he could not remove so he could not dissemble them For this leaving off is to be taken as the precedent act of forgetting for an affected resolved laying aside If I make it my businesse to be chearfull and leave off my heavinesse yet c. Observe hence Sorrow is not easily shaken off Sorrow sticks close It is very hard for a man to play the hypocrite with his sorrow or dissemble the sadnesse of his heart but it is farre harder to be really delivered of it Sorrow is a companion that will not be cast off with a word A man may more easily cover his sinne then his sorrow Many can put a visour of holinesse upon their faces when nothing but wickednesse is in their hearts but it is not easie to make a shew of comfort when nothing but sorrow is in the heart Grief will out Heavinesse in the heart is like the ointment in the right hand of vvhich Solomon speaks Prov. 27.16 that it bewraieth it self One said of a merry Atheist He laugheth to thee and to me that is he seems to laugh but he mourns to himself the mans heart is heavy If it be not so yet it may be so with all wicked men when they are merriest in the face they have reason to have sorrow even unto death in their hearts it is a hard thing I say to put sorrow out of the face much more to get it out of the heart when it is lodged there once it will not soon be dispossess'd The Apostle Heb. 12.1 exhorts To lay aside every weight and to cast off the sinne that doth so easily beset us he means it of the sinne of nature which we bear about us this sinne saith he doth easily beset us but let us cast it off that is let us study and strive to lay aside this heavinesse of sinne which is the truest cause of the heavinesse of sorrow One would thinke that a man needs not much perswasion when he hath an heavy burthen upon his shoulders to lay it aside yet so it is man can hardly be perswaded to lay aside this burthen and it is the businesse we have with your souls every day to perswade you to lay it aside It is a weight that easily besets us Now as we need much exhortation to cast off the weight of this sinne which is so pleasing so also of sorrow though it be unpleasant When sorrow besets us it leaves us without ease but sorrow easily besets us Iob found it a hard task to lay aside his burden Because his friends thought he fed too much upon his afflictions therefore he tried what he could doe but it would not doe If I say I will leave off my heavinesse I well comfort my self c. See the issue by and by I will comfort my self Comfort is the very life of our lives the spring of our year the light of our day the Sunne in our firmament the complement of mercy and therefore Christ gives his Church the summe of all mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that one promise of sending the Comforter The Hebrew word signifies to strengthen Roboravit confortavit vires collegit Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because when a man is cast down with sorrows his spirit is weakned Comfort is the repair of strength If I say I will comfort that is corroborate and strengthen my self Psal 39.13 O spare me saith David that I may recover my strength or that I may a little comfort my self The Septuagint renders it That I may get my life again that I may be enlivened and re-insouled or fetch back my soul again Here if I say I will comfort my self Take heart at grasse as we say and play the man then my sorrows renew upon me But some may object How is it that Job takes upon him to comfort himself Is it any wonder if Job came short of comfort when he went to himself for comfort Comfort is not a commodity to be found in the hand or power of any creature the great God hath all that in his own hand if any man will have comfort he must trade to heaven for it It is the honour of God to be called The God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 that is the God who hath all comfort at his dispose As some Kings have a denomination from the great staple commodities of their Kingdoms Our King is called The King of the wooll because wooll is the chief commodity and more plentifull here then in any Countrey of the world Another is called King of the wines and another of the flax Comfort is the staple commodity of heaven and God is called The God of all comfort not only because the chiefest and best comforts are in his hand but because there is not the least imaginable comfort to be had out of his hand He hath the monopoly of comfort or rather the solegift of comfort We can trouble and perplex our selves but God only can comfort us And he is the God of all comfort of all sorts and of all degrees of comfort the God not only of spirituall but of worldly comfort of temporall comfort as well as of eternall As the joyes of the holy Ghost are in his hand so are the joyes of civil relations the joy of meat and drinke the joy of riches and honour are in his hand also How then saith Job I
they cannot come alike to judgement A poor man cannot grapple with a rich man nor a mean man with the honourable Now if they who are of the same nature cannot come alike in judgment because of a disparity in their condition How shall they who differ not only in condition but in nature Can God and man Can poor wretched and miserable man come alike in judgement with the great and glorious God And so the meaning of Job may be thus conceived If I had only a man like my self to deal with then I would venture a triall with him at any seat of judgement or Court of Justice but he is not a man as I am much lesse such a man as I am How shall I set my self with him to be judged when as himself is the Judge of all and is himself judged of none Hence observe Man is not able to contend with God in judgement Who is like me and who will appoint me the time or nearer the letter who will convent me in judgement Who is that shepherd that will stand before me Isa 49.19 Man must come before God in judgement We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 None shall escape his tribunall But man cannot stand before God in judgement The wicked cannot stand at all before him in judgement because they stand upon their own bottom The righteous dare not stand before him in judgement upon their own bottom if they should themselves and their cause would quickly fall together There are seven considerations which tell us that we cannot come together much lesse alike together with God in judgment 1. He is of such strength that none can wrest themselves out of his hand No power can daunt him 2. He is of such sincerity that bribes cannot corrupt him nor can gifts put out his eies 3. He is of such wisdom that none can over-reach him nor can our wit entangle him 4. He is so knowing that none of our sins and failings no not the least of them are secrets to or hidden from him 5. He is so holy that he cannot bear with the least sin and so just that he cannot but punish it unlesse he receive satisfaction for it 6. He cannot be a party in judgement for he is the supreme Judge and there is no appealing from his sentence 7. He is the last yea an everlasting Judge and therefore there is no repealing of his sentence Who is able to contend with him whom no power can daunt no bribes corrupt no wit over-reach who knows all our sins and will spare none of them from whose sentence there is no appealing and whose sentence cannot be repealed There is no Judge above God therefore we cannot appeal from him there is none to come after God therefore what he hath judged cannot be repealed Job having thus waved and professed against contending with God in judgement proceedeth in the thirty third verse to shew that there is none to whom his case might be referred for arbitration There are two waies by which controversies are ended First By the legall sentence of the publike Judge Secondly By the moderation of a private friend This later Job means when he saith Verse 33. Neither is there any Daies-man betwixt us that can lay his hand upon us both The Septuagint render these words as a wish or as a prayer * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. O that there were a Daies-man or a Mediatour betwixt God and me that might lay his hand upon us both But the originall bears it clearly in the negative Neither is there any Daies-man betwixt us The word which we translate Daies-man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arguere Heb. Non est arguens inter nos vel increpans commeth from a root which signifieth to argue or reprove and so some render it here Neither is there any Arguer or Reprover none to set the matter right between God and me none to state the question between us none to reprove the Lord if I should say or if by the common rules of justice it should appear he hath done me wrong The word is used in that sense Gen. 31.24 where Jacob tels his uncle Laban The Lord rebuked thee yesternight the Lord himself came as an umpire as a Daies-man betwixt Jacob and Laban and rebuked Laban for his hard and unjust thoughts of and intentions concerning Jacob Take heed saith God thou speak not unto Jacob either good or bad that is doe not threaten or perswade him to return thou wilt repent it if thou doest Thus also the Lord appeared as a Daies-man between his people of old and the great ones of the world Psal 105.14 He suffered no man to doe them wrong yea he rebuked Kings for their sakes God is alwaies able to and often doth interpose for and vindicate his people from the oppressions of men 'T is costly medling with the Saints Kings may get a rebuke for it Yea Kings may smart and Kingdoms shake for it Fere omnes interpretes hunc versum de Mediatore seu arbitro quem jurisconsulti vocant sequestrem intelligunt quasi Iob optasset ordinarium Iudicem praecedenti versiculo mediatorem vero seu arbi trum hoc versu What a Daies-man is is so plain and well known by the custom and usage of most places that it needs little explication We in our language sometimes call him an umpire sometimes an Arbitratour sometimes a Mediatour sometimes a Referree and in some Countreys with us when a question arises between neighbours concerning which they are unwilling to spend money and time in sutes of Law they say We will referre it unto men which kinde of speaking seems to allude to the title of Magistrates and Judges whom the Scripture calleth gods and when a businesse is brought before them it may be said to be referr'd or put to God In opposition to which when it is taken up by the umpiridge of friends it is said To be referred or put to men We in our English tongue call such Daies-men either because they bestowed a daies pains upon the ending of a businesse or because they were obliged to end it by a set day whereas Judges may take more liberty to themselves Yet some of the Greeks expresse all mans judgement by this word Ideo sequester appellatur quod ejus qui electus sit utraque pars fidem sequatur Gel. l. 20. c. 10. Sequester est qui errantibus medius intervenit qui aâ—ud Graecos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d citur apud quem pignota deponi solent à sequendo dictas quod ejus fidem utraque pars sequatur Isidor l 10. Etymol Mans-day because certain daies were appointed for judicature The Apostle Paul uses the same phrase 1 Cor. 4.3 in opposition to the Lords-day the great day of judgment to which he there appeals from all the daies set for mans judgement in this world The Latins call
q d. in me jam seme◠mortuo pene confecto Merc. my pains know not only no period but no pause I have storm upon storm grief upon grief here much and there much I am all waies and everywhere again afflicted though already half-dead with affliction Whence observe God doth often renew the same or send new afflictions upon his choisest servants One would think that light should follow darknesse and day succeed the night that though sorrow continue all the night yet joy should come in the morning that after wounding we should have healing and after sicknesse health So they promised themselves Hos 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will binde us up yet many have felt wounding after wounds and smiting after blows darknesse hath stept after darknesse and their sorrow hath had a succession of greater sorrows It was a speciall favour to Paul when Epaphroditus was restored Phil. 2.27 He was sick nigh unto death but saith he God had mercy on him and not on him only but on me also and why Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow God would not do what some of his enemies thought to do adde affliction to his bonds therefore he healed Pauls helper and kept him alive in whom he so much delighted Sorrow upon sorrow is a mournfull bearing yet many a precious Saint hath born that coat The promise to the Church is That her peace shall be as a river and her prosperity as the waves of the sea Isa 66.12 When the Church shall come to her full beauty and attain a perfect restauration then her peace shall be a continued peace she shall have peace upon peace everlasting successions of peace a river being supplied and fed with a constant stream the waters that flow to day will flow again to morrow peace like a river is peace peace or perpetuall peace Sions peace shall not be as a land-floud soon up and as soon down again but as a river and which yet heightens it her prosperity shall be as the waves of the sea If the winde do but stir upon the face of the sea you shall have wave upon wave waves rolling and riding one upon the back of another Such shall be the prosperity of Zion on earth for a time and such it will be for ever in heaven there peace shall be as a river to eternity and prosperity as the waves of the sea joy upon joy and comfort upon comfort riding and rolling one upon the back of another As it shall be thus with the peace of the Church at last so it may be with the afflictions of the Church or of any member of the Church at present Their afflictions may be as a river and their sorrows as the waves of the sea coming on again and again renewed as often as abated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mirabilis sis in me Again Thou shewest thy self wonderfull or marvellous against or upon me Both renderings are consistent with the originall Marvellous upon me That is thou dost not punish or afflict me in an ordinary way Marvels are not every daies work Thou takest a new a strange course to try me such afflictions as mine have no parallel such have scarce been heard of or recorded in the history of any age Who hath heard of such a thing as this thou seemest to design me for a president to posterity Mirificum fit spectaculum homo qui tam dira patitur tam constanti invictoque animo or to shew in my example what thou canst do upon a creature Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me As Moses speaks concerning Korah Dathan and Abiram when they murmured and mutined against him and against Aaron If these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up then c. The Lord to manifest his extream displeasure against those mutineers did as it were devise a new kinde of death for them If these men die the common or the ordinary death of all men then the Lord hath not sent me These men have given a new example of sinne and surely God will make them a new example of punishment Iob speaks the same sense Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me thou wilt not be satisfied in afflicting me after the rate or measure of other men All the Saints should do some singular thing and many of them suffer some singular thing The Apostle assures his Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but that which is common to man Iob seems to speak the contrary A temptation hath taken me which is not common to man Further These words Thou art marvellous upon me have reference to God who sent those afflictions as well as unto the afflictions which he sent As if he had said Lord thou actest now besides thy nature and thy custom thou art mercifull and thou delightest in mercy Thou art good and thou doest good how or whence is it then that thou art so fierce against me and pourest out so many evils upon me I could not knowing thee as I do have beleeved though it had been told me that thou wouldest have been so rigorous and incompassionate if a professed enemy had done this he had done like himself and had been no wonder unto me But now as thou hast afflicted me till I am become a wonder unto many so thou O Lord art become a wonder unto me and to all who hear how thou hast afflicted me Meek Moses made himself a wonder when he broke out in anger Every man is wondered at when he doth that which he is not enclined to doe or not used to do Is it not a wonder to see the patient God angry the mercifull God severe the compassionate God inexorable Thus saith Iob Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me Hence observe First That some afflictions of the Saints are wonderfull afflictions As God doth not often send his people strange deliverances and works wonders to preserve them so he sends them many strange afflictions and works wonders to trouble them And as many punishments of sin upon wicked men so some trials of grace upon godly men are very wonderfull The Lord threatneth the Jews Deut. 28.59 that he would make their plagues wonderfull he would make strange work among them And he saith of Ierusalem I will wipe it as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it up-side down or wiping it and turning it upon the face thereof 2 King 21.13 To see a great City handled like a little dish or a strong Nation turned topsie turvy as we say or the bottom upwards is a strange thing It is an ordinary thing to see cups platters turned up-side down but it is not ordinary to see Kingdoms and Nations