Laban Gen. 31.37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuffe what hast thou sound of all thy household-stuffe set it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge betwixt us both As if he had sayd Is there any injustice in my hand Let it come to tryall Or as upright Samuel to all Israel 1 Sam. 12.3 Behold here I am witnesse against me before the Lord and before his annoynted whose Ox have I taken Or whose Asse have I taken Or whom have I defrauded Whom have I oppressed Samuel had been long a Judge yet he knew of no injustice in his hand neither did any man know of any and therefore all acquit him from the least blemish of unfaithfulnesse in his Office Vers 4. Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought as a bribe of any mans hand And he sayd unto them Vers 5. The Lord is witnesse against you and his annoynted is witnesse this day that yee have not found ought that is ought gotten unjustly in my hand That man hath reacht the perfection of justice who neyther takes out of the hand of others violently nor of the hand of others covetously to byas his spirit when hee sits in judgement Such a perfect Justicer was Samuel all Israel could not finde ought so come by in his hand Hee might say and he did say as much in effect with Job Not for any injustice in my hand And as a Beleever may arrive at such a blamelesse walking towards men that they cannot say He hath sinned so at such a holy walking before God that God himselfe will not say He hath sinned And this God will not say vvhen hee sees a soule labouring as Paul was once praying that the Colossians might to walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke Col. 1.10 And when he sees that his prayer is pure and his worship tendered with a perfect or sincere heart When a soule doth not wilfully neglect any duty towards God God will say he hath performed all duty and though there may be many failings in prayer yet God will say that mans prayer is pure So then we grant that no man lives and sins not yet we affirme that no godly man lives in sin and that some godly men are so farr from living in any sin that others cannot tax them nor can they tax themselves of acting any grosse sins yea though the best of Saints here know they sin and know their sins yet they may be sayd not to commit knowne sins that is not to sin knowingly He is not properly sayd to sin knowingly vvho knowes he sins but he who sins against his knowledge Thirdly Observe Holinesse consists in a compleat uniformity or in conformity to the whole will of God Job drawes the picture of a holy man in all his limbs and lineaments equity and purity containe all Some are First Table Christians others are Second Table Christians Some are zealous for prayer who are extreame cold in doing Justice some are extreame honest and just to men righteous in all their dealings but they care not for prayer nor have they any delight in communion with God The Law of God is one entire thing and so must mans obedience be He that offends in one poynt is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 For though he that commits adultery cannot properly be sayd to breake that Law Thou shalt doe no murder yet whosoever commits adultery may properly be sayd to break the whole Law the reason is given by that Apostle in the next Verse For he that sayd Doe not commit adultery sayd also Doe not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressour of the Law He that breakes any one linke of a chaine breaks the chaine though he break not a second linke 't is so here the vvhole Law is Copulative and as in this sense the Law is one so the Law-maker is altogether one This the Apostle James hints as the reason of it For he that sayd doe not commit adultery sayd also doe not kill As if hee had sayd There is one and the same Legis-lative power commanding all and therefore if yee transgresse one yee transgresse all And how can there be a state of holinesse without an equall respect to both Tables of the Law seeing the breach of any one Law of either Table is though not formally yet reductively a breach of every Law in both Tables And therefore 't is the ayme of a Beleever to fulfill both Tables of the Law though he faile in every Law of both hee gives up his will wholly to God yea he may be sayd to lose his will in the will of God and this is his doing the whole will of God And indeed wee doe nothing unlesse vvee be found doing all Observe Fourthly We may without hypocrisie make report of our owne integrity Job doth it here and had done it before and we finde holy men doing it often in Scripture Non ad jactantiam sed ad divinae veritatis assertionem commemorat I saith Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith This he speakes of himselfe but not for himselfe not out of vaine-glory or a desire of esteeme with men as the Pharisees but that others might be encouraged by his example and that God might have the glory of his free and powerfull grace enabling him to give and hold out such an example Other passages in this Book have led me to this note before and therefore I onely mention it here More particularly Observe Injustice towards men and impurities in the worship of God are great and provoking sins Job disclaimes these by name it is as if Job had said Were there injustice in my hands or were I false in the worship of God it were no wonder though all these judgements should seize upon me yea though my burden were heavier I had no reason to complaine I must thanke my selfe Injustice and false worship will certainely bring breach upon breach they breake not onely single persons but Kingdomes and Nations Oppression and Superstition are Kingdome-shaking sins much more will they shake the wals and foundations of a private House or Family Againe Observe If God afflict where there is no injustice how justly doth hee destroy those who are unjust Shall they complaine who are beaten for their faults when some are beaten who have no fault The Apostle Peter argues 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinners appeare I may also argue if the righteous be not saved from outward afflictions if the godly are smitten how shall the ungodly and sinners escape unsmitten Many are smitten not for any injustice in their hand there is some other end and that a just one why they are smitten nor is God unjust in smiting them Now if just ones are without any
like the wind but it passeth away and though we cannot tell whither it goes yet we may easily tell whence it comes even from the fancie and out of the mouth of a foolish man It was usuall of old to call that which is vaine windy those despisers of holy counsells and Divine Alarums given by the Prophets said The Prophets shall become wind and the word is not in them Jer. 5.13 That is both the Doctrine and the threats which these Prophets utter are vaine and ineffectuall they will doe us neither good nor evill no mans finger shall ake though their tongues ake with talking The Prophet Hosea at once reproves and terrisies the Jewes in this language They have sowne the wind and they shall reape the whirlewind Hos 8.7 To sow the winde is to doe a vaine thing our actions are as seed such as we sow such shall we reape they sowed sin and they reaped trouble Themselves sowed the wind by what they did and they thought the Prophets sowed the winde in what they spake And indeed the words of the Prophet were wind as the peoples works were in reference to the issue those produced a whirlewind to scatter their contemners as these did to scatter their actors The old Satyrist calls vaine words bubly toyes Bullatas nugas utpote similes bullis vento plenis Pers Sat. 5. because such words are like a bubble full of wind possibly full of wit but empty of wisedome and good instruction Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge The Scripture calls that vaine First which is unprofitable these mutually expound each other Eccles 1.2 3. Vanity of vanity saith the Preacher c. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he taketh under the Sunne There 's most vanity where there is least profit and where there is no profit at all there is nothing at all but vanity Turne not aside from following the Lord saith Samuel for then should you goe after vaine things which cannot profit 1 Sam. 12.20 21. Secondly the Scripture calls that and those vaine which hath or have no solidity in them vanity hath so little weight in it that when the Spirit would expresse men who have no weight in them he saith They are lighter then vanity Psalm 62.9 Thirdly the Scripture calls that vaine which is alwayes moving varying and unsetled Psal 144.4 Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away He is therefore like to vanity because he is so like a shadow continually passing but never continuing Fourthly the Scripture often calls that vaine which is sinfull in practice or unsound and erroneous in opinion I hate vaine inventions saith David but thy Law doe I love Whatsoever opposes either truth of Doctrine or purity of Worship is a vaine invention of man and opposite to the Law of God he utters vaine knowledge who utters false Principles which subvert the Faith or superstitious formes which endanger the life and power of godlinesse Eliphaz supposed that somewhat of vanity in all these notions was rallyed together into the discourse of Job that it was light and froathy that it was erroneous and full of incongruity especially which carries all these in it that it was worthlesse and unprofitable to the receiver as he expresseth in the third Verse Should he reason with unprofitable talke Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge Hence observe There is a vanity in some kind of knowledge and folly in that which not a few call wisedome It hath been the businesse of some mens knowledge to finde out a vanity in all sorts of knowledge Eliphaz spake well for the matter though ill to the man Job did not utter vaine knowledge but we know too many doe The old Gentiles waxed vaine in their imaginations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vani facti sunt in ratiocinationibus suis Baz their very reasonings were vaine so the Originall word tells us It was not their phansie but their understanding which was vaine The Apostle cautions the Colossians Let no man spoyle you through Philosophy and vaine deceit Col. 2.8 Philosophy in it selfe is an excellent knowledge yet it may be vainely taught and so deceive us as to spoyle us I may say also let no man spoyle you through Divinity and vaine deceit Divinity which is in it selfe the most excellent knowledge the knowledge of God may be vainely taught and so deceive us as to spoyle us That knowledge which is best in it selfe is vainest to us when it is unduely or falsely uttered Secondly observe It is most uncomely for those who either have or would have the reputation of wisedome to speake vainly Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge 'T is no wonder to heare a vaine man speake vainely and for a foole to utter folly Doe men gather Grapes of thornes or Figgs of thistles The vile person will speake villany and his heart will worke iniquity to practice hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord Isa 32.6 If a foole a vaine man or a vile person speake thus he speakes like himselfe but if a wise or a good man speake thus he speakes so unlike himselfe that the Chaldee Paraphrase puts not onely an undecensie but an impossibility upon it Can a wise man utter vaine knowledge It is impossible Estne possibile c. Chald. Paraph. Men act according to their principles every thing is in working as it is in being if there be wisedome in the heart it will be heard at the tongue A wholesome Fountaine will send out wholesome waters He that is borne of God saith the Apostle John 1 Epist 3.9 cannot sinne though he hath not a naturall impossibility to sin Sapiens ad mensuram sermones profert libra examinatos justitiae ut sit gravitas in sensu in sermone pondus in verbis modus Ambros l. 1. Offic. c 3. yet he hath a morall impossibility to sinne because the seed of God remaineth in him the frame and bent of his heart is set another way Now as there is a morall impossibility that a godly man should commit sin so that a wise man should speake sin or utter vaine knowledge A wise man speakes as well as acts by measure he waighs what he saith as much as what he doth the tongue of the wise is as a Tree of life Grace in the heart blossomes at the lips in savory words which minister grace unto the hearers Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge And fill his belly with the East winde A belly full of windy meat is bad enough a belly full of wind is farre worse But what is here meant by the belly what by the East-wind The belly is put for the heart and affections together with all the intellectuall powers of the minde John 7.38 Out of his belly that is out of his whole soule shall flow Rivers of living water This water is the holy spirit the holy spirit is sometimes compared also to the wind Venter
stretch out their hands against him in his Law But he will not stretch out his hand unlesse to smite to a gain-saying and rebellious people who in this sense stretch out their hands against him in the Gospell Secondly From the connexion of this Verse with the former Observe That God proportions the punishment of man unto his sin There is a twofold proportionating of punishment to sin First In the quality or manner of it Secondly In the quantity or degree of it The Justice of God is visible in both according to the exact rules of retaliation As I have done so the Lord hath requited me sayd Adonibezek Judg. 1. He was punished in the same manner that he had sinned and so have many others But all shall be punished in the same degree that they have sinned If sin be great so shall the punishment of it be When the iniquity of the Amorite was full he had his fill of wrath When God himselfe was pressed with the sin of Israel as a Cart with Sheaves then he layd on load in judgement If any wonder why the wicked man should be hurryed troubled vexed why he travelleth in paine all his dayes he may cease to wonder when he reads that the wicked man stretcheth out his hand against God Is it any wonder God should shew himselfe an Enemy to them who practice the Enemy against him Or that they should be highest in suffering who have been highest in sin The Prophet Amos reproves and complaines of those who made the Ephah small and the Shekel great Chap. 8.5 That is who abated the measure and enhanced or raised the price of their commodities But if man make the Ephah or measure of his sin small God will not make the Shekel of his punishment great The wages which the Justice of God payes the sinner shall not be a penny more then his sinning worke hath deserved Thirdly In that the stretching out the hand against God is a sin against light Observe That sins committed against light leave the soule in the greatest darknesse A sin committed in the darknesse of ignorance deserves yet to be punished with darknesse even with everlasting darknesse much more those sins which are committed not onely in but against the light of knowledge Some shall perish for want of light they cannot but perish who live and dye in the abuse of light Many shall perish because they have not stretched forth their hands according to the light received to worke for God how deeply then shall they perish who in the midst of received light stretch out their hands to work wickednesse against God Fourthly Eliphaz describes the wicked man stretching out his hand that is all the power which God hath trusted him with to provoke God with Hence Observe That wicked men abuse the good gifts of God and turne them against God himselfe They use their hand properly taken against God as also their metaphoricall hand their whole strength against God they stretch their authority their high places their parts and wits against God they forme weapons out of all the good gifts of God to fight against God such sinning is out of measure sinfull The idle Servant was condemned who did not employ and improve the one Talent which he had received to his Masters advantage of how much sorer condemnation shall they be thought worthy who employ their many Talents to their Masters losse and disadvantage Lastly Observe Sin is the greatest evill That must needs be the greatest evill which opposeth the greatest good God is the greatest good every sin is against God and some sins directly oppose God The Apostle argues the evill of sin from the opposition it makes against us 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearely beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts he doth not say which fight against or dishonour God but which warr against the soule We have no reason to be dallying with lusts or to be freinds with them when we heare that our lusts warr against us but when we remember that our lusts warr against God we should not onely abstaine from them but abhorr them Every thing is by so much the worse by how much that is better which it is contrary unto There are foure considerations which heighten the evill of sinne upon this account that it is a stretching out of the hand against God First Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a word against God Secondly Stretch out a hand against God! No man should dare so much as to lift up a thought against God Thirdly Stretch out a hand against God! Every man ought to fall downe before God and be well pleased with whatsoever God saith or doth Fourthly Every man is bound to stretch out heart and tongue and hand to thinke and speake and doe for God and when all this is done we have done but our duty and the utmost that any man doth or can doe in these is not halfe his duty How wide then is he from how opposite to his duty who stretcheth out his hand against God And as it follows in the next words Strengthens himselfe against the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roboravit fortem bellatorem conatur se praebere virum atque masculum in Deum se erigere insultare praesumpsit Contra omnipotentem se virum exhibuit Jun. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16.13 That is As the Originall imports who makes himselfe a strong Warrier and will shew his valour against the Almighty So Master Broughton He would be valiant against the Almighty Or as another translates to the letter of the Text He shews himselfe a man against the Almighty as if he had sayd This wicked man straines all the strength he hath to shew himselfe a man of his hands or to play the man against God The Apostle useth that word in reference to temptation Play the men or quit your selves like men Saints play the man against Satan wicked ones play the man against God he strengthens himselfe against God But how What doth the wicked man to strengthen himselfe Doth he gather Armies lay in Ammunition fortifie Cities and Castles Doth he thus strengthen himselfe against the Almighty All these are no strength against God and this is not the way the wicked man takes to strengthen himselfe against God how then Hee strengthens himselfe against God by hardening his heart by stopping his eares by setting his face by debauching his conscience against the call and command of God Thus He strengthens himselfe against the Almighty Before we had the word God the strong God here the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word in the Hebrew signifies not onely one that hath great power But First All power Shaddai is he that hath power to doe all things Omnipotency is one of the incommunicable Attributes of God Qui omnia potest All the power of man is of his giving but he