generation lying upon his death-bed a friend asked him whether the light shining into the room did not offend him he answâ—red Hic sat lucis Oecolampadius putting his hand upon his heart Here I have light enough The heart of a godly man is the house of spiritual light there he hath and holds the light of divine knowledge about the things of the Gospel and the light of divine comfort arising from that knowledge It is also reported of Mr. Deering our Countrey-man that in his last sickness and towards his end being set upright in his bed for his ease a friend requested him that he would speak something for the edification and comfort of those about him Whereupon the Sun shining in his face he took occasion to speak thus There is but one Sun in the world and there is but one Sun of righteousness which graciously shineth upon me speaking further he concluded thus I bless God I have so much light of joy and comfort in my soul that were it put to my wish or choice I had rather a thousand times die than live As the hearts of these worthies were the dwelling place of light so is the heart of every godly person in his measure and degree the light of knowledge and of joy abide there The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And where that shine of God gives the light of knowledge the light of comfort cannot be withheld unless it be for a season that the soul may rejoyce the more in the end and at last without end For Lastly There is an eternal light the light of Glory and that hath a certain dwelling place that light dwelleth alwayes in heaven and the Saints at rest in heaven dwell alwayes in that light Eternal glory is called the inheritance of the saints in light Col. 1.12 Again Spiritual darkness hath its place and we should labour to know the place of that darkness to avoid it Ignorance is spiritual darkness and that dwells in the heart of every man by nature All that continue in that sad condition have their understanding darkened through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4.18 and they who now are in the light were once in the dark yea they were darkness Eph. 5.8 Let it also be remembred in whomsoever this darkness of sin and ignorance abides they must abide under the darkness of wrath and judgement for ever The place where that darkness dwells is hell and there outer darkness as 't is often called in the Gospel dwells even such darkness as wherein the damned are not onely out of the possession of the least ray or glimmering of light but without any hope or expectation of it Hell is quite beyond the bound or boundaries of light there 's darkness and thick darkness nothing but darkness Thus we see light and darkness have their places natural light and darkness have theirs and so have spiritual and eternal light and darkness Secondly From the scope of these two verses Observe It is God who disposeth and ordereth light and darkness The question was put to Job whether he had disposed of them but he could not assume to himself that he had taken or laid the light to the bound thereof or knew the paths to the house thereof Light and darkness are at the dispose and under the command of God alone And as the work or power of God is wonderful in the dispose of natural light and darkness so 't is much more wonness in the dispose of civil spiritual and eternal light and darkderful these the Lord taketh to their bound and knoweth the paths to their house I form light and create darkness saith the Lord Isa 45.7 What light and darkness doth the Lord there speak of Surely of civil light and darkness as the next words import I make peace and create evil I make and create them I also direct and appoint them whither to go whether to a Nation or to a man only whether to this or that man or Nation Darkness is of me as truly as light And that not only civil but spiritual and eternal light and darkness are at Gods dispose is as evident from the Scriptures of truth Some lands may be called lands of light like Goshen others like Egypt under that three days plague may be called lands of darkness Of such lands that complaint is made Psal 74.20 The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty All places of the earth full of ignorance not knowing God of atheisme not acknowledging God of idolatry worshipping false gods or the true God â—alsly may be called lands of darkness or the dark places of the earth Now as the Lord maketh one land a place of spiritual light so he leaveth another to be a place of darkness And he often maketh changes from darkness to light that 's mercy and from light to darkness that 's wrath in the same lands Some lands which had sate in darkness for ages and generations the Lord hath visited with Gospel light and some lands which for ages and generations had that light are now laid in darkness How sad a witness of this are the anciently famous seats of the Asian and African Churches now under Mahometan power And further as the Lord disposeth that outward spiritual light and darkness giving the knowledge of the Gospel to or taking it away from Nations as he pleaseth so he dispoâ—eth inward light or darkness to every soul Some gracious souls walk in the light of Gods countenance and under the sweet shinings of his face every day others who also as the Prophet speaks Isa 50.10 Fear the Lord and obey the voice of his servants walk in darkness and see no light Now whence cometh this difference Is it not of the Lord who hath the command of our joys and of our sorrows and who appoints this kind of light and darkness their several and special places according to the soveraignty of his own Will From all that hath been said we may draw down this conclusion which the Lord did chiefly aim at in dealing with Job That we are to own and acknowledge the hand of God in every condition be it light or be it darkness be it joy or be it sorrow 't is all of God There is nothing which concerns either the comfort or trouble of man but comes forth from God and is ordered by him like as in all ages and revolutions of time light and darkness have held their course and kept their place according to his institution and direction Job was in darkness both as to his outward and inward estate his body was pained his soul was grieved anguish â—â—llâ—d 〈◊〉 spirit and God would have him see know and acknowledge his hand in all As if he had said Thou canst no more dispose the peace
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
else but wrest and darken the Word of God I intend not humane learning meerly in Arts and Sciences though there be great use of them but I mean especially Holy and Divine Learning They that are not taught of God nor have the light of God in them cannot but darken the things and Counsels of God how much humane learning soever they have The Prophet foretels us of Christ speaking thus of himself as the great Prophet Isa 50.4 The Lord hath given me the tongue the learned that I should kn w how to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to those who are wearied not with bodily labours and travels but with soul-labours and travels about the pardon of their sins and the favour of God to their souls He that speaks a word effectually for the refreshing of such weary ones must open the Counsels of God to them and he that doth so must have the tongue of the learned that is a tongue taught of God how to speak else he will never be able to do it knowingly but through the darkness of his own mind will darken the Counsel of God concerning those dark souls and so rather weary them more than relieve them out of their weariness That the soul be without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 that is 't is very bad such Negatives in Scripture intend their contrary Affiâ—matives and as it is not good or very bad for themselves whosoever they are so it is not good for them with respect to others who are called to declare the Counsels of God to others Souls without knowledge cannot open but are apt to darken the Soul-counsels of God Sixthly Inasmuch as God reproved Job for this Note God will not take it well if we speak improperly darkly and unsafely of his Matters and Counsels though our minds be honest and our meaning good in what we speak We had need be cautious what we say and not talk at random about the things of God Job a holy and a wise man had a peal rung in his ear for speaking words without knowledge words not duly poized and placed There are some who will catch at and take hold of every slip of the tongue they will make a man an offender for a word which hath no real ground of offence in it as the Prophet spake Isa 29.11 God may justly make a man an offender for a word which he thought was without offece Lastly Consider when God came to reprove Job he did not charge him with iny ill intentions but with ill expressions He indeed had darkened his Counsel by words Without knowledge but God did not say he had a purpose and a mind to do it nor did he say that Job had spoken lastly but that he had spoken truth obscurely The Lord did not object hypocrisie or impiety against him but imbecility as not having handled the Judgements of God nor delivered his own judgement clearly and prudently enough but had hudled and put things so passionately and confusedly together that some could not tell how to distinguish them from blasphemy Hence Note God will not charge any man beyond his fault If he did it in a heat of passion God will not deal with him as if he had done it in cold blood as we sy or with a setled resolution The Lord will not call a slip of the tongue an errour of the mind much less a minded nor God knowe the intent and purpose of every man that speaks he weighs not only our actions but words he knows not only what we say but why and with what aimes we say it and therefore he never urgeth any mans sin beyond it self Job had darkned the Counsel of God only by words without knowledge therefore God would not charge him to have darkned his Counsel knowingly or against the light of knowledge Yea notwithstanding this fault the Lord having reproved him for it proceeds presently as some interpret the next verse to comfort and encourage him Vers 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man As if the Lord had said thou hast spoken thus and ths of my Counsels now give me an account of what thou hast spoken Gird up thy loins like a man Cinctus lumbonum erit pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coc. To call a man to gird up his loins is to bid him be in a readiness or to prepare himselfe for any work The strength of a man is in his loins and they who are weak are said to be loin-lesse To gird up the lions is a powerbial speech and may be used to a man who weareth the shortest garments yea to him who is naked Hence the Lord bid Job to gird up his loins who possibly was so weak that he could not stand upon his legs or possibly had no long garments at all There is a girding the lions with sack-cloth that is with sorrow implying the work of repentance and mortification Isa 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth The two Witnesses of Christ are said to prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred any sixty dayes Rev. 11.3 to note that they were in a sad or sorrowful conditoin all the dayes of their Prophesie Thus Jobs loins had been girt a long time But Again There is a girding of the loins with joy Thou hast put off from me my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Psal 30.11 Also There is a girding of the lions with strength Psal 17.39 Further we may take notice of a fourfold use in Scripture of girding up the loins Cingulum amkulaturi First There is a girding up the lions for travel or when a man is to take a journey Thus Elisha said to Gehazi 2 Kings 4.29 Gird up thy loins and take thy staffe in thy hand and go thy way c. It was a fashion in those Eastern Countreys where they wore their garments long and ordinarily loose to gird them up in travel Secondly Cingulum ministraturi There is a girding up the loins for serving or waiting so Christ expresseth it Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord. And he saith at the 37th vcese Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them that is he will be ready to do them offices of love as it were in person which is an expression of the greatest condescention For when Christ would set forth the common custom among men he saith Luke 17.7 8. Which of you having a servant plowing or feeding Cattel will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field Go and sit down to meat and will not rather say Gird thy self and serve me c. Girding is
that he had to put to him and to answer them if he could but Job alas poor man had not a word to answer any one of those demands which the Lord put to him either in the following part of this Chapter or in the next JOB Chap. 38. Vers 4 5 6. 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof set or who laid the corner-stone thereof IN the former Verse God told Job what himself would do or in what method he would proceed with him I will demand of thee saith the Lord or I will put the Question to thee In this verse the Lord begins to make his Demands to put Questions to Job and calls for his Answer these Demands or Questions contain the confutation of Jobs former complaining speeches against or at least about the dealings of God The first Question we have in this fourth verse Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth For the clearing of this whole discourse in which the Lord puts Questions or Demands to Job I shall first consider the general scope of them all and then the special matter contained and couched in the present context The scope which God seems to have in pressing Job with these Demands or Questions may be threefold First That by arguments from the less to the greater he might shew Job that he was not able to comprehend the reason of his mysterious providential workings towards the children of men seeing he could not give a reason of his sensible and natural works Secondly That Job being put to confess his ignorance about worldly or natural things he might be brought to have low thoughts of himself and as he did indeed at last in Chapter 42. to abhor himself repenting in dust and ashes Therefore Beatus Job post interrogationem verberis discutitur interrogatione sermonis Greg. as one of the Ancienâ—s saith upon this place After God had a great while as it were debated with him and questioned him by his rod he now debated with him by word putting Questions to him Thirdly The Lord came thick and threefold as we say upon Job with these searching Questions thereby to convince him that if by his own mighty power he had made and by his wise providence had ordered the whole course of Nature and all the parts of it so exactly surely then Job might collect and conclude that God in his administrations towards him a particular single person must needs carry all things in wisdome and with justice And that if God did shew forth so much wisdome and faithfulness in making and in ordering the world which was made for man and for him among others of mankind then much more was the providence of God rightly and duly administred unto all men and him If the Lord took such care of the Earth when he had shewed his power in making of it if he took such care about the bruit beasts and other creatures of the Earth Si propter to mundus tanta fruitur providentia quanto magis ipse which are the stock of it then doubtlesse he took a due care of man and of him in particular man being the chief part of this lower creation and Job being a principal one among the sons of men More distinctly In this Context and those which follow about the works of God the conviction ariseth three wayes upon Job or God deals with him by a threefold argument and all to humble him and bring him upon his knees First By comparing the eternity of God with Jobs time who was but of yesterday therefore saith he Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth As if he had said pray how old are you that you should take upon you to contend with me about my dealings with you As the Jews said ignorantly to Christ whose day Abraham saw by faith and was glad Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham John 8.57 So the Lord might say in the fulness of his knowledge to Job Thou art not yet a hundred years old sure Where then wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Secondly The Lord sets before Job his own Omniscience and thereby convinceth Job of his ignorance or of the little knowledge as well as experience that he had of things done long before Declare saith God if thou hast understanding at the fourth verse and if thou knowest at the fifth verse As if the Lord had said I can declare these things I know these things what 's thy knowledge about them in comparison of my knowledge thy light is but darkness and thy knowledge ignorance compared with mine therefore presume not Thirdly The Lord convinceth Job by his helplesness to him both in the Works of Creation and Providence thereby setting forth his own Omnipotency together with Jobs impotency which was such as contributed nothing either to the Creation or to the Government of the World Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth and did all these things Didst thou come to give me either counsel how to do them or lend me thy hand in the doing of them Surely no I did them alone thou wast not in being thou art not from the beginning Thy knowledge is very small and thy power and strength smaller as to the bringing about of any of these things therefore see thy vanity in speaking thus complainingly about my dealings with thee From and upon all these considerations the Lord would have Job sit down and acknowledge that it must needs be extream rashness in him to find fault with any of his Dispensations or plead with him about them The general argument may be fram'd thus He is blame-worthy that finds fault with or complains about any thing in the Government of God or will adventure to dispute and debate with him about it unless he have somewhat like the Eternity the Wisdom the Might and Power of God But Job thou hast nothing like the Eternity of God for thou art but of the other day thou hast nothing like the Omniscience of God for thou art ignorant of what God hath done and destitute of counsel what to do thy self Thou hast nothing like the Power of God the Arm of God thou art weak thou canst not make the least worm the least fly surely then thou canst do nothing towards the making of a world Therefore thou art blame worthy for finding fault with and complaining about what God hath done The first Proposition is fully implied throughout the discourse The Assumption is exprest in many sharp and cutting queries from the 4th ver of this Chapter Where wast thou c. to the 34th of the next The parts of this Assumption are many whereof the first treats of Creation from this fourth verse to the 22d the
that is if thou knowest all of the earth There were many paâ—ts of the earth which Job knew not at all therefore he could not know it all We at this day after all the improvements which have been made by Navigation little in use in Jobs days for the discoveâ—y of the earth are yet forced to write upon some places as we may see in our best Maps of the World Terra incognita this part of the earth is unknown If we now do not surely Job then did not know it all Further When the Lord saith Declare if thou knowest it all his meaning is not If thou hast any knowledge at all about it all for there is no wise no understanding man but hath some measuâ—e or degree of knowledge as about the depth of the Sea so about the breadth and measures of the Earth but the meaning of these words Declare if thou knowest it all is if thou knowest the all of it if thou knowest it throughly For as these words have reference to the object to be known so to the manner of knowing There are many that know something and some that know many things yet none that know all things no not the all of any one thing The Apostle speaking of spiritual things saith We know in part and the truth is we know but a part of natural things of the sea of the earth and we know them but in part So then when the Lord saith If thou knowest it all his meaning may be this if thou hast a distinct and demonstrative knowledge of the thing Declare it I know thou mayest give conjectures and propose probabilities but I know also that thou neither knowest it all nor the all of it God hath given us a certain knowledge about things that refer to eternity and to salvation to them we must stick and abide by them but as to these things all that we know is but little and about that little we labour under many uncertainties Declare if thou knowest it all Hence Observe First God is willing that man should make the best of himself God was ready to hear Job what he could answer to his Question When God put the question to Adam Gen. 3.11 Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat And when he put questions to Cain Gen. 4.6 Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen As also vers 9. Where is Abel thy brother He was ready to hear what eiâ—her the one or the other could say for themselves nor would he have cut them short in their plea if they could have pleaded any thing for their justification Now as God was willing to hear what they could answer to his questions about their evil works so he is willing to hear what any can answer which was Jobs case to the questions which he proposeth about his own works and their behaviour under them Seconâ—ly From the scope of the words Note The most knowing men know but little of that which they know As we know nothing at all of some things so there is nothing of which we know the all or of which we have a perfect knowledge a knowledge to which nothing can be added They who know most of any thing know almost nothing of it How far then are they from knowing it all David having spoken of the knowledge of God Psal 139.2 3 4 5. concludes vers 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it Man is so far from an ability to attain such a knowledge as God hath the knowledge of the most secret things of man the knowledge of his thoughts afar off that he is not able to attain the perfect knowledge of the plainest things We must stay for perfect knowledge till we come to another state when all clouds of ignorance shall be scattered when we shall see no more through a glass darkly but face to face when we shall know all that is to be known of God and of the Works of God when we shall be enabled to declare all our knowledge about them and to give proof that we know them all Truly to know God the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent is eternal life while we live here in this world but to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent fully yea to know any thing fully is reserved for us in that eternal life which we wait for in the world to come There are three things which make up the happiness of our soul-state in eternal life First The due order of the Affections when they shall ever be set upon right objects and upon them in a right measure Secondly The due motion of the Will when it shall ever chuse that which is good and nothing but good Thirdly The clear and unerring light of the Understanding The proper object of the Understanding is truth The chief ornament and delight of the Understanding is the knowledge of the truth And the Understanding is not more debased and dishonoured by not endeavouring to know than an understanding man is vexed and troubled when he cannot compass the knowledge of that which he desires and endeavours to know Indeed Solomon the most knowing man among all the sons of men hath concluded Eccles 1.15 That in much wisdome there is much grief and that he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow Yet this grief and sorrow arise not from knowledge attained but from the great pains study and travel which we take in this world for the attainment of it or from the doubts and uncertainties which remain in our minds about many things when we have got the best and clearest knowledge of them attainable in this life Whereas in our heavenly state we shall neither have any trouble in getting knowledge nor shall any doubt or uncertainty remain in our minds about the things we know For the beautiful face of truth shall in a momenâ— be unvailed to us and the curtain drawn away by the hand of God which interposed between us and the light so that there shall not any mist or darkness not any doubt or scruple hang in our minds about any truth And thus we may answer that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.8 saying That in heaven Knowledge shall vanish away What nothing but ignorance in heaven Surely nothing more unsutable to nor unbecoming the glory of that state Ignorance may better be the Mother of Devotion here as Papists with ignorance enough have affirmed than in heaven the companion of our joy The Apostle then means that such knowledge as now we have shall vanish that is knowledge so gotten as now it is In heaven there are no Schools nor Universities nor Tutors nor Teachers Again Knowledge of so imperfect a degree as now it is of shall vanish away The knowledge which Solomon had on earth will be but ignorance compared to the knowledge which the Saints have and shall have in heaven
they call them Mansion Houses or Dwellings of the Sun Thirdly According to vulgar understanding we may answer these questions Where is the way where light dwelleth c. Plainly thus Light dwelleth in the Sun there light abides and from thence shines to us The Sun is the Vessel or Store-house of light the Luminary of the World by day as the Moon and Stars are by nighâ— And as for darkness that takes its place every where as soon as the Sun leaves any place As often as the Sun continuing his circular progress visits the other Hemisphere daâ—kness takes possession of this Light and darkness take their turns the one alwayes going off when and where the other enters upon the stage of the world Now though Philosophers with our own experience tell us that the reason of this is the access and recess of the Sun yet it is unknown to us how God hath thus tempered the course of nature that day and night should not be alwayes alike in any part of the World but vary in both the Hemispheres and that in the same Hemisphere there should be such a setled inequality in the length of the nights and days This dependeth wholly upon the will of God who thus stated the motions of the heavenly bodies from the very beginning If it be asked Why doth the Lord put these questions to Job Where is the way where light dwelleth Seeing every one may answer light is in the Sun light shines in and fills the Air while the Sun is up and darkness filleth the air when the Sun is gone down darkness being the privation or want of light or darkness according to the usual definition of it being the shadow of the Earth coming between us and the Sun When the opacous or thick body of the Earth interposeth between us and the Sun darkness followeth And if this be all there seemeth not to be much difficulty in knowing where the light dwelleth and where the place of darkness is therefore surely that was not the sole intendment of God in putting these questions to Job But when he saith Where is the way where light dwelleth c. It is as if he had said Dâ—st thou understand the ordering and methodizing of lâ—ght and darkness Or how it cometh to pass that one part of the World hath light while the other is covered with darkness and how light returns to that other part Hast thou made this temperament and vicissitude of light and darkness or procured that the day should be long in the same country at one season of the year and short at another Hast thou disposed the Sun to make short nights in Summer and long in Winter This the understanding of man is not well able to comprehend much less his power to effect Onely the infinite wisdom of God hath put light and darkness into this method and given them their certain seasons And that this is the meaning of the Text we may gather more clearly from the next verse for the Lord having said Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof presently adds Vers 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof These words shew that the former questions chiefly respect the order and disposure of light and darkness That thou shouldest take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viâ— habet accipiendi quasi m anu The Word signifieth the taking of a thing in ones hand As if the Lord had said Dost thou every morning take the light in thy hand and bring it to the bounds or utmost limits thereof Art thou able to direct the light where it should abide till such time as it is to come forth agâ—in to thee Nihil movetur quod non deducatur ipsa dei manu potestate Si ille manum non admoveat immota iners jacebit squalebit naturae Potentissimus deus capit solem accipit tenebras ducitatque reducit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a manuduction a divine manuduction of all the creatures by the wisdome and power of God he as it were leads the light and leads the darkness â—hither he pleaseth The creature remaineth unmoved and sluâ—â—â—sh it stirreth not till the Lord taketh it by the hand or putteth forth his hand to dispose of it as it pleaseth him to the use or place he hath appointed it Oâ— To the bound thereof The Original Word signifieth a limit or utmost point implying that the Lord brings the light to its due and proper place and that as he hath determined the bounds of mans habitation Acts 17.26 so he hath also bounded the habitation of light and darkness for the benefit and service of man As if the Lord had said Hast thou done this O Job surely no that 's my work I am he that taketh the Sun in my hand and bringeth it to the bounds thereof I direct at what point it shall rise and set It is I that know the paths to the house thereof and so can readily call for it and cause it to appear in time and place appointed Thou knowest not where tâ— have the light how to bring light forth but I do From these two verses laid and considered together Observe First Natural light and darkness have their special places their dwelling places yet they have no where aâ—y long abiding place A Tabernacle not a standing house is set for the Sun Psal 19.4 A Tabernacle is a moveable house The Sun hath a house every where but it keeps house or abides no where 'T is not only alwayes moving in its place but daily removing to other places and so consequentially is darkness As it is thus with natural light and darkness about which the question is literally proposed so with civil light and darkness about which the question also is intended These have their places their dwellings and 't is seldome that they dwell long in any one place Light and darkness are not more interchangeable in the Air than joy and sorrow are in the states and conditions of men We may likewise conclude that spiritual light and darkness have their houses and their dwellings Spiritual light both the light of knowledge and the light of comfort dwell First In Christ himself In him as Mediator all fulness dwells Col. 1.19 and of his fulness we all receive grace for grace John 1.16 I may say also light for light light of every sort and light in every degree â—â—â—â—ful for us is received from him Secondly These lights dwell in the hearts of every true believer Faith and light can never be separated Though some who have faith may be in the dark yet light is not separated it is onely clouded eclipsed or hidden from them All believers are so much in a state of light that they are called light Eph. 5.8 and many of them live in a plentiful enjoyment of light A worthy man of the former
or trouble the light or darkness of thy condition than thou canst dispose of light or darkness in the air All our changes from darkness to light from light to darkness proceed from the unchangeable God And as light and darkness have their constant turns in the air so they have very frequent turns in the life of every man Therefore they who when God causeth darkness to cover and compass them about do not acquiesce and rest in his good pleasure but murmur and are tumultuous these I say do as if they would take upon them to order the course of light and darkness in the world these do no otherwise than as if at midnight they should call for day or at mid-day for night Discomposed souls are like sick bodies they who are sick or ill at ease cannot bear either night or day in the day they desire night and in the night day so it is with them of sickly souls Such are often heard saying in the morning Would God it were evening and in the evening Would God it were morning Nothing pleaseth them Did we acknowledge the hand of God in making it night we should sit down quietly in our darkest night as to impatience even while we are most earnestly praying for the return of morning light Impatience was in a great measure Jobs failing though he had a great measure of patience He made as we say an ado in the night of his trouble as if he would have made it day when God had made it night and darkness with him O remember the way of light and the place of darkness the bounds and paths of both are in the hand or at the command of God Thirdly In that the Lord put this among his own great works and takes it out of the hand of Job or of any other creature to order light and darkness Note The work of God in ordering light and darkness is wonderful And we cannot but be convinced that it is so if we consider First The constant succession of day and night in all places As sure as the day cometh the night will come and as sure as the night is come day is coming There is an unchangeable change between light and darkness they milâ—â—or a moment in their comings or returnings Secondly If we consider light and darkness as to their increase or decrease in any place thus Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge Pâ—al 19.2 which some think was a well known Adage or Proverbial Speech among the Jews importing the power of God over and his guidance of them both God brings the light to the bound of it to day at this hour or minute of the hour to morrow at that There is a constant inconstancy an uneven evenness between light and darkness upon the face of the earth We never have light or darkness twice of the same length in the same place and season yet they ever keep their place and season all the world over where you had them the last year upon such a day there you may have them this without a moments variation though they have varied their course many moments every day since Thus exactly doth the Lord take or lead the light to it s bound and knows the paths to the house thereof And as there is a great glory coming to God in ordering light and darkness as to the outward face of things so there is a greater as to the inward state of his people their soul-state And though the Lord doth not keep such a constant course in that yet he observeth a rule in all the revolutions of it We have sometimes light and sometimes darkness in our souls Now the light of comfort increaseth towards us and anon the night of sorrow darkeneth upon us Our souls meet often with these turns and changes Let us adore the wisdom and submit to the holy will of God in all For though soul-light be alwayes desirable as well as comfortable yet soul-darkness may sometimes be useful and this use it hath as often as it comes even to try how we can trust God in the dark as also to let the world know that we are resolved through grace to keep close to the light of commandements how long soever we are kept from or are at a loss for the light of promises Lastly We may consider from this Text that as light hath its special houses or dwellings so it hath a special way to its dwelling chalked out as it were and appointed by God And is there not a way a path to spiritual to eternal light The way to these lights is Christ He is the Way the Truth and the Life John 14.6 He is the true the onely way to life to spiritual life and light yea he is the way to eternal light and life Holiness and faith in Christ are the passing way to this light but Christ himself is the way procuring light Without faith it is impossible to please God and without holiness no man can see God Christ is the meriting way faith and holiness are the qualifying way leading us to the house and dwelling of this light As sin and unbelief or the sin of Unbelief is the way leading to eternal darkness O how many go this way to the generation of their fathers where they shall never see light Psal 49.19 so faith and holiness or holy Faith is the way the path to everlasting light and life Thus much of the enquiry made about the way and path of light and darkness which as they are literally to be understood of natural light and darkness so by them God led Job and in him us to consider his disposure of all sorts of light and darkness Now That Job might be convinced of his own ignorance in and insufficiency for an answer to these questions God calls him to consider the late beginning and shortness of his life knowledge being gathered up by experience and length of days affording both time and opportunity for the gathering up of experiences Job was but of yesterday in comparison of the day wherein the interchanges of light and darkness were appointed and therefore should it be supposed that days could teach him how these things came to pass yet he could not but be much unprepared for a ready and satisfying answer to these questions Vers 21. Knowest thou it because thou wast then born Or because the number of thy days is great The question still proceeds about the natural light and darkness Knowest thou it That is what I last put to thee If thou knowest it how camest thou by thy knowledge Knowest thou it Because thou wast then born The Tygurine Translation renders the words thus Habesnè cognitum tempus quo nasceboris Tygur Dost thou know the time when thou wast born As if the Lord had argued thus with Job Thou dost not know the hour of thy own Nativity or when thou wast brought forth how much less the way or manner either of
their production or constitution which were brought forth and established many ages and generations before thine Doest thou know when thou wast born But I rather adhere to our own reading Knowest thou it because thou wast then born That is because thou livedst then and hast lived ever since and so hast gathered up the knowledge of these things by observation Surely when I put these things in order when I disposed the way and the dwelling the path and place of light darkness and took them to their bound thou hadst not so much as a being how then camest thou to this knowledge I know and thou must needs confess it is not because thou wast then born wast thou The purpose of God in this question as to shew that he was before the Creation of the world even from everlasting therefore knew all things but that Job was of little standing in the world and therefore knew little especially not those things proposed There is a double reading and understanding of this verse Some both of the ancients and moderns expound it ironically as if the Lord to humble Job put a scorn upon him in such a tenour as this Doubtless thou knowest the dwelling of light and the place of darkness thou knowest when and how I setled the motions of the heavens and the changes which they make here in this lower world Annocissimus es because thou art as old as the heavens or contemporary with the worlds creation Thou wast born sure when I did these things As if the Lord had said plainly and reprovingly Wilt thou who upon the matter wast born but three days ago Triduo natus Si harum rerum vias te nos se dixeris item dic te tunc extitisse Chrys Olymp. or yesterday wilt thou take upon hee to understand my matters as if thou couldst number as many years as the whole Creation Some holding the same sense render the Text cuttingly enough thus If thou sayest thou knowest the way of these things thou art best also to say thou wast born or in being when these things were done Knowest thou it because thou wast then born Or because the number of thy days is great Even as great as ever any since Adam We render both the parts of the Text as a plain Interrogation Knowest thou it because thou wast then born yet carrying a close rebuke As if the Lord had said Wast thou born when I disposed of these things Is the number of thy days so great that thou art able to reach such knowledge Surely no therefore sit down silent let thy mouth be stopt with this conviction that thou knowest not these things and if not these which are before thee and obvious to thy sight light and darkness much less art thou able to understand my secret councels and hidden purposes in the ways of my providence coâ—cerning thee Therefore leave vexing thy self and commit all thy concernments unto me rest in my Will submit to my Power for thou art no mâ—re able to reach my mind than thou art able to tell what was done before thou wast born Knowest thou it becaâ—se thou wast then born Or because the number of thy days is great Hence Note First God onely who was before all things knoweth the way and dissposition of all things God who made all things was before any thing was made How great is the number of his years who is eternal The prescience or sore-sight of God passed through the whole series or through all the successions of the creature before it had a being He who is without beginning without end knoweth and declareth as he spake of himself by the Prophet Isa 46.10 the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done Mâ—n by report may have some understanding of things which were done before he was born but till he was born he knew nothing of himself or of his own knowledge Secondly Note Man by reason of his short life knoweth little They who have been but a short time in the world must needs be short in the knowledge of many things nor can they know much of any thing Much knowledge is got by much study and travel And if the best improvers and redeemers of time know but little at most because they were but lately born and have had but little time surely they who have trifled away their time ever since they were born must needs know very little We who came into the light so lately cannot get much light about naturals and how little is it then that we have or can about spirituals But if we mis-spend that inch of time that we have in this world we may go out of it knowing as little to purpose as we did at all which was nothing at all before we came into it Thirdly Note They who have been longest in the world have been but a little while in it and possibly have lived much less Knowest thou it because thou wast then born Wast thou then born Surely no nor till many ages after They who number most days number but a few days it was but the other day since we had not so much as a day in this world Wast thou then bâ—rn Fourthly Note As it is but a little while since any man was born into the world so there is no man born that hath long to stay in this world As the number of our days past is not great so neither can the number of our days to come be great Here we have a Text yea a Map of our Mortality and a memorial of our short stay or quick passage through this world No man hath had many days since he came into this world they that have had most have had but few to eternity As for the most of men they go out of the world with a very few days upon their backs and as none have many days so none know how many days they shall have Our life hath these two things in it which should continually humble us and keep us not onely awake but watchful First Our days in this life are few our life is short in this world Secondly Our days are unfixed as to us our life is uncertain They that reckon upon many days in this life usually fall short of their reckoning 'T is or should be matter of humiliation to us that we are short-liv'd short breath'd creatures we who were born into the world but the other day shall in a few days no man knows how few pass out of the world again Lastly The Lord by this question would teach Job that it is he who taketh care of us and orders both our coming in and our going out of this world It is God by whom the days are numbred and the years appointed which we have had and are to have here below And as the days of our life so the condition which we shall live in resteth and dependeth upon the wisdome and providence of God
whatsoever his dealings be with you Though you murmur not though you speak not hard words of his dealing with you yet if you think hardly of him and question his justice or goodness in your hearts he takes notice of it Seventhly take heed of discontentful thoughts with your own condition though sad and bitter This was Jobs sin and it is conceived that he spake thus as acknowledging that he lay open before God as knowing all his thoughts of discontent Eighthly above all take heed of blasphemous thoughts of God which the devil hoped to bring Job too Take heed of these and of every every evil thought though not acted knowing also that every evil act hath its evil thought belonging to it and that no thought can be with-holden from God Thus much for the first part of Jobs humiliation his exalting of God in his omnipotency and in his omnisciency he is omnipotent he can do every thing nor can any of his thoughts be with-holden from him by any power of man he is omniscient no man can with-hold or hide his own thoughts from God Job having made that great acknowledgement of the power and knowledge of God I know thou canst do every thing neither can any thought be with-holden from thee comes to the confession of his own weakness and ignorance Vers 3. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge therefore have I uttered that I understood not Who is he That is what manner of man is he or what is he for a man what a man hath he been That hideth counsel We had these words at the second verse of the 38th Chapter where the Lord said chidingly to Job Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Here Job saith humbly to God Who is this that hideth counsel There is some change in the words little if any in the sense There the Lord said Who is he that darkneth Here Job saith Who is he that hideth c. both may be taken as intending the same thing darkning and hiding being of a like signification and things in the dark can no more be seen than things hidden Yet some Jewish Writers conceive that Job here doth somewhat abate what the Lord spake or did extenuate the matter as to his own faultiness and miscarriage As if he indeed granted that he had hid or concealed the counsel of God but would be excused in this that he had darkned it This is a nice difference and I doubt not but the spirit of Job was so low and graciously humbled that he spake with the most and highest fervency to humble himself when he said Who is he that hideth counsel But how had Job hid the counsel of God I answer First He had hid the counsel of God by not declaring it so much or so fully as he ought David prophecying of Christ saith Psal 40.10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation What is meant by not hiding in the former part of the verse is expressed by declaring in the latter part of it and when he saith I have declared his meaning is I have amply and clearly made known thy faithfulness So that because Job had not so clearly as he should declared the righteousness or the righteous counsels of God concerning him and his dealings with him he may be said to have hid the counsel of God While we do not magnifie God we lessen him while we do not declare to the utmost his power we hide it and therefore Job thus chargeth himself Who is he that hideth Or we may take it thus more distinctly Job hid the counsel of God First by being so much in setting forth his own innocency How much he insisted upon that argument hath been shewed before from other places of this book While we set forth our selves we obscure God Job should have been less in his own commendation and more in the praises of God Secondly Job may be said to have hid the counsel of God because he was so much in amplifying and aggravating his own sufferings not well considering the counsel of God in laying those sufferings upon him Had he duly weighed the counsel of God in afflicting him he would have proceeded as he began Chap. 1. 21. to bless God both in and for his affliction Thirdly He may be said to have hid the counsel of God because he expostulated with God as severe towards him in his afflictions as if Gods counsel had been only to put him to pain Such complainings of the living man Jeremiah chockt while he said of God Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men As it is not in the heart or counsel of God to afflict men with his heart as the words there imports so not to break their hearts unless with godly sorrow for their sin by affliction Therefore Job speaking so much of Gods severity hid the counsel of God which was only to try his graces and his goodness and graciously to do him good in the latter end Who is this that hideth counsel Without knowledge Or for want of knowledge But was Job an ignorant man was he without knowledge No but he had not a right knowledge of the counsel of God concerning himself which though it was some excuse to him yet it did not altogether excuse nor acquit him from the fault Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge I shall not stay upon observations from this verse because I did it at the second verse of the 38th Chapter I shall only consider that difference among Interpreters about this word counsel to whom it doth refer Quis est enim qui celat à te consilium Sept. First some refer it to Job and conceive that he chargeth himself with this error that he had hid his own counsel from God or that he thought his counsel was hidden from him The Septuagint render it plainly to this sense Who is he that hideth counsel from thee No man can hide the counsels nor the most secret intendments of his soul from God all things even the thoughts of the heart are naked and manifest before his eyes with whom we have to do 'T is best for us to reveal our selves to him from whom we cannot with all our skill and cunning conceal our selves as was further shewed from the latter interpretation of those words in the former verse No thought can be with-holden from thee But we may fully discharge Job of this for he often professed that his most secret wayes were known to God yea that the way of his and every mans heart was known to God Chap. 10.19 If I sin then thou markest me Read also Chap. 16.19 Chap. 31. vers 1. And if we look back to the 5th verse of the first Chapter there 't is reported of Job that he offered sacrifice for his children after their feastings for saith he it may be that my sons have sinned and
cursed God in their hearts He knew if it were but a sin in their hearts God took notice of it and therefore doubtless he had the same apprehension of his own heart-sins Secondly others who take it for Jobs own counsel give this sense Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge As if he had said I am the man that have hid my counsel or my own meaning for want of due knowledge how to express it Many hide the truth of their own apprehensions and opinions in the darkness or confusedness of their expressions Some have a clear notion of things in their head yet cannot bring it out and so hide counsel for want of knowledge to make it known This interpretation carrieth a fair sense for Jobs excuse acquitting him of any wilful or purposed speaking amiss he had better things in his mind than he sometimes uttered or he wanted skill rightly to utter his own mind and so darkned counsel without or for want of knowledge But I rather adhere to those who take counsel here for the counsel or purpose of God in afflicting Job so grievously and leaving him entangled in the bryars of those troublesom and intricate disputes with his friends who came to comfort him Thus Job speaking in the third person intends himself which manner of speaking is frequent in Scripture Who is he c. that is I am he that have hid counsel without knowledge For doubtless Job did well attend those words of God in the 38th Chapter vers 2. Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowlegde And being struck with them confesseth here that God had met with him in those words And hence read these words of Job with an additional preface as if they were a repetition of Gods words Thou hast said who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge That is thou hast said that some body hideth counsel without knowledge and I acknowledge 't is I I am he and so he falls down convinced before the Lord as David before Nathan telling him in the name of the Lord Thou art the man Ego sum quē celavi i. e. tacui non decantavi non celebravi consilium tuum Joan Paraph. Qui de Deo ejusque providentia imperitè loquitur i◠ejus consilium abscondere dicitur absque scientia quippe inde gloria Dei apud homines obscuratur Drus I confess it said David I am the man I have sinned so saith Job I am the man I have hid counsel by words without knowledge Some understand this his hiding to be only his forbearing to utter and celebrate the praise of God in his counsel or the purpose of Gods providence towards him But I conceive the fault which he confesseth here is not a bare reticency or his not speaking of the counsel of God but his not speaking rightly or becomingly of his counsel which agrees fully with what followeth where Job speaks in the first person or in his own person and takes the charge home to and upon himself Therefore have I uttered that I understood not c. Mr. Broughton renders Therefore have I talked that I have not understood The Hebrew word rendred understood imports a distinct knowledge of things Prov. 14.8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way that is to know what to do and how or in what manner to do every duty in all the changes of his life Thus the Angel Gabriel was commanded concerning Daniel Dan. 8.16 Make this man to understand the vision that is whom it concerns when and in what manner it shall take effect and be fulfilled Such an understanding as this Job had not of the things which he had uttered and therefore confesseth I have uttered that I understood not I have spoken as we say I knew not what which may refer to such like passages as are in the former part of this Book Job 19.7 8. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no judgement He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass and he hath set darkness in my paths Job did not well understand himself when he spake thus Non intelligebam quae dixi quum de tuis judiciis quererer te dicorem ex equ◠bonos malos affligere Merc and there are several other such extravagant speeches of his up and down this Book And doubtless he did not barely confess that he had erred in speaking nor did he only acknowledge that he had not used such reverence as became him in speaking to God but that he had spoken such things as were scandalous and gave just matter of offence and at which several of his friends did actually take offence At best he might well acknowledge he had rashly uttered things that he did not fully understand Thus Job who thought he had spoken wisely enough while man spake to him and he spake to men now hearing God speak and he speaking to God doth more wisely confess that himself was not wise and that his light was but darkness concerning the works of God much more concerning his counsel in those works As if he had said I have spoken many things of God and of his excellencies in this dispute with my friends yet I have hidden or not hit but slipt that which I should have most insisted upon and studied to make manifest even the soveraignty of God over me and all that I am or have as also the counsel aim and intention of God in laying his hand so sorely upon me but now being better informed about the reason of Gods dealings with me I confess I have uttered that I understood not Things too wonderful for me which I knew not Job was a man of great understanding yet here were things too wonderful for him What were they The counsel of God the nature of God these are past finding out There are wonders in God which man cannot apprehend much less comprehend Job spake of things far above his reach even of wonderful things and therefore no wonder if he spake unduly of them I saith he have uttered things too wonderful for me which I knew not Job here confesseth that he wanted knowledge and we know though he were a mirror of patience that many impatient speeches passed from him Now here we have the root of all that impatience which this good man shewed in his afflictions he had not a clear knowledge about the counsel or meaning of God in afflicting him Hence note Impatience flows from ignorance Did we understand these two things First our own sinfulness Secondly the soveraignty of God we should never be impatient Did we understand our own sinfulness that we have deserved greater evils than any the Lord hath laid upon us and did we understand the Lords soveraignty that he may lay upon us what sufferings he pleaseth though we had not sinned for we are wholly his and he may do with his own what he will did we I
say understand and meditate upon these two things it would quiet our minds in the greatest storms of adversity and be a preservative against all impatience But if with these two we consider a third thing that the end which the Lord hath in bringing sufferings upon his people is to do them good how unreasonable a thing will impatience appear shall we be impatient at our profit If we are well instructed in this great truth that all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Where is there any room for impatience in those who are effectually called and truly love God! Impatience floweth from ignorance Again in that Job confesseth himself to be the man that hid the counsels of God when he had only been speaking unadvisedly of them Note He that speaketh improperly and unskilfully of the counsel or things of God hideth them When in discourses about divine truths we do not advance the honour of God we as it were cast a vail upon it Not to do what we ought is to do what we ought not our omissions of good may be censured as commissions of evil We should display and magnifie the wisdom of God in all his dealings with us and dispensations towards us else we do unwisely Thirdly Job chargeth it upon himself as a fault that he uttered what he knew not Hence note Our words and our understandings should go both together Let us take heed of venting with our tongues what we have not in some good degree reached with our understandings The understanding should give light to the tongue nor need we any other light to speak by but that of the understanding True light cannot shine out of our mouths if there be much darkness in our minds How shall we utter knowledge if we have it not Psal 147.7 God is the King in all the earth sing ye praises with understanding In singing praises as there is an exercise of our affections so there should be of our understanding also The Apostle puts it twice in those duties of prayer and praise 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also A word should not go out of our mouths but such as the understanding dictates and directs better not to speak than speak what we know not If we understand not what we speak we seldom edifie others never our selves As the tongues of some utter things above their experiences and affections so do the tongues of others utter words beyond their judgements Fourthly When Job spake he thought he had spoken very well yet now he is convinced of his weakness and mistakes in what he spake Hence note Good-meaning men may sometimes arrogate and pretend to more knowledg than cometh to their share They may think they know the truth in a better manner and measure than indeed they do Our opinion of our selves is often greater than our knowledg of other matters and we may soon imagine we know that which indeed we know not The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know He that really knoweth any thing as he ought cannot but have thoughts that he knoweth it but he that thinketh that is is much or proudly thinking that he knoweth any thing doth only think so for he knoweth nothing as he ought that is really groundedly and effectually Fifthly Observe God will bring his servants at last to see how short they are of that knowledg which they sometimes presume to have Job thought he had more knowledg than he indeed had and God made him see it 'T is a work of great goodness in God to shew us how defective we are both in knowledge and goodness We are full of self till God convinceth us of our self-emptiness we are full of self-wisdom and self-strength and self-righteousness till the Lord convinceth us that our wisdom is folly our strength weakness our righteousness an unclean thing and sheweth us yea causeth us to recieve and take Christ for our righteousness strength and wisdom God did not leave Job till he had brought him out of and off from himself as to whatsoever he had too high an opinion of or any confidence in himself Again Job was upon his humiliation before God he had not any gross sin to charge himself with for he stood still upon his integrity as he had done before nor was Job mistaken in that point he had not lived in any gross sin That which he charged himself with was want of knowledg and his erroâ— in managing his cause towards God arising from it Hence note Sixthly Our ignorance and errors are to be confessed and bewailed before the Lord and we to be deeply humbled for them What though we have not any open wickedness to charge our selves with what though the world cannot charge us nor we our selves with any foul and black-fac'd enormities yet have we not errors have we not ignorances have we not weaknesses to confess Jobs eye had none of those beams in it but he began to see the moates in his eye and repented of his shortness in knowledg and of his rashness in language Though great sins call loudest for repentance yet the least sin even a sin of ignorance calleth us to repentance also and wo to those who knowingly neglect or stop their ears against that call When David was only stagger'd at the providence of God giving prosperity to the wicked so spake unadvisedly with his lips as Job in a parallel case did Psal 73.13 14. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning Yet as soon as he recovered out of this temptation how deeply did he charge himself ver 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Why did he then call himself a fool a beast was it for adultery and murder which were once his sins no but for ignorance and rashness David called himself a beast in judging of the dealings of God by sense not for living in any beastly sensuality Let us remember and not lightly pass it over that though we have not which rarely we have not gross sins to confess yet we have ignorances and errors too too many The same David said and prayed Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults that is from those faults and errors which I do not understand yea cleanse me from this fault that I have not a better understanding As he there prayed to be kept from the dominion and so from the guilt of presumptuous sins that is of sins committed against the light of knowledg so to be cleansed from the guilt of his secret sins that is of sins committed without his knowledg Thus
a godly man acknowledgeth his weaknesses and lies low before God in sense of them when he hath not great and gross sins to be humbled for Seventhly As Job was now discovering his former ignorance so upon an increase of knowledge he was growing up into a clearer light about the things of God than he had manifested in his former discourses Hence note It is a good degree of knowledg and understanding to be convinced that we know and understand little As to be conscious of our weakness is a great part of our strength so to be sensible of our ignorance is a good degree of knowledg Agur said of himself Prov. 30.2 Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy This good man was none of the ignorant ones he had knowledg in a large measure and was growing into a further light while he thus bewailed his own darkness Davids knowledg was then clearest when he made that confession So ignorant was I. Eighthly When was it that Job saw he knew little It was when God was come nearer to him when God had been dealing with him and speaking to him Hence note No man knoweth what a nothing he is in knowledge and grace and goodness till the Lord is pleased to reveal himself to him It is upon some eminent discovery of God to us that we see we have little grace righteousness or knowledg While we compare our selves with our selves or compare our selves with others below our selves we have high thoughts of our selves but when we compare our selves with God who is infinitely above us we are little we are nothing we are little or nothing in our own eyes when God appears in his fulness to us we appear empty to our selves Lastly From those words Things too wonderful for me which I knew not These wonderful things being the dealings of God with him according to the counsel of God concerning him Note Ninthly The dealings of God with men are wonderful Not only the decrees of God from eternity but the works of God in time are full of wonder nor can his works in time be otherwise seeing they bear the express image and are the issue of those eternal decrees Jesus Christ is called wonderful counseller Isa 9.6 and he is wonderful in his counsels As the works of God in us so his works towards us are called wonderful Pal. 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward The works of God as of man too are the birth of his thoughts and the thoughts of God about the birth of man have many wonders in them David said Psal 139 6. Such knowledg is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it What knowledg was it that he could not attain unto The context tells us it was the knowledg of Gods knowledg concerning the formation of his body before he was born ver 14 15 16. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made c. Again the Prophet having described the various courses and methods which God useth in humbling sinners by afflictions and tribulations which are shadowed under those Metaphors and Allegorical expressions of Plowing and Harrowing and the different ways of Threshing out the Corn by the staff or the rod or the wheel The Spirit of God doth not there intend the husband-mans work alone in which yet there is much of God and his teachings The Prophet I say having done this concludes Isa 28.29 This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working And as there are wonders in the works of God which are the fulfilling of his secret and hidden counsel so there are wonders in the Word of God which is his revealed and open counsel Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law The Law is wonderful but the Gospel is as it were a continued wonder and we shall be for ever wondring at and admiring the grace and goodness of God discovered therein when we come to heaven and now as we see further into the mistery of Christ we do it too 1 Cor. 2.7 We speak the wisdom of God in a mistery even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him They are wonderful things which man by all his natural wisdom cannot attain unto Philosophers who pry into all the secrets of nature cannot understand these supernatural secrets how long soever they stand prying upon them And though Job had been long considering of and speaking about those things of God which the eye often sees and the ear heard yea which he himself to his grief had felt yet he saw reason enough at last to say that even those things in the whole compass of them exceeded his reason I said he have uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not Job having thus acknowledged his want of knowledg and the weakness of his understanding in the misteries of providence applieth himself to God for instruction in the next verse Vers 4. Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me This is Jobs humble petition and it consisteth of two parts First That God would not reject but give ear to a poor creature burdened with the sense of his infirmities in his addresses to him Hear I beseech thee and I will speak or as Mr. Broughton renders Oh hear me when I do speak Secondly That God would admit him under his tuition and instruct him while he waited for advice and counsel I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Lord teach thou me Job speaketh submissively as became a learner he is not now what he was he comes to God in another manner than he had done before Hear I beseech thee and I will speak As if he had said I have formerly desired to plead my cause with thee Chap. 13.22 and thou hast justly checkt and chid me for it Chap. 38.3 Chap. 40.2 as if I presumed I could teach thee but now I see my error I submit and earnestly desire to be taught by thee I have spoken heretofore otherwise than I ought and otherwise than I purpose to speak hereafter I spake before in a challenging strain Chap. 13.22 Then call thou and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me There Job seemed to challenge God to be either opponent or respondent and he would argue or dispute it out with him But here though his words are near the same in sound yet his sence is far different Hear I beseech thee and I will speak I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me There is a
took impression upon my heart heretofore but I never had such an impression as in this tempest I never heard God speaking thus immediately to me nor did he ever give me any such visible demonstration of his presence as he hath vouchsafed me at this time speaking out of the whirlwind And from all we may conclude that as Job had a powerful illumination of the Spirit so an outward apparition of the Glory and Majesty of God or of Gods glorious Majesty to convince and humble him So that though Job had a saving knowledge of God formerly yet this discourse of God with him and discovery of God to him had made him a better Scholar than all his earthly teachers I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear But now mine eye seeth thee That is now I have as clear a sight or knowledge of thy mind and will of thy justice and goodness of thy power and soveraignty as if I had seen thee with mine eyes and had seen or looked into thy heart Or thus Not only hast thou graciously instructed me by speaking so much to me but thou hast manifested thy self present with me by an aspectable sign Mine eye hath seen thee that is thou hast given me to see that which assures me thou art neer unto me namely the Cloud out of which thou hast been pleased to speak and make known thy mind to me who am but dust and ashes The Lord may be seen these four wayes First In his Word Secondly In his works Thirdly In outward apparitions Fourthly And above all God is seen in his Son our Lord Jesus Christ whom the Apostle calls Heb. 1.3 The brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and in whose face the light of the knowledge of God shineth 2 Cor. 4.6 And hence Christ saith John 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen the father The invisible father is seen in his Son who was made visible in our flesh John 1.18 Thus God may be seen But in his nature God is altogether invisible he cannot be seen Moses saw him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 that is he saw him by an eye of faith who is invisible to the eye of sense I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Hence note First It is a great mercy and much to be acknowledged that we have the word of God sounding in our ears Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Prophet saith Isa 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live Now if faith and life come by hearing to have the word of God sounding in our ears must needs be a great mercy Though to have the word only sounding in our ear will do no man good yet 't is good to hear that joyful sound Though that sad Prophesie mentioned by Christ Mat. 13.14 be fulfilled in many By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive Yet he said to his faithful followers vers 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear They receive a blessing by hearing whose ears are blessed when they hear O how many souls are blessing God that ever they heard of himself and his Son our Lord Jesus Christ by the hearing of the ear To have an ear to hear is a common blessing but to have an hearing ear or to hear by the hearing of the ear is a special blessing Observe Secondly We should hear the Word very diligently That phrase I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear as the Hebrew Writers note signifieth a very attentive hearing Every hearing is not an hearing with the ear nor every seeing like that we intend when a man saith I saw it with my eyes One may see and not see hear and not hear The Word of God is to be heard with a hearing Such doublings in Scripture have a great emphasis in them As when the Lord saith They are cursed with a curse it notes a great and a certain curse is coming so to hear by the hearing of the ear implyeth fruitful hearing and a laying up of that in the mind which hath been heard Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their dayes in the times of old They who thus hear with their ears treasure up in their hearts and do with their hands what they have heard The Lord charged Ezekiel Chap. 44.5 Son of man mark well and behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee that is mind diligently what I shew and say unto thee The Lord called for the exercise of both senses in attending to what he spake to the Prophet He did not only say Hear with thine ears but see with thine eyes that is hear as if thou didst even see that which thou hearest For though possibly the Lord presented somewhat to the eye of the Prophet as well as he spake to his ear yet the former notion may well be taken in yea and intended in that command Many hear as if they had no ears and see as if they had no eyes One of the Ancients taking notice of that saith Such kind of hearers are like Malchus in the Gospel who had his ear cut off From those words But now mine eye seeth thee taken distinctly Observe Thirdly God revealeth himself more clearly and fully at one time than at another Seeing is somewhat more than hearing though it be attentive hearing As the full and clear manifestation which we shall have of God in the next life is expressed by seeing and called vision so the fullest and clearest apprehension which we have of God and the things of God in this life is a degree of seeing both him and them 't is the sight of faith and may also be called vision A true and strong believer tasts and feels and sees the truths of the Gospel which he hath heard his faith which is the eye of his soul is the evidence of those things to him which are not seen nor can be seen by an eye of sense He by the help of the Holy Ghost looks stedfastly into heaven and with this eye seeth the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God in his measure as blessed Stephen did Acts 7.55 This sight of God and spirituals hath three things in it beyond that ordinary though real knowledge which comes in by the hearing of the ear First a surpassing clearness Secondly an undoubted certainty Thirdly a ravishing sweetness and the overflowings of consolation Fourthly Note According to the measure of Gods revealing himself to us such is the measure of our profiting in the knowledge of God The word is spoken to all in the publick Ministry of it it is scattered upon all but they only learn to know God themselves truly to whom God doth inwardly reveal it whose hearts he toucheth and openeth by