desire is a death to the desirer A godly mans desires are active desires they put him upon enquiry lead him to the meanes of enjoying the good desâ—ered And though God be unexpectedly found of some that seeke him not yet no man can expect to finde God but he that seeketh him And indeed what should the Creature doe but be upon an enquiry after God there is a Naturality in it hee being the supream beeing that we who have our being from him should seeke after him And the Apostle tells us Act. 17.26 27. that this is the designe of God in making of one blood all Nations of men for to dwel on the face of the earth and in determining the times before appoynted and the bounds of their habitation namely That they should seeke the Lord if haply they might feel after him and finde him though he be not farre from every one of us for in him we live c. The Lord is neer all he hath a presence in all places with all persons but the Lord would have all seeke feele grope after him even such as have but a dim light of him as those have that doe not seeke so much with their eyes as with their hands they onely feele after the things which they would have There is a light in the spirits of all men that haply they may feele after God and finde him They who have not Scripture light Gospel light the highest light yet have some kinde or degree of light they have some glimmerings though no cleare discernings And that should put them on to seeke God much more should they seeke after him who have clearest light And where there is any heate of affection to God a little light will serve them to seeke after him they that are true desierers will be diligent seekers And they who seeking God have found him will seeke him yet againe yea they will seeke him more and more as long as there is any thing more of God to be found And there will alwayes be more of God to be found for here we know God but in part and therefore have found him but in part and hence it is that all the Saints in this life or on this side Glory even they of the highest forme and greatest proficiency in grace and knowledge are called Seekers this is the generation of them that seeke him Psal 24.6 not such seekers as we finde too many in these dayes who as if all were upon uncertainties in religion say they have as yet found nothing for as there is something wherein the most knowing and strongest Christians may be to seeke so there are many things yea all things necessary to salvation or without which we cannot be saved which the weakest may finde and know sufficiently though not sully And as they who desire to finde these things will be diligent in seeking them so they may know in themselves or be fully assured that they have found them and so even while they still continue to be seekers know that they are already Finders Lastly Observe God is every where yet especially some where to be found As there is a finding time so there is a finding place and finding meanes There is a finding time saith holy David Psal 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee in a time when thou mayest be found The Hebrew is in a finding time though I would not give any one a stop from seeking God at any time yet I must say there is a speciall finding time And this the Apostle calls the Accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 that is the time which we ought to lay hold upon or accept as also the time wherein we shall be acceptable or finde acceptation There is also a finding place there is a where as well as a when God specially is to be found I mean it not of a meere locality as if God were now to be found more in one place then in another for Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 I will that men every where lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting And Christ told the woman Joh. 4.21 The houre cometh when ye shall neyther in this Mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship the father not as if Christ had forbid the worship of the father in those places for the time coming but he enlargeth publick worship to all places or abrogates all differences of place under the Gospel as to the worship of the Father Yet if any man shall enquire where may I find God or say as Job here O that I knew where I might finde him I would answer First Seeke him in his promises search the Scriptures there you will finde God Secondly Look for him in his Ordinaces of prayer and preaching c. for there he hath promised to be present Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst of them Math. 18.20 When the Church or Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 1.7 8. Askes the Question Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noone Christ her Beloved answers If thou know not O thou fayrest among Women goe thy way forth by the footesteps of the flocke and feed thy kids besides the Sheepherds tents That is follow the holy practices and examples of the Saints in all former ages which the Apostle calls walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 And againe hearken to the voyce of faithfull Teachers who as Shepherds feed the flocke of God with knowledge and understanding Waite at these Shepherds tents saith Christ and there thou shalt finde a presence of God with thee and his blessing upon thee Thirdly And above all Seeke God in Christ The father is onely to be found in the Sonne Looke to Jesus Christ and in him you cannot but behold God for he is the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 and therefore as he that hath the Son hath the Father also so he that by an eye of faith and in the light of the Word and Spirit Beholdeth the Son beholdeth the Father also For the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is given us in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The light of the knowledge of the goodnesse of God of his mercy Justice holines which are his glory shineth forth from Jesus Christ that is in and by Christ it appeares gloriously that God is exceeding good mercifull just holy Therefore to every wearied soule complaining of the losse of God and crying out O that I knew where I might finde him The summe of all the Counsell that I can give or indeed that can be given is this Seek God in Christ and he will be found O that I knew where I might finde him That I might come even to his seat Some conceive these words as the issue of a distemperd spirit others tax Job with too much boldnes that
Christ hath one that Judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him in the last day The word is now the rule of living and it shall be hereafter the rule of Judging Now it is the rule by which we must live to Christ and then it shall be the rule by which Christ will Judge us Thirdly Where it is sayd They are of those who rebell against the light Observe Wicked men cannot abide to be seene in what they doe nor doe they love to see what they doe They would neyther see their wicked practices nor be seene in them They are darknes and they walke in darknes As they walke in the darknes of sin so they would walke in the darknes of secrecy that others should not see what evill they doe and in the darknes of ignorance that they might not see that what they doe is evill They are like those uncouth Creatures Batts and Owles that come abroad onely in the night knowing that if they doe but stirre out in the day all the birds in the ayre will gather about them and hoote at them because of their strangenes and deformity And doubtlesse if wicked men did but see the mishapen and ugly visage of their owne wayes in the light of the word they would abhorre and run from themselves as the most abhorred monsters in the world and so would all men who see the uglynes of sin in the glasse of the word abhorre them and poynt at them as monsters did they but see them in their sinfull workes And hence the Apostle hinting the general disposition of sinners saith 1 Thes 5.7 They that are drunken are drunken in the night And againe Ephes 5.12 For it is a shame even to speake of those things which are done of them in secret that is when they are out of the sight of men and possibly had it not been that they were out of sight or in secret themselves would not have done those things for shame For though some wicked men as they have cast off their honesty so their modesty too and act not onely wickedly but impudently the shew of their faces testifying against them they declaring their sin as Sodom yet as the most of sinners presume God doth not see them when they doe evill so they are unwilling that men should for though their Conscience puts no barre to their sinning openly yet their credit doth So that as every wicked man would be glad he did not know that what he doth is evill and doth what he can to hinder or extinguish the light of that knowledge in him so most wicked men would be glad that no man knew of the evill which they doe and they doe what they can to hinder others from knowing it as hypocrites love to be seen in all the good they doe and would doe no good were it not as Christ assures us Math. 6.5 to be seene of men They fast and pray and give Almes and all to be seene of men that is that men may applaud them and poynt at them with a Behold of admiration There goe the men The charitable men The humble men The devout men and if men see them not or applaud them not they are as in the shadow of death they are dead-hearted to every good word and worke Now I say as all grosse hypocrites love the light or to be seene while they are doing good so the most prophane and wicked usually avoyd the light and love not to be seene when they are doing evill For though they are not troubled at the dishonour they doe to God by sinning yet to be dishonoured among men is a trouble to them They can easily venture their soules as to the life to come but they are afraid to doe wickedly in the sight of men lest they endanger their ease and safety in this present life That God seeth them not is their hope that men may not see them is their care and that they may not see themselves is their desire They are unwilling to know their duty lest their consciences should check them for not doing or for doing that which is not their duty Thus in every sence They are of those who rebell against the light Fourthly As rebelling against the light is an argument as hath been shewed that wicked men desire not to know what they ought to doe so it teacheth us Further That wicked men will doe against that which they know Men will have fellowship with the workes of darknes while their eyes are dazzled with light if their hearts have not been changed by it They would be glad if they might never be troubled with the light but suppose the light doe come as many times it doth come whether they will or no suppose the light darted upon them so clearely and convincingly that they cannot but see and know what they ought and what they ought not to doe yet they rebell against it eyther they will not doe what they know or they will doe contrary to their knowledge When some of the Pharisees were offended at those words Joh. 9.39 For Judgement am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde What say they are we also blind Jesus said unto them if ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth that is it remaineth in the guilt and aggravations of it For as they eonfessed that they saw so Christ would convince them that they acted against what they saw or that though they had the light and so knew their duty yet they had done contrary to duty Man breakes through all the light that stands in his way he breakes through the light both of nature and Conscience both of the Spirit and Scripture till himselfe be made light The Apostle demonstrates the former in the example of the old Gentiles who though they were under a conviction of the power and presence of God by the workes of Creation and so were sayd to know God yet they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge nor did they glorifie him as God ver 21.28 but rebelled against that light which shone into their understandings from the creature And in the second Chapter of the same Epistle to the Romans the Apostle demonstrates the latter in the example of the old Jewes who though they were under a conviction not onely of the power and and presence of God but of the minde and will of God also by a divine Revelation or by the light of the word yet they rebelled against that word which they boasted of and while they judged themselves onely in the light and all the rest of the world in darknes they walked in darknes Behold saith he v. 17 18. thou art called a Jew and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will c. But how did the Jew answer this knowledge and this
himselfe from them Surely God hath never toucht the hearts of those lazie professors that would faine be saved but will goe neither forward nor backward neither North nor South after Jesus Christ whereas if their desires were true and genuine they would use all meanes goe all due wayes leave nothing unassayed that might probably bring them to the knowledge and enjoyment of him O how busie was Job's spirit to finde out God And so busie should our spirits be to finde him out both for comfort and for counsel in all the turnings of our lives Lastly Observe That after the use of much meanes to finde God yet possibly God may not be found by us as to our apprehension Job spared no paines to finde out God and yet he could not speed at that time after all his search he found him not he perceived him not he did not behold him you may pray and seek and advise and waite follow this meanes and that meanes to finde out God or to recover the sence of his gracious presence with your soules and yet for a long time misse of him This is one of the exercises which God is pleased to put his people to hee therefore hides that we may seek him he doth not hide himselfe because he will not be found but he hides himselfe because he will be sought and yet when he is sought and sought in a right way too he will not presently be found For though none that seek him in sincerity but shall finde him at last He hath not said to the seed of Jacob seek yee my face in vaine that is seek mee and never finde mee the Scripture speakes no such thing nor did Job alwayes seek and not finde yet as he in his time so we in ours may seek him long and not finde him and yet still we must continue seeking because God hides himselfe that we may seek him more not that he would have us give over seeking And therefore in times of desertion in hideing and withdrawing times doe not give over seeking for the reason why God doth withdraw is that we may seek him more and follow harder after him that we may seek him as Job did East West North and South that is in all meanes duties ordinances he will not alwayes hide himselfe that 's the summe and scope of the 8th and 9th verses Vers 10. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold Connecto hunc versum cum 70. obtinerem a judice nam is novit Est igitur aetiologia spei caetera autem quasi per parenthesin interseruntur illo loco Coc Job could not finde the wayes of God well saith he though I cannot finde out Gods wayes yet God hath found out my wayes though he is pleased to vaile his owne wayes yet mine are open He hideth himselfe from me but I am not hid from him Hee knoweth the way that I take Further In this verse Job seemes to give a reason of his hope to speed well at the seate or throane of God whether he had appealed v. 3.7 As if he had said Seing my heart tels me my way is good and my Judge knowes it to be so how can it be but that my judgement from him should be Good He knoweth the way that I take Quamvis illum non possit homo perspicere aâ— ille perspectas habet omnium mortalium actiones To know may be taken here two wayes first as an act of the Understanding onely hee knoweth that is hee fully perceiveth and apprehendeth what my way is Secondly As it takes in an act of the affection too Hee knoweth that is he approveth the way that I take my way is pleasing to him When God is said to know the way of the righteous Ps 1.6 the meaning of it is he is wel-pleased with their way and will prosper them in it they shall have good successe in what they goe about Againe whereas we translate Hee knowes the way that I take that is my course of life or conversation among men The Hebrew is Hee knoweth the way that is in mee hee doth not onely know my outward way or the way that is without mee but hee knowes my inward way the way that is within mee Wee have a way within us and that is the way of our thoughts and we have a way without us and that is the way of our workes Hee saith Job knowes the way that is in mee therefore much more the way without mee hee knowes mee through and through As if he had sayd what though I cannot finde him yet I will leave my cause with him for he needs no information of mine to lead him into the understanding of it He himselfe knows all things by himselfe Hee knoweth the way that I take or that is in me There are three things which Job might aime at in this sentence First an account why he was sure of a right judgement from God because he was not onely a Judge but an eye-witnesse of all the wayes that he had ever gone Secondly A confutation of his friends opinion of him as if he were a man that did not feare God whereas he did acknowledge that both himselfe and all his wayes were visible and manifest unto God Thirdly A strong assertion of his owne innocency seing he could speake thus rejoycingly that God knew all his wayes Hence observe First The way of man even his most secret way or the way within him is knowne to God God wraps up himselfe often in the darknes of secrecy as to man but man is never in that darknes as to God the very children of darknes and the wayes of darknes are in the light to him And as the wayes of evill men and the evill of their wayes so the wayes of good men and the goodnes of their wayes are knowne to God We need not feare that the good we doe or have done though no eye of man see it shall be lost in the darke We scarce know our owne wayes and wee cannot know our owne hearts but God doth Jerem. 17.9 The heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it No man can know all the wayes of his heart he cannot come to the bottome of his owne heart though he may know the bent of it but saith God I search the heart much of our heart is a secret to our selves but to God nothing of it is he knowes our inside fully As he knowes our actions so the grounds upon which wee act and the ends for which we act and the heart with which wee act thus God knowes the way that every man takes And thus none but God can know the wayes of man Wee can trade no farther then upon the borders of mens wayes their outward acts as for the spirit and principle of them whence they flow as for the aymes and ends of them whether they are flowing with these
these hidden things of darknes and Counsels of the heart wee are to understand not onely evill things and wicked counsels sure enough God will bring them to light but even those righteous things and good Councels of the heart which have layne in the darke or unrevealed God will bring to light all the hidden things of darknes the good as well as the bad and then shall every man that is every good man every godly man have praise of God The praise of man is very pleasing unto man but O how unspeakeably pleasing is the praise of God! And this opens a vast difference between the hypocrite and the sincere Can a hypocrite rejoyce in secret saying thus God knoweth the way that I take Hee cannot say thus and I may say three things of the hypocrite in opposition to this First The hypocrite endeavours to hide and put his wayes out of the sight of God as much as he can As he hath not the light of Gods countenance or of his favour shining upon him so he desires not to have the light of his knowledge shining into him Isa 29.15 the Prophet describes some seeking deep to hide their Councels from the Lord and their workes are in the darke both in natural and moral darknes and they say who seeth us and who knoweth us The endeavour of the hypocrite is that he may be hid And Secondly He cryes all 's hid as it is his endeavour that God should not so it is his hope that God doth not know his wayes much lesse his heart He is often sure that men doe neither see nor know he alwayes presumes that God doth not and therefore as one out of doubt he puts his doubts who seeth and who knoweth Though flashes of feare come in upon him sometimes yet he flatters himselfe with presumptious hopes and false perswasions that God knowes him not sees him not and that his dark way shall never be discovered and as in that place of the Prophet they speake indefinitely thereby inferring that God doth not see them so wee have them in the Psalme speaking directly that God shall not Psal 94.5 6 7. They breake in pieces thy people O Lord and slay the widdow and stranger and murther the fatherles yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it As if they had sayd though God should set himselfe to search us out and would never so faine see what we are doing yet he shall not We will carry it so closely and cunningly that the eye of God shall not reach us Their workes were so foule and bloody that the Sunne might be ashamed to looke upon them and they were so close that they beleeved God could not look upon them or bring them to shame for them Thirdly 'T is a terror to an hypocrite to remember that God knoweth his wayes That which Job saith of the wicked in generall is most proper to hypocrites Chap. 24.17 The morning is to them even as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death The Hebrew is very concise if know we make up the sence thus if one know them that is if God or man know them and their wayes if they be apprehended and discovered any way in their abominable wayes they are in the terrours of the shadow of death that is they are ready to dye with the fright and terror of it Hypocrites are so farre from rejoycing in this that God knowes the way which they take that to be knowne eyther of God or man is their torment Thirdly Consider why doth Job appeale to God in this Cause depending between him and his friends The reason was because he knew his friends mis-judged him through their ignorance Therefore he desiered to be heard by a Judge that perfectly knew his wayes and so was able to make a righteous judgement of him Hence Observe God is every way fitted to be a righteous Judge There are two things especially that fit a man to be a Judge First That he hath a principle of righteousnes in him that he be not byassed and turned aside from doing right indifferently without respect of persons Secondly That he hath a principle of light in him that he be as Jethro adviseth Moses a man of knowledge Both these meete perfectly in God He is just and righteous in all his wayes and hee knowes all our wayes Some Earthly Judges erre for want of a Principle of righteousnes and so in things which they plainely know and see as cleare as the light are ready to be drawne and wrought off by respects and interests Againe there are other Earthly Judges who are right and honest enough in their Principles nothing can take them off or mislead them to the right hand or to the left but they want knowledge and understanding to discerne between good and evill right wrong they cannot see into the merit of the Cause or the integrity of the person before them and thereupon stumble in Judgement Indeed the best of Earthly Judges cannot alwayes when they have done their best finde out who hath the good Cause and who hath the bad and many times they that plead blinde them with their Rhetorick setting a faire glosse upon a foule Cause or making a faire Cause looke foule and so the Judge is deluded seing he judgeth of things as witnessed and represented as alledged and legally proved and so it may fall out that while he judgeth righteously his judgement may not be right But we as Job here have cause to rejoyce that we have to doe with a Judge who as he is both righteous and knowing so he knowes all things and persons in themselves and not from others He needs not that any should testifie of man for he knoweth what is in man Joh. 2.25 Hee knowes the way that is in me or the way that I take and as it followes When he hath tryed mee I shall come forth as gold Mr. Broughton reads thus Tryed he me I should come forth Gold that is if God as I desire would vouchsafe to try me I should appeare what I am indeed not what I now appeare When he hath tryed mee There are divers wayes of tryall three especially God tryes first by prosperity that 's a tryall a full estate discovers a man as well as a low and empty estate doth To know how to abound is as high a poynt of grace as how to want Phil. 4.12 to have power in our hands discovers us as well as to be opprest by power Magistracy shewes the man and it shewes many to be but men Magistratus indicat virum Great power over men is a great temptation to man and so likewise is the praise of men 2 Cor. 6.4 But in all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses c. and by what else by the Armour of righteousness on the
withdrawes his presence from us Quod non fuerim excisus a praesentibus tenebris quod a facie mea averterit caliginem Bez Another reading gives it as an admiration I am exceedingly troubled because I was not cut off by the present darknes and that he hath turned away darknes from my face As if Job had stood wondering that his life was thus prolonged that his sicknes and sorrowes had not made an end of him that ever hee should continue so long in such a storme as hee had done and who or what power it was that in those his great pressures both of minde and body did hinder or stay him from being covered with the shadowes and darknes of death A third renders Because hee hath not cut mee off through darknes Calvin but hid darknes from my face and he gives the meaning of it thus the reason why I am so much troubled and afflicted is because God hath not cut mee off through darknes that is because I have not had some secret or private affliction but all the world hath taken notice of what hath been done to mee God hath not chastned mee in the darke these things have not been done to me in a corner Job might speake as the Apostle I am made a spectacle to the world to Angels and men all beholding mee in this pitifull condition And this occasions mee much trouble of minde because as I see plainely that the hand of God is gone out against mee so all others see it too and they make severall Interpretations of it Had I been lost in the darke I should have borne it better now I am made the common talke of the world and how to answer their descants upon my condition is more then a little trouble to mee This translation hath a faire sence as to the generall truth but the textuall Construction as they who are skilsull in the Grammer of the Hebrew know will not beare it And therefore I shall stay in our owne translation which is faire and cleare as to the scope of the Chapter shewing this good mans passion breaking forth into some kinde of quarrell with the dispensations of God because hee was not carryed out of the world before these troubles came in or if hee must needs stay and be contemporary with them because hee found no cover no shelter from eyther the beholding or feeling of them Thus I have done with the first part of Jobs Answer to the third and last assault which Eliphaz made upon his Innocency But as Eliphaz spake much against him so he could not be satisfied to speake but a little for himselfe He had more to say both for his owne vindication and the refutation of his opponent What he sayd the twenty-fourth Chapter will tell us which comes next in order to be opened JOB CHAP. 24. Vers 1. Why seing times are not hidden from the Almighty doe they that know him not see his dayes Ad propositam questionem rectè pargit Jobus rursum affirmans deum eum in assertundis probis tum in puniendis sceleratis non palam semper sed plerūque acculta quadam ratione notis ipsi vni temproibus agere Bez. THis Chapter containeth the second part of Jobs answer to Eliphaz the generall scope whereof is to pull up the foundation of his friends suspition of him and dispute against him shewing that many men doe much evill in this life who suffer none and that many who are innocent suffer much evill and are not releived from both he concludeth that the suffering of evill can be no concludeing argument that any man is so for then it must be so with all men which most mens experience contradicteth So that here Job falls downe-right upon the poynt in debate affirming what he had often affirmed before that God both in asserting the innocency of the righteous and in punishing the sins of the wicked useth much variety and that his proceedings with the sons of men are so farre from being alwayes open and plaine that usually they are very secret concealed and so much in the darke that there is no print of his steps to be found This seemes to be the designe and tendency of the whole Chapter and the argument of it may be formed thus Yee my friends have said that God punisheth all evill doers in this life seing then he knoweth the length and continuance of their dayes in this world why doth he yet suffer them to slip out of this world unpunished And if they are so frequently punished in this world as ye affirme why doe not they who know God see it and take notice of it But so it is that many wicked men slip out of the world unpunished and the godly who know him doe not see judgement executed therefore surely it is not the way of God presently in this life to punish every offendour nor can yee conclude that they who are afflicted are wicked seing many of his people are not onely afflicted by himselfe but lie under the rod of the wicked a long time unrevenged and undelivered In the whole Chapter we may observe these three parts First A questioning proposition in the first verse Why seing times are not hidden from the Allmighty doe they that know him not see his dayes Secondly We have the confirmation of this proposition and that in two branches First of innocent persons not releived secondly of wicked persons not punished Thirdly he concludes his whole discourse in the last verse of the Chapter by a stronger affirmation of what he had said before And if it be not so now who will make me a liar and make my speech nothing worth Againe More distinctly in this Chapter we have the proposition in the first verse secondly the confirmation of it made by an enumeration of many grosse sinnes which wicked men commit and feele no smart but passe unpunisht and those sinnes are either first against man or secondly against God Against man first by removing of the Land-markes in the second verse secondly violently taking away of cattell in the third verse Thirdly turning the poore out of house and home in the fourth verse fourthly lying in waite and watching their opportunities to rob get their prey like wilde beasts at the fifth verse fifthly reaping and carrying away other mens corne out of the fields by violence at the sixth verse sixthly using all manner of oppression upon the poore 7 8.9 10 11 12 verses Secondly Job discovers their rebellion against God their ignorance of his wayes for though both these be included in the former acts whosoever sins against man sins against God too yet there are sinnes that are more peculiar and immediate against God And of these he speakes at the 13th verse They rebell against the light against the light of the knowledge of God shining with much evidence and clearenes both in his word and in his workes And then takes occasion more perticularly to describe
a fitt or a convenient time implying that time in that notion is not hidden from God Isa 50.4 God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I might speake a word in season to him that is weary Which some translate thus That I might know the appointed time to the afflicted An afflicted soule must be watched and a season taken these times are not hidden from the Almighty he knoweth the opportunity and therefore can direct him that speakes to a wearyed soule as to speake proper and taking matter so to speake it in a proper and taking time when it shall be as welcome to the soule as raine to the dry and thirsty ground David saith to the Lord Psal 119.23 It is time Lord for thee to worke for they have made voide thy Law that is now is the season and opportunity for thee to work if ever thou wilt shew thy selfe doe it now And when David confessed Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand He meanes that the seasons of his comforts Per tempora intelligit rerum vicissitudines divitias et pauperiem pacem bellum c. Theodoret and of his sorrowes all the turnings and changes of his life from one condition to another were cast and ordered by the power and wisdome of God Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty Doe they that know him not see his dayes Thus Job describes the persons that see not the dayes of God they are such as know him Which character as was shewed before belongs to every Godly man though it be more peculiar to some Hence note First Every Godly man knoweth God And none but the Godly know him indeed many ungodly men professe they know God and they may know him notionally but no ungodly man knoweth him truly experimentally or practically Many ungodly men have a forme of knowledge and of the truth in the Law as the Apostle speakes of the Jewes Rom. 2.20 but no ungodly man feeleth the power of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Pietas est cognitio scientiaque dei Trismeg And therefore the wicked are spoken of in Scripture as not knowing God Jere. 10.25 Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not And when the Prophet describes the wickednesse of the Jewish State he saith Hos 4.1 There is no knowledge of God in the Land Which the Chalde Paraphrast renders thus Neither are there any who walke in the feare of God in the land where there is no knowledge of God there is no feare of God We neyther love nor feare him of whom we have no knowledge nor can we beleeve in or trust him whom we know not Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee That is the truly godly will trust in thee for they know thy name but they that know thee not how can they trust upon thee and therefore the Prophet calls us to boast in the knowledge of God Jere. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord whech exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. There is nothing in this world worth the boasting in but the holy knowledge of a holy God or such a knowledge of God the fruit whereof is a godly life here and the end whereof is an eternall life hereafter Joh. 17.3 This is eternall life that they may know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent This knowledge of God doth not floate in the braine but sinkes into the heart and is rooted in the affections Thus the Apostle John argues 1 Epist Chap. 2. v. 3 4 5 6. Hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements he that sayth he knows him and keepeth not his commandement is a liar and the truth is not in him As if he had sayd The true knowledge of God is an obedientiall knowledge so that if any man sayth he knoweth God while his life is not sutable to what he knoweth this mans profession is vaine and himselfe is a lyar Whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected that is he loveth God with a perfect or sincere love and the love of God is perfected towards him The scope of his whole discourse there is to shew that the true knowledge of God is the keeping of the word of God Many are so ignorant of God that they know not the word which they should keepe and all they who knowing the word keepe it not will at last be numbered among the ignorant or among those that know not God But their condition will be worse and their punishment greater then theirs who never knew God according to the teachings of his word Their estate will be bad enough who perish for want of the knowledge of God then what will their end be who perish in the neglect or abuse of plentifull knowledge From the second notion of the words they that know him as they intimate a sort of Godly men who have neerer acquaintance with and freer accesse to God then others Observe That as all godly men know God which the wicked doe not so some godly men have such a knowledge of God as many who are godly have not Though the knowledge of all godly men be of the same nature and kinde yet not of the same degree and height We reade of some who in old time were called Seers 1 Sam. 9.9 as if they onely had been endued with sight and all others were blinde in the things of God They were the onely seers yea they were fore-seers because God did often reveale himselfe and declare to them what he was about to doe in dreames and visions Now as in those times there were some men called seers so in these times some may be called knowers as if none knew any thing of God comparatively to them or as if other godly men were ignorant and understood nothing of him When God 1 Sam. 3. appeared to Samuel in a vision and revealed the doome of Elies house to him the Text sayth at the 7th verse Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord surely Samuel did know the Lord as other godly did in those times though he were but young yea it is said The childe Samuel ministred before the Lord and did not he know the Lord no doubt he did The meaning therefore is Samuel did not yet know the Lord by any speciall intimacy with him or particular revelation from him as afterward he did he became a knower of God at last though then he did not know God in this peculiar sence But God having revealed to him the secret what he would doe to Elies house then he knew God he