gracious is to doe that which is desired by a supplication the same word in the Hebrew signifies both an act of lowest humility in us namely the making a supplication and an act of the highest grace in God namely the granting of a supplication Hence observe First In seeking God we must look to receive all from his free-grace and undeserved favour Seek unto God and make thy supplication to him Mercy in God is the spring of all the mercies received by man What can a beggar who comes to a King ask upon desert That 's the condition of every one that comes to God we are a company of beggars the riches both of temporall and spiritual blessings are treasur'd up in God Blessed are the poor in spirit they who look upon themselves as mean and low as not having a rag of goodnesse about them as emptied of themselves are the vessels which God will fill He that is full loatheth a honey-comb and he that thinks he is full is loathed so much by God that his reall emptines shall never be filled When Jacob held God so fast that he would not let him go without a blessing he had quite let go all hold yea or opinion of his worthines to receive a blessing I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 Then we are fit to receive great things from God when we are little then fittest when we are least in our own eyes Yea we must supplicate God not only as a beggar but as a traitour or a rebell doth a King who hath not only nothing in him to commend him to his acceptance or procure his favour but much to provoke his wrath and incurre the weight of his displeasure Every sinne in it self renders us rebels against God And though his own people comming unto him in Christ are under another notion they are his sonnes yet even they ought to have such apprehensions of themselves for sinne Abraham believed in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 Even Abraham after he was justified in the sight of God through faith looked upon himself as ungodly in reference to his own works In all our approaches to God we should reflect upon our selves not only as having many wants and no worthinesse but as having many sinnes and of our own no goodnesse God in justice visits iniquity upon them that hate him Exod. 20.6 And he sheweth mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments They who love God and keep his Commandments receive all from mercy Justice punisheth those who break the Commandment but mercy doth them good who keep the Commandments We have at any time sin enough to merit the wrath of God but we never have goodnesse enough to merit his favour And as no objection from our sinfulnesse can obstruct the way of free-grace from moving towards us so no argument from our holinesse can open the way for free-grace to move towards us In all our duties we are to lie in the dust yea we are to lay our duties in the dust and to seek all of God in humble supplications Consider this verse in connexion with the former and then two points are observable from it Bildad assuring Job that though his sons had fallen by their sinne yet if himself would seek unto God and make his supplication it might be well with him teacheth us First That the fals of others whether into sinne or under judgement for sin should be warnings to us Thou seest what is become of thy sons let them be as a looking-glasse for thee Children may teach their parents parents are often whipt upon their childrens backs The hand of God upon others points towards us and while they are smitten we are instructed The Apostle summes up the most remarkable judgements which fell upon the Jews in their passage from Aegypt to Canaan and closeth all with this application to Christians These things happened unto them as ensamples and they are written for our admonition c. to the intent that we should not lust 1 Cor. 10.11 As if he had said God let them fall into the hand of their sinnes and their fals may help us to keep our feet Their fals were types so the word is these things happened unto them typically in them we may see what God will doe with us if we take their course and goe their way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprè significat notā insculptā pulsatione seu percussione effectam Beza in Joh. 20 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percutere Vnde Ars Typographica The Greek is very elegant and expressive of this sense For a type is such a form or representation of a thing as is made by hard pressing or striking of it such as we see in stamps and seals It is the leaving of a mark with a blow implying that the Lord by those strokes upon his ancient people left marks upon their bodies or printed letters there the Greek word for a Printer is a Typewriter which were legible to their posterity and are to this day Hence the scarre which the nails made in the hands of our blessed Saviour upon the crosse is called The print of the nails or The type of the nails Joh. 20.25 Such a type or print sufferings leave behinde them How many such types have we this day Where can we goe but we may see the print of the Sword and thrust our hands into wounded sides Let us not be faithlesse but believing The Apostle Peter 2 Epist 2.6 brings the apostate Angels the old world filthy Sodome as admonitory examples unto those that should live ungodly They made themselves evil examples by committing sinne and God made them good ensamples by punishing them for their sin Secondly From the connexion observe That they who are equall in sinne may be unequall in punishment Job was in the judgement of his friends as deep in sinne as his children but though he had sinned like them or more then they yet he might be unlike them in suffering or suffer lesse then they God saith Bildad hath taken them quite away he hath but wounded you and if you seek unto God he is ready to heal you The same sinners for matter are in heaven and in hell that is take two who have committed the same sins for matter and for degree also as sinne is a transgression of the Law and the one of these may be found in heaven and the other in hell at the last day Yea I believe there are many in heaven that have committed greater sins then some that are in hell It is not the matter of sinne committed but the obstinacy impenitency or unbelief of the sinner which bindes on the guilt and seals up the sinner to judgements temporall and to condemnation eternall Verse 6. If thou were pure and upright he would awaken for thee c. Bildad counsels Job to seek God yet he puts in a caution If thou wert pure and upright As
in the state of innocency had an immortality by the gift of God yet with condition that he did submit to that rule which God gave him to live by Doe this and live Adamus habuit potentiam non moriendi non impotentiaÌ„ moriendi Adamus peccans non solum potuit mori sed non potuit non mori Quicunque dicit Adamum primuÌ„ hominem mortalem factum ita ut sive peccaret sive non peccaret moreretur in corpore hoc est de corpore exiret non peccati merito sed necessitate naturae Anathema sit Concil Melivit Can 1. was the law of Adams life Adam had not an impossibility to die but a possibility not to die This was the state of immortality in the state of innocency Man had not fallen into the grave if he had not fallen into transgression His life was made as long as his obedience if he had not turned from God he had not returned to the earth Death was convaied in by sin and our possibility not to die was not only lost but changed into a necessity of dying So then man is brought to dust not because his nature was subject to corruption but because sin hath corrupted his nature When he abused the liberty of his will he was subjected to this necessity against his will By an irreversible ordinance of heaven It is appointed unto men once to die Heb. 9.27 Iob speaks to that point of Gods law concerning man Thou hast made me as the clay and thou wilt bring me into the dust again Thus the words are taken as an assertion of the power and priviledge of God to unmake and pull down man whom he had made and set up If we read the words by way of interrogation or admiration so Iob seems to intend them as an allay to mitigate the present severity of the Lords proceeding with him Thou hast made me of the clay but a while ago and wilt thou bring me into the dust again O spare me a little before I go hence and shall be seen no more It will not be long before there must be an end of me O let me have a more comfortable being and breathing while I am here When Satan provoked the Lord against Ierusalem to destroy it the Lord answered Zech. 3.2 Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire As if he had said unto Satan Art thou moving me to throw this people into that fire of affliction out of which they were so lately snatcht Ierusalem was in the fire but awhile ago and shall I cast it in again Iob pleads in the same form though not in the same matter I was clay but the other day and Lord shall I to dust again to day Let we see some quiet daies before I see the end of my daies Gild over this clay of mine with the shinings of thy face upon me before thou renderest me dust again I have more then once had occasion to touch this argument and shall therefore passe it here Iob having thus set forth his naturall constitution in the matter of it as he was made of clay goeth on to describe himself more distinctly first in his conception of his whole body secondly in the formation and delineation of his parts Verse 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milke and crudled me like cheese Lacti simile initio semen postea admirabili Dei opere non secus ac caseus conerescit con solidatur ut membra paulatim conformari incipiant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat reiliquâ—dae concretioneÌ„ coagulationem vel condensationem Under the modest shadow of this verse that great naturall mystery of mans generation and conception is contained The former word signifies not only the pouring forth of liquids but the melting and dissolving of the hardest mettals iron brasse c. that they may be fitted to run or be poured forth Ezek. 22.21 22. And as this signifies the softning and melting of that which is hard so the next word which we translate crudled signifies the hardening or thickning of that which is soft and fluid Moses useth it in describing the miraculous dividing of the red sea Exod. 15.8 The flouds stood upright as an heap and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea The Prophet Zephany useth it for the setlednesse and resolvednesse of a people in sinne Chap. 1.12 The Lord saith he will punish the men that are setled we put in the margin curded or thickned on their lees I might from these proprieties of the originall words illustrate that secret of mans originall But forasmuch as the Spirit of God hath drawn a curtain and cast a vail of metaphors over it therefore I intend not to open or discover it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist de gen Animal c. 20. Ancient Philosophers have spoken of these naturall operations in a like language and under these similitudes I shall only say in generall that these two expressions First Thou hast poured me out as milk secondly And crudled me like cheese are appliable to that speciall contribution which God hath charged upon each parent towards that great work the continuation of their own kinde Miseret atque etiam pudet aestimantem quaÌ„ sit frivola animantium superbissimorum origo Plin. l. 7. c. 7. and the raising up of a posterity in their place to serve himself and their generation Learn hence Fitst That man hath reason to be humbled at the meannes and manner of his original What hath he to be proud of in the world who that he might be prepared for his coming into the world was poured out as milk and curdled as cheese Let not man be high minded whose beginning was so low and homely Learn secondly Our naturall conception is from God Men in a strict sense are called The fathers of our flesh Nihil de genitoribus aut seminibus nascitur si ea non operetur Deus August in Psal 118. and God the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 Yet God hath the chief title to the father-hood of our flesh as well as the sole title to the fatherhood of our spirits Thou hast poured me out as milk and thou hast crudled me like cheese here is no mention of his father none of his mother but as if the Lord had wrought all by an immediate power he ascribes the whole effect to him Thou hast poured me out as milk c. We are also his off-spring as the Apostle tels the Athenians out of their own Poets Act. 17.28 Thirdly This gives caution to all whom the Lord hath called or shall call to the state of marriage to be holy in that estate Marriage is honourable Heb. 13.4 and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge no wonder if God have a respectfull eye to the undefiled in that relation and a revengefull eye upon the defilers of it seeing as his own authority instituted it so his own power acts so
flower of the field Some read goodnesse for goodlinesse the sense holds if we take it so the naturall the morall goodnes of man is but a flower As no goodlines so no goodnes of man except spiritual lasteth long and that lasteth long and long even for ever Grace is not as the flower of the field that is durable substance that as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8. shall stand for ever The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God for his Word is the externall seed or principle of grace But all other goodnesse and goodlinesse of man how good how goodly soever his other beauty how beautifull soever his strength how strong his favour how well favoured so ever is but as the flower of the field which is either cut down while it is green or soon fades while it stands Take favour in this sense and the sense of the whole verse is harmonious and sound Thou hast granted me life my body is formed and quickned and more then so Thou hast given me favour my body is full of beauty and comelinesse The comelinesse of the body is a favour received and many receive favour because they are comely From either of which considerations we may call the comelinesse of the body favour and it is no common favour God denies this to many he grants them the life of nature but not favour yea he grants many the life of grace but not favour Beautifull souls are often ill-housed and filthy souls clearly housed 't is admirable when both beauties meet in the same man Moses was a goodly childe Exod. 2.2 and a good man As grace in the inward man is the best favour so favour is gracefull to the outward man Thou hast granted me life and favour And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit Here is the third benefit of this Royall grant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspectio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The visitation of God One reads Thy presence A second Thy assistance A third Thy inspection thy over-looking or super intendency hath preserved my spirit The Hebrew word signifies The visitation of a superiour over an inferiour as when masters enquire into their families or governours into their Colledges and Hospitals Visitatio est Dominorum superiorum cum ad Deum refertur denotat providentiam Pined to see whether the statutes and orders appointed by the founders and benefactours be observed There is a three-fold visitation of God held forth in Scripture 1. A visitation of condemnation God visits to take vengeance by destructive punishments when warning is not taken nor repentance shewed after corrective punishments Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5.9 2. A visitation of correction Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him c Though they break my laws yet I will not break my Covenant they shall smart for it but they shall not perish for it This is a fatherly visitation 3. A visitation of consolation And this two-fold 1. For deliverance out of an evil estate and that either temporall the Lord is said to visit his people Israel when he delivered them out of Aegypt Exod. 4.31 or spirituall and eternall God hath visited and redeemed his people saith the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.68 that is he hath visited his people to redeem them from sin and Satan death and hell by Jesus Christ Secondly Which is most proper to this Text there is a visitation for protection in a good estate When God having caused our line to fall in a fair place draws his line of providentiall communication round about us So M. Broughton translates Life and loving kindenesse hast thou dealt to me and thy providence preserveth my spirit As if Iob had said Thou didst not only give me life and favour but thou didst protect me for many years in the enjoyment of those favours Providence was the hedge not only of his outward but of his inward estate Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb which we translate hath preserved signifieth to preserve Summa solertia atque diligentia prospexit cavit oberravit ut solent custodiae excubiae nocturnae vel gregum custodes both by strength and watchfulnesse The Noun expresseth a Watch-tower in Hebrew because a watch-man standeth upon his Tower and looks round about him to espy and give notice of approaching dangers The Lord preserveth both waies by his watchfulnes and by his strength his eie is wakefull enough and his arm is powerfull enough to preserve us He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.1 the creatour of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40.28 He that is thus wakefull can easily visit and he that is thus powerfull can easily preserve those whom he visiteth Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But how did the visitation of God preserve the spirit of Iob Or what are we to understand by his spirit which was thus preserved The spirit of a man is taken three waies First For life Thus God keepeth us from death while he preserves our spirits Secondly For the soul Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from falling into or from falling in temptation while he keeps our corruptions from prevailing and our graces from decaying Thirdly The spirit of man is taken for his courage Thus God preserveth our spirits while he keeps us from needlesse fears and cowardly despondencies Doubtlesse Iob had experience of the visitation of God preserving his spirit in all these senses yet here he seems chiefly to intend the preservation of his life which God had granted him with favour or of those comforts which were granted him with his life Hence observe First in generall That what God granteth he preserveth It is a part of his grant that he will preserve Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us and leave us to the wide world we should quickly loose all God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason who buildeth up a house and then leaveth it to it self or to the care of others The Lord surveys what he builds and keeps up what he sets up all would come down else Providence succeedeth Creation or Providence is a continued Creation Assoon as ever the Lord had made man and a garden He took the man and put him into the Garden which he had made to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2.15 God putteth the creatures under mans charge yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge and especially man A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wildernesse And man without God to visit him would soon be or be in a wildernesse either