time of Behemoths making I made him the same day with thee for all the beasts of the earth were made upon the sixth day the same day in which man was made Fourthly Which I made with thee that is I made him to be with thee I did not make Behemoth as I made Leviathan to play in the Sea but I made him to be with thee on the Land that thou shouldst behold him and take notice of him or that he should be under thy hand yea not only so but contrary to the nature of wilde beasts to love thy company and to desire converse with thee to be guided by thee and in many things to act with a kind of reason and understanding like thee or as thy self and other men do Fifthly Which I made with thee that is for thee I made him for thy use I made him to serve thee Though he be thus great and vast yet he will be thy humble servant There will be occasion afterwards to shew further how serviceable and useful Elephants are to man Sixthly I made him with thee that is I made him as nigh to thee as any of the unreasonable creatures yea nigher to thee than any of the unreasonable creatures for I have made him excel them all as thou excellest him he is above other irrational creatures as thou art above all irrationals He next to Angels and men is the chief of my wayes The word made may import this also and so it is used 1 Sam. 12.6 The Lord advanced the Hebâ—ew is Made Moses and Aaron The Lord hath so made the Elephant that he hath also advanced him above all the beasts of the field I have set him as near the seat of reason as might be and not be rational In all these respects we may understand the Lord saying to Job concerning Behemoth I made him with thee He is thy fellow-creature and how great soever he is he is my creature I made him the same day that I made thee and I made him to abide in the same place with thee or where thy abode is I made him also for thy service and that he might be a meet servant for thee I have made him almost a partaker of reason with thee so far at least a partaker of reason that he will very obsequiously submit to and follow the conduct of thine and though he be the strongest beast on earth yet thou mayest find him acting more according to thy reason than his own force or strength There is yet another interpretation of these words given by Bochartus which favours his opinion that Behemoth is the Hippopotame or River Horse Whom I have made with thee Tecum vel potius juxta te or rather near thee or hard by thee that is in thy neighbour-hood in a Countrey which borders upon thine As if saith he God had said to Job I need not fetch arguments from far to prove how powerful I am seeing I have them at hand For among the beasts which I made in Nilus which is near thy Countrey Arabia how admirable is the Hippopotame And that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies by or near as well as with he gives many examples Josh 7.2 Judg. 9.6 Judg. 18.3 Judg. 19.11 2 Sam. 6.7 2 Sam. 20.8 which the Reader may peruse and consider Thus the Elephant was made with man But how lives he how feeds he Not like man He eateth grasse as an Oxe From these words also the Authour last mentioned collects an argument for the strengthening of his interpretation The Oxe and Elephant saith he are alike labouring beasts and therefore no wonder if they feed alike or live upon the same kind of food but that the Hippopotame which is an aquatical Animal and abides for the most part in the bottom of Nilus should eat grasse like an Oxe this is strange and matter of wonderment Nor is it for nothing that he is compared to the Oxe whom he resembles not onely in his food but in the bignesse of his body and in the shape of his head and feet whence the Italians call him Bomarin that is the Sea-Oxe Yet these words may very well be applied to the Elephant It being not onely true that his food is grasse but a merciful wonder that it is so For â—â—d this vast creature live upon prey or the spoil of other beasts what havock yea devastation would he make to satisfie his hunger So that these words He eateth grasse as an Oxe may carry this sense As if the Lord had said Though I have made this beast so great and strong yet he is no dangerous no ravenous beast he doth not live by preying upon other beasts by tearing and worrying sheep and Lambs as Lions and Bears and Wolves do this great and mighty creature eats grasse lâ—ke an Oxe Thus God would have Job take notice what way he hath provided for the subsistence of the Elephant He eateth grasse as an Oxe yet not altogether as the Oxe His food is as the food of an Oxe for the matter both eat grasse but he doth not eat in the same manner as an Oxe Why how doth an Oxe eat by licking up the grasse with his tongue into his mouth as he is described Numb 22.4 but the Elephant gathers up the grasse with his trunk and then puts it into his mouth Naturalists give these two reasons why the Elephant cannot eat like the Oxe Ne ore pascatur adminuculo linguae ut boves impedit colli brevitas linguae quoque quae illi animali perexigua est interius posita ita ut eam vix videre possis Decerptam proboscideherbam dentibus quos utrinque quatuor habet commolit Arist l. 2. de Histâ—r Animal c. 5 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pasco First Because of the shortnesse of his Neck Secondly The littlenesse of his Tongue which lies so far within his Mouth that it cannot easily be seen and therefore he crops the grasse with his trunk and putting it into his mouth grindes it with his teeth He eateth grasse like an Oxe He is like the Oxe as to what he feeds upon not as to the way of his feeding So then though the Elephant be so bulky and big-bodied yet by the Lords Ordinaâ—ion he is as harmlesse as a labouring Oxe he will not hurt any beast of the field This phrase Eating like an Oxe is used to set forth the peaceablenesse of his Nature Thus those blessed times are described when the power of the Gospel shall overcome the wrath and enmity which is in the Serpents seed against the seed of the Woman Isa 11.7 The Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones and the Lion shall eat straw like the Oxe Lions will be quiet that is the spirits of those men who have been like Lions and Bears even they shall eat straw like the Oxe they shall not hurt the Lambs and Sheep of Christs flock and fold
though they had judged him an hypocrite or an ungodly man Thus the Lord sent them to Job that they might eat their words and receive a full conviction of their error Thirdly God would have them go to his servant Job to make them sensible that the favour he intended them was very much for Jobs sake and that they must in part be beholding to Job for it Fourthly The Lord sent them to Job that he might give a high evidence of his grace especially of his charity in forgetting injuries and requiting good for evil His friends had reproached him ten times and grieved his spirit very much yet he must shew how ready he was to forgive them and pray that they might be forgiven Fifthly God would have them to go to Job that they might know that Job was reconciled to them as well as himself Sixthly God would have them go to Job that this might humble them or that they might shew their humility and submission It was a great piece of self-denial for them to go to Job after such a contest and entreat him to speak for them of whom they had spoken so hardly and with whom they had long contended so bitterly Thus the Lord tried both Job and them the Lord tried Jobs charity and their humility We are hardly brought to confess that we have wronged others or have been out and mistaken our selves 'T is no easie matter for a man to acknowledge himself overcome 't is extream hard to become a suppliant to one whom we lately despised and trampled upon All this is his hard meat and not easily digested yet Eliphaz and his two friends must digest all this before they could acceptably obey the Lords command in going to his servant Job Nor was it an easie matter for Job to forget so many affronts and unkindnesses as he had received from his friends ' T is hard for a man that hath been wronged and reproached yea condemned to pass air by and not only embrace his opposers and reproachers but pray and solicite for them Thus the Lord in sending them to Job took tryal both of Job and them The Lord commanding them to supplicate him whom they had offended and expecting that he should make suit and supplication for them who had offended him put both their graces to it and in a most sweet and gracious way at once healed the breach which had been between Job and them as also that between them and himself Who ever took up a difference more sweetly or reunited dissenting brethren thus wisely Go to my servant Job And offer up for your selves a burnt-offering That is those seven bullocks and seven rams Here as was said before was the facrifice but who was the Priest The text saith Offer up for your selves which may intimate that that as they were to offer a sacrifice for themselves so that they themselves offered it But as Interpreters generally so I conceive Job was the Priest who offered it in their behalf We read chap. 1.5 that Job offered sacrifices for his children and there it was shewed that he was the Priest Every sacrifice must be offered by a Priest the people brought the sacrifice unto him to offer for them No sacrifice is acceptable without a Priest Therefore Jesus Christ who was our sacrifice was a Priest also none could offer him but himself he was both sacrifice and Priest and Altar So then whereas the Text saith they were to offer a burnt-offering for themselves the meaning is they were to bring it unto Job and he to offer it for them The Priest offered and Israel offered that is Israel offered by the Priest they brought the matter of the sacrifice to the Priest and the Priest slew and presented the sacrifice to the Lord. It is one thing to offer another thing to slay the sacrifice They offered a sacrifice who brought it or at their cost caused it to be brought to the holy place and this any of the people might do They offer it upon the Altar to the Lord who were especially appointed thereunto These were the Priests only Before the Ceremonial law as given by God to Moses the Priest-hood lay in the eldest or father of the family upon which account Job was a Priest whereas afterwards the Priest-hood was settled in the family of Aaron and it was forbidden to any but one of hs line to offer sacrifice So that when the Lord said to Eliphaz and his two friends Go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering he directed them to Job Non est hic curiousè captendo distinctio holocausti aboliis victimis cim haec ante legem contigovint Quasi latinè diceres-holocaustabitis holo caustum i.e. in solidum offeratis ut in auras totum abort officietis Merc. as having the honour of Priest-hood in him and so the power of doing it for them or in their behalf Offer up for your selves A burnt-offering That is a sacrifice wholly consumed by fire The Hebrew is very elegant make an ascentton to ascend The whole burnt-offering was the most perfect offering and therefore the Hebrews express it by a word that signifieth the perfect consumption of it in the fire and so the ascention of it to heaven in smoke and vapour as a sweet odour in the nostrils of the Lord as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5.1 and as David Psal 141.2 A part of many sacrifices was saved to feast upon afterwards as the harlot spake Prov. 7.14 I have peace-offerings with me this day have I payed my vows but the burnt-offering was wholly consumed and sent up unto the Lord. Go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt-offering Hence note First The Lord is very ready to forgive and to be at peace with those that have offended him Though the fire of his wrath be kindled as it is said in the former verse yet he is willing to have it quenched The Prophet Micah chap. 7.18 makes this report of God He retaineth not his anger for ever that is he retaineth it but a little while he is speedily pacified and forgives and sometimes as here he forgives without any higher signification of his anger than a bare rebuke The Lord did not lay the least mulâ—t the least chastning or affliction upon Eliphaz and his two friends though his wrath was kindled against them I grant it is not so always some smart sorely and pay dearly for their errors When the anger of the Lord was kindled against Aaron and Miriam Num. 12.9 for speaking against Moses as those three had against Job he was not then so easily pacified for first it is said in the close of the 9th verse he departed and ver 10. the cloud departed from off the tabernacle here was much displeasure yet not all for it followeth and behold Miriam became leprous white as snow In this case God was angry with two that had spoken against a servant of his and they felt
on earth praying for those that live on earth Job was alive in the body and so were those three men to whom the Lord said My servant Job shall pray for you The Lord having assured Eliphaz and his two friends that Job would pray for them giveth them encouâ—agement to go and desiâ—e his prayers by a gracious promise For saith he him will I accept and threatneth them in case they should forbear in the next words Lest I deal with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right like my servant Job First Of the gracious promise him will I accept The Hebrew saith his face will I lift up Acceptation with God is the lifting up of the face of man then man lifteth up his face with boldness when he is accepted with God When God refused to accept Cain and his offering his countenaâ—ce fell or was cast down Gen. 4.5 Unless the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us as David prayed Psal 4.6 we cannot with any comfort much less with true confidence lift up our face or countenance unto God That 's the significancy of the word Him will I accept God is no accepter of persons as the word is often used in Scripture Deut. 10.17 The Lord is a great God mighty and terrible which regardeth not persons It is the same phrase in the Hebrew with this in the Text he lifteth not up faces that is the Lord doth not accept persons upon any outward respect First The Lord doth not accept persons for their personableness as I may say the Lord doth not delight in any mans legs his delight is in them that fear him Psal 147.10 11. he doth not accept men for their goodly stature as he told Samuel when he would needs have poured the oile upon the first-born of the Sons of Jesse 1 Sam. 16.7 Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart 'T is the beauty of holiness and integrity in the heart not the beauty of fairness upon the face with which God is taken 't is a lowly mind not a high stature which God accepts Secondly The Lord is no accepter of persons as to the nation or country where they were born or live Thus the Apostle Peter spake Acts 10.35 I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him God doth not prefer Jews before Gentiles Barbarians or Scythians that a man had his birth in this or that Nation neither helps nor hinders acceptation with God Thirdly The Lord accepteth no mans person for his riches Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath No mans person is acceptable to God for his purse or his penny no not at all Fouâ—thly The Lord â—ccepteth no mans person for his worldly greatness honour and dignity He poureth contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 The day of the Lord is against the hills and mountains Isa 2.14 The great God regardeth not any man meerly for greatness the Lord accepts no mans person upon these or any such like accounts He only accepts the persons of those that fear him and do his will Suscipit faciem Deus quando precantem câ—audit The Lords acceptance of any person in the sense of this promise concerning Job is First To shew favour and manifest affection to him Secondly To honour aâ—d highly esteem him Thirdly Which is here specially intended to answer his prayers and grant his requests not only for himself but for others When a person is once accepted his prayers shall not be denied nor suffer a repulse The Lord accepteth persons as a King the persons of those loyal Subjects who come to intreat his favour and pardon for those that have offended him and rebelled against him he grants their suit and treats them fairly In this sense the Lord maketh promise to Eliphaz and his two friends that he will accept Job Hence Observe First It is a very high favour and priviledge to be accepted of God Him will I accept saith the Lord of Job This was a favour beyond all the favours that follow after in the close of the book about the doubling of his estate If Jacob Gen 32.20 was so taken with a hope of acceptance by his brother Esau Peradventure he will accept me If when he was accepted by Esau he said chap. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me Then how much more should we rejoyce in this assurance that God hath accepted of us and that he is pleased with us If the Apostle Rom. 15.3 prayed so earnestly and desired others to strive with him in prayer to God that his service which he had for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints then how much more should we pray that our services may be accepted of God and rejoyce when they are accepted The Apostle made it his chief work to get acceptation with God 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent that is whether living or dying we may be accepted with him we are ambitious of divine acceptation The word which we translate labour noteth a labouring after honour which ambitious men labour much after implying that to be accepted with the Lord is a very high honour indeed the highest honour There is a two-fold acceptation First Of our persons Secondly Of our services The former is the ground of the latter and Jesus Christ is the foundation of both Ephes 1.6 He through glorious grace hath made us accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ is so dearly beloved of the father that he is called The Beloved as if only beloved The acceptation of our services is often promised in Scripture as a high favouâ— Exod. 28.38 Ezek. 20.40 41. Isa 56.7 This Moses prayed for in the behalf of the Tribe of Levy which Tribe was appointed to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people Deut. 33.11 Bless Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands What was the work of Levies hands it was to offer sacrifice to which prayer and intercession was joyned That Levi who had the priest-hoâ—d fixed in the family of Aaron should be accepted in the work of his hands was a blessing not only to himself but to many more This David prayed earnestly for Psal 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer He put up a like prayer Psal 119.108 Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offerings of my mouth O Lord. This was the prayer of Araunah for David 2 Sam. 24.23 The Lord thy God accept thee So great a priviledge it is for our persons and services to be accepted with the Lord
Job having with steddy yet trembling attention heard all these words spoken to him with irrefragable authority by the Lord himself out of the whirlwind sate down convinced that surely the great God the Creator of the ends of the earth who had so exact an eye upon all those creatures both for the continuance of their species or kinds and the preservation of their individuals or particulars could not possibly cast off the care of man-kind nor of him in particular no nor put any man to any hardship or suffering but for some great end or ends glorious always to himself and in the issue good for the wise and patient sufferer He was also convinced that himself not well understanding the mysteries of providence nor indeed could any more fully understand them than he did the mysteries of creation or the manner how God laid the foundations of the earth and shut up the sea with doors he I say not well understanding the mysteries of providence was convinced that he had done very ill to make such long and loud complaints about it that is about the severity of Gods dealings with him as if like an enemy he intended him nothing but pain and sorrow by the pains and sorrows which he endured Thus at last Job began to see that as being himself Gods creature God might do with him what he pleased and that God being his absolute Soveraign could not wrong him whatever he was pleased to do with him so that forasmuch as God was so careful of and kind to those inferior reasonless creatures there was no shadow of a reason why he should have the least jealousie of Gods kindness to him and regard of him much less make such an out-cry that God was unkind to and regardless of Him whom he had not only ennobled as the rest of mankind with reason but renewed by grace and filled with the holy fear of his great and glorious name These impressions being made upon Job by the mighty power of God speaking to him out of the whirlwind he presently cryed out as fast against himself and against his own ignorance and rashness as he had done before concerning the harshness of his sufferings under the hand of God confessing chap. 40.4 Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee And chap. 42.3 6. I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job being thus humbled and melted down Job who was lately in the dust of dishonour and almost in the dust of death being thus brought to the dust of repentance the Lord suffered him not to lye long there but quickly raised him up out of all his sufferings and passing by all his mispeakings while sufferings lay heavy upon him he The Lord passed sentence upon or gave judgment against Eliphaz and his two friends as not having spoken of him the thing that was right as his servant Job and not only so but commanded them to do him right by acknowledging that they had wronged him why else were they ordered by the Lord to go unto him as a mediator for their peace why else were they ordered by the Lord to bring their sacrifice unto him that he offering it up and praying for them the wrath of God which was kindled against them might be quenched and they received into favour All these offices of love Job freely did for them and no sooner had he done them but God heaped favours upon him doubling his former substance and causing all his former friends who had carried it unfriendly unhandsomely towards him and would not own him in the day of his distress to hasten their addresses to bring him honourable presents and redintegrate their broken friendship with him In all these things God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning and he found by comfortable experience which was mentioned at the beginning of this prefatory Epistle out of Solomon's Ecclesiastes that the end of a thing is better than the beginning of it the latter end of his life being fuller of peace riches and honour than the former and he not ending his life in this world till he was full of days fuller of grace and fully fitted for an endless life in glory Thus as in the foregoing parts of this book we have heard of the patience of Job so in this we may see as the Apostle James saith chap. 5.11 the end of the Lord. But what was that end of the Lord Any man of ordinary capacity reading the holy story may resolve it in the common way that The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before that being restored his seven thousand sheep were multiplyed to fourteen thousand his three thousand camels to six thousand his five hundred yoke of oxen to a thousand and his five hundred she-asses to as many This end of the Lord with Job is obvious and runs in sight to every Reader nor can it be denied but that this was a very good and an honourable end yet behold the Lord made a much better and more honourable end for Job than this This was the end of Jobs cross that was not only so but also of his controversie Satan charged Job as an Hypocrite his friends joyned with Satan in that yet stayed not there they charged him likewise as Hetorodox as a man not only unsincere in his profession of religion but unsound in the principles of it The Lord made an end for Job in this matter also abetting his opinion in that great and difficult probleme of providence rather than theirs giving him the day and putting the crown of victory upon his head in that dispute while he said to Eliphaz and his two friends Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job This this was The end of the Lord. To hear this gracious determination from the mouth of the supream and infallible moderator of all controversies was without controversie a thousand times more pleasing and satisfactory to Jobs spirit not only than the double cattle which the Lord gave him but than if the Lord had given him all the cattle upon a thousand hills or than if all the fowls of the air and fishes of the sea had been given to him In this end of the Lord for Job we may see not only that the Lord is infinitely wise and just but as it followeth in that place of the Apostle James very pitiful and of tender mercy The Lord shews himself very pitiful and of tender mercy when he puts an end to the crosses of his servants by doubling their outward comforts he doth so too when he puts an end to the controversies of his servants by vindicating their credit and making it appear that they have spoken of him and of his ways the thing that is right or more rightly than their opposers and reproachers This example of the Lords pity and tender mercy in doing both
c. The Hebrew Text doth not expresse this Adverb of time there 't is onely the Lord answered but we well supply it rendering then the Lord answered as if the Penman had said at that very nick instant or juncture of time the Lord came in the words were no sooner out of the mouth of Elihu he had no sooner concluded his speech with Job but the Lord began and answered Job and if the Lord had not just then interposed possibly Job might have replyed and a new heat might have risen to the encreasing of his troubles and the inflaming of all their Spirits as was hinted before therefore the Lord to stop all further proceedings or speech between them two began presently to speak himself Then the Lord answered Take this Observation from it The Lord will appear in the fittest season It was time for the Lord to appear lest this poor man should have been utterly swallowed up with sorrows and over-whelmed with his affliction or lest he should have been drawn out too long and too far in his bitter complainings and impatiency The Lord is a God of judgement blessed are they that wait for him Isa 30.18 He is a wise God and knows how to time every action he knowes when to appear when to shew himself As he himself will not contend for ever Isa 57.16 so neither will he let others contend overlong least the Spirit should sail before him and the soules which he hath made This is a comfortable truth with respect both to Nations and Persons both to the case of the Church of God in general and of every believer in particular The Apostle Peter having counselled the afflicted to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 addes this encouragement in the next words to do so that he may exalt you in due time though not in your time nor at your day the day when you would have him do it yet he will do it in time and in due time that is when it shall be most fit and best for you Thus he appeared to and for Job in the Text when the sorrowes of his heart were enlarged and when he had most need of such an appearance The Lord knows how at any time and when 't is the most proper time to relieve his servants Then The Lord answered Job The word here used is Jehovah and several of the Learned take notice that it is here used with a special significancy for in the discourses of Job and his friends throughout this Book other names of God are if not universally yet mostly used as Elshaddai Eloah c. In the first Chapter indeed where God is spoken of by the divine Historian or sacred Penman of this History he is named Jehovah as also in some other such like places but in the body of the dispute not so And two reasons may be given of it First The name Jehovah imports the Being of God and therefore God himself being about to speak of his giving a Being to the whole Creation and to several sorts of creatures he is most properly represented by his name Jehovah which as it implyeth that he is the First Being the Fountain of his own Being or that he is of himself so that he gives a Being to all things and that in him as the Apostle told the great Philosophers of Athens Acts 17. we live and move and have our being Secondly The Lord though he came in a Whirle-wind yet manifested himself in a clearer light to Job than ever he had done before Now as in the third of Exodus when the Lord sent Moses to the people of Israel to bring them up out of Egypt to Canaan which was a great work one of the greatest that was ever done in the world and in which the Lord made the most glorious discovery of his Power Justice and Mercy when God I say sent Moses upon this service he said unto him Exod. 6.2 3. I am the Lord I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them God being about to make himself more known in the world than he had been to that day by his dreadful plagues upon Pharaoh and the miraculous deliverance of his people out of Egypt as he said chap. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared in all the earth The Lord I say being about to doe these great things for the manifestation of his own greatness gave this charge to Moses at the sixth verse of the sixth chapter before mentioned Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am Jehovah and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians c. Thus in this latter part of the book of Job the Lord being about to loosen the bonds of Jobs affliction and to ease him of his burden as also to declare and manifest himself more clearly to him than formerly as he confessed chap. 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eyes have seen thee he therefore assumed his great name Jehovah Then the Lord Answered Job c. But some may say Job had not spoken lately much lesse last Elihu spake out six whole Chapters since Job spake a word and though Elihu gave him the liberty yea almost provoked him to speak yet he laid his hand upon his mouth he spake not a word How then can it be said The Lord answered Job To avoid this difficulty Some render Then the Lord answered concerning or about Job And these turn the whole discourse of God in this and the next Chapter upon Elihu in favour of Job I shall touch upon that opinion and interpretation as was said afterwards but at present affirm that Job was the person to whom the Lord here directed his Answer and to take off this doubt how the Lord could be said to answer Job when Job had not spoken last but Elihu I answer as upon a like occasion it hath been elsewhere shewed in this book ch 3.2 that sometimes in Scripture a Speech begun is called an Answer where nothing had been spoken before to which that speech could be applied in way of answer Matth. 11.25 Matth. 17.4 The reason of this Hebraisme is because such as begin to speak do either answer the necessity of the matter or the desire of the hearers and so they give a real and vertual though not a formal Answer Yet there are two considerations in which we may apply the word Answer formally and strictly taken to Job First If we consider Job's wishes and requests Secondly If we consider Job's complaints and though the word be somewhat hard his murmurings The Lord may be said to answer Job as to his wish desire or request because Job had earnestly desired and requested more than once that God would take
Metaphorical Whirlwind in those three senses opened But Thirdly with others I take the Whirlwind here in proper sense that is for such a Whiâ—lwind as is often heard and felt sounding blustering and making great disturbance in the ayre blowing up Trees by the roots and overthrowing Houses to the very foundation Ex nube obscura Rab. Levi. Ex Nimbo Bez. Ex procella venti turbine horrifico Eturbine i. e. e nube e qua erupit turbo seu ventus turbineus Pisc Di nube aliqua praeter naturae ordinem facta Grot. De ipsa caligine in qua sc videtur nobis Deus delitescere Vatabl. One of the Rabbins calls it a dark cloud several of the Moderns express it by a rainy or watry cloud out of which issued that dreadful Storm called a Whirlwind Doubtless some sudden extraordinary Wind exceeding the constant order and common course of Nature gathered the clouds at that time Thus God at once hid the glory of his Majesty and testified it much after the same manner as he did at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai when he answered Job out of the Whirlwind But it may be questioned why did God answer Job out of a Whirlwind First Such a way of answering was most proper to the dispensation of those Old Testament Times when the Covenant of Grace lay covered with Legal Shadows and was usually administred in a clothing or shew of terror especially as was said before at the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. Deut. 4.12 when so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 And surely the Lord appeared and spake very dreadfully to some of the Prophets in those Elder Times especially to the Prophet Habakkuk who thus reports the consternation of his mind chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Now Gospel Times being more clear and calm Christ speaks more clearly and calmly as it was phophesied Isa 42.2 3. He shall not cry nor lift up his voice in the street Christ did not speak out of a Whirlwind A bruised reed he shall not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench he shall bring forth Judgement unto Victory That is he shall with all tenderness condescend to the weakest souls and deal with them most sweetly gently and compassionately Secondly The Lord spake in a Whirlwind that he might shew the greater State and Majesty to awaken Job yet more or to make him more attentive as also to affect him yet more deeply with the apprehension of his Power and Glory and to leave a greater impression upon his spirit of his own vileness weakness and nothingness Job was yet too big in his own eyes the Lord would annihilate or make him nothing the Lord would beat him out of all conceit with himself out of an opinion of his own integrity and righteousness that he might see and confess there was no way but to lie at his foot abhorring himself and repenting in dust and ashes Such to this day is the pride and stupidness of mans flesh that he hardly attends the Word or Works of God unless awed by some extraordinary Ministration Thirdly We may conceive the Lord appeared and spake in this Whirlwind Aerumnoso homini conformem exhibens aspoctum Munst that he might therein suit his appearance to the state and condition of Job at that time or that he might as it were symbolize with Jobs troubled estate Job as I toucht before was in a Storm and now God declares himself in a storm and that is the reason which some give why the Lord appeared to Moses Exod. 3.2 in a burning bush it was say they that his apparition might answer their present condition The Children of Israel were then in the fire of affliction and entangled in the bush of cruel bondage they were scratcht and torn with briars and thorns and the Lord spake out of a burning bush to Moses as here to Job out of the Whirlwind Fourthly and lastly I conceive the reason why the Lord spake o him in a Storm or Whirlwind was to let him know that he was not well pleased with him but purposed to reprove and chide him De turbine indignationis indice Though Job was a precious servant of God yet God was not well pleased with many passages under his affliction and therefore he would not flatter but humble him For though Job spake from an honest heart and what he said was truth yet God did not like his manner of defence and pleading for himself He was not pleased to see him hold up the Bucklers so long when he should have laid them down rather and submitted David to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased with his enemies tells us what dreadful effects followed the hearing and granting of his prayer against them Psal 18.7 8 9 c. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth there went a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals also were kindled by it he bowed the Heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet c. Thus the Lord appeared in an Earthquake in smoke in fire and darknesse to make the proud opposers of his faithful Servant David know how much his anger was kindled against them Thus also when the Lord revealed himself to Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 it s said a great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake the rocks and after the wind an Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire before the still voice was heard And why all this but to shew that the Lord was highly displeased with the doings of the Kings of Israel at that time and with that idolatrous generation therefore he appeared in such a dreadful manner while he purposed to conclude all in a still voice Though the Lord was not in the Wind in the Earthquake nor in the Fire yet these were fore-runners of his appearance and signified that the Lord would shake that people with a mighty Wind and Earthquake of Judgement yea even consume them with the fire of his wrathful jealousie for their superstitious following after Baal and deserting his appointed Worship When the lusts of wicked men grow fiery and stormy God will convince them with fire and stormes and if his own servants grow too bold with him he will make them sensible of it as here he did Job by speaking to them out of a Whirlwind though he be intended to speak to them at last as he did to Elijah in a still voice and to Job with favour and approbation Thus much for the opening of these words Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind and said Hence Observe First The great goodness of God who condescends or lets
personal Judge of this so his Word must ever be the Normal Judge of all controversies Fourthly Note The Day of Judgment is like to be a terrible day Here was a little day of Judgement here God came to determine a matter between Job and his three friends and that was a terrible day in it we have an image or representation of the last Judgement Day God appeared in a Storm in a Whirlwind what think you will be the Lords appearance when he comes to judge the whole World The Psalmist speaking of some particular day of Judgement which should fore-run the general judgement sets it forth in dreadful Metaphors Psal 50.3 4. Our God These are the words of Gods faithful servants assuring themselves of a gracious deliverance from the cruelty of wicked men by the goodness and mighty arme of God Our God say they shall come that is he shall certainly come though he seem for a while to defer and put off his coming and shall not keep silence as he hath been thought to do either in not answering the prayers of his people or in not punishing the presumption of his and their enemies as he also said he did at the 21th verse of this Psalme and then woe to the wicked for A fire shall devour before him God will then appear as a consuming fire and a mighty tempest of wrath and indignation round about him so that there can be no escape either before or behind on one side or the other And then v. 4. He shall call to the Heavens from above and to the Earth that is to the heavenly and earthly Powers as witnesses against the ungodly and as aids and assistants that they may judge his people that is assert their integrity and maintain them in it Now I say if there have been or shall be such dreadful appearances of God in this world for the vindication of his people and the avenging of them upon their enemies what will his appearance be when in the end of the world he shall come as the Apostle Jade speaks v. 14 15. of his Epistle with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him That is either directly or reflexively in letting their tongues loose to speak against them The Apostle Paul having said 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things that is the fruit of the things done in his body that is while he was in the body whether it be good or bad he adds at the eleventh verse Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men As if he had said We know that will be a terrible day Christ will come and answer sinners out of a Whirlwind when he comes to Judgement and therefore We being fully perswaded of this our selves perswade men by all means to beleeve and repent and get the peace of their souls well and surely setled upon good Gospel terms in this world that so they may find peace in the great Day of Judgement which will be the commencement or beginning of another world They who know the terror of the Lord will both perswade others and be perswaded themselves to look after reconciliation with God that when Christ cometh terribly they may appear before him comfortably or that he may not be a terror unto them in that day Fifthly Forasmuch as the Lord answered Job out of the Whirlwind as was said to affect him with the awe and reverence of his great Name while he was speaking Observe The Word of God is to be heard with reverence with fear and trembling or with an holy awe of God upon our hearts Why did the Lord speak out of a Whirlwind Surely that Job might see his distance or that he was but as a feather even like a rolling thing or thistle-down before the Whirl-wind which the Lord could scatter and blow away with the least breath of his mouth as that allusion in the Prophet intimates Isa 17.13 And questionless all the wicked in the world who contemn the Word of God preached by his Ministers Locutione domini blanda dulcedo ejus ostenditur per tempestatem vero potestas ejus metuenda monstratur Greg. l. 28. c. 2. will be blown away by it as thistle-down or a rolling thing before the Whirl-wind of the Lords fierce anger and displeasure All such shall be carried away with a strong irresistable wind and cast into the bottomless pit of perdition for ever The Lord who sometimes speaks out of a Whirl-wind hath a whirl-wind alwayes at his command to scatter those like chaffe who obey not what is spoken as he threatned the enemies of Jacob Isa 41.16 Sixthly From Gods speaking out of the Whirlwind Note God is present with his in troublous dispensations 'T is no argument that God is not with us when storms and whirl-winds are up whether with respect to Nations and Churches or particular Persons Do not think God is gone because there is a storm Read Psal 18. v. 6 7 8. Psal 23.4 Psal 91.15 Isa 43.2 3. and you shall find that in the worst appearances the Lord is present The Prophet speaks it expresly Nahum 1.3 The Lord hath his way in the Whirl-wind and in the storm and the Clouds are the dust of his feet When and where it 's dark and troublesom the Lord is there and there he is most that 's the Prophets meaning also when he saith The Clouds are the dust of his feet By Clouds we may understand not so much the Clouds of the Air as cloudy Providences these are round about him while Judgment and Justice yea while Mercy and Goodness are the habitation of his Throne And these Clouds may be called the dust of his feet in a Figure we know where Travellers pass often their feet make a dust now it shews that the Lord doth act much in the Clouds that is in dark Providences because 't is said They are the dust of his feet as if he moved so much and so long in them that he raised a dust with his motion Do not think the Lord is gone when whirl-winds and storms that is outward troubles come The Lord answers out of the whirl-wind as often as he answers us by terrible things in Righteousness and thus he often answers us Psal 65.5 Seaventhly and Lastly comparing the manner of Gods coming and speaking to Job with his intent in coming and speaking to him The manner in which God came and spake was in a Whirl-wind but what was his purpose was it to blow the poor man away no it was but to himble him and then to comfort and restore him Observe The outward appearances of God are often very terrible when he intends nothing buâ— mercy and love to his people What more dreadful
than a Whirle-wind yet Job found this storme ushering in a sweet calme and a most comfortable sunshine Job said chap. 9.16 17. If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not have beleeved that he had hearkened to my v ice for he breaketh me with a tempest or a Whirld-wind Now the Lord came in a Whirl-wind and Job finds the quite contrary God came in a Whirl-wind not to break him but to bind him up not to condemn him but to convince him not to discourage him but to comfort him comfort comes out of a storme Thus comfort hath come to many a poor soule and it comes thus sometimes to the whole Church of God When Jacob was in a stormy condition because of his brother Esau then the Lord came to him Gen. 32. but how came he to him one would have thought that Jacob being in such a condition the Lord who came to comfort him would have taken him by the hand and embraced him or walkt aside with him and told him I am come to help thee and deliver thee be of good cheer let not thy heart be troubled at the approach of thy bloody brother for I am with thee One would have thought I say the Lord should have treated him in some such manner but what saith the text v. 24 there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day Poor Jacob was tugging and swetting all night as if he would sweat his heart out here was a strange kind of greeting 't is not said the man saluted him or spake a kind word to him much less complemented with him he only wrestled with him and when he had toyled a geat while he put his thigh out of joyâ—t which was very course usage and only said Let me goe which was very course language yet the Lord came at that time with a full purpose to bless him deliver him out of the hand of Esau Then be not afraid of storms for the Lord hath sunshine in his heart when there 's nothing but a storm in his face The Lord may come to you in poverty and sickness he may chasten you with pain upon your bed Perpetuum deo est vulnerare quos vult sanare percellere quos vult consulari ostendere se maximum cum vult optimum demonstrare and the multitude of your bones with strong pains till you say as Hezekiah in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lion so will he break all my bones and yet intend so much mercy that you shll say as David Ps 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him yea the poor and needy from him that spoileth him The Lord hath gracious purposes towards his people in saddest appearances Then the Lord answered Job out of the Whilrl-wind and said What said he His saying was as stormy as his appearing Vers 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge This Verse and ths next are a Preface to what God had further to say unto his afflicted servant Job The former verse was the Historians Preface these two are the Lords Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge We have here First A check lighting somewhere Who is this Secondly We have the matter for which this person is checkt and that is for darkening counsel Thirdly We have that by which he is charged to have darkned counsel and that is By words without knowledge and his ignorance or want of knowledge is implied as discovered in speaking or rather complaining so much concerning his own sufferings and the severity of Gods dealings with him whereby he had at once cast a cloud upon the Justice and reflected upon the goodness and mercy of God Who 's is this The words may be taken First as a bare enquiry after he man Who is this what man is this as Saul spake of David after the victory which he had got over Goliah Whose son is this youth 1 Sam. 17.55 but that I conceive is too flat and lean a sense in this place as if the Lord did only make enquiry after the man Therefore Secondly These words Who is this carry in them a rebuke who is it that hath done this As if God pointing at Job had said is it you I could not have believed that my servant Job would have so much forgotten himself or have been so bold with me as to reflect upon my just though severe proceedings by his weak reasonings which faith only can make him understand aright Such Questions in Scripture often carry a rebuke in them yea Thirdly more then a rebuke they carry a slight or contempt of the person about whom the question is put As when men presume as some blasphemously have done to say Who is the Lord What is the Almighty that we should serve him they speak contemptuously and slightingly of God So when God speaks thus to man who is this he may be said to speak slightingly of man Again as when man speaking of himself saith as Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him he slights or vilifies himself so when the Lord saith who is this or who is the other it carryeth the same sense Interrogations are quick sharp speeches and usually those speeches are quick and sharp which begin with an Interrogation and doubtless this Interrogation hath a double sharpness or two stings in it First Of rebuke or reprehension Forma ipsa interrogationis qua nullum exprimitur proprium nomen solet ad contemptum pertinere exprobrationem Secondly Of a slight or diminution Job though indeed a man of an excellent spirit had been too bold with God and therefore no wonder if God spake though he contemned him not contemningly to him Who is this Yet here it is questioned who the person was whether Job or no that is aimed at or intended in this rebuking or contemning Question There are two opinions about it and the matter is carried on both sides as one expresseth it by no inconsiderable Arguments First Some conceive Elihu was the person concerned in this Question Who is this and they give several reasons for it I shall only mention two First because he was the man that spake last we had him speaking six Chapters quite through while Job spake not a word and therefore say they it seems most probable that when God came to speak he would undertake him that spake last Who is this Secondly Because Elihu had not carryed the matter so clearly and fully with Job as he should but had failed though not as Jobs three friends had done before and that therefore as the Lord reproved and taxed them by name in the 42d Chapter so here Elihu is taxed more covertly for obsâ—uring his Counsel Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge These are the two chief Arguments which fasten the
rebuke upon Elihu and there are many learned Interpreters who carry it so affirming that the whole discourse from the beginning of this 38th Chapter to the end of the 39th is directed to Elihu and that God spake not to Job till the 40th Chapter Yet some others say God reproved Elihu in this second Verse only and spake comfort to Job in the third Gird up thy loins like a man and these interpret the first words of the Chapter Then the Lord answered Job cut of the Whirl-wind thus he answered for Job not to Job as if the word Job were to be taken in the dative Case signifying favour and respect from God to him But by the favour of these learned Authors who give this Interpretation I shall rather adhere to those who affirm and they are not a few that the person here concerned and spoken to was Job himself and I shall give you three or four Reasons of it and so pass to the opening of the words First Because the first Verse tells us expresly that the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and that Interpretation which saith he answered for not to Job is a little strain to the Text. Now the Lord speaking so expresly to Job in the first Verse it is very congruous that he should speak to him in the second and not divert his speech from him to another person in the next words that he spake Secondly Job himself took these words to himself in the forty second Chapter at the third Verse where he acknowledged that indeed he had spoken darkly I have uttered things that I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not he took I say the reproof contained or couched in those words to himself which is a clear argument that they were directed to him Thirdly If we consider the whole frame of the Lords discourse afterwards beyond this preface we shall find that he is not speaking for Job against Elihu but for Elihu against Job that is to humble Job and therefore the Lord doth joyn in with Elihu and useth the very same Arguments in the main as will appear in opening the Chapter which Elihu had insisted upon namely from the works of God in the Creation and his wonderful wisdom in ordering those works in Providence So that the dealing of God with Job in these Chapters as to the subject matter of it very consentaneous or like to the matter which Elihu had handled and insisted upon especially in the later part of his speech to Job and therefore it doth not seem probable that God would reprove him for what he had spoken Fourthly the manner of this rebuke seems to fit Job very fully for therein he is not charged with any falsity or gross mistake he indeed having spoken of God and the things of God of his own innocency and piety with the rewards of both truly and worthily but onely with obscuring and darkning the things which he had uttered His speech bearing much of the Image of his own troubled spirit and troublesom condition was somewhat troubled and confused Therefore I conclude that the person spoken to and reproved in this second verse was Job not Elihu Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge and it being resolved that he was the man let me before I proceed to the matter of this reproof give out this brief Observation We have heard at the eighth Verse of the first Chapter how God spake of Job and now consider how God speaks to Job There the Lord approved him highly as not having his like or second on earth for well-doing here the Lord reproved him sharply for undue-speaking Hence Note As God will not conceal the praises of his servants when they do well so he will not conceal their faults nor forbear to reprove them when they either do or speak amiss When Satan came upon that solemn day and stood before the Lord God said unto him Hast that considered my servant Job that there 's none like him in all the earth a man perfect and upright so perfect and upright both in his walking with me and in his dealing with man that he hath not his fellow Thus God spake of him as to his former state But now after Job had spoken long in this dispute and had let fall some unwary and unbecoming speeches see how God speakes to him Who is this as if he had been a man scarce worth the naming or speaking to God will not flatter his Servants if they do or speak what is not right they are like to hear of it Wherein he had spoken what was not right or what his fault was appeares in the next words Who is this That darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge Words against knowledge are the worst words that can be spoken the Lord did not charge Job thus far words without knowledge are very bad and thus far the Lord charged the words of Job as also with that which is an unavoidable effect of such words The darkening of câ—unsel Counsel in the general natuâ—e of it is light desired and held out to give counsel is to give light in and about any matter And therefore surely he that darkeneth counsel commits a very great fault yea a solicisme or absurdity in morals Counsel is the election or choice of proper means to a good end or Counsel is go d advices given and ought to be received about things to be done Hence the whole directive paâ—t of the Word of God is called Counsel Psal 73.24 Prov. 1.25 30. The doctrine of Reconciliation unto God by Christ is called The Counsel of Peace Zech. 6.13 David speaking of wicked proud men saith Psal 19.6 You have shamed the Counsel of the poor because the Lord is his refuge As if it were poor counsel and such as wec may be ashamed of to advise any to put their trust in God They darken Counsel indeed who are ashamed of it or who shame it It is questioned whose counsel or what counsel Job is charged by God with darkening There are two opinions about that Quis ost ille qui sermonibus â—â—peritis offundit tenebras consilio divino Tygur First Some expound it of Jobs own counsel of that counsel which he gave or held forth about the matter under dispute that is his sence and judgement in it Secondly The Counsel which he darkened was say others the Counsel of God or his purpose and intendment in the sufferings of the righteous and in suffering the wicked to prosper for a season These works of God are a great secret and therefore may well be expressed by the word Counsel Consilium absolute positum pro consilium Dei ut sermo pro sermo Dei Drus And usually when the word Counsel is put absolutely and alone it is to be understood of the Counsel of God Yet I conceive we may very well joyn these two opinions together and say Job darkened his own counsel and the
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
surely thou canst declare this secret Mr. Broughton hits the same sense For thou wilt be skilful that is thought skilful and taken among men for no babe a knowing man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mensurare sumitur pro mensura activa qua aliquid monsuramus aut pro re ipsa mensurata Mensuras ejus puta circumferentiam seu latitudinem diametrum sive profunditatem Pisc and therefore canst give me a good account of the measures of the earth both as to its circumference and diameter that is what the compass of it is and what the depth through the middle of the earth is Thus the words carry in them a cutting irony the matter being so much beyond Jobs knowledge of which the Lord saith to him For thou knowest which we render If thou knowest But the Hebrew particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rather and oftner I suppose used in a causal than in a conditional signification Here it may be said what difficulty is there in this Question Who laid the measures of the earth Job might easily answer God laid them Therefore I conceive not only yea not so much who laid them as how they were laid or what they are is here intended The most learned and studied Mathematicians could never give a right measure of the earth nor yet agree about that matter They measure it first as to the depth of it what the diameter of the earth is from top to bottom but they differ much in opinion what the depth or diameter of the earth is Some have reckoned it three thousand and fifty miles Oâ—hers have said it containeth six thousand and seventy miles And a third sort have concluded that it is seven thousand one hundred and seventy miles Thus they guess but could never yet come to know the true measures of the earth in deepness And if we consider the Perimiter or circumference of the earth there hath been as much variety of conjecture about that Some of the learned have reckoned the earth fifty thousand miles in compass Oâ—hers make it thirty and four thousand six hundred twenty five A third computation gives it to be thirty one thousand and five hundred miles There are who have brought it down to twenty two thousand five hundred yea to twenty thousand and four hundred miles And they who are judged most exact among the Moderns have reduced the account of the compass of the whole earth to nineteen thousand and fourscore miles Thus the learned and wise men of the world after their greatest studies know not what the measures the just measures of the earth are nor how they were laid And therefore God might well say to Job Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest Who ever could say to this day without mistake what the measures of it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumitur pro filo quod Latomi utrirque â—ffixum extendunt in longitudinem muri Appâ—llatur linea vel quia ex lino fit vel quia figuram rectam efficit quae etiam linea dicitur Bold Artifices ne quid indecenter fiat aut sine proportione regulam adhibent ad omnia dirigenda That is one thing A second followeth Or who hath stretched the line upon it As if he had said Who hath made the earth so exactly To do a thing in print and to do it by line are proverbials of the same signification The line is an instrument of great use in building Carpenters and Masons must have their line and plummet else they cannot keep their work even Now saith the Lord to Job Who hath stretched the line upon it The Lord still pursues the allusion to a building To stretch forth the line signifies in Scripture First The exercise of power And then Who hath stretched the line upon it is Who hath ordered and governed the earth The Apostle Paul spake of the line and of stretching forth the line in this sense 2 Cor. 10.8 where having said that he had power from God a spiritual power not for destruction but for edification he presently adds vers 13. But we will not boast of things without our measure but according to the measure of the rule or line as we put in the Margin which God hath distributed unto us for we stretch not our selves beyond our measure That is we are not greedy of nor do we grasp more power than is given and allowed us of God nor will we exercise our power further than Christ hath appointed and commanded us This stretching forth of the line is the exercise of power and that 's a metaphorical sense of it Secondly To stretch the line is to build or to make preparation for building Zech. 1.16 Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my house shall be built in it and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem Again chap. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things for they shall rejoyce and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel When the Lord would assure his people that Jerusalem should be restored he doth it by promising the stretching forth of the line and the sight of the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel commanding overseeing and directing the work The line and plummet being of much and most necessary use for the right setting of a building signified that God was about to build Thirdly The stretching forth of the line upon a place with some addition notes the destruction of it or the pulling of it down 2 Kings 21.13 I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab That is I will make her desolate as Ahab and Samaria were and so the latter part of the verse expounds it and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish wiping and turning it upside down Again Isa 34.11 I will stretch forth upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness That is It shall be utterly ruined And Isa 18.2 7. Wo to the land shadowing with wings c. that saith Go ye swift messengers to a Nation meted out and trodden down The Hebrew is Ad gentem quae conculcatur destruitur a deo lineatim i. e. paulatim destinitur cum modo ordine Go to a Nation of line as you have it in the Margin that is to a Nation who have the line stretched ouâ— upon them for desolation not a line stretched upon them to build them but to destroy them a Nation who are or shall be broken down as it were by line they shall come to perfect ruin or ruin shall come on them in full perfection As when the Lord will build he doth it by line that is exactly and fully even with a divine skill so when he will destroy fully he is said to mete out for destruction We have the word used both with respect to destruction and edification to building up and pulling down in that one place 2 Sam. 8.2 where
it is said that David smote Moab and measured them with a line casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full line to keep alive and so the Moabites became Davids servants and brought gifts Some understand this act of David in measuring the Moabites with a line strictly and literally that David having made a full Conquest of their Country did cause it to be measured with a line and then appointed or allotted two thirds of the Land together with the inhabitants to ruin and destruction receiving only the third of the people to mercy and reserving only a third part of the Land to be planted by them Others take it only allusively that having conquered them he used them and their Country at his own pleasure as we do that which we measure out by line But whether we take Davids measuring the Moabites with a line in the one sense or in the other it fully reaches this third notion of it under hand Here in the Text when the Lord demanded of Job Who hath stretched the line upon it It is as if he had said Shew me if thou canst who hath given this great building this fabrick of the earth such symetry such a proportion and evenness that no fault or flaw can possibly be found in it From these two figurative expressions in the fifth verse implying the exactness of the earths frame Note The frame of the world is every way and in every respect proportionable and beautiful 'T is done as it were by measure and line The Lord is infinitely above the use of measures or lines yet condescending to our understanding he gives us to know that 't is as perfect a piece as if he had done it by measure and by line Survay the whole world or any part of it is it not a most exact piece The heavens are as the roof of the house the earth as the floor and foundation of it those elements aire and water as the walls and sides of it The lower parts of the earth are as pillars and bases hills and high mountains appear like emboslements of the earth to the eye of the beholder What can be added whether we consider the compleatness of the whole or the symetry of the parts Have we not reason to say admiringly or to cry out as Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thâ—u made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the great aâ—d wide sea c. Our hearts should be drawn up by all the works of God to admire his workmanship That thy name is near thy wondrous works declare said David Psal 65.1 speaking of the Woâ—ks of Providence and that the name of God is near his Works of Creation declare also his name is written upon them that is his power wisdome and goodness And therefore when we behold this Woâ—k of God in special his laying the measures of the earth we should admire both his goodness wisdom and power There are five things in this part of the Creation the earth as expressed to be done by line and measure which may raise up our admiration of God First The greatness of the work It is a vast peece or pile a huge fabrick though but a point to the Heavens We admire great buildings but what are the greatest buildings upon earth to the earth it self which the Lord hath built Secondly The harmony or uniformity of the building and so the beauty of it Thirdly The compactness of the building as knit close together and so the firmness of it Fourthly That all was done in so short a time We say Rome was not built in a day Solomon was seven years in building the Temple 1 Kings 6.38 And he was thirteen years in building his own house 1 Kings 7.1 And doubtlesse Solomon laid out all the power and skill he had for the setting up of those buildings But behold a greater building than either the Temple which Solomon built for God or the house which he built for himself set up as we say in a trice The Lord finished all his work in six dayes and that part of it the earth in one Nor did the Lord take either six dayes to finish the whole work or one to finish any one part of it because he needed so much time to do it in but because he would not do it in less Fifthly The Lord did all this without the use of any instrument rule or compass axe or hammer though here is mention made of a measure and of a line The skilfullest Aâ—chitect cannot raise up any considerable building without these though he hath the platform and idea of it in his head yet take away his line and his rule and he can do nothing But such is the glorious skill and power of God that though he is pleased to speak of a measure and of a line yet we must not be so gross as to think that he made use of any The whole work was natural to God and therefore he needed no artificial helps nor was any instrument employed in it but only his own creating word and will Some faithless Atheists of old and possibly there are such at this day asked in scorn with what tools and instruments with what ladders and scaffolds this building was set up But let us at once pity such in their unbeliefe and horrible prophaneness and labour to edifie or build up our selves in grace and holiness in the faith and fear of his great Name who built this world without tools or instruments without ladders or scaffolds Secondly As our hearts should be drawn out in admiration so in thankfulness forasmuch as God hath made such a world for us he hath laid the foundations of the earth he hath measured it out and stretched the line upon it that we might have the use of it that we might tenant and inhabit this house Man is the chief inhabitant of the earth that other creatures dwell there is for the service of man then let us be thankful Our greatest cause of thankfulness is that the Lord hath made another house for us of which the Apostle professeth his assurance 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle whether of our body or of the body of this world is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens O how should we rejoyce in he thankful for that house But that we have this inferiour house built for us which is also a building of God an house not made with hands but purely and immediately by the power of God is and should be continual matter of great thankfulness Thirdly Seeing the Lord hath thus laid the measures of the earth and stretched forth the line upon it seeing he hath made such an exact building for us this earth let us walk exactly and orderly upon this earth which he hath made
neither foundation nor corner-stone Remember O Job and well consider that as when in the beginning I saw the earth without form and void Gen. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I by a creating word commanded it into form and fulness So when thou seest nothing but Tohu and Bohu confusion and disorder voidness and darkness in the earth even then I am laying the measures of Justice and stretching the line of Truth and Equity upon all that is done or suffered and will bring forth my work in full perfection Nothing shall be amiss or out of order when my work is finished how much soever it may seem to be amiss as to beginnings or present actings Therefore O Job leave off thy complainings and rest quietly in my dealings Some have questioned the Natural Works of God yet 't is impossible to mend any part or the least pin of them And 't is as impossible for the wit and understanding of Men or Angels to mend any thing in the Providential Works of God That 's the scope of this discourse even that the consideration of Gods power and wisdom in making the world should bâ—idle our curiosity and awe our spirits when they begin to quarrel with yea but to query about any thing that God hath done though it appear to us altogether irregular and confused or as done without either line or measure The Lords work is beautiful and glorious 't is also sure and strong As his Promise or Covenant is ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 So are his Providences too for they are the issues and accomplishments of his Promises oâ—dered as to means and sure as to the end They shall end oâ— issue in b inging about the things which are laid in the foundation and corner-stone of his purposes counsels and decrees all which work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 And to convince Job from the Works of Creation that he ought not only to acquiesce or rest quietly under the Works of Providence whatsoever they were but to rejoyce in them the Lord tells him in the next verse that there was great rejoycing yea shouting for joy when the foundations of the earth were fastened and the corner-stone thereof laid JOB Chap. 38. Vers 7. 7. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy THere are two opinions among learned Interpreters concerning the general state of this verse First Some here reassuming the first words of these questions proposed at the fourth verse by God to Job Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. make this the second instance of Gods mighty power in the works of Creation Where wast thou when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy As if the Lord had said I have as yet questioned thee only where thou wast when I made the earth which is the most inferiour part of the world But now I purpose to rise higher in my discourse and therefore I put these questions to thee Where wast thou when I set up the morning stars those sparkling lights which shine to the earth through the firmament of heaven as also the sons of God those blessed spirits all which sang together and shouted for joy at the appearance of my power and wisdom Secondly Others connect these words in a continued sense and sentence with the verse going before Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. at which sight the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Taking the words thus they carry an allusion to or are a similitude taken from noble buildings or structures whose foundations use to be laid with solemnity and their corner-stones to be set up with shouting and acclamation That it was anciently customary to make such acclamations at the laying of the foundation of some eminent building besides what is clear out of humane Authors and Histories we have several Scripture evidences The 87th Psalm throughout setting forth the structure of the Gospel Church of the spiritual Zion by way of prophesie begins thus His foundation is in the holy mountains there 's the foundation of Zion laid Then followeth as at the second verse The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! Selah As if he had said there was a great acclamation high praises at the laying the foundation of Zion with which the Psalme closeth more expresly v. 7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my Springs are in thee Again Psal 118.22 23 24. there is no sooner mention made of the corner-stone the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner but presently we have acclamations about it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes This is a blessed work indeed This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That corner-stone of salvation Jesus Christ being laid as I may say all the stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy This is the day which the Lord hath made If we go to those material buildings which were figurative of the Church and Christ we shall find the like Ezra 3.10 When the Jewes at the return of their Captivity began to build the Temple the Text saith at the tenth verse And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord then they set the Priests in their apparel and with their voices with the Levits and the sons of Asaph to praise the Lord. As soon as the foundation was laid they were all in song and raised up in holy rejoycings though some of the old men who remembred the first Temple wept when the foundation of this was laid That Scripture Zach. 4.7 speaks of the same thing where the Prophet in the Spirit fore-seeing the disappointments of all the enemies of the people of God thus triumphs over them by faith Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting That is the building of Hierusalem or the restoring of the Temple shall be brought to perfection and then they shall cry grace grace unto it Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common and of the people of God in special at the raising of great structures the Lord tells us here that when he laid the foundations of the earth and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof there was a Triumph made Then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Thus we have the state of this verse either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels or else subjoyning it as an acclamation
to the former instance of the power of God the Stars and Angels rejoycing at the laying of the foundations of the earth And the general reason why the Lord bâ—ings in the stars and the sons of God rejoycing at the laying the foundations of the earth and finishing that work we may conceive to be this that the Lord would thereby convince Job of his murmuring and complaining or of the unquietness of his spirit under the works of his providence As if he had said The stars and all the sons of God rejoyced at the founding of the Earth extolling the work Monetur Jobus ut exemplo angelorum dei opera miretur laudet non sugillet Scult and congratulating the appearances of my power and glory in it Now who art thou that when I have put forth my power and wisdom in this work of my providence towards thee thou shouldst complain and find fault with what I have done instead of resting and rejoycing in it Surely O Job thou thinkest my works of providence are imperfect though my work of Creation was not but consider was the Creation in the very first part of it such as caused all the sons of God to rejoyce and wilt thou who sayest thou art a son of God sit unsatisfied with any of my works Thus the Lord handles Job and from that testimony which the stars and his sons gave of the Works of Creation reproves him for his unquietness under his Works of Providence So much for the general state of the words Yet to clear them farther in general before I come to the particulars there are three veins of interpretation opened about them First Some interpret this whole verse concerning the stars or the heavenly bodies not only taking the first part of the verse literally for the stars in heaven but by the sons of God in the latter part of the verse they understand the stars in a figure as I shall shew more fully when I come to the opening of those words Thus they expound the whole verse concerning the glory and praise which the stars in heaven gave to God for the Work of Creation at the laying of the foundations of the Earth Hieronymus Gregorius Beda A second sort of Interpreters expound the whole verse of the Angels and not of the Stars properly at all they suppose the morning Stars to be Angels in a figure and the Sons of God to be Angels in the letter and so expound the whole verse of the Angels as if the words were a description only of that joy which the Angels of Heaven only expressed when they saw God beginning the Work of Creation or laying the foundations of the Earth The third sort of Interpreters divide the sense expounding the first part of the verse properly for the Stars those studs of light with which the Heavens are adorned whâ—ch in their kind are brought in singing at the Creation of the Earth and by the Sons of God in the latter part of the verse they understand the Angels those spiritual substances who are the Native Inhabitants of Heaven they especially are represented shouting for joy when that work was begun I cannot adhere to the first sort of Interpreters giving all to the Stars nor to the second giving all to the Angels though that hath many learned Authors who press it hard but following the middle way shall take the former part of this verse for the Stars of Heaven and the latter for the Angels in Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sunt steâ—â—ae quaedam singulares quae non aliis admistae solae feruntur Sydora vero quae in aliquod signum stellarum plurium composita feruntur Macrob. l. 1. c. 14. Matutinas nominat meo judicio quod sub auroram magis splendere videantur Merc. When the morning Stars sang together There are single Stars and Stars as I may say in a combination commonly called a Constellation There is an Evening Star and a Morning Star which yet are but one called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latines Lucifer The light bringer because that Star appears very bright immediately before day-break or before the Sun riseth and the same Star which ushered or led in the Sun in the morning comes behind the Sun in the evening and is then called Hesperus The Evening Star Here the Lord speaks in the plural number of the morning Stars not in the singular of a morning Star And the Lord calls them morning Stars say some because the Stars appear most clearly and shine most brightly near the approach of the morning or break of the day Secondly Others conceive them so called Sydera summo mundi mane lucentia mequâ— suo formoso splendore landantia because they were created or formed in the very morning of the World they were early made For though as I shall touch afterward as to their perfection the Stars were made the fourth day yet their Creation is comprehended in the work of the first day under those general words Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth the Heavens contained all the Stars in their materiality though not yet formally produced for the Stars being but the thicker part of the Heavenly Orb when the Heavens were made the Stars were also made and may therefore be called Morning Stars as being made in the Morning of the World early made Thirdly They may be called Morning Stars because they according to their manner exprest their joy early or betimes in the Morning of the World or as soon as the Lord had laid the foundations of the Earth Those things which are done early Qui mane aliquid aggrediuntur opus Matutini dicuntur Nec minus Aeneas se matutinus agebat Virg l. 8. Idem est matutina astra laudant atque mane laudant Sanct. are done in the morning and they who do things in the morning have the denomination of the morning upon them The Poet anciently said Aeneas was Matutinus A Morning Man because he was early at his work so these may be called Morning Stars because they were early at work singing the praise of God Thus the reason why the Wolf hath this Epithite An Evening Wolf is because he doth his work he comes forth for his prey in the evening Hab. 1.8 Zeph. 3.3 In the former Prophet the Chaldean Horse-men are compared to Evening Wolves for fierceness and in the latter the Judges of Israel are set under the same comparison for blood-sucking cruelty And as thus upon different accounts some are called Morning Men others Evening Men so 't is upon no good account that any are called Night-men though the general reason of it be the same with the former because they do their bad work or works of darkness under the shadow and favour of the Night The Thief the Murderer the Adulterer are Night-men all these are wont to do their work in the Night Job 24 13 14 15 16.
hard labour This makes the sense of the whole Context run more clearly than our reading of it And so we have Sea-doors of two sorts in this Context In this eighth verse the doors of the Sea are the doors by which the Sea came forth and in the tenth verse we have the doors by which the Sea is kept in whereas according to our rendring the doors in both places are interpreted as keeping the Sea in and so there would be a mention of the same doors twice which though it may be admitted yet this latter seems to be the clearest as taking the first doors for those by which the Sea was let out or had its birth and the latter for those doors by which the Sea is kept within its bounds Who shut up the Sea with doors When it brake forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exivit cum impâ—tu The word which we translate to break forth signifies in other places of Scripture the breaking forth of a Child in the birth David useth it Psal 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb there it is taken as Grammarians speak transitively here intransitively When it brake foterth noting a kind of rapture or violence as when Tamar was in travel Gen. 38.27 28. There were twins in her womb and it came to pass when she travelled that the one put out his hand and the Midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet threed saying this came out first and it came to pass as he drew back his hand that behold his brother came forth and she said how hast thou broken forth this breach be upon thee therefore his Name was called Pharez Thus the Sea brake forth violently as if it had issued Out of the womb Ex occulto divinae providentiae Aquin. Creavit deus terram non inanem sed gravidam aquis quae licet eodem temporis momento 〈◊〉 What Womb Some say of the Providence of God say others of the Decree or Counsel of God for that is the womb out of which all things proceed A third saith out of the Power and Omnipotence of God All these sayings are true either of these is as the womb out of which all things issue but these the Providence the Decree and Counsel the Power and Omnipotence of God are the Common Womb out of which all things issue whereas here the Lord seems to speak of some special womb out of which the Sea issued And therefore I rather adhere to that Interpretation which saith plainly that the womb out of which the Sea is said to issue was the Abysse or bowels of the Earth The Sea brake forth out of the bowels of the Earth as out of a womb The Earth is the Common Parent the Parent of the Sea the Sea was created in the bowels of the Earth or the Earth was created big with the waters of the Sea as a woman big with child and shortly after the Lord caused the earth like a woman with child to travel and bâ—ing forth the Sea So that the Lord doth here more distinctly open to us the manner of the Creation of the Sea than in the first of Genesis It is true the Element of Water hath its seat naturally above the Earth it being the lighter Element but as to the first conception of it this Scripture implies that its place was within the Earth and that it issued forth from the Earth The bowels of the Earth were the womb in which the Sea was conceived and out of which by the Word of the Lord it issued The waters were not at first created above the Earth as some have affirmed but they being created with the Earth and conceived within the Earth brake out of the Earth and invested or covered it all over and so continued in that condition till the third day and then the Lord commanded them to retire into certain vast channels now called Sea that so the dry land might appear Thus the Lord when the waters were issued forth disposed of them in their proper place According to this Interpretation we are to take these words of the time past Who is he that shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth that is after it had broken forth after it had issued out Who was he that then shut it up with doors This description of the Nativity of the Sea may be drawn out into these concluâ—ions First The Earth and Waters were created both together Secondly The Waters were at first created within the bowels of the Earth for saith the Text They issued forth they brake forth Thirdly At the Command of God the Waters were brought forth out of the Earth as a Child out of the Mothers Womb Psal 33.7 He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heap he layeth up the deep in store-houses Psal 104 vers 5 9. Bless the Lord c. who laid the foundations of the Earth that it should not be removed for ever thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the Waters stood above the Mountains Fourthly The Waters being thus brought forth did at first cover the Earth and so would have continued if God had let them alone In the method of Nature things lie thus First The earth is lowest being the grossest element Secondly The water riseth above the earth as being more pure than that Thirdly The air is above the water as being much more pure than the water Fourthly The fire gets above all as being the thinnest and purest of all the elements and therefore the water issuing out of the earth would have continually covered the face of the earth if the Lord by his power had not ordered it off and shut it up with doors when come off according to our reading the words in this verse and according to the general reading of the tenth verse where the whole earth being covered with water the Lord brake up for it his decreed place and there kept it fast Thus David Psal 104.7 8. speaking of the waters above the mountains and over-flowing all presently adds At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away they go up by the mountains they go down by the vallies unto the place which thou hast founded for them There the Lord by David as here by himself sets forth his mighty power in the disposal of the waters to a certain place But if we take that other reading of this verse Who hath annointed the doors of the Sea then by doors we are not to understand that which stops the Sea from over-flowing the earth as in the tenth verse but for those passages at which the waters brake out of the earth as an infant from the womb which seems most distinct and clear And because the Sea is so huge a body so great a part of the world we may not unprofitably I hope before I pass from this verse consider a three-fold representation of the Sea or the Sea as a glass
shaken out of it 14. It is turned as clay to the seal and they stand as a garment 15. And from the wicked their light is with-holden and the high arm shall be broken THe Lord in dealing with Job had already put sundry Questions to him about the earth and about the sea as hath been shewed in the former part of this Chapter here the Lords calls his thoughts up into the ayre or bids him look to the heavens and duly consider the light of the Sun In this the Lord intends the same thing which he had done before while he was questioning Jâ—b about the Earth and the Sea namely to humble him and bâ—ing him â—o a full submission by shewing him his weakness and utter insufficiency as also to set forth his own wisdom power and greatness Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days c. We may gather up the general sense of these four verses in oâ— this brief sum As if the Lord had thus bespoken Job If thou answerest that the things I have already questioned thee about were before thy time and therefore must needs be done without either thy counsel or assistance then I ask thee farther Hast thou ever hastened or retarded hast thou quickened or stopt the rising of the Sun at any time since thou wast born or hast thou ever caused the morning light in any one of these Jew days which thou hast seen to spread it self far and near even every where to the uttermost parts of the earth that so those evil doers and night-birds who being children of darkness cannot but hate the light and love the works of darkness might by its rising be at once discovered and affrighted This seems to be the purpose and scope of God in these words More particularly Vers 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days That 's the first Question Hast thou since thy days given the morning its charge to Mr. Broughton translates implying that every morning the Sun receives as it were fresh orders from some hand or other now hast thou given out orders for â—â—e morning light Doth the day-light obey thee Doth the Sun arise at such times and places as thou hast appointed Hast thou commanded it so we render The word notes commanding with fullest authority Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vâ—tâ— jubâ—re oâ—essâ— exhibere sisterâ— in actum â—oâ—spectum edâ—câ—re Imperium voluntatis efficaâ— intelligitur quod statim sequitur effâ—ctus a command to appear and be ready upon duty a command to stand forth and do what is enjoyned This word of command is most proper unto God Psal 33.9 He spake the word and it was done he commanded and it stood fast The command of God is a creating command it puts things into act his saying gives them a being his calling them to work makes them work or sets them a work Now saith God Hast thou commanded the morning Hast thou O Job such a word of command upon any câ—eature for the producing of any effect motion or action Hast thou commanded The morning Aâ—anando latine dicitur mane quâ—d cum sole manâ—t dies abâ—â—ience By the morning the Lord means the morning light As if he had said Hast th u raised the Sun out of its bed and brought forth the morning hast thou like the Master or Lord of this great family the World called up thy servants and set up thy light for them to work by hast thou commanded the morning that is caused the Sun to rise which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race Psal 19.5 No saith the Lord it was not 't is not thou that commandest the morning it is I that command the morning I commanded the first morning Gen. 1.5 I said Let there be light and there was light and the evening and morning were the first day It was I who the fourth day said Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons for days and for years It was I that made two great lights the Sun and Moon the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night Gen. 1.14 15 16. The first morning and all the mornings the light-bearer or the light-bringer came forth and appeared at my command not at thine Hast thou commanded the morning Since thy days There is somewhat special in those words Since thy days We may take them either of these two ways First As if the Lord had said Cum dixit A diebus tuis Ostendit id antequam ille nasceretur factum esse perpetuum illum naturae ordinem in manu dei esse non hominum Merc. Was there no morning before thy days Or Was there not a morning befoâ—e thou hadst a morning in the world Did the birth of the morning wait till thou wast born Did it not look forth noâ— appear till thou didst appear Surely there were mornings hundreds of years before thou hadst a morning in the world The morning did not stay for thee nor for thy day Secondly Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days That is since thou camest into the world hast thou had the honour priviledge and power to awaken and call up the morning as thou dost thy houshold servants Know O Job that as there was a morning before thou wast born or hadst a day in the world so since thy day thou hast neither made the morning nor raised up the morning light that power is now in my hand as it was before thou wast in being thou art but of yesterday of a few days there was a morning before thy days and since thy days many have continued and come forth daily yet not at thy command but at mine As I brought forth the light in the first day of the Creation so the fourth day I created the Sun into which I gathered the light and at whose rising the morning shews it self Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days 'T is a daring Question thou hast not I have done it and not thou Hence Note First What God will have done he can command to be done or it shall be done at his command The Lord needs not labour to produce the most difficult effects he can produce them as a Lord by a word speaking he needs not intreat nor treat about the bringing forth of any matter his will is enough to bring it forth What God will have done shall be done Thus it was at the beginning when God created all things and gave them a being and thus it hath been ever since for the moving of all things to their several ends and issues to this day all hath been done by a word of command David Psal 148. calling the Sun Moon and Stars to praise the Lord gives that as the reason vers 5. for he commanded and they were created Now I say as
the first day of the world God is the Father not onely of spiritual light Jam. 1.17 but of natural Psal 74.16 The day is thiâ—e the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the Sun This glory is ascribed to God by his holy Prophet also Jer. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night The Lord gives these as well as command these and who but God can do either None can command the creatures unto their daily motion but God much less could any command the creatures into their first being but God How wise how great soever men are or seem to be in their own eyes or sight they cannot make nor bring forth the least ray of light much less can they make such a world of light as God hath made for the world And surely there is no creature wherein we may see and contemplate more of God than in the light which he made the first day and now commandeth to make the morning day by day Nor is there any thing in the whole compass of Nature either more comfoâ—table or more admirable than the light The commonness of it lessens our esteem of it and because it comes so constantly and never fails we are apt to look upon it as no great matter as no great mercy whereas indeed the light is not onely useful and comfortable but admirable and that it deserves these three attributes I shall briefly shew by giving a touch at each of them That light is an admirable creature must be confessed if we consider First It s original or the way of its production The Apostle treating about spiritual light tells us whence the natural light came 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness c. Light came as it were out of the womb of darkness Now that out of darkness black darkness such a beautiful child such a goodly creature as light should be brought forth is it not marvellous Yet thus it was God commanded light to shine out of darkness The History of the Creation reports There was nothing but darkness upon the face of the earth when the Lord said Let there be light Darkness is totally contrary to light 't is the privation of light Now that the habit should come forth out of the privation light out of darkness or life out of death joy out of sorrow peace out of trouble these are the wonderful works of God And we may comfortably meditate upon this when we want any kind of light Whence did the Lord bring light at first even out of darkness therefore let us not think any darkness of trouble a leâ—t to the Lords production of light When we are in spiritual darkness the state of nature is a state of darkness that doth not hinder the Loâ—d can easily bring the light of the new creatuâ—e out of it and when we are in the darkness of any trouble though it be thick darkness darkâ—ess as Job spake chap. 10.22 like darkness it self and where the light is as darkness yet this doth not hinder the Lord can bring light out of it There 's the first wonder the Lord brought light out of darkness Secondly Light is wonderful in its operation power and efficacy in that it doth so suddenly chase away conquer and overcome darkness Light gets victory over darkness in a moment There 's no darkness can abide the face of light As soon as God commands the morning let it be as da k as pitch the darkness must away and fly before it Daâ—kness cannot withstand light nor stand in the presence of it there 's no long dispute light instantly gets the hands the day of darknâ—ss Thirdly If we consider the pure nature oâ— lighâ— 't is as pure as purity it self Light hath an inseparable and an insuperable purity though it may be a while obâ—cured yet it cannot be at all polluted Philosophers have spoken much about the natuâ—e of light but none were ever able to comprehend it Some said it is a habit or quality of a light some body Lâ—x diunt Physici est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu qualitas corporis â—ucidi yet none of their definitions reach it fully They make it a quality yet we may conceive it is rather to be ranked and reckoned among substances than accidents it being a principal part of the Creation and the express subject of Gods work the first day of it Fourthly The light is very wonderful in the changes and vicissitudes of it How it passeth and repasseth how it increaseth and decreaseth how it comes and goes is an amazing consideration Fifthly Though the light be in continual changes yet there 's nothing more constant than the light to its appointed time Light never fails to come in its season Secondly That light is a most useful and beneficial creature who can deny seeing without light the whole Creation were a nothing to us What had the world been to us if God had not made light and set up lights in it The eye of the body whiâ—h is the light of the body Matth. 6.22 were of no use to us without outward light Till the Sun which is the eye of the great world shines the eye which is the Sun of the little world is no advantage to us There must be light in the aire as well as light in the eye else the most beautiful objects have no appearing beauty and therefore the Lord made light the first day that by it the beauty of the whole Creation might be seen Light discovers it self and all other things Light illustrates all the works of God and sets them in our sight And as all that God hath done would be nothing to us without light so we our selves could do nothing without light We cannot work at all or very hardly or very badly without light hence that of David Psal 104.22 23. The Sun ariseth man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening John 9.4 The night cometh wherein no man can work Night of any sort is not for work because 't is dark and therefore they who work in the night get artificial light to supply the want of natural When the plague of darkness was upon the Egyptians they sate still and no man moved from the place where he was till that plague was removed Exod. 10.22 23. And as we cannot do the work of our Civil Callings without light either natural or artificial so we cannot do the work of our Christian Calling without spiritual light When Christ the Sun of righteousness ariseth with healing in his wings then we go forth to our spiritual labour as Christians and grow up as the calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 How long soever we live in this world we never go forth to that labour till the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus Christ ariseth upon us It was
our blessed Saviouâ— the light and life of the world hath counselled us Let our light shine and so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 We that have light commanded for us every day how should we be lights and go forth as the Sun casting out our rays and beams in a holy and godly conversation And while we go forth and walk in such a conversation we go forth and walk as the Sun in its strength we enlighten all the world where we come and dazel the eyes of the wicked world or of the wicked in the world Sixthly How should we who have light commanded for us avoid all the works of darkness yea We should as the Apostle exhorts Rom. 13.12 13. cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we should walk honestly as in the day As in the day which the light of the natural Sun makes and as in the day which the light of the mystical Sun our Lord Jesus Christ hath made Seventhly Remember as God hath commanded a morning for us here so he will command a light or a morning a morning light for all our actions hereafter As God hath made the the light so he will bring all things to light Many now live in the light of this world whose works are in the dark as well as theirs are works of darkness Now as the Lord hath commanded a morning to shine for us to worke by so he will have a morning wherein all our works shall be seen 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and the manifest the counsels of the heart Men may dig deep to hide their counsels from God but God knows how to bring them and their counsels to the morning and will cause a light to shine upon them though they have no light of truth or righteousness in them God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing Eccl. 12.14 We must all appear saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 or we must all be manifest we must appear and so must our works too Those works of men shall be light as to their discovery which are nothing but darkness as to their impurity Those deeds which have no light in them shall come in the clearest light and be plainly seen to the bottom both by Men and Angels The Lord who hath commanded this moâ—ning light for us to do our work in will command another morning light to judge our works in and to give us the reward of them And let all the wicked of the earth to whom the morning of any day because they are in danger to be discovered by it is as the shadow of death Job 24.17 Let them I say consider how many thousand deaths that morning will be to them which will actually fully and impartially discover all their wickedness with all the secrets of it Lastly Consider if the Lord hath bestowed so great a mercy upon us in commanding the morning or in giving us light the light of the Sun then let us be minded how great a mercy the Lord hath bestowed upon us in commanding the light or morning of the Gospel to come upon us It was night with us and so it would have been for ever for any means we could have devised or used to help out selves out of it till God commanded Christ the bright Morning Star Rev. 22.16 and Sun of Righteousness to rise and shine upon us How unspeakable a mercy is it that such a light should appear to us who not only were in darkness but were darkness If we account it a mercy that God hath commanded a morning to shine to us O what a mercy is it that we have a Christ to shine upon us That the Day-Star from on high hath visited us That he who is the true light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 hath risen upon us both to scatter the darkness of sin and ignorance and to chear our souls with the sweet beams of his healing wings So much of the first part of the verse Hast thou commanded the mâ—rning since thy day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—ir◠〈◊〉 auâ—â—râ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aurora dâ—ssâ—runt Nam prima dici 〈…〉 diâ—tum 〈…〉 hâ—c a nigri◠〈◊〉 specio ut vid tur Nam 〈◊〉 res sub diâ—â—rulo apparere inâ—pturâ— nigricâ—â—â— viâ—entur Câ—c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—t nigrescâ—re bin nigrescentem lucem scil diluculum significat Sol varie nec uno loco oritur quotidie ejus loâ—â—s mutatirut sol ascendit aut descendit in signis Zodiaci Merc. And caused the day-spring to know his place That is when and where it should break forth and appear every morning The day-spring is exprest by a different word in the original from the morning light it implieth the first of the morning when the air is darkish or duskish we commonly call it the gray of the morning The word signifies to be dark or that darkness which we call twilight When the day-spring ushers in the morning there is a kind of dimness in the light Now saith the Lord Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place hast thou taught it where to shew it self to the world The Lord speaks nere of the day-spring as if it were a rational creature that took instructions or a word of direction where to begin the morning light God not man hath taught the day-spring to know its place We have a like expression Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me or thou wilt cause me to know the path of life Thus the Lord makes the day-spring know the path to its own place The day never springs twice immediately in one place but is in a continual variation as Astronomers with experience teach The place of the light or Sun-rising differeth every morning and from thence we have the difference of the dayes The Sun passing through the twelve signs of the Zodiack beginning with Aries c. I shall not trouble you with their names which have been devised and are used only for learning sake the Sun I say passing every year thâ—ough these twelve Signs all which Astronomers present unto us under various forms or figures such as themselves fancied most useful to subserve the understanding of that Art according to the situation of these Signs through which the Sun runs his course in the Heavens the day-spring to us on Earth changeth its place every day appearing sometimes more southerly and sometimes more easterly as the Sun either ascends to the Summer Solstice at which time the day is at longest and the night at shortest as about the eleventh of our Moneth called June or when it descends to the Winter Solstice at which time the day is shortest and the night longest as about the eleventh of our December To which we may add the Suns coming in its
ascending course to the middle point of the heavens which makes the Vernal Equinox at which time the day and night are of an equal length as about the eleventh of out March as also the Suns coming in its descending course to the other middle point of the heavens which makes the Autumnal Equinox at which time the day and night are again of an equal length as about the eleventh of our September Now according to all these variations of the Suns motion the day-spring varieth its place day by day and the Lord enquires of Job how this comes to pass Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place No 't is I that have made the day-spring to know its place I have appointed it those several stages where it shall rise to day and where to morrow and where every day throughout the year this is from my contrivement and appointment not from thine Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place Hence Note First It is the Lord who appoints every creature its proper place The beauty of the world is from the order of the world and that every creature knows its place makes the whole creation amiable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The World is expressed in Greek by a word noting the beauty and order of it And that which renders the creatures not onely beautiful but serviceable to man is the order they are placed in The Sun keeping its appointed course makes Summer at one time and Winter at another The Sun ever moves in unless stayed by miracle as in Joshua's time but never moves out of its place As no creature is burdensome so there 's no creature unserviceable when kept in its place as was surther shewed vers 10. Note Secondly The course of times and seasons is firmly and inviolably setled by the command of God This fettlement was made in the Creation Gen. 1.14 And when the flood had made as it were a confusion of the times and seasons the Lord renewed this settlement Gen. 8.22 While the Earth remaineth seed time and harvest and cold and heat and Summer and Winter and day and night shall not cease Read this fully Jer. 31.35 36. Jer. 33.20 Sun and Moon know their time and 't is God who hath taught them this knowledge and given them this instruction The light keeps its time though it changeth its time every day Psal 104.19 He appointeth the Moon for seasons the Sun knoweth his going down The Sun is instructed as it were where to rise and where to go down The Sun follows the direction of God There is no rational creatâ—re that doth so exactly follow the conduct of God as the Sun The Sun forgets not its duty it never mistook the hour either of its rising or going down as we more largely shewed a little before it never mistook a hairs breadth for place nor a moment of its time And as it moves according to the command of God so nothing can stay its motion but the command of God And if He say Sun stand thou still it will do so again as in the days of Joshua Now if all creatures keep their station and observe their motion according to the instructions they receive from God should not this be our instruction If God hath caused the day-spring to know its place and time if the Sun rise where and when he would have it Shall not we know our place and time Shall not we be where and when God would have us As every thing so every person is most useful in his proper place and season The Sun is therefore so useful because it knows and keeps both carrying and distributing its light up and down the world to the sons of men answerably to its instructions and that commission given it from above The Lord having put questions to Job about the direction of the morning light and by whom the day-spring is taught to know its place proceeds to shew the work and effects of the day-spring and morning light Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place Vers 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the Earth In this verse we have two things concerning the day-spring or the light First The powerful extensiveness of it The light takes hold there 's its power It takes hold of the very ends of the Earth there 's its extensiveness Secondly We have one part or point of the usefulness or beneficialness of light when it thus takes hold of the ends of the earth this good it doth or this benefit comes by it the shaking of the wicked out of it As if it had been said The day-spring takes hold of the ends of the earth for this end and purpose that the earth may be freed from the wicked That it might take hold of the ends of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt apprehenderet Rab Sel. Jarchi That is that the morning or the day-spring might c. Some of the Rabins refer those woâ—ds that it may take hold not to the day-spring but to Job As if the Lord had said Canst thou O Job make the day to know its place that thou mightest take hold of the ends of the earth as I do and shake the wicked out of it But rather as we That the day-spring might take hold Vt extremaâ— terrarum oras radiis quasi totidem digitis injectis prehendet Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non tam phrasi poetica quam Hebraismo alae tribuuntur terrae Pined apprehend and hold fast the ends of the earth Mr. Beza expresseth it in this elegancy The Sun sends forth its rays as so many fingers to take hold of the utmost verges or ends of the earth The Hebrew is The wings of the earth and so Mr. Broughton translates To hold the wings of the earth By the wings of the earth according to an Hebraisme very frequent in Scripture we are to understand the extream or remotest parts of the earth And because the wings of a bird are stretched out to the very utmost when she flieth the Hebrews call that which is the extream or utmost bound of any thing the wings of it and hence in their language the utmost part or hem of a garment is the wing of a garment as here and elsewhere the utmost parts of the earth are the wings of the earth Isa 11.1 2. He shall set up an ensigne for the Nations and shall assemble the out-casts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners or as the Margin hath it wings of the earth Thus the Lord speaks of the light Hast thou caused the day-spring to know its place that it might take hold of the ends or wings of the earth Hence Note First The Suns light is wonderfully extensive and diffusive The Sun hath large arms or rather long wings Some hawks are called long winged The same we may say of the Sun that hath long wings indeed reaching to the utmost stretch ends
or wings of the earth The prophet Malachi comforts those that fear the Name of the Lord with this promise The Sun of Righteousness shall arise to them with healing in his wings The Sun-beams or the light that is conveyed in those beams are compared to wings and they are spread to the very wings of the earth and extend themselves over the whole Hemisphere The morning light like lightning is diffused from East to West in a moment When it is day with one half of the world 't is night with the other but where the Sun comes it gives light all over that half-face of the earth The Sun is an universal benefit and therefore the most excellent outward benefit We say of every good thing by how much 't is the more common communicative and extensive by so much the better it is As evil by how much it spâ—eads it self the further by so much the worse it is so good by how much the more it spreads it self it is the better As the natural light of the day so the spiritual light of the Gospel is very diffusive When the Gospel was first preacht by the Apostles of Christ the day-spring from on high then visiting the world O how speedily did that take hold of the ends of the earth David Psal 22.27 speaking of the Prophetical Office of Christ in sending forth the light of his truth saith All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to God What caused the ends of the earth to remember and what did they remember Surely it was the light of the Gospel taking hold of the ends of the earth which caused the ends of the earth to remember God and themselves they saw their danger and their duty and so turned to God By the ends of the earth in that place of the Psalm we are to understand the inhabitants of the utmost parts of the earth who had never remembred themselves never considered themselves never awakened out of sin never turned to God if the light of the Gospel had not shined to them The natural light is not onely very extensive but powerful and so is the light of the Gospel it goes to the ends of the earth with wonderful effects The Apostles had a Commission from Christ like that which God gives to the Sun to carry their light or to preach the Gospel to every creature The Sun gives light and influence to every creature Psal 19.6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Nor shall any thing be hid from the light heat and influences of the Gospel Secondly The light is exceeding swift and spreads it self far and near in a moment Many can go far if you give them time but the light goes very far even to the ends of the earth upon the matter without time it goes almost in an instant in the twinkling of an eye it immediately takes hold of the ends of the earth As soon as the Sun ariseth light appeareth day breaks and with an unconceivable speed illustrates all places within its eye or which lie open to it The body of the Sun moves fast to a wonder but the beams of the Sun move faster David Psal 139.9 speaks of the wings of the morning If I take saith he the wings of the morning that is the morning light and flâ—e to the utmost parts of the earth even there shall thy hand lead me c. The morning light is winged and moves with incredible swiftness The Scripture speaks of the morning light with respect to its sudden motion as if it were a feathered or winged fowl spreading its rayes as so many feathers or plumes over all at an instant Though darkness thick darkness hath got possession of the earth in the night yet no sooner doth the light glimmer above the Horizon but darkness is suddenly scattered One would think there should be a great battel a long contest between light and darkness before light could conquer darkness and get it off the face of the earth whereas daily experience teacheth us that the morning having once opened its eye-lids light gets an easie victory and sheddeth it self abroad every where without controul Darkness is soon dispelled and driven out of the field by light Darkness cannot stand its ground before the Sun who is Lord of the day according to the appointment of God Thus the day-spring takes hold of the ends of the earth And if any ask Why doth it so I answer The day-spring is a great and a faithful servant to man There are many uses of light many services which the light doth for us I toucht some of them in opening the former Context We have one especial use or service of it expressed in the close of this verse It takes hold of the ends of the earth That the wicked may be shaken out of it This latter part of the verse seems to have little cognation with and to be of a very difficult connexion with the former for it may be said What hath this shaking of the wicked out of the earth to do with the light taking hold of the ends of the earth I answer The light that takes hold of the ends of the earth is as a Serjeant to arrest and take hold of the wicked and so is a means to shake them out of the earth The words may carry a double Metaphor Lux orat terrae tanquam pallâ—i apprehendit ita impios excutit Rab. Solom First To the shaking of a garment When dust or moths or any thing hurtful to a garment is found upon it we shake it out Thus the Lord sends forth the morning light to take hold of the ends of the earth as of the ends of a great garment that the wicked who are but as dust and vermin may be shaken out of it Secondly The metaphor or allusion may be taken from a sieve As the sieve is shaken when we would separate the chaffe or that which is vile and worthless from among the good corn so the Lord by the light takes hold of the ends of the earth and shakes the wicked like dross or darnel out of the company of honest men I saith the Lord Amos 9.9 will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth that is be lost or perish But the wicked who are as chaffe shall be scattered and perish for ever when the Lord sifts them Again These words That the wicked may be shaken out of it are by some expounded actively The day-spring taketh hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked may shake sc themselves out of it For when the light cometh wicked men do as it were shake themselves out of the earth that is they hide themselves and run their heads into a corner They who in the night and darkness
His largeness of heart though like the sand of the sea will be but narrowness of heart compared with the enlargements which Saints shall have there Glorified Saints shall be in natural things exact Philosophers able to answer all the questions here put to Job In spiritual things they shall be exact Divines all dark Scriptures shall be clear to them Châ—ist will be their Comment all daâ—k questions will be clear to them Christ will be their light Those perplexed Cases and fatal Controversies which have troubled the peace of the Church and have occasioned the calling together of some hundreds of the ablest Scholars to debate and determine them shall at one view be understood shall have all their knots untied and their difficulties removed by the meanest if among them there shall be found any meaner than others of glorified understandings What sweetness the soul shall feel at this revelation of all knowledge a little knowledge will serve to judge For then not only to this challenge which the Lord made to Job about those special matters the gates of death and the breadth of the earth but also to any other Declare if thou knowest it all Every soul will readily and confidently answer Lord in thy light I know it all JOB Chap. 38. Vers 19 20 21. 19. Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof 21. Knowest thou it because thou wast then born Or because the number of thy days is great THe Lord having posed Job in the former Context about the depth of the Sea the darkness of Death and the vastness of the Earth here calleth him to an account about the light of the Sun and the darkness of the Air in these three verses As if he had said If thou knowest the breadth of the whole earth about which I enquired last of thee then tell me in what part of the earth doth the light dwell and where is the place of darkness Vers 19. Where is the way where light dwelleth The Septuagint translate In what land doth light dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In qua terra Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vbi via in quae habitat scil â—post viae itineris spatium emensum Or where is the land of light We say Where is the way The Hebrew word notes a trodden beaten way or as we speak a high-way Where is the way where light dwelleth That is whither light retireth and doth as it were betake it self in the night when it hath gone its journey and is past thy Horizon For every one knows where light dwells while the Sun is up with us and shines upon us But what becomes of it or whither it goes when 't is gone from us that 's a question and here say some the question The word which we translate dwelleth implieth a retirement Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ad quietem noctem traducendam alicubicommorari a rest after long labour and travel Where is the way where light-dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place of it Here are two gâ—eat contraâ—ies which cannot agree nor dwell together in any one subject yet met together in this Text Light and darkness and there is some yea not a little darkness in this question about the light We need a great measure of Divine Light to answer this question about the Light Where is the way where light dwelleth Tell me O Job if thou canst where light lodgeth where it reposeth it self when the Sun is gone down and departed out of thy sight Tell me what way leadeth to the lodging of light The words as Interpreters give it have in them a poetâ—cal tincture as if the Sun setting retired to his chamber as we do when the light and business of the day is ended David speaks of the Sun as a Bridegroom coming out of his chamber Psal 19.5 And when his race as to us is run every day he hath a chamber ready for him not that the Sun doth at all end its motion or sit down to rest but because it seems to rest when it goeth down to us As if the Lord had said Hast thou travelled to the place of the Suns rising and setting Where is the way where the light dwelleth There may be a threefold answer given to these questions as light is taken properly for the natural light the light of the day caused by the Suns approach and as darkness is taken properly for natural darkness caused by the with-drawing of the Sun First Some because the word dwelleth notes a stay or an abode for such is a dwelling place answer the question geographically and say light dwelleth under the Poles There are two poles of the earth the Northern and the Southern under both which interchangeably light and darkness abide six moneths together and because of the long stay and abode of light and darkness there Geographers reckon and conclude the dwelling of light and the place of darkness to be there and that therefore the Sun hath two dwelling houses one in the North the other in the South Secondly When Astronomers answer these questions Where is the way where light dwelleth and where is the place of darkness They say The East is the place of light and the West the dwelling of darkness And the reason given is this Because the Sun riseth in the East and goes down in the West leaving the World Forvide Titan obitus pariter tecum Alcides vid it Ortus novitque tuas utrasque domos Sen. in Herc. Act. 4. Alludere videtur ad signorum Zodiaci spatia per quae Sol cursum suum perragit quae ab astrologis Mansiones vel Domus solent appellari Itáque Zona illa sive fascia Zodiaci in cujus medio protenditur eccliptica est via solis qui in tot habitare domus dicitur quot in illa sunt signa Bold that half of the World upon which it shined in the day over-shadowed with darkness It is by the access and recess by the rising and setting of the Sun that we enjoy light or are wrapped up in darkness And so East and West are called by the ancient Poets the houses or dwellings of the Sun Astronomers have found out according to their doctrine twelve houses or dwelling places of the Sun they imagine a girdle or bond passing quite through the heavens which they call the Zodiack and there a line which they call the Ecliptick in which the Sun moveth or which is the way of the light and in this line they place the twelve signs the first of which the Sun entreth the first moneth of the year and is called Aries the second Taurus the third Gemini c. These are onely fictions by which they represent the gradual motions of the Sun in the several seasons of the year and
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
that is the Lord marks and hits the fittest time to come in and help his out of trouble Thus as they who reserve things do it till a season of using them presents it self so God reserves the snow and hâ—il till he hath a season an opportunity to use them what that is himself as was said expresseth in the Text it is The time of trouble or of straits When trouble comes straits come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad tempus arctum vel Angugustiae and great troubles reduce us to great straits and compel us to say as that good King Jehosaphat did 2 Chron. 20. We know not what to do The Septuagint render The time of the enemies that is when I am resolved to punish or destroy my enemies The word signifies both trouble and an enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tempus hostis Sept. and both may well be comprehended under one word seeing no trouble is more troublesome nor can put us to greater straits than the appearance of a powerful enemy which was Jehosaphats case when in a time of trouble he cried out We know not what to do And this notion of the word as taken for an enemy falls in clearly with the latter clause of the verse Against the day of battel and war As if the Lord had said When my enemies come forth against me these are the Weapons this the Ammunition which I at any time can and often do make use of in the day of battel and war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praeliuci The word rendred battel signifies to aâ—proach because in a day of battel enemies or opposites approach one to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vesci and charge each other The word rendred war springs from a root signifying to eat because the sword of war is a great eater and devours the bodies of men Now when God breaks forth in anger against obstinate sinners his enemies and brings any sore and destroying judgement upon them he is said to have war with them or to make war against them Who would set the briars and thorns in battel against me saith the Lord Isa 27.4 So then Both the time of trouble and the day of battel and war spoken of in this Text are the time and day of the Lords wrath and vengeance declared against his implacable and incorrigible enemies Snow and hail are treasured up and reserved against this time of trouble against this day of battel and war Hence Note First God hath a check upon all creatures He reserves or stops them as and as long as himself pleaseth He can prohibit snow and hail and command them not to come As they will surely come at any time if he commands them to come so if he commands them not to come till such or such a time they will not come till then The soveraignty of God is absolute over the creature When Nebuchadnezzars understanding returned to him then he praised and honoured him that liveth for ever Dan. 4.34 whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and confessed vers 35. that he doth according to his will in the army of heaven that is the Angels the Sun Moon and Stars as also the Meteors Snow and Hail c. all or any of these are the army of heaven an army raised in the heavens in this army God doth according to his Will as well as among the inhabitants of the earth Secondly Observe God is very patient he doth not presently take vengeance nor bring trouble though he be alwayes provided for it and able to do it As he retaineth not his anger for ever so he restraineth it long because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 As mercy moves the Lord speedily to receive repenting sinners into favâ—ur so it prevails with him to be very slow in sending judgements upon those that are impenitent The Lord reserved or kept back the waters of the flood a hundred and twenty years from drowning the Old World though as they provoked and even dared him to do it every day by their presumptuous sinnings against his warnings so he was able to do it any hour or moment of the day Thirdly Note Trouble hath its time or season There is a time for every purpose under the Sun Eccl. 3.1 Men have times for their purposes and so hath God much more for his he hath his times for quietness and times for trouble And as sin is the cause and sourse of all trouble so when sin is ripe trouble is ready When men have filled up the measure of their sin then God pouts down trouble upon them or makes it a time of trouble that they may taste and see and be convinced how evil and how bitter a thing it is to sin against the Lord. The Amorites were full of iniquity when God spake to Abraham Gen. 15.16 but their iniquity was not full and therefore their time of trouble the time when their Land spewed them out to make room for the Children of Israel was not till a long time after Fourthly Note Times of trouble are specially known to and appointed by God As he reserves his stores of vengeance for those times so he knows those times Wise Princes reserve stores against that evil time of war c. yet when that evil time will be they know not but to God all times are known David said Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand that is my times of peace and trouble of joy and sorrow are at thy dispose thou cuttest out my times not onely as to the length or shortness of them but as to the form and condition of them Now if the Lord disposeth and ordereth our times what they shall be whether troublous or prosperous then he must needs know what times will be times of trouble Fifthly Note Present impunity is no assurance of future indemnity to sinners Judgement is but reserved and the instruments of it snow and hail c. kept up for a while Prodigals and spend-thrifts may boast but the date of the bond will come out and then an arrest comes Let sinners remember the instruments of divine vengeance are only reserved they are not broken nor cast away and whosoever are found in sin their sin that is the punishment of their sin sooner or later will find them out Numb 32.23 As God sometimes defers to give out mercy to his faithful people but never denies it them so he often defers the trouble of the wicked but never they continuing to do wickedly acquits them from it The Apostle Peter prophesying of false teachers who shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and shall bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 saith of them also v. 3. Whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not Though all seems to be well with them at present and hâ—th been so a long time yet their misery is certain it neither
shadow of a great rock in a weary land Isa 32.2 All which metaphors signifie one and the same thing that Christ will be comfortable to his people either immediately or by provision of means in the most troublesome times there intended by wind and tempest by a dry place and a weary land And that he had been all this to his in such a day the same prophet assures us chap. 25.4 Thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall The History of the taking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians set down by Jeremy tells us that he was fully heard and answered when he pâ—ayed chap. 17.17 Be not thou a terror to me thou art my hope in the day of evil Jeremy found the Lord very favourable to him and giving him favour in the eyes of the enemy when that evil day the day of battel and war came upon Jerusalem Thus sometimes God stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind Isa 27.8 that is he forbeareth to shew himself rough harsh or grievous to his people when great troubles are otherwise upon them noted by the East-wind which naturally is a blasting blustring and boisterous wind and therefore a day of great trouble is elegantly expressed or called a day of the East-wind When the Psalmist had described the fained humiliations of the people of Israel in the Wilderness which he calls their flattering God with their lips and lying unto him with their tongues This was enough to provoke God to make their day of trouble terrible to them yet saith that Scripture He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath Psal 78.38 Though they all stirred him to wrath yet he did not stir up all his wrath when it was worst with them that would have made it a terrible day indeed This is the Lords way with his people in an evil day But when it is a day of battel and war with the wicked world or with the wicked of the world he opens his treasures of wrath and will let them see and feel what stores of snow and hail he hath reserved against that time And hence it is that such are represented in the day of the Lord going into the clifts of the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa 3.21 Lastly Note Snow and hail are Gods weapons and artillery with which he sometimes fights against sinful man The Lord of Hosts hath such instruments of war in his Armory as no Prince can produce nor make use of either to offend his enemies or to defend himself An ancient Poet said of Theodosius the Emperour Onimium dilecte dei cui militat aether Et conjurati veniunt ad classiâ—a venti Claudian Euseb Eccl. Histor l. 5. c. 5. O thou greatly beloved of God for whom the heavens sight and at the sound of whose trumpets the winds the confederate winds present their service and assistance The Thundering Legion in the Army of Aurelius the Emperour is famous in the Church History and hath been mentioned before upon other passages of this Book together with the occasion of that honourable Title bestowed upon them in that age The Scriptures give frequent instances of the Lords avenging himself upon his and his peoples enemies by storms of hail This was one of the ten grievous plagues which God sent upon Pharaoh and the Land of Egypt Exod. 9.17 18. As yet exaltest thou thy self against my people that thou wilt not let them go behold to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof and until now It was with hail-stones that God fought against and discomfited the Army of five confederate Kings in the days of Joshua Josh 10.11 The Lord cast great stones from heaven upon them and they died they were more which died with the hail stones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword There are two things singular and extraordinary if not miraculous in this passage of providence First The magnitude and weight of these hail-stones together with the violence of their motion was such that like bullets discharged from Canon or great Ordnance they slew them out-right or dead on the place upon whom they fell Secondly That the Israelites being in pursuit of these Canaanites and doubtless mixed with them as in a barrel where they come to handy stroaks it must needs be that yet none of them were hurt by the hail stones but the Canaanites onely God who â—o shew his goodness causeth his Sun to shine and his rain to fall indifferently upon the good and upon the bad knows how that he may shew his Justice to cause his hail to fall distinctly upon the bad and not upon the good Deborah saith in her song Judg. 5.20 The stars in their courses fought against Sisera Joseph lib. 3. Antiquit. Judaicarum c. 6. It is reported by Josephus describing this battel that as soon as the armies joyned battel God sent a violent shower of hail which say some being naturally caused by the influences of the stars or heavenly bodies the stars may be said to have fought in their courses like souldiers drawn up in battalia against Sisera and his army And thus by great thunder the Lord discomfited the host of the Philistins in the days of Samuel 1 Sam. 7.10 The prophet gives out several threatnings under the notion of hail Isa 28.17 chap. 30.30 and so doth that last prophesie Rev. 16.21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent All which places though not taken literally and properly but metaphorically and symbolically for great and sore judgements of one kind or other yet are a clear proof that proper hail stones have sometimes been the instruments of Gods sorest revenge upon his hardned enemies So then sometimes God doth as it were pitch his Military Tent or Râ—yal Pavilion in the Air there he seems to muster his Army to bring forth his weapons and from thence to confound his foes God useth the clouds both as his shield to protect his people Exod. 14.19 and as his bow to shoot at and wound the wicked Armamentaria Coeli Juven Satyr 16. From thence Psal 11.6 He rains upon the wicked snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup That is they shall have nothing else in their cup to drink but this and of this they shall drink deep even the very dregs and wring them out Psal 75.8 A heathen Poet called the Clouds
the Armories or Arcenals of Heaven and the Scripture both in this Text of Job and in several other places besides those which have been mentioned sheweth what Ammunition what instruments of the Lords fierce anger and fiery indignation are stored laid up or reserved there against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war with the rebellious world Now Forasmuch as snow and hail c. are at once the Lords Host and his Arms by which he fights against the wicked we may take notice of these five following inferences for the help of our meditations about this matter and to make all that hath been already held forth from these two verses more profitable to us First God needeth not borrow help from man on earth when he would be avenged on his enemies If he doth but speak the word and declare his will it is enough The heavens the clouds of heaven will bâ—ing him Armies and Arms without number He that covers the earth a foot deep with snow can cover all as we say over head and ears with it He that powres down showres of hail no bigger than a pease can send it of a talent weight as 't is expressed Rev. 16.21 God cannot want Armies at any time for his day of battel and war who can make any thing serve him effectively as an Army and therefore they who being in distress see no more help in man than David when he said Psal 142.4 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me how well soever I was known to him refuge failed me there was no man that cared for my soul that is that regarded what became of me I was left at six and sevens to sink or swim to shift for my self as well as I could they I say who are thus distressed having an interest in God need not despair nor despond seeing the Lord can charge or press any creature for our aid and help yea can help us without the aid of any creature Secondly Take heed of provoking God who hath sâ—ch Armes and Armies alwayes at command 'T is dangerous medling wiâ—h a prepared enemy God can never be suâ—prised not taken unprovided As the wicked bend their bow and make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 So the Lord hath his bow alwayes bent and his arrow made ready upon the string openly to shoot at the false in heart Though it be usually long before he takes revenge yet 't is not because he is unready and cannot but because patient and will not take it sooner He is alwayes able to avenge himself not onely speedily but presently As he will do what he hath spoken so he can do what he will with a word speaking Thirdly Would we not fear snow or hail or any missive weapon of heaven then let us get God to be our friend in whose hand and at whose command they are No creature moves but by direction from God and surely he will never direct them to the hurt though often to the affliction and correction of those whom he loves As such are in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field are at peace with them so also are the stars of heaven and all the meteors snow and hail c. in the air Fourthly God will charge them with hardness of heart and impenitency who humble not themselves when he fights against them with these weapons Every judiciary shower of hail though it break not our heads yet it should break our hearts That hail which doth any hurt to the works of our hands should work good upon our hearts And therefore the Lord complained when his hail-stones left no more sign or impression upon his peoples hearts than they did upon a rock or stone Hag. 2.17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all your labours yet ye turned not to me saith the Lord. This Scripture teacheth us two useful lessons First When God smites any thing that is ours or belongs to us he smites us If our fields or gardens be smitten we are smitten Secondly God expects we should and even wonders if we do not turn upon such smitings He looks upon them as hardned sinners who melt not by every afflictive fall of hail from heaven They are even resolved to be bad who mind not being good or better when evils fall upon either them or theirs Fifthly Hasten to make peace with God when he gives signs and alarums of war God had no sooner said to Israel Amos 4.12 Therefore that is because thou hast not taken the alarum by former judgement therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel that is I will bring some sorer judgement upon thee than any of those already brought but he adds and because I will do this unto thee unless prevented by speedy repentance prepare to meet thy God O Israel As if God had said Consider as Christ adviseth on another occasion Luke 14.31 whether thou art able with thy ten thousand to meet me with my twenty thousand all the power of man is not onely less by half as ten thousand to twenty thousand but indeed nothing at all to the power of God and if not as I know thou art not then I counsel thee while I onely tell thee I will do thus unto thee but am yet a great way off possibly from coming to do it prepare to meet me send an Embassage of prayers and tears and desire conditions of peace It will be too late to call for a composition or to think of a treaty when the trumpets have sounded and the battel is joyned If we get not through Christ our peace made before the day of battel and war in this world I mean before temporal judgements aâ—e actually come upon us and have taken hold of us we may smart soundly before we have our peace and pay dearly for it before we have it But if we prepare not to meet God and get our peace made through Christ before the day of battel and war in the next world I mean before Death and the Eternal Judgement come upon us we shall not onely smart soundly and pay dearly for that wretched neglect of our season but must perish for ever under an impossibility of having our peace made The Day of Gods battel and war with the wicked in the next world is Eternity Here in this world God saith to the worst of sinners to him that is but briars and thorns Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that is of my Grace or of my Son which are my strength to save sinners that he may make peace with me and I assure him his assay shall not be in vain he shall make peace with me I am no inexorable God yea I am easie to be intreated if treated with when and in whom and in such a way as I have offered my self
to sinners to be treated with for peace But if any think to make peace with God in any other way than faith and repentance by any other person than Christ Jesus at any other time than the time of this life we must receive another Gospel before we can give them any assurance shall I say or the least shadow of a hope that they shall do so JOB Chap. 38. Vers 24 25 26 27. 24. By what way is the light parted which scattereth the east wind upon the earth 25. Who hath divided a water-course for the over-flowing of waters or a way for the lightening of thunder 26. To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is on the wilderness wherein there is no man 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth THe Lord still proceeds by way of interrogatory with Job In this Context he puts many questions First About the Light Secondly The Wind. Thirdly The Waters Fourthly The Thunder Vers 24. By what way is the light parted Job was questioned at the 19th verse concerning the light here the question is renewed or repeated yet surely no needless repetition There are many things considerable in the light chiefly these four First The Nature of it Secondly The Original or Spring of it Thirdly The Communications or Effusions of it Fourthly The Effects of it or what it works The former two were chiefly intended in the former question at the 19th verse namely the Nature of the Light and the Original of it here the Lord enquires of Job about the Communications or Effusions of light as also about the Effects of it which are the two latter As these things both singly considered and laid together aâ—e an argument of the divine power and providence so of mâ—ns weakness and ignorance who as he is not able to withstand them so not to understand fully what they are or how cau ed as this question doth imply By what way is the light parted The word which we translate parted signifies to put things into distinct portions As if the Lord did give ouâ— several portions of light to several parts of the earth or upon several occasions By what way or means saith he is this done There is a twofold interpretation concerning the light First Some understand it of the lightning Qua parte lux fulguris erumpat Tygur Qua parte erumâ—at ignis Bez. Rab. Levi. so the Tygurine Translation In what part doth the light of the lightning break forth Mr Beza renders By what way doth the fire break out Lightning breaks out like fire One of the ancient Rabbins calls the light here intended A dry and hot exhalation which saith he is therefore called light or receives the name of light because it doth easily conceive light or take fire as tinder and touchwood such a kind of light is the lightning And the lightnings come often from the East Christ assures us while he saith Matth. 24.27 As the lightning coming out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of man be Taking light to lightning the sence is Knowest thou how it comes to pass thâ—t the lightning should so forcibly break out of the cloud in a thunder-storm and raising the East-wind Qua ratione fiunt corescationes fulgura procellae ventorum concertatione nisi per me Jun. make such a hurry such a tempestuous confusion in the air by diverting t e course of that strong Wind and suddenly scattering it all abroad into the several corners of the World Knowest thou how these mighty commotions are made unless by me by my power and orders Some insist much upon this Interpretation taking the light for the lightning of which the Lord speaks expresly afterwards at the 35th verse of this Chapter and of which Elihu had spoken before in the 37th Chapter Our Translators and many others take light here strictly for the light of the Sun Knowest thou by what way the light is parted either from the clouds or from the darkness Knowest thou how the light is parted into several Climates and Coasts of the World This parting of the light may be considered First As there is a new proportion of the light provided every day for as it was shewed before we never have the light two days together in the same state but more or less shorter or longer The light is longer in one part of the year every day and shoâ—ter in another part of the year every day This change or parting of the light is a glorious work of God who so divides the light according to the time of the year that every day hath a portion and yet no day hath the same portion Potest de luce proprie accipi quatenus illâ— sic in tempestate dividitur ut in aliqua coeli nubes luceant lux salis omicet in aliis densis tegatur nubibus Scult Secondly The light may be said to be parted by the power of God at the same time or upon the same day while in one Coast it is cloudy and in another clear yea within our own view we may behold the Sun shine in one place and not in another Some judge this the most profitable sâ—nse because so there is a clearing of this Text from what went before Nor is it an easie thing taking this meaning of the words to answer the question here put to Job How the Lord parts the light in the same day and at the same time in our view making it shine in one place and not in another But whether we understand the Text of parting light from darkness at the Sun rising or of parting the light at any time of the day after the Sun is risen the matter is not of much importance By what way is the light parted Having observed several things about the light vers 12. I shall onely give these two brief notes from the words under hand First God disposeth and dispenses the light where he willeth The light is a most sweet pleasant creature to behold and the Lord takes the guidance of it into his own hand he parts it he proportions it out as himself pleaseth And as this is true of aerial light so of a better light than that which shines in the air though that be an excellent light the light of the Gospel The work of God is as wonderful I may say much more wonderful in parting and dividing in distributing and proportioning the light of the Gospel than it is in distributing and giving forth the light of the Sun Doth he not at the same time cause that light to shine upon one place while it is darkness in another As he made aereal darkness to be a plague in the Land of Egypt while it was light in Goshen so he leaves many places under spiritual darkness while others enjoy that blessed light in a clear and constant shining And as
it goeth to the West and so when it comes from the North and goes to the South but we know not whence it comes and whither it goes as to the way of it we know not how it comes to passe or is brought about That 's done by the sole command of the Lord who hath the whole Creation at his beck and whose word every creature obeys moving and going where and when he himself gives order It is the Lord who by the light or by what means seems good unto him scattereth the East-wind or any other wind upon the Earth The next Question concerns the waters Vers 25. Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of waters The former Question was about the parting of the Light here we have a Question about the Division of the Waters Who hath divided c. The Hebrew Word for a River comes from this Root and so also doth the Latine Word Pelagus Quis dedit imbri vehementissimo cursum Vulg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rivus Pelagus nomen habet quod ex illo dividantur deriventur flumino which signifieth the Sea out of which Rivers are derived and divided into the Land From this word also the Elder or First-born Son of Eber was called Peleg Gen. 10.25 and the Text gives us the reason why he was so called For saith Moses in his days the Earth was divided that is it was distinguished into several Coasts and Countries and by several Names which before lay all as it were in one Common There have been too many hurtful divisions in the Earth that is of men on Earth ever since in another sense and are at this day It is sad to see the spirits opinions and practices of men so much divided but it was and is useful to have both the soil of the Earth and the body of the Water divided Here we have the division of the Waters Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of waters There is a two-fold division of water We read of the former in the description of the Creation Gen. 1.7 where the Lord divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament and it was so The division here intended is of the waters above theâ—e the Lord makes a division of the waters and gives them their courses The word rendred Water-courses signifies to ascend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ductus aquae or to be on high because the course of the water is from above or from on high Water moves alwayes from a higher place Water naturally floweth downward 't is a heavy body and cannot ascend naturally therefore the course of the water is from above Quis nisi ego cursum dat aquis è coelo defluentibus veluti percanales ab hominibus manu-factos Homines suos Aquae-ductus per terram efficiunt sed deus per aerem nubem distribuit Merc. Inundationem aquarum non terrestrium sed c. Merc. As men make Aqueducts Water-courses or Conveyances for water by artificial pipes of Lead or Wood as we see in this City or by Channels cut in the Earth so the Lord hath his Water-courses above he hath his Pipes his Channels in the Clouds Who hath divided a Water-course For the over-flowing of waters The Word signifies a great inundation or a pouring forth of water a Chataract Moses describing the Deluge saith Gen. 7.11 The windows of heaven were opened And when at any time it rains it may be said the Lord in some degree opens the windows of heaven We are not to understand as was toucht before this over-flowing of water of the waters flowing upon the Earth but of the waters flowing from Heaven down upon the Earth for the Lord speaks not of Floods on Earth to destroy but of plentiful and seasonable rain to nourish the fruits of the Earth as is clear from the 27th verse Now saith the Lord Who hath divided a Water-course for these waters that they might not come down as I may say in a Full-sea but as by or in pipes and channels to refresh the Earth The Lord hath his Water-works in Heaven as men have theirs on Earth This elegant Metaphor shadows out that certain Rule or Law of Nature which the Lord hath given those waters above when they are commanded to slow down for the use and service of Man and Beast here below The Lord enquires of Job for the Author of these upper Water-works Who hath divided a Water-course for the over-flowing of Waters Hence Note God makes a division of his stores and treasures of water in the clouds as himself pleaseth or the course of the water is directed by God where to fall and when As God hath divided the Earth to the Sons of men Acts 17.26 as he hath determined their times and the bounds of their habitation so he hath also divided the waters for the Earth the waters that are above and he proportions them according to his own will Amos 4.7 I caused it to rain upon one City and I caused it not to rain upon another God is so good that usually he causeth his rain to fall upon the jâ—st and upon the unjust Matth. 5.44 But he can cause the rain to fall distinguishingly and not promiscuously It was the saying of a Heathen in his fourth Book concerning the bestowing of benefits chap. 28. The gods give many benefits to unthankful persons Dii multa ingratis tribuunt sed illa bonis paraverant contingunt autem etiam malis quia separari non possunt Nec poterat lex casuris imbribus dici ne in malorum improborumque râ—ra defluerent Sen. de â—enef l. 4. c. 28. they provided them for the good but they fall to the share â—f the bad because it is impossible to divide them And instancing in rain he saith No law can be given to the falling showers or to the showers when they fall that they distill not upon the lands of wicked men Thus what that Scâ—ipture in Matthew saith God doth out of choice to shew his goodness that this Heathen said their Gods did but of necessity because they could do no otherwise If they sent rain upon the just the unjust must have it too he thought there was no avoiding of that but this Text in Job and many more up and down the Scripture teach us that God can put a law upon the showers of rain he hath his Water-courses and câ—n direct the rain to what place and persons he will he can command it to fall by his law when and where and upon whom he appoints God retains his sâ—veraignty for a distinct distribution of the wateâ—s though to declare his bounty and mercy he usually makes no difference but distributes it alike to all The Lord is so good that he feeds his enemies and nourisheth a world of wicked ones or the wicked world every day yet he retains his Empire over the clouds still and he divides a Water-course
satisfied And this may be a great reproof upon the insatiableness of many men they in this are much worse than the desolate and wast ground that may be satisfied that will crave no more But whereas Solomon saith there are four things that say not it is enough Prov. 30.15 16. Of all things the desires of man are most unsatiable and say not it is enough It was a great word which Esau spake I have enough my brother Gen. 33.9 and I fear he hath but a few brethren in that saying Among the four things which in Solomons ob ervation say not it is enough the earth is one in the place last mentioned But mark It is the earth that is not filled with water For where God is pleased to fill the earth with water then as this Text in Job speaks it is satisfied He causeth it to rain on the wilderness to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Further This may also comfort us in all our wants For doubtless the Lord who takes care to satisfie the senseless ground will satisfie his believing people early with his mercy Psal 90.14 when they cry to him yea he will satisfie them not onely with good in this life but with long life will he satisfie them and shew them his salvation Psal 91.16 He will abundantly blesse Sions provision What is that The Word and Ordinances chiefly and satisfie her poor with bread with the bread of life especially Lastly God sends rain to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Hence Note God hath rain enough for all places He can spare it for waste ground and wildernesses And therefore if he supplieth not our pastures corn-fields and gardens with rain it is not because he cannot send it or hath not enough to send but it is to punish us for sin God doth not withhold rain from any place because he is sparing of his treasures is more for laying them up than giving them out but because he is provoked by the unthankfulness of man for or by his abuse of his former bounties The Lord forbids the clouds to drop down the rain upon inhabited places and bids them convey it to waste wildernesses when inhabited places have not honoured him for it nor brought forth fruits of righteousness answerable to the fruits of the earth by the blessing of rain Thus also Christ will take the kingdome that is the kingdome of the Gospel the rain of holy doctrine from an unthankful and unfruitful people and give it to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits of it as he threatned the Jewes Matth. 21.43 and afterwards fulfilled that threatning upon them Acts 13.46 Lo we turn to the Gentiles Ye having refused and abused the offers of Christ made to you by us we will now go with our rain to the wast and desolate ground or to the wilderness that is to the Gentiles and they will receive it and be thankful The scarcity of Gospel mercy which God brings upon any place Sic sterilitas agrorum divitiae fertilitas est deserti is a punishment of their barrenness under Gospel means And have not we cause to fear at this day that forasmuch as we are so like that earth spoken of Heb. 6.8 which drinketh in the rain yet instead of fruit meet for his use by whom it is dressed beareth briars and thorns have not we cause I say to fear that we are nigh to some curse and burning or that the Lord will carry away the rain to Heathens who as yet are a desolate and waste ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—itum germinis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie herba renera Exitum herbae vocat herbam primúm è terra prodeuntem Drus To cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth The natural effect of rain is growth or to cause the bud of the â—ender herb to bring forth If God denies water to manured and well husbanded lands they wither and even desolate desarts and waste grounds flourish when God waters them then the bud of the tender herb springs forth Hence Note Natural causes produce proper natural effects When God sends rain on desolate places they bud and spring forth When the rain falls the herb flourishes where the Sun shines the grasse grows And surely thus it is in spirituals spiritual causes bring forth spiritual effects if the Lord sends the rain of the word upon desolate souls the soul receiving it will bud and the tender herb will bring forth Moses Deut. 32.1 2. compared his Doctrine to the small rain upon the tender herb and to the showres upon the grasse How green are the herbs after rain and the grasse after showres Herbs and grasse bear witness to the bounty and goodness of God in giving sweet showres of rain Natural rain is seen in their looks and so should spiritual in our lives And if where the rain of the word falleth they that receive it do not bud and blossome and bring forth fruit the desolate wilderness will rise up in judgement against them the waste grounds will condemn them They will say Lord you sent rain upon us and lo here are our buds and our blossomes yea here 's the fruit which we have brought forth Will not this shame our barrenness Hath the Lord divided the Water-course of the Gospel and caused it to rain on us from day to day and shall not we shew our buds and blossomes of holiness our fruits of faith and repentance that he may come into his garden and eat of his pleasant fruits How dreadful Shall the waste wildernesses and desolate grounds bring forth when the rain fâ—lls upon them and shall not the Church It is not bare professing but fruit-bearing which honours God John 15.8 It is uncomely if so much as a leaf of profession withers Psal 1.3 But how green soever the leaves of our profession are yea though they should retain their greenness under the hottest and most scorching Sun of Persecution yet what would it advantage us if our leaves are not accompanied with good fruits Now If any should ask What mean you by good fruits Or what fruits are good I shall close the point in hand with an Answer to these Questions These good fruits considered in reference to their efficient cause are called fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 and in reference to the matter of them they are called fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 but in reference to the beginning or occasion of them they are called fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 In general all that is good fruit which is conformable to the Word of God whether it be the conformity of our natures to it in conversion or the conformity of our wayes to it in our daily conversation More particularly these good fruits are of two sorts First Inward fruits or those which we bring forth within that is in our hearts these are secrets and only known to God Secondly Outward fruits which we bring forth in
canst thou guid them as a Father guids his Family his Wife Children and Servants canst thou direct them their course how or which way to go Some think he useth the word guid because this constellation represents the form of a Wain or Wagon and is by us commonly called Charles-wain or the greater Bear Canst thou guid Arcturus That 's another Constellation seated in the Northern Pole notably conspicuous to us in a clear night 'T is the Sea-mans mark or guid The Lord who guids that Star hath made it a guid to the Sea-man in the night by looking to that he knows how to make his course Canst thou guid Arcturus With his Sons Some read Arcturus and her Daughters Master Broughton and her Children We render in the Masculine Gender and his Sons There is one principal Star and several other Stars that stand as Children about their Father or Mother and therefore the Lord expresseth them by that familiar Allusion Arcturus and his Sons canst thou guid them Hence Note First The Stars have a Guid a Governour The Stars move as directed God himself is the guid of the Stars not Man As a Shepheard guids his flock in the fields so the Lord guids the Stars in that spacious field of the heavens yea he names and numbers them as a Shepheard doth his flock Psal 147. He telleth the number of the Stars and call's them all by their names The Prophet exhorting the people to lift up their eyes on high that is to the heavens presently adds and behold who hath created these things Isa 40.26 that is the heavens and the fuâ—niture of them he bringeth out their host by number that is the host of the Stars As an Army is enrolled and numbered how many thousands they are so doth the Lord bring forth that host by number and calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth There 's not one of the host of heaven not one of the Stars that faileth but comes forth at Gods call and appears as it were in rank and file when and where the Lord gives command Thus the Prophet speaks of the Stars as Gods host and of the Lord as a Commander or General of an army knowing their number nature place and office mustering and marshalling them oâ—dering them out upon service as he pleaseth And whereas in the best disciplin'd armies of men many fail when drawn out to service some for fear others through unfaithfulness not a few through weakness and sickness here 's neither weak nor sick neither an unfaithful nor a fearful one in this host not one faileth Nor doâ—h the Lords memory fail for he calls them all by their names which shews the perfect remembrance and exact knowledge which the Lord hath of them all It is reported as a wonder Plin. lib. 7. c. 24. Valerius Maximus lib. 3. c. 7. of Cyrus King of Persia that he having a vast Army yet knew them by face and was able to call every man by his name What then shall we say of this wonder The Lord who guideth Arcturus and his Sons who leads out this innumerable Army of the Stars knows every one of them by name and sends them forth by name upon what enterprise or service he pleaseth The Lord having questioned Job about those four eminent and well known Constellations Pleiades in the Spring Orion in the Winter Mazzaroth in the Summer and Arcturus with his Sons in the Autumn to convince him that as he was not able nor any man else to alter the natural motions or courses of the Stars so that neither he nor any man else was able to alter the course of his providence The Lord I say having done questioning Job about these four notable Constellations of heaven in special proceeds to interrogate him more generally about the whole heavens in the next Verse Vers 33. Knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven canst thou set the Dominions thereof in the earth Surely as thou knowest not the special laws by which I govern the Pleiades Orion Mazzaroth and Arcturus so not the general laws by which the heavens are governed Knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven The word here rendred Ordinances is often rendred in the Psalms statutes laws decrees knowest thou the laws or statutes of heaven The word rendred heaven is of the dual number as Grammarians speake because in what part soever of the earth any man stands the heaven is cut in two parts as to him by the Horizon whereof one part is over him and the other under him As there is a heaven above us so a heaven below us though wheresoever any man is on earth heaven is above him Knowest thou The Ordinances of heaven Now the Ordinances of heaven may be of two sorts First Those which God hath given to the heavens The heavenly bodies move according to his constitutions who made heaven and earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Those which the heavens give to the earth or to man on earth The heavens may be said to impose their laws upon the earth men being guided and directed by the changes and motions of the heavens how to order many of their motions and actions on the earth those especially which concern the earth The heavens give these common laws as I may say to men concerning the earth First When to Till the earth Secondly When to cast their Seed into the earth Thirdly When to reap and gather the fruit of the earth When to perform any part of Husbandry to the earth is known only by the heavens that is the heavens by their motions and vicissitudes shew men the seasons of doing these and these works on earth And if men obey not these laws of heaven nor observe their seasons they loose all their labour and cost bestowed on the earth Again when he saith knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven the meaning may be this Are the heavenly bodies disposed or impowered by thy wisdome hast thou given them vertue to work upon inferiour bodies I hast thou made the statutes by which they are governed or by which they govern That 's the Lords Prerogative Hence note First The heavens are under a law they have their statutes They are under a law in a three-fold Respect 1. In respect of their motion how and whither they shall move 2ly They are under a law as to their influences where and on whom they shall drop them down 3ly Which necessarily follows the former They are under a law as to their effects and operations upon the Creatures whether for good or for evil The heavens can neither hurt nor help us but according to higher order This threefold law may be understood in that one Scripture Jer. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night Note Secondly What all the Laws and Ordinances of heaven
are is a secret to man Knowest thou them saith God to Job There are some Ordinances of heaven or some things for which heaven is ordained which are easily and commonly known such are the changes of seasons with the division of night and day of winter and summer There are also sec et Ordinances and Orders given to the heavens according to which they produce many unexpected and extraordinary â—ffects here on earâ—h as Drought and the consequent of it Famine Infection in the air and the consequent of it Pestilential diseases and Mortality Who knows these ordinances of heaven and if these are so unknown then we may conclude First If man know not such like secret Ordinances of heaven surely he is much less able to understand the secret counsels of heaven We know but litle of those things that are commonly seen and felt among us but there are reserves which we cannot know at all Secondly We may hence also conclude If the heavens have their statutes and Ordinances as to their motion c. then much more hath man statutes and ordinances according to which he should move The heavens never move but according to ordinances Let us be sure that whatever we do à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praefectus ideo non nemo praefecturam vertit Drus. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod Augustinus interpretatur commutationes coeâ—i we have an ordinance or word of God for it either express or consequential If the heavens be under such a rule shall we think God hath left man at random or without a rule how to speak and think and do in this world It is dangerous to move without an ordinance much more to move against an ordinance we should take heed of acting besides a Law much more of acting against a Law Knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven and as it followeth Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth Cast thou set his force upon the earth Ponere dominium est facere ut dominetur quasi dominum constituere Hoâ— homo non facit sed solus Deus Drus. So Mr. Broughton translates To set the dominion is to make one have dominion and as it were to appoint a Lord or Governour in the earth This is not mans work but Gods As if God had said to Job Canst thâ—u give power to or impower the Stars to rule day and night to cause diversity of weathers and of seasons to which all things here below must submit or with which they must needs comply The word which we read Dominion signifies an under dominion an inferior dominion it signifies a Magistracy or power under a Power The Hebrew language hath two words the one signifying the power of a Judge who gives the rule of the Law and the other Qui simplicitèr judicat sententiam pronunciat dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed executor qui judicatum exequitur cogit refractarios obedire sententiâ—â— judicis dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifying the power of a Sheriff who sees execution done A person may be in power and have great command yet not the first or chief command The Heavens have not a supream or an absolute command over the earth but a dominion by way of administration they have and that a large and great one Heaven hath a dominion so far as to execute and fulfil that which God the supream Judge orders determines and gives forth both concerning persons and things here on earth The heavens have a ministerial dominion respecting most changes wrought in this world Their ministry respects not only the constant and usual changes of times and seasons barely considered but they have also a ministry with respect to those usual and rare changes which according to the appointment of God befal the persons and conditions of men in this world Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth Thou canst not but I can and have I have set and determined what dominion the Heavens shall have upon the earth or how they shall exercise their dominion Hence observe The Heavens have a power on the earth Some Astrologers give them a power of doing all on the earth as if both our lives and livelihoods depended wholly upon the Aspects of Planets It is not this mans endeavour say they nor that mans skill but all flows from the Stars These make or put the Heavens which are Gods work into the place of God himself they put the heavens into the place of the God of Heaven All things are in the hand of Heaven say they We say All things even the Planets themselves are in the hand and at the dispose of God We grant and this Text proves that the Heavens have a great power upon the earth we cannot but see and feel what the Sun doth upon the earth we see it distributes the year into four seasons Summer and Winter Spring and Autumn we see it makes Equinoxes twice in the year when days and nights are of an even length and as many Solstices in one of which dayes are of greatest length and nights in the other We see how the Sun brings forth several effects in those several seasons even the generation or corruption of natural things We know also that as the North draws the Magnete or Load-stone so the Sun the Heliotrope a flower so called because it follows the motion of the Sun It is said also that the Sun hath a great power upon the Cock who therefore croweth about midnight as if he did then congratulate or welcom the return of the Sun from the Antipodes to our Hemisphear Though these instances are not demonstrative or concluding yet they are probable evidences of the Heavens dominion in the earth Further 't is generally agreed that the Moon hath a great Power upon the waters causing the ebbing and flowing of the Sea as also upon those inhabitants of the Sea Shelfish because they are observed to increase with the increase of the Moon and to decrease at the wane of it Nor may we deny the heavens have a dominion upon the bodies of men for though we subscribe not to those fancies of Astronomers who have fixed a special star as ruling the special parts of mans body as you see in Almanacks who tell us also That in the body of man the Sun answers the heart Mars the gall Jupiter the liver Mercury the mouth and tongue Saturn the head though I say we subscribe not to these no nor to those other sentiments of theirs who ascribe a special dominion to the seven Planets over the seven ages or stages into which the course of mans life is commonly divided that is First Infancy to the dominion of the Moon Secondly Childhood to Mercury Thirdly You h to Venus Fourthly Adolescency or the young mans state to the Sun Fifthly Compleat manhood to Mars Sixthly Old age to Jupiter Seventhly extream or decrepid old age to Saturn yet doubtless
they are As the number and nature of the stars so of the clouds which are beneath the stars exceed mans wisdom The least and lowest works of God are above mans reach how much more his greatest works and those which are far above Yet further from this word which we translate to number to declare or demonstrate that precious stone the Saphir mentioned often in Scriptures hath its name Quis sapphirinas effecit nubes sapientia Jun. and so the Text is rendred thus who can make the clouds saphâ—rine or like a Saphir the meaning is who can make the clouds bright and clear l ke the Saphir-stone The Saphir is a most pleasant resplendent and beautiful gem That glorious throne which was shewed the Prophet in vision Ezek. 1.26 had the apâ—earance â—f a Saphâ—â—-stone that is it had a most excellent and illustrious appearance Now saith the Lord who can make the clouds dark of themselves like a Saphir-stone that is serene pleasant beautiful and delightful to the eye God can make bright clouds Zech. 10.1 clouds wonderful fair and pleasant to behold even as pleasing to the eye as a precious Saphir As this translation holds out a truth in it self so 't is very sutable to that which followeth Or who can stay the bottles of heaven Clouds darken the heavens Hunc interpretationem postulâ—â—e videtur antithesis quum additur lagenas coeli quis collocet q d. quis â—oelum num â—â—renum ac sulum nunc verò nubilum reddat Pisc but when the Lord stayeth the clouds from rain then the heavens are clear like a Saphir God can make the heavens cloudy or clear Who can stay the bottles of heaven that is the clouds who can stay them or as the Hebrew strictly who can cause them to lye down Master Braughton renders who can destill the barrels of heaven The word here used signifies a bottle or any vessel wherein liquor is preserved and it may be taken either foâ— a bottle made of skin a leathern bottle or for a bottle made of clay an earthen bottle a Potters bottle as 't is called Isa 30.14 The clouds are like a leathern or an earthern bottle which as it holds the liquor so being unstopped and held up the liquor runs out who can stay the bottles of heaven that is if God once unstop the clouds they presently pour down in and who can stay them from raining no man can That 's a plain sence as if the Lord had said who can hinder the clouds from giving down rain if once opened who but I can restrain the rain which is heavy of it self and tends naturally downwards from falling out of the clouds There is another reading of this part of the verse Conâ—entum coeli qun dormire faciet Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per quinque puncta significat Nâ—hlium in strumentum musicum utri simile habens chordas quae pulsantur who can slay the harmony of heaven The Vulgar Latine renders who can make the musick of heaven sleep that is cease or be quiet The reason of this translation is this because the same word which signifieth a bottle signifies also a musical instrument somewhat resembling the form of a bottle Psal 33.2 Thus some take it here as intending that musical or melodious harmony which antient Philosophers have affiâ—med is made by the motion of the heavenly sphears yet by this they do not mean a proper musical sound or harmony such as the Pythagoreans dreamed of which some other learned men have said is so sweet and ravishing that if we did but hear iâ— we could neither eat nor drink nor sleep Yea they tell us that Moses while he did not eat nor drink nor sleep those forty days in the Mount was all that while taken up and ravished with that Musick but you may put that among Jewish fables Sober men following this translation who can stay the musick of heaven understand by it only the harmonious concord and agreement which all the heavenly Orbes unfailably observe in their several courses without the least jarr or discord That 's a truth shewing the great wisdom and power of God who hath put the heavens into such a sweet order that they move not only constantly but harmoniously Though the motion of the heavens makes no audible or proper musick yet it makes an intelligible or metaphorical musick that is the heavens move orderly there is an agreement in their motion which is the the sweetest musick in heaven among Saints and Angels and among good men on earth We say of men moving peaceably in their places as becomes them there is a harmony among them And how blessed a thing would it be to see all sorts of men moving orderly in their spheres what a harmony would it make to see every one doing his duty and doing it in his place whereas to omit duty makes our lives useless and to do it out of our place makes us troublesome and unharmonious And therefore though I insist not upon this reading yet it were well if all would insist upon the moral of it labouring to make harmony as much as may be in all their motions But I pass from it and rest in our own Who can stay the bottles of heaven that is who can make them leave raining The Lord by a late question convinced Job that no man can make it rain vers 34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds that abundance of waters may cover thee and by this question he would convince him that no man can obstruct or hinder the rain Who can stay the bottles of heaven Hence observe It is God who stayeth or restraineth the clouds from raining Should not the Lord put stopples into those bottles should not he close up those barrels they would drop down continually and in stead of watering drown the earth When in the days of Noah the Lord opened the bottles of heaven forty days together who could stop or stay them Did not the clouds pour down till the whole world was over-whelmed and unless the Lord did now stay the clouds and forbid them to give out their whole stock they would again over-whelm the world There are Seas of waters above our heads God keeps them in from hurting the earth and lets them out to help iâ— The next verse intimates at least this power of God over the clouds and the season when he exerciseth it Who can stay the bottles of heaven Vers 38. When the dust groweth or is poured into hardness and the clods cleave fast together The Margin of our Bibles gives us the former part of the verse in a very different translation thus When the dust is turned into mire The earth hath had its fill if not too much rain when the dust is turned into mire And when 't is so who but God stayeth the bottles of heaven from pouring down overmuch But I shall only open the reading in the Text of which there are
he waits for the innocent he draws him into his net he first entangles him and then devours him David gives a like description of evil men in another place Psal 17.11 12. They have now compassed us in our steps they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a young Lion lurking in secret places These Scriptures plainly shew the natural subtlety of the Lion waiting in his covert that he may do mischief unawares and that in this piece of mischievous policy wicked men are not behind him they shew as plainly Thirdly Whereas in the former verse the Lion is said to hunt his prey in the field and this in to abide in his covert to lye in wait for it Observe What some cannot do by strength they do by craft We say of craft or power 't is hard to say which is most dangerous or undesirable in an enemy Where these two meet where craft power ability and subtilty are joyned what will they not do We may say of men in whom these are united as the Lord said concerning the men of the new world soon after the Flood who were united in heart and tongue the people are one and they have all one language nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do Gen. 11.6 The devil is alwayes like a Lion both strong and subtle He is so strong that he sometimes hunts his prey as I may say in open field and overcomes by fine force He is so crafty that at other times he knows 't is best for him to abide in his covert and lie in wait to catch souls He goeth about like a roaring Lion saith the Apostle Peter 1 Epist 5.8 but he is craftier than to roar always like a Lion when he goeth about seeking whom he may devour he often fawns and flatters he useth his wits and puts tricks upon poor souls whom he would devour We saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. are not ignorant of his devices Christ adviseth all his Disciples to joyn the wisdom of the Serpent with the innocency of the Dove subtilty and honesty craft and innocency working together work well or make good work But where there is the strength and craft of a Lion without a dove-like integrity what sad work do men make Godly men or men truly fearing God sometimes have the wisdom of the serpent together with their dove-like innocency and when to both the former the Lions strength is joyned what good may they not do they may do as we say a world of good in an evil world Fourthly In that the Lion coucheth in his den and retireth sometimes to his covert we may take notice of the good providence of God towards man God hath ordered it that the Lion coucheth all day in his den and is quiet that men may go out quietly to their labour The Psalmist commends the providence of God in this Psal 104.20 21 22. Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest do creep forth the young Lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God Thus they are roaring and raging for their prey all night but how is it with them or what do they in the day The next words tell us The Sun riseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens Then it follows Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening Such is the care of God that he clears fields and Countries of these ravenous beasts that man may go safely to his work and not be troubled When the Lion comes forth in the day 't is usually to execute some judgement of God witness that of the Prophet who going out of Gods way God told him by another Prophet a Lion shall meet thee and tear thee and so it came to pass a Lion met him and executed the judgement of God upon him because he went beyond the command he had received from God 1 King 13.24 We read also that God sent Lions to vex the people continually when they fell to idolatry and false worship 2 King 17.26 It was of the Lord that Lions which used to keep their covert in the day time were so bold as to come by day to their houses and destroy them And such is the mighty power of God that though hungry Lions are altogether for prey yet God can stop their mouths and check their appetite Dan. 6.8 When Daniel was cast into the Lions den amongst a company of hungry Lions yet not one touched him but were as meek to him as so many lambs whereas no sooner were his enemies and accusers let down into that den but they brake their bones before they came to the ground Thus much of the Lion a King among the beasts of the earth The Lords next question concerns the Raven none of the best if not one of the worst among the birds of the Air. Vers 41. Who provideth for the Raven his food When his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat As the Lion is a devourer among beasts so is the Raven among birds The Lion as was said is so curious that he will not feed upon a carcase in the way but the Raven feeds upon any dead or corrupted body and that is the reason why in many great Cities there 's a Law or custom that Raven sneer them shall not be shot at nor terrified because they eat up the filth and carrion which might infect the air and breed pestilential diseases Now the Lord puts the question Who provideth for the Raven As if he had said I provide not only for the Kingly Lion but for the carrion-eating Raven The Lord made provision of food for Lions and Ravens for all sorts of beasts and birds and creeping things in the work of Creation and in his works of providence he makes all things ready and brings them to hand for their use and sustentation He as it were dresseth and disheth out meat for all his creatures and then sets it before them that they may eat and be satisfied Who provideth for the Raven The Hebrew word rendred provideth hath two significations Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notat indulgentissimam creatoris providentiam non solum necessaria sed etiam usque ad delicias which wonderfully set forth the care of God towards this creature First the certainty of their provision for the word signifies to establish as if the Lord did give them a necessary settled or constant diet Secondly It notes the sutableness and pleasingness of their food to their nature and constitution yea to their gust and appetite as if the Lord fitted their food as we say to their tooth or palate and gave them not only meat but savoury meat to them like that which Isaac bespake of his son Esau such as they love for though the food of Ravens be unpleasant to us
yet it is pleasing and toothsom and savoury to them What the Lord pâ—ovides for Ravens is to them dainties and delicacies carrion is so to them because 't is sutable to their nature such as their stomack likes very well The sutableness of any food to our taste and palate makes it delightful to us What makes sin which is as odious as a carrion or corrupt thing to God and good men pleasant to carnal and wicked men but the sutableness of it to their nature they can feed upon sin as heartily and hungrily as a Raven doth upon a putrified carcase And what 's the reason that the ways of God are so pleasant to a godly man is it not because his heart is made through grace sutable to them To do the will of God is meat and drink to a godly man but his soul being in a right frame can no more delightfully do any thing that is sinfully evil than he can delight to feed bodily upon putrifaction or poyson Who provideth his food For the Raven The Hebrew word for a Raven signifies blâ—ckness darkness Corvus in Hebraeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus à colore nigro Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crocitare or the evening The Raven is the true Black-bird a dark-coloured creature black as a Raven is the Scripture language for perfect blackness The Greek word for a Raven intimates her hoarse harsh and unpleasant cry or croking As the coat of the Raven is eminent for a beautiful blackness so his note is well known by his unpleasant and jarring hoarsness The note of the Crow or Raven sounds like the Latine Cras cras in English To morrow to morrow or the day to come And hence men who when called to present repentance and forsaking of their sins desire time and say to morrow to morrow are said to resemble Crows and Ravens Zorom l. 4. whose only song is cras cras 'T is reported concerning Athanasius that walking in the streets of a Heathenish or Gentile City a Raven slew over his head and croked the Heathens that stood by laught and smil'd to see the Raven flie and croke so neer him and they asked What said the Raven to thee He answered The Raven cryed to morrow to morrow for to morrow the Emperor will send out such an Edict or Decree as will put a stop to your superstitious observation of Heathenish Feasts And though he knew nothing of the Emperors purpose at that time to put forth such a decree yet the next day there came a command from the Emperor that they should no more observe them And then the Heathens cryed out against Athanasius and said that he was a Witch Further The Raven is so called in our language from her ravening her name speaks her nature as Nabals did his 1 Sam. 25.25 yet even Ravens are under the Lords inspection Who provideth for the Raven his food Hence note The worst and vilest creatures are under the care of God The Lord doth not give Job an instance of his care in the people of Israel for whom he provided a long time in Egypt and whom he fed forty years in the wilderness nor in Elias fed by Ravens but in his feeding Ravens nor among fowls doth he instance in the Hawk or Falcon which are highly prized and fed by Princes nor in the sweet singing Nightingale or such like musical pretty birds which men keep choicely and much delight in but in that hateful and malicious bird the croking Raven whom no man values but as she eats up the carrion which might annoy him Behold then and wonder at the providence and kindness of God that he should provide food for the Raven a creature of so dismal a hue and of so untuneable a tone a creature that is so odious to most men Avis inauspicata and ominous to some There is a great providence of God seen in providing for the Ant or Pismire who gathers her meat in Summer Prov. 6.8 but a greater in the Raven who though he forgets or is careless to provide for himself yet God provides and layeth up for him One would think the Lord should say of Ravens let them shift for themselves or perish no the Lord God doth not despise any work of his hands the Raven hath his being from God and therefore the Raven shall be provided for by him not only the fair innocent Dove but the ugly Raven hath his meat from God As the Lord feeds not only Doves but Ravens in kind so he feeds not only Doves but Ravens in a figure that is he feeds not only dove-like or innocent men but raven-like or wicked men Mat. 5.45 He causeth his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Thus he feeds Ravens in the likeness of men Such men whose minds feed upon carrion the Lord feeds their bodies with excellent dainties they fare deliciously every day as the rich Glutton is said to do who was but a Raven The Lord I say doth not only provide for his better and more excellent ones but he provides for the bad for the evil for the wicked such an indulgent father and provider is God towards all his creatures We find this reported to the praise of God Psal 104.10 11. He sendeth the Springs into the valleys which run among the Hills they give drink to every beast of the field the wilde Asses quench their thirst And again Psal 145.15 16. The eyes of all wait upon or look unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire that is the hunger and thirst of every living thing He that gives life to all upholds the lives of all As it shews the great power of God that he hath made some living creatures the Angels and souls of men which need no mear so it is a very great glory that he provides meat for all that â—eed it God hath a great houshold and he keeps a plentiful house the meanest of his houshold have food convenient for them Now Doth the Lord provide a table for the Ravens Remember Christâ— Inference from it Then much more will he provide a Table for his children who fear him and trust upon him Behold saith Christ Mat. 6.26 the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they And that which Christ spake in general there concerning the fowls of the air he in the 12th of Luke ver 24. spake particularly of the Raven Coâ—sider the Ravens for they neither sow nor reap c. and God feedeth them how much more are ye better as if the Lord had said than the fowls Ye are much better than the best of fowls then how much better than the worst the Ravens and be ye assured that as much as ye are better than
hunted David even as a wild Goat on the rocks or as a Partridg on the mountains Fifthly They who hunt the wild Goats are at a very dangerous pleasure they often fall upon the rocks and sometimes fall from the rocks Is it not so with those who without cause pursue good men have they not a dangerous service of it get they not many a fall The wicked saith David Psal 37.12 13. plotteth or as the Margin hath it practiseth against the righteous he gnasheth upon him with his teeth But shall it go well with him who doth this evil The next words answer The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming What day surely a black day even the day of his destruction which is yet further confirmed in the 14. and 15. verses of the same Pâ—alm The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation or the upright of way But shall this end well with them or shall it be well with them in the end The next words tell us what their end shall be even this which is a dreadful end Their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall be broken Sixthly 'T is observed of these wild Goats that when they seem to be very near falling from the rock and high places yet they fall not and that though they fall they take little or no hurt at all Some say they have a naturall art to save themselves they know how to fall upon their feet and so escape without harm This also is applicable to the case of godly men they are often near falling yet they do not fall and when they fall they take no hurt they have a divine art to preserve themselves and 't is a truth that though they do receive hurt in the flesh yet their spirit or better part takes no hurt Though a good man fall into affliction or temptation he shall not saith David Psal 37.24 be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Yea though he falleth saith Solomon Prov. 24.16 seven times that is often into affliction 't is true also of his falling into sin yet he riseth again out of affliction by deliverance out of sin by repentance With respect to the former the Church warned her insulting enemy Mich. 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise Babylon shall fall and rise no more but though Sion may fall yet she shall assuredly rise again Lastly It is said of the wild Goats that when they receive hurt they by a natural instinct seek out the herb Betany growing among the rocks and upon mountains which gives a present and perfect cure to their bruises or hurts Thus when good men receive hurt in and from the evil world they have some herb or other some comfort or other for their cure they go to the Word of God to the Scriptures there they find Medicine for all their sicknesses Betany for all theiâ— bruises and a Salve for every sore Thus we may spiritualize our meditations upon these wild creatures the Goats of the rocks in allusion to the state of godly men in this life Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock bring forth Or canst thou mark when the Hinds do calve Here 's another sort of wild ones the Hind Canst thou mark the word imports the most strict and heedful marking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solicitudinem diligent iam Connotat 'T is used by Jacob Gen. 37.11 when Joseph had told his dream his Brethren envied him but his Father observed the saying that is he marked what his Son had said The word is often used to note our dutiful keeping or heeding the commands of God which should be done with the greatest strictness care and observation Now saith the Lord to Job canst thou mark or observe when the Hinds do calve as if the Lord had said dost thou keep their reckoning exactly art thou able to tell the day and hour when they will calve The word rendred Hind comes from a root signifying strength Hinds are strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cerva though timorous and fearful creatures and for their fearfulness they have a help besides their strength that is their speed or swiftness and though their strength doth not serve them sufficiently to stand and make head against their pursuers yet it serves them as we may say to shew their pursuers a fair pair of heels or to run from them and escape their danger Canst thou mark when the Hinds Do calve It is the same word in the Original which in the former part of the verse is translated to bring forth Mas cum pinguerit longè secedit ut qui pondere suae corpulentiae capi se posse facile sentiat Aristot l. 9. c. 5. de natura animalium but because that special word calving is more proper to Hinds therefore we wave the general sense bringing forth which is applicable to any kind of beasts and take this not rendring as before when the Hinds bring forth but when they calve The Hind is a wild beast often spoken of in Scripture and well known in nature the male we commonly call a Stagg or Hart of which naturalists observe two things First That perceiving himself to grow fat in the latter end of summer and being conscious of his own inability to help himself by flight he retires naturally to covert in secret places that so he may be free from the pursute of hunters Cum suâ— amisâ—â—it arma cavit ne inermis reperiatur Arist ubi supra Secondly Say they when he hath cast his horn then also he retires and gets into the thicket as far from sight as he can being sensible he hath lost his armes his defence and is therefore unwilling to come abroad where danger is till his head be grown again and he furnished with weapons for his own defence The Hind in the Text is the female and the Scripture speaks of the Hind in a twofold allusion First In allusion to Christ Secondly In allusion to those that are Christs Jesus Christ himâ—elf is often alluded to under this name and that in a three-fold respect 1. For his swiftness and speediness in coming to the relief and help of his Church Cant. 28.9 Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills my beloved is like a Roe or young Hart or Hind 't is the same word His leaping and skipping notes 1. His chearfulness 2. His speediness in coming The mountains and hills upon which he leaps and skips note the great obstacles and difficulties which stand in his way when he comes to help his Church his beloved Spouse Again Cant. 8.13 Be thou like the young Roe or young Hart upon the mountains of spices The Church describes the gracious hast which she desires Jesus
the same with this in the Text which signifieth to bring forth And hence some very learned in the Hebrew tongue do not render as we The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness but The voice of the Lord maketh the wilderness to bring forth The Lord maketh the wilderness of Kadesh to bring forth which is not to be understood of the vegetative creatures that 's a truth the Lord makes the Trees of the Forrest to bring forth both leaves and fruit but it is meant of animals or living creatures there And then when he saith The voice of the Lord maketh the wilderness to bring forth the meaning is The Lord makes the wilde beast of the wilderness to bring forth which seems to be the clear sense of the place by that which followeth for the Psalmist having said this in general at the 8 h verse The voice of the Lord maketh the wilderness to bring forth he in the 9th verse gives the special instance of the Hind The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to calve So much concerning the wilde Goats bringing forth their young and the Hinds calving In the next verse the Lord enquires of Job the time how long they go with young before they bring forth and calve Vers 2. Canst thou number the mouths that they fulfil As if the Lord had said Canst thou tell how long they that is the wilde Goats or the Hinds bear their natural burdens Canst thou number their months Menses qui hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ—â—antâ—r à Laina menses enim Hebraeorum Lunares crant the Hebrew is their Moons The Jews reckoned their months by Moons and we distinguish between Lunaâ—y and Solary months Moon-months consist of twenty eight dayes Sun-months of thirty Canst thou reckon the Moons or months that they fulfil To this the Prophet alludes Jer. 2.24 speaking of the wilde Ass that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure that is who takes pleasure or as the Margin reads it The desire of whose heart is to snuff up the wind in her occasion sai h he who can turn her away He compares wanton vain persons idolatrous and superstitious persons especially who of all others are the wâ—ntonnest and vainest persons to an Ass when she is in the heat of her lust and pleasure all they that seek her will not weary themselves that is they will not weary themselves to seek her while she is in that condition but in her month they shall find her that is when she is burdened with young when her sorrows and pains are neer coming upon her then she may be dealt wiâ—h Thus the Lord would shew his people that however being so lusty so wanton there was no dealing with them yet a month of sorrow was coming upon them even as upon one with young wherein they should feel and be under such sad pains as would burden them to purpose as we say and then they would be found and might be spoken with Wilde Asses have their months their months of bearing and their month of bringing forth about those and this the Lord enquires of Job Canst thou number the months that they fulfil The question is not so to be understood as if the number of the months which they fulfil were so many that they could not be numbred but the Lord speaks thus because of the uncertainty of the time as to man when those months are fulfilled David prayed Psal 39.4 Lord shew me the number of my dayes not as if the number of his dayes were so many that he could hardly find out the number of them Arithmetically but being so uncertain he needed the Lords instruction to teach him how to count the number of them spiritually So here Canst thou number the months that they fulfil that 's as great a secret as the number of any mans dayes in this world are Yet it may be objected surely it is no such hard matter to number the months which Hinds and wilde Goats fulfil For if the question be what time of their age Goats first conceive Aliquando anniculae semper binae pariunt octonis annis Plin. l. 8. c. 50. and how long they continue bearing Pliny answers Sometimes they conceive at a year old alwayes at two years old and saith he they continue bearing eight years Secondly If the question be about what time of the year they conceive and bring forth the same Author answers They conceive in November and b ing foâ—th in March so that they go burdened five months Again if the question be about the Hinds he thus resolves it They conceive about the latter end of September and bring forth about the middle of April the whole time they go Octonis monsibus serunt pâ—rtus Plin. l. 8. c. 32. being about eight months so that there seems no such difficulty in numbring the months which either wilde Goats or Hinds fulfil that is how long they go with young I answer Though the general time which they fulfil may be known or is known and set down by Writers yet the precile particular time the day of the month or hour of the day or which is the thing enquired when their months come out and are fulfilled that 's a secret Though it be commonly known that a woman goes nine months with child yet who knows or can a woman her self know exactly to a day or an hour when her pains and travel will come upon her Many women have been under great mistakes in that caâ—e and rarely do any hit the time right but reckon a day two or three over or under the just account So then though the general time is known yet the exact particular time is not known I may say in this case as our Lord Jesus Christ said about the end of the world Of that day and hour knows no man we may know the general time we may know it will not be long before the world shall end The time which the world shall go with its great birth is commonly said to be six thousand years but the day and hour of its travel and of the consummation of all things according to the decree of God no man no nor Angel knows Here the Lord questions Job about the exact particular time which himself keeps as he doth all special seasons in his own h nd or power under his own lock and key as Christ told his Disciples Act. 1.7 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil dost thou keep their reckoning Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth 'T is the same in effect that was spoken before therefore I shall not stay upon it From the whole verse observe The Lord only can give timely succour to all creatures The reason is implyed in the Text Because he only knows the certain time of their extremity None can give exact and timely help to the necessity of another but he that knows the exact time of his extremity The Lord can and will
give deliverance to his people in the very nick of time when the months of their sorrow and burdens are fulfilled for he knows the number of them The children of Israel had long and sore bondage in Egypt but no longer than the months which were appointed for as soon as they were fulfilled their bondage was ended and they delivered mark how the Spirit of God records it to a day Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred aâ—d thirty years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the h sts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt Nor doth the sacred Record leave it thus but adds vers 42. It is a night to be much observed or according to the letter of the Hebrew A night of observations unto the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt This is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations But Moses said in the former verse It was the self-same day Why doth he say here It is a night c And this is that night of the Lord c. The reason I conceive was this The word day may be taken largely for a natural day consisting of twenty four hours now because the four hundred and thirty years were fulfilled and ended at the beginning of that day the Jewish account of dayes beginning at evening â—herefore their deliverance began then and did not stay till the morning Thus exact is the Lord keeping his word not only to a day but to a piece yea to the very hour of a day And as the Lord gave that people deliverance just when those years were fulfilled according to that ancient prophecy so doubtless when the forty two months or which is the same the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for his witnesses prophecying in sack-cloth Rev. 11.2 3. shall be fulfilled then they also shall come out of their bondage from under mystical Egypt and Babylon Men have been long guessing at the fulfilling of those forty two months but may we not say to them concerning the birth of that prophecy in the same sense that the Lord doth here to Job concerning the particular time when the wilde Goats of the rock and the Hinds bring forth Canst thou number the months that they fulfil As the particular time of the Hinds fulfilling her months so of Sions fulfilling her months of sorrow in this world is a secret which the Lord hath reserved to himself and keeps fast lockt up in the Cabinet of his eternal counsels Knowest thou the time when they bring forth The Lord having thus questioned Job about the time of the bringing forth of these two creatures in these two verses proceeds to question him about the manner of their bringing forth or the painfulness of it Vers 3. They bow themselves c. These words are a description of the hard travel of the Hinds not of the Goats as Interpreters generally agree Bowing of the body is the posture of any creature in travel to bring forth As if the Lord had said Is it thou O Job that hast or I that have given them an instinct in nature to put their bodies as wilde as they are considerately into such a posture when their pains come upon them as may be most easeful for themselves and least hurtful to their off-spring by bowing their bodies to dilate the passages of nature and so by a natural Midwifry to deliver themselves of their burdens as followeth They bring forth their young ones The word rendred bring forth signifies to cleave asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè findo diffindo trajicio implying their extream pain in bringing forth or that it is to them as grievous as the rending and cleaving of their bodies could be So the word is translated Chap. 16.13 where Job making a lamentable complaint about his sufferings under the hand of God expresseth it thus His archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder Such torture have these poor creatures in bringing forth their young which is more plainly set down in the close of the verse They cast out their sorrows Which may be understood two ways First bowing to free themselves of their young ones their sorrows end or there is an end of their sorrows they are cast out Secondly Thus they cast out their sorrows that is their young ones are cast out which have put them to much sorrow grievous throws so may well be called their sorrows as Rachel called that child with which she had such hard travel Ben-oni The son of her sorrows Gen. 35.18 The word which we render sorrows signifies cords and bonds implying that these creatures are girded and bound about with extream pain until by the power of God in nature they receive deliverance Some are bound and girded with troubles in and from the world who yet are not sorrowful we through faith may even glory in tribulation Rom. 5.3 but they who are sorrowful are alwayes bound and therefore the same word signifieth bonds and sorrows They cast out their sorrows Hence note First Even wilde and savage creatures bring forth with pain This is part of that vanity brought by mans sin upon the creature of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 8.22 We know that the whole creation or every creature groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The creatures groan as bâ—ing laden with a heavy burden and they travel in pain as a woman with child to be eased and delivered of her burden even those creatures which in proper sense neither travel nor bring forth yet are said to groan and tâ—avel in pain by reason of the sin of man and therefore the Apostle â—aith They groan and travel in pain together that is all the creatures joyn in this They do not some groan others sing some travel in pain and others travel in or take their pleasure but they are all as it were sensible of their sad change and bewail it sadly and saith the Apostle they groan and travel until now or unto this now not as if their groaning did then cease when this was said but to shew that it had continued without ceasing until that instant now and so it will continue until the manifestation of the sons of God spoken of vers 19. As soon as man sinned the Lord laid that affliction on the woman In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Gen. 3.16 Now that which was first declared an affliction with respect to the woman is fallen upon all creatures in their degree they all are more or less pained in travel or travel in pain The sin of man hath brought sorrow upon the whole world even upon sinless creatures therefore man should pity poor creatures in their sorrows his sin having brought those sorrows upon them How vile then are they who meerly to satisfie their lusts encrease the sorrows of the creature
all sorts of wild beasts and then say they in the latter part of the verse the wild Ass is especially spoken of under another tearm for though we have he wild Ass according to our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both parts of the Text yet under different appellations by which some understand two soâ—ts of wild Asses but others take the first only in general for wild beasts of any sort and the latter for this particular sort of wild beasts the wild Ass But I conceive we need not be so curious for though we take both the former and the latter word for the same the sense is clear and the same Who hath sent out the wild Ass free Or who hath loosed the bands of the wilde Ass But was the wilde Ass here spoken of at any time in bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod promde videtur aliud animal ab Onagro non tamen multum differens Grot. Aliqui vertunt Onagrum Alcen quae sunt equorum asinorum agrestium genera Distinguit inter Onagrum Alcen Plinius lib. 8. c. 15. and now set free I answer The Lord speaks thus figuratively not that the wilde Ass was ever in bonds but that because he is so untractable and will by no means be mannag'd he seems to be as one loosed from bonds even as Oxen and Horses which serve man and are under his power seem bound to his service So then as the former so this latter part of the verse is not to be expounded as if the wilde Ass had ever been under restraint and afterwards was sent forth free and loosed from his bonds but both expressions intend only that as his disposition is for freedom so in his condition he is and alwayes hath been free from bondage for not only is he free from bondage who having been in bondage is delivered as slaves and captives oftentimes are but he may be said to be free from bondage or to have his bonds loosed who was never in bonds who was either born free or who by his wit skill and policy or the help of others hath been preserved from bondage A man may be said to be free from sickness that never was sick as well as he that is restored from sickness to health and so a man that never was in bonds may be said to be free from bonds as well as he that is delivered from bondage Thus the wilde Ass in the Text is said to have his bonds loosed though he never was in bonds As the Lord hath made all creatures so he hath made some free others servile he hath set some at liberty but holds others at hard labour all their dayes in drawing travelling or bearing heavy burdens The words are plain the sum and scope of them may be thus conceived As if the Lord had asked Job by whom this natural inclination was given to the wilde Ass that he should so earnestly desire liberty as also who gave him that foâ—ce and stoutness that he should be able to live without Law to follow his own lust not at all submitting to nor guided by the will of others Who hath sent out the wilde Ass free Hence observe First That some creatures are free from and others bound to service is of Gods own appointment It would be both a vanity and a high presumption to ask the reason why the Lord hath appointed some creatures to spend the whole time of their lives in liberty and that others should be continually groaning under bondage labouring and sweating tyring and wearying themselves out in the service of men seeing we cannot change the orders of God And as we must not busie our selves with enquiring why he hath not subjected the wilde Ass to the same bonds and burdens as he hath tame Asses So we must not say unto God why hast thou made some men to serve others to rule no nor why he handles some men more gently others more grievously We must resolve all these questions into the will dominion and soveraignty of God and we may well conceive that the Lord would in this question about the wilde Asses intimate unto us as well as unto Job that he hath a power in himself which no man ought to question to free some men from the bonds of service and to bind others to free some men from the bonds of affliction sorrow and trouble in this world while others are hamper'd and held fast in them all their dayes What Job spâ—ke in reference to the various dispensation of bodily health Chap. 21.23 24 25. One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones moistned with marrow and another dyeth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure the same may be said about the dealings of God with men as to bodily liberty one dyeth free he girded himself all the dayes of his life as Christ said to Peter of his younger dayes Joh. 21. and went whither he pleased no man asking whither goest thou or why stayest thou here another is laid by the heels or girded by others and never enjoyeth the freedom of his own person or motions he poor man is bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction as Elihu spake in the 36th Chapter of this book This was Jobs case he was in the bonds and cords of affliction while others enjoyed peace and liberty Now man ought no more to question the Lord why one man is afflicted and another free then why the wilde Ass is free and the tame a servant As the whole creation which was occasionally shewed at the third verse is subject unto bondage by reason of the sin of man and groaneth till it be delivered so the soveraignty of God hath laid this bondage heavier upon some parts of the creation or upon some creatures than upon others And as we should daily and deeply bewail it that our sin hath brought bondage upon the creature so we should humbly submit to whatsoever bondage or hard travel the soveraignty of God hath designed us in one kind or other while we are in this world Secondly Consider to whom 't is granted to be free and to have their bonds loosed it is to wilde Asses Then observe To be free from labour and service is but a very low priviledge It is but the priviledge of an Ass and as it is but a low priviledge to be free from service so it is a great sin to cast off service Some under pretence of liberty cast off obedience and will not bear the yoak of duty or good government this is indeed to be free as the wilde Ass is free Such are spoken of Psal 2.2 3. Come let us break their bonds and cast their cords from us They that would break the bonds and cords there spoken of desire only and look after a sinful liberty a meaner liberty than that of the wilde Ass The Prophet going to the
man The sin of man loosed the creatures from that bond of service to man in which and to which they were created Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee Observe Sixthly Those Creatures which will not do service unto man but live meerly to themselves are wild or fierce These clearly resemble the condition of those men who live only to themselves or who serve none but themselves Whatever some men do they serve themselves only they respect no mans good either spiritual or temporal besides their own were it not that they had a chief respect to their private ends and interests in serving they would never serve A gracious spirit is willing to serve his neighbour to serve his brother as well as or with himself Christ tells us his Disciples should be so far from serving themselves only that they should not serve themselves at all he that will be my Disciple saith our Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 16.24 Let him deny himself that is not serve nor seek himself either contrary to the good of others or with a neglect of their good Therefore they who in all they do do all for themselves live upon no better terms nor to any nobler ends than the Unicorn or wild Ass who are not willing to serve any man Let others sink or swim say such they care not they will look to their own Seventhly and Lastly Though God hath made a sort of creatures that as the case stands will not serve man nor contribute any help to him yet these creatures live not in vain to God nor are they altogether unserviceable to man though they have no will to serve him For First They declare the power and wisdome of God both in making and governing them and in that they declare his praise God would not give any creature a being that did not one way or other set forth his praise in the world there 's much of God shining in those creatures which man hath no service by Psal 148. Praise him ye Dragons and all Deeps Dragons praise God they raise up a revenue of glory to God though man get no service from them Secondly Such creatures adorn the universe the world is beautified with their variety Thirdly Even such creatures serve man when they are dead though they will not while they live some parts of them are Medicinal and many useful to man The Unicorn who will serve no man living while he lives yet his horn is accounted a great Antidote against Poyson and so is a means to prevent the death or prolong the life of many men So then there is no creature but is serviceable to God and man some way or other And though it may be truly said of some men as of the Unicorn with respect to man they will not serve God yet God hath service by them Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee Or abide by thy Crib A Crib is that in which an Oxe or an Ass feeds Isa 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib that is the vessel in which he useth to be fed Solomon saith Prov. 14.4 Where no Oxen are the Crib is clean that is the Crib is not used and so remains clean If none come into a Room the Room is clean In one sense where Oxen are the Crib is clean that is they eat up all the fodder put into it But in Solomons sense where no Oxen are the Crib is clean because no fodder is put into it The Lord having said the Unicorn will do no work adds also he will not abide by thy Crib As he will do thee no service so he will put thee to no charge that 's a piece of ingenuity in the Unicorn as he does no work for man so he looks for no wages nor reward from man which may be a reproof to those men who are very unwilling to serve others yet are very willing to abide by their Crib they like it well to eat and drink upon you as long as you will and possibly whether you will or no but will not do a stroke of work Such a one we call proverbially a Lurdane from the lazy Danes who long since Lording it in this Kingdom would eat and drink in a good well-stored house but refused all labour The Unicorn is to be commended above such idle drones who use their teeth more than their hands as if they were born only to feed their bellies or to live upon the sweat of other mens brows for he hath a kind of honesty in him as he doth you no work so he will not trouble your Crib Hence note Some creatures will rather run the adventure of starving than work for their living They will rather indure hunger and thirst than be put upon labour There is much of this also in some mens spirits 't is so with all those whom Solomon calls sluggards they prefer hunger and ease which some calls a dogs life before plenty with industry and a thred-bare back before a sweating brow Secondly From the connexion in that the Text saith will he serve thee will be abide by thy Crib Note Whomsoever we call to our service we should provide a Crib for him We ought to feed those that do our work If the Unicorn would labour he should not want a Crib nor should any labouring man want a Table It were a most unrighteous thing in the sight of God and Man if he should As the Apostle gives the rule 2 Thess 3.10 He that will not work let him not eat so on the contrary he that doth work all the reason in the world he should eat therefore the Apostle James Chap. 5.4 denounceth a wo against rich men for detaining or keeping back either in whole or in part the hire of the labourers who had cut down their harvest Hire kept back crieth for what for wrath and vengeance upon them that detain or keep it back The law of God given by Moses Deut. 24.15 commanded that the labourers hire should be paid him presently his hire was not to be kept from him no not for a night As if the Lord had said he hath been willing to serve thee all the day therefore let him carry his wages home at night to comfort his Wife and Children The Lord is very jealous in this thing if a beast serve he must have a Crib Moratur ad praesepe Dâ—mini qui verbo Dei audiendo indesinenter dâ—t operam August and shall not man One of the Ancients applies this in a spiritual sense to hearing the Word of God The wicked will not serve God nor will they abide by his Crib they will not come where their souls may be fed to eternal life where they may have clean Provender as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.24 that is sound and wholesome doctrine directing them both what to believe and how to live that they may be saved and live for ever The Lord having in this 9th verse set forth the lawless
upon Pharoah when he dealt so hardly with the chosen people of God notwithstanding all the corporal judgments which God brought upon him And as it was in that case between Pharoah and the children of Israel so in any case whatsoever he that dealeth hardly with others hath a heart hardned against them as this beast-bird the Ostrich upon that account is said to harden her self against her young ones Note Secondly 'T is an aggravation of hard-heartedness to deal hardly with those that are young and tender They that are grown up they that are hardned can endure hardship The Apostle Paul would have every believer especially a Minister of the Gospel to endure hardship 2 Tim. 2.3 'T is both their duty wisdom to harden themselves who are like to endure hardship and to find the world hardned against them All such should inure themselves to endure hard things or to suffer evil as the word there is as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tu igitur perfer adversa Bez. Good souldiers especially old experienced souldiers will indure hardship but your raw souldiers new listed souldiers who never saw battel or siedge can hardly endure it The Ostrich puts her young ones to hardship We should be very careful if we put hardship upon any to put it upon those only that are fit to endure it we should not put hardship upon young ones 't is the spirit of an Ostrich of a beast-bird to do so Jacob had a tender respect to his flocks for this reason when Esau would have journeyed with him no saith he Gen. 33.13 My Lord knoweth that the children are tender and the flocks aâ—d herds with young are with me and if men should over-drive them one day all the flock would die As if he had said should I use these young ones hardly that are not fitted for hardship I should destroy all Jacob had a tender care of those that were tender The Ministers of the Gospel should take heed that they harden not themselves against the young ones of the flock such as are newly come in to Jesus Christ late Converts Babes in Christ as the Apostle calls them 1 Cor. 3.1 these should be dealt tenderly with The Prophet describes the tender care of Christ towards his people under this notion Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young and shall his Ministers hurry and over-drive them When any do so are they not as the Ostrich in the Text hardned against their young ones yea against those that are with young Again From that addition to her hard heartedness not only is she hardned against her young ones but she is hardned as if they were not hers Hence note It is most unnaâ—ural to be hardned against those to whom we stand engaged by neer relation or natural bonds To look upon those as not ours that are ours is an extremity of hardness She is a hard mother indeed who deals with her children as if they were not her children The Apostle concludes universally in the Negative Eph. 5.29 No man ever hated his own flesh but loved it and cherished it as the Lâ—rd doth the Church Now as it is an unnatural thing for a man to hate his own flesh personal so his own flesh relational Christ speaking of the world saith John 15.19 The world loves its own The world doth not love you saith Christ to his disciples yea because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you The world and you are not of a piece are not of a Pedigree nor of the same extraction you are of another world and have had both a birth and a breeding differing toto coelo heavenly wide from theirs and therefore 't is no great wonder if the world hate you who are not of it but the world loves its own They have a nature more unnatural than the world who are hardned against their own relations Jesus Christ John 1.11 came to his own and his own received him not Now as not to be respected by our own so not to respect our own is unnatural It was the sin of the Jewish Nation that they did not respect Christ they being Christs own according to the flesh Their sin is great and they do shamefully who will not do what good they ought and can for their own The Prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations Chap. 4.3 speaking of the women of Jerusalem in that extremity of famine saith Even the Sea monsters draw out the breast they give suck to their young ones but the daughter of my people is become cruel like the Ostriches in the wilderness The Prophet compares that people to the Ostrich though that cruelty of theirs to their young ones proceeded not so much from the hardness of their hearts as from the hardness of the times and was to be charged rather upon their necessity than their nature The famine upon them was so great and pressed them so sore that they were so far from having any thing to give their children to eat that they were forced to eat their children and yet this necessitons hard-heartness of theirs towards their own the Pâ—ophet upbraids them with and reproves them for while he said The daughter of my people is become cruel like the Ostriches of the wilderness Let all own relations to the utmost and take heed of turning away from and casting off the care of theirs as if they were not theirs The Prophet Isa 58.7 puts it among the duties of a fast That thou hide not thy self from thy own flesh Then we keep a true fast a fast that God hath chosen when we break our bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to our houses when we cloath the naked and comfort the sorrowful not hiding our selves from our own flesh by which though we are specially to understand our kindred and neerest relations in the flesh yet 't is true of meer strangers of those who are at furthest remove from us as to either alliance or consanguinity if they need our help God hath made all men of one flesh in the same sense that he hath made all men of one blood Act. 17.26 and therefore to hide our selves from the help of any man in distress is to hide our selves from our own flesh 'T is much to be wondred that a foolish bird should be forgetful of her young ones as though they were not hers but it is to be abhorred in men and women especially in those that profess the faith of Christ that they should no more look to them that are theirs than as if they were not theirs The Apostle gives this censure of or sentence upon all such 1 Tim. 5.8 If any man provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house or as the Margin hath it kindred
at but there are other fears that will be our shame and ruin to mock at Of all such that will be true which the Lord spake by wisdom Prov. 1.26 I will mock when their fear cometh They who mock when fear that is when fearful things are threatn'd in the name of the Lord the Lord will mock at their fear when fearful evils fall upon them Sinners will have little mind to mock at last Such mockers at fear are prophesied of before the coming of Christ in those two Epistles which are of a near complexion and constitution 2 Pet. 3.4 Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days mockers or scoffers walking after their own lusts saying where is the promise of his coming And in the Epistle of Jude ver 17 18. we have the same caution Beloved remember ye the words that were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time who should walk after their ungodly lusts Take heed you be not found thus like the Horse mocking at fear though there be many cases wherein it is the honour of man especially of the servants of God to be in this point like the Horse Who mocketh at fear Neither turneth he back from the sword This latter part of the verse is only a confirmation of what was said before and therefore I shall briefly pass it Those appearances or reallities of danger at which we are affrighted cause us to turn back but the horse not being affrighted with turneth not back from the sword The Hebrew is he turneth not back from the face of the sword further the Hebrew is plural from the faces of the sword The sword hath a face it hath as it were many faces and they all look very terribly therefore not to be afraid of the faces of the sword is a high expression of fearlesness Not to turn back from the face of the sword may have this sence not to fear when the sword is very near him when the sword looks the horse in the face and makes dreadful faces then he turns not back from it nor yields a foot of ground The Horse doth not only mock at fear or at things which are to be fear'd when they are afar off but when they are near even when the sword is drawn and brandished before his face To talk great words when an enemy is far from us is the cowards guize but when we see his face to stand to it is the trial of courage Plin. nat hist l. 6. c. 16. The Lioness is a very fierce and stout creature and yet it is reported that when she is fighting for her whelps at which time she is most fierce and furious she casts her eyes down to the ground as not being willing to behold the weapons or hunting arms of those who pursue her But though the natural Historian reports some kind of fear in the Lioness yet Solomon reports the courage of the Lion altogether fearless and undaunted Prov. 30.30 He turneth not away for any The Hebrew saith from the face of any we may say man or beast that is she takes not a step back for any neither man nor beast can make him afraid An ancient Writer describing the Lion tells us He never feareth nor flyeth nor hasteth away in the sight of any but though oppressed with the multitude or number of his pursuers he makes his retreat softly and gradually or by several stands to see who dares engage him as was shewed before at the 38th Chapter ver 39 40. Thus the valiant horse behaves himself at the appearance and face of the sword he doth not only not turn quite away from the sword but doth not so much as turn his eyes from it but looks it full in the face though it sheweth a dreadful and bloody face God who hath made the horse for the service of man in war hath given him a spirit sutable he is not afraid of the sword nor of any other weapon of war as will further appear from the next verse when from these words I have briefly Noted First The face or appearance of the sword is terrible The sword is one of the most terrible things which the Lord at any time threatneth against a sinful people the face of the sword makes many mens faces gather paleness and puts a palsie into their hands Note Secondly Where there is true courage not only dangers afar off but dangers at hand are not turned from It is said Psal 78.8 that the children of Ephraim being armed and carrying bows they had both offensive and defensive weapons yet turned back in the day of battle They marcht on possibly a great while very valiantly as well as any in the army and possibly made great boasts what they would do but when it came to the day of battle when they saw the face of the sword then saith the Text they turned back A man of right mettal turns not back his courage fails not no not at present danger and that 's it which we are to consider our selves in as to our spiritual courage It is an easie matter to slight dangers when they are unseen and only talked of but when it comes to the day of battle when swords are drawn and you see their terrible faces then not to turn back that 's courage indeed And so we may understand the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.38 where he brings in the Lord speaking thus If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him If any man draw back as a coward or takes his heels in the day of battle for of that he spake in the 34th verse telling us of those Who endured a great fight of affliction even of those that took joyfully the spoiling of their goods and doubtless were ready to take joyfully the spoiling of their lives too If any man in their case turn back f om the very face of the sword My soul saith God shall have no pleasure in him he is no souldier for me he is not fit for the spiritual warfare As in this verse we have the sword so in the next there is an ennumeration of several other terrible Armes the sight whereof gives no trouble to the horse Vers 23. The quiver ratleth against him the glistering spear and the sword Yet he turns not back so we are to connect it The quiver ratles against him It was usual in those times to make much use of bows and aâ—rows in war and not only did the foot-men use the bow but the horse-men too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est pharetra unde sagittae vocantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii pharetrae Lam. 3. Some understand this ratling of the quiver to be either of foot or horse that come to charge but we are rather to understand the ratling of the horse-mans quivers Most creatures take fright at ratling noises but this ratling makes not
own personal afflictions and when under sad dispensations All this is as it were a speaking in the whirlwind And he speaks graciously winningly and comfortably or to the hearts of his people even when he leads them into the wilderness Hos 2.14 The Apostle saith Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men that is we perswade men by the terror of the Lord and so knowing the goodness and the mercy of the Lord we perswade men that is we perswade them by the goodness the mercy of the Lord. I saith the Apostle Rom 12.1 beseech you by the mercies of God present your bodies c. Of some we must have compassion making a difference others save with fear Jude vers 22.23 that is we must put them in fear that they may be saved or as I may say scare and fright them to heaven Secondly Consider who it is that the Lord spake to in a whirlwind he spake to Job and who was Job surely a very godly man a man that feared God a man that had a very noble testimony from God himself and yet here God spake to Job himself in a whirlwind Hence Note The best of men may sometimes need the terrible appearances of God to humble them and to bring them to a due confession of their sins Certainly God would not have spoken to Job in a whirlwind if there had not been cause for it he would not have spoken twice in a whirlwind if there had not been double cause for it The Apostle Peter saith 1 Eph. 1.6 Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations that is afflictions and trials if need be We should never feel any affliction from the hand of God never be in heaviness if there were not need There is need that the holiest in this world should sometimes be made heavy or that heaviness should be upon them for a time We should always have calms and fair weather never any storms nor tempests nor whirlwinds from God did not our needs call for it As we every day need bread which is therefore called by Christ our daily bread so most days we need a rod either the rod of his mouth to reprove us or the rod of his hand to chasten us And we do so especially for these reasons First To bring us into a deep sence of our own vileness to humble us to lay us low Secondly To make greater impressions upon our hearts of the power and soveraignty of God of the holiness and righteousness of God It is that we might know our selves more and that we might know God more that God speaks to us in whirlwinds in terrible dispensations Further As this is a second whirlwind as it is a second speaking to Job a good man in a whirlwind Observe God will not give over terrible dispensations and appearances till he hath brought man to his purpose God hath an end a purpose in every work and every work of his goeth on till he hath attained his purpose As the word which goeth out of the Lords mouth shall not return unto him void but shall accomplish that which he pleaseth and prosper in the thing whereto he sends it Isa 55.11 So the work which God takes in hand shall not be in vain but shall prosper to the purpose for which he undertakes it Now if any ask what is the purpose of God in whirlwind dispensations that was shewed before even to make us more humble and to have higher thoughts of God in every respect But some may say Job had very low thoughts of himself before he had said I am vile doubtless Job spake this in great humility why then doth the Lord speak to Job in a whirlwind again seeing he was truly humbled at his first speaking I answer Though Job was humbled yet he was not humbled enough he was not yet laid low enough nor melted down enough and therefore God spake to him in a whirlwind again It would not serve his turn barely to say I am vile God must have more of him than that he must make a fuller confession of his fault than that God brought him at last to say I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes which is a description of deepest humiliation Now because Job was not come to that but had only said I am vile though there was matter of great humiliation in that the Lord questions with him again in a whirlwind This should be of great consideration to us in any day of affliction For if God hath not his purpose in bringing the first affliction we shall be spoken to in a whirlwind a second time We are apt to wonder and think it strange that God should speak terribly to us so often that he should renew our afflictions and make us new crosses We think if we do but make a light confession of our sins and say we are vile presently the storm should cease and the affliction be removed Let us not deceive our selves Job had said he was vile yet God continued the storm because he was not yet low enough 'T is not enough for us that we are truly humbled As there must be truth in our humiliation so there must be depth in it for questionless when Job said before I am vile he did not dissemble with God he was hearty in it and spake his heart what he spake was from his very soul and in sincerity he did not complement with God he did not flatter God with his mouth nor lie unto him with his tongue as the Israelites did Psal 78.36 his heart was right with God as theirs was not ver 37. yet because his spirit was not come down as it should therefore he must be awakened and humbled more with another whirlwind he must be further school'd that he might give further glory to God in his own abasement And hence we may infer If the Lord spake thus to Job and may speak thus terribly to any good man once and again Then with what terror in how dreadful a whirlwind will God at last speak to all the wicked of the world If he spake out of a whirlwind to a Job a gracious godly man what will that whirlwind be out of which he will speak to a Pharoah to prophane and hard-hearted sinners As our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself in the Gospel If it be thus done to a green tree what shall be done to the dry If God hath whirlwinds for his Jobs for his own people who are as green flourishing trees in grace and holiness what will he do with the dry sticks of the world And I may argue it as the Apostle doth 1 Pet. 4.13 If judgment begin at the house of God what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel what shall their end be no man is able to say no nor to conceive how sad it will be Judgment begins at the house of God God will not spare his own house not his own houshold he will not
by contesting with God but by humbling our selves before him there 's no obtaining with God by contending with him much less by condemning him Vers 9. Hast thou an arm like God or canst thou thunder with a voice like him THe Lord at the 6th verse of this Chapter entered upon a vehement expostulation with Job to humble him and bring down his spirit and that Job might be thorowly humbled here the Lord in this 9th verse sheweth what a disparity there was between himself and Job as before in his righteousness Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous art thou more righteous than I So here in his power Vers 9. Hast thou an arm like God canst thou thunder with a voice like him As if the Lord had said Let me see what thou canst do or whether thou canst do like God seeing thou carriest thy self so unlike a man That 's the scope and tendency of this 9th verse as of those that went immediately before The whole verse consists of two convincing questions The first in those words Hast thou an arm like God The second in these Canst thou thunder with a voice like him Hast thou an arm like God The arm properly taken is a noble and an eminent limb or member of mans body Nor hath any creature nor is any creature so much as said to have an arm but man And some may say seeing the arm is a bodily member how can God who hath no body be said to have an arm I answer 't is true God is a spirit without distinction of parts yet frequently in Scripture as humane passions so bodily parts are ascribed to God improperly or by a figure And because the arm is a strong and noble member of mans body that member by which man puts forth the greatness of his strength that member by which he doth and atchieves great things therefore the arm in Scripture signifies power and is the embleme of might and strength In this language the Lord threatned old Eli the High Priest 1 Sam. 2.31 Behold the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house c. that is I will take away thy power and the power of thy family Thus Zech. 11.17 Wo to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock the sword shall be upon his arm that is his power shall be broken and he made useless as that man is whose arm is wounded And as the arm notes ministerial power so magistratical power whether abused or rightly used Job 35.9 They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty and Chap. 38.15 The high arm shall be broken Now as the arm is put for the power of man so for the power of God Psal 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory Read also Isa 59.16 and Isa 63.12 and here in the Text Hast thou an arm like God Is thy arm like Gods arm that is is thy power like Gods power Hence Note First God hath a mighty power He hath an arm There are three Scripture expressions which in a gradation hold forth the power of God First The finger of God Exod. 18.9 When the Magicians could not imitate Moses in the Plague of Lice then they said unto Pharaoh This is the finger of God that is the power of God is eminent in this miracle it exceeds our power we not only cannot do the like but nothing like it as we did before in semblance of those former miracles Thus Christ himself being blasphemed by some of the Jews who said He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of devils answered Lu. 11.20 If I by the finger of God cast out devils c. that is If I by the power of God or by the holy Spirit so another Gospel hath it Mat. 12.28 If I by the Spirit of God cast out divels c. Secondly The power of God is expressed by the hand which containeth all the fingers Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save that is his power is not abated he hath a long hand still his power to save is as great as ever it was The same Prophet saith Chap. 9.17 The hand of the Lord is stretched out still that is his power is still at work to punish impenitent sinners How much and how long soever God hath punished sinners he can punish them longer and more if they continue longer in sin or sin more and more Thirdly We have here in this Text and in many others the arm of God that 's more than his hand signifying the fullness of his power Not that there are any real gradations in the power of God but there are gradations in the exerting and putting forth of his power Sometimes God putteth forth his power as it were by a finger only as Rehoboam said 1 Kings 12.10 My little finger shall be thicker than my Fathers loins that is the least that I will do in my government shall be more afflictive and burdensom to you if you call it a burden than the most that my Father Solomon did in his At another time God putteth forth his power by his hand you may see his whole hand that is fuller and clearer evidences of his power in what he doth or hath done that is in his works of providence whether in breaking down or building up And lastly he sheweth his arm his stretched-out arm that is the fullness of his power God hath power great power mighty power he hath an arm an out-stretched arm and this arm of God is spoken of in Scripture for a four-fold use First For the safe guarding of his people 't is a protecting arm The arm of God with us signifieth our safety The Prophet speaking of the dealings of God with his ancient people saith Isa 63.12 He led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that is his protecting arm by which he saved that people from the wrath of Pharaoh in their first advance out of Egypt and from the wrath of all their enemies in all their encampings and marches to Canaan was very glorious This glorious arm of his is a defence upon all his glory Isa 4.5 that is upon his whole Church for there his truth holiness and holy worship which are his glory are held up and held out The Church of God is so much for the glory of God that 't is called his glory Secondly As the Lord hath a protecting arm from evil so an arm delivering and pulling out of evil The deliverance which God wrought for the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt Exod. 6.16 Deut. 5.15 and Deut. 7.19 is said to be done by an out-stretched arm that is by his power visibly put forth and even to the utmost in the wonderful effects of it All the while God did not deliver Israel out of their bondage he might be said to
draw in or hide his arm but when he delivered them then he was said to stretch it out Thirdly As the arm of God is for the protection and delivering of his people so for the destroying of his and their enemies God hath a destroying arm and of that Moses spake Deut. 33.27 The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee that 's sometimes the work of the everlasting arms of God and shall say destroy them Fourthly The Lord hath an assisting helping strengthning arm to carry us thorough any good work or duty which he calleth us unto Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is who hath received power to believe and do according to what the Lord hath revealed The arm of God works powerfully not only upon the outward man but upon the heart of man for the converting and saving of souls Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing The power of God put forth upon the inner man for full conviction and sound conversion is greater than any power that worketh upon for or against the body of man God hath a mighty arm for all these purposes and for many more even for as many as he is pleased to make use of it or employ it in And if any ask How mighty is his arm I answer No man knoweth how mighty it is only this we know It is Almighty What the might of Almightiness is who can understand Moses spake admiringly more than knowingly to this point Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is beyond comprehension and so is his love Who knoweth the power of his love We are exhorted Eph. 3.19 To know the love of God which passeth knowledge What the heighth depth length and bredth of divine love are anger no man knoweth nor doth any man know the dimensions of divine power The Apostle speaking of God as a Spirit saith 1 Tim. 6.16 Whom no man hath seen nor can see So we may say of God as powerful no man knoweth nor can know how powerful he is He must be as powerful as God who knoweth how powerful God is Only this we may say First his power is so great that he can do all things and he can do all things with ease There is nothing hard to God Hard things are easie to God Some things are hard and others easie to men but to God all things are alike Not only is nothing too hard for the Lord as he said to Abraham Gen. 18.14 but the truth is nothing is hard to him Secondly His power is so great that he can do whatsoever he willeth or hath a mind to do Job 23.13 He is in one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desireth even that he doth And as the Lord can and will do whatever he hath a will to do so to clear the point a little further we may boldly say he hath a will to do all things of these three sorts First He hath a will to do whatsoever he hath promised purposed or determined to do Now if we duly weigh what great things there are in the promises and purposes in the counsels and decrees of God to do in the world we may soon conclude with truth and sobriety that great things will be done in their proper times and seasons Secondly The Lord doth assure us he hath a will to do whatsoever we ask of him in faith and according to his will If we have a rule for our asking or if we ask by rule we have a Gods word for it that it shall be done and given to us according to our askings 1 John 5.14 And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is that is it only that he perceives or knows what we ask no his hearing is the granting and giving what we ask God is engaged by his gracious promise that his arm shall do all that we pray for right for the matter and aright for the manner in faith and in sincerity Thirdly It is the will of God to do whatsoever is for the real good of his people though possibly they ask it not It is the will of God not only to do what we ask but many times more than we ask As God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 so he actually doth for us much more than we ask or think The Lord expects we should pray for every good thing which he hath promised and therefore he had no sooner made many large and most gracious promises of doing great things for the Church with this assurance Ezek. 36.36 I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it But presently he adds vers 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them We should extend our prayers and our seekings to the utmost line of the word or our prayers should be commensurate both to prophesies and promises Prayer helps them all to the birth and they seldom bring forth alone And indeed prayer is nothing else in the matter of it but a turning or putting the promises into petitions t is a suing out the good of the promise Yet there are some good things in the promises which we cannot reach or at least are not mindful of There is a great latitude in the promises The Commandements of God are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 Who can find out all the duty of them And doubtless the promises are exceeding broad who can find out all the mercy in them The Apostle Peter 2 Epist 1.4 calls them exceeding great and precious promises they are exceeding good and they are exceeding great they are as great as they are good and who hath a heart great and good enough to see and sue out all the good and great things in them Now I say though possibly we ask not for all the good of the promise at least not expresly yet it is the will of God to do all that for us and to bestow all that good upon us which he hath promised He hath preventing grace his first grace he alwayes giveth unasked When he begins to manifest himself to a poor soul to bring him out of a state of darkness is such a soul begging this of God no he is running from and rebelling against God I am found of them that sought me not saith the Lord Isa 65.1 Now as they who are not the Lords receive grace to become his unasked so they that are the Lords through grace receive many mercies unasked God will not fall in giving all that he hath promised though we fail in asking some things promised His arm is powerful enough to do what he willeth and this is the will of
God to fulfil or make good all his promises Men often out-promise themselves but God doth not Hast thou an arm like God Hence take these inferences First If the Lord hath such a mighty arm Then let us take heed we do not provoke the Lord to turn his arm against us That 's the use which the Apostle makes of this point and which naturally floweth from it 1 Cor. 10.22 Do ye provoke the Lord to anger are ye stronger than he The Apostles sense hits the language of the Text fully as if he had said Have you an arm like God There 's no comparison between yours and his He can crush you before the moth Job 4.19 that is as soon as or before a moth is crushed which crumbleth to dust with the least or lightest touch of the hand or little finger Secondly If the Lord have such an arm Then let us labour to get and engage the arm of the Lord for our help Men love to be on the stronger side and some resolve to be on the stronger side though it should be or not regarding whether or no it be the worser side Now seeing all have a natural desire to interest themselves where the greatest strength is because there probably and rationally the greatest safety and best shelter is then how should we labour to get and assure an interest in God which cannot be done but by being on Gods side that is by keeping close to him in all the duties of holiness and righteousness for doubtless he is strongest his side is not only a good but the best not only a strong but the strongest side Hath any man an arm like God can all men should they joyn all their arms in one make an arm like Gods They cannot Nor is there any arm strong but in or by the strength of Gods arm As old dying Jacob spake while he was blessing his son Joseph Gen. 49.24 The archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him but his bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. How were his arms made strong How did his bow abide in strength It was by the hands that is by the power of the mighty God of Jacob. Nothing made him strong nor to abide in strength but the arm of the mighty God In this arm of God the Church triumphed of old Psal 124.1 2 3. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Their wrath was kindled into a burning flame yet we were not burnt much less utterly consumed because the strong God was with us or because as the Psalm concludeth Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth What help can we need at any time which he cannot give us who made heaven and earth without any help or helper It is an impregnable Tower of comfort that at what loss soever we are we may find help or help is to be had in God Thirdly If God hath such a mighty arm Then let us trust him We may trust to his strength and when his strength is indeed trusted to our trust is withdrawn from all other strengths We may use the arm or strength of creatures while we trust in the arm or strength of God but while we trust in the strength of God we must trust in no strength but his nor if we really trust him can we When Senacherib King of Assyriah invaded Judah with a mighty Host Hezekiah thus incouraged his people 2 Chron. 32.7 8. Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be moe with us than with him with him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels and the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Judah They had an arm what arm not an arm of flesh like Senacheribs but the arm of the Lord for their help and that carried the day Created power is too slight to be trusted but the power of the Creator calls all for our trust We cannot trust creatures too little as to success nor can we trust God too much Hath any man an arm like God A fourth Inference may be this If the Lord hath such an arm such power This should encourage us to the duty of prayer We are easily perswaded to seek to him for help who hath strength to help especially when we know that he hath an inclinableness of will to help us Hath not the Lord a strong arm hath he not an inclinable will Let us then in all our needs pray as the Church did Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord the Lord and his arm are the same awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon The Lord hath a mighty arm yet his arm or power seemeth to be sometimes as it were asleep that is not to act or not to take notice how it is or how matters go with the Church Now when at any time it is thus our duty is to awaken the Lord by earnest prayer Awake put on strength O arm of the Lord. It is a mercy when we have an heart to pray and a God to pray unto who can quickly put on strength that is give undeniable evidences that he hath a strong arm yea infinitely the strongest arm which may be A second observation taken or arising from these words as spoken comparatively Hast thou an arm like God The arm or power of the creature is nothing to the arm or power of God no creature hath an arm like Gods There is nothing in the world considered in a gradual difference so unlike another as the arm of God and the arm of man are Mans arm is so small a thing compared with Gods that it is a very nothing not so much as a candle to the Sun nor as a drop to the Ocean nor as one single dust to the globe or body of the whole earth No Rhetorick can speak diminutively enough of mans arm compared with Gods nor can any divinity uttered by men or Angels yet how apt is man to have too high thoughts of mans arm and too low of Gods Were it not that men are apt to have too high thoughts of mans arm and too low of Gods this question had never been put to Job Hast thou an arm like God Job had been a man of as big an arm as most in his dayes 'T is said of him that he was the greatest of all the men of the East Chap. 1.3 And he said of himself Chap. 29 25. That he sate
him I look upon the proud man and bring him low now let me see you do so too Canst thou with a look only abate their pride and bring down the pomp of man Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath Hence note First There is wrath in God God knoweth how to cast forth his wrath as well as to send forth his love Habet ira Domini suam energiam nunquam egreditur vana or shed it abroad as the Apostles word is Rom. 5.5 in the hearts of his justified ones by the holy Ghost which is given unto them The wrath of God saith the same Apostle Rom. 1.18 is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is such as we can neither First withstand nor Secondly avoid there 's no out-running no making an escape from it but only by Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle gives that glory to him alone 1 Thess 1.10 Even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is a wrath to come which God will scatter over all this sinful wicked world blessed are they that are delivered from it Yea not only is there wrath in God but a fierceness of wrath terrible wrath such as will cause the wicked as was said before to run into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa 2.19 Let us mind this wrath and the fierceness of it and let us bless the Lord who hath sent Jesus Christ â—o deliver us from this wrath and from the fierceness of it When wrath shall be cast abroad upon the wicked world that it falls not upon the godly is the fruit of highest and freest love And though they sip of the cup yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy Psal 75.98 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he powreth out the same in this powring out possibly a godly man may drink somewhat of it especially in a time of common calamity but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them It is of the Lords mercy and because his compassions fail not that we are delivered from the fierceness of his wrath and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his displeasure Consider further upon whom this wrath will be exercised Cast forth the rage of thy wrath behold every one that is proud and abase him This the Lord bids Job do to shew what himself usually doth Hence note First The Lord takes special notice of proud persons He beholds them he locks upon them As it is said Saul 1 Sam. 18.9 He eyed David from that day forward that is which was his great sin he cast a revengeful envious eye upon him Thus when the holy God seeth wicked men gâ—ow lofty and proud he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day with an eye of just revenge or with a purpose to break them and be revenged on them God beholds them as I may say with an evil eye that is with an intent to bring evil upon them He saith David Psal 138.6 knoweth the proud afar off As it is said of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion So God quickly spies out a proud man even a great way off and hath indignation against him or as we may rather expound the Psalm He knoweth the proud afar off that is a proud man shall never come near him he will not admit him into his presence much less into his imbraces To be known afar off is to be far from the favourable or respectful knowledge of God yea to those whom the Lord knows afar off in this world he will say in the next I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Secondly Note God is able to and will cast down proud men That which he would have Job do he himself as was said usually doth He beholdeth the proud and abaseth them he layeth them low Nebuchadnezzar that proud Monarch was brought to that confession Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and honour and extol the King of Heaven all whose works are true and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase If men will be proud and lofty the Lord both knoweth very well how and is able very easily to bring them down And as he knows how and is able to deal with proud men so he desires and delights to deal with them above all sorts of sinners his greatest contests are with the proud Isa 2.12 13 14. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up in his own conceit especially and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high mountains c. What meaneth the Prophet by these is the Lord angry with trees and mountains These are but the shadows of great and proud men the day of the Lord shall be upon every one of them and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day Proud men look upon themselves much above others but as God is above them so he loves to shew himself ahove them especially when they shew out their pride As Jethroe said to Moses Exod. 18.9 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them God sheweth himself above all when he acts above proud men and acts them down in their proudest actings And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down so he will certainly do it he is resolved upon it He looketh upon every one that is proud to abase him The Angels that fell were proud they kept not their first estate but left their habitation they did not like the state wherein God had placed them and therefo e God cast them down and he hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. When man in Paradise began to be proud and would be more than God made him God made him above all earthly creatures but he would be as God as his Creator he would be as it were the founder of his own happiness pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his sin-fall and then followed his fall his judgment-fall God cast him down God abased him and not only that proud man but man-kind for his pride they being in him his pride was theirs And to this day God hath all along set his face against all proud men and the pride
them down O Job canst thou do thus or do thou thus Tread down the wicked in their place And as it followeth in the next verse to the same effect Verse 13. Hide them in the dust together and bind their faces in secret That is Bring them to utter destruction to condign punishment even to death Some expound hiding in the dust by laying in dungeons and filthy prisons Secondly Others say to hide in the dust notes death or to lay them in their graves Dust thou art said God to Adam Gen. 3.19 and to dust thou shalt return That is thou shalt die and be put in thy grave which possibly is called the dust of death Psal 22.15 Hide them in the dust of the earth let them appear no more above ground to trouble thee or others Hide them in the dust Together That is either First All at a time Thus the Lord can do he can destroy all the wicked at once at one time in one hour Or Secondly Together that is in one place God can gather the wicked all together and so make an end of them together both as to time and place Yet I conceive neither of these are here intended for God doth not usually destroy the wicked all at one time nor all in one place he hath several times and stages to act his providences in and upon so that to hide them in the dust together is but this to hide them alike to put them all into the same condition at one time or other in one place or other that they may be able to do no more mischief And bind their faces in secret That 's the last expression shewing what God doth and what he bid Job do Bind their faces in secret There may be a twofold interpretation of these words either First In allusion to men condemned whose faces use to be covered a Sentence of death being pronounced and passed upon them they were as it were hid from the light of the living Thus as soon as Ahasuerus the King had passed sentence against Haman they covered his face Esth 7.8 or Secondly This covering their faces may be an allusion to actually dead men whose faces if they die among men especially among friends are alwayes bound up and decently covered When Christ called Lazarus out of the grave the Text saith John 11.44 He came forth his face being bound about with a napkin So then to bind their faces in secret is as if it had been said bring them to death or put them to death Thus the Lord calls Job to that in three particulars which himself will certainly do First To Tread down the wicked Secondly To Hide them in the dust together Thirdly To Bind their faces in secret The Notes which I shall give from these words will be grounded upon that three-fold interpretation of the word wicked And First As the wicked are taken for the same with the proud in the former verse Observe Proud men are wicked men Behold saith the Prophet Mal. 4.1 The day of the Lord shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble The proud â—â—d they that do wickedly go together The proud do wickedly and are therefore deservedly numbred among the wicked Pride is the first of those seven things which are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6.16 17. There are six things that the Lord hates yea seven are abomination to him A proud look that 's first and if a proud look then certainly a proud heart and a proud spirit Proud persons have not onely a chief but the first place by name among those whom the Lord abominates And in that black Catalogue of eighteen sorts of wicked ones that shall trouble the world in the latter dayes the proud are not the last nor the least 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5. In the last dayes perilous times shall come why what shall make them so The reason follows For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud Now though the proud man comes in the fourth place by name yet he is in the first place as to influence for what is the reason why men over-love themselves is it not because they are proud and have too high thoughts of themselves David Psal 119.21 sheweth the wickedness of proud men or that proud men are extreamly wicked while he saith to and of God Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do erre from thy Commandements The proud are such as continually wander out of the wayes of truth and holinesse Pride will not let us keep Commandements 't is the humble soul which keeps them and therefore pride may be called the breach of all the Commandements and if so proud men must needs be the very first-born of the wicked and therefore David saith of them that they are not onely under the rebuke of God but under his curse which is the peculiar portion and punishment of the wicked And what the way of proud men is both in doing and speaking the same David tells us Psal 75.45 I said unto the fools deal not foolishly and to the wicked lift not up the horn lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiffe neck that is be not proud Wicked men lift up their horn and tongue they cannot but shew their pride in word and deed The Devil is the wicked one Matth. 13.19 The high-way ground having received the seed 't is said the wicked one that is the Devil cometh and catcheth it away And when the world is said to lie in wickedness or in the wicked one 1 John 5.19 The meaning is the Devil over-rules the carnal world Now as the Devil is the wicked one so he is the proud one also Pride was that wickededness for which God trod him down and his wickedness still continueth in tempting men to or in puffing them up with pride It is the businesse of the wicked one the Devil to make men proud because he knows pride will make them wicked and do wickedly Pride hardeneth the mind as Daniel saith it did Nebuchadnezar Chap. 5.20 Now what wickednesse is there which a hardened mind will not attempt to do Pride put Herod upon seeking the bloud of Christ who came to save and wash sinners with his blood Proud men are very wicked as they despise other men a proud man thinks no man so good as himself or himself too good for all other men Some proud men are so wicked that they despise even God himself The proud man lifts up himself against the Word of God slights the promises regards not the threatnings of God his heart is lifted up against the Commandements of God nor doth he value the comforts of God he neglects the Ordinances of God nor doth he reverence the Providences of God He that doth or is ready to do all this is surely a despiser of God himself How wicked a man is he whose heart is lifted up both against God and man
Secondly Consider the wicked proud man as one whom God treadeth down Then Observe God punisheth sinners with that which is most crosse to their lusts What more crosse to a high-spirited man than to be brought low and who can be brought lower than he that is trodden down As God sometimes punisheth Drunkards with thirst and Gluttons with hunger and covetous persons with poverty There is one saith Solomon Prov. 11.29 that with-holdeth more than is meet he doubtless is a covetous man that doth so it tendeth to poverty So God punisheth proud ones by that which is most contrary to their nature he abaseth and layeth them low The Prophet tells us Isa 3.16 17. how the Lord would punish wanton women who were proud either of their natural beauty or artificial dresses and ornaments The daughters of Zion saith he are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinckling with their feet there 's their pride but what was their punishment the next words resolve us Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret parts they were proud of that which covered their skin and therefore the Lord punisht them with scabs or covered their skin with scurfe and scabs and as there the Lord shews what he would bring upon so what he would take from them Vers 18. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet and their Caules and their round tyres like the Moon And Vers 24. it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning instead of beauty What could be more contrary to the pride of these women than that which the Lord brought upon them or punished them with What do proud women more desire than beauty and bravery And what do proud men look after but to be respected honoured and to have every one point the finger at them or bow the knee to them Now when the Lord blasts proud women in their beauty and bravery when he blasts proud men in their honour and estimation when he thus abaseth and treads them down he toucheth them in that which the spirit of pride prizeth most and with greatest regret parteth from Pride is a base height of spirit therefore the Lord abaseth the proud There are five words in the Text all tending directly to crosse the spirit of a proud man First He shall be abased Secondly He shall be brought low A proud man would fain be high he would sit at the upper end of the Table yea he would sit at the upper end of the World too but saith the Lord he shall be brought low Thirdly What would a proud man do He would tread upon the necks of all others but he shall be trodden under foot Fourthly Where would the proud man be He would be conspicuous in high places but he shall be hid in the dust Fifthly He would be lookt at by all men with admiration but saith God his face shall be bound in secret he loves to appear and make a fair shew in the flesh but he shall not appear at all .. Proud ones cannot get so high but God in his Justice will get above them and strip them of that wherein they have chiefly prided themselves Read Isa 14.11 12 13 14 24 25. and Isa 23.9 Those Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men according to their pride or rather contrary to their pride he gives them that which they most disgust and takes that from them which they most passionately desire Secondly Take wicked men in the common notion for those that do evil at the highest rate that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Then Observe First Wicked men that is impenitent sinners high-handed sinners are in a very sad condition and shall come to a sad conclusion The Lord will tread them down Psal 9.16 17. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands yea the wicked shall be turned into hell That is the utmost of sorrow and suffering shall be their portion Isa 3.11 Wo to the wicked for the reward of their doings shall be given them Isa 57.21 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked As the tumultuousness of their own spirits will not let them be at peace so neither will the righteousnesse of God Secondly From those expressions Tread down the wicked in their place hide them in the dust together bind their faces in secret Observe God will at last purge and rid the world of wicked men As wicked men would fain purge and rid the world of godly men they would destroy all the seed of the righteous so certainly God will destroy the wicked of the world and rid the world of them though not at once of every wicked man yet in their times and seasons that they shall not do the mischief which their hearts are full of The last of the Prophets speaks as much of the Lords vengeance upon all the wicked Mal. 4.1 The day of the Lord. speaking of some great day of the Lords appearance shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 'T is utter ruin to be destroyed root and branch such shall the ruin of the wicked be Thus also the Prophet Isaiah comforts the Church Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem the holy City for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean The wicked of the world are the uncircumcised they have not the spiritual circumcision the circumcision of the heart these shall no more trouble Jerusalem nor tread in Zions Courts Nahum 1.15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn feasts perform thy Vows for the wicked shall no more passe through thee he is utterly cut off The Hebrew is Belial shall no more passe through thee That is such as cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ shall no more bring Judah under their yoke This is also witnessed by another holy Prophet Zech. 14.21 In that day there shall be no more the Cananite in the house of the Lord of hosts they shall no more mingle themselves with the faithful servants of God much less rule over them Canaanites have often been in the house of the Lord but the Canaanite shall not always be there God will sweep them out of his house Answerable to these prophesies speaks the last prophesie Rev. 21.27 Chap. 22.15 which
some interpret of a glorious state of the Church here and 't is undoubtedly true as all agree of the Church in glory No unclean thing shall enter without shall be dogs Then indeed God will abase the proud and tread down the wicked In their place Hence note Thirdly No outward advantages and except those they have none shall stand the wicked in stead or keep them from falling God will tread them down in their place when they are where they would be upon their own ground they shall be worsted The Scripture speaks often of treading down the wicked notwithstanding their greatest advantages Union is a great advantage for preservation yet Isa 8.9 Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces and give ear all ye far Countries gird your selves and you shall be broken in pieces take counsel together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand As if the Lord had sad I will not take you at an advantage before you are gathered together before you are girded I will not surprize you unarmed and unprovided do your best to save and secure your selves from my vengeance associate your selves gird your selves take counsel together and then I will tread you down Neither strongest associations nor wisest consultations nor highest resolutions nor compleatest preparations for action though ye have spoken the word and are girt shall avail you in the day of my wrath Thus the Lord bespake Jehoiakim by his Prophet Jerem. 22.15 Shalt thou reign because thou closest thy self in Cedar As if he had said because thou dost make such provision for thy own safety dost thou think to be be safe or canst thou shelter thy self against me Again vers 23. O Inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the Cedars Cedars are high trees and strong how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee the pain of a woman in travel The Lord puts a scorn upon them such a kind of scorn but not as hers without cause as Michal put upon David 2 Sam. 6.20 how glorious was the King of Israel to day Were not you very glorious when you danced uncovered before the ark Thus I say the Lord puts a holy scorn upon the wicked when they are in their Cedar-nests How gracious wilt thou be when pangs of sorrow come upon thee Take one Scripture more Jerem. 49.16 Thy terribleness 't is spoken of Edom hath deceived thee thou thoughtest thy self so terrible that none durst touch thee yet thy terribleness hath deceived thee and the pride of thy heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock and holdest the height of the hill though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the Eagles I will bring thee down from thence saith the Lord. Thou hast all the advantages thou hast a rock for strength and thou art upon a hill for height yea upon the height of the hill thou art above all but though thy nest were as the Eagles I will pluck thee thence Thus the Lord treads down the wicked in their place in there fortifications in their mounts and towers when they have secured themselves most by counsels and friends and strong-holds then and there he treads them down even in their place Fourthly Note God is known to be God or sheweth himself to be God by abaseing the proud and by treading down wicked men I ground it thus The Lord would have Job shew himself like God or act as God doth by treading down the wicked God made himself known to be God by the Plagues which he brought upon Pharaoh as well as by the deliverance and salvation which he wrought for Israel Exod. 8.22 Exod. 9.14 I will send all my plagues upon thy heart and upon thy servants and upon thy people that thou mayst know that there is none like me in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throghout all the earth Thus also said David Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgment that he executeth that is by punishing the wicked he is known to be the Lord. God is known by his works as well as in his word power and greatness and wisdom and justice are visible in his judgments There was a third sort of wicked men named in opening the Text which I shall but touch in this observation Such they were described to be as are unquiet themselves nor will they suffer others to be quiet by their good wills they are troubled that any live peaceably by them The Lord will tread down these unquiet wicked ones also The Scripture is full of this truth Isa 33.1 Wo to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoiled and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously they shall deal treacherously with thee Now the Lord having put Job to all these trials of his strength thereby to shew himself able to contend with him tells him plainly if thou canst do these things Vexatio verba minus limata extorsit menpia casta permansit if thou canst abase the proud if thou canst tread them down hide them in the dust and bind their faces in secret Then Vers 14. Will I confess that thine own right hand can save thee Then will I confess That is when thou hast done all these things Confessio pro laude honorifico testimonio saepe ponitur in Scriptura Palmam tibi cedam c. Bez. I will give an honourable testimony of thee I will not hide thy power and then I will acknowledge thou hast some colour to contest with me and art able to uphold thy self These mighty acts are proper and peculiar to me yet thou seemest to say thou canst do all these else surely thou hadst never offered to contend with me That 's the scope of these words Then will I confess That thine own right hand can save thee Or that thou canst be a self-saviour Hoc solius Dei est qui quod est per se est à quo omnis potestas dignitas or that thou art self-sufficient as I am and hast no dependance upon any and then thou needest not complain that I do not help thee for thou canst help thy self Thine own right hand can save thee The hand is an instrument of help especially the right hand and then the right hand saves when it either keeps us from danger or delivers us out of it Quest But did Job ever say his own right hand could save him Answ Job never said it nor thought it his mind was pure from such blasphemy yet he sometimes spake as if he had been somewhat more than a man especially when he spake of debating his matters and arguing with God First In that the Lord saith in case Job could do all those things he
John stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns What was this beast Master Mead saith that by this beast and his seven heads and ten horns we are to understand the Pope with the companies or associations of all those Princes that put themselves under his power all these were figured saith he by that beast rising up out of the sea At the 11th verse of the same Chapter Saint John saith I beheld another beast coming out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake like a dragon Apocalyptical Interpreters have various opâ—nions about this second beast but whoever or whatever this or the former beast is to be sure they are some body the spirit of God represents them as terrible Behemoths and the Church hath no help nor comfort against them but that in the Text He that made them can make his sword approach unto them The Prophet Isaiah Chap. 27.1 speaks of the Lords sword and of the use he will put it to In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent and he shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea that is overcome the devil and all his instruments who oppose and would destroy his Vineyard of Red wine that is his Church Thus we see how the Lord in all ages past hath and how we are assured concerning the Ages to come that he will make that good concerning mystical Behemoths which here he speaks concerning the natural Behemoth He that made him can make his sword approach unto him The Lord having thus far described Behemoth by several parts of his body and by his great strength or power proceeds to describe him further by the manner of his life or by his meat drink and lodging in the latter part of this context to the end of the Chapter Vers 20. Surely the Mountains bring him forth food where all the beasts of the field do play In these words we have the provision which God hath appointed for Behemoth and where Though he be a very great beast and therefore needs much food 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid terra prosert ut sunt herbae arbores yet the Lord hath store enough for him and hath set him where he may feed his fill The Mountains bring him forth grass that is all sorts of herbage and green things And though this part of the description of Behemoth may serve the Hippopotame who as Bochartus saith feeds upon the Hills and Mountains such as they are which lye near the River Nilus as other Amphibions do the Morse especially in other parts of the world yet no man can deny but it doth as well that I say not much better agree to the Elephant that the Mountains bring him forth food The words are plain and need no explication Note two things from them First God provideth food for all creatures even for Behemoth He provides them food from the greatest to the least they are all at Gods finding And doth God take care for Behemoths for Elephants or as some determine it Hippopotames River-Horses and Sea-monsters Surely then as David spake Psal 111.4 He will give meat to them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant This Inference hath been made from other passages in the former Chapter I only remind the Reader of it here The Lord who provideth mountains of grass or grass upon the mountains for Behemoth hath mountains of provision for all his faithful servants Secondly Note God provides proportionable food for all hiâ— creatures Behemoth is a vast creature therefore God hath whole mountains for him to graze upon he is not shut up in a little pytle or narrow field he hath large mountains for his storeâ— and will not the Lord give proportionable supplies to his people according to all their needs If our needs be great his store is greater The world is mine saith God Psal 50.12 and the fulness of it He that is the fulness of all things and hath in his power and at his dispose the fulness of all the world will not let them of whom the world is not worthy want any thing that is good and expedient for them The mountains and valleys too yea deserts and hard rocks shall bring them forth food God will turn stones into bread and rocks into water rather than they shall want As David said Psal 34.10 The young Lions so I may say the Elephants do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing that is Lions and Elephants shall rather want than they Surely the mountains bring him forth food Where all the beasts of the field play This argues the milde nature and gentleness of Behemoth the Elephant as was shewed at the 15th verse he lives upon grass not upon flesh as Lions and Bears he lives upon grass and therefore all the beasts of the field play where the Elephant feeds for they know he will not eat nor feed upon them he eats only grass Natural Historians tell us that the beasts seem to rejoyce when they see the Elephant because they know he will not hurt them not only do they feed with him to satisfie hunger but play and sport for delight Hence Note First God can restrain the strongest and most dangerous creatures from hurting the weakest Mitissimus est Elephas neque illius congressum exhorrent caetera animalia sed laeta in iisdem pascuis versantur Plin. l. 69. c. 9. The beasts would have little heart to play where the Elephant feeds were he as fierce and cruel as he is great and strong Thus the Lord orders the spirits of powerful men or of men in great power into such meekness and gentleness that even the meanest live quietly and peaceably by them without fear of hurt as was toucht before The Church is set forth playing as it were not only where the Elephant a gentle beast feeds but where wilde and ravenous beasts feed Isa 11.6 7 8 9. The wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling shall lie down together and a little child shall lead them that is the Wolfe shall not hurt the Lamb the Leopard shall not trouble the Kid yea saith that illustrious Prophecy vers 8. The sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The care of God over his Church and servants appears two wayes First In hiding them from such as would do them hurt As it is said Jer. 36.26 when Baruch and Jeremiah had done
the River how doth it please him We have a saying It is better to fill a mans belly than his eye and it is a truth He that hath a great desire to meat or drink is much pleased to see either And 't is a truth in every thing the sight of that is very pleasing to us which we greatly want and much desire Therefore Solomon gives councel Prov. 23.31 Look not upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup. They that are given to drink are pleased when they see the cup they take it with their eyes or their eyes are taken with it 'T is so in spiritual things also that which we greatly desire and want in spirituals O how pleasant is the sight of it how glad are we when we can take it with our eyes Thus spake David Psal 63.1 2. O my God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory O that I could but see them I would take them with my eyes as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary As if he had said there I have seen the flowings forth of thy goodness of thy power and glory but now I am in a dry Land O how I long to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He â—peaks to the same purpose Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. The spiritual sight of God is most sweet in his Ordinances The very outward enjoyment of those who mininister spiâ—iâ—ual things is pleasant Hence that promise Isa 30.20 Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers there is something in that how much more sweet is it to have a spiritual sight of spiritual things The sense of seeing is delightful what then is the grace of seeing The Elephant taketh it with his eyes His nose pierceth through snares That is he thrusteth his nose his trunk into the River and if there be any snares there set and prepared on purpose to entangle him or if any thing be there accidentally which may annoy him he breaks through them all he is so thirsty that a small matter doth not hinder him in drinking he makes way through all impediments that he may take his fill of drink his thirst being urgent drink he will whatever comes of it Hence note That which any creature hath a great desire to he will make his way to it through difficulties and dangers he will break through snares to attain it David had a great desire to the water of Bethlem but there lay an Army between him and the Well yet three men would venture through an Host of enemies to fetch him water If any have a vehement thirst after Gods Word the water of Life they will break through snares for it though Armies lye in the way yet there are three strong men in them an enlightned understanding a rectified will and good affection that will venture to get the water of Bethlem for their instruction and consolation Natural creatures will not stand upon dangerous difficulties to come at that which is much desired by them how much less they who are spiritual So much of this greatest terrestial animal Behemoth and of the Lords power in making and ordering him In the next Chapter the Lord proceeds to humble Job yet more by setting before him the greatest animal in the waters the mighty Leviathan JOB Chap. 41. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down 2. Canst thou put a hook into his nose or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn 3. Will he make many supplications unto thee will he speak soft words unto thee 4. Will he make a covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a servant for ever 5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird wilt thou binde him for thy maidens 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him shall they part him among the merchants 7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears 8. Lay thine hand upon him remember the battel do no more 9. Behold the hope of him is in vain shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up who then is able to stand before me 11. Who hath prevented me that I should repay him whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine THis whole Chapter gives us a large discourse concerning the greatest the largest living creature that God made in this visible world the Leviathan The whole Chapter may be divided into two general parts First A Narration Secondly A Conclusion In the Narrative part Leviathan is described four wayes First By the bigness and vastness of his body which is implyed in the first and second verses he is a creature so big and bulky that there is no holding him with a cord or line he is too big too boisterous for an Angler to deal with Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down c. vers 1 2. Secondly This Leviathan is described by the stoutness and untractableness of his spirit there is no bringing him to any submission to any service or compliance Will he make many supplications unto thee will he speak soft words unto thee will he make a covenant with thee c. vers 3 4 5. Thirdly He is described by the difficulty and danger if not impossibility of taking or catching him he will hardly be taken any way no not by the most forcible wayes to make either meat or merchandize of him Shall the companions make a banquet of him shall they part him among the merchants Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears c. vers 6 7 8 9. and in the former part of the 10th verse Thus far Leviathan is described in his greatness in his stoutness in the difficulty and danger of catching him if he can be catched at all Now the Lord having proceeded thus far in the description of or doctrine about Leviathan he makes Use and Application of all that he had said before he comes to the fourth particular and this Application or Use which the Holy Ghost makes of his description thus far given consists in two things First Hence the Lord infers his own irresistibleness and the utter inability of any creature to contend with him in the close of the 10th verse Who then is able to stand before me If none can stand before this creature can any stand before the Creator That 's the first Inference Secondly The Lord makes a further Inference from it
great things and we should use means proportionable for the doing of every thing You cannot batter down a stone wall or a strong tower with paper-shot nor with a pot-gun no you must plant cannon for that service Again when this Scripture saith Canst thou draw out Leviathan The emphasis as was shewed before in opening the words lieth in the word thou As if the Lord had said thou canst not but I can Hence note The Lord is able to do the greatest things by smallest means Leviathan to God is but as any little fish to us which is taken with a hook and line To take up Leviathan to do the greatest thing is as easie to God as the least to man As the power of God supplyeth all the weakness of the creature to do any thing so it surpasseth all that strength and greatness of the creature which may seem to hinder him from doing any thing with it or upon it He saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body how shall he do this according to the working of his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself The Lord can doubtless subdue Leviathan to himself by the working of that mighty power which subdueth all things to himself And it is much more easie for Christ to subdue any Leviathan than to change our vile body into the likeness of his own glorious body For as Jesus Christ was once declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection that is his own resurrection from the dead so he will again declare himself to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of power by our resurrection from the dead He that can draw our dust out of the grave with a word can soon draw Leviathan out of the deepest gulf in the Sea by his hook and cord This may comfort those and strengthen their faith who at any time see Leviathans ready to swallow them up as the Whale did Jonah As the Lord prepared that great fish to swallow up Jonah Jonah 1.17 so he commanded that great fish to deliver him back safe again or as that Scripture saith Chap. 2.10 He spake to the fish and he vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Both were acts of great power and teach us that the Lord hath a soveraign commanding power over all even the greatest creatures The Lord hath a hook for Leviathan He had hooks for Pharaoh The great Dragon in the midst of his Rivers Ezek. 29.3 4. And of him the Lord commanded the same Prophet to speak in a like notion Ezek. 32.2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh and say to him thou art like a young Lion of the Nations and thou art as a Whale in the Seas and thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their Rivers therefore I will spread out my net over thee and they shall bring thee up in my net I have a net for thee saith this Chapter I have hooks for thee saith that other The Prophet Isaiah to engage the Lord to do some great thing for his Church minded him of what he had formerly and anciently done for Israel Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes as in the generations of old art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon This Rahab was Egypt and the Dragon was Pharoah as Interpreters generally agree The Psalmist reports the dealings of God with Pharoah and Egypt in language nearer that of the Text Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness that is the remembrance of that mercy and of the mighty power of God in destroying Pharoah and his Egyptian Host who pursued them after their departure from Egypt to the red Sea was to be food for their faith in all the dangers and hardships which they were like to meet with in their travels through the howling wilderness to the Land of promise Take one Scripture-instance more 2 Kin. 19.28 Sennacherib was a Leviathan he came up against Hezekiah to destroy him and his people which provoked the Lord to speak thus of him Because thy rage against me is come into my ears therefore I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and turn thee back by the way thou camest Thus far of the first thing in the description of Leviathan his greatness The second part of his description sheweth the stoutness and stubbornness of his spirit he will not comply he will not yield he will not any way submit This is laid down in the 3d 4th and 5th verses Vers 3. Will he make many supplications to thee The word in the Hebrew properly signifies deprecation Precamur bona deprecamur tantum mala which is prayer for the turning away of evil when evil is near then we deprecate it Will he do this not he He will not petition thee he scorns to petition thee or to cry for quarter But it may be said can fishes pray or make supplications to do so is at least the work of rational creatures I answer Per Prosopopoeian tribuit ei orationem these words are to be understood by that figure Prosopopoeia frequently used in Scripture when acts of Reason are attributed to irrational yea to senseless and lifeless creatures The very hills and valleys the Seas and waters praise God by a figure and here by a like figure Leviathan will not make supplications unto man which shews the stoutness of his spirit As some prisoners taken in war scorn to ask their lives so if Leviathan were taken with a hook he would make no supplications nor beg your favour so stout is he his heart is too great his stomack too big for any kind of submission Will he make many supplications unto thee no he will make none at all This is further expressed in the latter part of the verse Will he speak soft words to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollibus vel blandis vâ—rbis aut sermonibus Pisc Mr. Broughton renders or Will he speak to thee tenderly Will he flatter or humour thee that he may get loose or be freed from thee When the Gibeonites Josh 9.9 were afraid they should be taken and destroyed they came and begged peace they spake soft words There are words of two sorts Some are very hard words and hard words wound like hard blows And though no blows are given The Lord will come to execute judgement upon the ungodly for all their hard speeches Jude vers 15. Many speak words as hard as stones they throw hard words at the heads and about the
had received the Lord Jesus Christ There are two things which we should be very much in remembering First Our duty Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth Secondly Our danger or take both together what danger duty may engage us in else when danger comes we shall soon forsake our duty Many take up a profession of Christ who never thought of the danger of the tryals afflictions and temptations which might befall them for his sake they remembred not the battle and so have either presently been overcome and fallen in it or have unworthily forsaken their colours and run from it Secondly Note It is best not to do or forbear to do that which we cannot but see if we have our eyes in our heads will be dangerous to us in the doing We are not always to forbear the doing of those things that will be dangerous to our outward man for so the best things may be but those things that will be dangerous to our bodies and souls too we must always for bear to do in all such cases it is our duty to remember the battle and do no more Will any wise man engage in danger which can produce no profit There are some things which we are to do and do again though our danger be never so great yea though we lose our lives in doing them But there are many things we may not do if we fore-see danger The Apostle Paul Acts 27.9 10. being at sea said I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage not only to the lading of the ship but to our lives also therefore he tells them ver 21. Sirs ye should have harkened to me and not have loosed from Crete and to have gained this harm and loss that had been their wisdom when they were warned of the danger not to have gone on When there is danger to our bodies only and we see no benefit that may countervail the danger 't is folly to proceed I may urge this point specially in case of sin Take heed of doing any thing that is evil remember the battle that sin will bring you to Sin will bring you to a terrible battle to such a battle as no man can stand in or escape Sin brings to a battle infinitely more dangerous than that with Leviathan Sin provokes God to battle and when God is angry we may more safely contend with ten thousand Leviathans than with him When you are tempted to put your hand to sin O remember the battle remember the battle Thou possibly wilt have a sore battle in thy own conscience and that 's a dreadful Leviathan but that 's not all remember the battle with God who is greater than conscience you must come to judgment remember the battle of that day or that day of Battle with impenitent and hardned sinners and sin no more give it over as you love your lives as you love your precious souls and the everlasting peace or welfare of them You cannot sin without a great deal of danger even the danger of eternal wrath and death Thus I have touched at some things from this third part of the description of Leviathan He hath hitherto been set before us First In the huge bulk and bigness of his body Secondly In the stoutness of his spirit he will neither make supplications nor enter covenant he will neither serve you nor sport with you both which Behemoth the Elephant will do Thirdly In the difficulty and danger of taking him So much danger is in it that if you lay your hand on him it were best to remember the battle and do no more Yet the Lord speaks more concerning the danger of medling with Leviathan in the ninth verse throughout and in the former part of the tenth Vers 9. Behold the hope of him is in vain As if the Lord had said if none of these means can take Leviathan then the hope of him that goes about to take him is lost and frustrate if by these means he cannot be taken then there is no means to take him for he cannot be taken by any means The hope Of him That is of him that goes about to catch Leviathan In order of speech it should have been said thy hope will bâ— in vain Dicendum sucrat spes tua sed in genere dicere voli erit c. Merc. for God was speaking before to Job yet he doth not say thy hope but the hope of him that is the hope of any man will be in vain as if he had said not only shalt thou labour in vain to graple with this sea-monster Leviathan but all men else whosoever they are that attempt or go about to take him The hope of him is In vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mantitas reipsa vel verbis The Hebrew is the hope of him lyeth It is usual both in the Hebrew and Latine tongue when our hopes and endeavours fail or are frustrate to say they lye or deceive us and the reason is because such a man promised himself great things and had confident expectations without success Thus 't is said Hab. 3.17 Although the labour of the Olive shall fail we put in the Margin lye The Husband-man having bestowed much labour upon the Olive and looking for much fruit may be deceived and so all that labour bestowed in dressing and looking to the Olive-tree failing and being lost the labour of the Olive or the pains taken about the Olive-tree is said to lye The hope of him shall be in vain or lye Our hope is said to be in vain three ways First When we hope for much and get but little according â—o that of the Prophet convincing the Jews of their neglect in building the Temple Hag. 1.9 Ye looked for much and behold it came to little ye hoped for a plentiful harvest ye thought to have had a great crop but it went very close together ye looked for cart-loads but had scarcely handfuls So some expound or give the meaning of that Prophesie Isa 49. 4th and 6th compared It is a Prophesie of Christ at the 4th verse Christ saith I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Why did Christ say he had laboured in vain He tells us the reason at the 6th verse And he said that is the Lord said to him It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my salvation unto the end of the earth Christ looked upon his labour as labour in vain if he had died to redeem the Jews only and therefore saith God I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth and then I hope thou wilt not think thy labour in vain Now when the Lord had granted Jesus Christ that
to Joshua Josh 1.5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life What a promise was here to a man Joshua was indeed one of the worthiest warriers that ever was upon the earth and may well be reckoned not only one of but the cheif or most worthy among the nine Worthies of the world seing no man could stand before him nor should in way of opposition all the days of his life Now if the Lord promised such a power unto Joshua and made it good that none should be able to stand before him all the days of his life then who among the children of men shall be able to stand before God The Prophet Malachy speaking of Christs coming Chap. 3.1 saith Behold he shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant But what follows ver 2. Who may abide the day of his coming If there was such a terribleness in Christs coming in the flesh as to the spiritual power and effects of it that the Prophet saith Who may abide the day of his coming O then who shall be able to stand before Christ when he shall come in glory to judge the earth If they could not abide the day of his coming when he came with refiners fire and fullers sope how will they be able to stand before him when he cometh with consuming fire No man can stand before God in any of these four ways First In his own wisdom to plead it out with God If we plead with God our wisdom will be found foolishness and we our selves shall be confounded as fools The Lord saith Job Chap. 12.17 maketh the Judges fools Judges are usually full of wisdom yet God maketh even them fools God in strict sense maketh none nor would he have any made Judges but the wise yet he himself can make the wisest of them fools And if so then there is no standing before God in our own wisdom Secondly There is no standing before God in our own strength or power Our strength is but weakness yea rottennâ—ss to his as the Prophet speaks Isa 5.24 Their root shall be rottenness and there blossome shall go up as the dust Thus it is with all flesh if they stand in their own strength their root which is their strength shall be as rottenness and their blossome which is their beauty shall go up as the dust Thirdly There is no standing before God in our own righteousness to be acquitted accepted and justified There are many deficiencies and flawâ— in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it there is much unrighteousness in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it and how righteous if I may so speak soever our righteousness is or may be yet we cannot stand before God in it because he hath appointed another righteousness or the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus Christ for us to stand before him in So then if we would stand before God all these must be laid down we must lay down our own wisdom we must become fools that we may be wise we must lay down our own strength we must become weak that we may be strong and we must lay down our own righteousness and look upon our selves as guilty creatures as condemned persons as cast and lost in our selves we must have nothing but the wisdom and strength and righteousness of God to stand before God in that is we must stand before God by faith God is not terrible to such they may stand before God the poorest sinner may stand before God in the wisdom and strength and righteousness of Jesus Christ Thus we may answer the question Who can stand before me saith God I can stand before thee saith a believer I can stand before thee with boldness being quit of self-wisdom strength and righteousness and looking to Christ Jesus for all How sweet how gracious and how delightful is the presence of God to an humble believing soul to a broken-hearted sinner The Lord saith I will dwell with such a one he shall not only come and stand before me but I will come and sit down with him I will take up my abode in an humble soul in an empty soul Who is able to stand before me saith God None can in their own wisdom strength or righteousness but in Christ we may From hence we may more than conclude Fourthly That there is no standing before God in our sins God is terrible to sinners that is to those who continue in the love and practice of their sins God is of purer eyes than to behold and approve evil David having spoken of those Psal 1.1 that stand in the way of sinners saith at the 5th ver there is a standing for them in the Judgment They that stand in the way of sinners cannot stand at the Judgment-seat of God Job said Chap. 13.16 A hypocrite shall not come before him that is he shall not come with acceptance before God Though hypocrites will thrust themselves into the presence of God yet they shall not come before him though now an hypocrite may come before God in any outward performance yet not with any acceptance and to be sure he shall not come before God in glory and if he shall not come before him how can he stand before him The Lord will even blow him away Only they that fall down before God are able to stand before him We must fall down before God in a sence of our own vileness and wretchedness and then we shall be able to stand before him and to behold his pleased face by an eye of faith A stout sinner shall never stand before him It is said Zech. 3.1 Joshua stood before the Angel of the Lord. He had much ado to keep his standing why because the Devil stood there to resist him and pointed to his filthy garments but the Angel pleaded with the Lord to take away his filthy garments and when they were taken away then he was able to stand before God It is said Zech. 4.14 which is conceived to be meant of Joshua and Zerubbabel These are the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth And as they in the type so all that are Olive-branches that have the pure oil of the Spirit may and shall stand before God We become Olive-branches in Christ having the oil or the graces of the Spirit sent down into our hearts according to the promise Holy and humble souls Olive-branches they that are full of the grace and Spirit of our Lord Jesus shall stand before God but as for man himself that is man in himself in his own wisdom strength or righteousness above all in his sins and unrighteousness can never stand before God If he cannot stand before Leviathan how can he stand before the Lord This is a great Gospel truth given in by himself while he is treating of this sea-monster There is no standing before
elegancy of the Hebrew So then these words shew the great strength of Leviathan A stiff or thick neck signifies both strength of body and stoutness of spirit Naturalists say Qui collum habent grossum fortes sunt imbecilles autem qui illud habent gracile Aristot in Physiognomicis those creatures are very strong that are thick neckt as Bulls c. and they are weak that have thin slender necks The Scripture intimates the stiffness and unyieldingness of mans will to the commands of God by the stiffness of his neck Psalm 75.5 Lift not up your horn on high speak not with a stiff neck that is with a neck that will not bow to the Lords yoak nor obey his commands Humble ones bow their heads to worship God and yield their necks to his will For though to bow down the head like a bull rush for a day be not the Fast which God hath chosen Isa 58.5 for that is but an out-side repentance and they who do so may still remain stiff-spirited and pertinacious in their sins yet the bowing of the head hath in it the appearance of a bowed or humbled heart and a stiff neck is the badge of a proud impenitent one To speak with a stiff neck is to speak arrogantly Hannah in her Song 1 Sam. 2.3 useth this language to the stiff ones of the world Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come out of your mouth we put in the margin let not hardness come out of your mouth that is let it not appear at your mouths that your hearts are hard that your spirits are high and stiff speak no more as if you were Leviathans as if you could not bow your necks 'T is good to have a neck strong to bear but there is nothing worse than a strong neck that will not bow yet the strength of Leviathans neck seems rather to imply his courage than his pertinacy as it followeth In his neck remaineth strength And sorrow is turned into joy before him There are three other readings of these words which I shall name and come to our own Ante cum exilit moeror Jun. i. e. moerore afficit omnes obvios ac si de illis triumphans exultaret moeror effectus ab ea humonitus dictum Jun. First Some thus In his neck remaineth strength and before him danceth fear Several of the learned insist much upon this translation and their meaning is this all that come near Leviathan or within sight of him are afraid all the fish in the sea and all the mariners upon the sea that see him dance or hast away for fear as if fear caused by him triumphing over them danced before them He makes such a combustion by stirring the waters and rolling in them that be frights every living thing he meets with none dare stand him Secondly Master Broughton renders it thus Before him danceth carefulness that is as himself glosseth he takes or hath no care meeting with any fish to feed upon that his taking thought is a gladness He is so strong that he knows he can master all the fish that comes near him and can have prey enough for the taking to satisfie his vast stomack and fill his belly therefore he takes no care for tomorrow before him danceth carefulness Christ saith to his disciples take no thought for the morrow It were well if such carefulness danced before us as Leviathans cares dance before him We say of some men they sing care away and all carking heart-cutting and dividing cares should even dance away before all men The Apostles counsel is 1 Cor. 7.32 I would have you without carefulness as much as to say let carefulness dance before you or put it from you use the means and be not solicitous about successes or issues The moâ—e we live by faith the less we live in care or the more our cares dye and they whose hearts are full of faith cannot but have their heads emptied of cares Some say we have a great family many bellies to fill and backs to cloth how can we be without carefulness Consider one Leviathan needs more food than many families yet he takes no care God provides for him though he know it not and will he not provide for those that know him therefore let carefulness dance before you That 's a good reading for our use and comfort Thirdly Others translate thus before him passeth pennury Faciem ejus praecedit egestas Vulg. The meaning of that reading is wheresoever Leviathan comes he leaves nothing but pennury behind him he devours all before him and all little enough scarce enough for him all the fish he meets with all in the sea he eats them up the sea hardly affords enough to fill his huge belly satisfie his hungry appetite As 't is said of Behemoth he thinks he can draw up Jordan that is all the waters of Jordan so Leviathan thinks he can draw up the sea that is all the fish in the sea so that how much soever he meets with he looks upon it as pennury at most as but enough for him So that this translation Before him passeth pennury may have or bear these two interpretations Either First That he makes all pennury where he comes as it s said of the Turkish wars where the Grand Signiors horse treads the grass will not grow he treads down and spoils all Or as 't is said in Scripture of those enemies The land was before them like the garden of Eden and behind them as a desolate wilderness Or Secondly That he thinks all to be but pennury and scarcity how plentiful soever it is that is before him That which may suffice many is scarce a morsel or a mouthful for him as if all the fish in the sea could not serve him for a break-fast As 't is said of Alexander the Great when he had conquered the known world he was as hungry and sharp-set as ever he looked upon all as pennury and wished there were another world for him to conquer Thus plenty is pennury to Leviathan he is an unsatiable gulf that 's a third reading our own saith Sorrow is turned into joy before him The meaning I conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exultavit Mont. vertetur in laetitiam Pagn Quicquid solicitudinem aliis parit excitat exhilerat ipsius animum Bez. is this Leviathan is so strong and powerful such strength remaineth in his neck that nothing can daunt him or bring down his spirit nothing can trouble him much less terrifie him he fears nothing he fears none and if any object of sorrow present it self to him 't is presently his joy That which hath greatest matter of sorrow in it is to him matter of sport or he makes a sport of it he even rejoyceth in the midst of those things that makes others sad he either makes nothing of them or no such thing of them as they appear to others Sorrow is turned into joy before
bring forth thoughts of good from God to us And though not man can hinder the bringing to pass of any of his thoughts yet we may help their birth and bringing forth So much of the first interpretation of these words And that no thought can be with-holden from thee Secondly no thought that is no thought of man can be withholden from thee thou knowest the thoughts of every one what they are of what kind they are The Latine translation is express There is no thought secret to thee Some read the whole verse thus Thou knowest that thou canst do thing every and no thought is hidden to thee As if Job had said O Lord as none know what thy power is better than thy self or as none know like thy self what thou canst do even that thou canst do all things so none know better than thy self not I my self what my thought or opinion or faith rather is concerning thy power and self-sufficiency to do all things Which manner of speech importeth the deep submission of himself unto God or a kind of demission or letting of himself down into God while he saith nothing expressly of himself or what his thoughts were of Gods power but refers all to God as knowing him and his mind fully and subjects himself wholly to his testimony So that he seems to call God to witness or appeals to God as a witness of the sincerity of his heart in the acknowledgment which he made of his All-sufficiency as the Apostle Peter of his love to Christ when so often pressed him even a third time with that searching question Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee John 21.17 Peter would not be confident that he loved Christ more then those but referred himself in that matter to the judgment of Christ who knew all things and himself both as to the truth and degree of his affections to him perfectly Thus said Job thou knowest and I acknowledge that no thought can be with-holden from thee therefore not mine Hence note Our very thoughts are plain to God neither is there any way of concealing our thoughts from him We cannot put our thoughts into a secret place where God cannot see them we cannot with-hold them from God as we easily may from man if we can but hold our tongues and not let our thoughts drop out of our mouths in words Psal 139.2 The Lord knoweth our thoughts afar off He knew what thoughts there were in the hearts of the Jews Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee These vain thoughts were thoughts about their continuance in that peaceable condition that the enemy should never come to molest them or they should never come into the hand of the enemy as others afterwards had vain thoughts that they should be speedily delivered out of their hands First They had vain thoughts that they should never go into captivity And Secondly They had as vain thoughts that they should be presently delivered out of captivity These are your vain thoughts and these I know saith God Our thoughts are as open to God as our works all our thoughts good and bad are alike known to God He knoweth our good thoughts and the thoughts which we have to do good If we have a thought of good to any man the Lord knoweth it and if we have a thought for evil to any man the Lord knoweth it The Lord knoweth not only what thoughts are evil in their own nature but what are detrimentally evil unto others Thus spake distressed Jeremy in the person of the whole Jewish Church Lament 3.60 61 62. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me and their devices against me all the day long The Lord knoweth all the good thoughts that others have for us and all the evil thoughts which they have against us Now If no thought of ours can be with-holden from God then keep guard and watch over your thoughts hold your thoughts in good order for you cannot with-hold your disorderly thoughts from God bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Secondly If the Lord knoweth all our thoughts then certainly all good thoughts shall be rewarded as well as good words yea even as well as good deeds As the Lord will not lose a good thought which was shewed in the former point so we shall not lose a good thought God will reward them fully for he knoweth them fully There was a good thought in Davids heart to build the Lord a temple and the Lord said as Solomon his Son reports it 1 Kings 8.18 Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house to my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart I take it as well as if thou hadst done it God takes notice of our thoughts And therefore this is comfort when we can do but little yet God knows what we would do what work our thoughts are at and our thoughts are our best and choicest works they are the first-born of the soul Wicked men may do works and speak words good for the matter but they cannot properly think good thoughts Thirdly if the Lord knoweth our thoughts then evil thoughts shall not go unpunished When the Lord brought the deluge upon the old world we find him speaking thus Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually God spake not of their works but of the imagination of their hearts their thoughts The Apostle counsel'd Simon Magus to repent of his wickedness and pray God Recognoscit so interius fuisse aliquo cogitatione superba pulsatum quod Deum non latuisse cognoscit Aquin. Latini existimant loqui Jobum de suis tumultuantibus cogitationibus sive superbiae de sua sanctitate sive iniquae expostulationis cum divina providentia Accusat cogitationes suas Philip. if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven him Acts 8.22 There lieth the danger take heed of evil thoughts we are in as much danger by them as by the worst evil actions Take heed First of proud thoughts though pride blossom not that is though it appear not openly nor hang out its flag in words and works yet take heed of it Secondly take heed of wanton and adulterous thoughts though you act not wantonly nor commit adultery Thirdly take heed of covetous thoughts though you proceed not to covetous practices Fourthly of envious thoughts or of being troubled at the good of your neighbours though you hinder not his good Fifthly take heed of revengeful thoughts or of devising evil against your neighbour though you hurt him not nor bring evil upon him Sixthly take heed of hard thoughts of God
two-fold demanding First as a Disputant Secondly as a Supplicant Job would now demand as a Supplicant unto God M◠interrogantem doce benignè qui me tuae disciplinae planè submitto Merc. not as a Disputant with God We may be said to demand or enquire of God when we consult his word not humane reason It an innocent person as Job be afflicted where shall he enquire the reason of it if he only respect his affliction and compare that with his own innocency he will quickly murmure at and complain of the dealings of God with him But if he look to the Word of God which tells him that God is a Soveraign Lord and that God hath promised not only to be with his in trouble but that their troubles shall work their comforts he will not only be patient under but glory in his tribulations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogobo tc sc petendo orando pulsando Aquin. The Hebrew word which we translate demand may well be rendred petition or crave The common sense of the word demand seems too high for Jobs spirit and condition Master Broughton renders I will make petition unto thee or an humble suit unto thee as if he had said I will pray for and beg this favour of thee that thou wouldst teach and inform me better It is not an authoritative demand Qui regat nescit Interrogare sapientem dimidia sapientia est Apotheg Arab. which is a kind of command but a submissive demand this demanding is the asking of a question not the requiring of a right He that asks a question implyeth that he stands in need of information and that he is desirous to learn And to put questions to a wise man is half wisdom I will demand or put questions unto thee Declare thou unto me The Hebrew is make me to know make me a knowing man As if Job had said Lord if thou wilt teach me I shall soon get knowledg and understanding and therefore I resign my self wholly to thy teachings The true submission of mans will to Gods will is to hearken to the counsel or wisdom of God and not to sit down in our own But as it was questioned at the first verse how Job could answer seeing he had said I will answer no more so here it may be questioned why the Lord spake no more to Job seeing here he desired to receive further instruction from him I answer First Job made this suit to God upon this condition that God would please to enform him if he saw need or should think fit to do it Secondly Job spake this doctrinally to shew what he and others ought to desire submit to even the teachings of God Thirdly I answer that the Lord seeing his submission saw there was no need of speaking any further to him but broke up the whole disputation determining for Job and giving him the day against his three friends as will appear further in the sequel of the Chapter From this verse Observe First The sence of our wants puts us upon prayer When Job was sensible that he wanted understanding and knowledge he came to God for it Give me to understand cause me to know True and fervent prayer floweth from a sence of our wants If we see not our selves in need why should we pray And when really we shall have no need as in heaven there will be no need of prayer all will be praise and all shall be in everlasting praises Secondly The person to whom Job maketh his application for teaching being God himself Note We know nothing of God nor of our selves aright till God teacheth us till he declareth and maketh it known to us Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights c. Jam. 1.17 As no man can either make or redeem himself so no man can teach or instruct himself What we know of God we know from God 'T is in his light that we see light The light may shine round about us and we see it not unless God enlighten us as well as send us the light we are never the better As in conversion the Lord first opens the eyes and then turns from darkness to light Acts 26.18 So under every dispensation we are in the dark till God opens our eyes and give us by his own immediate or mediate teachings light about it Thirdly note If we desire God should teach us or if we would be taught of God we must ask it of him We find the godly often putting up this request to God David was much in this petition Psal 119.33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law He did not only desire God that he would teach him but give him a faculty to receive his teachings vers 35. Make me to go in the path of thy commandement See how the Psalmist joyneth these petitions together First Teach me the way of thy statutes Secondly Give me understanding as if he had said else thy teachings will do no good Thirdly Make me to go in the path of thy commandement as if he had said though I understand thy statutes yet unless thou help me I shall not be able to walk in them no nor to take one right step in them therefore Make me to go in the path of thy commandement Again Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness As the Lord teacheth us our way and hath promised to teach us always in all things needful for us to know and do so he hath taught us by the written practise of many as well as by his written precept that we must pray for his teaching Fourthly Job was humbling himself and now he begs of God that he would teach him Hence note Humble souls desire and give up themselves wholly to be taught by God They hang upon his mouth for instruction and renounce their own wisdom Eliphaz gave Job that advice Chap. 22.22 Acquaint thy self now with him and be at peace and good shall come unto thee Receive I pray thee thee law from his mouth and lay up his words in thy heart Fifthly In that Job prays for teaching in this form according to the Hebrew make me to know Observe The teachings of God are effectual they make us know Men may teach others knowledge but they cannot make them know God can make a very dullard quick of understanding Men may instruct the understanding but they cannot give understanding God doth both The teachings of God are effectual to all purposes First to enlighten the ignorant Secondly to convince gain-sayers Thirdly to convert sinners Fourthly to comfort those that are sorrowful Fifthly to resolve such as are doubtful Sixthly to encourage the fearful And Seventhly to raise up and recover those that are fallen Thus Job is become a
his Spirit Every man saith Christ John 6.45 That hath heard learned of the father cometh unto me that is All that are taught of God believe on me And the more any learn of the father the more they come to abide the more closely with the Son Job understood more of God and the mind of God more in all those questions he put to him concerning the heavens the earth the Sea concerning the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the Air concerning Behemoth and Leviathan than ever he did before The more immediate and extraordinary revelations of God are alwayes accompanied with notable effects And though few profit in knowledge according to the measure of the mediate and ordinary Revelation yet probably the more revelation we have of that kind the more we profit Fifthly Job had these great discoveries after God had kept him long in affliction Hence note God doth usually reveal himself most to his people after great sufferings Hence some are of opinion that in these words Job pointed at his two states First that of his prosperity then he heard of God only by the hearing of the ear Secondly Of his adversity then his eye saw him that is he greatly profited in the knowledge of him There are two things which God usually bestows upon his people in the day of or soon after their affliction First more cordials and consolations He gives that strong drink to those that are ready to perish that wine unto those that be of heavy hearts He bids them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more as Solomons metaphors may well import Prov. 31.6 7. Secondly as the Lord gives more consolation in such a day so more illumination the head is bettered by it as well as the heart Many have got much inward light or knowledge both of God and of themselves of their mercies and of their duties by being or after they have been brought into much outward darkness Davids experience taught him this else he had never said Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes He had never learned either to know the Statutes of God better or to keep them better by his affliction if God had not been with him and revealed himself further to him in the day of his affliction Lastly Note When God manifests himself much to any man great impressions are left upon him As will appear further in opening the next verse Vers 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes This verse concludes that part of the Chapter which I call Jobs humiliation He made confession before of his own ignorance uttering things that he understood not things too wonderful for him which he knew not he confessed also the great goodness of God to him in that he had both heard of him by the hearing of the ear and also that his eye had seen him from all which he inferr'd this resolve of deepest self-abasement before God Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes This word wherefore is diligently to be attended for 't is the hinge upon which the whole matter turneth This wherefore may have a double reference First To the sight which he had gained of his own folly weakness and vileness of which having made confession in the former words he adds wherefore that is for as much as I am thus convinced of mine own sinfulness I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Secondly This wherefore may have reference to those higher clearer and fuller manifestations of God to him He had heard of God by the hearing of the ear there was much in that but now his eye had seen him he had a light or a discovery of the excellency and Majesty of God as much surpassing and exceeding what formerly he had as eye-sight doth the hearing of the ear Wherefore the light being come thus fully in upon him concerning the glory soveraignty goodness faithfulness and all-sufficiency of God he cryeth out I abhorr my self c. The Hebrew word signifieth the greatest disgust against himself a kind of reprobating himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat nauseare vel reprobaro cum fastidio abjicere abominare or as we speak a turning of his stomack at the thought and remembrance of what he had said and was Some render wherefore I reprehend or reprove my self but to abhor our selves is more than to reprehend or reprove our selves Others I reject I despise I slight my self I turn away from my self All these renderings shew to how little or low an account Job was now come in his own sight Our reading I abhor takes in all the rest and more The Lord useth this word negatively concerning his people Levit. 26.11 I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you the meaning is my soul shall greatly delight in you And at the 15th verse of the same chapter affirmatively of them If you shall despise my statutes or if your soul abhor my judgments then c. despising is less than abhorring To abhor the judgments of God is to cast them not only out of our affections but out of our judgment too and to judge them unworthy or unfit to be owned and obeyed Again at the 30th verse of same chapter I will destroy your high places and cut down your images and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols and my soul shall abhor you that is I will manifest the utmost and highest of my displeasure against you Once more in the same chapter When they be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them To abhor is to cast away and to look upon a person or a people as cast-aways Read also Deut. 7.26 Deut. 23.7 Psal 5.6 Psal 129.163 Prov. 24.24 Jerem. 14.21 Amos 5.10 chap. 6.8 Zech. 11.8 from all which texts we may collect the weight and great significancy of this word To abhor things or persons imports the deepest displicency or dislike towards either I saith Job abhor My self The word my self is here supplyed by our translators The Hebrew is only this wherefore I abhor leaving us to suppose what he did abhor Our translators make the suppliment thus I abhor my self that is whatsoever may be called my self self-wisdom self-righteousness self-strength self-ends and I would see the end of sinful-self Another translation saith I abhor those former things Illa priora q. d. non tantum illa prius à me cogitata dictaretracto sed etiam detestor Bez. that is whatsoever I formerly thought or spake amiss I do not only dislike them I do not only retract and recant them but I abhor them And if you would know what those former things were which here he renounceth and abhorreth you may take it in these seven words First I abhor that ever I cursed the day of my birth Secondly I abhor that
Nathan the Prophet did to reprove King David but he told his friends at first word My wrath is kindled against you Though they were good men yet not so dear to God as Job and therefore he dealt in a more fatherly and favourable way with Job than with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exarsit incensus inflammatus est Inter septem voculas Hebraeorum quae iram significant haec omnium est gravissima Scult they had only hot words My wrath is kindled against you c. I am more than angry As the coals of spiritual love spoken of Cant. 8.6 so the coals of divine wrath are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame There are seven words in the Hebrew language which signifie anger and this notes the most vehement of them all My wrath is kindled The Latine words Ira and Irasco seem to be derived from it The word is sometimes applied to grief there is a kind of fire in grief Thus 't is said 1 Sam. 15.11 It grieved Samuel and he cryed unto the Lord all night Samuel was vehemently grieved becauâ—e of the ill performance of Saul in his expedition against the Amalakites 'T is also translated to fret Psal 37.8 9. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil fretting hath its burning My wrath saith the Lord is kindled There is a wrath of God which is not kindled as I may say it is not blown up 't is covered in the ashes of his patience and forbearance but here saith God My wrath is kindled This is spoken by God after the manner of men God feels no change by wrath or anger no impression is made on him by any passion Wrath in God notes only his change of dispensations towards man not any in himself When he acts like a man whose wrath is greatly kindled then 't is said his wrath is kindled as when he acteth like a man that sheweth much love it may be said his love is kindled Further when God saith My wrath is kindled it implieth there is some great provocation given him by man as in the present case Eliphaz and his two friends had done The Lord threatned a sinful Land with brimstone and salt and burning like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and this being executed all Nations shall say wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers c. Deut. 29.23 24 25. The wrath of God is never kindled till blown and that which bloweth it up is mans sin nor doth the ordinary sins of man kindle the wrath of God for then it must be alwayes kindled even against the best of men Doubtless when the Lord said in the Text to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends there was somewhat extraordinary in their sin which kindled it and therefore the Lord directed them an extraordinary way as to circumstances for the querching of it and the making of their peace But here it may be questioned why did the Lord say his wrath was kindled only against Eliphaz and his two friends had he nothing to say against Elihu he had spoken as harshly to Job as any of them yet Elihu was not at all reproved much less was the wrath of God kindled against him I answer 'T is true Elihu spake very hard words of Job yet we may say four things of Elihu which might exempt him from this blame which fell upon those three First He did not speak with nor discover a bitter spirit as they did Secondly Elihu objected not against Job his former life nor charged him as having done wickedly towards man or hypocritically towards God he only condemned him for present miscarriages under his trouble for impatience and unquietness of spirit under the cross Thirdly That which Elihu chiefly objected against Job was the justifying of himself rather than God as he speaks at the beginning of the 32d Chapter not the maintaining of his own innocency nor the justifying of himself before men Indeed Job failed while he insisted so much upon that point that he seemed more careful to clear himself than to justifie God Fourthly When Elihu spake hardly it was more out of a true zeal to defend the justice of God in afflicting him than to tax him with injustice Now because Elihu did not carry it with a bitter spirit and hit the mark much better than his friends though in some things he also shot wide and misunderstood Job therefore the blame fell only upon Jobs three friends and not upon Elihu The Lord said to Eliphaz my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends but his wrath went no further Hence note First The Lord knows how to declare wrath as well as love displeasure as well as favour He hath a store of wrath as well as of love and that is kindled when he is highly displeased Secondly Note Sin causeth kindlings or discoveries of divine wrath Had it not been for sin the Lord had never declared any wrath in the world nothing had gone out from him but kindness and love favours and mercies Wrath is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and against unrighteousness only Rom. 1.18 Unrighteousness kindleth wrath sin is the kindle-coal When we see wrath or displeasure going out we may conclude sin is gone out Moses said to Aaron Numb 16.46 Take a Censer and put fire therein from off the altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Now as in this latter part of the chapter Moses shews that wrath was gone out against that people from the Lord so in the former part of it he shews that sin and that a great sin was gone out from that people against the Lord. Thirdly Note The Lord sometimes declareth wrath even against those whom he loveth Wrath may fall upon good men such were these friends of Job All the Elect whilest they remain unconverted or uncalled are called Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Though they are in the everlasting love of God yet they are children of wrath as to their present condition whilst in a state of nature and unreconciled to God Now as the children of God are children of wrath before their conversion so when any great sin is committed after conversion they are in some sense under wrath and the Lord declareth wrath against them till the breach be healed and their peace sued out It is dangerous continuing for a moment in any sin unrepented of or we not going unto God by Jesus Christ for pardon When once the wrath of God is kindled how far it may burn who knoweth There is no safety under guilt Therefore kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed
of his life Secondly That outward good is not always the portion of the good nor outward evil the portion of evil men always in this life Thirdly That God is not unrighteous though he exercise the righteous with grievous troubles all their days and heap worldly blessings upon the wicked all the days of this life Fourthly That we are not to take measure of nor estimate the goodness or badness of any mans person by the good or bad days which pass over his head in this life Fifthly That no mans happiness or unhappiness is to be judged by what befals him in this life Job spake right and righter of God than Eliphaz and his two friends in all these particulars And whereas he sometimes acted impatiently and spake uncomely blotting a good cause with passionate and hasty words such as ignorant and evil men might make an ill use of and draw to the patronage of their prophanity these proceeded not out of the abundance of his heart but from the abundance of his pains under the heavy hand of God And when he seemed to tax the judgment of God it was not any affirmation that God was unjust or unequal in it but an expostulation with him about it or as some express it a confession of his own ignorance and an earnest desire of clearer light and better information concerning the way of it But if we consider the sum of what Eliphaz and his two friends spake of God we shall find Eliphaz in this great mistake affirming that all the sufferings and afflictions which befal man in this world are laid upon him by God as a punishment for sin And all three joyned in two other mistakes First That all wicked men sooner or later are visibly punished for their sin in this life Secondly That though a good man may possibly suffer grievous afflictions in this life yet God always delivers him out of them before he departs this life Hence it must needs follow that if a man for long continuance of time especially if all his life long he continue in great calamity that man must be judged wicked though no apparant wickedness can be charged upon him nor proved against him Upon these unsound principles they were all confident to infer against Job that he was an hypocrite and that all those troubles which befel him were inflicted by the righteous hand of God as a punishment for his sin Now if this be the sum of what they spake we have reason enough to answer the question proposed That the Lords decisive sentence between Job and his friends respecteth what Job spake of or to God throughout the book and is not to be understood only of what he spake towards the close of it Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right As my servant Job hath There are two parts of a Judges office First To condemn the guilty Secondly To acquit the innocent God the great Judge doth both here the first in the former words the second in these Yea the Lord doth not only acquit but own Job in the close of all as his servant The Lord said to Satan in the first chapter Hast thou considered my servant Job and here he concludes after Satan had done his worst to make Job quit the service of God in the same stile my servant Job as if the Lord had said Job shall wear my livery still he is my servant still Several useful observations issue from this latter part of the verse which I shall briefly hint First Who were these that had not spoken aright they were wise grave and learned men yea they were godly men too Hence note Wise learned and good men may err They may err in judgment and in speech Jobs friends spake many truths but did not apply them truly to Jobs case The best men may not only miss but mistake their mark They who are in the light yea who are light in the Lord have yet some darkness in them and may both do and speak from that darkness such was the case of these men in the text David may be understood of good men in a degree as well as of bad men when he said Psal 62.9 Men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie they are so both actively and passively they may be deceived and they may deceive As when the Lord of old hearkened and heard they that is all wicked men spake not aright no man repented of his wickedness saying what have I done Jer. 8.6 So when the Lord hearkens and hears at this day they that is all good men speak not aright in all things neither of him nor of what he hath done Secondly Consider who it was that God vindicated in this matter It was his servant Job Hence note God will sooner or later one time or other vindicate the credit of his faithful servants He will as we speak proverbially set the saddle upon the right horse and make it appear before men and angels who have done and spoken right yea who rightest Let patience under sufferance have its perfect work for God will give a perfect judgment of every mans word and work Psal 37.6 Thirdly Note The Lords knowledge is infinite and unerring He knoweth who hath the better who is in the right He could tell Eliphaz and his two friends that though they had spoken some things right yet not all nor so right as Job The Lord as we say can cleave a hair in any controversie and tell every one where he is out whether in opinion or practise God is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 John 1.5 Our light is but little and 't is mingled with much darkness our light is dark and will be so till we come to that inheritance among the Saints in light But Gods light is all light altogether light both concerning things and persons Fourthly What Eliphaz and his friends spake that was not right concerned Job immediately they spake very glorious things of God out of his case yet the Lord saith not Ye have not spoken of Job the thing that is right but Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Hence note God takes himself concerned in what is spoken amiss of or concerning his servants Jobs friends looked upon themselves as strong witnesses yea as great Advocates for God and doubtless they intended no less than a plea for God in what they spake to and against Job yet because they in many things grieved and in some things wronged his servant Job therefore saith God ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right The Lord will say in the great day to the wicked about their neglects of duty to his faithful ones In-as-much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me Mat. 25.45 In-as-much as ye have not fed and cloathed these ye have not fed nor cloathed me Now as the Lord taketh all the
commanded to offer Secondly The Lord directs Eliphaz and his two friends to apply themselves unto Job and desire his intercession for them Go to my servant Job and my servant Job shall pray for you To this direction the Lord subjoyns two things First An incouragement by a gracious promise in these words For him will I accept Secondly A threat in case they should neglect or refuse to go and perform this duty laid down in the close of the verse Lest I deal with you according to your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right like my servant Job These are the particulars considerable in this 8th verse Therefore take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams The Lord spake this to Eliphaz and his two friends The word of illation Therefore at the beginning of the verse refers to the word For at the latter end of the former verse As if the Lord had said unto them Because ye have sinned against me and provoked me to anger so that my wrath is kindled by your not speaking of me the thing that is right therefore I advise you and be ye sure at your peril to follow my advice I advise you for the making up of this breach and the recovery of my favour to take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams Take unto you Some conceive that these words Vnto you are redundant yet doubtless they carry a clear sense as they stand in the Text Take unto you that is for your use and behoof in this great service Take unto you Seven Bullocks and seven Rams This was a great sacrifice and it was so under a twofold consideration First As to the matter of the sacrifice bullocks and rams were great cattle there were sacrifices of lesser matters We read in the law of Moses of a pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons for a sacrifice these the poorer sort under the law did offer with acceptation whereas rich and great men and such were these Eliphaz and his two friends in their time were commanded to bring great and richer sacrifices The rich as Solomon exhorts Prov. 3.9 were to honour the Lord with their substance and with the first fruits of their increase These rich men were to bring bullocks and rams a great sacrifice in the matter of it Jubentur septem tauros c. immolare quis perfectissimum est sacrificium Christ una expiotione omnia peccata delens Perfectus cuim uumerius septe narius est Brent Septem est numerus plentitu dinis persectionis id quod obsolutam expiationem s remissionam clpae eorum designabat Etsi interim in omnibus sacrificiis veteribus ad emicum Christi sacrificium cujus illa erant imago umbra respiciebatur Nerc Secondly It was a great sacrifice if we consider the number seven bullocks and seven rams One bullock was a sacrifice and one ram was a sacrifice but here God commanded seven of each Seven is a number of perfection and of plenitude seven is a great number and seven is a perfect number it is often used mystically or enigmatically to note perfection The Lord made all things in six days and rested the seventh seven days made up a compleat week and seven years are a week of years We read of A candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it and his seven lamps thereon and seven pipes to the seven lamps which were on the top thereof Zech. 4.2 We read also of the seven spirits Revel 1.4 and of seven golden candlesticks Rev. 1.12 These were mysterious sevens and there are many more mentioned in Scripture which to insist upon would make too great a digression from the purpose of the text under hand where we have seven bullocks and seven rams which make up and imply a great and perfect sacrifice as the law of Moses also directed in some cases Levit 23.18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish So 1 Chron. 15.26 When the Lord helped the Levites that bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord they offered seven bullocks and seven rams Again 2 Chron. 29.21 They brought seven bullocks and seven rams and seven lambs and seven he-goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah Balaam incited and hired to curse Israel said unto Balak Num. 21.1 Build me here seven altars s prepare me here seven seven oxen and rams He would needs imitate them whom he desired to ruin and offer a full sacrifice that he might curse them fully The greatest sacrifice for number that we read of was at the dedication of the Temple where the offering of the King was two and twenty thousand oxen and an hundred and twenty thousand htep l Kings 8.63 We read also of great sacrifices 1 Chron. 29.21 2 Chron. 17.11 and Chap. 30.24 There were greater sacrifices than seven yet seven was a great sacrifice Some Interpreters conceive that every one of the three was to offr seven bullocks and seven rams that had been a very great sacrifice but in that the Text is silent The law of Moses appointed Levit. 4.3 that if a Priest committed a sin of ignorance he should bring a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin-offering Thelaw required no more for a sin of ignorance in a Priest and if the whole congregation were guilty of a sin of ignorance their ossering was no more ver 13 14. and if a Ruler had committed a sin of ignorance the law required only a kid of the goats a male without blemish ver 23. and if any one of the common people committed a sin of ignorance they were to bring a kid of the goat a female ver 28. So that whereas the law required but one bullock for the sin of ignorance in a Priest and but one bullock for the whole congregation and for a Ruler but a kid of the goats a male and for any common person but a kid of the goats a female Here Jobs friends were commanded by the Lord to offer up seven bullocks and seven rams for the expiation of their sin which doubtless was only a sin of ignorance This plainly signified that the Lord was highly displeased with them for their harsh judgment and uncharitable censures of his servant Job and to let them know that their doing so could not be excused by their good intentions and zeal for God Thus we see what the sacrifice was both for kind and number The next words tell us what they must do with their sacrifice Go to my servant Job faith God Why to Job several reasons may be given why they should go to Job I shall name five or six First Because they had wronged Job and therefore they must be reconciled to him Secondly Because God would have them understand that himself notwithstanding their ill opinion of Job approved him as a good man yea as a man far exceeding them in godliness
more than a bare rebuke here was a blow given and that a sore one The Lord deals gently with some sinners that none may despair and severely with others though his servants that none may presume Only let us remember that when the Lord at any time doth chasten and rebuke his servants for sin with great severity he doth not drive them away nor discourage them but would have them look to him for pardon and healing When he judgeth them as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 11.32 he doth not condemn them or if we call it a condemnation yet he doth not condemn them with the world nor as he condemns the world God condemns the unbelieving world to destruction but he condemns his servants only for their humiliation The goodness of God appears much in these two things First In his flowness to anger his mercy doth even clog his justice and gives it leaden feet it comes slowly Secondly In his readiness to show mercy The Scripture saith he is slow to wrath and ready to forgive his goodness doth even adde wings to his mercy causing it to fly swiftly to the relief of sensible and humbled sinners or as one of the Ancients expresseth he sharpneth the sword of his justice with the oile of his mercy and so it becomes a healing as well as a wounding sword Secondly In that the Lord himself gave this direction Take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams c. Observe God against whom we sin sheweth us the way to get peace and the pardon of our sins When man sinned at first or when the first man fell into sin there he had lain for ever if the Lord had not shewed him a way out Had it been left to man to devise a way to recover himself when he was fallen his fall had been irrecoverable he had never found how to get at once his sin pardoned and the justice of God satisfied This was the Lords own invention and it was the most noble and excellent one that ever was in the world he shewed fallen man at first how to get up and here he gave direction to these fallen men what to do that they might The Lord who was their Judge was also their Counsellor Thirdly Consider the particular way of their peace-making it was by sacrifice Take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams c. Hence note Sacrifices for sin were appointed and commanded by God not devised by man Sacrifices have been from the beginning Cain and Abel brought their offerings unto the Lord Gen. 4.3 4. Noah also builded an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt-offerings on the altar Gen. 8.20 Abraham offered the ram for a burnt-offering Gen. 22.13 Now though the law for sacrifices was not formally given in those times yet it was really given All those elder sacrifices were of the Lords appointment and by his direction as well as those in and after the days of Moses There is no expiating of sin against God by the inventions of man Heathens offered sacrifices to their Idol-gods imitating the worship of the true God The Devil is Gods ape Typical sacrifices were of God for the taking away of the sin of man And so was the true sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ when he that is Christ said sacrifice and offering and burnt-offering and offering for sin thou wouldst not that is thou wouldst not have those legal sacrifices nor didst ever intend to have them as satisfactions to thy offended justice ultimately to rest in them then said he that is Christ Lo I come to do thy will O God Heb. 10.8 9. It was the will of God that Jesus Christ should be the expiatory sacrifice for the sin of man by the which will v. 10. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all The sacrifice of Christ himself had not saved us if it had not been of Gods appointment nor could any sacrifice have so much as shadowed the way or means of our salvation if God had not appointed it Fourthly Consider the purpose for which the Lord commanded Eliphaz c. to offer their sacrifice it was to make an attonement for their sin Hence Observe Sin must have a sacrifice There was never any way in the world from first to last to help a sinner but by a sacrifice and who was the sacrifice Surely Jesus Christ was the sacrifice it was not the blood of bulls and goats of bullocks and rams that could take away sin as the Apostle argueth at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews these could never take away sin these only pointed at Jesus Christ who alone did it by bearing our sins and by being made a sacrifice for them To typifie or shew this we read in the law of Moses that the sin of the offender was laid upon the sacrifice and a sacrifice for sin was called sin by the Prophet long before Christ came Dan. 9.24 He shall make an end of sin that is when Christ shall come in the flesh he shall make an end of all sacrifices for sin and so the Apostle called it after Christ was come and had suffered in the flesh 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin that is a sacrifice for sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The sacrifice was called sin because the sin of the person who brought it and in whose behalf it was offered was laid upon the sacrifice there was as it were a translation of the sin from the person to the sacrifice In which sence Luther is to be understood when he said Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world not that he had any sin in his nature or any sin in his life but because he had the sins of all that are or shall be saved laid upon him as the Prophet spake Isa 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all or as our Margin hath it He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet on him And there is no atonement for sin but by a sacrifice So the Lord ordained the offering up of a whole burnt-offering for the taking away of sin that sinners might see what they had deserved even to die and not only so but to be wholly burnt and consumed in the fire of his wrath Impenitent sinners shall be consumed in fire that shall never be extinguished nor ever extinguish them they shall abide in an ever-living death or in an ever-dying life They who rest not upon the sacrifice of Christ once offered must be a sacrifice themselves alwayes offered to the justice and wrath of God Here it may be questioned why the Lord commanded them to offer seven Bullocks and seven Rams what could the blood of seven do more than the blood of one I answer First This being a great sacrifice possibly the Lord commanded it thereby to intimate the greatness of their sin Two things chiefly shew the greatness of a
head for yet my prayer shall be in their calamities that is if ever they who are my reprovers fall into calamity though they may think they have provoked me so by reproving me that they have lost my love and have cast them out of my prayers or that I will never speak well of them or for them again yet I will pray for them with all my heart as their matters shall require I will pray for them when they have most need of prayer even in their calamity Some heighten the sense thus The more they sharpen their reproof the more I think my self bound to pray for them It shews an excellent spirit not to be hindred from doing good to others by any thing they do or speak against us nor by their sharpest though perhaps mistaken reproofs of us Thus it was with this good man Job prayed for his friends who had spoken much against him and not only reproved him without cause but reproached him without charity and God turned his captivity when he prayed for them Hence observe Secondly Prayer for friends especially for unkind friends is very pleasing to God and profitable to us We never reap more fruit or benefit by prayer our selves than when we lay out our selves in prayer for others and then most when we pray for those who have deserved least at our hands Prayer for unkind friends is the greatest kindness we can do them and the noblest way of recompencing their unkindness Holy David was much in this way of duty and found the benefit of it Psal 35.12 13. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoyling of my soul but as for me when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting that is I was greatly affected with and afflicted for them in their affliction and see what followed My prayer returned into my own bosom There is some difference about the Exposition of those words but I conceive that is clear in it self as well as to my purpose that David received fruit and a good reward for those prayers As if he had said If my prayer did them no good it did me good if it did not profit them it profited me my prayer returned into my own bosom I found comfortable effects of it We never gain more by prayer than when we pray for those by whom we have been losers we never find more comfort by prayer than when we pray heartily for those by whom we have found much sorrow whatever good we pray for in the behalf of others falls upon our own heads and the more we pray for good upon the heads of those that have done evil to us the more good is like to fall upon our own heads and hearts Christ saith Mat. 10.13 When ye come into an house salute it Christ means not a Courtly complemental salute but a Christian spiritual salute wishing them mercy and peace as is plain by that which followeth and if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy let your peace return to you As if he had said When ye come into an house good or bad salute it if the house be good they shall receive the benefit of your prayer if not you shall have the benefit of it your selves though they get no good by your good wishes to them or prayers for them yet you shall This is more expresly assured us again by our blessed Saviour Luke 10.6 Into whatsoever house ye enter first say peace be to this house bestow a prayer upon them and if the Son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again your prayers shall not be lost nor shall ye be losers by your prayers Hence take these two Inferences First If when we pray for friends for unkind friends God be ready to do us good then he will be much more ready to do us good when we as he hath commanded us pray for professed or real enemies The worse they are if not so bad as to be past prayer by the Apostles rule 1 John 5.16 for whom we pray the better are our prayers and an argument as of our greater faith in God so of our greater love to man Yet this is not to be understood as if we should pray for the prosperity of enemies or evil men in their evil purposes or practices this were to pray at once for the misery of Sion for the downfal of Jerusalem and the dishonour of God Our prayer for enemies should only be that God would change their hearts and pardon their sins as was touched before I grant we may in some cases pray Lord overturn overturn them or as David against Achitophel Lord turn their counsels into foolishness yet even then we should also pray with respect to their persons Lord turn them turn them The Gospel teacheth us to do so Luke 6.28 Bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you Not that we should pray for a blessing on them as they are cursers and despisers but that they may repent and give over their cursed cursings and despiteful usages The Apostle is full for this Rom. 12.14 Bless them that persecute you bless and curse not vers 19. Avenge not your selves And as we should not avenge our selves so we should be sparing in prayer that God would take vengeance and if ever we put up such prayers beware they flow not from a spirit of revenge We indeed are sometimes afraid to be over-gentle and kind-hearted towards them that offend us and this bad Proverb is too much remembred If we play the Sheep the Wolf will eat us up as if to do our duty were to run further into danger and that it must needs turn to our wrong not to avenge our wrongs But know if we carry it meekly like sheep we have a great Shepheard who will take care of us and is able to preserve us from the Wolf Consider these two things in praying for enemies or for those that have any way wronged us First If by prayer we gain them 't is possible by prayer to turn a Wolf into a Sheep then it will be well with us they will be our friends Secondly If they continue Wolves and enemies still God will be more our friend and turn the evil which they either intend or do us to our good A second Inference is this If God be ready to deliver us from evil and do us good when we pray for others then he will be ready to do us good and deliver us from evil when we pray for our selves This Inference appears every where in Scripture And as the Lord himself hath often invited or encouraged us to the duty of prayer for our selves by this promise take one instance for all Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me that is thou shalt have both occasion and a heart to glorifie
Spirit in it and therefore it must needs make great turns God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed Sixthly Jesus Christ presents such prayers the prayers of faith the prayers of repentance unto God his Father Christs intercession gives effect or gets answer to our supplications The Father hears the Son always John 11.42 and so he doth all them whose prayers are offered to him by the Son Revel 8.3 The angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne The angel there spoken of is the angel or messenger of the Covenant prophesied of Mal. 3.1 that is Jesus Christ 't is he he alone who offers the incense of his own prayers with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne and being there represented doing so presently as it followeth ver 5. There were voices and thunders and lightenings signifying the wonderful effects of prayer till it should come after many turnings in the world or as I may say after a world of turnings to the Lords turning of Sions captivity as here of Jobs Seventhly Jesus Christ doth not only present the prayers of believers to God but also prayeth in them when saints pray he prayeth in them for he and they are mystically one And as Christ is in believers the hope of glory Col. 1.27 so he is in them the help of duty and so much their help that without him they can do nothing John 15.5 Now a believers prayer being in this sense Christs prayer it cannot but do great things Lastly As Jesus Christ presents the prayers of believers to the Father and prayeth in them or helps them to pray by the blessed and holy Spirit sent down according to his gracious promise into their hearts so he himself prayeth for them when they are not actually praying for themselves For saith the Apostle Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for them The best believers do not always make supplications for themselves but Christ is always making as well as he ever lives to make intercession for them The Apostle speaking of Christs intercession useth the word in the present tense or time which denoteth a continued act Rom. 8.34 Who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us The sacrifice of Christ though but once offered is an everlasting sacrifice and this other part of his priestly-office his intercession is everlasting as being often yea always or everlastingly offered The way or manner of Christs making everlasting intercession for us is a great secret it may suffice us to know and believe that he doth it Now it is chiefly from this everlasting intercession of Christ that both the persons of the elect partake of the benefits of his sacrifice and that their prayers are answered for the obtaining of any good as also for the removal of any evil as here Jobs was for the turning of his captivity Thus I have given a brief accompt of this inference that if prayer prevails to turn the captivity of others then much more our own Prayer hath had a great hand in all the good turns that ever the Lord made for his Church And when the Lord shall fully turn the captivity of Sion his Church he will pour out a mighty spirit of prayer upon all the sons of Sion The Prophet fore-shewed the return of the captivity of the Jews out of Babilon Jerem. 29.10 After seventy years be accomplished at Babilon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place for I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end But what should the frame of their hearts be at that day the 12th verse tells us And ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken These words may bear a two-fold sense First The sense of a command Then shall ye call upon me and then shall ye go and pray That is your duty in that day Secondly I conceive they may also bear the sense of a promise then shall your hearts be inlarged then I will pour out a spirit of prayer upon you And ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken We may conclude the approach of mercy when we discern the spirits of men up in and warm at this duty Many enquire about the time when the captivity of Sion shall fully end we may find an answer to that question best by the inlargement of our own hearts in prayer David speaking of that said Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute the meanest and lowest shrubs in grace as the word there used imports and not despise that is he will highly esteem and therefore answer their prayer How much more the prayer of the tall cedars in grace or of the strong wrestlers when they call upon him and cry unto him with all their might day and night The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends Nor was it a bare turn As Job did not offer a lean sacrifice to God in prayer but the strength of his soul went out in it so the Lord in giving him an answer did not give him a lean or slight return but as it followeth Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Hebrew is The Lord added to Job to the double Some translate too barely The Lord made an accession or an addition but that doth not reach the sense intended For a little more than he had before had been an addition to what he had before but double is more than a little or the common notion of an addition the Lord gave him twice as much or double to that great estate which he had before This doubling of his estate may be taken two ways First Strictly as four is twice two and eight twice four See the wild conceits of the Jewish Rabbins about the doubling of Jobs estate in Mercer upon the place In that strict sence it may be taken here as to his personal estate but as to persons it will not hold the number of his children was the same as before If we compare this chapter with the first chapter ver 3. we find his estate doubled in strict sence Whereas Job had then seven thousand sheep now saith this chapter ver 12. he had fourteen thousand sheep and whereas before he had three thousand camels now he had six thousand camels and whereas before he had five hundred yoke of oxen now he had a thousand yoke of oxen and lastly whereas before he had five hundred she asses now he had a thousand she asses Here was double in the letter In duplum i. e. in plurimum Quam plurimum numerus finitus pro infinito
received Sixthly There are gifts of incouragement to those that are industrious and deserve well which we may call remunerative gifts These are as oil to the wheel of ingenuous spirits in a good work it is lawful at any time and sometimes necessary to bestow such gifts Seventhly There are gifts of bribery which pervert justice and put out the eyes of Judges They are not the rewards of industry but the wages of unrighteousness such as Balack would have given Balaam he offered him great gifts I will promote thee to honour But what was it for even to hire him to curse the people of God Let all take heed of giving or taking gifts to pervert justice or to encourage any in the doing of any wickedness or unworthiness these are corruptive gifts Further Whereas they gave not only a piece of money or a lamb but every one an ear-ring of gold which we may consider not only as to the matter as it was gold but as to the form as it was an ear-ring or an artificial piece of gold that an ornamental piece of gold they might have given gold and probably they did in the pieces of money which they gave him but they gave him ear-rings also in which the fashion or use is most considerable and the workmanship more worth than the mettal Hence Note It is lawful to wear ornaments Not only may we wear that which serves for a covering to the body but that which is for the adorning of it An ear-ring is an ornament As all are to wear cloths to hide their shame and nakedness so some may wear robes to shew their state and greatness Job received ear-rings he did not cast them by as vain things When Abraham sent his servant to take a wife for his Son Isaac he stored him with cabinets of precious jewels to bestow upon her Gen. 24. and when he found Rebeccah at the well and found who she was he took a golden ear-ring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold and gave them to Rebeccah And afterwards when her parents had given consent to the marriage then ver 53. The servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebeccah c. Abraham would not send such things to a Wife for his Son had they been vain in their own nature or sinful in their use Yet take the point with these cautions We may wear ornaments but First We must not be proud of them Secondly We must not set our affections upon them Thirdly We must beware of an affectation in wearing them Fourthly We must take heed of wastfulness we may not lavish out an estate upon ornaments nor make our selves poor to make our selves fine I grant some Scriptures speak negatively in appearance as to the use and wearing of jewels and ornaments 1 Tim. 2.9 In like manner also let women adorn themselves in modest aparel in shame fastness and sobriety not with broidened hair or gold or pearl or castly array This Scripture seems to cross the point directly and so doth that other 1 Pet. 3.3 Whose adorning speaking of women let it not be that outward adorning of plating the hair and of wearing of gold and of putting on of aparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart How then can good women wear these ornaments I answer These Scriptures do not absolutely forbid the wearing of ornaments but only as to those exceptions before given to wear them in pride or to set our affections upon them or to affect them or to wear them wastfully beyond our purse and place such wearing of ornaments is indeed unlawful Again it is not sinful to have or use ornaments but to make them our ornaments that is sinful our adorning must be the hidden man of the heart that must be grace That this is the Apostles mind is clear because he saith their adorning must not be the putting on of apparrel as well as not the plating of the hair and wearing of gold Therefore the negation is not absolute but comparative let not them count these their ornaments but grace or the hidden man of the heart As the Lord saith I will have mercy and not sacrifice that is mercy rather than sacrifice so I will have the hidden man of the heart not costly jewels and apparel your ornament that is I esteem the one much rather than the other and so ought you to esteem both your selves and others accordingly Take this caution further Times of affliction and suffering are very unseasonable to wear ear-rings of gold and ornaments When there is any great appearance of the displeasure of God against a people then how unsutable are all our pleasant things The Lord said to the people of Israel Put off your ornaments that I may know what to do with you Exod. 32. When we live in such a time in humbling days or are called to humbling duties we should be very watchful about these things and rather appear in raggs than robeâ— with dust upon our heads rather than with ornaments upon our backs Thus far of the first part of Jobs restauration the return of his friends and the significations of their friendliness towards him eating bread with him bemoaning him comforting him and presenting him with gifts of honour if not of enrichment pieces of money and earings of gold Yet all their civilities and bounties reached but a little way if at all towards that restauration which the Lord intended him the doubling of his whole estate which he soon received in full measure heaped up pressed down and running over as will appear in opening the two next verses and those which follow to the end of the chapter JOB Chap. 42. Vers 12 13. 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning For he had fourteen thousand Sheep six thousand Camels and a thousand yoak of Oxen and a thousand She-Asses 13. He had also seven sons and three Daughters IN these two verses we have the second and the third part of Jobs restauration His friends were restored to him in the former verse his further restauration is set down in these two verses First generally at the beginning of the 12th verse So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Secondly Particularly and First With respect to his Cattle of outward estate for he had saith the Text Fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand Camels c. Secondly With respect to his issue or children vers 13. He had also seven Sons and three daughters Vers 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning In these words we may take notice of four things First the means or as I may call it the procuring cause of Jobs increase or of his growing and flowing prosperity it was a blessing Secondly We have here the Author or Fountain of this blessing it was the Lord. Thirdly
ascend into the hill of the Lord c. and answered it vers 4 5. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness that is a righteous reward or a reward according to righteousness from the God of his salvation Solomon asserts the present performance of what is only promised in this Psalm he saith not The just shall receive the blessing but they have actually received it Prov. 10.6 Blessings are upon the head of the just By the just man we may understand First him that is in a justified state or him that is just by faith Secondly him that walks in a just way or that do justly And they who are indeed justified are not only engaged by that high act of grace to do justly but are either constantly kept in doing so or are soon brought to see they have not done so and to repentance for it Just and upright men in these two notions are so much blessed that they are a blessing Prov. 11.11 By the blessing of the upright is the City exalted As an upright man wisheth and prayeth for a blessing upon the City where he liveth so he is a blessing to it and that no small one but to the greatning enriching and exaltation of it He that is good in his person becomes a common good to Cities yea to whole Nations such are a blessing because they receive so many blessings Pro. 28.20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings This faithful man is one that acts and doth all things faithfully as appears by his opposition in the same verse to him that maketh hast to be rich of whom the Text saith he shall not be innocent that is he must needs deal unfaithfully or unrighteously for in making such post-hast to riches he usually rides as we say over hedge and ditch and cannot keep the plain way of honesty Thirdly As they who are in a state of grace and they who act graciously in that state so they who worship holily or holy worshippers have a special promise of the blessing As Sion is the seat of holy worship so there the Lord commandeth the blessing upon holy worshippers Psal 133.3 And again Psal 115.12 13. He will bless the house of Israel he will bless the house of Aaron he will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great that is the generality of holy worshippers shall be blessed The fear of the Lord is often put in Scripture for the worship of the Lord and so they that fear him are the same with them that worship him Fourthly They are the blessed of the Lord who trust the Lord for all and so make him the all of their trust Psal 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is gracious blessed is the man that trustith in him that is in him only or alone being convinced of the utter insufficiency of the creature That man is cursed who trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Jer. 17.5 therefore pure trust in God hath the blessing Fifthly They that are a blessing unto others shall have the blessing from the Lord. What it is to be a blessing to others read at large in the 29th Chapter of this Book vers 11. and in 31. Chapter vers 20. They that do good to others they especially who do good to the souls of others are a blessing to others Now they who do good they shall receive good themselves Prov. 11.25 The liberal shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself He that watereth is a common good a blessing to the place where he lives a blessing to the rich a blessing to the poor a blessing to relations a blessing to strangers upon such the Scripture assures the blessing of the Lord. Sixthly They who promote the worship and service of God they that are friends to the Ark of God shall be blessed 2 Sam. 6.11 The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom because he entertained the Ark shewed kindness to the Ark and was ready to do any service for the Ark of God he will be a friend to the true friends of his Church Seventhly They shall receive a blessing of God who strive in prayer for his blessing Jacob was blessed but he wâ—estled for it They that would have it must ask it with a gracious importunity they that seek it diligently shall find it These are the chief characters of the persons whom the Lord will bless And seeing his blessing is so effectual for the procurement of our good we should above all things labour to procure his blessing When Jacob wrestled with the Angel he asked nothing of him but a blessing Gen. 32.26 He did not say I will not let thee go except thou deliver me from my brother Esau he did not say I will not let thee go unless thou make me rich or great he only said I will not let thee go except thou bless me let me be blessed and let me be what thou wilt or I can be What should we desire in comparison of the blessing of God seeing his blessing strictly taken is the fruit of his fatherly love A man may be rich and great and honoured among men yet not beloved but he that is indeed blessed is certainly beloved of God Esau could not obtain the blessing Now what saith the Lord by the Prophet of him as the Apostle quotes the Prophet Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated Esau got much riches but he could not get the blessing for he was hated of the Lord and therefore it is said Heb. 12.17 He found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears that is he could not make Isaac repent of blessing Jacob though through a mistake yet according to Gods appointment he could not prevail with him no not by tears to take off the blessing from his brother Jacob and place it upon himself And the reason why the blessing remained with Jacob was because he was loved of God The blessing must go where the love goes The loved of the Lord are and shall be blessed and they who are blessed have all good with a blessing Read Gen. 24.35 Gen. 26.13 Gen. 28.3 2 Sam. 6.11 Psal 107.38 Yea as God giveth all good with a blessing so he giveth himself who is the chief good best of all and blessed for evermore to those whom he blesseth Then how should we desire the blessing of God or to be blessed by God It is wonderful how passionately and even impatiently the Votaries of Rome desire the Popes blessing they think themselves made men if they can but have his blessing I have read of a Cardinal who seeing the people so strangely desirous of his blessing Quando quidem populus hic vult decipi dicipiatur said Seeing this people will be deceived let them be deceived But we cannot be too desirous of a blessing from
he God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction He was once very much afflicted and now he was very fruitful therefore he called the name of his younger son Ephraim that he might remember the kindness of God to him as often as he beheld or spake to or of that son So Moses called his son Gershom stranger for he said I have been a stranger in a strange Land Exod. 2.22 We find also names given to things as well as to persons by way of remembrance Thus 1 Sam. 7.12 after a great victory obtained against the Philistines Samuel set up a stone and gave it a name He called it Eben-ezar or the Stone of help The reason was for said he hitherto the Lord hath helped us The name of the stone was to mind them of the Lords constant readiness to help them even unto that day So Moses Exod. 17. after that great deliverance from the Amalekites built an Altar and called it Jehovah nissi which signifieth the Lord is my Banner to put them in remembrance how the Lord went forth as a man of War and mightily confounded their enemies There is a prudence to be used in the names both of things and persons We read Gen. 10.25 Vnto Eber were born two sons and the name of the one he called Peleg and why Peleg for in his days saith that Text was the earth divided Peleg signifieth division The whole world which lay before as one common field in his days was divided and cantoniz'd into several Countries therefore his name was called Peleg And as many names have been given from past or present providences so some names have been given as it were by Prophesie with respect to after providences Gen. 5.29 Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years and begat a son and called his name Noah which signifieth rest Why so not from a providence that was past or present but from what he believed should be For this same said he shall comfort us concerning our work and toyl of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed Thus much of the names of Jobs daughters as they signified the providences of God towards him and the turn of his state Secondly We may consider these nemes with reference to the personal qualifications or endowments of his daughters and those twofold First their corporal external qualifications Secondly their spiritual internal qualifications which we may well conceive Job had a chief respect unto in giving them these names First He called the names of the first Jemima or Day thereby signifying First the clear natural beauty of that daughter or the brightness of her complexion like the brightness of the day or as if she shined in beauty like the day when beautified by the beams of the Sun Thus Christ spake of the Church Cant. 6.10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Jobs eldest daughter looked forth as the day she was of a resplendent comeliness and we may well suppose Job who gave her this name had prayed she might have and hoped she would have and doubtless in her time she had not only a beautiful face and a comly feature of body but which is far better a beautiful soul a well-featured disposition of mind much grace and goodness in which sense the Church in the place last mentioned is said to look forth as the morning to be fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun The name Day doth very well shadow both the virgin beauty of the body and the divine unspotted beauty of the soul Secondly he might call her so thereby signifying that as the day is sweet and pleasant so was she both as to her bodily aspect in comeliness and the aspect of her soul in holiness Thirdly say some he called her name Day Vna dies aperit susturit uno dies because beauty bodily beauty they mean is of no long continuance it is but as it were for a day like a flower which a day opens and withers He called the second Kezia or as one of the Ancients renders Cassia signifying spice and perfume to note that she was of a fragrant temper of a winning disposition and conversation Grace and vertue yield the sweetest smell in the nostrils of God and of all good men The Church Cant. 1.3 saith of Christ Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is an ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee These ointments were the precious graces of Christ 'T is so in some proportion with all the godly their ointments the unction of the Spirit poured upon them cast a delightful savour Solomon saith Eccl. 7.1 A good name is better than precious ointment A good name arising from good qualities from grace received and acted is the most precious ointment more precious than all the ointments which affect the sense To be Jemima beautiful in body as the day and not to be Kezia not to have a spirit sweet as Cassia what is it but a piece of pageantry or gilding upon a common post Job called the name of the 3d Keren-happuch or Horn of beauty First with respect to her out-side intimating that she was a great beauty Some say she was called Keren-happuch by an Antiphrasis because she needed not much less used the horn of beauty to make her self beautiful she was even beauty it self Her natural beauty exceeded all that artificial beauty which proud women make shew of by painting their faces She was also a horn of beauty as to her graces and spiritual endowments Thus Job might give his daughters these names not only with respect to the change of his condition but considering the conditions of his daughters both with respect to their bodily beauty and the divine excellency of grace bestowed upon their souls Hence note It is good to give names exciting to vertue and to duty The names of Job's three daughters Day Perfume Nomina bona calcar ad virtutem habent Horn of beauty might stir them up to approve themselves such as their names imported Vertuous names or names of vertue should mind us to do vertuously 'T is also a piece of spiritual prudence and policy to put as the names of excellent things of graces and vertues so of excellent persons such as have excelled in grace and vertue upon our children that they may be provoked to imitate and follow their examples whose names they bear The good wishes and desires of parents concerning children may be silently if I may so speak expressed in their names They who would have their children excel in such a grace or good way may do well to six it in their names Apud nos votiva quasi ob virtutis auspi cium ponuntur vocabula sc Victoris Casti Pii Probi sic apud Hebraeos Micheas Habdias Zacharias caeteraque his similia ex virtutem vocabulo liberis à parentibus
an hundred and ten years Gen 50. ult Job if we take in that common account of the antecedent part of his life lived longer than any of these even two hundred and ten years The fifth Commandement hath this promise Exod. 20.12 Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And the Apostle calls that the first Commandement with promise Eph. 6.2 that is the first Commandement with an explicite promise all the Commandements have promises implyed to those that obey them Eliphaz assured Job of this blessing in case of his repentance Chap. 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of Corn cometh in his season And in this he was a true Prophet Now that long life is a blessing I would shew briefly under these six considerations First It is a blessing to have a long opportunity of doing good of being useful and serviceable to our generation long life gives an advantage for that Secondly It is a blessing to have opportunity to gain experiences First of the various providences of God towards men whether in wayes of judgement or of mercy Secondly to get experiences of the manners of men of the vanity unfaithfulness and inconstancy of some men and of the goodness faithfulness and constancy of others Though we sometimes smart in getting our experiences yet it may be a great blessing to have them Thirdly It is a blessing to have an opportunity to hold forth the grace of God to us and the graces of God in us by a holy example The longer we live a natural life the more we may manifest the power of a spiritual life to those among whom we live Fourthly It is a blessing to have opportunity for improvement and growth in grace to attain the highest stature in and pitch of holiness This benefit we may make of long life even encrease in grace as our years encrease and grow better as we grow older Fifthly It is a blessing to have opportunity to bring up our children in the nurture and fear of God long life gives liberty for this Lastly it is a blessing to behold the blessing of God upon our posterity long life gives us opportunity for this blessing and this was Jobs blessing eminently In all these respects and many more might be added long life is a blessing Yet let me give this corrective Long life is but a common blessing it is no distinguishing blessing it is not a certain love-token from God to man Bad men have lived long as appears both in sacred and common Histories Old age is then a blessing and good indeed when we are old in goodness or grow old doing good Solomons conclusion reacheth this fully Prov. 16.31 The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness And Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes Better is a child that will be ruled than an old and foolish King that will receive no counsel When we may say of any as the Lord said of some Ezek. 23.43 O ye that are old in adulteries when any are old in sin woe to such an old age Better to die young than live to old age and then die in sin To live to be old men the old man not dying in us O how sad To see sin young when the man is old how odious a sight is that Then only old age is good when we are good in old age They only die in a good old age as it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 who are good dying old The sinner of a hundred years old shall die accursed Isa 65.20 So then it is knowing not ignorant old age it is prudent not foolish old age it is gracious not vicious old age which is indeed the blessing and therefore though it be a blessing look upon it as a common blessing As riches are good to us our selves being good so is old age such is a life of many years in this world good only to those who are good and do good Secondly When it is said Job lived an hundred and forty years we are not to take his living for a bare continuance or indurance in life for so many years but we are to understand his life or living so long Vivere est valere with the cloathing of it with the good of it he lived that is he lived comfortably honourably peaceably this hundred and forty years We commonly say To live is to be well to live is to flourish Some live whose life is a kind of death As they who live in sinful pleasure are dead while they live so also are they who live in great worldly sorrow Job lived comfortably and contentedly all that long time of his latter life even an hundred and forty years Hence note Secondly Long life in health peace and prosperity is a blessing indeed To live long in the enjoyment of good is very good What man is he saith David Psal 34.12 that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil c. To live long and see good that is enjoy good is the utmost that can be desired in this life That 's the blessing or the good promised in the renewed state of Jerusalem Isa 65. where after the Lord had spoken of new heavens and new earth he adds at the 22d verse They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not plant and another eat for as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands He doth not say they shall live long but they shall enjoy long that which they have built and planted none shall invade nor take away from them Some conceive this hath reference to the thousand years prophesied of Rev. 20. wherein the Church shall enjoy perfect felicity in this world To live long in the sweet enjoyments of health honour peace and plenty for soul and body is a full blessing I grant some good men live long who yet do not alwayes enjoy good their old age especially is accompanied and encumbered with many bodily distempers and grievous pains Though grace sets us above the decayes of nature and the troubles of this life yet grace doth not exempt nor give us priviledge from either so that greediness after many years is commonly a greediness only after many infirmities Isaac was a good old man yet 't is said of him that when he was old his eyes waxed dim so that he could not see Gen. 27.1 Old age and dim eyes and deaf ears shaking hands and palsied trembling joynts with manifold diseases are seldom found asunder Therefore Job had an extraordinary blessing to live long and free from all these evils and so have any who do so Barzillay was a good old man yet 2 Sam. 19.25 he was so benummed and his natural senses so enfeebled that he did not enjoy his life
they were created at the first by his command so they shine forth every day by the same command Matth. 5.45 He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good He that hath power usually saith to a person that is unwilling to do a thing I will make you to do it that is you shall do it whether you will or no. And 't is said by the Evangelist He maketh his Sun to rise c. which may seem to import a kind of unwillingness in the Sun to bestow its light promiscuously upon the evil as well as good evil men are indeed unworthy that the Sun should shine or the rain fall upon them but God who is infinite in goodness and to shew that our good deeds should not be shut up or narrowed to those onely who are good layeth an irresistible and an indispensible charge upon the Sun to rise and shine with that indifferency to the good and to the bad The Sun would be ashamed to shine upon wicked men the Sun would even with-hold its beams and rays and deny them light or any comfort it would not make the earth fruitful for them had it not a command from the Lord But having a command from him it cannot with-hold nor divert its light no not from those who are children of darkness and have constant fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse 'T is no small matter of consolation to remember that our God is a commanding God that he can command the morning which as it is a truth with respect to the natural morning of every day so to the mystical or metaphorical morning After a dark black and stormy night of sorrow and trouble upon his Church or People then the Lord can command the morning of joy and prosperity to arise upon them and comfort them 'T is comfortable living under and obeying his commands who can command away our sorrows and by a word speaking turn midnight into morning and the shadows of death into the shining light of life and therefore saith peremptorily without ifs or ands Psal 30.5 Weeping or sorrow may endure for a night but joy or singing cometh in the morning that 's a morning in a morning We may have a morning of Sun light and no morning of joy-light as the Lord threatned his people in case of disobedience Deut. 28.6 7. In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thy heart wherewith thou shalt fear c. Onely God can make a morning of joy or inward light to rise with the mo ning light of the natuâ—al day else we may have day without us and darkness within us Sun-light but no soul-light And such was the intendment of that dreadful threatning against the wicked last mentioned out of Moses Whereas the godly in their darkest ouâ—ward condition are under the sweet influences of that gracious promise Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteâ—us and gladness for the upright in heart And God can command that light to spring even in the hour and power of darkness as Christ expressed his saddest day in this world Luke 22.53 The light of every morning is called the day-spring at the latter end of this verse and the Lord can make light and gladness or the light of gladness to spring up in our hearts when and where he pleaseth Secondly Observe The course of Nature in all its turns and changes is moved by and obedient to the command of God As God commands the morning so the morning fails not to come at his command When did you ever know the morning stop or stay a moment beyond the time that God commanded it to come forth We could never say to the Chariot of the Sun as the Mother of Sisera said of his Why is his Chariot so long a coming why stay the wheels of his Charioâ— There was somewhat stopt Sisera's Chariot that it could not come and God took off the Chariot wheels of the Egyptians in the Red Sea and they drew heavily yea the Lord can take off the Chariot-wheels of any though they drive as furiously as Jehu so that they shall not come at their time but who ever knew the morning stopt a minute or a moment beyond the exact time at which it should come or was expected And as the Sun so all natural things keep their course and slack not at the command of God No creature disobeys the command of God but man who of all creatures hath most reason and is most obliged to obey it God never said of the Sun O that it had hearkned to my voice but the sons of men put him often to say so as he once did to Israel his ancient people Psal 81.13 How seldome do we keep time with God! How seldome do we come or go just at his call I have called saith Wisdome Prov. 1.24 25. and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and none regarded God never looked one day of the year for the morning and it came not but he hath come three years as the Parable of the Fig-tree shews Luke 13. to man looking for fruit and hath found none Will it not shame us that the morning is obedient to the command of God if we are not And theâ—efore as the former note was matter of comfort to us so this may be matter of conviction to us that the morning that the Sun in the firmament a liveless creature receiving a command should constantly appear at the time which the Lord appoints and that we who are living creatures that we who are reasonable creatures yea that we who have not only reason but grace all believers have should not be obedient to and observant of the Lords command to come at his time to appear at his call how may it cause us to blush for shame The Prophet saith The Stork in the heavens the Crane the Tuâ—tle and the Swallow these know the time of their coming they come in their season I may say also the Sun Moon and Stars those lights in the heavens know their season and the time of their coming they obey the command of the Lord and shall not we know the judgement of the Lord and observe the appointed times of our duty which to observe is as much our interest or benefit as it is our duty As often as we see the morning coming according to the command of God let it provoke us to make hast and not delay to keep his commandements Thirdly Hast thou commanded the morning that is the morning light to come forth No it 's I that have done it Hence Note We are to acknowledge God as the Commander yea as the Former Maker and Author of the light This command of God hath respect not onely to his bringing forth the light every morning or to his bringing forth the morning light every day into the world but to his giving the light its being
said to those in the parable that were hired at the eleventh hour Matth. 11.6 Why stand ye all the day idle They of the eleventh hour were persons possibly very busie and laborious as to their Civil Callings in the world but had stood idle all the day as to any spiritual work as to any work of grace they had not done God nor their poor souls one stroke of work all that while until they were called and the light of grace shined upon them Jesus Christ is the light which lightened the Gentiles and the glory of Israel Luke 2.32 And wheresoever he comes The people which sat in darkness see a great light and to them which sat in the valley of the shadow of death light springs up Matth. 4.16 And that a two-fold light First Light to be saved by Secondly Light to serve God or to do the work of God by Thirdly How comfortable is the light 'T is so comfortable that light and comfort are often put for the same thing God is the Lord aith David Psal 118.27 which hath shewed us light that is the light of counsel what to do and the light of comfort in what we do or after all our sufferings Light is not only a candle held to us to do our work by but it comforts and cheareth us in our work Eccl. 11.7 Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun Hence that of David Psal 65.8 Thou makest the out-goings of the evening and morning to rejoyce that is thou makest men to rejoyce they are glad they rejoyce in or at the out-goings of the morning Man takes comfort at the first appearance of the light light refresheth him at its out-goings in the morning And at the evening men rejoyce too for then they go to their rest being wearied with the labour of the day Possunt exitus matutini vâ—spertini sumi pro hominibus qui hâ—bitant ubi exit dies ubi exit nox i. e. pro Orientalibus Occidentaliâ—â—â— Or we may thus expound that Psalm Thou makest the out-goings of the morning and the evening to rejoyce That is thou makest men who live at the out-goings of the morning and at the out-goings of the evening to rejoyce As if it had been said thou makest the Eastern people and the Western people all people from East to West rejoyce And that which makes all people to rejoyce naturally is the rising of light with them in the East and the coming of light towards them in the West Thus we see what an excellent creature light is both as it hath a continually renewed rising in the morning of every day and as it had its first being in the morning of the world and both from the command of God Whence take these inferences First When we behold the morning coming forth by the command of God Let us consider who God is and what the beauty and purity the majesty and excellency of God are who is clothed with light and dwelleth in light yea who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all There is not any one creature which God doth so formally predicate of himself as this of light As God is love 1 John 4.8 so God is light 1 John 1.5 yet the light which shines to us the morning which God hath commanded for us is but darkness to God who hath commanded it Light it self is darkness compared with God yet 't is the clearest shadow the best resemblance of God in Nature Secondly As we should consider the excellency and beauty of God in the appearance of the morning so his goodness who hath made such a creature for us who hath also prepared so many vessels to hold it and hold it out or to dispence it to us 'T is God who hath made those great lights the Sun to rule the day and the Moon and Stars to rule the night Gen. 1.16 The day would be night to us if God had not prepared the Sun for though there were three days before the Sun was made yet now 't is the Sun which makes the day and the night would be nothing but darkness to us if God had not prepared the Moon and the Stars How great then is the goodness of God to man who hath made light for us and who thus conveys and dispenseth it to us according to our need both by day and by night Thirdly We should hence be minded to pay our debt of thankfulness to God every day History tells us that the ancient Rhodians or inhabitants of the Isle called Rhodes erected a mighty Colossus according to their heathenish superstition in honour of the Sun who once a day at least opened his face upon their Island though it were over-cast with clouds muffled up and vailed to all other parts of the world Though possibly we do not see the face of the Sun every day yet we enjoy the light and influences of it every day God hath commanded the Sun in the Firmament to attend us to be about us to comfort us every morning and shall we be unthankful If in a dark night a friend will but lend us a candle and a lanthorn we thank him What matter of thanks to God then should it be that he hath set up those candles those torches those lamps of light for our comfort and guidance continually Fourthly If God hath commanded the light so excellent a creature to serve us to be for our use then let us make use of the light to serve the Lord in and by let us make use of natural light that of the Sun in the air and of spiritual light that of Christ the Sun in the Gospel most of all Let us make use of natural light as to civil and of spiritual light as to holy ends and enjoyments let no beam of light shine to us in vain It is sinful not to make a good use of natural light 't is very sinful and dangerous not to make a good use of spiritual 't is condemnation to refuse â—piâ—iâ—ual Gospel light and to love darkness rather than the light John 3.19 Fifthly Seeing the Lord ha h commanded the morning light for us then by way of retribution let us shine forth in obedience to his commands and be as the morning light to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 We that have light made for us should carry our selves like lights The Apostle either commends the Saints at Phillippi for shining or commands them to shine as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 The Text runs in the Indicative Mood by way of commendation Among whom ye shine The Margin hath it in the Imperative Mood by way of command Among whâ—m shâ—ne ye as lights in the world The Lord who hath commanded the Sun to â—ise for our light hath commanded us to rise and shine as lights and be as so many Suns of light in the firmâ—ment of the Church and in all places to which we come Therefore as
it not been for sin nor had the sight of any creature been terrible to us had we not sinned When Adam had sinned then God was terrible to him then presently he hid himself O therefore be cast down at the sight of sin which hath made both God and many creatures a terror a casting down to us How terrible this creature Leviathan is to man appears further by what the Lord saith next Vers 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up who then is able to stand before me The former part of this verse carrieth on the matter of the whole former verse None is so fierce that dare stir him up that is Leviathan is a creature so fierce so cruel that none how fierce soever dare provoke him no nor awaken him The words may be taken two wayes First None dare stir him up when he is asleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crudelis saevus fevox immisericors Secondly No man dares challenge or provoke him when he is awake The word rendred fierce properly signifies cruel because cruelty makes men fierce or because fierce men are usually very cruel None is so fierce as to stir him up Hence note First There is no wisdom in provoking an enemy that is too strong for us Wise men though bold and possibly cruel too yet when attempts are exceeding dangerous will not venture Physicians will not stir some humours in the body for it would be like stirring of a fierce Lion that is asleep they dare not provoke them but do all they can to attemper and allay them to stir such a humour were to stir Leviathan He hath more rashness than courage who meddles with more than his match or as some say conjures up a spirit that he cannot lay again Secondly Saith the Lord none is so fierce or cruel that dare stir him up He means not cruel to Leviathan but to himself none is so cruel to himself as to go about to stir up Leviathan because there is so much danger in that attempt Whence Observe They who run themselves upon great dangers unadvisedly are cruel to themselves They are their own enemies and the greatest enemies to themselves How cruel then are sinners to their own souls who are so fierce as daily to stir up Leviathan Prov. 6.32 Whosoever committeth adultery with a woman hath no understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul surely then he is cruel to his own soul he seems to be very kind to his harlot but he is very unkind yea cruel to himself Pro. 8.36 He that sinneth against me saith Wisdom wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death 'T is Christ that speaks thus he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul he is cruel to himself Many when they sin do it to please themselves O what a good turn do they hope to do themselves when they venture upon unlawful pleasures or profits But he that doth so hateth me saith Christ and he that hateth me loves death How cruel is that man to his own life that is in love with death yet so in truth are they who love any sin by sining You may as was toucht before stir up and awaken a sleeppy conscience and conscience may be more terrible than Leviathan yea by sin you may awaken and stir up the sleeping vengeance of God who is more than a thousand Leviathans and consciences Once more remember that possibly by not stirring up your selves to take hold of God you may stir up God to be angry with you as 't is said Isa 64.6 7. Our iniquities like the wind have taken us away What follows And or for there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Which words as I apprehend may be taken two ways First As shewing their sluggishness that though their iniquities that is the punishment of their iniquities carried them away or they were carried â—way as a punishment of their iniquities yet they did not stir up themselves to call upon the name of God nor to take hold of him Secondly As shewing the reason why their iniquities carried them away even because they did not stir up themselves to take hold of God Their not stirring up themselves to take hold of God stirred up God against them If we do not stir up our selves especially when at any time we are compassed about with sins and dangers or with dangers procured and brought upon us by our sins as with Leviathans we may stir up God against us as a Leviathan And therefore let us take heed lest we be found fierce and cruel against our own souls by sinning against God or by not stirring up our selves to take hold of God such neglects are full of provocations Hitherto we have had instruction concerning this Leviathan how great how stout how fierce and cruel he is now the Lord makes application He hath been diâ—coursing about a huge tremendous Sea-monster but what is all this for Surely for very great use And the Lord maketh use of it two ways First In this verse to shew his own irresistibleness If none can stand before Leviathan then who can stand before me Secondly In the 11th verse to shew his own independency that he hath no need of any creature Who hath prevented me that I should repay him And all this the Lord makes good by that great assertion for whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine this great Leviathan is mine to do what I will with him This is the sum of that two-fold Application which the Lord makes from the hitherto description of Lâ—viathan the first part whereof is expressed in the latter part of the 10th verse Who then is able to stand before me As is the Lord had said no man is able to stand before me If this creature Leviathan be so terrible that no man is able to stand before him then who can stand before me for all the strength and courage that Leviathan hath I have given him and 't is nothing to what I have 't is not so much to me as a drop of the bucket or a dust of the ballance to the whole world Can none stand before Leviathan Who then can stand before me One Translation saith Can you resist before my look Quis rasistere potent vultu meo Scult As God had said before one shall be cast down at the sight of him namely of Leviathan so here Can any man stand before me or at the sight of me Is any man able to abide my look the majesty of my eye Surely no. The sence is much the same with that of our reading Who then is able to stand before me Hence Observe Our inability to stand before mighty creatures should mind us of our utter inability to stand before the Almighty God This is the most proper use that ever was made of a doctrine The Lord made a promise and it was a very wonderful promise which the Lord made
that when once we have it we may rejoyce all our days Eccles 9.7 Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works Solomon doth not mean it of a sensitive joy only much less of any sensual joy but of a gracious and spiritual joy In this joy we may eat and drink when our work is accepted and our work is never accepted till our persons are Now if it be so great a priviledge to be accepted with the Lord how great a misery is it not to be accepted this inference floweth naturally from that great truth And how great a misery it is not to be accepted of God several Scriptures hold out The Prophet Amos 5.22 declareth no other judgment upon that people but this The Lord accepteth them not And the same declaration is made by several other Prophets Jerem. 14.10 12. Hos 8.13 Mal. 1.8 10. Acceptance is our greatest mercy and non-acceptance our greatest misery and that 's the reason why the understanding and faithful servants of God are so strict or as the world accounts it precise and scrupleous that they will not turn aside no not in those things which are called small matters and of which many think God will take no notice They desire to be accepted of God in every thing and because they know in some measure what is acceptable to him therefore they would do nothing no not the least thing which is unacceptable to him Prov. 10.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable The lips are organs or instruments of speech not of knowledge the understanding knoweth the lips only speak Yet here Solomon ascribes the work of the understing to the lips and this he doth because there is or should be a great cognation between the understanding and the lips we should speak nothing but what we understand we should speak only what we know and according to our knowledge The lips of the righteous have such an intercourse with their understanding that their very lips may be said to know what is acceptable and therefore they speak what is acceptable It is said of David that he guided the people with the skilfulness saith our with the discretion saith another translation with the understanding of his hands saith the original Psal 78.72 The hand hath no more understanding skill or discretion seated in it than the lips yet because David consulted with his understanding in what he did with his hand it is said He guided them by the skilfulness or discretion or understanding of his hand Thus the lips of the righteous understand and know what is acceptable and they know that unless they have an aime to honour God in small matters yea in all matters they greatly dishonour him and so cannot be accepted with him at all The excellency of a gracious heart appears greatly when he maketh conscience of doing the least thing which he knows ye only fears will be unacceptable to God or wherein he may run the hazard of this priviledge his acceptation with him There are three things which shew why it is so great a priviledg to be accepted with God and why his servants are so careful not to do any thing that is unacceptable unto him First Because Once accepted with God and always accepted For though possibly a person accepted may have some frowns from God upon his uneven walkings or sinful actings yet his state of acceptation continues firm in the main The Lord doth not utterly cast off his favourites no nor any whom he taketh into his favour or a nearness with himself Secondly If we are once accepted with God he can make us accepted with men and that not only with good men Rom. 14.18 but even with bad men God can give us favour in the eyes of those men who have not an eye to see that we are in his favour Daniel who was so careful to keep up his acceptation with God That he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 9. Of him it is said ver 9. God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuches He a conscientious Jew had great acceptation with him who was an idolatrous Heathen Thirdly If once accepted of the Lord we need not be much troubled though we are reprobate to the world though the world reject and cast us off yea cast us out The Lords acceptation of us will bear or may bear up our spirits in the midst of the worlds reproaches repulses and rejections Again When the Lord saith Him will I accept Observe The Lord accepts some godly men more than others Jobs three friends were godly men questionless they were yet they had not that acceptation with God which Job had All that are godly have acceptation with God but they have not all alike acceptation Acts 10.35 In every Nation they that fear him and work righteousness are accepted with him Which we must not take meerly for a moral or legal righteousness but as in conjunction with an Evangelical righteousness Now let them be who they will that fear God and work righteousness they are accepted but all are not equally accepted him will I accept saith the Lord concerning Job with an Emphasis why was it so because Job was one of the most eminent persons for godliness yea the most eminent at that time upon the face of the whole earth as was shewed at the 2d verse of the first chapter Noah was a man highly accepted of the Lord above others and he was righteous above others Gen. 7.1 Thee saith God have I seen righteous before me in this generation Possibly there might be others righteous but there was no man so righteous as Noah and none so accepted as he And if it be enquired who amongst good men are most accepted or accepted beyond other good men I answer First They among good men are most accepted who live most by faith As without faith it is impossible to please God in any degree Heb. 11.6 so they that live most by faith please God most or in the highest degree and are most accepted by him Abraham who lived so much by faith that he was called the father of the faithful was so much accepted of God that he is called The friend of God Jam. 2.23 Secondly Among godly men they who are most upright in their walkings who walk with a single eye and with a right foot are most acceptable such a man was Job The character given him Chap. 1.1 was A man perfect and upright Thirdly They that walk most humbly are most acceptable unto God For 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 so he sheweth grace that is favour or graceth and adorneth them with his favours When one said Mich. 6.6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord c. The Prophet answered vers 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is
were threw down a blank and desired the Apostles to write what commands they would that tended to salvation as if they had said we are ready to do what the Lord commandeth and according as the Lord commandeth Thus being made sensible of their sins and of the wrath of God which they had provoked against themselves by crucifying the Lord of life They cried out what shall we do We will submit to any thing that is fit to be done Saul afterward Paul came out with fury to persecute the Disciples of Christ but the Lord having beaten him from his horse to the ground he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 He was fit to take any impression and to be moulded into any form by the hand of God They who have been made to know what it is to break commands are willing to obey and keep them This was the first spring of their obedience God had humbled them There was a second spring of their obedience which will yield a sixth Observation For as the Lord had convinced them of their sin so he had given them hopes of mercy in the pardon of it and of reconciliation to himself So much was intimated in that gracious counsel given them Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go and offer up a burnt-offering for your selves c. This was a comfortable word and doubtless they understood it so and said in their own hearts God might have made us a sacrifice but he commands us to offer a sacrifice And what doth this signifie Surely that he will be gracious to us and is ready to pardon us Having these hopes of pardon they went and willingly did what the Lord commanded they went to Job they submitted to him whom they had contemned they honoured him whom they had despised before Hence note The intimations of mercy and hopes of pardon prevail mightily upon the soul of a sinner The Lord did not only shew them their sin and terrifie them with kindled wrath but shewed them a sacrifice and this presently won upon them The love of God is more constraining than his wrath and hopes of pardon and salvation than the fear of punishment and damnation both have their effects and are strong motives wrath and love but the strongest is love As when the Apostle beseeched the Romans Rom. 12.1 to present themselves a living sacrifice he besought them by the mercies of God So when the Lord commanded these men to offer up slain beasts in sacrifice hope of mercy was the motive 'T is mercy which moves most effectually to offer both our services our selves a sacrifice unto God that 's the same Apostles argument again 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore having these promises let us cleanse our selves that is use all means of cleansing our selves let us go to Christ for the cleansing of our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. The end of the Commandement is charity 1 Tim. 1.5 that is 't is charity or love which gives the Commandement its end What is the end of the Commandement it is that we should obey and fulfil it To what end doth the Lord give us Commandements it is that we should keep them Love is the end of the Commandement as it gives the Commandement a compleating end Now whence comes our love either to God or man Surely from the manifestation of Gods love to us So that when the Lord manifesteth his love to us raising and confirming our hopes by promises then our love appeareth in doing and keeping Commandements and therefore love is there joyned with faith unfeigned a faith without hypocrisie or deceit Now the work of faith in God for pardon and reconciliation is grounded upon a sacrifice Thus as Evangelical obedience is better than legal so mercy revealed in the Gospel quickens to obedience more than wrath revealed in the Law The sight of mercy and the sense of the lovâ— of God in sending his own Son to be a sacrifice for us works more upon us than if the Lord should threaten to make us a sacrifice or to consume us in the fire of his wrath for ever It was the sacrifice which made these men go to Job and humble themselves they perceived there was hope now and that though they had failed yet the Lord was ready to receâ—ve them and would not deal with them according to their folly as he told them he would if they did not according to his command go to Job with their seven Bullocks c. and offer up a burnt-offering They went and did as the Lord commanded them But what came of it how did they speed what was the issue of all The Text saith The Lord also accepted Job This may seem a strange connection they going and doing as the Lord commanded them one would have thought it should be said And the Lord accepted them whereas the Text saith only thus The Lord also accepted Job But were not Jobs friends accepted shall we think that they lost their labour not so neither without all question these three bâ—inging their sacrifice according to the command of God both for matter and manner were accepted too yet because it was at the request and prayer of Job for them therefore the Text saith not The Lord accepted but The Lord also accepted Job Accepit Jehova personam Jobi sacerdotio jungentis nomine Christi sacerdotis victimae sempiâ—â—rnae nostrae quam iste figurabant Jun. that is he offering sacrifice and praying for them they were accepted This sheweth us the great mystery or the sum of the Gospel the Lord did not accept them in themselves but he accepted Job in sacrificing for them and all in Christ And consider it is not said The Lord accepted the sacrifice or the prayer of Job but The Lord accepted Job his person was accepted in and through the sacrifice or intercession of Christ and his sacrifice and intercession for Eliphaz and his two friends were accepted also in him How the Lord testified his acceptance of Job whether by consuming his sacrifice with fire from heaven or by any other outward token of his favour is not here expressed and therefore to us uncertain only this is certain and that is enough for us to know that God accepted him What it is to accept was shewed in opening the former verse In brief to be accepted is to have favour with God our petitions answered and the things done which we move or petition for The Lord also accepted Job Rogavit Job Dominus ignavit profuit illis amicitia quibus obsuit insolentia Ambros 3 Offic. c. ult And when 't is said The Lord also accepted Job this implyeth that Job did willingly undertake the service and duty for his three friends Though it be not said that Job offered sacrifice and prayed for them yet both are wrapt up and understood in this conclusion The Lord
also accepted Job This gives evidence or witness to the goodness of Job and his eminence in grace how full of love how ready to forgive was he He did not insult over Eliphaz c. nor say now I have got the day God hath determined the matter for me Amicè ut amicos illos amplexus est he did not tell them ye have wronged and abused me ye have unjustly censured and reproached me but putting their unkindnesses into oblivion and laying aside the thought of them he laid out his soul to the utmost for the healing or making up of the difference arising from their folly between God and them For the better improvement of these words First Let us compare them with those in the eighth verse Here it is said The Lord also accepted Job and there the Lord said Him will I accept there it is a promise here a performance Hence note Whatsoever the Lord promiseth to do he will certainly perform and do A word from God is as sure as his deed our hope upon promise as good as possession In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 Christ will be Amen that is performance 2 Cor. 1.20 to all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 As they are all made in him so they shall every one of them and in every thing be made good by him unto the glory of God by us that is we shall at last have abundant cause of glorifying of God in performing and making good of all the promises upon the undertaking of Jesus Christ for us No man shall fail of acceptance that is under as Job was a promise of acceptation get under promises and you shall partake the good promised Secondly Whereas upon their doing according as the Lord commanded presently it followeth The Lord also accepted Job Note Though the Lord will surely perform what he hath promised yet if we would have the good promised we must do the duty commanded otherwise our faith is but presumption If Eliphaz and his two friends had not done as the Lord commanded them they could not rightly have expected God should do what he promised accept Job and so themselves There are promises of two sorts First of preventing grace these are made to the wicked and unconverted Secondly there are promises of rewarding grace these are made to the godly who must perform the duty commanded if they would receive the mercy promised As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy Gal. 6.16 If you will have peace you must walk according to rule the Lord is not bound to fulfil promises if we take liberty to break Commandements or neglect to do them And they who have true faith in the truth and faithfulness of God to fulfil the one can never take liberty to break the other None are so sure to the Command as they who have fullest assurance in the Promise The Lord also accepted Job Here are but few words yet much matter and who knoweth how much mercy Here is much yea all in a little The Lord accepted Job Hence note Thirdly To be accepted of God is the answer of all our prayers and desires a full reward for all our services Acceptation with God is the happiness of man and should be his satisfaction If we are accepted in our services we are bountifully rewarded for them and if our persons are accepted we shall be everlastingly saved When the Lord accepted Job he he heard his prayer for his friends they were reconciled This good news The Lord also accepted Job was enough to make their hearts leap for joy Acceptation is a reviving word the sum of all that we can wish or pray for 't is enough enough to confirm our faith and to wind up our assurance to the very highest expectation of a supply to all our wants and of pardon for all our sins All the kindnesses of God are comprehended in this one word Acceptation Fourthly The Lord accepted Job Here is no mention at all of accepting his sacrifice yet that was accepted too Hence note The Lord having respect to our persons cannot but have respect to our services If our persons are accepted our services are and if the services of any are not respected it is because their persons are not 'T is said Gen. 4.4 5. The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect Respect or no respect to what is done alwayes begins with the person of the doer Yet further Job was accepted but uâ—on what account or how was Job accepted not in himself nor for himself but in Christ the promised Messias Hence note Fifthly That any mans person is accepted is from free grace through Jesus Christ When we have done all we deserve nothing we are only accepted The Lord accepted Job not for his own sake not for the worth of his service not for the worthiness of his person but for him whom he in that action represented and in whom he believed Jesus Christ Job himself needed Christ for his acceptation 't is in and through him that any are accepted The word Acceptance plainly implieth that there is nothing of merit in us acceptation notes grace and favour This respect to us is not for any desert in us From the whole we may infer First If the Lord accepted Job when he offered sacrifice and prayed for his friends how much more doth he accept Jesus Christ who offered himself a sacrifice for sinners and ever liveth to make intercession for them whose sacrifice he is Did the Lord presently accept Job and his friends or Job for his friends then what confidence may we have that Jesus Christ who is our everlasting sacrifice and Advocate who is entred into the holiest the Sanctuary of heaven and there pleads for us with his own blood is accepted for us and we through him Christs suit shall never be refused nor shall we while we come to God through him This act of divine grace was as I may say but a shadow or figure of that great work of Jesus Christ in reconciling sinners and making them accepted with the Lord and therefore as often as we pray Christs everlasting sacrifice should come to our remembrance for the confirmation of our faith and our encouragement against fears We may argue down all our doubts about acceptation by Christ upon this account that Jobs friends were accepted at his suit and their acceptation not bottom'd on him nor in his sacrifice but as both shadowed Christ Where the Reconciler is accepted they that are in him and for whom he makes request are accepted too What the Lord spake from heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased reacheth all believers to the end of the world whose head and representer Christ is Let us adore and ever be thankful that we have received such grace in Christ for though Jesus