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
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
his Cause in hand or that he would have the hearing of it Thus he spake at the third verse of the three and twentieth Chapter O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his Seat I would order my Cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments Zophar also one of Jobs friends made the same request concerning Job Chap. 11.2 O that God would speak and open his lips against thee As if he had said Eliphaz hath been speaking and Bildad hath been speaking and I am now about to speak but O that God would speak It was the wish of Job that God would speak and it was the wish of this his friend and now behold God appears possibly beyond their expectation though not beside their wish for 't is like they had not faith enough to beleeve that God would answer those wishes So then God may be said here to answer because as it was prayed he now took the matter into his own hand and in person as I may say argued the Case with Job and finally determined his Cause Hence Note The wishes requests and prayers of good men have sometimes been heard though they were over-bold in making them or had no clear ground to make them Job had no rule for such a Petition that he might presently have a trial at the Tribunal of God yet God was so gracious as to answer him in it not onely to his reproof but to his comfort The Name of God is O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 If carnal men have their extravagant prayers and wishes granted 't is in wrath but if the Lord grant the passionate prayers and wishes of a godly man it proves though sometimes a present affliction yet alwayes upon one account or other a mercy in the issue When the lusting Israelites wisht for flesh the Lord heard their wishes take Quails your bellies full till they come out at your nostrils but while the meat was in their mouths the wrath of God fell upon them If the Lord grants what lust asketh such pay dear for what they have for the asking It hath been anciently said Multi irato deo exaudiuntur many have their prayers heard in meer anger so are all theirs who pray for what they have not in meer discontent with what they have The Lord heard Job and not in anger but in favour and condescention to him Now if some not well grounded nor warranted requests of good men may be granted and answered the Lord pitying their weakness and eyeing their uprightness in favour how much more may they be confident that their gracious and humble requests such requests as are every way sutable to the Word and Will of God shall be graciously answered Secondly The Lord answered as the Prayer and Wish so the Complaints of Job He had complained sometimes though he were a mirror of patience impatiently These complaints the Lord answered but it was with severe and sharp reproofs as we find in the next verse To conclude this query we may say God had two great ends or designs in answering both the wishes and complaints of Job First That he might humble and convince him that he might stop his mouth and silence his complainings for ever as he did most effectually Secondly That after his humiliation and repentance he might justifie and acquit him and also restore him to his former comforts and enjoyments as he did most mercifully This being the design of the Lord in speaking to Job what he said may well be called an Answer But how or in what manner did the Lord answer him Surely in such a manner as never man was answered The Lord answered Job Out of the Whirlwind He answered him as we say to some Tune A Whirlwind makes strange kind of Musick A Whirlwind is a sudden mighty loud-blustring Wind taking away or bearing down all before it A Whirlwind is a Wind which moves whirling and gyring about all the points of the Compass no man knows where to have it nor how to shelter himself from it I have had occasion to speak of the Wind and of the natural ordinary Whirlwind in the former Chapter But here 's a Whirlwind extraordinary if not supernatural There 's much questioning among some Interpreters how we are to conceive of this Whirlwind I would answer that point a little and then give some account why the Lord spake to Job out of such a Whirlwind First Some affirm that it was onely a Visional Whirlwind As if the Lord appeared as it were in a Tempest or Whirlwind to Job in a deep sleep such as was upon Adam Gen. 2.21 when the Lord took one of his ribs and made the Woman In such a deep sleep say they Job saw a Whirlwind and heard the Lord speaking to him out of it As Ezekiel who in a Vision looked and behold a Whirlwind came out of the North as we read in the first Chapter of that Prophesie verse 4. Secondly Others conceive that it was not a Visional but a Metaphorical Whirlwind or a Whirlwind in a figure and we may give you a threefold Metaphor or three things to which this passage of Providence may allude to a speaking out of a Whirlwind First God answered Job out of the Whirlwind that is when there was a great bussle or storm among the Disputants conflicting about Jobs case one moving this way another thar all being tossed about as it were with the wind of their several opinions in ventitalating his condition Out of this Whirlwind it was say some or while all were thus discomposed in their spirits and could not compose the matter in difference between them and Job during this hurry or troublesome state of things and minds the Lord arose and answered Job Secondly The Lord may be said to answer Job out of the Whirlwind because he spake to him angrily displeasedly and reprovingly Anger especially the Lords Anger or Displeasure is often in Scripture compared to a Storm or Tempest As if this Whirlwind were nothing else but a sharp angry chiding When a man chides we say The man 's in a storm and we may say with reverence when the Lord speaks chidingly as he did to Job he is in a storm or according to the Text speakes out of a Sto my Whirlwind Thus also when the Lord speaks pleasingly and gently then he may be said to speak in a calm There 's a truth in that Thirdly The Lord answered in a Whirlwind that is while Job both as to his outward condition and inward disposition or the frame of his spirit was evidently in a great storm or toss For doubtless his spirit was very stormy and tossed up and down at that time that is much troubled and disquieted upon the with-drawings of God and the unkindness of his friends Now when Job had this Stoâ—m this Whirlwind in his spirit the Lord appeared and answered him Thus some conceive it though not a Visional Whirlwind yet a
of thy workmanship have cause to do it more than and above all they cannot but be speaking and talking of thy Kingdome and Power which are very glorious Upon which account the tongue of Man especially the tongue of a Godly Man is called his glory I will sing and give praisâ— said David Psal 108.1 even with my glory What is that his tongue the chief bodily instrument of divine praises The Stars in their courses once fought against the enemies of God Judg. 5.20 and they alwayes in their places sing the praises of God Let it not be said that Saints are silent So much of these words as the Stars are taken properly There are some as I said before who take these Stars metaphorically or figuratively for the Angels and then their singing is proper and there are two reasons given why by the stars in this place we should understand the Angels First If we consider the truth or course of the History because the Earth being created the first day the Stars were not in being till the fourth day unless we comprehend them as was said before as to their matter and reallity under those words of Moses In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth but as to their appearance and formality so they were not till the fourth day and if so how could they sing the praises of God at the laying of the foundations of the Earth A second reason is given from this Chapter because God speaks of the Stars afterwards vers 31 32. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades the seven Stars so called or loose the bands of Orion c. Here the Lord treats with Job about the Stars in proper sense therefore probably the Morning Stars here mentioned are not to be taken properly but tropically for the Angels And the Angels may very well be called Stars or Morning Stars by a Metaphor because of their spiritual beauty and excellency in which they out-shine all the Morning Sâ—ars yea that special Morning Star commonly known by the Name of Lucifer or Light-bringer Though the Angels have not a visible bodily beauty yet they have a better beauty than any body 'T is said of Stephen Acts 6.15 when he stood before the Council They beheld his face as it had been the face of an Angel Angels being Spirits have no visible faces but because Angels are in their nature and qualities beautiful creatures therefore Stephen having an extraordinary beauty stampt upon him is said to have the face of an Angel And as beautiful persons may be said to look like or resemble Angels so Angels may be said to look like or resemble Stars The Church for the lustre of her graces is said to look forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun Cant. 6.10 and so may the Angels as the Stars The Apostle saith of those false Apostles who would needs be accounted Stars faithful Ministers of Christ in the Firmament of the Church they are transformed into Angels of light 2 Cor. 11.14 that is they would appear like Angels of light The holy Angels are Angels of light The seven Stars are the seven Angels saith Christ expounding the Vision to John Revel 1.20 This shews that Angels and Stars have a ve y great similitude so that as there in one sense so here in another the Stars may signifie the Angels And the Angels may very well be called Morning Stars because they were the first of living Creâ—tures their Creation being supposed to be though Moses expresseth nothing of it comprehended within that of the Heavens In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth the Heaven and the heavenly Inhabitants the Angels The evil Angel the Devil that fallen Angel is also called a Morning Star That Title Lucifer Son of the Morning which the Prophet bestows on the Assyrian Isa 14.12 for his pomp and pride properly belongs to the Devil the Arch-Devil a fallen Angel or the Primier of the fallen Angels yea Jesus Christ himself is called the Day-Star 2 Pet. 1.19 and under another far different expression the Morning Star Rev. 2.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he saith of himself Rev. 22.16 I am the bright and Morning Star Thus Christ who is the Angel of the Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord of Angels the Creator of Angels is called the Morning Star All these Scriptures bear testimony that it is not strange to expound Stars by Angels And therefore when the Lord saith The Stars sang together according to this interpretation upon which yet I shall not insist but leave the Reader to his own opinion it is but the same with that which followes in the close of the verse to which I now proceed And all the Sons of God shouted for joy Acies Angelorum Chald. Angeli mei Sept. The Chaldee Paraphrase is express that the Sons of God are the Angels rendring The Armies of Angels shouted for joy And the Septuagint are as clear for it saying When all my Angels sung for joy both leave out our Translation the Sons of God and put that which is the Exposition into the Text the Angels of God That the Angels are called Sons of God hath been shewed before chap. 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came together that is the Angels and Satan the evil Angel came also among them The Devil or evil spirit thrust himself into the assembly of the good Spirits or holy Angels who are the Sons of God If any ask how the Angels are the Sons of God I answer First Negatively They are not the Sons of God as Jesus Christ is Angels became the Sons of God in time Jesus Christ is the Son of God from Eternity The Apostle Heb. 1.5 puts the question To which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee The Angels are the created Sons of God Jesus Christ onely is his onely begotten Son Angels are the Sons of God by meeâ— gâ—ace and favour the Lord accounting them as Sons accepting them as Sons using and respecting them as Sons as he doth also all true believers who likewise are the Sons of God But Jesus Christ alone is the Son of God by Naâ—ure or by an eternal generation and was so declared in the fulness of time both by his Incarnation and Resurrection which many conceive to be the Apostles intendment in those words This day have I begotten thee taken out of the second Psalm and quoted Acts 13.33 as also Heb. 1.5 Secondly In the Negative The Angels are not the Sons of God by Regeneration nor by Adoption Thus Believers only are the Sons of God John 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name Believers are the Sons of God regenerated and adopted Angels are not so The holy Angels needed not Regeneration nor as they were created
holy so they fell not from that holiness in which they were câ—eated and therefore Christ is not to them a Redeemer for their restauration but onely a Head for their confirmation and establishment Col. 2.10 As for the Angels which fell they are reserved in chairs of darkness to the Judgement of the Great Day they have â—o share in Redemption theiâ— fall is irrecoverable Thus we see how the Angels are not the Sons of God But how then are they the Sons of God I answer Affirmatively The Angels may be called the Sons of God in a sixfold sense First As Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3.38 in his primary Constitution or by Creation so Angels are the Sons of God as they are his Creatures Secondly Angels are called the Sons of God because of Gods great affection to them as well as his creation of them Such as we much affect and love intrinsically we are ready to call our Children Sons or Daughters The Lord bears abundance of love to the Angels therefore he calls them his Sons Thirdly If we consider their place or station The Angels wait upon God they are near to him they stand about his Throne as Sons to receive his Blessing and Commands There are three things specially considerable in the Angels First Their Nature so they are Spirits or spiritual Substances Secondly Their Offices so they are the Messengers and Ministers of God Thirdly Their Dignity or nearness to God so they are his Sons Christ the onely begotten Son is in the bosome of the Father John 1.18 that is he is nearest him and hath most intimate communion with him The Angels are so near to God that though they are not in his bosome yet they alwayes behold his face Matth. 18.10 that is stand in his presence as being in high favour with him and are therefore in that respect called his Sons Fourthly Angels may be called the Sons of God because of that constant uniform obediential frame that is in them towards God A Son honoureth his father Mal. 1.6 It should be the disposition and in the heart of every Son to do so And seeing it is not only fully the disposition of Angels and in their hearts to do so but they have alwayes actually done so the holy Angels may truly say unto God as the elder brother is brought in saying to his father Luke 15.29 Lo these many years even ever since the Creation we do serve thee neither have we transgrest at any time thy commandment either by leaving undone what thou hast bidden us do or by doing what thou hast forbidden us therefore Angels having the genuine spirit of Sons towards God may in that regard also be stiled the Sons of God Fifthly They may be called the Sons of God because of their essential likeness to God or their likeness to him in Essence God is a Spirit he is incorporeal the Angels also are incorporeal they are Spirits though the difference between God and Angels be as great as can be conceived yea unconceivable God being the Creating Spirit and they but created Spirits God being an Infinite Spirit and they but finite Spirits yet the Angels bear a resemblance to God in their essence as well as in their qualifications and may upon that ground likewise be called the Sons of God Sixthly Angels are called the Sons of God because they imitate him Do good to them that hate you saith Christ Matth. 5.44 that ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven that is imitate God carry it towards evil men towards men that are evil to you or do you evil as God doth and this will be both an evidence that you are the Sons of God and God will honour you with the Title of his Sons The Angels imitate God in mercy and love and compassion as also in their good works their ways being all holy just and good pure and righteous Further they shew much kindness and tenderness to the children of men they doubtless are patient towards the froward and do good offices as they are called and deputed to those who deserve little good Now being like God by imitation they may be called the Sons of God Thus we have some account in these particulars why or how the Angels are called the Sons of God But what did these Sons of God the Angels when Spectators of the Worlds Creation The Text tells us Signanter astris tanquam inferioribus laudem Angelis tanquam superioribus attribuit Jubilationem Aquin. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significatur apprabatio illius operis cum gaudio They shouted for joy Some put a difference between that which is attributed to the Stars taking the Stars properly and the Angels as if here it were spoken signanter by way of excellency the Staâ—s did sing but the Angels shouted The word rendred to shout for joy signifies in general to make any great or loud cry sometimes for sorrow or consternation of mind When the army of the Mâ—dianites amazed wiâ—h Gideons stratagem of the pitchers and lamps ran and fled 't is said they cryed and their cry is expressed by this word Judges 7.21 When an army runs they make only a confused noise or shout for fear and sorrow But mostly and most properly the word signifies to shout for joy and in a way of triumph as when an army is victorious and ready to divide the spoil or as in the time of harvest or vintage when the fruits and good things of the earth are gathered in and such is the shouting here intended The Angels the Sons of God did not only sing as the Stars when the foundations of the Earth were laid but they shouted for joy It is but one word in the Hebrew which we render shouted for joy The Angels did not onely approve but applaud the works of God Further Consider the generality of this divine Plaudite or applause All the Sons of God shouted for joy As before the Lord saith The Stars sang together so here All the Sons of God not one of them was left out every one bare a part in this triumph they all with one accord with one heart and one voice joyned in it All the Sons of God there was not one dissenting voice shouted for joy Hence First I might refute their opinion who denied Angels and Spirits as the Sadduces did Acts 23.8 but I shall not stay upon that Further It being said All the Sons of God shouted for joy Note The Sons of God the holy Angels are of one mind It is a most blessed sight and hearing when all the Sons of God joyn in one thing It was not a part of the Sons of God it was not here one and there another but all of them Behold saith David Psal 133.1 how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity The Angels who aâ—e Bâ—ethren the Sons of one Father did all joyn together
shewing us three things First The Sea hath in it a representation of God himself in his divine perfections Secondly Of the World in its various motions Thirdly Of the heart of man in its vilest corruptions The Sea carrieth in it First A representation of God himself which may be taken in four things First In the hiddenness and unsearchableness of his wisdom Psal 36.6 Thy judgements are a great deep or a sea Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the wisdom and counsel of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out None can fathom this Sea there is not line enough in the understanding of Men and Angels to reach the bottom of God he is a sea without banks or bottom Secondly The Lord is as the sea in his goodness sending out so many sweet streams and feeding all the springs of the earth Psal 65.9 10. Thou visitest the earth and waterest it thou greatly inrichest it with the river of God which is full of water thou preparest them corn when thou hast so provided for it thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly c. Thirdly As all the rivers come from the sea and return to it so all good flows out and springs from God and all the glory of his goodness should return or be returned to him in praises and thanksgivings Fourthly The sea is such a vast body that though it sends forth water to feed the earth every where and though all the rivers flow back into the sea yet the sea is not at all abated by the water that it sends forth nor increased by all the water that returns to it So how much soever God gives out to the creature he gives out all yet he is no more emptied by it than the sea and whatsoever returns the creature makes to him they no more increase nor add to him than the sea is increased by the rivers falling into it there is no sensible appearance of the heightening of the waters of the sea by the greatest and vastest rivers that disburden themselves into it Secondly As the sea is an Emblem of the Living God in whom we live so of the world wherein we live First The sea is a very unquiet part of the world What storms what tempests are there upon the sea what rage and fury in the waves of it such an unquiet thing is this world hurrying up and down and inraged often by storms and tempests arising from the lusts and passions of men even to the swallowing up of all Secondly The sea is very unconstant it is now ebbing and anon flowing It is so with this world and all things in it our comforts are sometimes flowing and sometimes ebbing our peace comes and anon it goes we have some good dayes and more evil the dayes of darkness are many and the best meet with many of them in this world the world is full of changes the fashion of it passeth away Thirdly The sea water is a salt water an unpleasant water and such is the world though many drink greedily of it and would even draw it up as the Scripture speaks of Behemoth drawing up Jordan They who drink in worldly things as if they could drink up the whole world yet drink but salt and unpleasant water Aâ—gustine One of the Ancients notes it as a great mercy to man that God doth thus imbitter the world to us making it brackish and distastful And indeed God hath on purpose tempered the things of this world that they should not be too sweet and luscious for us or lest we should distemper our selves by them or surfeit upon them Thirdly The Sea is an Emblem of the heart of man especially of a wicked mans heart Man is a little world and the heart of man hath a sea of worldly vanities in it Isaiah 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled sea and the heart of a wicked man is the most troubled and troublesome part in him The heart unchanged is like the sea First For turbulency or troublesomness what is more unquiet than the heart of man no such natural storms upon the sea no such civil storms either at sea or land as there are carnal storms in the heart of man what a stir what broils doth the heart of man make many times Secondly The heart of man is like the sea as it is salt brackish and bitter through the hastiness and rashness of our spirits The Prophet Habakkuk calls the Chaldeans a bitter and hasty Nation chap. 1.6 Hasty persons are bitter persons perverseness peevishness and passions lodge in them Thirdly The heart of man hath waves in it full of pride like the sea what sea hath such proud waves as the heart of man hath O how do many even deifie themselves think and speak of themselves as if they were more than man It is said of the King of Tirus Ezekiel 28.2 that he set his heart as the heart of God how was that not that his heart was fashioned like the heart of God but he was lifted up in a self-sufficiency as if he like God needed no helper and as he thought he â—ad no need of help from any so he had no fear of hurt from any How often do such proud waves appear upon the sea of mans heart and who is there among the sons of men but finds these proud waves of his heart lifting him up beyond his sphere and condition And who but God can shut up this sea with doors when its sinfulness breaks forth as if it had issued out of the womb But leaving these metaphorical seas Acr marâ— impendet Graeci optime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multae enim nebulae solent oriri super mare Grot. Cum mare aliis aquis tanquam vestitu fasciis circumtegerem Jun. Quis illa densa vaporum caligine tanquam fasciis illud involvit Bez. Nubes passim a poetis dicuntur atrae nigrae spiceae imò interdum tenebrae nox Sanct. Nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ortumesta verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significatin volvere fasciis seu linteolis quemadmodum solent involvi recens noti infantes Ezek. 16.4 Pisc I return to consider what the Lord said further concerning the Sea Natural Vers 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it As soon as the child is born and come into the world the Mother or Midwise provides sutable garments for it and a swadling band Thus the Lord continues the metaphor of child-birth I saith the Lord provided a garment and a swadling band for the new-born sea And as the Text tells us that the Lord made the sea a garment and a swadling band so it tells us what they were What was the garment made for the sea The Cloud When the Lord had separated the sea from the earth he made the clouds to cover it as garments do a child that comes naked into the world and the cloud is a fit
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
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
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
lifts up her self that is her head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta tompus neck and wings on high that she may run the swifter she scorneth c. And this she doth when beset by those who would take her then she lifteth up her self on high that is as high as she can though as was said very high she cannot and then she casts back stones upon her persecuters Aelian l. 14. c. 20. Plin. l. 10. c. 1. And hence some conceive these words give answer to a secret or un-expressed objection For it might be said If the Ostrich which is of so heavy a body be likewise of so dull a wit having no wisdom nor understanding surely then she may be easily taken and destroyed Not so neither for God hath provided her a help against this time of danger and therefore though she be of a heavy body and have little understanding in other things yet she understands how to shift for her self she raiseth up her self as high as she can and fluttering with her wings which she holds up like sails to the wind she drives on amain though she keepeth still upon her feet Sublatis alis ut navigii velis cursu pernicissiono venaâ—ores deludit or riseth very little at any time above the ground and is therefore said to fly running or to run flying or in a sort to sail in the air very lightly touching the earth is yet she is somewhat lifted up and being thus lifted up She scorneth the Horse and his Rider As much as to say she can out-run them all and so cares not a straw for them let them do their worst she scorns them not because able to resist them or as if she thought her self stronger than they but because by help of her wings though on her feet she is swifter than they So that in plain course they can never overtake her and therefore not take her only by some slights and stratagems she is intangled and taken she may be over-reacht but she cannot be over-run And so swift is her course that is hath long since grown into a Proverb among the Arabians who thus signifie a man of great expedition in business He hath ridden upon the wings of the Ostrich What time she lifteth up her self on high she scorneth the Horse and his Rider Hence Note First Dangers put all creatures to their utmost shifts The Ostrich being heavy bodied hath no great mind to run and being short or weak-winged hath little power to fly yet when she must she runs to purpose she will not lose her life to spare her labour Great dangers make us do great thing Fear adds wings to our feet and makes a heavy body mount and fly rather than go The Ostrich in that case lifteth up her self on high Note Secondly Nature teacheth us to seek our safety above or on high Though the Ostrich cannot sore aloft in the air as the Eagle yet she lifts up her self as high as she can above the earth Some seek for safety by creeping into the ground and running into the holes of the earth Isa 2.19 Rev. 6.16 But the best way for our safety when we are pursued is by lifting up our selves on high and that to God to get into his power and mercy and goodness that 's our way and that 's our wisdom when we are hunted and pursued by our enemies I saith David Psal 121.1 will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help that is to God ver 2. When the Ostrich is thus lifted up she scorneth the Horse and his Rider Hence Note They who think they are out of danger despise danger The Ostrich looks upon her self as out of danger when she is on high and therefore scorns the Horse and his Rider Danger is not to be laughed at when we are under or within the reach of it but we may laugh at it when we are out of the fear of it Job 5.22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh Why because through the goodness of God thou shalt be provided against them and prepared for them A believer scorns the Horse and his Rider his swiftest and most eager pursuers because he can lift up himself on high or as the Prophet speaks Isa 33.16 He dwels on high his place of defence is the munition of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure he is safe from danger and out of gun-shot This makes him laugh at danger at trouble and the sword God who sitteth in heaven laughs at his enemies and hath them in dirision Psal 2.4 why because he knows they who oppose him can do nothing to annoy him they cannot ruin his kingdom nor hurt his servants how much soever they molest them he sits on high he is above all his enemies And as God lifted up in himself so a godly man lifted up on high in God upon the wings of faith and love scorns the Horse and his Rider For as the Apostle was Rom. 8.38 39. so he is perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor priâ—cipalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord that is they shall not be able to separate him either from that love that Christ bears to him nor draw him off from that love which he bears to Christ When once his soul is drawn up to a due height in believing he scorns all dangers and in all these things is more than a conqueror A man that is a conqueror much more he that is more than a conqueror may scorn all dangers and conquer them who think they have more than conquered him From this whole verse take these brief inferences First That which will not serve all turns may yet serve many turns We might chink the wings of the Ostrich were given her to no purpose because he cannot fly aloft nor make a lofty slight Pennae struthionis currentem sâ—lum adjuvani volatilem non reddunt yet they help her for another purpose they help her much in running though little or nothing in flying Secondly That which is very beautiful may not be very useful The Ostrich hath more beautiful wings than the Eagle yet makes little use of them We may in appearance be fit to do that which we cannot do Thirdly God doth not usually give all to one He bestows one thing upon this creatures and that upon another The Ostrich hath goodly feathers yet bad wings the Eagle hath no goodly feathers yet good wings One man excess in this gift another in that scarce any one hath all 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. All have not the same gift and none have all gifts that all may be kept in dependance upon God and be humble one towards another seeing they must be beholding one to another All men cannot do all things And though all
at the last day Our late Annotators dealing with these words as reported Luk. 17.37 say that by the flight of the Eagle is signified the sudden assembling of the Saints unto Christ coming unto judgement answerable to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.52 as also to that 1 Thes 4.17 Now though according to this allegorical interpretation of the Texts in St. Matthew and Luke Christ is the carcass and believers the Eagles yet I shall close my interpretation of thâ—s Text in Job to which both the Evangelists allude by shewing that in other Scriptures such things are spoken of Christ himselâ— as hold out a likeness between him and the Eagle in many respeâ—â—s First As the Eagle is the royal bird the Princess or Queen of birds so Jesus Christ is the Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 1.5 And again Rev. 19.16 King of Kings and Lord of Lords As the Eagle among birds so Christ among both men and Angels hath the preheminence Secondly As the Eagle mounts up so also did Jesus Christ Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended on high yea so high hath Christ ascended that the Eaglâ—â—annot follow him The Heaven to which natural Eagles mount is as I may say but a pavement to that which Jesus Christ ascended to Christ had a high slight he mounted up to the heaven of heavens far above all visible heavens Eph. 4.10 he is made higher than the Heavens Heb. 7.26 Thirdly Hath the Eagle a piercing eye so hath Jesus Christ he not only from the height of the clouds whither the Eagle mounts but from the highest heavens can look into the secret of every mans heart even into the hell of a bad mans heart and see what 's doing there what 's lying there It was said of Christ while on earth John 2.25 He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man and still he looks quite through man through the wisest closest and most reserved among the sons of men All things are naked and open before the eyes of him this Eagle with whom we have to do his eyes behold afar off Fourthly Historians tell us the Eagle fights or wars with Dragons and Serpents and overcomes them Jesus Christ this Eagle hath fought with that great dragon the devil and bruised the head of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 Fifthly The Eagle is very tender and careful of her young ones Now as an Eagle saith Moses Deut. 32.11 12. stirreth up her nest that is those in her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings so the Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange God with him God bare the Israelites on Eagles wings out of Egypt and brought them to himself Exod. 19.5 that is he brought them speedily and safely and so he bore them all the years of their journeying in the wilderness The Eagle beareth her young ones upon her wings that they may be safe she must be hurt before her young ones can while she bears them there Thus Christ bears his people on his wings yea in his bosome The eternal God is their refuge and underneath are the everlasting Arms Deut. 33.27 Sixthly Naturalists tell us the Eagle gives her young ones of her own blood Aelian l. 14. cap. 14. when she cannot get other blood for them to drink or suck This is most true of Christ he suffered himself to be wounded for us his hands and feet yea his very heart was pierced that we might have his blood to drink in believing My blood saith he Joh. 6. is drink indeed Seventhly The Eagle is long lived Aquila vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter longae vitatem vivit annos centum Epiphan The Greek expresseth her by a word signifying longevity and some give the reason not only from the excellent temperament and constitution of her body but also because she lives in such pure air free from ill vapours and noisom smells Jesus Christ is not only long lived but he lives for ever he was from everlasting and will be to everlasting he is the King eternal 1 Tim. 1.17 the eternal father Isa 9.6 Thus we see how Christ is like the Eagle in these seven particulars I shall shew seven more wherein true Christians also are like the Eagle First Doth the Eagle flie high so do they by the wings of faith They mount up saith the Prophet Isa 40.31 with wings as the Eagle Secondly Hath the Eagle a clear sight doth she see far off so Saints by faith can see far off Isa 33.17 Their eyes see the King in his beauty they behold the Land that is very far off Which Scripture though it be properly and litterally meant of beholding King Hezekiah in his earthly glory yet it is much more verified of a believers seeing his King the Lord Jesus Christ in his heavenly glory and of his beholding Heaven which may well be called the Land of farness and distances or as we translate The Land very far off Stephen the Protomartyr had a clear intellectual spiritual eye when he said Acts 7.56 Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God Believers have a clear Eagle-eye here and they shall have a much clearer eye hereafter when they shall see Christ as he is 1 John 3.2 All Saints will be more than eagle-eyed in glory Thirdly Doth the Eagle dwell on a rock so doth every true believer Isa 33.16 His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his water shall be sure The Apostle tells us who the rock is 1 Cor. 10.4 The rock which followed them was Christ Fourthly Doth the Eagle renew her strength So do believers when any oldness is coming upon the new creature as it doth sometimes then they renew their strength by looking to Jesus Christ who is at once their righteousness and their strength He satisfieth their mouth with good things so that their youth is renewed as the Eagles Psal 103.5 As the Lord often bâ—ings his people low by bodily sickness and weakness and then renews their natural health and strength So when there are decays and declinings upon their souls he renews their spiritual health and strength Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strengh and then as was said before they shall mount up with wings as Eagles The Eagles youth is renewed by the growth and succession of new feathers of the same kind in the place of the old but a believer reneweth his youth or strength by casting off gradually the remainders of the old man which is corrupt and by putting on more of the new man who is quite of another kind created after God in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.24 Fifthly Can the Eagle look fully upon the Sun Surely helievers have not only as clear but as strong a sight as the Eagle they can look upon Jesus Christ the
Son of righteousness with open face For as this Son of righteousness hath said behold me behold me Isa 65.1 and again Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 that is all ye that dwell on earth even to the ends of it so he gives a power or a spiritual eye to behold and look upon him and that beholding or looking is a healing to them as the beholding of the Sun is to the natural eye of the Eagle Mal. 4.2 To them that fear my name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings Sixthly Do Eagles suck blood both young and old so do believers The first living of the new creature is upon blood every godly man drinks the blood of Jesus Christ by faith as offered to him both in the promises and in the Ordinances of the Gospel A believer could not live a moment nor have any subsistence in grace if he had not as the Eagle blood to suck in and drink A godly man is nourished by a believing contemplation upon the sufferings of Christ and the effusion of his blood Seventhly Doth the Eagle feed upon the slain so believers feed upon Christ as slain Christ by his death is become our food to eternal life Joh. 6.51 53. Though the raised and glorified body of Christ be entred into the full possession of a divine and eternal life and though we by faith look to Jesus Christ not according to the flesh nor as dead but as living and sitting for ever at the right hand of the Father there making intercession for us yet we must look to him as entring into the holy place by the sacrifice of himself and with his own blood not with the blood of others Heb. 9.24 25 26. The Apostle told the Corinthians I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified that is so to know him as to feed upon him my self and so to make him known to you that you might feed upon him also Further It is considerable that as believers in Scripture are compared to Eagles and the Lord is said to have born the old Church of the Jews upon Eagles wings so under the Gospel Eagles wings are said to have been given to the Christian Church whereupon she was born out of the reach of danger Rev. 12.13 15. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast to the earth he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie into the Wilderness that is convenient and sufficient means to further her slight and retirement into her place wheresoever it is where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent All the means of the Churches escape from danger are shadowed by two wings not but that God hath more means than two by which his providence works and procures the safety of the Church but because it had been improper speaking of her flight to express more wings than two For the Seraphims which are described having each one six wings Isa 6.2 yet two of them only were put to that use of flying And these two wings given the Church are said to be the two wings of an Eagle because among all the winged tribes Eagles are stâ—ongest and swiftest of wing they can fly fastest and they can fly furthest as in height so in length Nor are the wings given the Church barely called the wings of an Eagle but of a great Eagle implying not only the best kind of wings but the best wings of that kind not only the wings of an Eagle but of a great Eagle By all which is meant the wise and tender care of God over his Church in times of greatest danger when the Dragon become a Serpent or the Serpentine Dragon seeks most to annoy her Thus far the Lord hath been interrogating Job not only about the inanimate creatures the Heavens the Air the Sea the Earth but also about several Animals in the least of which because they not only have a being but life sense and motion more of the power wisdom and goodness of God shines forth than in the greatest of the former And all the questions proposed to Job in these two Chapters have as hath been hinted heretofore and should be constantly minded this general scope to convince as then Job so now all men both of their own nothingness and of the all-sufficiency wisdom care and power of God who hath so wisely made and doth so wisely dispose of all the creatures which he hath made And therefore man who hath received more from God than they all and of whom God is more tender than of them all should submit to the dispose of God in all things without disputing about much more without murmuring at or complaining of his dispensations in one kind or other The Lord though he had done much in the way of interrogating hath not yet done interrogating Job concerning the works of his hands Nevertheless before he proceeded any further to enquire of him about the creatures he saw it fit to feel his pulse a little by a close application of what he had already said mingled with high language and cutting reproofs thereby to try what effect this forepassed discourse had wrought upon him or whether he were come to a more humble and submitting frame than before as will appear in opening the former part of the Chapter following JOB Chap. 40. Vers 1 2. 1. Moreover the Lord answered Job and said 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it IN the two former Chapters we have heard what the Lord said to Job out of the Whirlwind with what questions he apposed him about the works of Creation and Providence To all or any of which Job being unable to make Answer especially to give a present and perfect Answer the Lord it seems gave him some little respite to recollect himself in expectation of his Answer but finding him silent proceeds in this Chapter to urge him yet further upon the whole matter for an Answer yea the Lord having said all this to him â—sets it home upon him with this sharp reprehension Moreover the Lord answered Job and said shall he c. As if he had said O Job hadst thou diligently considered my work of Creation in making and my work of Providence in governing this whole world even the motions of the least and most inferiour Creatures therein contained surely thou hadst never ventured to think what thou hast uttered and now thou canst not but see how unduly thou hast complained of my proceedings with thee nor canst thou be unconvinced how unable thou art to enter into the secrets of my Counsel for as much as the causes of many lesser and common things in the world are secrets unto thee and such as exceed the reach of thy understanding Thus
fault There must be a fault found else we cannot justly reprove Qui vult Deum arsuere aut cum Deo disputare respondeat ad unum aliquod eorum quae in medium attuliâ— Drus and a fault being found we may justly rebuke the fault So then to reprove God implies a finding of a fault with Gods works and then a kind of rebuking God for that fault and if all this be in a reproof rhen to reprove God for any of his works is a daring work indeed I grant the word rendred reprove may be taken in a milder sence He that argueth or pleadeth with God Our reading hightens the sense of the Hebrew word or takes it in the highest sense he that reproveth God Let him answer it That is First Let him answer the former question whether he be able to instruct God or no or according to the other reading whether he doth not deserve punishment for contending with God Secondly Let him answer it that is let him answer all those questions proposed in the two former Chapters As if God had said Job thou hast reproved my works yet canst not answer my questions So Master Broughton carrieth the sense Let the reprover saith he of the puissant speak to any one of these things Thirdly Let him answer it that is let him answer for so doing let him bear his punishment There is a two-fold answering First A Logical answering Secondly A Forinsecal answering Or there is an answer in Schools and an answer in Courts And answer in Logick is made three ways First By denying Secondly By granting Thirdly By distinguishing or limmitting the proposition and matter proposed Logicians in Schools answer by denying or by granting or by distinguishing The distinguisher grants somewhat and denies the rest An answer in Law if the matter be criminal is made by pleading guilty or not guilty to the Inditement If the matter be civil to answer is to shew our right to take off the charge or defend our title There is also an answering in Law by submitting and that two ways First By submitting to the mercy of the Court. Secondly To the penalty of the Law Now when the Lord saith in the Text Let him answer it I conceive we may take it not only in a Logical sense let him answer it if he can by reasoning but in a Court sense let him answer it by bearing the penalty of his rashness and folly as we say to one that hath wrong'd us It shall cost you dear you shall answer it I conceive as was said we may understand it here both ways Let him that reproves God answer it either as a disputant in Schools or as a defendant in Courts of Law and if he cannot answer it as a Logician by giving a reason for what he hath done he shall certainly answer it in Court by undergoing the penalty of the Law for what he hath done Some translate thus He that argues with or reproves God ought to answer it that is he must not think it enough to put in a charge or to give a reproof but he must make it good He that reproveth a man ought to give a ground of his reproof how much more he that reproveth God! The Text concludes it should be so yea that it shall be so He that reproveth God let him answer it Hence note First 'T is dangerous 't is at our peril to find fault with what God doth He that doth so must and shall answer it there 's no avoiding it There are two sorts of reproving which are our duty First The reproving of other men when we have an opportunity and a call Levit. 19.17 Gal. 6.1 As all they who reprove God shall answer it so many shall answer it because they have not reproved men Secondly It is a duty to reprove our selves and a great point of wisdom to see what is reproveable in our selves Many are quick-sighted at finding faults in others but very blind as to finding out their own I may adde it is both a great duty and a sign of much grace meekly to take and receive a reproof from others Now as it is our duty to take a reproof from others when we have failed and to see our own faults and reprove our selves for them as also wisely to reprove others for the faults we see in them so it is our sin danger and peril to reprove God in whom there is no fault nor can be And if any say we never had a thought of reproving God know if you find fault with the works of God you reprove God to find fault with what God hath done to you or your relations is to reprove God and this you must answer or answer for it Nemo in officina audet reprehendere fabrum audet homo in hoc mundo reprehendere Deum August in Psal 145. Will a Master in any Art endure that an ignorant person should find fault with his work how then will the Lord take it if men shall come into his great shop the world and find fault with this and that and the other work of his There is no temptation that Satan our great enemy doth more follow us with than this even to make us find fault with the works of God There are these two things about which Satan labours much First to keep us from finding out the faults of our own works which are almost nothing else but faults Satan would perswade us that we have done all well when we have done that which is altogether evil or stark naught for the matter of it and how doth he hinder us from seeing our faults in the manner of our doing good works he would not suffer us to have the least suspicion that we may have done evilly while we have been doing good Secondly Satans great business is to put us upon finding faults where none are in Gods works Almost all the murmurings of the sons of men arise from this misconceit in man that there is somewhat amiss in the works of God towards them or that he hath not dealt well and wisely with them This false and blasphemous principle Satan would plant and water in the hearts of all men as he did to the overthrow of mankind in the heart of the first man This this is his work and he hath got a great victory over that soul who either sees not the faults of his own works or finds fault with the works of God Further these words Let him answer it may imply the Lords gentleness and mildness in speaking to Job The Lord doth not thunder against him but saith come let me see what you can answer let me hear what you can say in favour of your self either to shew the equity of what you have said in reproving me or any iniquity in what I have done in afflicting you I give you free leave to speak for your self Some insist much upon this sense and it may yield us this note God is very
that we are vile in vain do we cry for deliverance or hope for mercy When we are lowest in our own eyes we are nearest to our exaltation when once we say in our hearts we are nothing we deserve nothing we have spoken lightly we have done lightly salvation will not tarry 1 Pet. 5.7 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he will lift you up in due time If we would be lifted up out of any affliction we must be at this humbling work We shall never work as I may say upon the heart of God unless we are thus at work with our own hearts or till this work be done upon our hearts Our great work lies within especially in a day of tryal and tribulation such as Job was in Job was speedily reduced to his former honour and greatness when once through grace he had wrought his heart to this confession Behold I am vile What shall I answer thee As if Job had said truly I have nothing to answer thee Thou O Lord hast given such demonstrations of thy greatness of thy power of the excellency of thy wisdom of thy goodness that I have nothing to say but this that I can say nothing What shall I answer thee I know not what to answer or I have nothing to answer As in a great strait when we know not what to do we usually say What shall we do So here it sheweth that Job was no way able to answer when he said What shall I answer The Hebrew is What shall I return or turn back We may exemplifie this passionate interrogation by that of the Patriark Judah Gen. 44.16 when Joseph would have detained Benjamin having found the cup in his sacks mouth Judah said What shall we say unto my Lord what shall we speak or how shall we clear our selves Here are three questions to shew that he had nothing to answer First What shall we say to my Lord Secondly What shall we speak Thirdly How shall we clear our selves Truly we know not what to say nor speak nor how to clear our selves The plain truth is we have nothing at all to answer for our selves but to yield our selves to thy mercy Thus Job I am vile what shall I answer thee the great God the holy God the mighty God the wise God what shall I answer thee Hence note When God is opponent no man can be respondent God can put such questions and make such objections as no man is able to answer Thus spake Job at the 3d verse of the ninth Chapter If he that is God will contend with him that is with man he cannot answer him one of a thousand Which implyeth that not only not one among very many men but that not one among all men or that not any man is able to answer if God will contend The Apostle saith of all men in a state of sin Rom. 3.19 We know that what things soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God If the Lord should make objections against or charge sinners according to the strictness and severity of the law the best the holiest of men could not find an answer or no answer would be found in their mouths how much less could any answer him who not only were altogether born in sin as all are and as the proud Pharisees told the poor man in the Gospel he was Joh. 9.34 but abide and continue in sin How will the mouthes of all such be stopt with a sense of their self-guiltiness how mute how answerless will they stand before God or say as Job in the Text but in a ten thousand times sadder plight than he What shall we answer It is the happiness of humbled sinners that they have Christ to answer for them seeing in that case no sinner can answer for himself And such is the Majesty and glory of God when it breaks forth in any case to a poor creature that it leaves him quite answerless and takes away not only all matter of dispute but of speech and therefore Job resolves upon silence as appears by what he saith in the last clause of this verse I will lay my hand upon my mouth As if he had said That all may see I know not what to answer I will stop up the conveyance of answers What this Scripture phrase to lay the hand upon the mouth imports hath been opened Chap. 21.5 In brief Jobs meaning in resolving thus was as if he had said I will impose silence upon my self Or thus Lord thou shalt not need to silence me or to stop my mouth I will do it my self I know not what to answer thee but if I did if I could gather up something that might look like an answer yet I will not answer I will lay my hand upon my mouth Further when he saith I will lay my hand upon my mouth it may imply that he would fain have been answering though he could not tell what to answer The tongue if left at liberty if not checkt will be making answers Constituo linguae licentiam perâ—nitèr coercere when it cannot answer any thing to purpose and therefore as David said Psal 39.1 I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me So would Job here while the Holy one was before him fearing he might give further offence while he went about to take off offences The tongue of a good man needs a bridle and the better any man is the more he bridles his tongue Job had offended with his tongue though he had not spoken wickedly yet he had spoken rashly and inconsiderately and now he saith I will lay my hand upon my mouth Hence note We should be very watchful over that which hath been an instrument or an occasion of sin He that hath offended with his mouth should lay his hand upon his mouth and take order with his tongue It is better to be silent than to offend in speaking Socrates l. 4. hist Eccles cap. 18. Pambâ— as the Church Historian reports confessed that in forty nine years he had scarcely learned the meaning of or the duty contained in the first and â—econd verses of the thirty ninth Psalm concerning the due restraint and government of the tongue Secondly Note Hoc suppliâ—ii gonus linguarium appellant Sanct. It is necessary sometimes to abridge our selves in what we may do lest we should do what we may not This is a holy revenge and it is one of those seven effects of Godly sorrow which works repentance not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.11 We should in some cases forbear to speak at all for fear we should speak amiss They who are truly wise are much asham'd to speak when once they see their error in speaking or how apt they are to erre in speaking and therefore lay that penalty upon their tongues either to spare speaking or
his heart to all generations They shall stand who then shall make them fall The Sentences or Judgements of men are often disanulled by men and they may alwayes be disanulled by God Lam. 3.38 Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord hath not commanded The Lord can disanul all the Judgements of men of the wisest men in the world but none can disanul the Lords Judgements and make them void There are but two wayes by which the Judgement that is the Sentence or the resolution and purpose of a man is disanulled First By the power of the party against whom the Judgement is given Sometimes there is a Sentence given against a man which comes to naught 't is made void why there 's no power can execute it upon him David spake much in that language Ye sons of Serviah are too hard for me Secondly Sometimes the Judgements of men are disanulled by a superiour Authority one Court recalls or takes off the Judgement of another But neither of these wayes can the Judgement of God be disanulled If God give out a Sentence against a person his power how powerful soever he is shall never hinder the execution of it though he be as it 's spoken in Amos as high as the Cedar and as strong as the Oak yet he shall not hinder the Judgement of God And as there is no man hath power of arm or of arms to hinder the Judgement of God so there is no Authority superiour to or above Gods There 's no Court above the Court of Heaven to which appeal may be made to get Gods Sentence disanulled or his Judgement reversed therefore the Judgement of God cannot be disanulled And seeing the Judgements of God as taken for the Sentence which he hath declared against sinners such as that Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil c. cannot be disanulled what cause have we to blesse God for Christ who hath endured that Judgement in his own person which could not be disanulled nor made void and hath also as the Apostle speaks Col. 2.14 blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse Yet Observe Secondly The Judgements of God are by him accounted as disanulled or made void by us when we do not submit to them nor humble our selves as we ought under them This was Jobs Case Why doth God aske him whether he would disanul his Judgement surely because he had made many complaints as hath been shewed in this Book about the dealings of God with him The Lord interpreted this as a disanulling of his Judgement If we are not satisfied with the Judgement of God though it be a Judgement of anger and displeasure towards us we as much as in us lies disanul the Judgement of God Let us often remember this The way of Gods proceeding with us his way of administration towards us is his Judgement now if it be a way of affliction if he speak terribly to us let us take heed of complaining lest we be found disanulling his Judgement We may come under the compasse of this Charge before we are aware As for instance If we shall say we could bear any Judgement but this any affliction but this this is to disanul the Judgement of God Let us say whatever the affliction is it is best for us and God hath most righteously brought it upon us Again If we shall say we could be patient even under this Judgement of God for the matter of it but when we consider the degree of it that it goes so far and wounds so deep who can bear it Thus Job complained Chap. 6.2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed and my calamity laid in the ballances together for now it would be heavier than the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up It was not so much the matter of his affliction as the degree or weight or extremity of it which put him to those grievous complaints Now if we are not patient and quiet under that very degree of the Judgement which God is pleased to heighten it unto this is a disanulling of his Judgement therefore let us take heed of complainings upon that account Yet further Others will say If this Crosse had been for a short time we could have born it but it hath been long upon us already and we know not how long it may continue we can see no end of it Take heed of these complainings for this also is to disanul the Judgement of God if we find fault with the length of the Crosse Though we may cry with the souls under the Altar How long Lord how long yet we must not say it is too long Lastly There is this also at which many are much troubled and so even disanul the Judgement of God for say they if it were but in some one thing that we were afflicted we could bear it but we are afflicted in body and afflicted in mind and afflicted in our children and afflicted in our estate we are afflicted in our credit and in all our comforts if it had been in some one thing we could have sat down quietly under it but now it 's affliction all over Take heed for this also is to disanul the Judgement of God And if any of these be to disanul the Judgement of God how soon may we do it And if they are not as to either free from this charge who shew some impatience and trouble of spirit under the severer dealings of God what shall we say of those who openly murmur and even rage against them Thirdly Wilt thou disanul my Judgement Note God takes it as a high affront and a dishonour when his Judgement is touched or when his Judgement is not quietly submitted to Wilt thou saith he What! disanul my Judgement The Apostle saith Let God be true and every man a liar Let the Judgement of God stand though we fall Fourthly Consider what a huge boldnesse it is in a creature to do or say any thing which may be interpreted a disanulling of the Judgement of God Fifthly Consider how sinful a thing it is for any to go about to crosse the administration of God Somewhat we may do in all the judgements or sad dispensations of God we may pray about them and we may in an humble submission expostulate with God about them but we must take heed of an unquiet spirit under them or of any risings of heart against them Pray we may about them earnestly instantly and importunately and the more the better yet still quietly submit and the more quietly we submit to them the more fit we are to pray to and wrestle with him about them that he in his own good time and in his own way would remove them from us Wilt thou disanul my Judgement Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous These words may be taken
chief and dwelt as King in the Army Now should we look upon Jobs arm not as when God spake this to him lean and thin and extreamly fallen away if not quite withered but as I was at best fullest thickest strongest before he fell into that affliction or after his restauration out of it yet what was Jobs arm or power in his highest advancement to the arm and power of God! might not God then have said to him as well as when he said it Hast thou an arm like God or hath any man at this day Surely saith David Psal 62.10 men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the ballance that is if they are truly weighed especially if they are weighed with God they are altogether lighter than vanity For First the power of man to help is weak and vain Psal 33.16 There is no King saved by the multitude of an Hâ—st a mighty man is not delivered by much strength And that 's an unquestionable truth whether we understand it of his own strength or of the strength of any others who come in and contribute their utmost to his aid and assistance And this is one reason why the Lord calls us off from trusting to the arm of man Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help True may some say it were a a folly to trust in weak Princes to trust in them for help who have no power to help but we will apply to mighty Princes we hope there is help in them No those words In whom there is no help are not a distinction of weak Princes from strong but a conclusion that there is no help in the strongest That 's strange what no help in strong Princes If he had said no help in mean men carnal reason would have consented but when he saith Trust not in Princes nor in any son of man one or other who can believe this yet this is a divine truth we may write insufficiency insufficiency and a third time insufficiency upon them all the close of that verse in the Psalm may be their Motto There is no help in them And if any shall trust in man for help some one of if not all these evils or sad issues will follow First He will be deceived and disappointed what he looked upon as a rock will prove but a sand what he took for a Cedar will prove but a reed and the more he leans upon it the more it fails him as the Scripture speaks Secondly He will be ashamed and vexed Isa 20.5 They shall be afraid ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation of Egypt their glory that is which they gloried in and believed would b ing them in much glory or into a very glorious condition They probably expected help from Ethiopia but they gloried in the fore-thoughts of that help which they presumed Egypt would give them but they gloried in that which soon proved their shame Thirdly If any trust in any arm of flesh it will bring a curse upon him Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Nor doth the Prophet only pronounce a curse upon that man but explains the curse or tells him plainly what it shall be both in the negative and in the affirmative He shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places of the wilderness in a salt land and not inhabited Then cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Whatsoever account is to be made of man this is not that he should be trusted in We may apply to men for help but we must not trust in them as if they could carry the matter for us Have men an arm like God Mans is but a weak and withered arm and as the arm of man is not to be trusted in for any help he can give us so Secondly The arm of man is not to be feared for any hurt he can do us These two have a near relation to and dependance upon each other for they who are so strong that we are ready to trust them if we can make them our friends those we are as ready to fear if they turn our enemies and they who never trust in man unduly will not fear man but according to duty And we have no reason if we consider that and what the arm of man is in the hand of God to fear the arm of man The Scripture speaks often of the Lords dealing with the strongest arm of man Ezek. 30.21 Son of man I have broken the arm of Pharoah King of Egypt and loe it shall not be bound up to be healed to put a roller to bind it to make it strong to hold the sword Pharoah had an hurting arm an arm stretched out against the Israel of God but God did more than hurt he broke that arm And consider how the Spirit of God followeth the metaphor It shall not be bound up Pharoah would fain have got his broken arm set hoping it might be stronger than ever No saith God It shall not be bound up to be healed to put a roller to bind it to make it strong As if the Lord had said Pharoah may call for his Chyrurgions to bind up his broken arm yet it shall be without effect all their skill and Chyrurgery shall be in vain his arm shall not be healed nor made strong Again Jer. 48.25 The horn of Moab is cut off and his arm is broken A savage beast cannot hurt us when his horn is cut off nor can a cruel-hearted man with a broken arm In these and many other Scriptures we see both that mans arm is in the hand of God and what God doth often to mans arm upon which considerations he infers Isa 51.12 I am he that comforteth thee Who art thou that art afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man that shall be made as the grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker As if the Lord had said dost thou hear and believe that I have a stronger arm than man and art thou who hast an interest in me afraid of a man We have cause to fear man when we do that which is evil the magistrates arm beareth not the sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Rom. 13.4 But to all them who remain peaceably in their duty to God and man Jesus Christ hath said Luke 12.4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him Christ who gave but a single prohibition of our fear of man gave a double
of all men James 4.6 God resisteth the proud The proud contend with God they as it were wage war with God and therefore God will wage war and contend with them he resisteth the proud Prov. 3.34 Surely he scorneth the scorner but he giveth grace to the lowly The Lord hath two great works to do in the world The first is to lift up and exalt the humble The second is to humble and pull down the proud These two are the daily products of divine providence And the Lord is so much an enemy to pride that if he see it in any of his own servants he will abase them and lay them low for it as we see in the case of that good King Hezekiah His heart being lifted up not in thankfulness nor in zeal for the ways and things of God as once it was but in pride there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.35 The Lord will not bear it when his own bear or behave themselves proudly Prov. 29.23 A mans pride any mans pride shall bring him low that is he shall be brought low for his pride or his pride will bring him into such extravagant wayes as will be a means to bring him low Thirdly Note God can easily abase and cast down proud ones If any ask how easily can he do it I answer He can do it with a look Look upon every one that is proud and bring him low saith God to Job shew thy self like me in this I can do it as easily as look upon him God by a cast of his eye can cast down all proud men as the Lord can help his people with a look David desired no more for his portion but that God would lift up the light of his countenance upon him Psal 4.6 that is that God would look upon him favourably And that prayer is made three times Psal 80 4 7 19. Cause thy face to shine upon us and we have enough we shall be saved we shall be delivered we shall be protected A good look from God is all good to man God with a good look can save us and if God withdraw his eye from any and will not look upon them if he turn his back upon them or hide his face from them his favour is withdrawn and they are helpless Now as God can save his people with a smiling look so he can destroy his enemies with a frowning one His look is as powerful and effectual to destroy as it is to save though to look savingly be much more the delight of God if I may so speak than to look destroyingly It is said God looked through the pillar of fire and the cloud upon the Hosts of Pharoah and troubled them and took off the chariot wheels Exod. 14.24 Surely God abaseth the proud men of the world easily when he doth it with a look He indeed as the holy Virgin spake in her song Luke 1.51 52. Sheweth strength with his arm or the strength of his arm when he scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts and puts down the mighty from their seats and exalteth them of low degree yet all this the Lord can do with a look from heaven The habitation of his Holiness and of his Glory Now If the Lord deal thus with proud men take these inferences from it First Hath God such an evil eye upon proud men will he cast them down will he certainly do it and can he easily do it Then woe to proud men 't is the word of the Prophet Isa 28.1 Woe to the crown of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim that is to those who crown themselves with pride and make that their glory and their honour which will pâ—ove their shame and downfal and these the Prophet calls the drunkards of Ephraim I conceive he means not those that drink themselves drunk with wine but those that are drunk with their own presumptions with the pride of their spirits or as many also are with vain hopes and expectations We have vain confidents and expectants so expressed Nahum 1.10 While they are folded together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry that is while they are drunken with pride and self-confidence to carry all before them while they are thus folded together like thorns in their plots and contrivements while they are drunken with false hopes they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry that is they shall be utterly consumed and devoured Secondly If there be such a woe to proud ones if the Lord hath such a bad eye upon them and is able to lay them low and will certainly do it and can easily do it we had need consider who are the proud ones Pride is an evil weed yet it groweth many times in the best soyl even in a good heart and it is no easie matter to find out who are the proud men intended in this Text and Point yet I answer In general First All they are proud who value themselves very highly yea they are proud who put any undue value upon themselves we can scarcely value our selves any thing at all but we shal over-value â—ur selves for we are worms and no men saith David He said also What is man O Lord that thou art mindful of him Man is so small a thing that the Psalmist could hardly tell what he is or what to make of him sure enough man is no such thing as most men make of themselves Doubtless if we have any high thoughts of our selves we over-think our selves and usually they that have least true worth have greatest thoughts of their own worthiness Man hath lost all is stript of all as he cometh into the world yet he is proud as if he had all As they that have much are proud or in great danger of pride so it is a truth that they who have nothing are often proud too The Apostle bids Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this world that they be not high-minded And among rich men they who as I may say according to the phrase of the world have raised their own fortunes are most apt to be proud and there are two reasons of it First Because of the change of their state they were low and empty but now they are high and full This change of their condition changeth their disposition and as we say Their blood riseth with their good Secondly That which they have is say they of their own getting they think their skill and their diligence hath got it Hence Job protested If I rejoyced because my hand hath gotten much Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his great Palace because he had built it Is not this great Babel that I have built Now as they are apt to be proud who have much especially when it is of their own acquisition though indeed we have nothing meerly of our own acquisition so they who have little or nothing are not out of
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
dares come within his lips or jaws which look like a double bridle Surely no man dares make such an adventure seeing his jaws are so vast or wide and terrible that it may even strike a man of courage with terror or into a fit of trembling to look into them Secondly Others because the jaws are spoken of afterwards understand this double bridle of any thing which man may attempt to put into his jaws to subdue him with as if it had been said who can coerce or bridle him though he have never so strong a bridle though he have a double bridle The word rendred bridle properly signifies the reine of a bridle Fraena nominantur eae partes quae utrinque ad maxillat desinunt Quis cum fraeno duplicato audeat accedere ad eum ut ejus rictui inserat sicut fit equo Sed malo parabolicè intelligere pro labiis Merc. There are two words by which a bridle is expressed the one signifying the bit which is put into the mouth of a horse the other the nead-stall and reins which a horseman holdeth in his hands Here we may take it for the whole bridle and that the strongest bridle as we render a double bridle As if it had been said who dares come neer Leviathan as we commonly do to a horse to put a bridle into his mouth who will undertake to halter or bridle him with all his skill and strength Thus the Relative His doth not respect Leviathan but the man who comes to bridle him And this is most probable because if by the double bridle we understand the jaws of Leviathan this would be the same with what is spoken plainly in the next words Vers 14. Who can open the doors of his face The Lord compareth the gaping jaws of Leviathan to doors to which also the lips are compared in Scripture Psal 141.3 Keep the door of my lips As by a Metaphor our lips are called doors so Leviathans jaws bear the similitude of a two-leav'd door which who can open This seems to carry on the allusion to a horse whose mouth must be opened before he can be bridled Who can force Leviathan to gape that he may put a bridle into his mouth That which is said of him in the latter part of the verse may make any one afraid to do so for His teeth are terrible round about or terrour is round about his teeth His teeth are not to be meddled with they are so terrible As the holy Prophet said to Pashur that false Prophet Thy name shall be called Magor Missabib terrour round about Jer. 20.2 So the teeth of the Leviathan are terrour round about Per gyrum deutium ejus formido Hieron If any one come near him he will see reason enough to be afraid His teeth are terrible Dread dwells round about his teeth and why so why are his teeth so terrible Surely because they are so hurtful he being able to tear any man to pieces with or to break a mans bones with his teeth Hence note That is terrible to us which we perceive hurtful to us The teeth of Leviathan are terrible round about because he can soon crush those that come near him with his teeth Now if that be terrible which we see can hurt us let us remember how terrible the unseen God is His teeth as I may say are terrible round about The Apostle tells us so while he saith 2 Cor. 5.11 Knowing the terrour of the Lord that is knowing how terrible the Lord is we perswade men God loves to save but he can destroy us sooner than Leviathan can crush us were we between his teeth The consideration of the terribleness that is in any creature should lead us to consider how terrible the Lord is to those who provoke him Are the teeth of a Leviathan or the teeth and paws of a Lion teâ—rible is the sting of a Serpent or the poison of Aspes terrible how terrible then is the wrath of God! As what is sweet and comfortable to us in the creature should lead us to consider how surpassing sweet and comfortable God is so that which is dreadful and terrible in the creature should lead us to consider how dreadful and terrible God is And as it is good for us often to say unto our selves O how good is God! so to say O how terrible is God! Yea David would have us say so unto God Psal 66.3 Say unto God that is acknowledge with admiration how terrible art thou in thy works And ver 5. Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doings toward the children of men Yea God is terrible to his own people Psal 68.35 O God! thou art terrible out of thy holy places that is out of the Church and Church assemblies the Lord many times declares himself very terribly in those sacred assemblies How terrible was God in his Church when he devoured Nadab and Abihu with fire for offering strange fire before him which he commanded not Levit. 10.1 2. How terrible was the Lord out of his Church when he struck Ananias and Saphira dead Acts 5.5 10. how terrible was the Lord out of his holy place the Church to the Corinthians concerning whom the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause that is their unworthy partaking of the Lords Supper many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep God deals terribly with those who are not regardful of him who prepare not themselves with due and reverential respect to his holiness for holy duties He is a jealous God and he will not hold them guiltless that is he will hold them very guilty or deal with them as with guilty persons who take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 When the Law was given so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 The Lord appeared thus terrible at the giving of the Law to shew how terrible he will be to sinners who transgress the Law and repent not of nor turn from their sins and transgressions yea the Lord for their trial shews himself very terrible to good men to broken-hearted and repenting sinners Heman had long and sad experience of this Psal 88.15 I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted And for this Job made that grievous complaint Chap. 6.4 The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God do set themselves in array against me Now if the Lord make such a terrible war upon Saints if he terrifie them even till he hath distracted them how will he draw up his terrours as an army or his army of terrours in battle array against the wicked and ungodly How often doth the Lord express himself by terrible things against such As he sometimes destroyeth sinners secretly or without any appearare of terrour Hosea 5.12 I will be unto Ephraim as a moth So often openly
and insignificant Bellarminus l. 1. de poenitentio c. 7. SS percurramus Some Popish Writers make the essence of repentance to consist in these or such like outward signs but though we deny that yet we grant these may be signs of true repentance For as to bow the knee is not to pray although he that prayeth usually boweth the knees as a sign of an humble heart in prayer so to sit in the dust and weep is not to repent although the truly penitent usually do so The essence of repentance consists in a broken heart for sin and in breaking off the course and custome of sin turning to God fully Further this outward ceremony of sitting in dust and ashes intimates the greatness of Jobs repentance or that he repented greatly under a deep sense of and with bitter mournings for his former miscarriages in the time of his affliction Hence note Sixthly A soul truly humbled maketh a very serzous work of repentance Poenitet me ex enime studiosissimè quod illis externa symbolis significabatur Jun. It is a common thing to say I repent but few know what it is to repent in dust and ashes They who repent indeed judge arraign and condemn themselves as at Gods tribunal they put their mouths in the very dust Repentanâ—e is heart work and deep work they who are brought in a spiritual sense to dust and ashes find it so Though some sinners corrupt themselves and their ways more deeply than others yet all sin is of a deep dye and corrupts deeply and therefore calls for deep for heart-deep mournings and repentings in dust and ashes Note Seventhly God will not give over dealing with his sinning servants till he hath brought them to true contrition for their sins How long was Job dealt with by his friends and by Elihu and by God himself before his heart was wrought into this frame and temper to repent in dust and ashes It was long before he understood that God might break in innocent person to pieces and give no account why God did not give over afflicting Job till he came to that acknowledgment Job said Chap. 40.4 I am vile and it might be thought that had been repentance sufficient But though Job was then brought low yet he was not brought low enough he cryed I am vile but till God spake to him of Behemoth and Leviathan he repented not in dust and ashes Ephraim said Jer. 31.18 19. Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth The Lord never left smiting Ephraim till he made him smite upon his thigh If we do not come home in the work of repentance by words God will fetch us home with his rods In the eighth place If we consider this repentance of Job with what followeth presently upon it his restauration Observe When we are deeply humbled and brought low we are near our exaltation When Job lay in dust and ashes God was about to set him upon a mountain a mountain of prosperity and that a higher one than ever he was upon before Psal 126.5 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy they that go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing their sheaves with them Therefore take the Apostles counsel 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and what then he will exalt you in due time The due time of our lifting up is at hand when we are laid low and sincerely humbled under the hand of God Jobs humiliation and restauration did almost synchronize or come near in time together Ninthly Note True repentance endeth in true joy The word which signifies to be grieved signifieth also to rejoyce and Job found it so he was comforted as soon as fully humbled Repentance issueth in joy three ways First There is joy in heaven when a sinner repenteth Luke 15.7 As he that found his lost sheep brought it home and rejoyced in it more than over the ninety and nine that did not go astray So saith Christ there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance True sorrow on earth maketh joy in heaven Secondly There is joy in the Church The godly on earth rejoyce at the known repentance of a sinner When the prodigal son came home his father said to his discontented brother It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found The Apostle greatly rejoyced at the repentance of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.9 Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that you sorrowed to repentance Their sorrow occasion'd his joy yet not that but their repentance was the cause of it There is no better joy on earth than that which ariseth out of the dust of repenting sorrows As the Apostle John had no greater joy than to hear that his spiritual children walked in the truth Ephes 3.4 So what greater joy can we have than to see any who had gone astray from returning to the truth Thirdly Repentance issueth in joy chiefly to the soul repenting If other mens repentance causeth our joy our own will cause it much more 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of The Apostles meaning is more than he speaks repentance not to be repented of is repentance to be rejoyced and gloried in We cannot take comfort in our sins but we may take much comfort in repenting for our sins as that repentance is joyned with faith in Christ who hath given us power to repent and who is for himself to be rejoyced in Lastly Take this general note from the whole matter The speakings of God to man whether mediate or immediate are mighty and effectual The speaking of man to man barely can do nothing but the speaking of man to man in the power of God will do much how much more if God himself speak God spake to Job and these mighty effects followed First Self-abhorrence Secondly Deep repentance Thirdly Full submission to the will of God Fourthly A readiness to testifie by all due means how vile how miserable he was yet cleaving fast to and depending fully upon God by faith in the promise for mercy peace and pardon Fifthly A change both of mind and manners both in thought word and way Job thought no more as he had done he spake no more as he had done he acted no more as he had done in that condition he was another manner of man than before a good man he was before but now a better he came out of the fire of that affliction and
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
neglects of good to his people to himself so the Lord taketh all that evil which any speak of his people to himself He saith God that speaketh amiss of mine speaketh amiss of me The Lord accounteth himself interested in all that good or evil which is done and spoken to his people and he is very angry when any thing is mis-spoken of or misapplied to them though with respect to himself or as a service unto himself Fifthly Consider Jobs friends spake many excellent truths yet saith the Lord ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Hence note The Lord is greatly displeased when truth or that which is right in it self is wrong applied Jobs friends were mostly right in their Doctrine but often out in their Uses all their open assertions had some truth in them but so had not all their secret Inferences God will not bear it to have truths put to any ill use especially this to grieve and discourage any of his suffering servants To speak of the holiness justice and righteousness of God so as to terrifie an afflicted soul is to make a bad improvement of the best things 'T is a fly in the box of ointment Dead flies saith Solomon Eccles 10.1 cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour Jobs friends were in reputation for wisdom and honour yet this little folly sent forth an ill savour in the Lords nostrils and caused him to say Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Sixthly Jobs friends certainly meant well and had a zeal for God yet God was angry and said they had not spoken right Hence note Our good intentions yea zeal for God will not bear us out when we do or speak amiss These men had a zeal for God else Job had not said as once he did Will ye lye for God Though they did not knowingly speak a lye yet a lye was in what they spake and therefore their speaking for God would not bear them out Seventhly The Lord said to Jobs friends Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath Though Job spake some things amiss yet the Lord did not charge him with them as he did his friends Hence note The Lord over-looketh many failings and will not upbraid his servants with them Job had his failings but the Lord took no notice of them but made a determination in his case as if he had spoken right in all things The Lord will not flatter his servants when they fail yet he is very favourable to them even when they fail he told Job plainly enough that he had darkned counsel by words without knowledge while he asked him who did it Chap. 38.2 He intimated also that Job had contended with him and reproved him that he had consequentially attempted to disannul his Judgement and condemn him Chap. 40.2 8. yet here when the Lord came to make up the matter between Job and his friends he spake as if he had forgot both his own censures of him and the occasion of them Holy David acknowledged Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand The Lord doth not mark iniquity where he seeth much integrity the Lord doth not mark every arrow that flies beside the mark when he seeth the mark was honestly aimed at We say he may be a good Archer that doth not hit the white if he come but somewhat near it he indeed is a bungler that misseth the Butt Job aimed at and came neer the mark though he did not alwayes hit it The Lord will give a good testimony of us if we aim right at though we sometimes miss the mark It is said of Zachariah and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 They were both righteous There 's not a word spoken of their failings though doubtless they had their failings both as to the Ordinances and Commandements of God Eighthly The Lords wrath being kindled against Jobs friends we might expect he would thunder upon them yet he only saith Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Hence observe The Lord dealeth mildly with sinners He did not give wrathful words though his wrath was kindled he did not call Eliphaz and his friends Hereticks nor tell them they had belyed him and slandered his proceedings he did not aggravate their fault by grievous words he did not upbraid them particularly but without bitterness or hard reflections comprehended their all faults in one general soft word Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right This should be our pattern in dealing with an offending brother whereas many if a brother do but differ from them a little if he do not say as they say and concur with them fully in opinion are ready to censure him hardly and give him reproachful language The Apostles rule is Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted God who is above all temptation meekly restored these faulty men yea though his wrath was kindled against them yet his speech was mild and cool only saying and what less could he say if he said any thing Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right As my servant Job Why doth the Lord call Job his servant Surely at once to put an honour upon him and to comfort him Eliphaz and his two friends were Gods servants yet because of their miscarriage in that service God did not own them at that time as such God was wont to call David his servant at every turn yet when he had numbred the people Nathan was sent to him with a hard message and is bid Go and say unto David not my servant David 2 Sam. 24.12 Hence note Ninthly God honours man much by owning him as his servant To serve the Lord is as much our priviledge as our duty and when the Lord calleth us to his service he rather puts a favour up-us than a burden The Lord is the highest master and they are highly honoured who are his servants It is an honour to serve Kings and Princes what is it then to serve the King of Kings the Prince of the Kings of the earth as Jesus Christ is called Rev. 1.5 'T is also profitable as well as honourable to serve the Lord for he is the best master his work is the best woâ—k and his wages is the best wages And not only so but 't is easie to be the Lords servant for as he expects we should do his work so we may expect help and strength hearts and hands from him to do it If the Lord doth but own us for his servants we shall not faint at his work whether it be doing or suffering work God upheld his servant Job in and carryed him through all those
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
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
judgment and procedure with Job and therefore they must hear of it a second time or as we say at both ears Secondly The Lord telleth them again of it that he might fasten the sense of their sin more upon them We very hardly take the impression of our follies and failings we are ready to let the thoughts of them wear off and slip from us they abide not but glide away as water from a stone or from the swans-back unless fixed by renewed mindings and for this reason the Lord repeateth the mention of sin so often in the the ears of his people by the ministry of his word that the evil of it may more fully appear to them or that they may the more clearly see and the better know how bad how base how foolish a thing it is to sin against him Thirdly I conceive the Lord repeated these words to confirm the judgment which he had given before concerning them in those woâ—ds Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Quicquid in divino colloquiâ— reâ—etitur robustius confirmatur Greg. lib. 35. moral c. 8. As if the Lord had said that which I said before I say again I do not change my opinion either concerning you or my servant Job and therefore I say it once more the repâ—â—ting of a matter is for the confirmation of it as Joseph told Pharaoh about the doubling of his dream Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Like my servant Job These words also are a repetition yea a triplication and more than so this is the fourth time that the Lord hath called Job his servant in the compass of two verses three times in this 8th verse and once in the 7th But what should be the meaning of this why did the Lord call Job his servant so often even four times as it were in one breath I answer First It intimates that Job was the Lords steady servant that what he was at first he was then at last and what he had been long ago he was still Some have been called the servants of God who have given it over in the plain field but here the Lord calleth Job his servant over and over four times over as being his sure servant Secondly It was to shew that as Job retained the same duty and respect to the service of God so God retained the same opinion of Job and of his service then as at first Thirdly The Lord in repeating this relational title servant so often would assure us that he knew not how if I may speak so to speak more honourably of him The Lord gave no other title to Moses Num. 12.7 nor to Caleb Num. 14.24 nor to David 2 Sam. 7.5 8. The Lord did not speak this so often because he wanted other titles to give him or because he had not variety of phrases to express himself by but as if he knew not where to find a more honourable title I grant that title of relation Son is more noble and more endearing but that is not at all spoken of in the Old Testament nor is it given to any particular person in the New Believers as to their state are all the sons of God but no one believer is spoken either to or of under this title Son The Apostle Paul still called himself only a servant of God He that is the Lords servant is the best of free-men We have enough to glory in when we are his servants The History reports of the French King That the Ambassador of the King of Spain repeating many great titles of his Master the King of France commanded this only to be mentioned of him King of France King of France implying that this single title King of France was as honourable as that large roll of titles given the King of Spain Thus the Lord calleth Job his servant his servant his servant to shew that all honour is wrapt up in this word A servant of God Fourthly This repetition may signifie That Job had been a very great good and faithful servant to the Lord not only a servant but a laborious and profitable servant to the Lord so the Scripture calls those who are laborious in his service though at best as to the Lord we are unprofitable servants nor can any be profitable unto him Fifthly The Lord multiplieth this title upon him because whatsoever a godly man doth is service to the Lord. This word service is comprehensive of all duties to hear the Word is to serve the Lord to pray to fast to give almes is to serve the Lord all is service to the Lord. Job was every way a servant of the Lord. First As he was a Ruler To rule well in a family is to serve the Lord to rule Nations is to serve the Lord much more Job was a ruler and he ruled well in both capacities as was shewed in opening the 29th 30th and 31st chapters Secondly Job was a great servant of the Lord as he was a worshipper Thirdly Job was a great servant of the Lord as he was a sacrificer he had the honour of the priest-hood Fourthly Job was a great servant of the Lord as a teacher of the truth he had instructed many as Eliphaz acknowledged chap. 4.3 And as he was a great servant of the Lord in teaching the truth so in opposing error he stood firm to his own opinion the truth against the tenent of his friends Fifthly Job served the Lord as he was a sufferer To suffer is very great service especially as he did to suffer greatly We serve the Lord as much with his cross upon our backs as with his yoke upon our necks or his burden upon our shoulders Job was a great servant of the Lords as in holding forth the doctrine of the cross or maintaining that God afflicts his choicest servants so in bearing the cross himself Sixthly Job was a great servant of the Lord in praying for his friends and in being so willing to be reconciled to them and therefore the Lord having had so many services of him and so many ways repeateth my servant Job my servant Job as if he could not say this word often enough My servant Job Thus we have the Lords command or charge given to Eliphaz and his two friends what they must do for the quenching of that fire which was kindled in his breast against them for their folly in dealing with his se vant Job How they answered that command will appear in the next words Vers 9. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job This verse holds out the obedience of Eliphaz and his two friends to the charge and command which the Lord gave them in the eighth verse where the Lord said to these three men Take to you seven bullocks and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering
me So the Lords servants have often had experience of his power and goodness in delivering them or as 't is here expressed concerning Job of turning their captivity take one instance for all Psal 34.4 6. I said David sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles The Lord who doth us good when we pray for others cannot but do it when we pray for our selves The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends But some may ask will the Lord turn any mans captivity when he prayeth for his friends whose prayer and what prayer is it that obtains so high a favour I answer in general It is the prayer of a Job That is First The prayer of a faithful man or of one who is perfect and upright with God It is not the prayer of every man that prevails with God Jam. 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man only availeth much Nor is it the prayer of a meer morally righteous man that availeth he must be an Evangelically righteous man that is a man estated by faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ Secondly As 't is the prayer of the faithful so the prayer of faith as it is the prayer of one in a state of grace so of one acting his graces especially that grace of faith It is possible for a man that hath faith not to pray in faith and such a prayer obtaineth not Jam. 1.5 6 7. If any man saith that Apostle lack wisdom we may say whatsoever any man lacketh let him ask of God but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for let not that man the man that wavereth think that he shall receive any thing that is any good thing asked of the Lord. To ask without faith may bear the name but is not the thing called prayer and therefore such receive nothing when they ask Thirdly It is the prayer of a person repenting as well as believing Job was a penitent he repented in dust and ashes for the evil he had done before he obtained that good for his friends and for himself by prayer If my people saith the Lord 2 Chron. 7.14 Which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes there 's compleat repentance then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their Land there is compleat mercy Some pretend at least to be much in believing yet are little if at all in repenting and humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God How can their prayers prevail for the turning away of their captivity who turn not from iniquity If I said David Psal 66.18 regard iniquity in my heart his meaning is if I put it not both out of my heart and hand by sound repentance God will not hear me that is he will not regard much less favourably answer my prayer It is a piece of impudeâ—câ— I am sure such a piece of confidence as God will reject and wherein no man shall prosper to expect good from God by prayers while our evils are retained or abide in our bosoms unrepented of God hath joyned faith and repentance together woe to those who put them asunder They who either repent without believing or believe without repenting indeed do neither they neither repent nor believe nor can they obtain any thing of God by prayer But the prayer of a faithful man made in faith and mixed with sound repentance will make great turns such a one may turn the whole world about by the engine of prayer But what is there in such a prayer that should make such turns and move the Lord to change his dispensations or our conditions I answer First Such prayer is the Lords own Ordinance or appointment and he will answer that When we meet God in his own way he cannot refuse us he seals to his own institutions by gracious answers Secondly As prayer is the Ordinance of God so he hath made promise to hear and turn the captivity of those that pray as was shewed before Promises are engagements to performance God will not be behind hand with man as to any engagement For as he is powerful and can so he is faithful and will do whatever he hath engaged himself to do by promise A word from the God of heaven is enough to settle our souls upon for ever seeing his word is settled for ever in heaven Psal 119.89 Half a promise or an half promise an it may be Zeph. 2.3 from God is better security than an absolute promise than an it shall be yea than an oath from any of the sons of men Thirdly Prayer honours God Our seeking to him in our wants and weaknesses in our fears and dangers are an argument that we suppose him able to help us that all our ruines may be under his hand Such a seeking to God is the honouring of God and therefore God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him and call upon him Our coming to God in all our wants shews that he is an inexhaustible fountain so thick a cloud thar we cannot weary him nor he spend all his waters how much soever he showers down or spends upon us He can distil mercies and drop down blessings everlastingly We often want vessels to receive but he never wants oyle to give It is the glory of Kings and Princes that so many come with petitions to them that they have many suiters at their gates may possibly burden them but undoubtedly it honours them doth it not signifie that he hath a purse to relieve their necessities or power to redress their wrongs and injuries O thou that hearest prayer is a title of honour given to God Psal 65.2 To thee shall all flesh come As God hath said Psal 50.15 they that call upon him shall glorified him for help received so they do glorifie him by calling upon him for help No marvel then if he turn a Jobs captivity when he prayeth Fourthly Prayer is the voice of the new creature The Lord loveth that voice 't is musick the best musick next to praise in his ear Let me hear thy voice Cant. 2.14 that is let me hear thee praying or thy prayer-voice let me see thy countenance for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely The Lord delighteth in prayer therefore the Lord will turn the captivity of a Job when he prayeth Fifthly Prayer is not only the voice of the new creature but it is the voice of the Spirit with the new creature The Spirit himself maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.26 'T is the holy Spirits work to form requests in our hearts to God As the Spirit it self witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 so he prayeth in the spirits of Gods children The prayer of a believer hath the power of the holy
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
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
Lords stock and treasure can never be drawn dry he is an ever-over-flowing fountain If you had much at the beginning you may have much more at the latter end So much of these words as they hold out the restoring of Jobs estate in general the particulars are summ'd up in the close of the verse For he had fourteen thousand Sheep and six thousand Camels and a thousand yoke of Oxen and a thousand She-Asses The encrease of his estate is here set forth in cattel only as his first estate was cattel were the riches of those times and Countreys yet doubtless his estate encreased in every thing or kind First his family and servants encreased to look to so many cattel Secondly his Lands and pastures encreased to feed them Thirdly his house and buildings encreased to receive and lodge so numerous a Family Fourthly his honour and dignity increased Some affirm that whereas before he had only some small principality under his government now he was declared King over all the Land of Vz Thus all sorts of good things were given him double but whether at once or by degrees is not exprest Some of the Rabbins have a fancy and it is a wild one that Jobs cattel which were taken from him were not carried quite away but only driven into some other Country and there kept so that when he was restored they were brought home to him again with this double encrease This may well go for a fancy for not his own cattel but cattel of the same kind were restored to him double There is no difficulty in these words The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning giving double or twice as many Sheep Oxen Camels Asses as he had before Hence note Outward good things Sheep and Oxen Houses and Lands Gold and Silver are a blessing as they come from God unto his servants Here is nothing said of the best things all was but Sheep and Oxen yet in these Job received a blessing The Lord Deut. 28.4 made large promises of blessings to his obeying people or to his people in case of obedience and all in outward comforts Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattel the encrease of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep blessed shall be thy basket and thy store Spiritual things are the best blessings spiritual things are not only the noblest but the most necessary blessings The favour of God the light of his countenance pardon of sin grace in our hearts these are excellent blessings and these make us exceedingly blessed and no doubt but Job did chiefly look after these blessings this good man desired the light of Gods countenance the shinings of his face upon him the workings of his grace and spirit in him the evidences of his love to him infinitely above cattel corn and wine A godly man accounts himself but in a poor condition if he were to reckon all his estate in Houses and Lands in Sheep and Oxen yet these are a blessing from the Lord upon him and so he accounts them And still it must be remembred which hath already been touched that before the coming of Christ before there was a full discovery and a clear manifestation of the grace of God in Christ to his people they in those times were much led and fed with promises of temporal blessings The faithful were allured to heaven by earthly things Jesus Christ who came down from heaven to lift us up thither who took our nature that we might partake of the divine nature who was cloathed with our flesh to shew that God dwelleth in us and hath joyned us to his glory and immortality Jesus Christ I say was known only in shadows and remote prophesies in those times and therefore it was necessary the Lord should deal with them accordingly and allure them by promises of cattel and corn and children especially by the promise of long life which hath the greatest resemblance to and bears the fairest image of eternal life and all because the heavenly life was not then so perfectly discovered as it is now in these Gospel-times For though it be a truth that all the good things of the world are not sufficient to make a love-token yet God gives those good things to his people as tokens of his love and they see love in them and these lesser good things are then best to us when we can look on them as blessings coming from the love of God which we may do First When we can say we have got and keep them with a good conscience Secondly When we use and order them with prudence Thirdly When we dispence them charitably and freely according to the needs and necessities of others When we truly and intentionally honour God with our substance in doing acts of love it shews that he hath given it us in love Fourthly When the Lord with encrease of riches gives us an encrease of grace when our souls thrive as well as our estates then we may look upon riches as coming to us in love Sheep and Oxen Gold and Silver without a just and wise and gracious possessing and using of them prove curses at last not blessings snares not favours There are none so unhappy as foolish rich men none so base as covetous rich men none so intollerable as proud rich men none so vile and despicable as sluggish voluptuous rich men none more ungodly and irreligious than they who having riches trust in them and dote upon them only when the Lord gives spiritual things with temporal grace with goods they are mercies to us When Luther received a favour from a great Prince he began to be afraid that God would put him off with such things A godly man receives a portion in earthly good things but he will not take all the good things of the earth for his portion Now as all spiritual things are better than temporal so among temporals some are better than others Job received good things when his cattel were doubled but he had better blessings of this life restored to him than those his estate restored double in cattle was nothing to his children restored single as it follows in the next words Vers 13. He had also seven sons and three daughters This is the third part of Jobs restauration sons and daughters We may consider this blessing First In the number Secondly In the sex In number his children were seven and three As to sex they were both sons and daughters he had seven sons and three daughters in all ten just the number he had before as we read at the second verse of the first chapter Some of the Jewish Rabbies before spoken of say his former children were not indeed slain but removed during the time of his affliction and that being ended were restored the same both in number and
person This is as groundless a dream as the other about his cattle and so I leave it For That his children were really slain with the fall of the house where they were feasting the history makes evident in the first chapter and that he had the same number of children not the same children restored is all that is evident in this Only here a question ariseth and some trouble themselves much about it to little purpose how to make good that of the 8th ver where 't is said The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before whenas he had but just so many sons and daughters as he had before Here is no doubling of them and it may be thought that the Lord being now blessing his latter end more than his beginning should have given him more children double children because the more children the greater is the blessing I answer First Negatively The reason why his children were not double though his cattle were was not First Out of any want of power in God he could have doubled his children as well as his cattle Nor was it Secondly For want of love or good will to Job Nor was it Thirdly As Tertul. lib. de patientia c. 14 one of the Antients Tertullian gives the reason that Job might never want something to exercise his patience with while he lived forasmuch as he saw himself shortned in that mercy Nor was it Fourthly As Aquinas conceived because if his children had been doubled as well as his estate then his children would not have had a double estate nor more than they should have had before Forty proportionably divided among twenty yields each of them no greater a portion than twenty will do to ten Nor was it Fifthly Because the Lord would not have him over-burdened with cares about their education none of these were any reason why Jobs children were not doubled to him in number as well as his cattle And therefore I answer affirmatively First For the word double or twice as much in the Text which this seems not to come up unto we may easily salve that difficulty for the Text speaks not of persons but of things or of his substance with respect to doubling or a twice as much As for his children they come in with an also as an additional blessing to all the rest He had also seven sons and three daughters Secondly Those words twice as much need not be taken strictly as was shewed before Job might and doubtless did receive a double mercy in his children though their persons were not doubled nor multiplied as will appear further afterwards Thirdly I answer it was the pleasure of the Lord to give him no more than the same number of children and that may suffice us Fourthly Some of the Ancients are much pleased with this other answer saying Job in a sence had his children doubled for his slain children were not lost but gone before and lived still in a blessed state They having immortal souls and being the seed of the righteous their father had reason to believe them safe in Abrahams bosome Those children are not lost to their parents when they dye Tibi non perit qui Deo non perit Non numero sed valore quod occultè insinuatur in filicabus quae pulcherrimae fuisse leguntur Aquin. who are not lost to God or are not themselves lost children Fifthly Though Jobs children were not doubled in number as his cattle were yet we may judge them doubled to him in goodness and vertuous qualities The beauty of his daughters is expressely noted in the following words And shall we think that God who had a blessing for Job blessed his children only with fading bodily beauty doubtless their minds were more richly indowed and their souls more beautiful than their bodies And if Jobs daughters were such we may well conceive his Sons were not inferiour to them in gracious qualifications and that they much exceeded the sons he had before his affliction Some have spoken doubtfully at least of Jobs former children as if though good yet not very good and they give two reasons for it out of this book First Because when they went to feast at each others houses Job used to offer sacrifice feaâ—ing his children had cursed God in their hearts Secondly Bildad chap. 8.4 seems to lay a blot upon his former children If thy children saith he have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression c. which may intimate the sinful miscarriages of his former children in the course of their lives as well as that dreadful accident by which they dyed Yet I conceive we need not cast any such blot upon them they might be good though these were better and so a double mercy to their father He had also seven sons and three daughters Hence note Children are great blessings When the Lord told Abraham Gen. 15.2 I am thy shield and exceeding great reward Abraham said Lord what wilt thou give me seing I go childless As if he had said what is an inheritance without an heir Children are a blessing which God many times denieth his own children God denied Abraham that blessing long yet gave it him at last Abrahams servant reporting the blessings of God bestowed upon his master put this as chief Gen. 24.35 The Lord hath blessed my master greatly he is become great he hath given him flocks and herds silver and gold men servants and maid servants what follows and Sarah my masters wife bare a son to my master when she was old Abrahams servant counted this the complement of all his masters outward blessings that as the Lord had given him a great estate so a son to inherit and possess it after him And if children be a blessing let all who have them take heed of looking upon them as a burthen And seing they are a blessing of the Lord seing they come from him let all who have them be admonished to bring them up for him or as the Apostle directs In the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Whatever we receive from God we should use for him and return to him our estates should be serviceable to the Lord and above all we should labour to make our children serviceable to him Thus we have seen the three parts of Jobs restauration First His friends Secondly His wealth Thirdly His children were restored to him But Job had four losses and we hear nothing about the restoring of the fourth First He lost his substance Secondly His children Thirdly His health Fourthly His friends Here 's a restoring of three of them but nothing is spoken of the fourth which I place third the restoring of his health Now health being the chief of outward blessings better than sheep and oxen and whatever we can have in this world why was not the restoring of that mercy mentioned I answer Though the restoring of his health and strength be not exprest verbally yet it is exprest
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
I wished so often for death that I wooed the grave and so haâ—tily called for my return to the dust in the day of my affliction Thirdly I abhor that ever I despaired of my restauration or that I gave up my self as a man utterly lost for this world Fourthly I abhor that I used so many complaints of the severity of the Lords dealings with me Fifthly I abhor that I was so bold as to desire to plead with God Sixthly I abhor that I was so much in setting out my own righteousness and innocency Seventhly I abhor that ever I spake any word which should in the least darken or reflect upon the goodness mercy faithfulness righteousness and soveraignity of God in his dispensations towards me These are the things which had unwarily passed him in the heat of disputation with his friends and these he now abhorreth Take it either way I abhor my self or these things it comes all to one for the truth is he did abhor himself for those things which he had spoken with so much imprudence and impatience while he was under the hand of God I abhor my self neither is that all And repent Job was not only affected to abhorrence but to repentance The word translated repent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal significat consolari in Piel poenitere Drus signifies two contrary things in Scripture First To grieve which is proper to repentance sorrow and repentance ought to go together Secondly To comfort or to take comfort thus it is rendered Gen. 24.67 Isaac was comforted concerning the death of his mother 2 Sam. 13.39 David was comforted concerning Amnon Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted It may seem strange that the same word which signifies sorrow and repentance should signifie also comfort and to be comforted but sorrow and comfort meet in true repentance godly sorrow doth not hinder much less quite exclude and shut out joy in God Repentance is ushered in by godly sorrow and grief of heart for sin and it concludes with comfort and joy of heart in God who pardoneth sinners and therefore the same word which signifies to repent may well signifie both to grieve and to take comfort Repentance is a change from a bad state to a good and a turning from the worst of evils sin to the chiefest good God himself and therefore must needs be followed if not accompanied with much sweetness and comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et consolationem accepi in pulvere cinere A Greek translator renders it expressly so in this place Wherefore I abhor my self and take comfort in dust and ashes and doubtless while Job was repenting in floods of sorrow his comforts came flowing in There is a laughter in the midst of which the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness saith Solom Prov. 14.13 and there is a sorrow that 's a blessed sorrow in the midst of which the heart laughs and the end of which heaviness is mirth To repent in the general nature of it is to change both the mind and way and so take up new principles and new practices A man that truly repenteth is not the same man he was before he repented he can say I am not I. And as in true repentance there is a change from a bad to a good mind and from a perverse to a right and righteous way so in repentance there is a change from a troubled to a quiet mind and from a painful to a pleasant and delightful way So then there is a two-fold change in repentance First A change of the mind from sin Secondly A change in the mind from sorrow Many are the griefs and gripes the troubles and perplexities with which the conscience of an awakened sinner is followeth till he hath unburdened himself by confession and repentance when once he hath truly done so how great is his peace how sweet are his consolations And therefore when the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of his meaning is the repentance which it works is matter of great rejoycing or fills the soul of an humbled believing sinner with great joy I abhor my self saith Job and repent But how did Job repent his was no ordinary repentance therefore he adds I repent In dust and ashes That is either First Throwing my self upon the ground Jer. 6.26 Jer. 25.34 2 Sam. 12.16 or Secondly Sitting upon the ground in the dust as Job 2.8 Isa 58.5 Jonah 3.6 or Thirdly Casting dust upon my head Job 2.12 Dust cast upon the head was the embleme of an afflicted heart And to sit in the dust or to cast dust upon the head was anciently the ceremonial part of repentance Job doth not leave that out I repent saith he in dust and ashes Solitis ceremoniis poenitentiam agâ— and so some express it I repent with outward wonted ceremonies But I conceive we need not take it strictly to repent in dust and ashes being only a proverbial speech implying very great solemn and serious repentance There is another rendring of this latter part of the verse thus I repent as looking upon or accounting my self dust and ashes 't is an argument of much humility and humiliation to do so Abraham gave himself no higher a title before the Lord Gen. 18.27 I have begun to speak who am but dust and ashes If we take it thus I abhor my self and repent looking upon my self but as dust and ashes it is a good sence also and reacheth the purpose which Job was upon or which was upon Jobs spirit in that day and duty of repentance There is no difficulty in the words they yield many useful observations Wherefore I abhor my self First As the word wherefore refers to that signal discovery which Job had of God who did not only manifest himself to him by the hearing of the ear but by the seeing of the eye that is more fully than before Observe The clearer manifestations we have of God the greater and deeper are our humiliations Job saw more of the power more of the soveraignity more of the holiness of God in himself and more of his goodness to him Qui Deum vidit fieri non potest quin seso accuset contemnat despiciat non enim certiâ— noveris tuam impuritatem quam si divina puritas op osita fuerit Brent than he had done before and therefore he abhor'd himself That place is parallel to this Isa 6. where as soon as the Lord had declared himself in his holiness and glory the Prophet cried out ver 5. Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts that is my bodily eyes have see the signs of his presence and
the eye of my soul is so over-prest with the present weight of his glory that I cannot in this frail condition bear it but must sink under it Wo is me I am undone As the wicked shall at last cry wo and alass at the angry presence of God and shall indeed be undone for ever So a godly man may now cry Wo is me at any unusual appearance of the holiness and glory of God and cry out I am undone I know not how to bear it Isaiah was not only a Prophet and a true Prophet but a very holy Prophet an Evangelical Prophet one that spake glorious things of Christ to come yet he had never seen so much of God before nor was he ever so deeply humbled before he never cried out before I am undone which word implieth the greatest sence of his own nothingness vileness and wretchedness The true reason why men carry it so high at any time with God is because their notions and apprehensions of God fall so infinitely below him Did we know God more how should we fear before him and stand as men astonished at the presence of his majesty It is our darkness about God which emboldens us beyâ—nd our bounds or the line of creatures The Prophet Habakkuk faith of himself chap. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entered into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble When I heard that is when God revealed himself to me by that speech at the 2d verse of the chapter O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid then said he at the 16. verse When I heard my belly trembled The reason why carnal men and hypocrites carry it so stoutly before God is because they know not God aright they may boast of their knowledge but as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8.2 He that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought The Scripture tells us what that knowledge is which a carnal man hath of God He knows God in his own light not in the light of God or he judgeth what God is by what himself is Psal 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Not that he thought God was a man he had not such gross thoughts of God but he thought God as to his holiness was such a one as himself who was indeed notwithstanding his pretentions to holiness a very unholy a meer carnal man When the Lord said to him Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self it is as if he had said Thou measuredst me by thy self and because such things pleased thee thou wouldst needs conclude that they pleased me too Had men a clear knowledge of God as he hath revealed himself they would soon be convinced that God is not only not altogether but not at all such a one as themselves We never see how imperfect we are till we see our selves in the light of Gods perfection and when we duely see our selves in that glass we greatly abhor our selves for we cannot but see much deformity in our selves Nusquam so melius deprohendit modus humanae imperfectionis quam in lumine vultus Dei in speâ—ulo divinae visionis ubi in die qui est plus plus videns quid sibi deest â—mendâ—t indies similitudine quicquid deliquit dissimilitudine Similitudine appropinquans ei à quo longè factus est dissimilitudine August l. 11. Confess c. 9. when we behold the beauty and glory of God And as when we behold that beauty we shall abhor our selves for our deformity and defilements so we shall be daily mending and cleansing our selves from them according to that matchless beauty which we behold in him As we have departed from God by our unlikeness so we shall get nearer to him by getting more of his image and likeness Secondly This wherefore in the Text refers to the fight that Job had of himself as well as of God When Job saw more of himself or himself more then he said I abhor my self Hence Observe The more we see and know our selves the more we shall be abased and lye low in our selves and abhor our selves The reason why we are so proud of our selves is because we are so ignorant of our selves Did we know our own ignorance and mis-understandings as Job now at last did we should strike sail and come lower much more did we know all those abominations that are in our hearts did we know what pride and coveousness and earthly-mindedness lye there what inordinate creature love what passions lye there what envy lyeth there did we understand how deceitful and false our hearts are both towards God our selves and towards one another we should abhor our selves exceedingly There are two things which we should study that we may walk humbly First To know God Secondly To know our selves A Heathen said that word know thy self came down from heaven and did we once know our selves aright what frail and blind and sinful creatures we are how humble and heavenly should we be rightly to know that we are creatures would cause us to live more like new creatures David s eing some men do things so unlike men Psal 9.20 prayed thus Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know themselves to be but men There are such in the world as know not themselves to be but men they behave themselves as if they were gods and not men as if they were all-sufficient or as if all their sufficiency proceeded of themselves and they the founders of their own greatness and power The Assyrian said in plain terms I will be like unto the most high Isa 14.14 I do not reckon my self amongst mortals There are many who never attained that Assyrian Princes height who yet have much of his spirit and speak as if they knew themselves to be more than men at least as if they knew not themselves to be but men nor considered themselves as frail dying and accountable creatures Did we remember that we are but creatures that we are the work of Gods hand this would keep us low and humble but did we know what sinful polluted creatures we are we should soon come not only to a lower estimate but an utter abhorrence of our selves We over-think our selves because we do not know our selves we over-rate our selves because we do not understand our selves Even Job was too high in his own thoughts in his own books till he came to know and understand that he had uttered things that he knew not that he understood not Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Observe Thirdly True repentance is joyned with self-abhorrence and with an abhorrence of all that we do of all that we are True repentance is joyned with an abhorrence First Of sinful self or of our selves for sin The Prophet speaking of their repentance who had gone a whoring from God saith