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
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
else but wrest and darken the Word of God I intend not humane learning meerly in Arts and Sciences though there be great use of them but I mean especially Holy and Divine Learning They that are not taught of God nor have the light of God in them cannot but darken the things and Counsels of God how much humane learning soever they have The Prophet foretels us of Christ speaking thus of himself as the great Prophet Isa 50.4 The Lord hath given me the tongue the learned that I should kn w how to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to those who are wearied not with bodily labours and travels but with soul-labours and travels about the pardon of their sins and the favour of God to their souls He that speaks a word effectually for the refreshing of such weary ones must open the Counsels of God to them and he that doth so must have the tongue of the learned that is a tongue taught of God how to speak else he will never be able to do it knowingly but through the darkness of his own mind will darken the Counsel of God concerning those dark souls and so rather weary them more than relieve them out of their weariness That the soul be without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 that is 't is very bad such Negatives in Scripture intend their contrary Affiâ—matives and as it is not good or very bad for themselves whosoever they are so it is not good for them with respect to others who are called to declare the Counsels of God to others Souls without knowledge cannot open but are apt to darken the Soul-counsels of God Sixthly Inasmuch as God reproved Job for this Note God will not take it well if we speak improperly darkly and unsafely of his Matters and Counsels though our minds be honest and our meaning good in what we speak We had need be cautious what we say and not talk at random about the things of God Job a holy and a wise man had a peal rung in his ear for speaking words without knowledge words not duly poized and placed There are some who will catch at and take hold of every slip of the tongue they will make a man an offender for a word which hath no real ground of offence in it as the Prophet spake Isa 29.11 God may justly make a man an offender for a word which he thought was without offece Lastly Consider when God came to reprove Job he did not charge him with iny ill intentions but with ill expressions He indeed had darkened his Counsel by words Without knowledge but God did not say he had a purpose and a mind to do it nor did he say that Job had spoken lastly but that he had spoken truth obscurely The Lord did not object hypocrisie or impiety against him but imbecility as not having handled the Judgements of God nor delivered his own judgement clearly and prudently enough but had hudled and put things so passionately and confusedly together that some could not tell how to distinguish them from blasphemy Hence Note God will not charge any man beyond his fault If he did it in a heat of passion God will not deal with him as if he had done it in cold blood as we sy or with a setled resolution The Lord will not call a slip of the tongue an errour of the mind much less a minded nor God knowe the intent and purpose of every man that speaks he weighs not only our actions but words he knows not only what we say but why and with what aimes we say it and therefore he never urgeth any mans sin beyond it self Job had darkned the Counsel of God only by words without knowledge therefore God would not charge him to have darkned his Counsel knowingly or against the light of knowledge Yea notwithstanding this fault the Lord having reproved him for it proceeds presently as some interpret the next verse to comfort and encourage him Vers 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man As if the Lord had said thou hast spoken thus and ths of my Counsels now give me an account of what thou hast spoken Gird up thy loins like a man Cinctus lumbonum erit pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coc. To call a man to gird up his loins is to bid him be in a readiness or to prepare himselfe for any work The strength of a man is in his loins and they who are weak are said to be loin-lesse To gird up the lions is a powerbial speech and may be used to a man who weareth the shortest garments yea to him who is naked Hence the Lord bid Job to gird up his loins who possibly was so weak that he could not stand upon his legs or possibly had no long garments at all There is a girding the lions with sack-cloth that is with sorrow implying the work of repentance and mortification Isa 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth The two Witnesses of Christ are said to prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred any sixty dayes Rev. 11.3 to note that they were in a sad or sorrowful conditoin all the dayes of their Prophesie Thus Jobs loins had been girt a long time But Again There is a girding of the loins with joy Thou hast put off from me my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Psal 30.11 Also There is a girding of the lions with strength Psal 17.39 Further we may take notice of a fourfold use in Scripture of girding up the loins Cingulum amkulaturi First There is a girding up the lions for travel or when a man is to take a journey Thus Elisha said to Gehazi 2 Kings 4.29 Gird up thy loins and take thy staffe in thy hand and go thy way c. It was a fashion in those Eastern Countreys where they wore their garments long and ordinarily loose to gird them up in travel Secondly Cingulum ministraturi There is a girding up the loins for serving or waiting so Christ expresseth it Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord. And he saith at the 37th vcese Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them that is he will be ready to do them offices of love as it were in person which is an expression of the greatest condescention For when Christ would set forth the common custom among men he saith Luke 17.7 8. Which of you having a servant plowing or feeding Cattel will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field Go and sit down to meat and will not rather say Gird thy self and serve me c. Girding is
bones upon a wheel To be broken is to be utterly spoiled A broken heart is a great mercy Psal 51.17 but a broken arm notes a great misery This Scripture threatens the high arm with breaking yet it leaves us unresolved or faith nothing expresly about these three Queries First Whose high arm is here threatned with breaking Secondly By whom the high arm shall be broken Thirdly How or by what means or in what manner it shall be broken I answer to the first These terrible words are not levell'd nor intended against any high arm eo nomine upon that account because it is high God is not angry with the highness of men They who are highest and have the highest arm among men may be highly pleasing unto God The highest powers on earth are of Gods ordaining and appointing now God cannot be against his own ordinances and appointments therefore he never bâ—eaks the high arm because 't is high in power but because 't is high in wickedness So then we may be confident 't is only the high arm of the wicked which is here threatned to be broken To the second and third Queries I answer in a word It is God who breaks the high arm and he breaks it in what manner and by what means soever pleaseth him In which we may see a signal work of divine Providence which doth not suffer the difference of good and evil of right and wrong to pass long unobserved And in this passage possibly the Lord might intend a refutation of what Job said Chap. 10.3 That God shined upon the Counsels of the wicked For seeing the very light or life of the wicked is with-holden from them and their high arm broken doth not God declare and testifie that he loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity And if the ministration of Divine Justice lye in the dark at any time doth not the return of the light every day intimate that a day of the revelation of the righteous Judgment of God is at hand The high arm shall be broken Hence Note First Wicked men may grow high and have a very high and strong arm Therefore be not scandalized when 't is so The most high God often suffers it to be so The wicked man in the Text is he that hath the high arm Note Secondly As all men by nature are altogether wâ—cked in their state so some of them are extreamly wicked in their lives They sin with an high hand or with an high arm they sin as if they would dare God himself Not onely have wicked men been high in power and high in place but there they have sinned highly and stretched forth their hand against Heaven it self Note Thirdly Observa in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc versiculo v. 13. literam צ in Bibliis magnis â—â—empl emendatis suspensam esse i. e. non eodem tenore cum aliis scriptam sed supra caeteras sursum versas penderâ— hoc modo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod forsun mysterio non caret quasi lux impiis totus eorum splendor sit in suspenso non stabilis Merc. The wicked how high or how strong soever they are they shall be broken A learned Interpreter takes notice that in the larger Bibles and most correct Copies the Hebrew Word signifying the wicked both in this 15th verse and in the 13th verse hath one letter raised up higher than the rest and exceeding the ordinary form of writing as may be seen if the Reader please to cast his eye upon the quotation in the Margin This saith my Author is not possibly without a mistery even to intimate thus much that all the prosperity and outward splendor of the wicked hangs in suspence or is very tottering and unstable But whatever occasioned that irregularity in the Hebrew writing or whatever it may import this is a sure truth that the highest estate of the wicked is very unsure The Lord who as Solomon saith Eccl. 5.8 is higher than the highest on earth can quickly bring down the highest and break or crush the strong arm as one would break a reed or crush a moth Thus the Lord bespake Edom by his Prophet Jer. 49.16 O thou that dwellest in the clifts of the rock that holdest the height of the hill though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee down from thence saith the Lord. And thus the Lord spake by another Prophet concerning the Amorite Amos 2.9 His height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Oaks yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath that is I utterly destroyed him Yea the very being of the wicked high and strong is an argument that they shall be brought low destroyed and broken to pieces When Babylons arm shall be in its highest height When she shall say in her heart I sit as a Queen that is on high and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow When Babylon is thus prophecying all good of her self and promising all good to her self then shall her plague come in one day death and famine and mourning and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her Rev. 18.7 8. He will break her high arm and break it when she thinks it highest and her self safest David whose arm God raised on high affirmed all this of wicked high ones in general or of all those who should be found high in wickedness Psal 92.7 8. When the wicked spring as grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever As if he had said that 's the meaning of their prosperity you may spell that our of it or make that interpretation of it they shall be destroyed for ever As the Lord remembers his people in their low estate because his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136.23 so he will take vengeance on the wicked in their high estate because his justice endureth for ever The least sin deserves a breaking but when the arm of sin is grown very high we may say the Lords arm cannot hold he must break such high arms The Prophet Jeremy chap. 6.6 speaking of Jerusalem saith This City is to be visited how visited There is a twofold visiting First In favour care and kindness Secondly In wrath and judgement Usually when the Scripture speaks of visiting a City or a Land it is meant in wrath and in judgement Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Jer. 5.9 Surely I shall there is no avoiding my visitation What kind of visitation is meant the next woâ—ds evidence Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this To be visited with vengeance and wrath is a sad Visitation and so was Jerusalem to be visited But why was the City Jerusalem to be visited in wrath there 's no City whose inhabitants are so just and righteous but the Lord may visit them in
As we took no care of our selves nor could before we were so all the care we take for our selves while we are can avail us nothing without God Which of us by taking care can add one cubit to his stature Matth. 6.25 and which of us by taking care can add one moment to his life all is in the hand of God And 't is our duty to live as free from all troublesome cares while we are in the world as we were free from any care at all before we came into the world It is enough that God hath undertaken for us and would have us sit down in his care of us Christ said Matth. 10.29 30. with respect to sufferings Fear not for are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them falleth not to the ground without your Father It is God who orders and disposeth the life of a silly bird and by him the very hairs of our head worthless excressions are numbred surely then the days of your lives and all the changes of them are ordered disposed and numbred by him And if so we should in this sense be as quiet and as much at ease in our spirits concerning the things of this life as we were before we lived Light had its dwelling place appointed and darkness was disposed of without any care of ours and all our care can neither create light for us nor remove any darkness that is upon us Let us onely be careful of that duty we are called to and leave the burden of our cares to him who hath called for them Psal 55.22 and would have us rest in this assurance that he careth for us 1 Pet. 5.7 what cannot he command for us in our places who commands light and darkness to their places therefore it will be our wisdome at once to take as much pains and as little care as we can JOB Chap. 38. Vers 22 23. 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war JOB was last questioned about the habitation and interchanges of light and darkness Here the Lord questions him about those two Meteors the Snow the Hail As if he had said Possibly thou wilt confess thou knowest not how to answer the former question but perhaps thou art better skill'd in and acquainted with the matter which I shall next propose well then I ask again Vers 22. Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow c. There is a two-fold entring into any place First In body Secondly In mind The body of Job nor of any man never entred into the treasures here spoken of nor could Jobs mind nor the mind of any man enter fully into them that is comprehend how vast how great they are We had this phrase Hast thou entred at the 16th verse of this Chapter There the question was put about his entring into the springs of the sea here about his entring into The treasures or store-houses of the snow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thesaurus Aspotheca promptuarium The word imports any place or repository where stores of any kind are laid up and kept for use The Poet calleth Bee-hives the Treasuries of honey and so may Cellars be called the Treasuries of Wine and Oil c. The Clouds are the Treasuries which contain the stores or treasures of Snow and Hail Those places out of which God is said either to bring good for the use and comfort of man or evil for his hurt and punishment are usually in Scripture expressed by this Word Thus spake Moses encouraging the people of Israel to obedience Deut. 28.12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure the heaven to give thee rain unto thy land in his season c. And God hath his just and righteous treasures of wrath even as men heap up and have their evil and unrighteous treasures of sin Deut. 32.34 Rom. 2.5 Thus the Apostle James tells ungodly rich men chap. 5.3 Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days Which may be understood of their getting their treasures of riches so unrighteously in their days as would prove a heaping together of wrath against themselves in the last days or day of the last Judgement Treasures of good or evil imply three things First The secrecy of what is laid up Secondly The safety of it or that it is surely laid up Thirdly That there is store or great quantities of it laid up A little is not a treasure The snow may well be called a treasure in all these respects for 't is secretly laid up no man can see it and 't is safely laid up none can reach or take it away there are also vast quantities or great abundance of it Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow As if the Lord had said Thou O Job hast often seen the snow fall and thou mayest easily perceive that it falls out of the clouds but hast thou ascended or can any ascend unto those airy regions where snow is generated and laid up as in a treasure If not surely then no man can ascend to heaven and there search out or discover the mysteries and secrets of Wisdom and Justice in my works here below unless by the wings of faith and the light of a spiritual understanding which sits down satisfied in this conclusion that all is wisely and justly done which God doth whether in heaven or earth To bring Job to this acknowledgment was the design and purpose of God as hath been toucht before in all the questions propounded to him in this and the next Chapter Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow What the snow is the nature and the wonders of it was spoken of and shewed at the sixth verse of the 37th Chapter All that I shall further add for the opening of this question is that when God speaks here of the treasures of snow we are not to understand it as if he had great heaps of snow formally amassed up together in any place of the air as men lay up treasures of money or corn or of any other useful matter but the words are an elegant Metaphor the meaning onely this God hath abundance of snow ready at his will and dispose at his call and command whensoever or wheresoever he is pleased to make use of it for 't is as easie with God at any time to draw out and powre down abundance of snow as if he had infinite store of it kept alwayes by him He no sooner speaks the word but the face of the earth is covered and its bosomes filled with silver showers Hast thou entred into the treasures of the snow Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail These treasures of hail are of the same nature with those of snow and so to be understood as the former but there is a difference in the form of snow and
the clouds above may hear thee and so powerfully that they will obey thee Any man the meanest man may lift up his voice toward the clouds but no man no not the mightiest man can lift up his voice to the clouds and be heard that is be obeyed by them Thou canst not command the clouds Though a man speak and speak aloud though he lift up his voice as God bid the Prophet to his people like a Trumpet to the clouds yet the clouds will be deaf at his voice as deaf as sinners commonly are at the voice of a Prophet though lifted up like a Trumpet The voice here intended is an effectual voice such a voice to the clouds is proper and peculiar to God alone Numquid descendet ad te pluvia imperio â—uâ— Vatabl. whose power and Empire is so great and large that he can stretch forth his voice to the clouds far and near all the air over and cause them both to appear at his call and presently to empty themselves and pour out their waters according to his direction upon any coast or quarter of the earth The text is singular Canst thou lift up thy voice to the cloud canst thou lift up thy voice to any one of them as it were by name We render it plurally Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds to any one or to all of them That as it followeth abundance of waters may cover thee As if the Lord had said If I lift up my voice to the clouds they presently dissolve and melt and abundance of waters flow down to cover man and beast to cover the fields the corn the grass nor is it any marvel if the clouds those thin and upon the matter liquid bodies melt and slow down at the voice of God whenâ—s at his voice the mountains flow down and the rocks themselves even the hardest rocks are melted into waters or give forth abundance of water Num. 20.8 Eliphaz said to Job at the 22. Chap. of this book and the 11. Vers Abundance of waters cover thee The words are the same there and here but the sence is very different Eliphâ—z meant it there of metaphorical waters the waters of affliction with which God covered yea almost over-whelmed and drowned Job But the Lord speaks here of natural waters Job could not call to the clouds and get abundance of those waters to cover him nor was he able in a way of command to get one drop of water from the clouds The words are plain and the scope of them obvious even to convince Job yet further of his inability and frailty or that he ought to leave God to the government of the world to the government of Persons Families and Nations for as much as himself was not able to govern a cloud nor to order out the least shower of rain Hence Note Man hath no absolute or soveraign power over any creature Clouds will not be commanded cannot be commanded by the greatest and mightiest of the sons of men Job was a great Prince himself yet he could not neither can the greatest Princes of the world command a shower nor a drop of rain to fall from the heavens Man cannot command the clouds to rain either when he will or where he will or how much he will these powers belong to God alone Yet in one sen e man may lift up his voice to the clouds and abundance of waters will cover him There is a twofold voice of man Fiâ—st A commanding voice And secondly A praying voice Let man lift up his commanding voice to the clouds as long as he will he shall get down no rain but if man by faith lift up his praying voice to the clouds that is to God in whose hand the clouds are he may get rain yea abundance of waters to cover him Zach. 10.1 A k ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain so the Lord shall make bright clouds and give them showers of rain to every one grass in the field At the voice of man humbly praying the Lord makes bright clouds or as our Margin hath it lâ—ghtenings which fore-run black clouds to those God gives showers of rain and those showers of rain give every one grass that is they cause all sorts of Vegetables to spring and flourish in the fieldâ— both for man and beast This was one of the cases which Solomon put in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple for the Lords answering of prayer 1 Kings 8.35 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee if they pray towards this place and confess thy name and turn from their sins when thou afflictest them then hear thou in heaven and forgive the sin of thy servants c. and give rain upon thy land When the clouds are lockt up when they are as brass over our heads prayer moves the Lord to open them or to melt them down into showers for the refreshing and fructifying of the earth The Apostle James Chap. 5.17 18. tells us that â—lias covered the earth with abundance of rain by lifting up his voice in prayer Elias saith he was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months And he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit The holy history makes the same report 1 Kings 18 45. And it came to pass in the mean while that the heaven was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain c. If we would have rain we must ask for it and lift up a praying voice to God who commands the clouds it is a vain thing for us to lift up a voice to the clouds in our own name to command them to give us rain in the season of it And as this is true of the clouds and rain so of all creatures Their powers and vertues their efficacies and influences are not at our command but if we look up to God and wait upon him in prayer he can command them all to give out their vertues both to serve our necessities and accommodate our delights Now as in this question God shews Job his insufficiency to command water so in the next to command fire from the clouds Vers 35. Canst thou send lightnings that they may go and say unto thee here we are What lightning is hath been shewed once or twice already in this and the former Chapter and therefore I shall not stay here in any discourse either about the nature or the wonderful effects of lightning But the Lords manner of speaking and his purpose in speaking here about the lightning is very considerable and calls for further discourse Canst thou send lightnings that they may go c. As if the Lord had said If thou canst not prevail with the clouds to send rain canst thou prevail
with them to send lightning hast thou the command of thunder and lightning will the lightnings come forth at thy bidding The words may have a double allusion 1. To the General of an Army commanding his Souldiers and they going at his word 2. To the Master of a Family who gives orders to his Se vants and they go at his word Canst thou send lightnings that they may go And say unto thee here we are or as the Hebrew is Behold us That manner of speech here we are or behold us is a description of the most ready obedience either of Souldiers to their General or of Servants to their Master Will the lightnings obey thee thus and say here we are Some expound these words as supposed to be spoken by the lightnings upon their return from some former service given them in charge by God as having dispatcht what they were sent for and were ready to go again Hence the Latine translator gives it thus Vt reverentia tibi dicent adsumus Vulg. That they being returned or after their return should say unto thee with reverence here we are 1. Ready to go whithersoever thou wilt send us 2. Ready to do whatsoever thou wilt enjoyn us As if the Lord had said Canst thou send forth the lightnings and will they return to thee and say we have done thy commands and here we are again to receive fresh commands or new orders from thee Surely as the rain will not thus obey thee so neither will the lightnings neither the one nor the other will be thy servants to go of thy errand or execute thy will The same note which I gave before concerning the rain might be taken up here again concerning the lightnings They are not under the command of man c. Secondly for as much as the Lord here denies this priviledge both respecting the rain and lightning unto man he would have us understand and know that both are in himself though you cannot yet I can command them both are under my dominion While the Lord shews Job his impotency to command these meteors he asserts his own omnipotency as he hath made them so he can rule them Hence observe All treatures even those which seem to be most out of command are fully under the command of God What to appearance is more out of command than the lightning that quick that piercing that fierce and fiery creature yet that stirs no more than a stone till the Lord commands and at his command it stirs and is gone in a moment The Lord God hath spoken saith the Prophet Amos 3.8 who can but prophesie And as a faithful Prophet cannot but prophecy so the not only faithless but senseless creatures cannot but do what God hath spoken That of the Psalmist Psal 104.4 which we read who maketh his Angels spirits his Ministers a flaming fire some render thus who maketh the winds his messengers and the flames of fire his ministers That is he useth tempestuous winds and flames of fire as his messengers and ministers The same Hebrew word that signifieth an Angel signifieth a Messenger at large and the same word that signifieth a Spirit signifieth also the Wind. And as the words so the truth will bear both translations or constructions for as those higher or highest of rational creatures the Angels so those high inanimate creatures the winds and lightnings which may properly be called flames of fire are the Ministers and messengers of God that is they go forth and Minister according to his Word they say Here we are The Lord by a call or word speaking can have whom and what he will to serve his purpose and fulfil his decrees It is said 2 King 8.1 as also Psal 105.16 The Lord called for a famine a famine of bread and he no sooner called but the famine came and said Here am I the famine presently brake the staff of bread and did eat up all the good of the Land The Prophet Haggai Chap. 1.11 represents the Lord saying I called for a drought which is the usual fore-runner of famine and the drought said Here am I it came presently as soon as the Lord commanded On the other hand when the Lord made many promises under the new Covenant among other things he said I will call for plenty Ezek. 36.29 I will call for the corn and will increase it and lay no famine upon you As in those other places he called for famine and drought so here he saith I will call for plenty and it shall say Here am I abundance of corn and grass and fruits of the earth came at that call Lamenting Jeremiah speaking of the woful captivity of the people of Israel saith Lam. 1.15 The Lord called an assembly against me that is I conceive an assembly of the Assyrians and Babylonians an assembly of men an army of men he caused them to assemble and come together he did but call and they said Here we are and we will go vex Judah and Jerusalem Thus if the Lord call for famine and drought if he call for an assembly of men for men assembled with the sword of war in their hand to punish and chastise any people for their sin they will surely come and do his pleasure whatever the Lord calls for cannot but come Take this inference from it If the Lord have such a command upon all creatures even the inanimate creatures if the lightnings answer him when he calls Here we are Then how readily should men the best of visible creatures answer his call and say Here we are When the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers house unto a Land that I shall shew thee he never disputed the case but saith the Apostle Heb. 11.8 Obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went He never enquired what the place was to which he was to go nor what accommodations he should find when he came thither Abraham knew he was to go whither God called him to go though whither he was to go he knew not And when long after this the Lord called to Abraham Gen. 22.1 he said Behold here I am or Behold me as if he had said Lord I am here ready to obey thy command to go of thy errand to carry whatever message thou shalt put into my mouth to do whatever work thou shalt put into my hand and that Abraham did not complement with God it appears in the same Chapter for though when God commanded him to offer up his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved every word was enough to wound his heart the last deepest to part with a Son is hard with an only Son harder with a son dearly beloved is hardest of all especially when he must be not only passive but active in this loss his own hand must give the parting blow yet Abraham being called to this hard and hot service said Here am I and readily
two interpretations First Some expound it of staying the rain when there is most need of rain or when the earth wants it most or in a time of drought For then the earth groweth hard like a molten-pillar and the clods thereof cleaving one to another make clefts in the body of the earth In a time of great drought the earth at once cleaves asunder and runs closet together as it were to succour it self Who stayeth the bottles of heaven when the earth is chapt and gapes for rain to soften and cool it Surely man doth it not nor can he be said to do it unless meritoriously It is God alone who efficiently stays the clouds from rain in a time of drought or when the necessities of the earth call aloud for it Taking the words in this sense Observe God can stop any of our mercies as here the rain when we have most need of them I saith the Lord Amos 4.7 have withholden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another City one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered One months drought before harvest threatens a scarsity or dearth of Corn but two yea three months drought must needs usher in a dreadful famine Voce◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—o sermentâ—tiâ—â—m â—erbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ—d â—â—gnificat â—â—rmentari atque intâ—mescere E. Pisc The second interpretation of these words seems yet more clear Who can stay the bottles of heaven when the dust groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together that is who but God can stop rain when there is no farther need of rain As it the Loâ—d had said When the bottles of heaven have given out so much rain as may sit the earth for fruit-bearing or when the ground hath had its fill so that the light dust is turned into lumps of earth and that dust which was raised and tossed with every breath of wiâ—d is clodded and agglutinated by water into a massie substance when I say 't is thus with the earth who can stay or stop the bottles of heaven from raining more to the spâ—il of all but my self So then the true use of rain is held forth in this 38. vers namely that the dust of the earth being moistened with rain may coalesce or be joyned close together This I conceive is the most natural and proper sense of the Text. For the earth which by drought was cruâ—bled into dust rain falling plentifully upon it is knit again into one body like meal or flower into which leven is put and so is made ready to receive Humore aquae terrae puries continentur uniuntur quae ante disjunctae fuerant Merc. Vt perfusio sit formentandae terrae ut conglutinentur glebae Jun. Trans I. e. ut terram quum pulverulenta est ab ariditate immissis pluviis sermentet ad glebarum comâ—agem rerum ex ea nascentium alimentum Jun. nourish and b ing forth whatever grain is cast into the bosome of it Rain falling upon the dust embodies it The ground moulders in a time of drought but when rain comes that hardens it The dust as we commonly say slyes before but as drought cleaves the earth so rain causeth the parts to unite anâ— then the earth which like a heap of sand would not hang together becomes solid and fit for tillage Now when so much rain hath fallen as prepares the earth and as the word imports fermentates or levens it to receive the seed cast into it then who stayeth the bottles of heaven Hence note First Rain compacts the earth As moisture loosens compacted things so it compacts or knit together loose things The earth is soon made dust by droughts and it would be a very dust-heap if it had no moisture to reunite it The Lord threatens his people in case of disobedience Deut. 28.24 to make the rain of their Land powder and dust that is they should have dust and powder instead of water Long drought turns the earth to dust In this learn how great a mercy there is in rain Secondly note The Lord knows when the earth hath had sufficient rain And therefore unless in judgement he will not let the clouds run wast he will stay his bottles from letting down one drop more when once the dust by rain falling upon it groweth into hardness and the clods cleave fast together Note Thirdly 'T is a mercy when the earth hath enough that God stops the bottles As it is a duty when we have drank enough to stop the bottle that is to give over drinking so 't is a mercy that the Lord stops the bottles when the earth hath drank enough When the earth hath enough the Lord sometimes will not stop the bottles of heaven but lets them pour down rain till the fruits of the earth are utterly spoyled and this he doth for the punishment of mans sin always and sometimes for the punishment of those special sins mans unthankfulness for and abuse of the fruits of the earth that is because he did not stay the bottle when he had taken enough Now if the Lord knows when to give rain and when to stop it with respect to husbandry and the natural fruits of the earth then doubtless he knows and will take care to give rain for the souls of his people when they have need Psal 68.2 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary which is specially meant of spiritual rain There are bottles of heaven which water souls The Preachers of the word are those bottles or clouds which hold and destil the mystical rain the Lord will not stop them till he sees the hearts of men made fit to bring forth the fruits of righteousness holiness he will not stop I say that spiritual rain till this be effected unless in judgement to a people that have despised the rain and slighted those showers of divine doctrine against such the Lord will stop the bottles of heaven then their souls turn to dust and their hearts become hard as rocks or like the mountains upon which neither rain nor dew falls fruitless and barren of every good word and work JOB Chap. 38. Vers 39 40 41. 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion or fill the appetite of the young Lions 40 When they couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lie in wait 41. Who provideth for the Raven his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat THe Lord having by a multitude of questions proposed to Job concerning inanimates or creatures without life such as are the Earth the Sea the Heavens the Clouds and Meteors having I say by these questions convinced him of his weakness and insufficiency as also of the transcendent power and wisdom which abideth
yet it is pleasing and toothsom and savoury to them What the Lord pâ—ovides for Ravens is to them dainties and delicacies carrion is so to them because 't is sutable to their nature such as their stomack likes very well The sutableness of any food to our taste and palate makes it delightful to us What makes sin which is as odious as a carrion or corrupt thing to God and good men pleasant to carnal and wicked men but the sutableness of it to their nature they can feed upon sin as heartily and hungrily as a Raven doth upon a putrified carcase And what 's the reason that the ways of God are so pleasant to a godly man is it not because his heart is made through grace sutable to them To do the will of God is meat and drink to a godly man but his soul being in a right frame can no more delightfully do any thing that is sinfully evil than he can delight to feed bodily upon putrifaction or poyson Who provideth his food For the Raven The Hebrew word for a Raven signifies blâ—ckness darkness Corvus in Hebraeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus à colore nigro Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crocitare or the evening The Raven is the true Black-bird a dark-coloured creature black as a Raven is the Scripture language for perfect blackness The Greek word for a Raven intimates her hoarse harsh and unpleasant cry or croking As the coat of the Raven is eminent for a beautiful blackness so his note is well known by his unpleasant and jarring hoarsness The note of the Crow or Raven sounds like the Latine Cras cras in English To morrow to morrow or the day to come And hence men who when called to present repentance and forsaking of their sins desire time and say to morrow to morrow are said to resemble Crows and Ravens Zorom l. 4. whose only song is cras cras 'T is reported concerning Athanasius that walking in the streets of a Heathenish or Gentile City a Raven slew over his head and croked the Heathens that stood by laught and smil'd to see the Raven flie and croke so neer him and they asked What said the Raven to thee He answered The Raven cryed to morrow to morrow for to morrow the Emperor will send out such an Edict or Decree as will put a stop to your superstitious observation of Heathenish Feasts And though he knew nothing of the Emperors purpose at that time to put forth such a decree yet the next day there came a command from the Emperor that they should no more observe them And then the Heathens cryed out against Athanasius and said that he was a Witch Further The Raven is so called in our language from her ravening her name speaks her nature as Nabals did his 1 Sam. 25.25 yet even Ravens are under the Lords inspection Who provideth for the Raven his food Hence note The worst and vilest creatures are under the care of God The Lord doth not give Job an instance of his care in the people of Israel for whom he provided a long time in Egypt and whom he fed forty years in the wilderness nor in Elias fed by Ravens but in his feeding Ravens nor among fowls doth he instance in the Hawk or Falcon which are highly prized and fed by Princes nor in the sweet singing Nightingale or such like musical pretty birds which men keep choicely and much delight in but in that hateful and malicious bird the croking Raven whom no man values but as she eats up the carrion which might annoy him Behold then and wonder at the providence and kindness of God that he should provide food for the Raven a creature of so dismal a hue and of so untuneable a tone a creature that is so odious to most men Avis inauspicata and ominous to some There is a great providence of God seen in providing for the Ant or Pismire who gathers her meat in Summer Prov. 6.8 but a greater in the Raven who though he forgets or is careless to provide for himself yet God provides and layeth up for him One would think the Lord should say of Ravens let them shift for themselves or perish no the Lord God doth not despise any work of his hands the Raven hath his being from God and therefore the Raven shall be provided for by him not only the fair innocent Dove but the ugly Raven hath his meat from God As the Lord feeds not only Doves but Ravens in kind so he feeds not only Doves but Ravens in a figure that is he feeds not only dove-like or innocent men but raven-like or wicked men Mat. 5.45 He causeth his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Thus he feeds Ravens in the likeness of men Such men whose minds feed upon carrion the Lord feeds their bodies with excellent dainties they fare deliciously every day as the rich Glutton is said to do who was but a Raven The Lord I say doth not only provide for his better and more excellent ones but he provides for the bad for the evil for the wicked such an indulgent father and provider is God towards all his creatures We find this reported to the praise of God Psal 104.10 11. He sendeth the Springs into the valleys which run among the Hills they give drink to every beast of the field the wilde Asses quench their thirst And again Psal 145.15 16. The eyes of all wait upon or look unto thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire that is the hunger and thirst of every living thing He that gives life to all upholds the lives of all As it shews the great power of God that he hath made some living creatures the Angels and souls of men which need no mear so it is a very great glory that he provides meat for all that â—eed it God hath a great houshold and he keeps a plentiful house the meanest of his houshold have food convenient for them Now Doth the Lord provide a table for the Ravens Remember Christâ— Inference from it Then much more will he provide a Table for his children who fear him and trust upon him Behold saith Christ Mat. 6.26 the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they And that which Christ spake in general there concerning the fowls of the air he in the 12th of Luke ver 24. spake particularly of the Raven Coâ—sider the Ravens for they neither sow nor reap c. and God feedeth them how much more are ye better as if the Lord had said than the fowls Ye are much better than the best of fowls then how much better than the worst the Ravens and be ye assured that as much as ye are better than
hunted David even as a wild Goat on the rocks or as a Partridg on the mountains Fifthly They who hunt the wild Goats are at a very dangerous pleasure they often fall upon the rocks and sometimes fall from the rocks Is it not so with those who without cause pursue good men have they not a dangerous service of it get they not many a fall The wicked saith David Psal 37.12 13. plotteth or as the Margin hath it practiseth against the righteous he gnasheth upon him with his teeth But shall it go well with him who doth this evil The next words answer The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming What day surely a black day even the day of his destruction which is yet further confirmed in the 14. and 15. verses of the same Pâ—alm The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to slay such as be of upright conversation or the upright of way But shall this end well with them or shall it be well with them in the end The next words tell us what their end shall be even this which is a dreadful end Their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bows shall be broken Sixthly 'T is observed of these wild Goats that when they seem to be very near falling from the rock and high places yet they fall not and that though they fall they take little or no hurt at all Some say they have a naturall art to save themselves they know how to fall upon their feet and so escape without harm This also is applicable to the case of godly men they are often near falling yet they do not fall and when they fall they take no hurt they have a divine art to preserve themselves and 't is a truth that though they do receive hurt in the flesh yet their spirit or better part takes no hurt Though a good man fall into affliction or temptation he shall not saith David Psal 37.24 be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Yea though he falleth saith Solomon Prov. 24.16 seven times that is often into affliction 't is true also of his falling into sin yet he riseth again out of affliction by deliverance out of sin by repentance With respect to the former the Church warned her insulting enemy Mich. 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise Babylon shall fall and rise no more but though Sion may fall yet she shall assuredly rise again Lastly It is said of the wild Goats that when they receive hurt they by a natural instinct seek out the herb Betany growing among the rocks and upon mountains which gives a present and perfect cure to their bruises or hurts Thus when good men receive hurt in and from the evil world they have some herb or other some comfort or other for their cure they go to the Word of God to the Scriptures there they find Medicine for all their sicknesses Betany for all theiâ— bruises and a Salve for every sore Thus we may spiritualize our meditations upon these wild creatures the Goats of the rocks in allusion to the state of godly men in this life Knowest thou the time when the wild Goats of the rock bring forth Or canst thou mark when the Hinds do calve Here 's another sort of wild ones the Hind Canst thou mark the word imports the most strict and heedful marking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solicitudinem diligent iam Connotat 'T is used by Jacob Gen. 37.11 when Joseph had told his dream his Brethren envied him but his Father observed the saying that is he marked what his Son had said The word is often used to note our dutiful keeping or heeding the commands of God which should be done with the greatest strictness care and observation Now saith the Lord to Job canst thou mark or observe when the Hinds do calve as if the Lord had said dost thou keep their reckoning exactly art thou able to tell the day and hour when they will calve The word rendred Hind comes from a root signifying strength Hinds are strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cerva though timorous and fearful creatures and for their fearfulness they have a help besides their strength that is their speed or swiftness and though their strength doth not serve them sufficiently to stand and make head against their pursuers yet it serves them as we may say to shew their pursuers a fair pair of heels or to run from them and escape their danger Canst thou mark when the Hinds Do calve It is the same word in the Original which in the former part of the verse is translated to bring forth Mas cum pinguerit longè secedit ut qui pondere suae corpulentiae capi se posse facile sentiat Aristot l. 9. c. 5. de natura animalium but because that special word calving is more proper to Hinds therefore we wave the general sense bringing forth which is applicable to any kind of beasts and take this not rendring as before when the Hinds bring forth but when they calve The Hind is a wild beast often spoken of in Scripture and well known in nature the male we commonly call a Stagg or Hart of which naturalists observe two things First That perceiving himself to grow fat in the latter end of summer and being conscious of his own inability to help himself by flight he retires naturally to covert in secret places that so he may be free from the pursute of hunters Cum suâ— amisâ—â—it arma cavit ne inermis reperiatur Arist ubi supra Secondly Say they when he hath cast his horn then also he retires and gets into the thicket as far from sight as he can being sensible he hath lost his armes his defence and is therefore unwilling to come abroad where danger is till his head be grown again and he furnished with weapons for his own defence The Hind in the Text is the female and the Scripture speaks of the Hind in a twofold allusion First In allusion to Christ Secondly In allusion to those that are Christs Jesus Christ himâ—elf is often alluded to under this name and that in a three-fold respect 1. For his swiftness and speediness in coming to the relief and help of his Church Cant. 28.9 Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills my beloved is like a Roe or young Hart or Hind 't is the same word His leaping and skipping notes 1. His chearfulness 2. His speediness in coming The mountains and hills upon which he leaps and skips note the great obstacles and difficulties which stand in his way when he comes to help his Church his beloved Spouse Again Cant. 8.13 Be thou like the young Roe or young Hart upon the mountains of spices The Church describes the gracious hast which she desires Jesus
give deliverance to his people in the very nick of time when the months of their sorrow and burdens are fulfilled for he knows the number of them The children of Israel had long and sore bondage in Egypt but no longer than the months which were appointed for as soon as they were fulfilled their bondage was ended and they delivered mark how the Spirit of God records it to a day Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred aâ—d thirty years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the h sts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt Nor doth the sacred Record leave it thus but adds vers 42. It is a night to be much observed or according to the letter of the Hebrew A night of observations unto the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt This is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations But Moses said in the former verse It was the self-same day Why doth he say here It is a night c And this is that night of the Lord c. The reason I conceive was this The word day may be taken largely for a natural day consisting of twenty four hours now because the four hundred and thirty years were fulfilled and ended at the beginning of that day the Jewish account of dayes beginning at evening â—herefore their deliverance began then and did not stay till the morning Thus exact is the Lord keeping his word not only to a day but to a piece yea to the very hour of a day And as the Lord gave that people deliverance just when those years were fulfilled according to that ancient prophecy so doubtless when the forty two months or which is the same the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for his witnesses prophecying in sack-cloth Rev. 11.2 3. shall be fulfilled then they also shall come out of their bondage from under mystical Egypt and Babylon Men have been long guessing at the fulfilling of those forty two months but may we not say to them concerning the birth of that prophecy in the same sense that the Lord doth here to Job concerning the particular time when the wilde Goats of the rock and the Hinds bring forth Canst thou number the months that they fulfil As the particular time of the Hinds fulfilling her months so of Sions fulfilling her months of sorrow in this world is a secret which the Lord hath reserved to himself and keeps fast lockt up in the Cabinet of his eternal counsels Knowest thou the time when they bring forth The Lord having thus questioned Job about the time of the bringing forth of these two creatures in these two verses proceeds to question him about the manner of their bringing forth or the painfulness of it Vers 3. They bow themselves c. These words are a description of the hard travel of the Hinds not of the Goats as Interpreters generally agree Bowing of the body is the posture of any creature in travel to bring forth As if the Lord had said Is it thou O Job that hast or I that have given them an instinct in nature to put their bodies as wilde as they are considerately into such a posture when their pains come upon them as may be most easeful for themselves and least hurtful to their off-spring by bowing their bodies to dilate the passages of nature and so by a natural Midwifry to deliver themselves of their burdens as followeth They bring forth their young ones The word rendred bring forth signifies to cleave asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè findo diffindo trajicio implying their extream pain in bringing forth or that it is to them as grievous as the rending and cleaving of their bodies could be So the word is translated Chap. 16.13 where Job making a lamentable complaint about his sufferings under the hand of God expresseth it thus His archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder Such torture have these poor creatures in bringing forth their young which is more plainly set down in the close of the verse They cast out their sorrows Which may be understood two ways First bowing to free themselves of their young ones their sorrows end or there is an end of their sorrows they are cast out Secondly Thus they cast out their sorrows that is their young ones are cast out which have put them to much sorrow grievous throws so may well be called their sorrows as Rachel called that child with which she had such hard travel Ben-oni The son of her sorrows Gen. 35.18 The word which we render sorrows signifies cords and bonds implying that these creatures are girded and bound about with extream pain until by the power of God in nature they receive deliverance Some are bound and girded with troubles in and from the world who yet are not sorrowful we through faith may even glory in tribulation Rom. 5.3 but they who are sorrowful are alwayes bound and therefore the same word signifieth bonds and sorrows They cast out their sorrows Hence note First Even wilde and savage creatures bring forth with pain This is part of that vanity brought by mans sin upon the creature of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 8.22 We know that the whole creation or every creature groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The creatures groan as bâ—ing laden with a heavy burden and they travel in pain as a woman with child to be eased and delivered of her burden even those creatures which in proper sense neither travel nor bring forth yet are said to groan and tâ—avel in pain by reason of the sin of man and therefore the Apostle â—aith They groan and travel in pain together that is all the creatures joyn in this They do not some groan others sing some travel in pain and others travel in or take their pleasure but they are all as it were sensible of their sad change and bewail it sadly and saith the Apostle they groan and travel until now or unto this now not as if their groaning did then cease when this was said but to shew that it had continued without ceasing until that instant now and so it will continue until the manifestation of the sons of God spoken of vers 19. As soon as man sinned the Lord laid that affliction on the woman In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Gen. 3.16 Now that which was first declared an affliction with respect to the woman is fallen upon all creatures in their degree they all are more or less pained in travel or travel in pain The sin of man hath brought sorrow upon the whole world even upon sinless creatures therefore man should pity poor creatures in their sorrows his sin having brought those sorrows upon them How vile then are they who meerly to satisfie their lusts encrease the sorrows of the creature
all sorts of wild beasts and then say they in the latter part of the verse the wild Ass is especially spoken of under another tearm for though we have he wild Ass according to our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both parts of the Text yet under different appellations by which some understand two soâ—ts of wild Asses but others take the first only in general for wild beasts of any sort and the latter for this particular sort of wild beasts the wild Ass But I conceive we need not be so curious for though we take both the former and the latter word for the same the sense is clear and the same Who hath sent out the wild Ass free Or who hath loosed the bands of the wilde Ass But was the wilde Ass here spoken of at any time in bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod promde videtur aliud animal ab Onagro non tamen multum differens Grot. Aliqui vertunt Onagrum Alcen quae sunt equorum asinorum agrestium genera Distinguit inter Onagrum Alcen Plinius lib. 8. c. 15. and now set free I answer The Lord speaks thus figuratively not that the wilde Ass was ever in bonds but that because he is so untractable and will by no means be mannag'd he seems to be as one loosed from bonds even as Oxen and Horses which serve man and are under his power seem bound to his service So then as the former so this latter part of the verse is not to be expounded as if the wilde Ass had ever been under restraint and afterwards was sent forth free and loosed from his bonds but both expressions intend only that as his disposition is for freedom so in his condition he is and alwayes hath been free from bondage for not only is he free from bondage who having been in bondage is delivered as slaves and captives oftentimes are but he may be said to be free from bondage or to have his bonds loosed who was never in bonds who was either born free or who by his wit skill and policy or the help of others hath been preserved from bondage A man may be said to be free from sickness that never was sick as well as he that is restored from sickness to health and so a man that never was in bonds may be said to be free from bonds as well as he that is delivered from bondage Thus the wilde Ass in the Text is said to have his bonds loosed though he never was in bonds As the Lord hath made all creatures so he hath made some free others servile he hath set some at liberty but holds others at hard labour all their dayes in drawing travelling or bearing heavy burdens The words are plain the sum and scope of them may be thus conceived As if the Lord had asked Job by whom this natural inclination was given to the wilde Ass that he should so earnestly desire liberty as also who gave him that foâ—ce and stoutness that he should be able to live without Law to follow his own lust not at all submitting to nor guided by the will of others Who hath sent out the wilde Ass free Hence observe First That some creatures are free from and others bound to service is of Gods own appointment It would be both a vanity and a high presumption to ask the reason why the Lord hath appointed some creatures to spend the whole time of their lives in liberty and that others should be continually groaning under bondage labouring and sweating tyring and wearying themselves out in the service of men seeing we cannot change the orders of God And as we must not busie our selves with enquiring why he hath not subjected the wilde Ass to the same bonds and burdens as he hath tame Asses So we must not say unto God why hast thou made some men to serve others to rule no nor why he handles some men more gently others more grievously We must resolve all these questions into the will dominion and soveraignty of God and we may well conceive that the Lord would in this question about the wilde Asses intimate unto us as well as unto Job that he hath a power in himself which no man ought to question to free some men from the bonds of service and to bind others to free some men from the bonds of affliction sorrow and trouble in this world while others are hamper'd and held fast in them all their dayes What Job spâ—ke in reference to the various dispensation of bodily health Chap. 21.23 24 25. One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones moistned with marrow and another dyeth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure the same may be said about the dealings of God with men as to bodily liberty one dyeth free he girded himself all the dayes of his life as Christ said to Peter of his younger dayes Joh. 21. and went whither he pleased no man asking whither goest thou or why stayest thou here another is laid by the heels or girded by others and never enjoyeth the freedom of his own person or motions he poor man is bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction as Elihu spake in the 36th Chapter of this book This was Jobs case he was in the bonds and cords of affliction while others enjoyed peace and liberty Now man ought no more to question the Lord why one man is afflicted and another free then why the wilde Ass is free and the tame a servant As the whole creation which was occasionally shewed at the third verse is subject unto bondage by reason of the sin of man and groaneth till it be delivered so the soveraignty of God hath laid this bondage heavier upon some parts of the creation or upon some creatures than upon others And as we should daily and deeply bewail it that our sin hath brought bondage upon the creature so we should humbly submit to whatsoever bondage or hard travel the soveraignty of God hath designed us in one kind or other while we are in this world Secondly Consider to whom 't is granted to be free and to have their bonds loosed it is to wilde Asses Then observe To be free from labour and service is but a very low priviledge It is but the priviledge of an Ass and as it is but a low priviledge to be free from service so it is a great sin to cast off service Some under pretence of liberty cast off obedience and will not bear the yoak of duty or good government this is indeed to be free as the wilde Ass is free Such are spoken of Psal 2.2 3. Come let us break their bonds and cast their cords from us They that would break the bonds and cords there spoken of desire only and look after a sinful liberty a meaner liberty than that of the wilde Ass The Prophet going to the
not be brought to hand he will neither bear the yoak nor wear the bridle nor endure to be harnessed like the Ox and Horse let man do what he will what he can with him he will neither go to Plow nor Cart not he Hence note First Service should be done with willingness or with the will It is the commendation of a servant when he doth his Masters work with his will more than with his hand Man should be as willing to serve as he is to be served as willing to obey as to rule nor doth any man know truly how to command but he that knows how to obey and when called is willing to obey in the service of God nothing is done to him unless it be done with the will and therefore the full effect of the work of the grace of God upon the heart of man is comprehended in this one word Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power They were once like the Unicorn in the Text that will not serve but in the day of thy power when the word comes upon them in the power of the Spirit they shall serve with all manner of dutiful readiness and willingness Some men are not at all wrought to the service of God others serve him but are not willing to serve they do it by constraint not willingly for base fear of loss or for baser hope of filthy lucre not of a ready mind upon which carnal terms the Apostle Peter warns the Ministers of the Gospel to take heed they feed not the flock of God 1 Epist 5.2 Nothing but a day of power conquering the will renders us willing to serve Christ willing to submit to the yoak of Christ to be bound in his furrow and to harrow the valleys after him that is to do any work that he calls us to Service should be with the will and 't is so by grace That 's the first thing which the nature of the Unicorn is against as to the service of man he hath no will to it Secondly Note Some beasts have a kind of willingness to serve man That some beasts have such a willingness is more than implyed while 't is said that some have not As the wild Ass before was spoken of in opposition to the tame so here the Unicorn is spoken of in opposition to the Ox or Horse who though they are not properly willing to serve yet they will not alwayes refuse service but freely at last or after a while take the yoak and receive the bridle The Apostle saith Rom. 8.20 The creature is made subject to vanity not willingly The creatures are not willing to serve the lusts of men yet many of them are willing to serve the occasions and necessities of men 'T is through the sin of man that the creature is made subject to vanity but it is through the appointment of God that the creature is made subject to duty and that with a kind of willingness Thirdly 'T is said here of the Unicorn as of the wild Ass before Canst thou make him willing when thou hast used fair means foul means one way or other will he serve thee he will not Hence note It is hard to change nature Naturam ex pelias furca licet usque recurret Laâ—pus pilum non antevum mutâ—t Beasts hold fast their natural qualities The Horse the Bullock who are tame by nature will come to hand but the wild Ass and the Unicorn whose nature is quite opposite to service will never be broken nor brought to it Thrust out nature with a fork it will return again Till nature is quite altered and changed acts will not change 'T is thus with man considered in nature who as he is compared to a wild Asses Colt Chap. 11.12 so he may be compared to an Unicorn Will man be willing to serve God no not by any moral perswasions no nor heartily he may hypocritically by any outward benefits nor by any hard usages Though as Solomon saith Prov. 27.22 thou shouldst bray a fool in a morter among wheat with a pestle yet will not his foolishness depart from him A carnal man will never submit quietly to duty till God hath changed his nature and made him a new man or till his mind is renewed after the image of God Conversion is first a change of our nature and then of our way This makes conversion so difficult a work Good education and humane instructions may change a mans way but nothing less than the power of God can change his nature Man is naturally as unwilling to serve God as the wild beasts are to serve man He is as stout and as stiff as the Unicorn as cruel and fierce as the Lion as crafty as a Fox as crooked and cross as any creature unless his heart be changed he will never to purpose change his course Man cannot change the course of the Unicorn because he cannot change his nature and could not God change mans nature he could never really change his course Fourthly Observe That any of the creatures especially strong ones are brought to hand or to the service of man must be ascribed to the power and goodness of God The Horse would no more serve man than the Unicorn nor would the Ox serve man more than the wild Ass unless the Lord had put another spirit or disposition into them than he hath done into the Unicorn Fifthly Observe That any of the creatures are unserviceable to man is to be ascribed to the sin of man At first all creatures were subject to man not only the Horse and the Ox and all the now tame creatures but the fiercest Lions Tygers Bears Unicorns were all in subjection to man according to that soveraign power given man by God in the day that God made him Gen. 1.27 28. So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them And God blessed them and said to them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fishes of the sea and over the fowls of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth The original grand Charter of mans Soveraignty was extended over the Unicorn and the Lion c. And therefore when creatures are not willing to serve man especially when they rise up against man let man remember his sin in not obeying the Soveraign command of God Had not man been unwilling to submit to and serve God Quòd non omnia animalia homini serviunt signum est poâ—na peccati no creature had been unwilling to serve man We may see our own neglect or refusal to serve God in the refusal of any creature to serve us we may see our own rebellion against God by the rebellion of the creatures against us Unless man had departed from God by sin none of the creatures had departed from their subjection to
strength yet is serviceable to man for very many and very necessary uses as was toucht before not only for pleasure for hunting and racing but for burden and for travel for draught and for war Hence note The power and goodness of God is much seen and much to be acknowledged in making a creature so strong yet subject to and useful for man Some creatures have great strength yet are noâ— nor will be subject nor serviceable to man It is said at the 10. verse of this Chapter concerning the Unicorn Canst thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrow or will he harrow the valleys after thee The Unicorn hath great strength but man can get no service from him he cannot bind him in the furrow nor make him do him any other work Why is it that the Horse who is of great strength though possibly not of so great strength as the Unicorn is so serviceable surely the reason is only this Because God by his power hath subdued the strength of the Horse to and for the service of man Who could break the Horse who could handle and manage him if God himself had not brought him to hand The Elephant greater in strength than the Horse or Unicorn is yet made subject to the use of man by the power and appointment of God Take five Inferences from both these considerations That the strength of the Horse is of God and that the Horse though mighty in strength is by God subdued to the use of man First If the strength of horses be the gift of God then do not glory in their strength though they are very strong yet rejoyce not in their strength but in God who hath given them their strength David saith Psal 147.10 The Lord delights not in the strength of the Horse The Lord gives the Horse strength but he delights not in it no nor in the legs of a man The Lords delight is in them that fear him The Lord tells us he doth not delight in them to teach us that we should not delight in them The Lord delights not in the strength of a horse much less in the strength of those men who are like Horses and Mules of whom David speaks Psal 32.9 whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come neer unto us to do us a mischief Some men are strong in body and strong in mind too they have strong understandings and strong memories yet aâ—e but like strong horses that must be held in with bit and bridle else they will do more mischief with their strength than the strongest ungoverned horses In these the Lord delights not he cannot delight in the strength of any who are strong to sin and to do wickedly or to give it in the words of the Prophet Isa 5.22 Who are strong to drink wine and to mingle strong drink such a strength some men glory in but the Lord abhors all that strength which is used and issued to the darkning of his glory Secondly As we are not to delight in the strength of horses but in God who hath given them their strength so whatever strength we see in the horse or in any other creature we should give God the glory of it Do not glory in the strength of creatures but in God who gives them their strength that which he hath given or cometh from him should return unto him in daily praise or in the due acknowledgement of his power and goodness Thirdly Vse the strength of horses I say also your own strength for God and not against him We should take heed of imploying the strength which God hath given a beast against God much more should we take heed of using our own strength against him When men imploy the strength of a beast or their own against God they imploy the gift against the giver and so fight against God with his own weapons Fourthly If the strength of horses be of God or be his gift Then trust not in the strength of horses Use the strength of horses but do not trust the strength of horses If you trust that strength which God hath given to horses you make them your God How often doth God foâ—bid trusting in the strength of horses as knowing that we are apt to trust in any thing that is strong though but a beast Psal 33.17 A horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength As if God had said you think a horse can save you but know he is a vain thing And when the Psalmist saith A horse is a vain thing he doth not mean it of a weak horse but of such a horse as is here described a horse of the greaâ—est strength imaginable such a horse is a vain thing to save a man neither can he deliver any by his strength and therefore the Lord when he promised great deliverances to his people lest they should expect it by the strength of horses faith Hos 1.7 I will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by battel by horses nor by horse-men As if he had told them do not look after creature strength to be saved by a horse will be a vain thing to save you and I can save you effectually without horses yea I will Hence the people of God Hos 14.3 when beaten off from all outward helps and trusts are brought in speaking thus Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods Heretofore we thought to be saved by this and that we thought if we could have horses enough they would save us but now Ashur shall not save us nor will we ride upon horses We may collect from Psal 20.7 how the spirit of man runs out this way Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God The Law of Moses gave great caution about this thing limitting even the King in this case and that Law was made for the King some hundred of years before they had a King Deut. 17.16 He shall not multiply horses to hâ—mself nor cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply horses As if it had been said take heed you do not put your confidence upon the strength of horses though the Law deny not your King the use of horses both for civil and military affairs yet it limits him that he shall not multiply them lest having many of them he should look upon them as more than they are or can be his help and so put confidence in them Hence also is that reproof Isa 31.1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horse-men because they are very strong We see how the spirit of man runs out to the horse which God hath
the horse either to start or turn he flincheth not nor draweth he back at the ratling of the quiver The quiver ratleth against him There is a twofold interpretation of these words arising from the ambiguity of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by us rendred against which others translate by super upon conceiving that here mention is made of those weapons which the horse with his Rider bear Pharâ—trae à sessore suo gestatae fragrore non terretur Bez. as if the meaning were The quivers which Archers on horse back carry at their sadles or by their sides ratle upon him But most as our translation hath it render that preposition by against and so understand the whole verse of those armes which the enemy or contrary party use in conflict And that this is the better and more proper exposition is clear from the series and tendency of the words for here the valour and generosity of the horse is painted to the life towards which the mention of those arms which the horse himself or the horse-man managing him beareth doth not contribute the least line or shadow but the mention of those ratling armes or of the ratling of those armes which the adverse party bear and brandish against him tends to a notable demonstration of his courage 'T is a great evidence of a horses boldness to rush upon or charge an enemy whose armes ratle against him and who holds out weapons purposely fitted to wound kill and slay all that come near him So that what is said ver 21. He goeth on to meet the armed men and ver 22. He mocketh at fear neither turneth he back from the sword is here further illustrated and heightned by recounting several other deadly weapons of which the horse is as dreadless When the horse moves much the quiver ratles so also do both spears and shields as it followeth in the Text. The glittering spear and the shield Well furbisht spears and shields glitter or as the Hebrew hath it flame The heads points of spears being burnished brighten'd seem like burning fire or flames yet the horse is not moved by them We read of a flaming sword in a higher sense Gen. 3.24 as here of flaming spears and shields Now as the clashing and ratling of armes so the brightness of them is terrible but neither the one nor the other neither the ratling quiver nor the glittering spear and shield trouble the couragious horse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saepe lancea reditur Mr. Broughton translates not shield but javelin which is an offensive or missive weapon the word is rendred spear Josh 8.18 1 Sam. 174 5. as also at the 29th verse of the 41th Chapter of this Book These things laid together bring in or make up a fuller proof of the horses courage the quiver ratleth against him the spear and shield ratle too yet he is not discouraged Hence Note First The confused noise of weapons in war wounds the ear and the heart or the heart at the ear as well as the sharpness of their point or edge wounds the flesh It is matter of amazement to hear the sounding the rattling the clashing of armes and other dreadful noises that the field is filled with in a day of battle Isa 9.5 Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and 't is much that the confusion of the noise doth not make a confusion in the spirits of those that are ingag'd in battle Note Secondly Not to be terrified with noises and dreadful sounds shews strength and stoutness of spirit It is a piece of valour in the horse not to be troubled with or at the ratling of the quiver The Lord to shew that he would totally take away the spirit of courage from his own people for their sins who had been so valiant to sin against him and would run upon sin notwithstanding the ratling of his quiver his threatnings denounced against them telleth them Levit. 26.36 I will carry you into the land of your enemies What then And saith he upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them Now as it shews an extream cowardize and faintness of spirit to shake and run at the shaking of a leaf so to stand firm to keep our ground and not be moved when there is such a noise and clattering as even shakes the earth and confounds all the elements as it were this shews a mighty courage Vers 24. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage c. Absorbet torram poetica locutio sic vorare viam vorare literas Drus Helluones librorum Still the expressions rise higher and higher the courage of the horse transports him so far that he even swalloweth the ground We say of some hard and great students they swallow up books they make no bones of great books So here to shew the mighty courage and fierceness of the horse he is represented as if he would eat up or swallow the very ground he treads on Yet many Expositors are not satisfied that the Hebrew word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred to swallow and therefore they translate He diggeth the earth with fierceness and rage and expound it of his making holes in the ground by pawing in the valley spoken of verse 21. Master Broughton gives it thus With snaking and stirring he beateth upon the earth The Chaldee Paraphrase saith â—acit foveam in terra Tharg Fodit Pagn He makes a hole in the earth The authority of the Chaldee saith Bootius gives credit to this exposition and strengthens it because it shews that the word in the Syriack tongue many of which are used in this book of Job may well signifie to dig or make a hole seeing from this Verbe a Noune is derived which in that language signifies a hole or pit And if we take this interpretation saith he the words would not be a bare much less a needless repetition of what was said ver 21. He paweth in the valley For though according to this reading the Text in both places speaks of hollowing the earth yet we may give this difference the former being to be understood of those lighter touches which wanton lusty horses with one foot give the earth but this latter of great and deep impressions which they make in the earth with all their feet while heated with a desire to charge the enemy they are restrained and held in till the signal be given Secondly Others laying a side the metaphorical sense of the word swalloweth expound it properly of his biting or gnawing the earth A generous horse Morsu terram absorbere videtur to shew how he would eat up the enemy when he comes at him before he comes at him doth not only paw in the earth with his foot but gnaws the earth with his teeth as if he would
gives them this character 2 Sam. 1.23 They were stronger than Lions and swifter than Eagles that is they were exceeding swift Our adversaries were swifter than the Eagles said the poor captivated Church when the Assyrian came in against them Lam. 4.19 Read also Deut. 28.49 Hos 8.1 Hab. 1.8 Cicero the Orator in his second book of Divination tells us that when one who was to run a race reported to an Interpreter Vicisti ista enim ave volat nulla vehementior Cicer. l. 2. de divin that he dreamed he was turned into an Eagle the Interpreter presently answered Then you shall overcome or get the mastery For the Eagle is the strongest and swiftest of all flying fowls Secondly The Eagle exceeds all as in swiftness so in the uprightness of her flying She flies right up that 's it which the Text takes notice of She mounteth up she mounts up like an arrow out of a bow Non obliquo tramite ut caeterae aves vel per gyrum ut accipiter sed recto sursum fertur Aelian lib. 14 c. 10. Aquila derem volatu superat sublimius evadit Oppian Aquila in nuhibus whereas other fowls when they flie high they do it obliquely or side-long by gyration or fetching a compass but the Eagle asceâ—ds directly not as I may say by winding stairs but in a right line Thirdly As the swiftness and uprightness of the Eagles motion so the highness of it is wonderful The Eagle mounts till she is quite out of sight no bodily creature can reach the Eagles altitude One of the Ancients saith The Eagle soars above the air he means I suppose the lower region of the air as if she would visit the starry heavens And hence it is said proverbially of any thing which we cannot easily reach or come at 'T is an Eagle in the clouds Her common attribute or epithete is The high-flying Eagle If it be questioned why doth the Eagle mount up so high these two reasons may be given of it First That she may come down or stoop with greater force upon her prey and that makes the Eagle so formidable to all the fowls of the air Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à â—oetis dictus And hence the Poets call her a Thunder bringer because she mounts up on purpose to that amazing height that she may come down upon her prey more forcibly even like a thunder-bolt And thus proud men desire to get on high that they may more easily make a prey of and crush as the Eagle doth those that are below them Secondly The Eagle mounts thus high to please her self 't is sutable to her spirit Every one would be in action as he is in disposition The Eagle hath a high spirit and she must flie high and at high things The Eagle will not catch flies she scorns that game Doth the Eagle mount up At thy command The Hebrew is At thy mouth so the word is rendred in several other Scriptures Numb 13.3 And Moses by the commandement of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran that is he sent the men that were to search the Land The Hebrew is Moses by the mouth of the Lord sent them to search the Land Again 2 Kings 24.3 Surely at the commandement of the Lord came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for the sins of Manasseth As if it had been said When the enemy made inrodes upon the children of Israel and Judah how came this to pass surely at the command of the Lord or at the mouth of the Lord came this upon Judah It is the word in the Text Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command or at thy mouth One would think that it is not only the Eagles nature to mount up there is somewhat in that but that 's not all it is at the Lords mouth at his command and that we are specially to take notice of here What means this discourse about the Hawk and Eagle but to make us mount up our hearts to God and acknowledge him in the motion of every creature It is at Gods mouth that the Eagle mounts up but what 's the command that the Eagle receives from God Doth not the Eagle mount up by a natural instinct or according to the Law of nature planted in her I answer she doth Yet because that natural instinct of the Eagle is of God therefore we are to look upon the Eagle mounting up as by a special order and command of God And thus we are to understand the motion of all the creatures Facit hoc aquila naturali instinctu Omnis autem naturalis cursus rerum est quaedam motio creaturae ad praeceptum Dei Aquin. Dedistinè hanc naturam aquilae ut attollat se in altum Vatabl. as consequential of a command given out by God Psal 148.8 Fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word or his command Though there be a natural cause of the creatures motion of the motion of the wind of the vapour of the snow and hail yet we must not stop at the natural causes and look no farther neither rain nor snow fall nor winds blow but at the command of the Lord Not doth the Eagle mount up at the bidding or teaching of man but at the command of God acting her natural instinct in doing so Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command Hence Note The special motions of the creature are of God Mans mouth or command cannot make any creature stir foot or wing Who can make the Eagle mount the wind blow or the rain fall besides God Secondly As to the manner of this motion it s a mounting motion Note The motion of the creature upward hath much of the command of God in it Some have I know mounting motions at the command of the Devil the Lord hath the command of them though they are not commanded by him that is the proud imaginations the lofty thoughts of man these mounting motions are not at the command but against the command of the Lord the Lord suffers them but they are from Satan he puffs men up he blows them up with pride But both the natural mounâ—ings of the sensitives creatures and the gracious mountings of the new creature on high are by the command of God True believers have lowest or lowliest spirits yet highest and noblest aimes not grovelling on nor bowing to the earth but like an Eagle mounting up on high As this high flight of the soul is highly pleasing unto God so 't is made by his strength and at his command A believer flies high First In the contemplation of divine things What towering thoughts hath he concerning God and the concernments of salvation by Jesus Christ he is not mingling his soul with the dust nor mudding it upon the dunghils of this world As his conversation or trade is for things above so his mind and meditation is upon them Secondly As he flies high
give God the rule the law how to guide the world more equally in general or him in particular Whether the Contention lieth about the providence of God to the whole world or any Nation family or person it comes under the same question Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him That is Can he direct God to do and order things better or put them into a righter or more equitable course than they are disposed in No he cannot Who is the pleader saith Mr. Broughton that will instruct the Omnipotent let him come forth and try his skill Thus the Lord yet in a tender and fatherly way derides the folly of Job who would needs attempt upon the matter to teach him who is perfect in knowledge and to over-rule his decrees and determinations who is not only The Lord Chief Justice of all the World but Justice it self and the sole rule of it Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him Hence observe First There is a spirit in man in weak sinful man ready to contend with the Almighty God The question in the Text may be resolved into this position There are Contenders with God There are Contenders with the Word of God as was shewed before There are Contenders also with the Works of God or with God about his Works as I shall shew further now and this will soon appear if we do but compare the 4th verse of the 51th Psalme with the 4th verse of Rom. 3. In the Psalme David made Confession of his sin of that special enormous sin Adultery with the Murder that followed it Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mâ—ghtest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest As if David had said I humbly confesse my sin my adultery and my murder that when-ever the Lord shall bring any chastisement upon my person or upon my family when ever he shall afflict me or mine greatly he may be justified in so doing or that all the world may see that God had great reason to correct me and so justifie him in it For some possibly may say with wonder at the hearing of it What! the Lord correct David such a man as David so holy a man as David so just and upright a man as David Yes and the Lord is just in doing it and Dâ—vid confessed his sin that God might be justified when he should speak terrible things and be cleared when he should judge that is correct and afflict him terribly as the word is used 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves we should not be judged that is we should not be chastened as 't is expounded vers 32. When we are judged saith the Apostle there we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Now those words spoken by David are applied by the Apostle Rom. 3.4 to vindicate the honour of God against all aspersions whatsoever in his proceeding with man Let God be true and every man a liar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged In the Psalme the words are active That thou mayest be clear when thou judgest But St. Paul following as I remember the Septuagint renders them passively That thou mayest overcome when thou art judged As if he had said Some take upon them to judge God they who judge him contend with him that is they judge and passe sentence upon his works now saith the Apostle Let God be true and every man a liar that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged that is that all men may see and say thou art righteous though thou afflictest the godly for they sin and though thou condemnest the wicked for they sin and repent not of their sins These two Scriptures considered either apart or compared together besides many more which might be called into this service are a clear proof that there are Contenders with God about his works Yet possibly some may say surely there are none to be found so bold and presumptuous What contend with God I answer First There are some who do it very openly avowedly and with a bare face they stick not to speak their dis-satisfaction concerning the works of God and belch out blasphemy against what he hath done or is doing in the world Such doubtlesse were they of whom it is said Isa 8.21 They shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to passe that when they be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward not in faith and patience as they who in such extremities call earnestly and humbly upon God but in passion and vexation as they who wickedly curse God and depart from him Such also are they spoken of Rev. 16.9 who being scorched with great heat at the pouring out of the fourth vial upon the Sun blasphemed the Name of God who had power over those plagues and repented not to give him glory Secondly I answer There are many who do this secretly or within their teeth they bite in their words yet 't is the language of their hearts in tumultuating thoughts arising and working there about the works of God and thus a good man a Job who was a good man of the first form may be found contending with the works of God Any discontent with the works of God is a degree of contending with God about them Any secret rising of heart against what God doth is in this sence a striving with God yea our being not fully pleased and satisfied with what God doth is in some sense a contending with God And if all this be to contend with God how many are there that contend with God! and who almost is there that doth not Who can say in this thing my heart is clean Who can say but at one time or other he hath contended with God Remember when we would have things after our mind and mode when we are not free to comply with the will of God this is to contend with God There are two Cases as to the common state of the world in which the hearts even of good men are very apt to rise against the work of God First When they see the wicked prosper and carry all before them in the world then they are ready to say Why doth God suffer this Jeremiah had much adoe to keep his heart from contending with God in this case Jer. 12.1 And David could hardly keep his from it Psal 73.2 3. As for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked And for this he befooled himself vers 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Thus David was and many more have been offended at the work of God in giving good to
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
to speak very sparingly 'T is seldom that the tongue is left loose but it speaks loosly and it often speaks those things which give occasion of offence both to God and man As all iniquity shall at last stop her mouth Psal 107.42 that is evil men the abstract is put for the concrete shall be so ashamed and confounded for their evil deeds that when they are charged with them or convinced of them they shall hold their peace as if their mouths were stopped or like the man that came to the feast in the Gospel without his Wedding-garment they shall be speechless Now I say as all iniquity shall stop her mouth for shame so it is good for the best somtimes to stop their own mouths for fear they should speak any iniquity This godly fear as well as a gracious shame for what he had spoken amiss before caused Job to say Agnoscit se imparem esse sustinendae disputationi cum Deo illo summo aeterno bono Pro unum duo licet vertere semel bis sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semel in anno intrabit Pontifex fanctum sanctorum Levit. 16.34 Drus I will lay my hand upon my mouth which resolve he further confirms in the next verse Vers 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Once have I spoken That is once have I spoken amiss not that he never spoke but once for he had spoken often but once he had spoken amiss and been too forward with his tongue But I will not answer That is I will not speak so again But had Job spoken amiss but once he confesseth more in the latter part of the verse Yea twice but I will proceed no furthor Once yea twice Some Interpreters are much in shewing what that once or twice speaking should be First Some say it was that he so importunately desired to plead with God Secondly Others that he did so much justifie himself for though he did well in maintaining his integrity yet his over-doing it or being so much in it was not well Others That his once was his complaining of the afflictions of the godly especially of his own as if they were too heavy and he not weighed in an even ballance at least afflicted more than needed That his twice was his heightning the prosperity of the wicked as if God favoured them at least that he did not punish them as they deserved nor shew displeasure enough against them But we need not stay upon such particulars nor take once and twice strictly This expression once yea twice implies only that he had spoken often I have spoken not only once but twice that is I have spoken several times amiss The first step beyond once is twice and who knows how much beyond twice he had spake when he said once have I spoken yea twice the meaning plainly is I have several times spoken amiss We had this form of speech Job 33.14 where Elihu told Job that the Lord speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not that is he speaks often in a dream in a vision of the night and man understands not the meaning of it So here I saith Job have spoken once yea twice or many times But I will proceed no further or I will not adde saith the Hebrew I will no more apologize for my self nor stand in my own defence for in so doing I shall stand in my own light but lay my self low in the presence of God As if he had said My sin is already too great in that I have divers times spoken too boldly and freely if not presumptuously about thy proceedings but I will refrain from offending in that kind any more The sum of all that Job had spoken may be thus conceived Now Lord I confess to thee and before all the world my sin and folly in questioning any of thy dealings with me instead of submitting to them especially in urging a hearing of my cause in thy presence Therefore I revoke my challenge and cast my self at thy footstool acknowledging my self in comparison of thee every way vile and base utterly unable to satisfie any of thy demands And as I my self purpose so I humbly beg leave of thee that I may be silent I grant all that thou hast said of thy own greatness and of my vileness and I bewail my over-daring rashness I will not defend pertinaciously what I have said unadvisedly and to make sure of that I am resolved to say no more lest carryed out in heaâ— of speech I should heat my passions lâ—st multiplying words I should multiply my errours and so dash against the same reck again First In that Job confesseth once have I spoken yea twice Note A good man may fall often Once and more than once once and twice yea more than twice We cannot limit the number nor say to this or that number the failings or sinnings of a good man may come and no further Though it be very sad to multiply sins yet the best of men have multiplied them From the latter words I will proceed no further Note Secondly Though a good man may fall often yet a good man will not take leave to sin often no nor once He will not give himself a liberty to proceed or continue in sin When he hath sinned once or twice he does not say possibly I may sin again therefore what should I trouble my self about it who knows how often any man may sin no though he knoweth not how often he may sin yet he will not give himself liberty to sin not only not knowingly but not at all once more but saith in the strength of Christ I will proceed no further I will do so no more A gracious heart is so far from taking liberty to sin often that he takes up a resolve not to sin and will to the utmost watch against and keep himself pure from sin especially from his special sin as David did who said Psal 18.21 I have kept my self from mine iniquity As if he had said There is an iniquity which dogs me and follows me a sin which easily besets me but I have kept my self to the utmost of my power from falling into that iniquity And I say though a good man may multiply iniquity yet wo to those who give themselves scope to multiply iniquity or to commit any one iniquity The voice of true repentance is this I will sin no more Though I deny not but a man who hath truly repented of some particular sin and sincerely purposed not to commit it any more may being over-powered by corruption and temptation be overtaken with the same sin again yet the voice of true repentance is this and thus the penitent soul speaks in truth I will sin no more I will proceed no further Again Job had been confessing his fault his failings Once have I spoken yea twice The words are a penitent confession or the confession
of a penitent Now saith he I will proceed no further Hence note Thirdly When sins and failings are heartily and penitently confessed they are not persisted nor persevered in He that hath really confest his sin will to his utmost put a stop to his sin he will be so far from renewing or continuing in it that he sets himself might and main and prayes in aid from God against it True confession of sin is always seconded and followed with forsaking of sin The Prophet calling the people of Israel to repentance said Isa 1.16 Cease to do evil It will not avail us to say we have done evil unless we cease to do evil The promise of mercy is not to bare confessors but to those who are also forsakers of sin Prov. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy Prov. 30.32 If thou hast done foolishly lifting up thy self or if thou hast thought evil lay thy hand upon thy mouth do no more that is do not open thy mouth to speak a word in defence of it do not put forth thy hand any more to act it Every unfeigned confession of any one sin Confessio peccati est professio desinendi peccare Hilar. in Psal 136. Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod poenitet Bernard is a real profession against that and against all other sins That man let him be who he will is not a confessor of sin to God but a mocker of God who confesseth a sin and takes no care to keep himself pure not only from that but from every sin The Apostle John doth not only say Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin but he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Epist 3.9 Not that he hath not a natural power to sin but he hath not a will a mind to sin or he sins not with the full consent or swing of his will or he hath a sincere bent of will against every sin and would sin no more How wicked and bent to back-sliding were those Jews to whom the Lord said by his Prophet Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more The will of a wicked man is wholly for sin the will of a godly man as such is wholly against sin so that when he sinneth he may be said to sin against his own will as well as against the will of God and therefore being convinced that he hath sinned though but in passion or by impatient words as Jobs case was he gives his honest word for it as Job here did that he will proceed no further In these three verses Job hath shewed his repentance for his unwary speeches and excesses in language he hath confessed his own vileness and sits down as silenced by God yea as imposing silence upon himself Thus he is got a good way in the work of humiliation yet he was not come quite through he had not yet made such a confession of his sin nor was his heart so humbled as it ought to be before God would raise him up and therefore in the following part of this Chapter and in the next God sets upon him again and speaks to him a second time out of the whirlwind The Lord had begun to humble him and Job had begun to humble himself yet the Lord deals further with him to humble him more and speaks to him again out of the whirlwind What again out of the whirlwind Yes Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said c. And not only so but after the Lord had put many questions to him about himself as before about several creatures he had a reserve of two creatures more to question with him about that would more astonish him than all the rest Behemoth and Leviathan Thus we see when once the Lord begins to humble a soul he will make through work of it and never give it over till he hath brought him to the dust indeed Job was so far humbled that he had no more to say unto God but God had much more to say unto Job and all for this end that he might humble him more as will appear in opening that which followeth JOB Chap. 40. Vers 6 7 8 6. Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said 7. Gird up thy loyns now like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me 8. Wilt thou also disannul my judgement wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous IN the former verse Job gave out in the plain field confessing himself overcome not by rigour and force of arms but by reason and strength of argument or rather by that which is above all reasons and arguments the soveraign power and authority of God and thereupon he resolved to meddle no more to answer no further and that though he had spoken once yea twice yet he would not proceed he would adde no more he had enough of it he had already spoken too much much more with respect to God than came to his share Hereupon the Lord at this 6th verse begins again to speak and answer him and his answer is contained and continued quite through this fortieth Chapter together with the whole one and fortieth and in it we may consider these four things distinctly First A pâ—eface at the 6th verse Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind and said Secondly We have here a challenge at the 7th verse Gird up thy loyns now like a man I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me Thirdly We have in this answer of God a reproof of Job or a vehement expostulation with Job in the 8th and 9th verses Wilt thou also disannul my judgement wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous Hast thou an arm like God canst thou thunder with a voice like him Thus he expostulates thus he reproves Fourthly We have here a large proof or demonstration of the greatness power wisdom and soveraignty of God for the further conviction and humiliation of Job And this proof or demonstration of the power of God is laid down two wayes First By his providencial actings in destroying proud and wicked men This we have in the 10 11 12 13 and 14 verses Deck thy self now with majesty and excellency and array thy self with glory and beauty cast abroad the rage of thy wrath and behold every one that is proud and abase him As if the Lord had said these things I do I look on every one that is proud and bring him low I tread down the wicked in their place c. All this I can do and do in my providences daily Job canst thou do so too Thus we have a proof of the great power and soveraignty of God taken from his judiciary proceedings with proud men Secondly He gives of a proof his great power by a double instance from the work of creation as in the former Chapter by the works of
by contesting with God but by humbling our selves before him there 's no obtaining with God by contending with him much less by condemning him Vers 9. Hast thou an arm like God or canst thou thunder with a voice like him THe Lord at the 6th verse of this Chapter entered upon a vehement expostulation with Job to humble him and bring down his spirit and that Job might be thorowly humbled here the Lord in this 9th verse sheweth what a disparity there was between himself and Job as before in his righteousness Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayst be righteous art thou more righteous than I So here in his power Vers 9. Hast thou an arm like God canst thou thunder with a voice like him As if the Lord had said Let me see what thou canst do or whether thou canst do like God seeing thou carriest thy self so unlike a man That 's the scope and tendency of this 9th verse as of those that went immediately before The whole verse consists of two convincing questions The first in those words Hast thou an arm like God The second in these Canst thou thunder with a voice like him Hast thou an arm like God The arm properly taken is a noble and an eminent limb or member of mans body Nor hath any creature nor is any creature so much as said to have an arm but man And some may say seeing the arm is a bodily member how can God who hath no body be said to have an arm I answer 't is true God is a spirit without distinction of parts yet frequently in Scripture as humane passions so bodily parts are ascribed to God improperly or by a figure And because the arm is a strong and noble member of mans body that member by which man puts forth the greatness of his strength that member by which he doth and atchieves great things therefore the arm in Scripture signifies power and is the embleme of might and strength In this language the Lord threatned old Eli the High Priest 1 Sam. 2.31 Behold the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house c. that is I will take away thy power and the power of thy family Thus Zech. 11.17 Wo to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock the sword shall be upon his arm that is his power shall be broken and he made useless as that man is whose arm is wounded And as the arm notes ministerial power so magistratical power whether abused or rightly used Job 35.9 They cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty and Chap. 38.15 The high arm shall be broken Now as the arm is put for the power of man so for the power of God Psal 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory Read also Isa 59.16 and Isa 63.12 and here in the Text Hast thou an arm like God Is thy arm like Gods arm that is is thy power like Gods power Hence Note First God hath a mighty power He hath an arm There are three Scripture expressions which in a gradation hold forth the power of God First The finger of God Exod. 18.9 When the Magicians could not imitate Moses in the Plague of Lice then they said unto Pharaoh This is the finger of God that is the power of God is eminent in this miracle it exceeds our power we not only cannot do the like but nothing like it as we did before in semblance of those former miracles Thus Christ himself being blasphemed by some of the Jews who said He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of devils answered Lu. 11.20 If I by the finger of God cast out devils c. that is If I by the power of God or by the holy Spirit so another Gospel hath it Mat. 12.28 If I by the Spirit of God cast out divels c. Secondly The power of God is expressed by the hand which containeth all the fingers Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save that is his power is not abated he hath a long hand still his power to save is as great as ever it was The same Prophet saith Chap. 9.17 The hand of the Lord is stretched out still that is his power is still at work to punish impenitent sinners How much and how long soever God hath punished sinners he can punish them longer and more if they continue longer in sin or sin more and more Thirdly We have here in this Text and in many others the arm of God that 's more than his hand signifying the fullness of his power Not that there are any real gradations in the power of God but there are gradations in the exerting and putting forth of his power Sometimes God putteth forth his power as it were by a finger only as Rehoboam said 1 Kings 12.10 My little finger shall be thicker than my Fathers loins that is the least that I will do in my government shall be more afflictive and burdensom to you if you call it a burden than the most that my Father Solomon did in his At another time God putteth forth his power by his hand you may see his whole hand that is fuller and clearer evidences of his power in what he doth or hath done that is in his works of providence whether in breaking down or building up And lastly he sheweth his arm his stretched-out arm that is the fullness of his power God hath power great power mighty power he hath an arm an out-stretched arm and this arm of God is spoken of in Scripture for a four-fold use First For the safe guarding of his people 't is a protecting arm The arm of God with us signifieth our safety The Prophet speaking of the dealings of God with his ancient people saith Isa 63.12 He led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that is his protecting arm by which he saved that people from the wrath of Pharaoh in their first advance out of Egypt and from the wrath of all their enemies in all their encampings and marches to Canaan was very glorious This glorious arm of his is a defence upon all his glory Isa 4.5 that is upon his whole Church for there his truth holiness and holy worship which are his glory are held up and held out The Church of God is so much for the glory of God that 't is called his glory Secondly As the Lord hath a protecting arm from evil so an arm delivering and pulling out of evil The deliverance which God wrought for the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt Exod. 6.16 Deut. 5.15 and Deut. 7.19 is said to be done by an out-stretched arm that is by his power visibly put forth and even to the utmost in the wonderful effects of it All the while God did not deliver Israel out of their bondage he might be said to
her wing is but a Snail to the Sun yet God can forbid the Suns motion Job 9.7 He commandeth the Sun and it riseth not That is if he send forth a prohibition to the Sun it will not stir forwards one foot till he takes off his prohibition and bids it fulfill its wonted course as in Joshua's dayes Chap. 10.12 and at his command it will go backward as in the dayes of Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.11 Further The Lords voice disanuls and makes void the commands of any creature Lam. 3.32 Who is he that saith it and it cometh to pass if the Lord have not commanded it They reckon as we say without their host who hope to carry on any work without Gods concurrence for he can gâ—ve a negative to all our affirmatives and make all our wheels either stand still or go backward Fourthly There is a thunder in the teaching voice of God His teaching voice is a very still voice yet 't is a very strong voice the soul falls down at the sound of it 'T is promised Isa 54.13 that we shall be all taught of God that is effectually taught so taught as to â—eceive instruction The teaching voice of God makes the ignorant knowing and the foolish wise The Lord said the Prophet Isa 8.11 spake unto me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people There had need be a strong hand in the voice of that instruction which keeps us out of the common walks of the world Yet there is such a power in the teaching voice of God that like a thunder-bolt it over-throweth and so pulls down all the strong-holds of sin casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Thus God thunders against sin and batters sinners which is infinitely harder to do than to battel and level the walls of a City to the ground with thundering Cannon The weapons of our warfare for the conquest of souls to Christ are all laid up in and fetcht out of the Arcenal of the holy Scriptures or Word of God and O what work have they made in the world How many have fallen by submitting to them to their own salvation and how many more have fallen by resisting them to their own everlasting desruction Fifthly There is a mighty power in the reproving voice of God When God deals verbal rebukes to sinners as well as verberal he often makes their beauty to consume away like a moth Psal 39.11 The Lord professeth to all hardned sinners whose consciences now give them no reproofs and who presume God will give them none neither that he hath thundering reproofs ready for them Psal 50.21 I will reprove thee and set them that is thy sins in order before thine eyes O consider this as 't is advised in the next verse of the same Psalm ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces with the thunder of his reproof Sixthly There is also a mighty power in the comforting voice of God O what a vertue is there in those secret whispers wherein God speaketh peace to his people Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her or to her heart A thunder as to power goeth with this voice of God This hath a power to settle a shaking or disconsolate soul and nothing but the power of Gods voice can do that When none can comfort the Lord can To comfort the conscience is said Luther as great a work as to make a world Seaventhly There is a mighty power as in the promising or comforting voice of God so also in his threatning voice The Lord thunders reproofs against those that have sinned and he thunders threatnings to keep all from sinning and how terrible that voice iâ— the Apostle knew who said Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 And as the Apostle knew it by believing it so all final unbelievers shall know it by their sense and feeling of it Eighthly There is a thunder of power in the prophesying voice of God When the Lord fore-tells what shall come to pass who can withstand it We find those prophesies which hold forth the ruin of Christs enemies and of his Church shewred in with thunder Rev. 8.15 and Rev. 11.19 which did not only shew that those prophesies should be certainly and solemnly fulfilled in their season but that they should be terribly fulfilled or fullfilled with a terror like that of thunder All prophesies shall effectually come to pass and be fulfilled therefore power is in them Ninthly What a power is there in the swearing voice of God First God swears sometimes in his wrath he did so against that people of old I sware to them in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest And so powerful was that oath that not a man of them could come into Canaan their Carcasses fell in the wilderness And as when rhe Lord swears in wrath so Secondly When he swears in love and mercy there 's irresistible power in that also Thus God sware and made oath to Abraham Heb. 6.17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation c. To David also God sware in love Psal 89.35 36. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the Sun before me c. The oath or swearing voice of God is so strong that we have reason enough both of strong fears when he sweareth in wrath as he did against the children of Israel and of strong consolation when he sweareth in love as he did to Abraham and to David And wo to those who believe not when God swears either in wrath or in love Tenthly There is a mighty power in the Judging voice of God When he shall speak from his throne in that great day what a thunder will there be in his voice When in that Judgment-day he shall acquit his elect that voice will have a ravishing power in it And when his condemning sentence shall be pronounced against the wicked that voice will have an astonishing power in it beyond that of thunder And it is to be considered that in many places of Scripture where the eminent judgments of God are mentioned his voice or thunder is mentioned as going before or accompanying those solemn and tremendous dispensations Psal 18.13 Psal 68.33 34 35. Isa 30.30 Jer. 25.30 Joel 4.16 To conclude this point seeing there is a power like that of thunder going forth with the voice of God in the effectual ministrations of his Word let us well consider whether God hath spoken to us effectually yea or no
and wicked men then saith the Lord ver 14. I will confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee that is I will yield thee the cause I will acknowledge that thou who canst thus bring down the pride of men in the height of their iniquity art also able to help thy self out of all thy misery yea that thou art able to contend with me who often have done and still can do these great things with ease with the turning of my hand with a word of my mouth yea then I will confess that thou art as I am that thou art God as I am But alas poor worm thou canst do none of these things therefore humble thy self and be quiet under mine afflicting hand This seems to be the general scope of the holy Ghost in these five verses even yet further to convince Job that he had not an arm like God nor could thunder with a voice like him forasmuch as he could not put forth such acts nor shew such effects of power as God both had and could put forth and shew in the face of all the world Vers 10. Deck thy self now with majesty c. Deck or adorn thy self the word signifieth to adorn to put on ornaments make as fair a shew of thy self as thou canst The Apostle Gal. 6.12 speaks of some who desired to make a fair shew in the flesh The Lord bids Job make as fair a shew of himself as he could in flesh Deck Thy self Let thy majesty proceed from thy self Thus it is with God he needs no hand to adorn and deck him to apparel him or put on his robes as the Kings and Princes of the earth need others deck them others adorn them and put on their robes but the Lord decks himself Now saith the Lord to Job Deck thy self as I do With majesty and excellency Kings and Princes are decked with majesty and excellency at all times a majestick excellency is inherent in their estate and when they shew themselves in state or shew their state they put on their Crowns and Robes Thus saith the Lord to Job Put on majesty and excellency Both words signifie highness exaltation and are often used to signifie pride because they that are high and exalted are usually proud and are alwayes under a temptation to be proud of their highness and greatness And these words which here in the abstract we translate majesty and excellency are rendred in the concrete proud vers 11 12. Behold every one that is proud vers 11. Look upon every one that is proud vers 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majesty is proper to Kings and therefore we speak to them in that language Your Majesty Excellency belongs to persons of great dignity we say to Princes and great Commanders Your Excellency because they excel and exceed others in honour and power Moses spake so of God Exod. 15.7 In the greatness of thy Excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee In the greatness of thy Excellency or in the greatness of thy lifting up and exaltation the word notes both Gods high magnificence Psal 68.35 and mans pride or haughtiness Psal 10.2 The wicked in his pride or haughtiness of spirit persecutes the poor Deck thy self with Majesty as a King and with Excellency as a Prince put on thy Emperial robes and thy Princely garments Yea further Array thy self with glory and beauty Dicimus etiam nidui dedecore vel ignominia nam quare ornamur vel dedecoramur ea elegantèr niduâ— dicimur Diuâ— Here are two other ornamental expressions Glory and Beauty Glory is man in his best array or mans best array yea Glory is God in his best array or Gods best array The perfect happiness of man in heaven is called glory mans best suit is his suit of glory Grace Gloria est clara cum laude notitia Ambros 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat spendorem claritatem quae efficere potest assensum confessionem apud spectatores ad gloriam ipsius quòd omnia â—gat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus non habet circundatum decorem quasi superadditum ejus essentiae Sed ipsa essentia ejus decor est Aquin. which is our best suit on earth is sometimes called glory 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord that is fâ—om grace to grace Mans first change is from sin to grace his second is from grace to grace or from one degree of grace to another Grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected Now as glory is mans best suit so glory is as I may say Gods best suit He is as the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 so the God of all glory for all glory is to be given unto him and his glory will he not give to any other The glory of God is twofold First Essential and internal for ever unchangeably abiding in himself indeed the very Essence of God is glory Of this we read Exod. 33.18 I will make all my goodness pass before thee I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy this kind of glory I will shew thee but thou canst not see my face and live that is my essential glory Secondly There is a providential or external glory of God the manifestations of God in his greatness goodness and power are his glory Thus 't is said at the dedication of Solomons Temple 1 King 8.11 The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord that is there was a glorious and wonderful manifestation of the presence of the Lord in his house Whatever God manifests of himself whether his power or his goodness or his mercy or his grace or his patience or his justice is his glory The Lord often arrayeth himself with these glories that is he declares both by his word and by his works that he is powerful good merciful gracious patient and just towards the children of men The Scripture calleth God the glory of his people Psal 106.20 that is it is the glory of any people or that which they should glory in that God is known to them or that they are owned by God But the idolatrizing Jews changed their glory into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass that is they changed God who was their glory and in whom they should have gloried into the form of an in-glorious beast while they either worshipped the image of a beast or their God in that image And it is considerable that the Apostle Rom. 1.23 at least alluding to as the reference in our Bible intimates if not quoting that place last mentioned in the Psalm whilst he speaks of the idolatrous Gentiles doth not say as there They changed their glory c. for the true God was not the glory of the Gentiles in those dayes they owned him not as their only
him I look upon the proud man and bring him low now let me see you do so too Canst thou with a look only abate their pride and bring down the pomp of man Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath Hence note First There is wrath in God God knoweth how to cast forth his wrath as well as to send forth his love Habet ira Domini suam energiam nunquam egreditur vana or shed it abroad as the Apostles word is Rom. 5.5 in the hearts of his justified ones by the holy Ghost which is given unto them The wrath of God saith the same Apostle Rom. 1.18 is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is such as we can neither First withstand nor Secondly avoid there 's no out-running no making an escape from it but only by Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle gives that glory to him alone 1 Thess 1.10 Even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is a wrath to come which God will scatter over all this sinful wicked world blessed are they that are delivered from it Yea not only is there wrath in God but a fierceness of wrath terrible wrath such as will cause the wicked as was said before to run into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa 2.19 Let us mind this wrath and the fierceness of it and let us bless the Lord who hath sent Jesus Christ â—o deliver us from this wrath and from the fierceness of it When wrath shall be cast abroad upon the wicked world that it falls not upon the godly is the fruit of highest and freest love And though they sip of the cup yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy Psal 75.98 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he powreth out the same in this powring out possibly a godly man may drink somewhat of it especially in a time of common calamity but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them It is of the Lords mercy and because his compassions fail not that we are delivered from the fierceness of his wrath and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his displeasure Consider further upon whom this wrath will be exercised Cast forth the rage of thy wrath behold every one that is proud and abase him This the Lord bids Job do to shew what himself usually doth Hence note First The Lord takes special notice of proud persons He beholds them he locks upon them As it is said Saul 1 Sam. 18.9 He eyed David from that day forward that is which was his great sin he cast a revengeful envious eye upon him Thus when the holy God seeth wicked men gâ—ow lofty and proud he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day with an eye of just revenge or with a purpose to break them and be revenged on them God beholds them as I may say with an evil eye that is with an intent to bring evil upon them He saith David Psal 138.6 knoweth the proud afar off As it is said of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion So God quickly spies out a proud man even a great way off and hath indignation against him or as we may rather expound the Psalm He knoweth the proud afar off that is a proud man shall never come near him he will not admit him into his presence much less into his imbraces To be known afar off is to be far from the favourable or respectful knowledge of God yea to those whom the Lord knows afar off in this world he will say in the next I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Secondly Note God is able to and will cast down proud men That which he would have Job do he himself as was said usually doth He beholdeth the proud and abaseth them he layeth them low Nebuchadnezzar that proud Monarch was brought to that confession Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and honour and extol the King of Heaven all whose works are true and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase If men will be proud and lofty the Lord both knoweth very well how and is able very easily to bring them down And as he knows how and is able to deal with proud men so he desires and delights to deal with them above all sorts of sinners his greatest contests are with the proud Isa 2.12 13 14. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up in his own conceit especially and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high mountains c. What meaneth the Prophet by these is the Lord angry with trees and mountains These are but the shadows of great and proud men the day of the Lord shall be upon every one of them and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day Proud men look upon themselves much above others but as God is above them so he loves to shew himself ahove them especially when they shew out their pride As Jethroe said to Moses Exod. 18.9 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them God sheweth himself above all when he acts above proud men and acts them down in their proudest actings And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down so he will certainly do it he is resolved upon it He looketh upon every one that is proud to abase him The Angels that fell were proud they kept not their first estate but left their habitation they did not like the state wherein God had placed them and therefo e God cast them down and he hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. When man in Paradise began to be proud and would be more than God made him God made him above all earthly creatures but he would be as God as his Creator he would be as it were the founder of his own happiness pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his sin-fall and then followed his fall his judgment-fall God cast him down God abased him and not only that proud man but man-kind for his pride they being in him his pride was theirs And to this day God hath all along set his face against all proud men and the pride
the danger of pride poor proud is so common that it is grown into a proverb And they especially who are poor in spirituals grow proud in spirit as it was with the Laodicean Angel Rev. 3.17 But further they are proud who lift up themselves in any thing of self As First in their natural parts wit understanding memory elocution Secondly in their acquired parts learning knowledge skill Thirdly in their moral vertues sobriety temperance justice Fourthly in their spiritual graces faith love self-denial 't is possible to be proud for a fit of these or to have a fit of pride come upon us upon the exercise of these Fifthly in their holy duties and performances prayers fastings c. Sixthly in their legal righteousness and good deeds alms charities We seldom do well or any good especially as we ought and duty binds us much good but we think too well of our selves that we are better than we are or too much both of the good we have done and of our own goodness As the great goodness of God or the greatness of his goodness appears chiefly in this that he can make all things even evil things and those not only the evils of trouble but the evil of sin work together for our good Rom. 8.28 so the great evil of mans heart or the greatness of that evil appears chiefly in this that it causeth all things even good things and those not only the good things of this natural life but the good belonging to and done in the power of a spiritual life to work to our hurt sometimes for a time and would to our ruine for ever did not the Lord over-rule it Seventhly the favour which they have with men whether they be the mighty the Princes and powers of the world or the many the common people of the world How are some lifted up because they are the darlings of the people because the multitude eyes them points at them and applauds them To be lifted up in any of these things or in any thing else and what is there not only of an earthly but of an heavenly pedigree and extraction in which the vain heart of man is not ready to be lifted up unduly forgetting God from whom all good comes to be lifted up I say in any of these things layes man open to the wrathful resistance of God and all such God will bring down and abase therefore let us be empty of our selves and beware of being found among the proud yea of being in any kind or degree proud It is dangerous to have any pride found in us but woe to those who are found proud Thirdly If the Lord hath such an eye to and upon proud men and will thus bring them low Then let us not be afraid of proud men why should we be afraid of them who are falling Prov. 15.33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honour is humility But what saith the same Solomon Prov. 18.32 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty As soon as ever we see any man shewing a proud heart by pride of life we may quickly conclude the Lord is about to pluck him down One very great reason why the Lord hath laid many who were once as mountains low as valleys was the pride of their hearts When pride buds the rod blossometh that is God is preparing for the correction if not for the destruction of proud ones And as it is sad to see pride bud at any time so then especially when the rod blossometh that is when God is correcting us with his rods Fourthly Then do not envy proud ones We are apt to envy those that are high in place though they are proud in spirit but do not envy proud ones how high how great soever you see them for they are in danger of falling according to the truth of this Scripture and many others When proud men are in their fullest ruff and highest ascent then they are nearest a dreadful downfall Before destruction the heart of man is haughty saith Solomon Prov. 18.12 and before honour is humility And the Apostle Peter having given this counsel to those who are humbled by affliction 1 Epist 5.6 humble your selves under the mighty hand of God subjoyns this comfortable promise in the close of the verse That he may exalt you in due time Fifthly Then pride is a very provoking sin The Lord who declares himself against all sorts of sinners declares himself most against proud sinners Prov. 16.5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord mark what followeth in the same verse though hand joyn in hand he that is the proud man shall not be unpunished Pride is the Devils sin the Devil is that Mystical Leviathan spoken of in the 41th Chapter of this Book who is a King over all the children of pride They who are not subject to God proud men above all men are not are the Devils subjects He is a King over all the children of pride There are four things in which the provocation of the sin of pride consists any one of which may provoke God to pull down proud ones First Proud men set themselves in the place of God Lucifer by whom the proud Babilonian is meant said Isa 14.14 I will be like the Most High Thus the Lord said of the Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.2 Because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said I am a God I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas yet thou art a man and not God though thou set thy heart as the heart of God See how that proud Prince thought to carry it as God as if he had been the founder of his own strength How can the Lord but be provoked with such an affront as this Proud Babilon spake this language and at as high a rate Isa 47.8 I am and none else besides me is not this to speak just like God I shall not sit as a widdow neither shall I know the loss of children Secondly As pride is an usurpation of the place and power of God so of the providences of God A proud man knoweth not how to acknowledge God in any mercy nor how to be humbled under the hand of God in any affliction He mindes not God either in what he enjoyeth or in what he suffereth is not this a provocation Thirdly Pride must needs provoke God as a proud man sets himself against all the Commands Laws of God God cannot but be provoked to see all his Laws and Commands slighted by man A proud man will keep no bounds nor would he be kept in any Fourthly Pride is a Mother sin it brings forth many other sins As Unbelief is a Mother sin so is Pride Hab. 2.5 He is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all Nations and heapeth unto him all people The
would confess that his own right hand could save him Note He that can destroy all others can save himself Illa facere posse seipsum salvare unius ejusdem sunt virtutis There goes no more to save our selves out of any trouble than to destroy all others The Apostle James saith Chap. 4.12 There is one law-giver who is able to save and destroy God is this law-giver he is able to do both and because he can destroy all he can save all and will save all that trust in him The devil is called a destroyer he is called Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek that is a destroyer Rev. 9.11 but he cannot destroy all if he could he would soon make sad work none should be saved There is but one law-giver who can save and destroy take away life and give life he can do the one as well as the other and both as often as he will The Lord hath an absolutely supream power over men and may dispose of them for life or death as he pleaseth even eternal life and death salvation and damnation are in his hand 't is therefore a fearful thing to fall into the hand the revenging hand of the living God Heb. 10.31 upon the neglect much more upon the despising and contempt of the covenant of life and peace by Jesus Christ as 't is said at the 29th verse of that Chapter Christ is the best friend and the worst enemy To him belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 and he hath the keyes af death and hell Rev. 1.18 Let us rejoyce with trembling before him who is able to save and destroy Secondly Note Man cannot save himself by the best of his power No not by his own right hand Man cannot save himself First from temporal evils he cannot save himself from sickness nor from poverty he cannot save himself from any danger that is ready to fall upon him nor can the strongest creatures save him Psal 33.17 A horse is a vain thing to save a man and man is as vain a thing to save himself a horse cannot deliver us by his great strength or by the greatness of his skill and wisdom Secondly much less can man save himself from spiritual and eternal evils While we consider First out of what misery we are saved Secondly from what mighty enemies we are saved Thirdly from whose wrath we are saved Fourthly what price was required that we might be saved Fifthly what mercy and grace were needful to save us we must needs confess that our right hand cannot save us spiritually and eternally Who can save himself out of the hand of that great enemy the devil and his legions of darkness who can save himself from that gulf of misery into which sin hath plunged us who can deliver himself from the curse of the Law or from sin the sting of death who can deliver himself from the power of his lusts from the pride unbelief covetousness and hardness of his own heart Our own right hand cannot save us from any of these evils The devil and the world are too strong for us and so is every lust and corruption of our own evil hearts Can we by any power of our own convert our selves or preserve our selves after conversion Can we get out of the Kingdom of darkness by our own power or put our selves into the Kingdom of light by our own poâ—er That we are either temporally or spiritually or eternally saved is all from the power from the right hand of God not at all from our own Unless we give all to God we take all from him He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 Salvation of every kind and the issues from every kind of death are of the Lord. Thirdly Note God can save alone or by his own right hand That the Lord would have Job understand and this we understand from other Scriptures Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee This is one of Gods royal Titles Thou that savest by thy right hand Psal 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory Psal 44.4 Thou art my King of old commanding deliverances for Jacob. How easily can the Lord save with his hand who can save with his tongue and deliver by commanding deliverances Nor is it one deliverance only which the Lord commands but many yea any That Psalm gives it plurally commanding deliverances The Prophet speaks of this sole and solitary saving power of God Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man that is no man that offered any help and wondred that there was no intercessor that is no man to speak a good word for them therefore his arm brought salvation to him and his righteousness it sustained him And again Isa 63.5 I looked and there was none to help and I wondred that there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me This is it which was said before vers 3. I have trodden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Hence we may infer First If the Lords right hand can save alone Then there can never be too few hands for God to save us by There may be sometimes too many for God to save us by but never too few Why because he can save by his own right hand The Lord said to Gideon Judg. 7.2 The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands they were so many that the sole salvation of God would not appear lest Israel vaunt themselves against me saying mine own hand hath saved me Though we have but little strength yet it may be too much for Gods purpose we being apt to boast our selves when we have any hands to save us as if our own right hand had saved us Secondly If God can save by his own right hand Then when we see none when we see nothing to save us by let us trust God alone If God be with us we have strength enough and hands enough with us It is all one with the Lord to save by few or by many yea by few or by none at all for his own right hand can do it Thirdly Then trust in Gods right hand alone for salvation how many hands soever you have at any time at work for your salvation This is our sin that when we have many hands to save us we trust in them rather than in the right hand of God The Lord often and usually makes use of mans hand to save us by Obad. ver ult And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Now though the Lord useth other right hands to save us by and to judge
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
he should not only be salvation to the Jews but also to the ends of the earth or to the Gentiles he no longer said I have laboured in vain but thought himself well rewarded for all his cost and pains for all that he did or suffered to bring about and effect the salvation of man Hope is in vain when we have and get but little expecting much Secondly Hope it much more in vain when we hope for much and get nothing at all As Peter said to Christ Luke 5.5 We have toyled all night and have taken nothing That 's like fishing for Leviathan such hope is utterly in vain Such a vain hope the Church spake of Jerem. 8.15 We looked for peace looking is an act of hope and no good came no good at all that hope is vain when we look for peace and no good no benefit comes And thus the Lord spake of his smiting in vain Jerem. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children Why in vain they have received no correction that is they were never a whit the better for it they were not amended by it When God spends his rods upon us and we neither cease to do evil nor learn to do good then he correcteth us in vain And when he sends his word and we receive no good by it no instruction by it then his word is in vain To wash an Aethiopian is the embleam of labour in vain because how much soever you wash him he is not at all the whiter nor is any change wrought in his complexion Thirdly Hope is yet more in vain when we look for good and get hurt instead of good The Prophet complained Jerem. 8.15 not only thus We look for peace and no good came but as it follows for a time of health and behold trouble But what was the time of health which they looked for or what was the health which they looked for at that time There is a two-fold health a health of the body natural and a health of the body politick which consists in prosperity and peace for this health they looked but behold trouble So Jer. 14.19 We looked for peace and there was no good and for a time of healing and behold trouble Thus the Lords Vineyard that is the Church of the Jews disappointed the Lords expectation Isa 5.5 when while he looked for grapes it brought forth wild grapes that is as 't is explained ver 7. Oppression instead of judgment and instead of righteousness a cry This was the quite contrary and this is the worst way of having our hope in vain It is said Job 27.8 What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Suppose a hypocrite hath gained much in this world yea suppose he hath got or gained all the world yet what is his hope when God taketh away his soul then he will not only find no God but much trouble pain and anguish and wrath and hell for evermore upon him When Christ saith Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul His meaning is not only this that he shall have no profit at all but he shall be utterly undone and broke for ever How vain then is the hope of that man yea how vain a man is that who hopes for profit or gain in doing that which endangers the loss of his soul much more that by which his soul is absolutely and for ever lost Thus hope is in vain First when we hope for much and get little Secondly when we hope for much and get nothing Thirdly when we hope for good and get hurt Now in these two latter senses we are to take the meaning of God here A man may hope by use of means to catch Leviathan yet he gets nothing yea probably loseth much or gets much hurt Behold the hâ—pe of him is in vain Hence note First It is hope of gain that usually puts men upon action The Lord supposeth that they who undertake the taking of Leviathan hope to gain much by taking him 'T is hope of attaining that encourageth to doing No man would be stirring much less bestir himself about any business were it not for hope of getting And as it is hope of attaining that puts upon doing so it is hope of attaining that puts us upon suffering Who would suffer for Jesus Christ if he had not a hope of attaining somewhat better than he can lose by his sufferings therefore Jesus Christ hath set that hope before us To suffer rightly for Jesus Christ is so honourable that we should suffer willingly though we get nothing by it yet he hath set a reward before us a crown by his Cross he hath assured us all our losses even our loss of life for his sake shall turn to our gain and profit Hope of attaining is the motive to every undertaking No wise man will meddle with doing that which is either impossible to be done or altogether unprofitable when it is done Were it not for hope the heart would faint First in labouring Secondly in suffering Thirdly in waiting Hope is like a Helmet upon the head when we are in danger of blows 2 Thes 5.8 and like an Anchor both sure and stedfast when we are in storms Heb. 6.19 Secondly The Lord having said before Remember the battel and do no more adds The hope of him is in vain Hence note It is a vain thing to go about that which we see no ground of hope to have success in to do good upon or to get any good by As the Apostle exhorts us To be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know true believers do know and all men should know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord so we have ground enough to dehort all men from those works which we know or may know will be in vain And if so Then First How vain a thing is it for any man to sin Is there any thing to be gotten by sin I may well say to sinners as the Lord saith to Job in the latter end of the 8th verse Do no more sin no more your hope is in vain that think to gain by sin that hope to make your selves rich great or happy by sin Do no more your hope is in vain The Apostle puts the question Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Have you got any benefit by them have you got any thing worth the getting All that is gained by sin will turn to loss at last Samuel charged the Israelites upon this account 1 Sam. 12.21 Turn ye not aside that is do not sin do not turn from the Law of the Lord do not depart from God why for then should you go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain If you turn aside from the wayes of God to by-wayes from the truths of
said of Jacob Gen. 45.27 When he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him his spirit revived it put a new life into him to see that which gave him much assurance that he should see a person that was the desire of his eyes his beloved son Joseph it revived the old man and made him even young again And as a pleasing sight made old Jacob as it were begin to live again so old Simeon rejoyced so much at the sight of Christ that he had done with living or had enough of it and therefore said Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation that is he had seen Christ with the eye of his body and he had a sight of Christ by the eye of his faith this sight lifted him above all things seen A sensitive sight of good doth very much chear refresh and rejoyce the heart much more an intellectual sight how much doth the sight of faith refresh the soul and cause us to rejoyce It is said of believers They rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious at the sight which they have of Christ by faith 〈◊〉 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Whom having not seen that is with bodily eyes and in whom though you see him not that is sensitively yet believing What is believing it is the sight of the soul Faith gives the soul a view of Christ in all his excellency and glory in his love and in his loveliness in his righteousness and holiness faith gets a view of Christ in all his beauty and beholding him we rejoyce with joy unspeakable If the sight of the bodily eye causeth the soul to rejoyce how much more the sight of the eye of faith the eye of either fixed upon desirable objects affects the heart with joy Secondly The sight of the eye fixt upon sorrowful objects affects the heart with sorrow Lam. 3.51 Mine eye affects my heart said lamenting Jeremiah that is seeing the calamities that are upon my people I cannot but weep and mourn Christ saith of the yet blinded and hardned Jews They shall look on me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn Zach. 12.10 They shall shed tears of true repentance when they shall see him with an eye of sence joyned with an eye of faith whose blood they shed Some of them saw him once with an eye of sense without an eye of faith and then they shed his blood but when they shall see him with both or only with an eye of faith they shall mourn for shedding it When good Nehemiah heard in what a ruinous condition the City Jerusalem was he sate down and wept and imourned certain dayes Neh. 1.4 his ear affected his heart how much more would his eye had he been a spectator as afterwards he was of those ruines Thirdly The sight of the eye affects the heart with fear There are some sights very dreadful so saith the Text and Point Shall not one be cast down at the sight of him This leads to a second Note which is this The Lord hath put a terribleness upon some creatures with respect to man Man is a terror to some creatures yet others are a terror or very terrible to man Let us consider and usefully remember this for it is a fruit of sin What is the reason we are cast down at the sight of any creature we may thank our sins for it all our troublesom passions came in aâ—â—hat door Why is man afraid or seized with a kind of horror at the sight of a Toad or Serpent of a Bear or Lion loose How comes it to pass that man whom God made Lord over all the creatures doth fear any especially so many of them Is not this a consequent yea an effect of sin When God made the Covenant with Noah Gen. 9.2 God blessed him and his sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the air upon all that moveth upon the earth and upon all the fishes of the Sea the fear and dread of you shall be upon them 'T is of the Lord that any of the creatures are afraid and stand in awe of us we have deserved that the very Sheep and Dove should be a terror to us 'T is of the Lord that the fear and dread of us is upon any creature and 't is from our sin that any creature is a fear and dread to us It is a mercy that so many creatures are afraid of us that any of the creatures stand in fear of us is a fruit of the goodness of God and that we are afraid of any creature is a fruit of our sin Let us make a good use of this word Shall not one be afraid at the sight of him And hence we may infer If the sight of some creatures astonish us how will the sight of God of an angry God astonish us All the dread and terribleness that is in a Lion or Bear or Dragon what is it to what is in God With God is terrible Majesty The terribleness of the most terrible deadly creature yea of death the King of terrors is but a scare-crow to the terribleness of God and it is God who hath planted terror in any creature in man especially What is the reason why Kings and inferiour Magistrates are so terrible to evil men is it not because God hath planted such a terribleness in them or hath cloathed them with his own garment terrible majesty towards evil doers Rom. 13.3 4. Now I say if some creatures are so terrible that a man is cast down at the sight of them then how terrible is God! The Apostle John Rev. 6.15 16 17. represents a world of wicked ones or all the wicked of the world cast down at the sight of Jesus Christ The Kings of the earth the great men the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every free-man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Some are cast down at the sight of Leviathan but all the unbelieving world shall be cast down at the sight of Christ all the unbelieving Kings Princes and Potentates of the world shall be cast down before Christ O how dreadful will he be to them and therefore I would conclude with that let us be cast down at the sight of sin which hath caused the sight of the creature and of God also to be so dreadful to us God had never been terrible to us had
to Joshua Josh 1.5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life What a promise was here to a man Joshua was indeed one of the worthiest warriers that ever was upon the earth and may well be reckoned not only one of but the cheif or most worthy among the nine Worthies of the world seing no man could stand before him nor should in way of opposition all the days of his life Now if the Lord promised such a power unto Joshua and made it good that none should be able to stand before him all the days of his life then who among the children of men shall be able to stand before God The Prophet Malachy speaking of Christs coming Chap. 3.1 saith Behold he shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant But what follows ver 2. Who may abide the day of his coming If there was such a terribleness in Christs coming in the flesh as to the spiritual power and effects of it that the Prophet saith Who may abide the day of his coming O then who shall be able to stand before Christ when he shall come in glory to judge the earth If they could not abide the day of his coming when he came with refiners fire and fullers sope how will they be able to stand before him when he cometh with consuming fire No man can stand before God in any of these four ways First In his own wisdom to plead it out with God If we plead with God our wisdom will be found foolishness and we our selves shall be confounded as fools The Lord saith Job Chap. 12.17 maketh the Judges fools Judges are usually full of wisdom yet God maketh even them fools God in strict sense maketh none nor would he have any made Judges but the wise yet he himself can make the wisest of them fools And if so then there is no standing before God in our own wisdom Secondly There is no standing before God in our own strength or power Our strength is but weakness yea rottennâ—ss to his as the Prophet speaks Isa 5.24 Their root shall be rottenness and there blossome shall go up as the dust Thus it is with all flesh if they stand in their own strength their root which is their strength shall be as rottenness and their blossome which is their beauty shall go up as the dust Thirdly There is no standing before God in our own righteousness to be acquitted accepted and justified There are many deficiencies and flawâ— in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it there is much unrighteousness in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it and how righteous if I may so speak soever our righteousness is or may be yet we cannot stand before God in it because he hath appointed another righteousness or the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus Christ for us to stand before him in So then if we would stand before God all these must be laid down we must lay down our own wisdom we must become fools that we may be wise we must lay down our own strength we must become weak that we may be strong and we must lay down our own righteousness and look upon our selves as guilty creatures as condemned persons as cast and lost in our selves we must have nothing but the wisdom and strength and righteousness of God to stand before God in that is we must stand before God by faith God is not terrible to such they may stand before God the poorest sinner may stand before God in the wisdom and strength and righteousness of Jesus Christ Thus we may answer the question Who can stand before me saith God I can stand before thee saith a believer I can stand before thee with boldness being quit of self-wisdom strength and righteousness and looking to Christ Jesus for all How sweet how gracious and how delightful is the presence of God to an humble believing soul to a broken-hearted sinner The Lord saith I will dwell with such a one he shall not only come and stand before me but I will come and sit down with him I will take up my abode in an humble soul in an empty soul Who is able to stand before me saith God None can in their own wisdom strength or righteousness but in Christ we may From hence we may more than conclude Fourthly That there is no standing before God in our sins God is terrible to sinners that is to those who continue in the love and practice of their sins God is of purer eyes than to behold and approve evil David having spoken of those Psal 1.1 that stand in the way of sinners saith at the 5th ver there is a standing for them in the Judgment They that stand in the way of sinners cannot stand at the Judgment-seat of God Job said Chap. 13.16 A hypocrite shall not come before him that is he shall not come with acceptance before God Though hypocrites will thrust themselves into the presence of God yet they shall not come before him though now an hypocrite may come before God in any outward performance yet not with any acceptance and to be sure he shall not come before God in glory and if he shall not come before him how can he stand before him The Lord will even blow him away Only they that fall down before God are able to stand before him We must fall down before God in a sence of our own vileness and wretchedness and then we shall be able to stand before him and to behold his pleased face by an eye of faith A stout sinner shall never stand before him It is said Zech. 3.1 Joshua stood before the Angel of the Lord. He had much ado to keep his standing why because the Devil stood there to resist him and pointed to his filthy garments but the Angel pleaded with the Lord to take away his filthy garments and when they were taken away then he was able to stand before God It is said Zech. 4.14 which is conceived to be meant of Joshua and Zerubbabel These are the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth And as they in the type so all that are Olive-branches that have the pure oil of the Spirit may and shall stand before God We become Olive-branches in Christ having the oil or the graces of the Spirit sent down into our hearts according to the promise Holy and humble souls Olive-branches they that are full of the grace and Spirit of our Lord Jesus shall stand before God but as for man himself that is man in himself in his own wisdom strength or righteousness above all in his sins and unrighteousness can never stand before God If he cannot stand before Leviathan how can he stand before the Lord This is a great Gospel truth given in by himself while he is treating of this sea-monster There is no standing before
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
Leviathan There 's a continual fire in his mouth then what is in the kitchin of his stomack for the digestion and concoction of his meat If sparks of fire leap out of his mouth as out of the mouth of a furnace then we may conclude there 's a great fire kept within Vers 20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoak We had fire before and now comes smoak We usually say Where there 's smoak there is some fire and surely where there is so great a heat there must be or hath been some smoak Out of his nostrils goeth a smoak Fumus est der adustus ex multitudine caloris Aquin. What is smoak 'T is air adust say Phylosophers Much heat draws out the airy part of the fewel and turns it into smoak Leviathan having such a fire in his bowels needs must smoak go out of his nostrils which are as a double chimney to vent it or to keep the metaphor in the Text Smoak goeth out of his nostrils As out of a seething pot or caldron The Hebrew is a blown pot because blowing makes a pot seeth quickly and fiercely A Caldron is a great vessel wherein much may be sodden or boyled at once and boyling sends out a great fume or smoak The Hebrew word rendred Caldron properly signifies a copper or brazen Kettle in which dying stuff is boyled for the colouring of cloth It signifies also a pond and so a great vessel like a pond as that in the Temple was called a Sea for its greatness Vers 21. His breath kindleth coals and a flame goeth out of his mouth This verse with the former three tend all to one purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahenum reddidimus ex conjectura propriè ahenum magnum instar stagni quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur Drus Leviathans heat is so vehement that his breath kindleth coals The Hebrew is His soul or life kindleth coals The soul and life of irrational creatures is the same and both are but breath His breath kindleth coals that is his breath is so hot that it will even kindle dead or unkindled coals Mr. Broughton renders His breath would set coals on fire The breath of the Whale is not only compared to a great wind issuing out of a pair of bellows which soon kindleth a spark into a great fire but is it self here compared to a fire by a strong Hyperbole like that which concludes this matter And a flame goeth out of his mouth That is a heat as from a flame or such a heat as a flame giveth These four verses may be improved for our use in two things First to inform us how terrible some creatures are There is nothing which is not terrible in this His mouth sends out a burning lamp and sparks of fire smoak goeth out of his nostrils coals are kindled by his breath and a flame goeth out of his mouth What 's the meaning and import of all this not that Leviathan hath these or doth these things indeed but in his wrath for this is the description of an enraged Leviathan he appears as if he were nothing but heat and would set the very element of water on fire and turn the very billows of the Sea into burning flames Secondly If the Lord hath put such a fierceness into this creature when he is angry what is there in the Lord himself when he is angry The Lord in his anger is described like this Leviathan Psal 18.7 8. Then the earth shook and trembled the foundation also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth what follows There went up a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it The words are almost word for word the same with those in the Text. The Lord is set forth as ushered by fire Psal 50.2 3. Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him Again Psal 97.2 Clouds and darkness are round about him vers 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about that is he destroyeth his enemies in his anger as if he consumed them by fire Once more Isa 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell in the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Thus the Scripture speaks of the Lord in his wrath And doubtless the flaming anger of Leviathan when provoked is but like a warm Sun-shine compared with the provoked anger and hot displeasure of God against presumptuous sinners Who is able to abide his wrath who in sin can dwell with those everlasting burnings who unpardoned can stand before the devouring fire and flames of the Lords displeasure Thus we have the discovery of Leviathans furious heat he is all in a flame Now the Lord having shewed what work Leviathan makes with his mouth and nostrils which belong to his head he comes next to his neck Vers 22. In his neck remaineth strength and sorrow is turned into joy before him Leviathans head is strongly joyned to the rest of his body by his strong neck yet some question whether the Whale hath any neck or no because no distinction which in other creatures is visible appears between his head and his body The learned Bochartus makes this another argument against the Whale and a little reflects upon Diodate who joyning fully with him in opinion that Leviathan is the Crocodile yet le ts go this hold yielding that the Crocodile hath no more neck than the Whale as the neck is taken strictly for that discernable distance between head and shoulders and though he himself grants that several other Authors by him alleadged say the Crocodile hath no neck yet he answers 't is safer to credit Aristotle who saith the Crocodile hath a neck and gives this reason for it because those animals which have no neck at all cannot move their heads whereas the Crocodile by the testimony of Pliny and others can turn his head upwards or hold it up backwards to bite his prey To this some answer and I conceive their answer may satisfie in this Point That how little or how undiscernable soever the space is between the head and the body of any animal the very joyning or coupling of them together may be called his neck and in that sense the Whale hath a neck as well as the Crocodile To this I may add that the shorter the neck of any animal is the stronger it is and that complies fully with what is here said of the neck of Leviathan In his neck remaineth strength The Hebrew is Lodgeth And so Mr. Broughton renders In his neck alwayes lodgeth strength that is he is alwayes strong very strong neckt his neck is so stiff and strong that strength it self may seem to have taken up its residence there That 's the
of counsel Great dangers even unhinge our reason and put it out of place The Disciples of Christ in a storm Mat. 8.25 were not only like men at their wits end but almost at their faiths end too crying out Lord save us we perish if thou help us not we are all undone And he said why are ye fearful O ye of little faith There is nothing but faith can keep down the prevailings of fear in great or prevailing dangers breakings and when once we are at our faiths end in a time of extremity we shall soon be at our wits end also yea even quite out of our wits A faithless man is no match for little fears he that hath but a little faith or is a man of little faith may soon be over-matcht with great ones As perfect love either the actings of our perfect love to God or the evidence and apprehensions of the perfect love of God to us casteth out fear 1 Joh. 4.18 that is all that fear which hath torment in it so also doth perfect faith in God that is a strong a well-foundation'd and a well and high-built faith 'T is either for want of faith or for some want in faith that mighty men by reason of breakings are not only afraid but wander as uncertain of their way That 's the first reading Secondly We say They purifie themselves What 's that there are two interpretations of this translation First Some interpret it of a bodily distemper Quando mare fluctibus intumescit nausea â—boritur qui sunt in navi fere vomuâ—â— stomachum purguntes Drus Alvum solvit Bez. Rab. Levi. coming upon the mighty by reason of their fear In storms at sea passengers purge their stomacks usually by vomiting and sometimes by stool Thus I say some expound this Text that through extreamity of fear they are surprised with a suddein loosness The Prophet speaking of a dreadful day saith Ezek. 7.17 All knees shall be feeble we put in the Margin All knees shall go into the water the meaning is as all interpreters give it they shall not be able to hold there water And as some upon a suddain assault of fear cannot hold their water so neither can others their ordure The reason of it is plain in nature fear making a great dissipation of spirits weakens the retentive faculty Some look upon this as a sense too low and mean for the intendment of this place though in it self a truth And therefore 't is enough to mention it nor ought it to be left unmentioned seeing it may humble us to consider unto what pitiful exigents mighty ones may be brought when surprised with dangers But Secondly I conceive and upon that I shall insist these words Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piet Hiphtael expiationem à peccato importat unde vertitur expiabunt se seu paenitentiam agent remissionem à Deo petent praesenti mortis discrimino teriti Scult They purifie themselves are rather to be taken morally that is mighty men when they see themselves in such danger mighty Leviathan raising himself breaking all before him what do they they purifie themselves that is they betake themselves to prayer and repentance and then they will purifie themselves in all hast by confessing and vowing to put away their sins then they will in all hast make their peace with God this is a good interpretation And the word which we translate here to purifie is applied to this spiritual purifying by confessing of sin and tuâ—ning to God and promises of amendment Psalm 51.7 Purge or purifie me with hysop and I shall be clean only there 't is Gods act here mans But as God doth purge us by pardon so we may be said to purge our selves by repentance and earnest suing to God for pardon And how usual is it even with bad men when they are in great danger when they see nothing but death before them then to fall a praying and repenting then to confess their sins and promise amendment or to become new men Thus by reason of breakings when all is ready to be broken loft and spoiled they purifie themselves Hence Observe In great dangers which threaten present death or undoing at least even common men will confess their sins and make great shews or semblances of repentance When the mighty are afraid when they are in trouble and misery then they cry to God for mercy and cry out upon their sins as the procuring cause of their miseries and troubles How good how godly will they be for a fit and it may work further in a day of evil It is said of the Marriners in a storm Psal 107.28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their distresses Even such Marriners as seldom think of God nor pray to him in a calm being in a storm fall a praying they purifie thomselves Now they are for repentance now they will cast their sins over-board seing themselves almost swallowed up by the raging sea Thus Jon. 1.4 5. When the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea so that the ship was like to be broken Then the Marriners were afraid that was the first effect which the tempest wrought in them and what was the next that was a fit of devotion They cryed every man to his God Now they purified themselves by repentance and prayer Were not these Marriners grown very good when beset with evil Thus many pray repent make lamentations over their sins take up resolutions against their sins in a storm then or thus even carnal ignorant common men will purifie themselves in times of great danger We say well true repentances is never too late but late repentance is seldome true We may say also Repentance in a storm is good but repentance in a storm it not always good real dangers may produce but false feniged and forced repentance And they who repent only when they are in or because they are in a storm were never good as yet nor will they continue in that goodness which then they make shew of As a godly man purifies himself when he sees a storm so he purifies himself in a calm too or when he is in greatest safety And if we do not purifie our selves in a calm as well as in a storm our repentance is but the repentance of Heathen Marriners Be in a calm what you are in a storm be when you see Lambs what you were when you see or saw Leviathans Secondly Observe It is a duty to repent when we see great dangers or as the Text speaks great breakings To be sure we ought to repent in a time of trouble We are to repent at all times but then most Be careful you leave not that work undone at any time but do it very carefully at such a time It is said of those that were scorched with great heat Revel 16.9 they blasphemod the Name of God which hath power over
those plagues and they repented not to give him glory And of othe s under the fifth vial ver 11. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their plagues and of their sores and repented not of their deeds It was the character of that bad King Ahaz that in the time of his distress he sinned yet more What! sin in a storm sin when God is scorching plaguing and distressing us This is not only greatest impenitency but highest impudency or most senseless stupidity Such are like him of whom Solomon speaks Prov. 23.33 34. They are as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth sleeping 't is meant upon the top of a mast where by any strong blast of wind or great sway and yawing of the ship he may be tumbled into the deep There are two things we should do when we see breakings or great dangers ready to break us First We should hold fast all the good we have if we have any When we are like to lose all outward good things and that which is better than any or all of them our lives we have reason to hold fast all our spiritual and inward good things the truths of God our faith in God our love to God and all his ways Secondly If as yet we have not really taken hold of God and good things 't is high time for us do it when we can no longer hold but must let go all our loved good things of this life and even our beloved life Thirdly We should in a day of evil Let go all that is evil that is purifie our selves our consciences our lives our hearts our hands from all our sins from all that is sinful then if ever let us be found in the practice of that Apostical counsel Jam. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded They surely are minded or resolved to be filthy still and never to purifie either heart or hand who do not set their minds to purifie themselves from evil in an evil day When the Lord breaks us by any judgment or visitation then 't is high time for us to break off our sins by righteousness as Daniel advised Nebuchadnezzar chap. 4.27 JOB Chap. 41. Vers 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34. 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the spear the dart nor the harbergeon 27. He esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood 28. The arrow cannot make him flee sling-stones are turned with him into stubble 29. Darts are counted as stubble he laugheth at the shaking of a spear 30. Sharp stones are under him he spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire 31. He make the deep to boil like a pot he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment 32 He maketh a path to shine after him one would think the deep to be hoary 33. Vpon the earth there is not his like who is made without fear 34. He beholdeth all high things he is a king over all the children of pride IN the former context we have had an accurate delineation of the several parts of this mighty creature Leviathan together with their wonderful operations and effects even to the terrifying of mighty men and the putting them upon speedy preparations for death at his appearance In this the Lord gives proof First Of the imperitrableness or impregnableness of the scales skin and flesh of this Leviathan Secondly Of the greatness of his courage stomack and spirit in the midst of greatest dangers and oppositions both which are shewed in the 26 27 28 and 29. verses of this context which are all of a sence and therefore I shall very briefly pass through them Vers 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold We have in the compass of these four verses as it were a whole magazine of armes of war-like instruments and engines Armes are of two sorts First Offensive Secondly Defensive Offensive armes are likewise of two sorts First Such as we strike with or make use of at hand of which sort we reckon the sword and the spear Secondly Such as are used at a distance of which sort are arrows and darts and sling-stones All these offensive weapons are here expresly mentioned And likewise we have here defensive armes with which we cover and shelter the body in a time of battle or danger from taking hurt of which sort the helmet is a piece of armour for the head and the habergeon or breast-plate for the fore-part of the body So that here I say we have all sorts of armes And as we have all sorts of armes brought together so we have the unprofitableness or unserviceableness of them all or their utter insufficiency to hurt Leviathan or to save any man harmless or from being hurt by him as will appear while I run over and touch upon these words The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold The sword is an offensive weapon with which we assault our adversary at hand Now though a man doth lay at Leviathan with a sword that is useth his utmost skill and strength to make the sword enter yet it cannot hold or as the Hebrew is Resilit duritiè tergaris repulsus gladius Bez. will not stand or abide It will either be broken or dulled and the edge of it turned and abated or it will rebound without leaving any impression Master Broughton renders The sword of him that layeth at him will not fasten As if God had said if any be so bold as to come near with a sword in his hand to strike Leviathan it is to no purpose for such is the strength of his natural armour such the hardness of his scales and skin he is so protected fenced and fortified with these that the sword can do him no more hurt than a thrust or stroke with a bull-rush The sword cannot enter No nor the spear That 's another offensive hand-weapon which we use at hand No nor the dart That 's another offensive weapon which we use at a distance Some put these two the spear and the dart into one conceiving that by these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lauco profectionis i. e. quam homo proficisci facit de manu sua Jaculum à jaciendo Bold Hastati spargunt hestas fit ferreus imber Ennius we are to understand not a spear and a dart distinctly but a darting-spear or the spear that goeth forth For there are two sorts of spears There are some spears which are held fast in the hand of him that assaults There are another sort of spears called Javelins which are cast out of the hand Thus some I say conceive that we are to put these two words into one Nor can the darting spear or Javelin which is cast out of a mans hand against an enemy with greatest force enter to wound him Nor the habergeon As if he had said not only cannot these offensive weapons spear and dart or the darting-spear
Leviathans description is taken by Bochartus as a further proof that the Leviathan here spoken of is the Crocodile whose scales are not penetrable by the force of any weapon whereas saith he the skin of the Whale gives passage to the forcible stroke or thrust of any sharp-edged or sharp-pointed instrument For answer to this I have no more to say than what hath been said at the 15th 16th and 17th verses of this Chapter concerning the scales of Leviathan to which I refer the Reader and shall pass on when I have given three or four hints by way of improvement from the whole First If the Lord hath made a creature that no weapon can hurt then surely the Lord himself is exalted above all hurt from the creature as it is said in another place of this Book Chap. 35.6 If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplyed what dost thou unto him that is thou canst not hurt God with thy sin Though men by sin lay at him as with sword and spear though they throw their sling-stones of blasphemy at him they cannot hurt him Gamaliel Acts 5.39 gives warning against this take heed what ye do refrain from these men lest haply ye be found even to fight against God They fight against God who set themselves to do mischief but what mischief soever they do to men or among men they can do none to God their weapons reach him not As Solomon tells us Prov. 21.30 There is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord so there is no weapon against the Lord Sword and spear and dart whether material or metaphorical are but stubble before him And as the Lord himself is beyond the reach of weapons and the rage of man so are they who are under the Lords protection therefore it is said of the Church Isa 54.17 No weapon formed against thee shall prosper that is it shall not have the intended effect of the Smith that made it as that Scripture speaks nor of the hand that weilds it The sword of him that layeth at the Church of God shall not hold the spear the dart nor the habergeon As none are so much assaulted as the Church so none are so well armed and defended Secondly As no offensive weapon can hurt the Lord so no defensive weapon can shelter us from hurt if under the wrath of the Lord. Though we have got an Habergeon though we have scales or bucklers like Leviathan yet the Lord hath a sword a spear a dart that can strike through them that is through all the defences of the most hardned sinners in the world There is no shelter to be found nor defence to be made against the weapons of divine wrath but only in and by Jesus Christ God is a shield and Buckler a Helmet and an Habergeon for believers against all offensive weapons of men or devils but where shall unbelievers find a shield or a buckler to secure themselves against the offensive weapons of God! Again some in allegorizing this Scripture say that Leviathan is an emblem of the Devil Now though it be a truth that no outward weapon no sword nor dart can terrifie or hurt the Devil yet the Lord hath furnished us with weapons that can pierce the Devil that Leviathan and defend us from his power Eph. 6.14 15 16. The sword of the Spirit the Word of God will wound that old Leviathan the Breast-plate of Righteousness the Helmet of Salvation the Shield of Faith will preserve us from woundings in the midst of all his fiery darts How soon would the Devil that cunning and cursed and cruel Darter and Archer wound our souls to death with his fiery darts and poysonous arrows if the Lord had not given us a shield a breast-plate and an helmet more impenetrable than the scales of Leviathan Lastly This description of Leviathan carrieth in it a fit resemblance of a hardned sinner of a sinner resolved upon his evil wayes Some sinners come at last to such a hardness that they are like Leviathan nothing will pierce them the sword of the Spirit doth not enter them Though you lay at them with all your might in the Ministry of the Word though you cast darts and shoot arrows of terrible threatnings against them they esteem them but straw and stubble sin hath so hardned them that they as we may express it are Sermon-proof threatning-proof yea judgement-proof too as to amendment by them though they are broken and perish under them Let God say what he will in his Word or do what he will in his works they regard it not they laugh at the shaking of these spears As a man that hath armour of proof cares not for sword or spears fears not an arrow nor a bullet so 't is in a spiritual sense with resolved sinners God having as a just judgement for former sins given them a shield upon their hearts as the word signifieth Lam 3.65 which we render sorrow of heart and put in the margin obstinacy that is hardness of heart they then account reproofs threats admonitions the most terrible words in all the armoury of God no more than a straw or rotten wood Woe to these Leviathans to those who harden their hearts against the Word of God Who hath hardned himself against the Word of the Lord and prospered And let all such know that as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal that is weak dull edgeless pointless tools but mighty through God c. And that though now they prevail not to conversion yet they will prevail to condemnation and that while they go on to sin they are but going as Solomon speaks of the young wanton Prov. 7.22 As an Ox goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver God will have a dart at last which shall enter a dart which those Leviathans shall not count stubble nor find to be so The Lord proceeds to describe Leviathan and as we may conceive to give a further demonstration of the hardness of his scales and skin Vers 30. Sharp stones are under him he spreadeth sharpe pointed things upon the mire Mr. Broughton reads it His underneath-places be as sharp-sheards The word rendred Sharp stones properly signifies the sharp pieces of a pot-sâ—â—â—rd that is stones or other hard things as sharp and pricking as the pieces of a broken pot-sheard We may expound this verse two wayes First As being a proof of the hardness and firmness of Leviathans skin and flesh so hard they are that he can lye down and rest himself upon hard and sharp stones even upon the sharp tops of rocks in the Sea as we lye down upon our beds Sharp stones are under him but he feels them not which may be the meaning also of the next words He spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire That is Leviathan like some hardy man or iron-sides scorns to lye
much faith A few words please God where he seeth much faith First He confesseth Gods Omnipotency I know that thou canst do every thing I know The word notes a certain knowledge such a knowledge as leaveth no place for doubting nor for an uncertain opinionating I know is as much as I am assured As Jacob said to Joseph when he told him Manasseh was his first born Gen. 48.19 I know it my son I know it c. As if he had said I do not lay my right hand upon the younger by mistake but choice I know very well which is the first-born and I know what I do in laying my right hand upon the younger Thus saith Job here I know that thou canst do every thing This great truth is fixed and fully settled upon my heart and I urge my self with all my might now to give thee the glory of it though sometimes under my grievous pains and undue passions I have obscured it and spoken as if I doubted or were not well assured of it I know That thou canst do every thing The word rendred canst do notes two things First Might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potuit potestatem habuit potentior fuit superavit praevaluit Id tantum possumus quod juro possumus Secondly Right to do all things For indeed we can do no more than we have a right to do Again It signifies not only a power of doing but a prevailing power of doing or a conquering power a power that overcomes all difficulties and removes all obstacles or obstructions such a power is intended in this word We have it in a proper name Prov. 30.1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh even the prophesie The man spake unto Ithiel even unto Ithiel and Ucal Under both these names Ithiel and Vcal some conceive Christ is to be understood he is Ithiel which signifies as Emanuel God with us and he is Vcal that is powerful and almighty When the Prophet Jeremiah would shew how strongly that people were bent to sin he speaks to them all as one man Jer. 3.5 Behold thou hast spoken and done evil as thou couldst that is thou hast put forth thy utmost Can thou hast done as much evil as thou canst As here Job saith of the Lord Thou canst do all things So said the Prophet of the people Thou hast spoken and done evil as thou couldst A godly man sins but he doth not sin as he can he doth not lay his utmost strength nor set his shoulders to it but an evil man doth evil as he can he serves his lust as he should serve God with all his might I urge that place only to note the force of the word I know that thou canst do Every thing That is every thing which is fit for and becoming thy Majesty to do every thing which is good every thing which is just every thing which doth not reflect dishonour upon thy name every thing that is not a contradiction to thy self Thus take things of what kind you will God can do them and take things in what degree you will God can do them he can do not only little things but great things yea the greatest things Great and little make no matter of difference with God As if Job had said O Lord I know and acknowledge there is nothing too hard for thee yea nothing is hard to thee and that as thy counsels and decrees are altogether wise and just so thou hast power enough to execute and bring them about Thou canst do Every thing There is no bound to the power of God except his own will God will not do every thing that he can but he can do every thing that he willeth nothing can stop the power of God in doing where his will is to do Thou canst do every thing Or we may take it thus God can do every thing that is every thing that he hath said he will do every thing that he hath engaged himself to do by promise or by prophesie he hath power to do what he hath said or fore-shewed shall be done Thus Job gives glory to God and begins as David Psal 59.16 17. to sing of the power of the Lord as well as of his mercy I will sing of thy power unto thee O my strength will I sing Here Job sings of the power of God I know that thou canst do every thing The words have no difficulty in them only when Job saith here I know that thou canst do every thing it may be questioned Did not Job know this before yea had not Job said as much as this before that God could do every thing In several passages of the ninth and twelfth Chapters he said as much as this and more cannot be said of God We have said every thing of God when once we have said he can do every thing There Job cryes up the power of God together with his wisdom vers 4. c. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himself against him and prospered If any ask what can God do Job answers He can remove the mountains and overturn them in his anger he shaketh the earth out of its place he commandeth the Sun and it riseth not and sealeth up the Stars he alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea All these are speakings forth of the Almightiness of God and he that can do these things surely can do all things Now seeing Job was there so much upon this point before how is it that here he saith I know that thou canst do every thing as if this were some new matter which he was not acquainted with before or had never uttered I answer it is true Job knew this before but he did not know it before as he knew it now Though he knew the Lords power before and spake of it yet the trouble of his spirit and the anguish of his soul under his sufferings did very much darken him as to this knowledge and therefore when Job saith I know that thou canst do every thing this knowing is not to be understood as opposed to ignorance only as if Job knew this now and did not know it at all before but knowing here is opposed to a lesser degree of knowledge or knowing here imports a higher and greater degree of knowledge than ever he had before concerning the power of God Job spake sometimes before as if he knew little of this great truth and he much detracted from the absolute power of God over all creatures by his complainings especially that he and other innocent ones were afflicted as also by his earnest desire of knowing why he was afflicted being innocent thereby intimating that he was not so well satisfied in the dealing of God with him nor had wholly resigned up himself to the soveraign power and will of God to be disposed of at his pleasure so that in this short confession Job seems to speak more largely
that is their own peace interest and advantage is all that moves them to it or is designed and aimed at by them in it they mind not the glory of God nor his reparation in honour which hath been by their sin greatly impaired The Lord was down-right with Israel in this Jer. 4.1 If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me intimating that Israel used to make some kind of repenting turns but short of God they minded not God sincerely in them but the removal of some rod or trouble that was come or which they feared was coming upon them They return to God in repenting who repent with a holy resolve upon their hearts to obey God and with a longing desire to enjoy God all the days of their life Thus upon the occasion of Jobs saying I repent I have briefly opened the duty of repentance of such a repentance as without all peradventure Job was then exercised in His was the grace of repentance his repentance was wrought in his heart chiefly by the immediate word and speakings of God to him He turned fully in it from all his passions and expostulations with God which were at that time his special sin to a meek quiet submission to the will of God and a resting in his dispensations All this was wrapped up in this short word I repent Further consider when Job said I repent in dust and ashes he was not then to begin his repentance he had repented long before yet then he began a new work of repentance or then he renewed his repentance Hence note First New sinnings call for new repentings As the new leakings of a ship calls for new pumpings and repairs so I say new sins call for new repentings There is a first repentance and there is a second repentance First Repentance is our coming out of a state of sin of which Christ spake Mat. 11.20 21. Then began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Wo unto you Chorazin and wo unto you Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes that is they had come out of their sins Those converts in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 2.38 repented that is they came out of a sinful state Now as there is a repentance which I call our coming out of a state of sin so there is a repentance which is a coming off from this and that act of sin and this is the repentance which Job was upon Again this repentance as to acts of sin is two-fold First Our ordinary and every days repentance Secondly Our extraordinary repentance When we have fallen greatly when we have sinned extraordinary of when the Lord brings any extraordinary judgment upon us then the Lord expects extraordinary repentance such was Davids repentance in the 51. Psalm and such was Jobs repentance here as it was in general for sin so for some extraordinary sinful failings Secondly Consider what was Jobs sin Job was no vile person he had committed no gross acts of wickedness If you would know what Jobs sin was it was impatience under Gods dealings with him and his distrustfulness as to Gods delivering of him yet even his were great sins Hence note Not only gross sins murder adultery and the oppression of our neighbours are great sins but impatiency under the hand of God and unwary speeches concerning the dealings of God with us are great sins Every great sin is not a gross sin Drunkenness and swearing and adultery and murder are gross sins but impatience under afflictions and unbelief not resting upon God in an evil day these are great sins though not gross sins Remember not only are gross sins great sins but many sins which appear not to the eye nor to the ear may yet be great sins especially as to the person that committeth them Thirdly note Not gross sins only but slips of the tongue and impatiency under Gods hand are to be repented of Job not only acknowledged these to be sins but repenteth of these nor had he any other matter to repent of When we are under some great sickness or any other affliction as we are to repent of former sins so let us repent of our sickness and affliction-sins that is of impatience or any unwary speeches in our affliction These Job repented of Again how did Job repent It was in dust and ashes Hence Observe Fourthly Open sins must have open repentance That 's intended by repenting in dust and ashes We are not bound to repent openly of all our sins but in in these two cases we are First When we have done any thing that hath openly dishonoured God Secondly When we have scandalized or offended others In these cases we must repent openly so far that they who are concerned may have a testimony of our repentance When Job repented in dust and ashes he like those servants of Benhadad who came with ropes about their necks testified that he deserved to be thrown into the dust or to be burnt to ashes We can neither edifie nor satisfie such as are grieved by our sins unless our repentance be visible and we appear repenting As the light of our zeal must so shine before men that they may see our good works so the light of our repentance must so shine before men that they may see us humbled for and turning from our evil works and glorifie our father which is in heaven Fifthly Note We may testifie our repentance by outward signs Here was not only the reallity of repentance but the ceremony of it There are many outward signs of repentance spoken of in Scripture Such are First Smiting upon the thigh thus Ephraim is described repenting Jerem. 31.19 Secondly Smiting upon the breast so the Publican is described repenting Luke 18.13 He smote upon his breast and said God be merciful to me a sinner Thirdly Laying aside our ornaments thus the Lord commanded the Israelites Exod. 33.5 Put off thy ornaments from thee that I may know to do unto thee as if God had said humble thy self openly and repent Fâ—urthly The putting on of sack-cloth this the Jews were called to do Isa 22.12 Fifthly Holding down the head The Jews Isa 58.5 were not reproved for doing that but because they did it like a bull-rush only when a storm was upon them Sixthly Renting the garment and walking softly So did Ahab 1 Kings 21.27 Seventhly as in the text Job saith he did sitting in dust and ashes I do not say these or the like are absolutely necessary to repentance but they are lawful and have their use When the Prophet Joel 2.13 said Rent your hearts not your garments that is rent your hearts rather than your garments it was not a prohibition but a direction or if rent your garments be sure you rent your hearts also else all your outward modes of repentance are in vain
keep his sin upon him and continue in it notwithstanding our severest and discreetest rebukes yet he that rebukes a sinning brother doth not suffer sin upon him but hath done his duty and used the means appointed by God for the removing of it And as we should not let the Sun go down upon our wrath against other men nor give place to the devil in our selves Eph. 4.26.27 so we should not suffer the Sun to go down upon the sin of other men nor give place to the devil in them by our forbearance to rebuke them for their sin Thus the Lord dealt with Jobs three friends he speedily reproved them for their error in not speaking of him the thing that was right Further consider The Lord begins with Job and then proceeds to deal with his friends Job had the first reproof his friends the second Hence note The Lord reproves them first whom he respects most who are dearest to him We cannot shew our selves more friendly to any man than by an early reproof of his error or as the word is Lev. 19.17 by not suffering sin upon him 'T is a mercy when we reprove not our selves to meet with a reproof though late from others but to be soon reproved is much mercy Every good the sooner it comes to us the better it is To be helpt out of sin-evil is a great good and therefore when we are in a fault with others 't is a priviledge to be reproved before others and with all possible speed to be brought unto repentance The Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.17 Judgement begins at the house of God The Lord judgeth his own house before he judgeth the world and it is in mercy to his own house that he doth so for when God judgeth those of his house he chastneth them that they should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 10.32 And as God usually begins to judge his own house before he judgeth the world so the neerer and dearer any of his house are to him the sooner he begins with them as here Jobs three friends Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar were of Gods house but Job was more eminent than any of them and therefore God reproved him before he reproved them It was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite my wrath is kindled against thee c. The Lord said These words contain the second thing to be considered in this verse to wit the manner of proceeding He said that is he openly declared it he did not whisper it in the ear of Eliphaz he did not speak it to him inwardly by his Spirit there are inward reproofs conscience-checks he did not speak to him in his sleep or in a dream that opinion of one upon this place that God reproved Eliphaz in a dream is but a dream but openly that all might hear and so the innocency of Job and the fault of his friends might be manifest to all Some are of opinion that the Lord said this to Eliphaz out of the whirlwind as he spake to Job And though I do not assert that yet it cannot be denied but that as such a manner of speaking did best suit the Majesty of God so the matter spoken which was a sore reproof in which the Lord manifested much displeasure The Lord said openly and and angerly To Eliphaz the Temanite He spake not to Bildad nor to Zophar but to Eliphaz the Temanite But why did the Lord direct his speech to him personally and by name while the business concerned them all I might answer as some do because what any one of them said to Job was as if said by them all And though their opinions differed yet their persons did not all three agreeing in this though upon several grounds to oppose Job And therefore the Lord in speaking to one spake to them all But I shall give three other Reasons for it and from each a Note First Eliphaz was the elder man the graver person as all agree and therefore God reproved him personally Note this from it The elder and greater any are the greater is their offence when they offend though others offend with them When many are in a fault the chiefs or heads of them are most faulty and deserve chiefly to hear of it When Israel had committed that great sin in Baal-peor Numb 25.4 The Lord said Hang up the heads of the people before me that is the chiefs of the people So in proportion when the Lord came to deal with these three he fell upon Eliphaz first as the more eminent or first of the three Secondly as Eliphaz was the elder or first of the three so he began first with Job he was not only the first and chief in person but he was the first and chief speaker Hence note They who are first in a fault shall be first in reproof It is dangerous to follow or be a second in a bad matter but more to begin and be leader Thirdly Eliphaz was more sharp with and violent against Job than the other two and therefore the Lord began with him Hence note The deeper any are in a fault of any kind and the more of the heart appeareth in it the worse it is the more blame-worthy are they and they shall be more blamed for it All the three friends of Job did much mistake him but the spirit of Eliphaz was hottest therefore the Lord culled him out first The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite What said the Lord My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends My wrath is kindled These words are used by Elihu Chap. 32.2 3. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite against Job was his wrath kindled and against his three friends was his wrath kindled Here the Lord taketh up the same words concerning Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee thy two friends Elihu's wrath was kindled not only against Jobs friends but against Job himself but the Lords wrath was kindled only against Jobs three friends not against Job He indeed displeased God and was sharply reproved by him but the wrath of God was not kindled against him 'T is useful to consider the difference between Gods judgement and mans both as to things and persons Elihu thought Job was faulty as his friends and therefore his wrath was kindled as against his three friends so against him too but the Lord thought otherwise and therefore said to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends he said not so to Job Again consider the Lord spake much with Job but he spake little with his friends he did not vouchsafe them any long discourse and the words he spake to them were very hot words he in few words as angry men use to do told them their own Once more consider the difference of the Lords dealing with him and them The Lord fetcht a great compass to reprove Job as
are they that put their trust in him Psal 2.12 My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends Why Because ye have not spoken that which is right of me Hence note Fourthly When the Lord is angry he will shew cause of his anger God is not angry as men often are without cause When Jonah was angry the Lord said unto him Dost thou well to be angry Yea saith he that I do I have reason enough thought he to be angry though there was no true reason at all for it But when the Lord is angry he always hath reason enough and he sometimes giveth his reason That the Lord doth us good is from free grace there is no reason in us why he doth us good as he told the people of Israel I did this and that for you not because ye were more than others either in weight or number but because I loved you but when the Lord afflicts his people he tells them the reason 't is for your sins or to purge you from your sins and sometimes pointeth them to the special sins for which he punisheth them and from which he would have them purged As here he did Eliphaz and his two friends Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath The Lord doth not charge them with any evil actings but with undue speakings Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Hence note Failings in speech or in what we say may kindle wrath as well as failings in what we do Further The Lord doth not charge them with speaking soul and filthy things they had only spoken the thing that was not right A little failing in speech or in what we say concerning God and his ways may kindle wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad me coram me Pagn Ye have not spoken of me that is concerning me or concerning my proceedings with Job the thing that is right The Hebrew is To me ye have not spoken to me the thing that is right God was not only the subject of whom they spake but the object to whom they spake this whole disputation being transacted as in the presence of God and both Job and his friends appealing to him as the Judge and Moderator of it Hence the Septuagint render ye have not spoken before me the thing that is right As if God had said all that ye have spoken hath been in my presence I being witness yea I being Judge yet ye spake not right Did we remember that whatsoever we speak as well as whatsoever we do is before God and must come under his judgment we would be more careful both to do and to speak which these men did not the thing that is right Ye have not spoken of me The thing that is right The Hebrew is but one word and it may be taken two ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complectitur veritatem convenientiam cum officio decoro Significat igitur falsa dixisse de Dei judicio Jobo non eo animo dixisse sive vera sive falsa essent quo decobat Coc. Causam meam iniquè egistis Jun. First For rightness in matter Secondly In manner Our translation refers to the matter ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Yet they failed as the word implieth in their manner of speaking also they handled Gods cause unhandsomely they spake not as they ought as well as what they ought not to a poor afflicted creature they spake not with that tenderness pity and compassionateness as became them to a man in that pitiful case But though the Lord might say in both these senses Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right yet he said not as the Septuagint over-rashly render Ye have not spoken of me any thing that is right nor doth the Lord charge them absolutely as not speaking right of him but with a modification or comparatively Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right As my servant Job hath As if he had said Job hath been condemned by you and yet Job hath spoken better than you righter than you though he hath had his failings in speaking yet ye have failed more than he But it may be questioned what was it that they did not speak right and what was it that Job spake righter than they I answer They had not spoken so right as he First About the doctrine of Gods providence by which he governs all things and distributes good and evil that is prosperity and adversity to the sons of men Secondly They had not spoken so right as he taking up the signs or tokens of the love and hatred of God from his outward dispensations Thirdly They censured Job as a sinful doer in former times and that now his sin had found him out because at that time he was so great a sufferer These things were not right Or thus Jobs friends did not speak right First In judging that God was angry with him because he afflicted him Secondly Nor did they speak right in judging Job wicked because afflicted they spake many right things about the justice and power of God but they did not hit Jobs case right They thought and concluded that if Job had not been a great sinner God would not have afflicted him at all at least not so greatly They supposed God could not justly afflict Job as he had done had Job been a just man This was not right they did not well consider First That God may afflict a just man out of Soveraignty Secondly They did not well consider that God hath other ends and reasons in afflicting than for iniquity and therefore they knew not how to justifie the proceedings of God but by condemning Job which there was no necessity to do So then their great errour and mistake was in resolving this question affirmatively Whether he that is greatly afflicted be a great sinner or whether the severe judgments of God light only upon ungodly men Their affimation of this was enough to make Job despair and did provoke him to utter several very passionate and unfitting speeches For though Job spake many things right yet not all right God judged him according to the tendency and scope of his spirit and speech not according to the accidents and suddein extravagancies of either Job spake right First In affirming constantly that God did not afflict him for his sin Secondly That his afflictions were no signs of Gods displeasure against him nor of his wickedness against God Yet Job did not speak all nor always right He failed First When he spake impatiently of his own sufferings Secondly When he spake so boldly to God asking as it were an account of his doings and dealings with him Thirdly He spake not right though that was right which he spake when he spake so much of his own righteousness thereby though not purposely yet according to the apprehension of others reflecting upon
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
more than a bare rebuke here was a blow given and that a sore one The Lord deals gently with some sinners that none may despair and severely with others though his servants that none may presume Only let us remember that when the Lord at any time doth chasten and rebuke his servants for sin with great severity he doth not drive them away nor discourage them but would have them look to him for pardon and healing When he judgeth them as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 11.32 he doth not condemn them or if we call it a condemnation yet he doth not condemn them with the world nor as he condemns the world God condemns the unbelieving world to destruction but he condemns his servants only for their humiliation The goodness of God appears much in these two things First In his flowness to anger his mercy doth even clog his justice and gives it leaden feet it comes slowly Secondly In his readiness to show mercy The Scripture saith he is slow to wrath and ready to forgive his goodness doth even adde wings to his mercy causing it to fly swiftly to the relief of sensible and humbled sinners or as one of the Ancients expresseth he sharpneth the sword of his justice with the oile of his mercy and so it becomes a healing as well as a wounding sword Secondly In that the Lord himself gave this direction Take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams c. Observe God against whom we sin sheweth us the way to get peace and the pardon of our sins When man sinned at first or when the first man fell into sin there he had lain for ever if the Lord had not shewed him a way out Had it been left to man to devise a way to recover himself when he was fallen his fall had been irrecoverable he had never found how to get at once his sin pardoned and the justice of God satisfied This was the Lords own invention and it was the most noble and excellent one that ever was in the world he shewed fallen man at first how to get up and here he gave direction to these fallen men what to do that they might The Lord who was their Judge was also their Counsellor Thirdly Consider the particular way of their peace-making it was by sacrifice Take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams c. Hence note Sacrifices for sin were appointed and commanded by God not devised by man Sacrifices have been from the beginning Cain and Abel brought their offerings unto the Lord Gen. 4.3 4. Noah also builded an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt-offerings on the altar Gen. 8.20 Abraham offered the ram for a burnt-offering Gen. 22.13 Now though the law for sacrifices was not formally given in those times yet it was really given All those elder sacrifices were of the Lords appointment and by his direction as well as those in and after the days of Moses There is no expiating of sin against God by the inventions of man Heathens offered sacrifices to their Idol-gods imitating the worship of the true God The Devil is Gods ape Typical sacrifices were of God for the taking away of the sin of man And so was the true sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ when he that is Christ said sacrifice and offering and burnt-offering and offering for sin thou wouldst not that is thou wouldst not have those legal sacrifices nor didst ever intend to have them as satisfactions to thy offended justice ultimately to rest in them then said he that is Christ Lo I come to do thy will O God Heb. 10.8 9. It was the will of God that Jesus Christ should be the expiatory sacrifice for the sin of man by the which will v. 10. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all The sacrifice of Christ himself had not saved us if it had not been of Gods appointment nor could any sacrifice have so much as shadowed the way or means of our salvation if God had not appointed it Fourthly Consider the purpose for which the Lord commanded Eliphaz c. to offer their sacrifice it was to make an attonement for their sin Hence Observe Sin must have a sacrifice There was never any way in the world from first to last to help a sinner but by a sacrifice and who was the sacrifice Surely Jesus Christ was the sacrifice it was not the blood of bulls and goats of bullocks and rams that could take away sin as the Apostle argueth at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews these could never take away sin these only pointed at Jesus Christ who alone did it by bearing our sins and by being made a sacrifice for them To typifie or shew this we read in the law of Moses that the sin of the offender was laid upon the sacrifice and a sacrifice for sin was called sin by the Prophet long before Christ came Dan. 9.24 He shall make an end of sin that is when Christ shall come in the flesh he shall make an end of all sacrifices for sin and so the Apostle called it after Christ was come and had suffered in the flesh 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin that is a sacrifice for sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The sacrifice was called sin because the sin of the person who brought it and in whose behalf it was offered was laid upon the sacrifice there was as it were a translation of the sin from the person to the sacrifice In which sence Luther is to be understood when he said Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world not that he had any sin in his nature or any sin in his life but because he had the sins of all that are or shall be saved laid upon him as the Prophet spake Isa 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all or as our Margin hath it He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet on him And there is no atonement for sin but by a sacrifice So the Lord ordained the offering up of a whole burnt-offering for the taking away of sin that sinners might see what they had deserved even to die and not only so but to be wholly burnt and consumed in the fire of his wrath Impenitent sinners shall be consumed in fire that shall never be extinguished nor ever extinguish them they shall abide in an ever-living death or in an ever-dying life They who rest not upon the sacrifice of Christ once offered must be a sacrifice themselves alwayes offered to the justice and wrath of God Here it may be questioned why the Lord commanded them to offer seven Bullocks and seven Rams what could the blood of seven do more than the blood of one I answer First This being a great sacrifice possibly the Lord commanded it thereby to intimate the greatness of their sin Two things chiefly shew the greatness of a
be collected from that in the Prophet Ezek. 14.14 where he is joyned with Noah and Daniel Job being here called to pray for his friends was put upon another piece of the Priestly Office There were two parts of the Priestly Office and Job is adorned with them both First the Priest was to offer sacrifice Secondly to pray for the people Jesus Christ filled up both these parts of the Priestly office for us First he offered himself a sacrifice for us Secondly he interceded yea he ever liveth to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Job as in offering up a sacrifice so in praying for his faulty friends was a type of Christ My servant Job shall pray for you But for what should he pray in their behalf Surely that their sin might be forgiven and they find favour with God The word here rendred to Pray for is elegant and significant Verbum pertinet ad rem forensem judicialem significat orare vel deprecari more ejus qui ad judidicem appellat illum supplex adit precabundus Coc. implying a forinsecal act when an advocate in Court moves the Judge in behalf of an offender so that when the Lord saith My servant Job shall pray for you his meaning is he shall deprecate the wrath and vengeance that your sin hath deserved and entreat my favour for you and seek your peace with me My servant Job shall pray for you Hence observe First It is a duty to pray for those that have wronged us Not only is it a duty to forgive them and be reconciled to them but to pray for them and heartily wish their good The Apostle James having said Chap. 5.16 Confess your faults one to another presently adds Pray for one another yea Christ commands us to pray for the good not only of those that confess they have wronged us and desire reconciliation to us but to pray for our enemies that is such as still hate us and continue to contrive all the mischief they can against us It is a duty not only to pray for them that acknowledge their fault but for theâ— also who go on in their fault against us enemies do so Bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you These are Christs not only counsels but commands Mat. 5.44 Even for them we should pray that God would pardon their sin turn their hearts and give them repentance which is the best we can pray for them Again the Lord saith My servant Job shall pray for you Hence observe Secondly God undertakes and gives his word for a good man that he will do his duty God having spoken to Job about this matter undertook for his performance My servant Job shall pray for you I will put it into his heart to do it The Lord may very well be bound for a good man that he shall do his duty because as he hath promised so he will help him to do his duty Thus the Lord engaged for Abraham Gen. 18.19 Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I am doing I know Abraham I am well enough acquainted with Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. I know him I will be surety for him The Lord speaks with confidence concerning his people that they will do this and that they will humble themselves before him and that they will forgive and pray for their enemies he knows they will do all these things because he knows he hath given them power and a heart to do them The Apostle was confident of the obedience of the Church of Galatia Gal. 5.10 I have saith he co fidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded When the Apostle undertook that they should do their duty he did it respectively to a divine assistance and presence with them I have confidence in you not in your selves but through the Lord c. but God undertakes absolutely My servant Job shall pray for you Thirdly Note The prayers and intercessions of the righteous prevail much with God The Lord having assured them that his servant Job should pray for them tells them in the next words Him will I accept which intimates that his pâ—ayers should have a great power with God for them James 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much and it doth so in a twofold respect First For himâ—elf A godly man gets much good of God in his own case by prayer Secondly It prevails very much with God in respect of others 'T is a great honour with which the Lord crowns the prayers of his faithful servants that they prevail not only for themselves but for others Thus the Lord spake to Abimelech Gen. 20.7 Now therefore restore this man meaning Abraham his wife for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee And his prayer was answered When the Lord had smitten Miriam with the Leprosie Moses cryed unto the Lord saying heal her now O God I beseech thee and she was healed Numb 12.13 Thus Samuels prayer prevailed 1 Sam. 7.9 And Samuel took a sucking Lamb and offered it up for a burnt-offering and Samuel cryed unto the Lord for Israel not for himself but for Israel and the Lord heard him And in the twelfth Chapter of the same Book vers 19. the people begged prayers of Samuel And all the people said unto Samuel pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not And at the 23d verse Samuel said As for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way and he prayed for them and the Lord spared the people at that time Not to pray for others proceeds from uncharitableness not to desire the prayers of others proceeds either from ignorance not knowing of what value the prayers of others who are godly are or from pride that we will not be beholding to others for their prayers It is a great mercy to have the prayers of good men going for us Fourthly Note The prayers of others may prevail with God when our own cannot Eliphaz and his two friends were good men yet the Lord did not give answer to them but to the prayers of Job The prayers of others may be answered when ours are not in a double respect First Others may be in a better pâ—aying frame than our selves Every one that is in a praying state is not alwayes in a praying frame especially not in such a praying frame as another may be in another may be in a better praying frame and so may prevail more for us than we for our selves Secondly Some other persons may be more accepted with God than we some are as it were favourites with God God shews favour to all his servants but all his servants are not his favourites Moses was
a favourite Abraham was a favourite God called him his friend and Job was a favourite The Lord shews favour to many who yet are not his favourites Kings and Pâ—inces shew favour to all their faithful subjects yet but one possibly is a Favourite The Lords chief favourite is his Son Jesus Christ he hath his ear continually I knew said Christ John 11.42 that thou hearest me alwayes Now as Christ is a favourite above all men so among good men some have favour with God above others A King will hear a favourite when he will not a common person Our Annotators upon this very place tell us out of Mr. Fox that when Sir John Gostwich had falsely accused Arch-Bishop Cranmer to King Henry the VIII he would not hear him nor be reconciled to him till Cranmer himself whom he had wronged came and spake for him Thus the Lord will not be reconciled to some till the wronged party intercedes for them Yet we must remember that the power or effect of all our prayers depends upon Jesus Christ alone by him it is that any have access to the father and he is the way to the holiest the beloved in whom God is well pleased whom he heareth always and through whom God heareth his best beloved favourites on earth Observe Fifthly It is a great mercy to have the prayers of a good man going for us The Lord told not Eliphaz and his two friends of any thing else that Job should do for them he only saith Job my servant shall pray for you If the Lord doth but stir up the heart of a Job of a Moses of a Jacob a Wrestler in prayer to pray for us who knows what mercy we may receive by it And therefore when the Lord forbids his favourites to pray for a people as sometimes he doth it is a sign that such are in a very sad condition yea that their case is desperate Jeremiah was a mighty man with the Lord in prayer and the Lord said to him Jer. 14.11 Pray not to me for this people for good Jeremiah was forward to pray for them but the Lord stopt him Pray no more not that the Lord disliked his prayer but because he was resolved not to forgive them though he prayed for them therefore he said pray not The Lord would not let such precious waters run wast as the prayers of Jeremiah were They are in a remediless ill condition of whom the Lord saith pray not for them Of such the Apostle spake 1 John 5.16 If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death he shall ask and God shall give him life There is a sin unto death I say not that he shall pray for it The pardon of a sin unto death is not to be prayed for Every sin deserves death but every sin is not unto death They who sin so are past prayer and in how woful a plight are they whose sins are past prayers They who have been much in prayer themselves and afterwards fall off from or walk contrary unto their prayers come at last to this miserable issue that either they give over praying for themselves or others are stopt from praying for them And though an outward bar be not laid upon their friends prayer as in Israels case yet there may be a bar upon the spirit of such as used to pray for them It is a bad sign when the Lord shuts up the heart from praying for any one and it is a sign of mercy when the Lord inlargeth the heart of any that are godly to pray for others Sixthly Observe Prayer for another doth not profit him unless he be faithful himself I ground it upon the text Job shall pray for you but you must carry a sacrifice which implied their faith and they must carry a sacrifice to Job and that implied their repentance and both implied that they prayed for themselves also It is in vain to offer a sacrifice without faith and repentance being in this frame My servant Job shall pray for you Conjunctis precibus nihil impetratu impossibile est Conjunctae autem preces esse non possunt ubi est offensio Coc. vid. The prayer of faith prevails not for those that go on in their unbelief and impenitency Job prayed for his friends and they repenting and believing he prevailed for them The reason why the Prophet Jeremiah in the place before mentioned as also chap. 7.16 was commanded not to pray for that people was because they were a hardened people in their sins and therefore his prayers could do them no good Yea the Lord told him cha 15.2 that though not only he but other great favourites joyned in prayer for them it should do them no good Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my mind could not be towards this people The reason why those eminent favourites and mighty men in prayer could do no good was as was said before because they were unbelieving and hardned in their sins as appears upon the place The Prophet Ezekiel speaks the same thing chap. 14.14 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job this Job that we have in the text were in it they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness saith the Lord. Jobs prayers obtained good for his friends but the children of Israel were in such a condition that though Noah Daniel and Job were praying for them they should get no good by it their sins were so high and their hearts so hard that the prayers of the holiest men in the world could not prevail with God for mercy It cannot be denied but the prayers of a godly man may profit a wicked man an unbeliever an impenitent person for his conversion to the faith and the bringing of him to repentance but they profit not any man who as he hath not faith so continues in his unbelief Yet I grant that the prayers of a believer may profit such an unbeliever as to the avoiding of some temporal evil or as to the obtaining of some temporal good as is clear in Abrahams prayer for Abimelech Gen. 20.7 But how much soever a godly man prayeth for the pardon of a wicked mans sin or the salvation of his soul he shall never be pardoned or saved unless himself repent and believe They who never pray in faith for themselves shall not get favour with God by any prayer of faith made by others for them Now as from this and such like Scriptures it appears that the prayers of godly men for good men here on earth are very pleasing unto the Lord and receive great answers So they do absurdly who from this Scripture infer that the Saints departed pray for us as if they knew or understood our condition and they do more absurdly who living here on earth pray to the Saints in heaven to pray for them The Scripture speaks nothing of prayers to departed Saints nor of departed Saints praying for us the Scripture speaks only of the living
greater while against the Laws of piety ye have judged of a mans holiness by his outward unhappiness and have censured him as a bad man because he hath in this world endured so much evil This hath been your sin ye have in this dealt foolishly with my servant Job therefore hasten to him and do as I have said Lest I deal with you ac-according to your folly Hence note First Sin is folly And not only is it simple folly which a man committeth for want of wit or because he hath little understanding what a man doth for want of wit and understanding is simple folly but sin is wicked folly which is the abuse of wit and parts and gifts yea the overflowing of lust And though we cannot charge these men that they did intentionally use their wit and parts to grieve Job yet it proved so though it was not the end or design of them that spake yet it was the issue of their speech they did him a great deal of wrong and doubtless Satan stirred much or provoked them to use their parts and gifts to imbitter the spirit of the poor man and God left them to do it This was their folly and all such actings or speakings are no better nor do they deserve better or softer language This word folly is often applied in Scripture to sin especially to great sins Another word is used in the Proverbs of Solomon but in several other places sin is expressed by this Gen 34.7 When that great affliction fell upon Jacob the ravishing of Dinah her bretâ—â—â—â— came home very wroth saying He hath committed folly in â—â—â—â—â—l So Judges 19.23 Judges 20.6 the abusing of the Levites Concubine is called the committing of folly Whoredom is expressed by folly Deut. 22.21 And this word with reference I conceive to the sin of whoredom which is spoken of in that place is translated villany Jer. 29.23 All sin is folly especially any great sin is so For First It is a folly to hurt our selves No man can hurt us if we do not hurt our selves by sin The Apostle Peter saith 1 Epist 3.13 Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good 'T is strange that any should Though it be true enough that many have had not only a will to harm them that follow good but have actually done them many and great outward harms yet this is a great truth none can indeed harm them that follow good because all harms turn to their good Nothing can hurt us but our sin Secondly Sin is folly for in sinning we strive with one that is too hard for us Do we saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 10.23 provoke the Lord to jealousie are we so simple are we stronger than he Thirdly It is folly to do that by which we can get no good that 's the part of a fool Rom. 6.21 What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed What have ye got by them have ye made any gains or earnings to boast of the end of those things is death is it not folly to begin that which ends in death and that a never-ending an eternal death Fourthly It is folly to sin for by that at best we run a hazard of our best portion for fading pleasures and perishing profits If we have any pleasure by sin it is but pleasure for a season and that a very short one too What a foolish thing is it to venture things that are incorruptable for perishing things It were a great folly for a man to venture gold against grass they do infinitely more foolishly who sin against the Lord for all that they can get by it is not so much to what they hazard as grass to gold Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul As all flesh is grass so all that flesh lusteth after is no better What kind of Merchants what kind of Exchange-men are they that will traffick or truck away their souls for the profits or pleasures of sin and 't is for one of these that most if not all men traffick away their souls Secondly Observe When God dealeth mâ—st severely with sinners he dealeth justly with them What rod soever he layeth upon their backs what shame what poverty what sickness he affl cts them with It is but according to their folly they have but their own they have no reason to complain The Prophet told the people of Israel as one man when under grievous affl ctions Jerem. 4.18 Thy ways and thy doings have procured these things unto thee Thou hast no reason to complain for thy punishment is of thy own procurement that is thy sin is visible in thy punishment thou eatest but the fruit of thy own doings how bitter soever it is Another Scripture saith Num. 32.23 Your sin shall find you out that is you shall suffer according to what you have done and reap what ye have sowed And is it not folly to sow to the corrupt flesh when of the flesh we shall reap corruption Gal. 6.8 The flesh is a corrupt thing and can yield us no better a thing than it is the effect is like the cause corruption that is a miserable condition both here and hereafter now and for ever Thirdly Note The Lord will not pass by nor spare no not a godly man when he sinneth and repenteth not All this is included in the going of these men to Job As if the Lord had said I will punish you Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar for your folly unless ye repent They that are in a state of grace cannot expect favour from the Lord unless they turn from their sin and give him glory by repenting and believing Good men doing evil may suffer for it as well as the worst of men The Lord will see a work of repentance and selâ—-humbling a work of faith looking to Christ the sacrifice else he will deal with them even with them as he threatned these good men according to their folly But what was the folly of Eliphaz and his two friends for which the Lord threatned to deal so severely with them The latter part of the verse tells us what God accounted and called their folly In that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right The Lord had told them as much at the seventh verse My wrath is kindled against you because ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right Here the Loâ—d pointeth them to their sin again and layeth his finger afresh upon the soar But why doth he so Take these three reasons why Probably the Lord repeated these words First To shew that he was very sensible of their sin in speaking amiss of him and very angry with them for it They provoked the Lord much when they measured him as it were by themselves or by their own meet-wand in his ways of
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
c. This Text answereth that command they went and did according as the Lord commanded them Their obedience to the Lords command is described three wayes First by the speediness of it They went Secondly by the exactness of it They went and did according as the Lord commanded them Thirdly by the good issue and fruit of it The Lord also accepted Job So Eliphaz the Temanitâ— and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went These were the three persons who had to do with Job in that long contest opened in the body of this book these are the persons against whom the Lords wrath was kindled because they had not spoken of him the thing that was right as his servant Job these were the persons to whom the Lord gave command to b ing their sacrifice to Job and offer it up for themselves that reconciliation might be made theâ—e persons went all three went As all th ee were wrapt up in one fault as all three were in the same sin so they all three joyned together and agreed in their obedience to the command of God and in repentance for their sin and faultiness They went Having received a command to go they did not tarry and stay to coâ—sider whether they should go or stay they did not put in any demur to the matter but went which implyeth first as was said the speediness of their obedience they went presently secondly the willingness of their obedience their minds were in the work as well as their bodies thirdly the cheerfulness of their obedience they went as if they had been to take a pleasing or pleasant Journey They went and what did they They went And did according as the Lord commanded them Their obedience was not only speedy and willing and cheerful but exact These words They did according as the Lord commanded them yield us a great example of full of compleat obedience they not only did what was commanded but they did it as it was commanded yea and they did it because it was commanded Singulare eâ— emplum docilitatis et modestiae ut qui etiam nec improbitate nec malevolentia sed pet imprudentiam peccarunt Bez. for that must come in to make up the fulness of our obedience Here is then a great example of humility of modesty of meekness and of submission to the will of God They went and did according as the Lord commanded them What was that They brought their sacrifice first for kind and secondly for number as the Lord had commanded them The Lord commanded them to bring Bullocks and Rams they brought them The Lord commanded them to bring seven Bullocks and seven Rams they brought them as the Lord commanded both for kind and for number Secondly They brought them to Job The Lord said Go to my servant Job they went to Job according as the Lord commanded them Thirdly We must suppose they intreated Job to undertake the Office of a Reconciler of a Mediator of a Priest between God and them according as the Lord commanded Though this piece of their submission and obedience be not expressed yet it is intimated and implyed nor could it be omitted it being not only a part but the principal part of that duty which the Lord laid upon them Thus in all things they submitted and were obedient according to the command of the Lord. First In that we have all three named here in this matter of obedience Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went Observe It is very good in it self and very pleasing to God when they who have joyned in any sin or miscarriage towards himself or others joyn readily together in shewing their sorrow and repentance for it It was a blessed sight to see those three men coming as one man about this duty not one of them drawing back not one of them putting in any plea against the command of God There are three things wherein it is very pleasant to behold the people of God joyning in one First when they joyn or are one in Opinion and Judgment when they all think the same thing and are of one mind in the truth Secondly When they joyne together and are one in affection when they are all of one heart though possibly they are not all of one mind or when they meet in affection though not in opinion Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity And when David had spoken admiringly of this goodly sight he spake declaratively concerning the goodness of it vers 2. It is like the precious oyntment upon the head 'T is so first for the sweetness of it 't is so secondly for the diffusiveness of it as followeth that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments Thirdly which is the matter in the text it is a blessed thing to see them joyning together in duty either as duty is considered First in doing that which is good or when as the Apostles word is 2 Cor. 6.1 they are among themselves workers together in any good work we say to fill up the Text workers together with God That 's a blessed sight indeed when we joyne with God and God joyneth with us in his work It is also a blessed sight when all the Ministers of Jesus Christ and any as members of Jesus Christ joyn in any good work in this especially to beseech all we have to do with that they receive not the grace of God in vain Secondly in turning from evil and putting iniquity far from them in praying for the pardon of sin and making their peace with God In this work the three in the Text joyned together 'T is a good work to turn away from evil especially when all who are concerned in it joyn in it A great mourning is prophesied Zech. 12.11 12 13. And the land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart the Family of the house of Levi apart and their Wives apart c. Here 's a great mourning with a turning from sin prophesied of as also the manner of it Every family shall mourn apart But though they shall mourn apart yet they shall all joyn in mourning a whole family shall mourn apart not a part of a family and as the whole of a family shall mourn so â—ll the Families shall mourn and repent and seek reconciliation to God as if they were but one family yea but one person As to joyn in sin and to be brethren in iniquity is the worst of unions indeed a combination against God so to joyn as Brethren in mourning for sin and repenting of our iniquities is a blessed union and highly pleasing unto God Secondly In that it is said They went and did as the Lord commanded Observe When the Lord commandeth we must speedily obey We
they carried it on a new Cart when it should have been carryed upon the Levites shoulders that was a failing in the outward manner of that work Hence that confession of David when he undertook that work a second time 1 Chron. 15.13 The Lord made a breach upon us at first for that we sought him not after the due order We must worship God aright for the outward manner of his commands and institutions else we dishonour him while we intend to worship him Secondly The inward manner must be according to the command of God 'T is possible we may hit the outward form of worship yet miss in the inward manner of it The Lord searcheth the heart he knoweth what is within and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth John 4.24 that is according to the truth of the rule made known in the word and in truth of heart The inward manner of worship is First That we worship in faith Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 If we have not a justifying faith yea if we have not a perswading faith Rom. 14.5 23. that what we do is according to the will of God our worship iâ— not according to what the Lord hath commanded and so becomes sin to us Secondly That we worship in love Though we do never so many holy services to the Lord if we do them not in love to him we fail in the inward manner of our worship The sum of all the Lords commands is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might It is not heaâ—ing and praying but these in love which is the fulfilling of the commandement Every duty must be mixt also with love to man We may do many things commanded to men yet if we do them not in love to men we do nothing as the Lord commandeth Thus the holy Apostle concluded peremptorily 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels c. and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cimbal and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burnt and have not charity it profiteth nothing Thirdly To do all that the Lord commands according to the inward manner is to do all in humility that is First Acknowledging that we have no power of our own to do any thing Secondly That we have deserved nothing how much soever we have done or how well soever we have done it Thus in doing the Lords commands we should labour to answer the mind of the Lord fully and to hit every circumstance to omit nothing no not the lest thing Moses Exod. 10.16 being to carry the people of Israel out of Egypt would not compound the matter with Pharaoh Ye may go said Pharaoh after he had been broken by several plagues Only let your little ones stay no saith Moses that is not as the Lord hath commanded me And at another time he said Go only let your cattle stay no saith Moses this is not as the Lord commanded I will not leave so much as a hoof behind me And so said Moses concerning the observances of the law For thus I am commanded or this is as the Loâ—d commanded as we read all along the books of Exodus and Leviticus We are not full in our obedience till we obey fully It is said of Caleb Num. 14.24 He had another spirit he followed the Lord fully that is as to matter and manner as to out-side and in-side Let us labour to be full followers of God not out-side followers of God only but in-side followers Let us not rest in the in-side when we are not right in the out-side nor please our selves with an out-side service when we are careless of the inward Thus of their obedience as considered in general They did according as the Lord commanded Further consider their doing as the Lord commanded them in that special matter their reconciliation first to himself and then to Job Hence Observe Fourthly What the Lord appointeth for our reconciliation we must do and we must do it as he hath appointed Cur te pudeat peccatum tuum dicere cum non pudet facere Bernard in Sentent Erubescere mala sapientiae est bonum verò erubescere fatuitatis Greg. l. 1. in Ezek. hom 10. Though the means which God appointeth seem to us improbable and weak though it be troublesome and chargeable as here the offering up of so many bullocks and rams yet we must do it Yea though it put us to shame before men by the acknowledgment of our errors and mistakes as here Eliphaz and his two friends also did yet we must do it They who are ashamed of sin will not be ashamed to acknowledge their sin But what must we do to be reconciled to God or maâ— They who desire reconcilion with God must go out of themselves and go to Jesus Christ they must as Eliphaz c. did bring a sacrifice to God not as they did of bullocks and rams but which was shadowed by those legal sacrifices the sacrifice of Jesus Christ himself Who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 They who desire reconciliation with man must do that which God here appointed these men go to him whom they have wronged and acknowledge their error or that they have wronged him they must also desire his pardon and prayers Thus did these men and they did as the Lord commanded for their reconciliation first to himself and then to Job Fifthly We may consider this their obedience as to the spring of it What made them so ready when the Lord commanded them to go and do as he had commanded them doubtless this was one thing the men were now humbled God had brought them to a fight of their sin Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right this they were made sensible of and confessed and so obeyed Hence Observe They who are truly humbled and touched with a clear sight and deep sense of their sins will do whatsoever the Lord commandeth and as he commandeth They who are made sensible of the wrath of God deserved by and kindled against them for their sins will do any thing which he commands for the obtaining of his favour God may have any thing of an humble soul had the Lord commanded these men to go to Job and offer sacrifice before he had convinced them of their sin they might have flung away over the field and not have kept the path of his commandments but having humbled them they submitted When Peter had preached that notable Sermon which prickt his hearers at the very heart Acts 2.37 Then they said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do They were not only ready to do what they were commanded but did even ask for commands What shall we do They as it
were threw down a blank and desired the Apostles to write what commands they would that tended to salvation as if they had said we are ready to do what the Lord commandeth and according as the Lord commandeth Thus being made sensible of their sins and of the wrath of God which they had provoked against themselves by crucifying the Lord of life They cried out what shall we do We will submit to any thing that is fit to be done Saul afterward Paul came out with fury to persecute the Disciples of Christ but the Lord having beaten him from his horse to the ground he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 He was fit to take any impression and to be moulded into any form by the hand of God They who have been made to know what it is to break commands are willing to obey and keep them This was the first spring of their obedience God had humbled them There was a second spring of their obedience which will yield a sixth Observation For as the Lord had convinced them of their sin so he had given them hopes of mercy in the pardon of it and of reconciliation to himself So much was intimated in that gracious counsel given them Take unto you seven Bullocks and seven Rams and go and offer up a burnt-offering for your selves c. This was a comfortable word and doubtless they understood it so and said in their own hearts God might have made us a sacrifice but he commands us to offer a sacrifice And what doth this signifie Surely that he will be gracious to us and is ready to pardon us Having these hopes of pardon they went and willingly did what the Lord commanded they went to Job they submitted to him whom they had contemned they honoured him whom they had despised before Hence note The intimations of mercy and hopes of pardon prevail mightily upon the soul of a sinner The Lord did not only shew them their sin and terrifie them with kindled wrath but shewed them a sacrifice and this presently won upon them The love of God is more constraining than his wrath and hopes of pardon and salvation than the fear of punishment and damnation both have their effects and are strong motives wrath and love but the strongest is love As when the Apostle beseeched the Romans Rom. 12.1 to present themselves a living sacrifice he besought them by the mercies of God So when the Lord commanded these men to offer up slain beasts in sacrifice hope of mercy was the motive 'T is mercy which moves most effectually to offer both our services our selves a sacrifice unto God that 's the same Apostles argument again 2 Cor. 7.1 Wherefore having these promises let us cleanse our selves that is use all means of cleansing our selves let us go to Christ for the cleansing of our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. The end of the Commandement is charity 1 Tim. 1.5 that is 't is charity or love which gives the Commandement its end What is the end of the Commandement it is that we should obey and fulfil it To what end doth the Lord give us Commandements it is that we should keep them Love is the end of the Commandement as it gives the Commandement a compleating end Now whence comes our love either to God or man Surely from the manifestation of Gods love to us So that when the Lord manifesteth his love to us raising and confirming our hopes by promises then our love appeareth in doing and keeping Commandements and therefore love is there joyned with faith unfeigned a faith without hypocrisie or deceit Now the work of faith in God for pardon and reconciliation is grounded upon a sacrifice Thus as Evangelical obedience is better than legal so mercy revealed in the Gospel quickens to obedience more than wrath revealed in the Law The sight of mercy and the sense of the lovâ— of God in sending his own Son to be a sacrifice for us works more upon us than if the Lord should threaten to make us a sacrifice or to consume us in the fire of his wrath for ever It was the sacrifice which made these men go to Job and humble themselves they perceived there was hope now and that though they had failed yet the Lord was ready to receâ—ve them and would not deal with them according to their folly as he told them he would if they did not according to his command go to Job with their seven Bullocks c. and offer up a burnt-offering They went and did as the Lord commanded them But what came of it how did they speed what was the issue of all The Text saith The Lord also accepted Job This may seem a strange connection they going and doing as the Lord commanded them one would have thought it should be said And the Lord accepted them whereas the Text saith only thus The Lord also accepted Job But were not Jobs friends accepted shall we think that they lost their labour not so neither without all question these three bâ—inging their sacrifice according to the command of God both for matter and manner were accepted too yet because it was at the request and prayer of Job for them therefore the Text saith not The Lord accepted but The Lord also accepted Job Accepit Jehova personam Jobi sacerdotio jungentis nomine Christi sacerdotis victimae sempiâ—â—rnae nostrae quam iste figurabant Jun. that is he offering sacrifice and praying for them they were accepted This sheweth us the great mystery or the sum of the Gospel the Lord did not accept them in themselves but he accepted Job in sacrificing for them and all in Christ And consider it is not said The Lord accepted the sacrifice or the prayer of Job but The Lord accepted Job his person was accepted in and through the sacrifice or intercession of Christ and his sacrifice and intercession for Eliphaz and his two friends were accepted also in him How the Lord testified his acceptance of Job whether by consuming his sacrifice with fire from heaven or by any other outward token of his favour is not here expressed and therefore to us uncertain only this is certain and that is enough for us to know that God accepted him What it is to accept was shewed in opening the former verse In brief to be accepted is to have favour with God our petitions answered and the things done which we move or petition for The Lord also accepted Job Rogavit Job Dominus ignavit profuit illis amicitia quibus obsuit insolentia Ambros 3 Offic. c. ult And when 't is said The Lord also accepted Job this implyeth that Job did willingly undertake the service and duty for his three friends Though it be not said that Job offered sacrifice and prayed for them yet both are wrapt up and understood in this conclusion The Lord
as a prayer for their return out of proper captivity and largely for their deliverance out of any adversity So Psal 126.1 When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion we were like them that dream Read also Zeph. 2.7 Secondly From the author of this turn The Lord turned the captivity c. Observe Deliverance out of an afflicted state is of the Lord. He is the authour of these comfortable turns and he is to be acknowledged as the authour of them The Psalmist prayed thrice Turn us again Psal 80.3 7 19. The waters of affliction would continually rise and swell higher and higher did not the Lord stop and turn them did not he command them back and cause an ebb Satan would never have done bringing the floods of affliction upon Job if the Lord had not forbidden him and turned them It was the Lord who took all from Job as he acknowledged chap. 1.21 and it was the Lord who restored all to him again as we see here the same hand did both in his case and doth both in all such cases Hos 6.1 Let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up David ascribed both to God Psal 66.11 12. Thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loins thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and through water The hand of God led them in that fire and water of affliction through which they went but who led them out The Psalmist tells us in the next words Thou broughtest us into a wealthy place the Margin saith into a moist place They were in fire and water before Fire is the extremity of heat and driness water is the extremity of moistneâ—s and coldness A moist place notes a due temperament of â—eat and cold of driness and moistness and therefore elâ—gantly shadows that comfortable and contentful condition into which the good hand of God had brought them which is significantly expressed in our translation by a wealthy place those places flourishing most in fruitfulness and so in wealth which are neither over-hot nor over-cold neither oveâ—-dry nor over-moist And as in that Psalm David acknowledged the hand of God in this so in another he celebrated the Lords power and goodness for this Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death that is the out-lets or out-gates from death are from the Lord he delivereth from the grave and from every grief The Lord turned the captivity of Job not only p eserving him from death but filling him with the good things and comforts of this life Thirdly Note The Lord can suddenly make a change or turn As he can quickly make a great change from prosperity to adversity and in a moment bâ—ing darkness upon those who injoy the sweetest light so he can quickly make a change from adversity to prosperity from captivity to liberty and turn the darkest night into a morning light For such a turn the Church prayed Psal 126.4 Turn again our captivity O Lord as the streams in the south that is do it speedily The south is a dry place thither streams come not by a slow constant currant but as mighty streams or land-floods by a sudden unexpected rain like that 1 Kings 18.41 45. Get thee up said Eliah to Ahab for there is a sound of aboundance of rain and presently the heaven was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain When great rains come after long drought they make sudden floods and streams Such a sudden income of mercy or deliverance from captivity the Church then prayed for and was in the faith and hope of nor was that hope in vain nor shall any who in that condition wait patiently upon God be ashamed of their hope The holy Evangelist makes report Luke 13.16 that Satan had bound a poor woman eighteen years all that time he had her his prisoner but Jesus Christ in a moment made her free Ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteen years be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day The devil who had her in his power eighteen years could not hold her a moment when Jesus Christ would turn her captivity and loose her from that bond If the Son undertake to make any free whether from corporal or spiritual bondage they shall not only be free indeed as he spake John 8.36 at the time when he is pleased to do it but he can do it at any time in the shortest time when he pleaseth We find a like turn of captivity is described Psal 107.10 11 12 13 14. such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the word of the Lord c. These vers 13. cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder Thus far of the first particular considerable in Jobs restitution the Author of it The Lord turned the captivity of Job The second thing to be considered is the season which the Lord took for the turning of Jobs captivity the Lord did it saith the text When he prayed for his friends Some conceive the turn of his captivity was just in his prayer time and that even then his body was healed I shall have occasion to speak further to that afterwards upon another verse Thus much is clear that When he prayed That is either in the very praying time or presently upon it the Lord â—urned his captivity Possibly the Lord did not stay till he had done accorâ—ing to that Isa 65.24 It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear Or according to that Dan. 9.20 While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplications before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God Yea while I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the evening oblation and he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am come forth to give thee skill and understanding at the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee c. What commandement came forth even a command for the turning of their captivity Thus here I say possibly the Lord gave out that word of command for the turning of Jobs captivity at that very time when he was praying for his friends But without question these words when he prayed for his friends note a very speedy return of his prayers that is soon after he had done that gracious office for them he
found matters mending with himself and the answers of prayer in the mercies of God coming tumbling in thick and three-fold His captivity fled far away when he had thus drawn near to God he had as a very full and satisfactory so a very speedy answer When he prayed Prayer is the making known our wants and desires to God It is a spiritual work not a meer bodily exercise it is the labour of the heart not lip-labour Jobs prayer was a fervent working or effectual prayer as the Apostle James speaks chap. 5.16 not a cold slothful sleepy prayer when he prayed he made work of prayer Many speak words of prayer that make no work of prayer nor are they at work in prayer Job prayed in the same sense that Saul afterwards Paul did Acts. 9.11 when the Lord Jesus bid Ananias go to him for Behold he prayeth implying that he was at it indeed He had been brought up after the strictest rule of the Pharisees who prayed much or made many prayers but he prayed to so little purpose before that we may well call that his first prayer and say he had never prayed before Job prayed for his friends as Paul for himself he was very earnest with God for them and prevailed Extraordinary cases call for extraordinary layings out in duty It was an extraordinary case When he prayed For his friends The Hebrew is When he prayed for his friend Singulare partitivum pro plurali Merc. It is usual in the Grammar of the holy Text to put the singular for the plural 'T is so here either First because he prayed for every one of them distinctly and by name or Secondly because he looked upon them all as one and bound them up in the same requests When he prayed For his friends They are called his friends to shew the esteem that he had of them notwithstanding all their unkindness and unfriendliness towards him He prayed for them in much love O raram singularem virtutem quae in paucissimis vel Christianis reperiatur Merc. though they had shewed little love to him and his heart was so much towards them that the Text speaks as if he had forgot himself or left himself at that time quite out of his prayers Doubtless Job prayed for himself but his great business at that time with God was for his friends Now in that Jobs prayer is said expresly to be for his friends not for himself though we cannot doubt but that he prayed and prayed much for himself Observe A godly man is free to pray for others as well as for himself and in some cases or at some times more for others than for himself He seldom drives this blessed trade with heaven for self only and he sometimes doth it upon the alone account of others 'T is a great piece of spiritualness to walk exactly and keep in with God to the utmost that so our own personal soul concerns may not take up our whole time in prayer but that we may have a freedom of spirit to inlarge for the benefit of others Many by their uneven walkings exceedingly hinder themselves in this duty of praying for friends and of praying for the whole Church Uneven walkings hinder that duty in a twofold respect First Because they indispose the heart to prayer in general which is one special reason why the Apostle Peter gives that counsel to Husband and Wife 1 Pet. 3.7 to walk according to knowledge and as being heirs together of the same grace of life that saith he your prayers be not hindred that is lest your hearts be indisposed to prayer Secondly Because uneven walkings will find us so much work for our selves in prayer that we shall scarce have time or leisure to intend or sue out the benefit of others in prayer He that watcheth over his own heart and wayes will be and do most in prayer for others And that First For the removing or preventing of the sorrows and sufferings of others Secondly For the removing of the sins of others yea though their sins have been against himself which was Jobs case He prayed for those who had dealt very hardly with him and sinned against God in doing so he prayed for the pardon of their sin God being very angry with them and having told them he would deal with them according to their folly unless they made Job their friend to him This was the occasion of Jobs travelling in prayer for his friends and in this he shewed a spirit becoming the Gospel though he lived not in the clear light of it And how uncomely is it that any should live less in the power of the Gospel while they live more in the light of it To pray much for others especially for those who have wronged and grieved us hath much of the power of the Gospel and of the Spirit of Christ in it For thus Jesus Christ while he was nailed to the Cross prayed for the pardon of their sins and out-rages who had crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23.34 Even while his crucifiers were reviling him he was begging for them and beseeching his Father that he would shew them mercy who had shewed him no mercy no nor done him common justice And thus in his measure Jobs heart was carryed out in his prayer for his friends that those sins of theirs might be forgiven them by which they had much wronged him yea and derided him in a sort upon his Cross as the Jews did Christ upon his This also was the frame of Davids heart towards those that had injured him Psal 109.4 For my love they are my adversaries that 's an ill requital but how did he requite them we may take his own word for it he tells us how but I give my self unto prayer yea he seemed a man wholly given unto prayer The elegant conciseness of the Hebrew is But I prayer we supply it thus But I give my self unto prayer They are sinning against me requiting my love with hatred But I give my self unto prayer But for whom did he pray doubtless he prayed and prayed much for himself he prayed also for them We may understand those words I give my self unto prayer two wayes First I pray against their plots and evil dealings with me prayer was Davids best strength alwayes against his enemies yet that was not all But Secondly I give my self to prayer that the Lord would pardon their sin and turn their hearts when they are doing me mischief or though they have done me mischief I am wishing them the best good David in another place shewed what a spirit of charity he was cloathed with when no reproof could hinder him from praying for others in some good men reproofs stir up passion not prayer Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness smite me how with reproof so it followeth Let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my
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
Jun. the Lord added all his cattle double in number Yet we need not tye up the word double or twice as much strictly to that sense Therefore Secondly Double may be taken largely and so double or twice as much is very much He added to him double that is he made a very great addition possibly in some things treble yea fourfold to what he had before And thus the Lord made good what Bildad had spoken to Job closely hinting that surely Job lay in some secret sin and was not right with God because God let him lye in that forlorn condition and did not so much as restore him to the same much less raise him to a better estate than he had before chap. 8.6 7. If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase It is usual in the Hebrew to say those things are double which excel and are great Thus spake Zophar chap. 11.6 O that God would speak and open his lips against thee and that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom that they are double to that which is Know therefore c. The secrets of Divine wisdom are double to what is namely to what they appear or are apprehended to be The wisdom of God is double yea an hundred fold more than what man is able to conceive it to be The secrets of Gods wisdom are unsearchable and past any creatures finding out Thus in other Scriptures double is put for very much Isa 40.2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sins We must not think that Jerusalem made satisfaction to the Lord for her sinâ— much less may we imagine that Jerusalems sufferings did exceed her sins or the desert of her sins For 't is said Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed But the meaning of double thâ—re is plainly this she hath received a very great punishment the Loâ—d hath made her feel the sorrowful effects of her sin fully For said Daniel chap. 9.12 Vnder the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done unto Jerusalem This is called a double recompence by another Prophet Jerem. 16.18 I will recompence their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled my land And thus Jeremy prayed against the opposers and despisers of his prophesie chap. 17.18 Destroy them with double destruction So then when it is said the Lord added double or twice as much to Job as he had before it noteth at least a very great addition to the prosperous estate which Job had before even in outward things Hence Observe First When we are about spirituals the Lord takes occasion to minister to us in temporals The Lord not only turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends but gave him twice as much Job did not pray for the doubling of his estate or for great things in the world we find him many times giving up his hopes as to temporals when he would not give up his hopes as to spirituals and eternals Though he kill me yet will I trust in him he also shall be my salvation He submitted his life to God in hope of a better life but he had little or no expectation about the things of this life yet the Lord gave him abundance with his life as also an aboundant or long life as we read at the end of this Book There are two special reasons why the Lord gave Job a great increase in temporals First Because in those Old Testament times the promises went much in temporals Secondly Because Job having lost his credit in the world when he lost his estate spiritual supplies would never have set him right in the eye of the world he had suffered as to his reputation in spirituals by his loss in temporals and therefore the Lord doubled his estate to vindicate his reputation in the eye of the world And the Lord did this unsought unthought of by Job therefore as the point saith it is a truth that while we are careful about spirituals the Lord takes care of our temporals Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Secondly Note The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of his servants and a liberal repairer of their losses The Lord is a bountiful rewarder two ways First For what we do we shall not lose our labour in serving him God gives good and great wages 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as-much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord that is labour abundantly for your labour shall have an aboundant reward Not only shall it not be in vain but richly rewarded The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 The Lord should be unrighteous to forget our labour of love not because any labour of ours can endebt him to reward us but because he hath freely promised to reward us Secondly The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of us for what we suffer And that First When we suffer under his own hand Secondly When for his sake we suffer peaceably and patiently under the hand of men Job was a great sufferer both ways he suffered greatly under the afflicting hand of God and he suffered greatly under the violent hands and reproachful tongues of men and the Lord was to him a bountiful rewarder with respect to both For he did not only heal his wounded state and make him up as well as he was before according to that in Jerem. 30.17 I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thy wounds but he did it double insomuch that he who in the days of his former prosperity was only the greatest of all the men of the East became in the days of his latter prosperity greater than he had been himself The Lord hath plentiful rewards for the godly and so he hath though of another kind for the wicked He saith David plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Psal 31.23 There is a reward of wrath as well as a reward of favour Wrath is the reward of proud men Thus the Lord will plentifully reward proud Babilon at one time or other by some hand or other Revel 18.6 Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double Babilon shall at last lose double blood for the blood that she hath drawn yea as the Text saith double double that is four times as much and who knows how much that double unto her double means For 't
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
an hundred and ten years Gen 50. ult Job if we take in that common account of the antecedent part of his life lived longer than any of these even two hundred and ten years The fifth Commandement hath this promise Exod. 20.12 Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee And the Apostle calls that the first Commandement with promise Eph. 6.2 that is the first Commandement with an explicite promise all the Commandements have promises implyed to those that obey them Eliphaz assured Job of this blessing in case of his repentance Chap. 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of Corn cometh in his season And in this he was a true Prophet Now that long life is a blessing I would shew briefly under these six considerations First It is a blessing to have a long opportunity of doing good of being useful and serviceable to our generation long life gives an advantage for that Secondly It is a blessing to have opportunity to gain experiences First of the various providences of God towards men whether in wayes of judgement or of mercy Secondly to get experiences of the manners of men of the vanity unfaithfulness and inconstancy of some men and of the goodness faithfulness and constancy of others Though we sometimes smart in getting our experiences yet it may be a great blessing to have them Thirdly It is a blessing to have an opportunity to hold forth the grace of God to us and the graces of God in us by a holy example The longer we live a natural life the more we may manifest the power of a spiritual life to those among whom we live Fourthly It is a blessing to have opportunity for improvement and growth in grace to attain the highest stature in and pitch of holiness This benefit we may make of long life even encrease in grace as our years encrease and grow better as we grow older Fifthly It is a blessing to have opportunity to bring up our children in the nurture and fear of God long life gives liberty for this Lastly it is a blessing to behold the blessing of God upon our posterity long life gives us opportunity for this blessing and this was Jobs blessing eminently In all these respects and many more might be added long life is a blessing Yet let me give this corrective Long life is but a common blessing it is no distinguishing blessing it is not a certain love-token from God to man Bad men have lived long as appears both in sacred and common Histories Old age is then a blessing and good indeed when we are old in goodness or grow old doing good Solomons conclusion reacheth this fully Prov. 16.31 The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness And Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes Better is a child that will be ruled than an old and foolish King that will receive no counsel When we may say of any as the Lord said of some Ezek. 23.43 O ye that are old in adulteries when any are old in sin woe to such an old age Better to die young than live to old age and then die in sin To live to be old men the old man not dying in us O how sad To see sin young when the man is old how odious a sight is that Then only old age is good when we are good in old age They only die in a good old age as it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.8 who are good dying old The sinner of a hundred years old shall die accursed Isa 65.20 So then it is knowing not ignorant old age it is prudent not foolish old age it is gracious not vicious old age which is indeed the blessing and therefore though it be a blessing look upon it as a common blessing As riches are good to us our selves being good so is old age such is a life of many years in this world good only to those who are good and do good Secondly When it is said Job lived an hundred and forty years we are not to take his living for a bare continuance or indurance in life for so many years but we are to understand his life or living so long Vivere est valere with the cloathing of it with the good of it he lived that is he lived comfortably honourably peaceably this hundred and forty years We commonly say To live is to be well to live is to flourish Some live whose life is a kind of death As they who live in sinful pleasure are dead while they live so also are they who live in great worldly sorrow Job lived comfortably and contentedly all that long time of his latter life even an hundred and forty years Hence note Secondly Long life in health peace and prosperity is a blessing indeed To live long in the enjoyment of good is very good What man is he saith David Psal 34.12 that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil c. To live long and see good that is enjoy good is the utmost that can be desired in this life That 's the blessing or the good promised in the renewed state of Jerusalem Isa 65. where after the Lord had spoken of new heavens and new earth he adds at the 22d verse They shall not build and another inhabit they shall not plant and another eat for as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands He doth not say they shall live long but they shall enjoy long that which they have built and planted none shall invade nor take away from them Some conceive this hath reference to the thousand years prophesied of Rev. 20. wherein the Church shall enjoy perfect felicity in this world To live long in the sweet enjoyments of health honour peace and plenty for soul and body is a full blessing I grant some good men live long who yet do not alwayes enjoy good their old age especially is accompanied and encumbered with many bodily distempers and grievous pains Though grace sets us above the decayes of nature and the troubles of this life yet grace doth not exempt nor give us priviledge from either so that greediness after many years is commonly a greediness only after many infirmities Isaac was a good old man yet 't is said of him that when he was old his eyes waxed dim so that he could not see Gen. 27.1 Old age and dim eyes and deaf ears shaking hands and palsied trembling joynts with manifold diseases are seldom found asunder Therefore Job had an extraordinary blessing to live long and free from all these evils and so have any who do so Barzillay was a good old man yet 2 Sam. 19.25 he was so benummed and his natural senses so enfeebled that he did not enjoy his life