received and in receiving more grace favour and comfort from God as will appeare in opening the words Vers 26. He shall pray to God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render to man his righteousness Elâ—hu gave us before one meanes of the sick sinfull mans recovery from his bodyly and soule sickness that was the counsell and instruction given in by the messenger the interpreter one of a thousand And here he sets downe another meanes by which he is restored to both especially to the sweetness of both He shall pray unto God The word here used to pray signifieth not barely to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multiplicavit propriè verba fortia et magnacopia fudit in oratione inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplices Zeph. 3.10 or put up requests to God 'T is a word with an emphasis implying the Multiplying of prayer and that not the multiplying of prayer so much by number as by weight the powring forth or multiplying of strong prayers or as it is sayd of Christ In the dayes of his flesh Heb. 5.7 the offering up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares There may be a multiplying of weak insignificant words in the eares of God by prayer But the faithfull people of God through the Spirit powre out many strong words in prayer as Christ did in the dayes of his flesh to him who is able to save them from death or danger and give them life When Elihu saith He shall pray he intends such prayers even the urgency importunity or vehemency of the soule in prayer When Isaac saw his wife Rebecca was long barren he was forty yeares old before he married and many yeares being elapsed in marriage there was no appearance of Children Then saith the Text Gen 25.21 Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife because shee was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebecca his wife conceived It cannot be imagined that Isaac being so holy and gracious a man had not prayed for that mercy before Doubtless he prayed that God would fullfill the promise to his father Abraham in giving him a childe but when he saw the promise so long delayed or stick so long in the birth then he intreated the Lord 't is this word he powred out many and strong prayers The word is used againe concerning Manoah after his wife had received a promise from the Lord of hearing a Son afterwards called Sampson Judg 13.8 Then Manoah entreated the Lord and sayd O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come againe unto us c. Fearing they might not fully follow the instructions given his wife for the education of their son he earnestly begged of the Lord further direction in that matter That prophecy either of the Gentiles to be converted or of the returne of the dispersed Jewes expresseth them by this word Zeph 3.10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants shall come even the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offerings As if the Prophet had sayd They shall spend themselves in supplications at their returne they shall come with strong petitions with mighty prayers as making prayer their business They shall not come with frozen affections and cold requests but with hearts flaming up in the ardency of their desires and urgency of their supplications to the Lord. That 's the force of the word He shall pray As if Elihu had sayd He shall not come with dead-hearted prayers and petitions as many doe in their sicknesses and sorrowes nor with a formal Lord have mercy upon me and helpe me but he shall make a business of it he shall pray to purpose he shall pray with his whole strength In which sence the Lord bid Ananias goe to Saul afterwards Paul Acts 9.11 For behold he prayeth intimating that he had never prayed all his dayes before nor indeed had he though being brought up a strict Pharisee he was much in the forme of prayer ever prayed in power before He shall pray Some understand this He relating to the messenger praying for the sick man He shall pray and God will be favourable to him That 's a truth 't is the worke and duty of the messenger to pray for as well as advise the sick man But I conceive rather the person here intended praying is the sick man for himselfe who after he hath been counselled directed and advised by the messenger what to doe applyeth himselfe to the doing of it Further Some who agree that the sick man is the person praying yet understand it of prayer after his recovery who finding himself healed and strengthened prayeth unto God for grace or for a right use of his health strength But I rather understand it of his prayer unto God in the time of his affliction who when his sins and transgressions have been laid before him by the messenger and his soul-soars searched to the bottome and faithfully dealt with and so brought to a sight of himselfe and of his sin with the sad effects of it visible upon this pained and consumptive body is then stirred to seek the Lord and entreat his favour He shall pray unto God Hence Note Sicknesse is a prayer season Prayer is a duty never out of season yet at some times more in season and most in season in times of affliction Is any man afflicted let him pray James 5.13 And among all afflictions the affliction of sickness seemes to be a speciall season calling for this duty Therefore in the 14. verse of the same Chapter assoon as he had said is any man afflicted let him pray it followeth is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him 'T is high time for us when sick to look about us to call in prayer-aide or helpe from others in prayer yet 't is not enough fot the afflicted or the sick to get others to pray for them they must pray for themselves some put off the duty of prayer to others and think it sufficeth if they send bills to ministers or move friends to pray for them I know sickness indisposeth to prayer bodily paine and weakness hinder continuance and abiding in the duty but that doth not excuse the sick from praying for themselves To desire others to pray for us in bodyly sickness and neglect it our selves is an ill symptome of a sick soul yea to desire others in that case to pray for us when we have no heart to pray for our selves is too cleare a prognostick that their prayers will not profit us nor be prevailing for us Pharoah when under those dreadfull plagues could send for Moses and Aaron more then once and said unto them entreat the Lord for me Exod. 9.27 28. Chap. 10.16 17. But we read not that he entreated the Lord for himself Simon Magus when struck with the terrible threatnings of Peter said Pray ye to the
Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Acts 8.24 But we read not that he prayed for himself The prayers of others are rarely beneficiall to any unlesse they either pray or have a desire to pray for themselves Elihu represents the sick man praying for himself he shall pray Vnto God There 's the object of prayer Hence Note Prayer in sicknesse and in all other cases must be directed unto God and to him only Divine addresses are fit for none but God For First none are worthy of this honour but God Prayer is so great a part of that honour and worship which is due to God that it is often put for his whole worship Mine house saith the Lord Isa 56.7 shall be called an house of prayer for all Nations Secondly none can heare that is answer prayer but God there is no help to be had but in him As it is his glory to be prayed to and such a glory as he will not part with to any other so it is in vaine to pray to any other In vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of Mountains that is from the greatest worldly Powers truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jerem. 3.23 God only was David's Hills Psal 121.1 2. I Lift my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my helpe what these hills were himselfe explaines in the next verse My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth Baals Priests called upon Baal they cryed Baal hear us but saith the Text thâ—re was neither voyce nor any that answered 1 Kings 18.26 It is not only sinfull but senceless to pray to any other then God alone That popish Doctrine of invocation to Saints and Angells is not only a will-worship but folly and dotage Fourthly He shall pray c. Hence Observe If we would have any mercy from God we must ask it God is ready to give but he looks to be intreated and he will be intreated What God hath promised to doe for us his doing of it must be obtained by prayer Working prayer worketh the promises to their issue yea prayer worketh the prophecies whether of salvation upon Sion or ruine upon Babylon to their issue Promises and prophesies are the express will of God and shall certainly be fullfilled in their season yet if we desire their fullfilling we must pray that he would fullfill them and 't is a token for good that God is about to fullfill them when the hearts of his people are drawne out much in prayer for their fullfilling There are some mercies in the promises rightly called preventing mercies they come upon us before we ask such is the mercy of out vocation conversion or turning to God we are naturally so far from praying while we are in the state of nature that we are continually blaspheming or dishonouring the name of God but as for persons converted who are eminently called heires of the promise that is of the good in the promise if they will have any good out of a promise they must aske it When the Prophet had declared many prophesies of good and great and glorious things which God would doe for his people he concludes with this direction from the Lord. Ezek. 36.37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them As if the Lord had said I will not doe these things unasked as you looke I should doe these things for you so I look you should pray unto me that they may be done A promise was made to Abraham Gen. 22.17 that his seed should be multiplyed as the Stars of Heaven now might not Isaac his Son have said God hath promised me children what need I pray for them but Isaac knew better he knew that the promise was to be brought to the birth by prayer therefore he entreated the Lord that he might have children Fifthly from these words He shall pray compared with the next and he that is God will be favourable to him Observe The Lord is ready to hear when we pray ready to give when we ask As prayer is honourable and delightfull to God so fruitfull to man Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find Math. 7.7 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him Prayer shall not be lost nor vanish into aire There was never any faithfull prayer lost though the prayers of many have not been answered in kind that is they have not had the very thing they asked for yet they have had an answer to their prayers and though prayer be not alwayes answered in our time yet there is a time wherein all faithfull prayers shall be answered one age reaps the fruit of those prayers which another age hath sowne The seed time is one age the harvest in another Latter Generations get good by the prayers of the former Though we who pray see not the fruit of it yet many shall find the fruit of it and how often doth the fruit of prayer appear presently how often doth the answer come in upon the very putting up of the request Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while as they are yet speaking I will hear While the word is in their mouth the mercy shall be put into their hand While the Church Acts 12.5.16 was praying Peter came in among them As if God had said there 's your prayer What the Propâ—et Elisha said 2 Kings 6.33 of the messenger sent to apprehend him Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The same may we say somtimes of this messenger holy and fervent prayer is not the sound of the mercy prayed for at the very heels of it Thus close doth Elihu put the sick mans prayer and the answer of God he shall pray unto God And he will be favourable unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vehementer velle ac delectari Merc That is he shall have a gracious and a speedy answer he will be favourable unto him or he will accept him as Mr. Broughton renders 'T is a very comfortable word it notes not only to wish well to or to be at peace but to be well pleased with another yea to be delighted and take pleasure in him 'T is not barely to be appeased and reconciled to lay down wrath and displeasure conceived against a man but it notes much sweetness of spirit towards him and full content or complacency in him Psal 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his people they are as the joy of his heart he will beautifie the meek with salvation he will not only save them but adorne them with salvation they shall not only be delivered after they have layen among the pots Psal 68.13 from the blackness and filth of their adversity but they shall have a beauty put upon them or as it followeth in that Psalme last
we labour as much for the favour of God as ever any of the sons of ambition laboured for the favour of Princes or regard with the Kings of this world No man ever plotted or flatter'd and crouched so much to the Kings of the earth for favour as we doe to God for favour herein we labour We make it our business to be accepted with him if God once accept a man you may turne him loose he will shift for one How compleately happy the condition of such a favourite is will appeare yet furtber in opening the next clause of this verse And he shall see his face with joy When once God is favourable to a poor sinner then he shall be used or dealt with like a favourite Great Favourites stand in the presence of Princes and frequently see their faces Whomsoever any man favours he freely admits to his presence and takes delight in his company Thus Elihu speaks of Gods Favourite He shall see his face with joy There is a twofold interpretation of these words tending both to the same spirituall sence Videbit deus faciem ejus cum laetitia i. e. hilaritèr cum intuebitur vultu laeto et facili eum respiciet cum ante vultum iratus avertebat Merc First Some by the Antecedent He understand God himselfe and by his face the face of the humbled sick man and so the sence of this assertion he shall see his face with joy is plainly this God will look cheerfully and smilingly upon the face of this poor suppliant God will look upon him as we doe upon friends whom we favour and have much respect for Friends may see content and joy shining in or stampt upon our faces when we look them in the face The content which we take in seeing the face of another is visible in the smiles and joyes of our own faces As when we look sowrely angryly sorrowfully sullenly upon a man when darkness is seen in our faces and clouds gather in our brows ready to dissolve into a storme this speaks we beare him no good will or rather that we bear him much displeasure So when we looke pleasantly upon a man doth it not say that we are highly pleased with him To be sure when God is at peace with a repenting sinner he no longer frownes upon him nor turns his face from him as an enemy but entertaines and welcomes him as a friend which is directly opposite to Jobs apprehension of God at the 10th verse of this Chapter Behold he findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy This is a sweet soul-reviving and ravishing truth God beholds the face of his people with joy he beholds them smileingly cheerfully delightfully David calls it The light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 Et videbit homo faciem dei cum jubilo Merc Secondly and I rather conceive that to be the meaning of the place most relate the He to the sick man who having been upon his knees humbling himself before God and finding God favourable to him he then seeth his face that is the face of God with joy God fills his soule with a great deale of peace comfort and sweetness in his approaches to him Before possibly if he did but think upon God he was troubled as Asaph found Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled To a man in great trouble especially in trouble of mind the very thoughts of God who is our only help in trouble may be troublesom but when he is set right and restored to the favour of God or God being again favourable unto him he beholds his face with abundance of joy Here are yet two things to be opened or two Queries may be made and answered for the clearing of these words First What is meant by the face of God Secondly what is meant by seeing his face To the former query I answer First the face of God is the essentiall being or perfect Majesty of God of which himself saith to Moses Exod. 33.23 My face shall not be seen Secondly the good will and favour of God is his face Ps 80.3 Cause thy face to shine that is be good to us and we shall be saved Thirdly the face of God in Scripture is put for any manifestations of God to man God manifesteth himself in wrath to some men Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe evill Facies dei iram quandoque favorem notat Drus That is he is angry and greatly displeased with them He manifesteth himself in love to others and all such are said either as in the Text to see his face or as other Texts express it to have his face shining upon them God is a spirit he hath no face properly but as the face of a man is that by which he is knowne if a man hide his face we know not who he is though we see all the other parts of his body he is a concealed man so that whatsoever it is by which God is clearly knowne that in Scripture language is called his face And hence Thirdly the worship and holy ordinances of God are called the face of God Gen. 4.14 because they are great manifestations of God or because God is manifested in his Ordinances in his word and worship who and what he is After a sick man through the help of God is recovered he goes into the congregation to give thanks and then he may be said to see the face of God because there be exhibits the signs of his presence doth as it were shew his face There as in a glass we behold the face of God that is the discoveries of his holiness of his love goodness The face of God is seen in his works as the Apostle teacâ—eth us Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and godhead much more in his word and Ordinances and above all in Jesus Christ is God seen and manifested Jesus Christ is the face of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shineth to us in the face of Christ Thus the face of God is beheld in the face of Christ There we may see how holy how just how good and mercifull God is all this glory of God appeareth to us in the face of Christ who is the highest manifestation of God Here in the Text by the face of God we are to understand any demonstration of Gods favourable presence in which sence of the word Aaron was to blesse the children of Israel Numb 6.25 The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and give thee peace That is the Lord manifest himself to thee in wayes of grace and peace in favour and in mercy David prayed in the same
the spirit of the Almighty gave him understanding for the Government which he was called to for whereas before he had only a private spirit taken up about cattel and the affaires of husbandry then God gave him a spirit of prudence and valour a spirit of wisdome and magnanimity a Noble and an Heroicall Spirit befitting the Governour of so great and populous a kingdome both in peace and warre Every Calling is a mystery much more the Calling of Kings and Supreame Magistrates It was said to Imperiall Rome Tu regere im perio populos Romane memento Hae tibi sint artes Doe thou remember to Rule Nations and Kingdomes let these be thy arts This Art the Spirit of the Lord gave Saul even knowledge and skill to rule and governe yea he had a gift of Illumination not only for government but for prophesie he was found amongst the Prophets and when v. 11th they asked wondering Is Saul also amongst the Prophets As if they had said How strange and unheard of a thing is this that Saul should be furnished with the gift of prophecy and joyne himselfe with the Prophets They who before were acquainted with his person and manner of education were even amazed at the sight And while they were surprized with this amazement one of the same place as it seemes wiser then the rest Answered and said but who is their father ver 12. That 's the speciall word for which I alledge this text What Saul among the Prophets is it not strange that he should be Inspired Then one Answered and said who is their father As if he had said Doe not any longer stand wondering at this thing but consider who is the father of Saul as a Prophet as also the father of all these Prophets Saul was the son of Kish as to naturall descent but he had another father as he was a Prophet and so all these Prophets had besides theit Fathers as men one and the same father as Prophets Therefore wonder not that ye heare Saul prophecying for all these whom ye heare and see prophecying have not these gifts by birth from men nor by industry from themselves but from God who is a free agent and inspireth whom he pleaseth The same God who by inspiration hath freely bestowed those gifts upon the other Prophets hath also inspired Saul with a gift of prophecy The Spirit of God is his father in that capacity as well as the father of these other Prophets And hence that Scripture runs in the plurall number who is their father Unlesse God give power from above the understanding is darke the memory unfaithfull the tongue stammering It is light from on high that teacheth the skill of prophecy Solomon had the greatest measure of understanding of any meere man since the fall of man and of him it is said 1 Kings 4.29 God gave Solomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart even as the sand that is on the sea-shore Solomons heart had been as narrow as another mans if the Inspiration of the Almighty had not widened it When Moses was so sinfully modest as to excuse his Embassie to Pharoah supposing himselfe not fitted for such an undertaking Exod 4.10 11. O my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue God presently put the question to him Who hath made mans mouth c. As if he had said Cannot he give words into thy mouth who gave thee a mouth cannot he act thy organs of speech who made them Now therefore goe and I will be with thy mouth Est deus in nobis sunt et commercia caeli sedibus aethereis spiritus iste venit Ovid. and teach thee what thou shalt say The Inspiration of the Almighty shall give thee understanding Heathen Poets have boasted of their â—â—ptures and inspirations The people of God have a promise of the Spirit to lead them into all truth and to helpe them in maintaining those truths From this generall that the furniture of the understanding is the gift of God or by Inspiration of the Almighty take these hints by way of Coralary First If a right understanding flow from the Inspiration of the Almighty then pray for an understanding pray for the Spirit Ye have not because ye aske not saith the Apostle James 4.2 God gives wisdome but he gives it to them that aske it Jam 1.5 If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not God upbraideth us not either with our want of wisdome or with the abundance of wisdome that he is pleased to supply us with and give out to us When Solomon was put to his choice what to aske he said Give thy servant an understanding heart God gave Solomon wisdome but Solomon asked it first All good things are shut up in promises and the promises are opened to give out their good things when we pray Prov. 23.5 When thou Cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God To pray well is to studâ—e well because by prayer light comes in from on high to make studies successfull and the worke to prosper in our hand As the Almighty breatheth downe on us so we must breath up to the Almighty To expect and not to pray is to tempt God not to trust him Secondly Doe not onely pray for wisdome but use meanes and be industrious for the obtaining of it The gift of God doth not take off the diligence of man God doth not worke in us that we should sit still Prov. 2.4 Then shalt thou know wisdome when thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure And where is this treasure to be had Surely in the mines of Scripture and in all those Appoyntments wherein God hath promised to meete his people to shine upon them and give them the knowledge of his wayes in Jesus Christ Thirdly Be thankfull for any gift of knowledge for every beame and ray of light be thankfull It is God who commands light to shine out of darknesse and that God who at first commanded light to shine out of darknesse dayly shineth into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Fourthly If understanding be from Inspiration then they who have received much understanding must be caution'd against two evills First not to be proud nor high minded that our gifts come from on high should make us very low in our owne eyes What hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it These are the Apostles soule-humbling and pride-mortifying questions or expostulations rather 1 Cor. 4.7 You that have received the greatest gifts whom the Inspiration of the
truth shall ride and prosper Truth may be borne downe by power and out-fac'd by impudence but it cannot be overcome Never feare to undertake a good Cause and ever feare to undertake a bad one for it will be slur'd at last Truth may be opposed but truth-defenders shall never be ashamed nor want a tongue to speake for it Christ Math 10.17 warnes his Disciples what entertainment they were like to find in the world They shall deliver you up to Rulers ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake But he withall encourageth them Take no thought what ye shall speak or what ye shall answer For some might say What if we should be called in question for the truths of the Gospel we are willing to burne for them as that Martyr said bâ—t we feare we cannot dispute for them Well saith Christ take no thought what you shall speak for it shall be given you in the same houre God himselfe by his Spirit will prompt you he will whisper such things into your eares as all your opposers shall not be able to gainsay Indeed we see some men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the truth as the Apostle gives their Character who have courage enough to set forth lyes and slander the truth who straine their wits to the utmost and as the Prophet speakes Jer 9.3 bend their tongues like their bow for lyes But let them remember what the Apostle sayd of such as they 2 Tim 3.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth but v. 9. they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men That is shortly all shall see that these men have but playd the fooles we may say of all those who hold wild taunting opinions they shall proceed no further though they act highly against the truth now yet stay but a while and they will have nothing to answer or returne they will have emptied their quiver and quite spent their powder you shall heare no more of them From that 16th verse where Elihu addeth I waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Observe First It is our wisdome and our duty to stay our time before we put our selves out upon business It is good to wait God himselfe is not hasty upon us he waits to be gracious and we must wait our season to be serviceable Elihu did not presently engage The providences of God and the Exigency of things must put us on we must not put our selves on Christ tells us Math 9.38 The harvest is great and the labourers few pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers into his harvest he doth not say pray that labourers would thrust forth themselves into the harvest or run into it before they are sent but pray the Lord of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers that is that he would powerfully encline their hearts to the worke whom he hath fitted and prepared for it And as untill we are at least both competently prepared and fairely enclined to that or any other good worke 't is best for us to waite so when once we are prepared and enclined 't is best for us without delay to set upon the worke Elihu did so as appeares in the next verse Vers 17. I said also I will answer my part I will shew my opinion Now Elihu addresseth to his worke his duty and in this with the verses following to the end of the Chapter we have first his resolvednesse to speak I said I will answer for my part c. Secondly his ability readiness and furniture to speake v. 18. For I am full of matter c. Thirdly we have the motives that prest him to speak or that he was exceedingly prest to it in the latter end of the 18th verse as also v. 19 20. My spirit within me Constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent c. I will speake that I may be refreshed Fourthly in the two last verses he tells us what caution yea what conscience he meant to use in speaking v. 20. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neither let me give flattering titles unto man c. I said I will answer for my part c. Now you have done I will begin those words I said are not in the Hebrew text explicitely yet are well understood I will answer for my part that is as some conceive the force of the phrase I will answer with my strength and might I will put my shoulders to it but better Grammarians conclude Illud quod aliqui partem interpretantur pro mea virili parte aut pro viribus latinè potius dictum est quam ad germanant vocis significationem Pined that the word imports A mans share or portion in any worke to be done rather then the strength which the workman useth or puts forth in doing it And so the sence is plaine as if Elihu had said they have done their part they have gone to the utmost of their line now I see it falls to my turne to speak and I will do what falls to my turne I will answer also for my part I also will shew my opinion We had these words in the negative at the 6th verse There Elihu sayd I was afraid and durst not shew you my opinion But here as also before v. 10. Elihu had taken courage and was resolved to shew his opinion I shall not stay upon any opening of this clause only I shall note two or three things briefely from it as connected with the former verse There we had Elihu waiting here we have him purposing to speake Hence note They who consider and waite before they speake speake most prevailingly most weightily It was long ere Elihu ventured to speake but when he did he did it to purpose and with full effect That which comes from our owne heart is most like to take upon the hearts of others they speake as much from their hearts as with their tongues whom we see long waiting before we heare them speaking And therefore it is not good no not for good speakers to be speaking before they have been waiting many through hast bring forth untimely births and unripe fruit Elihu could say I have waited before he sayd I will answer for my part Secondly Note We ought to observe order in speaking and act our proper part I will answer for my part saith Elihu or my turne is come to answer The Apostle Paul gives this rule at large 1 Cor 14.28 29 30. He would have no Interruption no confusion in Church-meetings or Church-speakings Thirdly When he saith I will answer also for my part I also will shew mine opinion Note He that hath received a gift or talent should make use of it and not hide it It is good to be doing our part and shewing our opinion where we may be usefull Some
evill purposes God himself must come to withdraw and fetch him off or otherwise he will be driving them on The heart of man naturally hath no other purposes but evill purposes and upon them it is set as I may say to purpose that is he will effect and bring them about if he can When Moses reproved Aaron concerning the golden Calfe which he had made at the instance and violent importunity of the people Aaron answered for himself Exod. 32.23 Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe they are bent to it they have such a mind to it that there 's no turning them from it they will hear no reason nor take any denyall when the fit is on them There is a setting of the heart of man continually upon evill the wind blowes that way and no other way the wind sits alwayes in that bad corner till God turneth it There are two gracious acts of God spoken of in Scripture which doe exceedingly shew forth the sinfullnesse of man every act of grace doth in its measure aggravate the sinfullnesse of man and alwayes the higher grace acteth the more is the sinfullnesse of man discovered especially I say in this twofold act of grace The former whereof consists in drawing the latter in withdrawing there is a gracious act of God in drawing the sinfull sons and daughters of men to that which is good Man is drawne First into a state of grace or goodnesse by this he is made good He is drawn Secondly to acts of grace or goodnesse by this he doth good Of the former Christ speaks Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him that is no man can beleeve for by faith we come to Christ except he receive power from on high God draweth the soul to Christ and that 's a powerfull act of divine drawing though not a compulsory act and as God must draw man into a state of grace which is our union with Christ by the Spirit in beleeving so he draweth him to the acting of his graces Of this latter the Church speaketh to Christ Cant. 1.4 Draw me and I will run after thee These gracious drawings shew that we are not only utterly unable but averse to the receiving grace and so becoming good while we are in a state of nature as also that we are very backward to doe that which is good even when we are in a state of grace Now as God acts very graciously in drawing man to good so Secondly in withdrawing him from evill from those evill purposes and evill practices to which all men are so easily yet so strongly carried The Prophet Jer. 2. 23 24. elegantly describes the exceeding forwardnesse of that people to evill while he compareth them to the swift Dromodary traversing her wayes and to the wild Asse in the Wildernesse that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure or the desire of her heart in her occasion who can turn her away As the wild Asse set upon her pleasure in her occasion when she hath a mind to it will not be turn'd away such is the heart of man That other Prophet Isa 5.18 telleth us of those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart rope that is they set themselves with all their might to doe mischief When men are thus vainly bent upon vanity 't is a mighty work of God to withdraw them from their work When what men are purposed to doe they are fastened to it as with cords and cart-ropes what but the power of the great God can withdraw them from it Whence note Secondly Vnlesse God did withdraw and fetch us off from sin we should run on in it continually When man is in an evill way he hath no mind to returne till God turneth him let come on 't what will he will venture 'T is only through grace that the heart either abstains or returns from evill David saith Psal 18.23 I have kept my self from mine iniquity David kept himself from his iniquity yet he was not his own keeper It was by the power of God that he kept himself from that sin to which he was most prone even from that sin to which his own corruptions and the Devills temptations were alwayes drawing him David had some speciall iniquity to which his heart was inclined more then any other and from that he kept himself being himself kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Of our selves we can neither keep our selves from doing iniquity nor leave off doing that iniquity which we have once done How can man withhold himself from sin while sin hath so great a hold of him yea the Mastery over him Thirdly Note God is graciously pleased both to withdraw man from doing evill and to draw him to repentance when he hath done evill Between these two the grace of God is daily working in and towards man and it worketh for the effecting of both many wayes First by his word and that in a fourfold consideration First by the word of his command he every where in Scripture forbids man to doe any evill and bids him repent of every evill which he doth Secondly by the word of his threatnings they are as thunderbolts to deterre him Thirdly by the word of his promises they are divine alluremenrs sweetly yet effectually to entice him Fourthly by the word of his perswasions they are full of taking arguments to convince and win him Secondly God withdrawes man from sin and drawes him to repentance when he hath sinned by his works First by his works of Judgment they break him to these duties Secondly by his works of mercy they melt him into these duties Thirdly God withdraws man from sin and drawes him to repentance by his patience and long-suffering Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance As if the Apostle had said O man if thou knowest not the meaning of Gods patience towards thee and that this is the meaning of it thou knowest nothing of the mind and meaning of God towards thee Fourthly The Lord withdraweth man from evill purposes by seasonable counsells David was going on in a very bad purpose 1 Sam. 25. and God stirred up Abigail to meete him and by good counsell to withdraw him from his purpose This David acknowledged vers 32 33. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me As if he had said I was fully purposed to revenge my self upon Naball and had not surely left a man of his house alive by the morning light if thou hadst not met me therefore blessed be God who hath sent thee and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and hast by thy good counsell withdrawne me from that evill
the meaning scope and mind of any sentence or the purpose of man in what he speaketh Thirdly there is the divine of spirituall interpreter who labours to bring the truths of God and the heart of man together The Apostle having treated about prophecying concludes 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth as if the man that beleeved not or one unlearned for of such he speaks vers 24. had said surely these men understand what is in my heart for they have brought the truth of God and my heart together so that I must confesse God is in them that is there is a divine wisdome or interpretation in them When Elihu faith If there be an interpreter we are to understand him in this last sence not of one that can interpret words like a Grammarian or give the scope and sence of words like a Logician but of one that hath a divine skill to bring the truths of God home to the heart of man that is to convince informe an ignorant conscience and to comfort relieve and support a troubled conscience If there be an interpreter Hence note The Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of the mind and good will of God toward poor sinners They interpret the mind of God as to peace and reconciliation as to grace and salvation as well as to duty and holiness of conversation 'T is the nicest and hardest thing in the world to interpret the mind of God aright to a sinner to bring his heart to a closing with the great truths and promises of the Gospel he that can doe this skilfully is worthy the name of an interpreter The Apostle saith of him who is but a babe in Christ and useth milke that is lives upon the lower and more easie principles of faith he is unskillfull in the word of righteousnesse Heb. 5.13 that is he knowes not how to make out and mannage for his own comfort the doctrine of free grace through the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ And therefore as first God himself is the author and fountaine of this grace as secondly Jesus Christ is the purchaser or procurer of the fruits of this grace to sinners as thirdly the effectuall worker of our hearts to receive this grace as also the witness-bearer and sealer of it to our souls is the holy Spirit as fourthly the word of the Gospell is the Charter and Covenant of this grace so fifthly the Ministers of Christ are the interpreters of this grace and they are or ought to be skillfull in this word of righteousness Their skill and duty is first to explaine what the Covenant is and rightly to lay down how the sinners reconciliation to God is wrought Secondly to make a sutable and seasonable application of it or to bring it home to the souls and consciences of poor sinners as they find their state to be And as the Ministers of Christ are Gods interpreters to his people so they are the peoples interpreters unto God They are the former two wayes First by opening the mind of God to his people Secondly by urging and pressing them to receive it both for their direction and consolation They are the latter four wayes First by laying open and spreading the peoples wants and weaknesses before God Secondly by confessing their sins and transgressions to God Thirdly by intreating the Lord for them or by praying for mercy pardon and forgiveness in their behalfe for sins committed Fourthly by giving thanks in their name for mercies received Thus they are first Gods mouth to the people in preaching declaring the Gospel Secondly the peoples mouth to God in prayer and thanksgiving And in both performe the worke and Office of an interpreter And if the Ministers of the Gospell are interpreters Then First Every Minister must be acquainted with the mind of God He must have skill in the mystery of the Gospel How shall he be able to interpret the mind of God to sinners who is not acquainted with the mind of God We have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle of himselfe and his fellow-labourers in the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.16 and when he saith we have the mind of Christ his meaning is not only this that they had the mind of Christ written in a book but they had a cleare understanding of it and so were fitted to interpret it to others Secondly As he must have the knowledge of the mystery so he must have the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 That he may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary that is to the wounded and troubled in conscience This is the interpreter intended by Elihu He is one that hath learned and is taught of God Humane learning the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is good and hath its use but divine learning or learning in divine things that is to be divinely learned 't is possible for one to have learning in divine things and not to be divinely learned is absolutely necessary to make him an interpreter It is not enough to know divine things but he must know them divinely or by the unction and teachings of the Spirit The Apostle John Rev 10.8 is commanded to eat the book this eating of the book signifieth the spirituall knowledg of divine truths in this sence we know no more then we eat then we as it were turn into our own substance that which is eaten becomes one with us the mystery of the Gospell must be eaten by the interpreter of Gospell mysteries A man cannot interpret the mind of God till he knows it and he cannot know the mind of God unlesse God himself reveals it so the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 2. from 12 to 16. As no man knoweth the mind of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him so the things of the spirit of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit of God doth reveale them And therefore though a man may have an abillity to interpret the word of God as 't is an excellent book a book full of admirable knowledge he may I say have an abillity to interpret it soundly by humane learning yet no man can doe it savingly and convertingly but by the help of the Spirit Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant he will shew it effectually he will make them know it Thus David prayed Psal 119.18 Lord open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy Law Naturall parts and humane learning arts and languages may give us an understanding of the tenour and literal meaning of the Law of God but none of these can open our eyes to behold the wonders of the Law much lesse the wonders and mysteries of the Gospell The opening of our eyes to behold these
their hearts are soft and tender but I will take away the heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh Yet Secondly as to the poynt in hand there are conditionall acts of grace I may call them second acts of grace or renewed acts of grace For when after conversion we fall into sin and by that evill heart of unbeliefe remaining in a great measure unmortified we depart from the living God Heb 3.12 God doth not give out fresh acts of grace but upon repentance and the renewings of our communion with him Having once received grace we being again helped and assisted by grace act graciously before God declares himselfe gracious to us When a man is cast upon a sick bed for sin that 's the case of many the Lord will see repentance before he will raise him up againe James 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick and if he hath committed sins they shall be forgiven him that is if he being cast upon a sick bed to correct or chasten him for the sin that he hath committed shall humble himselfe and seek the Lord by prayer praying and calling for prayer Then the sin committed shall be forgiven him and the Lord will raise him up againe 'T is not the prayer of another that can obtaine deliverance for the sick much lesse the forgiveness of his sins if himselfe be prayer-lesse and repentance-lesse But while others pray for the sick mans bodyly health they praying also for his soules health the Lord gives him repentance for his sin and then a comfortable sight of pardon So then before the Lord puts out these second acts of grace he looks for and finds something in the creature yet still that also is an effect of his grace both to them and in them They who have already received grace must stir up their grace and renew acts of grace thorough grace towards him before he dispenses acts of grace towards them And as consolation in this life so that highest and last act of grace salvation in the life to come is not bestow'd upon any till they are fitted God calls and converts the worst of men those that are in their filth and mud and mire but he will not save a filthy person he will have him first purged and prepared Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not enter into the kingdome of God 1 Cor 6.9 and that without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb 12.14 There is no eternall salvation without preparation nor is there any promise of temporall salvation without it When a man is sick to death as in the text salvation comes not the Lord is not gracious till the sick mans spirit is humbled and set right till the messenger hath shewed him how he may stand upright before the Lord and he hath imbraced his message then and not till then he is gracious And as in these words we have the occasion of this grace so in the following words we have the publication of this grace Then he is gracious And saith Deliver him from going downe into the pit And saith that is the Lord gives out an order presently he gives out a warrant for the release of the sick man When earthly Princes have once granted pardon to an offender they say deliver him they signe a warrant for his deliverance out of prison or they signe a pardon and say deliver him from death when he is at the place of execution Thus concerning this sick man God saith deliver him from going downe to the pit The word rendred deliver signifies also to redeem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ideÌ„ quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemit liberavit verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non alias reperitur et pro ratione loci intelligitto et exponitur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merc 't is used in this forme no where else in all the Scripture To free deliver or redeeme a man intimates his person in hold then will he say deliver him From what there are as many sorts of deliverances as there are of troubles each particular strait and trouble hath a proportionable deliverance There is deliverance First from captivity or bondage Secondly from want or poverty Thirdly from imminent sudden danger or perill by land or Sea Fourthly from sicknesses and diseases Fifthly from death and that two-fold First from temporall Secondly from eternall death Here when he saith deliver him we may determine this deliverance by the latter words of the text to be a deliverance from deadly sickness deliver him from going downe to the pit that is deliver him from death To goe downe to the pit is often in Scripture put to signifie dying Further The pit implyes corruption because in the pit or grave the body corrupts It is sayd indeed Numb 16.30 of that rebellious triumvirate Corah Dathan and Abiram they went downe alive into the pit but they went downe to death and ordinarily the dead only goe downe to the pit The same phrase is used Psal 28.1 Psal 88.4 Ezek 31.14 Ezek 32.18 24 29 30. That text is very remarkeable Prov 28.17 He that offereth violence to the blood of another he shall flee to the pit let no man stay him That is The murderer who in wrath and hatred or upon private revenge destâ—oyeth the life of any man shall hasten to destruction either as chased and hurried by his owne feares like Cain and Judas or as prosecuted by the justice of the Magistrate And as he thus hasteth to the pit so let no man stay him that is First let no man conceale him Secondly let no man move for his impunity or sollicite his pardon or if any doe then Thirdly let not the Magistrate grant his pardon For the old universall Law tells him his duty Gen 9.6 He that sheddeth mans blood by man that is by the Magistrate commanding and by his officers executing shall his blood be shed And as another Law hath it Deut 19.13 Thine eye shall not spare him c. The Magistrate who is in Gods stead may not say of him as here God doth of the sick man Deliver him from going downe to the pit His blood is ill spared who would not spare the blood of another But it may be questioned for as much as the text saith only in general deliver him Into whose hands this warrant for his deliverance is delivered or who is directed to deliver him Master Broughton represents God speaking this to the sick mans disease for thus he renders the text Then he will have mercy upon him and say Spare him O killing malady from descending into the pit God will speak thus to the disease and there is a great elegancy in it spare him O killing malady Diseases come and goe at Gods command they hurt and they spare at his direction As the Lords breath or word bloweth away the winds Math 8.27 The men marvelled saying Who is this that even the winde and the seas obey him So the Lords
breath bloweth away sickness if he doe but speak to a disease to a feaver to an ague to a dropsie to a consumption O killing malady spare him thou hast done enough any disease might prevaile to death did not God say spare him hold thy hand not a blow more not a fit more O killing malady Death it selfe much more sickness heareth the voyce of God And it may be said to heare him because it doth that which they who have the power of hearing ought to doe that is it obeyeth or yeildeth to the voyce and command of God will no longer afflict the sick man Diseases may be said to deliver a man from death the pit when they depart from him Yet Secondly I conceive this warrant for the deliverance of the sick man is given out to the messenger or interpreter to the one among a thousand that visiteth him in his sickness He having been with him and dealt with his conscience he having brought him into a good frame the Lord is gracious Sequestrem illum Jubebit ei renunciare impetratum esse sibi liberationem Bez and in answer to his prayer sets it upon his heart that he shall recover and warrants him to tell him so which is declaratively to deliver him from going downe to the pit This act of mans delivering the sicke is like that act of man pardoning the sinner John 20.23 that is 't is ministeriall or declarative not originall nor Authoritative The interpreter doth not deliver him but tells him God will We have the Psalmist speaking thus after his supplication and prayer made to the Lord for a sick State or Nation or for a sick Church that 's his scope Psal 85. Wilt thou not revive us againe that thy people may rejoycâ— in thee v. 6. Surely thou wilt and he expresseth his confidence that God would v. 8. I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints When he had prayed he would harken for news or for a message from heaven whether or no the Lord would order him to speak peace to those for whom he had been praying and say deliver them from going downe to the pit Thus did the Prophet Habakkuk I will stand upon my watch and set me upon my tower and see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved Chap 2.1 In the next verse The Lord answered and sayd write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it And what was the answer surely deliverance for having sayd in the end it shall speake and not lye v. 3. he concludes v. 4. The just shall live by his faith Believing deliverance he shall at last be delivered from the pit of captivity and live Here in the text we must suppose this messenger had prayed and having prayed he did not neglect his prayer but was hearkning what the Lord would say Elihu was confident the Lord would give a gracious answer though not by an immediate voyce or revelation to his eare yet by an assurance of the mercy given into his spirit When that good king Hezekiah was not only sick unto death but had received an expresse message from the Lord Set thy house in order for thou shalt dye and not live 2 Kings 20.1 'T is sayd at the 2d verse He turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying c. And at the 4th verse The word of the Lord came to Isaiah the Prophet saying turne againe and tell Hezekiah the Captain of my people Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seene thy teares behold I will heale thee c. Here God gave a word formally and put it into the Prophets mouth Goe deliver him from going downe to the pit And though the Lord doth not thus now in such an explicite and open way nor may we expect it yet there is a virtuall saying of this word from the Lord and that sometimes mightily imprest upon the hearts of those who have prayed and sought unto him for the sick man whereby not by an ungrounded vaine confidence but by a scripturall holy confidence comparing the promise with the mans condition they are enabled to tell him The Lord hath delivered thee from going downe to the pit And he shall as certainly be delivered as if the Lord had sent an expresse from heaven to tell him so Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him from going downe to the pit Hence observe First Death is a going to the pit a going to destruction Thus it is ordinarily with all who dye to the pit they goe Many dye and goe downe to the bottomless pit all who dye may be sayd to goe to the pit To goe to the bottomless pit is the circumlocution of eternall death as to goe to the pit is the circumlocution of temporall death Secondly Forasmuch as the man being sick the Lord gives out this word deliver him from going downe to the pit Note Sickness hath in it a tendency unto death The sick stand as it were upon the borders of the grave Some not only put death farr from them in health but in their sickness untill they are even dead they scarce thinke themselves dying It is good for us in our health and best strength to be looking into the pit and considering upon what grounds of comfort we can descend into the grave How much more should we be thinking of and looking into the pit when we are in a languishing and dying condition Thirdly Observe The word and work of deliverance is from God alone Then he will be gracious and say deliver him from going downe to the pit God can and God only can deliver from death no creature in heaven or earth can speak this but by commission from God none can open this secret till God interpret it Deliverance is the Lords salvation and the word of salvation from sickness as well as of salvation from hell comes out from the Lord. But is it not sayd Pro 11.4 Righteousness delivereth from death I answer when it is sayd Righteousness delivereth from death The meaning is God delivereth the righteous from death He delivereth them from the sting and terror from all that which is properly called the evill of corporall death and he delivereth them wholly from the least touch or shadow of eternall death And this righteousness which delivers from death is not our own but the righteousness of Christ made ours by the appoyntment of God and received as ours by faith 'T is neither any righteousness wrought in us nor any righteousness wrought by us but that righteousness which is wrought for us which delivereth from death and that delivereth us from death because God saith of such a righteous person deliver him as often from temporall death or going downe to the pit of the grave so alwayes from
Princes of this world that come to naught But we speak the wisdome of God in a mystery c. which none of the Princes of this World know Ecclesia ex Judaeis paritèr ac gentibus collecta quasi speculum est in qu◠contemplantur Angeli mirì ficam dei sapientiam quam antea nesciebant Cato who use to be the most knowing men in the World for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory As if he had said surely the Princes of the world would have adored not reproached and crucified Christ had they understood who he was or the worke which he came about And therefore the Apostle calls it not only a mystery but a great mystery and that there is not the least question but 't is a great mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh this great mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Eph. 3.9 that is in the counsell and decree of God hath been also some way or other revealed by God almost as soon as the world began It was revealed to Adam by the promise of the womans seed and to Abraham by promise that in his Seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed It was revealed to the Church of the Jewes in Ceremonies and Prophesies and it hath been revealed to the Church both of Jewes and Gentiles by the Spirit in the preaching of the word ever since Christ paid this ransome to this day and it had been hidden to this day if the Lord had not revealed it 't is therefore the Lords invention Let me add this by way of inference We honour men that bring forth any rare invention And if it be an invention which also produceth profit and advantage to mankind how are the Authors of it admired and their names recorded All the inventions of the most refined wits in the world are dull pieces to this invention the redemption of man by Christ And as there is the stamp of an infinite unchangeable wisdome upon it so the profit which comes in by it to mankind is infinite and inestimable How then should we honour God both for bringing this wonderfull invention to light and giving us the benefit of it freely It had been great mercy if God had delivered us upon our finding out and proposall of a way to him but he hath not only delivered us but found out a way himself and plotted how we might be delivered What a glorious mercy is this When Darius saw how Daniel was insnared by his act or decree he was extreamly troubled and saith the Text Dan. 6.14 he was sore displeased with himselfe and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him and he laboured beating his braines and studying till the going down of the Sun to deliver him yet could not but cast he was to the hungry Lions only he told him vers 16. Thy God whom thou servest continually he will deliver thee Darius could not find a ransome any meanes of deliverance for his servant and great Favourite Daniel But when we had brought ourselves into a snare and must have been cast to the Lions for ever to be torne by them the Lord brought forth this rare invention a ransome whereby we poor sinners are delivered out of the mouth of the roaring Lion who goeth about continually to devoure us Secondly Inasmuch as deliverance is got by ransome Observe Our deliverance is costly Soules are precious they are dear ware Blood and that the blood of Christ is their ransome Math. 20.28 Rom. 3.2.5 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Heb. 9.12 Rev. 5.9 in comparison of which all the treasures of this world are trash our Gold and Silver corruptible and our very righteousness a corrupt thing Deliverances are obtained three wayes First By power or plaine force thus Abraham delivered his Nephew Lot when he was carryed captive Gen. 14.14 He armed his trained servants born in his house three hundred and eighteen and rescued him I may say the Lord Jesus hath delivered us thus even by force and power he hath beaten all our enemies and having broken and spoyled principallities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it his Crosse spoken of in the former verse or in himselfe that is in his own personall power not by any aide or forreigne assistance received from men or Angells Secondly Deliverance is obtained by price or payment When our friends or country-men are taken Captives by Turkes or others we cannot send an Army to rescue them but usually we doe it by ransome we buy them againe out of the enemies hand or out of bondage Jesus Christ hath delivered us not only by power but by price it was not as hath been already shewed by gold or silver but by his own most precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Jesus Christ hath delivered us out of the soul destroying hand of Satan by force but he delivers us out of the sin-revenging hand of his Father by price Christ owed the Devill nothing nor doe we but blowes but having undertaken our cause he owed his Father as much as our debt and deliverance from it amounted to a vast summe yet he had enough to answer it to the utmost farthing and did and so delivered us There is a third way of deliverance and that is by supplication and intercession which may be considered two wayes First by our own prayers and supplications Secondly by the prayers and supplications of others which prayers of others are properly called intercessions The intercession of a man with man may deliver him from the wrath of a man And the intercession of a man with God hath wrought the temporall deliverance of some both persons and Nations and therefore when the Lord was resolved not to spare his people he forbad the intercession of the Prophet Jer. 14.11 Pray not for this people for their good And he professed Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel those two mighty Advocates stood before me praying he meanes for them yet my mind could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight In that God would not deliver his people upon their intercession is an argument that he often doth But 't is the intercession of Christ alone which carryeth it with God and that alwayes carryeth it for the Father alwayes heareth him that is granteth his requests for the deliverance of his people both from temporall spirituall and eternall evills This intercession of Christ is the fruit of his blood shed or of the ransome paid down for us For as his blood purchaseth our deliverance so by his intercession it is given in or applyed to us We have the impetration of our pardon by Christs sufferings and the application of it by Christ interceding for us So then we are delivered both by power and price and prayer in severall and distinct respects But the present text speaks of deliverance only by a
that condition a body without a soule but his life was for that time withdrawne there was no appearance of it no sencible breathing no motion no vitall visible operation Thus we may conceive what is meant by the rendring unto man his righteousness Hence observe First A justified person is a righteous person He hath a clothing of righteousness that which we call his righteousness is not properly but imputedly his It is not a cloathing of his owne making but made for him and bestowed freely upon him Rom 10.3 They being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their owne righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God It is Gods righteousness not our owne and yet it is our owne as well as the righteousness of God it being imputed and reckoned unto us for our righteousness it is the believers righteousness as given to him it is Christs righteousness as wrought by him Secondly Observe A justified person under great afflictions and temptations often looseth the comfortable sight and sence of his owne righteousness And so may look upon himselfe as an unrighteous person as having no righteousnes or as being unreconciled unjustified For as many bold sinners hypocrites presume they have a righteousness when they have none and boast themselves to be in the number of the justified when they are not So many an afflicted and tempted soule who is indeed justified in the sight of God may be unjustified in his owne Great afflictions have an appearance of divine displeasure which stands most opposite to justification As affliction is a kinde of darkness so it often leaves the soule in much darkness And he that is in the dark is full of feare he is apt to question his state whether he hath any thing of God in him or no. For though it be not good for a Christian alwayes to begin to live he should come to a poynt and labour for a certainty yet some are brought to such a pass that their former evidences and experiences are even dead and lye prostrate and they constrained to begin a new reckoning about their spirituall estate or as it were to begin againe to live Thirdly Note Mans righteousness or justification is as lost to him when he wants the evidence that is the comfort sweetness and peace of it When his soul-state is so ravel'd and intangled that he can make nothing of it then his righteousness is as lost Those things which appeare not are to us as if they were not Not to know what we have is a degree of not having When grace doth not act or is not used we are sayd in Scripture to lack grace or to have none 2 Pet 1.9 But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off The whole context carrieth it of believers who are in a state of grace who yet not using grace are sayd to lack it and are called blinde as not able to see afar off how it was with them when the work of conversion first began so have upon the matter forgotten that they were ever purged from their old sins That is they act as a man that hath never had any acquaintance with God or knew so much as the meaning of repentance from dead workes He in the Gospel who had but one talent and did not use it is sayd to have none From him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath Math 25.29 'T is a strange expression to say that shall be taken away from a man which he hath not yet the idle servant is sayd not to have that one talent which he had because he did not use it but layd it by as a dead stocke Now as in reference unto the grace of sanctification in us when we doe not act we are sayd to lack it or not to have it so in reference to the peace of justification when we have not the comfort of it we are sayd to be without it And therefore when peace is restored to the soule righteousness or justification is restored also Further from the connexion of these words He shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness Note Fourthly When the sight of our righteousness or justified state in Christ returnes to us our comforts returne We may be justified or in a justified state and not rejoyce But if we know we are in a state of justification we cannot but rejoyce It will make a man rejoyce to purpose when he seeth the righteousness of justification is clearely his Isa 45.25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength One shall say this He shall not only have righteousness in the Lord but he shall say he hath that is he shall be able to make it out he shall have the light of it upon his spirit and then as it followeth in the Prophet In him shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory When they are able to say this then they shall not only rejoyce but glory Glorying is the height of joy or joy is in its full strength The Apostle saith Rom 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink What is it then but righteousness and what else peace and joy in the holy Ghost Righteousness brings in peace that 's the first fruit The warre is ended the controversie determined between God and the soule and when once peace is entred joy will follow It is usuall to make triumphs when a formerly broken peace is made between two nations When Abimilech sent commissioners to make a covenant of peace with Isaac the holy Story saith Gen 26.30 He made them a feast and they did eate and drinke Surely when God sends his holy Spirit to speake peace to a troubled soule against whom his terrors have been set in array as Job sayd in his own case Chap 6.4 and the arrowes of the Almighty within him have drunke up his spirit he I say having his peace thus restored to him cannot but have the joy of the Lord restored to him as David prayed his might Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation That is shew me that I am justified that my sin is pardoned this will bring back into my bosome the joy of thy salvation and my drooping soul shall be not only refreshed but feasted as with marrow and fatness Joy is a certaine consequent upon the sight of our justification Yea joy is not only a consequent but a fruit and effect of it joy floweth out of the nature of it nor is it ever interrupted or suspended but upon the hiding of righteousness out of our sight And therefore joy returnes unfayleably when the Lord is pleased thus to render unto man his righteousness JOB Chap. 33. Vers 27 28 29 30. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profiteth me not He will deliver his soule from
for all the comforts of this and the next life All the blessings of this temporall life and the perfect blessedness of eternall life are comprehended in light So that when 't is sayd his life shall see the light the sence riseth thus high He shall be happy forever so extensive is the favour of God to repenting persons that time is too narrow for it everlasting light shall be their portion From the former branch of the words thus opened He will deliver him from the pit Observe All our deliverances are of God As there is none can deliver like God so none can deliver but God If he gives out the word that such a man shall goe to the pit it is not in the power and skill of all the Princes and Physitians in the world to save or stay him from it And how low and desperate soever any mans condition is if God say the word he is deliver'd and reprieved from going downe into the pit Secondly From the connexion with the former verse the sick man having made this confession I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not the Lord presently delivers him c. Observe God is ready to deliver humble praying and believing sinners That command hath a promise joyned to it Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver The 107th Psalme speakes this quite through where we find many sorts of perishing persons crying unto God and God delivering them from perishing when they cryed As when sin cryeth God will afflict so when sinners cry God will relieve them in or bring them out of their affliction From the latter branch His life shall see the light Note Naturall life and light are a great blessing God promiseth much when he promiseth life and light The light of this life is no small mercy how much greater is the light of spirituall life But who can conceive how great a mercy the light of eternall life is yet all this God speakes to the humble and believing sinner when he saith His life shall see the light Secondly Comparing the two parts of this text together He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light Observe The mercy of God to humble sinners is a compleate mercy Here is not only deliverance from evill but the bestowing of good it is much to be kept from going downe into the pit but it is more to see light the light of comfort here and the light of glory hereafter The mercy of God to his people is great in temporalls greater in spiritualls greatest in eternalls The benefit of redemption to shew the fullness of it is set forth two wayes First by our freedome from evill Secondly by our enjoyment of good John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He shall not perish that is he shall be delivered from going downe to the pit he shall have everlasting life that is as the text speakes his life shall see the light Elihu having at large drawne a description or narration of the whole proceeding of God with sinfull man in all the parts and particulars of it gives a briefe of all that he sayd in the two next verses Vers 29. Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man Vers 30. To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living As the Apostle after he had discoursed at large about the dignity of Christs Priest-hood gathers up all together Heb 8.1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum we have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens So Elihu having spoken much of the severall wayes by which God revealeth himselfe to man and works him to a sight of his sin and penitentiall sorrow for it recollects and summes up all in these words Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man c. In these two verses we may take notice chiefly of two things First The frequency of Gods dealing thus with man v. 29th Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes Secondly The designe and purpose of God in doing so That he may bring back his soule from the pit and be enlightned with the light of the living Lo all this worketh God oftentimes with man Here 's the application of the former Doctrine Elihu presseth his hearers with it and bids them lay it to heart As if he had sayd I have not been speaking of things in the clouds but of what is really and dayly acted among the children of men Lo or behold all these things There are foure speciall significations in Scripture of this word Lo or behold and they may all foure meete in this place First It imports some new unheard-of and wonderfull thing Isa 7.14 Lo or behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son That a virgin should bring forth a son is a wonder of wonders a wonder so much above the course and power of Nature so much beyond the compasse comprehension of reason that men and Angels have reason to be astonished at it Secondly 'T is prefixed to shew some extraordinary impulse or readinesse of spirit for action Thus Christ speaketh in that other noble prophecy of him Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Lo I come that is I am ready to come I am prest upon the work I am under the pressure and command of my own spirit as well as under thy appoyntment and decree to undertake and finish that worke of mans redemption Thirdly It frequently implyeth matter worthy of weight and deepest consideration That 's usefull and remarkeable which is thus prefaced Thus Solomon speaking of the field of the slothfull man saith Prov 24.31 Lo it was all growne over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe As if he had sayd Marke this is a thing to be attended the sluggards field is full of thorns that is in a spirituall sence slothfull hearts are full of lusts and vanities In this language the Church invites all to consider the Glorious excellencies of God Isa 29.9 Lo this is our God And thus Christ speakes of the woman whom he had healed on the Sabbath day Luke 13.16 And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteene yeares be loosed from her infirmity on the Sabbath day As if he had sayd Pray consider the case and speake your mindes Fourthly 'T is often used in a way of strong assertion and affirmation intimating the certainty of what is spoken Gen 1.29 And God said Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed And
will but believe and obey him should he tell us he hath riches of mercy and that every one who will come shall have his share yet we should never have any if left to our owne chusing 'T is a worke therefore both of mercy and power which keepes us from the pit God had much adoe to keepe Lot from being consumed in Sodome He had warning to be gone yet he was loth to goe The text saith Gen 19.16 While Lot lingred the men layd hold upon his hand and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters the Lord being mercifull to him and they brought him forth and set him without the City else probably he had lingred till he had perished Surely if God did not thrust sinners out of the Sodome of this world as we say by head and shoulders they would perish in it and with it How wonderfull is the goodnesse of God who doth all these things not only to keep poore creatures from going downe to the pit both temporally and eternally but also that they may be enlightned with the light of the living JOB Chap. 33. Vers 31 32 33. Mark well O Job hearken unto me hold thy peace and I will speak If thou hast any thing to say answer me speak for I desire to justifie thee If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdome THese three verses containe the Epilogue or conclusion of Elihu's first addresse to Job In which we may consider these three things First He perswadeth him to a due attention and silent consideration both of what he had sayd or should say further v. 31. Mark well O Job hearken unto me c. Secondly He gives him liberty and faire leave to reply if he should please to what he hath already spoken v. 32. If thou hast any thing to say answer me speake To which concession or invitation he adds a very friendly and an ingenuous reason in the close of the verse For I desire to justifie thee Thirdly He professeth his owne readiness to proceed and speak further with him or to carry on this discourse in case Job had nothing to reply v. 33d If not hearken unto me hold thy peace and I shall teach thee wisdome Vers 31. Mark well O Job hearken unto me In this verse Elihu calls for a two-fold attention First to those things he had already spoken Secondly to those things which he was yet to speake What he had already spoken he desireth him to consider and make reply if he pleased as is cleare v. 32. and as to what he had yet further to say he desireth his attention and submission as it followeth v. 33. If not hearken unto me hold thy peace Mark well O Job hearken unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnam mentis attentionem donotat quae sit cum gestu puta aurium arrectione Cornel a Lap in Pro 2.3 Here are two words of attention marke and hearken and both very significant ones The word rendred mark signifieth to attend with utmost diligence it it sometimes rendred by hearkning Isa 32.3 The eyes of them that see shall not be dim and the eares of them that heare shall hearken that is they who heretofore through the just judgement of God for their willfull shutting their eyes and eares inseeing did see but not perceive and in hearing did heare but not understand Isa 6.10.29.10 compared with Math 13.14 shall at last see clearely and attend diligently to the will of God delivered to them yea it seemes to note some speciall gesture as the lifting up of the eare to heare For as there is a lifting up of the voyce in the zealous speaker so of the eare in the diligent hearer To marke is to heare and observe to heare and lay to heart the things which are spoken Mark well O Job and hearken That 's a word of a large extent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auscultavit exaudivit dicto obediens fuit paruit to hearken is more then to heare it takes in not only first the worke of the eare but secondly the worke of the minde 't is hearing first with understanding secondly with beleeving yea thirdly it takes in the worke of the whole man in obeying or submitting to what is spoken Thus God sayd to Adam Gen 3.17 Because thou hast hearkned unto the voyce of thy wife that is because thou hast obeyed her voyce and done the thing she perswaded thee to After hearkning comes doing Lastly it includes also a worke of the affections hearkning is with delighting that which we hearken to we are pleased with 't is like good musick sweet unto us in this compasse and extent we may expound these words Mark well O Job and hearken unto me And these words especially the former of the two rendred marke are often used in Scripture when the people of God desire and begge that he would take notice of and attend unto their prayer Thus David more then once Ps 5.2 Hearken unto the voyce of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray Psal 66.19 but verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voyce of my prayer Psal 130.2 Lord heare my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplication Now as when we desire that God would heare our prayer we desire that he would be very attentive to our prayer and not only so but doe what we pray for and that our prayers may be welcome acceptable and delightfull to him so when we are sayd to marke and hearken to what is spoken to us all the powers of our inward man the understanding will and affections are at worke in hearing Hence note He that will profit by hearing must be an attentive hearer He must mark and hearken a fruitfull hearer doth more then heare he markes not only is his eare at worke but his minde his heart his whole soule is as it were transformed into an eare or is active at his eare There are many and it were well there were more hearers of the word but there are few markers of the word many come to Sermons yet but few hearken unto Sermons every hearer is not a marker not a hearkner to what he heareth and not being so he can scarcely be called a hearer for they only that are markers shall attaine that mark of which the Apostle speaks Phil 3.14 I presse toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus What is our mark in hearing is it not salvation by Christ and glory with him Now unlesse we are markers we never presse towards much lesse attaine that mark the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Mark well O Job hearken unto me hold thy peace and I will speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fodit fundum aravit Metaphoricè cogitavi◠fodit cogitatione intentus vel attentus fuit rei alicujus cōficiendae sicut orator
praeparat terram ante seminatorem 'T is but one word in the Hebrew which we translate hold thy peace and it signifieth properly to dig or plow the ground and by a metaphor to thinke of or to meditate because thoughts goe deep in the soule a man doth as it were plow up his own spirit while he is meditating or thinking seriously Pro 3.29 Devise not evill or it is this word plow not up evill that 's a bad soyle indeed to be plowing up They that plow evill shall sow the wind and except they repent reape the whirlewind The prophet exhorting Ephraim to break up their fallow ground and sow in righteousness that they might reap mercy Hos 10.12 reproves them v. 13. for a very unprofitable piece of husbandry by this word Ye have plowed wickedness ye have reaped iniquity ye have eaten the fruit of lyes that is ye have plotted devised and contrived wicked things and ye have fared accordingly Now as the word signifieth to meditate by a metaphor from digging or plowing so by the figure antiphrasis or contrary speaking it signifies to forbeare doing or speaking to sit still or as we render it here to hold our peace and say nothing Isa 41.1 Keepe silence before me O Islands Psal 50.3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence that is he will speak aloud Elihu bespeakes Job in the affirmative hold thy peace be silent Some conceive Job began to interrupt Elihu Vidatur Jobin se avertisse vel displiceÌ„tiae signum dedisse illum igitur ad so audiendum invitat Scult or gave some token of dislike while he was discoursing as if he had received his speech with disgust and not only inwardly stomacked at it But did not forbeare to discover it by some significant gesture or frowne and that Elihu perceiving this desired him to hold his peace As if he had sayd If you desire to reape any benefit by what I speak be patient and doe not interrupt me But I conceive there was no such height nor heate of spirit in Job at that time He began now to be sedate and quiet enough being somewhat convinced of his former error and intemperance of speech But some may say was it not an over-bold part in Elihu a young man to impose silence upon Job or to bid him hold his peace I answer Elihu doth not bid Job hold his peace either first as if he had seene him unwilling to let him speake or would not heare him any more Job was a very patient hearer he heard his friends patiently and he had heard Elihu too with silence and patience yea though Elihu offered him leave yea almost provoked him to speake v. 5. yet he did not but gave him scope to speake out Nor did Elihu speake this secondly as if he slighted Job or thought him a man unable to answer him or speake to purpose for presently in the next verse he desireth him againe to speake Nor thirdly as if he had such high thoughts of his owne wisdome and loved so much to heare himselfe speake as some men doe that he cared not to heare others but would engrosse all the discourse Nor was it fourthly because he saw such an affectation in Job to speake that he needed as the Apostle speaks of some Tit 1.11 to have his mouth stopt It was not upon any of these or such like reasons that Elihu desired Job to hold his peace but it was either first that himselfe might speak more clearely and carry his matter through to his understanding or secondly that he might set the matter more home upon his conscience and move him to consider yet more seriously what he had sayd of the various wayes of Gods dealing with man to humble his soule and bring him neerer to himselfe or lastly that Job might perceive and take notice that he was the man aymed at in all the foregoing parable As if he had sayd Sir downe quietly and consider with thy selfe whether all this discourse hath tended or whether or no thou art not the man intended in it As Christ when he had spoken that parable of the sower concluded Math 13.9 He that hath an eare to heare let him heare that is let him take it home to himselfe or as Christ concludeth his Epistles to the seven Churches in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation with He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches so doth Elihu to Job in speciall Mark-well O Job and hearken unto me hold thy peace This silence was made of old in great assemblyes Majestate manus by putting the hand to the mouth and then stretching it forth Acts 12.17 Acts 13.16 Chap. 19.23 Chap. 26.1 If any would know yet more distinctly what Elihu meant when he bid Job hold his peace I answer First Negatively not a bare silence or saying nothing but affirmatively when he sayth hold thy peace it might note these two things First That he would have him much in the worke of consideration or to forbeare speaking that he might be more in meditating and weighing and laying things to heart he would have him bring what he had spoken to the ballance of the Sanctuary and then to his owne heart A man is never more busie then when he thus holds his peace Secondly When he saith hold thy peace it might note that he desired his submission to the counsel given or to be given him He would have him bridle his tongue in token that his spirit was brideled He would have Jobs silence say speake on I will say nothing let the truth of God reigne and rule over me by thy word What Samuel answered to the Lord himselfe 1 Sam 3.10 Speak Lord for thy servant heareth that should we answer to those who speak to us from the Lord speak ye we will heare and hold our peace or we should say with good Cornelius when Peter came to him Acts 10.33 We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God When a man holds his peace upon these termes 't is a signe he layeth downe his owne wisdome and his will he doth not stand upon his pantofloes as we say nor abound in his owne sence but is ready to be delivered or cast into the mould of any holy and wholesome doctrine which shall be delivered unto him They are in the fittest frame to hold the truth which others speake who can withhold themselves from speaking Further There is a two-fold holding of the peace First at the works of God or at what God doth Lev 10.3 when God had smitten the two sons of Aaron dead with fire frâ—m heaven Aaron held his peace that is he did not murmure at nor contradict what God had done That also was Davids temper Psal 39.9 I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it The Prophet Jeremy describes an humbled soule in the same posture Lam 3.28 He sitteth alone and
we chuse it as wel as doe it that is unlesse our hearts close with it and pitch upon it Solomon Prov 1.29 chargeth the simple for not chusing what was good they did not chuse the feare of the Lord. By the feare of the Lord he meanes the true worship of the Lord or any worke of obedience by which we testifie a holy feare of him possibly they might doe the feare of the Lord possibly they worshipped the Lord they prayed to him and heard his word but they did not chuse the feare of the Lord they did not sit downe and judge that best or most necessary but tooke it up by accident or by custome or for company because they saw others doe it It will not turne to our account to be found doing good unlesse we chuse to our selves that which is good Our elections are more eyed by God then our actions and the setting of our hearts then the work of our hands Thirdly From the latter branch Let us know among our selves what is good Note First There 's nothing worth our knowing but that which is good Whatsoever hath a morall or a spirituall good in it is worthy to be knowne the truths the workes the wayes of God are the most desireable good things to be studied and knowne Psal 4.6 There are many will say who will shew us any good What 's their good Corne wine oyle gold silver houses lands c. these are their good and these are all their good but though a godly man knoweth that these are good things and blesseth God for any portion in them yet that which he call's his good and the good is of a higher nature We commonly call worldly things our goods but we mis-call them if we call them our good The Favour of God is our good grace is our good faith and love and hope and righteousnesse are good above all God himselfe is good and to know and enjoy him in Christ through the Spirit is our chiefest good here and will be all our good hereafter Let us know what is good From the Comparative sense of the words Let us know what is good that is if there be a better to be had let us know that Observe It is not enough for us to have the knowledge of good things but among good things the best are to be sought out to be knowne and attained to This was a speciall branch of the Apostles prayer for the Philippians Phil 1.10 That ye may approve the things that are excellent or the things that differ in excellency Some are contented to sit downe in the lowest forme of Christs Schoole if they have but any thing which they may call good or true right and sincere they looke no further any thing satisfieth them which will serve turne to keep them from perishing they have no holy aspirings nor godly covetous desires after the best things and the best of the best God is willing and hath promised to give us not only good things but the best things Psal 81.16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee 't is a mercy to have wheat but the finest of the wheat and honey out of the rock not ordinary honey but the best honey the purest honey are greater mercies We by our sins deserve that God should as the Prophet speakes Isa 30.20 give us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction that is either that he should give us adversity in stead of bread and affliction in stead of water or that he should feed us with the coursest bread with huskes and bran and give us bitter waters the waters of Marah to drinke yet he in mercy gives us pleasant bread and wel-tasted water yea were we better he would give us the best bread the finest of the wheat and our cup should be sweeter to us then the sweetest honey The reason why we have not of the best is because we are no better Yea God now gives us not only good things but the best of good things even himselfe his Son and Spirit who are best of all O how excellent is this loving kindness therefore let us not only look after good things but the best of good things to honour God and lift up his name to the highest in this world Let us labour to know and doe the best things and give God our best services and purest praises even the male of our flocke the first-borne the strength of our whole soules To these highest attainments Elihu perswades those wise and knowing men promising to joyne with them in that search Come let us beat out the business with diligence that we may at last chuse Judgement and know among our selves what is good what is best JOB Chap. 34. Vers 5 6 7 8 9. For Job hath said I am righteous and God hath taken away my Judgement Should I lie against my right my wound is incurable without transgression What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men For he hath said It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himselfe with God THe Preface hath been dispatcht the context of these five verses containes the whole charge or bill of complaint drawne up by Elihu against Job consisting of many particulars This charge is double The first part whereof is contained in the 5th and 6th verses the second in the 7th 8th and 9th verses In the first charge he alledgeth foure things against Job two in the 5th verse and two in the 6th The two things alledged against him in the 5th verse are First That Job insisted too much upon his owne righteousness Job hath said I am righteous Secondly That he reflected too boldly upon the righteousness of God yea that upon the matter he had accused God of unrighteousness or injustice God hath taken away my Judgement Vers 5. For Job hath said I am righteous That 's the first charge Job hath said Elihu gathers up and collects those passages of Jobs complaint which he found most faulty and layeth them as we say in his dish Job hath said we may well remember and he cannot deny it for he hath said it not once only but often not lightly but seriously and assertingly I am just or righteous that is I have sufficiently shewed my innocency and the equity of my cause but I am not permitted to declare and hold it forth in such a way as I would before my Judge yea the Lord proceedeth with me not in the ordinary way of Justice but being above law afflicts me at his pleasure though I am innocent This is the summe of what Job said as often as he hath sayd I am righteous The first particle which we render for imports Vocabulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia certitudinem et firmam asseverationem hic importat q.d. profecto equidem
is said to hate one of them so I conceive that Scripture is to be understood Luke 14.26 where Christ gives the rule concerning Disciple-ship If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple When Christ layeth this charge upon his Disciples to hate wife and children c. would he have his Disciples turn their hatred upon those relations the rule of the Word forbids that So then his meaning is only this if in case of following me a man finde any stop or hindrance by these he must not let out his love so to wife and children c. as to hinder his coming to or following of me Every man must take off so much love from these dearest worldly enjoyments as hinders men in following Christ and he who through grace is enabled to do so is in a true and clear Gospel sence said to hate them That which we can leave for Christ we hate in comparison of that love which we bear to Christ Thus in the Text and Point they may be said to hate the right who bear not a due proportion of love unto it not to love righteousness with highest warmest affections is a degree of hatred Some love the right but they love it lightly they love it less then riches and gain and and therefore for self-gain they turn aside from and forsake the right Some will speak fair for Justice till the offer of private advantage either put out their eyes or stop their mouths he that loves not to do right to others more then to enrich himself will quickly wrong others to enrich himself Now he that upon any terms or considerations whatsoever though it were to the advantage only of some others who are poor and distressed much more when it s for his own advantage is drawn to pervert the right is a hater of it Remember any lesser degree of love to that which is right may at any time be interpreted the hatred of it and when we love it less then our own concernments we cannot resist temptations which entice us to do that which will declare a direct hatred of it Thirdly From the whole tenour of these words Shall he that hateth right govern Note They that hate right or righteousness are altogether unfit to Govern or to be Governours Nothing is more contrary to the state of Government or the qualification of a Governour then to hate right righteousness is the sphear wherein he ought to walk and never to move out of it 't is the business he hath to do the trade which he hath to drive whatsoever he doth in that capacity he must be doing righteous things So far as any man hath the power of Government in his hand if it be but over a family much more over a Nation he ought to do right Davids prayer for himself as a King and for his son who was to succeed him in the Kingdom was only and altogether this Psal 72.1 Give the King thy judgements O Lord and thy righteousness unto the Kings son that is teach both me and him what is right give us a heart conformable to it and a readiness of minde alwayes to do it That 's the scope of his prayer when he said Give the King thy judgements O Lord and thy righteousness to the King's son Nor doth he barely pray for the gift of judgement and righteousness but he puts the stamp of God upon them Give them thy judgement and thy righteousness It is possible for Kings to have a judgement of their own and a righteousness of their own which are not the judgements nor the righteousness of God For as there is a righteousness of God which some being ignorant of trust to a righteousness of their own for the justification of their person so there is a righteousness of God for the government of man which some neglecting use only a righteousness of their own both in condemning and justifying other mens both persons and causes Princes being in Gods place should exalt the righteousnesse of God in the governing of men And therefore the same David in his dying song spake thus 2 Sam 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of God who ever he is he must be just and he must be just in the feare of God which he can never be but in giving out the righteousnesse of God that is in dispensing that for righteousnesse which is right according to the will of God And if he must doe right thus how shall he doe it if he hate it no man will doe that willingly or constantly which he hateth he that hates right is so farre from doing it himselfe that he cannot abide others should doe it Whereas a governour is not only to doe right himselfe but to appoynt others to doe it and to see that they doe it or else to punish them for not doing it The Rulers of the earth are sayd to beare the sword Rom 13.4 And they are sayd to be Shields Psal 47.9 They are shields to protect the good and swords to take vengeance of those that doe evill both which are the workes of righteousnesse And if so shall ever he that hateth right governe And wilt thou condemne him that is most just Fieri nè potest ut qui omnibus imperat juris amans non sit aut quicquam injuste agat Merc The scope of Elihu in the former part of the verse was to demonstrate that God is no hater of right or righteousnesse for he is not only A Governour but The Governour all the world over or over all the world and it were a most absurd thing to thinke that he should be the Governour of the world and yet be a hater of right can it be imagin'd that he who ruleth all men should wrong any man Now seeing God who ruleth all is alwayes most righteous wilt thou O Job condemne him saith Elihu that is most just God our governour is so farre from hating that he is ever promoting justice he that is so is most just and wilt thou condemne him that is most just Wilt thou condemne To condemne is to sit in Judgement and give sentence against another Wilt thou condemne or give sentence against God Wilt thou as some translate according to the strictness of the Original make him wicked that is most just Et an justum insignem impium facis Heb Elihu makes use of a very hard and severe word and it is conceived that he purposely pitcht upon it or pickt it out to convince Job that it is no small fault or offence to complaine of or to quarrell with the dealings of God 'T is indeed to condemne God and to make him wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 validum justū i. e. qui valdè justus est Drus Num eum qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justus est ut
have grace they are both greatly regarded and when neither of them have grace neither of them are at all regarded by the God of all grace Thus 't is plaine God regardeth the rich no more then the poore nor the poore any whit lesse then the rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est dives opalentus quidam volunt deductum a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servando quod multos servare et juvari possit vela 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clamando quod â—pulenti liberiùs et audaciùs loquantur The word rendred rich signifieth also bountifull Isa 32.5 'T is also rendred The helpfull the saving man for though rich men are not alwayes helpfull with their riches nor ready to save others in distresse yet rich men may doe both they have alwayes in their hand power and usually opportunity to be helpfull to the poore and to save the distressed And surely as the Lord regardeth not the rich more then the poore so he regardeth those rich men least of all who have no regard to helpe and save the poore Once more Some derive the word which we translate rich from a roote which signifieth to clamour or to speake out and boldly which complyes wel with that sentence of Solomon Pro 18.23 The poore useth entreaties that is he speaketh humbly or by way of supplication but the rich answereth roughly And as God regardeth not the rich more then the poore so he regardeth those rich men least who speake loudly and roughly to the poore Having thus opened the assertion of Elihu that God regardeth not the rich more then the poore let us consider The reason of it in the next words For they are all the work of his hands As if he had sayd God cannot but deal impartially with all because all are the work of his hands what reason hath he to respect one more then another seeing the one is no more to him then t'other they are all the work of his hands Man as man is the off-spring of God Acts 17.28 He is also the work of his hands that is man is made by his power As man descendeth from man so he is called the fruit of the womb but as man is the off-spring of God so he is called the worke of his hands and his hands have wrought the poor man as well as the rich They are all the work of his hands in a two-fold respect First In their naturall constitution God hath moulded them in the same fashion he hath given each of them a body and a soul A body framed of the same parts a soule consisting of the same powers God hath bestowed as much care and cost upon the making of a poore mans body and soule as upon the rich mans The richest man in the world cannot boast that he hath any one member in his body or faculty in his soule more then a poore man hath Secondly Look upon the rich and poore in their Civil state and so likewise they are the work of his hands and that I conceive is here intended as much as if not more then the former not only is God the maker of the poor and of the rich in their naturall state soule and body but as pooâ— and rich he is the maker of them that is he maketh one man poore and another man rich as himselfe pleaseth Prov 22.2 The rich and the poor meet together the Lord is the maker of them all He hath made them men and he hath made them rich or poore men There is as much of the power and wisdome of God seene in making some men poore and others rich as there is in making them men yea God thinks himselfe as much honoured in our acknowledgements that the poore with their poverty as that the rich with all their riches are the work of his hands Hence Note First Poor men are as much the work of God as the rich As they have the same nature and are of the same matter as they are both made of the same stuff or are both of a piece so they have the same maker and their maker hath been at as much charge in the making of the one as in the making of the other yea and usually the poore man yeilds him a better rent and brings more into his Treasury then the rich man doth Secondly Note It is the Lord who makes men poor and makes men rich Agur prayed Prov. 30.8 Give me neither poverty nor riches Agur knew poverty was a gift of God as well as riches It hath been said though prophanely Every man is the fashioner of his own fortune or the contriver of his own condition Some who acknowledge God hath made them men think they have made themselves rich or great men and we commonly look on those who fail in their worldly Estates that they have made themselves poor and low in the world I grant there is a sense wherein men make themselves rich and make themselves poor that is when they do either by their sins God is not so engaged in the making of a man rich when he enricheth himself by his sin by deceiving or oppressing his brethren as when he groweth rich in a way of righteousness He that is enriched by oppression or deceit or sets his nest on high by flattery or by fraud cannot thank God for his riches or honours and if he doth he blasphemously makes God a partner in those sins by which he hath got his riches and honours For though it be a truth that there is a hand of God in his gettings for all the craft and policy and oppression which men use will never be able to make them either rich or great if God did not permit and order it so yet the heart of God is not with him in it and God will not own his own hand in giving them wealth or power further then as they are a testimony against them of his goodness and their ingratitude We may also say of some poor men they have made themselves poor not God He made Job poor The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away was his humble acknowledgement chap. 1.21 but there are some of whom we cannot so much say God hath made them poor by his sad providences to them as that they have made themselves poor by their idleness and improvidence or by their prodigality and vain profuseness yet even of such poor men we may truly say there be a righteous hand of God upon them in leaving or giving them up to the lusts of their own heart their laziness or lavishness which produce their utter undoing and bring them to a morsel of bread So that let men be in what condition they will the Lord is the former of it The diligent hand maketh rich but it is with the blessing of God and when an indiligent man becomes poor it is the curse of God upon him for his sin as well as the consequent of his sin Yea when an honest diligent man becomes
make trouble Hence observe First The quietness or peace of nations is the peculiar gift of God Whosoever hath or enjoyeth quietness 't is Gods work but most eminently when nations enjoy it Of nationall quietness the Lord spake by his Prophet Isa 45.7 I forme the light c. I make peace I the Lord doe all these things As naturall so civill light is of Gods forming as spirituall so temporall peace is of Gods making And the Church was confident he would be their peace-maker Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us Some read it as a prayer Lord doe thou ordaine or command peace for us we as a profession of their faith and hopefull if not full assurance that the Lord would ordaine peace for them The Lord gives out an order or makes an ordinance in heaven when he pleaseth for the peace both of Churches and nations here on earth And the Church there had this good ground of their assurance that he would doe it even their former experiences of his great power and goodness in doing much for them as it followeth for thou hast wrought all our workes for us As if they had sayd Lord those gracious preservations which thou hast heretofore given us in trouble and deliverances out of trouble strengthen our faith both in praying that thou wouldest and in believing that thou wilt now at this pinch ordaine peace for us To doe so is a mighty and a mercifull worke of God and we may consider it two wayes First As the giving of quietnesse to a nation is the restoring of peace or the setling of them in a quiet state after they have been torne and troubled with warres and tossed with continuall tempests of trouble possibly for many yeares together To bring peace out of warre and quietness out of unsetledness is a worke worthy of God Psal 46.9 He maketh warres to cease to the ends of the earth that is all the world over The end or ceasing of warre is quietness And to assure us that the Lord can make an end of warres the Psalmist in that place sheweth us the Lord spoyling all the implements or instruments of warre He breaketh the bow and cuts the speare asunder he burneth the chariots in the fire Here are three great instruments of warre the bow the speare the chariot all which are sometimes comprehended under that one word the sword which is the most knowne and universal instrument of warre Now when neither sword nor bow nor speare nor chariot are to be had we need not feare warre And therefore that great promise of peace runs in this tenour Mic 4.2 They shall beat their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then presently followeth nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learne warre any more There must needs be peace when the art of warre is layd by as uselesse and shall be learned no more That will be a blessed time indeed when the art military shall be out of date and being it selfe the greatest interrupter of learning shall be learned no more When Souldiers shall turne Husbandmen and Vine-dressers beating their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then we shall have peace and put away the remotest feares of warre When a man casteth away his sword we may very well conclude he intends to be quiet Thus the Lord gives quietnesse to nations which have been engaged in warre by causing warres to cease Secondly He gives quietnesse to nations by continuing their peace when warres are ceased for unlesse the Lord give a check to the lusts and passions to the wrath and rage of men plow-shears are quickly turned into swords and pruning hookes into speares To preserve peace is the Lords worke as much as to give peace It requires the same or as great a power to keepe our peace as to make it Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta â—ueri to keepe it out of the hand of the sword as to get it out of the hand of the sword When the king of Assyria threatned Jerusalem with a siege the Lord preserved their peace and sent Hezekiah word Isa 37.33 He shall not come into this City nor shoote an arrow there nor come before it with shields nor cast a banke against it for I will defend this City to save it The continuance of peace and quietnesse is a continuall giving of it Warres returne after peace as clouds returne after raine unlesse the Lord prevent and forbid them And have not we of this nation reason to acknowledge this double mercy First Was not the end of our late unnaturall warres the gift of God was it not he that made our troubles to cease from one end of the nation to the other yea throughout the three nations If the Lord had not given the sword a check or counter-mand if the Lord had not called in the commission which he once gave the sword it had been devouring flesh and drinking blood to this very day We read as it were a dialogue between the Prophet and himselfe concerning the sword Jer 47.6 7. O thou sword of the Lord sayd the Prophet being grieved for the slaughter and desolation which the sword had made even in a strange land how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy selfe into thy scabbard rest and be still Himselfe answers himselfe how can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon and against the Sea-shore there hath he appointed it I spake to the sword of quietnesse saith the Prophet But alas how can it be quiet how can that sheath it selfe in its scabbard and not in the bowels of men seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon As if he had sayd I see no entreaties can perswade the sword to rest and quietness till it hath fully executed the command of God and done his work though it be very bloody work even the making of it selfe drunke with blood The Lord can make the sword quiet it will hearken to no voyce but his if the Lord give a charge for the sword to returne into the sheath then it will and if not it will not The sword raged in these nations till the Lords work and will was done and then that had done And as we have reason to acknowledge that the Lord hath commanded the sword back into its sheath and given us peace out of warre so Secondly That he hath continued our peace since the warre When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble Note If God will give those nations quietnesse where it was not or continue it where it is there is no power on earth can stop or interrupt it Who can make trouble where he ordaineth peace Balaam was forced to this confession when he would have troubled the people of Israel and went from mountaine to mountaine to seek divination I cannot curse whom the Lord hath blessed why not said
Balak I will give thee a good fee if thou wilt no saith Balaam Numb 23.20 The Lord hath blessed and I cannot reverse it We may put this query When he giveth quietnesse who can make trouble especially to three sorts of persons First To politick men some presume they can trouble nations and shake the surest foundations of peace with the engine of their braine with their wit and subtlety Yet this engine proves uselesse and unserviceable to that end where the Lord gives quietnesse Ahitophell was as an oracle of God for wisdome in his times and he stretcht his braines upon the tenters to make trouble but God sayd there should be peace and therefore as David prayed his wisdome was turned into foolishness There is no wisdome saith Solomon the wise Pro 21.30 nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Secondly We may put the question who can make trouble to mighty men their power the strength of their Armies and arme cannot doe it Senacharib came with a mighty host to disturb Israel but he could not make trouble he could not so much as shoot an arrow against Jerusalem when the Lord forbad it Thirdly We may put the question who can make trouble to magicall men or sorcerers They cannot doe it by their wicheryes and enchantments by their closest correspondencies with the devill himselfe This was Balaams conclusion who it seemes traded that way to doe mischiefe Numb 23.23 Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time it shall be sayd of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought When God is resolved to give a people quietnesse though the devill would he cannot disturbe them We need not feare witches or magicians who correspond with hell to trouble the earth if God say there shall be peace neither policy nor power nor witchery can prevaile against the purpose of God Then happy are that people who have the Lord for their God Psal 144.15 what can a people desire more to make them happy then to have the Lord for their God if we consider these two things First God hath a negative voyce upon all the counsells of the wisest men in the world if he saith it shall not be it cannot be whosoever saith this or that shall be Lam 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not if he gives not his assent nothing can passe into a law The Lords single negative stops the affirmative votes of all men joyned in one Secondly The Lords power is paramount He can effect what he willeth whether men will or no. That 's plaine in the text If he give quietnesse who can make trouble To come a little nearer This day this fifth of November which we solemnize in a thankfull remembrance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder treason is a very great confirmation of this truth Who is there that was alive at that day as severall here I know were yea who is there that hath heard of that day of the substance and circumstances of the matter and manner of the Gunpowder treason but can tell us that a Popish party at home with their correspondents abroad intended to make trouble in this nation surely there was a purpose to make trouble in the nation that day if ever there were a purpose to make trouble in any nation What did they leave unattempted to promote the trouble of this nation Counsels were joyned for a conjunction of forces to trouble this nation The men ingaged in that plot may properly be called Trouble-makers It was their business or their designe to trouble the waters that themselves might fish in those waters of trouble We may with respect to their purpose though God prevented it graciously truly say to them what Ahab sayd falsly to Elijah These were the men that would have troubled our Israel they would have made trouble in every way and in every thing wherein trouble could be made by men Would it not have made trouble to destroy the King the chiefe Governour of these three nations with his royall issue in one day Would it not have made trouble to blow up the representative of the nation the Parliament in one day Would it not have made trouble to put the whole body of the people into a confused heape without a head in one day Would it not have made trouble in the nation to have seene Papal power with Popish Doctrine and worship brought in againe upon us within a few dayes Would it not have made trouble to have seene poore soules imprison'd persecuted and consumed to ashes for their conscientious witness-bearing to the truths of the Gospel Would it not have made trouble to have lost our civil liberties and to have had a yoke of spirituall Bondage layd upon our necks by worse then Egyptian task-masters Would it not have made trouble to spill the blood of thousands Was it not an attempt to make trouble to attempt all these things which would probably that I say not certainly have been the issue of that plot if it had succeeded Let us therefore praise the Lord who was pleased to prevent it and sayd it shall not be They did every thing to make trouble but make trouble they did every thing but prosper in their designe They took secret counsell they took oaths yea they took the Sacrament to assure the secrecy of those counsels and oaths All this they did towards the making of trouble yet they could not God sayd at that time let England be in quietness and therefore only those Romish Emissaries and incendiaries could not make trouble Againe If we consider the present season wherein we live 't is a confirmation of this truth God hath given us quietnesse for some yeares and hath he not preserved this quietnesse hitherto against all those both persons and things that would have made trouble if God had not confirmed our peace we had been in trouble long before this time but yet our peace continueth yet it continueth and is it not wonderfull that it should continue if we consider First The sins of the nation which are the seed of trouble especially those two generall sins first unthankfullnesse for our peace Secondly our ill improvement of it How have many abused their peace to nurse up their pride wantonness and vaniy and being delivered from the feare of men have even cast off the feare of God! what just cause is there that we should loose that peace which we have used so ill and have almost turned into a warre with God himselfe yet hitherto the Lord hath given England quietness and none could make trouble Secondly If we look upon the divisions both in opinion and affection that are found among us is it not a wonder that yet we have peace if God had not given quietnesse doubtlesse these differences of which we are so sadly full had filled us with trouble long before this time Thirdly While
The Eclipses of Divine favour abide long upon Nations and Churches We commonly say Great bodies move slowly And God is usually slow in his motions both from and towards great bodies as he doth not quickly remove from them so he doth not quickly return to them He stayeth long before he hideth his face and he makes them stay long before he causeth his face to shine upon them again When for the sin of Israel God gave up both them and the Ark into the hands of the Philistines though the Philistines vexed with the hand of God upon them sent it back shortly after yet it was long before it was fully setled among them 1 Sam. 7.2 And it came to pass while the Ark abode in Kirjath-jearim that the time was long for it was twenty years and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. The Ark which was a signe of Gods presence with them being removed was not soon restor'd to its proper place yea it was 20. years more after that before it was set in its place by David 2 Sam. 6.17 And whereas it is said that in those first twenty years they lamented after the Lord this signifieth that all those years God was comparatively to what he had somtimes been but as a stranger in the land leaving them under the cruel oppressions of the Philistines nor did they recover his favourable presence till they solemnly repented and reformed putting away their strange gods and Ashteroth preparing their hearts unto the Lord to serve him only as Samuel exhorted them to do at the third verse of that chapter The Jewish Nation in after ages had sad experience of this in the Babylonish captivity when God hid his face from them it was seventy years before he lookt upon them again and since that Nation provoked him by their rejection of the Gospel to lay them aside God hath hid his face from them above these sixteen hundred years and they are to this day a scattered unsetled people and wanderers among the Nations having their hearts hardned and their eyes shut against the light of the glorious Gospel And as the Jewes so many Christian Churches have for a long time felt the sad effects of these Divine hidings and withdrawings Those seven famous Churches in Asia mentioned in the second and third chapters of the Revelation Ephesus Smyrna c. have been under this woful Eclipse many hundred years nor have those ancient Churches in Africa where Tertullian and Augustine once flourished recovered the presence of the Lord to this day Let the Nations and Churches abroad remember this and tremble to provoke the Lord to such departures and desertions God hath long hid his face from the Bohemian Churches subjected them again to the Papal yoke several parts of Germany are under the same hidings the light is departed from them and they are left in much darkness their state is very deplorable and their former purity both as to doctrines of faith and practise of worship as to humane help irrecoverable And should not the dealings of God with them awaken us in these Nations and Churches to remember and consider the wonderful patience of God in continuing our peace notwithstanding all our provocations lest at last he hide his face from us also and then who can behold him A throng of evils and mischiefs will soon appear to us with open face if once God hide his face And it will not be unuseful to instance a little in this place what those evils and mischiefs are which throng and croud in upon Nations and Churches when God hideth his face from them First When God hideth his face from a Nation he layeth down his former care of them and watchfulness over them he takes little or no notice of their case and condition of their troubles and streights as was toucht in opening the Text he regards not how it is with them nor what becomes of them Such apprehensions the Prophet had in reference unto the people of Israel Jer. 14.8 where he humbly expostulated with the Lord Why art thou as a stranger in the land as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night a stranger or a wayfaring man intending to stay but a night in a place thinks not himself concerned with the state of that place if he can but get a supper and a lodging for his money that night he troubles himself no further whether it be well or ill with the place whether it be sickness or health if he can make shift for a night he is satisfied Thus the Prophet conceived the Lord even as a stranger among his people little minding what became of them whether they did sink or swim whether it were peace or trouble joy or sorrow with them And further he represents the Lord not only as a stranger but as a man astonished not only as a man who cares not to help but as a man who cannot An astonished man how mighty soever he is hath no use of his might He that can do little with his reason that 's the case of an astonish'd affrighted man can do less with his hands Now such a one is God to his people that is he will do no more for them then such a one when once he hideth his face from them Secondly When the Lord hideth his face from a Nation he hath no regard to their prayers and supplications no not to their fasts and humiliations that speaks sadly Prayer is our best strength it engageth the strength of God by prayer we have our resort to God and fetch all our help and succour in a day of trouble from his All-sufficiency If once God say to a people I will not hear nor answer your prayers they are in a most forlorn condition Thus God resolved against the people of Israel Jer. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry And as he would not regard their own prayers so he forbade the Prophet to pray for them vers 12. The Lord said unto me pray not for this people for their good yea he tells them he would not regard the prayers and intercessions of any others for them Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me that is should become Advocates in their behalf yet my heart could not be towards this people that 's a sure and a dreadful prognostick of ruine as it followeth cast them out of my sight and let them go forth Thirdly When the Lord hides his face from a Nation he refuseth to give them counsel or to direct their way We need the counsel of God as much as his strength as we cannot do what we know unless he strengthen us so we know not what to do unless he counsel us And when ever God hideth his face from a people he hideth counsel from a people When God hid his face from Saul who was in a publick capacity and in a publick case his war with the Philistines O how he
it is from the negligence of this man or from the malice of that other man All this while there is no acknowledgement of the hand of God They say not with Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord nor with David Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand It is as much our duty and for the glory of God to confess that our afflictions are of God as our mercies and favours Thirdly Observe The chastenings of God must be born they must be endured Many are chastised who cannot say they have born chastisements It 's an ordinary thing to be under chastisement but it s a great thing and requires much holy skill and spiritualness to bear a chastisement the duty of a Christian lies most in two points First in doing or in active obedience Secondly in suffering or in passive obedience and there is as much of God as much of grace as much of holiness yea I may say much more held out in bearing and in suffering then there is in acting or in doing But you will say what is it to bear that you make it so difficult a matter to bear chastisements How must chastisements be born or what is it to bear them I will answer the question under two heads First Negatively To bear chastisement is not First meerly to finde or feel it upon our shoulders as a burthen which pincheth or presseth us so a beast may bear Secondly it is not a bearing meerly because we cannot help it or be rid of our burden for so the worst of men may bear they bear the greatest burthens that God layeth upon them because they cannot avoid them nor ease themselves of them Thirdly It is not a bearing stoutly or slightingly to make nothing of it so proud men bear men of unsubdued spirits unto God and his word regard not what they bear nor what God doth to them Fourthly It is not a bearing them sowrly or sullenly for so discontented persons bear yea so the devil beareth the burthen which the hand of God hath laid upon him Fifthly Nor is it a bearing chastisement faintly or dispondingly so weak believers bear To bear and faint is not the bearing of faith Neither of these are the bearing of chastisement which Elihu intends in this counsel when he saith It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisment Thus ye see the Negative what the bearing of it is not Secondly I answer affirmatively To bear a chastisement as an act or work of grace is First to bear it sensibly that is feeling the weight of the hand of God and tasting the bitterness of that cup of sorrow which he giveth us to drink Secondly 'T is a bearing of it submittingly humbly patiently laying our selves down at the foot of God and saying as Eli did Let him do what seemeth him good or as David 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him We never bear any evil of affliction well till we can say with a sweet resignation of our selves to God do with us what seemeth to thee good And for our encouragement I may say nothing can hurt a godly man which seemeth good to God Thirdly 'T is a contentful bearing or a bearing contentedly Thus Christ spake Psal 40. and 't is cited by the Apostle Heb. 10. Lo I come to do thy will I am content to do it what was that It was to bear or suffer the greatest part of what Christ was to do was to bear or suffer the chastisement of our peace Isa 53.5 and in suffering to be made a sacrifice for us his contentment to do the will of God was a contentment to suffer Of such a spirit should the people of God be bearing chastisement not only patiently but contentedly this is hard but this cannot be left out in the full exercise of that grace Fourthly 'T is to bear it more then contentedly willingly how free was Christ to bear when he said John 18.11 The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drink it Surely I will I am willing to drink it though it be a bitter cup. We are not to will our sufferings but to suffer them willingly there is a vast difference between these two I do not say we are to will our sufferings but we are to suffer them willingly we must suffer what and how and when and how long God will and when God willeth our sufferings we must suffer with our wills or be willing to suffer Fifthly To bear chastisement in the sence here intended is not only to bear it with our will but with our affections not only willingly but acceptably and embracingly 't is to say welcome cross because it is the will of God There is no chastisement that we can rejoyce in or have any affection to considered in it self but to bear chastisement in contemplation of the will of God should work our hearts to an accepting to an embracing to a welcoming of it we should say to all our sufferings welcome by the will of God Sixthly 'T is to bear it prayerfully we must bear silently in opposition to complaining but we must not bear silently in opposition to praying While chastisement is upon our backs supplications must be in our mouths and we must pray first That we may see the reason why or for what cause God chasteneth us Secondly We must pray that we may answer the ends which God aimeth at in chastening us Thirdly That we may have fresh power to bear his chastenings Fourthly That God would be pleased to remove our chastenings While we bear chastenings we may pray and pray hard that God would take them away David had no sooner said I opened not my mouth that is complainingly because thou didst it Psal 39.9 but presently he opened his mouth in prayer vers 10. Remove thy stroke away from me While we bear our cross patiently and willingly it would be our sin not to pray for deliverance from it To say I am under a chastisement and let the Lord keep it upon me as long as he will I will never ask him to take it off were a most unbecoming frame of spirit They that bear affliction most cheerfully should pray most earnestly to be eased of it we must be willing to bear them alwayes yet we must pray that we may not bear them long If a childe under the rod of a parent should not say pray father stay your hand it is enough but let him go on striking and never intimate a desire of his forbearance this were a signe of stubbornness not of patience and submission 'T is as bad not to ask release from our troubles as to murmure at them or to be unquiet under them Remember then you must be as much in the exercise of prayer as of patience under the cross and that in these four
run into by any sin committed against man God only is the Creditor All that men can doe is but to forgive the trespasse against themselves so farre as man is wronged he may yea he ought to forgive as Christ teacheth us to pray Math 6.12 Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors All that we can forgive is only the trespass done to our selves and so forbeare personal and private revenge We cannot forgive the offence against God For when Christ saith John 21.20 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted that remission is but the declaring of a pardon it is not the bestowing of a pardon or it is only a ministerial forgivenesse not an authoritative forgivenesse so to forgive is Gods Royalty He saith I forgive Secondly To God who saith I forgive c. Forgive what forgive whom Here 's neither what nor whom neither things nor persons named God barely saith I forgive Hence observe The pardoning mercy of God is boundlesse and unlimited Here 's no sin named therefore all are included no sinner specified therefore all are intended I forgive I pardon the pardoning mercy of God knows no limits it is not limitted First to any sort of sins or sinners Secondly it is not limited to any degree of sins or sinners let sins or sinners be of what sort they will let sins or sinners be of what degree they will they are within the compasse of Gods pardoning mercy And as this text intimates that the pardoning mercy of God is boundlesse because it expresseth no bounds So other Scriptures tell us expresly that it is boundlesse extending it selfe to all sorts and degrees of sins and sinners Math 12.31 Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven That a sin is great that it is extremely aggravated is no barre at all to the pardoning mercy of God he can as easily pardon great sins as little sins even sins that are as Crimson and scarlet as well as those of the lightest tincture The die or colour of some cloaths or stuffs is so fading that as we say the next wind will blow it off or cause it to dye away but scarlet and crimson in graine never change their colour yet the pardoning grace of God causeth crimson and scarlet sin to change colour and makes them as white as the naturall wool or snow that is takes them quite and cleane away Yea the greatnesse of sin is so far from being a stop to pardon that it is used asan argument to move God to pardon David prayeth Psal 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity why doth he say because it is little or only a small sin a sin committed rashly unadvisedly or but once no he useth none of these excusatory pleas for pardon but saith pardon my sin for it is great Moses was not afraid to speake for pardon upon this ground also Exod 32.31 Lord saith he this people have committed a great sin and have made them gods of gold yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin c. There 's a great deale of divine Rhetorique in that speech Moses was not doubtfull whether God would forgive them their sin because it was great but he urged the Lord to forgive their sin because it was great Where sin aboundeth Grace doth much more abound Rom 5.20 and therefore God is said to pardon abundantly or to multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 and whom doth he promise to pardon there even the man of iniquity so that Scripture hath it Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man or the man of iniquity his thoughts c. If you who have sinned abundantly repent I will pardon abundantly The heart of God in pardoning sin is infinitely larger then the heart of man can be in committing sin and as the least sin needs pardon so the greatest may have it nothing hinders the pardon of sin but the sinners not coming for it or his not asking it The sin against the holy Ghost cannot be forgiven but the reason is because such as commit that sin utterly reject the grace of God and tread the blood of the Covenant under their feet as an unholy thing Thirdly The text speakes in the present tense God saith not I will pardon or possibly I may pardon but sheweth what he both actually doth and what he alwayes doth To God who saith I pardon Hence note God pardoneth presently he pardoneth continually I pardon is a present it is a continued act To pardon is Gods work to day and Gods work to morrow As every soule may say of himselfe Lord I sin not only I have sinned or I shall sin hereafter but I sin so saith God I pardon as men stand alwayes in need of pardon so God stands alwayes prepared to pardon He is Psal 86.5 plenteous in mercy ready to forgive The heart of God is never out of frame for that woâ—ke never indisposed to it David found him so Psal 32.5 I said I will confesse mine iniquity he did not say I have confessed mine iniquity he was not come to a formall Confession onely he had it upon his heart to humble himselfe before God and confesse his sin yet it follows and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin While there was but a holy resolve upon his heart to confesse his sin the pardon of it was given him The holy history of his sin and of Gods mercy assureth us that the word was no sooner out of his mouth 2 Sam 12.13 I have sinned but instantly Nathan said The Lord hath put away thy sin Though God doth not pardon of course yet he is in a continuall course of pardon therefore Moses prayed Numb 14.19 That God would pardon the people according to the greatness of his mercy and as he had forgiven them from Egypt untill then As if he had sayd Lord thou hast been pardoning all along from the very first step we took out of Egypt to this day thou hast exercised abundance of patience long-suffering and mercy in pardoning this people now Lord pardon us as thou hast done from Egypt to this day doe not stop thy acts of Grace The very first act of pardon stands for ever he that is once pardon'd is alwayes pardon'd yet there are dayly renewings of pardon and fresh acts of it every day Fourthly The word render'd to pardon signifies to take away as to beare a burden upon our selves according to the former translation so to beare or lift it off from another Hence Note Pardon is the taking away or the bearing of sin off from us An unpardoned soul hath a burden of sin upon him ready to break his back yea enough to break his heart were he sensible of it the Lord by pardon takes this burden off from him David speaks of his sins under this notion of a burden Psal 38.4 My sins are gone over my head they are a burden too heavie for me to bear Yea sin is a burden too heavie for the strongest Angel in
and messengers of his word with his Spirit he will impower them from on high and so we shall learn his Statutes and understand his wayes David ascribes even his skill in Military affairs to Gods teaching Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hand◠to war and my fingers to fight God only teacheth a man powerfully to be a good Souldier Surely then it is God only who teacheth us to be good Christians to be Believers to be holy He hath his seat in heaven who teacheth hearts on earth Secondly As these words hold out to us the temper of an humble sinner Note A gracious humble soul is teachable or is willing to be taught As it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel to be apt to teach that 's their special gift or characteristical property so 't is the peoples duty and grace to be apt to be taught to be willing to be led and instructed naturally we are unteachable and untractable As we know nothing of God savingly by nature so we are not willing to know we would sit down in our ignorance or at most in a form of knowledge To be willing to learn is the first or rather the second step to learning The first is a sight of our ignorance and the second a readiness to be taught and entertain the means of knowledge Thirdly The words being the form of a Prayer Note It is our duty to entreat the Lord earnestly that he would teach us what we know not It is a great favour and a mercy that God will teach us that he will be our master our Tutor Now as we are to ask and pray for every mercy so for this that God would vouchsafe to be our Teacher Psal 25.4 5. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Lead me in thy truth and teach me David spake it twice in prayer Lead me and Teach me Lead me on in the truth which I know and teach me the truths which I know not So he prayeth again Psal 119.26 Teach me thy Statutes make me to understand the way of thy precepts David was convinced that he could not understand the Statutes of God unless God would be his Teacher though he could read the Statutes of God and understand the language of them yet he did not understand the Spirit of them till he was taught and taught of God and therefore he prayed so earnestly once and again for his teaching When Philip put that question to the Eunuch Acts 8.30 Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He said how can I except some man should guide me Or unless I am taught Though we read the Statutes of God and read them every day yet we shall know little unless the Lord teach us Solomon made it his request for all Israel at the solemn Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.37 Teach them the good way wherein they should walk God who is our Commander is also our Counseller Fourthly From the special matter wherein this penitent person would be taught which is plain from part of the latter verse If I have done iniquity Note A gracious heart is willing to know and see the worst of himself He would have God teach him what iniquity he hath done David was often upon that prayer Psal 139.24 Search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any wicked way in me Lord shew me my sin as I would not conceal my sin from thee so I would not have my sin concealed from my self A carnal man who lives in sin though possibly he may pray for knowledge in some things and would be a knowing man yet he hath no minde that either God or man should shew him his sin He loves not to see the worst of himself his dark part he as little loves to see his sin as to have it seen But a godly man never thinks he seeth his sin enough how little soever he sins he thinks he sins too much that 's the general bent of a gracious mans heart and how much soever he sees his sin he thinks he sees it too little And therefore as he tells God what he knows of his sin so he would have God tell him that of his sin which he doth not know That which I know not teach thou me If I have done iniquity I will do no more There are two special parts of repentance First Confession of sin whether known or unknown This we have in the former part of the verse That which I see not teach thou me There is the confession of sin even of unknown sin The second part of repentance is reformation or amendment a turning from sin a forsaking of that iniquity which we desire God would shew us we have this second part of repentance in this latter part of the verse If I have done iniquity I will do no more But why doth he say If I have c. Had he any any doubt whether he had done iniquity or no every man must confess down right that he hath sinned and done iniquity without ifs or an's Solomon having made such a supposition in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.46 If they sin against thee presently puts it into this position for there is no man that sinneth not The Apostle concludes 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Therefore this If I have done iniquity is not to be understood as if this or that man as if he or any man might be without sin but when the penitent is brought in saying If I have done iniquity h◠meaning is First What ever iniquity I have done I am willing to leave it to abandon it I will do so no more Secondly Thus If I have done iniquity that is if I have done any great iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perverse agere if I have acted perverseness or perversly as the word signifieth I will do so no more to do iniquity is more then barely to sin As if he had said though I cannot promise that I will sin no more yet Lord if thou dost discover to me any iniquity any gross sin or perversenesse I will do that no more I will engage my self against that sin with all my might and to the utmost of my power by grace received I will keep my self pure from every sin If I have done iniquity Hence Note First A godly man hath a gracious suspition of himself that he hath done evil yea some great evil that he hath done amiss yea greatly amiss though he be not able to charge himself with this or that particular iniquity He knoweth he hath sinned done evil though he knoweth not every evil he hath done nor how sinfully he may have sinned he doubts it may be worse with him then he seeth Possibly he hath done iniquity Job in reference to his children chap. 1.5 had an holy suspition that in their feasting
up to Satan or a putting him into the very power of the devill for a time 1 Cor 5.4 5. it is the end or designe which makes this lawfull our business in the ministry and in all Church-administrations is to put soules out of the power of Satan to rescue them out of the hand of the devill to recover those that are led Captive by him at his will yet saith the Apostle Deliver such a one unto Satan put him into the devills hands for what end For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This makes the prayer or act of the Church lawfull because the intendment is the destroying of that which ought to be destroyed or to destroy that in man which will be the destruction of man his flesh his lust his pride his covetousnesse his wantonness For the destruction of this flesh deliver him to Satan that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thus we may pray and wish for affliction upon others but 't is a prayer which must be managed with a great deale of caution lest our prayers to God in that kinde be found ill wishes to men That which Elihu had in his thoughts when he desired Job might be tryed to the very end was that he might be prevented from going on in the way wherein he was to the end Yea I conceive a man may pray for afflictions upon himselfe rather then he should goe on in a course of sin or when he findes that other wayes and means which God hath used with him have not been effectuall to subdue his corrupt heart to mortifie his lusts and to bring him off from a course of sin but that as it is sayd in the next verse he is in danger of adding rebellion to his sin A godly man had much rather that God should make him poore sicke weake and nothing in this world then let his corruptions have dominion over him He desires rather God should take the world quite out of his hand the◠that the world should get into his heart or be as fuel to feed and enflame his lusts Thus Elihu desired that Job might be tryed Bono ipsius optat hoc non odio aut malevolentia Drusi because tryalls by affliction are for our purging refining and bettering Love was the roote of this wish nor hatred or ill will Let Job be tryed to the end Why we may take the latter part of the verse for a reason why as wel as for the matter about which he would have him tryed Because of his answers for wicked men Propter responsiones communes cum hominibus improbis Bez Tanquam unus è numero virorum vanorum Pisc Let him be tryed concerning those words which he hath spoken in common with or after the manner of vaine men He hath spoken words wherein he seemes to comply with wicked men to say as they say to consent with them and to be of their opinion this was charged upon him directly by Elihu at the 8th verse of this Chapter What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men that is though Job in his conversation or carriage of his life hath not yet in this discourse he hath strengthened the hands of wicked men or confirmed them in their opinion speaking so much of the heavy pressures of God upon him and desiring to often to come to a hearing as if he had some wrong done him We are not to understand these words of Elihu Because of his answers for wicked men As if he charged Job to doe so directly or as if he had formally taken upon him to plead or advocate the cause of wicked men we are not I say to understand him so grossly nor had it been true to say that Job opened his mouth or spake thus for wicked men but his meaning is he hath spoken such things as in common apprehension seeme to comply with the opinions of wicked men or with the speeches which they use when they are like him in a troubled condition Or againe Because of his answers for wicked men that is that he may acknowledge the answers he hath given are not such as doe become a godly man but rather savour of such a spirit as unbroken proud persons hold forth in the time of their affliction who are never pleased with but alwayes complaining at divine dispensations Lastly These words Because of his answers for wicked men may possibly have this sence Because he hath spoken such things as may serve the turne of wicked men for answers or as if he would instruct them what to answer when at any time they are under the hand of God He may be sayd to answer for another man who any way prompts him how or what to answer And while a good man speakes amisse in any case he teacheth yea and encourageth bad men to speake so too Yet I rather incline to the first interpretation that Elihu would have Job tryed because his answers were such as it might be judged he had taken wicked men for his patterne in giving them and not as if in them he had given a patterne to wicked men Hence note First A good man may sometimes act the part of a wicked man or he may speak like wicked men as if he were one of them Though his state be as different from the state of wicked men as light is from darknesse or as sweet from soure or white from black yet as to some actions or speeches he may beare a resemblance to them Good men and bad men doe as I may say enter-common in many things a wicked man whose heart is nought who is yet in an unregenerate estate for I meane not by a wicked man him only that is flagitious a murderer a whoremonger a drunkard but a wicked man is any one that is unregenerate whose heart is not yet changed Now I say a wicked man may speak and doe many things like a godly man he may heare the word and pray and performe outward duties which are like and are take them materially the same which godly men performe Thus he enter-commons with godly men and this is the case of all hypocrites who make a pretence of religion when they have no acquaintance with the power of it And thus through temptation and in some very burthensome afflictions a godly man may speak as a wicked man such hasty rash provoking speeches may passe from him as proceed from the ungodly only here is the difference those evill speeches or actions proceed from the state of the one and only from the temptation of the other Secondly From the phrase or forme of speech in which the originall expresseth wicked men The words are Men of wickedness or iniquity As if it had been sayd the worst of wicked men This shews us what man naturally is he is a
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.
out to use ill words to Magistrates though as Paul's case was we are ill used by them Shimei taking the advantage of David's affliction rose up to this height of impudence against him mentioned with indignation by Elihu in the Text he openly and to his face called him Belial 2 Sam. 16.5.7 Come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial But we know what the issue was he paid dear for it at last though David forgave him at present and did not suffer Abishai to take a sudden revenge yet upon his death-bed he delivered him over to his son Solomon to deal with him as he should see good And so great is the offensiveness and unfitness of speaking thus unto a King that the Jewes joyned it with blasphemy against God himself We read 1 Kings 21.13 how two false Witnesses came against Naboth saying Naboth blaspemed God and the King as much as to say we heard Naboth say of the King Belial And as soon as these two had brought in their evidence against him that he had blasphemed God and the King they drew him out and stoned him Blasphemy against God was death by the express letter of the Law Lev. 24.15 16. It was also death by the same Law for any man to curse his Father or his Mother Exod. 21.17 And because the King is Pater Patriae the father of his Country it seems the cursing or blaspheming of him was also punishable by death The Apostle Jude useth an equivalent word in the Greek Ep. of Jude v. 8. reproving a wicked Sect in those times They fear not to blaspheme or speak evil of Dignities There is blasphemy against Princes who are titular Gods as well as against the only true God Kings are to be feared to be submitted to they are to be prayed for therefore not to be reviled Is it fit to say unto a King Belial Yet this doth not stop the mouths of all men from telling Kings and Princes their faults nor doth it justifie a silent dissembling of them much less doth it open the mouthes of any to dawb Kings and Princes with the untempered morter of flatteries Kings are no more to be flattered then they are to be reproached Dignities must not be spoken evil of yet they may be prudently and humbly told of their evils and informed of their failings plainly When Eliah met Ahab who said Art thou he that troubleth Israel Eliah answered 1 Kings 18.18 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baal And we read how boldly Elisha carried it to the King of Israel 2 Kings 3.13 14. What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother And Elisha said as the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee Thus the Prophets dealt with much gracious severity towards mighty Princes The Prophet Isaiah feared not to say Isa 1.10 Hear the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome Give ear unto the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah implying that the Rulers of Jerusalem were then but such as the Rulers of Sodome once were and that the people were no better then the people of Gomorrah and it is conceived that for this plainness and liberty of speech which the Prophet Isaiah used toward the Princes and Rulers of Judah he was put to death being cut or mangled asunder with a wooden Sawe One might think that Ezekiel did much forget himself when he gave those opprobrious terms to Zedekiah King of Judah Ezek. 21.25 And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end yet he sinned not in this harsh reproof of his sin because commanded of God to do it and specially directed by the holy Spirit The Prophets might not diminish a word but must give out what God gave in John the Baptist reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which he had done Luke 3.19 And Jesus Christ himself called Herod Fox Luke 13.32 The Prophets were often Instructed and Commissioned to prophesie against the mountains that is against the Princes and Powers of the world and therefore take the state of the point and of our duty about it in these few conclusions that we may not run upon the rocks either way neither upon the rock of blasphemy against Kings and Princes on the one side nor upon the rock of flattery on the other First The Power or State of Princes must never be reviled nor evill spoken of kingly Power and Authority is alwayes to be reverenced and honoured though the Prince be wicked yet his Power is to be reverenced and that 's the purest reverence Regia per se dignitas nunquam non est colenda etiam cum princeps iniquus est For to reverence the power of Princes only because or when they are good and do us good and rule every way according to our mind this is but a piece of selfishness but when Princes are evill and bring evills upon us yet to bear respect to the Power and Authority which they Exercise this is to honour God and to give true submission to his ordinance Whatsoever the person is the power must be reverentially submitted to Secondly It is high wickednesse to speak evill of the persons of just and righteous Princes that every man will acknowledge Thirdly Kings and Princes must not be reproved for personall or private faults publickly To doe so is against the rule in any mans case much more in the case of Kings and Princes Fourthly Kings are not to be reproved for any of their faults but by those who have a Call to it that was the reason of the liberty which the old Prophets used towards Kings they were specially commanded and Commissioned by God for it and the peril was upon their own heads if they did it not it is not for every one to reprove Princes but for those that are called to it Lastly Even those that are called to it must doe it with much submission though they must not doe it to halves and deceitfully yet they are to doe it respectfully It is not fit to say to a King Belial such rough and unhewne language is not for Princes their faults must only be insinuated if that may serve as Nathan dealt with David who though he knew what his sin was yet he did not say to him Thou murtherer thou Adulterer but intimated the matter by a parable and made him covertly or in a third person charge himselfe before he charged him or applyed the parable personally to him with Thou art the man When Miriam the Sister and Aaron the Brother of Moses spake against him because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married
Numb 12.1 though they were thus neerely related yet speaking irreverently of Moses the Chiefe Magistrate the Lord sayd to them v. 8. Wherefore were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses Yet how common is this sin the tongues of men walke exceeding loosly in their discourses about the persons and powers of Princes And we every where find most pleased to heare well of themselves and ill of others or to speake well of themselves and ill of others and the higher they are who are spoken of or of whom they speake evill the more they are pleased both in hearing and speaking evill of them How unruly are their tongues who cannot forbeare their rulers Thus much of Elihu's question as it is resolved into a Negative proposition It is not fit to say to a King thou art ungodly We may further consider it as an argument from the greater to the lesse to prove That it is a most wicked thing to speake a word unduely of God Is it fit to say to a King Thou are wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Vers 19. How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Who is that The words are a cleare Periphrasis of God he accepts not the persons of Princes As if Elihu had said the Kings and Princes of the earth expect such great respect from their subjects that no man should dare to censure them or speake evill of them though they doe evill or deale unjustly how much more unfit is it to speake evill of God or to charge his government with injustice who never doth any evill all whose wayes are not only just but justice He that accepteth not the persons of Princes who are the greatest of men can have neither will nor motive to deale unjustly with any man I shall not stay to shew what it is to accept persons because that hath been shewed at the 7th verse of the 13th Chapter as also Chapter 32.21 only I 'le give it in one word To accept persons is to have more respect to the man then to the matter and that 's a very common fault among men and as commonly condemned by God 'T is a received axiom He that would or doth put on the person of a Judge must put off the person of a friend that is he must not be sway'd by any respect whatsoever of friendship or allyance but must judge purely as the cause deserveth Nor shall I stay to urge the greatness of the sin of speaking any thing uncomely of God that also hath been spoken to in many former passages of this Chapter Only from these words How much lesse to him that accepth not the person of Princes Note First That which ought not to be done or spoken to the greatest of men ought much lesse to be either done or spoken to God The reason is because first God is infinitely more to be reverenced then any man Secondly because God is infinitely more able to take vengeance and certainly will of any that shall doe or speake evill to him then the greatest among the children of men Yet how many are there who dare not offend a man not a great man especially either by word or deed who are not afraid by both to offend and provoke the great God O remember the force of this text If it be not fit to speake unduely of Princes How much lesse of him that accepteth not the persons of Princes Hence note Secondly God is no accepter of persons He hath no respect to Princes in prejudice to truth and righteousnesse but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse be he never so poore is accepted with him Acts 10.35 and in every nation he that feareth him not but worketh unrighteousnesse be he never so great is unacceptable yea abominable to him The Scripture often attributes this glory to God Deut 10.17 2 Chron 19.7 Gal 2.6 Col 3.25 And as it is the glory of God that he is no accepter of persons so it is the duty of man Deut 1.17 Judgement must proceed and conclude with respect to the rule and command of God not with respect to the persons of men or our relations to them Levi was highly commended for this Deut 33.9 who sayd unto his father and to his mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children c. When man accepteth not the persons of men he acteth most like God of whom Elihu saith He accepteth not the persons of Princes Nor regardeth the rich more then the poore That 's a further description of God He doth not regard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aguoscere familiaritèr tractare that is acknowledge or know the one more then the other He is in the best things as communicative to and converseth as familiarly with the poore as the rich yea he doth not value or prize the rich man more then the poore the poor man is worth as much as the rich man in Gods account suppose the rich man worth thousands yea ten thousands of gold and silver and the poore man so poore that he is not worth a shilling yet in the account of God the poor man is worth as much as the rich man The Scripture speakes of two sorts both of rich and poor men There are men rich in spiritualls such Christ intimates who are Luke 12.20 rich towards God or as he speakes of the Church of Smyrna Rev 2.9 rich in grace I know thy poverty but thou art rich That is I know thou art poor in earthly pelfe but rich in spiritualls The Apostle James puts the question Chap 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome Now it is most certaine that God regardeth the rich in spiritualls more then the poore in spiritualls he highly regardeth those that are poore in spirit and pronounceth them blessed Math 5.3 for theirs is the kingdome of heaven But he regardeth not those who are poore in spiritualls not them especially who boast of their spirituall riches when they have none they that have them are thankfull for them they do not boast of them as the Church of Laodicea did of whom Christ sayd Rev 3.16 17. I will spew thee out of my mouth because thou sayest I am rich encreased in goods and knowest not that thou art poore Thus you see there are a sort of rich men whom Christ regardeth more then the poore of that sort But as poore and rich are distinguished meerely by aboundance and want by the smallness and greatness of their portion in the things of this world as Dives and Lazarus in the parable were so he regardeth not the rich more then the poore When a poor man is gracious as wel as poore God regardeth him more then any rich man who hath no grace And when either both have grace alike or both are alike without grace he regardeth them both alike When rich and poore