this similitude some place it between a wicked mans trouble and anguish and the trouble and anguish of a King ready to joyne Battell with a potent Adversary For then his spirit is much troubled knowing how great an adventure he makes in reference to his state and how great a hazzard he runs in reference to his life and person The charge being sometimes given to fight neither against small not great but onely against the King So a wicked man when trouble comes is like a King going to Battell full of feares and anxious thoughts what the issue and event may be He lookes upon himselfe as the marke both of the wrath of God and Man and that every blow shall be directed against his breast Trouble and anguish single out wicked men when God sends out his Armies of judgements he charges them not to fight against the small or great of his owne people but against the wicked of the World Wrath aymes at them and therefore they are terryfied at the approaches of wrath Praeliaturum regem circundare solebat globus militum ut lectio Tygurina indicat Angustia circumvallatio eum circumstant ut regem consertis globis praeliaturum Secondly Others give out the similitude thus Trouble and anguish shall come upon him as a King ready to battell As when a King goes to Battell he is compassed with a strong guard Every Generall hath his Life-guard much more Kings So trouble and anguish shall compasse a wicked man as yet with widest difference for the Guard compasseth the King for the safety and preservation of his person whereas trouble and anguish gather about wicked men for their destruction But the Text will hardly admit this explication and therefore I passe it Thirdly The Hebrew word which signifies a day of Battell signifies also a Spheare or round Globe we translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat globum pilam aut Sphaeram Apud Latinos Globus est hostium aut Armatorum militum cuneus Liv. lib. 1. Annal. Romulus cum globo Juvenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad praelium a forma orbiculari Castra in orbicularem formam disponuntur ut fortiora sint Merc. a Ball Isa 22.18 where it is prophesied against Shebna that the Lord would make him an example and that as the Hebrew is Tossing he would tosse him with a tossing that is he would surely tosse and turne him like a Ball into a farr Countrey as a Ball is tossed or throwne so the Lord would throw him into Captivity Now because it is a usuall way of embattailing to draw an Army into the forme of a Globe or Ball therefore the same word which signifies a Spheare or Globe signifies also a Battell from the forme of it Taking it in this sense for any thing that is round or circular as a Ball or Spheare This third interpretation of the similitude riseth thus Trouble and anguish shall make him afrayd they shall prevaile upon him as a King put in Chaines or into a hoop of Iron some labour much for the maintaining of this interpretation That Eliphaz intends to shew how wicked oppressors shall be surrounded and held fast with trouble like some great Kings who falling into the hands of their Enemies have been shut up in round Iron Cages as Tamerlane carryed Bajazet the Turkish Emperour or bound in Chaines as it is Prophesied in the 149. Psalme It was the use of those times Declarare volens extremas impii angustias ut illum eo pacto undique stringi tribulationibus quo Rex ab hoste superatus captus pro spectaculo publicè ponebatur in Ferricernio Bold Ita etiam textum explicat Vatablus to make hoops of Iron for the securing of Kings and Princes taken in Battell the formes of which and how those captivated Kings were lockt up in them with the posture of their bodies in that base imprisonment may be seen in Boldue upon this Verse and he annexeth diverse texts of Scripture in which he conceives there is an allusion to this coorse way of handling Kings Fourthly Our reading compares trouble and anguish to a King ready to Battell as if he had sayd Trouble and anguish shall prevaile upon him irresistibly This is but a high expression of greatest preparation for a Battell for when a King goeth forth to Battell in person he will have all the strength of his Kingdome with him which Job himselfe cleares in the 29. Chapter Verse 25 where describing his own former felicity he concludes I chose out their way and sat chief and dwelt as a King in the Army That is in great strength and power So the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 4.8 You have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God yee did reigne that is you conceive you have had the confluence of all comforts and strengths You have reigned as Kings I would you had that we also might reigne with you or share in your felicity So that when Eliphaz saith Trouble and anguish shall prevaile as a King armed and ready to set forth to Battell his meaning it They shall prevaile strongly yea irresistibly The wicked man shall not be able to stand their charge much lesse repulse is These severall explications of the similitude meet in one common truth That as the wicked shall not stand in judgement when God comes to judge all the World so when the Lord sends forth his judgements upon any part of the World they are the men that shall surely fall trouble and anguish shall terrifie them as a King going to joyne Battell or as a King taken and captivated in Battell or as a King conquering and prevailing over his Foes in Battell Sin prevailes alwayes upon wicked men as a King commanding and ruling over them at last trouble which is the fruit of sin shall prevaile upon them as a King oppressing and destroying them They who will not submit to the rule of the Law as a King to guide them shall be forced to submit to the curse of the Law as a King to punish them JOB Chap. 15. Vers 25 26. For he stretched out his hand against God and strengthened himselfe against the Almighty He runneth upon him even on his necke upon the thick bosses of his Bucklers ELiphaz having explained much of the inward punishment of wicked men the torture which they indure upon the rack of conscience as also some of their outward punishments he subjoynes the reason of both their sin in these two Verses and that not an ordinary sin but a sin committed with a high hand Vers 25. He stretcheth out his hand against God And is it any wonder then that God should stretch out his hand against him Every sin deserves punishment and shall be punished either upon the sinner or upon his Surety but extraordinary sins call for extraordinary punishments they who have done much evill shall endure much Justice hath an eye to the quantity as
causing others to fall before them In so much that the very name of a Giant was dreadfull And when those unbeleeving Scarchers of Canaan brought up an evill report of that Land the worst which they could say of it to the discouragement of their Brethren was this Numb 13.33 And there we saw the Giants the Sons of Anak which came of the Giants and we were in our owne sight as Grasse-hoppers and so we were in theirs Men of strength and courage were as much afrayd at this story of Giants as Children are of Bug-beares and Fayries So then when Job sayd That God did run upon him as a Giant his intent was onely to shew with how much terrour God was pleased to cloath himselfe and how much strength he put forth while he thus contended with him The truth is God needs not lay out his strength to afflict man he can crush the strongest of men as a moth with the touch of his finger The weaknesse of God is stronger then man yet God in afflicting his people will sometimes personate a mighty man exercising his power to the utmost and arming himselfe from head to foot while he combates with an enemy which still confirmes the generall Observation That God doth not onely afflict such as he loves but he afflicts them sorely Doth he not so when he shaks them in peices Doth he not so when he sets them as his mark When a multitude of skilfull Archers compasse them about when he cleaves their reines asunder when he powres out their Gall upon the ground Doth he not so when he sets Engines of battery to make breach upon breach and then runs up as a Giant to the assault Thus God hath dealt with many precious soules and thus he dealt beyond his dealings with many with his precious Servant Job And as no man eyther in his estate or health either in his credit or comforts is so strong a wall but God by his Artillery can quickly make a breach upon him so who is able to stand in the breach or make it good when God comes up to the assault Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the dayes that I shall deale with thee saith the Lord Ezek. 22.14 When the Lord as a Giant runs upon man the strongest Giant among the sons of men is but as a Pigmie yea but as a Pismire he is but as the Chaffe before the winde or as the potters Vessell before the Iron Rod. But though flesh and blood cannot stand in the breach when God assaults yet Faith and patience can Moses by Faith stood in the breach and turned away the wrath of God when he came to destroy Israel Psal 106.23 Job by patience stood in the breaches which God made upon him when he seemed utterly to destroy him For what did Job to God when God did all this to him Did he oppose Did he strive with his Maker The two next Verses shew that prayers and teares were all the Weapons he used in this holy Warr with God JOB CHAP. 16. Vers 15.16 17. I have sowed sack-cloth upon my skin and defiled my horne in the dust My face is foule with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death Not for any injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure THE former words shewed in what manner Job was afflicted and because the manner of his afflictions did almost exceed words therefore he strained himselfe to the highest pitch of holy rhetorick to make his unkinde Freinds sensible of it And as there he told us what God had done to him so here he tells what he did or how he behaved himselfe under the hand of God he tells us how he took those tearings and those wounds how he received those showres of Arrows from the Almighties Bow Eliphaz taxed Job in the fifteenth Chapter with height and haughtinesse of spirit in his low estate Vers 12.13 Why doth thine heart carry thee away And what doth thine eyes winke at that thou turnest thy spirit against God and lettest such words goe out of thy mouth And Vers 25. he more then intimates that Job stretched out his hand against God and strengthened himselfe against the Almighty In both passages he is severely charged not onely with impatience under the hand of God which is bad enough but with opposition against the hand of God which is farre worse Job refutes these unfreindly censures and professeth another kinde both of spirit and practice in this Text. As if hee had sayd I am not so madd as thou takest me to be to runn upon God or to stretch out my hand against him while he smiteth me I have learned better then to shoot the arrowes of blasphemy against God whilst he shoots the arrows of calamity against me and if you desire to know what I have been doing seeing I deny that I have been doing what you suggest This is the account which I give of my selfe and of my behaviour Vers 15. I have sowed sack-cloth upon my skin and defiled my horne in the dust That is I have humbly submitted my selfe to receive and entertaine those saddest dispensations Hence Observe That the surest way to confute the censures and wipe off the aspersions which are cast upon us is to shew our selves doing contrary to what others are speaking of us A practicall answer is the strongest answer we may speak more for our selves by our hands then we can doe by our tongues in many cases The Papists mouths are stopt who call us Solifidians when they see Protestants forward in and zealous for good workes He that is accused of uncharitablenesse may best free himselfe from that charge by giving freely to the poore and he that is accused of injustice may soonest doe himselfe right by shewing that he hath done right to every man Bare denyals that we have done evill are nothing but when our doing of good appeares who can deny it The old Philosopher answered him that denyed motion by rising up and walking not by arguing Job answered Eliphaz who affirmed that he turned his spirit and stretched out his hand against God by falling downe and submitting to it I have sowed sack-cloth upon my skin c. And this Job offers as to remove and take away that objection of mis-behaviour towards God Hoc assert ut ad miserecordiam socios moveat paenitentiam sc suam humilitatem quod sese in his afflictionibus non extulerit Merc. so to move his Freinds to better behaviour even to compassion and pitty towards him He was in a sorrowfull case and he had acted the part of a sorrowfull man God had layd him low and hee layd himselfe low this might have taught them moderation why should they speake so harshly against him who had dealt but coursely with himselfe Sowing sack-cloth upon his skin and seeing he abased himselfe even to the defiling of his horne in the dust why should they abase him too It stirrs up pitty
extinguisht and the fountaines dry Thus Eliphaz asserts that his abâ—ttors and instructers in the opinion he maintained were both old and learned old men From this contest about Antiquity and ancient men so often renewed and so much urged betweene Job and his Friends We may observe First That they who have most yeares upon their backs are or may be supposed to have most knowledge and wisedome in their heads and hearts Secondly They who have Antiquity on their side are apt to conclude that they have Truth on their side That which is indeed most ancient is most true yet there are very many very ancient untruths It is no new thing to see a gray-headed errour and a false Doctrine much older then our Fathers But I shall not prosecute either of these points having met with matter of this straine before Chap. 8. v. 8 9 10. Chap. 12. v. 12. to which places I refer the Reader Eliphaz having finished his third reproofe of Job for his arrogancy and the high conceit he had of himselfe proceeds to a fourth and that is as hath been sayd for the low conceit which he had of the comforts tendered him in the Name of God Num parum a te consolationes Dei Heb. Supplendum est verbum reputantur Numquid grande est ut consoletur te Deus Vulg. q. d. facile est Deo ut te ad statum prosperitatis reducat Aquin. Existimasnè tuis aerumnis non posse Deum parem consolationem afferre Vers 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee or is there any secret thing with thee These words undergoe much variety of interpretation the Vulgar Latine neer which some others translate gives a faire sense but at too great a distance from the letter of the Originall thus Is it a great thing that God should comfort thee As if he had sayd Art thou so low that all the consolations of God are not able to raise thee up Is it a worke too big for God himselfe to comfort thee Cannot he change thy outward and inward sorrowes into joyes Will not the consolations of one that is infinite serve thy turne Hath not hee balme enough in store to heale thy wounds nor treasure enough in stock to repaire thy losses T is no hard thing with God to comfort the most disconsolate soule that ever was he that made light to shine out of darknesse can give us light in our thickest darkenesse An minores sunt consolationes dei quà m ut te consolari possint Vatab. This is a truth but for the reason above I stay not upon it The Septuagint translation is farre wider then the former Thou hast received but few wounds in comparison of the sinnes that thou hast committed which is a Paraphrase not a translation and such a Paraphrase as seemes to lye quite without the compasse of the text The meaning and intendment of it may be given thus as if he had sayd Thou complainest that thou art greatly afflicted that thy sorrowes are innumerable Pauca prae iis quae peccasti accepisti vulnera Sep. but if thou considerest thy great and many sinnes thy sufferings are few yea thy sufferings may rather be called consolations and thy losses gaines Are the consolations of God small to thee seeing thou hast sinned so much When God layes but a little affliction upon sinfull man he may be sayd to give a great deale of mercy A third gives this sense An consolationes Dei tam contemptibiles judicas ut projiciat eas ante blasphematores Are the consolations of God small to thee That is Doest thou esteeme the consolations of God so cheape that he will give them to such a one as thou or that hee will lavish them out upon the wicked and cast these Pearles to Swine to such as are blasphemers and contemners of God But why doth Eliphaz call these the consolations of God Did God administer them to Job with his owne hand or did he speake to Job from Heaven Some conceive that though he and his Freinds spake them yet Eliphaz calls them the consolations of God by an Hebraisme because he judged them great consolations Thus in Scripture The Mountaine of God Suas et sociorum consolationes vocat Dei consolationes non sine arrogantia fastu Drus and the River of God are put for a great Mountaine and a great River so here As if he had fayd Thou hast received many great consolations from us thy Freinds and doest thou account them small But I rather take the sense plainely that he calls them so because God is the author and giver the fountaine and originall from whom all consolations spring and flow The Consolations of God are two-fold First Arising from good things already exhibited to us Secondly From good things promised to us The Consolations of God in this place are good things promised or offered Promises are Divine conveyances of Consolation The Freinds of Job had made him many promises that he repenting God would make his latter end better then his beginning c. Hence Eliphaz tells him that he had slighted the consolations of God Any man who reads his story may wonder why he should Surely Job was not in case to refuse comfort considering how he was stript of all comfort The full soule indeed loatheth the honey Combe but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet that is those things which dainty palates distast he eates very savourly Job was kept short and low enough he had nothing of consolation left either without or within he was poore and sore without he was full of horrour and terrour within the arrowes of the Almighty had even drunk up his spirit and layd all his comforts wast and doth he yet neglect or undervalue comforts 'T is true he had reall consolations as appeares by that profession of his assurance of Gods favour towards him I know that I shall be justified yet he had no sensible consolations his frequent complaints shew he had not So then the consolations of God for esteeming which little he is reproved were the promises of consolation made to him in the name of God by the Ministry of his Friends Are the consolations of God small unto thee Hence observe First That consolation is the gift and proper worke of God Thou saith David Psal 71.21 shalt encrease my greatnesse and comfort me on every side The Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all he wast places Is 51.3 And againe As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem God comforts as a Mother tenderly and he comforts as a Father yea as a Master effectually I will comfort you and yee shall be comforted As the corrections of God are effectuall and prosper in the worke for which they are sent so also are his consolations Ephraim sayd Jer. 31.18 Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised So every soule
strangers so the happinesse of a people to be freed from the oppression of strangers From the second Observe That it is the happinesse of a people to be free from the mixture of evill men whether such whose worship is impure or Doctrine untrue The Lord made frequent promises of this happinesse to his people Isa 52.1 From henceforth there shall no more come into them the uncircumcised and the uncleane which is as much as to say The stranger for all uncircumcised persons were strangers shall not come into thee We have the like promise Joel 3.17 So shall yee know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy Mountaine then shall Jerusalem be holy and there shall no stranger passe through her Why not any stranger Forget not to entertaine strangers saith the Apostle Heb. 13. ◠Jerusalem in her best dayes shall have strangers to be visited and releived by her but Jerusalem should have no strangers in those dayes to defile and pollute her Na. 1.15 Behold upon the Mountaine the feet of him that bringeth good tydings for the wicked shall no more passe through thee for he is cutt off The Hebrew is Belial shall no more passe through thee Belial is he that cannot endure to serve he will not yeeld obedience to the holy commands of God he casts off the yoak of Christ and pulls the shoulder from his burden This Belial shall no more passe through thee The purest times of the Gospel are presented under a like promise Zach. 14.21 In that day there shall be no more the Cananite in the house of the Lord of Hoasts That is the stranger and uncircumcised the wicked and ungodly shall no more be mixed with his people Thirdly in that he puts such under the notion of strangers we learne That wicked and Idolatrous persons should be as strangers to us we must not lay such in our bosome to maintaine any spiritual society with them though in some cases we may have civill society with them 2 Cor. 6.13 14. Be not unequally yoaked together with unbeleevers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial c. These can never agree together Let no such stranger passe or be approved among us in the fellowship of the Gospel there is not onely sin in letting such passe with our approbation but danger and that a double danger Both which are assigned as reasons why wee should come out of Babylon Revel 18.4 First we are in danger of partaking of their sins and that both by contracting the spot of their sins as also the guilt of their sins Secondly we are in danger of partaking of their punishments as it there follows That yee receive not her plagues There is no safety in being neer those who are under the curse of God The companion of fooles shall be destroyed Prov. 13 20. though possibly he be not a foole in any other respect but because he is in such company Fourthly Taking it for a strange or wicked thing Note That It is the honour of Magistrates when no evill passeth quietly in their Territories When neither Idolatry in the things of God nor injustice nor oppression in the things of men finde any favour with them this is at once their duty and their glory Eliphaz having by way of preface given proofe of what he was about to presse upon Job both from his owne experience and the consent of Antiquity He now proposes the point it selfe Vers 20. The wicked man travels with paine all his dayes and the number of yeares is hidden to the Oppressour In this generall Position Eliphaz intends Jobs personall conviction that he was wicked whom he had heard appealing to God Chap. 2.10 Thou knowest that I am not wicked As if he had sayd Thou wouldest make us beleeve that God will be thy compurgator and give witnesse for thee upon his owne knowledge that thou art not wicked But we who are but men may know the contrary for we see all the markes and brands of a wicked man upon thee The wicked man travelleth with paine all his dayes and so dost thou These soares and sorrows speake who thou art though we say nothing Master Broughton reads The wicked killeth himselfe all his days he is a selfe murtherer that was the report which Eliphaz made of him at the fifth Chapter Vers 2. Envy slayeth the silly one Both Job and his Freinds repeate the same thing often yet with such variety of illustrations that though for the matter it be the same yet it is new for the manner Such repetitions doe not onely delight but profit The wicked man travelleth with paine all his dayes Who is a wicked man hath been opened at large Chap. 10.7 where Job affirmes Thou knowest that I am not wicked There see the temper of a wicked man I will not stay upon it here Onely consider how his appellation and condition suit one with the other The wicked man travells the Originall word for a wicked man signifies an unquiet motion and so one whose life is a continuall not onely motion but unquietnesse Vnquiet is the name and unquietnesse is the state of a wicked man he is alwayes raising stirs and acting Tragedies His life is alwayes in a hurry he travells with paine all his dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proprie significat cruciatum languorem pavorem vel dolorem parturientium vel enitentis molientis facinus aliquod Omnis vita impii in solicitudine 70. in dolore Aquila Dolet ut parturiens Pag. He travelleth with paine This sentence is but one word in the Hebrew the word signifies any griefe or sorrow any torture or torment The translations are various but all meet in this one sense that a wicked mans life is a miserable life All the life of a wicked man is spent in carking care So the Septuagint Another renders It is spent in sorrow But all may be reduced to that which is most proper to the word He is in paine as a woman in travaile and whereas we have heard of some Women in travaile many dayes here is a man in travell all his dayes The wicked man travelleth in paine all his dayes his whole life is nothing else but continuall paine or painefull throes towards the birth of some filthy Monster-sin which sin when it is finished brings forth death Somewhat he hath conceived the Psalmist tells us what He hath conceived mischiefe and hee would bring forth iniquity Cunctis diebus suts impius superbit Vulg. The Vulgar Latine translates The wicked man is lifted up with pride all his dayes which is as much as to say He travelleth in paine all his dayes for though as some say Pride feels no cold yet there is nothing feels so much paine as pride doth And because a wicked man is proud all his dayes therefore he travelleth with paine all his dayes
King saith Christ Luke 14.31 going to make Warr against another King doth not first sit downe c. As if he had sayd The Kings of the Earth are not so foolish so brainlesse and counsellesse to contend with those whom they cannot match they will hardly venture a Battell with ten thousand against twenty thousond they will rather make a disadvantageous Peace then proceed in a Warr upon such disadvantages The King of Israel reproved the challenge which the King of Judah sent him by the Parable of the Thistle in Lebanon aspiring to match with the Cedar in Lebanon 2 Kings 14.9 What 's a Thistle to a Cedar Then what is man to God See then what a reasonlesse yea senselesse creature man is who will needs goe out against God to Battell though all the number he can muster is not onely as disproportionable as ten thousand to twenty thousand as a Thistle to a Cedar but more then one single man is to a Million of men or then a bruised Reed to the strongest Oake God with ease made all the power of man alone and he though alone can more easily destroy it it cost him but the speaking of a word to set it up and he can pull it downe with yea without a word speaking Many men have been styled The great The strong The mighty But no man ever durst owne this style The Almighty This title of God in the Text The Almighty should make the mightiest of men the Nimrods of the World afraid to meddle yea to think a thought of medling with God The absurdity of men in strengthening themselves against the Almighty may appeare yet more distinctly in three particulars First He that is Almighty is stronger then All there cannot be two Almighties Hence the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 10. Will you provoke the Lord to anger are you stronger then he It is base and cowardly to provoke those that are weaker then our selves it may give us trouble enough to provoke those who are as strong as our selves but it is either madness or desperatnesse to provoke those who are stronger then our selves And when the Apostle demands or rather expostulates Are yee stronger then he His question cals for this positive assertory answer we are infinitely weaker then he and therefore there is no prevailing against him not onely not in all things but not in any thing It is possible for a weake Enemy to prevaile sometimes upon a mighty Enemy The Romans who commanded the world for many ages and were too strong for any Nation did yet receive some foyles though they were never conquered yet they were somtimes worsted not only by surprisals and Ambuscadoes but in the open field and even petty Princes gave checks for a while to some of their designes But El-Shaddai the Almighty God never received any defeat nor is he within the possibility of a surprize Secondly Not onely cannot the Lord be defeated but he cannot be endammaged he never lost as we say so much as a haire of his head nor did he ever suffer so much as the scratch of a Pin. The Romans obtained some Victories with such extreame losse and hazzard that it hath been sayd Two or three more such Victories would utterly undoe them they who were never defeated or foyled have yet been greatly endammaged in Battel and their clearest gains have not bin without some losse but the Almighty never lost the worth of a thread or drop of blood in all those innumerable Victories which he hath gained Thirdly Man cannot so much as hinder or retard the designes of God He transcends all the impediments and throws open all the Barracadoes that are set in his way He will worke and who shall let him Isa 43.13 There is no putting of a barr in his way and therefore if any should answer the question Who shall let it Yes there are some will let it the great men the Nobles of the Earth say no they will let it But they shall not saith God in the next Verse Vers 14. For your sake speaking to his people in Captivity I have sent to Babylon and have brought downe all their Nobles The Originall word for Nobles signifies also Barrs the Barrs of a door or Castle gate as we put in the Margin of our Bibles to note that Nobles and great men should be the strength of a People and a stop to the entrance of any evill among them but if in stead of that they prove like Barrs onely to hinder the good of a People and to lye crosse in all publike proceedings then the Lord the Lord of Lords and King of Kings brings them down and breaks them all to peeces I will worke and who shall let it The Nobles the Bars shall not though Bars of Iron to Gates of Brasse It was sayd in opening the words that stretching out the hand is the posture of a madd man Consider this and then say Is it not the maddest madnesse to stretch out the hand against God or to strengthen our selves against the Almighty to oppose him against whom it is impoâ—sible not onely to prevaile but to doe him the least hurt or give him the least check or stop in his way If wee should see a man set his shoulder against a Wall of Brasse or blow a Feather against it hoping to overturne and batter it downe would not we say this man is either a Fool who never had the use of reason or a Mad-man who hath lost his reason He that opposeth the counsells and wayes of God can no more overthrow them then a Feather can a Wall of Brasse or the touch of a little finger the strongest Tower The Psalmist represents us with these simple attempts Psal 2.1 2 c. Why doe the Gentiles rage and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the earth take counsell c. Come let us breake their bands and cast their cords away from us What followes He that sits in Heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision He sees how poore how inconsiderable these motions and commotions both of the Many and of the Mighty are to give check to that Decree of his Almightinesse to set his Son upon the holy Hill of Sion Eliphaz hath not yet done with his description of the impotent rage of man against the Almighty God O sinfull vaine man whither wilt thou goe What wilt thou doe next The next Verse tells us Vers 26. He runs upon him even on his necke upon the thick Bosses of his Bucklers This 26. Verse is an amplification or aggravation of the madnesse of a wicked man who when he hath strengthened himselfe against God as he thinks and hopes sufficiently then he runs upon him c. Eliphaz carrieth on the metaphor of a Battell which before it is fought Armies are mustered and drawne up in view of each other and then to shew their courage they stretch out their hands draw their Swords and as soone as the Signall
undertake the office of comforting others should consider these three things especially First The nature of the affliction whether internall or externall that which will comfort a man in bodily afflictions will not doe it in soule afflictions Secondly The degree or measure of the affliction If the Playster be too narrow for the Soare how can it heale Thirdly They should consider the temper of the Person afflicted if he be pressed in conscience for sin they should not presse his conscience with sin much lesse should they thunder out judgement and terrour against him for sin if he be very weak they should use few words if he be passionate they should use gentle words lest in stead of perswading they provoke his spirit Many a soule is cast downe and swallowed up in despaire by the ignorance or unfaithfulnesse of those who would bee called Comforters and Supporters Ezek. 13.19 They slay the soules that should not dye and save them alive that should not live Unskilfull Physitians of the body kill more then bodily diseases And though the unskilfulnesse of soule-physitians doth not indeed kill soules that should dye for 't is their owne sin that kils them nor can kill the soules that should not dye for the medicine of Christs most precious blood will heale and save such from their sins yet unskilfull soule-physitians shall be judged and dealt with as having done all this because they have done their utmost to doe it which is also the meaning of that Text 1 Cor. 8.11 And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed that is an indiscreet use of that liberty which thy knowledge teacheth thee doth that which may be accounted a destroying of thy weake Brother As that knowledge so the ignorance before spoken of slayes the soules that should not dye As it requires the power so the wisedome and teachings of God to comfort and extricate poore sâ—ules in and from the Labyrinth of their sorrows The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned What to doe That I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is weary Isa 50.4 It is a great peice of learning to speak aright to a weary soule to deale with them so as neither to flatter them in their sins nor oppresse them under their sins to deale with them so in th ir affliction as that we neither cause them to sleight the hand of God nor yet to sink under it He that can guid and steer the course of a soule that is afflicted and tossed with the tempest of sin and sorrow between this rock and gulfe the Scylla of presumption and the Charybdis of despaire he is a learned Pilot indeed This learning is the speciall gift of God Christ himselfe acknowledgeth that the Lord his Father had given him the tongue of the learned for this end This learning is not taught in the Schooles of men Philosophers and Oratours never taught such an art of consolation nor can it be attained by the bare teaching of the holyest Doctors and Preachers of Divine truths Wee may have a rich furniture of materials for this worke and yet make no worke of it nor be able to put truths and consciences rightly together unlesse the annoynting teach us As the Prophet brings in our great Master and Tutor in this heavenly science againe confessing of himselfe Isa 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captives Till we are annoynted by God we cannot speake effectually to man without the spirit who is the comforter wee prove but miserable comforters we bungle at the work and rather undoe soules then doe them any good Wee may Preach good tydings good newes from Heaven the Gospel is nothing else but good newes yet no good comes of it till the good spirit comes with it both instructing the hearts of those that heare and the tongues of those that speake duely to apply the word Master Calvin upon this place saith Some Comforters have but one song to sing and they have no regard to whom they sing it All persons all estates and all conditions are alike to them The wisedome of a comforter consists in discerning and making these differences As the Apostle Jude hints unto us Ver. 22 23. And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with feare As faith saves all so in a sense feare saves some that is they must be terrifyed and made afraid that they may be saved Jobs Freinds would needs save him with feare whereas they should have had compassion of him and have spoken kindly to him Because they could not make this difference therefore they tooke a wrong course with him and were justly taxed without distinction Miserable comforters are yee all Vers 3. Shall vaine words have an end As if he had sayd I have got no comfort I would faine get some rest your words have not refreshed me I desire you would not trouble me you have done me no good will you have done Shall vaine words have an end The Hebrew is Shall words of winde have an end That expression hath ben opened twice before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verba vervi i e. ventosa parum solidas rationes habentia How long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong East winde saith Bildad Chap. 8.2 Should a wise man utter vaine knowledge and fill his belly with the East winde saith Eliphaz Chap. 15.2 Job retorts it upon them Shall words of winde have an end You tell mee that my words are windy yours are so indeed I must hide my selfe from these blasts and stormes of your tongues unlesse you grow calmer Shall windy words have an end Words are windy First When they have no solid reason no substance in them reason is the substance of words and so is truth these two goe alwayes together and where these are not nothing goes out of the mouth but winde Projicit ampullas c. we say of all words which are not followed with action Words are but winde we may say so also of all words which are not accompanyed with reason Verba plena spiritu superbiae Secondly Words are windy when they have much pride and swelling conceitednesse in them The Scripture cals such words Swelling words of vanity That which swels our hearts will quickly swell our lips pride doth both Pride is a winde within us vaine words are a winde without us the proud man knowes not how to ease himselfe of this winde within but by breaking it out in words Thirdly Words are windy when they have much passion in them when they are angry and furious an angry man blusters rather then speakes and makes a noise rather then a discourse While David Psal 39.2 3. was dumb with silence while he held his peace from good his sorrow
downe the Bucklers They who contend for victory rather then for truth will not be answered how much soever they are answered And they who are more loath be foyled then willing to bee rectified will hardly submit to the plainest and clearest evidence The second reading is What doth provoke thee to answer Quid exacer bu â—e ut respondeas Jun. or What imbitters thy spirit that thou answerest As if Job had said Surely Eliphaz my fayre discourse with thee should have stopped the course of this severe proceeding with me before this time thou hast loaded me with hard words and uncharitable jealousies but have I spoken provokingly or bitterly to thee My conscience tells me that I have not and thou knowest I have not He that impartially reads over Jobs answers to Eliphaz may finde here and there a sowre passage but as we say Proverbially You must give loosers leave to speake The wise Physitian heares his Patient giving him uncomely language yet will not heare it much lesse retort or answer so againe They who are in paine must be borne with though they provoke it must not be called a provocation and though they give offence yet it must not be taken When the Childe cryes the Nurse sings God himselfe beares with the manners of his people so the word intimates Acts 13.18 as a Mother doth with a froward Childe and so should we with the frowardnesse of our weake and afflicted Brethren So that in this sense the provocations which Job gave his Freinds were not to be reckoned as provocations and he might well say to Eliphaz What provoketh thee to answer If I in the case I am in have spoken passionately Wilt thou be provoked by it Thou shouldest not Thou oughtest to passe it by and cover it with the garment of charity Yet further we may take the words as a totall denyall of any provocation given on his part Whence Note Some will speake harshly to and of those who never provoked or gave them cause Water runs cleare till 't is troubled and stirr'd by some outward violence But the spirits of some men run muddy though nothing from without stirrs them The Prophet compares all wicked men to the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Isa 57.20 The Sea is not alwayes troubled when the Windes are quiet that is quiet wee often see a smooth Sea as smooth as Glasse A wicked man is like the Sea when 't is enraged he is such a Sea as knows no calme he is like the Sea not onely when it is troubled but when it cannot rest Though no breath of Winde from abroad offend him yet he stormes He hath lusts in his owne bowels which provoke him when nothing else doth yea those lusts within provoke him when all without labour to pacifie him So David complaines Psal 120.5 7. Woe is mee that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar that is With the Sons or descendants of Ishmael who have learned of their Father to mock and persecute I dwell in the Tents of Kedar But what caused them to mock and persecute Was it any provocation that David had given them No for he saith in the next words I am for peace I would live quietly with all my heart but when I speake they are for Warr. A motion for Peace becomes a provocation to Warr It is sinfull to speake rashly or harshly though we are provoked what is it then to speake so when we are not provoked They angred Moses at the waters of strife they provoked his spirit yet it went ill with Moses for their sakes when he spake unadvisedly with his lips Psal 106.32 33. But what was this unadvised speech Moses reports his owne infirmity Numb 20.10 11. And Moses and Aaron gathered the Congregation together before the rocke and he sayd unto them Heare now yee Rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock And Moses lift up his hand and with his Rod he smote the Rock twice c. The errour of Moses in this businesse was twofold First That he did not onely smite the Rock but smite it twice with the Rod in his hand whereas he had order onely to take the Rod in his hand and speake to the Rock before their eyes and it should give out water Vers 8. His second errour was that he did not onely speake to the people for which in that transaction he had no order from God but spake bitterly and harshly to them calling them Rebels and slighting them Must we fetch water for you c What for you who are a murmuring and gainsaying people God knew the stubbornenesse of that people and their rebellions against him yet he did not call them Rebels but sayd in the close of the eighth Verse So shalt thou give the Congregation and their Beasts drinke God had more reason and power to call them Rebels then Moses had yet he did not And because Moses did that unadvised speech of his and the actions which attended it were called Rebellion at the twenty fourth Verse of the same Chapter Yee saith the Lord of Moses and Aaron rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah Now if Moses was thus reproved and censured by God himselfe for speaking passionately to a people who had provoked both God their Deliverer and him their Leader what reproofe doe they deserve who either upon none or very little provocation call their Brethren Hypocrites Hereticks Scismaticks Rebels perjured persons men of prostituted consciences or at least of unsettled and uncertaine Principles will not the Lord take notice of this bitternesse even in those who are his precious Servants towards their fellow-servants when he layd so heavy a penalty as non-admission into the promised Land upon a payre of the most eminent and faithfull Servants that ever he called forth to his work since he layd the foundations of the World This fals heavy upon the present age Whence is that bitternesse that Gall and Wormewood which fals from many both tongues and Pens every day What hath provoked them thus to speak and write I confesse there have been provocations and some doe but give Gall for Gall and Wormewood for Wormewood yet it cannot be denyed but that many speak and write bitterly when they have had no provocation yea most who speake bitterly have been treated gently and few who answer angerly will be able to give a good account what hath provoked them thus to answer and how much soever any man hath been provoked the Lord may justly make him smart for such smartnesse in answering It will not beare us out in acting or speaking besides the rule because others doe so Paul shewes us our duty in his owne practice 1 Cor. 4.12 13. Being reviled we blesse bâ—ing defamed we entreat Wee must not defame them that defame us we must not revile our revilers Then woe to those who revile such as blesse them and defame such as entreat