wrath but of this City the Lord said it is wholly oppression they are given up to oppression every one is oppressing and wronging his brother now when they sinned at this rate when their arm was thus high in wickedness then it was to be broken There is a righteous God that judgeth the earth and therefore the high arm of unrighteouness shall be broken JOB Chap. 38. Vers 16 17 18. 16. Hast thou entred the springs of the Sea or hast thou walked in the search of the depth 17. Have the gates of death been opened unto thee or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death 18. Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth declare if thou knowest 〈◊〉 all IN the former Context the Lord made a short dâ—gression from those questionings with which he had begun with Job concerning his Works the occasion whereof was the mentioning of the wicked who improved not but abused his works In this Context the Lord returns to his former way of interrogating Job and having questioned him about the birth or production of the Sea the bands and bounds of the Sea at the 8th 9th 10th and 11th verses he questions him here First About the depth of the unsearchable depth of the Sea vers 16 17. Secondly About the vast breadth of the Earth vers 18. Thereby to convince Job that he not being able to reach the depth of those mighty waters nor to comprehend the breadth of the earth was much less able to comprehend the depth of those counsels or the breadth of those ways of providence in which himself had been walking towards him That 's the general scope and sum of these three verses as also of all that follow as hath been shewed formerly The last thing about which the Lord put the question was the Light whereby hidden and secret things are discovered here the question is about things that lie out of the light about hidden and secret things all which yet are more plain and obvious to more open and naked before the eye of God with whom we have to do than the Noon-day light to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numquâ—d ingressus es vel penetrâ—stâ— Vers 16. Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea Hast thou Doubtless thou hast not nor hast thou any mind to enter into those springs Who hath Hast thou entred or penetrated the springs of the sea There is a twofold entring into the springs of the sea or into any thing that lies remote from us Fiâ—st A Local Secondly An Intellectual entring To be sure Job had not locally entred the springs of the sea and it was as sure that he was not able to make any perfect intellectual entrance thither When therefore the Lord asked Job this question Opartet judicem nosse ea de quiâ—us judicaâ—â—â— us est tu voâ—â— judicas de operibus mo is cum ea non noris â—atabl Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea it is as if he had said It becomes him that makes a judgement upon any matter to enter into it either locally to view it with the eye or intellectually to view it with his understanding but thou O Job hast neither of these ways entred into the springs of the sea and there dâ—scovered how the waters flow or rise up out of the earth how then canst thou make up a judgement about the waters and if not what judgment canst thou make up concerning my deep counsels concerning the secret springs of my judgements Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad plorâ—ta i. e. lacrymas mâ—riâ— Drus There is an elegancy in the word rendred springs which some derive from a root which signifies to weep or shed tears Hast thoâ— entred among the tears oâ— weeping places of the sea The same word in the Hebrew signifies an eye Aliqui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluenta non a flendo sed a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perplexâ—m esse deducunt Et reddunt perplexitates mâ—ris Sensus eodem recidit sed Grammatica magis quadrat ut a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flevit destectatur Mâ—rc as also a spring or fountain because as the eye drops yea pours out tears David saith Rivers of tears run down mine eyes so springs pour out waters and are as it were weeping continually Others derive the word from a root which signifieth to be infolden or intangled and so they render it Hast thou entred into the perplexities or intricacies of the sea Pharaoh used that word in the Verb Exod. 14.3 concerning the people of Israel They are intangled or perplexed in the land he thought he had caught them in the briars and should have had his will or satisfied his lust on them The sense is much the same whether we read the springs or the perplexities and intricate places of the sea both tending to the same purpose to shew Job his utter incompetency and inability for such an adventure Hast thou entred into the springs Of the sea The sea is a consluence of many waters the great vessel which God prepared to hold the multitude of waters as was shewed before at the eighth verse onely take notice Mâ—re dicitur Jâ—mim voce deducta à Maiim transpositis quibusdam literis that the word which signifies the sea is composed of the same letters a little transposed with that which signifies the water The sea being the gathering together of waters and water being the substance of the Sea one word in substance serves them both in the Hebrew tongue Yet others say it alludes at least to a word signifying to make a noise or to roar seas and floods make a terrible noise and roaâ—ing David ascribes a voice to the floods Psal 93.3 The floods have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voices These grammatical criticisms about words have their use giving some light about the nature and qualities of things But to the Text Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea And hast thou walked in the search of the depth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abyssus vorago altittulo expers fundi This latter part of the verse is of the same importance with the former The springs of the sea and the search of the depth have little if any difference and walking follows upon entring therefore the Lord having said Hast thou entred into the springs of the sea saith Hast thou walked c. But more distinctly what is the search and what the depth The depth is the sea where 't is deepest so deep that no bottom can be found by sounding The word rendred here search notes the last oâ— utmost of any thing and so the deepest of the depth which possibly may be called the search of the depth because how much or how long soever it is searched for it cannot be found out Mr. Broughton renders it The border of the sea the Vulgar Latine The last or
they call them Mansion Houses or Dwellings of the Sun Thirdly According to vulgar understanding we may answer these questions Where is the way where light dwelleth c. Plainly thus Light dwelleth in the Sun there light abides and from thence shines to us The Sun is the Vessel or Store-house of light the Luminary of the World by day as the Moon and Stars are by nighâ— And as for darkness that takes its place every where as soon as the Sun leaves any place As often as the Sun continuing his circular progress visits the other Hemisphere daâ—kness takes possession of this Light and darkness take their turns the one alwayes going off when and where the other enters upon the stage of the world Now though Philosophers with our own experience tell us that the reason of this is the access and recess of the Sun yet it is unknown to us how God hath thus tempered the course of nature that day and night should not be alwayes alike in any part of the World but vary in both the Hemispheres and that in the same Hemisphere there should be such a setled inequality in the length of the nights and days This dependeth wholly upon the will of God who thus stated the motions of the heavenly bodies from the very beginning If it be asked Why doth the Lord put these questions to Job Where is the way where light dwelleth Seeing every one may answer light is in the Sun light shines in and fills the Air while the Sun is up and darkness filleth the air when the Sun is gone down darkness being the privation or want of light or darkness according to the usual definition of it being the shadow of the Earth coming between us and the Sun When the opacous or thick body of the Earth interposeth between us and the Sun darkness followeth And if this be all there seemeth not to be much difficulty in knowing where the light dwelleth and where the place of darkness is therefore surely that was not the sole intendment of God in putting these questions to Job But when he saith Where is the way where light dwelleth c. It is as if he had said Dâ—st thou understand the ordering and methodizing of lâ—ght and darkness Or how it cometh to pass that one part of the World hath light while the other is covered with darkness and how light returns to that other part Hast thou made this temperament and vicissitude of light and darkness or procured that the day should be long in the same country at one season of the year and short at another Hast thou disposed the Sun to make short nights in Summer and long in Winter This the understanding of man is not well able to comprehend much less his power to effect Onely the infinite wisdom of God hath put light and darkness into this method and given them their certain seasons And that this is the meaning of the Text we may gather more clearly from the next verse for the Lord having said Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof presently adds Vers 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof These words shew that the former questions chiefly respect the order and disposure of light and darkness That thou shouldest take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viâ— habet accipiendi quasi m anu The Word signifieth the taking of a thing in ones hand As if the Lord had said Dost thou every morning take the light in thy hand and bring it to the bounds or utmost limits thereof Art thou able to direct the light where it should abide till such time as it is to come forth agâ—in to thee Nihil movetur quod non deducatur ipsa dei manu potestate Si ille manum non admoveat immota iners jacebit squalebit naturae Potentissimus deus capit solem accipit tenebras ducitatque reducit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a manuduction a divine manuduction of all the creatures by the wisdome and power of God he as it were leads the light and leads the darkness â—hither he pleaseth The creature remaineth unmoved and sluâ—â—â—sh it stirreth not till the Lord taketh it by the hand or putteth forth his hand to dispose of it as it pleaseth him to the use or place he hath appointed it Oâ— To the bound thereof The Original Word signifieth a limit or utmost point implying that the Lord brings the light to its due and proper place and that as he hath determined the bounds of mans habitation Acts 17.26 so he hath also bounded the habitation of light and darkness for the benefit and service of man As if the Lord had said Hast thou done this O Job surely no that 's my work I am he that taketh the Sun in my hand and bringeth it to the bounds thereof I direct at what point it shall rise and set It is I that know the paths to the house thereof and so can readily call for it and cause it to appear in time and place appointed Thou knowest not where tâ— have the light how to bring light forth but I do From these two verses laid and considered together Observe First Natural light and darkness have their special places their dwelling places yet they have no where aâ—y long abiding place A Tabernacle not a standing house is set for the Sun Psal 19.4 A Tabernacle is a moveable house The Sun hath a house every where but it keeps house or abides no where 'T is not only alwayes moving in its place but daily removing to other places and so consequentially is darkness As it is thus with natural light and darkness about which the question is literally proposed so with civil light and darkness about which the question also is intended These have their places their dwellings and 't is seldome that they dwell long in any one place Light and darkness are not more interchangeable in the Air than joy and sorrow are in the states and conditions of men We may likewise conclude that spiritual light and darkness have their houses and their dwellings Spiritual light both the light of knowledge and the light of comfort dwell First In Christ himself In him as Mediator all fulness dwells Col. 1.19 and of his fulness we all receive grace for grace John 1.16 I may say also light for light light of every sort and light in every degree â—â—â—â—ful for us is received from him Secondly These lights dwell in the hearts of every true believer Faith and light can never be separated Though some who have faith may be in the dark yet light is not separated it is onely clouded eclipsed or hidden from them All believers are so much in a state of light that they are called light Eph. 5.8 and many of them live in a plentiful enjoyment of light A worthy man of the former
to hunt the prey for him yet the testimony of those ingenious Travellers or Navigators upon whose report of what they have seen or heard in those Countreys the worthy Author above-named makes this relation this testimony I say may be a probable ground for such an Exposition of the Text that the Lord had in his wise providence provided one to hunt the prey for the Lion Though I conceive the sense of the place to be moâ—e general namely that the Lord himself hath one way or other taken care that even the Lion shall have his prey and that neither Job then nor any one else needed take care in that matter How great an argument that might be both for Jobs conviction and consolation will appear afterwards Wilt thou hunt the prey For the Lion The word rendred Lion signifies a stout Lion Mr. Broughton renders the hardy Lion others the old Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leoni vetulo qui viribus deficientibus non amplius potest venari sed à juvenibus capta praeda rugitu eum ad participationem praedae vocantibus alitur Aelian l. 9. Histor Animal c. 1. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the old Lion and there 's a double interpretation with respect to that translation That either here is meant a Lion come up to his full strength and so every way able to provide for himself or that by the old Lion is meant a Lion gâ—own so old and weak with old age that he can no longer provide for nor hunt the prey for himself and therefore the Lord saith Wilt thou hunt the prey for the old Lion that cannot hunt for himself dost thou provide for the Lion that cannot pâ—ovide for himself 'T is I who provide a prey for the old Lion that cannot hunt the prey for himself This is a good sense and I shall touch it in the Observation However 't is plain that by the Lion in the first part of the verse is meant an old Lion for he stands opposed to the young Lion in the latter part of the veâ—se Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion Naturalists speak many things of the nature of the Lion to whom I refer the Reader I shall have occasion to touch some of them while I mention what the Scâ—ipture saith of him The Lion bears a four-fold resemblance in Scripture First The Lion is the emblem of a King Judah whose tribe was the stock of Kings or the tribe Royal is called a Lions whelp Gen. 49.9 Thus spake Jacob Judah is a Lions whelp from the prey my Son thâ—s art gone up he stooped down he couched as a Lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up The Kings of the earth are compared to Lions First Because of their greatness and supe iotity What the Lion is among beasts Kings are among men their chiefs Secondly Because of their stoutness and courage Solomon saith of the Lion Prov. 30.30 He is strongest among beasts and turneth not away for any That is he is not afraid of any beast To be bold as a Lion is a sacred as well as a common proverbiâ—l noting greatest boldness Aristotle saith Nunquam in locis patentibus fugit aut metuit pedetentimque discedit Arist the Lion never flies oâ— makes any hasty retreat let the danger be what it will in open view but goes off keeping his own pace A modern Writer speaks thus The Lion in Africk is more fierce than in colder climate He shrinkâ— not in danger except some covert of Woods hâ—dâ—s him from witnesses and then he will take the benefit of a flight which otherwise he seems to disdain Such is the true spirit of Kings Leoni tantum ex feris clementia in supplices Plin. l. 8. c. 16. Satis est prostrasse Leoni Vigilans oculus sceptro impositus perpetuae vigiliae symbolum est they are much above ignoble fears Thirdly Lions resemble Kings because of their mildness and nobleness to them that submit Fourthly Because of the stateliness of their gate and majesty of their aâ—pect Fifthly Because of their vigilancy and watchfulness The Lion sleeps say Naâ—uralists with his eyes open he sleeps as if he were not asleep and as some observe he often moves his tail while he sleepeth as giving notice that he is not as we speak fast asleep And as the Lion is an emblem of earthly Kings so Secondly of the Lord Jesus Christ the King of heaven and earth the King of Kings To shew his supeâ—eminent excellency he is called a Lion Rev. 5.5 There was found none wâ—rthy to open the Book but the Lion of the tribe of Judah Now Jesus Christ is compared to a Lion upon all those accounts before named for which worthy and heroick Kings are so compared for First Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 He is highly exalted he hath a name given him above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Phil. 2.9 10. And as Jesus Christ is like the Lion for his superiority so Secondly for his clemency true nobleness of spirit towards those who yield unto him 'T is enough indeed to humble our selves before this Lion How ready must Christ be to receive and embrace humbled sinners who humbled himself to death that he mâ—ght save sinners even while they were proud and rebelled against him Thirdly Jesus Christ is a Lion also in respect of his watchfulness over his Church This Lion that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps Psal 121.4 and Fourthly for his invincible courage and strength always ready to be put forth for his Church The Prophet Isa 31.4 compares Christ to a Lion that will not be frighted Like as the Lion saith he and the young Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is called out against him he will not be afraid of their voice nor abase himself for the noise of them so shall the Lord of Hosts himself come down to fight for mount Sion and for the hill thereof As if the Prophet had said God will protect Jerusalem against all her enemies the Assyrian forces are there specially intended no more regarding or fearing them than a fierce Lion in the prime of his strength will regard or fear a company of simple Shepherds that shall attempt to rescue his prey from between his teeth And because of this Lion-like power and courage of Christ so his Church another Prophet saith that tâ—e Church herself shall be as a Lion Mâ—c 5.8 And the remnant of Jacob that is the true Church shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people who are enemies and unbelievâ—ng as a Lion among the beasts of the forrest as a young Lion among the flocks of sheep or rather as the Margin haâ—h it Goats who if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces and none can deliver That is as our late
First The way how Lions live or get their liveli-hood Lions are all for prey There is no work spoken of that the Lion doth to get his living by there 's nothing spoken of any service the Lion doth all his care is for his belly he hunts his prey Wicked men in this are like Lions they are like Nimrod all for hunting all for catching the prey The Prophet Nahum Chap. 2.12 describes the oppressing power of Nineveh by a Lion tearing in pieces enough for his Whelpes and strangling for his Lionesses and filling his holes with prey and his dens with ravin Tearing and strangling filling all with prey and ravin is all that Lions do not is the work of oppressors and cruel men any other in their kind Basil Hom. 9. in Hexam Ambros Hex l. 6. c. 3. nor any whit better Some of the Antients speaking of the Lion say that when he roareth the poor Beasts that are within hearing are so amazed and affrighted that though they might escape by flight yet they stand still and yield themselves up to him for a prey Such frights are poor men often put to by the roaring throats of merciless oppressors Secondly note God provides prey for Lions God feeds not only Sheep and Lambs but Wolves and Lions This note gives us the chief scope of the whole conâ—ext which is to shew the care of God over all It is said Psal 104.21 The young Lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God It is a strange expression that young Lions when they roar after their prey should be said to seek their meat of God implying that neither their own strength nor craft could feed them without help from God The strongest creatures left to themselves cannot help themselves As they who fear God are fed by a special providence of God so all creatures are fed and nou iâ—hed by a general providence The Lion though he be strong and subtle yet cannot get his own prey we think a Lion might shift for himself no 't is the Lord that provides for him the young Lions seek their meat of God Surely then the migâ—tiest of men cannot live upon themselves as it is of God that we receive life and breath so all things needful for the maintenance of this life The Prophet Jeremiah gives check to all flesh Chap. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom let not the mighty man glory in his might As if he had said neither a wise man by his wisdom nor a mighty man by his mâ—ght can bring any work to an effectual issue That is also the conclusion which the Spirit of God made by the wisest and one of the mightest men that ever was in the world King Solomon Eccles 9.11 The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all though men have sutable qualities and abilities for the attaining of their ends what sutes better the winning of a race than swiftness yet they cannot attain them without the power and presence of God in some kind and degree or oâ—her the strong Lions would starve did not the Lord help them to hunt their prey Thirdly If we take the Lion in the first part of the Vers for the old decreped Lion and the young Lions for such as a e not able to go abroad for their prey the Lord providing for Lions under both these considerations yields us this observation God takes care for those creatures who through infirmities being either too old or too young are not able to provide for themselves There 's a special providence of God over them that have special need The old Lion that once could but now cannot the young Lions that never could hunt the prey are yet provided for Old Lions that are strong are taught by natural instinct to get prey for their young ones while weak Leo vetulus qui viribus deficienâ—ibus non amplius Potest vonari a juvenibus praeda capta rugitu eum ad participationem praedae vocantibus alitur Aelian l. 9. de natura animal c. 1. and the natural Historian tells us that the younger Lions which are strong are taught by a like instinct to hunt the prey for the old ones that are weak Fourthly From the latter words wilt thou fill the appetite of the young Lions Note God can and doth provide for the creature to fulness or satisfaction he fills their appetite God as I may say keeps a good a bountiful house for all his creatures the young Lions that have such strong stomacks shall have their fill Hence we may inferr First If the Lord doth thus provide for Lions young or old one or other then much more will he provide and hunt the prey for his faithful people David Psal 34.10 gives us the Lords word for it The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing That is the young Lions may lack or though the young Lions should lack and suffer hunger yet they that seek and serve the Lord shall not Lions have a good assurance that they shall not lack but the servants of God have a far better assurance that they shall not Doth God take care for Oxen was the Apostles question 1 Cor. 9.9 or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes speaking of Gospel Ministers no doubt this is written ver 10. As if he had said if the Lord did not give that law to the Jews Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corn altogether for our sakes yet questionless he gave it chiefly for our sakes and had a far greater respect to us in making that law than to Oxen. Thus from the text and point in hand I may say Doth God take care for Lions Surely he hath caused this to be written that we may know he will much more take care of his sheep of all that fear him and call upon his name A Lion may come into a starving condition but those that fear God shall not Lions though they are very strong subtle cannot always get their prey but the Lord hath promised to minister to his people at least a supply of their necessities as David speaks I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread Psal 37.25 Secondly Doth the Lord provide to satisfaction for the young Lions doth he fill their natural appetite then surely he will pâ—ovide for the satisfying of his people in spiritual things Luke 1.53 He filleth the hungry with good things Who are the hungry doubtless he the holy Virginmeant the spiritually hungâ—y And what are the good things he fills them with doubtless spiritual good things they shall have not only some tasts of these good things but their
the River how doth it please him We have a saying It is better to fill a mans belly than his eye and it is a truth He that hath a great desire to meat or drink is much pleased to see either And 't is a truth in every thing the sight of that is very pleasing to us which we greatly want and much desire Therefore Solomon gives councel Prov. 23.31 Look not upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup. They that are given to drink are pleased when they see the cup they take it with their eyes or their eyes are taken with it 'T is so in spiritual things also that which we greatly desire and want in spirituals O how pleasant is the sight of it how glad are we when we can take it with our eyes Thus spake David Psal 63.1 2. O my God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory O that I could but see them I would take them with my eyes as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary As if he had said there I have seen the flowings forth of thy goodness of thy power and glory but now I am in a dry Land O how I long to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He â—peaks to the same purpose Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. The spiritual sight of God is most sweet in his Ordinances The very outward enjoyment of those who mininister spiâ—iâ—ual things is pleasant Hence that promise Isa 30.20 Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers there is something in that how much more sweet is it to have a spiritual sight of spiritual things The sense of seeing is delightful what then is the grace of seeing The Elephant taketh it with his eyes His nose pierceth through snares That is he thrusteth his nose his trunk into the River and if there be any snares there set and prepared on purpose to entangle him or if any thing be there accidentally which may annoy him he breaks through them all he is so thirsty that a small matter doth not hinder him in drinking he makes way through all impediments that he may take his fill of drink his thirst being urgent drink he will whatever comes of it Hence note That which any creature hath a great desire to he will make his way to it through difficulties and dangers he will break through snares to attain it David had a great desire to the water of Bethlem but there lay an Army between him and the Well yet three men would venture through an Host of enemies to fetch him water If any have a vehement thirst after Gods Word the water of Life they will break through snares for it though Armies lye in the way yet there are three strong men in them an enlightned understanding a rectified will and good affection that will venture to get the water of Bethlem for their instruction and consolation Natural creatures will not stand upon dangerous difficulties to come at that which is much desired by them how much less they who are spiritual So much of this greatest terrestial animal Behemoth and of the Lords power in making and ordering him In the next Chapter the Lord proceeds to humble Job yet more by setting before him the greatest animal in the waters the mighty Leviathan JOB Chap. 41. Vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down 2. Canst thou put a hook into his nose or bore his jaw thorow with a thorn 3. Will he make many supplications unto thee will he speak soft words unto thee 4. Will he make a covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a servant for ever 5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird wilt thou binde him for thy maidens 6. Shall the companions make a banquet of him shall they part him among the merchants 7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears 8. Lay thine hand upon him remember the battel do no more 9. Behold the hope of him is in vain shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up who then is able to stand before me 11. Who hath prevented me that I should repay him whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine THis whole Chapter gives us a large discourse concerning the greatest the largest living creature that God made in this visible world the Leviathan The whole Chapter may be divided into two general parts First A Narration Secondly A Conclusion In the Narrative part Leviathan is described four wayes First By the bigness and vastness of his body which is implyed in the first and second verses he is a creature so big and bulky that there is no holding him with a cord or line he is too big too boisterous for an Angler to deal with Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down c. vers 1 2. Secondly This Leviathan is described by the stoutness and untractableness of his spirit there is no bringing him to any submission to any service or compliance Will he make many supplications unto thee will he speak soft words unto thee will he make a covenant with thee c. vers 3 4 5. Thirdly He is described by the difficulty and danger if not impossibility of taking or catching him he will hardly be taken any way no not by the most forcible wayes to make either meat or merchandize of him Shall the companions make a banquet of him shall they part him among the merchants Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears c. vers 6 7 8 9. and in the former part of the 10th verse Thus far Leviathan is described in his greatness in his stoutness in the difficulty and danger of catching him if he can be catched at all Now the Lord having proceeded thus far in the description of or doctrine about Leviathan he makes Use and Application of all that he had said before he comes to the fourth particular and this Application or Use which the Holy Ghost makes of his description thus far given consists in two things First Hence the Lord infers his own irresistibleness and the utter inability of any creature to contend with him in the close of the 10th verse Who then is able to stand before me If none can stand before this creature can any stand before the Creator That 's the first Inference Secondly The Lord makes a further Inference from it
it not been for sin nor had the sight of any creature been terrible to us had we not sinned When Adam had sinned then God was terrible to him then presently he hid himself O therefore be cast down at the sight of sin which hath made both God and many creatures a terror a casting down to us How terrible this creature Leviathan is to man appears further by what the Lord saith next Vers 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up who then is able to stand before me The former part of this verse carrieth on the matter of the whole former verse None is so fierce that dare stir him up that is Leviathan is a creature so fierce so cruel that none how fierce soever dare provoke him no nor awaken him The words may be taken two wayes First None dare stir him up when he is asleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crudelis saevus fevox immisericors Secondly No man dares challenge or provoke him when he is awake The word rendred fierce properly signifies cruel because cruelty makes men fierce or because fierce men are usually very cruel None is so fierce as to stir him up Hence note First There is no wisdom in provoking an enemy that is too strong for us Wise men though bold and possibly cruel too yet when attempts are exceeding dangerous will not venture Physicians will not stir some humours in the body for it would be like stirring of a fierce Lion that is asleep they dare not provoke them but do all they can to attemper and allay them to stir such a humour were to stir Leviathan He hath more rashness than courage who meddles with more than his match or as some say conjures up a spirit that he cannot lay again Secondly Saith the Lord none is so fierce or cruel that dare stir him up He means not cruel to Leviathan but to himself none is so cruel to himself as to go about to stir up Leviathan because there is so much danger in that attempt Whence Observe They who run themselves upon great dangers unadvisedly are cruel to themselves They are their own enemies and the greatest enemies to themselves How cruel then are sinners to their own souls who are so fierce as daily to stir up Leviathan Prov. 6.32 Whosoever committeth adultery with a woman hath no understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul surely then he is cruel to his own soul he seems to be very kind to his harlot but he is very unkind yea cruel to himself Pro. 8.36 He that sinneth against me saith Wisdom wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death 'T is Christ that speaks thus he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul he is cruel to himself Many when they sin do it to please themselves O what a good turn do they hope to do themselves when they venture upon unlawful pleasures or profits But he that doth so hateth me saith Christ and he that hateth me loves death How cruel is that man to his own life that is in love with death yet so in truth are they who love any sin by sining You may as was toucht before stir up and awaken a sleeppy conscience and conscience may be more terrible than Leviathan yea by sin you may awaken and stir up the sleeping vengeance of God who is more than a thousand Leviathans and consciences Once more remember that possibly by not stirring up your selves to take hold of God you may stir up God to be angry with you as 't is said Isa 64.6 7. Our iniquities like the wind have taken us away What follows And or for there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Which words as I apprehend may be taken two ways First As shewing their sluggishness that though their iniquities that is the punishment of their iniquities carried them away or they were carried â—way as a punishment of their iniquities yet they did not stir up themselves to call upon the name of God nor to take hold of him Secondly As shewing the reason why their iniquities carried them away even because they did not stir up themselves to take hold of God Their not stirring up themselves to take hold of God stirred up God against them If we do not stir up our selves especially when at any time we are compassed about with sins and dangers or with dangers procured and brought upon us by our sins as with Leviathans we may stir up God against us as a Leviathan And therefore let us take heed lest we be found fierce and cruel against our own souls by sinning against God or by not stirring up our selves to take hold of God such neglects are full of provocations Hitherto we have had instruction concerning this Leviathan how great how stout how fierce and cruel he is now the Lord makes application He hath been diâ—coursing about a huge tremendous Sea-monster but what is all this for Surely for very great use And the Lord maketh use of it two ways First In this verse to shew his own irresistibleness If none can stand before Leviathan then who can stand before me Secondly In the 11th verse to shew his own independency that he hath no need of any creature Who hath prevented me that I should repay him And all this the Lord makes good by that great assertion for whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine this great Leviathan is mine to do what I will with him This is the sum of that two-fold Application which the Lord makes from the hitherto description of Lâ—viathan the first part whereof is expressed in the latter part of the 10th verse Who then is able to stand before me As is the Lord had said no man is able to stand before me If this creature Leviathan be so terrible that no man is able to stand before him then who can stand before me for all the strength and courage that Leviathan hath I have given him and 't is nothing to what I have 't is not so much to me as a drop of the bucket or a dust of the ballance to the whole world Can none stand before Leviathan Who then can stand before me One Translation saith Can you resist before my look Quis rasistere potent vultu meo Scult As God had said before one shall be cast down at the sight of him namely of Leviathan so here Can any man stand before me or at the sight of me Is any man able to abide my look the majesty of my eye Surely no. The sence is much the same with that of our reading Who then is able to stand before me Hence Observe Our inability to stand before mighty creatures should mind us of our utter inability to stand before the Almighty God This is the most proper use that ever was made of a doctrine The Lord made a promise and it was a very wonderful promise which the Lord made
Leviathan There 's a continual fire in his mouth then what is in the kitchin of his stomack for the digestion and concoction of his meat If sparks of fire leap out of his mouth as out of the mouth of a furnace then we may conclude there 's a great fire kept within Vers 20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoak We had fire before and now comes smoak We usually say Where there 's smoak there is some fire and surely where there is so great a heat there must be or hath been some smoak Out of his nostrils goeth a smoak Fumus est der adustus ex multitudine caloris Aquin. What is smoak 'T is air adust say Phylosophers Much heat draws out the airy part of the fewel and turns it into smoak Leviathan having such a fire in his bowels needs must smoak go out of his nostrils which are as a double chimney to vent it or to keep the metaphor in the Text Smoak goeth out of his nostrils As out of a seething pot or caldron The Hebrew is a blown pot because blowing makes a pot seeth quickly and fiercely A Caldron is a great vessel wherein much may be sodden or boyled at once and boyling sends out a great fume or smoak The Hebrew word rendred Caldron properly signifies a copper or brazen Kettle in which dying stuff is boyled for the colouring of cloth It signifies also a pond and so a great vessel like a pond as that in the Temple was called a Sea for its greatness Vers 21. His breath kindleth coals and a flame goeth out of his mouth This verse with the former three tend all to one purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ahenum reddidimus ex conjectura propriè ahenum magnum instar stagni quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur Drus Leviathans heat is so vehement that his breath kindleth coals The Hebrew is His soul or life kindleth coals The soul and life of irrational creatures is the same and both are but breath His breath kindleth coals that is his breath is so hot that it will even kindle dead or unkindled coals Mr. Broughton renders His breath would set coals on fire The breath of the Whale is not only compared to a great wind issuing out of a pair of bellows which soon kindleth a spark into a great fire but is it self here compared to a fire by a strong Hyperbole like that which concludes this matter And a flame goeth out of his mouth That is a heat as from a flame or such a heat as a flame giveth These four verses may be improved for our use in two things First to inform us how terrible some creatures are There is nothing which is not terrible in this His mouth sends out a burning lamp and sparks of fire smoak goeth out of his nostrils coals are kindled by his breath and a flame goeth out of his mouth What 's the meaning and import of all this not that Leviathan hath these or doth these things indeed but in his wrath for this is the description of an enraged Leviathan he appears as if he were nothing but heat and would set the very element of water on fire and turn the very billows of the Sea into burning flames Secondly If the Lord hath put such a fierceness into this creature when he is angry what is there in the Lord himself when he is angry The Lord in his anger is described like this Leviathan Psal 18.7 8. Then the earth shook and trembled the foundation also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth what follows There went up a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it The words are almost word for word the same with those in the Text. The Lord is set forth as ushered by fire Psal 50.2 3. Out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him Again Psal 97.2 Clouds and darkness are round about him vers 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about that is he destroyeth his enemies in his anger as if he consumed them by fire Once more Isa 33.14 The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell in the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Thus the Scripture speaks of the Lord in his wrath And doubtless the flaming anger of Leviathan when provoked is but like a warm Sun-shine compared with the provoked anger and hot displeasure of God against presumptuous sinners Who is able to abide his wrath who in sin can dwell with those everlasting burnings who unpardoned can stand before the devouring fire and flames of the Lords displeasure Thus we have the discovery of Leviathans furious heat he is all in a flame Now the Lord having shewed what work Leviathan makes with his mouth and nostrils which belong to his head he comes next to his neck Vers 22. In his neck remaineth strength and sorrow is turned into joy before him Leviathans head is strongly joyned to the rest of his body by his strong neck yet some question whether the Whale hath any neck or no because no distinction which in other creatures is visible appears between his head and his body The learned Bochartus makes this another argument against the Whale and a little reflects upon Diodate who joyning fully with him in opinion that Leviathan is the Crocodile yet le ts go this hold yielding that the Crocodile hath no more neck than the Whale as the neck is taken strictly for that discernable distance between head and shoulders and though he himself grants that several other Authors by him alleadged say the Crocodile hath no neck yet he answers 't is safer to credit Aristotle who saith the Crocodile hath a neck and gives this reason for it because those animals which have no neck at all cannot move their heads whereas the Crocodile by the testimony of Pliny and others can turn his head upwards or hold it up backwards to bite his prey To this some answer and I conceive their answer may satisfie in this Point That how little or how undiscernable soever the space is between the head and the body of any animal the very joyning or coupling of them together may be called his neck and in that sense the Whale hath a neck as well as the Crocodile To this I may add that the shorter the neck of any animal is the stronger it is and that complies fully with what is here said of the neck of Leviathan In his neck remaineth strength The Hebrew is Lodgeth And so Mr. Broughton renders In his neck alwayes lodgeth strength that is he is alwayes strong very strong neckt his neck is so stiff and strong that strength it self may seem to have taken up its residence there That 's the
of him will honour him with what they have even with their substance and with the first fruits of all their increase Prov. 3.9 Thirdly We may infer Seing God founded the earth He is also the Ruler of it And that the Lord rules the earth is a mercy to all men on the earth The Lord reigns let the earth rejoyce Psal 97.1 That is men of the earth have cause to rejoyce because they have God who is infinitely both wise and good to rule them The Lord is King over all the earth sing ye praises with understanding Psal 47.7 And surely they who understand what a King he is will praise him Fourthly We may be encouraged to go unto God or apply our selves to God about all things here on earth seeing â—e hath laid the fouâ—dations of the earth The Lord having invited his people to ask him things to come concerning his sons and concerning the work of his hands to command him Isa 45.11 adds this in the next words as an encouragement to do so I have made the earth and created man upon it As if he had said Ask of me whatever you would have me do or would have done on earth for I am he that created the earth It may help our faith much when as David expresseth it Psal 11.3 the very foundations of earthly things are destroyed to consider that God laid the foundations of the earth In such a case it may be said as it followeth there in the Psalme What can the righteous do but may it not be said even in that hard case when foundations are destroyed What cannot the Lord do who laid the foundations of the earth This argument the Psalmist also useth Psal 124.8 Our help stands in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Though earth and heaven shake and seem to be confounded or mingled together yet he who made heaven and earth without help can give us help or be our helper If our help stood in the best of men made of earth they might fail us but while our help stands in him that made the earth he will never fail us for he hath said he will not Heb. 13.5 and their experience who have trusted the Lord hath said it too Psal 9.10 This is the great priviledge of all that believe they may address to God by Christ for any thing in this earth because he is the Maker of it and having made it by a word speaking what cannot he do for them if he speak the word Fifthly Let us be much in praising the Lord for his wisdom power and greatness all which gloriously appear and shine forth in his laying the foundations of the earth David makes this a special part of Divine praise Psal 136.6 VVe should not onely praise the Lord for the great things he hath done on the earth but for this that he hath made the earth The work of God in laying the foundations of the earth calls as loudly for our praise as any thing except our redemption from the earth Rev. 5.9 chap. 14.3 which ever God wrought upon the face of the earth The making of the earth calls us to praise the Lord First Because he hath made so vast a body as this earth is or because he hath made such a large house for us Secondly Because he hath founded it so miraculosly hanging upon nothing that appears but in the ayre yet standing more firmly than any house built upon a rock Thirdly VVe should praise the wisdom of God that hath formed it so exactly and adorned it so richly It 's not a house huddled and clapt up together without skill or art though it was made word a word speaking in six days yet it was made with infinite wisdom as is more particularly held out v. 5. where the Lord speaks of laying the measures thereof and stretching the line upon it as also of fastning the foundations and laying the câ—rner-stone thereof all which â—â—ew it is not a house clapt up in haste but made with admirable exactness so that as 't is usual when great houses are built there were great acclamations made at the building of it as we have it the seventh verse of this Chapter then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy to see such a magnificent pile reared up Lastly Take this inference If the visible world be such a building what is the invisible world the City having foundations which God hath prepared for those that love him Thus much of the first part of Jobs Conviction he had nothing to do in laying the foundations of the earth and he had as little in setting up and finishing that goodly structure as will appear in that which followeth Yet before the Lord proceeded any further to question Job about this great work of Creation he requires or calls for his answer in the close of this fourth verse to the question propounded in the former part of it Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth Declare if thou hast understanding God challengeth Job to answer The Hebrew is If thou knowest understanding And so the word is used Isa 29.24 where we render They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding or as the Margin hath it shall know understanding Again Huram said 2 Chron. 2.12 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise son endued with prudence and understanding The Original is thus strictly read Knowing prudence and understanding Daniel spake in the same forme chap. 2.21 He giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding To know is a work of the understanding No man knoweth any thing but by the help of his understanding The understanding is the first or Master-wheel in that noble engine the soul of man and when rightly informed and inlightned all the other wheels or faculties of the soul move aright unless over-poized by passions and self-ends Every rational creature hath an understanding yet every rational creature doth not know understanding that is doth not is not able to speak knowingly or to use and act his understanding knowingly about every matter The Lord supposeth Job might be defective here and therefore bespeaks him thus Declare if thou hast understanding or knowest understanding As if he had said The things which I question thee about may possibly be too high or too big for thy understanding Si perituâ— sis tantarum rerum Vatab. such as possibly thou canst not reach And hence some render or rather paraphrase the Text thus Declare if thou art skilful in such great things as I now speak of If thou art so wise as thou seemest to be by thy former contesting with my provideâ—ces declare thy wisdom in this point wherein I know thou wilt but declare thy ignorance thy infancy or inability to speak as one speaks Thou wilt shew thy self but a child while thou
of corner-stones First There is a corner-stone laid below or beneath in the earth with the foundation The Master-builder is very careful to set that right Secondly There is a corner-stone laid upon the foundation or in the joyning of the walls both below as soon as the building appears above ground and up to the top or utmost height of the building Our Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in Scripture under the notion of a corner-stone as to both these uses First He is the corner-stone laid below in the earth with the foundation Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious corner-stone a sure foundation In fundamentum fundatum Quae sorte fundamenti repetitio significat infimam fundamenti partem 〈◊〉 out potissimam So we translate this latter part of the verse Some others render it thus A corner-stone founded upon a foundation implying that Châ—ist is the lowest the chiefest and firmest foundation stone as well as a tried precious corner-stone The Apostle affirms both these of Christ in one verse Eph. 2.20 Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets not upon their persons but doctrine which is Christ Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Christus dicitur caput anguli quod non solum sit principium sed fâ—rtis spiritualis aedificii Nyssen In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord. Again 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house c. Some conceive that in this place the Lord fore-shewed Job the Incarnation of Christ who is the true corner-stone knitting all in One. For mostly when the Scripture would set forth the security of our salvation by Christ it doth it by this resemblance Upon him believers are founded and in him fastened If we had not Christ a corner-stone for our salvation it were not possible that our salvation should be sure to us The building cannot be fixt without it Christ is said to be our peace who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 where the Apostle speaks first of taking away the middle wall of partition and then of making both that is Jews and Gentiles one by Christ the only corner stone By one and the same faith in Christ two people Jews and Gentiles are joyned in one As in the corner of a building two walls alwayes meet and are closed together by the corner-stone And as Christ is a corner-stone laid in with the foundation so he is a corner-stone upon the foundation in the continued rising of the building till raised to the top As the corner-stone hath its use in any part of the corner from the foundation to the roof so it is placed in the highest part of the building There Christ is the chief corner-stone The Prophet speaks thus of Christ Zach. 4.7 And he that is Zerubbabel shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings crying grace grace unto it which seems to signifie that Christ should be manifested and brought publickly forth like the chief or uppermost corner-stone The corner-stone is called the Head-stone because 't is set above in the building and 't is called also the Head-stone because it is polished and appeareth above the rest like an head above the body Educet lapidem capitis Heb. Quod instar capitis promineat aut quod emineat in supremo loco Thus you see the use of the corner-stone in Scripture as applied to Christ in allusion to a building for the security and firmness of it the corner-stone being that which bindeth the building and fastens the contiguous walls together Here the Lord speaking of his framing the Earth tells us of a corner-stone to shew that the frame of the earth shall stand and continue unshaken undivided In opposition to this phrase when the prophet describeth the irreparable destruction of Babylon or that it shall be ruined without recovery he expresseth it thus Jer. 51.26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundation but thou shalt be desolate for ever saith the Lord. Babylon shall have neither foundation nor corner-stone as much as to say it shall never be built Magistrates and chief Governours are also called corner-stones Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner Which words as they relate to Christ chiefly so also to King David as a type of Christ The Scripture in several other places gives that title to great men 1 Sam. 14.38 Judges 20.2 Isa 20. Zeph. 3.6 In all these Texts Princes and great men are called corners or corner-stones because as the corner-stone holdeth the wall together so they hold Nations in their civil capacity together Who laid the corner-stone thereof saith God to Job Tell me who did it Didst thou do it Did Angels do it Consider the greatness the firmness of the work and thou wilt be convinced that it was I that laid the corner-stone thereof So then the general sense of this verse is to shew the stability of the Work of God Here are foundations and foundations fastened in the wisdom and power of God who is an everlasting strength the rock of ages Isa 26.4 Here also the corner-stone is laid therefore all is sure and firm Now what did the Lord aime at in all this Surely it was not barely to convince Job that the earth was a beautiful piece and a strong one There was somewhat else in it and what was that Even to convince Job that forasmuch as he could not deny but this admirable and well ordered building was the work of God that therefore he should sit down satisfied in all his other works If God alone perfected this work by his power if he contrived it by his wisdom shall man find fault with any of the works of God Doth not he who put the world into this beautiful frame wherein we see it carry on all his works on earth in beauty and order though we see it not And is there not a firmness and strength in all his works Is there not a measure laid in all his providences and a line stretched out upon all his dealings with the children of men Hath he not fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone of all his dispensations right Job seemed to speak sometimes as if the Lord had not dealt with him in measure nor stretched an equal line upon his proceedings he looked upon all as off the hooks and out of course Now saith the Lord have I laid the measures of the earth and stretched the line upon it Have I fastened the foundations and laid the corner-stone thereof Have I done all these things and dost thou think that I will let the world in general or any mans case in particular run to ruin as if my works of providence had
neither foundation nor corner-stone Remember O Job and well consider that as when in the beginning I saw the earth without form and void Gen. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I by a creating word commanded it into form and fulness So when thou seest nothing but Tohu and Bohu confusion and disorder voidness and darkness in the earth even then I am laying the measures of Justice and stretching the line of Truth and Equity upon all that is done or suffered and will bring forth my work in full perfection Nothing shall be amiss or out of order when my work is finished how much soever it may seem to be amiss as to beginnings or present actings Therefore O Job leave off thy complainings and rest quietly in my dealings Some have questioned the Natural Works of God yet 't is impossible to mend any part or the least pin of them And 't is as impossible for the wit and understanding of Men or Angels to mend any thing in the Providential Works of God That 's the scope of this discourse even that the consideration of Gods power and wisdom in making the world should bâ—idle our curiosity and awe our spirits when they begin to quarrel with yea but to query about any thing that God hath done though it appear to us altogether irregular and confused or as done without either line or measure The Lords work is beautiful and glorious 't is also sure and strong As his Promise or Covenant is ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 So are his Providences too for they are the issues and accomplishments of his Promises oâ—dered as to means and sure as to the end They shall end oâ— issue in b inging about the things which are laid in the foundation and corner-stone of his purposes counsels and decrees all which work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 And to convince Job from the Works of Creation that he ought not only to acquiesce or rest quietly under the Works of Providence whatsoever they were but to rejoyce in them the Lord tells him in the next verse that there was great rejoycing yea shouting for joy when the foundations of the earth were fastened and the corner-stone thereof laid JOB Chap. 38. Vers 7. 7. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy THere are two opinions among learned Interpreters concerning the general state of this verse First Some here reassuming the first words of these questions proposed at the fourth verse by God to Job Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. make this the second instance of Gods mighty power in the works of Creation Where wast thou when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy As if the Lord had said I have as yet questioned thee only where thou wast when I made the earth which is the most inferiour part of the world But now I purpose to rise higher in my discourse and therefore I put these questions to thee Where wast thou when I set up the morning stars those sparkling lights which shine to the earth through the firmament of heaven as also the sons of God those blessed spirits all which sang together and shouted for joy at the appearance of my power and wisdom Secondly Others connect these words in a continued sense and sentence with the verse going before Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth c. at which sight the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Taking the words thus they carry an allusion to or are a similitude taken from noble buildings or structures whose foundations use to be laid with solemnity and their corner-stones to be set up with shouting and acclamation That it was anciently customary to make such acclamations at the laying of the foundation of some eminent building besides what is clear out of humane Authors and Histories we have several Scripture evidences The 87th Psalm throughout setting forth the structure of the Gospel Church of the spiritual Zion by way of prophesie begins thus His foundation is in the holy mountains there 's the foundation of Zion laid Then followeth as at the second verse The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! Selah As if he had said there was a great acclamation high praises at the laying the foundation of Zion with which the Psalme closeth more expresly v. 7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there all my Springs are in thee Again Psal 118.22 23 24. there is no sooner mention made of the corner-stone the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner but presently we have acclamations about it This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our eyes This is a blessed work indeed This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it That corner-stone of salvation Jesus Christ being laid as I may say all the stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy This is the day which the Lord hath made If we go to those material buildings which were figurative of the Church and Christ we shall find the like Ezra 3.10 When the Jewes at the return of their Captivity began to build the Temple the Text saith at the tenth verse And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord then they set the Priests in their apparel and with their voices with the Levits and the sons of Asaph to praise the Lord. As soon as the foundation was laid they were all in song and raised up in holy rejoycings though some of the old men who remembred the first Temple wept when the foundation of this was laid That Scripture Zach. 4.7 speaks of the same thing where the Prophet in the Spirit fore-seeing the disappointments of all the enemies of the people of God thus triumphs over them by faith Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting That is the building of Hierusalem or the restoring of the Temple shall be brought to perfection and then they shall cry grace grace unto it Now in allusion to the practice both of men in common and of the people of God in special at the raising of great structures the Lord tells us here that when he laid the foundations of the earth and when he fastened the corner-stone thereof there was a Triumph made Then the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy Thus we have the state of this verse either taking it for another instance of the power of God in creating the Stars and the Angels or else subjoyning it as an acclamation
Thus there are men of the Night men of the Evening and men of the Morning or Morning Men. In this sense the Stars may be called Morning Stars because they were so early at that best work the praises of God When the Morning Stars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gerundium est a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inter aliâ— canere significat unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—ntus Drus Sang together Singing is an act of the voice and as there is a natural singing that of birds so an artificial But how could Stars sing either artificially seeing they have no reason or naturally seeing they have not so much as a life of sense I answer 'T is frequent in Scripture to attribute acts of life to liveless creatures and acts of reason to those things which have no sense The Earth is somewhere said to mourn Isa 33.9 The Trees of the Forrest as also the Hills and the Valleys are said to rejoyce and sing for joy Psal 65.12 13. And in the same senâ—e the Stars are here represented singing and in what sense they may be said to sing will be further shewed afterwards Nor did they onely sing but they sang Simul unico concentu unico consensu Together There was a kind of concord and harmony in their singing they sang as I may say with one consent or in consort Some translate They sang alone That is when there were no other creatures to jâ—yn with them yet as soon as they were in being they sang alone The word sometimes signifies only as well as together chap 34.29 Ezra 4.3 They did not sing every one of them alone but they all sang alone without any other creatures to joyn with them Thus they sang both alone and together Hence Note First Singing is an act of divine worship and praise They sang to the glory of God Note Secondly Singing is an expression of joy Is any one merry saith the Apostle Jam. 5.13 let him sing Though there are mouâ—nful songs and some sing in the very heaviness of their souls yet properly singing imports rejoycing When Christ told his Church Cant. 2 1â— The time of the singing of birds is come his meaning was rejoycing time is come sorrow and mouâ—ning are fled away Thirdly In that singing is attributed to the Stars Note Liveless creatures rejoyce and set forth the praises of God as they are able David saith All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 All thy works that is the very lowest and least of thy works even the clods of the earth shall praise thee how much more the Stars of Heaven We find all the creatures called to sing the praise of the Lord quite through the 148th Psalm Praise him Sun and Moon praise him all ye Stars of light There 's the special instance of the Text. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal 19.1 There is a kind of dutiful conspiration among all Creatures even among the inanimate Creatures in their places to praise God And if you ask how they praise God or how they sing I answer in general after their manner More suo as they are able or as is suitable to their condition The Stars sing not formally and yet some say there is a harmony in the motions of the Heavens which being so constant concordant and uniform hath a kind of Musick in it but though they cannot praise God formally yet First They do it Materially That is they are that matter In caelestibus corporibus amplior occurrit dei collaundandi materia ideo illis cantus seu laeta proclamatio seu ovatio figurate tribuitur Merc for which God is to be praised they being such excellent and noble creatures The work praiseth the Workman That which is well done commends the Doer of it though all tongues be silent In this sense the Stars sing the praise of God They sing the praise of God as they are the objects of his praise or as they provoke Men and Angels to praise God for making them Secondly They praise God Vertually or equivalently they shew how praise-worthy God is Thirdly When we say the Stars praise God it intimates there is so much excellency in the Works of God that if the Stars could speak they would declare and shew forth his praise When the Disciples of Christ rejoyced and praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest Luke 19.37 38. The envious Pharisees did not like the Musick and therefore â—aid to him from among the multitude Master rebuke thy Disciples vers 39. To these morose Masters Christ answered vers 40. I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out As if he had said you labour in vain to suppress or hinder the testimony given me by my Disciples for if they should be silent the stones would cry shame of them for neglecting their duty and God would rather cause senseless creatures to proclaim his praise in giving me an honourable testimony than I should want it Now as there was such a worth in the work of Redemption and in all the works of the Redeemer while here on Earth that the stones would have shewed forth his praise if men had not So there is such a worth in that Work of God the Creation of the Earth that rather than God should not have the glory of it the Stars would have done it by breaking out into joyful singing Lastly As Birds praise God by their singing so Stars may be said to sing the high praises of God by their shining by their brightness by their motion by their influence for all which God is to be praised and glorified And hence we may infer If not only irrational but inanimate creatures sing the praises of God at least by giving occasion of his praise then how much more should men set forth his praise who are not only living but reasonable creatures and if creatures without life and reason should provoke mankind in general as having life and reason to praise God how much more should godly men be provoked by them to sing his praise they having not only life which Stars have not and reason which Birds and Beasts have not but grace which the most of men have not Among visible creatures Men have most reason because they have reason to praise God and among Men Godly Men have most reason to praise God because they have Grace And therefore as soon as ever David had said All thy works shall praise thee O Lord Psal 145.10 11. he adds in the next words and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdome and talk of thy power As if he had said As all thy works O Lord praise thee so Saints who are the choicest pieces
than humane he commanded his chair to be set on the Sea-shore at the time of flood and sitting down thus bespake that Element I charge thee not to enter my land nor wet these robes but the sea keeping on its course he rose up and spake in the hearing of all about him Let all the inhabitants of the world know that vain and weak is the power of Kings and that none is indeed worthy of that Name but he that keeps both heaven and earth and sea in obedience Thirdly Then tremble at the power of God who can let the sea loose upon us in a moment We tremble at the sea if it break loose then tremble at the power of God who can let loose the sea It is he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his Name Amos 9.6 Fourthly when the sea breaks bounds in any degree either when we see a storm at sea or a deluge at land let us go only to the Lord who onely can still the raging of the sea and put swadling-bands about it even as if it were a child God alone is to be invocated when the winds are tempestuous and threaten either a deluge at land or a wrack at sea Heathens invoked Neptune and Aeolus Popish votaries call upon St. Nicholas and St. Christopher Let us learn of the Disciples who fearing to be swallowed up of a tempest went to Christ and said Master save us we perish Matth. 8.27 The poor Mariners in Jonah called every one upon his God Jorah 1.5 but none of them called upon the true God It is Jehovah the Lord the true God onely that raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves of the sea and it is he that maketh the storm a calm Psal 107.24 25 29. Fifthly If the sea so vast and violent a creature receive the bridle from God and is bound up by him even as an infant in swadling-bands how much more should man receive the bridle from him The Lord saith to the sons of men hitherto shall ye come and no further hitherto your works and actions shall go and no further yet how do the men of the world over-flow and break their bounds The prophet makes this application clearly Jer. 5.22 23. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it but this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart they are revolted and gone As if he had said The sea doth not revolt against my command but this people doth they are more unruly than the sea All the wicked at best are like the troubled sea that cannot rest as the Prophet speaks Isa 57.20 How much worser then are they than the sea when they are at worst Lastly We may hence infer for our comfort If the Lord hath put bounds to the natural sea what unnatural sea is there to which the Lord cannot put bounds There is a five-fold metaphorical sea to which the Lord hath said hitherto shalt thou come and no further Or at least he hath said though thou come hither thou shalt come no further This the Lord hath said First To the sea of mans wrath The wrath of man is a grievous sea and of that David saith Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain Let men be as angry as they will let them be as stormy as a sea yet the Lord hath said hitherto shall ye come and no further For Psal 65.7 He stilleth the noise of the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people Yea great men raging like the sea are sometimes stopt by very small matters such as the sea-sands The Chief-priest and Elders of the people were offended at Christ and therefore questioned his Authority yet forbare to answer his question as they had most mind to do it for fear of the people Matth. 21.23 26. Secondly He bounds the sea of the devils rage The devil is a sea in bonds We read of a special thousand years wherein it is prophesied that Satan shall be bound Rev. 20.2 yet indeed he is alwayes bound else no man could live a quiet hour for him nor have any rest from his furious temptations and vexations but his professed slaves and votaries Thirdly There is a sea of Affliction which we meet with in this world the Lord bounds that also and saith hitherto it shall come and no further 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it Fourthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of prophaneness and ungodliness in the world that 's a sea that would over-flow all and that is a sea fâ—r whose over-flowing we have cause to pour out floods of tears Hence that prayer of David Psal 7.9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end Did not the Loâ—d put an end to the prophaneness and ungodliness of men they would be endless in prophaneness and ungodliness The unjâ—st knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 That is he is never ashamed of any injustice but would go on to do unjustly and wickedly in infinitum who knows how long Fifthly The Lord sets a bound to the sea of error and false dâ—ct ine the Lord saith Hitherto shalt thou c me and no further Error would be as extravagant and boundless as the sea if the Lord did not bound it Epiphanius in his treatise of heresies alludes to this Scripture for the comfort of himself and oâ—hers when he saw such a high-grown sea of error broken in upon the Church As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do such ungodly men withstand the truth of Christ but saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.9 They shall proceed no further Did not the Lord give a stop to the spirit of seduction that goeth out from the Devil and the false Prophet it would bring in a deluge of delusions upon the whole world and as Christ himself hath fore-warned us Matth. 24.24 deceive if it were possible the very Elect. But there is a bar and a bound for this sea also though they come hitherto to this and that person with their errors to this and that point of error yet they shall proceed no further and here even here their proud and poisonous waves shall be stayed JOB Chap. 38. Vers 12 13 14 15. 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days and caused the day-spring to know his place 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be
about to frame and O how many how exceeding many or innumerable are they yet God saw not onely some or many but every one of them It was said by one of the Ancients upon this place Profundum mâ—ris deuâ— ingreditâ—r quâ—ndo visitare mentes etiam pressâ—â— sceleribus non dedignatur Greg. l. 29. c. 7 God goes to the depth of the sea as often as he goeth into the depth of mans heart and beholds what is there And there â—e beholds not onely the great but small beasts as the Psalmist calls the fish of the sea that is not onely great but small lusts and foolish imaginations the huge multitudes and shoals of vain thoughts which swim and play in that wide sea of mans heart are distinctly seen and as distinctly judged as if but one were there Thirdly From the scope of this place note That seeing we cannot search into the depth of the sea it should stay our curiosity in searching into and stay us from discontent when we cannot find the depth of Gods Counsels concerning us and of his Providences towards us There is a dutiful search into the Works of God David speaks of it Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all those that have pleasure in them They are sought out that is they who have pleasure in them do and will endeavour soberly to search them out as much as may be but let all take heed of searching them wantonly or presumptuously that is either to satisfie their curiosity or with an opinion that they can reach the depth of them The Lord would have us satisfie our selves in the ignorance or rather nescience of those natural things which he hath not made known to us Surely then which is as hath been said the scope of this Chapter we should be satisfied though we in some cases know not nor can perceive the reason of Gods providential dealings either towaâ—ds particular persons and families or his Church in general Will any wise or sober man vex and disquiet himself will he be angry and pettish because he knows not all the secrets of the earâ—h and sea as some say Aristotle the Philosopher was to death and drowning because he could not find out the reason why the sea in one place ebbed and slowed seven times in one day Why then should we be impatient because the reason of Gods proceedings with the sons of men or of the strange ebbings and slowings of things in the sea of this world is secreted and hidden fâ—om us And therefore when we are not able to enter into the springs of this sea nor to walk in the search of this depth let it not trouble us but humble us as it did Job to whom the Lord put these questions and proceeded to put more and more hard questions if harder can be in the next words Vers 17. Have the gates of death been opened or revealed unto thee Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death Here is another strange question Who among the living hath had the gates of death opened to him Oâ— hath viewed the doors of the shadow of death We read often in Scripture of the gates of death Psal 9.13 Num illius profunda quae verè dixirim mortis regiam c. rimatus es Bez. Psal 107.18 and which is all one of the gates of the grave Isa 38.10 but who knows what these gates are yet we may say something towards the clearing of this question A gate in strict sense is that by which we are admitted into any place and so the gates of death are That whatsoever it is by which we enter into death or go into the black hall of the grave Again The gates of death are any great and eminent danger Then we may be said to be at the gates of death when our lives are in great hazard to be lost either by the violence of enemies or by any violent sickness In the former sense David spake in way of supplication Psal 9.13 Have mercy on me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death that is from deadly danger In the latter he spake by way of narration in his elegant description of the sick Psal 107.18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near unto the gates of death that is they are ready to die or sick unto death And thus said King Hezekiah upon his sick-bed and as he thought a little before upon his death-bed Isa 38.10 I shall go to the gates of the grave I am deprived of the residue of my years that is of those years which I might have reckoned upon as mine according to the common account of mans life or the usual course of nature These are the more general gates of death and about these all agree But there are several opinions what should be specially intended by the gates of death in this place Portae mortis sunt causae corruptionis quantum advirtutes corporum â—â—lestium Aquin. in loc First One riseth very high saying that by the gates of death we are to understand the visible heavens because the heavenly bodies send down sometimes malignant influences which have a mighty power to corrupt the bodies of men here below so causing death to carry them away Thus he imagins death issuing out of the clouds as out of opened gates upon men on earth But that 's a far fetcht interpretation Secondly Oâ—hers go to the utmost contrary point and say by the gates of death we are to understand Hell The Papists give a description of several receptacles for souls departed under the earth they make at least three distinctions First Limbus Patrum The place where they affiâ—m the souls of the Fathers were before Christ came in the flesh and had accomplished the work of our redemption here on earth Secondly Purgatory the place where the souls of all that die not in mortal sin as they distinguish are reserved to be purged by temporary punishments before they can get to heaven Thirdly The lowest of all is that which we call Hell the place of the damned whither all go say they and we too who die in sin without repentance This place of torment some take for the gates of death But seeing the Lord is here speaking of natural things not of moral actions not of the consequents of them rewards and punishments therefore though we may truly call Hell the gates or power of death yet that notion as well as the former is altogether heterogeneal in this Text. Thirdly Several expound the gates of death in connection with the former verse for the depth or bottom of the sea where many dead carcases lie rotting all such as are cast away by shipwracks or die at sea being usually thrown into the deep and therefore at last the sea shall give up her dead as well as the earth Fourthly The gates of death
that is the Lord marks and hits the fittest time to come in and help his out of trouble Thus as they who reserve things do it till a season of using them presents it self so God reserves the snow and hâ—il till he hath a season an opportunity to use them what that is himself as was said expresseth in the Text it is The time of trouble or of straits When trouble comes straits come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad tempus arctum vel Angugustiae and great troubles reduce us to great straits and compel us to say as that good King Jehosaphat did 2 Chron. 20. We know not what to do The Septuagint render The time of the enemies that is when I am resolved to punish or destroy my enemies The word signifies both trouble and an enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tempus hostis Sept. and both may well be comprehended under one word seeing no trouble is more troublesome nor can put us to greater straits than the appearance of a powerful enemy which was Jehosaphats case when in a time of trouble he cried out We know not what to do And this notion of the word as taken for an enemy falls in clearly with the latter clause of the verse Against the day of battel and war As if the Lord had said When my enemies come forth against me these are the Weapons this the Ammunition which I at any time can and often do make use of in the day of battel and war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praeliuci The word rendred battel signifies to aâ—proach because in a day of battel enemies or opposites approach one to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vesci and charge each other The word rendred war springs from a root signifying to eat because the sword of war is a great eater and devours the bodies of men Now when God breaks forth in anger against obstinate sinners his enemies and brings any sore and destroying judgement upon them he is said to have war with them or to make war against them Who would set the briars and thorns in battel against me saith the Lord Isa 27.4 So then Both the time of trouble and the day of battel and war spoken of in this Text are the time and day of the Lords wrath and vengeance declared against his implacable and incorrigible enemies Snow and hail are treasured up and reserved against this time of trouble against this day of battel and war Hence Note First God hath a check upon all creatures He reserves or stops them as and as long as himself pleaseth He can prohibit snow and hail and command them not to come As they will surely come at any time if he commands them to come so if he commands them not to come till such or such a time they will not come till then The soveraignty of God is absolute over the creature When Nebuchadnezzars understanding returned to him then he praised and honoured him that liveth for ever Dan. 4.34 whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and confessed vers 35. that he doth according to his will in the army of heaven that is the Angels the Sun Moon and Stars as also the Meteors Snow and Hail c. all or any of these are the army of heaven an army raised in the heavens in this army God doth according to his Will as well as among the inhabitants of the earth Secondly Observe God is very patient he doth not presently take vengeance nor bring trouble though he be alwayes provided for it and able to do it As he retaineth not his anger for ever so he restraineth it long because he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 As mercy moves the Lord speedily to receive repenting sinners into favâ—ur so it prevails with him to be very slow in sending judgements upon those that are impenitent The Lord reserved or kept back the waters of the flood a hundred and twenty years from drowning the Old World though as they provoked and even dared him to do it every day by their presumptuous sinnings against his warnings so he was able to do it any hour or moment of the day Thirdly Note Trouble hath its time or season There is a time for every purpose under the Sun Eccl. 3.1 Men have times for their purposes and so hath God much more for his he hath his times for quietness and times for trouble And as sin is the cause and sourse of all trouble so when sin is ripe trouble is ready When men have filled up the measure of their sin then God pouts down trouble upon them or makes it a time of trouble that they may taste and see and be convinced how evil and how bitter a thing it is to sin against the Lord. The Amorites were full of iniquity when God spake to Abraham Gen. 15.16 but their iniquity was not full and therefore their time of trouble the time when their Land spewed them out to make room for the Children of Israel was not till a long time after Fourthly Note Times of trouble are specially known to and appointed by God As he reserves his stores of vengeance for those times so he knows those times Wise Princes reserve stores against that evil time of war c. yet when that evil time will be they know not but to God all times are known David said Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hand that is my times of peace and trouble of joy and sorrow are at thy dispose thou cuttest out my times not onely as to the length or shortness of them but as to the form and condition of them Now if the Lord disposeth and ordereth our times what they shall be whether troublous or prosperous then he must needs know what times will be times of trouble Fifthly Note Present impunity is no assurance of future indemnity to sinners Judgement is but reserved and the instruments of it snow and hail c. kept up for a while Prodigals and spend-thrifts may boast but the date of the bond will come out and then an arrest comes Let sinners remember the instruments of divine vengeance are only reserved they are not broken nor cast away and whosoever are found in sin their sin that is the punishment of their sin sooner or later will find them out Numb 32.23 As God sometimes defers to give out mercy to his faithful people but never denies it them so he often defers the trouble of the wicked but never they continuing to do wickedly acquits them from it The Apostle Peter prophesying of false teachers who shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and shall bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2.1 saith of them also v. 3. Whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not Though all seems to be well with them at present and hâ—th been so a long time yet their misery is certain it neither
to sinners to be treated with for peace But if any think to make peace with God in any other way than faith and repentance by any other person than Christ Jesus at any other time than the time of this life we must receive another Gospel before we can give them any assurance shall I say or the least shadow of a hope that they shall do so JOB Chap. 38. Vers 24 25 26 27. 24. By what way is the light parted which scattereth the east wind upon the earth 25. Who hath divided a water-course for the over-flowing of waters or a way for the lightening of thunder 26. To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is on the wilderness wherein there is no man 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth THe Lord still proceeds by way of interrogatory with Job In this Context he puts many questions First About the Light Secondly The Wind. Thirdly The Waters Fourthly The Thunder Vers 24. By what way is the light parted Job was questioned at the 19th verse concerning the light here the question is renewed or repeated yet surely no needless repetition There are many things considerable in the light chiefly these four First The Nature of it Secondly The Original or Spring of it Thirdly The Communications or Effusions of it Fourthly The Effects of it or what it works The former two were chiefly intended in the former question at the 19th verse namely the Nature of the Light and the Original of it here the Lord enquires of Job about the Communications or Effusions of light as also about the Effects of it which are the two latter As these things both singly considered and laid together aâ—e an argument of the divine power and providence so of mâ—ns weakness and ignorance who as he is not able to withstand them so not to understand fully what they are or how cau ed as this question doth imply By what way is the light parted The word which we translate parted signifies to put things into distinct portions As if the Lord did give ouâ— several portions of light to several parts of the earth or upon several occasions By what way or means saith he is this done There is a twofold interpretation concerning the light First Some understand it of the lightning Qua parte lux fulguris erumpat Tygur Qua parte erumâ—at ignis Bez. Rab. Levi. so the Tygurine Translation In what part doth the light of the lightning break forth Mr Beza renders By what way doth the fire break out Lightning breaks out like fire One of the ancient Rabbins calls the light here intended A dry and hot exhalation which saith he is therefore called light or receives the name of light because it doth easily conceive light or take fire as tinder and touchwood such a kind of light is the lightning And the lightnings come often from the East Christ assures us while he saith Matth. 24.27 As the lightning coming out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of man be Taking light to lightning the sence is Knowest thou how it comes to pass thâ—t the lightning should so forcibly break out of the cloud in a thunder-storm and raising the East-wind Qua ratione fiunt corescationes fulgura procellae ventorum concertatione nisi per me Jun. make such a hurry such a tempestuous confusion in the air by diverting t e course of that strong Wind and suddenly scattering it all abroad into the several corners of the World Knowest thou how these mighty commotions are made unless by me by my power and orders Some insist much upon this Interpretation taking the light for the lightning of which the Lord speaks expresly afterwards at the 35th verse of this Chapter and of which Elihu had spoken before in the 37th Chapter Our Translators and many others take light here strictly for the light of the Sun Knowest thou by what way the light is parted either from the clouds or from the darkness Knowest thou how the light is parted into several Climates and Coasts of the World This parting of the light may be considered First As there is a new proportion of the light provided every day for as it was shewed before we never have the light two days together in the same state but more or less shorter or longer The light is longer in one part of the year every day and shoâ—ter in another part of the year every day This change or parting of the light is a glorious work of God who so divides the light according to the time of the year that every day hath a portion and yet no day hath the same portion Potest de luce proprie accipi quatenus illâ— sic in tempestate dividitur ut in aliqua coeli nubes luceant lux salis omicet in aliis densis tegatur nubibus Scult Secondly The light may be said to be parted by the power of God at the same time or upon the same day while in one Coast it is cloudy and in another clear yea within our own view we may behold the Sun shine in one place and not in another Some judge this the most profitable sâ—nse because so there is a clearing of this Text from what went before Nor is it an easie thing taking this meaning of the words to answer the question here put to Job How the Lord parts the light in the same day and at the same time in our view making it shine in one place and not in another But whether we understand the Text of parting light from darkness at the Sun rising or of parting the light at any time of the day after the Sun is risen the matter is not of much importance By what way is the light parted Having observed several things about the light vers 12. I shall onely give these two brief notes from the words under hand First God disposeth and dispenses the light where he willeth The light is a most sweet pleasant creature to behold and the Lord takes the guidance of it into his own hand he parts it he proportions it out as himself pleaseth And as this is true of aerial light so of a better light than that which shines in the air though that be an excellent light the light of the Gospel The work of God is as wonderful I may say much more wonderful in parting and dividing in distributing and proportioning the light of the Gospel than it is in distributing and giving forth the light of the Sun Doth he not at the same time cause that light to shine upon one place while it is darkness in another As he made aereal darkness to be a plague in the Land of Egypt while it was light in Goshen so he leaves many places under spiritual darkness while others enjoy that blessed light in a clear and constant shining And as
duly given Mat. 18.18 Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Where man binds in Gods way God binds too and where man looses in Gods way God looses too but take it either in natural or spiritual things it is not in the power of man to bind where God looseth nor to loose where God bindeth Canst thou loose the bands of Orion If God appoint cold to bind the earth man cannot loose it and if God will bind man with the cords and cold iron of any affliction man cannot free himself In the hottest natural season of the year man may be in cold providential bands and under them he must abide till the Lord breaks the frost and set him free It is said of Joseph Psal 105.17 18 19. He was sold for a servant his feet were hurt with fetters he was laid in iron or as the Margin reads it His soul came into iron But how came he out did he himself loose the bands of that Orion who cast him into prison surely no the Text tells us otherwise he lay fast enough in bands until ver 19. the word of the Lord came the word of the Lord tryed him But what was this Word of the Lord some say it was the word of God to Pharoah in a dream concerning the seven years of plenty and famine which may be said to try Joseph none but he could interpret it that may be said to unloose his bands because it was the occasion of his deliverance and advancement But I rather conceive the word that came was the word of Gods decree and promise made to Joseph in a dream for his advancement above all his brethren Gen. 37.6 7 8. When once the time came that this Word of God must come to be fulfilled then the bands of Orion were loosed for then saith the Psalmist ver 20. The King sent and loosed him even the Ruler of the people and let him go free And as it was with Joseph so with Job and so will ever be If the cold winter blasts of any adversity bind up our comforts either in our callings or relations there is no unloosing them unâ—il the word of the Lord come Solomon giveth this counsel Eccles 7.13 14. Consider the work of God that is his working in the world The reason of this counsel follows For who can make that strait which he hath made crooked Solomon intends this specially of the dealings of God in the world not that there is any crookedness or unrighteousness any iniquity or injustice in the ways of God but he means by crooked that which is troublesom and grievous Now if God himself make a thing crooked till he himself make it strait it is not in the power of all the men in the world to do it The moral sense of that Text is the very same with the point in hand If God bind who can loose There is no striving no contending with the providences of God we must deal with and apply to God himself for the altering of them we cannot alter them our selves we must desire him to mend his work we cannot This Solomon plainly intimates in the next or 14. verse In the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider in a time of adversity things grow crooked and awry from what we would have and desire or from what is comfortable to us for God hath set the one over against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him Sometimes he makes things crooked sometimes strait sometimes he gives a day of prosperity sometimes of adversity that no man may be able to say directly what shall be next And seeing there is no loosing the bands of Orion till God himself loose them therefore let all who are companions in tribulation say one to another as they in a like case are represented Hosea 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath wounded and he will heal he hath torn and he will bind us up Oâ— as this Text speaks He hath bound us and he will loâ—sen us Thirdly From both the paâ—ts of the verse considered together these negatives upon man must be resolved into affirmatives as to God He can bind the sweet influences of Pleiades he can loose the bands of Oâ—ion Whence note God can both stop the ordinary course of our comforts and deliver us from our troubles when he pleaseth God can stop those things from comforting us and those persons from shewing us any favour whose dispositions are as benigne to us as Pleiades are to the earth and he can give us favour in their eyes who naturally are as churlish as Nabal and as sharp as Orion to the earth He can make a Wolf a Shepherd and those a safety to his servants whose hearts were to swallow them up The earth shall help the woman that is the worst of the world the Church God made Ravens feed Eliah 1 Kings 17.4 And he said of Cyrus whom he calls a ravenous Bird Isa 46.11 He is my Shepherd Isa 44.28 Thus the Lord looseth the bands of Orion And when he hardens their hearts against us who formerly were tender towards us or when he turns their hearts to hate us who formerly loved us and shewed us favour then the Lord may be said to bind the sweet influences of Pleiades What sweet influences of favour did the people of Israel receive from Pharoah and the Egyptians at their first coming thither and long after yet afterwards what grievous Task-masters were they to them their favours were all restrained and changed into yokes and bands whence was this The Psalmist answers fully Psal 105.25 He that is God turned their heart that is the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people to deal subtilly with his servants and cruelly too Thus the Power and Name of God is both wayes magnified Whenas we have the most benigne Pleiades dropping down sweet influences upon us God can stop them and when we have the hardest bands of Orion upon us the Lord is able to loose them This glory is due to God in all the changes which we meet with in this world whether from good to bad from the favours to the frowns of men or from bad to good from their frowns to their favours from their bands to their embraces all is of God And I conceive the scope of God in these questions was chiefly to bring Job to that conclusion The next verse bears the same sense Vers 32. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season or canst thou guide Arcturus and his Sons This also is a denying Question Canst thou thou canst not bring forth Mazzaroth in his season The word rendred to bring forth is applyed First to the birth or bringing forth of children Gen. 15.4 Secondly to the earths bringing forth flowers fruits Judg. 13.14 Thirdly to the rising of the Sun or
canst thou guid them as a Father guids his Family his Wife Children and Servants canst thou direct them their course how or which way to go Some think he useth the word guid because this constellation represents the form of a Wain or Wagon and is by us commonly called Charles-wain or the greater Bear Canst thou guid Arcturus That 's another Constellation seated in the Northern Pole notably conspicuous to us in a clear night 'T is the Sea-mans mark or guid The Lord who guids that Star hath made it a guid to the Sea-man in the night by looking to that he knows how to make his course Canst thou guid Arcturus With his Sons Some read Arcturus and her Daughters Master Broughton and her Children We render in the Masculine Gender and his Sons There is one principal Star and several other Stars that stand as Children about their Father or Mother and therefore the Lord expresseth them by that familiar Allusion Arcturus and his Sons canst thou guid them Hence Note First The Stars have a Guid a Governour The Stars move as directed God himself is the guid of the Stars not Man As a Shepheard guids his flock in the fields so the Lord guids the Stars in that spacious field of the heavens yea he names and numbers them as a Shepheard doth his flock Psal 147. He telleth the number of the Stars and call's them all by their names The Prophet exhorting the people to lift up their eyes on high that is to the heavens presently adds and behold who hath created these things Isa 40.26 that is the heavens and the fuâ—niture of them he bringeth out their host by number that is the host of the Stars As an Army is enrolled and numbered how many thousands they are so doth the Lord bring forth that host by number and calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth There 's not one of the host of heaven not one of the Stars that faileth but comes forth at Gods call and appears as it were in rank and file when and where the Lord gives command Thus the Prophet speaks of the Stars as Gods host and of the Lord as a Commander or General of an army knowing their number nature place and office mustering and marshalling them oâ—dering them out upon service as he pleaseth And whereas in the best disciplin'd armies of men many fail when drawn out to service some for fear others through unfaithfulness not a few through weakness and sickness here 's neither weak nor sick neither an unfaithful nor a fearful one in this host not one faileth Nor doâ—h the Lords memory fail for he calls them all by their names which shews the perfect remembrance and exact knowledge which the Lord hath of them all It is reported as a wonder Plin. lib. 7. c. 24. Valerius Maximus lib. 3. c. 7. of Cyrus King of Persia that he having a vast Army yet knew them by face and was able to call every man by his name What then shall we say of this wonder The Lord who guideth Arcturus and his Sons who leads out this innumerable Army of the Stars knows every one of them by name and sends them forth by name upon what enterprise or service he pleaseth The Lord having questioned Job about those four eminent and well known Constellations Pleiades in the Spring Orion in the Winter Mazzaroth in the Summer and Arcturus with his Sons in the Autumn to convince him that as he was not able nor any man else to alter the natural motions or courses of the Stars so that neither he nor any man else was able to alter the course of his providence The Lord I say having done questioning Job about these four notable Constellations of heaven in special proceeds to interrogate him more generally about the whole heavens in the next Verse Vers 33. Knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven canst thou set the Dominions thereof in the earth Surely as thou knowest not the special laws by which I govern the Pleiades Orion Mazzaroth and Arcturus so not the general laws by which the heavens are governed Knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven The word here rendred Ordinances is often rendred in the Psalms statutes laws decrees knowest thou the laws or statutes of heaven The word rendred heaven is of the dual number as Grammarians speake because in what part soever of the earth any man stands the heaven is cut in two parts as to him by the Horizon whereof one part is over him and the other under him As there is a heaven above us so a heaven below us though wheresoever any man is on earth heaven is above him Knowest thou The Ordinances of heaven Now the Ordinances of heaven may be of two sorts First Those which God hath given to the heavens The heavenly bodies move according to his constitutions who made heaven and earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly Those which the heavens give to the earth or to man on earth The heavens may be said to impose their laws upon the earth men being guided and directed by the changes and motions of the heavens how to order many of their motions and actions on the earth those especially which concern the earth The heavens give these common laws as I may say to men concerning the earth First When to Till the earth Secondly When to cast their Seed into the earth Thirdly When to reap and gather the fruit of the earth When to perform any part of Husbandry to the earth is known only by the heavens that is the heavens by their motions and vicissitudes shew men the seasons of doing these and these works on earth And if men obey not these laws of heaven nor observe their seasons they loose all their labour and cost bestowed on the earth Again when he saith knowest thou the Ordinances of heaven the meaning may be this Are the heavenly bodies disposed or impowered by thy wisdome hast thou given them vertue to work upon inferiour bodies I hast thou made the statutes by which they are governed or by which they govern That 's the Lords Prerogative Hence note First The heavens are under a law they have their statutes They are under a law in a three-fold Respect 1. In respect of their motion how and whither they shall move 2ly They are under a law as to their influences where and on whom they shall drop them down 3ly Which necessarily follows the former They are under a law as to their effects and operations upon the Creatures whether for good or for evil The heavens can neither hurt nor help us but according to higher order This threefold law may be understood in that one Scripture Jer. 31.35 Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night Note Secondly What all the Laws and Ordinances of heaven
and resideth everlastingly in himself he now undertakes Job for the same ends by putting him questions about the living creatures and those of three forms or sorts First About the beasts of the earth Secondly About the fowls of the Air. Thirdly About the fish of the Sea The Lord gives particular instance or makes inquiry about thirteen kinds of living creatures whereof seven abide upon the earth five in the air one in the waters The seven creatures inquired about which abide on the earth are First The Lion Secondly The wilde Goat Thirdly The Hind Fourthly The wilde Ass Fifthly The Vnicorn Sixthly the Horse and Seventhly The Elephant under the name of Behemoth as is most generally conceived The five creatures inquired about that live in the air are First The Raven Secondly The Peacock Thirdly The Ostrich Fourthly The Hawk and Fifthly The Eagle Of the third sort namely such as live in the water or in the Sea Job is questioned only about one the Leviathan or the Whale a creature of a vast magnitude of so vast a magnitude that take all the other twelve creatures and joyn them together the Leviathan exceeds them all in magnitude as will appear in the description given of him at large in the one and fortieth Chapter The Lord in this latter discourse with or questioning of Job seems to descend or to put matter of easier resolution to him than he had done before and doubtless he doth yet he doth it for the greater and fuller conviction and humiliation of Job As if the Lord had said If O Job thou findest thy self puzled and unable to give any tolerable answer and resolution to the questions which I have proposed about the whole bulk or body of the earth and Sea or about those great things that are wrought in the heavens and in the air then consider how thou art able to answer my questions about these lesser things which are also near unto thee the beasts of the earth fowls of the air and the fish of the Sea The Lord even in these works makes manifest his glorious perfections far exceeding the reach and apprehension of man as well as in yea more than in those other works of his mentioned before There are two things especially of which the Lord would convince Job with respect to these living creatures First Of his care and providence in the provision that he daily makes for them Secondly Of his power and wisdom in the extraordinary strength and strange qualities which he hath bestowed upon them and indued them with in some of which they much surpass man the master-piece and master of the whole invisible Creation The general scope and aim of God in putting questions to Job about these living creatures seems to answer a secret doubt which some might have concerning his pâ—ovidence True the Lord governs the Heavens the Stars the Thunder the Lightnings the Rain but doth he look after things below Yea the Lords care and providence about inferior creatures is very great condescending to the very wilde beasts of the earth Ego qui omnio justa dispensatione procuro circa te tantum O Job videbor injustus Philip. to the fowls of the air as also to the fish of the Sea and hence the Lord would have Job understand that surely he had a much greater care of him and of the affairs of the children of men Who can but conclude That if the Lord hath such a respect to these irrational creatures which live only the life of sence then much more hath he a care of man and among men of good men who are his children and of them most of all in their afflictions and troubles So that the Lord by these questions seems to bespeak Job thus How comes it to pass that thou shouldst so much as doubt whether I take care of thee or no when I take care of and look to the wilde beasts of the earth to the fowls that flie in the air yea to the fish that swim unseen in the Sea Or thus Am I thus solicitous to look after Lions and Goats Hinds and Vnicorns the Ostrich and the Peacock c. am I so careful to look after these creatures Vt disâ—at Job Deum non saevum esse in suos qui tam beneficus sit in feras Chrysost many of which are of very little use to man and some of them a trouble to man and dost thou think I will not have a care of thee learn therefore from what I now question thee about that I can never be cruel to thee or forgetful of my faithful servants who am mindful of the bruit beasts and ravenous birds This seems to be the general tendency of the Lords discourse with Job continued from the close of this 38. Chapter quite through the 39. a great part of the 40. and the whole 41 Chapter Having thus given a prospect of the whole I shall now proceed to the particular animals here named and to that first which is not only named in the order of the Text but is looked upon also as first in dignity a King among beasts the Lion Vers 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion The Lord speaks thus because the Lion is a beast of prey he liveth by hunting by hunting catching and seeding upon other beasts the Lion is a Nimrod in the world a mighty Hunter Naturalists say he is so curious in his diet that he scorns to feed upon any carcase that he hath not hunted and killed himself or that hath not been hunted by a Lion He will not touch a carcase that lies dead in the field but what he feeds upon is what he conquers and kills and that therefore it is here said Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion thou needst not he is able enough to hunt for himself Yet some Travellers report that there is a little beast called Jackal somewhat bigger than a Fox who usually doth that service for the Lion to hunt the prey for him and may be called the Lions Hunter Purchas Pilgr Mr. Purchas in that Book called his Pilgrimage â—â—â—s us this relation The Lion saith he hath the Jackal for his Vsher which is a little black shag-haired beast about the bigness of a Spaniel which when the evening comes hunts for his prey and coming on the foot follows the scent with open cry to which the Lion as chief hunter gives diligent ear following for his advantage If the Jackal set up his chase before the Lion comes in he howls out mainly and then the Lion seizeth on it making a grumbling noise whilst his servant stands by barking and when the Lion hath done the Jackal feeds on the relicks Thus far that industrious collector of observations from most of the remote parts of the world And though neither Pliny nor any natuâ—al Historian no nor any Interpreter upon this Text that ever I met with have given any intimation that the Lion hath such a servant
fill of them he fills the hungry with good things Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it God hath much respect to fill us with outward good things but much more to fill us with spiâ—iâ—ual good things open thy mouth wide and raise up thy desires after the things of heaven growth in grace encrease in faith and love in patience and holiness and I will fill it He that fills the appetite of the young Lions with natural food will fill the appetite of his Servants with spiritual food which is best of all they shall be abundantly satisfied with the goodness of his house and he will make them drink of the river of his pleasures Psal 36.8 He that fills the appetite of the young Lions will not send hungry souls away empâ—y We may rest in much assurance that God will deal well with us both for soul and body while he questions Job whether he would do that which himself only doth Wilt thou hunt the prey for the Lion or fâ—ll the appetite of the young Lions Vers 40. When they couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lye in wait This Verse gives a further discription of the Lion whether young or old Before we had them hunting abroad in the fields here we have them couching in their dens and abiding in their covert When they couch in their dens This couching or bowing down in their dens may be upon a three-fold account and so there is a three-fold interpretation of the words First Some taking the Lion for the old Lion and the young Lions for such as are very young interpret this couching as proceeding from weakness they couch in their dens as not being able to go abroad Secondly Others say they câ—uch in their dens only for rest and ease having tired themselves in hunting for their prey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprimit gestus hominis insidiantis alicui Drus Thirdly That they couch in their dens upon design to catch their prey thus the latter part of the Verse seems to carry it where 't is said they lyè in wait So then this couching in their dens is either from necessity as not being able to go forth or it is a couching in policy which I rather pitch upon They couch in their dens As if they were asleep as if they minded nothing but their ease yet even then they are busily minding how to catch their prey As if the Lord had said Hast thou O Job taught the Lion that art and cunning to lye couchant in his den that he may steal upon beasts passant and surprize them unawares They couch in their dens And abide in the covert to lye in wait The word rendred Covert signifieth a Tabernacle or Tent in which men abode for a time and is therefore here opposed as some conceive to the Lions dens or houses spoken of in the beginning of the verse Beasts say they are aware of Lions dens and so avoid them but they may pass unawares by the coverts and thickets where they lye in ambush But I suppose we need not be thus critical in distinguishing between dens and coverts both words may signifie the same place and thing or at least in both places Lions do the same thing Lye in wait It is said of the Lord himself Jerem. 25.38 he hath forsaken his covert as a Lion The meaning of the Prophet was to shew the Lords purpose to come forth and tear and rend his enemies by some sore judgment as a young Lion that rangeth about for his prey We read a little before at the 34th verse of the howling of the shepherds that is of the rulers and governours and of the cry of the principal of the flock that is of the wealthiest among the people When the Lion came forth of his covert there was a howling and a cry made why so the Lion came forth to destroy both sheep and shepherds Thus the Lord comes forth even as a young Lion full of wrath and fury to destroy the wicked He is sometimes like a Lion couching in his den and abiding in his covert but he doth it as the Lion To lye in wait This expression may have a twofold allusion First To Fowlers and Hunters who in some cases keep out of sight that they may with the more advantage take birds or beasts in their snaâ—es and toils For in vain saith Solomon Prov. 1.17 the net is spread in the sight of any bird Secondly To Souldiers who lye in ambush to surprize their enemy Thus do Lions They saith the Text couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lye in wait Here First Taking that interpretation of the words which supposeth the Lion lying down in his den through age and weakness Observe The strongest creatures are tamed anâ— weakened by age The Lion is the strongest among beasts yet he cannot always range in the fields and hunt for prey he must come to his den and keep house there 'T is so with men how strong soever they have been yet old age necessitates them at last to keep house and home All must submit to time and yield to those infirmities which old age inevitably bring upon us Time is called Tempus eâ—aâ— rerum The eater of things 'T is so also of persons that great eater will eat out the strength of the eater himself that is the Lion as Sampson called him in his riddle proposed to the Philistines Judg. 14.14 Time reduceth our strength to weakness our life to death Time confines us first to our chambers then to our beds and then to our graves The Lion must give over his hunting and couch in his den Secondly Taking the Lion as politickly abiding in covert and waiting for his prey Observe As the Lord gives much strength so much craft to some creatures There are creatures of little strength which have much craft others have little craft but much strength in some both meet together and among them we may number the Lion he is a crafty one as well as a strong one he hath his covert there he waits for his prey We may parallel men with beasts in this regard among them some are strong but not crafty others are crafty but not strong and not a few are both Such David compared to a Lion Psal 10.4 8 9. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God What will he seek after then the 8th and 9th verses tell us He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily set against the poor he lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den he lyeth in wait to catch the poor he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones Thus the subtle practices of a wicked man are set forth by the subtlety of the Lion He coucheth and croucheth
give deliverance to his people in the very nick of time when the months of their sorrow and burdens are fulfilled for he knows the number of them The children of Israel had long and sore bondage in Egypt but no longer than the months which were appointed for as soon as they were fulfilled their bondage was ended and they delivered mark how the Spirit of God records it to a day Exod. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred aâ—d thirty years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the h sts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt Nor doth the sacred Record leave it thus but adds vers 42. It is a night to be much observed or according to the letter of the Hebrew A night of observations unto the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt This is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations But Moses said in the former verse It was the self-same day Why doth he say here It is a night c And this is that night of the Lord c. The reason I conceive was this The word day may be taken largely for a natural day consisting of twenty four hours now because the four hundred and thirty years were fulfilled and ended at the beginning of that day the Jewish account of dayes beginning at evening â—herefore their deliverance began then and did not stay till the morning Thus exact is the Lord keeping his word not only to a day but to a piece yea to the very hour of a day And as the Lord gave that people deliverance just when those years were fulfilled according to that ancient prophecy so doubtless when the forty two months or which is the same the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for his witnesses prophecying in sack-cloth Rev. 11.2 3. shall be fulfilled then they also shall come out of their bondage from under mystical Egypt and Babylon Men have been long guessing at the fulfilling of those forty two months but may we not say to them concerning the birth of that prophecy in the same sense that the Lord doth here to Job concerning the particular time when the wilde Goats of the rock and the Hinds bring forth Canst thou number the months that they fulfil As the particular time of the Hinds fulfilling her months so of Sions fulfilling her months of sorrow in this world is a secret which the Lord hath reserved to himself and keeps fast lockt up in the Cabinet of his eternal counsels Knowest thou the time when they bring forth The Lord having thus questioned Job about the time of the bringing forth of these two creatures in these two verses proceeds to question him about the manner of their bringing forth or the painfulness of it Vers 3. They bow themselves c. These words are a description of the hard travel of the Hinds not of the Goats as Interpreters generally agree Bowing of the body is the posture of any creature in travel to bring forth As if the Lord had said Is it thou O Job that hast or I that have given them an instinct in nature to put their bodies as wilde as they are considerately into such a posture when their pains come upon them as may be most easeful for themselves and least hurtful to their off-spring by bowing their bodies to dilate the passages of nature and so by a natural Midwifry to deliver themselves of their burdens as followeth They bring forth their young ones The word rendred bring forth signifies to cleave asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè findo diffindo trajicio implying their extream pain in bringing forth or that it is to them as grievous as the rending and cleaving of their bodies could be So the word is translated Chap. 16.13 where Job making a lamentable complaint about his sufferings under the hand of God expresseth it thus His archers compass me round about he cleaveth my reins asunder Such torture have these poor creatures in bringing forth their young which is more plainly set down in the close of the verse They cast out their sorrows Which may be understood two ways First bowing to free themselves of their young ones their sorrows end or there is an end of their sorrows they are cast out Secondly Thus they cast out their sorrows that is their young ones are cast out which have put them to much sorrow grievous throws so may well be called their sorrows as Rachel called that child with which she had such hard travel Ben-oni The son of her sorrows Gen. 35.18 The word which we render sorrows signifies cords and bonds implying that these creatures are girded and bound about with extream pain until by the power of God in nature they receive deliverance Some are bound and girded with troubles in and from the world who yet are not sorrowful we through faith may even glory in tribulation Rom. 5.3 but they who are sorrowful are alwayes bound and therefore the same word signifieth bonds and sorrows They cast out their sorrows Hence note First Even wilde and savage creatures bring forth with pain This is part of that vanity brought by mans sin upon the creature of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 8.22 We know that the whole creation or every creature groaneth and travelleth in pain together until now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The creatures groan as bâ—ing laden with a heavy burden and they travel in pain as a woman with child to be eased and delivered of her burden even those creatures which in proper sense neither travel nor bring forth yet are said to groan and tâ—avel in pain by reason of the sin of man and therefore the Apostle â—aith They groan and travel in pain together that is all the creatures joyn in this They do not some groan others sing some travel in pain and others travel in or take their pleasure but they are all as it were sensible of their sad change and bewail it sadly and saith the Apostle they groan and travel until now or unto this now not as if their groaning did then cease when this was said but to shew that it had continued without ceasing until that instant now and so it will continue until the manifestation of the sons of God spoken of vers 19. As soon as man sinned the Lord laid that affliction on the woman In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Gen. 3.16 Now that which was first declared an affliction with respect to the woman is fallen upon all creatures in their degree they all are more or less pained in travel or travel in pain The sin of man hath brought sorrow upon the whole world even upon sinless creatures therefore man should pity poor creatures in their sorrows his sin having brought those sorrows upon them How vile then are they who meerly to satisfie their lusts encrease the sorrows of the creature
and cause them to travel more than needs in pain every day Secondly The Lord instanceth here in the Hinds for hard travel and Naturalists observe the Hind hath the sorest travel in bringing forth of any creature woman excepted And that the Hinds have very sore travel in bringing forth beside what Naturalists speak may be collected from those expressions in the Text They bow themselves they bring forth their young ones they cast out their sorrows That Scripture also intimates as much Psal 29.9 when among other wonderful effects of thunder The breaking of Cedars c. This is added The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to calve as if it did require the special help of God to give the Hinds ease and deliverance in the time of their travel The voice of God doth it that is Tunc officis ut cervae quae alioquin aegerrimè essent pariturae commodius pareant dum ante partum purgantur herba quadam quae Seselis dicitur faciliore ita utentes utero Jun. Plin. l. 8. c. 32. Arist l. 9 de Histor animal c. 5. Cicero l. 2 de nat Deorum either the thunder or some extraordinary power sent out for that purpose doth it And here we may consider the goodness of God even to this wilde beast in ordering her natural helps to ease her the more speedily of her grievous pains in bringing forth her young ones The natural Historian tells us concerning the Hind that she by common instinct a litle before she calves feeling her pains coming upon her seeks out a certain herb called Seselis feeding upon which doth exceedingly facilitate her pains in bringing forth Women who have understanding and reason as also the assistance of friends about them have many means for their ease in that hour of extremity but the Lord hath made this poor creature both Physician and Midwife to her self Further 't is reported of them that when they have brought forth they use the same and other herb to help themselves against their after-pains Once more Naturalists observe A partu duas habent herbas quae Aros Seselis appellamur Plin. l. 8. c. 32. that they usually bring forth at that time of the year when there is much thunder according to that before mentioned Psal 29. The voice of the Lord or thunder maketh the Hinds to calve For the Hind being of a fearful nature that dreadful noise doth so astonish her that it either makes her put out all her strength to bring forth or makes her less sensible of her pains in bringing forth That 's the second thing here considerable in Hinds their painful bringing forth They bow themselves they bring forth their young ones they cast out their sorrows Hence take this inference with respect to women who come under the like pains This should be a staff of consolation to them in the time of their travel If the Lord directs these creatures to the best posture and most proper means for their help and ease in that condition how much more will he take care of them especially of them who call upon him and trust in him We may well make that interpretation of the Apostles words 1 Tim. 2.15 She shall be saved in child-bearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety This early care of God for mankind is described Psal 22.9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly And again Psal 71.6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee St. Augustine applies this matter of the Hinds bringing forth to the spiritual birth First Because the time is unknown or known only to God when any soul comes to the new birth Secondly Because every soul which travelleth with this new birth boweth and humbleth himself greatly under the sense of sin before the Lord. Thirdly Because this new birth is usually accompanied with great and grievous pangs alwayes with the truth of godly sorrow The Lord having spoken thus of the Hindes bringing forth their young ones speaks next as I may say of the education and bringing up of their young ones Vers 4. Their young ones are in good liking they grow up with Corn they go forth and return not unto them This Verse holds out three things First The good plight of their young ones They are in good liking As if it had been said Though the Hinds have much pain in bringing them forth yet they are slick and fat as soon as or soon after they are brought forth The word which we render in good liking notes a growing into health and strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat aliquando valere incolumem esse Licet matres difficilem habent partum filii tamen salvi incolumes sunt beneque valent alii pinguescunt Drus Facti sumuâ— sicut consolati melius quam ab aliis somniantes c. Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ager unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sera agrestis Sed hic est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod in lingua Chaldaeorum extra denotat unde Barbarus geninalis syllabis Drus Mira est providentia Dei in subulonum himulorum nutricatione qui nullo custode nullo opilione reguntur sicut vituli haedi vel agni tamen pinguescum Codrec which we call recovering Isa 38.9 16. The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered c. And 't is said of Naaman 2 Kings 5.14 his flesh came to him or he recovered his flesh as the flesh of a little Child The same word is used Psal 126.1 When the Lord turned the Captivity of Sion we were like to them that dream which others translate thus and conceive it nearer the Oâ—iginal Text When the Lord turned the Captivity of Sion then we were like them that are fed and grow fat at the dugg and so are chearely or in a comfortable condition Thus the Hinds young ones grow fat lusty and strong As the Lord takes care for their bringing forth so of their bringing up he that maketh the Hinds to calve makes their calves of good liking too as he makes the Babe thrive at the Mothers breast so the Calf at the Hinds dugg And when they have a while grown fat at the dam's dugg then Secondly They grow up with Corn. They come to harder meat they soon leave sucking and feed upon corn Some read they grow up in the fields or by the field that is by that which groweth in the field Thus it is with our Children they are fed first at the breast spoon afterwards with flesh or any wholesom food According to every degree of life God provides sutable food the Infant shall have milk and when a little grown stronger meat As it is in spirituals when we are new born babes
bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn THe Lord still enquires after Jobs skill and knowledge in the book of the creatures In the former context Job was interrogated about the wild Ass whose freedom was there set out in opposition to the servitude of the home-bred or tame Ass Here the Lord puts the question about the Unicorn and sets forth his liberty in opposition to the servile labour of the Ox. Vers 9. Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy crib The Unicorns liberty is here described first more generally in two things First He will do no work for man Secondly He will receive no reward from man That he hath no mind to work for man is shewed in the first words of the verse Will he be willing to serve thee Will he be imployed in thy service And that he cares not to be fed or provided for by man that he looks for no reward from man is set down in the latter part of the verse Will he abide by thy crib Secondly The stubborn liberty of the Unicorn is described in this context more particularly by his refusal of that special labour which is necessary in husbandry or for the tillage of the ground in the whole compass of it and here are three parts of that labour set down all refused by the Unicorn First The ploughing of the ground in the 10th verse Canst thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrow He will not go to plough The second labour with which beasts are wrought in husbandry is harrowing the ground the Unicorn will not touch that as 't is said in the close of the 10th verse Will he harrow the valleys after thee No he will neither plough nor harrow he will do none of these works though he have strength enough to do them as appears vers 11. Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great or wilt thou leave thy labour to him The third part of husbandry about which beasts are used is the bringing of the Corn in or the home-bringing of it the Unicorn will lend no help to that work neither as is shewed in the 12th verse Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn Thus the Unicorn will neither serve in general nor do any of these particular services he will neither plough nor harrow nor bring home the seed The Unicorn is a beast unsubject to and unsubduable by man yet subject to God and by him easily subduable for as the Apostle spake in another case Phil. 3.21 He is able to subdue all things to himself We may conceive the scope and intendment of the Lord in putting these questions to Job about the Unicorn was to shew that if he could not time or reduce such a creature as the Unicorn to his Plow and Harrow then he must not think of bringing God to his bow who made both the Unicorn and man too Surely God will be at his liberty to do with man what he pleaseth do man what he can seeing the Unicorn will take liberty to do what he pleaseth notwithstanding all that man can do God will not be bound up to nor tyed by any mans dictates but remains soveraignly free for ever in all his dispensations Thus of the whole matter in general I shall now open the particulars mentioned about this unserviceable creature the Unicorn Vers 9. Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod alium esso significat Monoceros unicum habet cornu sed alium unde appellatio ejus The Original word translated Vnicorn denotes an animal high and stately It comes from a root which signifies to be exalted or lifted up and hence David Psal 92.10 testifying his assurance that God would lift him up out of his troubles and deliver him from his pressures compares his hoped for exaltation to that of the Unicorn My horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an Vnicorn I shall be anointed with fresh oil that is I shall have new and sufficient supplies of grace and gifts of joy and consolation This word Reem which in the Hebrew bears only that general signification Highness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Vnicornu Lat. is rendred by the Seventy in Greek Monoceros and by the Latines Vnicornis both which answer our English term Vnicorn the notation of all these words in the Greek Latine and English imports a beast with one horn whereas I say the Hebrew word imports only the highness or nobleness of that animal or beast intended under it Arist l. 2. de Hist Animal c. 1. Plin. l. 8. c. 21. l. 11. c. 37. Natural Historians in their descriptions of and discourses about the beasts of the earth make report of an Indian Ass with one horn as also of Indian Oxen with one horn which may therefore according to the sence of the word be called Vnicorns Our late Annotators seem to incline that by the word Reem here rendred Vnicorn is meant the wild Bull rather than the Unicorn because as the wild Ass is here oppos'd to the tame so the wild Bull seems to be oppos'd to the Oxe which is a tame creature And fitted for the service of man Numquid volet Rhinoceros servire tibi Vulg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquil. The Vulgar Latine translation reads it the Rhinoceros and so doth one of the Greek interpreters and in our English translation Isa 34.7 we put the word Vnicorns in the Text and Rhinocerots in the Margin The notation of which word Rhinocerot imports a beast with a horn of his nose or snout The Rhinoceros is a large beast near in bigness say some to the Elephant Basil in Psal 29.6 only shorter in his legs And the description or character which one of the Ancients gives of the Rhinoceros is very sutable to and doth fully correspond with that which the Lord gives here in this Text of that savage beast Reem by us rendred the Vnicorn For saith my Author The Rhinoceros is a proud imperious animal such as will not not be subject to man nor be brought to obedience living perpetually in desart places and securing himself from danger by his horn Further It is said of this Rhinoceros First That he is a mortal enemy to the Elephant Cornu ad saxa limato praeparat e pugnae Plin. l. 8. c. 20. whom he assaults fiercely and having sharpen'd or as it were whetted his horn at a ragged rock that his weapon may be fit for the bloody battle he wounds him under the belly where he knows the Elephant is most in danger that being his softest part Secondly Some to carry the sense of the word Vnicorn to this other creature say the Rhinoceros hath but one horn Namque gravem gemino cornu sic extulit ursum Jactat ut impositas taurus in astra
though women should turn Ostriches and forget their own issue yet will I not forget thee that is I will have thee in everlasting remembrance as it followeth in the next words of the Prophet vers 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me And as the Lord will not forget his Sion the Church nor leave her to the danger of being crusht by every foot so whatever is left to hazard or danger whether First by any unreasonable creature as here in the Text Or secondly by unreasonable and foolish men from whom to be delivered the Apostle begged earnestly 2 Thes 3.2 Or Thirdly which the wisest men with all their care and power and diligence cannot secure from danger and hazzard there is a wakeful eye of providence that will take care in all such cases especially in the last For when men have done their utmost to keep the foot from crushing us and the wild beasts from destroying us but cannoâ— then the care of God appears most in doing it And in the case of that double necessity when good men have done their best to keep us safe but cannot and bad men have done their worst to expose us unto and leave us in danger we may and must leave all to God who naturally takes care of all creatures and is the Saviour of all men both as to temporal and eternal salvation 1 Tim. 4.10 especially of them that believe Thus we have the first part of the description of the Ostrich who being so very foolish not to discharge her duty to her eggs God himself doth it his providence orders the Sun to warm them and the Sand to bring them forth And as the Ostrich is careless of her eggs before they are hatcht so she neglects her young ones as much when they are hatcht as is shewed in the next verse Vers 16. She is hardened against her young ones as if they were not hers This verse gives us a farther description of that Bird-beast the Ostrich by her unnaturalness to her off-spring having left her eggs carelessly to hatch or perish in the dust she is as careless of her brood when they are hatched when the heat of the Sun say some by the providence of God hath done one part of her duty to bring them forth she neglects the other part of her duty which is to bring them up and so the pains that she took in laying so many great eggs one tells us her nest is usually stoâ—ed with fourscore eggs others say with twenty the least say with twelve or ten seems to be in vain she taking no care of them not having any regard to them This the Spiâ—it of God expresseth in the beginning of the 16th verse She is hardened against her young ones she is as forgetful of her chickens if I may so call them as she was of her eggs Rabbie Abraham reads thus God hath hardened her against her young ones and the reason that he gives for it is because the word is in the Masculine Gender which cannot well agree with the Feminine her And we find it in an active signification ascribed to God Isa 63.17 Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non alibi quam hic Isa 63.17 occurrit ac penè idem valet quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hiphil obduravit Merc. O Lord said the Church there why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Nor is it any where else found in the whole Bible but in this place of Job in this sence the Rabbin expounds it here nor is it either an impertinent or an unprofitable sense For as God sometimes judicially hardens the hearts of men so he doth also naturally harden the hearts of some beasts and birds and makes them of a cruel disposition against their own kind and then they l t them sink or swim and expose them to the greatest danger without any the least provision for them The Septuagint or Greek Interpreters do not read as we She is hardned against her young ones but taking the same active signification of the ve b say thus She hardneth her young ones that is she doth not bring them up tenderly nor delicately but leaves them to shift for themselves and so hardneth them And the reason of that rendring may be this because there is no particle in the Hebrew expressing the word against we say She is hardned against her young ones but the preposition commonly rendred against is not in the Hebrew that saith only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conâ—ra non habeturin fonte ideo malui duriter habet aut tractat filios suos potius quam indurat se contra filios suos Drus She hardneth her young ones or She is hardning her young ones but the sense riseth much to the same point whether we read She hardneth her young ones or is hardned against her young ones for by being hardned against them or by using them hardly she hardneth them Many parents harden their children by being hard to them If we put the sense of both readings together it will make the matter more compleat she hardneth her young ones by hardning her self against them Our reading is full and clear She hardneth her self against her young ones or children so the word strictly taken signifies As though they were not hers Implying that the consideration of them as hers should have made her more tender of them yet she carrieth it as if she had no relation to them The Hebrew is For that they were not hers which here as in other parallel Scriptures is rightly sensed in our Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videtur hic positum esse pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut saepe alias Lamed pro Caph usurpatur sic erunt in carnem unaÌ„ i.e. quasi caro una Drus As though they were not hers As if it had been said she could not do otherwise nor worse by them if they were meer strangers to her or such as she had no title to She deals no better with them than as if they either were not hers or as if they were nothing to her and she no way concerned in them Such is that complaint of the Church Lam. 1. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by and see my sorrow is it nothing to you are you not at all concerned am I to you meerly as a stranger that you pass by and take no notice of my sufferings Thus the holy Ghost describes the Ostrich she is hardned against her young ones as though they were none of hers or as if she had nothing to do with them Hence note First They that deal hardly with others are hardened against them When Pharoah dealt so extream hardly with the people of Israel when he increased their number of bricks and denied them straw and made them serve with rigor he was extreamly hardned against them That spiritual judgement hardness of heart was deeply
lifts up her self that is her head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta tompus neck and wings on high that she may run the swifter she scorneth c. And this she doth when beset by those who would take her then she lifteth up her self on high that is as high as she can though as was said very high she cannot and then she casts back stones upon her persecuters Aelian l. 14. c. 20. Plin. l. 10. c. 1. And hence some conceive these words give answer to a secret or un-expressed objection For it might be said If the Ostrich which is of so heavy a body be likewise of so dull a wit having no wisdom nor understanding surely then she may be easily taken and destroyed Not so neither for God hath provided her a help against this time of danger and therefore though she be of a heavy body and have little understanding in other things yet she understands how to shift for her self she raiseth up her self as high as she can and fluttering with her wings which she holds up like sails to the wind she drives on amain though she keepeth still upon her feet Sublatis alis ut navigii velis cursu pernicissiono venaâ—ores deludit or riseth very little at any time above the ground and is therefore said to fly running or to run flying or in a sort to sail in the air very lightly touching the earth is yet she is somewhat lifted up and being thus lifted up She scorneth the Horse and his Rider As much as to say she can out-run them all and so cares not a straw for them let them do their worst she scorns them not because able to resist them or as if she thought her self stronger than they but because by help of her wings though on her feet she is swifter than they So that in plain course they can never overtake her and therefore not take her only by some slights and stratagems she is intangled and taken she may be over-reacht but she cannot be over-run And so swift is her course that is hath long since grown into a Proverb among the Arabians who thus signifie a man of great expedition in business He hath ridden upon the wings of the Ostrich What time she lifteth up her self on high she scorneth the Horse and his Rider Hence Note First Dangers put all creatures to their utmost shifts The Ostrich being heavy bodied hath no great mind to run and being short or weak-winged hath little power to fly yet when she must she runs to purpose she will not lose her life to spare her labour Great dangers make us do great thing Fear adds wings to our feet and makes a heavy body mount and fly rather than go The Ostrich in that case lifteth up her self on high Note Secondly Nature teacheth us to seek our safety above or on high Though the Ostrich cannot sore aloft in the air as the Eagle yet she lifts up her self as high as she can above the earth Some seek for safety by creeping into the ground and running into the holes of the earth Isa 2.19 Rev. 6.16 But the best way for our safety when we are pursued is by lifting up our selves on high and that to God to get into his power and mercy and goodness that 's our way and that 's our wisdom when we are hunted and pursued by our enemies I saith David Psal 121.1 will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help that is to God ver 2. When the Ostrich is thus lifted up she scorneth the Horse and his Rider Hence Note They who think they are out of danger despise danger The Ostrich looks upon her self as out of danger when she is on high and therefore scorns the Horse and his Rider Danger is not to be laughed at when we are under or within the reach of it but we may laugh at it when we are out of the fear of it Job 5.22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh Why because through the goodness of God thou shalt be provided against them and prepared for them A believer scorns the Horse and his Rider his swiftest and most eager pursuers because he can lift up himself on high or as the Prophet speaks Isa 33.16 He dwels on high his place of defence is the munition of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure he is safe from danger and out of gun-shot This makes him laugh at danger at trouble and the sword God who sitteth in heaven laughs at his enemies and hath them in dirision Psal 2.4 why because he knows they who oppose him can do nothing to annoy him they cannot ruin his kingdom nor hurt his servants how much soever they molest them he sits on high he is above all his enemies And as God lifted up in himself so a godly man lifted up on high in God upon the wings of faith and love scorns the Horse and his Rider For as the Apostle was Rom. 8.38 39. so he is perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor priâ—cipalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord that is they shall not be able to separate him either from that love that Christ bears to him nor draw him off from that love which he bears to Christ When once his soul is drawn up to a due height in believing he scorns all dangers and in all these things is more than a conqueror A man that is a conqueror much more he that is more than a conqueror may scorn all dangers and conquer them who think they have more than conquered him From this whole verse take these brief inferences First That which will not serve all turns may yet serve many turns We might chink the wings of the Ostrich were given her to no purpose because he cannot fly aloft nor make a lofty slight Pennae struthionis currentem sâ—lum adjuvani volatilem non reddunt yet they help her for another purpose they help her much in running though little or nothing in flying Secondly That which is very beautiful may not be very useful The Ostrich hath more beautiful wings than the Eagle yet makes little use of them We may in appearance be fit to do that which we cannot do Thirdly God doth not usually give all to one He bestows one thing upon this creatures and that upon another The Ostrich hath goodly feathers yet bad wings the Eagle hath no goodly feathers yet good wings One man excess in this gift another in that scarce any one hath all 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. All have not the same gift and none have all gifts that all may be kept in dependance upon God and be humble one towards another seeing they must be beholding one to another All men cannot do all things And though all
Doth the Hawk flie by thy wisdom Note It is by the wisdom and teaching of God that the Hawk flieth Not only hath the Lord put the general power of flying into the Hawk as into other birds but that special excellency to flie so swiftly and strongly so cunningly and artificially 'T is not so much the Faulconer who teacheth the Hawk as God then let us admire the wisdom of God in the properties of every creature It must be confessed that Hawks do strange things but but whence is it it is of God Doth the Hawk flie by thy wisdom canst thou manage the Hawk or bring her to thy Lure canst thou make her go off after her prey canst thou reclaim her at thy pleasure Thou canst not only God can And hence we may infer If the flying of the Hawk be from the wisdom of God then see the wisdom of God in the goings and doings of man The way of man saith the Prophet Jer. 10.23 is not in himself it is not in him that walketh to direct his steps the wisdom of the Lord doth it If the wisdom of the Lord orders the flying of a bird in the air surely then 't is the wisdom of the Lord which manageth the motions of men on earth he orders both the course and discourse of man when he pleaseth he can take wisdom from the wisest men and make even Judges fools Judges are supposed and accounted the wisest among men yet the Lord can befool them so that they shal not be able to see the things that belong either to their own peace or the peace of others The Lord who gives wisdom to beasts and birds can take it from men Doth the Hawk flie by thy wisdom That 's the general then follows a special instance concerning the course of the Hawk And stretch or spread her wings towards the South The word rendred South signifies the right hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auster meridies à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dexter dextra quasi plaga dextera quia versis ad orientem ad dextram partem est meridies Num edoctus à te accipiter novis plumis abjectarum veterum loco receptis alas Austro versus calore solis vegetandas expandit Bez. Aelian l. 14. c. 12. Accipiter tempore mutationis pennarum expandit alas suas ad Austrum qui est ventus calidus ut apertis poris veteres pennae dicidant novae renascantur Aquin. The South is so called because when a man turns his face to the East or Sun-rising then the South is on his right hand But why is the Hawk said to stretch forth her wings to the South we may expound it two wayes First Thus She stretcheth her wings to the South when she is upon the change of her feathers of which a touch was given before As if the Lord had said When the time cometh that the Hawk casts her feathers doth she by thy wisdom for that we are to take in stretch her wings towards the South as Naturalists tell us she doth for the cherishing of her new feathers The South wind being a warm wind opens the pores of the body and then the old feathers easily fall off and the new ones come on therefore when the Hawk loseth her feathers she stretches out her wings towards the South And as the wild unmanaged Hawks who are at their own liberty turn themselves to the South at such times so the Places where Faulconers keep Hawks to train them for service are built towards the South that the warmth of the Sun may help the growth of their feathers 'T is not unworthy our remembrance which some teach allegorically from this natural instinct of the Hawk helping her self more easily both to cast and recover her feathers A sinner in his natural state is so feathered as he comes from the old Adam that he had need to cast the old and get new ones Now if the sinner would do thus or when he doth thus he is taught by the wisdom of God not by the wisdom of the flesh to stretch himself towards the South that is towards the pleasant wind and warm Sun of the Spirit of God by which his old feathers of sin drop off and those new feathers of grace and holiness of faith and repentance of meekness and humility of patience and self-denial come on Thus man is feathered by the second Adam when he hath cast those of the first He turns himself to the South he applieth himself to Jesus Christ the Sun of righteousness whose blessed warmth fetcheth off his old black feathers and cloaths him with new and beautiful ones The Lord who teacheth the Hawk to stretch her wings to the South must teach us to stretch our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ that our old feathers may fall away and that we may be renewed by his Spirit Secondly There is another account given about the Hawks stretching her wings to the South for not only when the Hawk renews her feathers doth she return to the South but wilde Hawks that are at liberty living in colder climates use in Winter to change their quarters and turn to the South that is to those coasts which are more favoured by the Sun In australem plagam avolat hiberno tempore Plin. lib. 10. c. 8. Gesner de avibus Arenis etiam sole calescentibus accipitrem gaudere accepi atque in illas se mergere Codurc Accipiter dictus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi omnoculus Bold as they who write the nature of beasts and birds make report All kind of Hawks are tender and cannot well abide the Winter cold but get into the Sun and sometimes dust themselves in the sand when heated by the Sun as in very hot seasons they delight to bath themselves in water It is said that the Egyptians used of old to picture or represent the Sun in the shape of a Hawk First because the Hawk is a great lover of the Sun Secondly because of the lively heat and sp'ritfuness of the Hawk like that of the Sun Thirdly because of the longevity of the Hawk the Hawk is a long-lived creature Fourthly because of the quick-sightedness of the Hawk whence they called the Hawk All-eye And Lastly because of the swiftness of the Hawk The Hawk flies with such a speed as if he did emulate or would imitate the Sun The Hawk being thus like the Sun and such a lover of the Sun they shadowed the Sun by the figure of a Hawk all which may give us some intimation of the ground of what is here said That she stretcheth her wings towards the South Hence note God hath given irrational creatures a knowledge of what is most convenient for their own preservation Why doth the Hawk spread forth her wings to the South she finds it best for her and therefore doth Jer. 8.7 The Stork in the heaven and the Crane and the Swallow know the time of their coming Whither surely to some warmer climate
expects prayer in all such cases which if it be as it ought to be earnest and fervent is a striving a contending with him very pleasing and acceptable to him When the providences of God were grievous to Jacob and he feared they might be much more grievous to him the Text saith he wrestled with the Angel but how was that the Prophet Hosea tells us Chap. 12.4 it was by weeping and making supplication The Apostle useth the same expression Rom. 15.30 I beseech you brethren that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that is let you and I set our shoulders to it wrestling with God in the actings of faith for mercy This is a dutiful contending with God a blessed striving with God Let us strive so and we shall as Jacob did prevail with God and obtain the blessing We may warrantably and confidently venture upon this contention with God as for any other take heed of it so bear it why should we meddle to our hurt as the King of Israel cautioned the King of Judah when he would needs be contending with him 2 Kings 14.10 The Lord may contend with us and he will when we give him cause yet he hath assured his people that he will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth Isa 57.16 But we must humble our selves under his mighty hand alwayes as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 5.6 and not contend with him at all unlesse in the sense and way last opened It is as much our duty to let God do what he will what he pleaseth with us patiently as to do readily whatsoever his will and pleasure is Secondly In that the Text saith shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him Observe They who contend with God or are discontent with the works of God seem to themselves able to instruct and teach God That 's the thing at the bottom which the Lord would convince Job of Discontented persons seem to say unto God they could put things into a better way if they had the handling of them or that they could model the government of the world more equally if it were in their hands Such is the pride and sinfulness or the sinful pride of mans heart that he thinks himself able to instruct God and teach him to mend his work Some have been so arrogant and presumptuous as to say they could have mended some things in the natural fabrick of the world had they been the contrivers of it and many have said at least in their hearts where the fool saith there is no God that they could mend the providential fabrick or course of it Beware of these presumptions Remember it is our duty to be instructed by God to receive instruction from God Wo to those who would give him instruction Job 22.22 Acquaint thy self now with him and receive the law at his mouth that is the rule of all thy actions but do not give the law to him No man hath moâ—e need of instruction than he who thinks he can give instruction to God It is said proverbially when we see an inferior much more a smatterer in any Art or Science offer to controule a perfect Artist What A Sow or a Swine teach Minerva Sus minervam how much more may we say so of the most learned that controule God or contend with him about his works The works of God of every kind are so exact in every kind that it is impossible to find any real defect or redundancy in them To go about to mend them is to marr them to alter them were to deface them Those things which men call or count the blemishes of Gods works are the true beauty of them and what they contend with him about is the commendation of them and the glory of his workmanship And as at last Jesus Christ will Present the whole body of believers or the persons of all that believe to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 so he will at last represent the providences of God or his works of providence both in the Church and all over the world without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Only here will be the difference the Church will be presented not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing she hath had her spots and wrinkles and many such things But the works of God shall then be represented as never having had any spot or wrinkle or any such thing that is then it shall be made appear that they were always without spot or wrinkle altogether just righteous and perfect Further From the whole sentence in that here we have an intimation of mans contending with God and presuming to instruct him take these two inferences from it First There is much pride in the heart of man There would never be any contending with God were there not much pride in the heart of man For Prov. 13.10 only by pride cometh contention If so then where no pride is there is no contention There are indeed several other occasions of contention some out of covetousness others out of malice contend with their neighbours yet all may be resolved into this the pride of mans heart pride bears part with all the occasions and causes of contention It should be matter of great humiliation to us that our hearts are proud at all but that they rise even to such a hight of pride as produceth contention and trying Masteries as it were with God himself how should that humble us And if to contend with man our equal be a symptome of pride what is it to contend with God who is infinitely above all men Secondly Take this Inference from it There is a great deal of folly bound up in the heart of man If man were not vain and foolish he would not willingly do any thing that should have the least signification of a contention with God much less that which can signifie nothing else Solomon saith fools will be medling it is highest folly to be thus medling with Gods matters Again it is a sufficient proof of our ignorance and folly to attempt in any way to instruct God or teach him either what to do or how to do either when to do or in what measure to do or towards whom to do any of his works but they who are unsatisfied with the works of God and in that sense contend with him about them make an attempt always in some of these respects sometimes in all of them to instruct and teach him Is not their folly manifest to all men who are not as foolish as themselves Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that reproveth God let him answer it This second part of the verse is of near alliance to the former Contending with God is indeed a reproving of God These two Acts expound each other yet more distinctly to reprove supposeth First The finding of a fault Secondly A rebuke given for that
providence alone so here by the works of creation and providence too And this double instance is given in two great vast living creatures one of them the greatest upon the earth the other the greatest in the waters The first is Behemoth the vastest creature that breaths upon the earth who is described from the 15th vers of this Chapter to the end The second is Leviathan the vastest creature in the water who is described quite through the one and fortieth Chapter The Lord having spoken of many other creatures formerly in the forming and ordering of which his power and wisdom shine forth he reserved these two to close with that Job by the consideration of them might see what a poor thing himself was and how unable to grapple with the great God who made those great creatures for that is the general issue If God hath made such huge creatures as these then what a one is God! how mighty and powerful is God! what is the cause if the effects are such what is the fountain if we see such streams Such is the drift of God in this his last answer to Job and these are the parts of it We may sum up all in this brief here humane weakness and divine Power are compared together mans nothingness with Gods Allness or Alsufficiency that so man Job in special might be convinced and conclude that he could no more charge God with any fault than he was able to resist his power So then this whole oration or discourse tends to the confirmation of Job yet more in believing the irresistible providence of God which when he should well understand he would no more doubt of his justice nor accuse his judgements of severity nor would he any more desire to debate with God as he had done Nor can these things be pressed too often upon the holiest among men man being not only by nature altogether unbelieving but having so much unbelief mingled with his graces as sad experience teacheth him at all times especially in times of great affliction and temptation So much of the whole answer and the state of it now for the particulars Vers 6. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said Then That is when Job said he could not or he would not answer or had no more to answer Then the Lord answered or to go a little further Then When Job had humbled himself and said he was vile even then the Lord answered him and he answered him out of the whirlwind Then the Lord answered Job Not so much to his speech as to his silence for Job resolved to say no more yet the Lord answered and the Lord answered him Out of the whirlwind At the first verse of the 38th Chapter we read of this whirlwind and of the Lord answering out of it What a whirlwind is was there opened and several points of observation given from it which I shall not now at all touch upon nor meddle with and yet though the words in this 6th verse of the 40. Chapter are the very same with those in the first verse of the 38th Chapter yet from their placing and their repeating here we may profitably take notice of some things for our instruction Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said The whirlwind being here spoken of a second time 't is questioned by some whether this were a whirlwind of greater force or of less than the former or the same The ground of the querie is from a little variation which is in the Hebrew Text. In the 38th Chapter an Article is prefixt to the word whirlwind which say some intends the sence noting it to be a very vehement whirlwind But in the 40 Chapter that article is left out upon which they collect That this latter whirlwind was not so fierce nor so vehement as the former But this is only a conjecture nor can any thing be solidly grounded upon such Grammatical differences yea some notwithstanding that defect of the Article conceive the whirlwind here in this Chapter was more vehement than that in the former Chapter But I shall not stay about that Querie nor discourse any thing concerning the nature of the whirlwind which was toucht before at the 38. Chapter but shall Observe First God hath terrible wayes of revealing himself as well as sweet and gentle wayes To speak out of a whirlwind is a dreadful manifestation The whirlwind and speaking out of it notes a legal dispensation or a ministration of terror such as the Law was published in of which we read in the 19th of Exodus which was so terrible saith the Apostle Heb. 12. that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake The Lord hath his Mount Sinai dispensations in thunder and lightning and with a terrible voice and he hath also his Mount Sion dispensations in sweet and precious promises and Gospel-Ordinances he hath his beseechings his intreatings his wooings his invitings Divine dispensations vary 'T is said 1 King 1.6 in the History of Eliah that when the Lord appeared there was an Earth-quake and the Lord was not in the Earth-quake there was a mighty wind and the Lord was not in the wind there was fire and the Lord was not in the fire At last there came a still small voice and there the Lord was The Lord waved the dreadful manifestation of himself by winds tempest thunder fire Earth-quake and came only in a still voice The reason why the Lord doth thus variously dispense himself sometimes in a whirlwind sometimes in a gentle gale is to answer the several tempers and spirits of men where the spirits of men will not bow the Lord knows how to break and bring them down and where the spirits of men are already bowed and broken humbled and melted the Lord knows how to comfort and confirm them He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax And when it is said He will not break the meaning is he will bind up and strengthen the bruised reed And when it is said he will not quench the meaning is he will blow up and kindle the smoaking flax that is weak believers or souls afflicted under the sense of their own weakness and sinfulness or sinful weaknesses ' As t is a great part of the wisdom of the Ministers of the word to divide the word aright that is to give every one a portion sutable to his condition they must speak to some as it were in a whirlwind in the whirlwind of the Law they must speak to others in a still voice that of the Gospel they must threaten and terrifie some comfort and refresh others So the Lord himself deals he hath many wayes of humbling the creature and as many wayes of comforting the creature he speaks in a whirlwind as I may say when he threatens in the Law he speaks dreadfully sometimes by his providences and judgements there 's a voice in them he speaks terribly to us in our
draw in or hide his arm but when he delivered them then he was said to stretch it out Thirdly As the arm of God is for the protection and delivering of his people so for the destroying of his and their enemies God hath a destroying arm and of that Moses spake Deut. 33.27 The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee that 's sometimes the work of the everlasting arms of God and shall say destroy them Fourthly The Lord hath an assisting helping strengthning arm to carry us thorough any good work or duty which he calleth us unto Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is who hath received power to believe and do according to what the Lord hath revealed The arm of God works powerfully not only upon the outward man but upon the heart of man for the converting and saving of souls Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing The power of God put forth upon the inner man for full conviction and sound conversion is greater than any power that worketh upon for or against the body of man God hath a mighty arm for all these purposes and for many more even for as many as he is pleased to make use of it or employ it in And if any ask How mighty is his arm I answer No man knoweth how mighty it is only this we know It is Almighty What the might of Almightiness is who can understand Moses spake admiringly more than knowingly to this point Psal 90.11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger The anger of God is beyond comprehension and so is his love Who knoweth the power of his love We are exhorted Eph. 3.19 To know the love of God which passeth knowledge What the heighth depth length and bredth of divine love are anger no man knoweth nor doth any man know the dimensions of divine power The Apostle speaking of God as a Spirit saith 1 Tim. 6.16 Whom no man hath seen nor can see So we may say of God as powerful no man knoweth nor can know how powerful he is He must be as powerful as God who knoweth how powerful God is Only this we may say First his power is so great that he can do all things and he can do all things with ease There is nothing hard to God Hard things are easie to God Some things are hard and others easie to men but to God all things are alike Not only is nothing too hard for the Lord as he said to Abraham Gen. 18.14 but the truth is nothing is hard to him Secondly His power is so great that he can do whatsoever he willeth or hath a mind to do Job 23.13 He is in one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desireth even that he doth And as the Lord can and will do whatever he hath a will to do so to clear the point a little further we may boldly say he hath a will to do all things of these three sorts First He hath a will to do whatsoever he hath promised purposed or determined to do Now if we duly weigh what great things there are in the promises and purposes in the counsels and decrees of God to do in the world we may soon conclude with truth and sobriety that great things will be done in their proper times and seasons Secondly The Lord doth assure us he hath a will to do whatsoever we ask of him in faith and according to his will If we have a rule for our asking or if we ask by rule we have a Gods word for it that it shall be done and given to us according to our askings 1 John 5.14 And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is that is it only that he perceives or knows what we ask no his hearing is the granting and giving what we ask God is engaged by his gracious promise that his arm shall do all that we pray for right for the matter and aright for the manner in faith and in sincerity Thirdly It is the will of God to do whatsoever is for the real good of his people though possibly they ask it not It is the will of God not only to do what we ask but many times more than we ask As God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 so he actually doth for us much more than we ask or think The Lord expects we should pray for every good thing which he hath promised and therefore he had no sooner made many large and most gracious promises of doing great things for the Church with this assurance Ezek. 36.36 I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it But presently he adds vers 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them We should extend our prayers and our seekings to the utmost line of the word or our prayers should be commensurate both to prophesies and promises Prayer helps them all to the birth and they seldom bring forth alone And indeed prayer is nothing else in the matter of it but a turning or putting the promises into petitions t is a suing out the good of the promise Yet there are some good things in the promises which we cannot reach or at least are not mindful of There is a great latitude in the promises The Commandements of God are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 Who can find out all the duty of them And doubtless the promises are exceeding broad who can find out all the mercy in them The Apostle Peter 2 Epist 1.4 calls them exceeding great and precious promises they are exceeding good and they are exceeding great they are as great as they are good and who hath a heart great and good enough to see and sue out all the good and great things in them Now I say though possibly we ask not for all the good of the promise at least not expresly yet it is the will of God to do all that for us and to bestow all that good upon us which he hath promised He hath preventing grace his first grace he alwayes giveth unasked When he begins to manifest himself to a poor soul to bring him out of a state of darkness is such a soul begging this of God no he is running from and rebelling against God I am found of them that sought me not saith the Lord Isa 65.1 Now as they who are not the Lords receive grace to become his unasked so they that are the Lords through grace receive many mercies unasked God will not fall in giving all that he hath promised though we fail in asking some things promised His arm is powerful enough to do what he willeth and this is the will of
him I look upon the proud man and bring him low now let me see you do so too Canst thou with a look only abate their pride and bring down the pomp of man Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath Hence note First There is wrath in God God knoweth how to cast forth his wrath as well as to send forth his love Habet ira Domini suam energiam nunquam egreditur vana or shed it abroad as the Apostles word is Rom. 5.5 in the hearts of his justified ones by the holy Ghost which is given unto them The wrath of God saith the same Apostle Rom. 1.18 is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is such as we can neither First withstand nor Secondly avoid there 's no out-running no making an escape from it but only by Jesus Christ and therefore the Apostle gives that glory to him alone 1 Thess 1.10 Even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come There is a wrath to come which God will scatter over all this sinful wicked world blessed are they that are delivered from it Yea not only is there wrath in God but a fierceness of wrath terrible wrath such as will cause the wicked as was said before to run into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa 2.19 Let us mind this wrath and the fierceness of it and let us bless the Lord who hath sent Jesus Christ â—o deliver us from this wrath and from the fierceness of it When wrath shall be cast abroad upon the wicked world that it falls not upon the godly is the fruit of highest and freest love And though they sip of the cup yet that they drink not the dregs of it is rich mercy Psal 75.98 In the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he powreth out the same in this powring out possibly a godly man may drink somewhat of it especially in a time of common calamity but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them It is of the Lords mercy and because his compassions fail not that we are delivered from the fierceness of his wrath and from drinking the very dregs of the cup of his displeasure Consider further upon whom this wrath will be exercised Cast forth the rage of thy wrath behold every one that is proud and abase him This the Lord bids Job do to shew what himself usually doth Hence note First The Lord takes special notice of proud persons He beholds them he locks upon them As it is said Saul 1 Sam. 18.9 He eyed David from that day forward that is which was his great sin he cast a revengeful envious eye upon him Thus when the holy God seeth wicked men gâ—ow lofty and proud he eyeth and beholdeth them from that very day with an eye of just revenge or with a purpose to break them and be revenged on them God beholds them as I may say with an evil eye that is with an intent to bring evil upon them He saith David Psal 138.6 knoweth the proud afar off As it is said of the Father of the humbled Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion So God quickly spies out a proud man even a great way off and hath indignation against him or as we may rather expound the Psalm He knoweth the proud afar off that is a proud man shall never come near him he will not admit him into his presence much less into his imbraces To be known afar off is to be far from the favourable or respectful knowledge of God yea to those whom the Lord knows afar off in this world he will say in the next I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7.23 Secondly Note God is able to and will cast down proud men That which he would have Job do he himself as was said usually doth He beholdeth the proud and abaseth them he layeth them low Nebuchadnezzar that proud Monarch was brought to that confession Dan. 4.37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and honour and extol the King of Heaven all whose works are true and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase If men will be proud and lofty the Lord both knoweth very well how and is able very easily to bring them down And as he knows how and is able to deal with proud men so he desires and delights to deal with them above all sorts of sinners his greatest contests are with the proud Isa 2.12 13 14. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up in his own conceit especially and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan and upon all the high mountains c. What meaneth the Prophet by these is the Lord angry with trees and mountains These are but the shadows of great and proud men the day of the Lord shall be upon every one of them and his hand will be heavy upon them in that day Proud men look upon themselves much above others but as God is above them so he loves to shew himself ahove them especially when they shew out their pride As Jethroe said to Moses Exod. 18.9 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them God sheweth himself above all when he acts above proud men and acts them down in their proudest actings And as the Lord delights to bring proud men down so he will certainly do it he is resolved upon it He looketh upon every one that is proud to abase him The Angels that fell were proud they kept not their first estate but left their habitation they did not like the state wherein God had placed them and therefo e God cast them down and he hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 6. When man in Paradise began to be proud and would be more than God made him God made him above all earthly creatures but he would be as God as his Creator he would be as it were the founder of his own happiness pride and unbelief at once took hold of him and led him to his sin-fall and then followed his fall his judgment-fall God cast him down God abased him and not only that proud man but man-kind for his pride they being in him his pride was theirs And to this day God hath all along set his face against all proud men and the pride
Secondly Consider the wicked proud man as one whom God treadeth down Then Observe God punisheth sinners with that which is most crosse to their lusts What more crosse to a high-spirited man than to be brought low and who can be brought lower than he that is trodden down As God sometimes punisheth Drunkards with thirst and Gluttons with hunger and covetous persons with poverty There is one saith Solomon Prov. 11.29 that with-holdeth more than is meet he doubtless is a covetous man that doth so it tendeth to poverty So God punisheth proud ones by that which is most contrary to their nature he abaseth and layeth them low The Prophet tells us Isa 3.16 17. how the Lord would punish wanton women who were proud either of their natural beauty or artificial dresses and ornaments The daughters of Zion saith he are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinckling with their feet there 's their pride but what was their punishment the next words resolve us Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion and the Lord will discover their secret parts they were proud of that which covered their skin and therefore the Lord punisht them with scabs or covered their skin with scurfe and scabs and as there the Lord shews what he would bring upon so what he would take from them Vers 18. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet and their Caules and their round tyres like the Moon And Vers 24. it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning instead of beauty What could be more contrary to the pride of these women than that which the Lord brought upon them or punished them with What do proud women more desire than beauty and bravery And what do proud men look after but to be respected honoured and to have every one point the finger at them or bow the knee to them Now when the Lord blasts proud women in their beauty and bravery when he blasts proud men in their honour and estimation when he thus abaseth and treads them down he toucheth them in that which the spirit of pride prizeth most and with greatest regret parteth from Pride is a base height of spirit therefore the Lord abaseth the proud There are five words in the Text all tending directly to crosse the spirit of a proud man First He shall be abased Secondly He shall be brought low A proud man would fain be high he would sit at the upper end of the Table yea he would sit at the upper end of the World too but saith the Lord he shall be brought low Thirdly What would a proud man do He would tread upon the necks of all others but he shall be trodden under foot Fourthly Where would the proud man be He would be conspicuous in high places but he shall be hid in the dust Fifthly He would be lookt at by all men with admiration but saith God his face shall be bound in secret he loves to appear and make a fair shew in the flesh but he shall not appear at all .. Proud ones cannot get so high but God in his Justice will get above them and strip them of that wherein they have chiefly prided themselves Read Isa 14.11 12 13 14 24 25. and Isa 23.9 Those Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men according to their pride or rather contrary to their pride he gives them that which they most disgust and takes that from them which they most passionately desire Secondly Take wicked men in the common notion for those that do evil at the highest rate that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Then Observe First Wicked men that is impenitent sinners high-handed sinners are in a very sad condition and shall come to a sad conclusion The Lord will tread them down Psal 9.16 17. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands yea the wicked shall be turned into hell That is the utmost of sorrow and suffering shall be their portion Isa 3.11 Wo to the wicked for the reward of their doings shall be given them Isa 57.21 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked As the tumultuousness of their own spirits will not let them be at peace so neither will the righteousnesse of God Secondly From those expressions Tread down the wicked in their place hide them in the dust together bind their faces in secret Observe God will at last purge and rid the world of wicked men As wicked men would fain purge and rid the world of godly men they would destroy all the seed of the righteous so certainly God will destroy the wicked of the world and rid the world of them though not at once of every wicked man yet in their times and seasons that they shall not do the mischief which their hearts are full of The last of the Prophets speaks as much of the Lords vengeance upon all the wicked Mal. 4.1 The day of the Lord. speaking of some great day of the Lords appearance shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 'T is utter ruin to be destroyed root and branch such shall the ruin of the wicked be Thus also the Prophet Isaiah comforts the Church Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem the holy City for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean The wicked of the world are the uncircumcised they have not the spiritual circumcision the circumcision of the heart these shall no more trouble Jerusalem nor tread in Zions Courts Nahum 1.15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace O Judah keep thy solemn feasts perform thy Vows for the wicked shall no more passe through thee he is utterly cut off The Hebrew is Belial shall no more passe through thee That is such as cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ shall no more bring Judah under their yoke This is also witnessed by another holy Prophet Zech. 14.21 In that day there shall be no more the Cananite in the house of the Lord of hosts they shall no more mingle themselves with the faithful servants of God much less rule over them Canaanites have often been in the house of the Lord but the Canaanite shall not always be there God will sweep them out of his house Answerable to these prophesies speaks the last prophesie Rev. 21.27 Chap. 22.15 which
would confess that his own right hand could save him Note He that can destroy all others can save himself Illa facere posse seipsum salvare unius ejusdem sunt virtutis There goes no more to save our selves out of any trouble than to destroy all others The Apostle James saith Chap. 4.12 There is one law-giver who is able to save and destroy God is this law-giver he is able to do both and because he can destroy all he can save all and will save all that trust in him The devil is called a destroyer he is called Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek that is a destroyer Rev. 9.11 but he cannot destroy all if he could he would soon make sad work none should be saved There is but one law-giver who can save and destroy take away life and give life he can do the one as well as the other and both as often as he will The Lord hath an absolutely supream power over men and may dispose of them for life or death as he pleaseth even eternal life and death salvation and damnation are in his hand 't is therefore a fearful thing to fall into the hand the revenging hand of the living God Heb. 10.31 upon the neglect much more upon the despising and contempt of the covenant of life and peace by Jesus Christ as 't is said at the 29th verse of that Chapter Christ is the best friend and the worst enemy To him belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 and he hath the keyes af death and hell Rev. 1.18 Let us rejoyce with trembling before him who is able to save and destroy Secondly Note Man cannot save himself by the best of his power No not by his own right hand Man cannot save himself First from temporal evils he cannot save himself from sickness nor from poverty he cannot save himself from any danger that is ready to fall upon him nor can the strongest creatures save him Psal 33.17 A horse is a vain thing to save a man and man is as vain a thing to save himself a horse cannot deliver us by his great strength or by the greatness of his skill and wisdom Secondly much less can man save himself from spiritual and eternal evils While we consider First out of what misery we are saved Secondly from what mighty enemies we are saved Thirdly from whose wrath we are saved Fourthly what price was required that we might be saved Fifthly what mercy and grace were needful to save us we must needs confess that our right hand cannot save us spiritually and eternally Who can save himself out of the hand of that great enemy the devil and his legions of darkness who can save himself from that gulf of misery into which sin hath plunged us who can deliver himself from the curse of the Law or from sin the sting of death who can deliver himself from the power of his lusts from the pride unbelief covetousness and hardness of his own heart Our own right hand cannot save us from any of these evils The devil and the world are too strong for us and so is every lust and corruption of our own evil hearts Can we by any power of our own convert our selves or preserve our selves after conversion Can we get out of the Kingdom of darkness by our own power or put our selves into the Kingdom of light by our own poâ—er That we are either temporally or spiritually or eternally saved is all from the power from the right hand of God not at all from our own Unless we give all to God we take all from him He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 Salvation of every kind and the issues from every kind of death are of the Lord. Thirdly Note God can save alone or by his own right hand That the Lord would have Job understand and this we understand from other Scriptures Psal 17.7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness O thou that savest by thy right hand those that put their trust in thee This is one of Gods royal Titles Thou that savest by thy right hand Psal 98.1 O sing unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory Psal 44.4 Thou art my King of old commanding deliverances for Jacob. How easily can the Lord save with his hand who can save with his tongue and deliver by commanding deliverances Nor is it one deliverance only which the Lord commands but many yea any That Psalm gives it plurally commanding deliverances The Prophet speaks of this sole and solitary saving power of God Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man that is no man that offered any help and wondred that there was no intercessor that is no man to speak a good word for them therefore his arm brought salvation to him and his righteousness it sustained him And again Isa 63.5 I looked and there was none to help and I wondred that there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me This is it which was said before vers 3. I have trodden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me Hence we may infer First If the Lords right hand can save alone Then there can never be too few hands for God to save us by There may be sometimes too many for God to save us by but never too few Why because he can save by his own right hand The Lord said to Gideon Judg. 7.2 The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands they were so many that the sole salvation of God would not appear lest Israel vaunt themselves against me saying mine own hand hath saved me Though we have but little strength yet it may be too much for Gods purpose we being apt to boast our selves when we have any hands to save us as if our own right hand had saved us Secondly If God can save by his own right hand Then when we see none when we see nothing to save us by let us trust God alone If God be with us we have strength enough and hands enough with us It is all one with the Lord to save by few or by many yea by few or by none at all for his own right hand can do it Thirdly Then trust in Gods right hand alone for salvation how many hands soever you have at any time at work for your salvation This is our sin that when we have many hands to save us we trust in them rather than in the right hand of God The Lord often and usually makes use of mans hand to save us by Obad. ver ult And Saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Now though the Lord useth other right hands to save us by and to judge
Quoties de feris bestiis dicitur quod faenum comesturae sint sicut bos metaphoricè innuitur eos mansuefieri cicurari The same Prophet shadows the peaceablenesse of those Gospel times under a like Allegory Chap. 65.25 where having shewed Verse 24. the goodnesse and tendernesse of God in hearing the prayers of his people It shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and while â—hey are yet praying I will hear he presently shews how good and kind God who hath the spirits and passions of all men in his hand will make the most ruffe-spirited and passionate men to his people The wolfe and the Lamb shall feed together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Bullâ—ck That is they who were sometimes as fierce as evening Wolves shall quietly and sweetly converse with the Lambs of Christ c. Thus here the Lord speaks of the Elephant eating grasse like an Oxe to shew that though he be exceeding strong yet he is of an exceeding quiet and harmless disposition Non alitèr quam perparvuli catelli ex hominis manu gaudet cibum sumere Aelian cap. 9. 30. And Naturalists tell us he is so gentle and harmlesse that he will take meat out of a mans hand like a Dog or Spaniel Thirdly The Elephant is described by his strength Verse 16. Lo Now or Behold it is the same word As in the former Verse God awakened the attention of Job to consider this Beast in general with a Behold so here coming to particulars he reassumeth the same note of admiration and serious meditation Lo now or Behold His strength is in his loins He hath strength proportionable to his greatness And as Sampsons strength was symbolically in his locks so the Elephants strength is naturally in his loins there 's the seat of strength in most creatures His strength is in his loins that is he hath very strong loins and is therefore very strong the loins being as was said the natural seat of strength To gird up the loins to do a thing is to do it strongly A weak man a man of little strength is said to have no loins Elumbus sive elumbis quasi sine lumbis i. e. viribus Drus or to be if I may so speak a loinlesse man And hence the failing or shaking of the loins notes the failing of strength and want of spirits to atchieve any great thing David speaking of the woful condition of the rejected Jews and the curse of God upon them gives it thus Psal 69.23 Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and make their loins continually to shake that is let them alwayes be in a weak and low condition let them not gather strength nor courage The effect of which curse is evident upon that people at this day their loins shake they gather no considerable strength they do no considerable thing nor shall till they return to the Lord. It is said of the vertuous woman Prov. 31.17 She girdeth her loins with strength that is she is ready and able for any work or action within her sphere or becoming her sex Non rectè nostri quod de lumbis dicitur adlibidinema commodant cum Eliphas tradatur esse animal maximè pudicum Merc. And when the Lord called the Prophet to lay to heart the grievous evils of those times he saith Ezek. 21.6 Sigh to the breaking of thy loins that is sigh mourn and lament till thou hast sighed away all thy strength till thou art become feeble with mourning lamenting and sighing The Elephant is mighty and strong His strength is in his loins And his force in the Navel of his Belly As much as to say he is strong every-where he is strong in back and strong in belly The Navel is the strength of the lower parts of the body as the loin of the upper The Navel is as the center of the body there is a colligation or knitting of several veins and arteries which pass from thence into several parts of the body as Anatomists observe There is so much force in the Navel that it may well be called the second seat of strength When the Lord would encourage us to fear him and depart from evil he makes this a motive Prov. 3.8 It shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones that is thou shalt have much health and strength much comfort and sweetness in thy life His force is in the Navel of his Belly His strength is not in his horns to do hurt as the Bulls and Unicorns nor in his claws to tear as the Lions and Bears but in his Loins and Navel As if the Lord had said I have placed the strength of Behemoth where it may be most useful or serviceable and least hurtful I have endowed and furnished him with wonderful strength but how and where Not in any offensive part his head hath no horns his feet no claws to do mischief with but to the end he might be more serviceable to man in bearing burdens I have placed it chiefly in his Loins and Belly Yet saith the learned Bochartus This latter part of the verse doth not agree with the Elephant seeing both Pliny and Solinus teach us that the Elephant hath indeed a very hard skin upon his back but a soft one under his belly whence it is saith he that the Rhinoceros fighting with the Elephant aimes chiefly at his belly which he knows is his tenderest part He gives many other proofs of this as also that the Hippopotame hath a skin so extreamly thick and hard that 't is even impenitrable To this I may answer That though it be granted that the Hippop tame hath a very hard skin all over his body and not at all denied that the skin of the Elephant is softer by much under his belly than upon his back yet it cannot in my understanding be hence concluded that he hath not a great force in the Navel of his Belly For though he hath not a hardnesse there to resist the point either of a natural or artificial weapon yet he may have a force there enabling him to do mighty things 'T is rather from the compactness or well knitting of the Navel that he or any other like creature hath his force than from the hardnesse of it nor doth the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred force signifie any force depending upon the hardnesse of any part but that force which ariseth from the good constitution of the body Gen. 49.3 or from the plentifulnesse of a mans outward estate or substance Job 18.7 Hos 12.8 What the Elephants strength and force is appears yet further in that which followeth Verse 17. He moveth his tail like a Cedar Some take the tail properly Secondly Eâ—si caudam habeat quae magnitudine cedrum aequare videatur tamen eam fâ—cile movet Insignis hyperbole Merc. Sunt qui caudam hic putant appellari promuscidem Elephantis planè alienè
concerning his own self-sufficiency or absolute independency upon any creature either for councel what to do or for assistance in doing it Thus much is clearly affirmed in that question at the beginning of the 11th verse Who hath prevented me that I should repay him As if the Lord had said Let the man come forth that hath contributed any thing to me in any of my works or that hath given any help in the doing them and he shall be well rewarded for his pains Both these Inferences or Uses the Lord confirms by a grand Assertion or Maxime in the close of the 11th verse Whatsoever is under the whole Heaven is mine If all be mine then who can stand before me If all be mine then who hath prevented me that I should repay him This is the Application these the Uses which the Lord himself makes of the doctrine laid down about this creature the Leviathan These Uses close the third part of the description of Leviathan The fourth part of his description contains many particulars concerning his parts power and proportion as also the wonderful effects of his power all which are set down in highest strains of divine rhetorick from the 11th verse to the end of the 32. The second part of the Chapter I call the conclusion and it flows naturally from the whole foregoing discourse in the two last verses of it Vpon earth there is not his like the Lord said concerning Behemoth He is the chief of the wayes of God that is upon earth and here he saith of Leviathan Vpon earth there is not his like no not Behemoth himself he is made without fear he beholdeth all high things he is a King over all the children of pride Thus far concerning the state and parts of the whole Chapter in which the Lord hath this general scope even to humble Job yet more As if he had said That thou O Job maist see and be convinced of thy presumption in pleading with me look upon Leviathan consider whether thou art able to deal with him if not how canst thou deal with me who made him and can both master and destroy him when I will Thus the Lord makes his triumph over creatures mightier in outward force than man to the intent all men may know they shall certainly fall and be utterly confounded if they lift up themselves against God All which will appear further in opening the description of this Leviathan Vers 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook For the clearing of these words and towards the clearing of all that follows I shall shew First the signification of this word Leviathan or what it imports Secondly what kind of creature this Leviathan is or is conceived to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Additus adjunctus The word Leviathan is derived from an Hebrew root which signifies added to or joyned together When Leah had brought forth a third son to Jacob she called his name from this word Levi and said Now my Husband will be joyned to me because I have born him three sons Gen. 29.34 And it is supposed that this creature is so called upon a double respect First Because of the fast-joyning or closure of his scales vers 15 16 17. Secondly Because he is so great of body that he appears as if many bodies were joyned and knit together in his And because the Hebrew word for a Dragon is Thannin some have conceived that the last syllable in Leviathan is a contract of that and added to Levijath as implying that in one Leviathan many Dragons were conjoyned But I rather adhere to that learned Author who takes Leviathan to be a simple not a compound word and saith That the last syllable than belongs to the form of the Nown Leviathan sinuosum est animal in pluros spiras volubile Bochart as in Nehushtan c. And he finds the root of the word Leviathan neither in the Hebrew nor in the Syriack but in the Arabick language where it signifies to wind plight or fold together fitly intimating the crooked winding postures and motions of that animal called Leviathan But what is this Leviathan First Most of the Ancients both Greek and Latine turn this Scripture wholly into an Allegory expounding as Behemoth before so here Leviathan wholly of the old enemy of mankind the Devil 'T is true that many things here spoken of Leviathan are applicable to the Devil but to bring all to that sense is doubtless a forcing or straining of the Text. Others who prosecute the Allegory apply it to bad Princes who having great power use it for the oppression and vexation of those that are under their dominion Nor can it be denyed that the King of Babylon was intended by the Prophet under the word Leviathan Isa 27.1 2. as Pharoah King of Egypt is expresly called Tannin or a Sea-Dragon Ezek. 29.3 and Chap. 32.2 Hebraei grandiores omnes pisces sc cetacei generis hac voce significari putant Merl. Secondly Several of the Jewish Writers expound Leviathan not of any particular species or sort of fishes but in general of all great fishes Thirdly The most general and hitherto most received opinion concludes Leviathan to be among all fishes the Whale in particular Fourthly Beza of the former age and in this Bochartus confidently assert that Leviathan is the Crocodile The general reason given for it by them is because what is here spoken of Leviathan is not every way sutable nor agreeable to the Whale and they who expound Leviathan by the Whale are as confident that several things here affirmed of Leviathan are not agreeable to the Crocodile What my own apprehensions are in this matter of difference whether the Whale or the Crocodile be intended by Leviathan I have already declared at the fifteenth vers of the fortieth Chapter where the Lord begins to present Behemoth purposing also in the same continued speech to present Leviathan to the consideration of Job in the liveliest colours and highest expressions of divine eloquence for his yet fuller conviction and humiliation There I say the Reader may find my thoughts about this matter yet in opening the Text I shall touch at most of those particulars which the learned Bochartus takes notice of either as more clearly or as only applicable to the Crocodile leaving the Reader as was there said at his liberty to deteâ—mine his own thoughts where he sees most reason and fairest probability For it must be confessed that there are no small difficulties in making out the common and hitherto most received opinion that Leviathan is the Whale as will appear in our passage through this Chapter and therefore I dare not be very positive much less tenacious in it For though it be an unquestionable truth and to be received and to be as the matter of an historical faith because God hath said it that there is a living creature in the compass of nature exactly answering every particular in the following description
of the Leviathan yet it is questionable what that creature is and to say the Crocodile is meant by Leviathan or the Whale is meant by Leviathan is only matter of opinion and the judgment of man Vers 1. Canst thou draw out Leviathan Our Translators say in the Margin a Whale or a Whirle-pool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Septuagint render Canst thou draw out the Dragon As if by way of eminence Leviathan were the chiefest and greatest among all that are or may be called Dragons And say some the word Leviathan is the same with Thannin which in the Hebrew signifies a Dragon Insomuch that these two words Thannin and Laviathan are taken in Scripture promiscuously Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads Thanninim of the Dragons in the waters we put Whales in the Margin Arias renders the Text so then followeth in the next verse Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces c. meaning in both verses Pharaoh and his Captains who pursued Israel not only to but into the Red-sea and were drowned Thus also these two words are used Isa 27.1 where Leviathan the piercing or crossing the sea like a bar Serpent even Leviathan the crooked Serpent whom the Lord will punish with his sore and great and long sword as 't is said in the former part of the verse is the same with the dragon that is in the sea whom he will slay as 't is said in the latter part of the verse Some of the Jewish Writers distinguish these two only in growth or greatness defining Leviathan to be a great Thannin or Dragon But as the word Thannin doth so signifie a Dragon that yet it is often applied to signifie Whales and Sea-beasts because they in some sort resemble the form and flectuation of Dragons thus 't is said Gen. 1.21 that on the fifth day God created great Thanninim Whales Now I say as in Scripture the word Thannin is rendred Whale so Whales and such like great fishes are in Scripture expressed by the word Leviathan And in one place possibly in more nothing else can be understood by the word Leviathan but the Whale or fishes of the Cetacean or Whale kind The Psalmist being wrapt into an admiration of the works of God or rather of God in his works speaks thus Psal 104.24 25 26. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them them all The earth is full of thy riches So is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Now though it be granted that in some places of Scripture oâ—her animals and for instance the Crocodile of Nilus may be understood by Leviathan yet in this place of the Psalm the Crocodile cannot be understood For the Leviathan there spoken of abides in the great and wide sea where the ships generally go Now though Nilus may be called a Sea as Lakes and great Rivers sometimes are in Scripture yet it cannot be called the great and wide sea 't is at most but a small and a narrow sea and therefore we find the river of Egypt that is Nilus and the great sea distinctly and distinguishingly mentioned Josh 15.47 So then it appears that the Whale is somewhere meant by Leviathan And forasmuch as there is an Emphasis put upon the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm he being there called That Leviathan as if it had been said though there are other Leviathans such as are Dragons Crocodiles in other great waters yet the chief and great Leviathan of all is an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Now seeing the Leviathan described in Job hath such characters given of him as plainly shew that he is the chief Leviathan it may with fair probability be supposed that he is the Leviathan spoken of in the Psalm and if so then the Leviathan in Job cannot be the Crocoâ—ile for the Crocodile is not an inhabitant of the great and wide sea Facetae ironicae sunt interregationes quae habentur quinque primis versibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogativum rectè suppletur ex collatione proximè sequentium Pisc Let that be considered as to the negative and what the whole Text in Job holds out for the affirmative I shall leave it to consideration as I pass through the several parts of iâ— Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook The first thing considerable in Leviathan is the greatness and vastness of his body which as was said is plainly intended in these words Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook or his tongue wâ—th a cord which thou lettest down As if the Lord had said Thou canst draw up some great fishes with a hook and line and if it should be told thee there is a fish so big that no man with hook and line is able to draw him out of the water thou wouldst say that must needs be a huge fish now such a one at least is Leviathan This the Lord would convince Job of in putting this question Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook Thou canst not Leviathan is too heavy for thy draught The interrogation is a negation Canst thou thou canst not draw out Leviathan with all thy strength if thou hadst the strength often men thou couldst not draw him out Little fishes yea very great fishes may be drawn out but Leviathan cannot he will break all thy tackling Further Canst than draw out Leviathan with a hook and line No nor with a cart-rope As if we should say to a man canst thou knock down an Oxe with a fillip of thy finger No nor with the force of thy fist And as this question Canst thou c. implyes that man cannot so it seems to intimate that God can as easily take up this huge Leviathan as any man can draw up a small even the smallest fish with hook and line or play with it in the water As he that made Behemoth can make his sword approach unto him Chap. 40.19 so he that made Leviathan hath a hook to draw him out with Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down If the fish bite the hook takes him by the tongue or jaws The Hebrew word is Canst thou take him with a cord which thou drownest That which is let down deep or far into the water may be said to be drowned in the water Unless the line or cord of the angle sink deep into or be drowned in the water the hook is useless and therefore the Angler hath a lead fastned upon his line to make it sink deep as well as a cork or quil to keep it from sinking too deep Canst thou draw out his tongue with a cord which thou drownest or lettest down Vnum hoc animal terrestre linguae usu caret Plin. l. 8. c. 25. The mention
great things and we should use means proportionable for the doing of every thing You cannot batter down a stone wall or a strong tower with paper-shot nor with a pot-gun no you must plant cannon for that service Again when this Scripture saith Canst thou draw out Leviathan The emphasis as was shewed before in opening the words lieth in the word thou As if the Lord had said thou canst not but I can Hence note The Lord is able to do the greatest things by smallest means Leviathan to God is but as any little fish to us which is taken with a hook and line To take up Leviathan to do the greatest thing is as easie to God as the least to man As the power of God supplyeth all the weakness of the creature to do any thing so it surpasseth all that strength and greatness of the creature which may seem to hinder him from doing any thing with it or upon it He saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body how shall he do this according to the working of his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself The Lord can doubtless subdue Leviathan to himself by the working of that mighty power which subdueth all things to himself And it is much more easie for Christ to subdue any Leviathan than to change our vile body into the likeness of his own glorious body For as Jesus Christ was once declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection that is his own resurrection from the dead so he will again declare himself to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of power by our resurrection from the dead He that can draw our dust out of the grave with a word can soon draw Leviathan out of the deepest gulf in the Sea by his hook and cord This may comfort those and strengthen their faith who at any time see Leviathans ready to swallow them up as the Whale did Jonah As the Lord prepared that great fish to swallow up Jonah Jonah 1.17 so he commanded that great fish to deliver him back safe again or as that Scripture saith Chap. 2.10 He spake to the fish and he vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Both were acts of great power and teach us that the Lord hath a soveraign commanding power over all even the greatest creatures The Lord hath a hook for Leviathan He had hooks for Pharaoh The great Dragon in the midst of his Rivers Ezek. 29.3 4. And of him the Lord commanded the same Prophet to speak in a like notion Ezek. 32.2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh and say to him thou art like a young Lion of the Nations and thou art as a Whale in the Seas and thou camest forth with thy Rivers and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their Rivers therefore I will spread out my net over thee and they shall bring thee up in my net I have a net for thee saith this Chapter I have hooks for thee saith that other The Prophet Isaiah to engage the Lord to do some great thing for his Church minded him of what he had formerly and anciently done for Israel Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes as in the generations of old art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon This Rahab was Egypt and the Dragon was Pharoah as Interpreters generally agree The Psalmist reports the dealings of God with Pharoah and Egypt in language nearer that of the Text Psal 74.13 14. Thou breakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness that is the remembrance of that mercy and of the mighty power of God in destroying Pharoah and his Egyptian Host who pursued them after their departure from Egypt to the red Sea was to be food for their faith in all the dangers and hardships which they were like to meet with in their travels through the howling wilderness to the Land of promise Take one Scripture-instance more 2 Kin. 19.28 Sennacherib was a Leviathan he came up against Hezekiah to destroy him and his people which provoked the Lord to speak thus of him Because thy rage against me is come into my ears therefore I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and turn thee back by the way thou camest Thus far of the first thing in the description of Leviathan his greatness The second part of his description sheweth the stoutness and stubbornness of his spirit he will not comply he will not yield he will not any way submit This is laid down in the 3d 4th and 5th verses Vers 3. Will he make many supplications to thee The word in the Hebrew properly signifies deprecation Precamur bona deprecamur tantum mala which is prayer for the turning away of evil when evil is near then we deprecate it Will he do this not he He will not petition thee he scorns to petition thee or to cry for quarter But it may be said can fishes pray or make supplications to do so is at least the work of rational creatures I answer Per Prosopopoeian tribuit ei orationem these words are to be understood by that figure Prosopopoeia frequently used in Scripture when acts of Reason are attributed to irrational yea to senseless and lifeless creatures The very hills and valleys the Seas and waters praise God by a figure and here by a like figure Leviathan will not make supplications unto man which shews the stoutness of his spirit As some prisoners taken in war scorn to ask their lives so if Leviathan were taken with a hook he would make no supplications nor beg your favour so stout is he his heart is too great his stomack too big for any kind of submission Will he make many supplications unto thee no he will make none at all This is further expressed in the latter part of the verse Will he speak soft words to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollibus vel blandis vâ—rbis aut sermonibus Pisc Mr. Broughton renders or Will he speak to thee tenderly Will he flatter or humour thee that he may get loose or be freed from thee When the Gibeonites Josh 9.9 were afraid they should be taken and destroyed they came and begged peace they spake soft words There are words of two sorts Some are very hard words and hard words wound like hard blows And though no blows are given The Lord will come to execute judgement upon the ungodly for all their hard speeches Jude vers 15. Many speak words as hard as stones they throw hard words at the heads and about the
to Joshua Josh 1.5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life What a promise was here to a man Joshua was indeed one of the worthiest warriers that ever was upon the earth and may well be reckoned not only one of but the cheif or most worthy among the nine Worthies of the world seing no man could stand before him nor should in way of opposition all the days of his life Now if the Lord promised such a power unto Joshua and made it good that none should be able to stand before him all the days of his life then who among the children of men shall be able to stand before God The Prophet Malachy speaking of Christs coming Chap. 3.1 saith Behold he shall suddenly come into his Temple even the Messenger of the Covenant But what follows ver 2. Who may abide the day of his coming If there was such a terribleness in Christs coming in the flesh as to the spiritual power and effects of it that the Prophet saith Who may abide the day of his coming O then who shall be able to stand before Christ when he shall come in glory to judge the earth If they could not abide the day of his coming when he came with refiners fire and fullers sope how will they be able to stand before him when he cometh with consuming fire No man can stand before God in any of these four ways First In his own wisdom to plead it out with God If we plead with God our wisdom will be found foolishness and we our selves shall be confounded as fools The Lord saith Job Chap. 12.17 maketh the Judges fools Judges are usually full of wisdom yet God maketh even them fools God in strict sense maketh none nor would he have any made Judges but the wise yet he himself can make the wisest of them fools And if so then there is no standing before God in our own wisdom Secondly There is no standing before God in our own strength or power Our strength is but weakness yea rottennâ—ss to his as the Prophet speaks Isa 5.24 Their root shall be rottenness and there blossome shall go up as the dust Thus it is with all flesh if they stand in their own strength their root which is their strength shall be as rottenness and their blossome which is their beauty shall go up as the dust Thirdly There is no standing before God in our own righteousness to be acquitted accepted and justified There are many deficiencies and flawâ— in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it there is much unrighteousness in our righteousness therefore we cannot stand before God in it and how righteous if I may so speak soever our righteousness is or may be yet we cannot stand before God in it because he hath appointed another righteousness or the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus Christ for us to stand before him in So then if we would stand before God all these must be laid down we must lay down our own wisdom we must become fools that we may be wise we must lay down our own strength we must become weak that we may be strong and we must lay down our own righteousness and look upon our selves as guilty creatures as condemned persons as cast and lost in our selves we must have nothing but the wisdom and strength and righteousness of God to stand before God in that is we must stand before God by faith God is not terrible to such they may stand before God the poorest sinner may stand before God in the wisdom and strength and righteousness of Jesus Christ Thus we may answer the question Who can stand before me saith God I can stand before thee saith a believer I can stand before thee with boldness being quit of self-wisdom strength and righteousness and looking to Christ Jesus for all How sweet how gracious and how delightful is the presence of God to an humble believing soul to a broken-hearted sinner The Lord saith I will dwell with such a one he shall not only come and stand before me but I will come and sit down with him I will take up my abode in an humble soul in an empty soul Who is able to stand before me saith God None can in their own wisdom strength or righteousness but in Christ we may From hence we may more than conclude Fourthly That there is no standing before God in our sins God is terrible to sinners that is to those who continue in the love and practice of their sins God is of purer eyes than to behold and approve evil David having spoken of those Psal 1.1 that stand in the way of sinners saith at the 5th ver there is a standing for them in the Judgment They that stand in the way of sinners cannot stand at the Judgment-seat of God Job said Chap. 13.16 A hypocrite shall not come before him that is he shall not come with acceptance before God Though hypocrites will thrust themselves into the presence of God yet they shall not come before him though now an hypocrite may come before God in any outward performance yet not with any acceptance and to be sure he shall not come before God in glory and if he shall not come before him how can he stand before him The Lord will even blow him away Only they that fall down before God are able to stand before him We must fall down before God in a sence of our own vileness and wretchedness and then we shall be able to stand before him and to behold his pleased face by an eye of faith A stout sinner shall never stand before him It is said Zech. 3.1 Joshua stood before the Angel of the Lord. He had much ado to keep his standing why because the Devil stood there to resist him and pointed to his filthy garments but the Angel pleaded with the Lord to take away his filthy garments and when they were taken away then he was able to stand before God It is said Zech. 4.14 which is conceived to be meant of Joshua and Zerubbabel These are the two anointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth And as they in the type so all that are Olive-branches that have the pure oil of the Spirit may and shall stand before God We become Olive-branches in Christ having the oil or the graces of the Spirit sent down into our hearts according to the promise Holy and humble souls Olive-branches they that are full of the grace and Spirit of our Lord Jesus shall stand before God but as for man himself that is man in himself in his own wisdom strength or righteousness above all in his sins and unrighteousness can never stand before God If he cannot stand before Leviathan how can he stand before the Lord This is a great Gospel truth given in by himself while he is treating of this sea-monster There is no standing before
things their being in the beginning hath hitherto preserved their being and will to the end And not only so but Thirdly all things are his in possession the Lord hath all in his hand In whose hand soever the things of the world are they are all in the Lords hand As Abraham said in his Treaty with the King of Sodom Gen. 14.22 I have lift up my hands to the most high God the possessor of heaven and of earth Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein that is they are all at his dispose And again The world is mine and the fulness thereof saith the Lord himself Psal 50.12 and therefore if I were hungry that is if I needed any thing I would not tell thee that is complain to thee or go a begging to thee who art but a beggar I can help my self and take what and where I will There is a fourth title by which all things under heaven are the Lords even by Redemption The Lord hath restored the whole world to a kind of new life by the death of his Son Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men especially of them which believe 1 Tim. 4.10 All have some benefit by redemption and so whatsoever is under the whole heaven the whole Systome of heaven and earth is the Lords by redemption though the specialty of redemption be theirs only and intended to them only who believe who as they have a peculiar portion a Benjamins Mess in the grace of redemption so the Lord calleth them his peculiars Exod. 19.5 Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine And they are called the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his inheritance Thus as all under the whole heaven is the Lords so all is his by a fourfold title by the titles of creation and sustentation and possession and redemption All things visible and invisible have been created are sustained and possessed by him as their great Lord and all things visible have been redeemed by him from present perishing and a world of them in this world that they should never perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 From this general Assertion That whatsoever is under the whole heaven is the Lords take these following Inferences First Then the Devil is a lyar a great lyar for Mat. 4. in his last assault against Christ he boasted that he would give him all the Kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them whereas the truth is he hath not a shoe latchet at his dispose While the Devil saith all is mine the truth is nothing is his but a lye of that he is the father As he hath not given a being to the least worm so he cannot dispose of the least worm he is not worth a straw for all is the Lords Secondly Hence we learn That there is a lying spirit in most of the children of men even in all them who look upon any thing they have as their own There is a sense in which we have a right to and a propriety in what we have and may call it ours but that spirit which moves in most of the children of men is a lying spirit when they say this and that is their own David Psal 12.4 brings in the wicked saying With our tongue will we prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us What have not we who have so many Lordships the Lordship of our selves the Lordship of that little piece of our selves our lips But were not their lips their own not in the sense they spake it as if they were accountable to none for them for their next word was Who is Lord over us Thus most do they look upon their lips and all the members of their body as their own but what saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And vers 19. Ye are not your own Your body is not your own but it is the Lords then much less are the things that you have your own your Land is not your own nor your cattel your own the beasts of the earth are not your own nor the fishes of the Sea your own nor is a hair of your head your own nor a pin upon your sleeve they are all the Lords Is it not then a lying spirit which possesseth very many among the children of men who look upon themselves and what they have as their own Their houses and lands are their own their gold and silver are their own who is Lord over them or theirs O let such remember that themselves their houses and lands their gold and silver are the Lords and that the Lord saith expressly The silver is mine and the gold is mine Hag. 2.8 Thirdly If all be the Lords then the Lord is able to supply the wants of all who wait upon him and to supply them plentifully The Lord supplieth the wants of all creatures The Lord keepeth a great house he feedeth all that he hath made he provideth food for Leviathan he satisfieth every living thing Psal 145 16. and Psal 115.16 The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men that is whatsoever of the earth the children of men that is men in common or mankind have the Lord hath given it to them and seing his own children have need of it surely he will not deny it them The Lord I say hath given the earth to the children of men and if the Lord hath bestowed the earth on men as men then much more hath he the earth to bestow upon his own children Christ in his Sermon upon the mount Mat. 6.32 assureth them of it Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of these things Food and cloathing is in your fathers hand your father is rich he is rich indeed and therefore he can supply your wants If children do but remember that their father hath such and such lands and houses they think they shall be well provided for how much more may a godly man say my father hath a great deal of land the whole earth is his and therefore I shall be provided for The Apostle improves this position twice 1 Cor. 10. First to makâ— use of our liberty in eating whatsoever is fold in the shambles asking no question for conscience sake for saith he the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof vers 26. He makes use of it Secondly to perswade us not to abuse our liberty ver 28. But if any man say unto you this is offered in sacrifice unto idols eat not for his sake that shewed it do not offend him and for conscience sake do not offend thy self The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof As if he had said why shouldst thou trouble thy self or others by eating such meat seing there is enough
to be had without running such a hazard and thou mayst take thy choice all the world over for the earth is the Lords Fourthly This grand Assertion carrieth in it great encouragement to be much in the Lords work Why because he is able to give us a good reward We shall not need to fear any loss of labour in doing what we do for him he can recompence us fully for all is his under the whole heaven he is able to pay us well for any service we do him Saul wondered why the Benjamites followed David what 's the matter said he 1 Sam. 22.7 Hear ye Benjamites will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds Can the Son of Jess do these things for you It is a wonder that any should serve him that hath nothing to bestow upon them but who can wonder that the people of God should serve him and stick close to his service while they do but remember that he hath fields and vineyards the silver and the gold together with all the great offices and preferments that he hath in his hand This was the Motive which the Apostle used to edge his Exhortation 1 Cor. 15.5 8. Be ye stedfast and immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. He saith as much 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Godliness hath the promise of a comfortable portion in this life as well as of a full one in the life to come Fifthly Fear not to lose for Christ Do not fear to lose any thing under heaven for Christ for whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Christs he is able to make up all again We need not wonder at that promise which is made by Christ He that suffers loss of any thing for my name sake shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time Mark 10.36 Not only dotâ— the Lord promise a hundred fold in sweet inward contentments in this time to them who lose for him but he is able to supply a hundred fold even in this life of the things of this life and as he is able so he will surely fulfill it according to that promise when he sees it fit to give or us fit to receive such enjoyments O saith one I may lose my lands and I my trade saith another and I my liberty saith a third As many fear and fly from suffering because of the punishment of sense so not a few because of the punishment of loss they are in danger of losing all and they are not willing to lose any thing for Christ Now I may answer all who upon that account fear of loss refuse to suffer for Christ as the Prophet did that King of Judah 2 Chron. 25.9 who when he had word brought him from the Lord that he must let go the Army of Israel that he had hired against the Edomites presently objected But what shall I do for the hundred talents of silver that I have given to the Army The man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Do thou obey the Lords command and do not trouble thy self about the hundred talents the Lord is able to give thee more than this This hath been the question of many when called to suffer What shall we do for the hundred talents what shall we do for our worldly substance and subsistence what shall we do for a lively-hood I may say as the Prophet then did the Lord is able to give you abundantly more than what you lose for him Sixthly As we should not fear to lose for the Lord's sake so let us not forbear to give for the Lords sake Some are afraid to give for the Lords sake to supply the necessities of their brethren but remember what you give to the poor you lend to the Lord and to such a Lord as hath all things under the whole heaven for his If we give the Lord is able to repay us The Apostle makes use of this very argument Phil. 4.18.19 I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God What follows But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Do not think you shall want because of the supply you give to my wants no my God shall supply your wants or needs according to his riches in glory that is according to his rich and glorious grace There is no need to be supplied in the glory of the next life but there is a glory in rich grace which readily and plentifully supplieth all our needs in this life Seventhly If all under the whole heaven be the Lords then all places are the Lords This is comfort to those who are at any time Gods out-casts he can say to any place as he did to Moab Isa 16.4 Let mine out-casts dwell with thee c. All countries are the Lords he can make room for his in any part of the world for all the world is his The Lord provided a place for the Church Rev. 12.6 14. when she was cast out The Church fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God The wilderness was her troublesome condition but the Lord provided a place for her then and there The Lord can command a place for his any where if not in one country yet in another because all the countries and kingdoms under heaven are his demean he is Lord over all blessed for evermore Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is his both in his possession and at his disposition Eighthly If all that is under the whole heaven be the Lords then go to God for all Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand he is at hand as a Judge to right you and he is at hand as a Father to provide for you therefore be careful in nothing but let your request be made known unto God by prayer and supplication If you would have any thing of the earth you must go to God for it as well as for heaven it self Ninthly If all things under the whole heaven be the Lords then whatever good things you have under the whole heaven acknowledge the Lord as the Donor and Giver of them all 1 Chron. 29.14 When David together with the Princes and People of Israel had offered so freely towards the building of the Temple he said Lord who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee He acknowledged the Lord as the giver of all that himself and
his people had given to the Lord. Tenthly Is all the Lords then use all as the Lords and not as your own Remember you are but Stewards God hath a title paramount to all you have do not use what is yours as your own but as the Lords you are but Stewards of the things you have in this world The Lord rebuked Israel Hos 2.8 9. for useing their riches their corn and wine otherwise than he had appointed they did not use them as Stewards they used all as Lords not as the Lords They thought it was their gold and their silver and their wine and their oil their wool their flax and they bestowed all upon an idol and prepared all for Baal See what the Lord saith in the next verse Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wool and my flax All these are mine and you use them as your own and bestow them upon Baal Thus men bestow their gold and silver upon their lusts upon their pride and intemperance upon their revenge and uncleanness yea to adorn their idols take heed of applying your possessions to wrong uses God is the Lord of all and he will have an account of Lords as they have of their Stewards what they have done with all for they are but Stewards In the Eleventh place Then the Lord may give and take of all that is under heaven when he pleaseth and how he pleaseth to whom he pleaseth and from whom he pleaseth May not he do what he will with his own Mat. 20.15 If he gives to one he giveth but his own and if he takes from another he taketh but his own if he gives another much and you but a little you must be quiet and submit he giveth but his own If he give much of this worlds good to evil men if he adorn and beautifie them with all outward blessings who hath any thing to say against it what though men measuring things by their own reason see no reason yet let them know what he bestoweth is of his own not of any mans possession and if he bestow great things upon the unworthy he doth no wrong to those that are worthy much less to those who are as unworthy as they The benefits he bestows upon any are no wrong to others Upon this ground the Lord commanded the Nations quietly to submit to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon Jer. 27.4 5 6. Thus shall ye say to your Masters The Word was given by Jeremiah from the Lord to the Messengers of several Princes I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my out-stretched arm and by my great power and have given it unto whomsoever it seems meet unto me And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar c. And the beasts of the field have I also given to serve him and all Nations shall serve him c. Thus if the Lord gives he giveth his own and if he takes all away from any it is but his own thus Job quieted his spirit at first The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. In the Twelfth place If all be the Lords under the whole heaven then be sure you pay your Land-lord your rent Shall we live in the Lords house and use the Lords land and not pay him his rent let us pay the Lord his rent for we are all Tennants and Tennants at Will Pay him his rent you will say what is that It is the rent of praise and obedience the Lord hath a service due to him for all In the Thirteenth place Let all the godly rejoyce All that is under the whole heaven is Gods it is in the hand of their friend and father all their enemies are in the hand of the Lord their tongues are the Lords and their power is the Lords and all they have is in the hand of the Lord and therefore no wonder if David concluded Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that are in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord for they have him who is Lord of all of all under the whole heaven Lastly If all be the Lords under the whole heaven then let us above all things labour to assure an interest in the Lord. To be able to say the Lord is our God is the surest way to a worldly estate if we have him who hath all we have all as one said If God be mine then all is mine 'T is the happiness of all the people of God that God is theirs This God is our God we have waited for him The Lord who is our God is the God of salvation Believers appropriate God to themselves they do not stand talking of gold and of silver of houses and lands but say they God is our God Keep close to God in Christ and he will keep you You cannot but have enough when you have God who hath all things under heaven yea and all things in heaven JOB Chap. 41. Vers 12 13 14 15 16 17. 12. I will not conceal his parts nor his power nor his comely proportion 13. Who can discover the face of his garment or who can come to him with his double bridle 14. Who can open the doors of his face his teeth are terrible round about 15. His scales are his pride shut up together â—s with a close seal 16. One is so near to another that no air can come between them 17. They are joyned one to another they stick together that they cannot be sundred THe Lord having spoken both of the quantity or greatness and of the quality or stoutness of Leviathan having also made application of both in the former part of the Chapter he now proceeds to a more particular description of him Vers 22. I will not conceal his parts nor his power nor his comely proportion We have here God speaking I saith the Lord will not conceal his parts There is a two-fold opinion about the connection or dependance of this verse Some joyn it with the former the eleventh verse Who hath prevented me that I should repay him whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine Now in case any one should stand forth with that boldness as to tell the Lord he had prevented him he had been a fore-hand with God Well saith the Lord Si quis me ante vertere aut superior me esse posset ejus laudes utique celebrarem Merc. if any will undertake this if any man dares affirm that he hath prevented me I will not conceal his parts nor his power nor his comely proportion I will do him no wrong I will not shadow nor obscure his worth I will set him forth in his fairest colours or paint him to the life in all that he is in all that he can say or do or shew himself to be in such a contest with
me or in his undertaking me about this matter And when that 's done I shall easily and quickly convince him or make him both see and confess that he is a poor weakling that he is nothing or if any thing vile compared with me For if I do but oppose to him the parts powers and comliness of Leviathan he will find himself over-matched Thus I say some conceive the Lord referreth to the former words as promising to him right that should accept the challenge there made and say that he had prevented God or had been aforehand with him Alii non tacerem mendacia ita sumitur ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim cap. 11.3 Merc. Others give it thus if any man shall venture to answer my challenge I will not conceal his lies so the word by us translated parts is rendred Chap. 11.3 nor his boasting words not the rhetorical ornaments nor the comely proportion of his speech in pleading and arguing with me all which will be found upon trial to be but lies vain flourishes and mear sophistical fallacies But I rather take this verse as a general Preface to that which the Lord intended further to say in the description of this mighty creature Leviathan As if he had said O Job that thou mayst be yet more fully convinced how unable thou art to deal with this mighty fish and mayst therein see yet more clearly how unable thou art to stand before my power who have given both being and power to this creature I shall go on to give thee a more lively picture a more particular narrative a fuller character of him and as it were anatomize this sea monster in all his parts powers and proportions So then in this context and forward to the end of the 32d verse we have the fourth part of the description of Leviathan even by the distinct parts of his body together with the wonderful powers effects and operations that appear in them as acted by that courage stoutness and greatness of spirit with which God have clothed him I will not conceal his parts The Hebrew is I will not be silent about his parts And when the Lord saith I will not conceal nor be silent his meaning is I will fully Meiosis celebrarem ejus membra Drus largely and evidently declare the parts the power and the comely proportion of Leviathan I will view as it were all that is most observable in and about him I will do it exactly not slightly or perfunctorily but like an Oratour declare all his excellencies I will not let slip nor omit any thing that is material or conducible to his commendation So that when the Lord saith I will not conceal he intends much more than he expresseth As the Prophet also did Isa 62.1 when he said For Zions sake will I not hold my peace meaning that he would pour out his heart and make a loud cry in prayers and supplications for Zions sake That 's the import of his words I will not hold my peace As also of those vers 6. Ye that make mention of the Lord or ye that are the Lords remembrancers in the concerns of Zion keep not silence The meaning is speak much for Zion A man doth not keep silence nor hold his peace who speaketh only a word or two But the Lords remembrancers must speak to the full much and often they must urge him with many arguments and plead hard till he bring forth salvation in Zion I urge this Scripture as parallel to the Text in hand where the Lord saith I will not conceal when his purpose was to speak copiously and largely And here the Lord setteth down three things concerning Leviathan which he will not conceal First His parts Secondly His power Thirdly His comely proportion To these three heads all that can be said of Leviathan is reducible I will not conceal his parts or members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This creature is made up of several heterogeneal parts or members The word rendred parts properly signifieth the bar or bolt of a door as also the boughs of a tree There is a great elegancy in that metaphor because the members of the body in any creature are as so many boughs shot out from the stock of a tree I will not conceal his parts But what are the parts which the Lord mentions or would not conceal I answer The word parts in our language and common speech signifieth the inward abilities and faculties of any man We say such a one is a man of excellent parts or he hath good parts that is he is a wise man an understanding man a well-spoken man But here in this place the word parts notes only the limbs members and organs of the body or the several pieces of the whole compages or frame of the body Of these parts the Lord speaketh in the following part of the Chapter And he speaketh First Of his skin ver 13. Secondly Of his jaws and teeth ver 14. Thirdly Of his scales ver 1◠16 17. Fourthly Of his nostrils eyes and mouth ver 18 19 20 21. Fifthly Of his neck ver 22. Sixthly Of his flesh all over ver 23. Seventhly Of his heart ver 24. All these if not more particular parts the Lord mentions in this Chapter and therefore he might well say I will not conceal his parts Nor his power Parts are one thing and power is another There may be great bodily parts where there is but little power That which maketh parts excellent is when they are full of power or when outward parts are accompanied with inward parts which are the accomplishments of them I will not conceal his power Notum ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prore sumatur Drus The Hebrew is The word or matter of his power Master Broughton renders I will not conceal the speech of strength that is the matter of his strength The Hebrew word signifies not only a word but matter or thing I will not conceal the things of his power These powers are expressed afterwards First In his nostrils By his neefings a light doth shine in the former part of the 18th verse Secondly In his eyes They are like the eye-lids of the morning in the latter part of the 18th verse Thirdly In his mouth Out of his mouth go burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out ver 19. Heat riseth out of the vital power of any creature Leviathans heat is so great that it is called fire and from thence smoke goeth out of his nostrils as out of a seething-pot or cauldron ver 20. yea his breath kindleth coals and a flame goeth out of his mouth ver 21. All these expressions shew the mighty heat within him Fourthly In his neck ver 22. In his neck remaineth strength He hath not only a neck but a strong neck Fifthly In his heart ver 24. His heart is as firm as a stone yea as hard as a piece of the nether mill-stone Sixthly Such is his power
might declare himself in Leviathan Hence note The parts powers and comely proportions of the creature clearly evidence the excellencies of God The Lord chiefly proclaimed his own name when he proclaimed the name of Leviathan 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 eternal power and Godhead The unseen God hath made all things that he may be seen in them When he makes a Comment upon his own works why is it but that he may make a Comment upon himself and expound his own glory in them And as the excellencies of the Lord are seen in the works of creation so in the works of providence and he hath therefore made so many declarations of them to us that his power wisdom and justice may shine through them to us Psal 75.1 That thy name is neer thy wondrous works declare And he said to Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 For this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth All that the Lord doth to or in the creature is to get himself a name and a glory therefore let us give God the glory of his power wisdom and goodness in all his works Negare Pagaganus Christum potest negare Deum omnipotentem non potest August ser 139. de Temp. It was the saying of one of the Ancients A Pagan may deny that there is a Christ but a Pagan cannot deny Almighty God A Pagan may deny Christ for that 's meerly matter of faith but sense will lead a Pagan to believe there is a God or some omnipotent power that hath wrought all these things If we see a stream that assures us there is a Spring or Fountain if we see a goodly Palace built that assures us it had a builder a maker And if the stream be full what is the fountain If the Palace built be great and magnificent how great how magnificent was the builder Every house as the Author to the Hebrews said upon another occasion Chap. 3.4 is builded by some man but he that built all things is God Fourthly Seeing the Lord is pleased to read such a natural Phylosophy Lecture upon this creature we may take this Observation from it God would have man know the parts and powers of the creatures Why doth the Lord in this book speak at large of them and of their powers but that we may take notice of them and understand them or that we should search and study them What the Psalmist speaks concerning the works of providence is true of the Lords works in nature Psal 111.2 The works of the Lord are great And vers 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred that is that they should be spoken of and memoriz'd And therefore having said at the beginning of the second verse The works of the Lord are great he adds in the close of it Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is honourable and glorious c. The works of God are to be searched to the bottom though their bottom cannot be found by all those that have pleasure and delight either in God or in his works and they therefore search them out also because they encrease and better their knowledge of God the Creator by encreasing and bettering their knowledge about the creature From the whole verse we may infer First If God will not conceal the parts the power and comliness of his creatures then let not us conceal the power the glory and the excellency of God Yea let us with heart and tongue declare the glorious perfections of God how holy how just how wise how merciful how patient and long-suffering a God he is When God makes the creature known to us he would much more have us know himself and make him known Davids heart was set upon this duty Psal 9.14 Thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion As if he had said This O Lord was thy design in lifting me up from the gates of death that is from deadly dangers or killing diseases that I might declare thy praise in Sions gates or that I might declare how praise-worthy thou art to all who come into the gates of Sion And again Psal 118.17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. In the 40th Psalm which is a Prophecy of Christ he speaks in the words of the Text vers 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation As the Lord saith here concerning Leviathan I will not conceal his parts so saith the Prophet I will not conceal his loving kindness and truth c. Which as it is most true of Christ whose work it was to do so as also the end of all his works so it sheweth what we ought to do and what should be the end of all our works not to conceal the righteousness and goodness of God but declare them in the great congregation And as Christ declared the glory of the Father so should we the glory of Christ We read the Church engaged in this As I shewed before Christ could not conceal the parts of the Church so the Church could not conceal the parts of Christ Cant. 5.9 There the question is put to the Church What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost thus charge us The Church being asked this question will not conceal the parts nor the power nor the comely proportion of Christ her Beloved but gives a copious Narrative of his gracious excellencies vers 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as most fine gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set his cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrh his hands are as gold rings set with Beryle his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphyres his legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem Thus as Christ concealed not the parts of the Church so the Church concealed not the parts the power and comely proportion of Christ And did we more consider who Christ is and what he is both in himself and unto us we should be more both in admiring within our selves and in reporting to others his parts his power and comely proportion Secondly If God hath not concealed the knowledge of his creatures from us if
who stand in the grace of the Covenant That nothing is too hard for God is a marvelous Consolation to us in all our hardships When God promised Abraham a Son in his old age Gen. 18. what a hard task was here for God Sarah could not believe it she laughed but what saith the Lord Is any thing too hard for me he presently urgeth his own power where he had declared his will Whatsoever God hath declared to be his will either as to particular persons or the whole Church it matters not how hard it is if we have but his will for it As Christ will at last Change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3.21 so according to that working he is able to change and subdue all things to and according to his own will When the Jews were to be carried into captivity to Babylon the Lord commanded Jeremy to make purchase of a field in Anathoth Jer. 32.7 8 9. Now Jeremy might object behold the Chaldaeans are come to the City to take it and shall I go and buy land Is this a time to make purchases is this a time to buy land when the City is ready to be taken and the whole land like to be lost yes saith God Buy the field for money seal the evidences and take witnesses for thus saith the God of Israel vers 15. houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land Am not I able to bring you back again And therefore after Jeremy had confessed in prayer to the Lord vers 17. Nothing is too hard for thee The Hebrew is hidden from thee or wonderful to thee because hard things are hidden from us strange and wonderful to us The Prophet I say having said this to the Lord in prayer the Lord said to him vers 27. Is any thing too hard for me And to the same point the Lord spake again Zech. 8.6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people namely that Jerusalem should be restored should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of hosts to perform what was said ver 4. There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem and every man with his staff in his hand for very age and the streets of the City shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof Who could beleive this but it was the will of God it should be so And therefore he said If it be marvellous in your eyes should it be so in mine eyes You think this can never be brought about But must it needs be marvellous in my eyes because it is so in yours or as the margin hath it must it needs be hard or difficult to me because 't is so to you The same word which signifies marvellous signifies difficult because that which is difficult and hard we marvel at But saith the Lord because this thing is marvellous in your eyes must it be so in mine who can do every thing And we may conceive that when Job spake thus he began to have some hope of his restauration He had lost all children and health and strength and estate all was gone and he many times gave up all for gone and spake despairingly as to a restitution but now God having spoken of what he had done Jobs faith and hope revived in these words I know that thou canst do every thing and among other things thou canst restore all to me again thou canst give me as much health and strength of body as many children as full an estate as ever I had Secondly This truth is matter of great terrour to the wicked As God can strengthen the weak so he can weaken the strong and as he can raise up the godly so he can easily pull down the ungodly as he can fill up the vallies so he can level the mountains Thus the Lord spake Ezek. 17.24 All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree have exalted the low tree have dryed up the green tree and have made the dry tree to flourish I the Lord have spoken and have done it It must needs be terrible to the wicked that God can do what he will seing his will is to destroy them except they repent and turn to him he hath power enough to do it and his will is to do it what then can hinder his doing it but their repentance for what they have done There are no sons of Zerviah too hard for him who can do every thing Again from the second notion of these words Thou canst do every thing that is thou hast right as well as might to do every thing Observe The Lord may do he hath an unquestionable right to do whatsoever he is pleased to do God gives a law to all others for their actions but he is the law to himself He can do every thing of right he willeth as well as he hath might to do what he will Then let none complain that God hath done them wrong for every thing is right which God doth Job had failed in this by speeches reflecting upon the justice of God in his dealings with him and therefore we may conceive that in this confession I know thou canst do every thing he chiefly aimed at this to give God the glory of his justice As if he had said Though thou O Lord layest thy hand heavy upon an innocent person and strippest him of all that he hath though thou O Lord makest a wicked man to flourish in this world and fillest him with outward felicity yet all ought to rest in thy will for this thou canst do of right being absolute Lord over all I said Job know that thou canst do every thing And that no thought can be with-holden from thee Master Broughton renders that no wisdom was with-holden from thee which he thus glosseth Thou hast made all things in perfect wisdom to shew thy eternal power and God-head The same word signifies both wisdom and thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breviavit abrupit decerpsit propriè uvas fructus vindemiavit Hinc Bozra metropolis Idumeae cum vinetis vini proventu fuit celebris nomen soâ—â—ita est Isa 63.1 Nihil cogitas quod non possis si velis efficere quid enim te prohibebit aut impediet Drus Nec avertito posse à cogitatione sc perficienda Jun. Et quòd non vindemiabitur à te cogitatio i. e. rei cogitatae atque propositae effectionem Pisc and well it may for unless we have wise thoughts in our selves we can never shew wisdom either in our words or actions towards others There is a difference amongst Interpreters whose thought we are here to understand when Job saith No thought can be with-holden from thee First Many very
worthy and learned men are of opinion that by thought we are to understand the thought of God Gods own thought and so these words are but the carrying on of the same thing or a further explication what was said before I know that thou canst do every thing that is whatsoever is in thy thought or in thy heart to do no power in the world can with-hold thee from doing it no thought that is not any one of thy thoughts can be with-holden from thee that is from thy fulfilling it or bringing it to pass what thou hast in thy mind thou wilt perform with thy hand If thou hast but a thought to do such a thing thou canst not be hindered of thy thought it shall be done The words hold out a very glorious truth concerning God if we take thought in this sense and as it is a great truth in it self so it is a very useful one to us The Observation is this Whatsoever God hath a thought to do he will do it he cannot be hindered in the effect of a thought As none of Gods thoughts are vain so none of them are in vain or ineffectual they all reach their end Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall lett it God will work if he hath but a thought to work and if all the Powers in the world set themselves against him they shall not be able to disappoint any one of his thoughts Prtv. 19.21 There are many devices in a mans heart yet the counsel of the Lord shall stand that is there are many thoughts in mans heart opposite to the counsel and thought of God Men think this and that they make up many things in their thoughts yet can make nothing of them because against the thoughts of God for all the devices that are in mans heart cannot hinder the effect of Gods counsel his counsel shall stand fast and firm without any bowing without any bending while their devices fall and are utterly broken The conclusion of wise Solomon is Prov. 21.30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Let men take or give counsel as long as they will against the Lord they cannot avoid the effect of his counsels We have both these the standing of the Lords counsel and the overthrowing of all counsels that are against him in that one Scripture Psal 33.10 11. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever the thoughts of his heart to all generations God never lost a thought all come to pass This sheweth the mighty efficacy of the counsel of God this is more than can be said of any man or men in the world the wisest and greatest have had many thoughts withholden from them They have thought to do this and that but could not effect it nor bring it about Psal 146.4 Their thoughts perish they have a great many plots in their heads but they prove not they often live to see their own thoughts dye Their thoughts perish not only when they dye but they live to see them perish and dye The Prophet Isa 44.25 sheweth how the Lord frustrates the counsels of men and turneth them backward he shews also that without him they cannot go forward Lamen 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not But some may object the Lord speaketh of the builders of Babel as Job here speaketh of him Gen. 11.6 Behold the people is one and they have all one language and this they begin to do and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do as if he had said there will be no with-holding of them from their thoughts 'T is very true amongst men there was nothing to stop them they being all as one man and of one mind would have accomplished any thing that they did imagine but though there was nothing upon earth nothing among men that could restrain them yet God could do it and he did it he confounded their language and one brought morter when he should have brought brick and another brought stones when he should have brought timber they thought to build a tower that should reach as high as heaven they would be drowned no more but they and their thoughts were soon scattered and blown away This point hath in it also abundance of comfort as the former for take thought for the thought of God and it runs parallel with what I spake before of the work of God he can do every thing every thing that is in his thought to do we may take fresh comfort from it Can no thought be with-holden from God what a comfort is this to all that he hath good thoughts of or thoughts for good The heart of God is full of good thoughts to his people though he many times speaks hard words to them and doth hard things against them yet he hath good thoughts concerning them Psal 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which thou hast to us-ward Thoughts to us-ward are thoughts for us that is thoughts of good intended us Now hath the Lord many good thoughts for us and none of these shall be with-holden is not this comfort When the Church of the Jews was in Babilon the Lord dealt very hardly with them though not so hardly as they deserved But what were his thoughts Jer. 29.11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you you do not know the thoughts that I have towards you but I do what are they thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end that is the end which you expect and wait for What a mercy is this that no thought of God can be with-holden whenas he hath so many thoughts of mercy and good things to his people Again I might shew how dreadful this is to wicked men for the Lord hath nothing but thoughts of revenge and evil towards them But 't is enough to hint it Before I pass from this interpretation some may object If all the thoughts of God shall be brought to pass and none can withhold them if God will do what he hath a purpose to do then what need we trouble our selves so much in prayer For if God hath any thoughts of good to us it shall be done but if not we cannot bring it to pass by prayer And so some urge what need we repent and humble our selves the thoughts of God shall be fulfilled To this I say in general take heed of such reasonings for as they are very absurd and reasonless so they are very dangerous and leave us remediless More particularly I answer thus Though God hath thoughts and purposes of good to his people yet whatsoever good he will do for his people he will be sought unto to do it for them and therefore prayer repentance and humiliation are needful to
two-fold demanding First as a Disputant Secondly as a Supplicant Job would now demand as a Supplicant unto God M◠interrogantem doce benignè qui me tuae disciplinae planè submitto Merc. not as a Disputant with God We may be said to demand or enquire of God when we consult his word not humane reason It an innocent person as Job be afflicted where shall he enquire the reason of it if he only respect his affliction and compare that with his own innocency he will quickly murmure at and complain of the dealings of God with him But if he look to the Word of God which tells him that God is a Soveraign Lord and that God hath promised not only to be with his in trouble but that their troubles shall work their comforts he will not only be patient under but glory in his tribulations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogobo tc sc petendo orando pulsando Aquin. The Hebrew word which we translate demand may well be rendred petition or crave The common sense of the word demand seems too high for Jobs spirit and condition Master Broughton renders I will make petition unto thee or an humble suit unto thee as if he had said I will pray for and beg this favour of thee that thou wouldst teach and inform me better It is not an authoritative demand Qui regat nescit Interrogare sapientem dimidia sapientia est Apotheg Arab. which is a kind of command but a submissive demand this demanding is the asking of a question not the requiring of a right He that asks a question implyeth that he stands in need of information and that he is desirous to learn And to put questions to a wise man is half wisdom I will demand or put questions unto thee Declare thou unto me The Hebrew is make me to know make me a knowing man As if Job had said Lord if thou wilt teach me I shall soon get knowledg and understanding and therefore I resign my self wholly to thy teachings The true submission of mans will to Gods will is to hearken to the counsel or wisdom of God and not to sit down in our own But as it was questioned at the first verse how Job could answer seeing he had said I will answer no more so here it may be questioned why the Lord spake no more to Job seeing here he desired to receive further instruction from him I answer First Job made this suit to God upon this condition that God would please to enform him if he saw need or should think fit to do it Secondly Job spake this doctrinally to shew what he and others ought to desire submit to even the teachings of God Thirdly I answer that the Lord seeing his submission saw there was no need of speaking any further to him but broke up the whole disputation determining for Job and giving him the day against his three friends as will appear further in the sequel of the Chapter From this verse Observe First The sence of our wants puts us upon prayer When Job was sensible that he wanted understanding and knowledge he came to God for it Give me to understand cause me to know True and fervent prayer floweth from a sence of our wants If we see not our selves in need why should we pray And when really we shall have no need as in heaven there will be no need of prayer all will be praise and all shall be in everlasting praises Secondly The person to whom Job maketh his application for teaching being God himself Note We know nothing of God nor of our selves aright till God teacheth us till he declareth and maketh it known to us Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights c. Jam. 1.17 As no man can either make or redeem himself so no man can teach or instruct himself What we know of God we know from God 'T is in his light that we see light The light may shine round about us and we see it not unless God enlighten us as well as send us the light we are never the better As in conversion the Lord first opens the eyes and then turns from darkness to light Acts 26.18 So under every dispensation we are in the dark till God opens our eyes and give us by his own immediate or mediate teachings light about it Thirdly note If we desire God should teach us or if we would be taught of God we must ask it of him We find the godly often putting up this request to God David was much in this petition Psal 119.33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law He did not only desire God that he would teach him but give him a faculty to receive his teachings vers 35. Make me to go in the path of thy commandement See how the Psalmist joyneth these petitions together First Teach me the way of thy statutes Secondly Give me understanding as if he had said else thy teachings will do no good Thirdly Make me to go in the path of thy commandement as if he had said though I understand thy statutes yet unless thou help me I shall not be able to walk in them no nor to take one right step in them therefore Make me to go in the path of thy commandement Again Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness As the Lord teacheth us our way and hath promised to teach us always in all things needful for us to know and do so he hath taught us by the written practise of many as well as by his written precept that we must pray for his teaching Fourthly Job was humbling himself and now he begs of God that he would teach him Hence note Humble souls desire and give up themselves wholly to be taught by God They hang upon his mouth for instruction and renounce their own wisdom Eliphaz gave Job that advice Chap. 22.22 Acquaint thy self now with him and be at peace and good shall come unto thee Receive I pray thee thee law from his mouth and lay up his words in thy heart Fifthly In that Job prays for teaching in this form according to the Hebrew make me to know Observe The teachings of God are effectual they make us know Men may teach others knowledge but they cannot make them know God can make a very dullard quick of understanding Men may instruct the understanding but they cannot give understanding God doth both The teachings of God are effectual to all purposes First to enlighten the ignorant Secondly to convince gain-sayers Thirdly to convert sinners Fourthly to comfort those that are sorrowful Fifthly to resolve such as are doubtful Sixthly to encourage the fearful And Seventhly to raise up and recover those that are fallen Thus Job is become a
as a prayer for their return out of proper captivity and largely for their deliverance out of any adversity So Psal 126.1 When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion we were like them that dream Read also Zeph. 2.7 Secondly From the author of this turn The Lord turned the captivity c. Observe Deliverance out of an afflicted state is of the Lord. He is the authour of these comfortable turns and he is to be acknowledged as the authour of them The Psalmist prayed thrice Turn us again Psal 80.3 7 19. The waters of affliction would continually rise and swell higher and higher did not the Lord stop and turn them did not he command them back and cause an ebb Satan would never have done bringing the floods of affliction upon Job if the Lord had not forbidden him and turned them It was the Lord who took all from Job as he acknowledged chap. 1.21 and it was the Lord who restored all to him again as we see here the same hand did both in his case and doth both in all such cases Hos 6.1 Let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up David ascribed both to God Psal 66.11 12. Thou broughtest us into the net thou layedst affliction upon our loins thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and through water The hand of God led them in that fire and water of affliction through which they went but who led them out The Psalmist tells us in the next words Thou broughtest us into a wealthy place the Margin saith into a moist place They were in fire and water before Fire is the extremity of heat and driness water is the extremity of moistneâ—s and coldness A moist place notes a due temperament of â—eat and cold of driness and moistness and therefore elâ—gantly shadows that comfortable and contentful condition into which the good hand of God had brought them which is significantly expressed in our translation by a wealthy place those places flourishing most in fruitfulness and so in wealth which are neither over-hot nor over-cold neither oveâ—-dry nor over-moist And as in that Psalm David acknowledged the hand of God in this so in another he celebrated the Lords power and goodness for this Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death that is the out-lets or out-gates from death are from the Lord he delivereth from the grave and from every grief The Lord turned the captivity of Job not only p eserving him from death but filling him with the good things and comforts of this life Thirdly Note The Lord can suddenly make a change or turn As he can quickly make a great change from prosperity to adversity and in a moment bâ—ing darkness upon those who injoy the sweetest light so he can quickly make a change from adversity to prosperity from captivity to liberty and turn the darkest night into a morning light For such a turn the Church prayed Psal 126.4 Turn again our captivity O Lord as the streams in the south that is do it speedily The south is a dry place thither streams come not by a slow constant currant but as mighty streams or land-floods by a sudden unexpected rain like that 1 Kings 18.41 45. Get thee up said Eliah to Ahab for there is a sound of aboundance of rain and presently the heaven was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain When great rains come after long drought they make sudden floods and streams Such a sudden income of mercy or deliverance from captivity the Church then prayed for and was in the faith and hope of nor was that hope in vain nor shall any who in that condition wait patiently upon God be ashamed of their hope The holy Evangelist makes report Luke 13.16 that Satan had bound a poor woman eighteen years all that time he had her his prisoner but Jesus Christ in a moment made her free Ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteen years be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day The devil who had her in his power eighteen years could not hold her a moment when Jesus Christ would turn her captivity and loose her from that bond If the Son undertake to make any free whether from corporal or spiritual bondage they shall not only be free indeed as he spake John 8.36 at the time when he is pleased to do it but he can do it at any time in the shortest time when he pleaseth We find a like turn of captivity is described Psal 107.10 11 12 13 14. such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the word of the Lord c. These vers 13. cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder Thus far of the first particular considerable in Jobs restitution the Author of it The Lord turned the captivity of Job The second thing to be considered is the season which the Lord took for the turning of Jobs captivity the Lord did it saith the text When he prayed for his friends Some conceive the turn of his captivity was just in his prayer time and that even then his body was healed I shall have occasion to speak further to that afterwards upon another verse Thus much is clear that When he prayed That is either in the very praying time or presently upon it the Lord â—urned his captivity Possibly the Lord did not stay till he had done accorâ—ing to that Isa 65.24 It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear Or according to that Dan. 9.20 While I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplications before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God Yea while I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the evening oblation and he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am come forth to give thee skill and understanding at the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee c. What commandement came forth even a command for the turning of their captivity Thus here I say possibly the Lord gave out that word of command for the turning of Jobs captivity at that very time when he was praying for his friends But without question these words when he prayed for his friends note a very speedy return of his prayers that is soon after he had done that gracious office for them he
Spirit in it and therefore it must needs make great turns God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed Sixthly Jesus Christ presents such prayers the prayers of faith the prayers of repentance unto God his Father Christs intercession gives effect or gets answer to our supplications The Father hears the Son always John 11.42 and so he doth all them whose prayers are offered to him by the Son Revel 8.3 The angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne The angel there spoken of is the angel or messenger of the Covenant prophesied of Mal. 3.1 that is Jesus Christ 't is he he alone who offers the incense of his own prayers with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne and being there represented doing so presently as it followeth ver 5. There were voices and thunders and lightenings signifying the wonderful effects of prayer till it should come after many turnings in the world or as I may say after a world of turnings to the Lords turning of Sions captivity as here of Jobs Seventhly Jesus Christ doth not only present the prayers of believers to God but also prayeth in them when saints pray he prayeth in them for he and they are mystically one And as Christ is in believers the hope of glory Col. 1.27 so he is in them the help of duty and so much their help that without him they can do nothing John 15.5 Now a believers prayer being in this sense Christs prayer it cannot but do great things Lastly As Jesus Christ presents the prayers of believers to the Father and prayeth in them or helps them to pray by the blessed and holy Spirit sent down according to his gracious promise into their hearts so he himself prayeth for them when they are not actually praying for themselves For saith the Apostle Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for them The best believers do not always make supplications for themselves but Christ is always making as well as he ever lives to make intercession for them The Apostle speaking of Christs intercession useth the word in the present tense or time which denoteth a continued act Rom. 8.34 Who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us The sacrifice of Christ though but once offered is an everlasting sacrifice and this other part of his priestly-office his intercession is everlasting as being often yea always or everlastingly offered The way or manner of Christs making everlasting intercession for us is a great secret it may suffice us to know and believe that he doth it Now it is chiefly from this everlasting intercession of Christ that both the persons of the elect partake of the benefits of his sacrifice and that their prayers are answered for the obtaining of any good as also for the removal of any evil as here Jobs was for the turning of his captivity Thus I have given a brief accompt of this inference that if prayer prevails to turn the captivity of others then much more our own Prayer hath had a great hand in all the good turns that ever the Lord made for his Church And when the Lord shall fully turn the captivity of Sion his Church he will pour out a mighty spirit of prayer upon all the sons of Sion The Prophet fore-shewed the return of the captivity of the Jews out of Babilon Jerem. 29.10 After seventy years be accomplished at Babilon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place for I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end But what should the frame of their hearts be at that day the 12th verse tells us And ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken These words may bear a two-fold sense First The sense of a command Then shall ye call upon me and then shall ye go and pray That is your duty in that day Secondly I conceive they may also bear the sense of a promise then shall your hearts be inlarged then I will pour out a spirit of prayer upon you And ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken We may conclude the approach of mercy when we discern the spirits of men up in and warm at this duty Many enquire about the time when the captivity of Sion shall fully end we may find an answer to that question best by the inlargement of our own hearts in prayer David speaking of that said Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute the meanest and lowest shrubs in grace as the word there used imports and not despise that is he will highly esteem and therefore answer their prayer How much more the prayer of the tall cedars in grace or of the strong wrestlers when they call upon him and cry unto him with all their might day and night The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends Nor was it a bare turn As Job did not offer a lean sacrifice to God in prayer but the strength of his soul went out in it so the Lord in giving him an answer did not give him a lean or slight return but as it followeth Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Hebrew is The Lord added to Job to the double Some translate too barely The Lord made an accession or an addition but that doth not reach the sense intended For a little more than he had before had been an addition to what he had before but double is more than a little or the common notion of an addition the Lord gave him twice as much or double to that great estate which he had before This doubling of his estate may be taken two ways First Strictly as four is twice two and eight twice four See the wild conceits of the Jewish Rabbins about the doubling of Jobs estate in Mercer upon the place In that strict sence it may be taken here as to his personal estate but as to persons it will not hold the number of his children was the same as before If we compare this chapter with the first chapter ver 3. we find his estate doubled in strict sence Whereas Job had then seven thousand sheep now saith this chapter ver 12. he had fourteen thousand sheep and whereas before he had three thousand camels now he had six thousand camels and whereas before he had five hundred yoke of oxen now he had a thousand yoke of oxen and lastly whereas before he had five hundred she asses now he had a thousand she asses Here was double in the letter In duplum i. e. in plurimum Quam plurimum numerus finitus pro infinito
in sickness as well as in health in disgrace with men as well as when most honoured and cryed up by them when naked as well as when cloathed as well in rags as in the richest array Hence that confident conclusion vers 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And if so then we see where our true interest lyeth Let us make sure of Christ he will never leave us all earthly friends may Friends are a great mercy but they are not a sure mercy Again Consider Jobs friends who came not at him when in that afflicted condition yet as soon as ever God turned his captivity and made him prosper in the world then they would own him then they came Hence note Thirdly Such as are no friends in adversity will readily shew themselves friendly in prosperity That they came then is an intimation if not a proof that they came not before but then they came What Christ spake in another case I may apply by way of allusion to this Where the carcase is thither will the Eagles be gathered together When Job was up his friends appear'd All are ready to worship the rising Sun When the face of things and times change with us then the faces of friends change towards us then they have other respects and countenances for us this spirit of the world hath been anciently observed Si fueris foelix multos numerabis amicos Tempora si fuerintnubila solus eris even by Heathens If you be happy or restored to happiness you shall number many friends though you had none before Such friends are like those birds that visit our coasts in Summer when 't is warm weather when every thing flourisheth and is green then some birds visit us who all the Winter when 't is cold frost and snow leave us Faâ—ther it may be conceived that several of Jobs friends left him not only upon the occasion of his poverty and want but upon the supposition of his hypocrisie and wickedness many of them might have the same opinion of him which those three had who particularly dealt with him that surely he was a bad man because the Lord brought so much evil upon him Now when the Lord restored Job they had another a better opinion of him the Lord also giving a visible testimony of his accepting Job Hence note Fourthly God will one time or other vindicate the integrity of his faithful servants and set them right in the opinion of others God suffered Jobs integrity to lie under a cloud of supposed hypocrisie but at last the Lord restored him to his credit as well as to his estate and made his unkind and not only suspicious but censorious friends acknowledge that he was upright and faithful The Lord promiseth Psalm 37.6 to bring forth the righteousness of his servants as the light and their judgement as the noon-day that is a right judgement in others concerning them as well as the rightness of their judgement in what they have done and been or his own most righteous judgement in favour of them They who had a wrong judgement and took a false measure of Job measuring him by the outward dispensations of God and judging of his heart by his state and of his spirit by the face of his affairs these were at last otherwise perswaded of him 'T is as the way so the sin and folly of many to judge upon appearance upon the appearance of Gods outward dealings they conclude men good or bad as their outward condition is good or bad and therefore the Lord to redeem the credit of his faithful servants that lye under such misapprehensions sends prosperity and manifests his gracious acceptance of them that men of that perverse opinion may be convinced and delivered out of their error Note Fifthly The Lords favouring us or turning the light of his countenance towards us can soon cause men to favour us and shine upon us See what a change the Lord made at that time both in the state of things and in the hearts of men when the Lord outwardly forsook Job friends forsook him children mockt him acquaintance despised him his very servants slighted him yet no sooner did the Lord return in the manifestations of his favour but they all returne desiring to ingratiate themselves with him and strive who shall engage him most God can quickly give us new friends or restore the old Expleâ—â— contumelias honoribus detrimenta muneribus execrationes precibus The hearts of all men are in the hand of the Lord who turns them from us or to us as he pleaseth When God manifests his favour he can command our favour with men Though that which is a real motive of the Lords favour to his people their holiness and holy walkings gets them many enemies and they are hated for it by many yet the Lord discovering or owning the graces of his servants by signal favours often gets them credit and sets them right in the opinion of men Thus it was with Job all his friends returned to him upon the Lords high respect to him in turning his captivity Again in that Jobs friends came to him Cui dominus favet ei omnia favent Observe Sixthly It is the duty of friends to be friendly to come to and visit one another It is a duty to do so in both the seasons or in all the changes of our life It is a duty to do so in times of prosperity when God shines upon our Tabernacle When any receive extraordinary mercies it is the duty of friends to shew them extraordinary courtesies and to bless God for them and with them When Elizabeths neighbours and cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her they rejoyced with her Luke 1.58 It is a duty to rejoyce with those that rejoyce and to come to them that we may rejoyce with them It is a duty also to visit those that mourn and to mourn with them Friendly visits are a duty in all the seasons of our lives Once more Then came all his brethren c. It was late e're they came but they came Hence Note It is better to perform a duty late than not at all They had a long time even all the time of his long affliction neglected or at least slackned this duty of visiting Job yet they did not reason thus with themselves It is in vain to visit him now or our visiting him now may be thought but a flattering with him or a fawning upon him No though they had neglected him before they would not add new to their old incivilities We say of repentance which is a coming to God Late repentance is seldom true yet true repentance is never too late None should think it too late to come to God though they have long neglected him nor should sinners who have long neglected God be discouraged Though
We have the Subject of this blessing as here exprest and that was the latter end of Job or Job in his latter end Fourthly We have the quantity or greatness of this blessing which is exprest comparatively it was more than his beginning The Lord blessed his beginning but his latter end was more blessed I shall consider the two first together the cause of his flowing prosperity a blessing and the Author or fountain of it the Lord the Lord blessed There is a twofold way of blessing First a wishing or desiring of a blessing We are not thus to understand it here as if the Lord did only wish a blessing upon Job Secondly There is a commanding of a blessing and so we are to understand it here The Lord blessed that is the Lord commanded a blessing or effectually poured out a blessing upon Job The word blessed The Lord blessed hath two things in it First It implyeth plenty and abundance a copious and a large provision of good things For as the word abundare in Latine and to abound in English Sicut abundare ab undis Latinè dicunt ita videri possunt Hebraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi affluentiam denominare à fonte aut piscina quam appellant Berecah comes say Grammarians ab unda from water because waters abound and flow so this Hebrew word Beracah which signifieth a blessing comes from or at least is near in sound to the word Berecah which signifieth a Fish-pond where there is a great confluence of waters and a great multiplication of fishes or a Fountain from whence waters flow continually So that to bless notes the bringing in of abundance or of a great increase like the waters of a Fish-pond or Fish in the waters To increase as Fish is to increase abundantly It is said of the Children of Israel They multiplyed like fish that 's the significancy of the word used Exod. 1.12 while they were under the oppression of the Egyptians Secondly This Expression The Lord blessed Dei benedicere idem est quod benefacere Beatum non facit hominem nisi qui fecit hominem August Epist 52 ad Macedon imports a powerful effect following it The Lord blessed the latter end of Job that is he made his latter end very blessed As the Lords saying is doing as his word is operative and will work so the Lords blessing or well-saying is well-doing his saying is doing whether for good or hurt Man blesseth man by wishing or praying for a blessing upon him or that God would do him good Man blesseth God when he praiseth him for his goodness and for the good which he hath done either to himself or others But when God blesseth man he doth more than wish he makes him blessed Man blesseth man ministerially God blesseth man effectually as he also did the seventh day Gen. 2.3 And therefore the Lord is said to command the blessing Levit. 25.21 especially in Sion even life for evermore Psal 133.5 Nor was it less than a command by which The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Hence Note The good word or blessing of God is enough to procure the good of man Every word of God hath its effect he speaks no vain words his Word going out of the mouths of his Ministers returns not to him void but accomplisheth that which he pleaseth and prospers in the thing whereunto he sends it Isa 55.11 that is either for the conviction or conversion of those that hear it Surely then the word of blessing going out of his own mouth shall not return to him void or without effect David spake thus of or to God Psal 145.16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing When the Lord opens his hand he also opens his heart and when his heart and hand open his mouth opens too that is he gives forth a word of blessing and he gives it forth to satisfaction Thou satisfiest every living thing And again Psal 104.28 Thou openest thine hand they are filled with good They that is whatsoever lives upon the earth or in the Sea wait upon thee as it is said vers 27. that thou maist give them their meat in due season that thou givest them they gather thou openest thy hand they are filled with good The hand of God is full of good and his blessing fills all with good out of his hand This may comfort the godly in their lowest condition What was it that raised Job from poverty to riches from weaknes to strength from the dunghil to the throne Only this The Lord blessed him Though all be lost his word of blessing will restore all again If estate be lost his blessing will make us rich if health be lost his blessing will make us well if strength be lost his blessing will renew it if credit be lost his blessing will repair it and get us honour for disgrace or reproach The blessing of the Lord is every good thing to us and doth every good thing for us As it is dreadful to stand under the droppings of a curse to be cursed is every evil so happy are they who stand under the sweet influences of a promise to be blessed is every good And if God blesseth us the matter is not much who curseth or wisheth ill to us The curse causeless shall not come nor can any curse come where God hath blessed But some may enquire who are they that the Lord will bless To be blessed is not every mans portion A man may be rich yet not blessed great yet not blessed healthful yet not blessed A man may have many blessings for the matter yet not be blessed This then is a material question Who are they that may expect a blessing from God upon their souls upon their bodies upon their estates upon their families upon their all I answer First In general They that are in a state of grace they that are in the Covenant or as the Apostle calls them Heb 6.17 Heirs of promise These are the blessed of the Lord and these both great and small the Lord will bless Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Being in Christ we are in Covenant and being there we cannot miss being blessed with all spiritual blessings and with whatever is a needful blessing in outward things to He that blesseth in the greater will not with-hold his blessing in the less according to our need Secondly As they are the general subjects of the blessing who are in the Covenant of grace or in Christ so are they more specially who act graciously and walk as they have received Christ for a person that is in a state of grace may hinder the blessing from flowing down upon his soul upon his body upon his estate upon any thing upon every thing he hath and doth by acting sinfully and walking unevenly David put the question Psal 24.3 Who shall
outward things God deals not with all alike but it is often so God gives them their best at last even in the things of this life As the Governour of the Feast said to the Bridegroom John 2. Thou hast kept the best wine till now So the Lord often keeps the best wine of outward comforts to the very last of our lives Bildad put it only as a supposition to Job Chap. 8.7 If thou wert pure and upright surely then he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase But we may resolve it as a Position concerning Job surely he was pure and upright for God did awake for him and made the habitation of his righteousness prosperous his beginning was comparatively small but his latter end did greatly encrease or he had a great encrease at his latter end And though this be not alwayes true as to outward things that the Lord blesseth the latter end of a good man more than his beginning yet it is always true as to spiritual things it is always true as to the best things The Lord gives his people their best soul-blessings at last though they have great good before yet greater good or their good in a greater measure then he gives them more grace more of his Spirit more of his comforts and their latter end is most blessed as it is the beginning of endless blessedness Abraham said to the rich man in the Parable Son remember thou hast had thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented The Lord deals best with all his people at last one way or other to be sure all shall be well with them in the latter end Solomon saith Eccl. 7.8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning And he said so not because all things end better than they begin but because when things or persons end well it is then surely well with them whatever their beginning was That is well which ends well Hence let us be minded not to judge the work of God before the latter end The works of God seem cross many times to his people but he will set all right and make them amends for all at the latter end The Apostle James calls us to consider Job's latter end Chap. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job that is you have heard of his sufferings in the flesh and of his suffering spirit and ye have seen the end of the Lord that is what end the Lord made for him Some give another interpretation of these latter words as was shewed formerly but this I conceive most clear to the context Ye have seen the end of the Lord that is what end the Lord made for Job Though the middle part of his life was very grievous yet God changed the Scene of things and his end was very glorious David Psal 37.37 would have the end of upright men marked and well considered Mark the perfect man and behold the upright the end of that man is peace Possibly he hath had a great deal of trouble in his way but his end is peace Let not us be offended at the crosses which we meet with in the course of our lives but look to the promised crown at the conclusion of our lives Let us not stay in the death of Christ nor in the grave of Christ but look to the resurrection and the ascension of Christ You may see those who are Christs on the Cross and in the Grave but mark and you shall see their resurrection and ascension The two witnesses are represented slain yet raised and then ascending up to heaven in a cloud their enemies beholding them Rev. 11.11 12. Despise not the day of small things Zech. 4.10 the latter end may have a great encrease despond not in the day of sorrowful things for the latter end may be full of joy There are three things which should much comfort us in our afflictions First That they cannot last alwayes they will have an end Secondly That while they last or before theyh ave an end they are medicinal and healthful they are for our good while they continue upon us or we in them Thirdly which we have in the Text we may expect that as they shall surely have an end so that they will end comfortably No chastning for the present saith the Apostle Heb. 12.11 seemeth joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby God will not only bring our troubles to an end but he will give us sweet fruit at the end of them as a recompence for all our troubles God will not only bring our sufferings to an end but to such an end as will make us gainers by them Those are even desirable and lovely losses which issue in such advantages Secondly In that the Lord gave Job so great an advance in worldly things Observe The Lord sometimes gives his people much more of this world than they desire or ever looked after Job was far from praying for such an encrease he never desired that his earthly substance should be doubled in his latter end Indeed we find him once wishing that it were with him as in his beginning but he wished not for more Chap. 29.2 O that it were with me as in the months past as in the day when the Lord preserved me when his candle shined upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness Job wished that he were in as good a condition as he once had but he never wished that all might be doubled or that his latter end should be more than his beginning yet the Lord gave him more gave him double to his beginning God exceeded his prayers and his wishes As the Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly for us above all that we ask or think Eph. 3.20 so he often doth and usually therefore moderates the desires and askings of his people as to the things of this world that he may out-give their askings and out-do their desires Thirdly The Lord made Job the greatest man in the East in his beginning but he blessed his latter end more than his beginning Hence note How much soever the Lord gives at one time he can give more at another God gave Job good measure before but now according to that expression Luke 6.38 he gave him good measure heaped up pressed down and running over Let us not say when God hath given us much or done much for us he can give or do no more for us he hath more in his treasure of temporal good things and he hath more in his treasure of spiritual good things than he hath yet given out to any he can give more faith how much faith soever he hath given he can give more patience how much patience soever he hath given and so of every grace and good thing The
people which are are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear in heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land This was performed to the Ninivites a heathen Nation when they repented of the evil which they had done God repented of the evil which he threatned to do unto them or bring upon them and did it not brought it not But I shall not stay upon this useful poynt here because it is grounded upon a translation which is not as I conceive so clearly grounded upon the Original as our own The Lord turned the Captivity of Job In Hebraeo est pulchra paranomasia nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vertere aut convertere et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 captivitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew is very elegant He turned the turning or captivity of Job Why his Captivity Job was never lead captive in person he was not carryed away prisoner by the Chaldeans anâ— Sabeans who captivated his cattel How then is it here said The Lord turned the captivity of Job I answer These words The Lord turned the Captivity of Job may be taken two wayes First thus Jehova restituit quod captum fuerit Jobo Jun. Captivitas ponitur pro ipsis captivis Drus He turned that to Job whatsoever it was which was lead into Captivity So some translate The Lord restored that which was taken from Job His Cattel which were taken away by violent men his children which were taken away by a vehement wind were returned or restored to him again The word Captivity is elsewhere in Scripture taken tropically for things or persons captivated that which is captivated is called captivity The Lord turned the captivity of Job that is he returned that which was captivated or taken away Take a Scripture or two for that sâ—nse of the word captivity Judg. 5.12 Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a song arise Barak and lead thy captivity captive thou son of Abinoam .. That is bring them back who were taken captives or thus lead those captive who have taken thy people captives So Psal 68.18 which is quoted by the Apostle Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he lead captivity captive The Psalmist gives us a prophesie and the Apostle reports the history of the glorious ascension of Christ When he ascended up on high he lead captivity captive Which text as the formâ—r may be taken two ways First Christ ascending led those captive who had led poor soulâ—â—aptive that is the devils which the Apostle expresseth thuâ— Col. 2.15 And having spoiled principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it that is in his cross or â—ufferingâ— or as our Maâ—gin hath it in himself And as Christ spoiled those principalities and triumphed over them not only really but openly in his passion so he led them captive and triumphed over them more openly in his ascention Secondly He led those that were captives sinful men captive he brought them out of a miserable captivity into a blessed captivity that is from the capâ—ivity of sin Satan and the world into a cap iviâ—y to himself The Apostle speaks so of the mighty power of the Word in the miniâ—tery of the Gospel The weapons of our warfare that is the weapons with which we the Ministers of the Gospel mâ—ke war upon sinners to convert them are not carnal that is weak but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations c. and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Not only are our persons but our thoughts captivated to Christ by the power of the Spirit ministred in the Gospel Thus the Scripture speaks of captivity in both these notions the captivaters and the captivated are called captivity Here in this place we may take it in the latter sence the Lord turned the captivity of Job that is what was captivated or taken away the Lord as it were fetch 't back again and restored it to him In this sense Abraham when he heard that his Nephew Lot was taken captive led captivity captive Gen. 14.16 He pursued them that had taken him captive he brought back Lot and the rest of the prisoners together with the spoils Thus the Lord did not only deliver Job from all those evils which he was under but restored the good things to him which he had lost or were carried away Secondly We may take it thus The Lord turned the captivity of Job that is he took away or called in Satans commission which he had given him over Jobs estate and body and by which Satan held Job in captivity or as his captive for as we read chap. 2.6 Satan could not touch him till he had leave or a letter of license from God till God said Behold all that he hath is in thy power only upon himself put not forth thy hand chap. 1.12 Nor could he touch his person till his commission was enlarged and the Lord said again Behold he is in thine hand but or only save his life chap. 2.6 And as soon as his commission was taken away or called in by God he could trouble him no longer The Lord forbidding the devil to meddle any more with him Turned the captivity of Job Hence Observe First To be in any affliction is to be in bonds or captivity The afflicted condition of Job was a captivity Troubles in our estate troubles in our relations troubles in our bodies troubles in our souls are like bonds and prisons It is a very uneasie and an uncomfortable condition to be in prison and so it is to be in any afflicted condition considered in it self Job spake as much of himself while his affliction continued upon him strongly chap. 13.27 Thou puttest my feet in the stocks and thou lookest narrowly unto all my paths Job was not only as a man in captivity but as a man in the stocks which is a great hardship in captivity David calleth such an estate an imprisonment Psal 69.33 The Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners Some are prisoners strictly being under restraint all are prisoners largely or as we say prisoners at large who are in any distress The Lord maketh many prisoners by sickness and weakness of body as also by poverty and the want of bodily comforts and conveniences The afflicted condition of the Church in any kind is expressed by captivity as captivity in kind is sometimes the affliction of the Church The ten tribes were led into captivity by Salmanazar Judah by Nebuchadnazzar Hence that promise Jerem. 30.18 Behold I will bring again the captivity of Jacobs tents And that prayer Psal 14.7 O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad This Scripture may be taken both strictly