thy labour to hâ—m This latter part of the Verse is of the same importance with the former yet I shall touch a little upon it Wilt thou leave thy labour to him Labour is taken in Scripture two ways First For the very act of labour Jacob said Gen. 31.42 God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands God knows said he to Laban what pains I have taken what hard work I have been at in thy service and how hard he had been at work he told Laban ver 40. Thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from me To such hard work in spirituals the Apostle exhorts Be stedfast and unmoveable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labor à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laboravit defatigatus fuit always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 The word in the Text which we render labour signifieth a labouring to weariness or a labour which causeth weariness Strong labour diligent labour wearieth a strong man and though an industrious person is not weary of his labour yet he may be wearied with his labour yea the more industrious he is in labouring the sooner he may be wearied with his labour Secondly Labour is taken sometimes for the fruit of labour or for that which is got by labour the reward and wages given and received for work and service done is called labour Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands No man can eat the acts of his labour but every man should eat the fruit of his labour labour brings in bread and that bread is sweetest which comes in by labour The Lord threateneth his people Deut. 28.33 strangers shall eat thy labour that is the encrease that comes in or hath been gotten by thy labour even that which thou hast laboured for And it was a mercy bestowed by the Lord upon his Israel Psal 105.44 that they inhâ—rited the labour of the people that is they dwelt in the houses which they had built and enjoyed the gardens which they had planted reaped the fields which they the Heathen had sowed In a word they had the fruit of all their labours Some understand the word here in this latter sence Wilt thou leave thy labour unto him that is Fruges tuas labore tuo partas Pisc wilt thou allow him any of the fruit of thy ground seeing he refuseth to work in thy ground surely thou wilt not Labouring cattel have somewhat for their labour they share in those good things which are the product of their labour 1 Cor. 9.9 Thou shalt not muzzel the Oxe that treadeth out the corn But though it is a truth that labouring cattel eat of and are fed with the fruit of their labour yet here by labour I understand the very act of labour not the fruit of it Wilt thou leave thy labour to him that is wilt thou leave thy business with him wilt thou trust him with thy Plow or with thy Harrow And consider the dependance if thou darest not trust him then thou wilt not leave thy labour unto him Note hence First It is not Wisdom to leave our work to such as we cannot trust Our work will be ill done or half done or not done at all by those that we cannot trust We trust those much to whom we leave our business and there are three things requisite in those to whom we leave it First That they have strength and ability for it there is a necessity of that No wise man will trust or leave his business with him that hath no strength to do it no ability for it Secondly That they be subject and obedient to us No wise man will leave his business in the hand of those who acknowledge no obedience nor subjection to him how much strength soever they have An unsubmitting strength will work against us rather than for us Thirdly That they be faithful No man will leave his business to a person of strength and in subjection to him if he be not honest to him Solomon hath sufficienâ—ly caution'd us against trusting such while he saith Prov. 25.19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble 't is true also in time of peace is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joynt A bâ—oken tooth cannot chew our meat and a foot out of joynt can worse go a journey an unfaithful man will prove a worser servant to us than the worst of these And as it is thus among men they will not leave their business with an Unicorn with one that hath strength but yeilds no subjection nor ever shewed any faithfulness so God will not leave his labour his work and service to such as are like the Unicorn he will not leave it in such hands as have great ability to carry it through yet want obedience to his will and faithfulness in his work There must be a concurrence of these three strength subjection and faithfulness in all those to whom the Lord God the God only wise will leave his labour or commit the doing of any service for him But where these three meet and center in any person strength of body and mind submission of will and faithfulness to a work how great things may they do in the service whether of God or Man Secondly Observe A will a mind to work or a wâ—lling mind to work is better than great strength As the Unicorn with his great strength so they who are like the Unicorn in strength may do little or nothing But they that have only a little strength and a mind to be doing have done and may do much Little strength is a kind of weakness yet where there is a willing mind weakness will do more than great strength without a willing mind We have a common saying John is a good servant when Will is at home Willingness to work works better than bare strength We have this conclusion Neh. 4.6 So built we the wall Nehemiah spake there of the Jews return'd from Babylon And all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof For the people had a mind or as the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heart to work The wall of a great City being soon raised half up the reason given was because they had a mind to work The Jews at that time were a people under so much weakness that the enemies jâ—ar'd them with it ver 2. What will these feeble Jews do will they fortifie themselves will they sacrifice will they make an end in a day will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish c. Will they work miracles remove mountains But how feeble soever they were the work went on amain For the people had a mind a heart to work Though they were no Unicorns no people of great strength though they were feeble Jews yet they
he should not only be salvation to the Jews but also to the ends of the earth or to the Gentiles he no longer said I have laboured in vain but thought himself well rewarded for all his cost and pains for all that he did or suffered to bring about and effect the salvation of man Hope is in vain when we have and get but little expecting much Secondly Hope it much more in vain when we hope for much and get nothing at all As Peter said to Christ Luke 5.5 We have toyled all night and have taken nothing That 's like fishing for Leviathan such hope is utterly in vain Such a vain hope the Church spake of Jerem. 8.15 We looked for peace looking is an act of hope and no good came no good at all that hope is vain when we look for peace and no good no benefit comes And thus the Lord spake of his smiting in vain Jerem. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children Why in vain they have received no correction that is they were never a whit the better for it they were not amended by it When God spends his rods upon us and we neither cease to do evil nor learn to do good then he correcteth us in vain And when he sends his word and we receive no good by it no instruction by it then his word is in vain To wash an Aethiopian is the embleam of labour in vain because how much soever you wash him he is not at all the whiter nor is any change wrought in his complexion Thirdly Hope is yet more in vain when we look for good and get hurt instead of good The Prophet complained Jerem. 8.15 not only thus We look for peace and no good came but as it follows for a time of health and behold trouble But what was the time of health which they looked for or what was the health which they looked for at that time There is a two-fold health a health of the body natural and a health of the body politick which consists in prosperity and peace for this health they looked but behold trouble So Jer. 14.19 We looked for peace and there was no good and for a time of healing and behold trouble Thus the Lords Vineyard that is the Church of the Jews disappointed the Lords expectation Isa 5.5 when while he looked for grapes it brought forth wild grapes that is as 't is explained ver 7. Oppression instead of judgment and instead of righteousness a cry This was the quite contrary and this is the worst way of having our hope in vain It is said Job 27.8 What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Suppose a hypocrite hath gained much in this world yea suppose he hath got or gained all the world yet what is his hope when God taketh away his soul then he will not only find no God but much trouble pain and anguish and wrath and hell for evermore upon him When Christ saith Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul His meaning is not only this that he shall have no profit at all but he shall be utterly undone and broke for ever How vain then is the hope of that man yea how vain a man is that who hopes for profit or gain in doing that which endangers the loss of his soul much more that by which his soul is absolutely and for ever lost Thus hope is in vain First when we hope for much and get little Secondly when we hope for much and get nothing Thirdly when we hope for good and get hurt Now in these two latter senses we are to take the meaning of God here A man may hope by use of means to catch Leviathan yet he gets nothing yea probably loseth much or gets much hurt Behold the hâ—pe of him is in vain Hence note First It is hope of gain that usually puts men upon action The Lord supposeth that they who undertake the taking of Leviathan hope to gain much by taking him 'T is hope of attaining that encourageth to doing No man would be stirring much less bestir himself about any business were it not for hope of getting And as it is hope of attaining that puts upon doing so it is hope of attaining that puts us upon suffering Who would suffer for Jesus Christ if he had not a hope of attaining somewhat better than he can lose by his sufferings therefore Jesus Christ hath set that hope before us To suffer rightly for Jesus Christ is so honourable that we should suffer willingly though we get nothing by it yet he hath set a reward before us a crown by his Cross he hath assured us all our losses even our loss of life for his sake shall turn to our gain and profit Hope of attaining is the motive to every undertaking No wise man will meddle with doing that which is either impossible to be done or altogether unprofitable when it is done Were it not for hope the heart would faint First in labouring Secondly in suffering Thirdly in waiting Hope is like a Helmet upon the head when we are in danger of blows 2 Thes 5.8 and like an Anchor both sure and stedfast when we are in storms Heb. 6.19 Secondly The Lord having said before Remember the battel and do no more adds The hope of him is in vain Hence note It is a vain thing to go about that which we see no ground of hope to have success in to do good upon or to get any good by As the Apostle exhorts us To be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know true believers do know and all men should know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord so we have ground enough to dehort all men from those works which we know or may know will be in vain And if so Then First How vain a thing is it for any man to sin Is there any thing to be gotten by sin I may well say to sinners as the Lord saith to Job in the latter end of the 8th verse Do no more sin no more your hope is in vain that think to gain by sin that hope to make your selves rich great or happy by sin Do no more your hope is in vain The Apostle puts the question Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Have you got any benefit by them have you got any thing worth the getting All that is gained by sin will turn to loss at last Samuel charged the Israelites upon this account 1 Sam. 12.21 Turn ye not aside that is do not sin do not turn from the Law of the Lord do not depart from God why for then should you go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain If you turn aside from the wayes of God to by-wayes from the truths of
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
Jun. the Lord added all his cattle double in number Yet we need not tye up the word double or twice as much strictly to that sense Therefore Secondly Double may be taken largely and so double or twice as much is very much He added to him double that is he made a very great addition possibly in some things treble yea fourfold to what he had before And thus the Lord made good what Bildad had spoken to Job closely hinting that surely Job lay in some secret sin and was not right with God because God let him lye in that forlorn condition and did not so much as restore him to the same much less raise him to a better estate than he had before chap. 8.6 7. If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase It is usual in the Hebrew to say those things are double which excel and are great Thus spake Zophar chap. 11.6 O that God would speak and open his lips against thee and that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom that they are double to that which is Know therefore c. The secrets of Divine wisdom are double to what is namely to what they appear or are apprehended to be The wisdom of God is double yea an hundred fold more than what man is able to conceive it to be The secrets of Gods wisdom are unsearchable and past any creatures finding out Thus in other Scriptures double is put for very much Isa 40.2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sins We must not think that Jerusalem made satisfaction to the Lord for her sinâ— much less may we imagine that Jerusalems sufferings did exceed her sins or the desert of her sins For 't is said Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve And Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed But the meaning of double thâ—re is plainly this she hath received a very great punishment the Loâ—d hath made her feel the sorrowful effects of her sin fully For said Daniel chap. 9.12 Vnder the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done unto Jerusalem This is called a double recompence by another Prophet Jerem. 16.18 I will recompence their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled my land And thus Jeremy prayed against the opposers and despisers of his prophesie chap. 17.18 Destroy them with double destruction So then when it is said the Lord added double or twice as much to Job as he had before it noteth at least a very great addition to the prosperous estate which Job had before even in outward things Hence Observe First When we are about spirituals the Lord takes occasion to minister to us in temporals The Lord not only turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends but gave him twice as much Job did not pray for the doubling of his estate or for great things in the world we find him many times giving up his hopes as to temporals when he would not give up his hopes as to spirituals and eternals Though he kill me yet will I trust in him he also shall be my salvation He submitted his life to God in hope of a better life but he had little or no expectation about the things of this life yet the Lord gave him abundance with his life as also an aboundant or long life as we read at the end of this Book There are two special reasons why the Lord gave Job a great increase in temporals First Because in those Old Testament times the promises went much in temporals Secondly Because Job having lost his credit in the world when he lost his estate spiritual supplies would never have set him right in the eye of the world he had suffered as to his reputation in spirituals by his loss in temporals and therefore the Lord doubled his estate to vindicate his reputation in the eye of the world And the Lord did this unsought unthought of by Job therefore as the point saith it is a truth that while we are careful about spirituals the Lord takes care of our temporals Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Secondly Note The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of his servants and a liberal repairer of their losses The Lord is a bountiful rewarder two ways First For what we do we shall not lose our labour in serving him God gives good and great wages 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as-much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord that is labour abundantly for your labour shall have an aboundant reward Not only shall it not be in vain but richly rewarded The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 The Lord should be unrighteous to forget our labour of love not because any labour of ours can endebt him to reward us but because he hath freely promised to reward us Secondly The Lord is a bountiful rewarder of us for what we suffer And that First When we suffer under his own hand Secondly When for his sake we suffer peaceably and patiently under the hand of men Job was a great sufferer both ways he suffered greatly under the afflicting hand of God and he suffered greatly under the violent hands and reproachful tongues of men and the Lord was to him a bountiful rewarder with respect to both For he did not only heal his wounded state and make him up as well as he was before according to that in Jerem. 30.17 I will restore health unto thee and I will heal thy wounds but he did it double insomuch that he who in the days of his former prosperity was only the greatest of all the men of the East became in the days of his latter prosperity greater than he had been himself The Lord hath plentiful rewards for the godly and so he hath though of another kind for the wicked He saith David plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Psal 31.23 There is a reward of wrath as well as a reward of favour Wrath is the reward of proud men Thus the Lord will plentifully reward proud Babilon at one time or other by some hand or other Revel 18.6 Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double Babilon shall at last lose double blood for the blood that she hath drawn yea as the Text saith double double that is four times as much and who knows how much that double unto her double means For 't
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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