Advocate Therefore you that dare not wrong the mighty for fear they should crush you be much more afraid to wrong the poor for God is their avenger and how easily can he crush you Lastly This is matter of comfort to the godly poor to the humble and meek they may look for help from God in all their afflictions and hard usages they meet with in this world from the hands of men when men even eat them up as bread and ride over their heads as if they were but dirt they may appeal to heaven and there have audience they may râ—fer their cause to God and be righted He that is their Redeemer is mighty and he will plead their cause The expectations of the poor shall not perish for ever Psal 9.18 that is it shall never perish JOB Chap. 34. Vers 29. When he giveth quietness who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only THis verse is an argument or proof of what Elihu affirmed in the former that God heareth the cry of the poor He doubtless heareth the cry of the poor when he stops or takes away the cry of the poor when he sets the poor in a quiet state or settles them in peace in such a peace as their proud and wrathful oppressors shall not be able to disturb Thus the Lord dealeth graciously in reference both so persons and Nations that cry unto him and that 's an undeniable argument that he heareth their cry the cry of distressed persons the cry of distressed Nations Vers 29. When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only The first part of the sentence rendred when he giveth quietness is but one word in the Hebrew we had it before chap. 3.13 where Job supposeth if he had died in his infancy then should he have been still and been quiet he should have slept and been at rest The grave is a silent and quiet abiding place the dead are quitted of all worldly unquietness And at the 26th verse of the same chapter Job saith I was not in safety neither was I quiet that is secure yet trouble came So then as this word notes the quietness of the dead who have no sense of trouble so it notes such a quietness of the living as hath no fear of trouble When he giveth quietness or as Master Broughton translates when he maketh rest who c. The Italian version is if he sendeth home in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quievit in Hiphit quiescere fecit c. As if it had been said If he by his soveraigne sentence freeth out of slavery and oppression as he did the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt c. If he commandeth rest and quiet then as it followeth Who can make trouble Or as Master Broughton renders who can disturb Who can disease those to whom God gives ease or oppresse those to whom God gives protection The words bear the signification of a divine challenge like that Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us or like that vers 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Let us see the man or the devil that can charge the elect and prevail Such is the Emphasis of the present 〈◊〉 When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble Where is the man high or low great or small that can do it Further the word which we translate make trouble hath a threefold eminent signification in Scripture First It signifieth to be wicked or to do wickedly thus we read it at the 12th verse of this chapter Surely God will not do wickedly He that is altogether holy and righteous doth all things holily and righteously The same word signifieth to do wickedly and to make trouble because to do wickedly bringeth trouble often upon others alwayes upon the doers Secondly it signifieth to condemn thus we translate at the 17th verse of this chapter Wilt thou condemn him as one that hath done wickedly who is most just The same word may well signifie to do wickedly and to condemn because they who do so are worthy to be condemned In this sense also we translate it in that famous Prophesie of Christ Ipso enim concedente pacem quis est qui condemnat Vulg. Isa 50.9 He is near that justifieth me who shall condemn me or make me wicked and unrighteous Thus some render the minde of Elihu in this place if he giveth peace or quietness who can condemn Thirdly The word signifieth as we render to trouble molest or vex so we translate 1 Sam. 14.47 where 't is said of Saul that he fought against all his enemies on every side against Moab and against the children of Ammon and against Eâ—om and against the Kings of Zâ—bah and against the Philistines and whither soever he turned himself he vexed or troubled them The word may be taken in these three significations with a subserviency one to another for he that is wicked or doth wickedly deserveth to be condemned or men are condemned because they do wickedly and he that is condemned by a righteous sentence is punished and cannot but be troubled a legal sentence of condemnation brings a legal penalty upon the person condemned we translate clearly to the sence of the Text who can make trouble when God giveth quietness for here the word is not opposed to well doing or acquitting but to quietting and pacifying when he giveth quietness who can make trouble And when he hideth his face who then can behold him The face of God by a well known Hebraisme very frequent in Scripture signifieth the favour of God Master Broughton reads when he hideth favour The favour which we bear to others is most visible in the face and therefore the face may well signifie favour David over-looking all the good things of this world prayed for a good look from God in this expression Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance or of thy face upon us that is shew us favour or be favourable to us And as the greatest good of Saints in this world so all the good of the next world is comprehended in this one word Psal 16.11 In thy presence the text is in thy face that is in the full enjoyment of thy benigne and gracious presence is fulness of joy In like sense the word is used Psal 21.6 Psal 67.1 So then to hide the face is to withdraw favour and kindness love and respect more distinctly this phrase of hiding the face hath a three-fold importance or may hold out these three things First a distaste either against persons or things we turn away our face from him or that which we do not like or is displeasing
Princes of this world that come to naught But we speak the wisdome of God in a mystery c. which none of the Princes of this World know Ecclesia ex Judaeis paritèr ac gentibus collecta quasi speculum est in qu◠contemplantur Angeli mirì ficam dei sapientiam quam antea nesciebant Cato who use to be the most knowing men in the World for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory As if he had said surely the Princes of the world would have adored not reproached and crucified Christ had they understood who he was or the worke which he came about And therefore the Apostle calls it not only a mystery but a great mystery and that there is not the least question but 't is a great mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh this great mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God Eph. 3.9 that is in the counsell and decree of God hath been also some way or other revealed by God almost as soon as the world began It was revealed to Adam by the promise of the womans seed and to Abraham by promise that in his Seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed It was revealed to the Church of the Jewes in Ceremonies and Prophesies and it hath been revealed to the Church both of Jewes and Gentiles by the Spirit in the preaching of the word ever since Christ paid this ransome to this day and it had been hidden to this day if the Lord had not revealed it 't is therefore the Lords invention Let me add this by way of inference We honour men that bring forth any rare invention And if it be an invention which also produceth profit and advantage to mankind how are the Authors of it admired and their names recorded All the inventions of the most refined wits in the world are dull pieces to this invention the redemption of man by Christ And as there is the stamp of an infinite unchangeable wisdome upon it so the profit which comes in by it to mankind is infinite and inestimable How then should we honour God both for bringing this wonderfull invention to light and giving us the benefit of it freely It had been great mercy if God had delivered us upon our finding out and proposall of a way to him but he hath not only delivered us but found out a way himself and plotted how we might be delivered What a glorious mercy is this When Darius saw how Daniel was insnared by his act or decree he was extreamly troubled and saith the Text Dan. 6.14 he was sore displeased with himselfe and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him and he laboured beating his braines and studying till the going down of the Sun to deliver him yet could not but cast he was to the hungry Lions only he told him vers 16. Thy God whom thou servest continually he will deliver thee Darius could not find a ransome any meanes of deliverance for his servant and great Favourite Daniel But when we had brought ourselves into a snare and must have been cast to the Lions for ever to be torne by them the Lord brought forth this rare invention a ransome whereby we poor sinners are delivered out of the mouth of the roaring Lion who goeth about continually to devoure us Secondly Inasmuch as deliverance is got by ransome Observe Our deliverance is costly Soules are precious they are dear ware Blood and that the blood of Christ is their ransome Math. 20.28 Rom. 3.2.5 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Heb. 9.12 Rev. 5.9 in comparison of which all the treasures of this world are trash our Gold and Silver corruptible and our very righteousness a corrupt thing Deliverances are obtained three wayes First By power or plaine force thus Abraham delivered his Nephew Lot when he was carryed captive Gen. 14.14 He armed his trained servants born in his house three hundred and eighteen and rescued him I may say the Lord Jesus hath delivered us thus even by force and power he hath beaten all our enemies and having broken and spoyled principallities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it his Crosse spoken of in the former verse or in himselfe that is in his own personall power not by any aide or forreigne assistance received from men or Angells Secondly Deliverance is obtained by price or payment When our friends or country-men are taken Captives by Turkes or others we cannot send an Army to rescue them but usually we doe it by ransome we buy them againe out of the enemies hand or out of bondage Jesus Christ hath delivered us not only by power but by price it was not as hath been already shewed by gold or silver but by his own most precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Jesus Christ hath delivered us out of the soul destroying hand of Satan by force but he delivers us out of the sin-revenging hand of his Father by price Christ owed the Devill nothing nor doe we but blowes but having undertaken our cause he owed his Father as much as our debt and deliverance from it amounted to a vast summe yet he had enough to answer it to the utmost farthing and did and so delivered us There is a third way of deliverance and that is by supplication and intercession which may be considered two wayes First by our own prayers and supplications Secondly by the prayers and supplications of others which prayers of others are properly called intercessions The intercession of a man with man may deliver him from the wrath of a man And the intercession of a man with God hath wrought the temporall deliverance of some both persons and Nations and therefore when the Lord was resolved not to spare his people he forbad the intercession of the Prophet Jer. 14.11 Pray not for this people for their good And he professed Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel those two mighty Advocates stood before me praying he meanes for them yet my mind could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight In that God would not deliver his people upon their intercession is an argument that he often doth But 't is the intercession of Christ alone which carryeth it with God and that alwayes carryeth it for the Father alwayes heareth him that is granteth his requests for the deliverance of his people both from temporall spirituall and eternall evills This intercession of Christ is the fruit of his blood shed or of the ransome paid down for us For as his blood purchaseth our deliverance so by his intercession it is given in or applyed to us We have the impetration of our pardon by Christs sufferings and the application of it by Christ interceding for us So then we are delivered both by power and price and prayer in severall and distinct respects But the present text speaks of deliverance only by a
keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him When God layeth his yoke or crosse upon us 't is our duty to be silent and submit Zach 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation that is the Lord begins to worke therefore let all men or men of all sorts and degrees be quiet and say nothing either discontentedly or complainingly In all these Scriptures holding our peace is called for and commanded or shewed at the workes of God Secondly There is a holding of our peace at the word of God or at what God speaketh Thus 't is when not only the tongue but the heart is silent and every thought is brought into subjection or captivity to the obedience of Christ The heart of man often speakes much and is very clamorous when he saith nothing with his tongue That 's to hold our peace indeed when the heart is quiet let God say or doe what he will 'T is not more our duty to resist the Devill that is all his hellish whisperings and temptations to the doing of evill then 't is to submit to God in all his speakings and dispensations Elihu speaking in the name of the Lord faithfully adviseth Job in this sence to hold his peace Hence learne We ought to submit and keep silence when the truth of God is spoken Or when the minde of God is brought unto us there must be no replying but obeying no disputing but submitting They have learned much who know how and when to say nothing Solomon saith Eccl 3.6 There is a time to keep silence and a time to speake but this kind of silence is in season at all times we ought alwayes to be silent thus that is alwayes submit to the minde of God We need to be minded of this because the pride and over-weening of man is great We have need to put a bridle upon our tongues much more upon our hearts it is hard to bring our wills and our understandings under we are apt to strive and struggle when truth comes neere us yea to kick at it when it comes very neeâ—â— and home to us though indeed the neerer it comes the better nor can it ever come too neere The Apostle James apprehended this when he gave that admonition Chap 1.21 Receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save your soules Meeknesse is that grace which moderates anger a passionate or fierce spirit receiveth not the word but riseth up against it turnes not to it but upon it and which is worst of all turnes it to evill not to good turnes light into darknesse and so the word of life becomes a savour of death for want of a due submission to it Therefore hearken and hold your peace when the word of God is spoken Do not say it is but the word of man because delivered by man God speaks in and by his faithfull Messengers ye oppose the authority of the living God not a mortall dying creature when you reject the word And remember it is not only our duty but our liberty to give up our selves prisoners to the truths of God we are never so free as when bound by it or to it And as we should hold our peace at or submit to all the truths of God in all cases so especially in these three First When we are reproved for our sins in practice then we should not stand excusing what we have done but repent of it Secondly When we are shewed our errour in opinion then we should not stand disputing and arguing for what we hold but recant it 'T is time to hold our peace when once it appeares to us that we doe not hold the truth To erre is common to man but to persevere in an errour to the defence and patronage of it is more then inhumane devilish Thirdly We should hold our peace when our duty is plaine before us then we should not stand questioning it but doe it Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe saith Solomon Eccl 9.10 that is whatsoever appeares to be a duty doe it with all thy might Hold thy tongue but doe not withhold thy hand when once thy hand hath found what must be done Elihu at this time was dealing with Job upon all these three poynts He told him his sin that he had been too querious and impatient he shewed him his error that he had been too bold with God because innâ—cent towards men And he pressed him to duty both that and how he ought to humble himselfe before the Lord. The Apostle treating about that great poynt of justification tells us God will at last cause all men to hold their peace Rom 3.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law that every month may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God that is man will have nothing to say but sit downe silent and hold his peace or only say I am nothing I have deserved nothing but death and condemnation when he once understands the holiness and strictness of the law together with the unholiness and looseness of his owne heart and life Hence note It speakes yea proclaimes a gracious prudence to know how and when to hold our peace and say nothing When men insist upon their owne conceit and reason when they logick it unduely with God or men and will needs seeme to know more then the word teacheth them what doe they but give evidence against themselves that as yet they know nothing as the word teacheth or as they ought to know and themselves least of all 'T is pride and presumption not prudence and understanding which opens such mens mouths We never profit by what we heare till in the sence opened we have learned to hold our peace The counsel which Elihu gave Job was to hold his peace yet he layd no constraint upon him to refraine necessary speaking but put him upon it in the next verse Vers 32. If thou hast any thing to say answer me speake for I desire to justifie thee Lest Elihu should be interpreted to have taken too much upon him or to have denied Job his liberty of speaking when he sayd hold thy peace he here calls him to speake This is a full proofe that his intent was not to barre him from speaking but only that he should forbeare unnecessary speaking As if he had sayd Now that I have gone thus farre if I have spoken any thing that thou at unsatisfied in and dost desire I should explaine my selfe about speake thy minde freely for though I have more to say yet I will not hinder thee from saying what thou canst fairely say for thy selfe neither will I ever-burthen thy memory with too much at once therefore come now and answer if thou wilt or canst to what is already spoken The Hebrew is If thou hast words answer me that is if thou hast arguments to defend thy selfe with or to
man Thus if we take the wayes in that distinction of internal and external the eyes of God are upon them Secondly Take the wayes of man as differenced in their kinds as they are either good or evil the eyes of the Lord are upon both They are saith Solomon Prov. 15.3 in every place beholding the evil and the good that is the evil wayes and the good wayes of men But saith not the Prophet Habbak 1.14 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil Which may seem at first reading to imply that God doth not behold the evil wayes or actings of men I answer if we distinguish the word behold we shall soon reconcile these Scriptures To behold is either to discerne what is before us or to behold is to approve what is before us There is a seeing of knowledge and there is a seeing of contentment now when the Prophet saith the Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evil his meaning is he doth not he cannot behold evil with contentment or approbation otherwise the Lord beholds evil even all the evil in the world both good and evil are before him who is himself only and altogether good His eyes are upon the ways of Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not only upon the wayes of this or that man but of every man let man be what he will for a man let him be a great man or a mean man let him be a rich man or a poor man let him be a wise man or a fool let him be an ignorant or a knowing man let him be a holy or a prophane man let him be a subtle or a simple man his eyes are upon him Those things which difference men among themselves make no difference at all among them as to the eye of God His eyes are upon the wayes of whomsoever you can câ—ll man And he seeth all his goings This latter clause of the verse is of the same sence with the former therefore I shall not stay upon the opening of it The Scripture often useth Synonoma's and repeats the same thing in other terms to shew the truth and certainty of it and surely the Spirit gives a double stroke here to strike this truth home into our hearts and fasten it in our mindes He beholdeth the wayes and he seeth alâ— the goings of man The word translated seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a very curious or critical sight as was opened before Again these latter words say he seeth All his goings Where we have the universal particle exprest which was only understood in the forme And though these two words wayes and goings may be expounded for the same thing yet in this conjunction we may distinguish them by understanding the word wayes for the constant course of a man's life and the word goings for his particular and renewed motions in those wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incedore cum pompa propriè deambulare The Original word rendred goings signifies somtimes going with much caution yea with a kinde of state or pomp yet frequently any ordinary going Now when Elihu asserts The Lord seeth all his goings we may sum up the matter under these five considerations He seeth First Where he goeth what his path is Secondly He seeth whether he is going what he makes the end of his journey or travel Thirdly when he goeth or sets out what time he takes for every undertaking Fourthly how far he goeth the Lord takes notice of everystep what progress he makes in any business good or bad Fifthly he seeth in what manner he goeth with what heart with what mind or frame of soule he goeth Thus distinct and exact is the Lord in beholding the wayes and in seeing all the goings of man Hence note First Surely the Lord is a God of knowledge If we could conceive a man to have his eyes in all places and upon all persons an eye upon all hearts and an eye in all hearts as wel as an eye upon all hands you would say this man must needs be a knowing man especially if he have such an eye as the eye of God is a discerning eye a distinguishing eye a trying eye an eye which seeth to the bottome of whatsoever it seeth Hannah sayd this in her song 1 Sam. 2.3 Speak not so proudly let not arrogancy come out of your lips for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed 'T is not a slight superficial knowledge which God hath of things or persons by him actions are weighed and so are the Actors God puts all into an even ballance and he will weigh both persons and actions to a graine yea every word and thought shall goe into the ballance It was said to that great Monarch Belteshazer by a hand-writing upon the wall Thou art weighed in the ballances The Lord weighed that great King he weighed all his power and the exercise of it and he that weigheth Kings will not leave the meanest subject unweighed by him actions are weighed We many times passe over our actions without consideration and never take the weight of them at least we never weigh them in the Sanctuary ballance If they will beare weight in the ballance of the world we presume they will in Gods ballance also But as the Lord is a God of knowledge otherwise then man is so by him actions are weighed otherwise then by man It is said of Idolls Psal 115.15 They have eyes and see not but we may say of the Lord Jehovah the true God the living God he hath properly no eyes yet he seeth and his faculty of seeing is infinitely above that which himselfe hath planted in man The Atheist while he is about the worst work in the world the breaking in pieces of the people of God and afflicting his heritage while he is slaying the widow and the stranger and murdering the fatherlesse while he is I say at such kind of worke as this he saith Psal 94.7 The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it But what saith the Psalmist to him and such as he v. 8 9. Vnderstand ye brutish among the people he that formed the eye shall not he see Those words of the Prophet to King Asa 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole earth are an allusion to a man who having a desire to know much or to see all in the world runs up and down travels from place to place from Country to Country for information The Lord would have us know that he knoweth every thing as exactly as they who run from place to place to see what 's done in every place It is prophecyed of the latter times Dan 12.4 Many shall run too and fro and knowledge shall be increased that is many shall be so graciously greedy of knowledge that they will refuse no labour nor travel to attaine it They will run too and fro to inquire and search for it they
But if what is awarded against him be right according to Law and sutable to Justice let the sentence be what it will let him be able to beare it or no much more if he be able also to beare it as in this case it is he hath no cause at all to desire a review of it Thus it is saith Elihu in all the dealings of God with man He will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgement with God To enter or goe into judgement as the word is is either to begin or renew a sute and to desire the hearing of the cause againe God makes no faulty Judgements why then should any cause determin'd by him come to a second hearing there may be reason enough among men to heare a cause againe but what God resolves needs not be reviewed much lesse reversed Here then Elihu meets with those frequent complaints of Job under his afflictions and likewise with those his severall motions and earnest petitions to have his cause heard afresh as if God had prest him too sore or at least had not done him right in suffering him to be so sorely prest by men Thus Elihu seemes to say God never gave any man any just cause to plead his cause over againe with him nor hath he given thee O Job any cause to desire it of him 'T is true carnall men yea and sometimes godly men when as Job here they are greatly afflicted are ready to thinke and say they are over-severely dealt with But the reason of Elihu stands good and firme against all these thoughts and sayings For he will not lay upon man more then is right Hence note God never wronged nor will wrong any man There are two speciall cases in which God never did nor ever will wrong man First he will not wrong man by denying him that reward which he hath freely promised no man shall serve God for naught he shall not say God hath promised but he hath not performed The experience of his people seale to the truth of his promises as wel as their faith imbraceth it That hope of man which is anchored in a promise of God never miscarried not made any man ashamed Secondly God will not wrong man by laying upon him a greater punishment then he hath threatned The Magistrate cannot be charged with laying more punishment upon an offender then is right if he punisheth him not more then the Law alloweth There may be a great deale of severity I grant in punishing up to the rigor of the Law but there is no unrighteousness in it The Mosaical law allowed of forty stripes now if they had layd forty-one upon any offender they had layd upon him more then was right because they exceeded the Law and to have layd full forty stripes which was the utmost they could by Law had been severe therefore they usually abated one stripe at least Hence the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor 11.24 Of the Jewes five times received I forty stripes save one if they had given Paul forty stripes they had done no wrong as to the Law though one had been too many for and a wrong to him who had not broken their law Seeing the Lord lays no more upon the worst of sinners then the law alloweth he doth not lay upon man more then right Yea not only the chastisements which the Lord layeth upon his owne servants but the greatest punishments which he layeth upon the worst of the wicked in this world are much lesse then might with Justice be inflicted This was Ezra's humble acknowledgement before the Lord Ezra 9.13 And after all that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse seeing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve The punishment that was upon the people of Israel was exceeding great in so much that Daniel saith in his prayer Chap 9.11 12. Vnder the whole heavens hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem yet Ezra speaking of that very dispensation saith Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve In this life the greatest of our punishments are lesse then the least of our sins Every sin or transgression of the Law deserves eternall death therefore in this life the greatest punishments that fall upon sinners are lesse then their sins As the least mercies which God bestoweth upon them are greater then the greatest of their deservings That was Jacobs free confession Gen 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of or I am lesse then all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So the greatest punishments that fall upon them in this life are lesse then the least of their sins And in the next life where sinners shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe running over and that for ever yet then they shall not have one graine more either of weight or measure then they have deserved The Lord layeth upon no man in this life so much nor in that to come more then is right Hence it followeth Secondly Man hath no cause to complaine of God or God hath not given any man any cause to complaine whatsoever his sufferings are Why should he complaine who hath but his right As God hath not given any man a liberty to complaine so he hath not given any man just occasion or a true reason to complaine If the burden of punishment be heavy upon any man let him thanke his own sin or selfe for it he hath but his due from God We are often cruel to and wrong our selves God is usually mercifull and never but just to us yea how great soever any affliction is 't is a mercy that 't is no greater and God can quickly make it greater how great soever it is and still be just As he never doth more then he may so he never doth so much as he can in punishing us The Lord hath more in the treasures of his wrath then yet he hath powred upon the worst of sinners Nor indeed can the most capacious vessels of wrath hold all his wrath 't is as himselfe is infinite Cain sayd My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen 4.13 yet God could have made his punishment greater then it was Therefore Jeremy confessed Lam 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Whatsoever is lesse then utter consumption hath some mixture of compassion in it every punishment hath somewhat of compassion in it except that of everlasting damnation O then let all flesh feare and tremble to enter into Judgement with God to complaine or take offence at any of his proceedings with them There are foure things considerable in God which should stop all mens mouths from daring to doe so First He is most powerfull there is no escaping out of his hands Secondly He is most wise and seeth quite through all that man hath done with his hand
respects Thus you have the answer to that question by which it appears that 't is no easie matter to say what Elihu saith It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement There is yet another question for some may demand why should chastisements be thus born I answer First We must bear them according to all the rules before given because they come from God Our afflictions are Gods allotment we must bear what he appoints therefore old Eli though he had failed and sinned greatly and so brought a cloud of calamity upon himself and his family the very report whereof as Samuel told him would make both ears of every one that heard it to tingle yet he composed his spirit to a submissive hearing of it upon this single consideration It is the Lord and there is enough in that consideration to make all men submit For first The Lord is supream and therefore what he doth must be born Secondly He is a Father a childe must bear what a Father layeth upon him and as the Lord is a father so he is not a hasty imprudent or passionate father but a most wise and judicious father therefore 't is our interest as well as our duty to bear his chastisements Yea he is a gracious tender and compassionate father and when we know he that layeth a hand of affliction upon us hath also a heart full of compassion towards us we should willingly bear his hand Secondly Chastisements are to be born in the manner directed because they are for our good and shall we not bear what is good for us It is good for me said David Psal 119.71 that I have been afflicted and so the Apostle Heb. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Chastisements are for our profit and shall not we bear that which is for our profit If God should lay chastisements on us for our hurt meerly to vex us to put us to pain or meerly because he delights in our sufferings who could bear them But it is meet to bear what God layes upon us because he doth it for our good and profit Thirdly We must bear chastisements in the manner shewed because unless we bear them so they will do us no good or we shall have no profit by them and that 's a misery indeed To bear smart and finde no advantage coming in by it to drink gall and to have no sweetness come out of it to endure loss and to have no kinde of profit by it is very grievous Now what ever chastisement is laid upon any it doth them no good and they can have no profit by it unless they bear it as was before described it is not the bare being afflicted that doth us good but it is the wise management or the skilful bearing of it that doth us good and therefore we finde that the Apostle Heb. 12.11 when he had said There is no affliction joyous for the present but grievous adds Nevertheless afterwards it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness but to whom What to every one that is afflicted have they these sweet fruits No but to them that are exercised thereby Afflictions bring no sweet fruits to them that have them unless they be exercised by them how exercised Afflictions exercise every one that hath them they are to all a passive exercise but to be exercised notes here an active exercise they who graciously exercise themselves in affliction shall without doubt finde benefit and fruit by affliction But some may say what is it to be thus exercised by affliction I answer for the opening of that Scripture to be exercised is First To be much in searching our own hearts and wayes or how 't is with us and what hath been done by us Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider that is bethink your selves First What God is doing Secondly What you have been doing Thirdly What becomes you to do in such a day The prophet points us to the two latter Duties of such a day in one verse Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. To search our wayes is to consider what we have been doing to turn to the Lord is the great thing to be done in a day of adversity Secondly As this exercise of the soul consists in searching our own hearts so in searching the heart of God if I may so speak that is in an humble enquiry to the utmost what God meaneth by any affliction what hath moved him to afflict us and we have as much cause to search Gods heart as our own in this case Thus in that National affliction 2 Sam. 21.1 when the famine continued three years year after year it is said David enquired of the Lord why is it thus he search'd Gods heart by desiring an answer from the Lord what sin it was which provoked him to that sad dispensation And thus we should be enquiring of God by prayer what sin he striketh at or what grace he specially calleth us to act by any affliction which he sendeth either upon our families or persons Thirdly There is an exercising of our selves in searching the affliction it self first into the nature of it Secondly into the circumstances of it how timed and measured by what hand and in what way the Lord deals with us this is a great exercise and unless we are thus exercised under affliction we get smart and loss and bitterness but no good at all by it So much for the first counsel given Job by Elihu It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement His second counsel as it lies here in the order of the Text is about the reformation or the amendment of what is amiss I will not offend any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat magna nocendi cupiditate ardere sicut mulieres ardent desiderio concipiendi foetum transfertur in secunda conjugations vel ad parturientium dolores vel ad concupiscendi libidinem Moller in Psal 7.14 It is fit the afflicted should say unto God I wil not offend The root of the word here used signifieth somtimes the pains of travel in childe-bearing Cant. 8.5 I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee And again Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood It signifieth also in Scripture to corrupt or to pollute Neh. 1.7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgements which thou commandest thy servant Moses To deal corruptly or to do corruptly what is it but to sin against or offend God Every offence or sin springs from the corruption of our own hearts and is a corruption of our wayes and manners Both these
upon that two-fold manifestation of the goodnesse of God as a God that willingly pardoneth sin and as a God that is unwilling to destroy sinners Or we may give the summe of these two verses according unto this second translation thus 1 Condono in quo est remissio culpae 2 Non destruam in quo est remissio paenae We have first an Exhortation to repentance from the most mercifull nature of God both as ready to forgive and as loth to destroy his creatures The former act importing the taking away of the guilt of sin the latter the remittal and removall of the punishment Secondly We have here a direction about repentance or to the penitent shewing how an humbled soule should behave himselfe toward God He ought to say thus What I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Where we see the humbled soule in the exercise of a fourefold duty First He confesseth what sins he knoweth Secondly He confesseth or supposeth that he hath many sins which he doth not know Thirdly He entreateth the Lord to shew him every sin whether of heart or life which he knoweth not of Fourthly He engageth that he will not continue in any sin which the Lord shall discover to him or give him the knowledge of You have thus the generall scope of these two verses according to this second reading I shall now a little open the words and give Notes from them according to this translation But unto God who saith I forgive It may here be justly questioned how the Original can be render'd into such variety one translation saith It is meete to be sayd to God I have borne chastisemen this other saiâ—h â—o God who saith I forgive I will not destroy It ought to be said c. The first reading makes the words to be spoken by man this second reading gives the words as spoken both by God and man Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latissimè patet si quid aliud Hebraicum inter alios tolerandi parcendi condonandi remittendi signifiâ—atum habet etiam solitariè positum ut hic or they are a direction given by the Spirit of God to man what to say to God Who saith I forgive I will not destroy I answer for the clearing of that doubt the difference of the readings ariseth from the copious significaâ—ion of one Hebrew word which is rendred many wayes in Scripture especially two First To bear in which sense we translate I have born chastisement The word chastisement as was shewed before is not expresly in the text but supplyed to make out the sense by our translaters I have born what thy hand thy chastisement Secondly It signifies also to pardon or to forgive I shall referre you to one Scripture in which that word is used in both these senses Gen 4.13 And Cain said unto the Lord my punishment is greater then I can bear that 's the text but if you read the margin of our larger Bibles that saith My iniquity is greater then that it may be forgiven or pardoned the text saith my punishment the margin saith my iniquity the same word signifieth both sin the cause and punishment the fruit Againe there the text saith My punishment is greater then I can bear and the margin saith my iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven So that according to the text the words are Cains complaint against the justice of God that he dealt over-rigorously with him My punishment is greater then I can bear And according to the margin they are a description of his despair of the mercy of God my sin is greater then that it may be forgiven And as we find the word used in that place both for bearing and for pardoning So in severall other places it is translated by pardoning take but one Instance in the Psalms where we find it translated twice in the space of a few verses to forgive or pardon Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven And againe v. 5th I said I will confesse my iniquity and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin So that though there be a different version and translation of the word in this text of Scripture yet it is such as is consonant to the use of the word in other Scriptures and also to the truth of the whole Scripture Yea we know that in our English tongue to bear with a man signifies to forgive him his present fault or not to punish him and use extremity against him for it And therefore according to the exigence of any place the word may be translated either way and here it may be safely taken in both But to God who saith I forgive I will not destroy it ought or it is meete to be said what I see not teach thou me Elihu according to the reading now before us brings in God thus speaking yea even boasting thus of himselfe I forgive or I pardon Hence note First It is Gods owne profession of his owne selfe that he is a sin-pardoning God And God doth so much say or professe this of himselfe that when he was entreated by Moses to shew him his glory this was the chiefe thing which he sayd of himselfe Exod 34.6 7. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here 's my name saith God if you would know how I am called or what I would call my selfe this is it I am a God forgiving iniquity c. And as God pardoneth sin so there is none in heaven or in earth that pardoneth like him that hath such a name for pardon as God hath Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity c. The gods of the Earth that is Kings and Princes give pardons and to doe so is the sweetest and choycest flower in the Crowne of Princes and they usually shew their Greatness by this act of grace when they come first to their Crowne and exercise of their soveraigne power The Princes or gods of the Earth can pardon but 't is no disparagement to put that question Can they pardon like God no their pardon is no pardon in comparison of Gods pardon yea their pardoning is a kinde of condemning compared with the pardoning grace of God The pardons which Kings give are but the shadow of his pardon who is King of kings Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression As if he had said I am he and there is none else this glory is proper to me and none can partake with me in it nor will I give this glory to another All sins are committed against God and in a sense against him only therefore only to be pardoned by him Who can remit the debt but the Creditor Psal 51.1 Against thee thee only have I sinned What debt soever we
run into by any sin committed against man God only is the Creditor All that men can doe is but to forgive the trespasse against themselves so farre as man is wronged he may yea he ought to forgive as Christ teacheth us to pray Math 6.12 Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors All that we can forgive is only the trespass done to our selves and so forbeare personal and private revenge We cannot forgive the offence against God For when Christ saith John 21.20 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted that remission is but the declaring of a pardon it is not the bestowing of a pardon or it is only a ministerial forgivenesse not an authoritative forgivenesse so to forgive is Gods Royalty He saith I forgive Secondly To God who saith I forgive c. Forgive what forgive whom Here 's neither what nor whom neither things nor persons named God barely saith I forgive Hence observe The pardoning mercy of God is boundlesse and unlimited Here 's no sin named therefore all are included no sinner specified therefore all are intended I forgive I pardon the pardoning mercy of God knows no limits it is not limitted First to any sort of sins or sinners Secondly it is not limited to any degree of sins or sinners let sins or sinners be of what sort they will let sins or sinners be of what degree they will they are within the compasse of Gods pardoning mercy And as this text intimates that the pardoning mercy of God is boundlesse because it expresseth no bounds So other Scriptures tell us expresly that it is boundlesse extending it selfe to all sorts and degrees of sins and sinners Math 12.31 Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven That a sin is great that it is extremely aggravated is no barre at all to the pardoning mercy of God he can as easily pardon great sins as little sins even sins that are as Crimson and scarlet as well as those of the lightest tincture The die or colour of some cloaths or stuffs is so fading that as we say the next wind will blow it off or cause it to dye away but scarlet and crimson in graine never change their colour yet the pardoning grace of God causeth crimson and scarlet sin to change colour and makes them as white as the naturall wool or snow that is takes them quite and cleane away Yea the greatnesse of sin is so far from being a stop to pardon that it is used asan argument to move God to pardon David prayeth Psal 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity why doth he say because it is little or only a small sin a sin committed rashly unadvisedly or but once no he useth none of these excusatory pleas for pardon but saith pardon my sin for it is great Moses was not afraid to speake for pardon upon this ground also Exod 32.31 Lord saith he this people have committed a great sin and have made them gods of gold yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin c. There 's a great deale of divine Rhetorique in that speech Moses was not doubtfull whether God would forgive them their sin because it was great but he urged the Lord to forgive their sin because it was great Where sin aboundeth Grace doth much more abound Rom 5.20 and therefore God is said to pardon abundantly or to multiply to pardon Isa 55.7 and whom doth he promise to pardon there even the man of iniquity so that Scripture hath it Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man or the man of iniquity his thoughts c. If you who have sinned abundantly repent I will pardon abundantly The heart of God in pardoning sin is infinitely larger then the heart of man can be in committing sin and as the least sin needs pardon so the greatest may have it nothing hinders the pardon of sin but the sinners not coming for it or his not asking it The sin against the holy Ghost cannot be forgiven but the reason is because such as commit that sin utterly reject the grace of God and tread the blood of the Covenant under their feet as an unholy thing Thirdly The text speakes in the present tense God saith not I will pardon or possibly I may pardon but sheweth what he both actually doth and what he alwayes doth To God who saith I pardon Hence note God pardoneth presently he pardoneth continually I pardon is a present it is a continued act To pardon is Gods work to day and Gods work to morrow As every soule may say of himselfe Lord I sin not only I have sinned or I shall sin hereafter but I sin so saith God I pardon as men stand alwayes in need of pardon so God stands alwayes prepared to pardon He is Psal 86.5 plenteous in mercy ready to forgive The heart of God is never out of frame for that woâ—ke never indisposed to it David found him so Psal 32.5 I said I will confesse mine iniquity he did not say I have confessed mine iniquity he was not come to a formall Confession onely he had it upon his heart to humble himselfe before God and confesse his sin yet it follows and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin While there was but a holy resolve upon his heart to confesse his sin the pardon of it was given him The holy history of his sin and of Gods mercy assureth us that the word was no sooner out of his mouth 2 Sam 12.13 I have sinned but instantly Nathan said The Lord hath put away thy sin Though God doth not pardon of course yet he is in a continuall course of pardon therefore Moses prayed Numb 14.19 That God would pardon the people according to the greatness of his mercy and as he had forgiven them from Egypt untill then As if he had sayd Lord thou hast been pardoning all along from the very first step we took out of Egypt to this day thou hast exercised abundance of patience long-suffering and mercy in pardoning this people now Lord pardon us as thou hast done from Egypt to this day doe not stop thy acts of Grace The very first act of pardon stands for ever he that is once pardon'd is alwayes pardon'd yet there are dayly renewings of pardon and fresh acts of it every day Fourthly The word render'd to pardon signifies to take away as to beare a burden upon our selves according to the former translation so to beare or lift it off from another Hence Note Pardon is the taking away or the bearing of sin off from us An unpardoned soul hath a burden of sin upon him ready to break his back yea enough to break his heart were he sensible of it the Lord by pardon takes this burden off from him David speaks of his sins under this notion of a burden Psal 38.4 My sins are gone over my head they are a burden too heavie for me to bear Yea sin is a burden too heavie for the strongest Angel in
confound the wise and the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things which are that no flesh should glory in his presence God chuseth those things which have the greatest improbility for his worke that the power and successe of the worke may be ascribed to him alone When we chuse we should chuse those that are fit for the worke to which they are chosen we should not chuse a foole to governe nor one that is of low parts himselfe to teach others we should pitch upon the wisest and ablest we can get Joseph said well to Pharoah Gen. 41.33 Looke out a man discreet and wise and set him over the Land of Egypt We cannot make men wiser then they are and therefore we must chuse and take those that are wise to doe our worke But when God comes to doe his worke he often takes the foolish and the weake because as he calleth them to so he can fit them for his worke As the strongest opposition of nature against grace cannot hinder the worke of the Spirit when the Spirit comes he will make a proud man humble a covetous man liberall an uncleane person modest and temperate so the weaknesse of nature cannot hinder his worke If a man below in parts God can raise him Out of the mouths of babes aâ—d sucklings hast thou ordained strength Psal 8.2 or as Christ alledgeth that text Math 21.16 Thou hast perfected praise one might thinke Surely God will take the aged the learned and great for his praise no he ordaines praise to himselfe out of the mouths of babes and sucklings that is out of their mouths who in all natuturall considerations are no way formed up nor fitted to shew forth his praise Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash or hasty shall understand knowledge Heady and inconsiderate persons whose tongues as we say run before their wits shall then be grave advised and serious both in what they doe and as it followeth in what they say The tongue of the stammerers shall speake plainly that is cleare words with cleare reason or they shall speake well both in matter and forme right things rightly All this the Lord doth that he may honour himselfe and lift up his owne name only which alone is to be lifted up Never feare to put an empty vessell to a full fountaine no matter how empty the vessell be if the fountaine be full God delights in broken weake and empty creatures that he may mend strengthen and fill them There is a spirit in man in weake man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Elihu having shewed the original of mans wisdome to be from God in this 8th verse makes an inference from it in the 9th The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding And what then surely even hence it cometh to passe that Vers 9. Great men are not alwayes wise neither doe the aged understand Judgement It is well conceived by some Interpreters that the Apostle doth more then allude to even cite this text 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your Calling Brethren how that not many wâ—se men after the flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called If God should chuse only of mostly wise men they would be ready to say we are chosen for our wisdome If he should chuse and call only or mostly rich men they would be ready to thinke we are chosen for our riches If he should call only or mostly Kings and Princes they would conclude we are called for our Greatnesse Therefore the Lord passeth by most of these and calleth the Fisherman calleth the poore man the ignorant man and saith You that have nothing you that in the esteeme of the world are nothing doe you follow me who have all things and can supply you with all Thus here saith Elihu Great men are not alwayes wise Why not the reason is because God doth not alwayes bestow wisdome upon them It is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding Greatnesse doth it not Not many wise men after the flesh not many Great or Noble are Called Elihu and the Apostle Paul speake the same thing almost in the same words This is also a proofe of the divine Authoritie of this booke as well as that 1 Cor. 1.19 taken out of the speech of Eliphaz in the 5th Chapter at the 13th verse He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse c. Great men are not alwayes wise The word alwayes is not at all in the Originall text and therefore put in a different Character Great men are not wise but 't is well supplyed by that word alwayes For the meaning of Elihu is not that great men are never wise but not alwayes wise Great men the Rabbies the honourable men of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnus unde Rabbi Magister qui multam eruditionem habet Honorabiles Pagn Magnates Tygur men in Authoritie and great place are intended by this word The Officers which King Ahasuerus set over his feast are called Rabbies Est 1.8 so that we may expound it here in the largest sence as including all sorts and degrees of Great ones Great men are not alwayes wise That is wisdome neither floweth from nor is it alwayes associated with Greatnesse As some are little yet great little in the world yet great in true wisdome so others are Great yet little they are little in wisdome or have little true wisdome though they are great in the world or have great worldly wisdome Hence note It is not greatnesse of birth of place or power that can make any man wise nor doth it at all assure us that a man is wise because we see him exalted to and setled in a place of power and greatness The Prophet Jer. 5.4 5. finding some very incorrigible and hardned in sinfull courses concluded them meane persons and in the lowest forme of the people Therefore I said Surely these are poore they are foolish for they know not the way of the Lord nor the Judgement of their God To be poore and foolish is very common these are poore and foolish saith the Prophet but surely I shall finde the Great ones better accommodated with wisdome and thereupon he resolved I will get me to the great men and will speak unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord and the judgement of their God That is these great men have had great meanes of knowledge and we have reason to suppose them as great in knowledge as they are in place or power But did the great men answer his expectation did he find that in them which he sought and looked for nothing lesse The great men proved more foolish or lesse in true knowledge then the poore as it followeth But these have altogether broken the yoake and burst the bonds As if he had said I
write after your Coppy nor take up directions from what you have done for I see you have gone and done amisse Againe When Elihu saith I will not answer him with your speeches Note Secondly What we speake should be our owne sence not the sence of others unlesse their sence either of things or persons be the same with ours Some pin their opinion upon the sleeves of others and they will be just of the judgement of such a man what he saith they will say As some expect that every one should be of their Judgement and say as they say they are many Masters which the Apostle James forbids My Brethren be not many Masters doe not take upon you to give the rule to all others some are proud at this rate they thinke themselves able to give the rule to all men so not a few are so easie that presently they will take up any thing as a rule from any Master whereas we should not be so apt to follow but labour to have the Judgment or reason of things in our selves rather then to take it up upon trust When Luther was much troubled about the dealings of God in the world to see how matters went and was saying within himselfe Surely it were better things were carried thus and thus while Luther I say was thus troubled he thought he heard this word of reproofe from God O Martin Martin Martine Martine in valde sapis sed ego non sum deus sequax I see thou art very wise thou canst give rules even to God himselfe but I am not a God easie to be led by men I will not take thy Counsell though I see thou hast an honest heart in what thou counsellest I have a way of my owne and I will have my owne way though the world yea though good men and my owne faithfull servants are grieved and mourne at it Man would appoint to God himselfe but God will not model matters by mans wisdome nor in his way Thus in the present case I only allude it is not good for us when we heare what others say presently to receive it or take the impression from them and so answer in their words or vote their opinions though they are wise and good men Elihu takes the liberty to dissent as in his opinion so in his Method of proceeding with Job I will answer but it shall not be with your speeches I will take my owne course Thirdly Note The faylings and mistakes of others should be our warnings not to doe the like Elihu observed where they missed as to the matter in hand he observ'd also wherein they missed as to the manner of proceeding and he observed both well and wisely to avoyd the like inconveniences and thereupon professed I will not answer him with your speeches Fourthly Note We should answer to every poynt and person with reason and sweetnesse not with passion and bitternesse There is no convincing others with wrath The wrath of man saith the Apostle works not the righteousnesse of God James 1.20 That is wrath will never bring about nor effect those righteous things or ends which God would have us ayme at The wrath of man puts him quite out of the way of righteousnesse both out of the way of right speaking and of right acting To shew much reason and little passion is our wisdome So the Apostle gives the rule 2 Tim 2.26 The servant of the Lord must not strive he doth not meane it of bodily striving As if he had said he must not be a fighter As when the Apostle saith 1 Tim 3.3 A Minister must not be a striker It can hardly be thought he should intend only if at all that Ministers should not be like grossly boysterous men who are not so much as Civill in their behaviour surely such are farre enough off from a fitness to be received into the Ministry therefore some expound the Apostle to the poynt in hand he must be no striker with his tongue in passion anger and wrath no word-striker There is great striking yea wounding with words Though Ministers must strike and wound with the authority of God yet not with their owne animosities They must wound the consciences of sinners with the Word and Spirit of God but not with their own wrathfull spirits such strikers they may not be nor may the servant of the Lord strive thus but be gentle to all men apt to teach yea patient in teaching It is a great exercise of patience to teach with line upon line precept upon precept When we see little received or heeded yet to insist upon it this is patience In meeknesse instructing such as oppose themselves if God peradventure will give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth As the Apostle James exhorts Chap. 1.21 to receive the word with meeknesse that 's a most necessary rule in hearing the word for many times the hearer is in a passion there is such a storme in his bowels that he cannot heare to purpose therefore if any would receive the ingraffed word they must receive it with meeknesse I say also the word should be given out or spoken in meekness though not with coldnesse I doe not say with coldnesse or with a slightness of spirit but with meeknesse And the truth is milde speaking or meeknesse of speech as to the spirit and conscience of the hearer is not only most comfortable but most prevailing Meeknesse should be shewed even where there is the greatest zeale and zeale then prevailes most when there is most meeknesse in it The Apostle Jude saith Of some have compassion making a difference others save with feare That is save them by preaching that which may make them afraid scare them out of their sins but yet still this is to be done in a spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 If any one be over-taken in a fault what then rayle on him rage against him and revile him no but saith the Apostle ye that are spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Bones must be set to that the word which we translate restore alludes with a tender hand Those three things which are required in a good Chirurgion or Bone-setter are as necessary in a reprover or in him that would reduce another from the error of his way First He must have an Eagles eye to discerne where the fault or fayling is Secondly A Lyons heart to deale freely with the faulty how great soever they are Thirdly A Ladies hand to use them gently and tenderly All which will more fully appeare while Lastly From the example of Elihu we collect and learne that a good Moderator or composer of differences must avoyd five things First slightness of spirit and of speech It is not good to speake lightly of little things but it is a shame to speake lightly of great things Weighty matters must be handled weightily and we should put not a little finger but our
therefore though he know well enough how to doe evill yet he is truely sayd not to know how to doe it Thirdly Not to know a thing is not to be accustomed or practised in it Thus when Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles he seemes to say It is not my manner I have not been used to flatter As use doth not only make fitnesse but encreaseth our knowledge so disuse doth at once unfit us to doe a thing and diminisheth our knowledge how to doe it And therefore what we use not to doe we are rightly sayd not to know to doe I know not to give flattering titles Hence note The spirit of a good man is set against all that is evill he cannot close nor comply with it His understanding assenteth not to it his will chuseth it not his conscience cannot swallow it though not a camel but a gnat the least of sin-evils much lesse doth he give himselfe up to the free and customary practise of great sins A good man may well be sayd not to know to sin because though he knoweth the nature of all sins yet he knowingly declines the doing of every sin I know not to give flattering titles In so doing my Maker would soone take me away Those words in so doing are not expressed in the Originall but supplyed to make up the sence and yet we may very well read the text without them I know not to give flattering titles my Maker would soone take me away or as Mr Broughton renders my Maker would be my taker away My Maker Elihu expresseth God by the work of creation or by his relation to God as a creator Elihu doth but include himselfe in the number of those whom God hath made he doth not exclude others from being made by God as much as himselfe while he saith My Maker God is the maker of every man and is so in a three-fold consideration First He is the maker of every man in his naturall constitution as he is a man consisting of a reasonable soule and body I am fearefully and wonderfully made sayd David with respect to both Psal 119.14 Secondly God is every mans maker in his civill state as well as in his naturall he formeth us up into such and such a condition as rich or as poore as high or as low as Governours or as governed according to the pleasure of his owne will Prov. 22.2 The rich and the poore meete together the Lord is the maker of them both he meaneth it not only if at all in that place that the Lord hath made them both as men but he hath made the one a rich man and the other a poore man Thus the Lord is the maker of them both And as the Lord makes men rich so Great and honorable Psal 75.6 Promotion cometh not from the East nor from the West nor from the South It cometh from none of these parts or points of earth or heaven it cometh from nothing under heaven but from the God of heaven God is the Judge he putteth downe one and setteth up another Thirdly The Lord is the maker of every man in his spirituall state as good and holy and gracious Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works till we are wrought by God we can doe none of Gods worke nor have we any mind to doe it Now when Elihu saith My Maker would soone take me away we may understand it in all these three sences he that made me this body and soule when I came into the world he that ordered my way and state all this while that I have been in this world he that formed me up into a new life the life of Grace and hath made me a new man in this and for another world This my Maker would soone take me away Hence note It is good to remember God as our maker Man would not make such ill worke in the world if he remembred God his maker or that himselfe is the work of God We should remember God our maker First as to our being as from him we receive life and breath Secondly as to our well-being as from him we receive all good things both for this life and a better Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy creator not only that God is a creator but thy creator remember this in the dayes of thy youth And surely if thou remembrest him well thou wilt not forget thy selfe so much as to forget the duty which thou owest him Thinke often upon thy maker and then this thought will be upon thee alwayes If I owe my selfe wholly unto God for making me in nature how much more doe I owe my selfe unto God for making me a new creature We ought to live wholly to him from whom we have received our lives He that hath made us should have the use of us He hath made all things for himselfe Prov 16.4 chiefely man who is the chiefe of all visibles which he hath made Those two memento's That we are made by the power of God and that the price by which we are redeemed is the blood of God should constraine us at all times and in all things to be at the call and command of God My Maker Would soone take me away Invoce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tolleret me alludit ad praecedens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q d. Si capiam faciem me capiet Coc We had the same word in the former verse there 't is used for accepting a person here for taking away a person The Learned Hebricians take notice of an elegant flower of Rhetorick in this expression If I take persons God will take away my person so we may translate the Text If I take men my God will take me away Yea my maker would not only take me away at last or as we say first or last but he would make dispatch and be quicke with me My maker would Soone take me away Some render He would take me away as a little thing But the mind of our translation is he would take me away in a little time The originall word beares either signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so may the scope of the text My Maker would take me away as a little thing he would blow me away as a feather or as dust and crush me as a moth and he would doe it in a moment in a little time all the men of the world yea the whole world is but a little thing before God and he can quickly take both away Isa 40.15 Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the Ballance Behold he taketh up the Islands as a very little thing Now if Whole Islands if all nations are such little things as drops and dusts then what is any one particular man how big soever he be And how soone can God take him away Little things are taken away in a little time So the word is
scelus est veritatem palliare Merc But it is a farre greater sin to commend the sins of others or to commend others in their sin And we may take the measure of this sin by the punishment of it When we heare the Lord threatning flatterers with suddaine destruction doth it not proclaime to all the world that their sin is full of provocation The Lord beares long with many sorts of sinners but not with sinners of this sort My maker would soone take me away Whence note Secondly God can make quicke dispatch with sinners As the grace of God towards sinners Nescit tarda molimina spiritus sancti gratia so his wrath needs no long time in preparations When we designe great actions we must take time to fit our selves Princes must have time to set out an Army or a Navy when they would either defend themselves against or revenge themselves upon their enemies But God can presently proceed to action yea to execution He that made all with a word speaking can destroy the wicked as soone as speake the word he can doe it in the twinkling of an eye with the turning of a hand My Maker would soone take me away Thirdly Because Elihu being about to speake in that great cause sets God before him and God in his judgements in case he should speake or doe amisse Note Thirdly They that doe or speake evill have reason to expect evill at the hand of God If I should flatter saith Elihu my Maker would soone take me away I have reason to feare he will not that God takes away every sinner as soone as he sins God rarely useth Martiall Law or executes men upon the place we should live and walke more by sence then by faith if he should doe so but any sinner may expect it God I say is very patient and long-suffering he doth not often take sinners away either in the act or immediately after the act of sin Yet there is no sinner but hath cause to feare lest as soone as he hath done any evill God should make him feele evill and instantly take him away David prayeth Psal 28.3 Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity There is a two-fold drawing away with the workers of iniquity First to doe as they doe that is wickedly Thus many are drawne away with the workers of iniquity and 't is a good and most necessary part of prayer to beg that God would not thus draw us away with the workers of iniquity that is that he would not suffer the workers of iniquity to draw us away into their lewd and sinfull courses Secondly there is a drawing away to punishment and execution In that sence I conceive David prayed Lord draw me not away with the workers of iniquity who are taken away by some sudden stroake of judgement though I may have provoked thee yet let not forth thy wrath upon me as thou sometimes doest upon the workers of iniquity doe not draw me out as cattell out of the pasture where they have been fed and fatted for the slaughter Every worker of iniquity is in danger of present death and may looke that God will be a swift witness against him though most are reprieved yet no man is sure of that Againe In that Elihu represents God to himselfe ready to take him away in case of flattery and prevarication in that cause Note Fourthly It is good for us to over-awe our soules with the remembrance of the judgements and terrours of God 'T is profitable sometimes to converse with the threatnings as well as with the promises 't is profitable to remember what God is able to do against us as well as to remember what God is able to do for us Even believers should goe into the dreadfull treasuries of wrath into the thunders lightnings of divine displeasure as well as into the delightfull treasuries of mercy of love compassion it is good for a good man to thinke God may take me away as well as to thinke God will save and deliver me we need even these meditations of God to keepe downe our corruptions and to fright our lusts Though it be the more Gospel way to make use of love yet the Gospel it selfe teacheth us to make use of wrath 2 Cor 5.11 Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Lastly Note When we goe about any great worke when we are either to speak or doe in any weighty matter it is good for us to set God before our eyes to thinke of and remember our Maker As in great undertakings we should remember our Maker waiting for and depending upon his assistance strength and blessing in what we doe or goe about so we should remember him to keepe our hearts right And to remember seriously believingly and spiritually that God beholds and seeth us in all our wayes and workes and that according to the frame of our hearts and the way that we take in every action such will the reward and the issue be cannot but have a mighty command and an answerable effect upon us We can hardly doe amisse with â—od in our eye And therefore as it is sayd of a wicked man Psal 10.4 that through the pride of his countenance he will not seeke after God God is not in all his thoughts So David said of himselfe though in that Psalme he speakes chiefely as a type of Christ and so in proportion or as to sincerity every godly man saith like David Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand therefore I shall not be moved that is as I shall not be utterly overthrowne by any evill of trouble so I shall not be overcome by any evill of temptation or I shall not be moved either in a way of discouragement by the troubles I meete with or in a way of enticement by the temptations I meete with How stedfast how unmoveable are they in the worke of the Lord how doe they keepe off from every evill worke who set the Lord alwayes before them and have him at their right hand Could we but set the Lord before us either in his mercies or in his terrors we should not be moved from doing our duty in whatsoever we are called to doe Thus farre Elihu hath drawne out his speech in a way of preface preparing himselfe for his great undertaking with Job He hath now fully shewed the grounds why he undertooke to deale with him and what method he would use in that undertaking In the next Chapter and so forward to the end of the 37th we have what he sayd and how he managed the whole matter JOB Chap. 33. Vers 1 2 3. Wherefore Job I pray thee heare my speeches and hearken to all my words Behold now I have opened my mouth my tongue hath spoken in my mouth My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart and my lips shall utter knowledge clearely ELihu having spent the whole
the house of Israel to bud forth and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them and they shall know that I am the Lord That is I will give thee boldnesse and liberty of speech time was when thou didst not dare to â—peake a word for God or of God of his praise name and worship or if thou didst it was but in a Corner or whisperd in secret but the time shall come when I will give thee the opening of the mouth thou shalt speak my truth and praises boldly and the Enemy shall know that I the Lord have procured thee this liberty 'T is a great mercy when God gives his people the opening of the mouth or liberty of speech to speak boldly no man hindring no nor so much as discouraging them The Prophet makes that the character of an evill time when the prudent keep silence Amos 5.13 As in evill or calamitous times it becomes the Godly prudent to be willingly silent adoring the justice of Gods severest dispensations towards them with patience and without murmuring at his hand So in some evill times they are forced to keepe silence though as David spake Psal 39.2 their sorrows be stirred either lest by speaking even nothing but truth and reason they draw further sorrows upon themselves or because they see it but lost labour to speake to a people obstinate and resolved on their way Fourthly This phrase of opening the mouth to speake notes the things spoken to be of very great worth such as have been long concocted and digested and at last ready to be brought forth as out of the treasury of an honest and understanding heart Os aperire est bene discussa et praemeditata habere dicenda Bold The heart is the treasury of words there they are stored up and from thence issued forth as Christ saith Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As there is a stock of evill words in the hearts of evill men so of good and gracious words in the hearts of Godly men and when they open their mouthes according to this notion it is to bring forth the treasures and riches of their hearts to bring forth the gold and silver and precious things stored up there all these are very usefull interpretations of this phrase and I might give distinct observations from them but it may suffice to have named them I shall only adde that the last is conceived by some to be chiefely intended in the latter branch of this verse My tongue hath spoken in my mouth This seems a strange Expression where should the tongue speak but in the mouth when the tongue is out of the mouth can it speak as the mouth cannot speak without the tongue so the tongue cannot speak out of the mouth why then doth he say My tongue hath spoken in my mouth The Hebrew is In my palate the palate being a part of the mouth and one speciall Instrument of speech Naturalists reckon five The lips the tongue the teeth the palate the throat 't is put for all but there is more in it then so for every man speaks in his mouth Palatum â—ris coelum est Drus Praemeditata et quasi intelligentiae meae palato praegustata sum prolaturus Bez Bene sapui verba mea antequam illa efferendo tibi aliisque sapienda et gustanda traderem Bold Non sequarverba aliorum sed propries conceptus enunciabo Aquin or by the palate which is the heaven roofe or cieling of the mouth Therefore when Elihu saith My tongue hath spoken in my mouth or in my palate The palate may be considered as the instrument of tasting as well as of speaking We say such a thing is very savory to the palate And we call that Palate wine which is quicke and lively briske and pleasant to the tast Thus when Elihu saith here My tongue hath spoken in my mouth or palate His meaning is I have uttered only that which I have wel considered what my tongue hath spoken to you I have tasted my selfe I have put every word to my palate For as a man that that tasteth wine or any other sapid thing must have it upon his palate before he can make a Judgement whether it be sweet or sharpe quick or flat so faith Elihu my mouth hath spoken in my palate I tasted my words before I spake them Hence note Judicious and wise men will tast and try what they intend to speake before they utter it The speaker presents his words to the tast of the hearer For as this Scripture hath it at the 3d verse of the next Chapter The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat now he that ventures his words to the tast and censure of others had need take a tast of them before he doth it My tongue hath spoken in my mouth Secondly From the scope of Elihu in adding this namely to gaine attention Note There is great reason we should heare that carefully which the speaker hath prepared with care They who regard not what they speake deserve no regard when they speake but a weighing speaker should have a weighing hearer And what any mans tongue in the sence of Elihu hath spoken in his mouth that we should heare not only with our eare but with our heart This a strong argument to quicken attention yet Elihu gives in another and a stronger in the next verse Vers 3. My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart my lips shall utter knowledge clearly In the former verse Elihu called for an open eare because he opened his mouth and was about to speak or had spoken what he had well tasted In this verse he presseth the same duty by professing all manner of Ingenuity and Integrity in what he was about to speake He would speake not only seriously but honestly not only from his understanding but his conscience My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart c. The meaning is not that the uprightnesse of his heart should be the subject upon which he would treat though that be a blessed and most usefull subject yet it was not the poynt he intended to discusse but when he saith My words shall be of the uprightnesse of my heart his meaning is my words shall flow from the uprightnesse of my heart I will speake in the uprightnesse of my heart or according to the uprightnesse of my heart my words shall be upright as my heart is the plain truth is this Sincerè et absque ullo suco proferam animi mei sensa Bez I will speak truth plainly I 'le speak as I thinke you may see the Image of my heart upon every word I will speak without dawbing without either simulation or dissimulation Some conceive this to be a secret reproofe of or reflection upon Jobs friends as if Elihu had suspected them to have spoken worse of Job then they could thinke him to be in their hearts But as
Spirit of his mouth that is Jehovah by his Eternall Son and Spirit made all things The heavens and their host are there expressed by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole creation or for all creatures both in heaven and in earth Againe Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The Spirit of God creates every day what is it that continueth things in their created being but providence That 's a true axiome in Divinity Providence is creation continued Now the Spirit of God who created at first creates to this day Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The work of creation was finished in the first six dayes of the world but the work of creation is renewed every day and so continued to the end of the world Successive providentiall creation as well as originall creation is ascribed to the Spirit The Scripture is full of arguments to prove that the holy Ghost is God Which because this fundamentall truth is blasphemously spoken against I shall a little touch upon First As the Spirit createth and makes the naturall man consisting of body and soule so he regenerateth which is a greater creation the whole into a spirituall man therefore he is God John 3.5 Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit that is of the Spirit who is as water he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The holy Ghost is also call'd The sanctifier sanctification is regeneration in progress and motion regeneration is sanctification begun and sanctification is regeneration perfecting from day to day 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth And the Apostle Peter writes to the Elect 1 Pet 1 2. according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the Spirit Now who can doe these great things but God who can regenerate or give a new nature who can sanctifie or perfect that new nature but God alone Men and Angels must let these workes alone for ever or as we translate Psal 49.8 these acts cease for ever from men and Angels as much as the redemption of man from the grave or from hell from corruption or condemnation Secondly The Spirit is omniscient He knoweth all things 1 Cor 1.12 2 10.19 The Spirit knoweth all things yea the deep things of God He is not only acquainted with and privie to the surface and outside of things but he searcheth things to the bottom of them Nor doth he search only the deepe or bottome things of common men or of the chiefest of men Kings and Princes whose hearts are usually as much deeper then other mens as their persons and places are higher but the Spirit searcheth the deep things the bottome things of God the things of God that lye lowest and most out of sight the Spirit understandeth therefore the Spirit is God For as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor 2.11 No man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God or he that is God if the spirit that is in man were not man or the intellectuall power in man it could never know the things of man and if the Spirit of God were not God he could never search and know the deep the deepest things of God Thirdly As the Spirit of God knoweth all things as he searcheth the deep things even all the secrets and mysteries of God so he teacheth all things even all those secrets and mysteries of God which 't is needful or useful for man to know The Spirit is a teacher and he teacheth effectually Joh 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe that is he shall not teach you a private doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake and he will shew you things to come Which last words are A fourth argument that he is God As the Spirit teacheth so he foretelleth all things 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devills The Spirit of God clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is therefore he is God The Lord by his holy Prophet Isa 41.23 challengeth all the false Idol gods of the Heathen to give that proofe of their Divinity Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods As if he had sayd Doe that and we will yield the cause Men and Devills may guesse at but none can indeed shew things to come but God Fifthly The Spirit appoints to himselfe officers and ministers in the Church therefore he is God Acts 13.2 The holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Sixthly The holy Ghost furnisheth those Officers whom he calleth with power and gifts as he pleaseth that they may be fit for the work or ministery of the Gospel 1 Cor 12.8.11 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit c. But all these worketh that one and the selfe-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Now who can give wisdome and knowledge who can give them prerogatively following in this distribution or division of gifts no rule nor giving any other reason of it but his owne will except God only Seventhly The holy Ghost is sinned against therefore he is God Some possibly may object and say This is not a convincing or demonstrative argument that the holy Ghost is God because he is sinned against For man may sin against man All second table sins are sins against our Neighbour and the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Ep 8.12 that while they used their lawfull liberty in eating with offence they sinned against the Brethren I answer Whosoever is properly sinned against is God because God is the Law-giver And though many actions of men are direct wrongs to man yet in every wrong done to man God also is wronged and in strict sence he only is sinned against by man For the reason why any action is a wrong to man is because it is against some Law of God And if to be sinned against in strict sence be proper to God only then the argument stands good that the Holy Spirit is God because he is sinned against especially if we consider that there is such an Emphasis put upon sinning against the holy Ghost in the holy Scripture more if possible then upon sinning against the Father or the Son Math 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you saith Christ All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
say it Againe When Elihu saith Thou hast spoken in my hearing and I have heard the voyce of thy words He would convince Job to the utmost Hence note To accuse or condemne any man out of his owne mouth must needs stop his mouth Or To be condemned out of our owne mouth is an unanswerable condemnation When our owne sayings are brought against us what have we to say Christ told the evill and unprofitable servant who would needs put in a plea for his idleness and excuse himselfe for hideing his Lords talent in a napkin that is for not using or improving his gift Luk 19.22 Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant I will goe no further then thy owne words And we see as that evill servant had done nothing before so then he could say nothing because judged out of his owne mouth When the offenders tongue condemneth him who can acquit him Psal 64.8 So they shall make their owne tongue to fall upon themselves The tongues of some men have fallen upon them and crusht them like a mountaine and they have been pressed downe yea irrecoverably oppressed with the weight of their owne words The Apostle Jude tells us what the Lord will do when he comes to Judgement in that great and solemne day of his second Appearing v 15. He shall convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him He shall say to them are not these your words can you deny them or have you any plea for them Have you not spoken these things in my hearing And have I not heard the voyce of your words speaking thus and thus reproachfully of my wayes ordinances and servants This is like wounding a man with his own weapon 't is like the act of David in cutting off the head of Goliah with his owne sword He that is condemned by his owne saying dyeth by his own sword David saith of sychophants and slanderers Psal 55.21 Their words were smoother then oyle yet were they drawne swords Such draw these swords with an intent to wound other mens reputation or good name but they oftenest wound their owne And as their words who slander others rebound upon themselves and turne to their owne disgrace so also doe theirs for the most part who are much in commending or possibly only which was Jobs case in vindicating themselves Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing c. But what had Elihu heard Job speake the next words are an answer or declare the matter of his speech and in them as was said before in opening the Context Elihu first chargeth him with an over-zeale in justifying himselfe I have heard the voyce of thy words saying Vers 9. I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me This thou hast sayd and this I charge upon thee as a great iniquity For the clearing of these words I shall doe these foure things because upon this charge the whole discourse of Elihu throughout the Chapter depends First I shall give the sence and explication of the words as here expressed by Elihu and some briefe notes from them Secondly I shall shew what matter of accusation or of fault there is in these words of Job as brought by Elihu in charge against him or how sinfull a thing it is for any man to say he is without sin Thirdly I shall enquire what ground Job had given Elihu to charge him with saying these things Fourthly which followeth upon the third I shall inquire whether Elihu dealt rightly and fairely with Job in bringing thi sore and severe charge against him First To open the words as they are an assertion Thou hast sayd I am cleane without transgression I am innocent neither is there iniquity in me Some distinguish the three terms used in the text as a deniall of three severall sorts of sin First That by being cleane without transgression he intends his freedome from sins against sobriety or that he had not sinn'd against himselfe Secondly that by being innocent his meaning is he had not done impiously against God Thirdly that by having no iniquity in him he cleares himselfe of wrong done to man These three sorts of sin containe sin in the whole latitude of it All sin is either against our selves strictly called intemperance or against God strictly called impiety or against man strictly called unrighteousnesse But though this hath a truth in it as to the distinction of sins yet it may be over-nice to conclude Elihu had such a distinct respect in these distinct expressions And it may be questioned whether the words will beare it quite thorow Therefore I passe from it and leave it to the readers Judgement Further as to the verse in generall we may take notice that the same thing is sayd foure times twice affirmatively I am cleane I am innocent And twice negatively I am without transgression There is no iniquity in me I am cleane without transgression The word which we render cleane implyeth the cleanest of cleannesse 't is rightly opposed to the word transgression which signifieth a defection or turning off from God Every sin in the nature of it is a defection from God but some sins are an intended or resolved defection from him Some even throw off the soveraignty of God over them and his power to command them not being willing to submit their backs to his burden nor their necks to his yoke These are justly called sons of Belial they not only transgresse the Law but throw off the yoke of Christ from their necks and his burden from their shoulderS and say like them Luke 19.14 We will not have this man reigne over us So then when Job sayd I am cleane without transgression he may be very well understood thus Though I have many failings yet I am free from defection though I have many weaknesses yet I am free from rebellion and obstinacy I still retaine an entire love to God and am ready to submit to his will though I often find my heart through corruption rising up against my duty I am turned aside through the strength of temptations but I turne not aside through the bent of my affections This doubtlesse or somewhat like this was Job's sence when ever he sayd I am cleane without transgression Hence note First Transgression is a pollution or Sin is a defilement If once men step over or besides the line and rule of holinesse the Law of God which to doe is transgression they become unholy Job supposed himselfe uncleane if guilty of transgression Sin is an uncleane thing and it maketh man uncleane This the Church confessed Isa 64.6 We all are as an unclean thing or person As if they had said Time was when there was a choice people among us who kept themselves pure from common defilements But now the contagion and corruption is so epidemicall and universal
did beare such a construction And the Lord suffer'd Elihu to urge them upon him to the utmost Yet notwithstanding all that hath been sayd I doe conceive that Elihu had not the least imagination that the meaning of Job in those assertions concerning himselfe was that he had not sinned at all or that there was no sin in him But taking his words in the best and fairest construction they could beare he yet saw cause to check and reprove him for saying so much in that condition about his innocency whereas he should have been chiefly taken up in glorifying God and humbling himselfe under his mighty hand So much for the answer to the fourth query what reason Elihu had to charge Job thus It hath been shewed whaâ— may be sayd in favour of Job And also that Elihu might without breach of charity charge him with these sayings To shut up this verse take only two briefe notes from the whole First The best of men have their failings and are apt to over-report themselves Our most deliberate actions and speeches have some tincture of the flesh how much more those which passe us in a passion Though Job spake what was true yet he spake more then was meete And they that heard him might take just occasion of offence not knowing his spirit and the strain of his heart in speaking so The Apostle James saith James 3. 2. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body He hath a mighty command over his spirit that can command his tongue especially when he is provoked It is a reall part of perfection not to offend in word This good man spake many things well yet all was not well spoken Againe In that Job spake thus under the pressure of affliction Observe In times of affliction it is better to be much in bewailing of sin then in making reports wherein we have not sinned There will no hurt come of that but while we are reporting our innocency and good deeds though what we speak be true yet 't is subject to construction and layeth us open to reproofe Lastly We may learne from the dealing of Elihu with Job That in all disputations and matters of controversie with others we should take heed that we fasten no uncharitable interpretation upon the words of our adversary nor adde any thing of our owne to them nor wrest them besides their grammaticall and genuine construction yet even those speeches which are true in some respect if they exceed the bounds of modesty may freely be reprehended For we ought not only to doe that which is good and speake that which is true for the matter but we ought to doe and speake in a good or becoming manner Thus farre of the first fault which Elihu found and reproved in Job his over-confidence in saying he was not faulty or in justifying himselfe In the two next verses he blames him with reflecting over-boldly and unduely upon the dealings of God The particulars whereof were expressed before in opening the whole Context and come now to be further opened Vers 10. Behold he findeth occasions against me Quaerit adversum me et invenit confractiones i.e. ut confringat et irrita faciat omnia mea studia instituta et conatuâ— ut nihil ossequar eorum quae quaero et instituo Merc Ecce confractiones adversum me invenit Bez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confractiones contritiones et quasi abolitiones Sunt qui reddunt occasiones quasi esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literis transpositis alij querelas Radix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inde Hiphit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fregit confregit irritum fecit Merc and counteth me for his enemy These words containe the first part of the second charge For the clearing of which I shall first explicate the words then by way of observation shew what matter of charge or evill there is in them Behold he findeth occasions against me I have heretofore shewed the emphasis of that word Behold And therefore I passe it here Behold He that is God findeth occasions against me or strictly from the Hebrew he findeth breaches The verbe is translated Breake Psal 141.5 It imports such a breaking as is also a bringing to nought Psal 33.10 'T is likewise applyed to the breaking of the heart by discouragements Numb 32.7 And it is significantly enough translated here He findeth breaches against me that is something or other to make a breach upon me something to complaine of against me The word is rendred in these three sences First An occasion Secondly A Breach Thirdly as the Septuagint a complaint or accusation We may joyne all three together for a complaint or accusation is commonly an occasion of breaches among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accusationem autem adversum me invenit Sept Qui querelas amâ—t quaerit occasiones unde illas excitat Bold Deus studiosè quaesivit ansam me persequendi he that loves breaches will seeke and seldome misseth occasions of complaint We say of a man that is of a troublesome spirit and given to contention which is also Mr Broughtons translation Behold he picketh a quarrell against me though I give him no just matter of offence yet he either findeth or maketh one Thus most of the Hebrew writers carry it he fâ—ndeâ—h occasions to alter his former course with me to cast me off to lay his hand upon me even to ruine and break me to pieces Hence observe To seeke occasions against another is hard and uncharitable dealing Josephs brethren were very suspitious of this Gen 43.18 The men were afraid because they were brought to Josephs house and they said because of the money that was found in our sacks mouth the first time are we brought in that he may seek occasion against us As if they had said we well perceive he would gladly have some matter to accuse us and so to detaine us upon that occasion Thus said the King of Israel 2 Kings 5.7 when Naman came to him with a message from his Prince to desire him that he would heale him of his Leprosie The King of Israel began presently to startle and thought it was nothing but a meere trick and a device to bring on some further designe what said he Am I God to kill and make alive that this man is come to me wherefore consider I pray you and see how he seeketh a quarrell against me They may be judged to watch for a discourtesie who desire courtesies of us beyond our power This made the King of Israel jealous that the King of Syria being confident of future successe by his former successes against Israel was by this device only seeking an occasion to renew the warre We have an eminent Scripture to this purpose Dan 6.4 5. Daniel being advanced high at Court it drew a great deale of envie upon him among the Princes and Presidents and therefore they resolved to try their
they have given the Lord occasion to destroy them when they have put a sword into his hand to smite them when by their unbeliefe and pride and neglect of knowne duties they have layd themselves open to ruine and destruction even then he hath held his hand and spared them Is it not then a great a grosse sin to charge the Lord that he seekes occasions against us Yea indeed as was touched before the Lord needs not seek occasion against any man for as much as the best of men give him too much occasion and too often He needs not stand to spy advantages against us we lay our selves too open and naked to him continually As in Fenceing when two that are very expert at that art are engaged there is watching for an occasion or advantage to get the mastery but if an expert Master of Defence be to deale with an ignorant fellow that knows not his postures nor how to use his weapon he needs not seeke occasion he may have him here and there and every where It is so with the best of Saints when they have to doe with God He needs not watch for an occasion where to hit or smite them for they through their ignorance and folly lay their naked breasts open to his stroakes every day Were he not infinite in mercy to cover our sins Ecce invenit in me vacillationes Scult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat ea quae pij faciunt praeter rectum sed citra animum a deo aversum c. Coc and to pardon our transgressions we must needs perish under his justice Againe The word is rendred Infirmities faylings or lesser sins that 's another translation of the text and 't is a usefull one For as the former supposeth the Lord taking occasion where none at all was given so this supposeth him to take the least occasion As if Elihu supposed Job saying Behold he seeks out my little faults Quaesivit deus parva quaedam imo penè nulla peccata propter quae velut si nefanda crimina commisissem atroci me sententia condemnavit Bold my vacillations my trippings my stumblings in a word my infirmities We may take them two wayes First for his youthfull sins the slips of his youth Secondly for his dayly sins commonly called faylings As if Job had sayd Though I can charge my selfe and freely doe with many sins and weaknesses yet I am not a man chargeable with any crimes nor wickednesses mine are no black nor bloody sins no crimson no skarlet sins I have not sinned presumptuously or with a high hand I have not given scope to my lusts nor indulged my corruptions I have not pleased my selfe with displeasing God nor hath the bent of my soule been to breake his commandements as bonds yoakes or shakles put upon me by an enemy I have not rejected his dominion or rule over me in any wilfull defection or departure from his word Yet notwithstanding God findes out my infirmities and faylings and urgeth them sorely against me yea he deales with me as if I were his enemy even for those sins which I have committed through inadvertency or meere humane frailty Some Interpreters insist most upon this signification of the word as if the matter which Elihu charged Job with were that he should say God carried it towards him as an enemy for small faults or lesser sins Nor doe I see any thing which hinders the joyning of this and the former reading together for surely he seekes occasions to punish and vex anoâ—her who insists upon his lesser sins and imperfections as if they were great and grievous crimes From this laâ—ter or second sence of the word Observe First in General To take strict notice of the faylings infirmities or lesser sins of others is a poynt of very great severity Some are pleased with nothing more then to heare and discourse of other mens faylings 'T is a great fault to be picking up the lesser faults of others yet how many are there who if they can but see as it were any bare place they will be charging at it if they see but the least scratch or sore they as the fly love to be feeding upon it or raking in it 'T is our holinesse to take notice of the least sin in our selves and the more holy any man is the more quick-sighted and quick-sented he is in taking notice of his lesser sins when the least neglect of duty and of the least negligence in performance of duty any ill frame of heart any vaine thought any idle word any undue carriage any uncomelinesse is taken notice of and corrected this shewes an excellent frame of spirit and a great measure of Grace but it is not good to do so by others yea it is an argument we are very much wanting and fayling in holinesse our selves when we are so apt to take notice of and aggravate every want and fayling in our brethren Yea when as Christ saith Math 7.3 We see a mâ—te in our brothers eye we seldome see the beame in our owne And it is an argument men have beames in their owne eyes when they are so quick-sighted in looking after motes in their brothers eye I grant it is a duty to be watchfull over one another as brethren and to take notice for right ends of the least faylings and faults of any This is a duty if we doe it with a purpose to pray for them that they may walke more circumspectly or that we may lovingly reprove admonish and counsell them as also that we may consider our selves and our owne wayes lest we fall as they have done Thus to take notice of the least faylings of others is a great Gospel duty But to take notice of mens faults to censure or defame their persons to insult over them or accuse them this is the spirit of a Cham who mocked at his fathers nakedness And thus to be critticall about the faults of others argues that we are careless of our owne Secondly As to the particular case in the text for which Job is tax'd by Elihu that he said thus of God Observe To say or think of the Lord that he takes a strict and severe notice of our infirmities to reckon with us riggedly for them is very sinfull Such thoughts are a great derogation from the goodnesse and mercy of God The Lord doth not willingly see the faults of his people Though he seeth them yet he doth not willingly see them he is glad when it is with his people as it was at that time with Israel Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene perversness in Israel But was there no sin to be seene in Jacob Was Israel altogether innocent at that time Surely they even they and even then were a sinfull people and had their faults neither few nor small but because there was no iniquity no perversness nor prevarication against God found among them at that time therefore he over-looked
all their ordinary faylings and transgressions As the Lord is so holy and of such pure eyes that he cannot behold any sin the least iniquity to approve of it Habak 1.13 so the Lord is so gracious and so full of compassion that he doth not severely take notice of nor look upon the lesser sins of his people David exalts the name and glory of God at large for this Psal 103.8 9 10. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide They are alwayes chideing that are alwayes spying faults in children servants or relations they who take notice of every little fault shall finde chiding-worke enough in a family But the Lord will not alwayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him A father doth not enquire into much lesse punish every neglect of his child I will spare them saith the Lord Mal 3.17 as a father spareth a son that serveth him If a father seeth or is well perswaded that his son hath a heart to serve him he will not curiously spy out the faults of his service but saith to his child It is well done or at least I take that well which thou hast done Yea the Lord is so farre from a strict inquiry after such faults that he passeth by great transgressions Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Though Asa 1 Kings 15.14 was not through in the reformation the high places were not removed yet the Lord did not charge this upon him for presently it followeth in the sacred Story Neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect with God all his dayes Yea though Asa did fall into severall sins afterwards imprisoning one of the Prophets and oppressing some of the people and in his sickness seeking to the Physitians and not to the Lord yet the Lord did not charge these acts upon him He was so farre from a strict inquiry after his lesser sins that he tooke no notice of those greater sins but saith His heart was perfect all his dayes So in the case of David the Lord would not see many of his sins he would not blot David nor burden his owne memory with them but passed an Act of Oblivion upon them for ever Sarah Gen 18.12 spake very unhandsomely when the Angel came to her and told her she should have a son yet the Apostle 1 Pet 3.6 referring to that story gives Sarah a very high testimony or commendation for one good word that was mingled with a great many ill or undue ones yea and actions too for she laughed Notwithstanding all which Peter sets her as a patterne for all good women professing the Gospel to imitate He would have them be in subjection unto their owne husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters ye are saith he as long as ye doe that which is well That one word which she spake well is recorded yea reported to her praise and all that were ill are buried in silence forgotten and covered The Lord hath respect to a little pure gold though mingled with a great deale of dross and ownes a little good Corne though a great deale of chaffe be in the same floore or heape Surely then he will not bring our infirmities and slips to account against us while our hearts are upright with him Thus you see what matter of charge there was in these words when Job sayd God sought occasion against him when he had given none or that he had only given some smaller occasion and yet God dealt with him as an enemy But did Job ever say That God sought occasions against him or tooke notice of his lesser sins so severely I answer Though some acquit Job wholly of this charge and recriminate Elihu with this accusation as a slander yet Job had spoken words which might give occasion to charge him thus as was shewed also concerning those former speeches I am cleane from transgression I am innocent there is no iniquity in me though Job had not spoken these or such like words with that scope and spirit as Elihu might seeme to alledge them yet he had given Elihu cause enough to say so while he spake more of himselfe then came to his share considering that he was a sinfull man and more then did become him in his condition being an afflicted man Upon both which accounts it had better becom'd him to have been much in humbling himselfe rather then at all in justifying himselfe Now as Job had spoken words which might beare out Elihu in his former charge Secundum veritatem neutruÌ„ diuit Job in sensu quem imponit in Elihu so we finde severall speeches or complaints concerning God which may justifie him in this As for instance Chap 14.16 17. For now thou numbrest or numbring thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sins As if he had sayd thou watchest me so strictly so narrowly that I cannot in the least step awry but presently I am observed and shall be sure to heare of it Yea my transgressâ—on is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquity that is thou keepest the memory of my sins thou dost not passe them by but hast them ready by thee When chast Joseps wanton mistresse disappoynted in her lust was resolved to seeke an occasion of revenge she layd up his garment by her untill her Lord came home Gen 39.16 To lay up the evill deed of another presageth ill to him And therefore when Elihu heard Job speaking thus might he not say Job hath sayd God seeketh occasions against me yea which is more as it followeth in the verse under hand And counteth me for his enemy These words having been insisted upon somewhat largely from other passages of this Booke Chap 13.24 19.11 Chap. 30.21 In all which places Job spake this complaint sometimes expressely alwayes Equivalently I shall not here stay upon the explication of them only for as much as Job having sayd That God took hold of small occasions given or sought occasions not given is presently charged further by Elihu with saying He counteth me for his enemy From this Connection of the former with the latter part of the verse Note To seek or take easie occasions against another is an argument that we beare no good will to him or It is a signe we look upon a man as an enemy when we are apt and ready to seeke or take occasions against him There are two things which we are very ready to doe towards those we beare no good will unâ—o or whom we account our enemies First to diminish the good which they doe to speak lightly of
then Ish The wisest and most accomplisht the most perfect and mightiest of men as well as he is greater then Enosh sorrowfull or miserable man I answer the word Enosh is not to be taken exclusively as if when he saith the puissant is greater then the sorrowfull man he were not also greater then the greatest or strongest man but it notes that all men or man considered in his best estate is but weaknesse and wretchedness when put in the ballance with the great God or the puissant Lord what is man saith David one of the best and greatest of men a King Psal 144.3 that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him Now if it be even too much that God should make any account of man then what is any man in account to God O what man or Angel is able to cast up the account how much the great God is greater or more then man The words are plaine only there is somewhat yet to be added or touched upon to cleare up further the scope of Elihu in speaking thus to Job which I shall endeavour to cleare and make out when I have given a note or two from the words as they are a plaine proposition God is greater then man Hence Observe First God is Great He that is greater then the Greatest is certainly great he that is higher then the highest is high This greatness of God is every where celebrated in Scripture The Prophet Isa 12.6 calls the inhabitant of Zion to cry out and shout why For great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee that is the holy one of Israel who is in the midst of thee is both Great in himselfe and declares his greatness in thee Mal 1.14 I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my name is dreadfull among the heathens I need not stay to give particular Scriptures to hold forth the attribute of Gods greatness his greatness runs through all his attributes Whatsoever God is he is great in it He is great in power Psal 56.3 Psal 147.5 he is great in all sorts of power great in authoritative power and great in executative power As God commandeth what he pleaseth to be done so he can doe what he commandeth The power of man in doing is not alwayes commensurate with his power in commanding but Gods is He needs no helpe much lesse any leave to execute what he willeth Againe God is great in wisdome he hath the compasse of all things in his understanding God is so wise that he is called the only wise God 1 Tim 1.17 The wisdome of men and Angels is folly to his God is great also in his goodnes so great that Christ himselfe as man would not be called good but told him that called him so by way of rebuke There is none good but one that is God Math 19.17 Holy David brake out into the admiration of that goodness which God hath layd up yea of that which he dayly worketh for man How much more did he and ought we to admire that goodness which is not so much in himselfe as himselfe Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd up for them that feare thee which thou workest for them that trust upon thee before the sons of men The goodnesse which God acts and puts forth for the creature is a great goodnesse Isa 63.7 Neh 9 25â— but that goodnesse which is the goodnesse of his nature is a goodnesse as great as God is a goodnesse infinite in greatnesse Againe how often is God called great yea admired for his greatnesse in mercy When David 2 Sam 24.14 made choyce to fall into the hands of God he gave this reason of it For his mercies are great He is also great in wrath we read 2 Kings 23.26 of the fiercenesse of his great wrath And how great is his Love First in redeeming us by Christ Joh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. God loved us so much in that gift that no man could ever tell how much love he hath given us in it Secondly His love is great in quickning us with Christ Eph 2.4 God who is rich in mercy for the great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ His love both in redeeming and quickning us is so great that while we are called to the greatest study after the knowledge of we are told we cannot know the greatnesse of it Eph 3.18 That you may know the Love of God which passeth knowledge I will not stay upon this Attribute the Greatnesse of God onely take these five briefe inferences from it God is Great Then First God can doe great things the greatest things for us every thing is in working as it is in being they that are but little can doe but little God being great in his being that is in his power in his wisdome in his goodnesse in his mercy how easily can he doe great things The Scripture is abundant in shewing forth the great things which God hath done and will doe 2 Sam 7.22 23. Job 5.9 Psal 71.19 Psal 86.10 Psal 92.5 Psal 111.2 Psal 126.2 3. Psal 136.7 17. Joel 2.21 The workes of God in all ages and in all places have borne the stamp of and given testimony to his excellent Greatnesse We say There is nothing great to a great mind or to a man of a great spirit A Great spirited man will overcome not only great difficulties but seeming impossibilities yea he is glad to meete with greatest difficulties because they match the greatnesse of his mind Then certainly the Great God doth nothing but great and can doe the greatest things 'T is no matter how great the things are which we have need to be done for us if we can but interest the Great God in the doing of them God can doe great things in wayes of mercy for his people and he can doe great things in wayes of Judgement against his enemies Though his enemies be Great Oakes and Cedars he can hew them downe Amos 2.9 Though his enemies be as great as the greatest mountaines he can remove and level them Who art thou O great mountaine before Zorobabell thou shalt become a plaine Zech 4.7 that is the great power of God with Zorobabell can overthrow or overturne those powers which oppose or stand in the way of his Church and people though they appeare as inseparable and immoveable as a Great Mountaine Secondly If God be Great then he can pardon great transgressions you that are great sinners feare not Were not God a great God the least of our sins could not be pardoned were not he great in mercy and great in goodnesse our hearâ—s would fayle us yea our faith could have no bottome to come to him for the pardon of our great sins But why should great sins discourage us to aske
their pardon of God who is great in mercy David made the greatnesse of his sin his argument to move the Lord to pardon it Psal 25.11 Pardon my sin for it is great who could speak thus unlesse he had that upon his heart that he spake to the great God who is greater in nothing and hath magnified his greatnesse in nothing more then in acts of mercy to Greatest sinners Thirdly If God be a great God then he must have great services and duties He must have great praise Psal 48.1 great is the Lord and greatly to be praised he must have great love we must love him even with all our heart and with all our might He must have great feare Psal 89.7 Great faith Math 15.28 Great honour from all his people When David was about to make great preparations for the building of the Temple he saith 1 Chron 29.11 Thine O Lord is greatnesse and the power and the glory c. And when Solomon was about to build the Temple he saith 2 Chron 2.5 The house which I build is great for great is our God above all Gods We see David prepared and Solomon builded in proportion to the God for whom the one prepared and the other built a house Thus I may say of all you doe for God or to God let it be the greatest your stocke and ability can reach to because he is a great God The Lord himselfe useth that argument by the Prophet to urge his people to doe their utmost in whatsoever they were called to doe Mal 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver which hath a male in his flocke and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing that is who when he is able to performe a greater service to the Lord puts him off with a lesser one for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts c. Therefore take heed of putting me off with weake female services I expect a male your best that service which is most spirituall and masculine Fourthly If God be great then they who are but little themselves having an interest in God may doe great things too The least creature having an interest in the great God is as great yea infinitely greater then the greatest in the world who stand in their owne strength Moses saith Deut 4.38 Deut 7.1 that the presenâ—e of God with Israel was such that by it they overcame Nations greater and mightier then they their littlenesse did not hinder them because the great God was with them in their workes and wayes yea God loves to use small instruments that his owne greatnesse who is the efficient may appeare That question which was twice put in the Prophet Amos 7.2 5. is very often put in that case By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small That which made it so questionable whether Jacob should rise was his smallness And could we remember the Greatness of the God of Jacob we should either never make such questions or easily answer them Fifthly Seeing God is great we should be alwayes ascribing greatnesse to God we should lift him up in his greatnesse Thus Moses exhorted others Deut 32.3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord ascribe ye greatnesse to our God And David at once prophecieth the same of others and promiseth it for himselfe Psal 145.6 Men shall speake of the might of thy terrible Acts and I will declare thy greatnesse Againe Consider these words as they are expressed comparatively God is greater then man As God is great so greater then the greatest men God is great above all Gods that is above all the Kings and Princes of the earth Now I know sayd Jethro Exod 18.11 that God is greater then all Gods greater then Rharoah and his Egyptian Princes for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them David challenged all the Gods on Gods behalfe Psal 77.13 Who is so great a God as our God Let any man name him if he can He is a God above all Gods that is above the greatest powers in this world who are called Gods Thus Christ comforts believers with an assurance of safety for ever John 10.29 My father is greater then all then the devill and all But some may say who knoweth not this that God is Great or that he is greater then men or devills Job himselfe spake much of this subject yea his friends made it their businesse to exalt the greatnesse of God as we may see in severall passages of this Booke So that Elihu seemeth to say no more here then had been sayd already and doth no more then hath been done already Is not this then a cold way of arguing to tell Job that which he knew already For answer to this I shall stay a while as was promised before I goe off from these words to shew why though for the matter this is no more then hath been sayd already that yet Elihu had reason to bring this argument for the conviction of Job that God is greater then man for though the Greatnesse of God hath been often spoken of in the course of this disputation between Job and his friends yet neither Job nor his friends did handle or improve it to that poynt or in that extent as here intended by Elihu as may appeare by these following Considerations First When Elihu spake of the greatnesse of God we are not to understand this greatnesse abstractly or alone but concreetely or in conjunction with his goodnesse and righteousnesse with his mercy and faithfulnesse c. Job confessed the greatnesse of God but he seemed to intimate severall things to the disparagement of the goodnesse mercy and righteousnesse of God For though in his frequent complainings he did not question yet he did much darken and obscure these Divine perfections And therefore Elihu speaking of the Greatnesse of God urgeth it in conjunction with all his perfections and indeed they cannot be dis-joyned except in notion or discourse Secondly Elihu insisted so much upon the greatnesse of God to humble Job and to convince him that he had done amisse in his bold appeales to him and complaints about his dealing with him Elihu doth wisely to hold out the greatnesse and soveraignty of God for the keeping downe and repression of his yet unhumbled spirit Thirdly Elihu mannageth this argument for another end and purpose then his friends did They used it to prove Job was wicked or had done wickedly in the former passages of his life He to shew that Job ought to be patient under and quietly submit to the present providences of God Fourthly This argument which Elihu brings from the greatnesse of God hath not at all the lesse force in it because grounded upon so common and generally received a principle the greatnesse of God yea it hath therefore the greater force in it for what is more unreasonable then for man to intimate any thing which reflects upon God or to complaine of what God doth when as God by the
charge of striving with or against God though we have no purpose as Job had not to strive with him Againe As this text sheweth us Job striving with God so it sheweth us Elihu striving with or questioning Job about it This question or expostulation Why dost thou strive with him was a chideing severe reproofe of him for doing so Hence note For man to strive with God is most uncomely Doth it suite the condition or become the state of man to doe so it doth not become man as a creature to strive with God much lesse as a new creature as a professed servant of God as a Saint as a Christian We never act so unlike either creatures or new creatures Saints and Christians as when we strive with God 'T is a shame for a childe to strive with his father or for a servant to strive with his Master how much more for a creature to strive with his Creator man with God Fourthly The rebuke which Elihu gave Job did not only import the uncomelinesse of his striving with God but the sinfulnesse of it Hence note To strive with God in any of those wayes before described is a sin exceeding sinfull How extreamly sinfull it is for man to strive with God appeares by all the relative duties of man to God Every servant and son of God is bound first to submit to God is it not exceeding sinfull to strive where we ought to submit Secondly Every godly man by these relations to God is bound to be content with which is more then barely to submit to all his dealings Doe not they sin who in stead of being content strive with God because he deales so with them Thirdly Man ought not only to be content but to be well-pleased with what God doth How farre are they departed from a well-pleasednesse with God who strive against him which is an act of high displeasure It is sayd of David 2 Sam 3.36 Whatsoever the King did pleased all the people The people did not say to David their King doe what you will we will be pleased with it But David was so gracious a Prince so good a King that he did nothing that was justly displeasing to the people 'T is more then comes to the share of a man though a King to say Let him doe what he will we will be pleased with it but 't is certainly our duty to say to God Doe what you will doe your pleasure with us and to us we will through grace be pleased with it Is it not very sinfull to strive with him about any thing he doth in and with all whose doing we ought to acquiesse and be well pleased Fifthly These words Why dost thou strive with him import a high presumption in those who doe so Hence observe Striving with God is a presumptuous sin The Prophet saith Isa 45.9 Woe unto him that striveth with his maker Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou or thy work he hath no hands When the Prophet saith Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth his meaning is let man strive with man but let not any man presume to strive with his maker for then the potsherd striveth with the potter In all which he doth not encourage man to strive with man though his match but sheweth how insufferable a boldness it is for any man how matchlesse soever among men to strive with God The King of Judah having sent a challenge to the King of Israel He returned this answer 2 Kings 14.9 The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon c. As if he had sayd What a presumption is it for a thistle to equall it selfe with a Cedar and therefore he adviseth v. 10. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom and thy heart hath lifted thee up glory of this and tarry at home for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt that thou shouldest fall thou and Judah with thee As if he had sayd thou canst get nothing by medling with me but blowes and most probably thine owne ruine to boote Now if an earthly King shall look upon it as a presumption for another King his equall in dignity to contend with him how much more may the God of heaven who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords count it an high presumption for any man though the greatest King on earth to strive with him Sixthly We use to say to those who act foolishly Why doe you thus And therefore when Elihu saith to Job Why dost thou strive against him We learne Striving with God is a foolish and a most irrationall thing Sinners are fooles all sin is folly irrationallity is stampt upon every sin Striving with God is a sin so eminently foolish as may carry away the bell for foolishnesse from all other sins I will give you three things to shew why it must needs be so First We cannot helpe our selves by striving with God Christ argues the folly of inordinate cares from this ground Math 6.27 Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit unto his stature It is not mans care but the presence and blessing of God which encreaseth both the stature of man and his estate Cares may breake our sleepe yea breake our hearts but they cannot fill our purses nor heighten our persons either in a naturall or in a civill notion Is it not then a foolish thing to take inordinate care is it not greater folly to strive with God Seeing as by caring you cannot get any of the good things of the world so by striving with God you cannot get off any of those evills which he layeth upon you Secondly Is it not a very foolish thing to strive with God seeing we are so farre from helping our selves out of trouble by it that we doe but increase our trouble and the more entangle our selves by it What doe we by strugling but straiten the bonds of our affliction and get wearinesse in stead of expected ease till we are quiet with God how can we hope that he should send us quietness Thirdly It is a foolish thing to strive with God because by striving with him in reference to any misery that is upon us we hinder our selves from taking comfort in any remaining mercy Though God takes away many mercies yet while life remaineth there is somewhat of mercy remaining When Job was stripped to his skin yet he had somewhat left which was a ground of his blessing God The greatest loosers have somewhat left they escape at least as Job sayd he did at worst Chap 19.20 with the skin of their teeth But while we strive with God about the mercies we have lost we loose the comfort of all the mercies we still enjoy And is it not extreame folly to deprive our selves of what we have by complaining about what we have not Why dost thou strive Thus much from the emphasis of the former part
cannot do it lesse then twice nor can that number which is more then one be lesse then two When the woman in the book of Kings told the Prophet 1 Kings 17.12 I am going to gather two sticks Her meaning was a very few sticks onlye now to make a little fire to bake a Cake with And when the Spirit of God would shew how few comparatively to the rout of the World they are and will be that bear witnesse to the truths of Jesus Christ he calleth them two Witnesses Rev. 11.3 they are a number yet exprest by the lest number that we should not have our eyes upon the multitude or think that is not the truth which is not followed by great numbers or the most of the World The traine of Christ is not large nor are his wayes throng'd few there be that find them As they whom he calls forth to be eminently his witnesses are not many therefore called two so they that receive their witnesse are not many The world wonders after the beast Thus as two or twice imply a small number so in Scripture language that which is done more then twice is supposed done often or many times 2 Kings 6.10 When the Prophet had told the King of Israel where the forces of the King of Assyria would come and by that meanes defeated him of his purpose it is said And the King of Israel sent unto the place which the man of God told him and warned him of and saved himself there not once nor twice that is many times which made the King of Syria wonder how it came to passe that he was so often defeated he thought he had laid his plots so wisely and closely that the King of Israel could not escape but he saved himself not once nor twice more then twice is many but bare twice is the narrowest compasse of number imaginable Hence note God hath not given us any ground to presume upon frequent warnings or speakings Though he speake more then once yet it may be but twice possibly but twice precisely probably but twice restrainedly taken The Lord would not have us build upon the hope of future speakings to the neglect of what is presently spoken Though God be very patient and long-suffering to sinfull men yet he hath not given any man the least occasion no not by a promise of speaking a second day to continue one day much lesse to continue long in sin When God spake as I may say at the largest rate of his patience to sinners he sayd Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man not alwayes that is though it strive long yet it shall not strive very long and that he may know it I will give him a day yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeares This was somewhat a long day indeed But remember this hundred and twenty yeares was all the time that was granted to all the men of that world there was not so much granted to every particular man of that world possibly the Spirit of God did not strive a day longer with many a one among them Therefore take heed of presuming When the Lord speaketh once doe not say I will stay till he speakes a second time and if he condescend to speake twice doe not believe that he will alwayes speake Thirdly Twice may be considered as a small certaine number put for a small uncertaine number 'T is frequent in Scripture to put a certaine number of any kinde for an uncertaine Sometimes a certaine great number for an uncertaine great number and sometimes a small certaine number for a small uncertaine number As twice is not to be tyed up strictly to the smallest number so not to any number whether small or great Hence note No man knows how oft he shall be warned or spoken unto by God God doth not put an absolute stint upon any of his actions Beware of neglecting the least twice the first twice which is the lowest twice for though we cannot binde God up strictly to twice it may prove three times or foure times yet whether it shall be so many or how many it shall be no man nor Angel knoweth Twice cannot be very often and 't is uncertaine how often Therefore if you hearken not when God hath spoken once take it strictly doe not stop your eares at the second speaking It is sayd Moses smote the rock twice that was twice beyond his Commission for he should not have smitten it at all and the mater came out aboundantly How many rocks that is hard hearts hath God smitten by his word and his workes twice and yet we see not the waters of Godly sorrow flowing out the rocks are smitten more then twice with the rod of God with the rod of his mouth in the ministery of his word they are smitten with admonition upon admonition with reproofe upon reproofe with threatning upon threatning and yet the waters came not out aboundantly yea scarce at all May not they feare that they shall have poenall sorrow upon sorrow Paul tooke notice of the goodnesse of God to him that he did not let him have afflictive sorrow upon sorrow Phil 2.27 but I say may not they feare they shall have poenall sorrow upon sorrow that is everlasting floods of sorrow who after the Lords speaking upon speaking and reproving upon reproving give no proofe of their godly pâ—enitentiall sorrow O how angry was the Lord with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice 1 Kings 11.9 God appeared to him in Gibeon 1 Kings 3.5 when he was first made King putting him to his choice or giving him a blanke to aske what he would and he chose well he chose wisdome and had it God appeared to him a second time after the building and dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 9.2 And said unto him I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me c. Thus the Lord appeared solemnly unto Solomon twice and but twice for any thing that appeares upon record in that solemne manner Now when notwithstanding these two appearings of the Lord to Solomon the heart of Solomon was turned away from the Lord God of Israel his anger was kindled against Solomon and the Lord smote him once yea twice renting his kingdome and pulling away ten tribes at once from his son and successor O doe not refuse God speaking to you twice or the renewed speaking of God to doe so is very sinfull and therefore very dangerous For as 't is a signe of a holy heart of a gracious frame of spirit to heare twice at once speaking as David professed he did Psal 62.11 God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy There are severall rendrings and interpretations of those words But that which to me seemes most intended by our rendring is I heard what was once spoken
his prosperity I shall never be moved Babylon glorified her selfe having sayd in her heart I sit a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow Revel 18.7 Secondly In that God is here sayd to hide pride from man Observe Pride is a very vile and most odious sin If God hide it from mans eyes then surely God himselfe is of purer eyes then to behold it and be pleased Psal 138.6 The Lord knoweth the proud afar off He that meets a spectacle or person which he cannot endure to look upon avoydes it or turnes from it while he is yet afar off whereas if the object be delightfull he draweth neer and comes as close as he can when therefore 't is sayd the Lord knoweth a proud man afar off it shews his disdaine of him He will scarce touch him with a paire of tongs as we say he cannot abide to come neere him He knows well enough how vile he is even at the greatest distance Pride is the first of those seven things which are an abomination to the Lord Prov 6.17 And how abominable a thing pride is may appeare further by these six Considerations First The folly and Irrationallity of pride renders it odious to God nothing is more odious to a wise man then folly how odious then is pride to the most wise God! When Paul did any thing which had but a shew of pride in it though he did it only upon Constraint yet he calls himselfe foole for doing it 2 Cor 12.11 I am become a foole in glorying ye have compelled me Doth not this intimate that in Pauls opinion all proud selfe-gloriers and boasters are fooles that is such as act below common sense or reason In the Hebrew language the same word that signifies boasting and pride signifies folly and foolishnesse The empty vessell yeilds the greatest sound and they that make so great a noise of themselves are usually nothing else but a Great noyse themselves at least they unavoydably rayse suspition of themselves that they are but empty vessells or shallow rivers This was Solomons conclusion Pro 25.27 For men to search their owne glory is no glory that is a man obscures himselfe by selfe-glorying How foolish how irrationall a thing is it for any man to glory proudly when as by doing so he obscures that which is the chiefest glory of man as man his reason and seemes to put himselfe to the question whether he be a reasonable creature yea or no. Secondly Pride is more abominable because it is not only the folly of man but a robbery of God nothing robs God of his honour so much as pride It is said of Jesus Christ Phil 2.6 He thought it no robbery to be equall with God He did not wrong God in making himselfe his equall himselfe being God But if men will match themselves with God or are lifted up in their spirits as proud men are beyond the line of man this is a robbery of God Whatsoever we take to our selves more then is due we take from God yea we steale from God They who forget God the author and fountaine of all they have and take glory to themselves commit the worst kind of robbery and are the most dangerous Theeves Isa 42.8 My glory will I not give to another therefore if any take glory to themselves as I say againe all proud men doe 't is stealing and 't is not only as I may say picking of his pocket but the breaking open of his Treasury of his Cabinet to carry away the chief Jewel of his Crowne so is his glory Rom 11.36 All is from him therefore all must be to him all is from the father of light therefore what light what gifts what strength soever we have it must returne to him in prayses and in the glorifying of his name we may not deck or adorne our own name with it nor put our name upon it How much soever we have we have received it is from the Lord therefore 't is extreamly sinfull and sacrilegious to take or keepe it to our selves And as whatsoever good we have we have it of God so whatsoever good we have done we have had light and strength from God to doe it naturall yea spirituall strength not only the first power of acting but all subsequent actings of that power are from God therefore to have secret liftings up of spirit in our owne actings is to rob God Psal 51.15 Open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise sayd David As if he had sayd Lord if thou wilt open my lips and help me to speak as I ought I will not shew forth my owne praise nor boast of what I have either spoken or done but I will shew forth thy praise because the opening of the lips is from thee Thirdly It is an abomination to be proud for whatsoever any man hath done or how good soever any man is he is no better then he should be and hath done no more then was his duty to doe he hath done but his duty to God and his duty to man when he hath done his best he hath done no more every man is bound to doe the good that he doth how much soever it be that he doth therefore it is both an ignoble and an abominable thing for any man to boast of what he hath done Fourthly Is it abominable to boast of what we have done seeing how much soever we have done it will appeare upon a right and due account that we have done lesse then we ought and are much short of our duty Luke 17.10 When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants and have done but that which was our duty to doe We can doe nothing but what is our duty but all we doe is not the one halfe of our whole duty and shall we glory as if we had obliged God by doing more then all Fifthly It is an odious thing for any man to be proud of what he hath done for God might have done it by another if he pleased No man is necessary to God as if his worke could not be done unlesse such a one doe it He hath choyce of instruments and is able to fit those for his businesse who are most unfit of themselves It is matter of thankfulnesse that God will call and use us to doe him any service and enable us to doe it God could have put his talent into another mans hand the riches the power the wisdome the learning the parts which thou actest by he could have put it into other hands he can make the dumb to speak as well as the greatest speaker He can make an Ideot a Dunce knowing and learned as well as the most knowing among the learned Therefore the learned the eloquent have no reason to be proud but much to be thankfull He can make the weakest to doe as much as the strongest therefore the strongest have no reason to be
proud but much to be thankfull He can raise Children to Abraham out of the stones of the street therefore the Jewes must not be proud or thinke that God is beholding to them for being his people He can ordaine strength and his owne praise out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings Psal 8.2 Math 21 16. therefore the wise and prudent have no reason to be proud but much to be thankfull O remember It is of Gods vouchsafement not of our desert that we are admitted to his service Lastly Pride must needs be an odious thing and that which God greatly abhorr's because it quite crosseth the designe of God in the Gospel which is to keep the creature humble and low that he himselfe alone may be exalted He will not beare it that any flesh should glory in his presence He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor 1.29 31. God will have his end upon all flesh and therefore he will dreadfully glorifie himselfe upon those who proudly glory in themselves Further The word by which man is expressed from whom God hides pride signifying as was shewed a strong mighty man the most accomplished and best furnished man Observe Thirdly Great men wise men rich men are very subject to and often carried away by pride God therefore hides pride from them because they lie so open to the assaults of pride our rising is oftentimes an occasion of our falling And that which God gives man for his good proves by reason of this corruption mostly his snare One of the Ancients speaking of Pride saith 't is the greatest sin for foure reasons First In the antiquity of it because it was the first sin the Devill 's sin before man sinned that sin which he first dropt into man to make him fall was the sin by which himselfe fell he would be higher and more then he was and he provoked man to be so too 'T is disputed what was the original of original sin and the doubt lyeth between two whether unbeliefe or pride had the precedency in mans fall a question much like that whether faith or repentance hath the precedency in his rising I shall only state it thus that which appear'd first was unbeliefe the woman put a peradventure upon the threatning of God in case of eating the forbidden fruit But certainly pride was Contemporary with unbeliefe man would needs lift up himselfe beyond the state he had and so fell from and lost that estate Secondly Saith he Pride is productive of many other sins 't is a fountaine sin a root sin it nourisheth nurseth and bringeth up many other sins no man knoweth what sin may be next when pride is first Thirdly The greatness of the sin of pride may be argued from the over-spreading of it pride hath infected many mortally and who can say his heart is free from this plague though possibly it be not the plague or speciall master sin of his heart Pride is an Epidemicall disease all labour under this sicknesse and this sicknesse hath got the mastery over many His fourth reason is that of the text and poynt Pride is a great wickednesse because usually it infects great men They that are great in power great in gifts great in learning great in any thing are sure to be assaulted if not blemished and blasted with this sin insomuch that it had been better for many to have been fools then learned low then high meane then great poore then rich in this world There is a temptation in power in greatness in riches in knowledge in gifts in the best things to make the mind swell and the man that is stored with them proud Pride is as I may say of a very high extraction it was conceived in and borne by the now Apostate Angels whose place first estate or principality as we put in the Margin of the Epistle of Jude v. 6. was aloft in heaven Angels were the neerest servants and attendants upon God himselfe who calleth heaven the habitation of his holinesse and of his glory And surely the habitation which the Apostle Jude in the same verse saith the Angels left and he calls it their owne that is that which was allotted and allowed them by God as their portion this habitation I say must needs be a very high and excellent one as themselves by nature were in the highest classis or forme of creatures Now as pride began from and had its birth in these high and noble spirits which gave one occasion though it be as hellish a lust as any in hell to call it Heavenly by Nation so the higher men are who at highest are but dust the more doth pride haunt them and insinuate it selfe to get a dwelling of seate in them Quia natione coelestis sublimâ—um animos inhabitat Hugo as the most proper and congeniall subjects which it can find here on earth it selfe with those of whom it first tooke possession and whom it made its first habitation being for ever cast downe from heaven Pride having once dwell in those who were so high loves still to dwell or take up its lodging at least in those who upon any reference whether to naturall civill or spirituall things are called and reputed Highest Observe Fourthly God by various meanes even by all sorts of meanes gives check to the pride of man he speaketh once yea twice to man in a dreame in a vision of the night that he may hide pride from man Pride is a sin which God prosecutes both night and day if speaking by day doth not mortifie it speaking in the night by dreams shall Nebuchadnezzar was full of pride and God humbled him by a dream and brought downe the haughtinesse of his heart by a vision of the night This great Monarch of the world was so full of pride that he boasted it out Dan 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdome and by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Now while he spake thus walking in the Palace of the kingdome of Babylon there fell a voyce from heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee it is spoken The kingdome is departed from thee c. And they shall drive thee from among men And thy dwelling who hast thought thy selfe more then man shall be with the beasts of the field The effect of this voyce Nebuchadnezzar had in a dreame as appeares by Daniels interpretation of it in the former part of the Chapter God shewed him in that dreame what his condition should be and he executed it upon him to the full to pull downe his pride That he at last might know that the most High ruleth the Kingdomes of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will Whereas then he thought that he alone ruled the world and could give kingdomes to whom he would How wonderfully did God oppose the pride of Pauls spirit he could not favour pride no not in that eminent Apostle Lest
through the abundance of revelations he should he exalted above measure there was given him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him 2 Cor 12.7 that is God used extraordinary means to humble him As here God is said to humble by visions so there Paul being endanger'd to pride by receiving visions God found a strange way to humble him even by the bufferings of the messenger of Satan who is the Prince of pride and as God speaketh of the Leviathan at the 42d Chapter of this booke v. 34. a king over all the children of pride God doth so much resist pride that he cannot but resist the proud James 4 6. and scorne the scorners Pro 3.34 yea he hath told us of a day Isa 2.11 wherein the lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day There are foure speciall pride subduing Considerations First They who are proud of what they have are like to have no more When the Apostle had sayd James 4.6 He resisteth the proud he presently adds but giveth more grace to the humble As if he had sayd Though the Lord hath given proud men much for 't is some gift of God and usually a great one of which men grow proud yet he will now stop his hand and give them no more The Lord gives to them who are humble and praise him not to those who are proud and praise themselves Secondly Not only doth the Lord stop his hand from giving more to those who are proud but often makes an act of revocation and takes away that which he hath already given As he who Idly puts his talent into a napkin so he who vainely and vain-gloriously shews it is in danger of having it taken away from him It is as sinfull to shew our talent proudly as to hide it negligently Nebuchadnezzar boasted proudly of his kingdome and presently it was sayd to him The kingdome is departed from thee Hezekiah boasted of his treasure Isa 39.6 and by and by the Lord told him his treasure should be taken away though not immediately from him yet from his posterity and carried to Babylon 'T is so in spiritualls when we proudly shew our treasure the treasures of our knowledge or other gifts and attainments the Lord many times in judgement sends them into captivity takes them from us and strips us naked of that cloathing and adorning whereof we are proud Thirdly If God doth not take all away yet what remaines is withered and blasted it dries up and comes to little if it be not quite removed yet it appeares no more in its former beauty and luster When God with rebukes correcteth man for this iniquity he maketh his beauty the beauty of his parts and gifts yea of his graces to consume away as David expresseth it Psal 39.11 like a moth O what a dryness and so a decayedness falls upon that soule from whom the soaking dewes and drops the sweete influences of heaven are restrained And surely if they are restrained from any they are from proud men No marvaile then if others see and they feele their witherings and even sencible declinings every day Fourthly Suppose the gifts and parts of a proud man continue florid and appeare stil acting in their former strength vigour and beauty yet God sends a secret curse upon them and though he doth not wither them yet he doth not delight in them not give them any acceptation The best things how long soever continued to proud men are no longer blessings to them yea it had been good for them that either they had never had them or that they had been soone taken away That as one sayd falsely of the life of man in generall Optimum est non nasci proximum cito mori but truely of wicked men It had been best for them not to have been borne and their next best would be to dye quickly So I may say in this case of proud men It had been best for them they never had received any eminent gifts from God and their next best would be to have them quickly taken away For as wicked men in General if they dye unconverted the longer they live the worser they live and every day by adding new heapes of sin heape up further wrath against the day of wrath So proud men in speciall the longer they have and hold their gifts their riches their honours their powers doe but abuse them the more to the increase of their sin here and without repentance shame hereafter And therefore to shut up this observation and the exposition of this verse I shall only give some few directions or counsels for the cure of this soule-sickness pride or for the pricking of a pride-swolne heart that so the winde that noxious winde of ostentation by which proud men are vainely puft up in their fleshly mindes may be let out and voyded First Let the proud man consider what he is Some have asked blasphemously What is the Almighty as we saw at the 21th Chapter of this Booke But it may well enough be asked What is man that the Almighty should be mindfull of him Psal 144.3 4. and may we not much more question againe What is man that he should be so mindfull of himselfe David a great king said to the Lord 2 Sam 7.18 Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto Thus every man should say to himselfe or put the question to his owne soule Who am I or what am I that I should have a proud thought All men indeed differ in some things and some differ in very many things Men of high degree and men of low degree differ men of knowledge and ignorance differ learned and unlearned men differ And it is not only as I may say a peice of heraldry but a peice of divinity to keep up the differences of men Yet what is any man whether high or low knowing or ignorant learned or urlearned that he should be proud they all agree in this they are all dust and ashes they are all but as a shaddow or a vapour they are all as grasse or as a flower of the field and at their best estate in the very hight of their excellency they are altogether vanity How much soever men differ in other things yet in this they all agree or are all alike in this they are all vanity Then what is man that he should be proud shall dust and ashes shall a passing shaddow or a disappearing vapour shall withering grasse or fading flowers shall vanity it selfe be proud The best of men at their best are the worst of all these why then should any man be proud Yea I may put the question further How can any man be proud who knoweth what man is and acknowledgeth himselfe to be but a man I will adde yet further in this questioning way How can any man
be proud who knoweth himselfe to be which is a more humbling consideration then any of or then all the former a sinfull man We ought alwayes to be humbled for sin and shall we who are at all times sinning be proud at any time Secondly To cure pride of spirit Consider what ever man is as to this world he cannot be long what he is He that is high in the world cannot be long in his worldly heights He that is rich in the world cannot be long enjoy his worldly riches yea knowledge vanisheth all such kinde of knowledge learning and skill as men now have is a meere vanishing thing man in his highest perfections is very mutable and the higher he is the more mutable he is what hath he then to be proud of We have some changes every day and when a few dayes are past we shall come to our great change our change by death is but a few dayes off for the utmost of our dayes are but few As man is not to be accounted of by others so not by himselfe because his breath is in his nostrills and he may quickly perish Isa 2.22 Shall perishing things be proud things Shall they be lifted up with what they have who as to this world have so little being that they can scarcely be sayd to be By this argument all men are called off from trusting those that are highest in this world Psal 146.3 Their breath goeth forth And we have the same argument not to be high in our owne thoughts because our breath goeth forth and there is an end of us Thirdly Consider all those things which are as fewel and occasions of pride in man even for those man must shortly give an account And surely he who remembers that whatsoever he hath be it riches strength honour parts knowledge or learning he must come to a reckoning for it that man will not over-reckon himselfe so much for it as to be proud of it The Apostle concludes So then every man must give an account of himselfe to God Rom 14.12 That is of all his receits and of all his expences what hath been bestowed upon him and how he hath improved what hath been bestowed He must give an account of himselfe in his naturall capacity as a man and he must give account of himselfe in his civill capacity as a rich or great man and he must give account of himselfe in his spirituall capacity as he hath enjoyed meanes to make him gracious or to grow in grace He must give an account of himselfe about all the good things he hath received what good he hath done with them either to himselfe or others He that is serious upon such a meditation as this shall finde two effects of it First it will keep him very busie and free him from Idlenesse Secondly it will keep him very humble and free him from pride Who can glory vainely in his Stewardship for all we have is put into our hands as Stewards who I say can glory vainely in his Stewardship that alwayes heares this voyce sounding in his ears Come give an account of thy stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward O how ill an account will they make when they are asked what they have done with their riches who must answer We have been proud of them who being asked what have you done with your honour must answer we have been proud of it who being asked what have you done with your knowledge must answer we have been proud of it These will be sad answers in the day of account yet proud men whatsoever they have done with their receits must make this answer what other answer soever they make Fourthly Consider that the more any one hath received and it is the degree upon which pride riseth the more I say the more any one hath received in any kinde whatsoever the stricter will his account be for the account will be proportionable to what the receipt is Luke 12.48 To whom soever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more where much is sowne there God looks to reap much He looketh not only for improving but for sutable for proportionable improvement If he that had received five talents Math 25. had brought only two talents more and so made his five seven this had not been proportionable or if he that had received two had made them three this had not been proportionable but he that received five brought ten and he that received two brought foure This account was proportionable to the receipt and therefore to these their Lord sayd Well done good and faithfull servants God looks for doubling as I may say that we should make his five ten his two foure Therefore why should any man be proud of what he hath received seeing the more he hath received the more great and stricter will his account be Fifthly That pride may be cured and hid from your eyes I advise That in the midst of your fullness you would think of your emptiness and in the midst of your perfections of your deficiencies think how much and in how many things you are wanting when any thought of pride ariseth concerning what you enjoy or wherein you abound He that thinks how much he is wanting will not be proud how much soever be aboundeth and indeed our wantings being a great deale more then our aboundings and our imperfections then our perfections should be to us greater matter of humbling then our abounding or perfections can be an occasion of pride To cleare this further Consider your deficiencies two wayes First in your selves consider how low you are in knowledge how low in grace how low in duty remember that there is a great deale of darkness in the best of your light a great deale of water in the best of your wine and a great deale of dross in the purest of your silver remember these weaknesses in your selves and then say as blessed Paul Phil 5.22 I count not that I have already attained that is that I have attained perfection I am very much behinde very much below my duty I am below what I might be and have attained to both in the light of knowledge and in the strength of grace I am below what I might be attained to both as to zeale for and as to faith in God O how many are our deficiencies when we have profited most Secondly Consider your deficiencies in reference to others The Apostle saith 2 Cor 10.12 They who compare themselves with themselves are not wise The reason why many think themselves over-wise is because they do not as they ought compare themselves with others or if they compare themselves with others they compare themselves only with those that are below not with those who are above themselves They who compare themselves with themselves or with those only who are below themselves are not wise though they think themselves very
that food which how sick soever we are our stomacks will never loath yea the sicker we are our soules will the more like hunger after and feed the more heartily upon The flesh of Christ is meat indeed Joh 6.55 Feed upon him by faith in health and in sicknesse ye will never loath him His flesh is the true meat of desires such meat as will fill and fatten us but never cloy us A hungry craving appetite after Christ and sweet satisfaction in him are inseparable and still the stronger is our appetite the greater is our satisfaction And which is yet a greater happiness our soules will have the strongest appetite the most sharp-set stomacke after Christ when through bodily sickness our stomacks cannot take down but loath the very scent and sight of the most pleasant perishing meate and delicious earthly dainties Looke that ye provide somewhat to eat that will goe downe upon a sick-bed your sick bed meat is Christ all other dainty food may be an abhorring to you Further Not only are we to consider the sickness of the body as the cause of this tastlesness and listlesness after bread But we are to consider the sick man abhorring dainty meate under the hideings of Gods face or in feares about his spirituall state as appeares by that which followeth If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnessâ— or to set him right in his spirituall state c. The sick man for want of that as well as for want of health can taste no sweetness in the rarest dainties Hence note A sense of divine displeasure or the hideing of divine favour from the soule renders all outward comforts comfortlesse to us If a man have never so much health yet the appearances of divine displeasure will make him sick of his most pleasant things Carnall men can eat and drink and live upon pleasures yea upon the pleasures of sin and goe on merrily with them a while because they know not the meaning of the displeasure of God nor doe they know what the favour of God meaneth they understand not what they want yea they flatter themselves that they have enough and are well enough though they have nothing and are nothing that is of any worth But if God once awaken them out of this dreame and shew them their cursed condition all will be gall and wormwood to their taste or as gravel between their teeth As the sense of divine favour makes bitter things sweet and sorrowfull things comfortable to us the soure herbs of affliction dainties to us So not only common but dainty meat all the cates and viands of this world will be not only tastless but bitter to us when God frownes upon us An earnest in the love and favour of God is the good of all good things For the close of all take these two Counsells upon the occasion of these words First Receive your bread and dainty meate with prayer and thankesgiving you may quickly else come to abhorre your bread yea and your dainties The word and prayer both sanctifie and sweeten all creature-enjoyments Secondly Take heed of abusing your meate ye may quickly be brought to a loathing of it When they who have given themselves up to luxury and intemperance lye upon their sick-beds and find their stomacke turned from all their dainties it will be most grievous to them to consider how they have abused their dainties to feed their lusts As some who abuse the creatures are punished with the want of them so others with an abhorrence and loathing of them So much for this second symptome of sickness His life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat The third followeth and appeareth in the generall decay and languishment of the sick mans body Vers 21. His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene and his bones that were not seene stick out In this verse and the next Elihu still insists upon his description of the sick mans condition and in them he gives us two other sad effects or symptomes of his sickness First The generall wast and consumption of the body vers 21. Secondly The utmost perill of life v. 22. Elihu describes the first effect of sicknesse the first here but the third in order by two things First By the disappearing of that which used to be seene and appeare very faire and beautifull the visible part grows as it were invisible his flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene Secondly By the appearing of that which used not to be seene his invisible parts not so in their own nature but as to their place I say his invisible parts grow visible His bones which were not seen stick out Thus with much elegancy he sets forth the sorrowfull and deplorable estate of the sick man His flesh is consumed away As if he had sayd Before his sicknesse he was full of flesh fat and faire but falling into sickness he falls away and is worne as we say to skin and bones his flesh is consumed Flesh in Scripture is taken two wayes First Improperly and Tropically Secondly Literally or Properly In a Tropicall and Improper sense flesh signifieth our sinfull corruption Gal 5.17 The flesh evermore lusteth against the spirit that is the unregenerate part in man against the regenerate These two are always contending and combating with one another in all those whom Christ hath conquered to himselfe Happy are they that finde their flesh in this sense consuming away and 't is that which every man is studying who knows what godlinesse meanes the consumption of this flesh even the mortification of his lusts of pride and earthliness of wrath envie and unbeliefe Secondly flesh by a figure is put for the whole naturall body consisting of many parts dissimilar to flesh Thus the Psalmist complained in prayer that the Lord had given the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth Psal 79.2 that is he had exposed their bodies through the rage and cruelty of their enemies to the teeth and bowells of savage and ravenous beasts Thirdly flesh is also put for the whole man consisting both of soul and body Gen. 6.12 13. The Lord saw that all flesh had corrupted their wayes That is all men who are made up of a body and soul had corrupted their wayes by letting loose and acting their sinfull corruptions Fourthly flesh is sometimes put for that which is bâ—st in man his greatest naturall perfections whatsoever in him is lesse then grace whatsoever is highest in him below the spirit is called flesh in Scripture When Peter Math. 16.17 had made that blessed confession which is the rock upon which the Church is built thou art Christ the Son of the living God presently Christ tells him flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee that is the highest and the most perfect piece of nature hath not taught thee this lesson the Evangelist saith of all true beleevers who have received
have a good assurance that while we are trading with God for the gaine and encrease of our soules our bodyes shall not waste nor be loosers yet we should be ready to waste and weare off the flesh from our bodyes for the gaine and encrease of our soules Sixthly Why should we be unwilling to offer our flesh to be consumed by the fury of men or by the rage of flames in the cause of God seeing it may ere long consume by sickness and not be seene why should we be afraid to let our flesh consume or rot in prisons or by tortures for Christ seeing a disease will doe it and hath often done it Thousands of the blassed Martyrs and suffering Saints have rejoyced they had flesh to consume when God called them to it So some interpret that Scripture before mentioned 2 Cor 12.14 where the Apostle professed I am willing to be spent for you how spent as an offering or sacrifice by fire in the service of your faith and in bearing my witness to those truths of the Gospel which I have preached to you And indeed he in that sense spent his flesh at the last he suffered death and let his flesh fall in holding up and holding out the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ It is better that our flesh should be thus consumed if God call us to it then that we leave it to be consumed by age or sickness by wormes or rottenness How freely should we offer up this flesh to so noble a consumption seeing we cannot keepe it long from so meane a consumption doe what we can Secondly Note Sickness is a consumer sickness is a consumer of all that will consume It consumes the body and it consumes the purse yea it consumes all our worldly comforts and concernments it consumes every thing but grace We say A time of sickness is a spending time the usuall reference of that expression is to spiritualls In health we gather grace and lay up truths which we spend in sickness But though sickness be a spending time yet it is not I am sure it ought not to be a wasting time to grace and spiritualls A spending time it is that is a time wherein a godly man may lay out a great deale of his spirituall stock and heavenly treasure a great deale of faith and patience a great deale of sweet contentation and selfe-submission to God But sickness is not a wasting time to any of these graces or heavenly treasures yea where grace is reall and active it is not only not wasted or consumed but encreased and improved occasionally by sickness God having promised that all things shall worke together for good to them that love him Rom 8.28 will not suffer the best things of those that love him their graces to take hurt by the worst of bodyly sicknesses Sickness doth only dammage the body and deface the beauty of the flesh and it quickly doth as Elihu affirme of his sick man in the text His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene yea as it followeth And his bones that were not seene stick out Flesh and bones are the two eminent materialls of this faire and most regular building The Body of man The Bones of a healthy and strong man are not seene because they are covered with flesh they are only felt or perceived through their clothing skin and flesh God hath put these very comely and beautifull garments as a covering upon our bones but sickness pulls away these coverings it pulls away the cloaths from our bones and makes them appeare as it were naked When the fat is dript away and the flesh is spent the bones seeme to start out We commonly say of a man that hath been consumed by a lingring sickness He is a very Skelleton he lookes like an Anatomy which is nothing else but a pack of bones the flesh is gone Thus David mourned Psal 31.10 My life is spent with griefe my yeares with sighing my strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed The sin-sickness of a sencible soule consumes the bones more then any bodyly sickness This was not only the consuming but the breaking of Davids bones Psal 51.8 And as his sorrow for his owne transgressions so his sorrow for the afflictions of Sion had the like effect in him Psal 102.3 4 5. My dayes are consumed like smoake or into smoake they vanish like smoake and my bones are burnt as a hearth My heart is smitten and withereth like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread By reason of the voyce of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin Et comminuentur ossa ejus non videntur interpretantes vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in significatione Syriaca Pisc SignificationeÌ„ Syriacam malo quam omnes penè hebraei sequuntur Merc Some read this Text His bones are diminished lessened wasted or broken in pieces as if the consumption reached not only his flesh but his bones too That 's a fierce disease which at once invadeth and wasteth the bones The word which we render to stick out signifieth in the Syriack Idiom the abating lessening or breaking of any thing into lesser parts or pieces And so those words are not seen in the text which according to our translation refer to the time of health when a man is so fat and full fleshed that his bones cannot be seen scarcely felt those words I say are referred according to this translation to the time of sickness which is supposed so to diminish and wast the bones that by an ordinary straine of Rhetorick they are said not to be seen His bâ—â—â—â— are diminished they are not seen We also render this word◠〈◊〉 that first propheticall word concerning our restoring by Christ Gen. 3.15 by bruising It that is the womans seed shall bruise thy head that is the Devills and thou shalt bruise his heele When bones are bruised and as it were shuffled together they cannot be seen in their proper places or as once they were fixt by nature This various reading doth not vary the generall sence of the Text but only heighten and encrease it We render fully and significantly his bones that were not seen stick out Hence note There is no man so strong there is nothing in man so strong that can stand out against the strength of sickness Our bones are not made of brasse sickness will diminish them and pain master them Secondly Whereas 't is said His flesh that was seen is not seen and his bones that were not seen stick out or are seen Observe Sicknesse makes a wonderfull change in man It puts that out of sight which was seen and it brings that in sight which was not seen This holds true not only as to that which is naturall in man his flesh and bones of which this text treats in the letter but 't is true also as to that which is morall and spirituall in man his virtues and his vices his graces and his lusts
be seasonable if not when we see them dying and going to the grave yet some when they visit sick friends will not speak a word of either they fear it may hasten death to hear of it that speaking of the grave may put them into it then which I know no fear more foolish or more to be feared Yea some will forbid visiters to mention death when their Relations lye sick O doe not speak of death to my Husband saith the Wife c. But remember it if the sick are drawing near to the grave they that visit them should remember them of the grave both in prayer and in conference to speak of death cannot hurt the body but the not speaking of it may hurt the soul and hinder it from getting out of the snares both of spirituall and eternall death Yet godly prudence and great caution is to be used about it none should doe it bluntly nor suddenly but having by discreet insinuations first hinted to the sick man his danger of death we should then by faithfull counsells prepare him for it and by comfortable Scripture cordialls strengthen and arme his spirits against it Such savoury and well mannaged discourses of death may through the blessing of God be a savour of eternall life to the sick man and will not in the least prejudice his recovery from sickness when his soul draweth near to the grave Aâ—d his life to the destroyers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mortificantibus Mont The Hebrew is to those that kill or to lâ—fe destroyers There is a difference among Interpreters who are here intended by these Destroyers to whom the sick mans life draweth near or who are these life destroyers First some thus his life to the destroyers that is to his enemies that are ready to destroy him But that 's improper to the text which speaking of sickness cannot intend any destroying enemy but the last enemy which is to be destroyed death or the antecedents and usuall attendants of it sicknesses Ad Angelos morti praefectos non incommodè resertur sequentis versiculi ratione habita ubi Angeli vitam annunciantis unius de mille mentionem facit ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligas mortis â—umcios Merc Secondly by the destroyers others understand Angells who are commission'd and sent of God to cut the thread of life and to take mortalls out of this world by mortall diseases and so the destroying Angell in this verse stands in opposition to that comforting Angell spoken of in the next verse if there be a messenger or an Angell c. That Angells have such a Ministry is clear 2 Sam. 24.16 Where David having chosen to fall into the hands of God an Angell is presently dispatcht to doe execution upon his people And when the Angell stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evill and said to the Angell that destroyed the people it is enough stay now thine hand c. That destroyer so he is called Exod. 12.23 who slew all the first borne of the Egyptians Gods last and greatest plague upon them his tenth plague is by most interpreted to be an Angell yea by some a good Angell because appointed and directed by God to spare his people the Jewes and to poure out his vengeance upon the Egyptians his and their enemies For most usually the wicked are plagued by good Angells and the good as Job in this book was are afflicted by evill Angells Howbeit that text say some Psal 78.49 leadeth us rather to beleeve that it was an evill Angell He cast upon them meaning the Egyptians the fiercenesse of his anger wrath indignation and trouble by sending evill Angells among them Yet possibly those Angells which destroyed the Egyptians are called evill Angells not because they were so in their nature but because they were Ministers of evill to that hard-hearted people Which way soever we take it there is a truth in it applicable to the Scripture here in hand And so some expound that of Solomon Prov. 17.11 An evill man seeketh only rebellion therefore a cruell Messenger shall be sent against him The text may be rendred a cruell Angell that is an Angell with a Message of wrath and destruction shall be sent unto him The Apostle 1 Cor. 10.10 speaking of those dreadfull judgments which God sent upon his people the Jewes in the Wildernesse such as we are like to find in these Gospell times if we provoke him for all those things are said to have happened unto them for Types or examples vers 11. And there he gives us warning neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer That is by the Pestilence or Plague as 't is expressed Numb 14.12 37. which the Apostle Paul calleth a destroyer because doubtless it was executed by some invisible destroyer or Angell The Devill whom John in the Revelation Chap. 9.11 calleth the Angell of the bottomlesse pit is there also set forth by this Title whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon The Devill is the Apollyon the Abaddon both which signifie a destroyer yea the Devill Heb. 2.14 is said to have the power of death as if he were set over that sad work and Lorded it over dying men yet let us know to our comfort the Devill hath not the power of death as a Lord or Judge but only as an Executioner thus the sick mans life may be said to draw nigh to the destroyer that is to the destroying Angell or to the messenger of death Thirdly we may take the destroyers not for persons sent to destroy but for diseases and sicknesses these are destroyers And thus it may be said of a sick man his life draweth nigh to the destroyers that is he is in the hand or under the power of such diseases as probably will destroy him That seems to be Mr. Broughtons understanding of the words Praestat generale est et ad omnia mortis signa et mortifera quicquid illud sit referre Merc who renders his soul draweth nigh to the grave and his life to killing maladies Whatsoever is a death-bringer whatever is deadly or mortall to man may be comprehended under this expression The Destroyers And so these words His life draweth nigh to the destroyer may signifie only thus much he is deadly or as we commonly expresse it mortally sick There 's no hopes of him he is past recovery the Physitians have given him over Heman Psal 88.3 4 5. speaks to this sence and near in this language of himself My soul is full of troubles my life draweth nigh unto the grave I am counted with them that goe down into the pit I am as a man that hath no strength Free among the dead like the slaine that lye in the grave whom thou remembrest no more Heman was alive yet with respect either to the anguish of his soul
Christ to declare to man this righteousness for his uprightness And that hence it is as Elihu proceeds in the next verse to assure the sick man that God is and will be gracious to him Vers 24. Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe into the pit I have found a ransome These words hold out the generall issue and fruit of the labours and good counsell of that messenger or Interpreter dealing with the sick man and shewing him his uprightness There are three distinct interpretations which run quite through this verse and they arise from a different apprehension about the antecedent in this pronoune He then he is gracious unto him He who is that All the Popish interpreters refer it to the Guardian-Angel sent to attend on this sick man Then he the Angel will be gracious and he will say deliver him But as I then layd by that opinion that the messenger was an Angel properly taken so I shall not stay upon that which is a consequent of it here Secondly Severall of our Protestant interpreters referre this he to the Messenger or Interpreter to the Prophet or any spiritually wise and holy man sent of God to assist and help the sick man in his distresse Some are so positive in this opinion that they deny the text any other reference Hoc de nuncio dicitur non de deo aptè enim tribuitur nuncio etinterpreti voluntatis dei ut miscreatur hominis in summo vitae discrimine constituti Merl Et de gratia eum alloquutus dixerit redime cum nec desceÌ„dat in soveam expiatione quam inveni Jun Summa orationis quae apud deum pro afflictis habenda est Jun This is to be understood of the Messenger saith one and not of God And I grant 't is sutable to the business of the messenger who comes to comfort and instruct the sick man that he should pitty and compassionate him in that disconsolate condition and likewise pray for him according to the tenour of these words in the text or to the same effect O Lord God be gracious to him and deliver him let him not goe downe to the pit for the ransome sake which I have found As if Elihu had sayd When that faithfull messenger shall have declared the benefits and grace of God to the afflicted man then pittying his afflicted soule he shall pray for him O God deliver him from death and condemnation from the pit and from destruction for I have found and shewed him a ransome by which his soule may be delivered and his sins pardoned In the 19th Chapter of this Booke at the 27th verse Job useth this word in his application to his friends for their pitty to him and more favourable dealing with him Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me As if he had sayd The hand of God presseth me sore O let not your hand be heavie upon me too This exposition carrieth a great truth in it and is not at all inconsistent with the letter of the text yet I shall not insist upon it but adhere rather to a third which makes the antecedent to this He to be God himselfe Then he is gracious That is when the messenger hath dealt with the sick man when he hath opened his condition to him and shewed him his uprightness or how he may stand upright before God or what his righteousnesse is before God and hath brought his heart to an unfeigned sorrow for his sin and to the actings of faith upon the promise then God is gracious and then he gives out the word for his restoring and orders it to be presently dispatcht away to him saying deliver him unloose him unbind him let him not goe downe into the pit I have found a ransome Taking this for the generall sence of the Text I shall proceed to open the particulars Then he will be gracious or then he will have mercy upon him as Mr Broughton translates Then and not before till then the Lord lets his bones ake and his heart tremble till then he suffers him to be brought so low that he is reckoned among the dead but then though not before he sheweth himself gracious unto him When a poor man is reduced to the utmost extreamity then is Gods opportunity then is the season of mercy and the Lord therefore lets us be at the lowest that we may be the more sencible of his goodness in raising and lifting us up The Lord suffers many as Paul spake of himself 2 Cor. 1.9 to have the sentence of death in themselves that they may learn not to trust in themselves but in him who raiseth the dead We seldome give God either the glory of his power by trusting him or of his goodnesse by thanking him for our deliverances till we are brought to the last cast as we say or to such an exigent as leaves no visible meanes in probabillity no nor of possibility to escape And when 't is thus with us then he is gracious Secondly Then he is gracious that is when the man is doubly humbled when the mans heart is graciously broken when the man is growne into an abhorrence of himself and of his sin or loathes himself for his sin as much as he loathed his meat as 't is said in the former verse when his heart is thus taken quire off from all that is below in the world and gathered up beleevingly to Jesus Christ in the word of promise Then he is gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misertus gratificatus gratia prosecutus fuit ex gratia donavit benesecit The Originall word hath many comfortable significations in it yet all resolvable into this one he is gracious It signifies to pity to have compassion tenderly to regard to bestow grace to doe good there is enough in the bowells of this word to bear up the spirit of the sickest body or of the most troubled soul It is said Gen. 6.8 Noah found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was the only man that held out the grace of God in that age him only did God find perfect or upright in his Generations Gen. 6.9 and Noah only was the man that found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord in that generation Gen. 6.8 God was gracious to him and his when the whole world periâ—hed by water That proper name John is derived from this word when God gave Zachary and Elizabeth a Son in their old age he also directed how he would have him called ye shall call his name John which name as we may well conceive was assigned him either because God did very graciously and favourably bestow that gift upon his Parents in their old age and so shewed them much favour a child at any time is a great favour from God especially in old age or secondly because John was to open the Kingdome of Grace to preach the
eternall death or going downe to the pit of hell Fourthly In that this word deliver him is given to the messenger Observe God conveighs deliverance and mercy to us by men like our selves He will have the creature beholding to the creature for his mercy though mercy come freely and only from himselfe God delivereth the sick and the sinner in such a method that we may owne though not stay in his messengers as the instruments of his favour God who can doe all things by himselfe will not doe many things but by meanes He saith to the messenger Deliver him from going downe to the pit You will say How can a Minister or a Messenger deliver the sick from going downe to the pit I answer as was touched before he delivers him by declaring to him the minde of God by acquainting the sick with the promises of deliverance and by pressing him to believe and rest upon them by assuring him that as God is able to performe the promise so he is faithfull and willing to performe it yea that he hath given some tokens for good that he will deliver him from going downe to the pit Thus the worke of Gods free grace mercy and power is oftentimes attributed to instruments and second causes because they have their place and use in the bringing about the purposes of God for the good of his people Hence some men are called Saviours And Saviours shall come up on mount Zion Obad v. 21. No man can save either from temporall or eternall destruction He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Ps 68.20 yet saith the Prophet there shall come Saviours that is God will rayse up worthy men principall men as another Prophet cals them Mic 5.5 who shall destroy Zions enemies Thus Paul admonisheth Timothy Take heed to thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee 1 Tim 4.16 The Apostle James Chap 5.20 speakes the same thing He which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins And the same Apostle faith as to the case in the text at the 15th verse of the same Chapter The prayer of faith shall save the sicke Though none can save yet many are means of our salvation And the Lord is pleased to honour those who are the meanes of any salvation so farre as to say They save It is indeed the duty of all to ascribe the all of every worke and piece of salvation and deliverance to God only When the people stood wondering at Peter and John after they had healed the lame man Peter answered Acts 3.12 Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why looke ye so earnestly on us as if we by our own power or holiness had made this man to walke The God of Abraham c. hath glorified his Son Jesus As if they had said Therefore doe ye also glorifie him not us for delivering this lame man Though God is pleased to put much honour upon man by speaking of what himselfe doth as if man had done it yet he will not give the glory of what he doth to any man nor may any take it God saith to the messenger deliver him from going downe to the pit but woe to that messenger who saith when he is delivered I have delivered him from going downe to the pit Thus we see the spring of the sick mans recovery it is from the graciousness of God and we see the meanes of it God gives a warrant to his messenger saying Deliver him from going down to the pit But what is the procuring or meritorious cause of this deliverance As the Text hath shewed us the first moving cause The grace of God so it shewes us the meritorious cause by which his deliverance is procured Things are so ordered in the Covenant of grace that though the Lord acts with infinite freeness yet he hath appointed and ordered a way in which alone he will doe what he freely doth This is expressed in the last clause of the verse Fer I have found a ransome But where did God find it certainly in his own bosome in his own heart Jesus Christ came out of the bosome of the Father there he was God found him in and with himself God did not find the ransome by chance nor did he find it by advice and consultation with others but he found it in himself in his own infinite wisdome and goodness that is he contrived it he invented i◠there This rare this most excellent thing a ransome is the Lords own invention I have found it I know how to doe this man good I know how to save him and doe my own honour and Justice no hurt no wrong my honour is saved Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotet expiationem aut redemptionem tum etiam pretium quod pro redemptione offertur Significat etiam cooperire linire aut operire bitumine quasi pristinam faciē rei alicujus aut immunditiem abscondere quod elegantèr refertur ad ab stertionem peccati Pined my Justice is satisfied in doing it I have found a ransome The word here rendred a ransome signifies in the Verb to cover or to hide that which before lay open that it appeare no more Grace brings another face upon things a new face I may say upon our souls The covering of sin elegantly denotes the pardon of sin And what reason have we to be thankfull and rejoyce when sin our soul durt and deformity is covered We have very foul faces I meane outward conversations and more foul souls or inward inclinations till the Lord is graciously pleased to put a covering upon them If we cover our own sins we shall have no mercy but if the Lord once cover our sins he cannot deny us mercy that being it self our greatest mercy and the fruit of his great mercy The Mercy-seat so famous in the Mosaicall Poedogogy is exprest by this word which properly signifieth a Covering The Mercy-seat was it self a Covering of pure gold laid over the Arke in which Arke the Law was put Exod. 25.17.21 Thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the Arke and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee And as the dimensions of the Arke were two Cubits and a halfe in length and a Cubit and a half in breadth so the same were the dimensions of the Mercy-seat Vers 10.17 which figured that as the Mercy-seat fully covered the Arke wherein the Law was so Christ should fully cover all our sins which are transgressions of the Law The righteousness of Christ is as long and as broad as the Law and so our sins being covered with that shall never appeare against us Therefore also from above this Mercy-seat between the two Cherubims the Lord said vers 22. I will meete thee and I will
going into the pit and his life shall see the light Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man To bring back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living WE had the blessed issue of the Lords dealing with the sick sinner in the former verse Now in the two first verses of this context we have the same case and issue put in generall with reference to any man And in the two latter Elihu recapitulates or summes up the whole matter and then applyeth it to Job personally and particularly in the three last verses of the Chapter He looketh upon men c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspexit intentis et fixis oculis intuitus est The word notes a strict beholding and fixing both of the outward and inward eye that of the mind with that of the body T is here after the manner of men attributed to God He marks and animadverts upon men how it is with them or how they stand disposed and affected Yet there is a difference among interpreters who is the antecedent to the word He. He looketh upon men The doubt or question is to whom this relative pronowne He hath respect whether to God or to the sick man lately spoken of Some understand it chiefly of the sick man recovered He looketh upon men That is the sick man looketh upon those about him Qui hoc modo afflictus fuit resipiscens intuetur homines et diciter Drus and saith I have sinned and perverted that which is right As if being raised from his sick bed he should raise himselfe up to give glory to God by confessing and acknowledging before men that he had sinned in perverting the rule of righteousness given him to walke by and had found by dear-bought experience that it profited him not The Italian translater saith He afterwards shall turne himselfe toward man and say c. That is Fructum alium miserecordiae domini in afflictum subjungit quod ille liberatus et culpam suam coram caeteris hominibus agnoscet et dei miserecordiam in se confitebitur ut alios aedificet c. Merc he shall preach Gods grace to sinfull man and propose himselfe an example of it magnifying the grace of God to him and acknowledging his owne vileness They who insist upon this exposition render the 28th verse as the continued speech of the sick man making it out to this effect I have sinned and perverted that which â—as right yet he hath delivered or will deliver my soule from going into the pit and my life shall see the light It must be granted that to look upon or behold man is in Scripture a descriptive periphrasis or circumlocution expressing a man recovered from some dangerous deadly sickness And therefore when Hezekiah thought his sickness was to death and his case desperate He thus bemoaned himselfe Isa 38.11 I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world But saith Elihu the sick man being perfectly recovered talkes with and looks upon men And the first discourse he issueth is a confession of repentance for his iniquity I have sinned I have perverted that which was right and it profiteth not And his next is a confession of praise for his recovery He hath delivered or I am assured he will deliver my soule from going downe to the pit and my life shall see the light This is a profitable exposition and much insisted upon by some very learned interpreters and therefore I shall make a little improvement of it by this briefe observation It is our duty being recovered from sickness to confess and make knowne the goodness of God and our sinfulness to those that are about us There is a three-fold confession First of faith that we believe what God hath revealed and promised to doe for us Secondly of prayse that we thankfully acknowledge what God hath done for us according to his promise Thirdly of repentance that we are heartily sorrowfull for and bewayle what we have done against the command of God We should be ashamed to sin before men but let us not be ashamed to confesse our sinfullness and in some cases our speciall sins before men Though we neither impose nor extort particular confessions from men as the Papists doe yet it is good for men who have been under the afflicting hand of God and have had great experience of his mercy in raising them up to declare what God hath done both for soule and body that others may be bettered by their experiences But I shall not stay upon this because our translation which is cleare and safe runs another way making the antecedent to this he to be God He that is God looketh upon men and saith If any say I have sinned and have perverted that which is right and it profited me not Then as it followeth He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light The sence of the context in Generall is plaine God looketh upon men and if he seeth them penitent he will have mercy upon them and deliver them or give them that which is better then bodily deliverance More distinctly He looketh upon men It is the work of God at all times to look upon men and he looketh so upon all men as if he had but one man to look upon His look upon men is not a bare look but a considering and an observing look He so looks upon men that he looks through them He looks upon them and takes notice what they are how it is with them what they are doing and at what they are driving He looks upon them to consider both the frame of their hearts and the course of their lives yea his looking is an expecting he so looketh upon man as looking for somewhat from man or as desiring to see somewhat in him Though God hath no need of us nor of any thing we can doe yet he looketh waiteth or hath an expectation of somewhat to be done by us He looketh upon sick men to see how they take it with what patience they beare affliction what the workings of their hearts are what their repentings what the actings of their faith such things as these the Lord looketh for from most men mostly from men under the rod under sad sorrowfull dispensations And the words following shew what it is expressely which the Lord looketh for Yet before I open them note in generall God loves to see occasion of doing good to man What we love to doe we love the opportunities of doing it The Lord is good and he loveth to doe good and therefore he is expressed as one troubled when he wants as one pleased when he hath the occasions of doing it We may take up that sence eminently from that most patheticall wish Psal 81.13 14 15 16.
enumerate the particular evill acts he had committed and was guilty of yet doubtlesse he had them as a burden upon his heart and was willing to unburden himselfe of them one by one in a hearty and heart-afflicting confession The publican Luke 18.13 stood a far off and durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but only sayd God be mercifull to me a sinner He struck at all his sins though he did not by name touch any one of them He that saith knowing what he saith I have sinned will not hide any one of his sins And he that indeed and truth confesseth any one will cover none of his sins Those sins may be pardoned which are not expressely confessed but if we conceale or hide any sin and will not bring it forth in confession we cannot in faith expect the pardon of it Againe Consider the time or season when the Lord looked for this confession It was a time of trouble and affliction of paine and sorrow the man was sick or but in a way of recovery out of his sickness Hence note Times of affliction are speciall times of confession and repentance Confession of sin must not be omitted especially not neglected in our most comfortable dayes much lesse in a day of trouble A sad and troubled state calls us aloud to a gracious sadness of heart to the search of our hearts and lives which are preparatory to repentance and Godly sorrow Usually in prosperity men will not be at leisure to search their hearts and take notice of their sins Therefore the Lord draweth them to confession by drawing them from the world by laying them upon their sick beds or by bringing them into straites And as when affliction is upon persons or families then is a speciall time to confesse personall and family sins so to confesse national sins is most seasonable when affliction hath seized upon kingdomes and nations The want and neglect of that publicke confession and sorrow in such a day is mightily aggravated and most severely threatned Isa 22.12 13 14. God looketh and loveth to heare every man saying and a whole nation as one man saying in a day of sorrow and trouble I have sinned and perverted that which was right From the latter words I have perverted that which was right or the Law Note First The law of God is the rule of righteousness a right rule All rightness and righteousness is comprehended in it and measured by it Secondly Learne Sin is a perverting of that which is right Every the least sin is so in some degree though here possibly sins are intended of any even of the highest degree The Apostle defining sin calleth it 1 John 3.4 A transgression of the Law and if so it must needs be a perverting of that which is right For what is or can be right if the rule of righteousness be not What the Apostle spake to Elymas Acts 13.10 Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord shewes the nature and effect of every sin and the more sinfull any sin is by so much the more doth it pervert that which is right Some sinners are sayd to make voyd the law of God to pervert it as if they would quite subvert and disanull it David remembers God of such and desires him to look to them betimes Psal 119.126 It is time for thee to work for they have made voyd thy law That is they have done their best or worst rather their utmost to make it voyd and of no force 'T is not in the power of all the powers of the world to vacat rescind or null one tittle of the law of God heaven and earth shall passe away before that yet many attempt it yea some doe that which will be found and interpreted a making voyd of the law of God who thinke themselves great zelotes for or very zealous of the law That will be the case of many especially of all will-worshippers Againe Consider though the person here spoken of had not only sinned but perverted that which was right that is sinned perversly yet upon confession the Lord deales graciously with him Hence Note The free grace of God extends to the pardon of the greatest sins even sins of perversness Where sin aboundeth Grace aboundeth much more Rom 5.20 whether the abounding of sin be taken in the number of it or in the weight of it that is in the greatness and aggravations of it Grace hath its sutable super-abounding Num 23.21 When Balaam would shew that the people of Israel were a people impenetrable by his curses he saith The Lord hath seen no iniquity in Jacob nor perversness in Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word there used is of a different root from this in the text but the sence is the same implying if the Lord had seen perversness in Israel it would have layd them open to a curse yet sins made up of perversness are within the compass of a pardon There is no sin excepted from pardon but that which at once refuseth and despiseth it the sin against the holy Ghost Math◠12.31 This should not incourage any to sin perversly only it is a comfort to those who have They who have sinned perversly or who have perversness mingled with their sin should not cast off the hope of pardon but woe to those who sin perversly that is against the light of their owne consciences upon hopes of pardon Such persons have no true hope they may have much presumption that they shall be pardoned They who having sinned perversly confesse it have good ground to pray for pardon but they who goe on sinning perversly have no ground while they doe so to hope for it This text speakes of a person confessing and bewayling that he hath sinned perversely not of a person purposing to sin so as appeares further in the last clause of the verse If any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right And it profiteth me not Here 's another poynt of confession we must not only confesse that we have sinned but the fruitlessness of sin or that sin profiteth not There are two rendrings and so two severall expositions of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest esse verbum potest esse et nomen faemininum Vnde sensus est non accepi tantundem non reposita est mihi par paena pro peccato meo Coc Non dignè in me inquisivit pro his quae poccavi Sept The word signifieth most properly that which is equall And hence some give the sence thus which carrieth in it an eminent work of repentance I have sinned and perverted that which was right and have not that which is equall That is Though I am greatly afflicted and my sorrows lye heavie upon me yet they are not equall to my sinning or perverse dealings with the Lord. I have not received as I was worthy or according to my ill deservings The Septuagint speak thus God hath not made
owne righteousness and goodness though we are both good and righteous is evill and very blameable For whereas Job said I am righteous he should rather have left others to say it he should have been satisfied that he was so without saying so and though it cannot be denied that Job was extreamly urged to it as hath been shewed more then once in opening this Booke and it had been but necessary for him to say it once or twice in his owne defence yet because he sayd it so often it drew and that deservedly this censure or charge upon him Hence take this corolary or inference If to speake much of our owne righteousness be displeasing then how abominable is it to be proud of it or trust upon it There is nothing more pleasing to God then to see man walking in wayes of righteousness nor is there any thing more displeasing unto God then to see a man lifted up with or leaning upon his owne righteousness If we make our owne righteousness our staffe God will make it our rod. And though he is farre from scourging us because we are righteous yet he will correct us if we proclaime our owne righteousness yea if we thinke it much or thinke much of it We must have a very great occasion when at any time we beare witness to our owne righteousness and goodness but if the heart be lifted up in pride or trust at all upon it this renders man odious in the sight of God God saved Noah out of that common deluge in which the old world perished For saith the Lord Gen 7.1 thee have I seene righteous before me in this generation Noah was righteous before God and was saved when others perished but surely had he vainely boasted or unnecessarily voted himselfe righteous before men he had perished as wel as others It comes much to one and the same account with God whether men be openly unrighteous or whether without a just cause and call they open their righteousness before men Secondly Note How righteous soever we are in life yea though we are righteous by faith which is our righteousness unto life yet we must not plead that for our freedome from afflictions We may plead the righteousness of faith against condemnation but not against correction if any man be in Christ he shall never be condemned but though a man be in Christ and justified by the highest actings of faith in the blood of the Covenant yet he may be severely corrected This was I conceive the principall scope and intent of Elihu in charging Job thus even to convince him that though he was a faithfull servant of God and of a very unstained conversation among men yet he must not thinke himselfe above the crosse but quietly and meekly submit to it Job spake sometimes fully to that poynt He destroyeth the righteous and the wicked if the scourge slay suddenly he laugheth at the tryall of the innocent Chap 9.23 yet at other times he forgot himselfe and therefore he was justly as to his present case and profitably as to the future issue remembred of it by this plaine and home-dealer Elihu Job hath said I am righteous And God hath taken away my Judgement As if he had sayd Once thou didst say God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked but now thou seemest to say thou art greatly wrong'd and thy Judgement quite taken away because being a righteous man thou art thus afflicted Mr Broughton renders But the Omnipotent keeps back my right As Judgement is right fully given so there is but little difference between keeping back our right and taking it away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est auserre declinare divertere subvertere therefore the word signifieth not only to take away or cause to decline to divert and subvert but to keep back or withhold any thing in any kind as Mr Broughton translates expressely This is the thing saith Elihu which Job hath said God hath taken away or kept back my Judgement But where did Job say this he said it Chap 27.2 As the Lord liveth who hath taken away my Judgement and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule Bildad charged Job with it Chap 8. 3. while he put this question to him Doth God pervert Judgement or the Almighty pervert Justice Implying that Job had spoken words reflecting upon the Justice and Judgement of God in taking away his Judgement But you will say What is Judgement and what is it to take away Judgement or how is a mans Judgement taken away I answer There is a three-fold notion of Judgement in Scripture First Judgement is the result or issue of a mans reason about any matter or question propounded to him God sometimes takes away mans Judgement in that sense and then he becomes a foole and unable to judge 'T is a dreadfull judgement when God thus takes away mans judgement and gives him up to a Reprobate or an unjudicious minde as he did the old Gentiles Rom 1.28 for then he will quickly doe those things which are not convenient not being able to distinguish nor discerne between true or false he must needs put light for darkness bitter for sweet sweet for bitter Elihu doth not represent Job complaining that God had taken away his judgement in this notion Secondly Judgement is any angry dispensation or wrath powred out or executed upon persons nations or Churches If judgement begin at the house of God that is if trouble or wrath begin at the Church of God what will the end of those be that obey not the Gospel 1 Pet 4.17 Davids Song consisted of two parts Psal 101.1 judgement was one of them I will sing of mercy and judgement This notion of judgement is every where found in Scripture yet neither is this the notion of it in this Scripture God had not thus taken away Jobs judgement he begg'd indeed that God would take away this his judgement and it was the matter of his complaint because he did not take it away Thirdly Judgement is right done or right due right due is judgement due right done is judgement done Thus David prayed Psal 72.1 Give the King thy Judgements O God and thy righteousness to the Kings son that is give him an understanding to doe right or to give every man his right To doe this is a thing so desireable in all men especially in Kings and Princes that when God at Gibeon sent young king Solomon a blanke from heaven and bid him aske what he would he asked only this 1 Kings 3.9 Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discerne between good and bad This is properly the judgement intended here Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement that is my right or hath not done me right But how is Judgement taken away I shall answer it in three things First When right is quite subverted and over-throwne This the Prophet elegantly expresseth and reproveth Amos 6.12 Ye have turned judgement into
in vengeance Psal 7.11 12 13. God is angry with the wicked every day if he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutours Secondly Note The wounds which God makes cannot be healed by any medicines but his owne Jobs wound was incurable there was no balme for him in the Gilead of this world no Physician there And therefore the Lord bids Egypt in scorne seeke healing there Jer 46.11 Goe up into Gilead and take balme O virgin the daughter of Egypt in vaine shalt thou use many medicines for thou shalt not be cured Who can heale where God will wound Psal 38.2 3. Thine arrows stick fast in me there is no soundness in my flesh even David complained that the wounds which the arrows of God had made in him were incurable Why is my paine perpetuall said the Prophet Jer 15.18 and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to king Jareb to help him yet could he not heale you nor cure you of your wounds Hos 5.13 God gives states or bodyes politick such wounds as all the medicines and meanes in the world cannot helpe They may goe to the Assyrian and send to king Jareb to this and that power They may call a whole colledge of State-Physicians or deepest politicians for counsel and advise yet neither one nor other can be a healer to them Therefore in the next Chapter v. 1. the Church concluded upon another course and a better addresse then either to the Assyrian or to king Jareb Come let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us only the Lord who gives the wound can heale the wound the same hand which smites us must cure us else our wound is incurable Thirdly Note To complaine of our wounds as incurable or past cure is an argument of our unbeliefe 'T is good for us even to despaire of help from creatures and to say the least wound if but the scratch of a pin is incurable by all the art meanes and medicines which this world can administer but to say our wound though never so deep dangerous and deadly is absolutely incurable is our sin While we ruine our selves that is while we provoke God to ruine us yet there is hope in God O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine helpe Hos 13.9 despaire as much as you will of creatures helpe but still hope in God Thirdly In that he saith My wound is incurable without transgression Note The Lord may and doth take liberty to afflict those grievously who have not sinned greatly There is no man liveth and sinneth not yet every man is not in strict sense a sinner that is a great sinner a rebell a worker of iniquity yet the Lord when 't is needfull giveth them great wounds who have not comparatively sinned greatly Though no sin should be little in our eye yet there are degrees of sin and some are lesse then others in the eye both of God and man Elihu chargeth Job not as saying he had no sin but because he complained his wounds were great though his sins were not or that there was not a due proportion between his offence and his punishment his sins and his sufferings Hence note Fourthly Though the Lord taketh liberty to afflict those greatly that have not sinned greatly yet they must not take liberty to complaine of the greatness of their afflictions how little soever their sins have been A gracious heart lookes upon the least of his mercies as greater then the greatest of his good deservings and upon the greatest of his sufferings as lesse then the least of his ill deservings or demerits And surely besides that liberty which God hath as he is supreame and soveraigne to afflict whom he will and in what degree he will we must know that the least sin deserves the greatest wound An evill thought deserves all the evill that can be heaped upon us Whatsoever we suffer on this side hell is less then the least of our sins And therefore if we have reason to confesse our little sins great and our greatest wounds little compared with our little sins how much more should we confesse our great sufferings little compared with our great sins as the Church did Ezra 9.13 After all that is come upon us our long and hard bondage in Babylon for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse thou O Lord hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve Further from the whole verse in that Elihu chargeth Job with these severall sayings Observe First A good mans sayings are often worse then his meanings Elihu rebuketh his speeches not his spirits his words though in some respect true yet were dangerous and because not well explained by himselfe scandalous to others But his heart was not trecherous not the bent of his mind wrong set in uttering them Evill men may speake good words but 't is with a bad heart Good men sometimes speake bad and offensive words yet with honest hearts and when their mindes are serene and they cleared from those clouds of perturbation which have darkned them they as Job are ready to recant them and repent of them Secondly Note It is an high offence to intimate any thing which doth in the least intrench upon the Justice and righteousness of God To say God hath taken away our judgement may call downe judgements To say we are wounded without transgression is a great transgression and the reason why it is so is plaine because such sayings tell the world that we suffer if not quite without desert yet more then we deserve and what is this but to justifie our selves and lay blame upon God then which as was shewed at the 2d verse of the 32d Chapter nothing is more derogatory to God or more blame-worthy in man Thirdly Note If we speak amisse or indiscreetly about the dealings of God with us we may thank our selves if we are hardly censured and soundly chidden for it Though Jobs heart was honest yet his tongue was intemperate and he too bold with God and you see how God stir'd up the spirit of Elihu to lay it home to him and bring him upon his knees for it They who vent unwarrantable speeches must not thinke much if they meet with sharpe reproofes and cutting censures Tongue-faults seldome escape without tongue-lashes And 't is a mercy to meete with them from a faithfull friend Their lashing and cutting tongues prove healing tongues Psal 141.5 Fourthly Note Every speaker is at the mercy of his hearers No man knows what glosse his words may have put upon them when once uttered Here are foure sayings brought against Job yet Job never spoke any of them expressely or in so many words but such collections were made indeed they
they have directly done or spoken yet stand it out in pleading their excuse and will never fall downe before reproofes though what they have done or spoken amisse be so plaine that it needs no proofe We should be carefull to speake and doe such things as are not subject to reproofe but when through ignorance or rashness we have run into an error either of speech or practise we should be so humble as to subject our selves to reproofe and take it well that we are rebuked for any evill As it doubles an offence to undertake the defence of it so not to defend an offence abateth and lesseneth it And as he who goeth about to cover his fault by finding out arguments and pleas for it sheweth that he hath a will or purpose to continue in it so he that is silent and hath not a word to say for it gives a good testimony both of his sorrow that he ever committed it and of his resolution never to commit it any more They are highly to be commended who live unblameably and they deserve no small commendation who being sensible of their owne fayling can patiently beare the blame of it without replying upon their reprovers JOB Chap. 34. Vers 10 11. Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding far be it from God that he should doe wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity For the work of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to find according to his wayes ELihu having done with Jobs charge for severall unwarrantable sayings in the former context begins his refutation here and directs his speech First To Jobs friends speaking to them from the 10th to the 16th verse Secondly To Job himselfe from the 16th verse of this Chapter to the 34th In the two verses now read we have two generall poynts First A vehement deniall of any unrighteousnesse in God v. 10. Secondly A strong proofe or demonstration that there is no unrighteousnesse in God at the 11th verse He enters this confutation of Job or the vindication of the honour of God from what Job had sayd with an inviting Preface Vers 10. Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding Elihu like a cunning Orator often stirr'd up his auditors to attention and made frequent insinuations to winde himselfe and what he had to say into their good opinion Here he bespake not the promiscuous multitude or common sort of hearers but wise men or men of understanding such as are most fit to judge the weight and strength of those arguments and reasons by which any poynt is proved and confirmed Hearken unto me ye men of understanding The Hebrew is ye men of heart so the Margin hath it As the heart is the principle of naturall life so the principles powers of the rationall life are often ascribed to the heart Job told his friends Chap. 12.3 I have a heart we render I have an understanding as well as you Egregiè cordatus homo i. e. valde sapiens Cic 1. Tuscul and in good Authors a hearty man signifies not only a man of courage or a man of spirit but a man of knowledge and understanding a man more then ordinarily wise a man of the highest Elevation for wisdome is called a hearty man Naturalists have ascribed the moving of severall passions to severall internall parts of the body laughter say they riseth from the spleene anger from the Gall love from the liver but to the heart they give more then a passion understanding which is the noblest faculty of reason Here Elihu calls upon men of heart or of understanding to hearken to him Hence note First The best may need to have their attentions quickened Some will not heare at all they are like the deafe adder Psal 48.4 5. that stoppeth her eare which will not hearken to the voyce of the charmtr charming never so wisely The Prophet reproves such Jer. 6.10 To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may heare behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the Word of the Lord is to them a reproach they have no delight in it they cannot hearken that is they will not or they cannot hearken that is spiritually and obedientially though they have a naturall yet they have not a gracious eare as the same Prophet chap. 11.6 7 8. upbraided them yet they obeyed not nor enclined their eare This sinfull deafnesse the Lord complained of also Psal 81.8 Heare O my people saith God and at the 11 verse My people would not hearken to my voyce Now as bad men will not heare at all to purpose so the best seldome hear so well or to so good purpose as they ought and might Men of heart or of understanding are sometimes slow of hearing and may need to have their eare awakened Secondly note It is an incouragement in speaking to have understanding hearers When a people have not only eares but hearts to heare then the word is heard indeed We may suppose understanding men will probably prove the best hearers the Prophet was in hope to find it so though he failed of his hopes Jer. 5.4 Surely these are poore they are foolish men of low parts and thin intellectualls for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God I will get me to the great men and will speake unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord they are wise surely and understanding yet he was disappoynted in his recourse to them as it followeth in the same verse but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds There is a naturall wisdome which hindereth the hearing of the word therefore the Apostle saith Not many wise men after the flesh are called that is savingly called the word hath its full effect upon few of them they are not prevailed with to beleeve and obey they are called but they come not Though wisdome be an advantage to profitable hearing yet all naturall wise men doe not hear profitably nor indeed can any by all the wisdome of nature Thirdly note A man without understanding is a heartlesse man Headlesse men are heartlesse men It is said Hos 7.11 Ephraim is like a silly dove without a heart All the people of God are or should be innocent doves like doves for innocency and gracious simplicity but how unbecoming is it that any of them should be doves for sillinesse or silly doves without a heart that is without any spirit or courage for God and the things or wayes of God To be without a heart is to be without a due apprehension of the mind of God or any true conformity thereunto 't is to have no knowledge either to doe good or to be good all such are silly doves without a heart without understanding and all such are yet unfit and unprepared hearers Hearken to me ye men of understanding Farre be it from God that he should doe wickedly The Septuagint
he will not doe wickedly for so it may be sayd of every honest man He will not do wickedly but seeing in this Negative commendation given by man to God as in all the Negative commandements given by God to man all affirmatives are to be understood what can be sayd more to or more sound out his praise and glory then this God will not doe wickedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est aliquando impium pronunciare condemnare aliquando vero impiè agere vel iniquè quippiam facere Merc The word here used for doing wickedly signifies two things First to pronounce any person wicked and Secondly to doe any thing which is wicked both these often meete together For in many cases to pronounce a person wicked is to doe a wicked thing he that condemneth a just person pronounceth him wicked and what thing can be done more wickedly then that Some take the word in that sence here as a deniall that God either hath done or ever will condemne the innocent There are two things wherein men doe very wickedly with respect to the persons of men both which the Lord abhorres First when they condemne the innocent Secondly when they acquit or cleare the guilty The former way of doing wickedly is chiefly removed from God here by Elihu as the latter is directly and expressly by himselfe Exod 34.7 The Lord the Lord c. that will by no meanes cleare the guilty To pronounce a guilty person innocent or an innocent person guilty if ignorantly done is a great piece of weaknesse and if knowingly done is a great piece of wickednesse Yet because the latter part of the verse speakes particularly to cleare God from wrong Judgement therefore I conceive we may better expound this former part of it more largely as a generall deniall of any evill act whatsoever done by God Surely God will not doe wickedly Neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement The Almighty who hath power to doe what he will hath no will to doe this evill He will not pervert Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detorquobit curvabit The word signifies both to pervert and subvert as also to bow wrest or put out of order to mingle or blend those things together which should be for ever separated or as we say to mingle heaven and earth yea heaven and hell together so doe they who mingle good and ill right and wrong together To pervert Judgement is to doe all this for then which Abraham assured himselfe was farre from God Gen 18.25 The righteous are as the wicked that is the righteous fare as ill as the wicked or the wicked fare as well as the righteous But the Almighty will not pervert Judgement that is the right which belongs to any man and therefore he will-doe every man right We had the same position in termes Chap 8. 3d and we have had this whole verse equivalenâ—ly in the 10th of this Chapter where Elihu sayd Far be it from God that he should doe wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Here only one verse intervening Elâ—hu reports and repeats the same matter againe but it is no needlesse or vaine repetition for which Christ reproved the prayer of the Heathens Math 6.7 there are many repetitions in Scripture but not one vaine one how often soever the same truth is repeated there it hath its weight and use not only as it is still a truth but as it is a truth repeated And therefore I shall give a threefold reason why this truth is here againe repeated which will also lead us to a fuller improvement of it First Because this truth is as it were the hinge upon which the whole controversie between Job and Elihu is turned Job was unsatisfied because he was so ill handled and therefore Elihu tells him often that God is righteous and that he will not wrong any man Hereby giving Job to understand that God had done him nothing or done nothing to him but right Such grand swaying controling truths should be often and can scarce be too often repeated Secondly Elihu repeated this againe because 't is such a truth as no man can too much no nor enough weigh and consider the value and worth of it Now that which cannot be too often nor too much thought of cannot if rules of prudence be observed be too much or too often spoken of There is scarce any man who hath not sometimes at least indirectly and obliquely some hard thoughts of the proceedings of God either in reference to himselfe or to others Nor is there any thing that we have more temptations about then that surely we are not in all things rightly dealt with and that the dispensations of God are not so even as they might These sinfull suspicions are dayly moving and fluctuating in the heart of man and therefore this opposite principle ought to be fastened and fixed there to the utmost that the will and workes of God are all just and righteous yea that his will is the rule of all righteous workings or that as whatsoever is done in this world is done by the disposure of God so God though the thing be evill and unjust is just and good in the disposure of it Therefore unlesse we resist or contradict the will of God we must say whatsoever comes to passe comes righteously to passe because it comes to passe by the determinate will and counsell of God Thirdly Elihu repeates this assertion that he might the more commodiously make his transition or passage to the matter following and prosecute it with greater successe And therefore I shall not stay longer upon those words only Note First This great truth that God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement convinceth those not only of injudiciousnesse but of wickednesse who though they are ready to acknowledge in generall God is just yet as to those particular providences which concerne them or wherewith themselves are pincht doe not cannot acquiesce and rest in the will of God with freedome and satisfaction That which is just should not displease us though in it selfe it be very bitter and unpleasant to us Secondly This truth is a ground of comfort to all the people of God who are under heavy pressures from this evill world or who receive little reward or incouragement as to sense from the good hand of God Such are apt to say with the kingly Prophet Psal 73.13 14. Verily in vaine have we cleansed our heart and washed our hands in innocency for all the day long have we been plagued and chastened every morning David was under a temptation when he was under hatches he could hardly perceive it worth the while to take paines in cleansing and washing either heart or hand while God was so constant and frequent in correcting and chastening him with so heavy a hand Yet David soone after recovered out of this temptation and concluded the Psalme with this particular assurance v. 28. It is
hath the command of so he hath a use for every creature Isa 7.18 The Lord shall hisse for the fly if God doe but hisse to the fly or any creature on earth yea to the devills in hell they are at his call and doe his will though they intend it not Further though God can doe all himselfe yet he useth various instruments that he may indear man to man or that no man may say he hath no need of another Thus the Apostle argues 1 Cor 12.21 The eye cannot say unto the hand I have no need of thee nor againe the head to the feete I have no need of you Surely then the feete cannot say to the head we have no need of thee nor the hand to the eye we have no need of thee That Creatures may shew their love to one another and see their need of one another God is pleased to give them a charge to worke and dispose of the things in the world though the charge and disposure of the whole world be in himselfe Now if the Lord be thus invested with all power originally and essentially then I would mind those who are in power of two things and those that are under power of one First Let them that have power remember to use it for God They that have but family power should use it for God how much more they that have power over nations Psal 2.10 11. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling When he saith serve the Lord with feare I suppose he doth not intend it in that notion of serving the Lord as serving him denotes our holinesse and obedience in generall but when he saith serve the Lord with feare his meaning is serve him so in the exercise of your power and in your places as you have power in your hand as you have received a Charge or Commission from God over this or that part of the earth so serve him with feare in the use of that power As man ought in all the service of God to be in a holy feare so especially when he serveth God in the administration of power because all power is from God And therefore which is the next thing I would hence mind those of that are in power Secondly Remember The day of account must needs be a sad day to those who abuse their power to the oppression of man and chiefely to those who turne their power against God that is against the wayes and truths of God against the servants and people of God against the ends and designes of God God will call such as have had any charge over the earth to an account and let them who either of these wayes abuse their power consider whether such accounts will passe as they must give Surely when the day of the Lord shall be upon such Oakes and Cedars upon such mountaines and hils as the Prophet Isa 2.13 14. calleth the Powers and Princes of this world they will even be forced as he describes them at the 19th verse to goe into the holes of the rockes and into the caves of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth It is bad to be abused by the power of man but 't is worst for that man who abuseth his power Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee saith the Prophet Jer 49.16 and the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocke that holdest the height of the hill that is thou that art in high power and also holdest thy height thou art deceived and thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee because thou hast been able to terrifie many with thy power therefore thou hast presumed that none shall ever terrifie or trouble thee This vaine confidence hath deceived thee for as it followeth in the latter part of that verse though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord that is I will bring thee to a reckoning for terrifying those with thy power whom thou shouldest have protected by it Lastly This is matter of great Comfort to all good men who are under power though rhey are wronged and oppressed by the power of man this may support them God hath power over all the earth he hath the Charge and he will see them righted one time or other Eccles 3.16 17. Moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquity was there I said in mine heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and for every worke And if for every purpose and worke then surely for this the reviewing of the unrighteous judgements of the Princes and Powers of the earth who hold the places of Judgement and righteousnesse to punish the perverting of which the Lord who is Prince of the Kings of the earth often powreth contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 41. and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse where there is no way yet setteth he the poore on high from affliction and maketh him familyes like a flocke For as the Holy Ghost saith Psal 138.6 7. Though the Lord be high yet hath he regard to the lowly but the proud he knoweth a farr of hereupon his faith riseth up to a full assurance in the next verse Though I walke in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me Thus much for the argument here used the Lord is righteous for he hath all power in his hand and he hath no reason upon any account in the world to pervert power yea for him to doe any thing that is not righteous were to act against himselfe even against his owne being and blessednesse who is God blessed for evermore JOB Chap. 34. Vers 14 15. If he set his heart upon man if he gather unto himselfe his spirit and his breath All flesh shall perish together and man shall turn to his dust IN these two verses Elihu perfects the proofe of what he lately asserted that God is just and that there is no unrighteousnesse in him v. 12. yea surely God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement For as Moses in his dying song describes him He is the rocke his worke is perfect for all his wayes are judgement a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he The first argument for the confirmation of this was opened at the 13 verse And it was grounded upon the absoluteness and universality of his dominion Here we have a second argument from the sweet temperament of his power and goodness God hath power enough in his hand at once to destroy all flesh and to command every man back into the dust But
all flesh perisheth and turneth again unto what it once was dust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word which we render to gather signifieth to add one thing or person to another When Rachel had conceived and bare a son Gen. 30.22 23. she called from this word his name Joseph and said the Lord shall add to me another son Thus here If God add or gather to himself his spirit and his breath that is the spirit and breath of man c. We may distinguish between these two Spiritus animam flatus vitam quae ab anima provenit conservatur significat ego opinâ—r idem esse hoc loco Sanct. spirit and breath Some insist much and curiously upon this distinction The spirit denoting the soul or the internal rational power of man and the breath that effect of life which followeth or floweth from the union of soul and body The life of man is often expressed by breath Cease ye from man whose breath or life is in his nostrils Isa 2.22 If once man's breath goeth out his life cannot stay behinde the spirit of a man is in this sence distinct from his breath for when the breath is vanished and is no more the soul or spirit liveth The Apostle in his prayer for the Thessalonians 1 Thess 5.23 puts soul and spirit together The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved harmless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ There 't is most probable by the soul he intends the inferiour powers in man or his affections and by the spirit his higher powers of reason and understanding yet the spirit is often put for that whole part of man which is contradistinct to his body Into thy hands I commend my spirit that is my soul not forgetting my body And I conceive we may safely expound it here in that latitude as comprehending the whole inner man Yet it is all one as to the sence of this place whether we take spirit and breath distinctly or for the same the spirit being so called from spiration or breathing If he gather unto him his spirit and his breath The gathering of the spirit and breath of man unto God is but a periphrasis or circumlocution of death or of man's departure out of this life when man was formed or created Gen. 2.7 it is said God breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul And when man dyeth his breath or spirit may be said to be gathered or returned back unto God so then the meaning of Elihu in this double supposition If he set his heart upon man if he he gather to himself his spirit and his breath is clearly this if God were once resolved or should but say the word that man must presently die die he must and that presently Hence Note First God can easily do whatsoever he hath a minde to do If he do put his heart upon the doing of any thing it is done Men often set their hearts yea and their hands unto that which they cannot do if men could do that which they set their hearts to do or have a minde to do and thereupon set their hands to do we should have strange work in the world 'T is a mercy to many men that man is often frustrated in his thoughts and purposes in his attempts and undertakings and 't is a glorious mercy to all that have an interest in God that God never lost a thought nor can be hindred in any work he setteth his heart upon He that can lett or stop all men in their works can work and none shall lett or stop him What God will do is not defecible or undoeable if I may so express it by any power in heaven or earth And as God can do what he will and ask no man leave so he can do what he will without trouble to himself 't is but the resolve of his will the turning of his hand or the cast of his eye all which are soon dispatcht and 't is done Thus God breathed out his wishes for the welfare of Israel Psal 81.13 O that my people had hearkned unto me c. I should soon have subdued theâ—r enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries As if he had said I could and would have eased them of all their enemies even of all that rose up against them easily even with the turning of my hand What is more easily done or moâ—e speedily done then the turning of a hand Many things are hard to man and indeed very few things are easie to him except it be to sin or to do evil he can do evil easily some things are not only hard but too hard impossible for man but there is nothing hard much less too hard for God he can easily do the hardest things yea the hardest things are as easie to him as the easiest for as Psal 139.12 Darkness hideth not from the sight of God the darkness and the light are both alike to him so hardness hinders not the work of God hardness and easiness are both alike to him if he set his heart upon it From this general truth take two inferences First How should we fear before this God How should we tremble at the remembrance of and walk humbly in our highest assurance with this God We are much afraid to displease those men who can easily hurt us and in whose hand it is to ruine us every hour But O how little are we in this thought to fear the Lord to take heed of displeasing the Lord who can with ease either help or hurt either bring salvation or destruction who in a moment can thrust the soul out of the body and cast both into hell Secondly We may hence make a strong inference for the comfort of the people of God when their straits are most pinching and their difficulties look like impossibilities and are so indeed while they look to man when their enemies are strongest and the mountains which stand in the way of their expected comforts greatest if then God will be entreated to set his heart and cast his eye upon them their straits are presently turned into enlargements difficulties become easie and mountains plains If we can but engage the Lord his own promise is the surest engagement and indeed all that we can put upon him or minde him of if I say we can thus engage the Lord to be with us who can be to our hurt many will be to their own against us Secondly Note Our life is at the beck dispose and pleasure of God He can gather the spirit and the breath to himself whensoever he pleaseth Psal 104.29 Thou hidest thy face and they are troubled and thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust If God hideth his face from us 't is death while we live but if he take away our breath we cannot live but die Psal 90.3 Thou
deus omnium judicio est in justitiae damnare sustines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest exponi validū num justum et potentē eum qui simul et justus et potens est damnare audes sed malo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exponere per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum valde q.d. eum qui summe justus est audes damnare de eo queri quasi tibi sit iniquior Rab Sel Merc as the word imports Wilt thou condemne him that is most just Here are two words in the Hebrew we put them together and so render them by a superlative most just Some translate Wilt thou condemne him that is strong and just that is strongly just mightily just God is full of strength and might so full that he and he only is Almighty yet his might never exceedeth right nor his strength his justice Strength and justice are commensurate in God And while he is so strong that he can doe what he will he is so just that he will doe nothing but what is righteous Further I find others joyning the word strong with the word condemne As if Elihu had sayd Wilt thou so confidently and pertinaciously condemne the just God To condemne God though but a little to passe the easiest sentence of condemnation upon him is bad enough but wilt thou strongly condemne him We render clearely to the scope of the place Wilt thou condemne him that is most just Hence note First God is most just or altogether just He is strongly just mightily just as he is strongly mercifull putting forth a power in pardoning sin and shewing mercy so he is strongly just or altogether just The rule given to Judges by Moses speakes thus Deut 16.20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow We put in the margin justice justice shalt thou doe that is thou shalt doe pure Justice nothing but Justice or justice without the least mixture tincture or if it be possible without the least shadow of injustice I may say justice justice is God that is he is altogether just strongly just everlastingly and unchangeably just God is just under a three-fold notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor First As to be just is taken largely importing a person accomplished with concurrence of all perfections and vertuous qualities In that sence I suppose the Apostle useth the word 1 Tim 1.9 The law is not given for that is to terrifie or condemne a just man that is for a man who is holy and good Thus God is altogether just for he hath all the lines of perfection of holinesse and goodnesse centring in him he is not only just and vertuous but justice and vertue it selfe Secondly To be just imports the keeping of promises and the performance of our word He is a just man who when he hath spoken you may know what to have of him and where to have him Some give words and you can get nothing of them but words that 's injustice because our words binde us and should be as lawes to us A man may chuse whether he will make promises but when he hath promised it is not in his choice whether he will performe or no his word bindes him In this sence God is altogether just Whatsoever word you have had from God and he hath given us many comfortable words for every condition God is a just God and will performe it to a tittle That Glorious and everlasting witnesse is borne to him by dying Joshua Josh 23.14 And behold this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your soules that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to passe unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof In this sence God is sayd to be not only mercifull but just in forgiving our sins 1 John 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse If we confesse our sins spiritually and believingly deeply humbly and affectionately if we confesse thus he is just to forgive why because he hath given a promise to forgive those who make such confessions of sin And thus 't is in any other promise he keepes his word he keepes touch with man he will not fayle nor come short in the least therefore he is altogether just Thirdly He is just in the strictest acception of justice giving every one his due It is possible for a man to be just in neither of the two former notions he may neither be vertuous in his actions nor a keeper of his word as a man yet he may be just as a Magistrate just as in a cause committed to his determination But God is just in all these three considerations of a just man and therefore he is eminently or altogether just And I conceive the latter of the three is chiefely intended here God is most just that is he never did nor ever will give an undue or an undeserved sentence upon any man I might shew distinctly that God is just and how just he is First in rewarding those that doe well Secondly in punishing those that doe ill And that because he doth it First by a law Secondly by a law published Thirdly by a law possible our inability of keeping the law is consequentiall to the giving of it man hath drawne it upon himselfe though now he cannot performe it at all yet God is just in punishing because he sins against a law that he had a power in his head or representative to have fullfilled Fourthly God is just because the penalties which he inflicteth slow from a right and just law as the Apostle speaks Rom 7.12 The law is holy and just and good and therefore all the awards that are grounded upon it must needs be just too Fifthly he punisheth justly because he never punisheth but upon proofe and evidence yea he will make every mans Conscience a witness against himself or condemne him out of his own mouth Sixthly he punisheth justly because he punisheth impartially neither feare nor hope nor favour can divert him Isa 27.11 Jer 22.24 Seventhly he doth not only punish in a proportion to the law but often in a proportion to the sin and that not only to the measure of the sin but to the manner of the sin as that cruel king Adonibezek confessed when himselfe was cruelly dealt with his thumbs and great toes being cut off Judg 1.7 As I have done so God hath requited me As if he had sayd God is just not only because he hath punished me in measure according to my sin but after the very same manner in which I sinned he hath as it were hit my sin in the eye of all beholders what I have done may be seene by what I suffer Note Secondly To condemne God who is most just is the highest poynt of injustice Wilt thou
of the night as the words may be rendred that 's a great aggravation of the judgement The night is a time of rest and midnight is the time of deepest rest so that for the people to be in a tumult or troubled at midnight is to be overtaken with matter of fear when fear seemed furthest off or when they suspected nothing to make them afraid David saith of some Psal 3.5 There were they in great fear where no fear was To fear at midnight is to fear when usually no fear is that is when people are at rest in their beds And so to say the people shall be troubled at midnight signifieth either First the coming of trouble upon a secure people Cum maximè securi upon a people who thought themselves and while they thought themselves not only out of the noise but reach of danger Or secondly It may signifie the coming of trouble upon a people altogether unfit to help themselves when a man is asleep he cannot give counsel how to prevent danger and while he is in his bed he is in no posture to oppose it All this may well be included in what Elihu saith The people shall be troubled at midnight Hence Note First There are National troubles as well as personal God can scare not only a family or this and that particular man but a whole people at once he cannot only make a childe or a woman but a multitude yea an Army of mighty men tremble like a childe and faint as the weakest woman A people are many yet every man shall be as if he were alone or but one in the midst of innumerable dangers and of a thousand deaths Moses in his Song foresaw the dread of Nations upon the report of the Lord 's miraculous conduct of Israel through the red Sea Exod. 15.14 15 16. The people shall hear and be afraid sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina all the inhabitants of Canaan shal melt away And when Christ speaks of those dreadful Prognosticks of his coming he not only saith There shall be signes in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars but upon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity Luke 21.25 Secondly Observe Both personal and publick troubles are at the command of God as both publick and personal peace are A people as well as a person may and shall be troubled even at the midnight of their greatest security if God give the word I make peace saith the Lord Isa 45.7 and create evill that is the evill of trouble There will be occasion afterward to speak further of this poynt from those words v. 29. When he giveth quietness who can give trouble and when he hideth his face who can behold him Whether it be done against a nation or against a man only trouble of all sorts is at the command of God if he saith to such or such a mischiefe goe to a nation it will goe if he bid the sword trouble them if he bid pestilence trouble them if he bid famine trouble them if he bid their owne divisions trouble them the people shall be troubled yea they shall be troubled at midnight Whence note Thirdly Trouble takes or seazeth upon many when they least expect it God can send trouble when no man thinkes of it At midnight every one is in bed all are for rest and quiet The Lord usually executes his judgements upon the unwary world upon a secure people Exod 12.29 At midnight the Lord smote all the sirstborne in the land of Egypt c. And Pharoah rose up in the night he and all his servants and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt We read also 2 Kings 19.35 In that night the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundred four-score and sive thousand It was not a day-battel but a night-battel When they were all gone into their tents and were at rest when the Army was secure In that night did the Lord fight them by an Angel and made a mighty slaughter among them Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slaine in the night Dan 5.30 even in that night wherein he made a feast to a thousand of his Lords and dranke wine before the thousand v. 1. In that night not only of his security but of his jollity and sensuality when he had even drowned himselfe and his great Lords with wine and belly-cheare in that very night the City was broken up and Belshazzar slaine History tells us what dreadfull work was made upon the Babylonians that night The great Judgement day is so described Jesus Christ will at last trouble the world at midnight The Day of the Lord so cometh saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5.2 as a thiefe in the night when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them c Christ himselfe shadowing his coming under the parable of the ten Virgins who all slumbred and slept tells us Math 25.6 At midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroome conteth goe ye out to meete him Though some were in a better condition then others some wise some foolish yet all slept and it was a kind of midnight to them all Christ will come and the people shall be troubled at midnight and then there will be a dreadfull Cry among the secure drowsie world Therefore the Counsell of Christ is most proper Math 13.35 Watch because ye know not at what houre your Master may come whether at even or at midnight or at Cock-trowing or in the morning It is hard to be put to it at midnight 't is sad to be in a sleepy or slumbring condition when evill comes The Gospel sheweth us how much that man was troubled when his neighbour came to borrow bread of him at midnight Luke 11.5.7 Trouble me not my children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee If it be matter of trouble to be called out of our bed to doe a courtesie for a friend at midnight O what will it be to be called up to Judgement or to be surprized with any Judgement at midnight Therefore prepare and be ready for all changes At midnight the people shall be troubled And passe away These words are a third part of the description of the Judgement of God upon a people they shall die they shall be troubled they shall passe away that is some of them shall die all shall be troubled others shall passe away There is a three-fold notion of passing away First Some expound it thus They shall be carried captive out of their own Country This with the former two make up a perfect Judgement upon any people Some shall die or be slaine all shall be troubled and vext they shall be at their wits end and the rest shall be carried away captive Secondly They shall pass away that is they shall pass into their graves the forme of speech here used may well beare that
sense for death is a passing away a passing out of this world Psal 37.36 Transire intelligo non pro migrare aliò sed pro abire in sepulchrum Merc Loe he passed away and was gone that is he died And that which is as death to the heavens and the earth their great change when ever it shall be is called a passing away Math 5.18 Till heaven and earth passe away one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe away from the Law till all be fullfilled that is the Law shall stand in force as long as the world stands Thus to passe away is to die But I conceive we are to expound this third branch of the Judgement distinctly from the former two and therefore for as much as we have death in the first words it will not be proper to take in death here againe or to expound passing away by dying The third notion of they shall passe away is they shall run or flee for it they know not whether they shall flee for their lives from the danger impending over them As some shall die and all be troubled so not a few shall endeavour to save their lives by flight Christ in the Gospel foretold the great troubles and afflictions which should come upon Jerusalem and in them there was a sad concurrence or meeting of these three Judgments in the text For when after forty yeares the Romans invaded and ruin'd their City many dyed were destroyed by sword and famine all the people were troubled Oh in what a hurry were they to see the Romane Eagle displayed before their Gates and then they passed away that is as many as could withdrew and got out of the danger It is reported in history that before the Seidge of that City a voyce was heard in Jerusalem saying Migremus hinc let us passe from hence they who believed that warning departed soone after And as some passed away before the Judgement came so when it was come many were striving to be gone or to passe away Therefore Christ admonished them Math 24.20 Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabath day I conceive we are to understand this text distinctly of such a passing away In a moment shall they die and the people shall be troubled at midnight and passe away they shall doe what they can to secure themselves by out-running the danger Note from it First God hath variety of meanes to humble a sinfull people Into how many wayes doe the Judgements of God divide themselves severall persons beare severall parts here is death to many trouble to all flight to some That in the Prophet answers it fully Jer 15.1 where the Lord protesting that nothing no not the intercession of Moses and Samuel should take him off from his resolve against that people saith Such as are for death to death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity There 's pestilence and sword and famine and captivity ready at the call of God to take away a provoking people Secondly Note To passe away or to be put to our flight is a grievous Judgement To flee from the face of the pursuer to run for our lives who knows the trouble and terror of it but they that have been in it what a mercy is it that our dwellings are continued to us that we abide in our places that we neither die in a moment are not surpriz'd by midnight-feares but rest quietly in our beds though feares at midnight have been ready to surprize us What a mercy is it that we are not passing away running fleeing into the wildernesse as the poore Churches of God have done in severall ages So much of Judgement upon the people in that three-fold notion of it We have here also Judgement upon Princes And the mighty shall be taken away without hand Not only the many but the mighty shall feele the Judgements of God For as 't is sayd in the former verse He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore The mighty and the meanest of men are alike to God when they are alike in sinning against God If they doe evill alike they shall suffer evill alike God accepteth no mans person The mighty shall be taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortis robustus excellens fortitudine pluraliter Abirim in genere forte significat The word rendred mighty taken plurally is used in Scripture to denote not only mighty men but any creature that excells in might And therefore according to the exigence of the place it signifies sometimes Angells who being spirits exceed all flesh in might The people of Israel in the wilderness did eat Angells food Psal 78.5 the food of the Abirims of the mighty or strong ones And as it is applyed to Angells who exceed the strongest men in strength so it is applyed to any sort of strong beasts to the horse Jer 47.3 to Bulls Isa 34.7 Jer 50.11 Psal 22.13 Psal 68.31 Thus the word riseth above man to Angells and falls below man to the beasts of the earth here 't is applyable only to strong and mighty men of whom yet there are three sorts First Some are men of a mighty arme Secondly Others are mighty in Armes Thirdly There are men mighty in Authority The first of these is a natural mighty man he hath a mighty arme a strong body or he excells in bodily strength The second is a marshall mighty man a souldier a man of warre The third is the Magistratical mighty man he is cloathed with power both to punish and reward Possibly he may have no bodily might yea possibly he is no souldier yet a man of such power he is that he commands whole Nations Now take the word Mighty in any of these three senses and it is a truth the mighty shall be taken away the mighty in strength of the Arme the mighty in strength of Armyes the mighty in power and dignity are by the hand of the Almighty God taken away They shall take them away saith the Hebrew text that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et amovent potentem impersonaliter Pisc say some according to the first translation mentioned the people shall violently take away the mighty But by an usuall Hebraisme we may read it Impersonally the mighty shall be taken away concealing or leaving it to be understood by whom Like that speech to the rich man Luke 12.25 This night doe they require thy soule of thee so we put in the Margin that is as the text hath it this night thy soule shall be required of thee they shall take thy soule that is it shall be taken away so here they shall take away the mighty that is the mighty shall be taken away or removed We may take notice of a two-fold remove or taking away First There is a
remove out of place and power Thus a man is taken away when his authority is taken away Secondly There is a removing or taking of a man out of the world Thus they are taken away whose persons are destroyed cut off and perish The mighty both wayes or either way are often taken away The persons of many mighty men have fallen and many more of them have fallen from their places and powers Here they are under a generall threatning They shall be taken away But how shall they be taken away the text answers without hand It is somewhat strange that they who are mighty and have such power in their hand should be taken away and no hand touch them or without hand We use to say of a thing strangely gone or gone we know not how It cannot be gone without hands yet thus the Lord deales judicially with the mighty of the world They shall be taken away without hand There may be a threefold understanding of that expression First Thus The mighty shall be taken away without hand that is they shall have no hands to help them or they shall be destitute of all humane helpe Sometimes God leaves or strips the mighty naked they who have had great power and many thousands standing up to defend them Frequenter manus pro ministerio sed frequentissime pro opâ— et auxilio ponitur Pin have not a hand for them and so are taken away without hand no man drawing a sword or striking a stroake for them Secondly To doe a thing without hand is to doe it with the smallest appearance of second causes or instruments We are ready to say there must be a great deale of tugging to get the mighty downe who like Oakes are strongly rooted and highly growne who looke like mountaines which cannot be removed yet saith Elihu the Lord can take them away without hand that is easily without any trouble at all little meanes or very improbable meanes being used to effect it So then to doe a thing without hand is to doe it as if we put no hand no stresse to it when we doe it As they who move swiftly or lightly are sayd to goe without setting a foot on the ground Dan 8.5 the He-Goate came and touched not the ground he did rather fly then goe So to doe a thing as if we did not put a hand to it is to doe it with the greatest ease imaginable Absque manu armatorum Aquint Thirdly To doe a thing without hand is to doe it without any visible meanes at all even by the immediate stroake or power of God There is a hand of God in all things that are done in the world but some things are done without any other hand and are therefore most properly sayd to be done without hand Thus the Lord is able to doe the greatest things even to take mighty men from the earth no hand of man appearing or joyning with him in the action Nutu tantum dei Merc Now because God usually sets instruments a worke to effect his will in the world and to bring about his counsels therefore in what work soever he either quite leaves or seemes to leave instruments out that work is sayd to be done without hand The stone which shall grow up to be a great mountaine that is the kingdome of Christ is called a stone cut out without hands Dan 2.34 that is without humane power The kingdome of Christ shall be set up so much by the power of God without any earthly contribution that it shall confessedly be sayd to be set up without hands Though we ought not to neglect the coming and advancement of the kingdome of Christ in the world yet we should not be anxiously carefull about it when we see little or no meanes for it yea though we see great very great meanes set against it because a stone cut out without hands shall doe it The Apostle useth this forme of speaking both as to eternalls and spiritualls Concerning the former he is expresse 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternall in the heavens that is a house of Gods own immediate making a house to the making whereof man hath added nothing The fabrick of this visible world is a house made without hands much more is heaven and the glorious unseene state which Saints shall have hereafter The house above or state of Glory is wholly of Gods making And as our eternall estate is expressed by a house made without hands so our spirituall estate is called by the same Apostle A work done without hands Col 2.11 where having asserted our compleatness in Christ v. 10. he adds In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands The external literal circumcision was made with hands there was an operation of man in it the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh but in the spiritual circumcision man hath no hand it is the work of God alone as also that effectual faith is which alwayes accompanieth it and is therefore called v. 12. the faith of the operation of God There is a temporary faith which we may call a faith of the operation of man but true saving faith is the operation of God and may be sayd as the spirituall circumcision which was signified and shadowed by the corporall to be made without hands Now as the Scripture speakes both of spiritualls and eternalls which are made without hands Indicatur divinum supplicium cujus nulla humana causa assignari aut quod nulla humana vi declinari potest so this text speakes of externalls and providentialls in the same language The mighty shall be taken away without hand that is without any creature-helpe or visible humane hand what ever is done without a visible hand is done by the hand of God Elihu intimates a punishment upon the mighty which as to the effecting of it cannot be assigned to any thing in man much lesse can the effecting of it be hindred by man The hand of God is most visible in doing that which no visible hand hath done or can undoe They shall be taken away without hand Hence note The mightiest have no might against God That cannot be avoyded by any humane power which is done without humane power God slew the first-borne of Egypt and destroyed the Assyrian hoast without hand he did it by his Angel no hand appearing against them The Lord smote Herod and he died without hand Acts 12.23 Immediately that is presently as the Greeke word imports 't is true also immediately that is without humane meanes as our English word also imports the Angel of the Lord smote him and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the Ghost What a poore worme was that mighty man in the hand of God when God slew him without hand and commanded the wormes to eate him Jesus Christ who is also the
mighty God Isa 9.6 called himselfe a worme and no man in his humiliations for the redemption of lost man Psal 22.6 What are the mightiest men but wormes to God who is so mighty that if he say the word wormes become their Masters The mighty Giants are before God but pigmy's punyes or children The Prophet gives a good warning Jer 9.23 Let not the mighty man glory in his might Let him not glory in the might of his arme Let him not glory in the might of his armes or Armies though man have an Army of mighty men about him yet let him not glory in them no nor in the might of his power or authority If any man useth his might against God what is his might unto God Psal 58.1 Why boastest thou O mighty man that thou canst doe mischiefe If a man be mighty and have a mind to doe mischiefe with his might especially if he boasteth in his might because he can doe mischiefe with it he is not only sinfull but weake and foolish There is no greater morall weakness then to boast either of naturall martiall or civill strength Could any of the mighty men of this world stand before the might of God they had somewhat to boast of Read the word of the Lord against the mighty Isa 2.10 Behold the Kings and Captaines of the earth trembling before the presence of the Lambe Rev 6.15 and then judge how weake the strongest are before the Lord All ages are full of teaching examples that there is no might to his who is Almighty Secondly Note What ever God will doe he can easily doe it He can effect it with a looke with a cast of his eye he can doe it with a breath of his mouth he can doe it with a word It is said Exod 14.24 God looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and through the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians and tooke off their Chariot wheeles that they drave them heavily To looke upon them was an easie thing God did not give them a stroake with his hand but only a looke with his eye and that overthrew them Thirdly Note God can do the greatest things alone He can subdue the mighty though none come forth to his help against the mighty they are cursed who do not help the Lord against the mighty when they set their might against the Lord Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Mero◠saith the angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not forth to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty But though it be the sin of man not to help the Lord against the mighty yet the withdrawing of their help doth not hinder the Lord in his purpose against the mighty For He taketh away the mighty without hands Though men stir not though angels should not stir to his help yet his own arm can bring either salvation or destruction It is said of the Lord Isa 44.24 He stretched out the heavens alone there was none to help him to unfold that vast canopy of heaven he stretcht out the heavens alone As in the Creation he made all alone so in Providence he can act and effect all alone It is a great glory to God that he hath many instruments to help him many tongues to speak for him many hands to work for him but it is a greater glory to God that he needs none to help him none to speak or work for him In this the glory of the Lord infinitely outshines the glory of all the mighty Kings and Princes of the earth They have done and can do mighty things but not without hands and therefore they have the hands of thousands at command for them 't is not their place to put their hand to the work 't is enough that they give commands and orders 't is the duty of others to execute all their righteous commands and fulfil their orders But the Lord hath not only a commanding power but an executing power too in himself though no hand move yet his affairs stand not still God and all creatures put together are no more then God alone without any creature Many are useful but none are necessary unto God Take two inferences from it First This is matter of terror to wicked men though they see no hand in the world against them much less any able to match them least of all to check them yea though they see all hands for them yet this is no security to them this is no assurance of one hours safety seeing the Lord taketh away the mighty without hand and he usually doth it when they see not which way any hand can reach them It is the conclusion of one of the Ancients upon this place in reference to a mighty oppressour He is invisibly pull'd down Invisibilitèr rapitur qui visibiliter rapiebat Gregor who did visibly pull down He ruined others with hands but himself shall be ruin'd without hand he saw him whom he took away but he shall not see him who takes him away Let them who live without fear of any hand remember the Apostles admonition Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God who takes away the mighty without hand Secondly This is matter of wonderful comfort to all that fear God and trust upon him whether Princes or people whether mighty men or mean men What though ye see no hand for you yet 't is enough if he be for you who saves you without hand The protecting and saving power of God is as great and as effectual as his destroying power is yea he oftner saves without hand then he destroyes without hand As the Kings of the earth so the great King of heaven and earth loves to deal his favours and bestow his rewards immediately with his own hand but usually afflicts and punisheth by the hands of others That 's a most pregnant Scripture to this purpose Hos 1.7 where the Lord promiseth to save Judah But Judah might say I am in a very low condition and no help appears Therefore he addeth I will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by Bowe nor by Sword nor by Battel nor by Horses nor Horsemen Judah shall be saved though there be no hand to save them I will save them saith the Lord by the Lord their God I will do it immediately And the Lord doth not only say in the affirmative he will save them without hand but he saith also in the Negative that he will not save them with hands But I will not save them by Bowe nor Sword nor Battel nor Horses nor Horsemen there shall be no appearance of these helps I have heretofore destroyed you by Sword and Bowe by Horses and Horsemen but I will have all the honour and thanks of your salvation to my self Though the Lords people have neither horses nor horsemen though they are as
helples as is imaginable yet the Lord is able to save them he wil do it in the fittest season As this is true in reference to Princes and Nations in their publique capacity so private Christians may take up the comfort of it What though great distress and affliction be nigh and no hand to save you yet the Lord can save without hand if you are low he can raise you though none lend a hand to raise you if poor he can enrich you if weak he can strengthen you though you have no means for either It is an everlasting spring of comfort that the Lord can do all things without hand that he needs not be beholding to the creature nor stands in need of their help to effect either threatned judgments against Babylon or his promised mercies unto Sion Thus we have seen Elihu describing the righteous though severe dealings of God both with people and Princes who despise his counsels and provoke his wrath The reason why they fall under his wrath is further discovered in the next words JOB Chap. 34. Vers 21 22. For his eyes are upon the wayes of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves IN the former verse Elihu reported the judgement of God both upon the people and upon the Princes of the earth In a moment shall they die c. In these two verses he gives us a proof that the Lord is righteous in judgement both upon Princes and people or he assignes the ground of it That the words are a reason of the former the Causal Particle in the beginning of the 21th verse puts it out of question Vers 21. For his eyes are upon the wayes of men As if he had said God doth not these things he troubles not Nations and Nobles People or Princes by an absolute and soveraigne power or because he will but he finds just cause to do it What men do is enough to justifie God in what they suffer He hath alwayes power enough in his hand to destroy all men and to turn this world back into its first nothing but he never useth his power nor puts it forth without cause For his eyes are upon the wayes of man c. God is a Spirit the simplicity of his Essence is his first and highest perfection he is purely incorporeal yet as the passions of man's minde so the members of his body are often in Scripture attributed unto God we read of the face of God of the hand of God of the ear of God and as in many other places so in this of the eyes of God Now as the ear of God notes only his power of hearing and the hand of God his power of working so the eye or eyes of God note only his power of seeing knowing and discerning the wayes of men And when Elihu saith his eyes are upon the wayes of man his meaning is only this he clearly discerns and understands the wayes of man These words his eyes are upon the wayes of man intimate First A present act he doth not say they were or they will be upon the wayes of man but they are Secondly They imply as a present so a continued act his eyes are so upon the wayes of man that they are never off them The eyes of God dwell as it were upon the wayes of man His eyes are said indeed to run to and fro through the whole earth 2 Chron. 16.8 yet they do not wander from one object to another but are fixed and setled upon every one Thirdly they imply an intentive act or the seriâ—usness of the heart of God upon the wayes of man We may behold a thing and yet take no great notice of it but when our eyes are said to be upon any thing this imports they are busied much upon it Fourthly This manner of speaking signifieth not only a clear sight but that which is operative carrying with it a most exact scrutiny or disquisition of the wayes of men according to that expression of the Psalmist Psal 11.4 His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men God doth not only behold but his eye-lids try the wayes of men that is he so looks upon them that he looks through them and discerneth what they are to the utmost God doth not only behold the body and bulk of our actions but the soul and spirit of them and while he seeth them he seeth into them All this and much more then we can apprehend is comprehended in those words His eyes are upon The wayes of man The word is plural not way but wayes which shews the extensiveness of the sight or knowledge of God The word being put indefinitely is to be taken universally His eyes are not confined to this or that object to this or that place to this or that person but his eyes look over all His eyes are upon the wayes of man Yet further the wayes of man may be distinguished First As they are either internal or external The internal wayes of man are the wayes of his heart as the Prophet hath it Isa 57.17 He went on frowardly in the way of his heart And these wayes of the heart our inward wayes are first our thoughts what we imagine and conceive secondly our affections what we love and what we hate what we rejoyce in and what we mourn for declare the way of our hearts Thirdly The wayes of the heart are a man's purposes resolutions and intentions what to do Fourthly The wayes of the heart are man's designes or his aims what he drives at or proposeth as his end in all that he doth In this latitude we are to understand the present Text when Elihu saith the eyes of God are upon the wayes of man remember they are upon his thoughts upon his affections upon his purposes upon his designes and aimes all these are before the Lord as it is said of Christ Johâ— 2.25 He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man that is both the state of his heart and all the movings of it And if the Lord's eyes be upon the internal wayes of man then certainly they are upon the external wayes of man if he knoweth what work the heart is at or about certainly he knoweth what the hand is at or about He that knoweth which way the minde goeth cannot but know which way the foot goeth His eyes are upon the external wayes of man but 't is his chief glory that his eyes are upon the internal wayes of man Gen. 6.5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth He saw man's actions or outward wayes were very wicked but besides that saith the Text He saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually He saw the wayes within what was formed up or as the word there notes what creatures were made and fashioned in the minde of
will not thinke any time or labour lost if they may but gaine that precious commodity by it called true knowledge or the knowledge of the truth And that expression of running too and fro may wel be expounded they shall by discourse and arguing beare out the truth In discoursing the mind runs too and fro faster then the feete can in travelling In discourse we run from poynt to poynt from reason to reason from objection to objection from question to question till we come to solid answers and conclusions and so knowledge is increased The Lord is surely a God of knowledge whose eyes run too and fro without motion and see the bottome of all things without discourse or argumentation Secondly Note The Lords knowledge of man never abateth he is alwayes observing and alike observing what men doe and what men are The best the most waking men have their slumbrings and sleepings but the Lord neither slumbreth nor sleepeth his eyes are upon the wayes of man And when the Scripture saith The Lord doth neither slumber nor sleepe we may understand it in a twofold reference First as to the protection of his people Psal 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep that is he watcheth over them so uncessantly so unweariedly that no danger can approach them without his knowledge Secondly he never slumbereth nor sleepeth as to the observation and consideration of all people he never takes his eye off from the wayes of man Thirdly Note The Lords knowledge or sight of mans wayes is universall and everlasting The All-seeing God seeth all our wayes and he seeth them alwayes And he seeth them all alwayes by one act The Lords view or prospect of things is not successive one after another but conjunctive all at once The Lord hath a large eye and an everlasting eye yea is all eye He knows all things First past or that have been Secondly present or that are Thirdly future possible or that shall be Thus saith the Lord in the Prophet Isa 46.10 I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done And upon this read the Lords challenge of all the Idolls in the world Isa 41.21 22 23. Let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider them and know the latter end of them or declare us things to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are gods As if the Lord had sayd if ye can tell us all that 's past or any thing that is to come as I can then ye may take the honour of God otherwise ye are but lyes and vanities Againe the Lord knows all things First without distraction and secondly he knows all things with clearest distinction it is no more trouble to the Lord to see all things then to see one and he seeth all things as if he had but one thing to see From the consideration of this knowledge of God let me give foure or five inferences for instruction First which is most naturall to the text if the Lords eyes be upon the wayes of man if he seeth all his goings then all the Lords Judgements are right The Judges of this world may have a principle of righteousnesse in them and we may call them just and righteous Judges yet all their Judgements are not alwayes right For as some men are so ignorant that they know nothing at all so there are none so knowing as to know all things the clearest sighted Judges doe not see all that may concerne them in giving Judgement even among them some may be blinde and many blinded some are blinde and cannot see much others are blinded and will not see all that they see they are blinded possibly with bribes and gifts with hopes or feares with passions and prejudices And how cleare-sighted and honest-hearted soever any are yet they cannot see all somewhat may lye out of their sight Hence it cometh to passe that a just Judge may doe that which is unjust he cannot see quite through every matter though he set himselfe to search the matter before he giveth Judgement But as the Lord is all righteousnesse in his principle and beares an everlasting love to righteousnesse so he hath a cleare sight of all things and persons and therefore he must needs give a righteous Judgement concerning all things actions and persons Though he overthrow nations he is righteous though he overthrow Princes he is righteous because he seeth into all things and proceedeth upon certain knowledge of every mans case and condition He cannot erre in Judgement who hath no error in his Judgement nor any deviation in his will Secondly If the Lords eyes are upon all the wayes of men then certainly sinners whose wayes are evill shall never goe unpunished For if he have a principle of righteousnesse in him and an eye to see all their unrighteous wayes they cannot escape his justice Say to the wicked woe to him for he shall eate the fruit of his doings Isa 3.11 The righteous God knoweth the unrighteousnesse of man and therefore woe to the unrighteous man Thirdly Take this conclusion Then no godly man no good man shall goe unrewarded or loose the reward of that good which he hath done The Lord is righteous and he seeth every one that doth right or the righteousnesse of every mans way and it is his promise to reward the righteous therefore they shall be rewarded This is matter of strong consolation and great encouragement to all that are righteous If the Lord seeth all they doe nothing which they have well done shall be lost in the dark or lie in the dust God will bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their just dealing as the noone day And as the knowledge which God hath of their wayes assureth the righteous that they shall be rewarded for so that they shall be assisted and protected in their doing righteousnesse The Prophet makes that inference in the place before-cited 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the earth what followeth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them or as we put in the Margin strongly to hold with them whose heart is perfect towards him The Lord is alwayes strong and alike in strength his hand is not shortned at any time that he cannot save yet he doth not alwayes shew his strength but as he is strong so he will shew himselfe strong for the perfect or upright in heart that is he will act his strength to the utmost for the safety and assistance of those whose hearts are perfect with him So then as they that are good and doe good shall be rewarded for the good they have done so they shall be protected in the dangers and evills they incurre while they are doing good Another Prophet speakes both these inferences from this principle of the knowledge or
sight of God Jer 32.19 He is great in councell and he is mighty in working for his eyes are upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give to every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Fourthly If the eyes of the Lord are upon all the wayes of the Children of men then the Lord will call all men to an account for their wayes Why doth he take notice of their wayes but to bring them to a reckoning That 's the Apostles conclusion Rom 14.12 So then every one of us shall give an account of himselfe to God God would not take an account of our wayes while we live if he did not intend to bring us to an account when we dye As the omniscience of God fits him to call every man to an account so it is an evidence that he will Why should our wayes and workes be strictly observed and recorded if they were not to be judged Fifthly This truth that the eyes of God are upon all the wayes of man should awaken every man to take heed as David resolved he would Psal 39.1 to his wayes Did we walke as remembring we are under his All-seeing eye O how circumspectly should we walke doth the Lord inspect our wayes O how should we inspect our owne wayes It argueth a great deale of Atheisme in the heart if not the grossest Atheisme yet Atheisme quo-ad hoc as to this or that thing while that which some are afraid to doe if a man yea if a child see them they are not afraid to doe though they heare that God seeth them To feare to doe a thing when the eye of a creature is upon us and yet to doe it notwithstanding God seeth us what is this but either an unbeliefe that the eye of God seeth us or a contempt of his All seeing eye This Divine Attribute the All-seeing eye of God wel wrought upon the heart by faith is enough to over-aw the sinfullnesse of our hearts And though the people of God have a higher principle upon which they forbeare the doing of evill then this because God will see it and punish it yet to keep the heart in a holy feare of doing evill upon that principle is both needfull and our duty The Apostle would not have servants doe their Masters commands with eye-service as men-pleasers It is indeed a baseness in a servant to doe his duty meerely because his Masters eye is upon him or to forbeare to doe what is against or beside his duty because his Master seeth him but how great is the impudence and wickedness of that servant who will not keep to his duty when his Masters eye is upon him So in this case meerely to forbeare doing evill because we heare God sees us is eye-service but how great is their wickedness who will not forbeare to doe evill though they heare and know that God seeth it Which Elihu confirmes yet further in the next words Vers 22. There is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves This verse holds out that truth negatively which the former held out affirmatively There Gods knowledge of mans wayes was asserted here his ignorance or nescience of the wayes of man is denied There is no darkness c. The words seeme to be the prevention of an objection For some possibly might say 'T is true indeed God hath a large knowledge his eye seeth farre but we hope we may sometime be under covert or compassed about with such darkness that the Lord cannot see us Therefore saith Elihu there is no darkness nor shaddow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves The Prophet gives a parallel proofe and testimony of this knowledge of God both in the affirmative and negative part of it Jer 16.17 where he first asserts that God seeth all mine eyes are upon all their wayes and then denyeth that any thing is a secret unto him They are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes These latter words of the Prophet are of the same signification with these of Elihu There is no darkness c. We may take darkness two wayes First for naturall darkness that darkness which spreads it selfe over the face of the earth upon the going downe of the Sun 't is the privation of Light Secondly there is artificiall darkness that darkness which men make to hide themselves and their actions in from the eye of God or man many are very skillfull yea and successefull in making shaddowes to hide their actions from men They cover the evill which they have done with such cunning excuses or flat denyalls and they cover what they purpose to doe how foule soever under such faire trappings of words and specious pretenses they glosse their worst actions and intentions with such appearances of good that the wisest and best sighted men cannot finde them out When Absalon had a most unnaturall as well as a most disloyall purpose to rayse a tebellion against his king-father he coloured it with a devout profession of performing a vow This was artificiall darkness 'T is reported by the naturall Historian of a little fish which seeing its enemy neare casts out a kinde of blackness from it selfe which darkens the water and so escapes the danger Thus men indeed hide themselves from man and they would hide themselves from God too but there is no darkness neither naturall nor artificiall that can cover their wayes from his eye No Nor shaddow of death The importance of this expression hath been opened more then once in this book chap. 3.5 chap 10.21 chap. 12.22 chap. 28.3 therefore I shall not stay upon it here only consider when he saith There is no darkness nor shaddow of death by shaddow of death he means extreamest darkness If there be any darkness as Job speaks chap. 10.22 like darkness it self and whose light is as darkness that is it The metaphor is taken from the grave where the dead being buried have not the least glympse ray or shine of light coming in to them death wraps us up in extreamest darkness And we finde in Scripture the shaddow of death put first to express the extreamest of spiritual darkness or the darkest spiritual state Isa 9.2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shaddow of death upon them hath the light shined that is they that were wrapped up in the ignorance utter unbelief of God in Christ to these is Christ the true light of God the Sun of righteousness preached and openly revealed and they pressed to the receiving of him that their souls may live further as the shaddow of death is put for the worst of spiritual evils or to note man's natural state before conversion so likewise it is used in Scripture to note the worst of his spiritual evils who being converted is in a spiritual state He that is in a
that man is apt to nourish himself in those vain hopes that he can hide himself from God or that he shall be hid from God I may cast the foolish presumptions of men about this thing into four sorts First Some hope to be hid in the croud or that they shall not be taken notice of among so many Secondly The eyes of others are so darkned that their sins are hid from themselves yea they take their vices for vertues their evil acts for good and because they see no evil in what they do they are perswaded or presume God doth not Thirdly Many are never so well pleased as when they are flattered or when others not only hide the sinfulness of their wayes from them but commend and extol them as vertuous and praise worthy And because their evil ways appear good to some men they cannot be convinced that there is any evil in them appearing to God Lastly As all impenitent sinners put their sins out of their own sight so nothing pleaseth them more then this imagination that they shall never come into the sight of God Surely the Lord would never urge this matter so often upon the children of men if it were not so But let sinners consider what they will do and what will become of them seeing as it is impossible that they should be hid so it will be most intollerable for them them to appear and stand before God in the day of judgement Psal 1.5 All must come to judgment and appear at the Bar but it will be an inexpressible grief to appear and not be approved or to appear and then be condemned Therefore be wise and hide your selves where you may be hid do not attempt to hide your selves which is the attempt of most sinners where you cannot be hid They who will needs hide themselves in that darkness and shaddow of death here spoken of shall be cast into utter darkness and abide for ever in that infernal valley of the shaddow of death in which there is no ease to be had and from which there is no release to be got Darkness and death will be the portion of those sinners in the next world who have studied to shaddow their sins with any kinde of darkness in this JOB Chap. 34. Vers 23 24 25. For he will not lay upon man more then right that he should enter into judgement with God He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead Therefore he knoweth their workes and he over-turneth them in the night so that they are destroyed IN the 23d verse being the first of this context Elihu further justifyeth the severest proceedings of God with man He that layeth upon man no more then is right may be justified in whatsoever he layeth upon him But God layeth upon man no more then is right Therefore c. The Assumption is expresse in the text Vers 23. For he will not lay upon man more then is right The text strictly rendred is He will not lay upon man more Our translaters supply the words then is right to determine what that more is which God will not lay upon man The words have a two-fold sence First Some interpreters render them as a direct deniall of any power seated in or liberty given unto man to plead capitulate or to come in judgement with God Elihu charging it upon Job that he had not done well in taking or using such a liberty to complaine about his condition addeth here according to this interpretation God neither hath nor will indulge man a liberty as he hath not given him a just cause to complain as if he had don him wrong Quia non ultra unquam ponet deus super virum i. e. potestatem homini nunquam faciet ut de se ille queri possir Merc Neque enim ultra in hominis potestate est ut veniat cum deo in Judicio Vulg And if man when God hath once declared his mind and published his sentence should make his defence or offer to produce his reasonings against it the Lord will not suffer it he will not permit man to proceed in such a way seeing the sentence of God and what he doth upon it is alwayes just and the right stands ever on his side as well as the soveraignty is ever vested in him Master Broughton translates the whole verse to this sense Therefore it is not for man ever to purpose to enter into judgement before the Omnipotent there is no appeale from God nor will he admit sinners by any artifices or delayes to interrupt the progresse of his justice Secondly The words as we render them carry both an assertion that God is just and a demonstration of it For he will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgement with God that is man hath no cause to enter into judgement with God if God should give him leave and let him be at his liberty in that poynt for God will not lay upon man more then is right There is another supply of a word which also beareth a good sense and suites wel with this exposition thus Non imponet ei amplius quam ferro possit Drus God will not lay upon man more then he can beare or hath strength to beare that he should enter into judgement with him if we reade the text so then that of the Apostle 1 Cor 10.13 is a cleare exposition of it There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it A temptation or affliction common to man is but such as man may beare God will not overburden his people he knoweth what flesh and blood as also what Grace can beare As a man would not lay such a weight upon a childe as would burthen a man we lay a childs burthen upon a child and a mans burthen upon a man so the Lord measures and weighs out his judgements in proportion to every mans strength he will not lay upon him more then he is able to beare That 's a good sense and hath a cleare reason in it why man should not complaine of what God layeth upon him it being only proportionate to his strength But I shall rather prosecute the text according to the supply given in our translation which makes the reason why all such complaints should be forborne and silenced to be this because the sufferings of man are never proportion'd beyond his desert He will not lay upon man more then right That is more then he hath deserved or is equitable in his case whatsoever is layd or imposed upon man beyond right he hath cause to complaine of and may traverse the Judgement or desire another hearing yea he may appeale to some higher Judge if there be any
yea all that hath been contrived in his heart Thirdly He is most just and will not be taken off from doing less neither can he be provoked to do more then is right to any man Fourthly How should man fear to enter into judgement with God seeing his judgments are past finding out they are as the Scripture saith a great deep we are not able to fathome them therefore wo unto those that complain of or murmure against them we should alwayes pray with David Psal 143.2 Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified and we should alwayes be afraid to enter into judgement with God for he will not only justifie but magnifie himself and his works in the sight of all men living We should be so far from entring into judgement with God which many do when they think they do it not that we should continually beg him not to enter into judgement with us for we are not only unable to stand before him but must certainly be broken before him as it followeth Vers 24. He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead As Job had often complained of his own troubles so he had somtimes of the prosperity of wicked men or that God suffered them who were not worthy to live yet to live in pomp power and pleasure Thus he expostulated the matter chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power c. We may conceive Elihu removing that stumbling stone and answering him in these words while he telleth us what work the Lord often maketh in the world in those his lesser and particular dayes of judgement among the mighty of the world He not only striketh and woundeth troubleth and vexeth them but breaketh them yea breaketh them in pieces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ictibus subigere mollire The words are a comparison between the mighty a potters vessel of whom David saith Psal 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt not only give them a knock or a crack but dash them in pieces as a potters vessel and he can break them so small that there shall not be found in the bursting of them as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.14 a shâ—rd to take fire from the hearth or to take water withal out of the pit Thus the Lord shall break in pieces not the poor and weak and mean but Mâ—ghty men Or as some render He shall break in pieces many men Hieronymus interpretatur multos the Hebrew word refers to both quantities to great in bigness and great in number but because we have their innumerableness mentioned distinctly in the next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad utramque quantitatem refertur sed malo fortes Merc. it is best to render the word by greatness in power or might here For least any should think God could break only a few mighty men therefore it is said he shall break in pieces mighty men in all the notions of might the mighty in corporal strength the mighty in civil strength power or authority yea martial mighty men if they stand in his way and hinder his work Without number All these God breaketh in pieces like a Potters vessel as if they were but a swarm of flies and sweeps them away in a moment As if he had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita ut numerus eorum investigari non possit Pisc Certo numero contineri non possunt quos propter peccata Dei justitia conteret Aqui. God will give innumerable examples of his infinite power and unbyass'd justice in destroying the wicked he hath and will destroy so many of them that no man knoweth how many he hath destroyed or will destroy There is another reading of the words Our Translators put it in the margin of our Bibles He shall break in pieces mighty men without searching out which may have a two-fold interpretation First He shall break them in pieces and no man ought to search or enquire into his doings or say unto him as that mighty Monarch confessed Dan. 4.35 What doest thou And thus it answers what was said in the former verse They shall not enter into judgement with God Some have a priviledge at Sea to pass without searching no man must enquire what they carry or what their lading is surely when the Lord breaketh mighty men no man may search into his doings or enquire into his actions further then for his own instruction and admonition that he may answer the purpose of God in them and give him glory Secondly He will break them in pieces without searching that is Deus cui omnia nota sunt non opus habet in facta hominum inquirere Drus without any formal examination or usual wayes of Process at least without any known to us The Lord needs not to stand searching as men do to finde out matters against the mighty to frame articles or to bring in his Bill of Attainder against them God needeth not search to know because he knoweth all things without searching and therefore may justly break men in pieces without this kinde of searching or He will break them in pieces without inquisition that is without shewing cause why God doth not alwayes publish the reasons of his proceedings his judgements are often secret though never unjust We render well He will break in pieces mighty men Without number That is how many soever they are or though they are innumerable yet he will break them in pieces as one man Thus the word is used chap. 5.9 chap. 9.11 In both which places the Reader may finde the extent and emphasis of this expression without number further explained only consider that these mighty men without number may be taken two wayes First Collectively as combined by leagues or as marshall'd by orders into an Host as if he had said though an Army of them be gathered together even a numberles Army yet the Lord can break them in pieces Isa 8.9 Associate your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces Secondly We may take these mighty men singly or personally Thus the Lord breaketh in pieces mighty men without number one after another one at this time and another at that time how many of them soever arise up one after another to oppose him to oppress his people or to do wickedly they shall surely be broken Mr Broughton renders to this sence He bruiseth mighty men without end he doth not break them without end as having no end in breaking them but as without end notes his breaking them endlesly or for ever If men will sin without end he can break them without end he can renew destruction as fast as they renew transgression Hence Observe First God can easily ruine the mightiest men of the world He can break them
he executeth then the Judgement which he executeth must be knowne it must be an open Judgement and such are very many of the Judgements of God they are acted as upon a stage And I may give you an account in three particulars why the Lord will sometimes doe Justice in the place of beholders or in the open sight of others First That there may be witnesses enow of what he doth and so a record of it kept at least in the minds and memories of faithfull men for the generations to come Secondly The Lord doth it not onely that he may have witnesses of his Justice but also that his Justice and the proceedings of it may have an effect and a fruit upon those who did not feele it nor fall under it This was the reason why the Lord threatned to punish Jerusalem in the sight of the nations Ezek 5.5 6 7 8 14 15. Jerusalem dicitur medium terrae ut pote quae su in quarto climate ideo autem urbem in medio mundi constitutam et quisi in loco videntium elegit deus ut sicut beneficia ita et supplicia eorum omnibus essent conspicua Pined Thus saith the Lord God this is Jerusalem I have set it in the midst of the nations and Countryes that are round about her God is sayd Psal 74.12 To work salvation in the midst of the Earth that is in Jerusalem or among his people who were placed as it were in the Center and middle part of the world not that Jerusalem stood exactly in the midst of the world but because many Nations stood about it that might well be called a City standing in the midst of the nations and therefore it is added v. 8. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I am against thee and will execute Judgement in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations God would execute Judgement in Jerusalem a City placed in the midst of the nations that as the nations had taken notice of the extraordinary favours benefits deliverances and salvations which God wrought for Jerusalem so they might also take notice of his judgements and sore displeasure against them Jerusalem was not seated in some nooke corner or by-place of the world but in the midst of the nations that both the goodnesse and severity of God towards them might be conspicuous And that the nations round about seeing the sufferings of that people for their sin might feare and tremble to sin as they had done for if Jerusalem the seate of instituted worship and Gods peculiar people were not spared when they provoked God their neighbours might well conclude surely we shall not be spared As the Lord himselfe argued it against those uncircumcised nations Jer 25.20 Behold I will bring evill upon the City that is called by my name and should ye goe utterly unpunished Certainly no! If God punish his own people in the sight of the heathenish nations when they doe wickedly what then are heathen nations to expect who doe nothing but wickednesse And this by the way may give the Alarme and be a very awakening consideration to all the Churches and people of God at this day throughout the world If God did strike Jerusalem of old that is his people there as wicked men even in the open sight of others if the Lord was so wroth with his people that he polluted his inheritance and gave them into the hand of the Chaldeans Isa 47.6 If he forsooke his house and left his heritage and gave the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of her enemies Jer 12.7 and sayd v. 9. Mine heritage is to me as a speckled bird the birds round about her are against her yea if he in the close of that verse invited the worst of men under the name of beasts to spoyle them Come ye assemble all the beasts of the field come to devoure Now I say If God struck his ancient people the Jewish Church as wicked men by wicked men in the open sight of others O let the Gentile Churches take heed lest they also be stricken after the same manner Many Churches in Germany and else-where have been stricken so already in this last age let the remnant both there and else-where remember themselves and give glory to God before he cause such darknesse to come upon them and strike them also as wicked men in the open sight of others God lets some sinners suffer or punisheth them openly both because he would have all others take notice that he dislikes what they have done as also because he would not have others doe the like lest they be made like them both in the matter and manner of their sufferings 'T is a favour as well as our duty to be taught by other mens harmes and to be instructed by their stroakes to prevent our own And as the Lord strikes some wicked men openly that others may feare and not doe the like so that they who have done the like may be humbled for and repent of what they have done God doth not alwayes powre out the same Judgements upon all those that have done the same wickedness the whole world would be in blood if he did so but he takes here and there one that the rest bethinking themselves and with repenting Ephraim smiting upon their thigh may prevent the Lord from smiting them at all especially from striking them as wicked men in the open sight of others It is sayd Rev 11.13 that after by a great earth-quake the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slaine of men seven thousand the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven And surely the reason why after one man hath been chastised or stricken others take their turnes too is because they did not take warning by his chastisements and sufferings Did we but mind the scope of God in punishing any openly the striking of one might save hundreds or thousands from being stricken but because men are so secure and so slow to take warning by what God doth to others therefore they are called forth one after another to suffer and feel his heavy hand in their own persons Thirdly God strikes some wicked men in open view or in the place of beholders for the comfort of his own people and for their encouragement Psal 58.10 11. The righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance not that he shall be glad of the vengeance purely as it is a hurt or a suffering to the creature but the righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance of God as it is a fulfilling of the threatning of God against the sin of man and an evidence of his own holiness Psal 64.9 10. God shall shoot suddenly at the wicked all that see them shall flee away that is they that see how God deales with them shall get away least ruine overtake them or they shall flee away which is their best course from such courses
and practices as procured them that ruine Thus the righteous rejoyce when they see the vengeance yea they wash their feere in the blood of the ungodly that is they get comfort and encouragement by seeing the Lord avenge their cause against their adversaries It is sayd Exod 14.30 31. that God having overwhelmed the Egyptians in the red Sea the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead upon the shoar God did not suffer the carcasses of the Egyptians to sink to the bottom of the Sea but caused them to lie upon the shoar that the Israelites might see them And when Israel saw that dreadfull stroak of the Lord upon the Egyptians It is sayd The people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Thus they were confirmed in their faith by Gods open Judgements upon the Egyptians They were smitten in the place of beholders or in the open sight of others There are yet two other interpretations of these words which I shall touch He striketh them in the place of beholders In loco videntium i. e. exiflentes in statu in quo videre poterant tum per naturalem rationem tum per sacram doctrinam quid esset faciendum et quid esset vitandum Aquin that is saith my Author in such an estate or condition wherein themselves might see both by that natural light which every man hath especially by the light of doctrine and instruction what they ought to doe and what to shun or avoyd In this sense to be smitten in the place of Seers is to see and behold to have light and understanding what to doe or forbeare doing and yet to act against that light and so provoke the Lord to strike us which is a great aggravation both of the sin and punishment of man A second gives it thus He striketh them in the place of seers or where they saw that is he striketh them in the eye of their understanding or in their Judgement he striketh them with spirituall blindness as the Sodomites were with corporall so that they are not able to see their way or what becomes them to doe This is a most severe stroake There are many who when they have abused the light and would not doe what they saw they ought God hath struck them with such blindness that they should not see what they ought to doe Both these are rather tropologicall Expositions then literall yet they may have their use and improvement by way of allusion In this place Elihu having thus held out the openness and exemplariness of the judgements of God upon wicked men proceeds in the following words to shew the equity and righteousnesse of them Vers 27. Because they have turned back from him and would not Consider any of his wayes Here I say lest any should surmise that God takes vengeance without cause the cause is named and assigned why God takes vengeance 't is because they turned back from him they in the pride and stoutnesse of their hearts which great men especially are much subject to refused to obey and follow God and therefore his wrath followed and brake them They turned back from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum è verbo de post eum sic alibi scortati sunt de post dominum i. e. deserto domino There is a two-fold turning back First Corporall Secondly Morall or spirituall none can corporally turn back from God though some attempt it to what hiding place soever we turn our selves we cannot be hid from him who filleth every place But there are many who morally turn back and depart from the living God Sinners would turn their persons back from God and hide their heads they would get quite out of his sight and reach though they cannot but all of them turn back from God in their hearts In two respects sinners in generall may be sayd to turne back from God First when he commands and they will not obey him or withdraw their obedience from his commandements Secondly when he entreates and invites them and they will not come to him nor accept his tendered respects and favours Thus the Lord complained of his owne people Psal 81.11 Israel would none of me God wooed them but they had other lovers and after them they would goe even Israel lightly regarded the God of Israel yea they made a defection from him More distinctly There is a three-fold turning back from God or they who turne back from God are of three sorts First There is a turning back from God by those who have openly followed him or made profession of his name Thus hypocrites and formalists turne back from God This the Scripture calls back-sliding revolting and going a whoring from God Such as these are like perfidious Souldiers who enter and list themselves in an Army marching with them for a while taking their pay yet soon after forsake their colours and turn to the enemy Thus many apostatize from God to the Devill and to the creature or as Paul sayd of Demas they forsake Christ and embrace this present world Luther was charged by his enemies that he was an Apostate and he acknowledged he was but he thanked God for it he indeed turned back from what he did once professe but it was to a better profession he did not turne from God to the world but he turned from the world to God and that 's a blessed Apostacy he did not turn from truth to error but from error to truth he did not turn from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition but from Idolatry and superstition to pure worship How wretched is their condition who are indeed Apostates who turn from God to the world from truth to error from pure worship to Idolatry and superstition from a holy conversation to prophaness loosness and libertenisme to a complyance with the world and a symbolizing with them in their lusts and wickednesse This abominable apostacy is a fruit of hypocrisie Hypocrites turne only their faces to God and Apostates turne their backes upon him or turn back from him And all they who turn only their faces unto God will for their owne advantage or to save themselves turn their backs upon him Hypocrites when put to it when the storme comes ever prove Apostates Secondly There is a turning from God found even in the best followers of God who is there among the Saints on earth that keepes constant un-interrupted communion with God The least degree of inordinate letting downe or turning the heart to the creature is a degree of turning back from God As holiness is our motion toward God and to act holyly is to keep the eye of the soule alwayes upon God so unholiness is an aversion from God David did not say nor could he say though as holy a man as lived that he had never turned from God he could only say that he had not wickedly departed from God Psal 18.21 Thirdly There is a turning back from God proper to all unregenerate
of his hands Indeed God doth much in the world he walketh in many dark and hidden wayes which though we consider we cannot fully understand Thy way saith Asaph Psal 77.19 is in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy foot-steps are not known God hath many invisible works both of mercy and of judgement yet we should be though not curiously yet seriously searching as much as possibly we can Arcana imperii even into those wayes of God which are unsearchable we should consider though we cannot search them out But as for those works of God that are visible and plain which are written as it were with the beams of the Sun which are so plain and obvious that he who runs may read them to neglect the consideration of these or lightly to pass them by how sinful is it Those works of God which are most plain have wonders in them if we could finde them out As in the plainest Text of Scripture there is a world of holiness and spiritualness and if we in prayer and dependance upon God did sit down and consider it we might behold much more of those wonders then yet appear to us It may be at once reading or looking we see little or nothing as Elijah's servant when he went once he saw nothing therefore he was commanded to look seven times What now saith the Prophet O now I see a cloud rising like a mans hand and by and by the whole surface of the heavens was covered with clouds So you may look lightly upon a Scripture and see nothing and look again and see little but look seven times upon it meditate often upon it and then you shall see a light like the light of the Sun 'T is thus also with the works of God we pass many of them by as small matters but when throughly considered there is a wonderful depth in them now not to consider those wayes of God wherein he is so visible and which are the actings and exercising of his power goodness wisdome and faithfulness this must needs be a very great sin Isa 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see they take no notice of it much less lay it to heart but they shall see they shall be made to see one way or other and be ashamed for their envie at the people or as the margin hath it towards thy people As godly men see the hand of God and are both confirmed and comforted for his mercy to his people so wicked men shall see and be both ashamed and confounded because they both envyed the people of God that mercy and opposed it They who will not see the works of God to give him glory shall see them to their own shame God hath given us his works of Creation that we should consider them daylie as David did Psal 8.3 When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man c. How was the Psalmist ravisht with that contemplation And so may we while we consider the works of Providence whether works of judgement or works of mercy whether vengeance upon the wicked or deliverance for the godly Let us therefore set our selves to this soul-ravishing and God-exalting work the consideration of the works of God And we are the more engaged to do it because God hath fitted man among all creatures in this lower world and he hath only fitted man to give him glory by considering his works The beasts of the earth cannot glorifie God by considering his works 't is true both they the fowls of the ayr with the fifh of the sea according to their kinde praise God but man only is fitted and furnished with an intellect or understanding faculty to consider and so to draw out from all the works of God those peculiar excellencies which make his Name glorious Now for man to leave such a faculty unexercised and unacted as they who consider not the works of God do is not only a dishonour to God but a degradation of himself As it is the priviledge and happiness of a man to enjoy the benefit of the works of God so it is his holiness and his duty to consider the beauty of them And to all who brutishly lay by the works of God without consideration let me adde this consideration God considers all your works or wayes and will not you consider the works the wayes of God! Of this be sure whether you consider the wayes of God his Word-wayes or Work-wayes of this be sure God will consider your wayes certainly he will those wayes of yours which in themselves are not worth the considering or looking upon your sinful wayes though they are so vile so abominable that if your selves did but look upon them and consider them you would be utterly ashamed of them yea though they are an abomination to God while he beholds them yet he will behold and consider them The Lord who is of purer eyes then to behold any the least iniquity to approve it will yet behold the greatest of your iniquities and your impurest wayes to consider them Thou saith David Psal 10.14 Thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it God beholdeth the foulest dirtyest wayes of men their wayes of oppression and unrighteousness their wayes of intemperance and lasciviousness their wayes of wrath and maliciousness at once to detest detect and requite them If the Lord thus considereth the wayes of men even these filthy and crooked wayes of men should not men consider the holy the just and righteous wayes of God And that God considers all the wayes the worst of wayes of the sons men appeares further in the next verse Vers 28. So that they cause the cry of the poore to come up to him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted If the wayes of men come up to God then surely God considers the wayes of men even their vile and base wayes their wicked and unworthy wayes how can he but consider those wayes the cry of which cometh up to him So that they cause the cry of the poore to come up to him Effectum hujus malitiae affectatae ostendit Aquin Here Elihu expounds to us or gives us more particularly what those wayes of God were which those men would not consider as also what the sin of those mighty ones was which provoked God to strike them as wicked men in the open sight of others The wayes of God which they would not consider were the wayes of his righteousnesse and justice of his compassion to and care for the poore they went quite crosse to those wayes of God For they caused the cry of the poore to come up to him But doe ungodly men bring the cry of the poore up to God Certainly they have no such purpose and therefore those words So that they cause the cry of the poore to come up unto him Note only a consequent of what those
make trouble Hence observe First The quietness or peace of nations is the peculiar gift of God Whosoever hath or enjoyeth quietness 't is Gods work but most eminently when nations enjoy it Of nationall quietness the Lord spake by his Prophet Isa 45.7 I forme the light c. I make peace I the Lord doe all these things As naturall so civill light is of Gods forming as spirituall so temporall peace is of Gods making And the Church was confident he would be their peace-maker Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us Some read it as a prayer Lord doe thou ordaine or command peace for us we as a profession of their faith and hopefull if not full assurance that the Lord would ordaine peace for them The Lord gives out an order or makes an ordinance in heaven when he pleaseth for the peace both of Churches and nations here on earth And the Church there had this good ground of their assurance that he would doe it even their former experiences of his great power and goodness in doing much for them as it followeth for thou hast wrought all our workes for us As if they had sayd Lord those gracious preservations which thou hast heretofore given us in trouble and deliverances out of trouble strengthen our faith both in praying that thou wouldest and in believing that thou wilt now at this pinch ordaine peace for us To doe so is a mighty and a mercifull worke of God and we may consider it two wayes First As the giving of quietnesse to a nation is the restoring of peace or the setling of them in a quiet state after they have been torne and troubled with warres and tossed with continuall tempests of trouble possibly for many yeares together To bring peace out of warre and quietness out of unsetledness is a worke worthy of God Psal 46.9 He maketh warres to cease to the ends of the earth that is all the world over The end or ceasing of warre is quietness And to assure us that the Lord can make an end of warres the Psalmist in that place sheweth us the Lord spoyling all the implements or instruments of warre He breaketh the bow and cuts the speare asunder he burneth the chariots in the fire Here are three great instruments of warre the bow the speare the chariot all which are sometimes comprehended under that one word the sword which is the most knowne and universal instrument of warre Now when neither sword nor bow nor speare nor chariot are to be had we need not feare warre And therefore that great promise of peace runs in this tenour Mic 4.2 They shall beat their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then presently followeth nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learne warre any more There must needs be peace when the art of warre is layd by as uselesse and shall be learned no more That will be a blessed time indeed when the art military shall be out of date and being it selfe the greatest interrupter of learning shall be learned no more When Souldiers shall turne Husbandmen and Vine-dressers beating their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then we shall have peace and put away the remotest feares of warre When a man casteth away his sword we may very well conclude he intends to be quiet Thus the Lord gives quietnesse to nations which have been engaged in warre by causing warres to cease Secondly He gives quietnesse to nations by continuing their peace when warres are ceased for unlesse the Lord give a check to the lusts and passions to the wrath and rage of men plow-shears are quickly turned into swords and pruning hookes into speares To preserve peace is the Lords worke as much as to give peace It requires the same or as great a power to keepe our peace as to make it Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta â—ueri to keepe it out of the hand of the sword as to get it out of the hand of the sword When the king of Assyria threatned Jerusalem with a siege the Lord preserved their peace and sent Hezekiah word Isa 37.33 He shall not come into this City nor shoote an arrow there nor come before it with shields nor cast a banke against it for I will defend this City to save it The continuance of peace and quietnesse is a continuall giving of it Warres returne after peace as clouds returne after raine unlesse the Lord prevent and forbid them And have not we of this nation reason to acknowledge this double mercy First Was not the end of our late unnaturall warres the gift of God was it not he that made our troubles to cease from one end of the nation to the other yea throughout the three nations If the Lord had not given the sword a check or counter-mand if the Lord had not called in the commission which he once gave the sword it had been devouring flesh and drinking blood to this very day We read as it were a dialogue between the Prophet and himselfe concerning the sword Jer 47.6 7. O thou sword of the Lord sayd the Prophet being grieved for the slaughter and desolation which the sword had made even in a strange land how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy selfe into thy scabbard rest and be still Himselfe answers himselfe how can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon and against the Sea-shore there hath he appointed it I spake to the sword of quietnesse saith the Prophet But alas how can it be quiet how can that sheath it selfe in its scabbard and not in the bowels of men seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon As if he had sayd I see no entreaties can perswade the sword to rest and quietness till it hath fully executed the command of God and done his work though it be very bloody work even the making of it selfe drunke with blood The Lord can make the sword quiet it will hearken to no voyce but his if the Lord give a charge for the sword to returne into the sheath then it will and if not it will not The sword raged in these nations till the Lords work and will was done and then that had done And as we have reason to acknowledge that the Lord hath commanded the sword back into its sheath and given us peace out of warre so Secondly That he hath continued our peace since the warre When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble Note If God will give those nations quietnesse where it was not or continue it where it is there is no power on earth can stop or interrupt it Who can make trouble where he ordaineth peace Balaam was forced to this confession when he would have troubled the people of Israel and went from mountaine to mountaine to seek divination I cannot curse whom the Lord hath blessed why not said
wicked Princes til at last they were carried into captivity by the common enemy These the like are the woful effects of Gods hiding his face from a Nation from all which we may well conclude with Elihu in the Text who then can behold him who can bear his wrathful presence when his face or favourable presence is hidden from us To shut up this point I shall only adde that because these hidings of Gods face are gradual as was shewed before therefore they are little taken notice of as the Prophet complained Hos 7.9 Gray hairs are here and there upon them and they know it not that is they are in a declining condition gray hairs are the signes of old age Eorum mihi videtur idoneus sensus omnino Gormanus qui hanc libertatem dei sive pacem concedendi sive condemnandi vel turbandi ad tyrannos tantum coardat eos qui impiè vivunt Sanct. which is the declension of mans life he alludes from the body Natural to the body Civil or Politick they are I say in a declining weakning spending condition yet they lay it not to heart And that 's a sore if not the chiefest judgement of God upon a Nation when hiding his face he hides his judgements from them and gives them up to hardness of heart to blindness of minde and a spirit of stupidity that they see not nor take notice of their own danger nor the departure of God from them which is the cause of it And still the more God hideth his face from a Nation the more miserable they are and withal the more insensible of their misery So much from that consideration of the Text as to a Nation When he giveth quietness who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him Whether it be against a Nation Or against a man only As this verse respects a man only or a single person it is expounded two or three wayes First Of Oppressors and wicked men as if he had said When God will give a wicked man quietness or prosperity in his sinful way who can make his estate troublous or trouble him in his estate He shall be quiet while the will of God is to suffer him to be so and if God once hide his face from him that is Si deus pacem tribuat impiis quis illius providentiam arcana iudicia coâ—d mnare aud bit Gregor Philip. declareth displeasure against him who can behold him that is who among the mightiest of wicked oppressors can lift himself up against or stand before God Secondly The words are expounded of the oppressed or of godly men as if he had said when God is minded or resolved to give peace and quietness to any of his faithful servants who can hinder him or trouble them and when he is pleased for reason best known to himself to leave any of his faithful servants in darkness and withdraw the light of his countenance from them who among them can behold him that is bear or endure his angry appearances Quum ipse tranquillat sc miseros afflictos quis inquietabit cum abscondit faciem sc ab improbis quis contemplabitur eum i. e. quis improborum aversanti Deo ausit obsistere Jun. A third expounds the former part of the verse according to the second Exposition of the whole verse concerning the oppressed or afflicted godly if God will give them quietness who can give them trouble And the latter part of the verse of Oppressors if he hideth his face from wicked and unjust men who can behold him Further Some who take this sence do not understand it as an act of God hiding his own face but as an act of God hiding the face of the wicked Oppressor as if it had been said When God hideth a wicked mans face and wraps him up as a condemned man or when by the command of the Magistrate after his legal tryal his face is covered being ready to seal the warrant for his execution Hamans face was covered as soon as the Kings word went out against him then who can behold him Some insist much upon this interpretation in allusion to the custome of those times when condemned malefactors had their faces covered and indeed when God wraps up the oppressors face as a condemned man who can behold him that is who can hold up his face against God or resist him in this work of justice But I intend not to prosecute the personal consideration of the Text under these distinct notions but shall only take up the general sence When he giveth quietness to a man who can make trouble and when he hideth his face from a man who can behold him I shall only adde Master Broughton's gloss upon the whole verse when for the poor he kills the mighty none can stay him and when he hideth his favour none can finde it Hence Observe First The quietness or peace of any man of every man is of the Lord. If God will have a wicked man live in quietness to it shall be and God hath given and doth often give them quietness I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay tree Psal 37.35 David spake this from a good witness the sight of his eye I saith he have seen the wicked in much outward pomp and splendour and as the outward peace and quietness pomp and splendour of the wicked is from God so also is both the outward and inward peace of any godly man First The outward peace or the peace of a godly man in his outward estate is of the Lord Psal 4.8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou only makest me to dwell in safety that is thou O Lord wilt watch over me in the night and not suffer me to be surprized by any sudden danger and therefore I will quietly repose my self upon thy gracious promises and throw off those cares and fears which as thorns in the pillow would not suffer me to rest when I lye down in my bed the Lord is my safety even the rest of my body In the 5th chapter of this book ver 23 24. Eliphaz telleth us how the Lord secures the outward condition of a good man and gives him such quietness that even the very beasts of the earth shall be in league and the stones of the field at peace with him and he shall know or be assured that his tabernacle shall be in peace Secondly The inward peace the soul peace the spiritual peace of a godly man is much more from the Lord John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth so give I unto you as if Christ had said I will not deal with you after the rate of the world that is either deceitfully and falsly or rigorously and unjustly I will not give you such measure as the world gives you nor in
such a manner I give you my peace therefore let not your hearts be troubled neither be you afraid what-ever outward trouble the world can give you be not afraid of it before it cometh nor troubled at it when 't is come I will give you inward peace in the midst of all your troubles Christ invites the weary and the heavie laden to come to him with this promise I will give you rest Matth. 11.29 soul-rest he meaneth that Title or name of Christ Shiloh Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come signifies tranquility peace and rest As Jesus Christ hath bought our peace and rest with his blood so he bears it in his name The fountain of our soul-peace is the heart of the father Grace and Peace from God the Father c. Col. 1.1 2. 1 Thess 1.1 The purchase or price of this peace is the blood of the Son Col. 1.22 He hath made our peace through the blood of his Cross Our peace cost dear it cost blood and that the blood of the Son of God The conveyance of this peace is made by the holy Spirit he is sent to bring the good tydings of peace unto believers the Spirit speaks peace from God and witnesseth with our spirits that we are at peace with God And as this peace is at first from God the Father as the fountain of it from God the Son as the Purchaser of it and from God the holy Ghost as the Speaker of it so the continuing and renewing of this peace is from the same God He establisheth and setleth the heart in that peace which he hath given and he restoreth that peace when at any time we have lost it and the heart is unsetled David's soul being unquiet and his peace ravell'd after his sin he addressed to God for the renewing of it Psal 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation David petitioned the restoring of his peace while he petitioned the restoring of his joy 't is possible to have peace without joy but there can be no joy in that soul which hath not first attained to peace We must wait upon God both for the restoring of our peace when it is departed and for the continuance of it when it is enjoyed When he giveth quietness to a man either as to soul or body or both Who can make trouble Note Secondly The quietness or peace which God bestows upon any person is an invincible an insuperable peace and quietness as to all that this world can do or he suffer in this world If God will give a quiet outward estate no man can disturb it when God gave Job outward quietness what a mighty man was he how did he flourish Nor could any break his outward peace Satan confest it in the first chapter Thou hast made a hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side there is not the least gap open no nor stake loosned in his hedge who can touch him who can come at him I cannot touch him Sabeans and Chaldeans cannot touch him While the Lord giveth and guardeth our outward peace it is inviolable And as to our spiritual peace if the Lord speak it who or what can trouble the soul First The afflictions tribulations and vexations which we meet with in the world cannot trouble this inward peace while storms are without there will be a calm within the soul may be at peace and the conscience quiet in the greatest visible confusions Let the world turn about and overturn let it shake and break into a thousand pieces this peace abides unshaken unbroken let the world rage in the heat either of war or persecution yet the heart is serene fixt and quiet like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Christ tells his Disciples John 16.33 These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace and in the same verse he foretells them In the world you shall have tribulation as if he had said you shall have a peace concurrent and contemporary with your tribulation trouble from the world shall not hinder the peace you have from me yea my peace shall conquer the troubles you have in the world Thus the Prophet tryumphed in believing Hab. 3.17 Though the labour of the Olive should fail and the Vine yeild no fruit though there be no Calves in the stall nor Sheep in the fold c. yet I will joy in the Lord and rejoyce in the God of my salvation To rejoyce in the Lord is more then to be quiet or to have peace in the Lord. Joy is the exaltation of peace it is the most delicious fruit of peace The worst of worldly evils cannot despoil us of the least purely spiritual good much less of the greatest Him wilt thou keep in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 That 's perfectly perfect to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken away yet that is truly perfect to which though somthing may be added yet it cannot be either totally or finally taken away Such is the soul-peace of true believers in this life and therefore a perfect peace Secondly As outward tribulation cannot hinder the soul-peace of a godly man so the policy plots and temptations of Satan our arch-enemy cannot yea his charges and most spiteful accusations shall not The great designe of the devil is to destroy and devour souls his own condition being most miserable he at once envies all those who are not in the same condition and attempts to make them so and when he fails in that attempt the destruction of souls yet he will not cease to attempt their molestation and to trouble those whom he cannot utterly devour Now as Satan cannot at all prevail in the former attempt the destroying of souls so he cannot wholly prevail in the latter the troubling of souls Hence that gallant challenge of the Apostle Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again c. As if he had said let all the enemies of our spiritual peace rise up and combine together they shall not be able to condemn that is wholly to discourage or disquiet the heart of a believer he having received his quietus est rest and peace from God in the justification of his person and the pardon of his sins Satan can do much and would do more if his chain were lengthned and he not restrained to the trouble and molestation of our souls there 's not a godly man living should rest an hour in quiet for him if he might have his wish or his will but because God gives quietness to some believers and will not have it so much as stirr'd therefore Satan cannot make any trouble at all in their souls but they live in the constant light of God's countenance and in
without discovering their rottenness yet at last their rottenness shall be discovered for as Solomon assureth us Eccles 12.14 God will bring every worke to Judgement and every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill Or as the Apostle hath it 1 Cor 4.5 He will discover the secrets of the heart and bring to light the hidden things of darknesse which what are they but the hypocriticall designings of men We say murder will out and 't is as true Hypocrisie will out The Lord many times brings it out to the shame of hypocrites in this life and he will bring it out to the confusion of all their faces in that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed Thirdly Take heed of this designing hypocrisie for as all who continue in it shall be discovered so usually they continue in it your plotting cunning hypocrites are very rarely converted Simple hypocrites in the notion toucht before are often converted all unconverted persons that make any profession in religion are hypocrites and many of them are simple ones they hope all is well with them and that they have grace though they have it not these are often converted but gross designing hypocrites of what rank or degree soever are rarely converted This is it which Christ said to the Pharisees Matth. 21.31 Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of heaven before you Publicans were the worst sort of men and harlots were the worst sort of women yet these repented and received the Gospel sooner then the hypocritical Pharisees The Evangelist made a like report of them Luke 7.29 30. All the people that is the common sort of people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him yea as Christ speaks in the next words they were piped to but they would not dance they were wept to but they would not mourn All those various dispensations of the Gospel were fruitless to them neither a more pleasing nor a more severe Ministery won any thing upon that generation of designing hypocrites Fourthly consider As hypocrites are hateful to God so God will deal with them accordingly he will for ever separate them from his presence and cast them out of his sight A hypocrite hath a double minde a divided heart he is not half enough for God indeed he is nothing at all for God and he is too much yea altogether for himself and therefore he shall have no hing at all of God not so much as a sight of him It is said in the 1â—th of Job The hypocrite shall not come before him Such as we hate we cannot endure they should come in our sight 'T is a sutable judgement that they who have so often come before God with false hearts and mocked him with a seeming desire of being in his presence should at last be thrust for ever out of his presence 'T is the portion of an hypocrite to have no portion in God of whom he hath made such a boasting profession When the worst of punishments is spoken of it is called the hypocrites portion Math 24.51 Give them their portion with hypocrites in the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Hypocrites are spoken of as if they were the free-holders of hell or as if all other sinners that shall goe to hell were but as inmates and they the grand tenants of hell Consider how miserable a thing it is to be an hypocrite if this be the portion of hypocrites to have no portion in God And as they shall not reigne at all in the glory of the next world so they are sometimes checkt saith the text from reigning in the glory of this world That the hypocrite reigne not Reigning as was shewed before being strictly taken is the exercise of supreame power and in a large sense may signifie the exercise of any power or a state of great prosperity Hence note Secondly Hypocrites are high minded and look after great things David was a king he reigned over Israel but it was not his owne ambition but the election of God and his anointing which brought him to the throne He could say of himselfe Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither doe I exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for me Though David was high in his person and state yet his spirit was not high nor was his spirit for high things only God placed him on high But here we see the hypocrite is climbing and getting to the top of the staires he is ascending even to the throne Hypocrites are proud of that nothing which they have and are in spiritualls and they would have all they would get high they would be highest in temporalls There are two lusts which usually reigne in hypocrites and both of them respect the world First The lust of covetousnesse which is an inordinate desire of getting and keeping the riches of this world The Pharisees all the Gospel over are taxed for hypocrites and when Christ had preached that parable of the unjust Steward concluding with this sentence Ye cannot serve God and Mammon The Evangelist telleth us Luke 16.14 The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him Covetousnesse and hypocrisie goe together They who have no true hungrings and thirstings after the things of heaven are most hungry and thirsty after earthly things We finde Job in the 27th Chapter of this Booke v. 8. speaking of the hypocrites gaine What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soule which implyeth that the hypocrite is a great aimer at worldly gaine The second predominant lust of the hypocrite is ambition or desire of getting to the upper end of the world Christ chargeth the hypocriticall Pharisees with this lust also Math 23.6 Mark 12.39 They love the uppermost roomes at feasts and the highest seats in the Synagogues They are all to be uppermost they must have the uppermost roomes at feasts and the highest seats in the Synagogue both in Civill and Church-meetings hypocrites affected superiority or Diotrephes-like to have the preheminence and which was another symptome of ambition they saith Christ love greetings in the market place and to be called Rabbi Rabbi which is a title of greatness and mastership Yea many hypocrites would not only have the uppermost seats at feasts and in the Synagogues but the very uppermost seats in Nations Common-wealths They sometimes affect to be the head who are worse then the tayle of all the people There are hypocrites of all ranks and among all degrees of men some of low degree are in a very high degree of hypocrisie There are hypocrites in raggs and in russet there are hypocrites also in scarlet and in purple hypocrisie may reigne in and among those that reigne It is a maxime
chastisement also is not expresly in the original there it is only I have borne but because bearing must needs import that somewhat is borne as a burthen and seeing according unto the subject matter that Elihu is upon with Job it must referre to some affliction or chastisement laid upon him therefore we fitly supply this word chastisement It is to be sayd unto God I have borne what it cannot be meant of any outward corporall burthen or visible loade layd upon his back but I have borne chastisement affliction or correction It is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement that is I both have and will beare whatsoever thou hast or shalt be pleased to lay upon me I will not dispute thy burthens but take them up So then this first part of the verse is a direction ministred to Job shewing him how to behave himselfe in the bearing of affliction He must not strive or struggle with them nor with God about them but sustaine them And this direction is not peculiar to Job's person or to his case alone but it belongs to all that are in affliction let their case be what it will all such ought to beare quietly or patiently to abide under the burthen which God layeth upon them I shall not stay upon the opening of the speciall signification of that word chastisement because it is not in the Hebrew text only thus chastisements are usually taken for those afflictions or afflicting providences which God layeth upon his owne children he layeth judgements upon the wicked and punishments upon the ungodly but properly and strictly that which falls upon his owne people is called chastisement For though in Scripture there are dispensations of God towards his owne people spoken of under the notion of judgement yet they have not a proper sense of judgement as proceeding from wrath and intended for revenge Wrath is the spring from whence judgements flow and as to their issue they tend to the satisfaction of Justice This God doth not expect at the hands of his owne children and therefore their afflictions are most properly called chastisements Surely it is meete to be sayd unto God I have borne chastisement Hence note It is our duty when the hand of God is upon us or when we are under chastisements to speake humbly meekly and submissively to God We ought alwayes to be humble and carry it humbly towards God but then especially when God by any afflicting providence is humbling us The Prophet Hos 14.2 calling that people to returne unto the Lord adviseth thus Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips As Elihu here makes a kinde of directory what a person in affliction should say unto God It is meete to say unto God that is for a man in thy case to say thus unto God so that Prophet by the Spirit saith Take unto you words and turne to the Lord and say or speake thus unto him though not strictly syllabically in so many words yet to this sence and purpose or according to this tenour speak thus Take away iniquity and receive us graciously And when the Prophet saith Take unto you words his meaning is not that they should affectedly study a forme of words for God much lesse that they should artificially counterfeit words which their hearts had not conceived or were not correspondent to their hearts many speake words even to God which never come neare but are meere strangers to the intents of their hearts but sincere words humble words words of supplication not expostulating words not quarrelling words not murmuring words not meere complaining words but take to you words of confession and submission and so present your selves and your condition before the Lord. The Preacher Eccles 12.10 sought to finde out acceptable words and so should we when we speake unto men Preachers of the word should seeke to finde out acceptable words not fine words not swelling words of vanity not slattering soothing words but acceptable words that is such as may finde easie passage into the heart or such words as may make their passage into the heart through the power of the Spirit of God Now if the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words when he spake to the people much more should we when we speak to God O how should we labour then to finde out acceptable words All words are not fit to be spoken unto God the words that are in such cases as the text speakes of may be reduced to these two heads First They must be God justifying words that is words by which we acquit the Justice of God how sore and how heavy soever his hand is upon us When Daniel Chap 9.7 14. was laying before the Lord the calamitous state of that people they were under as sore judgements as ever nation was For under the whole heavens saith he there hath not been done as God hath done unto Jerusalem yet all the words he spake unto God tended unto the justification of God O Lord said he righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem c. We have not had one stroake more then we have deserved there hath not been a grain of weight more in our burthen then we have brought upon our selves there hath not been a drop in our cup more then we have given just cause for Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice these are words fit to be spoken unto God Secondly We are to take to our selves self-condemning self-abasing self-emptying words Such we finde in that chapter v. 5 6 7. To us belong shame and confusion of face c. these are the words we should take to our selves and thus it is meet to be said unto God whensoever his chastisements are upon us Secondly Observe It is our duty to acknowledge it to God that he hath chastened us when he hath We must own his hand in afflicting us as much as in prospering us in casting us down as much as in lifting us up in wounding us as much as in healing us It is meet to be said unto God we have born chastisement thy hand hath been upon us The neglect of or rather obstinacy against this is charged as a great sin Isa 26.17 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see that is they will not acknowledge thy most eminent appearances in anger against them 'T is so with many at this day though there be a hand of God as it were visibly afflicting their bodies and estates their children and families yet they will not see that it is a hand of God but say as the Philistines it is a chance or it is our ill fortune
it is from the negligence of this man or from the malice of that other man All this while there is no acknowledgement of the hand of God They say not with Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord nor with David Psal 39.9 10. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Remove thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand It is as much our duty and for the glory of God to confess that our afflictions are of God as our mercies and favours Thirdly Observe The chastenings of God must be born they must be endured Many are chastised who cannot say they have born chastisements It 's an ordinary thing to be under chastisement but it s a great thing and requires much holy skill and spiritualness to bear a chastisement the duty of a Christian lies most in two points First in doing or in active obedience Secondly in suffering or in passive obedience and there is as much of God as much of grace as much of holiness yea I may say much more held out in bearing and in suffering then there is in acting or in doing But you will say what is it to bear that you make it so difficult a matter to bear chastisements How must chastisements be born or what is it to bear them I will answer the question under two heads First Negatively To bear chastisement is not First meerly to finde or feel it upon our shoulders as a burthen which pincheth or presseth us so a beast may bear Secondly it is not a bearing meerly because we cannot help it or be rid of our burden for so the worst of men may bear they bear the greatest burthens that God layeth upon them because they cannot avoid them nor ease themselves of them Thirdly It is not a bearing stoutly or slightingly to make nothing of it so proud men bear men of unsubdued spirits unto God and his word regard not what they bear nor what God doth to them Fourthly It is not a bearing them sowrly or sullenly for so discontented persons bear yea so the devil beareth the burthen which the hand of God hath laid upon him Fifthly Nor is it a bearing chastisement faintly or dispondingly so weak believers bear To bear and faint is not the bearing of faith Neither of these are the bearing of chastisement which Elihu intends in this counsel when he saith It is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisment Thus ye see the Negative what the bearing of it is not Secondly I answer affirmatively To bear a chastisement as an act or work of grace is First to bear it sensibly that is feeling the weight of the hand of God and tasting the bitterness of that cup of sorrow which he giveth us to drink Secondly 'T is a bearing of it submittingly humbly patiently laying our selves down at the foot of God and saying as Eli did Let him do what seemeth him good or as David 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him We never bear any evil of affliction well till we can say with a sweet resignation of our selves to God do with us what seemeth to thee good And for our encouragement I may say nothing can hurt a godly man which seemeth good to God Thirdly 'T is a contentful bearing or a bearing contentedly Thus Christ spake Psal 40. and 't is cited by the Apostle Heb. 10. Lo I come to do thy will I am content to do it what was that It was to bear or suffer the greatest part of what Christ was to do was to bear or suffer the chastisement of our peace Isa 53.5 and in suffering to be made a sacrifice for us his contentment to do the will of God was a contentment to suffer Of such a spirit should the people of God be bearing chastisement not only patiently but contentedly this is hard but this cannot be left out in the full exercise of that grace Fourthly 'T is to bear it more then contentedly willingly how free was Christ to bear when he said John 18.11 The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drink it Surely I will I am willing to drink it though it be a bitter cup. We are not to will our sufferings but to suffer them willingly there is a vast difference between these two I do not say we are to will our sufferings but we are to suffer them willingly we must suffer what and how and when and how long God will and when God willeth our sufferings we must suffer with our wills or be willing to suffer Fifthly To bear chastisement in the sence here intended is not only to bear it with our will but with our affections not only willingly but acceptably and embracingly 't is to say welcome cross because it is the will of God There is no chastisement that we can rejoyce in or have any affection to considered in it self but to bear chastisement in contemplation of the will of God should work our hearts to an accepting to an embracing to a welcoming of it we should say to all our sufferings welcome by the will of God Sixthly 'T is to bear it prayerfully we must bear silently in opposition to complaining but we must not bear silently in opposition to praying While chastisement is upon our backs supplications must be in our mouths and we must pray first That we may see the reason why or for what cause God chasteneth us Secondly We must pray that we may answer the ends which God aimeth at in chastening us Thirdly That we may have fresh power to bear his chastenings Fourthly That God would be pleased to remove our chastenings While we bear chastenings we may pray and pray hard that God would take them away David had no sooner said I opened not my mouth that is complainingly because thou didst it Psal 39.9 but presently he opened his mouth in prayer vers 10. Remove thy stroke away from me While we bear our cross patiently and willingly it would be our sin not to pray for deliverance from it To say I am under a chastisement and let the Lord keep it upon me as long as he will I will never ask him to take it off were a most unbecoming frame of spirit They that bear affliction most cheerfully should pray most earnestly to be eased of it we must be willing to bear them alwayes yet we must pray that we may not bear them long If a childe under the rod of a parent should not say pray father stay your hand it is enough but let him go on striking and never intimate a desire of his forbearance this were a signe of stubbornness not of patience and submission 'T is as bad not to ask release from our troubles as to murmure at them or to be unquiet under them Remember then you must be as much in the exercise of prayer as of patience under the cross and that in these four
destruction Every mouth must be stopped and all the world become guilty before God upon that account Rom. 3.19 yet God doth not destroy And that he hath no content in destroying he bindes it with an Oath Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked c. as if he had said I am not bent upon your destruction I had rather be taken off and save you I pardon I will not destroy If any shall say Hath God no pleasure in destruction Hath he not a will to destroy as well as to save I answer God hath pleasure in destroying but it is in the destruction of those who obstinately resist his Will who refuse both his counsel and his Covenant to such indeed he saith Prov. 1.26 I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear that is the thing you feared cometh as desolation c. That the men in whose calamity God laugheth are such is evident by the character given of them at the 25th verse Ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof As if God had said you have laughed at my counsel therefore I will laugh at your calamity The Lord will declare himself delighted in their destruction who have despised instruction and he will glorifie himself in the actings of his Justice upon them who have slighted and put by the tenders and entreaties of his mercy Yet still God declareth himself more pleased in acting and putting forth his saving power then his destroying power The Prophet Hos 11.8 9. most pathetically represents as it were a debate in the breast of God himself between his Justice and his Mercy How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together v. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim We see after the debate the Lord determines for sparing not for destroying So then though he can and will not only destroy but laugh at the destruction of obstinate sinners yet he loves to spare rather then to destroy Thirdly From the connexion of these two pardoning and sparing mercy God saith first I pardon and then secondly I will not destroy who are they whom God will not destroy they are are such as he pardons Hence Note Pardoned persons shall never be destroyed As soon as Nathan had said to David the Lord hath put away thy sin the very next word is this thou shalt not dye 2 Sam. 12.13 if Davids sin had not been pardoned Daved must have dyed for it 'T is a Logical Maxime When the Cause is taken away Sublata causa collitur effectus the Effect is taken away Sin is the cause of destruction therefore when God takes away sin which is the cause destruction the effect must needs be taken away too pardon destroyeth sin therefore how can they that are pardoned be destroyed Pardon swallows up sin As the Apostle speaks of life 2 Cor. 5.4 That mortality might be swallowed up of life Here mortality swallows up our lives by degrees but hereafter mortality shall be swallowed up at once of life Now as life shall then swallow up mortality so pardon at present swalloweth up sin for as in our glorified state there shall never any thing of mortality appear so in a pardon'd estate nothing of sin shall appear as to hurt us Sin pardoned cannot be found Jer. 50.20 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Jacob shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found why not The Lord answers for I will pardon them whom I reserve And if their sins shall not be found surely they shall not be found guilty and therefore not destroyed God may chasten them whom he hath pardoned but he will not destroy those whom he hath pardon'd pardoned persons may smart and smart greatly for sin but they shall not dye eternally for it they shall not be destroyed for it David was pardoned yet God told him the sword shall never depart from thy house and the Lord told him particularly of a sore destruction upon a part of his house presently because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme thou being a Professor hast opened the mouths of the wicked against profession therefore though thou shalt not dye yet the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye There are two things which the pardon of sin takes away First the power or reigne of sin where-ever sin is pardoned the strength of it is subdued God doth not pardon sin as Princes do they may pardon an evil doer and yet he still remain as evil and as ready to do evil as ever they may pardon a thief and yet he continue to be a thief still but if God pardons a drunkard an adulterer or a thief he doth not remain a drunkard or an adulterer or a thief still God takes away the power of that sin which he pardoneth Secondly The pardon of sin takes away the punishment of sin it may leave some chastisement but it wholly takes away the punishment The Popish doctrine saith the fault is taken away by pardon but there is a commutation of the punishment eternal punishment is changed into temporal either in this life or that to come hence their doctrines of Purgatory and of Prayer for the dead c. all which stuffe comes in upon this account They cast all men into three sorts some are Apostles and Martyrs men very eminently godly and they go immediately to heaven there are another sort and these are Apostates from or persecuters of the faith notorious sinners these go immediately to hell there are a third or middle sort of ordinary sinners and they go immediately after death neither to heaven nor hell but to Purgatory where they must bear the punishment of their sins till they can be prayed out Christ hath only got so much favour for them say they to change their eternal punishment into a temporal The grace of the Gospel knows nothing of this Doctrine that tells us when sin is pardoned all is pardoned both guilt and punishment both temporal and eternal nothing remains but only chastisement how sorely soever a believer suffers in this life yet strictly taken it is but a chastisement and there remaineth nothing for him to suffer in the life which is to come And if so then Pardon of sin is a precious mercy 'T is so First Because it proceeds from the precious mercies of God Secondly Because it comes thorow the precious blood of Christ Col. 1.14 Thirdly Because it opens a door to all precious mercies as sin unpardoned with-holds all good things from us Jer. 5.25 so sin pardoned opens the door for all mercy
and messengers of his word with his Spirit he will impower them from on high and so we shall learn his Statutes and understand his wayes David ascribes even his skill in Military affairs to Gods teaching Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hand◠to war and my fingers to fight God only teacheth a man powerfully to be a good Souldier Surely then it is God only who teacheth us to be good Christians to be Believers to be holy He hath his seat in heaven who teacheth hearts on earth Secondly As these words hold out to us the temper of an humble sinner Note A gracious humble soul is teachable or is willing to be taught As it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel to be apt to teach that 's their special gift or characteristical property so 't is the peoples duty and grace to be apt to be taught to be willing to be led and instructed naturally we are unteachable and untractable As we know nothing of God savingly by nature so we are not willing to know we would sit down in our ignorance or at most in a form of knowledge To be willing to learn is the first or rather the second step to learning The first is a sight of our ignorance and the second a readiness to be taught and entertain the means of knowledge Thirdly The words being the form of a Prayer Note It is our duty to entreat the Lord earnestly that he would teach us what we know not It is a great favour and a mercy that God will teach us that he will be our master our Tutor Now as we are to ask and pray for every mercy so for this that God would vouchsafe to be our Teacher Psal 25.4 5. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Lead me in thy truth and teach me David spake it twice in prayer Lead me and Teach me Lead me on in the truth which I know and teach me the truths which I know not So he prayeth again Psal 119.26 Teach me thy Statutes make me to understand the way of thy precepts David was convinced that he could not understand the Statutes of God unless God would be his Teacher though he could read the Statutes of God and understand the language of them yet he did not understand the Spirit of them till he was taught and taught of God and therefore he prayed so earnestly once and again for his teaching When Philip put that question to the Eunuch Acts 8.30 Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He said how can I except some man should guide me Or unless I am taught Though we read the Statutes of God and read them every day yet we shall know little unless the Lord teach us Solomon made it his request for all Israel at the solemn Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.37 Teach them the good way wherein they should walk God who is our Commander is also our Counseller Fourthly From the special matter wherein this penitent person would be taught which is plain from part of the latter verse If I have done iniquity Note A gracious heart is willing to know and see the worst of himself He would have God teach him what iniquity he hath done David was often upon that prayer Psal 139.24 Search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any wicked way in me Lord shew me my sin as I would not conceal my sin from thee so I would not have my sin concealed from my self A carnal man who lives in sin though possibly he may pray for knowledge in some things and would be a knowing man yet he hath no minde that either God or man should shew him his sin He loves not to see the worst of himself his dark part he as little loves to see his sin as to have it seen But a godly man never thinks he seeth his sin enough how little soever he sins he thinks he sins too much that 's the general bent of a gracious mans heart and how much soever he sees his sin he thinks he sees it too little And therefore as he tells God what he knows of his sin so he would have God tell him that of his sin which he doth not know That which I know not teach thou me If I have done iniquity I will do no more There are two special parts of repentance First Confession of sin whether known or unknown This we have in the former part of the verse That which I see not teach thou me There is the confession of sin even of unknown sin The second part of repentance is reformation or amendment a turning from sin a forsaking of that iniquity which we desire God would shew us we have this second part of repentance in this latter part of the verse If I have done iniquity I will do no more But why doth he say If I have c. Had he any any doubt whether he had done iniquity or no every man must confess down right that he hath sinned and done iniquity without ifs or an's Solomon having made such a supposition in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.46 If they sin against thee presently puts it into this position for there is no man that sinneth not The Apostle concludes 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Therefore this If I have done iniquity is not to be understood as if this or that man as if he or any man might be without sin but when the penitent is brought in saying If I have done iniquity h◠meaning is First What ever iniquity I have done I am willing to leave it to abandon it I will do so no more Secondly Thus If I have done iniquity that is if I have done any great iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perverse agere if I have acted perverseness or perversly as the word signifieth I will do so no more to do iniquity is more then barely to sin As if he had said though I cannot promise that I will sin no more yet Lord if thou dost discover to me any iniquity any gross sin or perversenesse I will do that no more I will engage my self against that sin with all my might and to the utmost of my power by grace received I will keep my self pure from every sin If I have done iniquity Hence Note First A godly man hath a gracious suspition of himself that he hath done evil yea some great evil that he hath done amiss yea greatly amiss though he be not able to charge himself with this or that particular iniquity He knoweth he hath sinned done evil though he knoweth not every evil he hath done nor how sinfully he may have sinned he doubts it may be worse with him then he seeth Possibly he hath done iniquity Job in reference to his children chap. 1.5 had an holy suspition that in their feasting
heare and consider the matter let them speake their minds we should not leane to nor rely upon our owne understanding in the things which concerne our selves only much lesse in those wherein others are concerned more then our selves Eyes see more then an eye And though it be an argument of too much weakness to see with other mens eyes yet it is an argument of much goodness and humility to call in the helpe of other mens eyes Secondly Note The more wise men agree in any matter the greater is the Conviction One man may speak to Conviction but if many speak the same it is a very strong Conviction Many I confesse may center and agree in a wrong Judgement yet we ought to have a reverend esteeme of and not easily differ from that Judgement wherein many wise and understanding men agree Christ speaking of Church-proceedings and censures saith Math 18.19 If two of you who constitute the least number much more if a greater number of godly wise men shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them c. So still the more wise holy and learned men agree in any poynt the greater is our conviction and the stronger our obligation to submit to it He that doth not heare a single brother his fault is great much more if he heare not two or three most of all when he doth not heare the Church speaking to him and testifying against him in the name of Jesus Christ Thirdly Elihu having made a long discourse appeal's to wise men Hence note He that believeth he hath spoken truth is not afraid to have it considered by those who are best able to judge what is true Truth feares not any test or tryall He that offers pure gold and silver cares not who toucheth it or takes the Assay Wisdome is sure enough to be justified of her children They who understand truth and love it can doe nothing against the truth but for it Fourthly Elihu having discoursed long is willing to referre it to men and to let them judge of it Hence note He that hath spoken truth in his uprightness hath reason to believe that he shall have the Consent of the upright with him There is a samenesse of spirit in all wise and godly men for the maine and for the most part it is so in particulars If a godly man conscienciously judge such an opinion to be truth he may be much assured that other wise and godly men will be of his opinion too He dares say as Elihu Let wise men hearken unto me Fifthly and lastly In that Elihu makes his appeal to wise men to men of heart Note All men are not fit to give their Judgement in a case All are not Competent Judges nor prepared to give an opinion and if they doe 't is not much to be regarded wise men specially godly wise men men of a holy understanding are the men whose judgement and opinion is to be regarded Elihu having bespoken the thoughts and opinion of wise men seemes to give his owne in the next words Vers 35. Job hath spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdome When Elihu had offered it to the Consideration of wise and understanding men whether Job had spoken right about that great poynt Submission to the absolute Soveraignty of God he forbare not first and plainly to declare his owne understanding of it Job hath spoken without knowledge The Hebrew is not in knowledge or not knowingly that is ignorantly foolishly a very high charge Job hath spoken without knowledge yet we are not to understand it as if Elihu thought Job an Ignorant or an unknowing man he could not but know otherwise but as to this particular case he reports him as a man that had spoken without knowledge and declared himselfe both beside his duty and the rule Hence note They who are very wise and knowing in many things yet may be out in some The best of men are not perfect either in grace or knowledge We may know much and yet come short in what we ought to know A man may speak some things very understandingly and yet speak other things very erroneously A Job may be out sometimes Job hath spoken without knowledge And his words were without wisdome When the Lord comes to decide this great Controversie in the last Chapter of this Book he tells Job's three friends that their words had not been right as the words of Job and yet here Elihu saith Job's words were without wisdome or not in wisdome When God said the words of Job were right we may understand it that they were so according to their general tenour or they were so comparatively to what his friends Eliphaz Zophar and Bildad had said in his case or at least his last wo ds after God had throughly convinced and humbled him were so though in many things he had fayled in speech or spoken those things which were not right before Yet here Elihu spake truth while he sayd his words were without wisdome in the speciall poynt he had to doe with him about and so much Job himselfe acknowledged I have spoken once yea twice but I will speak no more I will no more set my wisdome against the wisdome of God nor presume to have things goe according to my mind let God doe what he will with me hereafter Consider how well this good man tooke the plain-dealing of Elihu It might be expected that Job would quickly have risen up in passion especially when he heard himselfe thus urged But being convinced with what Elihu spake he gave him not a word much lesse an angry word Hence note A good man where he is faulty will heare reproofe with patience A gracious heart will soone be angry with himselfe for speaking or doing amisse but he can take it well to heare himselfe reproved when he hath indeed either spoken or done amisse Nor are there many greater and clearer arguments of a gracious heart then this To beare a reproofe wel is a high poynt of commendation Grace may be shewed as eminently by our patience when we are rebuked for doing that which is evill as by our forwardness and zeale in doing that which is good When Nathan the Prophet applyed the parable home to David after he had not only committed but continued long impenitently in his grievous sins of adultery and murder telling him to his face Thou art the man 2 Sam 12.7 and not only telling him so but at once upbrayding him with all the former benefits and kindnesses of God to him threatning him with many dreadfull future judgements v. 8 9 10 11 12. when I say he was thus sharply dealt with it might have been feared that this Great king would have risen up in passion and roared like a fierce Lyon upon the Prophet yet we heare nothing from him but words of sorrowfull confession and humble submission v. 13. I have sinned against the Lord. The boldnesse
up to Satan or a putting him into the very power of the devill for a time 1 Cor 5.4 5. it is the end or designe which makes this lawfull our business in the ministry and in all Church-administrations is to put soules out of the power of Satan to rescue them out of the hand of the devill to recover those that are led Captive by him at his will yet saith the Apostle Deliver such a one unto Satan put him into the devills hands for what end For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This makes the prayer or act of the Church lawfull because the intendment is the destroying of that which ought to be destroyed or to destroy that in man which will be the destruction of man his flesh his lust his pride his covetousnesse his wantonness For the destruction of this flesh deliver him to Satan that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thus we may pray and wish for affliction upon others but 't is a prayer which must be managed with a great deale of caution lest our prayers to God in that kinde be found ill wishes to men That which Elihu had in his thoughts when he desired Job might be tryed to the very end was that he might be prevented from going on in the way wherein he was to the end Yea I conceive a man may pray for afflictions upon himselfe rather then he should goe on in a course of sin or when he findes that other wayes and means which God hath used with him have not been effectuall to subdue his corrupt heart to mortifie his lusts and to bring him off from a course of sin but that as it is sayd in the next verse he is in danger of adding rebellion to his sin A godly man had much rather that God should make him poore sicke weake and nothing in this world then let his corruptions have dominion over him He desires rather God should take the world quite out of his hand the◠that the world should get into his heart or be as fuel to feed and enflame his lusts Thus Elihu desired that Job might be tryed Bono ipsius optat hoc non odio aut malevolentia Drusi because tryalls by affliction are for our purging refining and bettering Love was the roote of this wish nor hatred or ill will Let Job be tryed to the end Why we may take the latter part of the verse for a reason why as wel as for the matter about which he would have him tryed Because of his answers for wicked men Propter responsiones communes cum hominibus improbis Bez Tanquam unus è numero virorum vanorum Pisc Let him be tryed concerning those words which he hath spoken in common with or after the manner of vaine men He hath spoken words wherein he seemes to comply with wicked men to say as they say to consent with them and to be of their opinion this was charged upon him directly by Elihu at the 8th verse of this Chapter What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men that is though Job in his conversation or carriage of his life hath not yet in this discourse he hath strengthened the hands of wicked men or confirmed them in their opinion speaking so much of the heavy pressures of God upon him and desiring to often to come to a hearing as if he had some wrong done him We are not to understand these words of Elihu Because of his answers for wicked men As if he charged Job to doe so directly or as if he had formally taken upon him to plead or advocate the cause of wicked men we are not I say to understand him so grossly nor had it been true to say that Job opened his mouth or spake thus for wicked men but his meaning is he hath spoken such things as in common apprehension seeme to comply with the opinions of wicked men or with the speeches which they use when they are like him in a troubled condition Or againe Because of his answers for wicked men that is that he may acknowledge the answers he hath given are not such as doe become a godly man but rather savour of such a spirit as unbroken proud persons hold forth in the time of their affliction who are never pleased with but alwayes complaining at divine dispensations Lastly These words Because of his answers for wicked men may possibly have this sence Because he hath spoken such things as may serve the turne of wicked men for answers or as if he would instruct them what to answer when at any time they are under the hand of God He may be sayd to answer for another man who any way prompts him how or what to answer And while a good man speakes amisse in any case he teacheth yea and encourageth bad men to speake so too Yet I rather incline to the first interpretation that Elihu would have Job tryed because his answers were such as it might be judged he had taken wicked men for his patterne in giving them and not as if in them he had given a patterne to wicked men Hence note First A good man may sometimes act the part of a wicked man or he may speak like wicked men as if he were one of them Though his state be as different from the state of wicked men as light is from darknesse or as sweet from soure or white from black yet as to some actions or speeches he may beare a resemblance to them Good men and bad men doe as I may say enter-common in many things a wicked man whose heart is nought who is yet in an unregenerate estate for I meane not by a wicked man him only that is flagitious a murderer a whoremonger a drunkard but a wicked man is any one that is unregenerate whose heart is not yet changed Now I say a wicked man may speak and doe many things like a godly man he may heare the word and pray and performe outward duties which are like and are take them materially the same which godly men performe Thus he enter-commons with godly men and this is the case of all hypocrites who make a pretence of religion when they have no acquaintance with the power of it And thus through temptation and in some very burthensome afflictions a godly man may speak as a wicked man such hasty rash provoking speeches may passe from him as proceed from the ungodly only here is the difference those evill speeches or actions proceed from the state of the one and only from the temptation of the other Secondly From the phrase or forme of speech in which the originall expresseth wicked men The words are Men of wickedness or iniquity As if it had been sayd the worst of wicked men This shews us what man naturally is he is a
man of wickedness nothing but wickedness altogether wicked The Lord looking downe from heaven upon all the children of men in a state of natureâ— sayd There is not one that doth good no not one Take any wicked man he hath no good in him no not one good thought in him he is a man of Iniquity he is meere wickedness till he be changed till his heart be broken by Godly sorrow till he be united unto Christ by faith and through the Spirit I know this expression is used severall times in Scripture to note those men who are sinners of the first forme being not only sinners in their state but in the highest degree of activity Thus Antichrist is called The man of sin 2 Thes 2. And when the Prophet saith Isa 55.7 Let the man of iniquity turne from his evill way he meanes the worst of men Yet this is a truth every man in an unconverted estate is a man of iniquity he hath no goodness nothing of God in him he bears only the Image and impresse of the devill upon him Christ told the Pharisees who were high in reputation with the world for good men John 8.44 Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe The naturall man is so sinfull that he is meerly sin And sometimes a godly man speakes and doth as if he were so too Job spake like men of Iniquity Elihu proceedeth more fully to declare both the reason why he would have Job further tryed and likewise what he meant by his answers for wicked men Vers 37. For he addeth rebellion or trespass to his sin Nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligitur peccatum ex errore commissum Nomine vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scelus propriè rebellio Here are two words sin and rebellion the first which we render sin signifies sin in common the least transgression of the Law it is sin the least vaine thought of the heart the least idle word of the tongue is sin but every sin is not rebellion that hath many speciall markes or brands rather upon it To rebell is to sin with a high hand to rebell is to sin with a stiff neck to rebell is to sin with obstinacy and resolvedness of will he addeth rebellion to his sin But did Job rebell indeed I conceive the rebellion which Elihu chargeth Job with is not rebellion in a strict but in a qualified and comparative sense As if he had said Job sinned before but now his sin is heightened we see him now in words rising up against God complaining of his justice or as if he had dealt unjustly with him What he did in the time of his prosperity those slips falls which he had then weighed nothing as laid in the ballance with the intemperate speeches which he hath uttered in the day of his trouble He addeth rebellion unto his sin So we render as respecting what he was and had done before Others render it potentially not indicatively Let Job be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men for otherwise he may adde rebellion to his sin we know not whether his corruptions may carry him if suffered to goe onne This is a more favourable reading of the text not as a charge of naturall but feared rebellion against God As if he had sayd I see the mans spirit is so entangled that if he be not well and wisely dealt with possibly he may come to adde even rebellion unto his sin and whereas he sinned before out of ignorance or imprudence he may shortly sin out of contumacy and perverseness Hence Note First There are sins of severall degrees Every man sinneth he that saith he hath no sin or doth not sin there is no truth in him 1 John 1.8 But every mans sin is not rebellion every man doth not rise up to that height and degree of sinning If any shall enquire when is a mans sin rebellion I answer First That mans sin grows to be rebellion whose will is much in it He that will sin rebells The Apostle Paul saith Rom 7.19 The evill which I would not that I doe This is the case of every godly man at his best he doth those evills which he would not this is not rebellion because the will of a godly man is changed and turned off from sin he can say the evill which I would not doe that doe I. Rebellion is the doing of that evill which we would Secondly In rebellion or in rebellious acts of sin there is much of the understanding as well as of the will that is a man seeth cleerely what he doth is sin or that the rule is against him to rebell is to sin against the light It is sayd in the 24th Chapter of this booke The wicked are of them that rebell against the light that is they cannot abide the light he means it there of the naturall light the adulterer and the thiefe cannot indure Sun or day-light it is much more true of mysticall light if he hath any light of knowledge he resists and rebells against it It s great rebellion to resist the receiving of light offered but 't is greater rebellion to resist light received sins against knowledge are rebellious sins Thirdly A rebellious sin is a sin against reproofe admonition and warning when we have been often told of such a sin and admonished of such an evill course and yet we will goe on in it here is rebellion such a man hath not only light in his understanding that what he doth is sinfull but this light hath been brought home to him and wrought upon him by reproofe counsell and admonition here is still greater rebellion Therefore in the proceeding of the Church spoken of Math 18. when an offending brother hath been reproved and told of his fault first in pâ—ivate by a particular brother then by two or three then by the whole Church if after all these admonitions and reproofes he doth not repent he is to be cast out as a rebel and accounted as a heathen or a publican Lastly As 't is rebellion when we sin as against the reproofes of man so against the providences of God and those of two sorts First When we sin against the favourable providences of God I meane those which are outward when God bestows many mercies and comforts upon us when he gives us health and riches in the world and fullnesse of all things then to sin against him is rebellion Deut 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked and rebelled against the Lord and lightly regarded the rock of his salvation When we have received many and great mercies then to grow vaine and wanton and nourish our selves as in the day of slaughter this is rebellion against God Secondly When the providences of God have broken us by this evill or that evill when we are broken in our estates broken in our names broken in our relations broken with sickness after sickness and yet persist in
there is store of sin in the multitude of words They that will be speaking much slip much Job saith he multiplyeth words against God There is a multiplying of words against God two wayes First directly Secondly by way of reflection or rebound Elihu could not say Job had spoken nor could he presume he would speak one word much lesse multiply words against God directly He knew Job was a godly man but he asserts he had or feared he might multiply words against God reflectively that is speak such words as might cast dishonour upon God such words as God might take very ill at his hands and interpret as spoken against himselfe Hence note They who speake unduely of the wayes and proceedings of God with them in this world speake against God himselfe The business of Elihu in all this discourse was to hold forth the evill frame of Jobs heart signified by the intemperance of his language under the dealings of God God had afflicted and chastned Job he had multiplyed wounds upon him and Job in the heate of his spirit and bitterness of his soule making many complaints about the workings of God with him is charged with multiplying words against God We may speak against God before we are aware yea we may speake many words against God when we thinke we have not spoke one word against him While we speake impatiently of the proceedings of God in the world and murmur at his dispensations to our families or persons what doe we but multiply words against God we speake much for our selves to God yea I may say we highly commend our selves to God when we submit to his doings and say nothing but in a silent admiration adore his dealings and waite for a good issue of them Aaron proclaimed both his humility and his faith in holding his peace when the Lord slew his two sons Nadab and Abihu strangely with fire for offering strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not Lev 10.1 2 3. But how many are there who proclaime their pride and unbeliefe by not being able to hold their peace under the afflicting hand of God when his hand scarce toucheth them or when he doth but lay the weight of his little finger upon them in comparison of that heavy stroake which fell upon Aaron We are in much danger of sinning when at any time we speake many words or as Elihu speaketh multiply words he is a rare man that speaketh many words and but some amiss Now if to multiply words at any time even when we are most composed exposeth us to error in our words how much more when our tongues utter many words in the bitterness and discomposure of our spirits And as to speak amisse in any matter is to sâ—n against God so to speak much amisse of our sufferings or of the severest providences of God towards us is to speak much or to multiply words though nor intentionally yet really and indeed against God O then forbeare this multiplication of words lest you multiply sins Speak but little unlesse in the praise of God take heed how you speak of what God is doing to others or doing to your selves Let your words be few and let them be weighed for God will weigh your words and you may heare from him in blowes what he heareth from you in words 'T is a dangerous thing to be found speaking words against God yet this may be the case of a good man whose heart is with God and whose heart is for God even while he hath a general bent of heart to lay himselfe out in speaking and doing for God he through passion and temptation may be found speaking against God What we speake discontentedly of the wayes or works of God is a multiplying of words against God himselfe Thus I have given out and finished my thoughts upon the Preface which Elihu made to lead in his discourse with Job as also upon two stages of his discourse with him Job sits silent and answers him not a word which Elihu perceiving takes liberty to urge him further with two distinct discourses more contained in the three Chapters following which if the Lord give life and leave may be opened and offered to the readers use and acceptance in convenient season A TABLE Directing to some speciall Points noted in the precedent EXPOSITIONS A ABraham a threefold gradation in his name 13 Acceptance with God is our highest priviledge 429 Accepting of persons wherein the sinfullness of it is 119 120. To accept persons in prejudice to the truth is a high offence 121. Some speciall wayes wherein we run into this sin 124 125. 630. God is no accepter of persons 631 Account God giveth no account to man 253. All men must give an account to God 254. 322. God will call all men to account 664 Accusations not to be taken up hastily or meerely by heare-say 195 196 Addition of sin to sin proper to the wicked 828. It is very dangerous to make such additions 830 Adversity a night 688 Affliction must not be added to the afflicted 90. The afflictions of some men more eminently from the hand of God 91. These afflictions which are most eminently from God seeme to beare the greatest witness of the sinfullness of man 91. Foure grounds of it 92. Yet it is no concluding argument 93. Godly men most afflicted seven ends God hath in afflicting them 93 94. What use we should make of it when we see godly men much afflicted 94. In affliction it is better be found bewayling our sin then reporting our innocency 208. We hardly keepe good thoughts of God when we are afflicted and suffer hard things 223. Afflictions put a double restraint upon us 224. How affliction carrieth in it matter of disgrace 225. God speaks to us by affliction 340. Nine designes of God in afflicting man 343 344. Times of affliction must be times of confession 450. Afflictions designed for the good of man 472. No pleading of our innocency or righteousness for our freedome from affliction 515 516. The Lord takes liberty to afflict them greatly whose sins are not great 529. We must not complaine of the greatness of our affliction how little soever our sins are 529. In affliction we should speake humbly and meekely to God 789. The hand of God must be acknowledged in our afflictions 791. Affliction or chastning must be born 791. What it is to beare affliction shewed many wayes 792 793. We must pray for the taking away of an affliction while we are willing to beare it 794. What it is to be exercised under affliction 796. The sin and danger of breaking out of an affliction 801. Who may be sayd to breake from or out of an affliction 801. Affliction tryeth us 852. How it may be lawfull to pray or wish for affliction to fall upon others 852 Alexander the Great his speech to a Souldier of his owne name 12 Amazement what 103 Anarchy the worst of national judgements 746 Angels good or bad
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.
to him spoken of in the former verse and the declaration of it in that word or warrant which went out from God to the messenger about his deliverance from going downe to the pit This mercy or recovery in the full extent of it hath a two-fold respect First to his body Secondly to his soule The mercy as it respects his body is layd downe in the 25th verse His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall returne as in the dayes of his youth The mercy which respects his soule or the state of his inward man is layd downe in the 26th verse He shall pray unto God and be will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto him his righteousness In this recovery of his soule-state we may further consider First the causes of it First The Instrumentall cause prayer He shall pray unto God Secondly The principall or efficient cause of it together with the first moving cause The kindness of God He will be favourable unto him Secondly The consequence of this his renewed soule-state He shall see his face with joy Thirdly The matter wherein this joyfull state doth consist in the close of the 26th verse For he will render to man his righteousness So much for the scope and parts of these two verses which shew the blessed issue which God gives this distressed and sick man from his afflictions and sorrowes Vers 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childes By flesh he meanes the naturall flesh of the body this flesh shall be fresh yea fresher and not only fresher then it was before he fell sick in his man-hood but then it was in his child-hood fresher then a childes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollitur recreatus fuit alibi quam hic non legitur Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod virentem significat ac vegetuÌ„ ut cap 8. 16. et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod syriacè significat crescere q. d. revirescet plantarum more et germinum Merc The word which we render comparatively fresher signifies to wax soft or tender 'T is no where read in the whole Bible but here Grammarians say it is compounded of an Hebrew word which signifies to be greene or flourishing Chap 8.16 and of a Syriack word which signifies to increase and grow as a plant we render it as noting the man mending apace as some sick men upon recovery doe in his strength and health He shall be fresh-coloured who before was pale and wan he shall be full-fleshed who before was fallen and leane so that when he saith His flesh shall be fresher then a childes 'T is an Elegant hyperbolical expression to shew his perfect recovery from that mortal sickness to health As if he had sayd God will restore him so that there shall be no scarr nor print no dregs nor appearance of his former disease seene upon him We know how tender and soft how delicate and faire the flesh of a little child is how sweete his countenance is how full of good blood his veines are how healthy and strong as to his time his whole body is Thus it shall be with this sick man His flesh shall be freshâ—r then a childes he shall be as if he were new-borne or entred a second time upon the stage of this world Our spirituall estate of renovation by Christ is set forth as a youthfull or child-like state as to the purity and perfection of it Eph 5.27 Christ shall present us to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing The Church hath her sin-spots and wrinckles now in her militancy but when Christ shall present the Church at last triumphantly to himselfe then as himselfe was ever without spot or wrinckle so shall the Church be Her flesh shall indeed be fresher then a childes being perfectly recovered out of her spirituall sickness Notat perfectissimum sanitatis modum qui nullum transacti morbi vestigium relinquit Mert And thus in proportion Elihu assures the penitent sick man that when his peace is renewed with God and his spirit set right for God his very flesh shall be without spot or wrinckle fresher then a childes The latter part of the verse beares the same sence He shall returne as in the dayes of his youth That is he shall not barely recover his health and get upon his leggs againe as we say he shall not meerely escape death and the grave but he shall have an addition of bodily ability he shall as it were be young againe As sickness makes a young man look old so recovery from sickness makes the old man look young That 's to returne to the dayes of his youth Hence Note First Bodily beauty health and strength are the Gift of God He gives them and takes them away at pleasure or having taken them away he can give them backe when he pleaseth He kills and he makes alive he bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up as Hannah sayd in her Song 1 Sam 2.6 How low soever a man is brought by sickness either proper or metaphoricall the Lord is able to rayse him up againe We read v. 21. in how pitifull a plight the sick man was how rather like a carkasse then a living man he lookt His flesh was consumed that it could not be seene and his bones which were not seene stood out as much as to say He was nothing but skin and bones yet when in that case all hopes were gone and all natural helps fayled it was no hard matter with God to cure him When the skill of the Physician and the vertue of medicines fayle the power of God fayleth not As it is in reference to those outward dangers and desperate exigents which we meete with in this world by enemies and persecutors when we look upon our selves as dead men when all hope of deliverance seems past gone then the Lord alwayes can and often doth deliver The Apostle gives us his experience of it 2 Cor 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves he spake not thus in regard of sickness but of trouble and persecution As if he had sayd The malice and wrath of our enemies was such that we thought we should never escape We had the sentence of death in our selves but providence suffered it to be so that we should not trust in our selves but in God who rayseth the dead As it is I say in such dangers so in dangerous deadly sicknesses when a poore creature hath the sentence of death in himselfe when he makes no other reckoning but to dye as good King Hezekiah sayd of himselfe in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lyon so will he breake all my bones from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me yet then as in his case so in many cases the Lord stretcheth forth a healing hand and takes the sick man up againe to continue in
the land of the living Secondly From the way of expressing this in allusion to a childe or a youth Note God he can quickly make the greatest changes in nature either for the better or for the worse He can turne youth into old age and old age into youth That is he can make a young or a healthy man weake as an old man and an old or sickly man strong as a young man and as it is with naturall so with politicall bodyes as with persons so with nations A nation that is flourishing in its youth heate strength and glory rich and full of peace and plenty God can bring an oldness upon it and cause it to decline every day The Prophet spake of the state of Israel in this notion Hos 7.9 Gray haires are here and there upon them and they perceive it not they thought ttemselves to be in a very youthfull flourishing condition as a state but the Lord brought gray haires that is they were decaying withering weakning and became a decrepid nation And when a nation is gray-hayred old and withered he can make it youthfull he can recover the honour and power of it and cause the dread of it to fall upon the neighbouring nations round about He turnes a land into a wilderness which before was as the Garden of God And he can change that land into a Garden of God which now is a desolate wildernes The unchangeable Lord is visible and glorious in all these changes The health and strength both of the body politick and naturall are at his dispose He can bring a decay upon what is built and repaire what is decayed whether in nations or persons When the earthly house of this Tabernacle is ready to drop downe into the grave and crumble into dust God by a word speaking repayreth it to as much beauty and strength as when the first stone being layd the top-stone was set up When Naaman had once submitted to and obeyed the Prophets counsell which at first he despised washed in Jorden His flesh saith the text 2 Kings 5.14 came againe like unto the flesh of a little childe The holy Psalmist charged his owne soule to praise the Lord and all that was within him to blesse his holy name Psal 103.1 5. Who had satisfied his mouth with good things so that his youth was renewed as the Eagle This renovation of his youth may be understood three wayes First as to his naturall state or bodyly strength Secondly as to his civill state or worldly successes as to his honour and kingly renowne Thirdly as to his spirituall state or the hightning of his gifts graces and comforts 'T is probable David had found a declension in all these and at last through the goodness of God and his blessing upon him the renewing of them all from that oldness to a youthfullness againe like that of Eagles We find the same allusion in the Prophet Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up as with Eagles wings Some Naturalists say the Eagle reneweth her strength by sucking blood when her stomack is so weake that shee cannot seed upon the flesh of her prey Saints indeed renew their strength as the Eagle while by faith they sucke the blood of Jesus Christ and they get cure of their owne weaknesses while they believingly lay hold upon his strength Thirdly We heard in the former verse of a divine warrant issued out for this mans recovery Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him Here we have the warrant executed His flesh shall be fresher then a childes Hence observe The commands and warrants of God are effectuall they shall be obeyed and made good to man If God say deliver him from a sick bed he shall be delivered I will worke saith the Lord Isa 43.13 14. and who shall let it for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought downe all their Nobles or barrs as the margin reads it I will have it done I will breake all those Nobles who are as barrs in the way of my peoples deliverance So when the Lord sends his warrant for the delivering of a sick man he will break all those barrs and bands by which diseases and sicknesses hold him as a prisoner in his bed Nothing can stand against the word of God as by a word speaking he gave the creature a being when it had none The Lord only spake the word Let there be light let there be a firmament c. and it was so Thus also the word or warrant of God reneweth a wel-being to those with whom it is worst or a comfortable life to those who are compassed about with the sorrowes of death The word of God prevailes over all or is effectuall to every purpose Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Further In this restoring of the sick we have a shadow of the resurrection The raysing of a dying man from his bed is like the raysing of the dead from the grave The spring of the yeare is a shadow of the resurrection because then the earth returnes to her youth and is fresh as a child In winter all things are dead and desolate their glosse and beauty is gone but then cometh the spring and all revives againe the face of the earth looks fresh corne and grasse trees and plants flourish and put forth their buds and blossomes Now what the spring of the yeare is to the body of the earth the same is the returne of health to the body of man In both we have an exemplar of the resurrection as also in the regeneration or new birth of the soule by the power of the holy Ghost For till then we are like old sickly men in the old man yea we are dead But no sooner doth the Spirit bring us forth by a second creation into the life of the new man but we become in spirit fresh like Children our youth returnes to us againe that is we returne to that state wherein we were first created and set up by God in righteousness and true holiness yea into a better and surer state then that Man through grace is not only as he was in the first day of his creation but better He returnes to the day of his youth and receives such a youth as shall never decay into old age yea the older he is in nature the younger that is the stronger and more beautifull he shall be in grace He shall according to that promise Psal 92.14 still bring forth fruit in old age he shall be fat and flourishing This renewed youthfullness and flourishing condition of the restored sick man in spiritualls is specially and fully set forth in the next verse For Elihu having shewed the recovery of the sick mans body he proceeds to the recovery of his soule which eminently returnes to the dayes of its youth both in the puttings forth of or exercising the grace of God
of Paul was great in blaming Peter openly and Peters meeknesse was as great in bearing that blame Gal 2.14 Nor doe I know whether the patience of Job were greater in bearing the great afflictions that God layd upon him or in bearing the great reproofs which this man layd upon him I grant he complained often of those bitter reproaches which his three friends cast upon him charging him for a wicked man or a hypocrite and then he replyed and replyed home but here Elihu reproved him sharply for his rash speeches and intemperate carriage under his affliction and he tooke it both meekly and silently A good man will not storme nor rage nor revile nor threaten when he is justly reprehended but lyes downe under it and takes it quietly yea thankfully and goes home and blesseth God that he hath met with a knock These are very hard words Thou hast spoken words without wisdome But Job seemes to confesse and patiently beare them It is best for us not to doe or speak any thing that deserves a reproofe and 't is the next best to receive a reproofe well for what we have either done or spoken ill JOB Chap. 34. Vers 36 37. My desire is that Job may be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men For he addeth rebellion unto his sin he clappeth his hands amongst us and multiplyeth his words against God IN these two verses Elihu windes up his second speech to Job and in them we have two things considerable First his motion made in reference to Job at the beginning of the 36th verse My desire is or this is the thing that I move for that Job may be tryed unto the end Secondly we have the reason of this motion which some make three-fold others foure-fold taking the latter part of the 36th verse for one of the foure My desire is that Job may be tryed to the end why First Because of his answers for wicked men Secondly I desire he may be tryed unto the end why for he addeth rebellion unto his sin Thirdly I desire he may be tryed unto the end why he clappeth his hands amongst us and Fourthly I desire he may be tryed to the end why he multiplyeth his words against God Others take the latter words of the 36th verse only as the subject matter about which Elihu desires Job may be tryed that is concerning his answers for wicked men And so the 37th verse containes three reasons why he desires he may be brought to that tryall Vers 36. My desire is that Job may be tryed So we translate and we put in the margin O my father most or many translaters put that into the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit cupiit undo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pater quasi benevolus dictus Pater mi probetur Job usque ad victoriam Iun O my father Let Job be tryed unto the end The first word of the text hath a two-fold signification some taking it as an application to God by the name or title father The reason of this difference is because the roote of that Hebrew word which signifies a father signifies to desire to will or wish Mr Broughton renders O my father and he adds O my father which art in heaven Let Job be tryed unto victory As if Elihu saith he looking up to heaven by O father meant what followeth O father which art in heaven And he quotes Abraham Peritzol a learned Rabbin expounding the words so translated at larg Father is one of the sweetest and most honourable compellations of God Isa 63.16 the whole Church of the Jewes is brought in bespeaking God in that Relation Thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of us c. And God speaking of himselfe saith Mal 1.6 A son honoureth his father if I be a father where is my honour Apud Gentiles pater commune nomen erat Deorum undo Diespiter Merspiter Jupiter It was usuall even among the heathens to adde the name father to their Idol gods thereby to expresse their reverence or veneration of them O my father They who embrace this translation take speciall notice of that pronoune My O my father He doth not say only or barely O father but O my father Those appropriating possessive pronouns mine thine have a kinde of deliciousnesse in them and breath aboundance of affection Luther sayd the sweetnesse of the Gospel lyeth in pronounes when a believer can say with believing Thomas My Lord and my God Those things or persons which we love most we call ours we say of a single speciall friend he is mine and to say such a one is mine is as much as to say he is much beloved much prized or esteemed by me he as it were lies next my heart property rayseth the price of all good things We rejoyce in God most when we can call him ours and so doth God in us when he takes us for his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex quo omnis paternitas Vulg Paternitatis nomen ex seme ipso largitur omnibus sicut enim solus bonus dicitur quia bonitatem alijs communicat c. Hieron in Epist ad Ephes cap 3. We have a meeting or union of severall possessive pronouns in one verse Cant 8.12 My vineyard which is mine is before me My mine before me implying how much Jesus Christ did appropriate the Church unto himselfe or how much he thought himselfe concerned in the prosperity of the Church And as the Title Father is sweet and comfortable so glorious and honourable God is the father of all and all fatherhood is derived from God That of the Apostle Eph 3.15 which we translate of whom the whole family c. Others render the whole fatherhood in heaven and earth is named For as God only is good and other things are good only by communication from him so God only is a father and all other fatherhood is by derivation and communication from him O my father let Job be tryed unto the end We say My desire is The Hebrew text is as cleare for that and whether we say O my father let Job be tryed or my desire is that Job may be tryed to the end the general sense is the same We render the word by desire Chap 9.26 where Job tells us that his life or the life of man is like the swift ships we put in the margin ships of desire it is this word that is like those ships which being most desirable as being laden with the richest and most precious commodities make most hast home to their harbour or proper Port. Thus here My desire or the thing that I strongly wish is c. The Chaldee paraphrase renders My will is or I will Volo ego ut probeâ—ur Job c. Targ That Job may be tryed But had not Job been tryed already was there any need to call him to a farther tryall had he not been in the furnace a long time why then doth