mortifie whaâ grace hath the work of God put you upon the exercise of They only indeed magnifie the work of God who have such workings towards God It were better not receive a mercy than not to be bettered by a mercy It is not our crying up the works of God in our words but in our works which is the magnifying of them It is more safe for us to say nothing of what God hath wrought for us than to publish it or make our boast of it when we our selves do âââhing worthy of it in a way of condecency and proportion to it 'T is the design of God in giving promises to make us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Much more having given us any great performances of his promises doth he expect that we should be clean and holy O then what a pittiful course do they take who pretending to magnifie the works of God do such things as are a defilement both to flesh and spirit A third design of God in working for us is to make us trust him more or to be more in believing 'T is shewed Psal 78.4 what great things God did for the Jewish nation and for their fathers But what did God ayme at in all we have the answer v. 8. That they might set their hope in him and not forget his workes The aim which God had in those great works was that their hope might be set upon him that they might trust in him more then ever they had done The Lord by the great works he doth would gain upon our faith or cause us to trust him for the future How dishonorably do they carry it towards God who believe not his word much more they who believe not his workes that is who believe him not notwithstanding his workes as 't is said of Israel Ps 78.32 For all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works The Psalmist doth not mean that they did not believe such works had been done but the meaning is they did not trust God who had done those woâks These and many more dutyes the Lord teacheth us by his word and he teacheth them also by his workes as it is said v. 22. who teacheth like him The Lord teacheth us many excellent lessons by his works if we had hearts to learn them Lay these things together in practise and they will be the best yea they are the only way of magnifying the works of God done for us And if the works of God are to be magnified all these wayes then they fall short of this duty First Who only make a report of the works of God who tell the story of what he hath done and so have done As we ought to adorne the doctrine of God Tit. 2. so likewise the doings of God or what God hath done by our doings Meer narratives about the work of God is far below magnifying his work Secondly They fail much more who extenuate and diminish the works of God whââbscure or eclipse his workes As in our confessions of repentance it is a sign of a bad heart barely to report our sins before God without aggravating them in their sinfulness but in confession to extenuate our sin sheweth a very rotten and naughty heart so in our confessions of praise meerly âo report what God hath done for us without putting an accent or a due emphasis upon his mercies shews much âoldness of spirit in the duty but to clip and lessen the workes of God to hide and darken them to abate and detract from them shewes a base and a wicked spirit Thirdly How do they fail in magnifying the workes of God who do not only conceal how good they are but bring up an ill report upon them as those searchers did upon the land of Canaan Those works and dispensations of God which like that land slow with milk and honey may be looked upon and censured by some as good for nothing but to eat up and consume those that are under them Fourthly They who ate impatient under any work of God who murmur and repine at it are far from magnifying the work of God Fifthly They are far from magnifying the work of God who think themselves so wise that they could mend the work of God had they the pensel in their hand they would make fairer work of it what hudling is here think some what confusion is here say others what sad work is here saith a third If we had the ordering of things what an orderly woâld would we make if we had the ordering of things as God hath we would quickly cure and remedy all these disorders Though such formal speeches be not uttered yet such things are spoken in parables the actions of some tell us such are their thoughts as if they could mend the work of God and govern the world with greater moderation than t is though indeed we need not scruple to call the wisest man in the world a very dotard if he thinks so or that any thing can be done more equally than God hath done it Let all flesh adore let none presume to question the work of God let God alone with his work as he will have no controler so he needs no counseller Remember t is mans duty to magnifie his work not to mend it to shew how good it is not to attempt the making of it better And indeed as it is the highest poynt of presumption so of ignorance to meddle with the mending of it The Lord is a Rock saith Moses Deut. 32.4 and his work is perfect Who but a fool or who but by the over-working of his own folly would venture to mend that which is already not only perfected but perfect were it only the work of a man much more when it is the work of God the only wise God And that we may be provoked humbly to magnify and for ever deterred from that proud attempt of finding fault with or mending the work of God consider these three things First Take the argument in the text the plainness of the work of God it is such as may be seen afar off none can pretend ignorance of it or if they do that 's a vain covert or excuse every man may see it man may behold it afar off as most worthy to be magnified Secondly If we do not magnifie the work of God God will lessen his own works of mercy and favour toward us Thirdly He will do no more for us if we magnifie not what he hath done It is said Math. 13.58 Christ did not many mighty works there because of their unbeleif God will do no more mighty works for them who refuse or neglect to pay him a tribute of praise and glory for what he hath done JOB Chap. 36. Vers 26. 26. Behold God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out ELihu having called upon Job to magnifie
ones in the Text crying in all these respects the burden was so heavy upon them that it made them cry out for the very weight of it and they cryed and called for some charitable or tender heart to come and ease them of it and deliver them from it Elihu doth not rest in speaking this once but repeats it again By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty These words poynt us expresly to the cause of their cry or out-cry it was the arme of the mighty which may be taken either properly or figuratively Properly the Arme is a well known and most usefull member of the body And because there is a great deal of strength and power in the arme therefore by a figure the arme signifieth strength might or power and to say they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty is as much as to say they cry out by reason of the power of the mighty Severissimum dei supplicium immissione aut descensione Brachii significatur The arme is frequently in Scripture put for power the powerful wrath of âod is called the arme of God The Prophet Isa 30.30 speaks of the lighting down of his arme When the Lord lets his arme fall oâ light down upon a man a family or a Nation in wrath it crusheth either or all of them to pieces And as the powerful wrath so the powerful grace of God is called his arme Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed That is his mighty power working by and manifesting it self in Christ and in the ministery of the Gospel for the conviction conversion and salvation of sinners Thus also the arme of man is the power of man Dan. 11.6 She shall not retain the power of the arme neither shall he stand nor his arme That is his power shall fall or both he and she Bernire and Antiochus Theus shall fall and be powerless Psal 37.16 The arme of the wicked that is their power shall be broken but the Lord upholdeth the righteous They cry out by reason of the arme Of the mighty The same word which in the first part of the verse is translated multitude is here translated The mighty ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But what was the mightiness of these men There is a four-fold mightiness First there is mightiness of body that is natural might and 't is properly the might of the arme Secondly there is a mightiness in valour and in Armes Thus souldiers and warriers are mighty men they who having courage in their hearts have also weapons in their hands and swords by their sides are the mighty Such a one was Gideon to whom the Angel said Judg. 6.12 The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Thirdly there is a mightiness of Authority And thus the Magistrate is a mighty man suppose he be weak in body yet he is mighty in power and can do great things Fourthly there is a mightiness of wealth and riches Thus Boaz is called a mighty man of wealth Ruth 2.1 Riches have so much might in them that in the Hebrew one word serves to signifie both might and riches We may understand the mighty man here in any or all these four senses The oppressed cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty They who have much bodily strength often oppress the weaker and so do the mighty in Armes and so do the mighty in Authority and so the mighty in riches have often done making the poor and the oppressed cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty From the former part of the verse Observe Oppression is a common sin Not only was Babylon stained with it but Jerusalem That 's an amazing passage Jer. 6.6 Thus hath the Lord of hosts said hew ye down trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly oppression in the midst of her Not only was Jerusalem a City but The City a City above all Cities to be visited by an oppressing enemy and whâ even because she not only had oppressors in her but was oppression O how oppressive was that City which was oppression and that not only in some parts of her but wholly and that not in her skirts and suburbs but in the midst of her The Lord to shew that the Jewes were superlatively rebellious or most rebellious against him calleth them in the abstract rebellion as the Margin hath it Ezek. 2.7 and to shew how superlatively oppressive they were one against another He calls Jerusalem oppression Here in the Text we have a multitude of oppressions surely then there were a multitude of oppressors To heare of a multitude of sins of all sorts is very sad but when there is multitude of one sort and that one of the worst sort and such a sin as cannot go alone but draws after it a heap of almost all sorts of sin what a multitude of sins are there It cannot be denied but that oppression is a very common epidemical sin if we take and consider it in the full latitude of it For there is a two-fold oppression First there is a secret oppression To deceive defraud or go beyond another in the Apostles sense is to oppress him And thus 't is said Hos 12.7 He is a Merchant the balances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress He doth not oppress by violence with a sword in his hand but by craft with balances in his hand he oppresseth while he over-reacheth in dealing and trading This sort of oppression runs up and down every where and though this kind of oppression make not a great cry yet it is a great sin a crying sin There is also a secret oppression under colour of Law many turn the very Rules of Justice into rods of oppression And this is by so much the worse by how much it hath the better cover Secondly there is an open oppression the Nimrods of the world the mighty Hunters taâe and vex and trouble all they can and would make all tremble before them or run from them as the Hare and Hart from their merry but merciless pursuers Now if both secret and open oppressions are so commonly practised oppression may justly beare the title of a common sin Secondly Note Oppression is a very crying sin That cannot but be a crying sin which makes so many cry Oppression then is a crying sin First as to the nature of it Secondly as to the effect of it Oppression cryeth and it makes those cry who are oppressed Solomon saith Eccles 7.7 Oppression maketh a wise man mad That which puts a man even out of his wits or besides the right use of his reason will put him much to the use of his tongue causing him to complain cry out and clamour But who are they that are most given to and deepest
Lord doth often exercise that is as often as there is cause and we give him cause too often to exercise a smart and severe anger towards his own people but his consuming and destroying anger is the lot and portion of the wicked If his anger be kindled but a little namely against his enemies blessed are they that trust in him blessed are they that believe when that anger of the Lord breaks forth against unbelievers Or we may state it thus First God is angry with sinful persons thus he is angry with the world or with wicked men Secondly God is angry with persons for sinning there is a great difference between these two anger with sinful persons and anger with persons for their sin or for sinning and thus he is angry with his own people even with the godly when they sin though not for every sin Further We may distinguish of anger thus There is anger mixed with a desire of taking revenge upon those that we are angây with a revengeful anger thus the Lord is angry only with the wicked Of this anger Moses speaks having described a presumptuous sinner who believes not only without a word but against the word who when he heareth the word of the curse blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkenness unto thirst then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. Deut. 29.19 20. Read more of this revengeful anger of the Lord Deut. 32.22 41 42. Secondly there is anger with a desire to reforme and reclaime those that we are angry with Thus a loving and indulgent father is angry with his child when he hath committed a fault he is angry not with an anger of desire to revenge but with an anger of desire to reforme And thus the Lord is angry with his own people with his choicest servants and dearest children when they forget their duty and play the wantons Lastly We may distinguish of anger thus There is First a temporary anger As there is a temporary faith in hypocrites so we may say there is a temporary anger in God against the faithful when offending that is he is angry with them for a while for a season Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness saith David Psal 30.4 But why doth he call them to singing we have the reason of it given at the 5th verse For his anger endureth but a moment he speaks there of the Lords anger against his Saints and peculiar people while they indeed have cause to mourn for provoking the Lord to anger they may also sing both because his anger endureth but for a moment that is because if that be all it endureth not at all a moment is of no endurance as also because in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Once more hear the Prophets report of the Lords anger Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy God doâh not retain his anger for ever that is not long yea that not for ever is but a little while a moment and that but a small moment as the Prophet Isaiah spake Chap. 54.7 As if he had said The Lords anger is not retained so long as if it should be alwayes retained his anger towards you is soon blown over and gone upon the matter like a moment as soon as come Such is the anger which God discovers towards his own people Secondly There is an anger for ever an abiding wrath a fire of anger which never goeth out nor can be put out which is kindled in the breast of God against ungodly men and against them only as living and dying without repentance in their ungodliness Job a godly man was visited in the former not in this latter anger Yet for the fuller answer to this query as it concerns Jobs case I conceive Elihu speaks with the highest and hardest towards him For though it be a truth thât the Lord discovers as was shewed before a fatherly anger towards his children when he chasteneth them for their sin yet he chasteneth them more or rather in love than in anger As whom he loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.19 so he chastens and rebukes them in love And as for Job whom God dearly loved it is cleare from the first and second Chapters of this Book that God afflicted him not for any special sin or way of sinning but for his tryal and to set him up as a great pattern of patience to all succeeding generations Or we may say that God afflicted Job not because of any provocation which he had given him but at Satans instance and provocation Chap. 2.3 All that can be said for Elihu's help in saying that God visited him in anger is only this That though Job had not provoked the Lord to visit him in anger when he began to visit him yet some impatient and over-bold speeches of his or that liberty of speech which he took in expostulating and almost contesting with God about his afflictions might cause him to visit him in such anger as hath been set forth in answer to the query And now because it is not so because the Lord misseth those acts of grace trust and patience which thy case calleth thee to the exercise of He hath visited in his anger and what followeth Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity Et non advertit ad auctum valde i. e Nihil discrevit sc deus qued non visitaret etiamsi ea re visitatus magis dolerer Nam necesse erat visitatum ita tangi ut sentiret quod fieri non poterat si non pleraque charissima quóque bona adimerentur Coc Elihu seems to have spoken this turning himself to the company and complaining to them of Jobs insensibleness Yet he knoweth not c. Some refer this clause of the verse to God also He hath visited in his anger and taketh no notice of the great increase or of that which is greatly increased that is God hath spared nothing from his visitation although the party visited were never so much grieved or damnified in the loss and spoyle of his all There was a necessity saith this Author that he who was visited should be so toucht as to be sensible of the stroake which could not be unless the greatest of his encrease and those things which were most dear to him were taken away from him or he were stript naked and bereaved of them Our translation refers these words to the person visited as if he though reduced to the greatest extremities yet was not sensible of it or took no notice of what he suffered or was done to him Yet he knoweth it not in
looks to him that is poor in spirit or of a contrite spirit let such be in Rags and lye upon the Dunghil the Lord will look to them and he hath a threefold look for them First A look of honour as respecting their Persons Secondly A look of care to supply their wants Thirdly A look of justice to deliver them from wrong And if they that are poor in spirit be rich also in the world they shall not fail to receive right from the hand of the Lord. The Lord giveth right to all sorts of men against their wicked oppressors but his poor the Godly poor believing poor those that are poor not only in purse but in spirit are more peculiarly under this priviledge of being righted by the Lord. And usually in Scripture the word poor is taken in a good sence Nomen pauperis in bonum sumitur pauperes sunt populus Dei for good men as the word rich in an ill sence for evil men Jam. 5.1 Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you The Apostle speaks as if that were the case of all rich or as if he called all rich men to weeping and howling c. Yet some poor men are wicked and some rich men are righteous and therefore I conceive the word poor may be taken here for any wronged or oppressed poor yet especially for the Godly poor For though God giveth right to all men even the worst of men yet here the scope of Elihu is to shew that God takes most care of those whom the wicked do most not only neglect but injure and oppresse He giveth right to the poor Hence Note The poor especially the Godly poor are often wronged and go by the worst in the world Or thus The poor as poor usually suffer from and by the world As the world is apt to oppresse any poor so mostly the Godly poor Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poor I will arise 'T is possible a rich man may be oppressed a mighty man may be oppressed by one mightier than he but usually the poor are oppressed and they trampled on who are already underfoot And therefore the Lord saith For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise and set him at safety from him that puffeth at him This is not exclusive the Lord will arise for the help of the rich and great when any such are wronged but he is said to arise for the help of the poor as intimating that the poor seldome come by their right or find help in the world unlesse God arise to help them or help them to it and because he hath said he will help them to their right we may be sure he will Davids Faith was strong upon this promise Psal 18.27 Thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 72.4 He shall judge the poor of the People Pâal 140.12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted And his Experience was as clear as his Faith was strong Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken that is I have often yea alwayes seen him helped one way or other and sometimes set on high from affliction Psal 107.41 The Lord careth so for the poor as if he cared for none else and the best of the poor are little cared for by any but the Lord. Zeph. 3.12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. The rich of this world trust to creature helps but as the Lords poor know they ought not to trust in creature help so they have it not to trust to and therefore they trust in the Name of the Lord not only out of choice which is their grace and duty but out of necessity And what will the Lord do for them that trust in him not only out of necessity but choice he will surely take care of them and do them right Secondly Note God rights the poor freely He giveth them right he doth not sell it What freer than gift They need not bribe for it As he freely giveth them the Righteousnesse of his Son to justifie them so they have common right of free gift to relieve them Note Thirdly The Lord relieves or rights the poor speedily He giveth implyeth a present act and that doubles the mercy Note Fourthly God will always right the wronged poor He giveth imports even a continued act as he did it in former times in the dayes of old so he doth it at this day and will do it always As the Lord giveth right speedily so constantly with him is no variablenesse or shadow of turning Most men do right only by fits but the Lord is ever giving right Lastly He giveth right to the poor not to this or that poor man but to the poor Hence Note The Lord distributes right to all that are wronged As his Mercy so his Justice is not confined to a few but floweth out to all But it may be objected Why then are so many poor without their right If the Lord giveth right and giveth it continually and impartially why do the poor cry and sigh and groan and mourn why see we so many tears of the poor If they have right why do they complain I answer First The Lord giveth right to the poor sometimes when the poor perceive it not Psal 97.2 Clouds and darknesse are round about him Righteousnesse and Judgement are the habitation of his Throne When a man cannot see the Lord doing right yet the Lord doth right The Sun shineth when eclipsed or covered with a Cloud The Lord never ceaseth to right the poor though neither poor nor rich perceive how or which way he doth it Secondly I answer He giveth right to the poor even when they want right or when they are under the sorest oppressions by supporting their hearts in this perswasion that he will give them right The poor have right when their minds are satisfied that they shall have right There is no true Godly poor man in the world how much soever afflicted but his heart is or may be satisfied that he shall have right That 's a sure word Psal 9.18 The needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever And therefore we may pray with confidence Forget not O Lord the Congregation of thy poor for ever Psal 74.19 The poor may rest in this assurance while their troubles rest upon them that God will bring forth their Righteousnesse as the Light and their Judgement as the Noon day Psal 37.6 He hath right who believes he shall have it as he that believeth hath everlasting life in hope long before he attains the possession of it John 3.36 Thirdly Though we say The Lord giveth right to the poor both speedily and constantly yet he reserveth to himself a liberty as to
rains cause or produce plentifull fruits ordinarily from the Earth and little rains little fruits Sixthly and lastly man is nourished and hath his outward Comforts encreased or lessened in proportion to the fruits which the Earth bringeth forth or to the fruitfulness of the Earth All these things attend and depend upon one another They pour down according to the vapour thereof and God draws up in proportion to what himself purposeth they shall pour down Thus we see how God by the Sun draws out the moisture and sap of the Earth to return it back with advantage Drawing up the moisture makes the Earth languish and her fruits wither sending it down again makes the Earth green flourishing and fruitful They pour down rain c. And what more Elihu answers Vers 28. Which the Clouds do drop ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nunc Coelum nunc nubes denotât a tenuissimâ earum Substantia Drus Here he speaks more expresly and tells us more clearly than before what the vapours are made up into According to the vapour thereof which the Clouds do drop As Clouds are made of vapours so they are the receptacles or vessels of rain which they hold as was shewed before as long as God pleaseth and when he gives the word then they drop And distill upon man abundantly That 's another elegant word implying the manner in which the rain comes or falls it is as by a distillation Here also 't is expressed for whose use or sake principally the rain is sent The Clouds saith the Text drop and distill upon man yet we know men get themselves out of the rain as soon and as fast as they can The rain falls upon the earth and abides there yet 't is said to distil upon man because the rain distils at mans request and for mans sake That other creatures are cherished by the rain is not for themselves but for man as man is not cherished and maintained by those creatures for himself but for God As the rain distills chiefly for the glory of God so nextly for the relief and comfort of man and for man it distills Abundantly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Super hominem multum vel super homines affluentèr ut ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sit adverbium quod eù minùs se probaâ mihi quia Rab. hic scrilitur eum Cametz Drus There is a double reading of this word Some take it as an Adjective to the Substanâive man rendring thus it distills upon many men we take it adverbially Which distill upon man plentifully that is in great plenty upon man We may take in both readings without strain to the Text or departure from the matter in hand For as the rain all 's or distills upon man abundantly so upon abundance of men the rain we know falls sometimes very plentifully and at times or one time or other all the world over watering every mans ground and serving every mans turn or occasions Therefore Elihu expresseth the blessing fully when he saith The Clouds distill upon man abundantly or upon abundance of men Hence Note First The Lord haih rain enough in store He hath vessels plentifully filled for the watering of the Earth and The Lord is so free in his dispensation of the rain that as he gives it to many in number so to many in kind he maketh his rain to fall as well as his Sun to shine upon the just and on the unjust Math. 5.45 It shews the exceeding goodness as well as the bounty of God that the evill partake of his benefits as well as the good And for our further improvement of this bounty of God remember that if God be so abundant and liberall in blessings to us we ought in proportion to abound in duty towards him or as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 15.58 we should be stedfast and immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Some do only a little I may say only here a stitch and there a stitch of work for God but we should abound in it and that not only now and then by fits but be alwayes fixed in it especially we should do so with respect to that which the rain is a Symbol of the word of God When God drops and distills the rain of Gospel tâuths and holy soul-saving instructions abundantly upon us how should we abound in every good word and work It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.6 He shall come down as rain upon the mown grass as showers that water the earth Some of the Ancients expound that place of the coming down of Christ in his Incarnation then indeed he came down like rain upon the mown grass he came down sweetly and powerfully 'T is true also that Christ who is God the Word the substantial Word comes down as rain in and with the declarative word of God preached and faithfully dispenced to the souls of men and when Christ comes down thus to us we should rise up to him and return fruits of grace according to the showres of grace which we have received The Prophet gives us an elegant comparison of the natural and spiritual rain in their effects and issues Isa 55.10 11. For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give feed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it Now what is the pleasure of God in giving his Word what is the arrand upon which he sends it 'T is I grant sometimes to harden deafen and blind a people Isa 6.9 10. 't is sometimes to be a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 These are dreadfull judiciary purposes of God in sending his Word nor doth it ever please the Lord to send his Word upon this arrand but when he is sorely displeased by a peoples slighting and contempt of his Word The thing which primaâily pleaseth him the purpose which he chiefly puâsueth in sending his Word is that his people may have as the Apostle speaks Their fruit unto holiness in this life and in the end everlasting life For these ends the Lord is daily distilling upon us the rain of his Word both in commands and promises and in both abundantly Therefore let us labour to abound in returns of faith of love of hope of self-deniall of zeal for God and of fruit-bearing unto God If when God distills the natural rain that should provoke us to fruitfulness in spiritualls how much more when he pours down so much spiritual rain upon us For the close of this meditation consider That As the natural rain First softens the earth and mollifies it Secondly cleanseth the earth and washeth it Thirdly enricheth the earth and makes it fruitfull Fourthly comforts the earth and makes every
Christ makes this an argument of faith in God for food and cloathing Mat. 6.26 Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are not ye much better than they How little faith have you who knowing that God feeds the fowls of the air yet cannot trust him for your food He giveth food in abundance Thirdly note Plenty and scarcity are at the dispose of God He can give meat in scarcity as well as meat in abundance he can give cleanness of teeth as well as fulness of bread And as he can strengthen the staff of bread so break it and cause us to eat bread by weight and with care and to drink water by measure and with astonishment Ezek. 4.16 To eat by weight and drink by measure is to eat and drink in the want of bread and water as is expressed vers 17. And as these changes of our natural so of our spiritual food are from the Lord Amos 8.11 I will send a famine What famine not of bread but of hearing the word of the Lord. 'T is the Lord who sends plenty and scarcity of bread whether for the soul or for the body Fourthly In that he saith by them he giveth meat in abundance Note God useth natural meanes as the cause either of plenty or scarcity The Lord could give us abundance if he pleased without rain but he rarely gives abundance but by rain he sends rain out of the Clouds to water the earth and make it fruitful The Lord could make our souls fruitful in every good work without the preaching of the word but he seldom doth it I believe never when the word may be had without the preaching of the word And therefore the Lord by his Prophet makes a comparison between or a paralel of these two Isa 55.10 11. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth c. The Lord useth rain and snow yea wind and thunder to fit the earth as he useth his Word and holy Ordinances to fit the soul to bring forth fruit to himself He could do both alone but he improveth that order of nature and grace which himself at first set up and instituted to bâing about these excellent ends ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Praebebit escâm per multam Sept. By them he giveth meat in abundance The Greek translation renders all manner of muchness From the whole learn what cause we have to acknowledge the goodness of God in every shower of rain and fleet of snow for by them he giveth us our meat We should hence also be minded to fear the Lord and to take heed of his displeasure It is said Asts 12.20 when Herod was highly displeased with them of Tire and Sidon they came with one accord to him and having made Blastus the Kings Chamberlain their friend desired peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country O how much more should we labour to avoid the displeasure of God and hasten to make our peace with him seeing our Country is nourished by his Country The heavens nourish the earth else the earth could not afford any thing for our nourishment We are fed rather from the heavens than from the earth The clouds drop down and make the earth fat to give grass for cattel and co n for man Elihu speaks nothing of the Earth but of the Clouds fâom them we are fed Lately consider Elihu joynes both effects expresly By them he judgeth the people he giveth meat c. Hence note The Lord can make the same creature either beneficial or hurtful to us That which is an instrument in his hand for good to his servants is often a plague and a scourge to his enemies The rain which at one time moistens the earth at another time drowns it the rain which at one time cherisheth the creatures at another time choaks them The winds which at one time fan the air and cool it at another time enrage and vex it the winds which at one time sweeten and cleanse the air at another time corrupt and infect it The Lord can with the same creatures furnish himself for any dispensation By them he judgeth the people and by them he giveth meat in abundance JOB Chap. 36. Vers 32 33. 32. With clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh between 33. The noise whereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour THese two verses have a Character of difficulty and obscurity put upon them by several interpreters Hujus et sequentis versus difficultas et obscuritas tanta semper ab omnibus enarratoribus habita est ut vix alius in toto hoc libro ne dicum in toto sacro codice locus isto impenetrabilior esse videatur Bold and some have concluded them the most difficult and darkest portion of the whole Book of Job yea of the whole Book of God And should I reckon up all the various Grammatical constructions of these words together with the distinct interpretations given upon them I should weary my self and rather perplex than advantage the Reader And therefore I shall speak to these two verses First as they are laid down plainly in our translation according to which with submission to the judgement of those learned Authors I see neither any great difficulty nor obscurity in them and shall afterwards give a brief account at least of some of those different readings and translations which I find upon them The words as I conceive according to the mind of our translators and as the Text clearly beareth hold out two things concerning the raine of which Elihu had spoken before First What is naturally preparatory to raine or foule weather that we have in the 32d verse With clouds he covereth the light and commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between Secondly We have that which is declaratory of raine or as some call them the Prognosticks and signs of raine these are laid down in the 33d verse The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the Cattel also concerning the vapour Vers 32. With clouds he covereth the light He that is God covereth the light with Clouds We heard of the Clouds at the 29th verse but the word there used is not that which is used in this 32d verse Vox ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã amâigua est ad manus nubes proprie volas denotat ad nubes refero quia de iis hactenus actum et quia propriè curvaturas significat quales in unaquaque mibo duae sunt convexa concava De Dieu in loc The word here made use of by Elâhu signifies generally any thing that is hollow or concave as
the Rain-bow for this is as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth which was signified by the Rain bow so have I sworn that I will be no more wrath with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed any more saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Then follows O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faâr colours and thy foundations with saphiers and I will make thy windows of agats and thy gates of carbuncles As if he had said though I âââe hid my face yet I wil return for this is as the waters of Noah that is I have as certainly resolved in my self that this unnatural flood shall not drown thee as I once promised and am so resolved still that the natural flood shall never drown the world again and mark how he expresseth it as I have sworne When we read the history in Genesis it is not said that the Lord swore but the Lord to shew that his word is as good as his oath tells us that what he spake to Noah was as if he had sworn it especially seeing he gave such a sign for the performance of it I might shew from other Scriptures that God is sometimes represented swearing when yet we read of no oath formally given It is said Exod. 32.13 God sware to Abraham and his Seed to which the Apostle refers Heb. 6.13 17. God confirmed it by an oath yet if we look those scriptures Gen. 12.2 3. Ch. 15.7 Ch. 17.7 we find only the Lord said c. The Lords saying is as good that is as sure as his swearing and shall as certainly be performed For a conclusion of this matter let it be remembred that the Lord by causing the light of his Cloud to shine at first gave and still gives a sign or a seal to strengthen faith Signs and seals are appendices to the Covenant or great Charter of all our mercies Signs and seales are visible words God speaks by them to the eye I will set my Bow in the Cloud God saith the Bow shall be a sign he also hath made Water a sign in the holy Sacrament of Baptisme and he hath made Bread and Wine signes in the holy Sacrament of the Supper God hath been pleased from the beginning so far to condescend to mans weakness as to give him not only his Word or Promise but Signes to confirm it And therefore did the Lord give a sign because as himself hath both an all-sufficient power and full purpose to performe his promise so he would have the faith of all that are under the Covenant well assured of his faithfulness in performing it Thus we see the spiritual usefulness of this interpretation taking the light of his Cloud for that illustrious sign the Rain-bow set by God in the Cloud and most fitly called the light shining in his Cloud which he doth not cause to shine ordinarily or every day as the Sun doth but at special times testifying his eminent favour to some and his care over all mankind Knowest thou when he caused the light of his Cloud to shine Elihu proceeds further with Job upon interrogatories Vers 16. Dost thou know the ballancing of the Clouds the wonderful work of him that is perfect in knowledge Here 's another question The general scope of all these questions was handled before I shall now only poynt at that which this question specially aymes at Mr. Broughton reads Dost thou know the poysing of the thick vapours This is a wonderful woâk of God The Clouds are huge ponderous bodies who is able to guess how much a Cloud weighs Librationes nubis appellat eleganter meo quidem judicio cum in aere appensae velut librantur a Domino Merc. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Vertitur libramenta a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ponderavit ad trutinam direâit mutata × in ש yet God ballanceth the Clouds he as it were puts them into scales and knows what they weigh he so orders them that one part doth not over-power the other but both hang with an even poise in the air this is a wonderful work of God Dost thou know how God doth this or how he makes the Clouds bigger or lesser how he placeth them higher or lower according to the service and use to which he hath appoynted them Can any man do this Can any man fully understand how such vast bodies as the Clouds should be poised or ballanced how they hover over our heads and are kept from falling upon us We must have recourse to the wisdome and pâwer of God for this Dost thou know the ballancing of the Clouds Hence we may infer First If man knoweth not the ballancing of the Clouds then much less can he ballance them And Secondly Note 'T is by a divine power that the Clouds are upheld and ballanced All heavy things tens downward what then but God keeps the Clouds up which are so heavy 'T is a wonder that we have not Seas of waters rather than showers poured upon us from the Clouds They that travaile far at Sea see the Rain coming down by spouts or like a flood in some places and certainly the Clouds would come down every where like a stood if God did not hold them up From which particular instance Elihu would have us take up this general truth that All things are kept in an even ballance by the wisdome and power of God The things of the world if God did not ballance them how would they tumble and fall awry yea run to ruine were there not a ballancing operation in the arm of God over all the affairs and businessess of men what a hudle and confusion would all be in We read in Scripture of foure things which God is said to weigh or to ballance they are all very considerable First It is said God weigheth the waters Job 28.25 which may be understood not only of the waters above in the Clouds but of the waters also in the Sea he knows to a dram to a grain how much all the waters weigh Secondly Which are also vast things It is said Isa 40.12 He weigheth the mountains in scales the hills in a ballance And as both these are true taken litterally so they are true also if you take them mystically or metaphorically St John was shewed the judgment of the great whore in a vision who sitteth upon many waters Rev. 17.1 Who are meant by waters is explained there v. 15. even Peoples and Multitudes Nations and Tongues The people of the world are compared to waters and well they may foâ their instability Vnstable they are as water Gen. 49.4 and for their aptness to swell and rise up into floods Now the Lord weigheth these mysticall Waters Multitudes and Nations he knows
this reading Elihu in these words prevents an objection which Job might take occasion to make from what he had said or wished rather at the 36th verse of the former Chapter My desire is that Job may be tryed unto the end That is further afflicted or afflicted to the utmost Against this desire of Elihu Job is by him supposed making his exception or objection in this verse As if he had said Why doest thou or what reason hast thou to desire that I should be yet again tryed by affliction What I pray would that profit me if I were afflicted yet more and more Can the suffering of evil do me good or make me better To this objection Elihu gives answer in the next verse and those which follow to the ninth and he doth it as the Asserter of this Interpretation judgeth by this Dilemma Thy afflictions would profit either God or thy self seeing God doth nothing in vaine but neither thy sufferings how grievous soever nor thy doings how righteous soever can profit God no more than thy sins or evil doings can damage God therefore it remains that if God afflict thee further it will be if thou hast a heart to improve it for thy profit This reading and the sense arising from it is much insisted on but as the former is very harsh so I conceive this latter is very dark and intricate and grounded upon the supposition of an objection very remote or not easily to be suggested in this discourse And therefore to avoyd both my own and the readers unnecessary trouble I shall take the Text as it stands in our Translation and offer somewhat for instruction from it How great sinfulness there is in saying There is no profit in the wayes of God I have shewed at the 21st Chap. vers 11 th and Chap. 34th vers 9. So that referring the Reader thither I shall here give only this Note It is very sinful to say we shall get no advantage by leaving sin We may well put the Apostles question Rom. 6.21 to our selves What fruât have we in those things whereof we are now ashamed What benefit have we got by polluting our selves with sin But how vaine a question is it to say What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin Elihu chargeth Job with this yet still remember he referrs not to his eternal but temporal condition And this was Asaphs or Davids temptation also as to his temporal condition even he the one or the other David or Asaph spake as much in express terms as Job is here charged with Psal 73.13 where complaining of the great tryals and troubles he had been under and of the prosperity of the wicked Behold saith he these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches But how is it with me Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastned every moment As if he had said What have I got by my holiness and forsaking of sin what have I gained by my strictest walkings and abstainings from the very appearance of evil Have I not reason to conclude in good earnest that I have cleansed my heart and hands in vaine seeing my sufferings are not lessned though my sins are seeing my punishments are renewed every morning though I am every morning upon the renewal of my repentance Thus spake the Psalmist in the day of his temptation and doubtless this day of his Temption had been a day of temptation and provocation to the Lord like that of Israels in the Wilderness Psal 95.7 had not the Lord come in by his grace and helped him to bite in his words at the very next verse If I say I will speak thus if I use such not only uncomely but wicked language as this I have cleansed my heart and hands in vaine Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children And when I thought to know this it was too wonderful for me that is it was beyond my skill to reconcile these works these providences of God towards me with his word and promises nor was I any whit less at a loss how to reconcile the prosperity and flourishing condition of wicked men with those terrible threatnings which the Lord in his Word every where thunders out against them These cross and intricate dispensations puzzel'd me greatly put my soul into a maze nor could I spel their meaning nor make out the sense of them Vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end the woful Catastrophe the miserable end of wicked-men their slippery standing and their sudden falling as both are described v. 18 19 20. Then also I understood the blessedness of a godly mans estate both now and for ever in having God his guide and his portion v. 24 25 26. then I understood what profit and advantage comes by cleansing our selves from sin though to the eye it appeare not yea though all appearances speak the contrary To be cleansed from or to remove sin is profitable and advantagious First As to the removal of Judgement When we begin cleansing work the Lord usually makes an end of afflicting work For as one great end of sending affliction is to cleanse us from sin Isa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin so our being cleanâed from sin is usually the end of our afflictions When we are cleansed from sin we are troubled no more we smart no more speak then Is it no profit to be cleansed from sin when so many not only persons but Nations have been ruin'd because not cleansed from sin God gave his own people cleanness of teeth Amos 4.6 that is famine or want of bread because of the uncleanness of their hearts and lives and is it no profit to be cleansed from sin when for our sinfull uncleannesses God will cleanse us of all our comforts even to a morsel of bread 'T is therefore a speech both false in it self and highly diâhonourable unto God to say I shall have no profit for still I shall suffer though I be cleansed from my sin whereas first there is more profit in being cleansed from sin than in being delivered from sufferings and secondly when once we are cleansed from sin we are in the fairest way to be cleared from and see an end of all our sufferings Secondly The more we are cleansed from sin the more communion we have with God and the more peace from God Is not this a great profit a profit besides the eternal reward a profit far better than any temporal reward Will not communion with God satisfie us for the loss of friends of estate or health Will not peace with God answer all the tribulations we can meet with in this world If therefore being cleansed from sin we have closer communion and sweeter peace with God let no man say
thing to God he is above and beyond all the gifts and givings of the creature There is a three-fold ground of it why nothing can be given to God either to oblige him or to add any thing to him First All is due to him what-ever we do is a debt to him we cannot make the payment of a debt a gift Be as holy and as righteous as you will as exact in your walkings as you can it is all of debt and therefore not a gift Luke 17.10 When you have done all when you have run your whole Course of obedience both as to first and second Table duties say you are unprofitable servants we have done no more than was our duty to do There is no gift where all is due Secondly What-ever we do in a way of Righteousness is not a gift nor an advanâage to God for it was all first given us by God Nihil aceressit ei nostra justitia quae tota gratuitum est illius donum we and all that we have came first from him whatsoever we have we have had it of God It is said in that place before noted Acts 17.25 He is not worshipped of mens hands as if he needed any thing why for he giveth to all men life and breath and all things he gives all things and therefore he needs nothing nor can any thing properly be said to be given to him Scitum est illud sapientis Hebraei da illi de suâ quia tu omnia tua illius sunt Tua ex tuis offerrimus tibi domine Drus Et lamsi qâod debemuâ reddere deo cupiamus tamen de suo reddimus Salvi de Ecclâ Cathol who giveth all things We have that remarkable Scripture 1 Chron. 29.10 where David praiseth the Lord for the offering and gift which he himself and his people had brought towards the building of the Temple And he desired that his offerings might be accepted of the Lord not so much as they were given by his hand as because they and the heart to give them were received from the hand of God Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the Congregation and said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever for all that is in Heaven and in Earth is thine thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all And now therefore O God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thy own have we given thee And again at the 16th verse All this store cometh of thee and all is thine own We cannot be said properly to give another that which is his own already whatever God receives of us came from himself And as whatsoever we give comes from God so every action or duty which we performe to God comes from God he bestows the power to do upon us before we can do any thing and therefore it cannot be any addition unto him There are two graces which we exercise very pleasing to God first Faith secondly Charity yet neither of these contribute any thing to God Faith is so far from giving God any thing that its whole work lyeth in receiving And though charity be a giving grace yet it gives to man only not to God So then what doth God receive of man surely nothing but his own David enquires Psal 116.12 What shall I return to the Lord for all his benefits Maâk that word return the Hebrew Text may be thus rendred What shall I make to return to the Lord of all his rendrings or contributions unto me As if he had said Lord I have received abundance from thee thou hast payd or recompenced me fully for all my paines and I am looking over it all and considering what of it I shall return to thee it is all thine own and now Lord what shall I return of it back again to thee What he received was returned if not in kind yet in effect and the retu n of that was but his duty it could not be his desert Christ indeed meâited and satisfied because he gâve of his own and as God-man wrought all righteousness for us in his own strength Thirdly The Lord receives nothing at our hands for he is full already We can put no more into a full vessel if there be any empty space you may put somewhat more into a Vessel but when it is as full as it can hold what can you put into it Who can make the Ocean fuller which hath in it the fullness of all waters All that we can give to God is not so much an encrease to him as a drop of the Bucket is to the whole Ocean Who can make the Sun b ighter all we do to or for God is not so much as a Candle to the Sun What can he receive who hath all things in himself God is infinitely full therefore there is no giving to him nor receiving by him at our hands That word which is one of the Titles of God holds forth as much he is Elshaddi that is A God every way full every way sufficient he is all-sufficient for us and he is Self-sufficient Est quidem pictas illis grata non autem utilis Plato in Euthyphra Manifestam est quod nulla re Deus nec amicis egebit Arist lib. 7. Eth. c. 12. Some of the Heathens had such notions and glimmeâing apprehensions of Goâ Plato saith The exercise of Godlinesse or of Worship is acceptable to God but is not at all profitable to God It is manifest saith Aristotle that God needs no friends nor any thing to help him The Sacrifices of the Jews were great and royal Offerings they brought their Sheep and Oxen and Bullocks and Goats in abundance yet the Lord would have them know he had no need of them Psal 50.8 I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices and burnt offerings to have been continually before me I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor he-Goat out of thy Folds for every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowls of the Mountains and the wild Beasts of the Field are mine If I were an hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine and the fulnesse thereof Some conceive that Elihu aimes especially at those gifâs If thou bringest or givest many sacrifices what receiveth he at thy hand The Loâd doth not call for sacrifices because he is hungry that is hath need of them The Lord Zeph. 2.11 threatens the gods of the Heathen that he would starve or famish them that is he would destroy the means of their Worship But who can famish the Lord whose the world is and the fulness of it Now if God receives nothing at our hands by way of supply or addition then First No Creature is
is translated quite through with respect to wicked oppressors who cast God out of their thoughts never saying Where is God my maker who hath set me up who hath given me this power and given me songs that is occasions of joy in the night The wicked have abundance they can feast it and sing it day and night yet mind not God the fountain and bestower of all This is a truth in it self and because the interpretation is insisted upon by some as the truth intended in the present Text Take this Note from it Oppressors put away the thoughts of God or mind not God when they do or are about to do mischief They make the oppressed cry but they say not Where is God They neither speak nor think of God who hath cloathed them with power and made their arme mighty We finde this frame frequently ascribed in Scripture to oppressors Elihu chargeth Job with it Chap. 22d where having told him to his face of many acts of oppression Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing v. 6. Thou hast withholden bread from the hungry v. 7. And the armes of the fatherless have been broken v. 9. Having I say reckoned up these his supposed oppressions he concludes v. 13. And thou sayest How doth God know can he judge through the dark Cloud David in prayer speaks the same of his oppressors Psal 86.14 O God the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them Psal 94.5 6. They break in pieces O Lord thy people and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless Yet they say the Lord doth not see it neither shall the God of Jacob regard it All these Scriptures may be resolved into the Text They say not Where is God my maker They who do all they can to unmake and undo their fellow-creatures care not to remember him who is the maker and creator of us all But Secondly I conceive those words None saith Where is God my maker are rather to be referred to the oppressed than to the oppressors The oppressed cry indeed but not unto God their maker As Job said Job 24.12 Men groan from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth it not to heart so here Elihu saith men groan and cry yet themselves lay not God to heart None saith Where is God my maker Thus our translation seems to carry it and thus 't is most generally understood None of the oppressed say c. Taking this sense Elihu here begins to assigne the reason why the oppressed are not delivered As if he had said 'T is true there are a multitude of pressures and oppressions and they transport all manner of men with passion the oppressed cry they make much ado when they suffer against them under whom they suffer But few or none are so wise in such a case as to recollect themselves and make serious application to God putting him in mind of his own gracious nature towards the work of his hands to have mercy upon it and in faith to seek to him for remedy and comfort as being only able to relieve and glad the heart in great extremities they look not to the hand of God when they cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty they only toyle and teare themselves with complaints they cry out of this and that man of this and that instrument but alas they find neither redress nor deliverance because they say not Where is God my maker That is they are more forward to complain of wrong done them by men than to remember what good or what favours God hath done them They do not particularly and specially apply themselves to God in their trouble they do not seek nor enquire early after God Non habet cogitationem deliberationem propositum quaerendi deum neque agnitionem aestimationemque beneficiorum ejus sunt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Coc nor humble themselves before him or under his mighty hand neither do they consider what God is to them nor whether he be with them and in them and if they find not God near them not in them they consider not how they may be united to him or get him near them We find God when we heare his voyce speaking to us by his Word and Spiâit and hearken to his voyce we find God when we are at peace with him trust upon him confidently and rejoyce in him comfortably The oppressed considered not these things None saith Here is an universal Negative none that is not so much as one yet we may understand it with an allay none that is few or none as we commonly speak say Where is God my maker Possibly many say it with their mouths but few or none say it either fiâst heartily or secondly spiritually or thirdly humbly or fourthly repentingly or fifthly believingly or sixthly submittingly and therefore no wonder if they are not heard and helped when they cry It is a common thing for men in distress or under oppression to cry out O God O Lord The name of God is taken by many in vaine when any thing afflicts or hurts them but few call upon his name It is no easie matter to cry out in deed O God my maker or to say with a serious holy and gracious frame of spirit Where is God my maker There is a twofold understanding of these words Sunt verba optontis First Some look upon them as an earnest wish or prayer for help None saith Where is God my maker That is none saith O that God my maker would appear in the present manifestations of his power to succour and deliver me In which sense Elisha is conceived to speak when he smote the waters with Eliahs Mantle 2 Kings 2.14 And said Where is the Lord God of Elijah As if he had said O thou God of Elijah come shew thy glorious power and divide these waters Sunt verba gratulantis Secondly Others expound them as an expression of praise or as the words of a man looking up to God in thankfulness for former benefits in present straights Where is God my maker Where 's he that made me and hath preserved me hitherto As if Elihu had said none of these oppressed ones have recourse to God in the day of their calamity confessing and acknowledging his great goodness to them in their creation and further preservation which might much comfort and encourage their hearts under present grievances and pressures None saith Where is God my maker The word maker may be taken in a threefold notion First for him that hath given us our being As God is the maker of heaven and of earth so he is our maker Gen. 1.26 27. Secondly for him that hath continued us in and preserved our being for providence is a renewed creation Thirdly for him who haâh raised us up or preferred us
and done us good all our dayes In which sense the word is used 1 Sam. 12.6 And Samuel said unto the people it is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron We put in the Margin made Moses c. it is this word Eloah nomen singulare ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã participium plurale Factores mei sic usu obtinuit de deo loquuntur promiâcue modo singulariter modo pluralitur Sensus autem ubique singularis est Ideo nomen ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Elohim quando de vero deo dicitur interpretes reddunt semper deus ubi ratio habetur sensuâ non terminationis Drus vid Merc Vbi est deus qui fecerunt me Heb ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he made them gâeat and put them in those high places of Government and Trust The Lord is he that maketh men in this sense We say commonly of a man that is advanced to some great place He is a made man and on the contrary of a man that is thrown down He is an undone man God giveth us a being and a bodily fabrick he protects us in our being he advanceth us to a wel-being in all we may call him and call upon him as our Maker And when men would unmake us that is oppress and undo us then we should say in faith Where is God our maker who once gave us life and hath since lifted us up from the gates of death and put us into a good condition Many are crying out upon and possibly some railing and raging at men but who saith in the sense opened Where is God my maker There is one thing further considerable in the Grammar of the Text. The Hebrew is plural or a plural with a singular as Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created The word Elohim rendred God is plural The word Bara created singular Thus here Where is God my makers Mr Broughton translates Where is the puissant my makers I might spend much time in shewing the consent of several Scriptures in that poynt Joshua said to the people who promised and engaged to serve the Lord ye cannot serve the Lord. Why could they not the reason follows For he is an Holy God Josh 24.19 The Hebrew strictly is God holyes he Thus the Prophet expresseth it Isa 54.5 Thy makers is thy husband Solomons admonition runs in the same plural stile Eccl. 12.1 Remember now thy Creators in the dayes of thy youth Deus sanctus est Ad verbum Dii sancti ipse Mont But though the Scripâure speaks of God sometimes in the singular sometimes in the plural number yet the sense is alwayes singular The true God being but One and the onemost one and therefore the plural word Elohim is alwayes rendred in the singular number God where menâion is made of the true God they having regard to the true meaning or Divinity of the Text not to the Grammar or termination of the word There are usually two reasons given by learned translaters and interpreters why the true God who is but one in essence and being is so often expressed in the Hebreâ text plurally First to insinuate or intimate unto us that Great and glorious mystery of the Blessed Trinity of persons in the God-head I say to intimate it we cannot make a full or convincing proof from it against any Antitrinitarian Adversary because though the word Elohim notes a plurality yet we cannot by any force of the word determine that plurality precisely to a Trinity that must be done by other Scriptures of which we have an abundant store to stop the mouth of all gainsayers Secondly they tell us This plural word is used to set forth the honour of God according to the usage of Kings and Soveraigne Princes called Gods who speak of themselves though single persons in a plural stile We and Vs But I conceive neither is this cogent though both this and the former may be piously improved So much for the opening of these words No man saith Where is God my maker Hence observe First Many cry and complain in affliction but look not to God in affliction Deut. 32.18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee Which as it is often verified in times of peace plenty and prosperity so not seldome in times of trouble pressure and affliction Yea there are some who cry and complain in affliction yet turn away from God in affliction Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corne and wine and they rebell against me These are so far from seeking God indeed or saying Where is our maker with their heart that they rebell against him while they would be relieved and fed by him How frequently even at this day do some men storme and fret and rage little minding God in their afflictions though formally or vocally calling on him 'T is easie to complain but hard to pray in a day of trouble The Jewes are reproved for their regardlesness of God while they made great preparations in a time of danger and war or of a feared siege Isa 22.8 c. Thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forrest ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David that they are many c. And the houses have ye broken down to fortifie the wall Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool c. Here were politick warlike preparations yea God was little thought upon in all this as it followeth v. 11. But ye have not looked unto the maker thereof neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago 'T is thus with the most of men when outward misery comes upon them what crying what working is there yet little returning to God little turning into their own hearts Secondly Note When men oppress and vex us it is best to have our recourse to God and apply to him That counsel Look to me and be saved Isa 45.22 is true of temporal as well as of eternal salvation God is our best friend at all times even in the best times and it is best to look to him in the worst times David could say Psal 73.28 when flesh and strength and heart when all fayled him It is good for me to draw near to God Let our condition be what it will but especially if we are in a bad condition it is good yea best to go to him who hath our times that is all the changes of our condition in his hand to him in whose hand the arme of the mighty is and in whose hand alone there is might to help and deliver us from the arme of the mighty Is it not best to look to him in affliction who can either support us in or bring us out of our affliction as pleaseth him He that made us can protect and save us therefore in every pinching strait in
idle away the day and sport and play and sing away the night As good men have holy songs in the night Isa 30.29 Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy Solemnity is kept c. So the wicked have their wanton vaine revelling songs in the night when their sensual Solemnities are kept Belshazer was drinking in the night and doubtless he had his musick songs that night And as he had his songs mirth and musick in the night so he said not Where is God my maker who giveth me songs in the night he instead of minding God his maker in his mirth minded only the gods which himself had made as the text speaks Dan. 5.4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver c. And thus 't is in proportion with all the wicked to whom God gives songs in the night they say not Where is God my maker This interpretation which carrieth the songs to the oppressors before spoken of contains a truth yet I shall not stay upon it but take the words as referring to the oppressed Here it may be queried how doth God give them songs in the night I shall not insist upon those conjectures which some have made about this giving songs in the night As First implying God so gracious that he giveth us not only in the day but in the night occasion of joy in sorrow namely the view and contemplation of the Heavens and Starrs which are very pleasant and refreshing Psal 19.1 Others Secondly conjecture that God may be said to give the sorrowful and oppressed ones songs in the night by the singing of birds in the night of that bird especially which hath its name from singing in the night the Nightingal Some insist much upon these interpretations It is I grant a great mercy of God that when the Sun is down we have Moon-light and Star-light and that in the night we have the innocent harmless birds to sing and make us pleasant melody But leaving these we may take the words in a double notion First Properly Secondly Metaphorically Properly and so to give songs in the night as the night is taken for night time imports the goodness of God to man not only in the day time but in the night Hence Note God in the night season as well as in the day gives his people matter of joy Night-mercies deserve and call for day-praises especially two sorts of night-mercies First Night preservations Psal 3.6 I laid me down and slept for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety The night is subjâct to many dangers Qui distribuit nocturnas custodias Sept The Septuagint render fully to this sense Who giveth watch or preservation in the night that 's matter of praise and thanksgiving to God Secondly he gives us cause of praise and singing not only for preserving our lives while we sleep in the night but for refreshing us with sleep in the night Psal 127.2 So he giveth his beloved sleep The Lord gives us not only safety but sleep Sweet sleep is a great mercy Eccl. 5.12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or mucâ and they who sleep sweetly get refreshing and renewings of strength after all their foâmer labours for new labours So thaâ if we take night properly for the night time there is much occasion of rejoycing given by God to mankind in general and more peculiarly to his faithfull servants in reference to those common mercies of bodily safety and the return of natural strength and spirits Secondly Take night properly and then this assertion He giveth songs in the night may have this meaning The Lord gives his people a praising frame of heart in the night season Etâam cum nulla ad eum laudandum documenta circumfulgent intus Spiritu excitat ad laudes Jun When they are wrapped up and compassed about with outward darkness when they are solitary and alone when no worldly object holds out any occasion of comfort to them yet then the Lord lets in a light or shines into their sâuls by his good Spirit The Lord may well be said to give songs even in the night when by the immediate work of his Spirit he filleth our spirits with joyes unspeakable and glorious These aâe the most ravishing songs of the night Hence Note God by his good Spirit doth often suggest sweet meditations and comfortable thoughts to his people in the night In the night the Lord minds his servants either of such mercies as they have already received or of such as according to his promise he is ready to or will surely bestow that so they may be busied in that heavenly work of praising him and rejoycing in him when they awake or cannot sleep This was Davids experience Psal 17.3 Thou hast visited me in the night Men use to visit us in the day when we are up or awake But saith David God gives me visits in the night when I am in bed he gives me many a song or makes me to rejoyce When we are in our retirements or freest from the hurry of worldly businesses and enjoyments then we are in the fittest posture for the entertainment and enjoyment of God The Lord visits his servants in the night not only as David there to try them or as elsewhere to instruct them but to comâoât them as David was assured Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me That is a song concerning him I will sing and rejoyce even in the night time because of the goodness and kindnâss of God to me in the day The experience of Asaph or of David communicated in that Psalm to Asaph gives further proof of this Psal 77.6 where having said v. 1. I cryed unto God with my voyce and he gave eare unto me he adds v. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night that is those occasions of joy and singing which God hath heretofore given me These songs were sweeter to me than sleep As it sheweth an excellent frame of spirit to remember the Commandments of God in the night which David also professed as his practise Psal 119.55 I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the night and have kept thy Law The name of God is any manifestation of God either in his word or works And again Psal 119.62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to thee because of thy righteous judgements Some watch in the night to give thanks Psal 134.1 others give thanks when they wake at any time in the night both are acts of purest love to God and proceed from purest consolation in God Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him The Spouse doth not say only by night I sought him but by night on my bed I spend not the night in sleeping but in seeking him whom my soul loveth Psal 16.7 My reines instruct me in the night
impenitents among his own people by the Prophet Isa 1.15 Though you make many prayers I will not hear for your hands are full of blood Ye are full of bloody sins and ye have not humbled your selves nor cleansed your hearts and hands by the blood of the Covenant to this day and being in that case you may cry and pray till your hearts ake and your tongues ake too yet no prevailing with God no grant no hearing Another Prophet tells them as sad newes from the Lord Jer. 11.11 Behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape or go forth of and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken to them Though the Lord threatned I will bring such evil upon them that they shall not escape they might say well but when the evil hath taken hold of us we hope God will hear us and deliver us No saith God when the evil hath overtaken and arrested you yet your prayers shall not overtake me Though you cry yet I will not hearken unto you That 's a dreadful Scripture of the same import Psal 18.41 They cryed but there was none to save them even unto the Lord but he answered them not They cryed being in great distresse and they cryed to the Lord he brings in that lest any should say they cryed indeed but possibly 't was to false gods to idols possibly they knockt at a wrong doore and so were not heard No they cryed to the Lord to the Lord by name they were right as to the object of prayer but their hearts were not right they were not right subjects of prayer That once blind man saw this truth when answering the Pharisees about the person by whose power he received his sight he told them plainly Joh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners that is Such as love and live in sin such as go on impenitently in their sins By this answer he closely but strongly confuted that blasphemous opinion and censure of the Pharisees who reputed and reported the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners as one of the vilest sinners in the world and upon that account got him crucified at last As if the man had said Were he that cured me of my blindness such a sinner as you reckon him to be he could never have obtained power from God to cure me of my blindness for we know God heareth not sinners When men sin and pray as it were by turns their prayers are turned into sin and therefore will not be returned in mercy God sometimes hears sinners in wrath and judgement and he sometimes will rot hear Saints as to the grant of the thing in hand prayed for in love and mercy but he never denies praying Saints in wrath nor doth he ever hear a sinner such a one as is here intended in mercy when he prayeth Now as when the Disciples heard Christs answer to the Pharisees question about Divorce they presently said Math. 19.10 If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not good to marry so some hearing this doctrine that God heareth not proud sinners when they cry or pray may possibly say if the case of the proud be thus with God it is not good for them to pray at all To such I answer this doctrine is not urged to make proud or impenitent sinners to leave praying but to leave their pride 't is urged to make them humble under their oppressions and afflictions not to make them prophane They who as they are cannot get by prayer certainly they cannot get by casting off prayer What answer can they have who cry not at all to God when some may cry and get no answer as Elihu here speaks There they cry but none giveth answer because of the pride of wicked men This sense or interpretation most insisted upon in this 12th verse will appear more full and faire in opening the 13th Ad dicti superioris confirmationem Epiphonemaris vice subjicit in which Elihu brings down what he said here into a strong and peremptory conclusion or the next verse renders another reason why God would not relieve those oppressed ones It was not only for the pride of their spirits v. 12. but also for the emptiness and heartlesness of their prayers or because the prayers of proud and evil men are heartless or empty Vers 13. Surely God will not hear vanity neither will the Almighty regard it They cry but God will not hear why will he not hear what hinders He tells us both why and what Surely God will not hear vanity What is vanity What saith vanity hath vanity a tongue can vanity speak the Text saith God will not hear vanity 'T is frequent in Scripture to ascribe a tongue and a voyce to sin of any kind though some sins are more vocall and speak louder than others yet all speak But when he saith Surely or without all Question the Lord will not hear vanity by vanity we are to understand vaine men praying or vanity is put for the prayers and crys of those persons who are as vaine as vanity it self The word rendred vanity ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã temeritas falsitas mendacium dicitur de re salsa vana levi mutili signifieth a lie as also rashness temerity God will neither hear rash-headed nor false-hearted prayers he will not hear vaine prayers or the prayers of vaine men The Abstract is often put for the Concrete in Scripture Psal 107.42 All iniquity shall stop her mouth When the Lord brings about that mighty work the bringing down of the mighty sets the poor on high those that are at once poor and humble the Lord will set on high then Iniquity that is wicked men men of iniquity shall stop their mouths or have their mouths stopt they shall not have a word to say as gaine-saying that righteous and glorious work of God So here God will not hear vanity that is vaine men or men that pray vainly all that which men speak or act is vaine or vanity if it be not good if it be not answerable to the will and ends of God yea whatsoever prayer doth not proceed from faith and flow from a pure heart is vanity 't is but straw and stubble dross and dung God will not hear vanity Neither will the Almighty regard it He that will not hear will much less regard vanity The sense is gradual regarding is more than hearing we may put both together he will not hear with regard nor regard what he hears from such The strong God who hath all power in his hand the power of Authority or the power of a Judge will not hear vanity The All-mighty The All-sufficient who hath all power of efficiency in his hand the nourisher and preserver the punisher and correcter of all men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã intendit oculos visum intentis fiaeis oculis intuitus est solicitè
the learned Authors of it make fairly out from the Original to whom I refer the Reader and shall only offer two notes from it for instruction First The sorest afflictions that fall upon sinners in this life are little or nothing to what God might lay upon them There is no condition here actually so bad but possibly it might be worse though the darkness of night be upon us yet it may be darker with us God can make a night so dark that the former darkness may be called light God can add so much bitterness to that which is veây bitter so much weight to that burden of affliction which is already very heavy that the former bitter may be called sweet and that former weight of affliction light Are any pooâ sick or pained God can make them poorer sicker and so encrease their paine that former poverty sickness paine may go for riches health and ease And as present sufferings of one kind or other are but little to what they may be so they are but little to what we have deserved they should be The least mercy is more than we deserve and the greatest affliction is less than we deserve Et nunc quia nihil est quod visitavit ira ejus Drus He hath visited thee little or nothing so the word is saith Elihu according to this reading of the Text. The Lord hath not only not visited thee too much O Job but he may be said not to have visited thee at all or the All of thy visitaâion is nothing to that which the Lord could have brought upon thee David gives a general assertion near this concerning the dealings of the Lord in his angry dispensations Psal 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities that is our sins and our iniquities might have born out the Justice of God in laying heavier evils and troubles upon us than yet he hath done Sinners never have their full punishment till they come to hell As the sweetest joyes and strongest consolations which the godly find and feel on earth are only tasts and first-fruits of that they shall have in heaven so all the sorrows and sufferings of the wicked in this world are but tasts light touches and beginnings of sorrow compared with the pains and sorrows of the next world where sinners shall be payd their wages in full Vtrumque visitandi recensendi vel cognoscendi verbum in hoc loco judicis vel magistratis in peccatores animedversionem inquisitionem punitioni conjunctum importat Bold Secondly From the latter part of the verse thus translated Neither hath he made any great inquisition that is he hath not taken strict knowledge of thy sins though a multitude though even past number though there be abundance of them and they abounding in sinfulness yet he hath not made any great inquisition after them Hence Note The Lord doth not severely mark the sins of his people no not the multitude nor magnitude of their sins to punish them Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity implying that the Lord doth not mark in the sense here intended if thou shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand The word in that Psalm rendred to mark notes first to watch or to observe with exactest diligence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is therefore in the Noun rendred a watch Tower upon which a man is placed to take observation of all things that are done and of all persons that passe by or approach and come neer A Watch-man placed upon a high-Tower is bound industriously and critically to observe all Passengers and passages all that his eye can reach So saith the Text If thou shouldest mark as a Watch-man and eye with rigour every thing that passeth from us Who could stand That is make good his Cause in the day of his judgement and tryal before thee Secondly The word signifieth to keep in mind to lay up to have as it were a store and stock a memorial or record of such and such things by us In that notion it is said Gen. 37.11 Josephs Brethren envied him but his Father observed the saying he marked what Joseph spake about his Dreams he laid it up and did not let it passe away as a Dâeam or as a vision of the night Thus in the Psalm If the Lord should mark iniquity if he should treasure up our sins in his memory and keep them by him who were able to stand when accounted with The Lord in a way of grace seeth as if he saw not and winks at us oftentimes when we do amiss as he is said to have done at those times the times of ignorance when not only many things but even every thing was done amiss and out of order in the dark Gentile world before the approach of Gospel light Acts 17.30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but new commandeth all men every where to repent That is the Lord took little notice of those untaught times in comparison of that strict notice which he will take of these times concerning which he gave command to his Apostles Go and teach all Nations and yet the strictest notice which he takes of our sins in these times is but little to what he might So much from that Translation of the Text our own runs thus Vers 15. But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger yet he knoweth it not in great extremity We must expound this Verse in Connexion with the latter part of the former But now because it is not so What is not so what is missing what is wanting What had Job done amiss or what had he mist to do Elihu seems to answer he hath mist the doing of that duty to which he was moved in the close of the fore-going Verse expressed in those words Trust thou in him or wait upon him But now because it is not so that is Because thou dost not put forth such acts of holy confidence and patient waiting upon God as thou oughtest and as I admonished thee to do therefore God is engaged and even compelled to treat thee thus roughly and severely He hath visited in his anger As if he had said Though thou hast professed a trust in God yet thou dost not trust in him fully as becomes thee yea thou seemest sometimes as a man forlorn to cast up thy hopes therefore because thou dost not trust in him because it is not so as I have exhorted and directed thee the Lord hath visited in anger Mr. Braughton renders But now for missing his anger doth visit For missing that is for missing of duty or for not acting up to duty for not trusting fully in the Lord the Lord hath visited thee in his anger This sense is obvious and commodious according to our reading But now because it is not so Homo tentatur et in examen vocatur ut probetur ejus spes et patientia
which he expected from Job Doubtlesse more of all these should have appeared in him and they should have appeared more in that time of affliction There are two things which God looketh for and aims at in the time of our affliction first the mortifying of corruptions that they woâk no more at least no more so strongly as they have done secondly The stirring up and acting of our Graces that they may be more woâking and work more strongly than ever they have done Where the Lord sees not these effects of affliction that our sins grow lesse and our graces more that we complain lesse and trust or believe more we are like to be afflicted more and he will discover his anger more Because it is not so he hath visited in his anger And thence Note Thirdly Distrust or impatience under the afflâcting hand of God or our not trusting God in our worst condition patiently is a very provoking sin We provoke the Lord to visit us in his anger when we do not trust in his mercy Our not trusting God must needs provoke him to anger for when we do not trust him we question him distrust or unbelief questions all that God is and all that God hath promised it questions his Truth and his Faithfulnesse his Power his Mercy and his Goodnesse all these which are the glory of God and in all which the sons of men ought to glorifie him these are all questioned and darkned when we put not forth acts of trust and reliance upon God in times of greatest affliction and extremity Is it not then a provoking sin I say not to with-draw trust from God and give it to an arm of flesh but not to put out fresh and full acts of trust upon God let our affliction or extremity be what it will The Children of Israel were in great extremity at the Red Sea a mighty Army pursuing them at the heels to destroy them and mighty waters being before them ready to swallow them up in these straits whilest they should have done their utmost to get and assure God to be their Friend the Psalmist tells us They provoked him Psal 106 7. But wherein lay their provocation that Scripture saith They remembred not the multitude of his mercies The former mercies of the Lord did not strengthen their trust in present troubles that was one provocation And as former mercies did not strengthen their trust so the present trouble drew out their distrust as another Scripture assures reporting their behaviour in it Exod. 14.11 And they said to Moses Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to dye in the Wildernesse Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt What were these fearful fore-casts these amazing bodements of an unavoidable as they apprehended ruine but the overflowings of unbelief or distrust in God and this was another provocation Former mercies are forgotten yea eaten up by unbelief as the seaven lean Kine in Pharaohs dream eat up the fat ones and present difficulties are aggravated by unbelief as if all the power of God could not remove and overcome them And will not the Lord think you visit in anger for such a sin as this Again As Elihu doth not say barely he hath visited but he hath visited in his anger or his anger hath visited so consider who was it that was thus visited in anger It was Job a Godly man a man perfect and upright Hence note Fourthly God visits or afflicts even his own people his elect and choicest servants with fatherly anger when they displease and provoke him We find the Scripture speaking expresly of the anger of God towards the best of his servants even towards a Moses as himself made confession Deuter. 1.37 when they displease him Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes saying thou also shalt not go in thither Moses was a most meek man the meekest man upon the face of the earth nor was he an inferior in any other grace yet the Lord was angry wi h him and angry with him upon that special occasion his unbeliefe Numb 20.12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye believe me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore c. We read of the Lords anger breaking out against Aaron for another sin Numb 12.9 The anger of the Lord was kindled against them that is against Aaron and Miriam because they had spoken against Moses vers 1.8 Aaron was the High Priest and as he was high in office so eminent in grace and doubtless Miriam was a very gracious woman yet the Lord was not only angry with them but exceeding angry his anger waxed hot against them and kindled when they forgot their duty to Moses and remembred not their distance with reverence Solomon in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple speaks of the people of God collectively If they sin against thee and thou be angry with them The Lord is not only angry with the world but angry with his Church not only angry with Babylon but with Jerusalem And as Solomon spake that of the whole Nation of the Jewes supposing they might fall under the Lords anger all together as a body so he did experience it sadly in his own person 1 Kings 9.11 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twâce Wise Solomon departed from God through an evil heart of unbelief and vanity after the Lord had come and appeared to him more than once in grace and savour and the bitter effects or fruits of that departure appeared to him shortly after the Lord saith that Scripture was angry with Solomon and the sequel of his History tells us there went out very hot displeasure against him As these Scriptures are a proof of the Lords anger kindling against his people when they sin so we find the Church represented praising the Lord for quenching the fire of his angeâ Isa 12.1 And in that day thou shalt say O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me When we turn from God his anger is turned against us and when we turn to God his anger is turned away from us When the Lord is angry what can comfort us but the turning away of his anger And by the very act of turning away his anger he comforts us though all the world be angry with us But some may say How doth the Lord who is said to love his people with an everlasting love visit them in anger To clear that we may distinguish of anger First There is correcting anger Secondly there is consuming or destroying anger Destroying anger is inconsistent with eveâlasting love but not correcting anger correcting anger may be very grievous therefore the Prophet deprecates it Jer. 10.24 Correct me O Lord in Judgement not in thy anger The
forgets God as his Maker will never remember much less answer and accomplish the ends for which he was made Thirdly I will ascribe righteousness to My Maker Note A godly man takes God as his own and appropriates him by Faith in all his Relations Faith takes not only a share in God but all of God My God my Father my Maker my Redeemer are strains of Faith A Believer doth as it were ingross God to himself yet desires and endeavours that all as well as himself may have their part and portion in God yea God for their Portion Job said Chap. 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth He spake as if he had got a Redeemer not only to but by himself Thus also holy Paul of Christ Gal. 2.22 Who loved me gave himself for me as if he had been given for him alone and loved none but him This is the highest work of Faith and 't is the signification of our hottest love to God it shews endearedness of affection to him as well as neerness and clearness of interest in him when we thus take him as our own Saviour Father Maker I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker Observe Fourthly He who is the Maker of all men can be unrighteous to nâ man nor is lyable to the censure of any man whatever he doth 'T is impossible that he who made us should wrong or injure us and that upon a twofold Principle First Of the respect he hath for Justice towards all those whom he hath made God is so tender that he doth not willingly or with his heart afflâct nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth Lam. 3.33 34. much less will he as it followeth vers 35 â6 turn away the right of a man before the face of the most High that is before his own face who is the Most High As if it had been said The Lord will not pervert Judgment in any mans Case that comes before him Or if we take those words before the face of the Most High as denoting the highest Judicatory on Earth as our Margin intimates putting there for Most High A Superiour then the meaning is The Lord doth not approve that any earthly Judge though Supream or most Superiour should turn aside the right of a man how inferiour soever for as the 36th verse hath it To subvert a man in his Cause the Lord approveth not or as the Hebrew is rendred seeth not that is he seeth it not with approbation but indeed with detestation and will severely punish such subverters of Justice Secondly It is impossible that he who hath made us should wrong or injure us upon the principle of his Soveraignty over all those whom he hath made He that gives all men their being he that gives all to all men that are in being can be unrighteous to no man whatsoever he taketh from him or doth with him We have Job in the beginning of this Book Chap. 1.21 ascribing righteousness to God his Maker upon this reason or principle The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is he that made me a man 't is he who once made me a rich man a great man the greatest man of all the men of the East Chap. 1.3 What if now he hath lessened me and left me little or nothing what if he hath now made me a mean man a poor man in account a no man what if God hath now stript me naked and taken all from me He hath taken nothing but what he gave why then should I take it ill at his hands or have so much as an ill thought of him the Lord gives and the Lord takes there 's no unrighteousness in all this If God should utterly undoe us he doth us no wrong if he should as it were unmake us let us consider he is our Maker then we must say there is no unrighteousness in him yea we shall be ready with Elihu in the Text to ascribe righteousness unto him And therefore as a Corollary from the whole Note Fifthly Whatsoever God doth with us or others we ought to maintain the honour of God and retain good thoughts of him both as righteous and good Though Heaven and Earth be moved though the World be full of confusion and unâighteousness yet we must ascribe righteouânesse to God Whatsoever or whosoever falls to the dust the Honour and Justice of God must not Thus far of Elihu's third Argument for attention the Fourth is at hand in the next verse Vers 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee As if he had said I am purposed to speak the truth and nothing but the truth therefore hear me Truly my words shall not be false He gives assurance for or warrants the truth of his words while he saith they shall not be false Negatives in Scripture often carry a strong affirmation The Father of a Fool hath no joy Non est âânum pro passimum est sic non remittâtur ei i. e. famietur Drus saith Solomon Prov. 17.21 that is he shall have a great deal of sorrow When the Scripture denyeth forgiveness to any sort of impenitent sinners or saith their sin shall not be forgiven the sense is they shall be punished When we say proverbially Goods ill gotten shall not prosper the meaning is they shall perish and do him mischief that hath gotten them not only shall he not thrive with them but they shall ruine and undoe him his goods ill gotten shall do him no good when the evill day is come much less shall they be able or he by them to prevent the coming of an evil day Once more When we say Such a thing is not ill done our intendment is 't is very well done excellently done So here when Elihu saith Truly my words shall not be false his meaning is I will speak truth and truth to the highest I will speak nothing but what shall endure the Touchstone and the Test I will not offer thee a Syllable of falshood what I alledge and urge either for God or against thee shall not be fetcht oâ hammer'd out of my own brain and so subject to errour and mistake but such as God who cannot erre by whose Spirit and in whose stead I speak unto thee hath inspired me with or taught me for thy conviction and instruction Fourthly When he saith Truly my words shall not be false we may take it two wayes First As to the matter spoken Secondly As to the mind of the Speaker when truth is thus spoken t is truly spoken thus much Elihu engag'd for As if he had said The matter that I speak shall be true and I will speak it in truth or with a true mind and heart I will not speak any thing to flatter thee nor for my own ends to trouble thee my words shall be candid and sincere
active conquest as a King which he usually atchieveth by himself alone without any appearance of help from man And though Deborah in her Song Judg. 5. pronounceth a curse upon those that came not out to help the Lord against the Mighty yet it was not because the mighty God needed their help or service but because they did owe it him in duty should have given it him For that the Lord wants no help is further clear from the Prophet Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no Intercessor none so much as to speak a word therefore his arme wrought salvation and his righteousness it sustained him Not only no arme was put forth to help but no tongue so much as move or intercede for help to do it yet his own arme did it Thus the Prophet Isa 44.24 He stretcheth forth the Heavens alone and laid the Foundations of the Earth by himself Now as it was with the Lord in the work of Creation he had no helper no assistant he did it alone by himself so it is as true as to all works of providence Let all men forsake him as the Apostle Paul complained they did him 2 Tim. 4.16 and no man stand by him yet the Lord what his purpose and counsel is can bring to pass alone O behold this might he can do all things without the help of any and not only so but Fifthly God is so mighty that he can bring all things to pass or do what he pleaseth though all creatures should be displeased though all men and Angels though all second causes stand up to hinder and to stop him The Lord can work his will against every will against all contradictions and oppositions Thus the Prophet extols the power of God Isa 14.27 The Lord of Hosts hath purposed and who shall dâsanul it His hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back Where we have first the purpose of God none can disanull that Secondly the execution of that purpose He stretcheth out his hand to do such or such a thing who shall turn it back Let all men and Devils joyn forces and counsels let them strive to do it they shall not be able to do it We have a like confession Dan. 4.35 He doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his hand or say to him what dost thou Such is the mightiness of God that he can work not only when the creature doth not help him or when they apostatize from and desert him or his interest but though they set their hearts and heads their hands and their all against him they cannot stay him nor hinder his work I saith the Lord Isa 43.13 will work and who shall let it Sixthly Behold how mighty the Lord is he is so mighty that he can do all these things and never trouble himself in doing of them he can do all things and not be weary We see the mightiest among men the Powers of this world how they are toyled and moyled how they are worn out how they sweat and labour and are ready to faint and tire in bâinging some poor business some petty project about or to its issue But the greatest designes which the Lord hath in his heart to do he can do them without any wearisomness or trouble at all Isa 40.28 Dost not thou know that the Lord is not weary neither doth he faint and when the Prophet saith the Lord is not weary neither doth he faint the meaning is not this the Lord is somewhat weary only he doth not faint but the meaning is this he hath not the least wearisomness upon him no more than a man hath in turning his hand not only are all things possible to God or such as he can do if he put forth the utmost of his power and strength if he make as we say much adoe if he lay himself out to the full not only are things thus possible to God which yet argueth wonderfull might but behold the Lord is so mighty that there is nothing difficult unto him Not only can he possibly do great things but he can easily do them he can do them without the least trouble to himself There is nothing hard to him who can do every thing Mighty men have done great things but they will tell you they could hardly do them they were forced to turn every stone to straine every veine of their hearts to do them whereas the mighty God can do his work with as much ease as desire to have it done Seaventhly Behold God is mighty so mighty that he can do any thing but that which will argue that he is not almighty The Scripture speaks of something which the Lord cannot doe Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God who cannot lye hath promised And again the Apostle saith of God not only making promise but oath to Abraham Heb. 6.18 That by two Immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye the heirs of promise might have strong consolation Once more 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himself We have these and such like negative Propositions concerning God telling us what he cannot do Now the only reason why it is said the Mighty God cannot do these things is because the doing of them would argue him not to be Almighty To lye is to be weak to deny himself would affirme his impotency therefore he cannot do these things the Lord is so mighty so strong that it is impossible for him to do any thing which should declare any weakness or impotency in him Thus I have given you seaven assertions concerning the might of God all which may very well call for a behold of admiration and astonishment at the mightiness of God Take a few Inferences from this grand Assertion First For Comfort Secondly For Terror Behold the Lord is Mighty Almighty this speaks comfort to the people of God First Surely then he can do whatsoever he hath promised to do and if so then look through the promises and see whether God hath not promised to do good things for his people in generall and for every believer in particular Behold the Lord is mighty these are not vaine words he can fill up and fulfill all his promises As he hath made promises so he can create performances Abraham was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe Rom. 4.21 Secondly If the Lord be mighty in all those notions foreshewed then certainly he can do whatsoever we desire him to do according to his will As God hath not out-promised his power so we cannot out-pray the power nor out-ask the arme of God we may quickly out-pray the power of man and ask what he cannot do he may say I cannot do this for you it is not in my power but here is our comfort if what we pray and
10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger than he As if he had said What do ye mean he speaks to those that would venture to go to the Table of Devils that is who cared not how they mingled themselves and held Communion in the things of God with those who worshipped Devil-gods or as all Idolaters do Devils rather than God what mean you saith he to these consider your selves Will you provoke the Lord are you stronger than he are you his match are you able to graple with him not so well as a Child with a mighty Giant or a Lamb with a Lion The mightiness of the Lord his Almightiness should make sinners tremble and fear to provoke him he can crush them as a Moth and break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel As 't is the Joy of all true Believers that God hath laid help for them as 't is said Psal 89.19 upon one that is mighty that is Christ of whom David was but a shadow and as 't is the comfort of the Fatherless how weak soever that their Redeemer is mighty Prov. 23.11 So it may fill the faces of the wicked and presumptuous with confusion and their hearts with despairing sorrow to hear that God who is ready to take vengeance on them is mighty Behold God is mighty that 's a glorious sight and yet behold a sight more glorious if more glorious may be And despiseth not any What a temperament is here God is so mighty that he feareth none no not the mightiest yet so meek that he despiseth not any no not the meanest Elihu having asserted the mightiness of God amplifieth it First by his gracious condescension and moderation in the use of his mightiness he is mighty yet he doth not exercise his might in a proud vaunting or contemning way he despiseth not any that 's the first thing in which he amplifies the excellency of God in his mightiness Secondly As God is thus mighty and moderate in the exercise of his might not despising any so behold another excellency of this might of God He is mighty not only in strength of Arm and Authority but as the last words of the verse set him forth In strength and wisdome Or he is as wise as he is strong Some men have a great deal of might and they presently swell proudly this spoyls all others have a great deal of might but not a bit of wit or wisdome or understanding how to dispose or make the best of it But what a mighty God have we to do with who is mighty and despiseth no man who hath not only might of strength but might of wisdome too Thus we see how Elihu in this latter part of the verse advanceth or extolleth the mightiness of God in these two things the infinite Moderation and Wisdome that go along with it and act it I shall a little open both First his wonderful Moderation in the exercise of his mightiness He is mighty And despiseth not any To despise is an act of Pride Pride is a bad Moâher of many bad Children these three especially First boasting of our selves Secondly contending with others Thirdly despising of others The word here used signifies to despise with abhorrence or loathing as the Stomack doth meat which is offensive to it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ill savoured meat is loathsome and any thing which the mind nauseates is an abhorrence to us The Lord despiseth not he doth not nauseate any The word any is not exprest in the Original Text that saith only The Lord is Mighty and despiseth not we put that supplement in our Translation any He is Mighty and despiseth not any Others render more strictly thus Behold God is Mighty and despiseth not his own people The Chaldee Paraphrase speaks exegetically The Lord is mighty and despiseth not the righteous man The Greek Version hath a fourth supplement to the same purpose God is mighty and despiseth not the innocent person ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Innocentem simplicem integrum Sept. Etsi ââgaââr âusti tamen non ideo quia justi Merc. the man free from evill or wickedness a man of integrity a man of simplicity the Lord will not despise such are often afflicted but never despised especially not as such Lastly thus God is mighty and despiseth not the mean the afflâcted the poor or those of low estate Psal 22.24 He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cryed unto him he heard And this seems most proper to the scope and meaning of Elihu here God is mighty and despiseth not those who have no might Thus the words reflect chiefly upon Job who at least seemed to charge God that he did not consider him in his affliction or in his low estate when he complained and cryed to him We have two Texts in this Book of Job which might very well move Elihu to speak thus unto him though God be mighty yet he despiseth not the afflicted or the poor Job said Chap. 10.3 Is it good to thee that thou shouldst oppress that thou shouldst despise the work of thy hands and shine upon the Counsell of the wicked As if he had said to God Thou seemest to despise me the work of thy hand now that I am poor low and reduced as it were to dust Again Chap. 19.7 we have neer the same âânguage Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry a loud but there is no Judgment As much as to say I am despised and neglected I am not regarded when I cry This Elihu takes off in the present Text Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he despiseth not the afflicted not the poor when they cry unâo and call upon him and therefore in this O Job thou hast misbehaved thy self or spoken amiss But which-soever of these supplements we take the sense is good and the Proposition true he despiseth not what will he not despise we say not any a second his own a third the Just a sourth the Innocent a fifth the afflicted there is a sixth which I shall offer before I part with these words All these are true God despiseth not Hence Note First Though the Lord be infinitely more mighty than the mightiest of men yet he doth not despise any man He doth not despise man in general who is the work of his hand yea Job said once Chap. 14.15 Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hand The Lord doth not despise any of his works as they are his works or as they come out of his hand and therefore when Jonah seemed to set so low a rate upon the Ninivites who were the work of his hand his Creatures the Lord reproved him for it by the Gourd which when the Lord smote Jonah was angry but said the Lord Dost thou well to be angry for thy Gourd Hast thou mercy upon a Gourd and should
soever because he is high nor the great how great soever because gâeat God himself is great and mighty and they that are like usually rejoyce in those that are like them Therefore God being mighty himself doth not despise or reject those that are mighty because they are so there must be some other reason it is not their mightinesse why God despises and casts down the mighty God is mighty and despiseth not the mighty Hence Note The great God is no enemy to greatnesse God doth not despise the mighty the Kings and Princes of the Earth as they are such he hath no antipathy in him against greatnesse nor doth he reject any man because he is great if he doth at any time reject a great man it is because of the abuse of his greatnesse God dislikes no mans just power but the unjust exercise of that power The Authority and Power of man over man is of God therefore God doth not despise men because they are in power He ordaineth Powers There is no Power but of God the Powers that be Non potentia justa sed actio prava damnatur Greg. l. 26. c. 24. are ordained or as our Margin hath it ordered of God He puts power into the hands of men and disposeth of their power God cannot despise his own Ordination 'T is the abuse of Power and not the Power it self which the Lord sets himself against and that indeed he doth set himself against he despiseth the most mighty and powerful Princes of the World when they instead of governing are only vexing others with their Power This causeth him to poure contempt upon Princes Psal 107.40 and renders him terrible to the Kings of the Earth Psal 76.12 Yet the Lord is never so angry with nor doth he so aggravate the faults of those that are in Power as to make Power it self faulty Indeed when great and mighty men turn their Power into oppression then the Lord speaks as if he had conceived a displeasure against all great and mighty men yet he is not displeased with their greatnesse but with the mis-improvement of their greatnesse and mal-administration of their Power The Prophet puts the Question Hab. â 8 Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers was thine anger against the Rivers was thy wrath against the Sea What was the reason why God turned the River of Nilus in Egypt into blood What was the reason why God divided the Red Sea Was he wrath with the River or with the Sea No he was wrath with the great Ones of Egypt his wrath was against Pharoah and the Egyptians Such an expression we have Nahum 1.4 He rebuketh the Sea and maketh it dry and dryeth up all the Rivers Bashan languisheth and Carmel and the Flower of Lebanon languisheth What was the meaning of all this it only signified that the Lord was highly displeased with the great and mighty Ones of the world who were to others as the Sea is to a River and as Carmel and Lebanon were to the Plains and low Valleys of the Earth exceeding them in height and greatnesse I say he was highly displeased with them because these carried it amiss in the exercise of their high Power it was not because they were high and great but because they had not exalted God in their highnesse nor acted towards man as became those who were advanced above and over other men Thus all along the Lord speaks against and rebukes the high and mighty upon no other account but the unrighteous administration of their might highness God quarrels with no man meerly for his might The Historyes of all Ages have reported the great and mighty men of the World opposing the mighty purely because they were so Some say they did it out of Reason of Statel but the true Reason of it usually was their own pride or envy Superbia parem non fert because they could not bear those that were equal with them as Pompey much lesse a Superiour as Caesar could not Or it was out of fear that the great would undermine their greatnesse or bring them down Thus mighty men oppose the mighty as mighty but the Lord is infinitely above these thoughts He is mighty and he despiseth not the mighty nor doth he set himself against them Magnificus magnificentias cogitabit Heb. because they are mighty The liberal Isa 32.8 deviseth liberal things and by liberal things shall he stand David a great P ince prayed Psal 51.12 that God would establish him by his free or Princely Spirit that being a mighty King he might never any more entertain low and unworthy thoughts of any man Maximus virtute cordis Coc. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Potens est robore cordis i. e. valet animi praestantia est magni animi ergo opera manuum suarum non contemnit Merc. nor do any thing unworthy of God or of himself Again Our Translation distributes the latter part of the verse into two Branches of the mightinesse of God He is mighty first in strength and secondly In wisdome This by others is rendred a single Proposition He is mighty in strength of heart Strength of heart may be taken three wayes First For courage in dangers Secondly For patience in troubles Thirdly For noblenesse and greatnesse of mind in all we do In this third or last sense we are to understand it here as if Elihu had said The Reason why the Lord being mighty doth not despise the mighty is this Because he excels all others not only in mightiness and power but in the nobleness of his Spirit The Lord hath such an heroical Spirit that he can do nothing below or unbecoming himself This is an excellent reading of the words Take two Notes ârom it First By way of Assertion Secondly By way of Illation By way of Assertion thus The Lord hath a wonderful noble heart and magnificent Spirit He hath not only an outward power as many have but an inward power he is not only Master of others but as I may say he is Master of himself Many are Masters of others who are not at all Masters of themselves they are mighty in the strength of hand yet weak as to strength of heart The inward excellency and mightinesse of the heart of God may be seen eminently in a threefold respect First The Lord is mighty of heart as to patience and long-sufferance in bearing with those that are evil The Lord is infinitely above that patience which consists in the bearing of evil though that as was toucht before shews much strength of heart but he is continually in the exercise of that patience which consists in bearing with those that are evil And O how great is the strength and might of Gods heart in this Some of the Rabbies translate the Original Text ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã long-suffering The Prophet Nahum speaks of God as slow to anger and great in power Chap. 1.3 It argueth strength of heart indeed when we
their life nor their death is precious in the Lords sight as both of the meanest Saints are Psal 116.15 The special Promises of preservation are made to the godly the common Providences of preservation extend to the wicked God preserves many wicked men but not one of them can plead a Promise for his preservation or say Lord thou hast undertaken to preserve me I have thy Word or Warrant for my preservation So then the Lord doth not preserve the life of any wicked man upon a word of Promise Secondly I answer When the lives of the wicked are preserved they are not preserved for any love which God bears to their persons as such but either First to bring them into a better state that is to turn them from their wickedness that being converted they may be saved at last according to his purpose Or Secondly they are preserved to serve some ends and purposes of his in this World For though God hath no pleasure in them yet he makes some use of them and doth his pleasure by them Or I may say they are preserved to be Executioners of his displeasure in chastening and correcting his own people The King of Assyria was preserved in great Power and to what end I will send him against an hypocritical Nation Isa 10.6 He must go on my Errand though he meaneth not so nor doth his heart think so as the Lord spake vers 7. He hath other matters and designs in his head but I have this use of him and of his power even to punish the people of my wrath The Lord made use also of Nebuchadnezar and his Army to serve him in the destroying of Tyrus and of him and his Army he saith They wrought for me Ezek. 29.20 Thus the Lord doth some of his work his strange work especially his work of Judgment by the hands of wicked men and therefore he preserves their lives Yea he preserves them many a time to be a help and a defence to his people A Thorn Hedge keeps the Pasture that strange Cattle break not in and eat it up Wicked men are as Bryars and Thorns and they are suffered to live because the Lord can make use of them as a Fence to his people When the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a Flood after the woman the Church that he might cause her to be carryed away of the Flood then the Earth that is earthly carnal men helped the Woman Rev. 12.15 16 The Lord used bad men to do that good work the preservation of his distressed and persecuted Church Thirdly As the Lord suffers many wicked men to live that they may be brought out of their sins so he suffers others to live that they may fill up the measure of their sins Why did the Lord preserve the Amorites was it because he loved or liked them no but because they were not then ripe for Judgment Gen. 15.16 The Iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full Some wicked men are to fill up their dayes that they may fill up the measure of their Fathers sins by their own as Christ threatned the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 23.32 Such a grant of life though for a thousand years is worse than a thousand Deaths Fourthly we may answer The wicked are not so much preserved from as reserved unto further wrath 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished God doth not presently punish all the wicked nor take away their lives there is a day of Judgment coming and till that day come their lives are preserved as persons reserved unto Judgment Fifthly VVhen wicked men are said to be out of the Lords Protection consider There is a twofold Protection First ordinary Secondly extraordinary The Lord doth preserve and protect wicked men in an ordinary not in an extraordinary way he doth not work wonders much less miracles to preserve them as he often doth for the preservation of his own people God will not be at such cost in preserving of wicked men as he is at in the preserving the lives and liberties of his eminent Servants rather than they shall perish or not be preserved he will somtimes work a miracle and put Nature out of its course to save their lives VVhen those three VVorthies were cast into the midst of the burning fiery Furnace God stopt the rage of that furious Element that the Fire had no power upon their bodyes nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their Coats changed nor the smel of fire had passed on them Dan. 3.27 Did we ever hear that the Lord restrained the power of the fire to preserve wicked men When Daniel a man precious in the sight of God was cast into the Lions Den the Lord preserved his life also by stopping the Mouths of the Lyons Dan. 6.22 Did we ever hear that God preserved the lives of wicked men in such a way No sooner were Daniels accusers cast into the Lyons Den but the Lyons had the Mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces e're ever they came to the bottome of the Den v. 24. The Lord doth not preserve the lives of the wicked by miraculous manifestations of his Power and Glory Sixthly I answer Though some wicked men are commonly preserved as other men yet many by their wickedness hasten their ruine and shorten the number of their dayes We may distinguish of wicked men First wicked men may be taken in a General notion for all that are unconverted and unregenerate Many persons pass for honest and good men in the world who yet are wicked being carnal and abiding in a state of nature wicked men of this sort are ordinarily preserved Secondly Take wicked men and such I conceive the Text especially intends for notorious wicked men such as are murderers blasphemers c. the Lord doth not preserve the lives of such but lets mans Justice seize upon them or divine vengeance overtake them Psal 55.23 The blood-thirsty and deceitful man shall not live out half his dayes that is he shall not live half so long as he might according to the course of Nature because of his nefarious sinful courses Histories are full of dreadful Tragedies sealing to this Truth with the blood and untimely death of gross offenders How often have we seen or heard of the Veâgeance of God following and falling upon those that were signanter notoriously wicked and of ââese we are especially to understand the Poynt and Text He preserveth not the life of the wicked Take this Inference from all that hath been said about this awakening Observation How sad is the life of a wicked man indeed of any man on this side the Line of grace but especially of any very wicked man He can scarce be said to live whose life is not preferved by God a wicked man is alwayes in death seeing God doth not preserve his life The Apostle
Paul said he was in Deaths often but God had as often preserved his life but they are in Deaths alwayes whose life God never preserveth VVhat preservation of life can he have who hath not God for his preserver God in Creation or Propagation giveth us our life as to being but Preservation gives us our life as to well-being Can it be well with them that are not under the preservation of God To be redeemed by Christ would be but a small comfort unless we were also preserved by him Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called If we were only redeemed from death and not preserved in life what were our spiritual life to us So I may say in respect of the life of the body to be meerly created or propagated what is it if we are not preserved 'T is a high Priviledge when a man can not only say he hath received life from God but his life is preserved by God That 's the first poynt He preserveth not the Life of the wicked Again From that other Interpretation of the words as not to preserve is as much as to destroy and ruine Note As God utterly disowneth so he will at last utterly ruine all wicked men He not only doth not favour them but pours out fury upon them Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name The Prophesie of Isaiah speaks no better concerning them than that prayer of Jeremy Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him And what can the hand of a wicked man earn the wages of sin is death he can get nothing but wrath and death nothing but tribulation and anguish here and eternal misery hereafter by the work of his hands VVoe to the wicked for the reward of his hands shall be given him that is eternal destruction and sorrow shall be given him according to the iniquity of his hand A godly man is rewarded according to the cleanness of his hands Psal 18.20 24. He labours to keep his hands much more his heart clean whatever the VVorld judge of him But woe to the wicked when God giveth them the reward of their hands of their unclean soul and filthy hands for what can such hands get or procure by all their labour but their own mischief and sorrow There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57.21 No peace is to them because no good is done by them their portion lyes in promises who keep Commandements so theirs must needs lye in threatnings who do nothing but break them or break them in all they do My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord said David Pâal 104.34 As if he had said I know that I and eveây Godly man shall receive so much good from the Lord that it doth me good at the heart to think of it But as for the wicked I can fore-see as we say with half an eye how ill it will be with them and so let it be I must subscribe to and vote with the righteous judgement of the Lord againât them ver 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the Earth and let the wicked be no more Lastly Consider these words He preserveth not the life of the wicked with respect to the wicked specially intended and treated of in this Context The Lord is mighty and despiseth not the mighty because they are mighty he preserveth not the wicked Hence Note Wicked men how mighty soever cannot preserve themselves nor doth the Lord undertake for their preservation The strongest of wicked men cannot stand by their own strength they cannot protect nor preserve themselves and the Lord will not put forth his strength to preserve them from falling As no mightiness no power can bear man up or maintain him against the Lord so not without the Lord if he preserveth not the life of the wicked they cannot escape death and destruction though high as Cedars and strong as Oakes They cannot but perish whom God preserveth not He preserveth not the life of the wicked But giveth right to the poor ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Pauperes afflicti Or to the afflicted Poverty it self is a great affliction and usually the poor are afflicted by others Here is a second instance of Gods goodnesse in the exercise of his power and might As He preserveth not the life of the wicked So he giveth right to the poor as he destroyeth wrong-doers so he will do right to those that suffer wrong Every word is considerable First He giveth that 's an act of bounty Secondly He giveth right that 's an act of equity And that Thirdly To the poor that 's an act of pity and charity Further When 't is said He giveth that implyes First a present or speedy act Secondly a constant and setled course of acting As the word giveth imports that the Lord doth it now and doth not put it off to hereafter only so it likewise importeth that the Lord will do it hereafter as well as now He giveth Right to the poor The poor suffer wrong but the Lord comes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and gives them right or rights them and that in a twofold notion First He gives them that right which is due to them according to his own righteous Laws or the righteous Laws of men That 's right done which is done according to a righteous Law Secondly He giveth them that right which is due to them according to the integrity of their own hearts and wayes We may say Thirdly The Lord giveth them right not according to the strictnesse of the Law but according to the integrity of their hearts Thus David prayed Psal 7.3 Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me that is according to my honest meaning and the simplicity of my Soul As if he had said O Lord do me right men have done me wrong they have false and wrong apprehensions of me they raise false reports concerning me but thou O Lord who knowest my integrity wilt judge me accordingly and 't is my humble and earnest Prayer that thou wouldest He giveth right To the poor The poor in Scripture are taken two wayes First as they stand in opposition to the rich Secondly as they are opposed to the proud thus here he giveth right to the poor as well as to the rich and he will especially give right to the humble poor to the righteous poor to the poor in spirit Such the Prophet speaks of Isa 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor He means not the poor in purse as such he means not those as such who wear poor cloaths the Lord doth not always look to or respect such poor for many such are both proud and wicked but he
time and means and manner as in all his outward Administrations so in ministring or giving out this right the Lord waits to be gracious till we are ready for his grace and he waits in the same sence to be righteous till the poor are ready for their right they shall not stay for it when once they are ready for it and it would be a wrong to them to have their right before they are ready for it Lastly There is a day spoken of wherein the Lord will do all his poor right in the view of all the world Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained The day approacheth wherein the Lord will judge the world in righteousness Right is prepared designed for them The time till right shall be done to all as is desired or to the utmost of their desires maketh hast He that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold saith he I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall be Rev. 22.12 And if the Lord come with a reward in his hand for those who have done well he will undoubtedly come with right in his hand to give all those who have suffered wrongfully JOB Chap. 36. Vers 7. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted THis verse contains a further confirmation of Gods righteous and gracious dealing with the righteous and gracious poor yea with all that are righteous and gracious The words may be taken either in a stricter or in a larger sense First Strictly as an Exposition of the latter part of the former verse He giveth right to the poor that is He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous We may put both together He is so set to give right to the righteous poor he takes such care of them that he cannot take his eye off from them Secondly In a larger and more general sense as a Conclusion upon the whole matter that God will not desert any righteous person whether poor or rich high or low God will take notice of piety and godliness wheresoever he finds it He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã minuit diminuit ademit substraxit The word which we translate withdraweth and is here used negatively He withdraweth not signifies strictly in the Noune any kind of abatement or diminution and in the Verb to diminish or abate or take short in any kind that which was before When Pharaoh Exod. 5.8 gave out a fresh Charge for burdening or indeed oppressing the Children of Israel in their bondage the Order ran in this stile The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish or withdraw any you shall not abate them a brick And Moses shewing how sacred a thing the Word of God is Deut. 9.2 gives a double check or prohibition to all medlers with it First to medlers by way of addition Ye shall not add unto the Word Secondly by way of abateâent or abstraction Ye shall not diminish or withdraw from it it is this word As if the Lord had said Every tittle of my word shall stand by it self and every Iota be establisht be sure that ye put nothing to it that you withdraw nothing from it Further this word which we translate withdraw is rendred also to clip as the hayr of the head or beard is clipt Jer. 48.37 It is indeed high treason against the King of Heaven to clip his coyn his word which bears the royal stamp and superscription of his truth and holiness Thus here he withdraweth not that is the Lord doth not abate lessen diminish or take off his eyes from the righteous his eyes are fixed on them for good alwayes and they are alwayes fixed in the same strength and vertue He withdraweth not His eyes God is a Spirit without parts and passions yet often in Scripture parts and passions are ascribed to him in allusion to man here eyes He withdraweth not his eyes that is his sight Oculos domini esso super aliquem nisi aliquid additur semper in bonum sumitur peculiarem ejus favorem et curam importat Bold or his providence And we may take notice that in Scripture where this expression is used without any further addition it is alwayes taken in a good sense When we read either of Gods keeping his eyes upon his people or of his not withdrawing his eyes from his people it alwayes respects their priviledge benefit and comfort He withdraweth not his eyes From the righteous He doth not say from this or that righteous man but from the righteous implying the whole kind or generation of the righteous The indefinite is universal we may render it thus he withdraweth not his eyes from any that are righteous The righteous here may be taken in a two-fold notion First for the righteous as to their state or who are in a state of righteousness Man wanting a righteousness of his own hath the righteousness of another assigned and imputed to him Justified persons through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are righteous persons as hath been shewed heretofore Secondly We may take righteous here with respect to the righteousness of their wayes and actions They who do righteousness are righteous saith the Apostle John To a righteous state there belongs a righteous way a righteous walk righteous acting not that the righteous do not sin but they would not nor do they sin at all as the unrighteous It is a high blemish or staine to the Gospel when any that pretend to a righteous state or to righteousness by Jesus Christ are not righteous as to their wayes and course as to their walkings and workings whether towards God or man 'T is true in a strict legal sense none are righteous no not one but in a Gospel sense all justified and fanctified persons are righteous and they are called so not only positively as to what themselves are but comparatively as to what the men of the world are who live in a state or walk in a course of sin and unrighteousness The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous But some may here object or question Is this true only of the righteous Doth the Lord at any time withdraw his eyes from the unrighteous truly that would be very good newes to many unrighteous persons they would be glad that they and their way might be hid from God or that God would not look upon them I answer This Scripture is not to be so understood as if God did behold the righteous and not the wicked for Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are every where beholding the evil and the good whether things done or persons doing them The Lord doth not withdraw his eyes from
the most unrighteous persons nor from any of their acts or wayes of unrighteousness And when it is said here The Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous it is meant of a peculiar eye which the Lord hath upon the righteous he beholds both the righteous and the unrighteous yet he doth not behold the unrighteous as he beholds the righteous which I shall clear further by giving in a five-fold discovery what that eye of the Lord is which is upon the righteous foure of which are distinct and totally differing from that eye with which he beholdeth unrighteous men and from every one of them I shall give you an observation for our further profiting by this general assertion that the Lord withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous There is a five-fold eye of God spoken of in Scripture First There is a discerning eye that eye by which be unerringly knoweth what every man is and what every man doth Hence note The Lord taketh exact and full notice of he clearly discerns the righteous in every condition This is true also of the unrighteous therefore David puts it universally Psal 11.4 His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men that is his sight discovers and discerns what they are of what sort soever they are We may see many men yet not discover what they are they may have a faire outside to our view whilest within they are foule and full of rottenness they may appear in Sheeps cloathing yet inwardly be ravening Wolves But the Lords eye is a trying eye he doth not only know who men are but he knows what they are Such is the importance of that Scripture Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and manifest to his eyes with whom we have to do that is the Lord doth so behold things and persons that he hath a clear understanding of them And though the Lords eye be thus upon all men yet this is specially affirmed of righteous men Psal 33.18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him and hope in his mercy Again Psal 34.15 His eye is over the righteous Both texts teach us that God considers not only what they do but as I may say how they do whether it be peace with them or whether it be trouble with them whether it be joy with them or whether it be sorrow with them the Lords eye is over them to discern not only whether and how they go but how things go with them Secondly The Lord hath a directing or a counselling eye Hence Note The Lord with his eye favourably guides directs and counsels righteous men This eye of the Lord as it denotes favour is peculiar to the righteous We have that expresly Psal 32.8 I will instruct thee and teach thee how I will guide thee with mine eye We put in the Margen I will counsel thee that is thee a Godly man a David spoken of v. 6 7. mine eye shall give thee counsel Men can give direction by the eye and they that are acquainted with them understand what they mean when they look this way or that way thus or so Solomon saith A naughty person winketh with his eyes he speaketh with his feet he teacheth with his fingers Pro. 6.12 13. that is all the postures and gestures of his body shew what he is stark naught and silently teach others to be naught The holy God also teacheth by his feet and fingers his goings and doings his workes and wayes teach us the work which we should do and the way wherein we should go he hath a providential eye the looks of providence give counsel to those who know how to look upon them and interpret them The Lord hath a providential eye upon the righteous not only to foresee their dangers but to direct their course he sheweth them their way and their work by this eye he tells them what pleaseth him and what displeaseth him by this eye this eye the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous He will guide the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 'T is possible for a righteous man sometime to be without counsel he may neither know what counsel to give himself nor what to take from others as Jehoshaphat said in his streight 2 Chron. 20.12 He knoweth not what to do yet as Jehoshaphat said then his eyes are towards the Lord and the Lords eyes are towards him When he is thus counselless there is a counselling a directing eye of God upon him though he at that present know not his way yea be out of his way yet he is not out of Gods eye and that will in due time shew him his way or bring him into his way again though God suffer him to go out of the way yet the eye of God is upon him even when he is out of his way and that eye will reduce and bring him back to his right way There is a directing a counselling eye of God Thirdly The Scripture speaks of a pitying and a compassionating eye of God It is ordinary with us to hear those that are in distress cry out to those who pass by cast an eye upon us look upon us and that is as much as to say pity us have compassion upon us this eye of pity the Lord doth not withdraw from the righteous Hence note The righteous are under the compassionating the pitying eye of God When the people of Israel were in Egypt the Lord said to Moses Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people and what kind of sight was that what eye of God was it which was upon them the words following and the whole series of Gods dealings also clear it that it was an eye of compassion I have surely seen or seeing I have seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt c. and I am come down to deliver them We read in that notable place Gen. 16.14 when Hagar was in a very sad and distressed condition being cast out of Abrahams family God had compassion on her and shewed her a Well where she might have water for her self and child and the text saith She called the name of the Well Beer-la-hai-roi that is the Well of him that liveth and seeth me As if she had said God hath seen me in my afflicted condition and he hath also had compassion on me That 's another great priviledge the righteous are under this pitying and compassionating eye of God and from thence follows The fourth eye of God his providing eye his caring eye Hence note The Lord doth so eye the righteous in their straits and afflictions with compassion that he also provides to deliver them out of their affliction out of their straits There is a providing eye of God continually beholding his people Of this providing eye Abraham spake Gen. 22.14 when he was put upon that hard task the sacrificing of his own son his Isaac the Lord had compassion on him and provided another sacrifice and therefore he called
Lord hideth himself as to sense and present appearance but he never hideth himself as to the real continuance of his love and care towards his Church or People This Objection some made to one of the Ancients the Lord said they may seem to withdraw his eyes from the righteous because he suffers them to fall under the oppression of the unrighteous Famulos suos nunc m gis respicit nam jam praevidet quid eis miserecorditer recompenset Greg in loc No saith he The Lord beholds the righteous though they perish by the hand of the unrighteous yea when it is worst with them the Lords Eye is upon them for good both to see how they carry it or behave themselves in their Sufferings and likewise to provide a full reward and recompence for them after all their sufferings Before I pass from this part of the verse let me make these two Inferences First If the Lord never withdraweth his Eyes from the righteous then let the righteous know their own Priviledge and Mercy How happy are they upon whom the Eyes of the Lord abide alwayes for good The Lord cannot endure to have good men out of his Eye as Parents say of their darlings and Princes of their Favourites If we were assured that the Eye of a great ãâã who loveth us were alwayes upon us if he should promise to have an eye to us That 's an ordinary Promise among men I will have an Eye to you that is I will take care of you if we have I say but such a word from a man in Power we think we have got a great revenue such a great Lord will have an eye to us we have his word he will not take off his care from us How much then should we boast and rejoyce in spiriâ that the Lord hath said I will alwayes have a care of you I will never withdraw mine eyes from you I will never leave you nor forsake you Heb. 13.5 As it will be the eternal happiness of Believers in Glory alwayes to behold or see God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God they have some sight of him here in a Glass but they shall see him face to face that is they shall see him clearly as clearly as the creature is capable of seeing or enjoying him now I say as it is the happiness of the Saints in Heaven alwayes to behold God so it is the happiness of Saints here on earth that the Lord doth alwayes behold them that his eye is never withdrawn from them Consider therefore you that are in a righteous state whose acts and words and walkings are also righteous consider your Priviledge consider what it is to have the Lord Jesus alwayes setting his eye upon you to have the Lords directing and counselling eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords pitying and compassionating eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords providing and caring eye alwayes upon you to have the Lords delighting and well-pleased eye alwayes upon you to have the eyes of the Lord thus upon you and to have them alwayes upon you what can ye desire more Thus 't is promised 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect with him And whose hearts are perfect with him but the hearts of the righteous this is their priviledge Jesus Christ Zech. 3.9 is called The stone and saith the Text upon one stone shall be seven eyes There are two interpretations given of that Prophesie First thus upon one stone shall be seven eyes that is the eyes of all men shall be upon that stone upon Christ Seven is a perfect definite Number put for all numbers the eyes of all shall be upon the stone upon Christ although he be to the wicked or to them that believe not a stumbling stone and a rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 yet to them that believe he is a most precious stone and as they are alwayes beholding the beauty of that precious stone so Jesus Christ doth indeed invite all eyes to behold him Isa 65.1 Behold me behold me he would have us take off our eyes from all others and look steddily on him Let all eyes be upon the stone that 's a good interpretation There is a second which suits the present poynt I am upon fully Seven eyes shall be upon one stone that is the eyes of God shall be upon Jesus Christ This is a promise made unto him as Mediator when he came in the flesh or in our nature to do that great work for us Then saith the Prophet upon one stone shall be seven eyes which seven eyes note the perfect knowledge of God and so the perfect care that God would have of Chriââ to bear him up through that woâk of our Redempâion Vpon one stone shall be seven eyes I will take caâe of him I will p ovide for him and I will delight in him As Jesus Christ is all eye and Jesus Christ doth enlighten all eyes that is all that see are enlightened by Jesus Christ so the eyes of God the eyes of the Father were alwayes upon him in favour in love in care when he was here in this world about that great work of our salvation and he had abundunt experience of the eyes of his Father upon him Now mark it this was the great promise made to Christ the Stone that upon him should be seven eyes the eyes of the Lord should be alway and fully upon him And this is the priviledge of every one that hath part and interest in this stone Jesus Christ every righteous person hath seven eyes upon him the Lord God beholds him exactly perfectly and alwayes He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous A second inference is this If the Lord never withdraweth his eyes from the righteous Then let the righteous know their duty What 's that Never to withdraw their eyes from the Lord. There is a threefold eye which a righteous man should never withdraw from God First An eye of faith Secondly An eye of hope Thirdly An eye of dependance and that First for direction in all his wayes Secondly for protection in all his dangers I will lift up mine eyes saith David Psal 121.1 unto the hills from whence cometh my help And again Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a mayden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy on us that is we never withdraw our eyes from him while we have need of his mercy and that is alwayes Walk before me that is with an eye of faith hope and dependance was the Lords charge to the father of the faithfull Gen. 17.1 I have set the Lord alwayes before me that is I
the cords of affliction when they came down into Egypt for Corn and were in great streights through the policy of their Brother to discover them not out of any design to hurt them Then they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother Gen. 42.21 And vers 22. Reuben answered them saying Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear therefore behold also his blood is required Then their sin appeared to them in bloody colours then that sinfulness of their work appeared to them which they saw not before Affliction is a dark condition yet it brings much light into the soul Affliction brings light to discover our works of da knesse that is the sinfulnesse of our works troubles make Comments upon our works âfflictions expound our actions and shew whâre the error of them is We are usually very blind to see or discern a fault in our selves or in what we have done untill God openeth our eyes by laying a crosse upon our backs Then he sheweth them their work And their transgressions that they have exceeded Here we see as was toucht before what kind of works they are which God sheweth them in affliction Sceâera eorum Vulg. works of transgression or the transgâession of their works The Vulgar Laâine renders the Text by a harder word Their wickednesses or villanies Others by a word of no lesse if not of a more hard and harsh signification He sheweth them their prevaricatiân as if they had dealt cunningly and treacherously wiâh God not plainly clearly and above board as if they had used tricks and policies very much unbecoming righteous persons Most give it a more easie title as we translating by a word that will comply with any sin Nomen hoc usurpatur etiam de levioribus viâiis Drus transgrâssion every sin the least sin is a transgression Sin is a transgression of the Law in the very nature of it and taking the word in this lowest and most favourable notion Observe God will not spare he will not spare the righteous for their transgressions or lesser faults if they do not judge and humble themselves If their sins be but slips the Lord will make them know what they have done But there seemeth to be a great aggravation in the Text upon these transgressions which more than intimates that they are no small ones for 't is added And their transgressions That they have exceeded Some read the words in the Present Tense or time He sheweth them their transgressions when they exceed or prevail As if the meaning were God doth not suffer the sins of righteous perfons to grow too potent and prevalent upon them but takes them in time and âips their sins in the bud when he sees they begin to grow strong upon them least if let alone they might be foyled by them and so fall into open scandal or be hardly with-drawn from them It is no easie thing to master and mortifie a lust when once it hath got head and therefore it is a very gracious work of God to shew a man his sin convincingly and humble him for it when he perceives it rising in strength This is a pious sense and profitable We read it in the past time When they have exceeded That is when these righteous persons have exceeded much in their transgressions As much as to say when they have sinned exceedingly or when their sins are many and great when according to the Hebrew they are waxen mighty then the Lord sees it high time to deal with them The word which we render exceeded ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã comes from a root that signifieth a strong or mighty man and in the Verb to act strongly and mightily as if Elihu had said He sheweth them that they have sinned like Giants and mighty men they have sinned greatly grievously And 't is possible for those that are righteous in their state to sin greatly not only to transgresse but to exceed in their transgressions that they have exceeded Hence Note First There is an excessiveness or an exceedingness in some sins All men sin but the sins of all men at least all the sins of all good men do not exceed they are not all of a high stature they are not all strong and mighty sins as the Lord by his Prophet called those of Israel Amos 5.12 We usually distinguish of sins some are sins in the excesse and some in the defect Prodigality is a sin in the excess and Parcimony is a sin in the defect Superstition is a sân in the excess when men will worship God more than he requires or in what he requires not Prophaneness or neâlect of Worship as also negligence in Worship are sins in defect Thus some sins are in the excess others in the defect yet every transgression hath a kind of excess in it and some aâe exceedingly excessive And because when any exceedingly exceed in sinning their sins may be said to reign therefore I suppose Mâ Braughton translates this Text so And that their trespasses reigned For though as to a course of sin it is inconsistent with the state of a righteous man that sin should reigne in him yet as to this or that act it may reigne sin may reigne over and bring under a godly man by the violence of a present temptation though it cannot reigne over him as it doth over the wicked by a willing submission As the best sin alwayes so sometimes they have sinned greatly they have exceeded Davids sin exceeded his sin as to that act master'd and reigned over him Solomons sin exceeded when in his old age his wives turned away his heart to other gods 1 Kings 11.4 And Peters sin exceeded when he denied his Master The righteous are not exempt from a particular reigne of sin though through grace they are delivered from the reigne of any the least particular sin As there is no kind so no degree of sin but a godly man may fall into it except that against the holy Ghost and totall Apostacy from his profession Secondly God sheweth them that they have exceeded that 's it which God sheweth them in their affliction Hence observe Many see their sin that do not see the exceedingness of their sin or that they have exceeded in sin Not only natural and carnal men who see that they have sinned do not at all see the exceedingness of their sin but some good men see that they have sinned but see not presently the exceeding no nor half the evil of their sin therefore saith Elihu He sheweth them their transgression that they have exceeded Paul before his conversion knew that he had sinned but he knew not the sinfulness of his sin which yet afterwards was to him exceeding sinfull Rom. 7.13 As it is the height of our corruption to commit sins exceeding sinfull so it is a very high poynt of grace to see the exceeding sinfulness of our sin You will say how
is it that sin doth exceed or wherein consists the exceedingness of it I answer First There is an exceedingness of sin in the strengâh that it hath over us when it doth easily command and prevaile then we sin exceedingly oâ then sin is exceeding sinfull it hath got a mighty hand over us O how sadly do the sins of many exceed thus they are held down by their corruptions as slaves and captives they cannot get themselves out from under the power of a base lust As the devil leads some so lusts and corruptions lead others captive at their will they are at the beck and command of sin Thus sin exceeds in the wicked who either know not God or who walk daily contrary to their knowledge Secondly That man doth exceed in his transgression or his transgression doth exceed who sins with or hath a very ill frame of heart in sinning Many a good man falls into sin and yet he hath not as I may say a base or wicked frame of heart in sinning but his very sinning is upon the matter against his own heart and the bent of his spirit his heart goeth not with it The more of the heart or will is mingled with any sin the more exceeding sinfull it is I may say of some men I would not be mistaken That they do evill with a better frame of heart than others do good there are some that do good with very bad yea with base hearts The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination how much more when he brings it with a wicked mind or as we put in the Margin with wickedness Pro. 21.27 that is either for applause to be seen of men or for profit to gain by men or in malice the better to compass revenge upon any man or sort of men under all which covers wicked men have brought their sacrifices that is have appeared in the outward worship of God or have taken up the form of godliness And whosoever doth thus hath a far worse frame of heart in doing good than a good man hath in doing evil who though he doth evil yet he delights not in it and closes not with it By how much any mans heart is more taken with sin by so much the more sinfull it is Thirdly The exceedingness of a sin may be measured by the circumstances of sinning then a man may be said to transgress and exceed in transgression when he sinneth First against light against the checks of his own conscience within as also Secondly when he sins against reproofs warnings and admonitions from without that man exceeds in sin who hath been told of it and yet goeth on Thirdly that man exceeds in sin who sins in the midst of much mercy and daily received or renewed favours as also he Fourthly who sins in the midst of many afflictions and judgements whether upon his person and family or upon the Nation where he liveth such as these not only sin or transgress but exceed in transgression Now the Lord in times of affliction sheweth men these and the like exceedings of their transgression and causeth them to confess not only that they are sinners and have transgressed but they are brought upon their knees to confess that they have exceeded in transgression And when this is done the Lord goeth on yet further to perfect the work of humiliation and repentance while they are bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction for then as it followeth Vers 10. He openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Still 't is Gods work he sheweth before and here he openeth as in the former verse he openeth their eyes to see so in this he openeth their ear to hear He openeth their ear ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Revelavit occulta abscondita revelatio auris notat intimam insinuationem This latter is more than the former this opening the ear to discipline is more than a shewing of sin and the exceeding sinfulness of it Opening the ear imports a close and home-discovery of a mans condition to him Psal 51.6 David after his great sin perceived the Lord shewing him or making him to understand wisdome secretly He openeth also their ear The word which we translate to open properly signifieth to reveale and in Scripture phrase the ear is said to be revealed or uncovered when a secret is brought to us 1 Sam. 20.2 Jonathan said to David God forbid thou shalt not die behold my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will shew it me or uncover my ear and why should my father hide this thing from me Saul also used the same Hebraisme or forme of speech when he upbrayded his servants with their unfaithfulness to him What saith he hath the son of Jesse such preferments for you and are you all so corrupted in your loyalty to me that all of you have conspired against me and there is none that sheweth me or uncovereth my ear that my son hath made a League with the son of Jesse Loquitâr de auro cordâ mentis Scitum illud Mens audit mens vidit caetera surda et caeca sunt Drus Sam. 22.8 Will none of you uncover my ear that is discover the plot that is contrived for my ruine Then the ear is said to be opened or uncovered when any secret is made known to the mind as was further shewed at the 16th verse of the 33d Chapter where Elihu used this expression and therefore I shall not return to that matter but referre the Reader thither Only consider to what or for what the Lord is said to open the ear In the 33d Chapter Elihu told us that when the eyes of men are shut deep sleep being fallen upon them he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction Here Elihu saith God having men undâr the rod he openeth also their ear To discipline The Hebrew word is of the same extraction in both places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ad castigationem i. e. Ne castigatio sit eis absque fructu vel ut ista disciplino seu correctione emendentur Pisc Instruction is for discipline and discipline tends unto instruction It is often rendred chastisement and generally signifies any severer course of instruction or education whereby we are drawn off from evil and unto good When Elihu saith He openeth their ear to discipline we may understand it two wayes First To fit them for instruction and counsel they heard possibly before but not with an open that is a ready and obedient ear The ear is shut though we hear much unless we submit and conforme to what we hear The ear seldome opens fully till the Lord smites as well as speaks and gives us both a word and a blow Secondly He openeth their ear to discipline that is to hearken what Gods chastening or correction speakes or what he speaks by his chastning The Lord would not have his chastnings unprofitable nor his rods
without fruit to us and therefore he openeth the ear to discipline and sheweth us the meaning of such a cross or sickness of such a loss or affliction He openeth their ear to dâscipline Hence note First It is a special power of God which helps us to understand his mind either in his Word or in his Works We neither understand the dealings nor sayings of God if left to our selves the heart of man is shut his ear is deaf the ear of his heart that 's the ear here intended till God say as in the Gospel to the bodily ear Ephatha Be thou opened Pro. 20.12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord is the maker of them both That 's a great truth First of the sensitive ear and eye 't is the Lord who hath made the one to hear and the other to see as he told Moses Exod. 4.11 and as 't is said Psal 94.19 Secondly 't is as true if understood of the intellectual eye and ear the hearing ear and seeing eye that is the ear that heareth obediently and practically that ear is of Gods forming and making such an ear did God create Acts 16.14 where it is said A certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul Further what was the season of opening the ear It was a day of affliction when they were bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction Hence learn God useth afflictions as medicines or means to restore spiritual hearing Man is often cured of his spiritual deafness both as to the voyce of the word and workes of God by sickness A good man in health Fles prospera donum est dei consolantis res odversa est donum dei admonentis quod igiturpateris un de plangis medicina est non paena castigatio non damnatio August in Psal 102. Qui juhentis verba non audiunt ferientis verberibus admonentur ut ad bona aeterna paenae trahant quos praemia non invitant Greg l. 26. Moral c. 26. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã et dicit peace prosperity may have his ears so stopped that the Lord sees it needful to send some sharp correction to get out the ear-wax and unlock them Prosperity saith one of the Ancients is the gift of God comforting us adversity is the gift of God admonishing us why then dost thou complain that thou sufferest thy suffering is a medicament not a punishment 't is for thy bettering not for thy undoing 'T is a favour to feel God striking when we have not heard him speaking and he therefore strikes that we may attend what he speaks When words do not prevaile to open the ear fetters and cords shall That 's the second designe of God when he brings the righteous into streights Then he openeth their ear to discipline The third is given in the close of this verse And commandeth that they return from iniquity Here 's the issue of the former two The shewing them their transgressions the opening their ear are that they may return from iniquity and here is a command that they must And commandeth that they return c. The Hebrew text may be rendred He speaketh or saith that they return from iniquity and this speaking may be expounded two wayes First by perswading He speaks perswadingly The Lords afflictions are perswasions his stroaks are entreaties he beseecheth us by ouâ sorrows and sicknesses and weaknesses and pains that we would return from our iniquity Secondly we take speaking or saying in the highest straine He speaks by commanding he speaks authoâitatively Thus we render He commandeth The command of God is twofold First formal or express when God gives the rule in so many words Secondly vertual The command of God I conceive is here to be understood in this latter sense When the Lord afflicteth the righteous he vertually commands or sends out his Edict that they return from their iniquity The word return implyes them formerly following some iniquity gone far from the Lord This returning is repenting all the Scripture over I need say no more of that As by sin we turn from God so by repentance we return from iniquity and as the Lord at all times commands the righteous by his word so they even force him sometimes to command them by his rod which is called discipline in the former part of the verse because sinners feel paine and find matter to learn all at once He commandeth that they return from iniquity The word rendred iniquity signifies a vain empty thing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã habet significationem nihili Ab operibus suis malis quae similia sunt vanitate nihilo Chald a thing of nought so the Chaldee paraphraseth it here He commands that they return from their evil works which are like to vanity and a thing of nought What is sin but a kind of nothing we look for great matters from sin but it is a vanity it is like an Idol nothing in the world that is it is not such a thing as it doth import or as it promiseth or as the opinion of men make it to be Iniquity is no such thing as it pretendeth or as is pretended The Lord commandeth that they return from iniquity that is from doing that which will profit them nothing at all or no more than a vaine thing a thing of nothing can And yet though iniquity be nothing good or profitable yet 't is all things evil and hurtfull nor had any thing ever hurt us or been evil to us had it not been for iniquity He commandeth that they return from iniquity Hence Note First Affliction hath a voyce God speaks loudly to us by affliction He speaks to us as loud in his works as he doth in his word he trumpets to us he thunders to us in his works God speaks aloud but sweetly to us in his works of mercy he speaks aloud but terribly to us in his works of judgement Secondly Seeing as was touched in opening the words this command is not to be taken for a standing Law for so God alwayes commands men to return from iniquity but the command here is a renewed act or a special dispensation there is as it were a fresh command issued when a man is under the afflicting hand of God Hence Note God reinforceth or reneweth his command to return from sin as often as he reneweth our afflictions That we return from iniquity is a standing an everlasting Law but when we are in affliction then there is as it were a fresh Edition of the command 't is as I may say new printed and proclaimed the fetters print this command upon our heels and the cords upon our hands that we return from iniquity Thirdly Note Iniquity is a vaine thing it is a nothing Shall we not then return from it one would think a little perswasion
might serve the turn to hasten our return from a nothing and shall not a command do it when I say a nothing remember as was shewed sin is no such thing as you look upon it to be where are the profits that you have reaped by sin where are the contents and pleasures that you have taken by sin the profit the pleasure and content of sin are nothing there is no advantage to be had by sin Sin is something in the ill effects of it if you would have paine and dishonour and reproach you may have enough of it in sin and you will find sin a something in that sense but sin is a nothing that is no such thing as you expect and look for and therefore be perswaded to return from it Lastly From the whole text take notice of the purpose of God what he hath in his heart when he afflicteth his people the righteous for their iniquities and faylings for their faults and uneven walkings The scope of God in all this is not their hurt but good it is not to destroy them for their sin but to destroy their sin it is not to withdraw himself from them but to draw them nearer to himself all the hurt that the Lord intends us by any affliction is but to get out our dross and to fetch out our filth to bring us off from those things that will undo and ruine us for ever And how great an argument of the goodness of God is it that he designeth the evils which we suffer in these dying bodies to heal the evils and help on the good of our immortal souls that 's all the hurt that the Lord means us And the Lords heart is so much in this design the return of those he afflicts from their iniquity that he seems confident of it that when any are in affliction surely they will return Hosea 5.15 In their affliction they will seek me early surely they will And therefore the Prophet speaks of the Lord as defeated and disappointed of his purpose when he seeth such as he hath afflicted continuing in their sin Isa 9.13 The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts As if he had said 'T is a wonder that being smitten they have not returned what a strange what a cross-grain'd people are these What doth the Lord smite you that you should run farther from him and follow your iniquity closer or hold it faster you may be ashamed that you turn not unto him that speaks to you but when you are smitten will you not return from iniquity remember the Lord therefore suffers you to be bound in fetters that you may be loosed from your sins he therefore suffers you to be holden in the cords of affliction that you might let go your transgressions Take heed you be not found disappointing him of his purpose How well it will be with those who do not disappoint him and how ill 't is like to be with such as do will appear further and fully in the two next verses JOB Chap. 36. Vers 11 12. 11. If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge IN the former Context we heard what the blessed designes of God are upon the righteous when they are bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction namely to convince them of their sin to fit them for the receiving of Instruction and to bring them clear off from iniquity In these two verses Elihu proceedeth to shew what the issue of those afflictions will be in a double respect or case First In case the afflicted come up to and answer the forementioned designes of God that is if they take knowledge of their sin if their ears be opened to Instruction if they return from iniquity what then he tells us v. 11. If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures that shall be the issue the blessed issue of all the afflictions with which they were exercised Secondly He shews us how those afflictions will issue in case the afflicted come not up to those designes of God in case they are not brought to a knowledge of sin nor receive instruction nor return from iniquity what then he tells us that v. 12. if they obey not this will be the consequent of their obstinacy they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge We have a parallel Scripture to this almost in terms Isa 19.20 If ye hear and obey ye shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the sword This text not only carries the sense but almost the words by which Elihu expresseth both the Lords pleasure and displeasure in this place to Job Vers 11. If they obey or hear That is take out the lesson taught them if they do that which the affliction teacheth them or which God teacheth by their affliction by their cords and fetters then c. The same word is frequently in Scripture used for obeying and hearing Psal 81.8 11 13. Psal 95.7 To what purpose is our hearing the will of God without obedience to it When young Samuel said at the Lord's call Speak for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.10 his meaning was Lord I am ready to do what thou speakest We hear no more than we obey and therefore obeying and hearing may well be exprest by the same word The text is plain I shall only give this Note and pass on It is our duty to hear and obey when-ever God calls or speakes either in his word or in his works That which this text holds out specially is the voice of God in his works what God speakes by Fetters what he speakes by Cords If ever we hear and obey the voice of the Lord it should be when he teacheth us as Gideon taught the men of Succoth Judg. 8.16 with thornes and briars of the wilderness O let us take care of hearing and obeying this voice For First God is the Lord and therefore to be obeyed Secondly God is a Soveraign Lord and therefore much more to be obeyed Thirdly As all the Commands so all the Chastisements of God are just and righteous therefore they are most of all to be obeyed Fourthly To obey the Commands of God whether taught us in his Word or by his Rod is good yea best for us therefore we should obey for our own good If they obey And serve him or worship him The word which here we render to serve ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Religio at numinis cultus est servitus quaedam is very often in Scripture rendred to worship and sometimes worshipping is expounded by serving Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve that also is the mind of the
sweet pleasant and easie in a twofold respect Fiâst comparatively to the service of sin and the world of lust and the devil that 's a weariness indeed as well as a baseness Secondly It is easie also if we consider the help we have in it The people of God serve him in a Covenant of Grace which as it calls them to work so it gives them help to work The New Covenant doth not call us as Pharaoh did the children of Israel to make brick and deny us straw yea under that Covenant we have not onely straw afforded us to make our brick but we have strength afforded us to make our brick thar is the very power by which we serve our Master is given in by our Master The Masters of this world set us a work but they give us no strength but what work soever God sets his Covenant-servants about he gives them strength to do it Then O how sweet is it to serve him and how readily should our hearts come off in his service Let me add one thing more which brings us to the next words serve him for his is not a lean service not an unprofitable service there is a reward promised to those who serve him yea his very service is a reward his work is wages Therefore what calls soever we have from him let us answer and serve him There are two things which should be the daily meditation of Saints or they should be continually acquainting themselves with them First The Cross of Christ that they may know how and be willing to suffer for him Secondly The Yoak of Christ that they may know how and be willing to serve him If they obey and serve him What then even that which was the last consideration prove king us to his service there is a reward in iâ If they obey and serve him They shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures Here 's good wages who would not serve that Master who will pay him for his work in that desireable coyne Pleasure and Prosperity They shall spend their dayes in prosperity that is they shall run out their dayes in prosperity their dayes and their prosperity shall be like two parallel lines one as long as the other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Significat tum consumere tum consummare significat etiam consumi desiderio quod dicitur aliquem deperire amore The word which we translate to spend signifies to finish and that in a double respect First in a way of Consumption Secondly in a way of Perfection or Consummation That which is consumed is finished or ended So the word is used Psal 90.7 Numb 16.45 The Lord saith to Moses Go you up from this Congregation that I may consume them in a moment I will dispatch them and make an end of them presently The Lord can soon rid his hand of sinners And as it notes a consuming by suddain judgements by diseases or age so by longing or desire 2 Sam. 23.15 And David longed 't is this word he was even spent and consumed with a longing desire and said Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate Now as that which is consumed or spent so that which is perfected is finished Thus Moses having set down the particulars of the whole work of Creation summes all up in this word Gen. 2.1 2. Thus the heavens and the Earth were finished and all the host of them that is God compleated or brought that great work of Creation to its utmost perfection he put as we may speak his last hand to it there was nothing more to be added Here in the text we aâe to take this word spend not only as it often signifies to spend in a way of Consumption but also to spend in a way of Perfection they shall perfect not barely wear out their dayes A godly man hath not so much consumed as perfected the dayes of his life when he is come to and hath ended the last day of his life They shall spend their dayes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In bono i. e. in omni jacunditâtâ In prosperity or in good saith the Original Prosperity is a good thing a good blessing of God They shall spend their dayes in good we translate it in the 21 Chapter v. 15. in wealth Wealth also is a good blessing of God to those that are good and prosperity takes that in prosperity is a large word comprehending all good health and wealth honour and peace what-ever we can imagine to render our lives comfortable comes under the name of Prosperity They shall spend their dayes in prosperity or in good this reward they shall have from the Lord who serve him Is not this good wages The carnal rich man pleased himself and said Luke 12.19 Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeares The godly do not please themselves that they have goods laid up for many years in their own Stock in their Lands in their Houses in their Purses in their Shops but they please themselves that they have good laid up for many years yea for eternity in the Promises of God They who serve him they shall spend their dayes in good they shall have good for every day and so finish their dayes with good yet this is not all They shall spend their dayes in prosperity And their years in Pleasures In the former words he promised dayes of Good here years of Pleasure as if he had said they shall enjoy their prosperity long they shall not only have Dayes but Years filled up with it One year containes many dayes how many dayes of pleasure are there in years of pleasure Our life is measured by days to shew the shortness of it the longest measure of it is by years They shall spend their years ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ât jucundis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Affort jucunditatem delectaticâ in pulchrâudinem rei nobis gratissimae In Canticis Parg. in Epithâlmiis Munst ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sâ pt in deloctâtionibus Pagn In Pleasures or as we may read it in sweetnesses in pleasuntnesses in deliciousnesses in beauties The word is used 2 Sam. 1.23 to shew the loveliness of Jonathan and Saul they were a pleasant pair a couple of goodly persons They shall spend their dayes in pleasantness or in pleasures Further Take notice the word is plural he doth not say they shall spend their dayes in pleasure but in pleasures implying all sorts and varieties of pleasure in Songs saith one in Marriage Songs saith a second in graceful Beauties saith a third and which may be all or any of these in delights saith a fourth But here are two Questions that I must give answer to for the clearing of this Scripture First The Question may be Is this a mercy much to be reckoned upon to spend our years in pleasure saith not the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.6 The widow that lives
affliction they throw away their prayers Prayer will forsake them who forsake God while they pray Such as want Faith will not have a heart to pray in their wants If holy Duties cause us not to leave our sins sinning will at last cause us to throw off our holy Duties Will or doth the hypocrite pray alwayes was Jobs denying question at the 27th Chapter of this Book They who do not love prayer cannot hold out in prayer They who do not find a sweetness in drawing near to God in good Times will soon withdraw from him in evil Times Thirdly They cry not when he binds them Note Hypocrites when they have most need of prayer are least in the use of it When more need of Prayer than in time of affliction yet the hypocrite bound in affliction is bound in spirit from supplication Fourthly They are said not to cry though in some sense as hath been shewed they do cry when God bindeth them Hence Note That holy Duty which is not rightly and holily done is reckoned by God as not done at all What almost is more common among hypocrites yea among some prophane ones than to pâay and desire others to pray for them in time of affliction Pharaoh will needs have Moses pray for him and when Ahab was threatned with a binding he humbled himself yet this goes for nothing and gets nothing at most but what Ahab got a reprieve from some present or temporal punishment Fifthly Those words are brought in as an aggravation of the sinfulness of the hypocrite he doth not cry when God binds him he prayeth not when God afflicts him Hence Note It is an heightning of our sin to neglect prayer in time of affliction It is a sin to neglect prayer at any time but their sin is exceeding sinful who neglect it then who cry not to God when God binds them Is it not extreamly evil that they should not pray at all or but little when they should be all and alwayes in prayer Affliction doth as it were naturally draw us yea forcibly drive us to God In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.14 As if the Lord had said If ever they will seek me surely they will seek me then and then they will seek me early that is earnestly and with all their hearts Therefore how unnaturally sinfull are they who in their affliction will not seek God! The Prophet saith Isa 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Yet the hypocrite will not pray when chastened How sinful it is not to pray when God binds us appears upon many accounts First To neglect prayer in time of affliction is very sinful because then we have most occasion for it Secondly In time of affliction God especially calls us to prayer he commands us at all times but chiefly then Is any among you afflicted is that any mans case let him pray Jam. 5.14 What should an afflicted man do else What is he so much engag'd to do by his own necessity what so much by the will of God as to pâay Affliction which takes us off from many other woâks sets us upon and about this Thirdly Prayer in time of affliction is under most promises to be heard Now not to pray not to cry to God when we have so many promises to assure us of hearing encreaseth our sin in the neglect of prayer Though I do not say the hypocrites prayer is under these promises of hearing yet it shall be reckoned as a sin that he haâh not prayed in affliction because there are so many promises of hearing prayer in affliction The Lord is very gracious to those thaâ cry in affliction and the hypocrite hath often heard that he will be so how wretchedly sinâul is he then against God as well as regardless of his own good it God hear not of him or from him in his affliction Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer that is graciously accept and answer it Again Psal 69.33 The Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his Prisoners that is any who are bound in affliction For I suppose that Text is not to be restrained to those only who are shut up in prisons but takes in all those that are bound in any trouble In which sense the word is used Lam. 3.34 The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the Prisoners of the earth The Hebrew is All the bound of the earth by whom he means as chiefly the Jewes gone into Captivity who were more properly bound so any detained under any calamity whatsoever to all or any of them that Scripture is applyable The Lord doth not willingly afflâct Seeing then there are so many promises made to those that cry in affliction this will be urged upon the hypocrite as an heightning of his naglect that he hath not cryed when God bound him Thus we see the second part of these hypocrites misery by what they do not They cry not when he bindeth them The third thing by which the woful misery of hypocrites in heart is set forth is by what they suffer Vers 14. They dye in youth and their life is among the unclean They dye in Youth The Hebrew is their Soul dyeth The Soul strictly taken is immortal and dyeth not yet 't is often said in Scâipture the Soul dyeth the Soul being taken either First for the Life or Secondly for the Person To say their Soul dyeth in youth is no more than to say as we translate they dye in youth The word rendred Youth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sâgnifies in the Root of it to shake and trouble or to make some great concussion hence some render the Text In tempestate Vulg In excussione Rab. Sal. q. d. Excussione et vt afflictionum in quibus sunt peribunt They dye in a Tempest or in a Storm One of the Jewish Doctors gives it thus They shall dye with a stroaker shaking that is they shall perish by the force and violence of that affliction which hath arrested and taken hold of them But I conceive our reading is clear They dye in Youth because Youth is the most stirring time of our life or that time of life wherein we use the most violent motions without and are subject to the most violent passions within therefore the Hebrew expresseth both by one word Now when we say They dye in Youth the meaning is they dye in the prime in the best in the most flourishing time of their life in the spring of their dayes But is it true that all hypocrites in heart dye in youth Do not many who discover themselves to be but hypocrites dye in old age I answer Such-like Scriptures do not intend an universality as to every individual but only shew that 't is so for the most part or often so Hypocrites in heart men
c. Secondly he applies it by way of conviction that as yet surely he was unhumbled because still under the afflicting hand of God vers 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked judgement and justice take hold on thee So much concerning the state of these three verses in general I shall now go on to open them in order Verse 15. He delivereth the poor in his affliction ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Traxit exiraoeit detrâxit in piet extraxit ex aerumuâ miseria ericulo or he pulls the poor out of affliction That is the sense of the word and the work of God We find the word used to signifie the pulling or drawing off of the shoo Deut. 25.19 As the shoo is tied or buckled to the foot and must be loosed before it can with any ease be drawn off Chalatz and lachatz two contraries save and undoe are sweetly used ây Elihu in this verse Brough so afflâctions are tyed to us till the Lord unlooseth and draweth them off from us or us from them To draw out of trouble or to draw us out of trouble is deliverance David expresseth himself by that word Psal 6.4 Return O Lord deliver or draw my soul that is me out of the enemies hand or out of the trouble which compasseth me about and is ready like deep waters to swallow me up He delivereth The poor in his affliction ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Est vox conjugata pauperum a paupertate miserum a miseria Pined Who are meant by the poor hath been shewed before I shall not stay upon it here only consider there are poor as to their outward state and poor as to their inward state that is first poor in spirit which is a blessed poverty and secondly poor in spirituals which is a miserable poverty The two former sorts of poor especially when joyned in one are here intended He delivereth the poor in his affliction or in his poverty There is a great elegancy in the Hebrew text 't is a word of the same root which signifieth the poor who are delivered and the affliction in which or out of which he or they are delivered We may translate the text thus he delivereth the poor in his poverty that is when he is in his poverty or affliction the Lord delivereâh him out of his poverty or affliction if poverty be his affliction oâ whatsoever affliction comes under the name of poverty Hic × redditur per ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã de ex the Lord delivereth him out of it I have upon other passages of this book spoken of this deliverance yet shall touch it here again because we ought always to remember it we are often in affliction often in trouble and therefore we have need ofâen to be put in mind and continually to bear in mind that God is a deliverer the deliverer of his people from or out of afflictions He delivereth the poor in his affliction Hence Note Deliverance is the work of God As âhe poor cannot deliver themselves in affliction so neither can the rich deliver the poor by his riches nor the strong by his power nor the wise man by his wisdom craft or pollicy The Lord often useth the help of man creature help in delivering the poor out of afflâctions yet the whole effect is here and every where in Scripture attributed to God He delivereth the poor Deliverance of any soât is of God yet more especially some sort of deliverances are as Nebuchadnezzar confessed Dan. 3.29 who whân those three Worthies were delivered out of the fiery furnace maâe a decree that every People Nation and Language which spake any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach aâd Abednego should be cut in pieces c. and he did it upon this ground because saith he there is no other God that can deliver after this sort He had an opinion that his god could deliver but he appropriated the glory of that deliverance to their God there is no god can deliver after this sort no god but the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego can check and stop the rage of fire and b ing out those unburnt who are cast into the burning That 's the first thing Deliverance is of the Lord. Secondly He delivereth the poor Note The lowest and meanest are the objects of deliverance When it 's worst with us then usually God cometh in He will be seen in the Mount and provide at a pinch he loves to do for us when we can do nothing for our selve Take the poor in any notion but especially for such as being destitute of all help and means of deliverance are also poor in spi it not trusting to any help or humane arm these these are the persons whom the Lord delights to deliver and herefore God is so often spoken of in Scriptu e as espousing the cause and quarrel of the Widow and the Fatherless Thirdly From the manner of expression He delivereth the poor in affliction Note They who are not delivered from affliction may yet be delivered in affliction God doth not alwayes deliver his People from affliction either not suffering affliction to fall upon them or presently bringing them out of affliction but he is engaged by promise to deliver them in affliction and this he doth sometimes by checking the affliction that it shall not hurt them sometimes by enabling them to bear yea to conquer the affliction how much soever it hurts them He delivered those in the third of Daniel in the fiery fuânace by checking the fire that it should not hurt them and Daniel in the Lions den by checking the hungry Lyons that they did not devour him He delivered Job and David and Jeremie and the Apostles and all the Martyrs who loved not their lives to the death for the testimony of Jesus by causing them to glory in and triumph over all their tribulations He delivereth the poor in his affliction and openeth their ears in oppression What 's meant by opening the ear was shewed at the 10th verse of this Chapter and at the 16th verse of the thirty third Yet consider somewhat in the words anew And openeth their ear The Hebrew copulative particle which we render and is often in that language used to denote a season or special time and then it is rendred by when thus here he delivereth the poor in affliction when he hath opened their ears by or in oppression Thus also Psal 139.16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them The Hebrew is and not one in them as if he had said God had a full Idea or platform of Davids b dy before it was framed so here he delivereth the poor in affliction and openeth or when he hath opened their ears in oppression that is taught them effectually to make a good use of their afflictions We may
also render it after so the copulative Vau is expounded Lev. 17.15 Jer. 10.13 Thus here Faciet eum intelligere quod pro peccatis punitur Aquin He delivereth the poor in afflion after he hath opened their ears that is after he hath made them understand that sin hath caused their sufferings and hath also made them obedient and ready to receive counsel from him as that phrase of opening the ear hath been opened He openeth or when or after he hath opened their ears ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a radicâ ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã coarctaâit pressit coâpressit vim intulit praeposito in saepo valet per. in oppression or by oppression The word notes extream oppression we read it Num. 22.25 in the story of Balaam where 't is said his Asse crushed or pressed or oppressed his foot against the wall while he was going to curse the people of Israel that so Balak might oppresse them This word is used also Judg. 4.3 1 Sam. 10.18 and by it Elisha shewed how he would have Jehorams messenger handled 2 Kings 6.32 Oppression takes fast hold The Lord takes fast hold of sinners by oppression and will not let them go till he hath opened their ears but as soon as he hath opened their ears in or by their oppressions then out of hand he delivereth them in if not out of their afflictions From the connection of this with the former part of the verse Observe The evil of oppression or trouble is preparatory to or a usual meanes to fit us for our receiving of good He delivereth them in affliction when he hath opened their ears in or by oppression When once the soul by hearing the cry of the oppressor is made obedient to the call of God then God comes and workes deliverance Good men while free from evil are oftentimes like the wilde ass described in the 39th chapter of this book such as will not hear nor regard the crying of the driver though he be not an exactor as the word there signifies and we put in the Margine but a fair and gentle driver Few hear when spoken to till they feel as well as hear and therefore the Loâd first sends them into trouble that they may hear and having by that meanes opened their eares to heaâ he bâings them out of trouble When we are truly humbled by affliction we are near deliverance from affliction The plaister must be kept on till the wound be healed The Lord will not leave off scourging or correcting his people till he hath brought them to such a postâre that they are fit for mercy The Lord helps and heals those who submit and if they whom he hath bound with the cords of affliction call humbly for release and relief he will not forsake them but restore them in due time to their former felicity He delivereth the poor in affliction when he hath opened their eares in or by oppression Elihu having laid down this general Doctrine makes Application of it in the two verses following Vers 16. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place Thus Elihu proceeds from the general Thesis or assertion of Gods deliverance to the Hypothesis accommodating the Doctrine to Jobs Case and Person Even so he would have removed thee c. This 16th verse contains the first part of the Application made to Job where Elihu informs him what the issue would undoubtedly have been if he had submitted which he did not as he ought to the afflicting hand of God and had not which he did and ought not filled his mouth and the eare of God with bitter complaints nor stood so stifflly upon his own defence and vindication This Elihu doth by a double allusion First to the bringing of a man out of close prison into a state of freedom or into an open air This he gives us in the former part of the verse even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place Secondly he doth it by alluding to the furnishing of a mans table with store not only of wholsome but of delicious meates who before fared very hardly This he doth in the close of the verse and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness As if he had said if thou had'st harkened to the voyce of God thou should'st have had both liberty and plenty had'st thou been bettered by thy troubles it had been better for thee and much better with thee thou hadst been enlarged fully thou hadst been supplyed abundantly with all manner of good things desirable even to the utmost of thy desires that 's the general scope of this verse more particularly Even so would he have removed thee out of a strait into a broad place Some read the verse with a retro-respect or as looking back to the time past as if Elihu had bid Job remember his former experiences whether God heretofore dealt not bountifully with him To this sense besides others Mr. Broughton translates which hath turned thee from distresses mouth Sic etiam averterat to ab ore angustiae in latitudinem cui non fuberat pressura ferculum mensae tuae plenum erat pinguedine Jun. to largeness where is no straitness and that which was laid upon thy table was full of fatness and he gives the gloss upon his own translation thus God once made thee wealthy and would again thou hast had experience how good a master and how liberal the Lord is to those that serve him thou thy self didst enjoy prosperity a long time farre from all trouble or touch of affliction Thus I say some refer the words to the time past but I rather keep to our own translation which expresseth the original text as an assurance of what Job should have had and might have expected in time had he complied as he ought with the purpose of God in his afflictions Even so would he have removed thee out of a strait into a broad place As if he had said God who useth and loveth to deliver the poor out of affliction ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã est proprie incitare fere ad malum a radice ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã would also have delivered thee out of thy afflâction had'st thou been humbled under thy affliction had'st thou fallen down before him hadst thou submitted the matter to him and not disputed it with him as thou hast done hadst thou confessed his justice and not accused it or complained about it even so would he have removed thee c. The word which we translate to remove signifieth also To move or to perswade because he that perswades another Ex eadem radiâe variae loctiones interpretationes pullularant Pined moveth or removeth him from his opinion or intendment or from what his practise was before and brings him to be or do somwhat that he did not or was not before To be perswaded is to be inwardly moved to be moved
way of admonition and counsel forasmuch as he had done amiss before and carried himself unduly under the hand of God even so far as to fulfil the counsel of the wicked that therefore he would now for the time to come take heed and be more wary And lest Job should slight this admonition or counsel Elihu adds a powerful motive to urge that duty upon him even the wrath of God Beware Why Because there is wrath Beware and beware lest this wrath breaking forth he take thee away with a stroke And how dreadful the wrath of God is Elihu shews in these three verses by a threefold Consideration First because if we fall into the Lords hand when he is in wrath there is no meanes under heaven that can deliver or bring us off This he asserteth at the latter end of the 18th verse Then a great ransome cannot deliver thee It is dangerous coming un-der that wrath from which a ransome especially a great ransome cannot deliver What that ransome is which cannot deliver us is expressed in the 19th verse Will he esteem thy riches no not gold A Second motive to beware oâ this dreadful wrath is this because if once the wrath of God be up as there is no ransom so no power in the creature that can deliver That we have in the latter part of the 19th verse nor all the forces of strength though thou hast armies millions of men in armes yea though thou hast legions of Angels in pay yet they cannot prevail all the forces of strength cannot deliver thee There is also a third consideration to shew the unavoidableness of the wrath of God namely because there is no sleeing no making an escape from it Some indeed are so angry that you cannot satisfy them with a ransom and so powerful that no strength can deliver you from their power yet possibly you may make an escape and hide from them you may get out of the way and lye out of sight but saith Elihu that will not do neither in this case v. 20. desire not the night when people are cut off in their place the night or darkness will be no cover to thee from the wrath of an angry God Thus you have the sum and substance of this admonition to Job Beware because there is wrath and that wrath of God so terrible that nothing can deliver from it no ransom no power nor can we deliver our selves by flight or by darkness I shall now open the words more distinctly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã calor ira a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã caluit incaluit quod iracundi incalescunt Verse 18. Because there is wrath beware c. The word which we translate wrath comes from a root that signifies heat or to be hot and we know they that are angry and in wrath are very hot their mind and spirit are enflamed we use to say to an angry man why are you so hot the wrath of man is hot the wrath of God is certainly much hotter Because there is wrath but where is it I answer First there is wrath in the breast or heart of God there his anger is kindled against sinners Secondly There is wrath in the decree of God against sinners Zeph. 2.2 Thirdly there is wrath in the threatnings of God there it first appeares and breaketh forth Deut. 29.20 So the Apostle Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven How is it revealed As his love is revealed in promises so his wrath in threatnings Fourthly there is wrath in the works of God in his Judgments acted upon the children of men As there is wrath hidden in his breast and decreed so wrath is heard from his mouth in terrible threatnings and seen in his hand by terrible Judgments executed upon his enemies We may see wrath in the dealings of God his works tell us he is angry Therefore fear to persist lest in his anger he take thee quite away We should beware of sinful works lest we provoke and stir up the Lords anger to make bloody work There is wrath particularly as to the dealings of God with thee O Job saith Elihu therefore Beware The word beware is not expresly in the Hebrew texâ but it is plainly intended and supplied by Interpreterâ in geneâal to make up and clear the sence of this verse We have a like reading in the 36th of Isaiah v. 18. Beware lest Hezekiah perswade you c. The word beware is a supplement added there in a different character to shew that it is not expressed in the Hebrew As if Raoshakeh had said If Hezekiah perswade you to stand out against my Master Sennacherib you will provoke his wrath to your utter ruine and destruction therefore beware There as here beware bespeakes our caution because there is wrath take heed what you do or say Hence note First There is a wrath of God against sin or God will appear in wrath against sinners The Apostle John in his first Epistle Chap. 4.8 tells us in a direct predication God is love and 't is as true God is wrath The wrath of God is a divine perfection it is the perfection of God as his love is God is one and the same he is not divided into several passions perturbations or affections but thus the Scripture speaks of him to denote what we may expect from him and what he is and will be in his actings towards them who obey him not Secondly note The wrath of God appears and is put forth in his works of judgment As the goodness of God is his love acted or as the good things which God doth for us are love-actions so the evils that are upon us are wrath-actions I do not say that every evil which we endure in this world is the acting of wrath upon us but I say there is wrath in the actings of evil upon us Moses said to Aaron Numb 16.46 Go quickly take a Censer hast hast and make an atonement there is wrath gone out How did he know wrath was gone out He tells us in the next words the plague is begun He saw wrath in that dispensation of God the plague begun argued that God was angry Because there is wrath beware Hence note Thirdly We should by all meanes take heed and beware of the wrath of God The wrath of man is a small matter to the wrath of God yet we are very careful to beware of the wrath of man especially of great men The wrath of the Kings and Princes of the world is like the âoaring of the Lion saith Solomon and we are ready to tremble at that but O how should we tremble at and beware of the wrath of God! Who knoweth the power of thine anger Psal 90.11 We may take some scantling some measure of the wrath of man and know how far it can go and what it can do but we can take no measure of the wrath of God for it is immesurable and therefore we should avoid every
thing that procures his wrath That 's the meaning of this caveat do nothing that blowes up or incenses the wrath of God But what is it that blowes up wrath It is sin every sin hath that in it which may blow up wrath The Apostle saith The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men not only against this or that ungodliness noâ only against this or that degree of ungodliness 't is neither against ungodliness of some special kind nor of some special degree but against all ungodliness therefore all ungodliness and all unrighteousness is to be avoided And as we should do nothing to provoke wrath so we should do every thing which may prevent wrath Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son why lest he be angry and his wrath kindle Who is the Son and what 's this kissing of the Son which pâevents wrath The Son is Christ he is the Son of God this kissing is a kiss of homage an humble submission to Jesus Christ by faiâh and obedience it is a Gospel receiving of Châist to kiss the son is to receive Christ as ouâ King as our Pâiest as our Pâopheâ to receive Christ in the whole manifestation of his Mediatorship Do this to prevent wrath kiss the Son And consider how terrible he repoâts that wrath to be If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that put their trust in him On then take heed that you do not provoke the wrath of God and do your utmost to prevent it which nothing can do but kissing the Son that will and that only can do it submit to Jesus Christ receive Jesus Christ without him it is impossible to prevent wrath Hâ that believes not the wrath of God abideth on him Johs 3.36 Jesus Christ alone is he which delivereth us from the wra h to come 1 Thes 1.10 And if we further consider this wrath from the expression both of the Psalm and of the Text it should make us who are so fearful of and who so shift from the wrath of men exceedingly afraid of the wrath of God The word as was shewed before comes from a root which signifieth the heat of fire implying that the wrath of God is fire and Heb. 10.27 it is called fiery indignation yea God himself Heb. 12.29 is called a consuming fire Why doth the Scripture express him and his wrath by fire Surely because fire is well known to us and we are well able to conceive how dreadful a thing fire is when it is in its rage and fury when it hath got the mastery Fire is a comfortable servant but a dreadful master Now as fire is the most dreadful element so wrath is the most dreadful attribute of God yet I may say that elementary fire which as to our sence is so dreadful is but a sun-shine compared to the wrath of God as will appear if we consider it in two things First it burns internally The visible fire burns but visible things outward things but this fire burns within scorches the conscience burns the soul burns that which all the fires in the world cannot reach cannot touch God is a Spirit and the wrath of God is a fire that burnes the spirits and will for ever afflict and torment the consciences of wicked men The hottest fires which the most enraged malitious Persecuters kindle cannot touch the spirit the conscience is quiet the soul triumphs while the flesh fries in the fire 'T is the fire of divine wrath alone which hath power upon the soul and a burning there is ten thousand times more painful than the burning of our flesh Secondly the wrath of God burns eternally Your fires here though they are dreadful yet they go out they consume themselves by consuming the matter or fuel cast into them they cannot continue alwayes because they eat up and devour that which maintaines them But the wrath of God burns continually God is called a consuming fire not because the fire of his wraâh consumes but because he consumeth sinners in the fire of wrath and when we say he consumeth sinners in his wrath or his wrath consumeth sinners we are not to understand it of a consumption as to being but only as to a well or comfortabe being for not only the soulâ but the very bodies of sinners shall remain in this fire of the wrath of God for ever unconsumed The bodies of the damned shall be raised again at the great day and being re-united to their souls both shal abide unconsumed in the fire of this consuming wrath eternally The great dread of ordinary fire is that it consumes what it burns but the greatest dread of this fire is that it consumes not that which it burns O therefore take heed of the wrath of God the wrath of God is terrible as to corporal and temporal judgements much more as to spirituall and eternal judgments that is as the fire of his wrath burns both internally and eternally Because there is wrath beware Lest he take thee away with his stroke Here the danger is exprest If the Lord be angry he can soon take thee away with a stroke he can remove yea hurry thee away out of all thy present joys and enjoyments to everlasting sorrows The word imports a violent remove The stroke here spoken of is like that Chap. 24.26 He striketh them as wicked men ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Cum comâlosione in the open sight of others that is he shames them as well as punisheth them as he strikes them with his hand to their confusion so he strikes or claps his own hands together in dirision as 't is said Chap. 27.23 Men shall clap their hands at him and shall hiss him out of his place we may take it in both these significations Lest he take thee away with a stroke that is lest he strike thee so as to make an utter end of thee or lest he take thee away with derision clapping his hands at thee and pouring contempt upon thee Have we not reason to beware of that wrath which in either sense can take us away with his stroke Yet I conceive a third sense may be given of these words Lest he take thee away with his stroke that is lest he take thee away suddenly even as suddenly as a stâoke can be given Hence Note First God can presently strike to destruction He can take the strongest away with a stroke he can do it wi h one stroke The Lord needs not stand cutting and slashing hacking and hewing as we say all day long one stroke of his will do it He took away Herod at one stroke Acts 12.23 He took away Ananias and Saphira at one stroke Acts 5.5 Nadab and Abihu were taken away with one stroke Lev. 10.1 All these perished and so have thousands more as with a stroke so suddenly at one stroke The Lord can strike home as Abishai said to David in the case of Saul when he found him in the
Trench Let me strike him at once and I will not strike him a second time The Lord threatned Nah. 1.9 to bâing destruction upon those at once when he told them Affliction should not rise a second time as if he had said I will not strike another blow at them I 'le hit them home and do my woâk with one blow We need not fear how many or how mighty his enemies are he can rid himself of them with one stroke The Lord strikes some to take away their sin thus he strikes his own people others he strikes to take away their persons thus he strikes the wicked especially those who enemy-like designedly strike at Him his Name his Truth his Glory Elihu doth not say Beware least he strike thee but least he take thee away with a stroke The Lord often strikes his own faithful servants they receive many a stroke many a lash many a blow many a chastisement at his hands but he doth not take them away with a stroke as he doth the wicked The Lord strikes his servants to take away their sins and he strikes wicked men to take away their lives to destroy them utterly Secondly As the word signifieth taking away with clapping âf the hands or with derision Note God will even laugh at the ruine of wicked men He will clap his hands at their fall We read Prov. 1.26 27. how Wisdome called and cried and none would answer all set her calls and counsels at naught what followed I said Wisdome that is Christ will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh as much as is said in the Text I will take them away with a stroke or with clapping my hands with a kind of deriding plaudite at their going off or rather at their being thrust off the Stage of this world They are in the most sad condition whom God not only destroys but derides they have most cause to mourn in their affliction at whose affliction God laughs It is said Job 9.23 God will laugh at the tryal of the innocent and why was shewed in opening that place I only touch it now upon this occasion The Lord knows the innocent will come off with honour will stand it out in their tryal bravely he sees what Courage Faith Patience they will manifest in and under their sufferings Now as the Lord even claps his hands and laughs when his chosen noble ones go forth to the tryal knowing they will honour him in their tryal so the Lord laughs at the destruction of the wicked knowing that his Justice and Righteousness shall have a full stroke at them and lay both their shame and sin open to all the world That the Lord in his wrath takes away with a stroke should make us all beware fear and tremble but that which followeth may make us wary fear and tremble much more for saith Elihu in the close of the verse Then a great Ransome cannot deliver thee ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Redemptionis Pretium quod ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Graeci appellant The word rendred a Ransome signifies that which is paid as a price for the deliverance of a Captive out of bondage Thus Christ gave himself a Ransome for sinners But here is a Case wherein no Ransome will be taken no though it be not a small petty Ransome but a great Ransome of that saith Elihu it cannot deliver thee As if he had said When once God is so far provoked that the Decree is gone forth to destroy thee then it will be in vain to think of getting off by Ransome Here it may be queried What is this great Ransom that will not deliver There is a twofold Ransome by one of which the people of God are somtimes delivered and alwayes by the other First The people of God are somtimes ransomed or delivered by the destruction and ruine of the wicked that 's their Ransom and that not seldom proves a great Ransome It is said expresly Prov. 21.18 The wicked shall be a Ransome for the righteous how a Ransome for the righteous will a wicked man pây a Ransome for the righteous or will the wicked man offer himself a Ransome for him and say I 'le dye instead of the righteous man surely there 's no such thing to be expected from him Peradventure for a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 8. one would even dare to dye that is one good man may possibly be willing to lay down his life for another good man Scarcely for a righteous man would one dye that is for a man who only gives every man his due oâ doth every man right but for a good man that is for a man that hath been very kind and bountiful to others some would even dare to dye yet he that doth so must be supposed to be a righteous and a good man himself For it cannot be thought that a wicked man would give himself a Ransome for the righteous that he would dye for him whom he doth not love yea whom he usually hates to the death How then is it affirmed by Solomon that the wicked shall be a Ransome for the righteous The meaning is God will destroy the wicked to save the righteous or he will save the righteous even through the blood and destruction of the wicked In that sence the wicked are many times a Ransome for the righteous rather than the righteous shall perish the Lord will destroy the wicked Thus the Lord spake by his Prophet of old Isa 43.3 I gave Egypt for thy Ransome Ethispia and Sheba for thee How was Egypt a Ransome for Israel had they any mind to deliver the people of God no but rather than God would not have Israel saved he destroyed Pharaoh and the Egyptians in the Red Sea Thus the Lord makes the wicked a Ransome for the righteous Though Egypt were a very goodly Country yet God destroyed it by ten Plagues that he might deliver Israel Though Pharaoh was a great Prince he drowned him in the Sea rather than his people should go back into Captivity Solomon gives us this sense of the Prophets words fully in his own Prov. 11.8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wâcked cometh in his stead Secondly There is another a more excellent Ransome for the people of God and that is the Blood of Jesus Christ We are bought with a price dearly bought and that 's the Price with which we are bought 1 Cor. 6.20 that 's a Ransome which sets sinners fâee and makes them free indeed Joh. 8.36 free fâom sin anâ free unto righteousness Math. 20.28 He gave himself a Ransome for many for a great many for all who believe and take hold of his Name When Elihu saith A great Ransome cannot deliver ' âis not to be understood of the Ransome which Christ hath paid that 's a Ransome so great so precious that it hath and doth and will for ever deliver the greatest the worst of sinners who run to it
to the godly at all times hath it especially in a time of streights and trouble But as the Lord never regards wicked men so then lest when they have most need of it Will he esteem them no not in affliction There is a third reading of these words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in piel contra rapinas munivit hinc ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã aurum lectissimum quasi ab igne munitum aut quod fit hominis munimentum Will he esteem thy riches no not any defence As our translation no not gold falls in plainly with the first words of the Text so this with the latter Will he esteem thy riches no not gold say we answering the word riches in the first part of the verse Will he esteem thy riches no not defence say others which answers those words nor all the forces of strength in the latter part of the verse So then as our reading complyes with the former part of the verse so this hath as faire a compliance with the latter No not any defence The word signifies to fortify to fence to make strong and hence gold because gold is mans strength and defence Riches are a great strength to be rich in gold is a mans strong tower Will he esteem thy riches no not gold or defence Nor all the forces of strength These words in the close of the verse being the same with the middle part as last rendred may very well be drawn up into one and conceived of as if Elihu had said Suppose thou art a mighty man and hast strong forces he will not esteem thee for all that The very weakness of God is stronger than man 1 Cor. 1.25 that is than the strongest man or than any strength which man can procure either to oppose God or to protect himself against him The Prophet to shew the great power of the Chaldeans saith Hab. 1.10 They shall scoff at kings and deride every strong hold Surely the Lord is so far from esteeming the defences and forces of strength which men make to and for themselves that he scoffs at and derides them The Lord will deride all the strong holds of man even the forces of strength Some get internal carnal strong holds to fortifie themselves in of which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the casting down of strong holds Most sinners are men of wit they provide themselves strong holds to save their sins in they have their excuses and reasonings to defend their sins or themselves in their sins by Others are men of might they get external strong holds they have Armies and Cities of defence to secure themselves by but will the Lord regard either Not the strong holds set up and maintained by force of wit no nor all the forces of strength Though thou hast Army upon Army and City upon City though thou dost add Castle to Castle and Fort to Fort they are no more than paper walls before the Lord. As neither riches nor nobleness so no power of man can secure man from the hand of God Mr. Broughton varieth a little from our reading yet concurrs fully in sense No gold nor any other thing should be able to give sound strength which himself expounds by this short gloss If now thou despisest repentance thou shalt be utterly cast off As if he had said to Job it is not thy or any mans standing out against God that will help you your only help is in repentance and self-humbling before God Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Hence note There is no strength against the Lord. As there is no counsel so no force of strength against the Lord. Hannah sang this truth 1 Sam. 2.9 By strength shall no man prevail that is against man if God be with him much more is it true that by strength shall no man prevail against God Isa 1.31 The strong shall be tow and the maker thereof as a spark that is as some expound their Idols whom they made their strength shall be as tow that is as the most combustible matter easily consumed and the maker of it that is the Idol-maker shall be as a spark Do but blow a spark among tow and what will become of it Such are the strongest Idols in which men trust and such are the mightyest and strongest men before the Lord who trust in them Tow or flax or hemp after the dressing is as tinder that the least spark will give fire to The strong Idol shall be as tow and the maker of it as a spark or which is in effect the same The strong man shall be tow and that which he hath made or as we put in the Margin his work that is his Idol shall be as a spark and they shall both burn or perish together This is the sentence of the Lord against the strong a spark shall set them on fire and burn them how then shall the strong be able to stand before the Lord who is not a spark but a fire and that a consuming fire and therefore I may urge Elihu's counsel to Job upon all sorts of men upon those especially who persist in any sin take heed because there is wrath beware c. or I may urge them with the Prophets dehortation Jer. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the mighty man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches for none of these can help or deliver from wrath only Jesus Christ can and it hath been shewed who they are to whom he will not be a delivering ransome It may be very useful to consider what negatives Elihu puts upon sinners as to deliverance from kindled wrath not riches not honour not crying not praying not strength not defence can deliver without turning from sin to God and all in Christ Elihu having urged two arguments to make Job beware of wrath first because nothing could ransom him God regards not riches no not gold secondly because nothing could rescue him all the forces of strength could not defend him against nor fetch him out from under the hand of God Elihu I say having dispatched these two arguments he in the 20th verse gives a further and that a third argument to move Job to take heed of wrath because as he could neither be ransomed nor rescued so neither could he be hid or sheltred from the wrath of God That is the general sense of the next verse Vers 20. Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place The root of that word which we render desire signifies a very earnest breathing and longing after a thing as conceiving and believing the enjoyment thereof would be an exceeding comfort and refreshment to us ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã significat respirare anholare ad aliquid vel rei alicujus summo desiderio teneri Merc. So 't is used in the seventh Chapter of this
him to take heed of speaking or uttering any thing rashly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Custodivit servavit unduely or unbecomingly of God in respect of his troubles and sufferings and this he urgeth upon him by two sorts of arguments as will appear when I come to handle the two following verses Take heed regard not inniquity As if he had said beware be well advised what thou dost and what thou sayest The word which we here render take heed signifies to keep and preserve but most properly to prevent and keep off any evil that it fall not upon us The noun from this root signifies a watch tower upon which a person stands to observe and give warning of any danger or to descry any approaching enemy 'T is translated take heed as here so 1 Kings 2.4 where David upon his death-bed gives counsel to Solomon his son and successor what to do and how to walk in the way of the Lord that saith he the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me saying if thy children take heed to their wayes that is if they are very watchful over their wayes both as to their personal and princely walkings if they walk in my statutes then I will do thus and thus for them Thus saith Elihu take heed look about you have your eyes in your head be careful These take heeds are frequent in Scripture From whence before I come to the matter about which Elihu would have Job take heed Observe It is our duty to be heedful We cannot be dutiful unless we are heedful a headless person cannot be a faultless person This duty runs quite through all we have to do take heed first to the inward motions of the soul take heed how what you think Pro. 4.23 keep thy heart with all diligence with all keepings with all heedings it is this word in the text heed thy heart that is thy first stirrings and motions unto any work Secondly take heed as to the first motions of the soul so to the affections of the soul which are soul-motions formed up and stated take heed of your affections how and what you desire how and what you love how and what you hate Thirdly take heed to the tongue how you speak and what you speak where you speak and why or for what ends you speak there is a great deal of take heed belonging to the tongue Fourthly take heed to the ear when ye hear others speak take heed how you hear and when ye hear and what you hear infection may soon come in at those ports Fifthly take heed to the eyes what you behold the eyes are windowes which often let in vanity yea I may say venome and poyson into the soul In a word take heed of all your actions or of your whole conversaâion take heed what you do ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A verbo ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã quod saepe animi intentionem vel contemplationem valet ad aliquem finem utpote ad miserandum vel interrogandum vel adjudicandum Bold and how you do it see that ye walk circumspectly take heed in and about all these things that ye sin not especially that ye neither have nor carry on any design or work that is sinful take heed that ye be not found falling into that errour to avoyd which Elihu calleth or awakeneth Job to this watchfulness take heed Regard not iniquity Here is the special matter in the text about which Elihu advises Job to be heedful regard not iniquity The word rendred regard signifies the turning of the face to look upon any object that which we much regard we turn about to look upon it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Iniqâitas vanitas as that which we slight we turn away from it and will not look upon it we turn our face to a person or thing signifying our approbation and we turn away our face to shew our dislike and therefore we do well express this word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Absurda indecentia Sept. which signifies to turn the face by regarding turn not thy face to iniquity look not to it give it not any respect or countenance regard not Iniquity The word signifies vanity properly All iniquity is vanity sin is vanity and sin hath brought vanity into the whole creation yea sin makes all things a vexation to us The Chaldee saiâh regard not a lie the Septuagint regard not things absurd or uncomly But what Iniquity doth Elihu here chiefly intend I answer It is a truth of Iniquity in general regard not any iniquity yet here Elihu speaks not in that compass as if he should say regard not robbery regard not murder regard not adultery and wantonness regard not any of these foul and gross sins but there was a special sin which Elihu had an aym at and which he thought Job gave too much regard unto regard not iniquity that is undue speeches and heart-g udgings or impatient complainings against the proceedings of God with thee that is do not stand so much complaining about what thou sufferest and justifying thy self in what thou hast done expostulate the matter no more with God wish not for the night of death c. This is to regard or turn thy face to iniquity take heed of these things do not regard these evils this kind of iniquity Further when Elihu saith regard not iniquity we are to expound him by these affirmatives slight it turn from it abhor it loath it despise it reject it all these affi matives are contained in that negative regard not Frequently in Scripture negatives intend their contrary affirmatives When that Scripture saith despise not prophesying 1 Thes 5. the meaning is ye shall regard it love iâ follow it delight in it so on the other hand when this Scripture saith regard not iniquity the meaning is despise and oppose iniquity to the utmost Take heed regard not iniquity From this part of the verse thus opened Observe First It is no easie matter to keep our selves right when things seem to go wrong with us It is a hard thing to forbear iniquity when we are pinched with adversity not to speak unduely and uncomly not to speak amiss of God not to speak unbecoming our selves require âreat caution in a day of distress We have need to take heed of this iniquity to be watchful in an evil day that we neither do nor say that which is evil When things are amiss with us we are very apt to speak and do amiss As soon as ever the hand of God toucheth us how do we grieve how do we complain how do we murmur how do we repine O regard not this 't is an iniquity to be taken heed of in a dark day in a day of trouble such as was upon Job as black a day was upon him as ever upon any in the world as to his personal condition If such a Cedar failed have not we poor Shrubs reason to look about in such
exalting and raising me up And if God will raise up who can keep down Fifthly We may take the words in this general sense Whosoever is exalted in this world God exalteth him The Sparrow cannot fall to the ground nor the least thing or person be lifted from the ground but by the hand of God As he exalteth some in a way of special favour so he exalteth the worst of men in a way of common providence As none can be exalted if he say no God is able to put a barr or a stop to any mans exaltation so he can exalt whom he will and none are able to put a barr or a stop to their exaltation Behold God exalteth by his power Hence Note God is able to exalt any person how low soever brought how much soever despised Elihu spake this purposely to Job who was in a low condition brought as it were to the very gates of death and he makes this large description of the power of God in exalting those that are cast down purposely to comfort Job to erect his spirit and cheare his heart with a blessed confidence that how much soever he was at present under-foot or under-hatches yet he might hope for better things even to be lifted up if he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God Psal 9.9 The Lord will be a refuge the word in the Text answers this or an high place for the oppressed Places of refuge are usually high places and therefore the same Hebrew word signifieth both an high place and a place of refuge Psal 107.41 He setteth the poor on high from affliction and maketh him families like a flock The Prophet Isa 33.16 Having spoken of the man that walketh in his integrity tels us how it shall be with him He shall dwell on high The word is He shall dwell in the high places that is he shall dwell in God who is most high for evermore God will exalt him even to as much safety as himself is in his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him Particeps erit divinae faelicitatis atque consors tecti aântonsâc his water shall be sure He shall be housed with God yea housed in God he shall be fed by God he shall lodge under his roof and sit as it were at his Table he shall have bread enough and water enough and both sure enough And if the Lord exalteth thus by his power let none be discouraged in their afflictions and castings down The Lord alone is sufficient yea all sufficient and he exalteth not only by his will that is he hath not only a will to exalt but he exalteth by his power that is he hath power enough to exalt whom he will What power soever is in the creature 't is the Lords power 't is a stream from his Ocean and when the Lord is pleased to remove all power from the creature he hath a sufficient reserve of power in himself or in his own hand by which he can command deliverance yea exaltation Therefore do not speak either despondingly or desparingly as if all hope were gone when at any time all humane power is gone for God exalteth by his own power and as it followeth in the Text Who teacheth like him As if Elihu had said God is not good only at acting but he is good at instructing and he is best at both He is best or beyond all in power He is best or beyond all in wisdome and understanding and therefore who teacheth like him At the 15th verse of this Chapter we have the substance of what is here asserted and so upon the matter 't is but the same thing repeated there it is He delivereth the poor here He exalteth by his power There 't is said He openeth their ear to instruction here Who teacheth like him The words are a divine chalenge Who teacheth like him B ing forth the man bring forth the Angel that can The word which here we tender to teach in its first sense signifieth to cast a Dart Javelin or Stone It signifieth also to raine Verbum ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã commune ad pluviam et ad dâctrinam vel legem qua perfunditur et excolitur animus ad frâctus bonorum operum ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so the raine which fals from heaven because that is as it were cast from the clouds to the earth Hence by a Metaphor it signifieth to teach or instruct because holy doctâine or instruction cometh down like raine from heaven upon the minds and hearts of those that are taught My doctrine shall distill as the dew and my speech shall drop as the raine said Moses Deut. 32.1 And hence the whole Law of God is expressed by a word in the Hebrew coming from this roote that being powred down from heaven in showres of doctrine to make men fruitfull in every good word and work In answer to which some translate this latter part of the verse Nullus ei similu in Legislatoribus Vulg There is no Law-giver like unto him Who is a Law-giver like him or there is no Law-giver like him To give Law or to be a Law-giver is more than barely to be a teacher though he that teacheth doth also in a sense give Lawes Here I conceive we take the fittest and most suitable signification of the word when we render it by teaching Who teacheth like him As if he had said None can teach like God and therefore surely none can teach him how to governe the world or to dispose of any mans person or condition as thou O Job hast rashly or overboldly done for while thou hast complained so much and so often of his dealings with thee thou hast upon the matter attempted to teach him But Who teacheth like him Where shall we find any able to give instruction and apply doctrine like God God is exalted infinitely in power and yet he condescends to be a teacher or an instructer God doth not stand upon his power only he saith not I have power to do what I will I can force all men to my will or break them if they will not but he instâucts and perswades he labours to allure the soul into a right understanding of his will and submission to it Who teacheth like him Hence note First The great goodness of God that he who hath all power to command should yet vouchsafe to instruct that he who is the Judge will also be the Teacher of his People This is the great Pâomise in the Covenant of grace They shall be all taught of God John 6.45 Some things may be known by the light of nature of which knowledge God is the Author in the same sense as he is of all natural Powers and faculties But here Eliââ intends a spiritual knowledge both of God and of our selves or a teaching of divine things by divine chastenings both with respect to what we should do and desire as also with respect
to what we should shun and avoid which is the work of God alone by his grace and Spirit Thus David shews how God is teaching while he is chastening Psal 99.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy Law God teacheth First by his Word that 's his ordinary way of teaching Secondly he teacheth by his Works and those both the workes of Creation and of Providence and by those whether workes of Mercy or of Judgement By all these meanes God teacheth But that which Elihu chiefly aimeth at in this place speaking to afflicted Job is his teaching by affliction Who teacheth like him As if he had said God doth not lay his hand upon thee by affliction only to make thee smart but to make thee wise he is instructing thee while he is afflicting thee Further as God teacheth by his Word and by his Works so he teacheth most eminently by his Spirit who alone maketh the teaching both of his Word and of his Works effectual upon the hearts of the hearers and beholders Many are taught but none to purpose without the Spirit Who teacheth like him Note Secondly God is no ordinary teacher The teachings of God are above all other teachings There is no teacher to be compared with God Elihu doth not say Who teacheth besides God There are many other teachers but there is not one who teacheth like him Some may say wherein doth the excellency of divine teaching lie how hath that the supereminence above all other teachings Take the answer briefly in seven words First none teacheth so plainly and clearly as God The teachings of men are but dark and obscure to the teachings of God Christ said John 16.26 I shall no more speak unto you in parables but I shall shew you plainly of the Father God speaks by his Word and Spirit to the lowest and meanest understanding Secondly none teacheth like God that is so mildly so moderately so condescendingly to the condition and capacity of those with whom he hath to do Christ said John 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now and therefore I will not say them now I will not buâden you beyond your strength I know what lessons what instructions you are fit for and I will give you only these and no moâe till ye are better prepared to receive them I will give you only milk because ye are children and so not able to digest-st ong meat Thirdly none teacketh like God so patienâly and meekly There is nothing doth more provoke the passion of a teacher than the untowardness and dulness of those that are taught It was a very good Rule given by one of the Ancients he that will teach children must in a manner be a child He must consider what they are and forme himself to their condition else she will never have the patience to teach them O with what patience doth the infinite and only wise God teach his children Isa 28.9 10. He giveth line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little Here is the patience of God He doth not say if ye cannot take it now I will teach you no more No saith God I will give precept upon precept and line upon line though former precepts have not been received yet I will give you more here a little and there a little ye shall have another little to the former little God was forty yeares tutoring and teaching the Israelites in the wilderness to fit them for the possession of Canaan These three yeares saith Christ have I come looking for fruit and all that while he was teaching them to make them fruitfull nor was he hasty then but upon the inâercession of the vineyard-dresser waited one year more O the patience of God in teaching Fourthly none teacheth like him that is so constantly and continually He teacheth and he is alwayes teaching there is no hour no moment but one way or other God is reaching By every thing we hear or have to do with in the wayes of his providence he is teaching us B sides how constant is God in teaching us formally as 't is said in the Prophet Jer. 35.14 15. I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets rising up early and sending them As if the Lord did bestir himself in the moâning to send our teachers betimes He soweth his seed in the morning and in the evening he doth not with hold his hand as he requireth us to do in all sorts of duty whether of charity and righteousness towards our nâighbour or of piety and holy worship towards himself Eccl. 11.6 Fifthly none teacheth like him that is so truly so unerringly While men teach they sometimes mis-teach while they lead they often mis-lead they teach error for truth and unsafe doctrine for sound they build wood hay and stubble in stead of gold silver precious stone upon that sure foundation Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.12 The best the wisest and most knowing men may erre only God knoweth the full compass of all mysteries yea he is Truth therefore his teachings are most true Sixthly none teacheth like him that is so authoritatively Men teach in the name and authority of God but God teacheth in his own name and authority The Lord giveth Authentity to his own word If the Lord hath said it that 's warrant enough to receive it and believe it When Christ preached the people wondered at his doctrine Mat. 7.29 For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes that is there went forth a mighty command with the word of Jesus Christ He did not as I may say beg attention and submission to his doctrine but exact it upon them and draw it from them Where God teacheth he commandeth his word worketh mightily when he speaketh all must hear at their peril Whââe Princes give the rule and publish their Laws subjects must hear and obeâ or suffer for not obeying How much more where God gives the Rule and publisheth his Law Seventhly who teacheth like him that is so effectually so efficatiously As God hath authority to charge his teachings upon us at our peril to receive them so he hath a power to work our hearts to the receiving of them Who teacheth thus like God The Mââisters of Christ teach in the authority of God and charge all to receive what they say in his Name but they cannot give an effect to the charge Isa 48.17 He teacheth to profit One translation saith He teacheth things profitable But that is a lean rendring for so doth every Minister that teacheth as he ought but our rendring carrieth the efficacy of the word of God in it He teacheth to profit that is he can make the dullest Scholar learn he can make the most stubborn heart to submit Christ speaking of this great work of God in teaching saith John 6.45 No man cometh unto me except the Father draw him What is that drawing It is this
teaching as ye may see vers 45. Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me That is every one whom the Father hath vouchsafed to teach and instruct that man cometh to me that is he believeth and obeyeth the Gospel and submitteth both in judgment and practise Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me There is not one whom God hath undertaken to teach that doth miscarry Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash shall understand knowledge or the heart of the hasty Now hasty and rash persons are heady and inconsiderate persons and therefore none of the wisest they usually have little judgment or discretion who are much in passion but God can make the heart of the rash to understand knowledge that is he can make them understand and know things aright who seem most uncapable of and are naturally at the greatest distance from a rightness of knowledge and understanding To close the Point take these inferences from the who I. First If God be such a teacher then stay not in the bare teachings of men What are the teachings of men to the teachings of God Though you should have an Angel from heaven to speak to you yet stay not in his teachings wait for the teachings of God Till ye are taught of God ye never learn to purpose Set your selves not only as in Gods presence but as under his Spirit to be taught wait for the moving of the Spirit in every ordinance as they did for the Angels moving of the waters who lay at the poole of Bethesda for healing Joh. 5.4 Secondly Seeing God teacheth thus paramount seeing none teach like him then submit to his teaching Do not question any of his rules of life or doctrines of faith they are all righteous and full of divine truth you cannot do amiss if you do nor believe amiss if you believe no nor miss of blessedness in doing and believing what he hath taught Thirdly Then appear as they who are taught of God You will say How or when doth it appear that we are or have been taught of God I shall answer that query in four things First If you are or have been taught of God his teaching unteacheh or emptyeth you that in a threefold respect First of your own carnal principles The great business of divine teaching is to unteach to take men off from their own Will and Reason from their own Rules as also from those Customes which they have received by tradition from their fathers If you would appear as taught of God you must lay down all these The teachings of grace empty the soul of what it hath taken up by Nature Secondly the teachings of God empty the soul of all self-righteousness If ye be taught of God ye will be nothing in your selves Paul before the teachings of God came had confidence in the flesh and boasted in his own righteousness but when he was taught of God he threw off all those Thirdly If ye are taught of God that will certainly unteach and empty you of all unrighteousness The Apostle speakes fully to that Ephes 4.20 21. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus If ye have been divinely taught then this teaching hath emptyed you of the old man as of all self-righteousness so of all unrighteousness towards others It is impossible any should take in the teachings of God and yet hold any sinfull practisings Secondly divine teachings as they empty and unteach the soul so they keep it very humble Knowledg endangers us naturally to high thoughts of our selves and hath a tendency in it to pâide 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth Take knowledge barely as received of men even the knowledge of divine things for ye may have a humane knowledge of divine things this usually makes the heart swell but the knowledge we have from the teachings of God makes us humble it will cause us to cry out as the Prophet did when the Lord appeared and let out a more than ordinary manifestation of his glory Isa 6.5 we are undone It was so with Job when the Lord had schooled him and made himself more fully known to him thân ever before he presenâly cried out Chap. 41.5 I have heaâd of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes Nothing keeps the soul so humble as the teachings of God Where we see any proud of what they have learned it is an argument that either they were never taught of God or that as yet they have not understood his teachings Thirdly The teachings of God do not only empty and humble the soul but they transform the soul and change it into another thing than it was as to its state and qualities The teachings of God change not only our manners but our very natures they not only give a light to the Understanding but a newness to the Will new Affections new Desires This is it which the Apostle calls the new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 and that this creature is wrought to its highest perfection by the teachings of God he sheweth 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The glass wherein we have this sight of the glory of God is chiefly the Word The glory into which we are changed by those sights is our conformity to that holiness which shineth in the Word And this change is twofold First from sin to grace which is a degree of glory Secondly from glory to glory that is from a high to a higher and at last to the highest degree of grace Look what the Word is and calleth us to be that are we when taught according to the truth of the word by the power and Spirit of God Fourthly The teachings of God confirm the soul in that which is taught or we have learned If God teach any divine lesson that will stick We receive many lessons from men and let them slip as the Apostles word is Heb. 2.1 Doctrine taught us of God settles upon us we hold the substance of it and hold forth the fruit or power of it in every season of our lives yea if trouble or persecution arise for the truth they who are taught of God will hold it fast though they let go all they have in this world for it If God teach us the doctrine of Free Grace how we are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ without our own works If God teach us the doctrine of pure Worship how he is to be served and honoured according to his own will without the Traditions of men as Christ spake Mat. 15.9 If I say God teach us these or any other saving truths we cannot but hold them whereas they who have received them from men
praise him whether men do or no. All thy works shall praise thee saith David Psal 145.10 What then should they do for whom they are wrought The latter part of the verse shew what they will do who know what God hath wrought for them Thy Saints saith he shall bless thee They who have as most have low thoughâs can never give high pâaises of the works of God Thirdly In that this counsel and exhortion is given to Job in that this spur is as it were put to his sides Remember that thou magnifie Note The best men need monitours and remembrancers to quicken them about their duty of magnifying the works of God The Lord though he needeth not yet will have us to be his remembrancers to do our works for us if we would have our works done the Lord would have us by prayer to mind him of our own and of all his peoples condition Isa 62.6 Ye that are the Lords remembrancers so we put in the Margine and in the Text ye that make mention of the Lord c. The Lord will have us to be his remembrancers And though he is ever mindful of his Covenant yet he liketh it well to be put in mind of it But O what need have we of a remembrancer to put us in mind of the work of God and to magnifie his work We need a dayly remembrancer to put us in mind of what we should do how much more of what God hath done We need to be minded of that which 't is a wonder how we can forget our latter end or how frayle we are how much more do we need to be minded of those duties which fit us for our latter end and lead us to those enjoyments which never end Fâurthly Observe Such is the sinfulness of mans heart and his sluggishness that he hardly remembers to magnifie God for those works which he cannot but see Elihu urgeth Job and with him all men to remember that they magnifie even that work of his which men behold and which every man may see How slack are they in or to that great duty of magnifying God who when they see or may see if they will his mighty works yet mind not the magnifying of him Fifthly Observe Some works of providence are so plain that every man that doth not wilfully shut his eyes may behold them He is altogether stupid and blockish that seeth not what all may see Hence the Psalmist having said O Lord how great are thy works concludeth such among brutes and fools Psal 92.6 The brutish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this It was the saying of Plato an Heathen That man is worthy his eyes should be pulled out of his head who doth not lift them up on high that he may admire the wisdome of the Creatour in the wonderfull âabrick of the world I may adde and in the works of providence Are they not such that as the Prophet speaks He that runs may read them Sixthly Consider why doth Elihu thus charge it upon Job surely to humble him for his sin in that he did not magnifie God for his works Hence Note It is a great aggravation of our neglect of praising God for his works or of our not magnifying the works of God seeing his works are obvious to every man even to the weaker and ruder sort of men If the very blind may see them how sinfully blind are they who see them not The works of God should be sought out Psal 111.2 4. If they lie in corners yet they are to be sought out and they are sought out of them that have pleasure therein If God should hide his work under ground if God should put his Candle under a bushel as Christ saith men do not Mat. 5. yet 't is our duty to seek it out and set it upon a Candlestick that all may behold it and praise him for it Now if the most hidden works of God must be sought out that they may be magnified surely then when the works of God stand forth and offer themselves to our view and we cannot tell which way to draw our eyes from them how great a sin is it not to behold them not to give him the glory of them Seventhly Observe To magnifie the works of God is mans duty yea it is a most necessary and indispensible duty This is the poynt chiefly intended by Elihu in his present discourse with Job This containeth the sum and substance of the whole Text. To magnifie the work of God is so necessary so indispensible a duty that A remember is put upon it lest at any time it should slip from us The Lord knowing how great how weighty how comfortable how profitable a duty it is to keep the Rest day prefixeth this word Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20.8 I might give instance from several other Scriptures importing those duties which have a memento put upon them to be of great necessity and that the Lord will not bear with us if we lay them by or neglect the constant performance of them To forget any duty is very sinfull how much more those which we are specially warned to remember that we do them David was not satisfied in doing the duty of the text alone but must associate others with him in it Ps 34.3 O let us magnifie the Lord together that 's a blessed consort the consort of the blessed for ever The whole work and reward too of Saints in heaven is and eternally will be to magnify God and they have the beginnings of that work and reward who are sincerely magnifying his work here on earth God hath magnified his word in all things above his name Psal 138.2 and the reason is because his workes answer or are the fulfilling of his word to the praise of his glorious name Now if God hath magnified his word by his workes then we must magnifie his workes or him in his workes For wherein doth God magnifie his word but in his works He hath magnified his work by bringing his word forth in his works Surely then if God hath magnified his word by bringing it forth in his works then 't is our duty to magnifie the works of God which are the product effect and answer of his word But some may say how is that done I would give answer to this question in five things First Then we magnifie the work of God when we magnifie God for his work we cannot magnifie the mercy of God but by magnifying the God of our mercys We cannot magnifie his work while we neglect himself we magnifie God in his work first when we ascribe the whole efficiency of what we see done in the world to him and say This is the singer of God Or when we say according to this or that time What hath God wrought Numb 23.23 To magnifie the work of God is to give the whole of it to God 'T is the hand of God upon a work that sets
vastness that all must confess the hand of God hath done it Thirdly We then magnifie the works of God when we freely submit to God in them as just and righteous when we accept and take them kindly at his hand not only when they are outward kindnesses but crosses All the great words and rhetorick we can bestow upon the works of God will not magnifie them unless we freely submit to them as just and righteous They that would magnifie the works of God must say Judgment and righteousness are the habitation of his throne while they can see nothing but Clouds and darkness round about him Psal 97.2 I saith the Psalmist am in the dark about all that God is doing at this day yet of this I am as confident as confidence it self Judgment and Righteousness are the habitation of his throne I know God doth nothing amiss no not in the least Thus John in the Revelation Chap. 15.3 saw them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name and they saith he sing the Song of Moses c. saying great and marvelous are thy works just and true are thy wayes The works of God in Judgment upon Babylon are full of justice and we magnifie them by proclaiâing and crying them up as just yea the work of God in judgment upon Zion is exceedingly magnified when Zion submits to it and embraceth it as just and righteous It was the great sin of the house of Israel when they said Ezek. 18 25. The wayes of God are not equal As if they had said are these the Lords equal dealings that we his People should be given up to the hand of the enemy and suffer such things as these yea the house of Israel must say all the works of God not only his exalting works but his humbling works are equal just and righteous for we have sinned This is to magnifie the work of God Fourthly To magnifie the work of God is to look upon his work what-ever it is not only as having justice in it towards all men but as good and being full of goodness to his People Possibly it may be very hard work yet we must bring our hearts to say it is good work good to and for the Israel of God Thus the holy man of old magnified the work of God Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel This he spake while he was bemoaning himself under very afflicting providences We magnifie the afflicting works of God when we submit to them as just much more when we embrace them as good And it was very much the design of Elihu to bring Job off from disputing about the evils with which God had so long exercised him to a ready yeeldance that they were good for him and that in all the Lord intended nothing but his good Fifthly To magnifie the work of God is to answer the end of it Every work is magnified when it receiveth its end if a work be done yet if it have not its effect if it bring not that about to which it was designed the worker receives no honour from it nor is the work honoured To work in vain is a debasing a lessening of any work not a magnifying of it The Apostle was afraid to bestow his labour in preaching the Gospel in vain When people still continue in their blindness and unbelief c. this layeth the preaChing of the Gospel low but when souls are convinced and converted and come flocking in then the Gospel is magnified and the word of the Lord glorified as the Apostle prayed it might 2 Thes 3.1 Now as the word of God is magnified when it attains its end so the work of God is magnified when we give him or come up to those ends for which he wrought it But if we let God lose the end of his work we do what we can to debase his work as if he had done it in vain We say he works like a fool that hath not proposed an end to every woâk he dotâ and he appears not very wise at least not very powerful who aâtaineth not the end or ends for which he began his work The most wise God hath his end and aim in all his works in this world and this is the honour we do his work when we labour first to know and secondly to give him his end in every work But if any ask What are the ends of God in his work I answer They are very various First The chief end of all that God doth is the advancement of his own Name and Glory As he made all things for himself in Creation so he doth all things for himself in Providence That which is the sin of man is the holiness of God to seek himself It is most proper for God who is the chief good and whose glory is the ultimate end of all things to set up himself in all things Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself saith Solomon And the Apostle faith as much Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen All things are of him therefore all things should return unto him If we would magnifie any work of God we must be sure to give him this end the glory of it Let it not satisfie us that we are advanced or get up by the works of God unless we our selves advance his glory by them Many advance themselves and are lifted up with pride when God works for them or by them not at all minding that which they should chiefly mind the glorifying of God in by what he hath w ought either for themselves or others Secondly God hath this in design by all his works to make us better If it be a work of Judgment it is to make us better and then we exalt his works of Judgement when we are bettered by them when we are more humbled and weaned from the world by them And as 't is the design of God to make us better by his works of Judgment so by all his works of mercy The Apostle beseecheth us by the mercies of God to present our bodies that is our whole selves a living sacrifice in all holy service to himself Rom. 12.1 What will it advantage us to be bettered in our outward enjoyments by what God works or doth for us unless we learn to be better and do his work better that is unless our hearts be more holy and we more fruitful in every good word and work Some will magnifie the work of God by keeping a day of thanksgiving because they are richer or greater by what God hath wrought for them who yet are not a whit more holy or spiritual by it Wo to those who magnifie the work of God because they think it shall go better with them when themselves are not better Enquire therefore what lust hath the work of God moved you to
the knowledge of God or we hope this will excuse us if we do not know him seeing we cannot Take heed of such reasonings for though God cannot be known to the utmost of what himself is yet God may be known so far as is needfull for us and that is very far We may know God so far as concerns our duty to him and our happiness by him we may know God so far as to honour him and to enjoy him and we must labour to know him perfectly though we cannot The Apostle speaking of the love of God Eph. 3.17 would have us labour to comprehend with all Saints the heighth the bredth the depth the length and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge That the love of Christ passeth knowledge that it exceeds our understanding should not discourage us from labouring to know it nor will it excuse any that sit down idly and do not study the knowledge of God though he passeth knowledge we must labour to know the greatness of Gods love and the greatness of Gods wisdome and the greatness of Gods power though the greatness of God in all these is greater thaâ our nârrow hearts can comprehend Behold God is great and we know him not Neither can the number of his years be searched out The Text is Number of his years no search that is Numerus annorum ejus et non est investigatio as we well translate it the number of his years is such as cannot be searched we say searched out it is but one word in the Hebrew properly signifying to search a thing to the bottome that we may find out the utmost of it The number of Gods years cannot thus be searched out we cannot find them to the bottome Elihu speaks of God after the manner of men years properly belong to man and the things here below of this world the life of man and the continuance of the creature are measured by houres and dayes and weeks and months and years as these are measured by the motion of the Heavens But God is far above any such rule or measure of life or of his being all these measures are improper unto God there 's no measuring him by houres dayes weeks months or years or ages The word which we translate years signifieth changes Years are changed or returned there is a returne of the same time every year Spring and Summer Annus apud Hebraeos ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ex sua proprietate et Etyriologia nomen haâet a mutatione quasi dicatur mutatoâus Ab hae radice vestes dâuntur ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nam muâmtur vaterasâunt innovantur ât vutari idâm quod vestâi 1 Reg. 14.2 and Autumn and Winter thus the year changeth and turnes about continually God is infinitely above all these charges and turnings of time Psal 102.25 26 27. The heavens wax old and as a vesture thou shalt change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years fayle not The years of God are not like the years of the world which wear it ouâ and change it as a vesture is changed by time the Lord is for ever the same Thus one of the Ancients glosseth those words of the Psalme Thy years âayâe not Thy years saith he neither go nor come thy years stand all together for because they stand they that go are not excluded by them that come thy years are one day and thy day is not day by day but to day thy to day doth not give place to to-morrow nor doth it succeed to yesterday thy to day is eternity therefore thou hast begot thy co-eternal to whom thou saidest to day have I begotten thee So then this expression Neither can the number of his years be searched out is according to our apprehension and understanding a description not only of very old age but of eternity We would think that man very old the houres Augustin is in Psal 102. v. 28. yea the minutes of whose life could not be searched out by a good Aâethmeâiciân much more easily may we tell how many years the oldest man hath lived What then shall we think of him the number of whose years cannot be searched out this can speak nothing less than everlastingness And this eternity or everlastingness of God though it be impartible yet it hath I may say a double respect First to what went before Secondly to what is to come The eternity of God is such as cannot be searched out either as to what is past or to what is to come Aeternitas tempora omnia sine tilla succâssione complectit r. Aeternitas est vitae beatae tota simul et perfecta possessio Boetius Aetornum est unum esse et totum simul esse et nihil deesse Greg. l. 16. Moral c. 21. Aeternum est immu abile et totum impartibiliter Dionys cap. 10. de divinis Nomin indeed unto God there is nothing past or to come for eternity properly taken is an everlasting Now it is not that which passeth or moveth away and therefore some of the Ancients elegantly describe eternity to be the perfect enjoyment of blessed life all at once which because it is all at once together and perfect cannot be altered nor lessned In eternity that which is past is present yea that which is to come is present in an eternal blessed life 'T is so with God and so in proportion with all those who are entred into eternity whatsoever they have had is alwayes present with them nor are they in the expectation of any thing to come they enjoy all in every moment without the want of any thing 'T is much more so with God though years have succession yet the years of God have no succession of times or things Further The eternity of God which lies under this description The Number of his years cannot be searched out is not a particular attribute of God but that which difuseth it self through all his attributes he is eternall in all there is no searching out the Number of the years of any of the perfections of God his Wisdome is eternal and his Power is eternal and his Goodness is eternal and his Justice is eternal there is no searching out the Number of the years of God in any of these perfections Hence Note God is an eternal being His years come not under account or number God is eternal not only without end as created Spirits are but without beginning which no creature is not can be He is eternal not only without end or beginning but without succession or mutation Some of the Ancients tell us Stabilisque manens dat cuncta moveri Boet de Confol Metro 9. Eternity stands fast but moves all other things The eternal God is the first Mover himself being immoveable If so then First All things are alwayes present with or before God Things past things to come are present with God he were not eternal else
of the aire spreading themselves all the Heavens over v. 29. Thirdly He tells us of the sudden changes and successions of rain and faire weather of a cloudy and serene sky v. 30. Fourthly He sets forth the different purposes of God in dispensing the rain which are sometimes for judgement someâimes for mercy v. 31 32. Fifthly He intimates the Prognosticks of it or what are the signes and foreâunners or foretellers of it v. 33. The two verses under-hand hold out the first poynt the formation and generation of the rain Vers 27. He maketh small the drops of water That is God as it were coynes and mints out the water into drops of rain As a mighty masse of gold or silver is minted out into small pieces so a huge body of water is minted out into small drops that 's the sum of these words according to our rendring The Hebrew word rendred He maketh small hath a two-fold signification and that hath caused a three-fold translation of these words First It signifieth to take away oâ to withdraw according to this signification of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ademit substraxit a two-fold power of God is held forth about the drops of water First Substraxit deâu stillas aquârum scâ ex mari fluminiâus ââ loc is humidis quae fundunt pluviam ad nubeni ejus Haustus vapor ex aqua cogitur in nubem quae dainde sundit pluviam Merl Qui ausert stillas pluviae Vulg. The power of God in drawing the water up from the Earth to make rain for that in Nature as we shall see afterwards is the cause of âain God draws up the water from the Earth which he sends down upon the Earth he draws up the vapours and the vapours become a Cloud and the Cloud is dissolved into rain Secondly The word may very well expresse according to other texts of Sc ipture the putting forth of the power of God in stopping staying keeping back and with-holding rain from the eaââh when âod hath drawn water from the earth he can hold it frâm the eaââh as long as he pleaseth The Chaldee Pa aphrase saith He forbids the drops to water the earth or he sends forth a proh bition to the clouds that they give no water The vulgar Latine speaks to the same sence who takes away drops of rain that is from the earth Mr. Broughton renders he withdraws dropping of water In this sence I find the word rendred expresly Numb 9.7 where certain persons are brought in by Moses thus complaining Wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer an offering to the Lord with the children of Israel It is a case there were some it seems suspended from bringing their offerings to the Lord and they demand a reason of it to give which Moses saith stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you But I quote that scripture only for the force of the word wherefore are we kept back or with held which was for some uncleanness Thus you have the first signification of the word and a double translation upon it both very pertinent to the nature of the rain and the Lords dealing with man in it which is the subject Elihu is insisting upon ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mânuit diminuis Secondly The original word signifies to diminish or lessen or make a thing small so 't is rendred Exod. 5.8 when the children of Israel complained that they were oppressed in making brick This commandement came from Pharaoh The tale of bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish ought of it It is this word Again Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add to the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Man must not make the word of God smaller or greater than it is 'T is high presumption to use either subtraction from or addition to the word of God Thus also the word is used in the case of second or double marriages Exod. 21.10 If he take him another wife her food that is the food of the first wife her raiment and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish Our translators take up this sense of the word as noting the diminishing of a thing in the quantity of it He maketh small the drops of water or he makes the water fall in small drops whereas if the water were left to it self it would poure down like a sea or like a flood to sweep all away This is the work of God and though it be a common yet it is a wonderful work He maketh small the drops of rain A drop is a small thing and therefore the Prophet when he would shew what a small thing or indeed what a nothing man is yea all the nations of the earth are to God saith Isa 40.15 The nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing The Spirit of God piâcheth upon this comparison when he would set forth that great distance between God and man Man is but a drop to God But are not all drops small why then doth he say He maketh small the drops The reason is because though all drops are smâll yet some drops are smaller than others and we read of great drops in the Gospel History of Christs agony in the Garden which was an immediate suffering in his soul from the hand of his Father pressing him with that weight of wrath which was due for our sins Luke 22.44 He sweat as it were great drops of blood As God made Christ sweat great drops of blood for our sins so he makes the Clouds to sweat small drops of water for our comfort He maketh small The drops of rain ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Guttavit guttatim fluxit The Verb of this Substantive is used Joel 3.18 In those dayes it shall come to pass that the mountaines shall drop down new wine by which we are to understand the plentiful effusion of the Spiâit promised in the latter dayes David describing the Lords glorious march thorow the wilderness saith Psal 68.8 9. The earth shâok the heavens also dropped at the presence of the Lord thou O God didst send a plentiful rain whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary Which Scripture principally intends the spiriâual rain which drops down upon believers and refresheth their wearied souls And therefore by a Metaphor this phrase to drop signifies to prophesie or preach the word of God because that like rain falls silently Sâbinde Praeceptuci auriâulis hoc instillare memento Horat. Lib. 1. lip 8. and as it were in drops upon the hearers it falls in at the ear and soaks down to the heart it soaks quite thorow as Moses spake Deut. 32.2 My dâctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall destil as the dew And as the word is used
in Prophesies of mercy and instruction so of judgment and desolation Thus the Lord charged his Prophet Ezek. 20.46 Son of man set thy face towards the south and drop thy words towards the south and propheââe against the forest of the south field Again Ezek. 21.2 Son of man set thy face towards Jerusalem and dâop thy words towards the holâ place and prophesie agaânst the land of Israel Once more Amos 7.16 Drop noâ thy word against the house of Isaac So thaâ I say this dropping is usâd frequently as in a natural so in a spiritual sence He maketh small the drops Of water ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Forma duali significantur aquae duplices The word is of the Dual Number in the Hebrew and so it signifies both sorts of water the waters of heaven and the waters of the earth the upper and the nether waters the âpper waters in the Clouds and the nether waters in the Springs We find them spoken of together in the first of Genesis at the 7th verse God divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament We find the upper waters spoken of singly Psal 104.3 Who layest the beams of the chambers in the waters Chambers are above And in the first of Genesis at the 9th verse we find the lower waters alone Let the waters be gathered together under the heavens Rabbi Selo exponit ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã per ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã multiplicat quia dum ita guttatim aquae decidunt multiplicantur Merc. Under-heaven waters are the lower waters One of the Rabbies renders the words thus He multiplieth the drops of rain and the reason of it is which falls in with our translation because the less any one thing is made the more is the general mass out of which it is made multiplied From the words thus far opened we may note somewhat for our instruction Taking the former signification of the words He draweth up the drops of water Observe The ordinary rain which watereth the earth is first fetched from the earth Plavia est vapor calidus humidus ex aquis locis humidis virtute Solis Stellarum usque ad mâdiam aeris regionem elevatus ibi propteâ loci frigiditatem in nubem condensatus c. Garc. de Meteorol part 2. cap. 25. God raiseth vapours from the earth and then watereth the earth with them All the rain which falls upon the earth was raised from the earth If I were to answer that question in nature What is Rain I might resolve it thus Rain is the moisture of the earth drawn up by the heat of the Sun into the middle Region of the Air which being there condensed into clouds is afterwards at the will of God dissolved and dropt down again in showers The Clouds at the command of God hold fast and at his command they break and let out their waters upon the earth This is as was toucht before a very ordinary yet a very admirable work of God As in spirituals all those acts of grace in faith and love and joy c. by which our hearts and souls are carried up to heaven come first from heaven so that rain which comes down upon us from heaven was first fetched from among us by the mighty power of God Rain according to natural Philosophy is thus generated The water and moisture of the earth being attenuated by the heat of the Sun-beams become vapours which being so rarified and resolved into an airy substance are by the same heat of the Sun drawn up to the middle region of the air where being again condensed or thickened into water they melt down into rain at the appointment of God We may consider rain briefly in all the causes of it Thus First The efficient cause of rain is God Secondly The instrumental cause is the heat of the Sun Thirdly The material cause is the moisture of the Sea and watery Land Fourthly The final cause of it is 1. Supream the glory of God 2. Subordinate and that threefold First the benefit Secondly the punishment Thirdly the instruction of man Secondly From that other signification of the word as it notes withdrawing or keeping back upon which some insist much Observe God when he pleaseth can with-hold the water or the rain He can give a stop to the rain and then the clouds yeeld us no more water than a stone He with-holds the drops of water The Lord threateneth the Vineyard with this stop Isa 5.6 I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it which is true of a natural and proper Vineyard and of proper natural rain though it be meant there of the people of God whom he metaphorically or improperly calleth his Vineyard and the rain there intended is the rain of instruction usually falling upon them Now as God doth often forbid the showers of the word that they fall no more upon a people as he sends forth a prohibition to stop the spiritual rain so he also stops and prohibits the natural rain Amos 4.7 8. I have with-holden the rain from you when there was yet three moneths to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered so two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water but were not satisfied Thus in case of disobedience to his divine Law the Lord threatened to stop the common Law of nature and to make the heavens brass and the earth iron Deut. 28.23 And when the heavens are brass that is when they yeeld no more moisture than brass then the earth is as iron that is it yeelds no more food for the sustentation of man or beast than a bar of iron doth Such stops the Lord hath often put upon the courses of nature and can do again when he pleaseth though I believe he never did nor ever will do so but when highly displeased and provoked by the sin of man Take two or three inferences from it First If the rain or drops of water come not in their season let us acknowledge the hand of God It is God that hath lockt up the clouds when-ever they are lockt up God hath forbidden the clouds to let down their rain when-ever they with-hold it Men and Devils can no more stop the rain than make it Secondly When we want rain let us go to God for it 'T is the prerogative of God alone to help us in that streight and therefore the holy prophet sends a chalenge to all other powers or declares them disabled for this help Jer. 14.22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers neither the one nor the other can The heavens cannot dispose of a drop though they possesse a sea of water God must hear the heaven before the heavens can
hear the earth that is answer the necessities of the earth And as the heavens cannot give man rain so neither can the gods of mans making and placing there such are all the vanities or vain Idols of the Gentiles The prophet having shewed us that these cannot sheweth us who can give rain in the next words Art not thou he O Lord our God surely thou art he therefore we will wait upon thee for thou hast made all these things Solomon at the dedication of the Temple puts this as one special case wherein they were to apply to God by prayer 1 Kings 8.35 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee If they pray c. then hear thou in heaven The prophet sends the people in that exigent to God Zec. 10 1. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the later rain As if he had said if ye would have rain you must ask for iâ and be sure ye ask it of none but him ask of the Lord. As it is God that gives out or with-holds the rain so he gives it our or with-holds it at the voice of prayer The Apostle saith of Elias Jam. 5.17 he was a man subject to the like passions that we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain At hiâ word the Lord stopt rain and at his word he gave rain Let us therefore confess that God is the author or father of the rain He causeth vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightnings for the rain Ps 135.7 He covereth the heaven with clouds he prepareth rain for the earth Ps 147.8 God covereth the heaven with clouds by drawing up vapours from the earth which are the matter of these clouds and in those clouds he prepares the rain by the rain sent down makes the grass to grow upon the mountains The encrease of vegetables is the effect of rain God hath the rain in his power and to acknowledge him in it is our duty Deus sibi Soli clavem pluvtae refervat Targ. Hierosol in cap. 3. Gen. 'T is a great part of our spiritualness to acknowledge God in naturals as well as spirituals or âhat the key of the clouds as well as the key of the heart is in the hand of God and in his only One of the Antients speaking to this point said Let us not ascribe rain to the Saints much less to Witches Papists have their Saints to whom they pray for rain and Atheists go to Witches for rain The modest and moderate Heathen will âise up against such in judgement they ascribed rain to their gods though false gods they had Epethites or Titles of Honour for their Idols Imbriferi serenatores testifying their faith in them and dependance upon them for the showers of heaven they called them shower-bringing gods and fair-weather-making gods If heathens would yet ascâibe the rain to their gods not to men not to any inferiour powers how abominable are they who professing the knowledge of Jehovah the only true God do not acknowledg him alone in this In times of drought many will say We hope we shall have rain when the Moon changeth or when the Wind turns now though there be somewhat in natuâe both in the change of the Moon and turn of the Winds as to the change of weather yet to speak much of or expect any thing from either argues some withdrawing of the heart from God and God to shew the folly of such hath often with-held the rain though the Moon hath changed more than once and the Wind turned to all quarters and passed through all poynts of the Compass Thirdly Let us take heed of provoking the Lord he can quickly stâp our Comforts those common outward comforts the rain and showrs of heaven and then as to this Life in how sad a case are we As the Lord hath not left himself without witness namely of his goodness in sending rain and fruitful seasons so he can quickly leave a witness of his Justice and displeasure or of his just displeasure by with-holding rain and as a consequent of that fruitful seasons from us Were it only to have rain and fruitful seasons we should take heed of displeasing God If a man had such power as to with-hold rain from your land you would take heed of diâpleasing him How dangerous then is it to provoke God who cannot only with-hold the rain from your land but can as the Scripture saith make the rain of your land to be powder and dust Deut. 28.24 that is give you powder and dust instead of rain When the rain is long with-holden the earth grows hard and being much trodden or traveled on dusty this dust being raised up by the wind shall come down instead of rain or that 's all the rain which I will give you The Lord hath our natural comforts in his hand as well as our spiritual and eternal Further As this with-holding of the rain sometimes so the holding up of the rain at any time shews the great power of God to hold the water in the aire is the work of God as much as to with-hold it from the earth The water is a heavy body and all heavy things tend downward is it not a wonder that such a mighty weight of water should hang in the aire and be there held up if it were not held there it would not stay there but come down and drown all What holds it up the Cloud is a thin substance yet it holds the water as well as the strongest vessel bound with hoopes of iron But by what power doubtless by the power of God The water hath no consistence in it self it is a fluid slippery body now what can hold the water that none of it leakes out but the power of God There are many millions of drops in one little cloud and every drop is of it self ready to slip away yet the whole cloud yeelds no more water then a rock till God orders it Let us contemplate the Almightiness of God who can hold such a mighty body of water in the aire or who as Job spake Chap. 26.8 bââdeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them These notes arise from that translation which imports the Lords power in drawing the water fâom the earth as also in with-holding it from the earth when there is need and in holding it when there is no need We translate He maketh small the drops of âater Not only hath God made the body of the water which is one of the four general Elements of which all bodies are compounded and made but he makes the water into small drops or maketh small the drops of water Hence note That the water falls from heaven by dropâ comes to pass by the
the waters of the Sea by the heat of the Sun become Clouds and these Clouds cover both Earth and Sea far and near Thus 't is matter of wonder to see such great and sudden changes in the air that the same Sun with its beames should exhale those vapours which are condensed into Clouds and that soon after those Sun-beams should scatter and dissolve those Clouds or thaâ now the heavens should be so masked with Clouds as to make all dark and in a little space all return to its former brightness and bââuty He spreadeâh hiâ Light Wha is there in the world that is not Gods ââre he calleâh Light his Hence note God loves to entitle himself to Light in an especial manner Mat. 5.44 He causeth his Sun to shine c. The Moon is his as well as the Sun and the Stars are his as much as either but because the Sun is the greater Vessel and conveigher oâ Lighâ therefore saith Christ He causeth his Sun to shine on the evil and the good c. God himself is Light and the Father of Lights Jam. 1.17 which is true not only of spiritual Light by which the things of God are discovered to us but also of natural Light the light of the Sun that 's Gods Light too he is the Father of it Secondly note The changes which we see in the air from fair to fowl weather from calms to tempests are from God It is not in the creature to make one day or hour fair or foul As Christ gives the reason why no man should swear by his head because he cannot make an hair white or black he cannot change the colour of an hair nor make a hair of any colour So it is not in the power of any man to make one day fair or foul that 's Gods peculiar He spreadeth his Light upon the Clouds and covereth the bottom of the Sea Vers 31. For by them he judgeth the People he giveth meat in abundance This 31th Verse gives us the effect of all that which Elihu had spoken before of the rain of storms and tempests and we may add of lightening and of thunder By them he judgeth the people and giveth meat in abundance Here are two effects First an effect grievous Secondly an effect gracious The former proceeds from the justice the latter from the mercy and goodness of God By them that is by the rain by the winds c. he judgeth the people To judge is taken three wayes in Scripture First To judge is to rule or govern When it is said such a man judged Israel the meaning is he ruled and governed Israel That 's the language of the book of Judges every where when their Governours are spoken of Secondly To Judge is to determine or give sentence in a special case Deut. 25.1 Thirdly To judge is to punish or afflict and thus often in Scripture when God punisheth any person or people he is said to judge them Psal 51.4 That thou mayest be cleared when thou judgest that is when thou afflictest or layest thine hand upon me saith David as God had threatened by Nathan that the sword should not depart from his house this moved David to make confession Against thee thee only have I sinned that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleared when thou judgest As if he had said my confession O Lord will be thy justification all may see I have given thee abundant cause to lay thy chastening hand upon me Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge though men let them pass yet God will not he will punish them Again in that notable place 1 Cor. 11.31 32. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. What it is to be judged the Apostle sheweth in the next words But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord. The Apostle warns the Church to take heed how they came to the solemn assemblies lest coming rashly and unpreparedly the hand of God should fall heavy upon them by weakness sickness and death When Elihu saith By them he judgeth the People We are to take judging in this third sence He judgeth that is he afflicteth and punisheth men by these things Thus the Allusion is elegantly followed The Lord from his tabernacle or throne in the Clouds sends forth Edicts and signes his Warrants for the punishment both of nations and persons windy stormes rain and thunder going forth as executioners of his orders and appointments By them he judgeth the people Hence observe First God can make a scourge of any of the creatures By them that is by the rain and by the wind he judgeth the people He can use what instrument he pleaseth to afflict and chasten us with Read the holy Scriptures read the Histories of the Church and you will find all sorts of creatures summoned one time or other and sent forth as Gods messengers to punish the pride and stubbornness the impenitency and perversness of mens hearts and wayes How many creatures did God make use of to punish Pharaoh with and many of them veây contemptible ones among the rest the hail rain and thunder spoken of in this place were his instruments of vengeance in plaguing that hardned King Whensoever God afflicts a people by the creatures he judgeth them by the creatures Let us take heed that we provoke not God to turn those things which were given for our good to our hurt that he make not what was made our servant our punishment God made all creatures serviceable and useful to man but through sin they become grievous and destructive to man By them he judgeth the people He giveth meat in abundance Escam ad copium Heb. i. e. copiosum Here is the second effect wrought or produced by these creatures He giveth that is God giveth meat that is all kind of food and provision for the life both of man and beast and he giveth it in abundance He doth not give it scantly or nigardly in small portions and piâtances but in full measure pressed down heaped up and running over By them that is Dat escam multis mortalibus Hieron by the rain and by the wind c. God gives us our meat in abundance One translation saith He giveth meat to many that is to all Hence note First Our daily food is the gift of God He giveth meat No man gets his own bread unless God giveth it God must give it before we can get it Secondly note God is a free bountiful and liberal house-keeper He giveth meat in abundance he giveth to very many yea to all and he giveth very much he giveth meat to all the fowles of the Air and to all the fishes of the Sea to all men and beasts living on the earth they all receive food from God he giveth food to all flesh Psal 136.25 He filleth every living thing Psal 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and feedeth the young ravens when they cry
which is a Cloud in a figure troublesome and afflictive Providences There is no light of what kind soever it is but there may be a Cloud to intercept it and come between us and that even the light of the favour of God the light of his countenance which is the most blessed light of all even that light hath many a Cloud The clouds of ouâ sins cause the Lord to cloud his face with anger and displeasure and hinder the light of his favour and loving kindnâss from shining upon our souls Secondly In that Elihu saith He câmmandeth it not to shine Note The Lord hath a soveraign power over all creatures He sends forth his commanding word not only to Angels and Men but to Beasts yea to inanimates he sends out his orders and edicts to the Clouds of the Air to the Light of the Sun to things without life and they submit presently and obey he speaketh to the light as if it were a âeaâonable creature he commandeth it not to shine and it shineth not The hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth are at the diâpose of God the wââle course of nature moves and stands still at his word and pleaâure The Sun stood still in the dayes of Jâshua at his command and by the same command the Sun wenâ backward in the days of Hezekiah and 't is by his command that the Sun withdraws its light and is muffled up with Clouds at any time He commandeth it not to shine Take these Inferences from it First Then what cannot God do He that commands the light not to shine and it shineth not Is any thing too hard for him who but God can stop the Sun from shining If all the Princes and Potentates of this world should joyn their forces their counsels together and send a prohibition to the Sun to stay its light and forbear its shining one moment they were not able to do it yet if the Lord do but speak the word the Sun shineth not he can give it a prohibition and supersede the going forth of its light to us yea he hath power enough not only to coveâ the Sun with Clouds but to turn it into a Cloud and to blot it out of the heavens Secondly learn hence In what dependance we are upon God for every thing God can keep the light from us every day if he pleaseth and wrap us up in perpetual darkness as he plagued the Land of Egypt with thick darkness for three dayes together 'T is true the Sun riseth and goeth down in a natural course yet still by a divine order and commission As God can sorbid the Light by interposing Clouds so he can sorbid the Clouds to give us showers and bind up all the sweet influences of heaven from destilling upon the earth to make it fruitful He can speak to our garments that they warm us not to our food that it nourish us not to our physick that it cure and heal us not to all our relations that they comfort us not to all our possessions and riches that they content us not O let us remember that we depend upon God for Rain for Light for Sun-shine for all it is at his word that they all put themselves forth to do us good and at his word they are all staid and stopt in their motion from doing or bringing us any good Leâ us remember also God can command another light not to shine he can by a word stop the progress of the Word and stay that blessed and most beautiful light the light of the Gospel from shining to us by some Cloud or other coming between To how many nations of people where that light sometimes shined hath God long since sent a command and it shineth not It shined brightly in former Ages upon the African Churches but now for a long time God hath said to the light of the Gospel shine not upon them there 's scarce any light at all at most but a glimmering of Gospel-Light in all that vast continent a quarter-part of the world What mighty Dominions are now possest by the followers of Mahomet both in Europe and Asia where the light of the Gospel did once shine very brighâly and gloriously How famous were those seven Asian Churches men ioned and writ to by the command of Christ and the ministry of his servant and Secretary John Rev. 1.2 3. yet now darkness possesseth all those places and the Alcoran hath thrust out the Gospel and whence is all this Surely God commanded and that light shined not nor hath it shined with any bâightness for many hundred years Jesus Christ who threatened Ephesus with the removal of her Candlestick hath removed all those Candlesticks and put out their ligâââ The same stop can God give to the Gospel-light which hath shined among us blessed be his Name for many years together Let us take heed that we forfeit not that blessed light that we provoke not the Lord by our abuse of it and unthankfulness for it to send out a command that it shine not among us any more We read in the Prophets how divine light was prohibited both to the People and to the Prophets The stop of it to the People we have Amos 8.9 I will cause the Sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day The Prophet speaks not here at all of the stop of natural light nor doâh he only intend the stop of that metaphorical light Prosperity in outward things which the Lord doth often eclipse and daâken when men dream least of it or have no more fear about it than âhey have that the Sun will go down at noon day but he at least intends if it be not his principal intendment to shew that a grievous judgmânt was hastning upon them as to their spiritual enjoyments that the light of divine knowledge what to believe and what to practise was declining and ready to go down though they thought it was but noon with them and the day very clear For as the famine threatned vers 11. is expounded upon the place by the Prophet himself not to be a famine of bread and a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord so the darkness threatened in this 9th verse is not to be restrained to the loss of their worldly liberties and comforts but extended to those which were spiritual and divine the failing of vision and the removing of the light of the Word And as in this Prophet we find the light departing from the People so in the third of Micah vers 6 7. we find God commanding the light not to shine to the Prophets the false prophets he meanes there for so he describeth them vers 5. Therefore shall night be unto you the prophets who deceive my people who teach them vanity and lead them to Idolatry and superstition therefore I say shall night be unto you that ye shall have no vision and it shall be dark
to you that you shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them What the Lord means by all this you have exprest in the close of the 7th verse There is no answer of God that is God doth not now any more manifest his mind and will by the Prophets that they might manifest his will unto the People I close this point with the renewal of my former admonition Let us therefore take heed âe provoke not the Lord to command this light not to shine either to Prophets or People in our Hoâizon Thirdly He commandeth it not to shine by the Cloud that cometh between Though as I said the word Cloud be not exprest in the text yet we know 't is a Cloud that usually cometh between the light and us Hence note Though God can do all things by his bare word yet he ordinarily useth means to bring about his purposes whether for good or evil whether in mercy or in judgement to the children of men There is something comes between God hath a Cloud or somewhat like it to put between us and the light ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vers 6. The Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 7. treating of Antichrist the man of sin intimates that he would have filled the world with the darkness of errour and superstition very quickly by a full discovery of himself had not something with-held him had not something come between him and his design for a time What was that 'T is generally conceived ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 7 that which did with-hold or come between the man of sin and his purpose of filling the world with the darkness of his wicked errours and abominable worship was the power of the Roman Empire at that time Antichrist could not put forth his power while that power stood in its strength God could have with-held Antichrist immediately from putting forth of himself but he saw it best to put a block in his way the power of the Roman Empire and until that was thrust out of the way the man of sin could never shew himself fully in that unlimited exercise of his sinful power Now I say as there was then a with-holder of Antichristian darkness somewhat that came between and hindred its effectual working so usually I may say universally somewhat comes between to check and stop the course of the Gospel-light or of any other mercy Sin is a Cloud of our making and God in judgement makes that as a Cloud coming between us and our mercies He did so of old to Israel and he told them so by his Prophet Jer. 5.25 Your sins have with-holden good things from you Sin with-holds good things not formally but meretoriously that is sin is the meriting or deserving cause of their withholding This one Cloud of our sins brings all the Clouds of trouble between us and our mercies and the Lord hath alwayes some Cloud or other of trouble at hand in readiness to cover the light that it shine not to us when we trouble and grieve him by those foggy and filthy clouds of our sins Thus far of that which is preparatory to rain Clouds covering the light It followeth Vers 33. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour Hic versus difficillimus est si quu in toto Jobo in quo quot sunt expositores tot fere sensus afferuntur Merc. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Strepitus ejus quidam deducunt a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sonâvit clamavit voâiferatus est alii a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã amicus socius This Verse according to our translation as I touched before carrieth on the same thing There we had the preparation as it were for rain Clouds gathered and covering the Sun so making dark weather Now saith he that the rain is coming the noise thereof sheweth concerning it The word which we render noise taken from one root signiâieth any troublesome clamour and as derived from anoâher root it signifieth a friend or companion as I shall touch afterward But at present leaving that I shall open it according to our own reading as it signifieth a noise Some read his noise that is Gods noise he maketh a noise in the air And this noise of God in the air is either first the noise of the wind winds often fore-run great raines or secondly the noise of thunderclaps that ratling noise heard from the clouds which come between us and the light this noise sheweth concerning it that is this sheweth fowl weatheâ is coming or that rain as we speak is brewing in the Clouds Both the blustering winds and the ratling roaring thunder tell us afore-hand and give warning that the weather will suddenly change or that rain is at hand Hence Note God by natural signs gives warning of a change in natural things When God is about to send rain the noise that is in the Clouds tells the world that 't is coming Some are very skilful in observing these things such we call weatherwise From this I would only infer If God doth fore-shew or give signs of the change that he makes in natural things then surely he doth much more give his people warning of the changes he is about to make in civil things in the States and Kingdomes of this world There are some things which do as it were predict or fore-shew such and such changes neer if we were wise to observe them The Jewes were very inquisitive to know of Christ the signs of the times These signs they enquired of him not so much out of curiosity which had been bad enough as out of treachery to intâap him in his words yet mark what Christ said to to them Math. 16.1 2 3.3 He answered and said unto them when it is eveâing ye say it will be fair weather for the skie is red a red skie shewes concerning fair weather and in the morning it will be foul weather for the skie is red and lowring When the skie lowres or as here in Job when the Cloud cometh between us and the light that tells us it will be foul weather Now saith Christ do you think that God hath given us such warnings about changes in natural things and hath he not given signs which may fore-shew changes in other things which more concerns us Therefore Christ checks them in the 3d verse O ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the skie and can ye not discern the Signs of the times that is what changes God will mâke in the times As if he had said if you were wise ye might discern the signs of ruine approaching âo you and your City A dreadful black Cloud of destruction hung over the City of Jerusalem at that time as Christ had fore-told them in several places of the Gospel the time is coming saith he when there shall not be left one stone upon another yet you cannot see the signs of these things you are very
and Lightning In Thunder and Lightning the Law was delivered to Moses on mount Sinai Exod. 19.6 And to affect the peoâle of Israel when they had provoked God by their peremptory and discontented way of asking a King Samuel coming to deal with them about it 1 Sam. 12.16 17 18. said Stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes Is it not wheat-harvest to day I will call unto the Lord and he shall send Thunder and Rain that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great And the Lord sent Thunder and Rain that day even while Samuel was speaking for their conviction and humiliation as the next words shew and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel Thus possibly while Elihu was about to speak of Thunder for the humbling of Job God commanded it to Thunder for his deeper humiliation and if so the cause why Elihu trembled is apparent enough The terrible Thunder-claps which then rent the Clouds and even shook the earth might well cause him to tremble Secondly We may understand these words at this my heart trembleth with reference to the whole matter which Elihu had before him what he had begun to speak and was further to speak of Gods dreadful power might shake his heart with astonishment The due apprehensions of the greatness of God may soon strike man into a fit of trembling it did Job as himself confessed at the 21th Chapter of this Book v. 5 6. Mark ye and be astonished and lay your hand upon your mouth for when I remember I am afraid and trembling takes hold of my flesh as if he had said Quoties mihi divinae majestatis abyssus in mentem venerit expavesâit âor meum c. Brent while I duly consider the great things that I have spoken those greater things if greater may be that I am about to speak I cannot but tremble and stand as one filled with astonishment How was the Apostle Paul amazed at that most mysterious dispensation of God in casting off his ancient people the Jewes the seed of Abraham his friend for so long a time Rom. 11.33 O the Depth c. At this my heart trembleth that is I am heartily afraid The heart is here put for the whole inner man ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Motus commotus fuit corpore aut anima ex cura aut metu mali ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sept. or for all the powers of the soul and the word rendered to tremble notes a disturbance of the whole man both of soul and body the Septuagint render it by the same Greek word used Math. 2.3 where upon the wise mens coming from the East to inquire concerning the King of the Jewes it is said When Herod heard this he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him That news of a new King put them into a grievous fright they knew not what to make of it nor which way to turn themselves in such a turn of affaires in such a new world as that new-born King might make This word is else-where in Scripture used to note the suddenest surprize and the strongest possession of fear Thus when Isaac through the subtilty of Rebekah had given the blessing to Jacob which he intended for Esau 't is said that upon the appearance of his mistake he trembled exceedingly Gen. 27.33 Doubtless it did wonderfully astonish the good old man to think that God should carry him beyond and beside his own purpose to bless the yonger brother instead of the elder This strange disappointment by the over-ruling providence of God put him to a stand and troubled his thoughts more than a little especially because he was now taught that by his carnal affections to Esau he was running quite cross to the mind of God revealed Chap. 25.23 Read the same force of the word Exod. 19.16 to which the Apostle reâeââing saith Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Read also the same impoâtance of the word 1 Sam. 4.13 Chap. 14.15 Such was the Condition of Elihu he was deeply affected tâembling âook hold of him The Spirits run to the heart in a time of feaâ or upon a sudden fâight as Ciâiz ns to the Castle in a day of danger and then the outward members being deseâted by the spirits grow cold and tremble There is a natural infirmity called The palpitation or trembling of the heart But this of Elihu was supernatural at least some-what more then natural as arising either from the consideration of what God hâd done or of what himself was about to speak and not only did his heart tremble but Cordis palpitatio totius animae concursus ad cor in pavoribus oâidens est Galen ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Effluxit Sept. Evulsum est August Emotum est Hieron Salit seu subsilit Tharg Hiâ verbis excessum quem Graeci ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vocant puto denotari quae ãâã effectus causam admirationem cum pavore subsequi solet Bold Et humânas motura tonitrua montes Ovid. 1. Met. Was moved out of its place Which is added to set forth the exceeding greatness of that fear which seized upon him The Text speaks as if his heart were indeed removed or taken out of his body It is usual in Scripture to affirm that as done which is like to be done The ship was said to be broken John 1.4 and the net Luke 5.6 because both were in eminent danger of breaking We say of a man in great fear his heart is ready to leap out of or out at his mouth One of the Ancients renders here my heart is pluckt out the septuagint It floweth out the Chaldee paraphrase takes up the foâmer expression my heart leaps or jumps which as it doth sometimes for joy so often for ear or at the unexpected appearance of danger Some conceive by this moving of his heart out of his place that Elihu was in a kind of extasie that he was as it were carâied out of himself upon the hearing of that dreadful voice of God the thunder taking it so Note Thunder is a terrible thing It hath made and may make the stoutest heart to tremble One of Christs Apostles was called Lebbeus Mat. 10.3 as much as to say the hearty man or all-heart Now he that is Lebbeus a man of the greatest courage the most hearty man may be put to a tremble at this when he heares it thunder Heathens have spoken much of this and by a peculiar word have called those who are much amazed men thunder struck Hos Laetinus Attonitos vocat Attonitus est cui casus vicini fulminis sonitus tonitruum dant stuporem Serv in tertium Aenid Tonitrus dici videtur a terrendo quod conterreat hominem Aliqui a tono ruendo quia magno cum sonitu fiat irruat Suetonius de Augusto Caliguâa men being so much amazed at the sound of
thunder The Roman Historian reports of that great Emperour who commanded all the world and made the nations to tremble that yet he himself trembled at this Augustus Caesar was so afraid of thunder that when-ever he travelled abroad he caused the skin of a Sea Calfe to be carried about with him because it was in their superstition believed to be an Amulet or preservative against any hurt by thunder And the same Author tells us of another of that ranke a heathen Roman Emperour that was so afraid of thunder that he would hide his head when he heard it and sometimes ran under a bed for shelter I shall have further occasion to speak of the terribleness of thunder at the 4th and 5th verses I touch it here because according to our interpretation this was it at which the heart of Elihu trembled Secondly Taking the words more generally as this trembling might arise from the consideration of any other of the wonderful woâks of God Note The great appearances of God in his power may and should affect us even with feare and trembling The heart of man may wel move out of his place when he considers how dreadful God is in his place and what wonders he both doth and can do David casting his eye up to the heavens and the host of them Psal 8. concludes with admiration v. 8. O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world They who have but little knowledge of the works of God cannot be much affected with them they who know them deeply cannot but be deeply affected with them Fooles and ignorant persons slight or lightly pass by any thing that God doth or speaks but they who are wise hearted will lay both his Word and Wo ks to heart their heaâts will tremble and be moved out of their place Holy King David adviseth the Kings and Judges of the earth to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoyce with trembling Ps 2 11. And the holy Apostle Paul exhorteth all Christans to work out their salvation with fear and trembling Philip. 2.12 Now if we are to tremble in our dayly service how much more under dreadful providences For the close of this poynt remember there is a four-fold trembling or moving of the heart at the appearances of God or at the discoveries of his Power and Glory in his Word and in his Works First That which is natural Isa 7.2 When it was told the house of David saying Syria is confederate with Ephraim his heart that is the heart of Ahaz was moved and the heart of his people as the trees of the Wood are moved with the wind And when Felix heard Paul reasoning of righteousness temperance and the judgment to come he trembled The Judge trembled at the voyce of the prisoner 'T is natural for man to fear and tremble at the report of any truth which renders him guilty or of any trouble which over-masters his ability to withstand or avoyd it Secondly There is a Legal trembling proceeding from a spirit of bondage or the dreadful apprehensions of the wrath of God against sin Rom. 8.15 This in many is precedaneous to their true conversion and as a needle makes way for the spirit of grace and adoption by which thread they are united fastned unto God through faith walk in a child-like fear before him all their days Thirdly There is a penal or judiciary fear and trembling God in judgement sometimes fills the heart of sinful man with fear as the punishment of his sin They who have no fear of God in their hearts to keep or over-aw them graciously from sinning and living in a course of sin are delivered up to a spirit of fear which continually pursueth them with dreadful apprehensions of the wrath of God and of some imminent and impendent evils ready to fall upon them for their sins A dreadful sound is in their ears as Eliphas told Job Chap. 15.21 yea as he speaks there vers 24. trouble and anguish make him afraid they prevail against him as a King ready to battel The Lord threaten'd it as one of the sore Judgments that he would bring upon his People the Jewes for their disobedience Deut. 28.65 I will give thee a trembling heart yea he threaten'd Isa 52.17 to give them the dregs of the Cup of trembling Ezekiel Chap. 12.18 was commanded to tremble as a sign to the People of that penal fear and trembling which God would send upon them Such was that trembling spoken of Ezek. 26.16 Then all the Princes of the Sea shall come down from their Thrones and lay away their Robes and put off their broidered garments and shall cloath themselves with tremblings Doubtless they had little mind to such change of rayment they had rather have been cloathed with raggs but the Lord would make them do it And as those confederate Princes or friends of Tirus should cloath themselves with trembling so 't is prophesied Zech. 15.2 that Jerusalem should be not only a burthensome stone but a cup of trembling to all her enemies As if the Lord had said This shall be their punishment who would make my Jerusalem tremble I will make them tremble at the remembrance of Jerusalem or at the sight of those great things which I will do against them and for Jerusalem Fourthly There is a spiritual a gracious trembling and moving of the heart that 's it which this point calls us to and to which in those places lately mentioned both David Psal 2.11 and the Apostle Phil. 2.12 call us to It was well with Ephraim when it was thus with him Hos 13.1 When Ephraim spake trembling he was exalted that is when he was in a trembling humble self-denying frame he prospered and all things succeeded well with him The Lord is never better pleased with us than when he sees us in these tremblings Isay 66.2 To him will I look that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word These trembling ones are the men that God hath an eye upon and respect unto The prophet Habakkuk spake of himself Chap. 3.16 much like Elihu in the text When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice c. The prophet fore-saw a day of trouble and trembled at it and this gave him assurance that he should not tremble when he saw it for said he in the next words I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble The more we tremble in our selves the more rest we have in God None have so little fear when trouble comes as they who fear before it comes Noah by faith moved by fear prepared an arke to the saving of his house Heb. 11.7 Thus to fear a flood is the best way to escape it 'T is not courage but stupidity not to fear and tremble when we hear of the judgments of God They who tremble graciously shall never tremble despairingly At this my heart trembleth c. Elihu having thus
the God of glory speaking to us Some will excuse themselves they are ignorant they have never been taught to know God But did such never hear it thunder that âeacheth much of God so much as will make them inexcusable who obey him noâ who tremble not at his Power and Majesty Thunder calls for and more it commands our fear of our reverence and submission unto Goâ eâââcially when God together with this voice sends his arrowâ bolâs o bullets to do great things against his enemies as he did against Pharaoh Ezod 9.23 and against the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.10 Yea the Lord threatened to distress Jerusalem with Thunder and with Earth-quake and with great noise Isa 29.6 Now if Thunder be the Voice of God or the noise of his Voice then take these brief Inferences from it First Let us see what a powerful and mighty God we have When it thunders every believing soul may âay This is the Voâce of my Father what cannot he do for me that can speak thus Secondly If God hath such a dreadful Voice if he thunder with his Voice we should learn to secure aim and fence âur selves against the dread and danger of Thundeâ by the actings of Faith in him and of Repentance and godly Sorrow for our sinnings against him Some of the Heathens have given pittiful counsel what to do in time of thunder Seneca was a wiâe man Adversus tonitrua coelorum minas subterraneae damus dei defussi in altum specus remedia sunt Sen. lib. 6. Natur. quest cap. 4. yet he directs to poor shifts in such extreamities The remedies saith he against Thunder and the Batteries of the heavens are under-ground houses caves or holes of the earth to hide our selves in These were the best helps he could advise his Roman Gallants to when God uttered his mighty voice in Thunder But Christians know better how to hide themselves even in the goodness of God against those terrible appearances of his Power Thirdly If God speak with such a Voice as this in the Air take heed of slighting his Voice whensoever he speaks in the Church as Athiests and Epicures do He who speaks so loud in Thunder can thunder upon us at any time The Word preached if not obeyed will at last come upon all those who obey it not with as great a terror as Thunder Fourthly Let us not be amazed and frighted at Thunder as Heathens or Unbelievers Fifthly Let us not think lightly of it as if it either came by chance or meerly from natural causes Sixthly Let us fear the God of Thunder not fear Thunder as a God Some have superstitiously thought Thunder was a God and adored it so 't is reported of the Lithuanians anciently Lithuani fulmon deum esse puâabant propterea illud adorabant Cromeruâ l. 15. Hist Pol. and possibly some of them do so to this day Secondly In that Elihu calls so earnestly for attention to this voice Hear attentively the noise of his Voice Learn Those things which are most easie to be heard possibly may not at all be understood Who doth not hear when it thunders but how few are there who attend or understand the Thunder or hear Thunder attentively God speaks to us not only with a stiââ voice few hearing or attending him but though he thunders few attend him yea those wo ks of providence which speak lowder than Thunder and shine cleârer ââan the Lightning yet are neither heard noâ seen As When his hand is lifted up some will not see Isa 26.11 So when his Voice is liâted up when 't is lifted up not only like a trumpet but like thunder when he speaks most audibly yea most terribly some will not hear and he is not heard by many much less diligenâly attended to how loudly how terribly soever he speaketh The Lord often thunders by the voice of this Word what are his teârible threats but loud thunder-claps yet few hear or though they hear yet they attend not Not to hear the voice of God in his Word is as if you did not attend to the voice of Thunder Every word of God though spoken with a still voice hath a greater force in it than Thunder from the Clouds As the terrible works of God are signified by Thunder Rev. 10.3 4. So the terrible words of God his threatning words against impenitent sinners are resembled to Thunder And therefore such as the Lord fitted among his own Apostles for that dispensation are called in Scripture Sons of Thunder Mark 3.17 And they who dispence the Word with a strong voice and fiery zeal are truly so called to this day and may be said both to Thunder in their Exhortation and to Lighten in their Conversation And indeed the Word of God truly and faithfully dispensed by any is like Thunder For First As Thunder so the Word spoken is the Voice of God and a more excellent and distinct Voice than Thunder that only shewing in general that God is or that he is great and powerful this shewing us distinctly who and what God is and what he requireth of us Secondly Thunder throwes down and dissipates high things So doth the Word of God 2 Cor. 10.5 Thirdly Thunder is irresistable by any power of man it will make its way through all opposition so is and doth the Word of God Fourthly Thunder pierceth very subtilly it reacheth the bones quite through the flesh the Word of God doth more it divideth soul and spirit and the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heaât Heb. 4.12 Fifthly Thunder breaketh the hardest things which resist it but not soft things so the Word of God breaks the stout but binds up the contrite spirit it resists the proud but giveth grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 Now if the Word of God be in all these respects like Thunder Let us not only hear but attend or as the text saith hear attentively the sound of his voice If any ask when do we both hear and attend with the inward and outward ear the Thunder of God or his voice both in his works and in his word I answer First When we are stirred up to high and holy thoughts of God We are never rightly affected with the Word of God till our hearts are wrought up to and deeply at least truly affected with the God of the Word Secondly When our hearts are raised up in thankfulness for any discoveries of God in his goodness and mercy to us who can so easily destroy us by his power He that trembles at this voice of God and hath no sense nor tast of his goodness nor is moved to praise and serve him trembles only like a bruit beast Thirdly When we learn to depend and hang upon him for all as he that can do all things graciously for us as well as speak so terribly to us then we hear diligently the noise of his voice axd the sound that goeth out of his
motions of the beasts of the earth and the motions of the birds of the air are all directed by God yea the motions of the very inanimate creatures of those that have no motion in or of themselves but whose motion is by some outward violence and pressure put upon them even their motion also is directed by the hand of God Thunder and Lightning are inanimate liveless creatures they have no motion of their own but by impression and violence yet God directs their motion as truly as he doth the motions of those câeatures which move by the most deliberate actings of their own will reason and understanding What is there so violent in its motion as Thunder What is there so swift in its motion as the Lightning of which Christ being about to give his people warning Christus non venit clam aut invisibiliter ut illi volunt qui jactant se habere christum in deserto in urbe in claustro in conditorio sed palam ut fulmen editum per omnia lucet Coc. not to believe those deceivers who say Lo here is Christ c. saith Mat. 24.27 For as the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of man be that is as the Lightning instantly passeth from one part of the heaven to the other visibly so shall the coming of the Son of man be a sudden swift and visible comingâ Ye shall not need to go into corners to shew or see him for he shal come as the Lightning discovering himself to all by the brightness of his coming There was such an apprehension of the swiftness of the Lightning among the Ancients that though the Latine word signifying to Lighten is accented long Ad significândam hanc è nubibus subitae lucis eruptio nem â s erat antiquââ media syllâba âârrepta ut âââerent fulgâââ Sen. lib. 2. Nât quest cap. 56. yet because Lightning is so swift in motion they were wont to pronounce it short Lightning being so quick and active they thought it was not suitable to draw it out in speaking by a long pronunciation But though Lightning have such a violent and swift motion yet 't is under Gods command and direction and it shall make no more haste than God will An arrow flies with a very violent and swift motion yet it is God that directeth the arrow he diâects it more than the man that shoots it and when a shot is made as we say at random God then diâects it as in that notable history of Ahab when he against the counsel of God given him by Micaiah would needs go up to the battel at Ramoth Gilead 1 Kings 22.34 the text saith There was a man who drew a bow at a venture we put in the Ma gin He drew a bow in his simplicity he had no special intenâion against Ahab he did not aim at Ahab when he shot his arrow but God carâied it to the right mark to fulfil that which he had determined and spoken concerning Ahab yea he directed it not only to the right man but to the right place the joynt of his armour When in battel arrows and darts and bullets are sent forth as so many thunder-bolts the Lord directs them and hands them whither they shall go whom they shall hit and where God also directeth the thunder-bolts of his Word where and whom they shall hit And to the point in general that the Lord hath a guidance over those things that are most contingent we may see in that of Moses when he gave a Law from the Lord about the man that goeth with his Neighbour to cut Wood Providentia non est incerta cut vaga If saith he the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbour that he die he shall flee into one of those cities and live Deut. 19.5 The reason of this Law is expressed Exod. 21.13 because in such conâingent cases God delivers him into his hand the man had no intent to hit his Neighbour but fetching a blow the head slieth from the helve and both hits and kills him and to shew that this contingency was ordered by God the text saith God delivered him into his hand And forasmuch as God hath such a power over the motions of the creature it may be matter of comfort and incouragement to us not only with respect to Thunder and Lightning that we should not fear them as the heathen who neitheâ know nor fear God but we may take comfort from hence also with respect to the most violent and hurried motions that we see here below When we find men acting like Thunder and Lightning without deliberation when they are all in passions and perturbations yet let us know these violent moâions shall not fall any where by chance or hap hazarâ nor by their own âway but as God appoynts and over-rules them they shall either fall quite besides the marke which men aimed at and so do no hurt to any or if they do God orders what hurt they shall do He directeth it under the whole heaven Let us carry this consideâation alwayes with us and it will be a gâeat stay to our minds in all the violent motions of the creature Again ârom the extent of this divine direction or providence of God as to these things He directeth it under the whole heaven and unto the ends of the earth that is every where Note The providence of God reacheth to all places His ordeâs go forth into all lands his dominion is under the whole heavens and unto the ends of the earth Psalm 65.5 He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the Sea God is not helpful to his people in one place of the eârth and not in another or helpful to them upon the earth and not upon the Sea but to the ends of the earth and upon the broad sea he is their confidence that is they may conââde and trust in him wheresoever they are Hence that expostulation in the prophet Jeremiah 23.23 Am I saith the Lord a God at hand and not a God afar off Some would circumscribe and limit the Power of God as if being a God neer at hand he could not be a God afar off too or to those who are scattered to the ends of the earth But while he puts the question am I a God at hand and not afar off he puts it out of question that he is a God afar off as well as at hand The Syrians said pleased themselves in their conceit 1 Kings 20.28 The Lord is God of the hills but he is not God of the vallies therefore they would change the battel as if he could order things here and not there but all shall find feel him as they did a God both of the hills of the vallies a God both of the Land and of the Sea a God both
again At the hearing of this voice the people that stood by said that it thundred others said that an Angel spake to him This voice was an articulate sound coming with the Thunder and the Hebrew word which we commonly translate voyces signifieth thunder The Jewish Writers tell us that Bath col the daughter of voice which they reckon the only way of divine revelation left them after the Babylonish Captivity was the will of God made known to them immediately from heaven by this sort of Thunder Thunders and voyces are often joyned in the Book of the Revelations Chap. 4.5 chap. 8.5 implying the revelation of those prophetick wonders was made by Voyces accompanied with Thunder And thus those two texts which seem contradictory may be reconciled Act. 9.7 it is said They who journied with Paul stood speechless hearing a voice But Act. 22.9 Paul saith They saw indeed the light and were afraid but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me The voice which they heard in the 9th Chapter was the voice of Thunder and the voice which they did not hear the 22d was the distinct articulate voice of Christ saying Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me From this consideration of Gods gradual speaking to us in the Clouds we may be led to consider how gradually he speaks to us in the Ministry of his Word there he speaks sometimes whisperingly gently he at first awakens the ear a little but at last he roareth with his voice If we will not hear he hath louder and louder voices which we shall hear whether we will or no. At the giving of the Law Exod. 19.19 The voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder There are different degrees in the loudness of the voice when God speaks to his people We should take warning by the light that shineth we should hear the smallest voice the first whisperings of God and not put him to his roaring voice God is said to roar out of Zion Joel 3.16 yea many times he roareth upon Zion because of the disobedience and negligence of the Citizens of Zion After it a voice roareth the words that follow speak the same thing He thundereth with the voice of his excellency This is the first time that we have the word Thunder exprest in the text though the sense of the whole place speakes thunder ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tonuit intonuit commotus fuit prae indignatione Tonitru est fragor editus ex plaga compactorum ignium e nube erumpeutium Plin. The word which signifieth Thunder signifieth any great noise or dreadful cry Ezek. 27.35 Psal 96.11 it signifieth also the voice of any one that complaineth or bemoaneth his or her condition or that is troubled or fretted at the crosness of relations It is said of Peninnah she provoked her that is Hannah sore or as the Margin reads it angred her for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb The word is that of the text to make her thunder or to cause a tumultuation in her spirit like that in the Clouds Tonitru est horrendus sonus in nube spissa qui excitatur ab exhalatione calida sicca conclusa intra nubem quae cum fremitu quaerons exitum magna violentia erumpit undique nubem concutit Garcae Meteorolog ex Aristot lib. 2. Meteor c. 9. when heat and cold contend for the masteryes Thunder is so unquiet and tumultuous that any thing which is so may by a figure be called Thunder The text speaks of proper Thunder and if we enquire among Philosophers about the nature and generation of Thunder some tell us briefly Thunder is a crashing or cracking noise made by the stroke of enclosed fires breaking through the louds Or thus Thunder is a dreadful sound in a thick Cloud caused by the hot and dry exhalation shut up in the bowels of it which seeking passage out makes its own way with mighty violence But though the matter here treated upon by Elihu be philosophical yet I must remember that mine is a Divinity not a Philosophy Lecture and therefore it may suffice me to touch these things and leave the Reader who desires to know more of them or of other mysteries in Nature to seek his satisfaction in those learned Authors who professedly handle this subject of Thunder and shall here only take notice that Elihu doth not only say He thundereth but He thundereth With the voice of his excellency ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Excellentia elatio supernia verbum medium est That 's an explication of he roareth The voice of his excellency is his high voice The word signifieth pride because they that are in high places are so apt to be proud or because high-mindedness is the same with pride Proud men think themselves higher than their brethren as Saul was above the people by head and shoulders therefore the same word signifieth pride and light The Lord thundereth with the voice of his highness or excellency of his greatness ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In voce âântutumââiae suae Sept. Scoâia explicant in voceââin ârum plena The Septuagint saith He thundereth with the voice of his reproach or with his reproaching voice A man that is angry poures out his displeasure in reproaches upon such as have provoked him God knowes how to Thunder just and deserved reproaches upon provoking sinners The Scoliasts explain that translation of the seventy with the voice of his reproach thus with âr by a voice fall of threatning and 't is a truth the mouth of God is full of threatnings and his heart of indignation against presuming sinners We may put all these together yet I conceive our own reading most suitable He thundereth with the voice of his excellency like a great Commander in war of whom God speaks Job 39.25 in the most high-strained rhetorical description of the strength and courage of the horse He smelleth the Battel afar off the thunder of the Captain and the Shoutings When an Army is engaged in Battel there is not only a thundering of the Guns but of the Captains and Commanders they speak highly they thunder with a voice of their high courage and excellency much more doth God in the day of his Battel thunder with the voice of his excellency Hence note God works like himself he makes his excellency and his highness appear to the children of men in the very works of nature And doth he not often so it in his works of Providence whether for the Salvation of his faithful people or for the Destruction of his enemies I shall not stay upon this point having met with matter of the same purpoât more than once before He thundereth with the voice of his excellency And he will not stay them when his voyce is heard 'T is question'd who are meant by them He will not stay them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã calcaneum tenuit Aliqui exponunt retardabuntur impersonaliter
vel retardabit aliquis fulmen vel fulgur cum deus emittere petit Scult Neque differt illa cum audienda est vox ejus Jun i. e. fulgetra tonitruum praenuncia exhibet ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã non differt i. e. praemittit Jun Some understand the raine and showers which usually follow upon or after a great thunder and we commonly call them thunder showers Others understand the Lightning and the Thunder as if he had said When Gods purpose is declared that there shall be lightning and thunder he will not stay them or take them by the heele as the word properly signifieth whence Jacob had his name because when Esau was coming into the world Jacob took him by the heele as if he would have stayed or stopped his birth at least have got into the world before him and therefore Esau said Gen. 27.36 Is he nât rightly called Jacob for he hath supplanted me these two times Which some render according to the letter of the Text My brother may well be called an Heeler for he hath heeled me these two times In this sense the Lord will not stay the birth and breaking forth of these terrible twins Thunder and Lightning Lastly learned Junius referrs them to the Lightnings only rendring He doth not defer them when his voyce is to be heard which he thus expounds He sends lightning before foretelling thunder will follow But I conceive the former exposition more cleare which refers this not staying or he will not stay both to thunder and lightning in consort or together Hence note When once God speaks the word and is resolved upon the doing of a thing there is no stopping of him nor will he stay his work He will not take thunder and lightning by the heele when he hath bid them go We have a parallel sense to this câncerning the thunder and lightning of divine Judgements Zeph. 2.1 2. Gather your selves together O gather your selves together before the decree bring forth As if he had said If once the decree bring forth if once God declare that wrath shall come there is no recalling of it He will not stay it when his voyce is heard for then Isa 43.13 The Lord will work and nâne shall let him he will not stop it himself and none else can Thunder and lightning shall come whosoever stand in their way must down And as none can lett God by power so none shall lett him by prayer if once he be resolved ahd hath sent forth his decree therefore do not provoke the Lord to give out the word for then your case is desperate There 's no opposing the work of God or God in his working He will not stay them when his voyce is heard Vers 5. God thundreth marveilously with his voyce great things doth he that we cannot comprehend Consider how often this word is repeated He roareth with his voice He thundereth with the voice of his excellency and here He thundereth marveilously This may teach us First which hath been noted before that the works of God in nature are to be heeded Secondly that we are very backward to heed them Thirdly this is so often ascribed to God least we should think that thunder is only a work of nature God thundereth marveilously Tonat mirabilia Hebr Numerus pluralis indicat ingentem admirationem stuporem mortalium ad vocem tonitrui Pined The words may be read God thundereth marvels 't is in the plural number We render well God thundereth marveilously but there is a greater Emphasis taking it in the plural number God thundereth marvels Consider thunder and lightning in a proper or in a metaphorical sense there are many marvels or wonders in them Naturalists observe many marvels in natural thunder and lightnings these sometimes melt the sword without hurt to the scabbard dissolve the mettal not consuming the purse break the bones and not the flesh these spoyl the Wine without staving or breaking the cask kill or stifle the child in the womb and not the mother God thunders marveilously in these things Again how many marveilous Judgments hath God wrought by thunder how often hath he destroyed the enemies of his people and the blasphemers of his great Name by thunder and lightning from Heaven Anastatius the Emperour an Eutichian persecutor of the Orthodox Christians was slaine by thunder The History of the Church speaks of a Christian Legion or Brigade of Christians in the Army of Aurelius the Emperour who earnestly prayed the whole Army being in a great strait that God would appear for their help and the defeating of the enemy whereupon the Loâd sent raine for their reliefe as also thunder and lightning by which the enemy was discomfited and destroyed whereupon that Legion was called The thundering Legion When Julian the Apostate meerly to despite the prophesie of Christ Mat. 24. who had said of the Temple at Jerusalem there should not be left one stone upon another Julian I say in despite of this prophesie yea to despite it gave command for the building of the Temple at Jerusalem and upon his command there was a great quantity of materialls brought together for that purpose but the Lord seeing the pride of this enemy sent a marveilous thunder with an Earthquake which not only amazed the workmen but scattered those materials put a stop to the work Now as there are many marvels wrought by natural thunder and lightning so also by that which is spiritual Nor will it be unuseful for us to consider them upon occasion of what is said of natural thunder in this Scripture God thundereth marveilously in the dispensation of his Word or in his dealings with the souls of sinners to bring them home to himself and to turn them from their sins We may not excluding the proper sense profitably expound the whole 29th Psalm in this spiritual sense wherein the Lord under the Allegory of a terrible thunder-tempest seems to give a prophetical description of his mighty power in propagating the Gospel to the ends of the earth which goeth not out as an empty sound beating the aire but with wonderful efficacy convincing the world of sin and of their need of Christ to save them from their sins And to shew that this is the scope of the Psalm David begins it with a strong exhortation v. 1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give ye unto the Lord glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness As if David had said O ye the mighty Princes and Potentates of the world who in most places and times have contemned God and his holy worship and being your selves either irreligious or engaged in a false religion have used your power against and hindered the progress of the Gospel and the advancement of true religion I advise and admonish you to lay down that spirit to embrace thâ Gospel to love the power of godliness to propagate
the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and to encourage the faithfull dispencers and professors of it both by your favour and example worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness If any should ask Why is the Lord to be so worshipped why must he have such high honours from those that are high what doth he in the World which calls for such adoration David answers Meteorologically as well as Theologically he answers from the Clouds vers 3. The Voyce of the Lord is upon the Waters the God of glory thundreth the Lord is upon many Waters The voyce of the Lord is powerful the voyce of the Lord is full of Majesty As if he had said Although the Lord Jesus Christ will not set up an outward pompous political Kingdome such as that of Cyrus or Alexander c. yet by the Ministry of the Gospel he will erect a spiâitual Kingdome and gather to himself a Church that shall abide for ever out of all the Nations of the earth For the Gospel shall be carryed and preached to not only the people of Israel the Jewes but to the Gentiles all the world over that the minds of men may be awakened enlightned and moved with that unheard of Doctrine of Salvation by Christ which had been hid from Ages and Generations And though many shall be hardned against and oppose that glad-tydings yet because the God of glory thundereth that is because the voyce of the Lord is powerful and full of Majesty he accompanying the Ministry of the Gospel with power and terror like that of Thunder home to the Consciences of men for their conviction and conversion therefore it shall do great and glorious things subduing the greatest and stoutest sinners to the obedience of his Will This Thunder will cast down the strong holds of sin and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. This is it which the Prophet David intendeth according to this allegorical interpretation by the effects of Thunder elegantly expressed vers 5 6 7 8 9 The Voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon that is proud and high-minded men who are in their own conceit as tall as Cedars these he will make to see that they are but shrubs these he will humble and break âheir hearts by true repentance for the pride of their hearts and all the abominations of their lives Further vers 6. He maketh them also to skip like a Calf Lebanon and Syrion like a young Vnicorn that is the Lord by his thundering powerful voyce first will make them skip as frighted with fear and secondly as revived with joy Yet more vers 7. The Voyce of the Lord divideth the Flames of fire that is will send and divide to every one as they need 1 Cor. 12.11 the holy Spirit who is compared to and called Fire Mat. 3.11 and who came as with a Thunder-storm of a mighty rushing wind and with the appearance of cloven Tongues like as of fire and sate upon each one of the Apostles Acts 2.2 3. Nor did this Voyce of Thunder accompanied with divided flâmes of fire reach Jerusalem only for as it follows vers 8. The Vâyce of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness the Wilderness of Kadesh that is the Lord by the voyce of the Gospel shall go forth with power to those Gentiles who are like a wilderness barren oâ goodness and unmanur'd in spirituals though they dwell in well-govern'd Cities and are well-furnished with Morals It shall go forth also to those Gentiles who inhabit wast wildernesses and are not so much as reduced to civility These wildernesses the thundering voice of the Lord hath shaken heretofore and doth shake at this day and will yet further shake that the fulness of the Gentiles may come in Many of these wildernesses hath the Lord turned into fruitful fields and pleasant lands by the voice of the Gospel sounding among them For in these wildernesses as it followeth vers 9. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve that is they that were as wild as untaught and untamed as the hind or any beast in the forrest he brings to the sorrows of theiâ new-birth to Repentance and Gospel-humiliation And in doing this He as the Psalmist goes on discovereth the forrests that is opens the hearts of men which are as thick set and full grown with vanity pride hypocrisie self-love and self-sufficiency as also with wantonness and sensuality as any forest is over-grown with thickets of trees and bushes which deny all passage through till cleared away by cutting down or burning up Such an opening such a discovery doth the Lord make in the forrests of mens hearts by the Sword and Fire that is by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel and when all this is done the forrest becomes a Temple and as that verse concludes In his temple doth every one speak of his glory And if the floods of ungodliness rise up against this people whom the thunder and lightning of the Gospel have subdued to Christ and framed into a holy Temple then the Psalmist assureth us vers 10. The Lord sitteth upon the flood that is 't is under his power he ruleth and over-ruleth it yea The Lord sitteth King for ever and v. 11. The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will bless his people with peace Thus the Lord thundereth marveilously and these are glorious marvels which he thundereth he converts sinners The thunder of the Gospel frights them out of sin and the grace of it gives them peace Thus though I like not their way who are given to allegorize the Scriptures yet I doubt not but we may make a profitable use both of this and many other Scriptures by way of allegory This being an undeniable truth which is the ground of it That the Lord puts forth as it were the power of Thunder and Lightning in the preaching of his Word these two things are to be marked First That Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Word of God to us they tell us though confusedly yet plainly enough for the conviction and condemnation of gainsayers there is a God the greatest Princes of the world have taken notice of Thunder and Tempest that there is a God over all governing all nor needs there any more teaching than that to condemne Athiests and Mockers at Religion We say proverbially of some men who make a rude noise they are so loud that we cannot hear God Thunder for them yet know there 's no noise can so drown the voice of Gods Thunder in the Clouds but it will condemn all that hear it not so as to acknowledg God in it Secondly We should mark that as Thunder and Lightning are a kind of Voice or Word of God to us so the Word of God or the Voice of God speaking in his Word is a kind of Thunder and Lightning to us
his word This goodly Fabrick of the World was made by his word and all the creatures in the world will presently act upon a word from God Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Gods saying is doing This is a point of high consolation to all the people of God what-ever their affliction is God can command them out of it what-ever their wants are God can command a supply for them He that saith to the natural Snow and to the Rain to Stormes and Tempests be ye upon the earth can also say to the Snow and Rain to the Stormes and Tempests of trouble be ye not upon the earth He can do or undo by his word as himself pleaseth 'T is also matter of great terror to all that rise up against and disobey the word of the great God for though they ãâ¦ã they see nothing at hand to interrupt them nothing to check them in the way of their lusts though they look upon themselves beyond the âeach of dânger yet 't is but a word speaking from God and they are wrapt up in Snow and hurrican'd with a Storm and Tempâst He saith to the Snow c. This irresisible force of a word fâom God was nââed also upon those words in the 9th Chapter vers 7. He cââmandeth the Sun and it riseth not The Sun will not appear or ãâã will hide it self in an Eclipse or Cloud and daâken the whole ea ââ if Gâd do but give a command Thi dly tâke the point yet more strictly and restrainedly as here in the text He saith to the Snow and to the Rain Snow and Rain are at the command of God Non tiâi videantur casibus moveriqui verbo Dei in omni motu suo deserviunt Quo vult Deus illuc fertur nubes sâve pluviam sive nivem sive grandinem portat August in Psal 148. Psal 147.15 16. He sende h forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly that word referrs to the particular matter in hand as appeareth in the very next Verse and the two which follow He giveth Snow like wool he scattereth the hâar Frost like ashes he casteth forth his Ice like moâsels c. David applies the swift running of Gods word to these things and how swiftly these run on his errands we may see 1 Kings 18.44 For whereas there had been no rain for three years a half according to the word oâ Elâjah the Pâophet God did but say to the Rain come and it came and though Eâijahs Servant at first saw a very small appearance of it only a Cloud like a mans hand yet presently the whole heavens were masked over with Clouds and there was a mighty rain The great rain of his strength Rain and Snow and Vapours quickây fulfil his word Psal 148.8 God is the Lord of hosts and these creatures are his host these as well as men and ang ls are his hosts Psal â4 10 Who is this king of glory the Lord of hosts is the king ãâã glory and 't is the great glory oâ God âhat he hath such hoââs at his command None of the Pâinces oâ Powers of this wo lâ have any such How long may they send their commands to the Snow before it will come or to the Rain before they can get a drop of it neither the one nor the other will stir at the command of man but at the command of God they haste away And if when the Lord saith to the Snow and to the Rain come and they come abide upon the earth and they abide there how will this reprove and condemn thousands of the children of men to whom the Lord speaks and speaks again and again he sends out his commandment and his word runs very swiftly to them yet they stir not they move not Surely Snow and Rain will rise up in judgement against those to whom the Lord hath said do this and they did it not to whom the Lord hath said do not this yet they did it The word represents all sorts of Creatures below man as well as the Angels above man readily obeying the command of God to teach man how readily he should obey his commands and how greatly he shall be condemned if he do not and that not only by the Angels in heaven but by the Snow and Rain that fall upon the earth Fourthly From the destinction which is here made of the rain the small rain and the great rain of his strength Note In what degree or quantity soever the rain falls it is by the special appointment of God If it be a small gentle soaking rain it is because God hath spoken to the small rain to go if it be a great a violent a smoaking rain a rain of his strength it is because God hath said to the great rain go We are not to stick in second causes but to have our hearts raised higher both as to the rain it self and to the proportions of it He maketh small the drops of rain as 't is said at the 27th Verse of the former Chapter and he can make great the drops of rain of the drops of rain g eat he can cast the rain into what mold he pleaseth great or small it shall be a sweetly-distilling rain or it shall be as Solomon speakes a fiercely sweeping rain Prov. 28.3 where he compares the poor man that oppresseth to a sweeping rain God hath sweeping rains and as 't is said Ezek. 13.13 overflowing showres in his hand and he sometimes sends not a watering showre not a refreshing or comforting showre in mercy not a showre to enrich and fatten the earth but an overflowing showre to drown the earth and destroy the fruits of it in his anger and this is true whether you take the showre properly or metaphorically If you take the showre properly for that which falls from heaven he sends the refreshing he sends the overflowing showre or if you take it metaphorically a showre may signifie any kind or degree of judgement he can send one judgement which shall be as small rain and he can send another which shall be as great rain as the rain of his strength an overflowing showre He can send forth as that allusion is used Jer. 12.5 his footmen and he can send forth his horsemen greater or lesser Judgments as himself pleaseth he proportiâns and cuts them out according to his own infinite wisdome and righteous will Lastly From these words He saith to the snow abide on the earth or be thou on the earth stay there and so to the rain Observe Snow or Rain continue or stay upon the face of the earth till God calls them off When he saith be ye upon the earth upon the earth they will be until the same power that sent them fetch them back again These hosts are like a well ordered and well disciplined army wherein Souldiers sent out by the order of their General or superiour Officers must
not as noting the hand or power of God sealing men but âods sealing the hands of men putting them off from or besides their labour Thus by Snow and Rain he sealeth or shutteth up the hand of every man and why so the reason is given in the next words That all men might know his work God by extraordinary Snowes and Raines stops men from their work But what Is it that they should be idle No but that they may know his work Whose work Some understand it of mans own work As if the meaning were this God stops men a while from further or present work that they may take a view of their past works or he takes them off from their civil works and employments that they may employ themselves in considering their moral works as the Prophet admonished the Jews Isa 1.5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts consider your wayes Another Prophet reproved them for the neglect of this duty Jer. 8.6 No man saith what have I done The Lord often brings his people to hard sufferings that they may know their own doings or works This is a profitable sense yet I rather conceive that the work here intended is Gods work and so I shall prosecute the words That all men may know his work This woâk of God may be taken two wayes First More st ictly thus God by rain shuts up the hands of men from their woâk that they may know those extraordinary stormes of Snow and Rain which drive them in from their labour and shut up their hands from working are his special work Great Snowes Raines declare to all men the great power of God who doth not only astonish men by terrible thunder and lightning but can by Snow and Rain his much weaker weapons put them beside their purpose and stop their work Secondly Take his work more largly God sealeth up the hands of men that they having a vacancy from their own work may consider his he doth as it were force them from what they were doing or intended to do that so they may have leisure to take notice of what he hath done That all men may know his work Hence note First God can hinder or stop any man or all men in their work He when and as he pleaseth can seal up the hand of every man If God hath a mind to work none can lett him Isa 43.13 Who can seal the hand of God I may say also whose hand cannot God seal How easily did the Lord seal up the hand of the the builders of Babel Gen. 11.7 They were hot upon a mighty work but God by confounding their tongues sealed their hands and they as 't is said v. 8. Left off to build the City Secondly When the text saith God sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work Observe How diligent soever men are about their own works yet they are slow enough too too slow to take notice of the workâ of God When the hand of God is lifted up some will not see it they are not only backward to see it but opposite to the seeing of it and though others do not set themselves against yet they do not set themselves to the knowledge of his works 'T is a great and common sin our not studying to know the works of God we should study the works of God as much as we do the word of God we should study both his work of Creation and his works of Providence whether works of Mercy or of Judgment we should endeavour to know all his works From the universality of the expression that all mân may know his work Note God would have all study this Book the book of his works They whose business and labours lie in fields the Plow-men and the Vine-dressers he would have them know his works as those special works of his the Snow and the Rain so his works in general The meanest of men cannot excuse their ignorance of the works of God seing the Text and Point tell us God drives them many times out of the field home to their houses and will not let them do a stroak of work more abroad on purpose that they might know his work Hence note Thirdly The aim and intendment of God in keeping us at any time from our work is that we may know more of his works It is a great part of our wisdom to answer the designes of God in all his providences to us We seldom think what God intends by a wet day by a rainy day by a tempestuous day we little think the aim of God in calling us from our works is to call us to the consideration of his work Some men would never find a time to bestow their thoughts upon the works of God if God did not take them off from their own work they would never be at leisure if he did not give them a leisure a vacation time and as here in this text seal up their hand God hath various wayes to take men off from the hottest pursuits of their own works he takes many off from them by sickness he binds them as prisoners to their beds others are taken off from their own business by proper imprisonment and restraint of liberty and why what is the reason of this is it not that they may know his work that they may well consider the dealings of God with them A sick bed is a School and so is a Prison where we should study both the Word and Works of God Let us remember when-ever God takes us off from our Callings by sickness or restraineth our liberty by imprisonment his gracious purpose is that we may know his work Possibly when we had liberty to go about our own work we could find little or would not find much leisure to meditate upon the works of God Well saith God I see I must take you off from your works else you will never be Students in mine That 's the effect of Snow and Rain with reference to man He sealeth up the hand of every maâ that all men may know his work But here we have another effect with respect to beasts Vers 8. Then the beasts go into dens and remain in their places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Potius fera quam bestia a vivaâitate nam eadem vox vitam significat Drus There are two words in the Hebrew which signifie bruits or beasts The word here used properly signifies wild beasts the other tame beasts such as are for our use and brought up to our hand The text intends the wild beasts the beasts of the forrest the beasts of prey they go into dens these seek shelter in snow time or when the great rain of the strength of God falleth upon the earth The Psalmist Psal 104.20 describes the beasts ordinarily going out of their dens when the night comes Then saith he all the beasts of the forrest go forth Here we have the beasts whether night or day driven to
their dens by a storm or by the Snow then they go to their dens and places of shelter or as we speak to Covert The word rendred Dens signifies a place of ambush or of lying in wait such are the dens of wild beasts as it is said of the wicked Psal 10.9 He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ereb a verbo Arab insidiari Et ingreditur bestia in insidias i. e. in latibula unde insidiatur Merc. to catch the poor c. It is this word Such kind of retreats have the wild beasts they have their dens which are alâo places to watch for their prey And as they often go to their dens upon choice or of their own accord so they are sometimes driven to them as in the text for shelter against a storm Then the beasts go into dens And remain in their places They not only go into dens but there they remain they keep home the storm keps them in As when the flood of waters the great rain of Gods strength was upon the earth Noah was shut into the Ark and there he remained Gen. 7. he did not only go in but stayed in till the flood was asswaged so it is said here of the beasts they remain in their places they will not budge nor peep out till the storm be over Hence note First Thâ Providences of God in various seasons affect the very beasts of the earth Those creatures which live only a life of sense yet partake somewhat of reason at least they act according to reason they are sensible of what God doth though they know not that he doth it And is not this a great reproof to those who are not only not sensible of but slight those âeverer dispensations of God how beast-like are those men who have not so much sence of the dealings of âod as the beasts have who though they have a knowledge beyond bruits yet they use their knowledge no better no nor so well as bruits and so they are either as the Prophet saith bruitish in their knowledge or as the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.12 They are as bruit beasts in humane shape made to be taken and destroyed How can they avoid being taken and destroyed by the judgments of God or as Elihu expresseth it by the great rain of his strength who take not so much notice of them as to see their danger and get into a hiding place For Secondly When the beasts go into dens and remain in their places what is it that moves them to it Surely 't is to be as we say out of harms way Hence note Every creature by the light of nature would get out of danger Great snowes and rains of strength are dangerous or g ievous to beasts therefore they avoid them they will not stand in the open air while a storm lasts if they can help it Beasts will save themselves as well as they can and if so then take these two Inferences from it First For our instruction We are sent to school by God himself more than once to the beasts and creeping things of the earth Solomon sends us to the Ant a creeping thing he bids us consider her wayes and be wise Elihu in this text sends us to the wild beasts of the earth to Lions and Bares to Tigers and Wolves and bids us consider their wayes and be wise Here is matter of instruction for us What is that Get out of harmes way make haste out of danger when the cold Snow comes and the great Rain of the strength of God take heed you be not found abroad without a a shelter Surely God who hath provided dens for the beasts and places for those wilde creatures to hide themselves in hath not left us without a niding-place when the great rains of trouble fall or threaten to fall God invited his people of old where to look for and whither to go for shelter in such a rainy day Isa 26.20 Come my people enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy door about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past For Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity As if he had said Hide your selves till the storm be over till the great rain of my streng h be gone God who hath put an instinct into the creatures to go to their dens to their places in a stormy season doth specially call to men and among men specially to his own people when 't is a time of indignation to go into their Chambers and hide themselves till it be overblown Do not stand out in the rain do not stand in the storm get into your chambers what are these Chambers surely not the chambers of our houses they are poor refuges the rain of his strength will break or soak into those chambers how well soever roofed or ceiled The chambers in which the people of God are called to hide themselves are God himself the Power of God the Faithfulness of God the Truth of God the Goodness of God in these Chambers he calls his people to hide themselves Solomon assureth us Prov. 81.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe As God hath taught the beasts to run into their dens so he instructs us in his Word to run into his Name as to a strong tower where we may be safe David said Psal 57.1 Vnder the shadow of thy Wings shall be my refuge until this calamity be over-past That is I will put my self under thy protection while the stormy showers last The Hen gâthereth her young ones under her wings so would Christ the Jewish Nation both for comfort and safety and they refused him What followed The next verse tells us Desolation What could save them when the Roman Eagle spread her wings against them who would not come under the wing of Jesus Christ Matth. 23.37 'T is not any worldly refuge not any arm of flesh but the shadow of the Lords wings that can hide us in an evil day from the evil of the day They who get and keep close to God by Fai h need not fear the worst stormes which this world can raise against them And hence let sinners in general take warning suppose you should live all your dayes in this world without a storm I mean without any outward trouble yet remember there will be a stormy day the day of the great rain of the strengâh of God will come he will rain down vengeance upon all the ungodly in that day Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest in that day Psal 11.6 Therefore see that you have a refuge against that day when many shall as it is said Rev. 6. Call to the rocks hide us and to the mountains fall upon us cover us from the presence of him that sits on the
to have it so but I rather take it for the frost-making winds which are sent by God By the breath of the Lord that is when the Lord appoynts and orders cold winds to come out of his treasure when the Lord gives out the word of command A verbo dei dat Gâlu Chald pro a voluntate dei dat gelu sc Arcturus cold winds issue forth and then frost appears David affiâmes in general Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth The Heavens and their Hostâ all the powers and vertues of them all the influences and âfficacies of them are given out by the breath of the Lord. And among other things that are given by the breath of the Lord Frost is given Frost is cold in excess frost is great cold every cold is not freezing cold The word which we rendeâ frost iâ oââen rendred ice and it cometh from a root which signifieth to mâke bald because frost and ice cover the grasse which is to the ground as haire to the head of man and so make the su face of the Eaâth smooth like a bald head Frost also makes the surface of the Earth not only smooth but bright and shining like a bald head By the breath of the Lord frost is given Hence Note Frost is the gift or dispeâsation of God Changes in the air as well as changes in the estates lives or hearts of men are from the Lord Psal 147.17 He giveth snow like wooll he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes He casteth forth his ice like morsels who can stand before his cold It is Gods ice and his cold as well as his rain or his Sun-shine When the Psalmist saith He scattereth the frost he casteth forth his ice he saith the same thing in substance which Elihu doth here By the breath of the Lord frost is given There is a continuall dependance of all creatures in their motions and operations as well as in their beings upon the will of God 't is by his word that frost is given Some deny the working of the first cause with the second causeâ any otherwise than as God once gave them a working power and conserveth that power once given them Whereas indeed God hath not only given a general power to the creature not only hath he said There shall be frost somtimes and heat somtimes and fair weather somtimes but when-ever the heat or cold or frost come they come by a particular order from him As all things men especially have their being in him so their working and moving from him and that not only because he makes us in general working moving creatures but as to every special work and motion This the Prophet asserts while he puts those reproving questions Isa 10.15 Shall the axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith or shall the saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it as if the rod should shake it self against them that lift it up or as if the staffe should lift up it self as if it were no wood Living and natural creatures move no more without God thân artificial and liveless instruments such as the axe and saw the rod and staff can move themselves without the hand or help of man By the breath of the Lord frost is given And the breath of the water is straitned This is an effâct of the former Frost drinks up the waters Glacies est copia aquae in angusto and so straitens them some-define ice which is made by the frost to be store of water in a little room or narrow compasse Every years experience tells us that the waters are pinched with the frost Waters which were out before a frost are fetcht in or contracted by the frost hence 't is said Chap. 38.30 The waters are hid as with a stone which is of the same sence with this expressâon The breadth of the water is straitned God brings the wateâs into their old bounds or into narrower bounds than before by frost From this effect of frost that the breadth of the water is straitned by it Note Cold is a straitner 'T is so in natural things 't is so also to mind the reader of that occasion'd this note in spirituals and morals Take coldness as it is an ill disposition or an indiâposition upon the heart it straitens us as to the doing of any good foâ as Christ hath foretold us Mat. 24.12 that because iniquity shall abound in the latter dayes the love of many shall wax cold So when-ever love or zeal or any grace in us waxeth cold piety in all the acts or whole compasse of it will certainly decline and be straitned He that before had a large heart becomes narrow-hearted and is pinched in his spirit by this sinful coldnesse Warmth enlargeth Cold straiteneth God sends the cold of afflictions upon many bad men to straiten their Lusts else they would keep no bounds they would overflow all and it is the gâeat design of Satan to send a cold upon or to frieze the spirits of all good men that they may be straitened and made unfit for the service of God Take heed of a coldness in your disposition for that will be a straitner of your graces but welcome the frost of affliction that may be a stâaitner of your corruptions There is nothing we should feaâ more except the loss of them and the favour of God with them than to feel our graces straitened nor is there any thing except the favour of God which we should more desire than to feel our lusts and corruptions weakned and abated Et rursum latissime funduntur aquae Vulg Ego consenserim illis qui participium ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã non arctum veâ angustum sed â fusum aut solutum potius reddunt Sic aquiloni facultatem efficiendi gelu Austro liquandi fundendi attribuit Bold Some render this latter part of the veâse not as we The breadth of the waters is straitned but The waters are dissolved into their breadth As if Elihu had said the ice or frost being dissolved the waters return to their wonted latitude The word rendred straitened may be derived from a root which signifieth to dissolve to melt and pour out Thus as according to our translation we take the latter part of the verse as an effect of the first frost being that whereby the breadth of the waters is straitned so according to this translation it stands in opposition to the former By the breath of the Lord frost is given and he again by his breath diss lveth the water Thawing as well as freezing is from God Thawing is the melting of the ice as mettal is melted in the fire so ice is melted by the heat of the Sun Thus the North makes ice and the South unmakes or melts it The power of God is to be seen in dissolving those huge rocks and mountains of ice into
allusion to those showres of rain powred from the clouds And as the Lord powres out his Spirit which can never be wearied or drawn dry so the Lord makes use of many thick clouds which hold much spiritual rain even to weariness for the refreshing of wearied souls I mean such Ministers as he hath furnished with great gifts and graces such as are not as the Apostle Jude compareth some Teachers Clouds without water but as true and faithful Teachers should be full of water The waterings of any Apollo are at the Lords disposeâ He saith drop thy word here drop thy word there and thou shalt not drop thy word any more here or there The Lord hath often been so bountiful to Nations and Churches that he hath even wearied many thick clouds to water them with the rain of his word That of the Psalmist though it be true of the rain properly taken falling upon the earth is most true of spiritual rain falling upon the Churches Psal 65.10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly thou setlest the furrows thereof And so is thaâ also to be understood Psal 68.9 Thou O God didst send a plentiful rain or rain of liberalities whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary Thou didst even weary the thick cloud to confirm that is to refresh thy weary people And seeing they who carry and dispence the Word are in Scripture emblematically expressed by Clouds Isa 60.8 Who are these that flee as a cloud and as the doves to their windows The Preachers of the Gospel come as so many clouds and the Prophet tells us the Word cometh down as rain and snow from heaven Isa 55.10 which supposeth a cloud from whence it cometh foâ saith the Lord So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please Seeing I say the dispensers of the Word are compared to clouds let them that sit under the droppings of these clouds take heed they be not unfruitful or like that ground which drinketh in the rain yet beareth nothing but briars and thorns whose end is to be burned God hath wearied and quite spent many of these thick clouds by continual dropping upon and watering the souls of men yet how barren how fruitless are they If but one of the clouds of heaven be wearied in watering the earth we soon after discern the face of the earth refreshed and renewed by it And shall God weary those heâvenly clouds by watering men on earth and men remain unrefreshed unrenewed Clouds of sorrow and darkness will at last weary all those with their waterings and droppings upon them who when God hath wearied his Clouds by watering them with the word of life from Heaven yet remaine altogether barren and unfruitfull By watering he wearieth the thick Cloud He scattereth his bright Cloud The former part of the verse spake of a thick Cloud Nubes ex cujus discussione lucem restituit Hânc appellat nubem lucis dei qua dispulsa lux et serenitas inducitur Merc this latter speaks of a bright Cloud The Hebrew is The Cloud of his light which I conceive is here added First to shew that Clouds of all sorts serve the purposes of God the thick Cloud and the bright Cloud the dark Cloud and the light Cloud are made use of by him And as he doth weary the Cloud that is full of water so he scattereth the Cloud that is full of light or he scattereth his bright Cloud Yet some considering it is not said in the letter of the Text Nubem lucis non dicit lucidam sed quae lucem abscondit Coc A light Cloud but a Cloud of light understand by a Cloud of light such a Cloud as hides and hinders the light and which being scattered light and faire weather succeed Yet rather as before But why is it here said that he scattereth his bright Cloud possibly because he hath no use of his bright Cloud but of his thick Cloud only when he would water the earth And indeed Clouds which are only bright or which have much light but no water are of little use Some have much light of knowledge but no water of instruction to drop upon others such Clouds God disperseth and scatters It is not an outward faire appearance which can bring us into acceptance with God The bright Cloud shall be scattered if it have no rain in it to water the earth Againe Some translate His light scattereth the Cloud So the text may be read according to the letter of the Hebrew as if the meaning were this God by the Sun-beams dispels or disperseth the Cloud for Clouds are scattered sometimes by the wind sometimes by the Sun That which gathered the Cloud may also scatter it The Sun draweth up the vapours of which Clouds are formed or compacted and soone after the Sun dissolveth the Clouds which it had gathered The same power makes and unmakes the Cloud gives it a body and takes it away His light scattereth the Cloud That 's a truth also For as brightness or light is scattered among the Clouds and makes the Clouds appeare bright so brightness or light scatters Clouds or causeth them to disappeare Elihu having thus discoursed of wind and cold of freezing and thawing of working some Clouds to weariness and of scattering others proceeds in the two following verses to shew the special uses which the Lord makes of all those motions in the air and impressions upon the Earth with the Inhabitants of it whether in a way of Judgment or of Mercy JOB Chap. 37. Vers 12 13. 12. And it is turned about by his counsel that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth 13. He causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for mercy IN the former verse Elihu spake of the Clouds of the thick Cloud wearied with watering and of the bright Cloud scattered by the Wind or Sun In these two verses he further sets down two things more generally concerning the Clouds First He shews whence the motion of the Cloud is and by what or whom directed It is turned about by his counsel in the beginning of the 12th verse and he causeth it to come at the beginning of the 13th verse There we have the Spâing of the Clouds motion Secondly Elihu shews the purpose or the design of the Lord in turning about the Clouds by his counsel which design is laid down two wayes First In general That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth that 's the first purpose of God in moving the Clouds they are to execute his Commands and that 's his general purpose Secondly We have his special purposes or designs laid down in the close of the 13th verse and they are three-fold He turneth about the Cloud and causeth it to come First For Correction Secondly
word is a weariness to them they soon think they have enough Secondly There is need of patience for submission to what is heard How short soever the Sermon is yet when it pincheth the conscience and pricketh the heart it is not easily born They who hear quietly some woâds of truth will not enduâe some other we hardly continue hearing with any patience when to us the word heard is a hard saying and bares hard upon either our consciences or our practises when the singer is as it were laid upon and presseth the sore few can endure it 'T is easie to hear pleasing things but that which crosseth our spirits or our wayes calls for patience When Stephen the Proto-martyr preached to the Jews and brought the word home to their consciences by that close application Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as yâur Fathers did so do ye At this word or when they heard these things they were cut to the heart saith the text and they gnashed on them with their teeth their patience was quite spent they could hear no longer And when St. Paul spake to that gâeat Assembly Acts 22.1 22 23. They gave him audience unto this word I will send thee to the Gentiles and then lift up their voices and said away with such a fellow from the earth for it is not fit that he should live Then they cryed out and cast off their clothes and threw dust in the air Thus they raved and were enraged like angry yea like mad dogs when once their title was questioned or as we speak their coppy-hold toucht by the mention of the Gentiles whom they greatly despised and judged themselves so much above Hearken to this to this pinching word to the word that strikes upon your lusts The length of a Sermon spoiles the patience of some but the strength and searching power of it spoiles the patience of more A sincere heart is willing to hear all and is most pleased to hear that word which gives deepest wounds to any corruption of heart or transgression of life Such words are wholsome though bitter or sharp and the more they make us smart the more medicinal and healing they are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Stat sc permentis rectitudinem Aquin. Hearken unto this O Job Stand still and consider the wonderous works of God Elihu not only desires Job to hearken but to stand still and consider There is a twofold standing still First Bodily I do not conceive Elihu imposing any such gesture or composure upon Job as to stand still and not stir his body The Hebrew is but one word stand up There is a liberty as to any comly gesture of the body in hearing a man may lawfully sit as-well as stand and hear yet to stand up and hear sheweth a readinesse of the mind and a hungring desire after the Word Secondly There is a standing still of the mind The body may stand as still as a stake or stone while the mind is in strong motion yea while there are most vehement commotions and perturbations in the mind This still-standing of the mind in hearing what is spoken may be taken in a double opposition First To any impatience unquietness or uncomposedness of the mind when the word is spoken Secondly To any irreverence slighting or disregarding of the word spoken To stand still is to get the spirit quiet to hear patiently or to stand still is to get the heart into a reverential frame to hear affectionately So then to stand still implieth both patience and reverence We have like admonitions in the 30th chapter of this book vers 20. and chapter 32d vers 16. Yea that admonition of Balaam was of like sence with this Num. 23.18 Rise up Balak and hear When Balaam was about to deliver his parable and declare the mind of God concerning Israel he called upon Balak to rise and stand up that is to entertain the message with respect Hearken unto this O Job stand still Hence note We ought to be in a gracious quietness and composure of spirit when we are called to hear and mind what God hath done or spoken Further We ought to have a quiet sedate composed spi it not only when we hear doctrinal truths delivered from the word of God but also when we hear of the providences and various woâks of God As this word stand still may refer to the words going before Hearken unto this so to those which follow Consider the wonderful works of God And then the duty required in them reaches both his Word and Works It is a great power of grace which causeth the heart to stand still in this sence that is to be in a quiet frame when the works of God trouble us or are troublesome to us Thus Mâses bespake the Israelite Exod 14.12 Stand still and see the salvation of God It was a very tâoublesome time with the Israelites they were ready to give themselves and all they had for lost when Moses exhorted them to stand still Nothing but faith in God can make us stand still when we are ready to fail and that will certainly do it Unbelief makes the heart as unquiet as theirs was upon the report of a war against Judah Isa 7.2 And his heart that is the heart of Ahaz was moved and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind 'T is hard travel of soul to staâd still and see the salvation of God when every thing seen threaâens desâlation The Lord is represented requiring us to do so Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God When the Psalmist had spoken of the desolating works of God he added this word from the Lord be still as if he had said the Lord commandeth you âo be of a quiet and composed spirit when all things seem to be in a hurry or confusion for he had said before vers 8. Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth Yet even now saith the Lord Be still and know that I am God David at the beginning of the Psalm had professed a fârm purpose in himself and in all the faithful wâth him for such a still-standing how-ever things moved or matters should go yea tumble in this world vers 1 2. Though the earth be moved and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar c. We will not fear God is our refuge and strength How comely is it for man thus to stand still in a silent and believing consideration of what God hath done or is doing to which Elihu called Job expresly in the next words stand still Consider the wonderous works of God Here is First Consideration Secondly Consideration of the works of God Thirdly Consideration of the wonderous works of God To consider ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã intelligere is
shining of the Sun the Hebrew root signifies not only to shine but to break forth with shining in some very illustrious manner Deu. 33.2 The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seire unto them he shined forth from Mouât Paran Moses carrieth a metaphor or borrowed speech quite through the verse repâesenting God as the Sun shining forth and shewing himself to the people of Israel in three seve al places as it were in as many distinct degâees of gloâious manifestation His glory shined first from Mount Sinai where he gave the Lâw. Secondly from Mount Seir or Edom where as I may say he gave the Gospel commanding Moses to make a Bâazân Seâpent that they who looked on it might be cu ed of the poysonous wounds given them by the fiery Serpents Numb 21. An illustrious type of Christ Job 3.14 Thirdly the glory of the Lord shined from Mount Paran where Moses by command fâom the Loâd made repetition of the Law adding sundry Evangelical explications of it In all which the Loâd shined forth with a glorious brightness infinitely exceeding that of the Sun David in three of his Psalms speaking of the wonderfull appearances and discoveries of God First to save his people Secondly to judge and destroy his enemies useth this word which here we translate shine Psal 50.1 The mighty God even the Lord hath spoken and called the Earth from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same out of Zion the perfection of beauty God hath shined That beauty with which God shines out of Zion in the divine splendor and holiness of his worship and ordinances is very glorious Again Psal 80.1 Give eare O Shepherd of Israel thou that leadest Joseph like a flock thou that dwellest between the Cherubims shine forth that is declare thy self in thy mighty power as it followeth vers 2. Before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy self and come and save us And as the gracious appearances of God for the saving of his people so likewise the dreadfull appearances of God for the destruction of his enemies are expressed by this word Psal 94.1 O Lord Ged to whom vengeance beâongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self The Hebrew is and so we put it in the Maâgin shine forth Thus the word notes no ordinary shining but shining both with vengeance and with salvation which latteâ falls in well with the Interpretation of the light shining in the Cloud which I shall open a little further And causeth the light of his Cloud to shine There are three Interpretations of these words First Some by the light of the Cloud understand the lightning which all know breaks through the Cloud and shines out wonderfully before it Thunders The light of lightning is a wonderfull light Scisne quòd deus nubem esset discussurus ac ea discussa serenitatem invecturus Merc Iris est lux in nube rorida et egregium opus deis de illa malumus exponere cum ante sulguris mentionem fecerit Scult Secondly Others understand by the light of his Cloud the light of the Sun scattering the Cloud and as it were tu ning the Cloud into light making light where none was or nothing but a thick dark Cloud Thiâdly Several learned Interpreters expound the light of his Cloud by the Rainbow which is also a very illustrious light and that is eminently the light of Gods Cloud 't is his light in the Cloud We may also call it a light of the Cloud for though the light of the Sun falleth upon the clouds yet the light of the Sun at other times is not so properly called the light of the Cloud as the light of the Rainbow is or as when the light of the Sun reflecting from or upon the Cloud causeth that Meteor which we call the Rainbow and therefore 't is emphatically expâest by this circumlocution the shining of the light of his Cloud The shining light of the Rainbow hath in it a great appearance of God for the help salvation and deliverance of his people 't is a token of the good-will of God to man And that we should rather expound this place of the Rainbow than either of the Lightning or the Sun-shine I shall briefly give these foure Reasons upon which I ground the Exposition First Elihu had spoken of the Lightning and of the Sun-shine in the former parts of his discourse and therefore it is not probable that he should return to either so soon Secondly In this whole philosophical Lecture of Elihu wherein he enteâs into the treasures of these lower Heavens there is no mention at all of the Rainbow unless we fix it upon this place therefore seeing he had spoken of the Lightning and of the Sun-shine in the former parts of his discourse and speaks not at all afterward of the Rainbow it is most probable that he intends it here Thirdly He is speaking of the wonders of God in the Clouds and surely his discourse would have been imperfect if he had omitted this Mirabilium mirabilissimum Naturae arcanum Graeci vocant iridem Thaumantias ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ab admiratione rum admirabilem figuram in aere exprimat which as some express it is the most wonderfull of wonderfull things among the Clouds and one of the great secrets in Natuâe I say he should have omitted a great part of that which belongs to the doctrine of the Meteors all Meteorological Writers particularly handling this Doctrine of the Rainbow if it be not found here We may take a fourth Reason of this Exposition because this light is said to shine in his Cloud 't is true all Clouds are his that is Gods Clouds but the Cloud in which the Rainbow doth at any time appear is in a way of peculiarity and higher significancy called the Cloud of God or Gods Cloud All the Clouds are as Gods Bow out of which he shoots his Arrows and Bolts they are also called the Seat of God on them he sitteth as upon his Throne Again they are called his Chariot upoÌ them he rideth in his Majesty but the Rainbow-cloud is as it were the Royal Robe or Diadem of God the special Clothing of God The Lord saith at the 13th verse of the 9th of Genesis where we have the first mention of the Rainbow I do set my Bow in the Cloud the Bow is Gods and the Cloud is Gods he is entitled to them both in a very eminent and special manner God calleth it his Cloud and his Bow Not only First because he made the Cloud the Sun-beams by which the Bow is made But Secondly and chiefly because he hath put it to a special use and given it a mystical signification And therefore here we may take notice that whereas the Rainbow is naturally a sign of Rain for it is alwayes accompanied with Clouds or at least with a Cloud ready to dissolve and melt into Rain and is therefore called by the Poet Nuncia
Hence note What-ever stands in the way of our comforts God can quickly remove it When Clouds cover the light from us God hath âis wind ready to chase them away and clear up the weather Never did any such thick and dark Cloud of sorrow and trouble hang over the heads or fill the hearts of the people of God but he had means at hand to dispell and scatter it or he could scatter it himself without means When dreadfull Clouds of danger looked black upon and threatned the Church of God during the Reign of Julian the Apostate Athanasius said It is but a little Cloud Nâbecula est citò transibit a wind will shortly cleanse it away His meaning was now we are compassed about with fear and trouble but peace and prosperity will not stay long before they return This is true also if we carry it yet in a more spiritual way as to those Clouds of sorrow which often darken and afflict our minds in the midst of outward prosperity or in the clearest Sun-shine-day of peace that ever was in this world when these inward Clouds dwell as it were upon the soul the Lord hath a wind which passeth and cleanseth them away too What is that wind it is his holy Spirit The word in the text Bolduc is used often to signifie not only the natural wind in the air but that divine wind the Holy Ghost who is compared unto the wind in many places of Scripture and his opperations are like those of the wind For as the wind bloweth where it listeth we hear the sound thereof but know not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth so saith Christ is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 And as our Regeneration is wrought by that secret yet strong and powerfull wind so likewise is our consolation The Spirit of God doth those âffices in our hearts which the winds do in the air As the wind dispells and sweeps away the Clouds which are gathered there so the Spirit of God cleanseth our souls from those Clouds and foggs of ignorance and unbelief of sin and lust which are gathered in and would else abide for ever upon our hearts From all these Clouds the holy Spirit of God cleanseth us in the work of Regeneration And from all those Clouds which trouble our Consciences the holy Spirit cleanseth us in the work of Consolation Some Interpreters expound the words only in this mystical sense quite rejecting the proper But though by allusion we may improve the words to this spiritual sense yet doubtless Elihu speaks here of the winds properly taken or of the natural winds and their sensible effects and so according to our reading this Text as it hath been opened teacheth us what sudden changes God makes in the Air. Now the light is shut up or shut in and anon it is let out again and all by the powerful hand of God who doth administer these things to us interchangeably as himself pleaseth Secondly The text according to another reading which others insist much upon and conceive pertinent to the scope of Elihu runs thus âim enim non respiâiunt homines lucem quum nitida est in superioribus nubibus quas ventus transiens purgavit Translatio Jun For now men cannot see the bright light in the Clouds when the wind passeth and cleanseth them Mr Broughton translates clearly so his words are these And now men cannot look upon the light when it is bright in the Air then a wind passeth and cleanseth it And then the sence of the whole verse is plainly a setting forth of the excellency or superexcellency rather of the light of the Sun which is so clear and splendid that if the Air be but cleansed from Clouds if it be but a pure Air no man is able to face it nor his eye directly to behold it We behold all things by the light of the Sun but no man can stedfastly behold the light in the Sun no man can look right up to the Sun when it casts forth its fiery rayes and shines bright upon us And this some conceive so genuine and clear an exposition of the Text that the light of it may seem to obscure and darken all others Now according to this second reading the whole verse with that which followeth contains an argument to confirm the former proposition laid down at the 20th verse If a man speak he shall be swallowed up that is if a man come too nigh unto God and be over-bold with him he shal even be swallowed up of his brightness that it is so I prove thus saith Elâhu The very light of the Sun Nemo potest adversis oculis âitidum solem contueri quis ergo ferat praesentiâm Majestaââ dei Jun which shines in the Air is so bright and so powerful that no man is able to hold up his eyes against it And if so then from the lesser to the greater his argument riseth thus If when the Sun shineth brightly no man is able to look upon it then much less are we able to behold the bright Majesty of God or to comprehend his greatness This rendring hath a very profitable sense in it leading Job to reason thus with himself I plainly see by all that hath been discoursed that for as much as I am not able to bear the brightness which breaks through the Clouds nor the noise of Thunder of which Elihu spake before for as much as I am not able to bear the fiercenesâ of a great Rain nor the coldness of the Frost nor the impetuousness of the Wind nor the violence of a Tempest for as much as I am not able to bear the clear light of the Sun shining in my face therefore surely I am much less able to bear the Majesty and glory of God if he should unvaile or open himself unto me Thus I say Elihu leads Job to an humbling conviction that he could not stand before the glorious Majesty of God because he was not able to endure the brightness of the Sun shining upon him If the light of the Sun the Created light be too excellent for mortal eyes then what is God the Creating light what is God who dwelleth in light who is light and in whom there is no darkness at all 'T is a Maxime in Nature Excellens visibile visum destruit A âisible object exceeding bright dazles the eye and even destroys the sight And why was all this spoken to Job Surely to bring him upon his knees as afterwards it did to humble him to take him off from his frequent appeals or desires of approach to God for the debate and determination of his cause The sum of all in a word is as if Elihu had said O Job thou canst not see the bright light of the Air if the wind do but fan it and cleanse the Clouds how then shalt thou be able to dispute thy cause before God to whom the most glorious
Lord hath not called thy name Pashur but Magor Missabib that is fear round about I will make thee a terror to thy self thy own Conscience shall be terrible to thee A man had better fall into the hands of the most cruel Tyrants in the World than into the hands of his own Conscience But when a man is a terrour to himself then to have the Lord a terrour to him likewise to have God appearing in terrible Majesty how dreadful is it The awakened Conscience of a sinner carrieth in it as a thousand witnesses so a thousand terrours and God in his anger is more terrible than a thousand consciences Secondly God is terrible to sinners in the day of outward trouble when as David speaks Psal 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness he answereth the prayers of his People When God is doing terrible things in the World how miserable is their case to whom God also is a terrour in that day A godly man when God is doing the most terrible things shaking Heaven and earth and as it were pulling the world about our ears yet because he finds God at peace with him he is well enough But as for impenitent sinners when God is doing terrible things what will become of them I may bespeak them in the words of the Prophet Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of your visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where wil ye leave your glory As if he had said whâ or what can be a comfort to you when God is a âerrour to you And therefore another Prophet fore-seing such a terrible day coming makes this earnest deprecating prayer Jer. 17.13 O Lord be not thou a terrâur to me in the evil day I know an evil a terrible day is at hand but Lord I beg this of thee that thou wilt not be a terrour to me in that day if men should be a terrour to me and God a terrour too it would be inâupportable Yet thus it will be with the unrighteous when God doth terrible things in righteousness and such things he will do in the latter dayes Take heed lest God appear with terrible Majesty to you in such a day Thirdly How terrible is God to impenitent sinners when awakened in the day of death What is Death In this Book Death is called The King of Terrours Now if when Deaâh is making its approaches to a person who lives in a contempt of the wayes and word of God if when his breath sits upon his lips ready to depart and the King of Terrours is ready to tear his caul and to rend his heart-strings asunder if then I say God appears in terrible Majesty what condition will such a one be in To have Death the King of Terrours and the Living the ever-living God in terrible Majesty falling upon a poor creature at once is a thousand deaths at once Fouâthly What will sinners do in the day of judgment that will be a terrible day indeed The Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 having said We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the body whether good or bad presently adds knowiâg therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men that is knowing how terrible the Lord will be to impenitent sinners to all whom he finds in their sins knowing this terrour of the Lord and how terrible the Majesty of the Lord will be to such in that day we perswade men we do all we can to pluck them out of their sins and turn them to God in Châist Jesus who saves his people from their sins for to be sure that will be a most dreadful day to sinners Thus the Mâjâsty of God will be terrible to the wicked and ungodly especially in these four dayes Only they who fear the Loâd and take hold of his name by faith shall be able to stand befoâe his terrible majesty God will not be a terrour but a comfoât to them âhat fear him in every evill day Fu âher the word as wâs shewed before signifies not only Majesty but Praâse With God is âerrible praise dreadful praise Hence note First The Lord is most praise worthy With the Lord is praise The Psalmist every where sâts fo th the praise-worthiness of God and presseth this duty upon us I shall not stay upon it only remember with the Lord is praise that is he is to be praised And from the attribute of his praiâe or that with the Lord is terrible praise Note Secondly Even in those things which the Lord doth most graciously for us and is to be highly praised by us even in thâse he is to be feared dreaded and reverenced God is to be praised not only with joy and thankfullness but with fear and reverence for with him is terrible praise It is the express word of Moses in his song after the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holines fearful in praises We should not be affraid to praise God no we should be most forward to praise him but we should have a holy fear upon our hearts when we praise him Praise is the work of heaven from whence fear shall for ever be banished there will be perfect love and perfect love Casts out fear 1 Joh. 4.18 What-ever fear hath torment in it as all fear out of Châist hath we shall have nothing to do with in that blessed life And even in this life praise which is the work of heaven on earth should be performed with such a spirit of love joy as is without all base tormenting fear we should have so much love to God in and for all the good things he doth for our soules especially ye and for our bodyes too in dealing out daily mercies that it should cast out all that fear which hath torment in it Yet there is a fear which should pâssess our spirits while we are praising God a fear of reverence I mean which fear I doubt not will remaine in heaven for ever Glorified Saints shall praise God with that fear that is having an everlasting awe of the Majesty of God upon their hearts He is fearful in praises and therefore let us so praise him as remembering our distance so praise him as to be affraid of miscarrying in the duty and so instead of praising displease him in stead of honouring grieve him This duty of praise is very dreadful The Psalmist saith there is mercy or forgiveness with thee O Lord that thou mayst be feared Psal 130.4 Not only is the Lord to be feared in his wrath and in the executions of his justice but he is to be feared in his mercy in that greatest expression of his favour towards us the forgivness of our sins When we are in the highest exaltations of the mercy of God and of the God of our mercies yet then should our hearts be
naturally it is as impossible for God not to do justice as it is for him not to be A man may be unjust and yet be a man but God cannot be God and not do justly Seeing then it is his nature to do justice there must needs be plenty of justice with him And how severe soever the judgments of God are there is nothing but justice in them Justice Justice shalt thou follow was the command of God to the Judges of Israel by Moses that is as we translate that which is altogether just shalt thou follow Dâut 16.20 As that promise of peace peace notes plenty of peace Isa 26.3 so this command of doing Justice Justice notes plenty of Justice Certainly then the Lord himself will do jâstice plentifully Justice Justice will he dâ Take two Infeâencâs from this assertion First This tâuth is matter of comfort to and sweetly smiles upon the iâst that the Lord hath plenty of justice in him for then doubtless he will performe all his good words of p omiâe to them 'T is the part of a just man to perfoâme his word God is faithful to his word what-ever men are It hath been âaid If you wâuld know what some men mean never to do then loâk to their promises Eorum quae appetebat ne qui quam prae se ferebat eorum quae dicebat ne quicquam facere colâbât Suidas de Tiberio It was a very dishonorable Character which Suidas gave of the Romane Emperour Tiberius He never made shew of having what he desired or had a mind to nor ever minded to do what he had promised But God the great God is so tâue and just to his word or promise that his people may take strong consolation from every word of promise Tit 1.2 In hâpe of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised No man could ever challenge God of any faylure in promise There are four things ascribed to God in Scripture which may assure us that he will be just in performing all his promises First He remembers them all Psal 111.5 Psal 115.12 Secondly He is unchangeable and in one mind Job 23.13 14. Thirdly He is the Almighty and ever furnisht with power to perform them Fourthly He is most faithfull and will not deny nor falsifie them Heb. 10.23 Secondly This truth hath a most dreadfull aspect and frownes terribly upon the ungodly and unjust That God hath plenty of Justice Justice enough to bestow among them all is enough to confound them all though they make a Covenant with death and with hell are at agreement yet their Covenant and agreement shall be dissolved Isa 28.15 16. The Scripture speaks Justice often to sinners specially to those unjust ones who weigh the violence of their hands Psal 58.1 2. that is who oppress with a kind of exactness who do not tumble it out palpably or in a lump but weigh it out now a little and then a little The Loâd knoweth how to deal with such cunning perverters of Justice and will at last make them acknowledge both that themselves had no justice in them and that himself hath plenty of it And who now laying these five considerations together will not acknâwledge that the Lord hath plenty of justice But the inference which Elihu makes from it in the close of the verse seems if nât a kind of denial yet a great abatement of it for having said He is excellent in plenty of Justice the next words are He will not afflict This may seem at first hearing a strange connection will he not afflict how then hath he plenty of Justice Doth not God afflict who afflicts then have men the power of affliction in their hands or hath Satan the power of affliction in his hand Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground said Eliphaz Chap. 5.6 Saith not the Scripture every where affliction comes down from heaven or that 't is of God did not Job say Chap. 1.21 The Lord hath taken that is afflicted me by taking away my all of this world and doth not God himself say Psal 89.30 31 32. If his children forget my Law I will punish their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes How then saith Elihu God will not âffl ct I answer First In general Elihu speaks thus in answer to a doubt or to remove a feare arising upon the whole of what had been said of God For if God be such a God so excellent in power and in Judgment and in plenty of Justice then surely our case is very sad may some say who can abide to be neere or stand before such a God O saith Elihu feare not He will not affl ct More particularly I answer First Though God be excellent in Judgment and plenty of Justice yet it may be said he will not afflict because in some sense he hath not a will to afflict or he doth not afflict with his will that is he delights not to afflict he hath declared himself more ready to shew mercy than to execute judgment In one Prophet he saith Ex corde Heb ex animo libens Vatabl I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth Ezek. 18.32 and another Prophet saiâh of him He doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3.33 This Pâophet was there bemoaning the greatest affliction that ever befell the people of God yet saith he God doth not afflict willingly he doth not afflict with his heart as the word there is expâessed in the Margin when he afflicts it is as it were a work of his hand not of his heart yea a work that he would gladly rid his hands of What once that câuel Tyrant Nero said when he was to âââne a Waârant foâ the Execuâion of an offender O Quâm vellem nesâire litâras How glad should I be if I could not write my name This spake he possibly when his heart waâ as full of blood as it could hold yet thus he spake to signifie a great unâillingness to afflict This is most true of the great God though he be a God of excellent power and judgement and plenty of justice yet he doth not afflict willingly he could be glad that he might never have an occasion to afflict that he might never be provoked âo draw his sword no nor so much as to use his rod in this wo lâ Secondly It may be said God will not afflict because he never afflicteth without a just cause his unlimited power never tempts him nor doth any passion transport him to a desire of taking undue revenge upon any he hath plenty of Justice and therefore cannot afflict but when he sees great reason for it Did not our sin call for our affliction were there not some great pâovocation on our part or some profit to come to us by it we should never hear of nor feel his rod. The Apostle saith Heb. 12.9 10. We have
do right But as sure as God knows every mans righâ so certainly he will do him right Abraham pleaded thus with God Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Gen. 18.25 Certainly he will do right he cannot but do right Judgement is before him The Scripture is express He will reward every man and award to every man according to his works Every man shall have as he is for as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 4.6 He shall bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God that is every man shall have it who is fit for it every man shall have praise who is as we say praise-worthy how much soever he hath been dispraised slurr'd in his credit unworthily dealt with and accused in this world God will not hold or detain the truth of men in unrighteousnesse though men hold both the truth of God and the truth of men the truth of their Causes in unrighteousnesse Judgement is before the Lord. Fuâther That Particle which we render yet gives us this Note God is never a whit the lesse Righteous because it doth not appear to us that he is so Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him yet Judgement is before him The wayes of God are often secret but none of them are unjust Judgement is before him even then when we think iâ is farthest off from him Therefore if we will give God the glory of governâng the world and of ordering all our personal conditions we must not measure him by the things we see or which appear for we cannot see the measure of his Judgement by what appears that which appears to us is not his Judgement something else is his judgement and he in the close will make his judgement clear to all men he will make it appear that judgment is his though what his judgement is doth not appear The mis-apprehensions or mis-constructions of men do not at all retard or stop the righteousnesse of God as the Apostle speaks in another case Rom. 3.3 Shall the unbelief of man make the Faith of God that is the Faithfulnesse of God of none effect God forbid God will be Faithful and True though all the world be Unbelievers and Lyars Now as the unbelief of man cannot make the Faithfulnesse of God of none effect so our not believing that Judgement proceeds or our saying it is delayed does not at all take off God from righteousnesse in doing Judgement he is doing Judgement righteously whatever apprehensions men have of his doings Judgement is before him Therefore trust thou in him Elihu according to the first reading of the former words exhorts Job to Repentance Judge thy self and here he exhorts him to Faith Trust thou in him Judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him or wait and hope in him for seeing God is a Just and Righteous Judge he will not neglect or slight the Cause of any of his People therefore they have all the reason in the world to trust in him and wait upon him It is unbelief which makes haste Faith is content to wait and tarry The Original word hath several significations First ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Notat 1. Dolere 2. Parturire 3. Manere Perseverare 4. Sperare Forte per metaphoram quia animus sperans futurâm gaudium cum dolore parturit Coc. More general to grieve or be in pain and trouble Secondly In special to bring forth or the pain of a woman in travel to bring forth there is much pain in that travel Thus some translate here Wait for him as a woman in travel waits for deliverance Thirdly As it signifies to have pain and to have that pain in bringing forth children so to attend to wait to stay quietly and expect Rest in the Lord saith David Psal 37.7 and wait patiently for him We may give the reason of this signification from that allusion The woman though she be in pain yet she patiently bears it because she hath hope a man shall be born into the world John 16.21 A woman in that pain hath not only patience but comfort under it because she hopes a child shall shortly be born who will recompence all her sorrows in bearing and bringing him forth into the world That 's the force of this word Trust in him Thou art in pain in trouble in travel for the present yet thou shalt have a blessed deliverance thou shalt certainly find that it is not in vain to trust upon God Thus Elihu aâviseth Job to such a patience as a woman in travel with child hath who bears her pains comfortably being refreshed and supported with an assurance and fore-sense of that joy which she shall have being once delivered Trust thou in him I have in some other places of this Book met with this Point of trusting in God Job said in the 13th Chapter of this Book vers 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him And therefore I shall not stay to open that general duty or the exercise of that Grace which here Elihu exhorts Job to Trusting in or waiting upon God Only from the Connexion Note First It is our duty to wait and trust upon God And 't is such a duty as will keep us close to all other duties a mind staid on God is a mind fit to move about any good work whatsoever which God calleth us unto Secondly Put all together Thou sayest thou shalt not see him thou art doubtful whether ever things will mend yet Judgement is before him therefore trust Hence Note When things are not clear to us when we have no light about what God is doing or what he will do yet it is our duty to trust and wait upon God We must wait upon God and trust in him though we do not see him yea though we cannot see him for Judgement is before him That of the Prophet Isa 50.10 is a clear proof of this duty and some expound this Scripture specially respecting outward dark providences as others of inward darkness or darkness of spirit Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his servants that walketh in darkness and hath no light as Job saith here I shall not see him What shall a poor benighted soul do in that case The answer or advice followeth Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God How dark soever our condition is yet it is our duty to trust upon God and if once we are enabled to give God the glory due to his name in confessing that Judgement is before him we shall readily trust upon him to order all things for us though all things seem out of order even to amazement though we see heaven and earth as it were confounded yet we shall readily trust upon him because we believe that even then Judgement is before him How soon can he turn our
darkness into light who in the first Creation when all lay together in a confused heap and darkness over all bâought forth light and set all in order The Lord can command light out of darkness good out of evil order out of confusion and he can do all this easily and at an instant therefore whatever the appearances of things are let not us judge according to appearance but hope and wait and stick to what God hath promised Though providences appear cross to promises and prophesies yet they never frustrate either Let us also be sure to stick to the commandements of God for we may rest assured God will stick to his promises To keep Commandements is our work to keep promises is Gods work though we fayle much in our work God will not fayle at all in his work To believe this is the highest and truest work of faith But if we are faithful in our work the keeping of Commandements we have a further evidence that God will be faithful in his work the keeping or fulfilling of promises a great part the most spiritual part of Gods fulfilling promises being his enabling of us to keep Commandements and then we shall be able to say not only in faith but from experience that Judgement is before him And untill we come to this conclusion of faith in dark times when we cannot see him the soul never sits down in rest Nothing fixes the soul but trust in God we are unquiet yea we boyle with unquietness and toss as the angry Sea with the windes till we trust fully upon God upon his wisdome and power upon his goodness and faithfulness and can say let him do as seems good in his eyes we know he is and will be good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart When we can once stay our minds on God we are quiet but when we must bring God to our mind and must have God go our pace or come at our time and work in our way none of which he will do what a do soever we make to have it so O how restless and troubled are we even like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest And O how much of this restless trouble discovers it self in the minds of many that I say not the most of men and all because they cannot trust God when they do not see him or because when they do not see him which was Jobs fayling they say they shall not see him If matters come not to pass according to their platforme and model or hit not the dates and dayes the times and seasons which they have fixt in their unscriptural Kalender or by a mistake of the Scripture Kalendar they are ready to say they shall not see him their hopes are as the giving up of the ghost that is they give all for lost and past recovery Many trust God as they do some men no farther than they see him they are the worst and coursest sort of men whom we trust no otherwise How dishonourable then how infinitely below God is such a trust Elihu would have Job and so should we trust God though he could not see him and said he should not Thou hast said thou shalt not see him yet trust in him Lastly From the illative particle therefore that is because Judgement is before him trust thou in him Note hence The consideration of the Righteousness and Justice of God is a mighty argument to provoke us to trust him and wait upon him Trust is not every bodyes due some as we speak proverbially are to be trusted no farther than a man can throw a Milstone that is they are not to be trusted at all Trust I say is not every bodyes due but to trust God is every bodyes duty yea and interest too for he is cloathed as much with righteousness and justice as he is with strength and power Will you not trust an honest man will you not trust a wise man We can come to a height of confidence in man sometimes if we think him a man of judgement and wisdome of honesty and faithfulness we can trust all we have in such a mans hand how much more should we say to God seeing Judgement is before him therefore will we trust in him We have an eminent Scripture urging this duty upon this ground Isa 30.18 The Lord is a God of Judgement Judgement is there taken in the same notion as here in the Text he is a wise and a just God the Lord is a God of judgement what followeth Blessed are they that wait for him There can be nothing said more urging more encouraging to wait and trust on God to do us right then this He is a God of Judgement a righteous God Judgement is before him Thus far of the good counsel which Elihu gave Job in this his dark and deserted state and counsel it was worthy to be embraced with both armes and with an open breast and that Job had need of it he shews in the next words while he tells Job and us it was not so with him yet as appeared by the sad hand of God upon him and his own distemper under it JOB Chap. 35. Vers 15 16. 15. But now because it is not so he hath visited in his anger yet he knoweth it not in great extremity 16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain he multiplieth words without knowledge IN the close of the former verse Elihu called upon and exhorted Job to a patient reliance and trust on God Judgement is before him therefore trust thou in him here in the 15th verse he shews that the reason why God visited him so sorely and yet continued his visitation upon him was because he did not as he ought patiently trust in and rely upon him There are several readings of this verse but I shall only mention one besides our own and having stayed a little about that go on to the explication of the Text as it lyes in order before us Some render thus But know now his anger hath visited thee but a little Hebr Nunc autem cito quod paululum te visitavit ira ipsius neque inquisivit multum admodum Merc Scito perexiguum esse quo te deus iratus plectit nisi levitèr in te inqui ere mâluisset Bez nothing neither hath he made any great inquisition The sense of the verse according to this rendring riseth thus As if Elihu had said God hath dealt with thee O Job far better than thou hast dealt with him or then thou hast cause to expect he hath not laid his hand so heavy upon thee as thy iniquity hath deserved and yet thou complainest much of his severity whereas indeed he hath not strictly inquired into the multitude of thy sins which if he had done he would certainly have brought upon thee a greater multitude of afflictions he would have afflicted thee much more Thou art too well used to complain thus That 's the summe of this rendring which
from the wrath of God What then is the Ransome that is invalid and useless which will not be accepted which cannot deliver I answer First in general it is any thing on this side Christ be it what it will The greatest Ranâome that men can devise or heap up together or that men can make whatsoever it is besides the Ransome of Gods own appointment will not deliver a sinner when once wrath hath siezed upon him I answer Secondly as to particulars It is not First Riches no not Gold Secondly It is not our own prayers no not tears Thirdly It is not our own good works no not our own righteousness Fourthly It is not any of the good works or righteousness of any other the holyest men on earth no not the righteousness of the Saints and holy Angels in Heaven that can deliver us from the wrath of God The first of these particulars Elihu gives for instance in the 19th verse of which I shall there speak further and we may understand this verse of all the rest Then a great Ransome cannot deliver thee Hence note There is nothing but the Blood of Christ can ransome sinners from the wrath of God nor will that deliver some sinners I suppose Elihu might have respect to that in urging Job to humble himself and repent There are Cases wherein even the Blood of Christ will not deliver though that hath an intrinsecal vertue power and value to deliver any sinner yet I say there are Cases wherein even that great Ransome the Blood of Christ will not deliver sinners or thus there are many sinners in such a Case that Christ will not ransome them by his Blood But who are they First All that are impenitent and persist obstinately in their sins If any man resolve to go on in sin the Blood of Christ is no Ransome for him Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins not to save us in our sins Secondly All that are unbelievers though they have a great measure of sorrow such as it is for sin yea suppose they have left off the outward practise of those sins for which they have sorrowed yet if they do not lay hold on Christ by faith his Blood is no Ransome for them As Christ will not save presumptuous sinners who believe without repenting so neither will he save incredulous sinners who repent without believing Thirdly That great price of the Blood of Christ is not a Ransome for apostatizing sinners who having pretended to Repentance and made profe sion of faith yet go back from Châist and his wayes at once buâlding what they seemed to have destroyed by repentance and dâstroying what they seem'd to be built up in by faith The Apostle declares the doom of all such Heb. 10.26 For if we siâ wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin Wilful sinners against received Light cast off the Sacrifice of Christ which is our Ransome and with which they seemed to close and having cast thaâ off God will never be at the cost to provide them another Sacrifice There remains saith the Text no more Sacrifice for sin They would have no more to do with that Sacrifice for sin that 's the case of those who sin against the Holy Ghost and there is no other Sacrifice for them Such Apostates crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and by their being ashamed of him and turning from him as much as in them lyes put him to open shame as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.6 but God will never crucifie his Son afresh nor put him again to open shame for the ransoming of wilful Apostates It is the ground of our hope that God once gave up his Son to be crucified for us but they are of all men most hopeless who crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh The Son of God Jesus Christ will not save those that tread him under foot not shall the Blood of the Covenant be a Ransom for those who count it an unholy thing as 't is said at the 29th verse They who refuse the Gospel that is Gospel-Grace shall never have any benefit by the Gospel these Apostates do not only refuse to chuse the Grace of the Gospel but refuse it after a seeming choyce of it and are therefore said in the close of that verse to have done despite to the Spirit of Grace and shall they who despise and which is more do despite to the Spirit of Grace be ransom'd through Grace Thus we see that as nothing but the Blood of Christ can be a Ransome so some shall have no share in nor benefit by that great Ransome They who repent not they who believe not they who sin wilfully after a profession made both of Fai h and Repenâance can have no deliverance by that great Ransome the Blood of Jesus Christ Elâhu having âold Job in General that if he provoked God to wrath then a great ransome could not deliver him proceeds to give him one particular instance of what cannot and he gives it in that which is the most usual ransome and which hath ransomed thousands from the wrath of man that is riches gold Vers 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength As if he had said Possibly O Job thou having been a great man a rich man the richest the greatest man in all the East mayst think thou couldst buy off thy offence with gold and get out from under his wrath by thy wealth and riches but suppose thou wert as great and rich as ever or greater and richer than any are or ever were Will he esteem thy riches ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ordinavit quiares aestimandae ordinantur aliae juxta alias ideo pro aestimare sumitur Merc The word rendred esteem signifies to put in order because things which are of esteem and value are laid up handsomely and orderly As no man esteems trash so he will not lay it up among his treasures Will he esteem or lay up thy riches as some precious thing as his treasure surely no. The question as frequently in Scripture is a strong denial will he he will not value thy riches no more than a rush what dost tell him of thy riches he makes no account of all that thou hast to give yea though thou hadst all the world to give Men will esteem thy riches money answers all things among men but alass it will answer nothing with God will he esteem Thy riches Some translate the word which we render riches by nobleness or greatness so Mr Broughton Will he esteem thy nobleness The word signifies both and Job was both he was a great man and a Nobleman the chief Magistrate a Prince among the people where he dwelt as appears fully in the 29th Chapter Will he esteem either thy riches or thy nobleness shalt thou be accepted because thou art a great Lord a mighty man dost thou think the Lord
will-esteem thee for this Certainly no. We may take in both senses of the word Will he esteem thy riches or Nobleness Hence note First Greatness without goodness is of little or no esteem with God Note Secondly God will not be taken off by any outward respect whatsoever from bringing vengeance upon evil men God will not be stopt in his course of Justice wiâh riches or great titles with honour or nobleness The riches of one man cannot ransome another Psal 49.7 8 9. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransome for him Nor can any mans riches ransome himself Pro. 10.2 Treasures of wickedness that is treasures gotten wickedly profit nothing Nor will the treasures of the wicked though well gotten profit them Pro. 11.4 Riches availe not in the day of wrath Zeph. 1.7 Their gold and silver shall not profit them in the day of my wrath If you present your selves before God with titles of honour and bags of gold neither the one nor the other will do it he will not regard thy riches nor nobleness When Ishmael came treacherously upon those Jewes ten of them said Slay us not Jer. 4.8 for we have great treasures in the field of Wheat and of Barly and Oile and of Wine so he forbare and slew them not among their brethren But this will not do in the day of the Lords anger Will he esteem thy riches ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã clamavit Septuaginta id in mente habuissâ videntur nam vertunt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã opulentus dives Isa 32.5 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã âor scurec significat opes cap. 30.24 cap. 34.20 Non estimabit clamorem tuum nihil ducit quantum vis clames non ea movebitur sed pro diâitiis malo Merc Some translate thus Will he regard thy crying or clamor As if Elihu had said Cry as much as thou wilt the Lord will not regard it This goes higher Many possibly will not be taken off from the process of Justice by greatness or riches who yet by our humble supplication and cry may be taken off But will the Lord regard thy cry or as the Septuagint read it Will he have regard to thy prayer Wicked men that have rejected the Lords commands will yet hope or rather presume the Lord will hear their cry and therefore they will be at their prayers in times of trouble when the wrath of God breaks out this is their last resort and refuge They who never made the Lord their choyce in good times will yet make him their refuge in evil times or in dayes of trouble they think surely to be sheltered and saved and spared when they pray but this will not do neither Will he esteem thy prayers The Hebrew Text at least allows if not clearly holds out this reading and it can be no hurt to take in as much profitable sense as the words without undue straining may hold out to us So then when the Lords wrath appears neither riches nor honour nor prayers nor teares can give sinners any relief The cryes and prayers of the wicked are no more regarded by God than their riches or greatness Then they shall call upon me saith Wisdome Pro. 1.28 that is When their feare cometh as desolation and their destruction cometh as a Whirlewind when distress and anguish cometh upon them v. 27. when 't is thus with them then they shall call upon me but I will not answer that is I will not esteem their cry That 's a very remarkable Scripture Psal 18.41 where David speaking of his enemies how the Lord had given him their necks and a power to destroy them that hated him presently adds They cryed but there was none to save them but it may be they cryed where they should not for help no saith the Text they cryed even to the Lord but he answered them not then did I beat them as small as the dust before the wind c. The Lord having declared how resolv'd he was to proceed in a way of wrath against the Jewish Nation adds Jer. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry That people had been very obstinate and rebellious they had withstood the call of God by the Prophet yet when they saw wrath appearing and approaching then they betook themselves to fasting and prayer but saith the Lord it shall not advantage them though they fast and in their fasting cry yet I will not regard them nor be entreated I know they will be praying to me but I will take no notice of them See how dreadfull a thing it is to refuse the offers and tenders of grace to go on in a way of sin for then no ransome will do it riches and honours yea prayers and cryes and teares shall not be regarded Will he esteem thy riches No not gold This is to be joyned according to our translation with the former words and it suits fully with our translation of these words Gold being the best of worldly riches and having the greatest power with and command over men yet saith Elihu Will he esteem thy riches no not Gold He mentions that because I say it is the choicest part of riches the worst sort of gold is of higher esteem and worth than any other mettal Gold beaâes the greatest price among metals and hath the greatest prevalency among men but none with God The word rendred Gold signifies defending but gold is no defence against God Will he esteem thy riches no not Gold The note is the same in substance with the former The Lord regards not men for their riches no not for the best of riches Not only will he not esteem your Copper and Brasse and Iron and Tynn but not your Gold 1 Pet. 1.18 Gold doth much with men but nothing with God I shall not stay upon this clause it being only an hightning of the same thing before asserted But There are two other readings of the latter part of this verse upon which I shall stay a little First thus Will he esteem thy riches no not in affliction The word which we render as one signifying the best gold Ne quideââ in angustia ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ego nomen ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã verto in augustia alii reddum in sâgnificatione auri in qua râparitur cap. 22.24 sed ibi scribitur ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in accentu distinguente pro ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Pisc refined gold other interpreters render as two words which signifie to be perplexed or in streights Will he esteem thy riches no though thou art in the greatest streights and knowest not what to do Hence Note The Lord will not regard rich wicked men when they are in streights The Lord who esteems not the wicked rich at any time will lest esteem them in an evil time The Lord who hath an esteem of and a regard