seemed to depart farre from the Church of the Jews with how much fervency do they cry after him Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient daies c They double and treble it upon him and cry with an out-stretched voice Art not thou he that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon What a clamour what a holy stirre was here to awaken God God himself sometimes seems as it were willing to take his rest as when he said to Moses Let me alone he spake like a man that is in bed or very sleepy Doe not trouble me let me alone as he in the Gospel Luk. 11.7 when he was awakened in the night to come and give bread unto his neighbour Doe not trouble me saith he the doors are shut and I am in bed with my children I cannot rise and give thee let me alone Thus in some sense the Lord expresses himself to his people I am now in bed doe not trouble me Let me alone What must we do in this case We must knock harder at the door as he in the Gospel did For whom though his neighbour would not rise and give him because he was his friend yet because of his importunity he rises and gives him as many loaves as he needed We must be the more importunate to awake God by how much he seems more unwilling to hear us our modesty in this case pleases him not we must call and call again He will take it well at our hands if we doe so We must give our selves no rest and let him take none so the Prophet resolves Isa 62.1 For Jerusalems sake I will take no rest I will never give over praying and at the sixth verse I have set watchmen upon thy wals O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth If the Lord should carry it in the present answers of his providence as if he were willing to rest and desired not to be troubled in this businesse be not you so put off but with a holy boldnesse and confidence come to him and awaken him take no answer till ye have an answer He is best pleased and most at ease when in prayer we give him no rest Lastly Observe If God doe but awake for us all is presently well with us If the eye of God be upon us for good that brings us in all good therefore Zech. 2. ult when the Church was in her return from Babylon the Prophet concludes with an exultation of spirit Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation it is this word He is awaked out of his holy habitation now be silent O all flesh before the Lord All flesh ye that are the wicked of the world ye that are enemies be ye silent leave your boasting your reproaching and blaspheming for the Lord is awaked now he begins to stirre for his people he will stop your mouths shortly All flesh takes in the Church and people of God too O be ye silent in regard of your fears and doubtings murmurings and distracted complainings silence all these why The Lord is awaked he is raised up out of his holy habitation that is he that seemed before to confine himself to those higher regions and as the Atheist speaks in Job to walk in the circle of the heavens not intermedling with the earth This God is now awaked he is raised out of his holy habitation and now ye shall know that he orders all things here below therefore be silent O all flesh When Christ was asleep Matth. 8.25 A grievous tempest arose saith the text insomuch as the Ship was covered with waves When storms and tempests are upon the Church God is then asleep though even then he directs the storms and gives law to the proud waves But what did the Disciples in this storm They awoke Christ Master save us we perish and assoon as ever Christ was awakened He rebuked the storme and there was a great calm Thus when we are tost up and down with contrary windes and in danger to be split and sunke if God once awake all is calm How quietly may they sleep for whom God wakes I doe not say they should sleep carelesly but confidently they may God doth not wake for us to the intent we should sleep in security but we may sleepe quietly when He shewes himselfe awake for us who indeed never slumbereth nor sleepeth And if God awake not for us all our watchfulnesse is as uselesse to us as our sleepinesse The watchman waketh but in vain except the Lord keep the City Except he awake our watching can doe no good and if he awake good will come though we be asleep It is our duty to be carefull and it is our comfort that the care of God is enough for us The eye of divine providence helps us in many humane improvidences What their happinesse is for whom God awakes see in the next words He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous This is the second degree or step of mercy promised when the Lord awakes he vvill awake to purpose We say of some men Early up and never the near They awake and doe little work but if God awakes see what he doth He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Some of the Rabbins understand these words as a description of the soul The habitation of thy righteousnesse that is Anima est justitiae omniū virtutum domicilium Aben. Ezr. thy soul shall prosper because the soul is the proper seat of righteousnesse and holinesse Righteousnesse belongeth to the inward man Righteousnesse being a spirituall thing is housed and lodged in the spirit that 's the habitation of it There are others of the Jews who take this habitation of righteousnes for the body because the body is the habitation of the soul in which righteousnesse is seated and so the habitation of righteousnesse by a second remove is the outward man The Lord shall blesse thy body which now lieth in a wofull plight distemper'd and disfigured with sores and sicknesses But rather take the word habitation in those two ordinary Scripture-senses either strictly for the place where Job dwelt or more largely for all that did belong unto him The habitation of a man is all his estate and all that appertains to his estate He will make thy habitation that is thy children thy servants thy fields thy cattell thy stock thy all to be prosperous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldee Paraphrase readeth Significat domū vel speciem pul chritudinem justitiae tuae Tar. He will make thy beautifull place to be prosperous The word signifies beauty as well as an habitation as was shewed upon Chap. 5. ver 3. thither I referre the Reader
Thus God seeth or looketh not as man seeth he looketh not disdainfully upon a poor afflicted soul as men do upon their friends in their affliction or as ye my friends do upon me in mine affliction This is the fourth dishonourable thought which Iob removeth from God His eyes are not eyes of flesh he seeth not as man seeth either in reference to the truth or manner the clearnesse or speedinesse the certainty or impartiality the infallibility or charity of his judgement Upon all which his former request is again to be inferred Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me He proceedeth to a fifth which he also by way of interrogation removeth from God and so virtually reneweth the same petition Verse 5. Are thy daies as the daies of men Are thy years as mans daies I know they are not Are thy daies at mans daies Some interpreters take the word day for judgement Are thy daies as mans daies that is Are thy judging daies Ponitur dies pro judicio ex Cilicum idiotismo Hieron Putarim Paulum potius diem maluisse dicere quam judicium u◠alluderet ad diem illum supremum in quo Dominus ipse judex sedebit Bez. or thy judgement given upon those daies like mans daies or the judgement which man giveth We have the word in that sense 1 Cor. 4.3 where the Apostle concludes in his own case It is a very small thing with me to be judged of you or of mans judgement the Greek is To be judged of mans day and according to the idiom of that language in some countreys the day of a man is put for the judgement of a man Though others conceive Paul calls it a day rather then a judgement in allusion to that last day wherein God will sit in judgement upon the whole world So the meaning of Job is plainly this The Lords judgement is not like mans judgement This Exposition falls in with the sense of the former verse men judge by outward proofs and probabilities by questions and interrogatories by testimonies and witnesses God needs none of these humane helps in his day of judgement yet in Jobs case he carried it as if he needed them The suit depending so long before him and such variety of experiments and trials being put upon or taken of him But we may better interpret daies for a part of time and so Enos cujus vitae duratio brevissima pene nulla Are thy daies as mans daies is Art thou short liv'd as man is The word Man signifies man in his worst condition Are thy daies like the daies of a weak man of a miserable sickly man Are they like the daies of a man whom we number among the dead and who is giving up the ghost every hour There are some men whom we call long-liv'd that is men who in probability may live very long we say of a healthy strong man we would take a lease of his life or if we were to take a lease for lives we would put his life in for one he is a man of a good complexion and constitution a man like to live and see many daies But saith Jo◠Are thy daies as the daies of Enosh As the daies of a weak sickly man as the daies of one who looks as if he would drop into the grave every day as the daies of a very borderer upon death of the next neighbour and heir apparent to the king of terrours Lord I am sure thy daies are not as the daies of such a weakling of such mouldring sickly clod of earth This sense may have a double reference Perslat Iob in excludenda ignorantia à Deo judice Dies hominis significant vitam bre vissimam quae cum multa ignorantia conjuncta est Sanct Ars longa vita brevis Hypocr 1. To the knowledge of God concerning Iob. 2. To the manner of Gods dealing with Iob. 1. Thy daies are not as the daies of man thou hast had and hast time enough to gather knowledge and experience if thou didst need such help to make thee more knowing It was the ancient complaint of that great Physitian when he saw how much of his art he had to learn and how little time he had to learn it in Art is long and time is short what can I learn in such a span-long life as mine Hence it is conceived that though the fathers before the flood some of whose lives reached eight or nine Centuries wanted the help of Libraries and Academies which we enjoy yet that by the experience of so many years they gathered a great stock of knowledge and proved men of eminent learning Men whose daies are not as the daies of ordinary men attain knowledge beyond ordinary men How then can the Lord want any perfection of the most perfect knowledge who numbereth not only by hundreds and thousands of years but by an eternity of years His knowledge must needs be full concerning the state both of things and persons who not only hath Antiquity of daies but is the Ancient of daies Dan. 7.9 Many men have lived so many daies that they are justly called Ancient but no man ever lived or shall live so long as to deserve this title Ancient of daies God is called the Ancient of daies not only because he hath been many daies yea all the daies that ever have been but because he is ancienter then daies He is the daies ancient for he made the day His daies cannot be like mans daies who made five daies ancienter then man God hath more then all daies therfore he hath all knowledg he hath all experience therfore he hath neither ignorance nor nescience Upon this ground Job argues it out with God that he must needs know all thing who was before all times and that he was acquainted with him better then all men who lived at that day because he lived and was acquainted with what he would be before man had a day even from eternity 2. These words Thy daies are not as mans daies may refer to the dealing of God with Job As if he had said Lord why then doest thou make such haste to enquire after me why dost thou so incessantly follow me with afflictions Why dost thou keep me upon the rack from day to day night and day and wilt give me no rest Lord thou needest not fear to loose time for thou hast all time at thy command thou canst not want opportunity who hast eternity The reason why man is called upon so earnestly to redeem the time is because he hath so little time given him and no time at all but what is given him His daies are short daies and they are but few and which should provoke him more to make haste he knows not how few unlesse he lay hold upon the present day he is not sure of any day But Lord thou art Lord of time and Master not only over thy work but also over thy daies thou canst allow thy self as many daies
out of order or in danger Achish promiseth David I will make thee the keeper of my head for ever 1 Sam. 28.2 His meaning was he should be Captain of his guard Great Princes have their guards they have keepers of their heads The great King of heaven and earth is a guard to the meanest man and the keeper of his head God enquires of Cain for his brother Abel Gen. 4. Where is Abel thy brother What is become of him Cain was angry at the question Am I saith he my brothers keeper We ought to be one anothers keepers our mutuall visitations should preserve one anothers spirits Some are apt to think themselves too good for the work others that the work is too hard for them It is our comfort and it may be our assurance that God hath neither of these thoughts The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Sunne shall not smite thee by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil He shall preserve thy soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for evermore Psal 121.5 How large a writ or patent of protection is granted here No time shall be hurtfull neither day nor night which include all times Nothing shall hurt neither Sunne nor Moon nor heat nor cold These include all annoiances Nothing shall be hurt Thy soul shall be preserved thy out-goings and thy comings in shall be preserved These include the whole person of man and him in all his just affairs and actions Nothing of man is safe without a guard and nothing of man can be unsafe which is thus guarded They shall be kept who can say The Lord is our keeper And they cannot be kept no not by legions of Angels who have not the Lord for their keeper None can keep us but he and he hath promised to keep us for evermore Some men are weary of their offices and some are put out of office Praefecturam ejus accipiat alter id est omnia quae in ejus cura sunt quae sub sua potestate habet God is neither In that Prophetical curse against Iudas t is said Let another take his office Ps 109.8 What office It is this word and notes there the office of looking to or of preserving the souls of others we commonly call it The cure of souls Such is the office of all the Ministers of Christ That 's Episcopacy by divine right this in the text is divine Episcopacy That word which here in Job we translate visitation and in the Psalm now cited office is called Episcopacy by the Apostle Act. 1.21 Christ is the great Bishop or visitour both of our souls and bodies He is the oecumenicall Bishop The whole world is his Diocesse He preserveth man and beast See more of this point Chapter 7.20 Again For as much as this visitation which extendeth to the whole man is here in the letter determined upon the spirit We may observe First Taking spirit for life That as our well-being so our being in the world is at the daily dispose of God The living God not only giveth but maintaineth our lives We live not by bread while we are healthy nor by medicines when we are sick but by the Word of God His visitation doth all Secondly Take spirit for the soul then we are taught That our souls are not independently immortall or incorruptible As the life of the whole man is not so neither is the life of the soul of or in it self without support from God The Angelicall spirits who were never married to bodies of earth stand not meerly by Creation but by Providence The visitation of God preserveth those spirits how much more the spirits of men which are espoused to dust and clay Thirdly As spirit signifieth the soul not only in it's naturall but in it's spirituall state or in the state of grace We learn That our spirituall stook and treasure are in danger and would decay if the power and care of God did not preserve our spirits Grace cannot keep it self if left to its self We should loose not only degrees of grace but all grace were it left in our own hands But because it is grace therefore it is not left in our own hands and because grace is not left in our own hands therefore it cannot be lost So the Apostle clearly 1 Pet. 1.4 We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation The word signifies to keep as a City beleaguered without by a strong enemy is kept by a Garison within Man at the first had an excellent estate in spirituals though it cannot be said properly that he had grace for that is in the hand of a Mediator yet he had the image of God and perfect innocency but because God did not visit his spirit by fresh assistances he was stript of all and fell from the throne of his created glory As God visits our souls by preventing grace to give us what we had not so he visits us by his preserving and persevering grace to continue what he hath given Lastly Forasmuch as though God createth and careth for the whole man yet the visitation of God is expressed only as to the spirit We may observe That God doth chiefly take care of and provide for the spirit or soul of man When God formed the body of man at first out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life it is not said he became a living body or a living man But man became a living soul So here the work of providence is not enlarged to the whole man but restrained to his spirit As if the Lord did scarce thinke our bodies either worth or needing a visit in comparison of our spirits And seeing God cares for nothing in us so much as for our spirits should not our care be chiefly for our spirits The soul is upon the matter all man ought not man to be most of all for his soul Shall the thoughts of God be most busied his care and inspection most fixed upon our spirits and shall not ours While Christ in a manner dischargeth us of our outward man Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what ye shall ear or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on His meaning was to charge us more deeply with the inward man yet how many are there whose outward man stands them in more cost and care in more thoughts and visitations for one day then their spirits or inward man doth for a whole year yea for their whole lives Visitations are frequent and serious for the preserving of the body but where shall we finde serious thoughts of visiting the soul Take this word further If it be the visitation of God which preserveth our spirits we should often visit God with praier intreating him to continue these visitations Praier is
to creeple justice to make it lame and halt This word is translated to overthrow Job 19.6 Know now that God hath overthrown me and hath compast me in with his net Iob speaks in a great passion as if God had come upon him violently in judgement and cast him We say a man is overthrown or cast in his sute God overthrows men and Nations but he never overthrows justice A man who overthrowes his adversary may settle justice Iob looked upon himself as one against whom God had entred his action and overthrown him in the sute Lamenting Ieremy cries out Lam. 3.59 O Lord thou hast seen my wrong it is this word Thou hast seen how I am vexed and wrested by the hard dealings of men judge thou my cause Thou wilt judge me aright and set me straight again Judgement is perverted two waies 1. By subtilty 2. By power First Some pervert judgement by subtilty They are wise to do evil The Lord hath infinite wisdome and so is able to go beyond and over-reach all creatures he is wise enough to be-fool all the world but he is not wise to doe evil His wisedome is not a trap or a snare to others but an unerring guide and light to himself 2. Some pervert judgement by violence and force if they cannot untie the knot by craft they will cut it asunder by power and if they have not law for it they have will for it and an arm for it and it shall be done The Lord can doe what he will but he hath no will to doe what is evil He can put forth as much strength as he desires but he hath no desire to pervert justice or to act his power to over-aw and master it Further To pervert judgement and justice hath these two things in it 1. To darken and obscure the rule of judgement 2. To torture or mis-interpret the rule of judgement 1. Judgement is perverted by darkning and obscuring the law or rule of justice God doth not doe so He never casts a mist before his Word or a vail over it that he may act against it 2. Neither doth he mis-interpret his law A good law ill expounded is made the warrant of an evil judgement A glosse corrupting the text of the Law corrupts justice Where tongue and conscience are set to sale the wit must finde out somewhat to help the market The words opened invite these Observations First That God is most exact in judgement God is a just God It is a high truth and we should adore it that whatsoever God doth he is just in doing it When reason cannot reach or make it out yet faith must and we must honour God in what we cannot understand The Lord is righteous in all his waies though his waies are past finding out For 1. He hears every cause before he judges He doth not judge one side before he knows the other or judge any man before he hath heard him fully out We see both Gen. 11. and Gen. 18. in those two great acts of justice when God confounded the builders of Babel and when he destroyed Sodome I will goe down and see whether it be altogether according to the report that is come up unto me God needs no intelligence to be brought him unto heaven neither doth he that fils all places goe to any place to enform himself but he speaks thus to note how exact he is in point of justice To shew that he deals with the children of men as a man who hearing a report of such a thing done saith I will not judge of it by what I hear but I will goe see whether it be so or no. Without evidence of the fact the sentence cannot be just though it may be right 2. He examineth and takes confession which is another point of justice So he proceeded with our first parents Gen. 3. proposing interrogatories unto them and then the judgement is pronounced according unto what was confest he judgeth them out of their own mouths ver 17. Because thou hast done this and hearkened unto the voice of thy wife therefore c. 3. God proceeds by the evidence of the Law as well as by the evidence of the fact and this also sets forth the exactnesse of his judgement These two things make judgement perfect you must not only have the evidence of the fact that such a thing is done but you must have the evidence of the Law condemning such a deed Though God himself be an everlasting Law and he may judge all from his own breast yet he hath given out a Law which gives the knowledge of sinne It is said Rom. 2. They that have sinned without the Law shall perish without the Law as if some should be judged without Law but he means without a Law formally published not materially enacted For he speaks of the Gentiles who were not within the hearing of Mount Sinai and had not seen that formality of a Law written in tables of stone yet they had a Law written in their hearts They that have not heard the Law published or seen it written in a book shall be judged by the Law written in their hearts their conscience bearing them witnesse and their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another 4. God is impartiall in giving judgement He doth not strike one and spare another who is under the same condemnation nothing can sway or bias him nothing can preponderate the balance of justice in his hand you cannot put in any consideration to sway his beam beside the right There are three things which usually cause men to pervert justice The Lord is free from them all 1. Fear of greatnesse Some would doe justice but they dare not the businesse concerns a great man and to doe justice upon such is To take a Bear by the tooth as we say or to play with the paw of a Lion Now the Lord is not turned away for fear nor deferrs he justice for any mans big looks The day of the Lord saith the Prophet Isa 2. shall be against the high Oaks He is El-Shaddai the All-mighty the all-powerfull God and therefore cares not for the might or power of man 2. Hope of reward that 's another thing which causeth many to pervert judgement With some their hope is stronger then their fear They care not for the greatnesse of men but they hope for gain A bribe taken or promised clogs and obstructs the course of justice Hos 4.14 Her Rulers with shame doe love Give ye the Hebrew is Her shields Magistrates should be as shields to the people to protect them but what did they They love Give ye that word pleased them They were more pleased with receiving rewards then with doing right The Lord is above all gifts he is Shaddai he hath all in himself and needs not that any should give unto him and he tels them expressely Ezek. 7.19 That their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of
his wrath offer thousands of silver and gold he will not stay judgement a minute for it Prov. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath In the day of mans wrath they sometimes will but never in the day of Gods Thirdly Affection and neernesse of relation pervert judgement Many have clean hands free from bribes and stout hearts free from fears yet they are overcome with affection and relations these put out the eye of justice The Lord is above all relations As he commands us in our cleaving unto Christ not to know father or mother Yea to hate Father and mother wife Etiamsi fuisset Ieconia mihi charissimus quē semper in oculis serrem Jun. c. and those are neerest to us that we may keep close unto Christ So himself doth not know the neerest relation to pervert judgement or doe wrong in favour of it Hence he saith of Coniah Jer. 22.24 Though Coniah be as the signet upon my right hand yet will I pluck him thence Let him plead neernesse as men doe such a man is of your bloud or alliance pray spare him God will not spare the signet on his right hand that is he will not stop justice upon any pretence of neernesse or usefulnesse 5. God is exact take them dictinctly both in judgement and in justice He is as curious in searching out the cause as in sentencing the person As ready to acquit the innocent as to condemn the guilty as carefull to relieve the oppressed as to chasten the oppressour as * Pervertii jus qui non punit improbos pervertit justitiam qui non remunerat justorum bona opera Drus zealous in rewarding those who deserve well as in punishing those who doe evil Not to reward is as great injustice as not to punish What God hath promised shall be performed and what he threatens shall be inflicted He will neither discourage goodnesse by neglecting it nor encourage sinne by winking at it He hath bread in one hand and a sword in the other Thus we see The Lord is most exact in justice Psal 48.10 The right hand of the Lord is full of righteousnesse His power and might are his right hand and that right hand hath nothing but righteousnesse in it Few men come to that of Laban It is in the power of mine hand to doe thee hurt but I will not most doe as much hurt as is in their power God hath all power in his hand but he wrongs no man As none have now any cause to say that they have received wrong from the hand of God so at last all shall confesse they have not Further Bildad speaking upon supposition that God was wronged injustice teacheth us That It is a duty to vindicate the justice of God whensoever we hear i◠wronged When we hear any wounding God is his faithfulnesse truth or justice we should presently stand up to plead for him What will God be unfaithfull Will God pervert judgement Will God be untrue c. Thus we should plead for God When Jeremy could not make out the justice of God he is an advocate for his justice Lord thou art righteous yet let me plead with thee He would not have the matter once questioned though the manner was enquired Lastly Observe That The judgements of God may be secrets to us but they are never injuries to us Justice is in all the dealings of God but his justice is not alwaies visible His judgements are founded upon reason when upon his will for his will is the highest reason God cannot be unjust and he ever punishes those who are He is so farre from subverting judgement that he subverteth Kings and Magistrates yea Nations and Kingdoms for subverting judgement To subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3.36 The Hebrew is The Lord seeth not That is he doth not see it to approve it but he doth see it to punish it He is an avenger of those who will not avenge the oppressed And as he looks for judgement in all places so especially among his own people upon whom he bestows most mercy Isa 5.2 When the Lord done so much for his vineyard He looked for judgements and behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry God makes privy search thorow a Nation to finde this jewell Judgement between man and man in commerce which is commutative justice judgement from Magistrates to the people which is distributive justice for these God is searching at this day one of the greatest sins among us is the perverting of judgement And untill judgement return to man how can we expect mercy should return from God Jer. 5.1 Runne to and fro thorow the streets of Jerusalem and seek in the broad places thereof if you can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement that loves the truth and I will pardon it A Land is seldom fill'd with the judgements of God till it is emptied of judgement among men What a sad thing is it that there should be so many cries against injustice on earth in a time when there is so much crying out for mercy from heaven That in such a time when the judgements of God are upon our selves we should not learn righteousnesse to act it among our selves I am perswaded the Sword of warre had been rusting in it's sheath to this day if the Sword of justice had been used as it ought both to punish offenders and protect the innocent And when the sword of justice shall be both waies imployed I doubt not but the sword of warre shall be sheathed again and imployed no more but be beaten into plow-shares and our spears into pruning hoks Keep ye judgement saith the Lord by his Prophet Isa 56.1 for my salvation is neer to come and my righteousnesse to be revealed God hath done terrible things in righteousnesse among us and we hope he will doe comfortable things in righteousnesse among us seeing the righteous destructions of God have been upon us and his righteous salvations we hope are neer us let not our righteousnesse be farre off JOB Cap. 8. Vers 4 5 6 7. If thy children have sinned against him and he have cast them away for their transgression If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almighty If thou were pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Though thy beginning was small yet thy later end should greatly encrease THese four verses contain the first confirmation of the former generall position That God is just which is resolved out of those Questions Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice He doth not Then God is just there 's the Position And as that Position consisteth of two parts so also doth this proof or confirmation of it 1. That God doth not pervert judgement taking judgement under that strict notion for punishing of offenders he proveth by the example of
way of his providence is called his sleep The complaint runnes high Psal 44.9 c. Lord thou goest not forth with our Armies we are become a reproach unto our enemies Thou sellest thy people for nought we are killed like sheep all the day long There 's a description of the confusion of things then followeth vers 23. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord Arise cast us not off for ever wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression Such a time was accounted the sleeping time of God Hence when God in the workings of his providence searcheth out the wicked and brings them to destruction when he breaks their designs and turns their counsels backwards when he turns their wickednesse upon their own heads and catches them in the snare which they have laid for others then he is said to awake Ps 78.65 He gave his people over to the sword and the fire consumed the young men then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep and like a giant refreshed with wine He smote his enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame Such a time was accounted Gods waking time So then Sleeping and awaking note only the changes of providence Hence also the providence of God is described by an eye 2 Chron. 16.9 which is the proper organ of sleeping or waking and the exactnesse of providence is set out by seven eyes Zech. 3.9 The Scripture speaks this language in reference to our soul-sleep and awakening When we sin and let things goe which way they will in our hearts without taking any care or keeping our watch against temptation then we are asleep in sinne And when we begin to consider our estates and return to our selves when we take notice how it is with us and ask our hearts the question What have we done This in a spirituall sense is our awakening Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 Our spirituall sleeping and waking are the decaies or quicknings of soul-endeavours And Gods providentiall sleeping and waking are the seeming stops and visible motions of his power mercy and justice in the world This is the awaking which Bildad promises If thou wouldest seek God c. Surely he would awake for thee The words opened teach us First That holy prayer shall certainly be heard If thou make thy supplication to him surely he will awake God cannot sleep when a poor believing soul cries in his ears If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer Psal 66.18 But verily God hath heard me he hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me What God turn prayer away No he cannot lie still as I may so speak when prayer knocks at the door he must arise and open presently That 's a second note Prayer shall be heard presently What presently Yes presently heard though not presently answered Surely now he will awaken for thee even now Holy prayers are never deferred the hearing no not a minute Isa 65.24 Before they call I will hear and while they are yet speaking I will answer In the very act of praying the answer came forth yea the answer sometimes antedates our asking and the grant commeth before the petition The giving out of the answer may be deferr'd but the answer is not deferr'd We may be heard and heard graciously and yet not presently receive the thing we ask but every prayer is heard and laid up assoon as put up he hangs it upon the file he hath it safe by him Prayer receives an answer in heaven assoon as spoken upon earth though the answer be not returned to us on earth God sleeps not at the prayer of those who are awake in prayer Thirdly Observe Prayer is the best means to awaken God God hath many waies to awaken man and he hath directed man a way to awaken himself When we are asleep he awakeneth us chiefly two waies First by the voice of his word Secondly by the voice of his rod. He now awakens us by the loud sounding trumpet and the alarms of warre when God awakeneth us by judgements it is time for us to awaken him by prayer We finde two things in Scripture which awaken God First the prayers of his own people And secondly the rage and blasphemy of his enemies Psal 78.65 The Prophet having described the cruelty and rage of the enemy adds Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine David makes this an argument in prayer Psal 7. Because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to the judgement which thou hast commanded As if he had said Lord shall mine enemies rage and wilt thou sleep Wilt not thou awake for me Arise I pray thee The noise of blasphemy and the cry of violence from wicked men stir up God when he seems to lie asleep The noise of prayer the cries and cals of faith in his own people will not let him sleep A man whose heart is drenched in the world and drowned in rivers of earthly pleasures praies himself asleep and his prayers bring God asleep to he sleeps when he praies and God sleeps at his prayers that is God regards not his prayer he is as one that sleepeth as if he heard not what was said A wordly man doth not hear what he speaks he knows not what his own requests are God sleepeth when men are thus asleep But when we as the Apostle directs watch and pray then God awakes at our prayers As in the former verse Job was counselled to awake to pray to God so now he is promised That the Lord will awake when he praieth Fourthly Seeing the Lord is awakened by prayer Wâ— learn That Prayer ought to be very strong and fervent As men are graduall in their sleep so is the Lord in his A man is sometimes so slumberingly asleep that the least noise will awake him you cannot stirre but he will hear it At another time a man is so dead asleep that though you hollow in his ear you cannot awake him thunder cannot stirre him Sometimes God departs so little that the least voice calleth him again he comes at the first word at another time he is gone so farre that as to a man in a deep sleep you must crie and cry again call and call again cry aloud before he hears And we may in a safe sense apply that to the true God which Elijah did to that false god Baal when his Priests were calling to him from morning to night Elijah mocking bids them cry aloud it may be saith he he sleepeth We may say with reverence thus when any pray to God and he doth not hear pray aloud not in regard of the voice and outward sound but pray with louder desires of heart with more fervency and zeal of spirit Peradventure God sleepeth peradventure he is in a deep sleep at this time and he will not suddenly be awakened therefore cry aloud When God
Then habitation is the seat of a mans outward estate and his estate the shell and the kernell the outside and inside of all he hath Quasi nihil aliud quam aequitatem justitiam â—edoleant bona justè acquisita Merc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. l. 5. c. 1. The habitation of thy righteousnesse That is the habitation where righteousnesse doth flourish or wherein thou livest righteously But what is righteousnesse Righteousnesse is a very comprehensive word The Philosopher tels us it takes in all other vertues whatsoever It is not a part of vertue but all vertue When righteousnesse is set as distinct from holinesse and piety then it is restrained to our dealings with men Righteousnesse relates to men and holinesse to God Luk. 1.75 Tit. 2.12 Gospel-grace teaches us to live soberly in opposition to the intemperance of our bodies righteously in opposition to wrong in our actions godly in opposition to all impiety and prophanenesse of our mindes But righteousnesse here takes in our whole duty whether to God or man The habitation of thy righteousnesse that is the place where thou exercisest all manner of holy and righteous duties toward God and toward man Righteousnesse toward man first in distributive justice giving every one his due in judgement as thou art a Magistrate Secondly Righteousnesse towards man in commutative justice giving every one his due in commerce as thou art a neighbour The habitation of thy righteousnesse It is an elegant expression The Church is sometimes called so Jer. 31.23 Thus saith the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel as yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the Cities thereof when I shall bring again their captivity The Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse This speech they shall use It seems it had been an ordinary salutation thus to bespeak Judah O thou habitation of justice or righteousnesse and mountain of holinesse Every particular member of the Church is named A tree of righteousnesse Isa 61.3 They shall be called trees of righteousnesse the plantation of the Lord. Each Saint is a tree of righteousnesse and all of them together are an habitation a plantation of righteousnesse God himself is stiled The habitation of righteousnesse because he in a way of highest excellency or in the most superlative degree is the seat of righteousnesse all righteousnesse is as it were housed and dwelling in him The Prophet Jer. 50.7 describing the unkinde usage which the true worshippers should finde in the daies of which he prophesieth speaks thus All that found them have devoured them and their adversaries said we offend not because they have sinned against the Lord They thought their brethren had sinned against the Lord and that therefore they might trouble them without sinne They have sinned against the Lord the habitation of justice even the Lord the hope of their fathers It is but justice say they for us to punish those who sin against the habitation of justice Men take it in passage do evil sometimes out of conscience and think they do God good service while they really wrong their brethren He shall make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pacificabit pâ—catum reddet i. e. integrum perfectum omnibus bonis redundans qualia affert pax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. That is he shall make it peaceable and quiet setled and established The word signifies peace plenty and prosperity He shall pacifie or quiet the habitation of thy righteousnesse The Septuagint thus He shall restore it to or repair it for thee There are three things in that word It may note 1. The quietnesse of all within his family There shall be peace and a good agreement in thy habitation 2. The abundance the fruitfulnesse the great encrease of all within his family he will make thee thrive 3. The peaceable holding or enjoyment of all those good things free from forraign invasion or oppressions Do thus and then neither Sabeans nor Chaldeans shall any more come upon thee and plunder thee Thus he will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous The summe of all is as if Bildad had said unto Job Thy habitation hath heretofore been an habitation of unrighteousnesse of impiety of tyranny thy house hath been filled with spoyl and oppression thy Tabernacle hath been a Sanctuary for wickednesse a lodging or rendezvous for all manner of riot and intemperance of rapine and injustice but now Job if thou wilt make thy self pure and upright thou shalt see the case will alter whereas before troops and armies of miseries have invaded thee and spoil'd all thou hadst within and without now if in thy house where wickednesse formerly dwelt righteousnesse shall enter and dwell Vbi facta fuerit morum studiorum fieâ— etiaÌ„ magna fortunae conversio thou shalt see that with righteousnesse peace will enter too Troubles will depart when wickednesse departs and evils of punishment will dislodge with the evil of sinne when those better guests righteousnesse and holinesse come into and are welcom'd at thy house then thy house shall be better when thy heart and thy life change thy estate shall change and those comforts which have so long been strangers from thee shall return thy banished mercies shall come home again adorn thy wals and strengthen thy familie This is the summe of what he promiseth in these words He will make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous Hence observe First Prosperity is in the power of God If he awakes he can make us prosperous and peacefull If he doe but speak the word our captivity shall teturn He saith to a dry stick flourish and to a green tree wither his word is cloathed with power to do good or evil Secondly Observe A righteous habitation shall be a prosperous habitation Whether we respect persons families or nations thus it is in the ordinary dispensations of God As in regard of our spirituall and eternall estate The work of righteousnesse is peace Isa 32.17 so in regard of our temporall and outward Christ who is the Prince of righteousnesse is also the Prince of peace He brought righteousnesse into the world and then peace came into the world If he had not made an habitation of righteousnesse in the world there had never been an habitation of peace in the world in that work of his the foundation of our prosperity was laid Jesus Christ who as a Priest purchased our peace is also The King of righteousnesse Blessings crown the head of a righteous people Jer. 31.23 They shall say the Lord blesse thee O habitation of righteousnesse If thou art a habitation of righteousnesse a blessing shall rest upon thee The Kingdom of God is not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 as the spirituall Kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost So the joy and peace
when these storms are over-blown shall wonderfully encrease Against this it may be objected How can the former estate of Job be called small when as it is said Chap. 1. that Job had a very vast estate We have heard the inventory of his goods the totall summe or apprizement of all being given in by God himself That Job was the greatest of all the men in the East How then can it be said that his first estate was small Though thy beginning were small I answer comparatively it may be called small An exceeding excesse of greatnesse lessens and littles any other greatnesse The Moone is a great light but the light of the Sunne makes that light darknesse That which is glorious hath no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth he that is rich or great hath no riches or greatnesse by reason of riches and greatnesse which excell Job had a fair estate before and was the greatest man of all the men of the East but his estate is promised to be such as shall obscure the former and render it inconsiderable Accordingly it is said in the story of his restoring Chap. 42.10 That the Lord turned the captivity of Job also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before Half is but a little to the whole And at the 12. verse The Lord blessed the later end of Job more then his beginning Which words are a good exposition upon the text in hand When Joseph sent for his father and brethren to come into Aegypt Gen. 45.20 he saith but as for your stuff do not regard that for the good of all the land of Aegypt is before you Joseph knew his father was a rich man Jacob was no beggar but let all that go for nothing leave it to those that will take it up all the good of Aegypt is before you what is all you have to the riches of Aegypt That 's the first sense Observe â—â—om it That The Lord is able to repair all our losses with abundant advantages We complain of losses I have lost a great estate saith one but the Lord is able to give thee such an estate as that the greatnesse of the former shall not be remembred Secondly They who lose much usually have great repairs Iob was great above all others in the East but now he shall be made greater then himself As in spirituals they that have to them more shall be given and they shall have more abundance so they that lose much in temporals to them more is given sometimes then they have lost and they shall have abundance There is a second sense to which the letter of the originall doth rather incline which makes both parts of the verse look only to his second estate namely his restauration and so the sense is this Though thou doest not presently thrive and grow up to a great estate yet afterward thou shalt Though after this breaking and undoing thou shouldst set up as it were but with a little stock one friend bringing thee a peece of silver another a peece of gold a third a jewell all making a purse for thee and so thou beginnest but upon alms and charity yet thy later end shall greatly encrease As if Bildad had said Though God should now begin to comfort and restore thee but with small matters yet doe not thinke he will so conclude with thee he hath enough in store The letter of the originall is most clear for this the words being assertive rather then suppositive Thy beginning shall be small Cum dicat erit satis indâ—cat se loqui de ijs bonis quae habiturus est si resipuerit non de ijs quae habuit ante hanc tempestatem Drus Sic solet Deus ditare suos non uno tempore simul sed paulatim ut Itali dicunt poco à poco Galli peu a peu Idem and thy later end shall greatly encrease which referrs to the time future not past as we and others translate Hence observe That The Lord doth usually raise his people by degrees They do not receive all at once It is true of persons families and Nations We must not look for all in a day Outward mercies may come too fast upon us there may be a glut of them We may have more than we know how to order and take in it may do hurt to receive all together As it is with men that have been long pined with famine and hunger and are grown out of their ordinary course by reason of their necessitated abstinence We doe not presently give them all manner of good cheer or bring them to a full table and let them eat as much as they will but we give them a little and a little at a time and so by degrees bring their stomacks on till they be wrought for plenty So when the Lord brings persons or nations very low he doth not bring in a glut of mercies at first this would be more then they are able to bear as they may be undone if they have all at one receit but he gives they are able to take them in and make a right use of them As Iacob said to Esau his brother when he invited him to march with him no saith Iacob I cannot march thy pace I must consider what my train is I have flocks here that are great with young And if I should over-drive them one day they would all die therefore saith he I will lead on softly according as the cattell that are before me and the children be able to endure So it is in this case the Lord in infinite wisdome gives as men are able to receive We may be over-mercy'd as well as over-affliâ—ted over-laden with comforts as well as with sorrows And therefore as the Lord doth correct in judgement and in measure So also doth he restore We have not full-tide in a moment or in a quarter of an hour it would be terrible dangerous and troublesome if when it is low water we should have full tide in a moment but it comes in stealing by degrees and at last it swels all over the banks Such a stealing flood of mercies the Lord gives his people Therefore be caution'd In the returns of mercy do not despise small things Your beginnings may be inconsiderable this is but a little and that is but a little but doe not despise the first or second little So the Prophet counsels Zech. 4.10 Despise not the day of small things The beginnings of mercy were scarce discernable and they looked upon them as nothing they thought they would never come to any thing Take heed saith the Prophet doe not despise small things there 's more a comming Hast thou but a little Doth God make but some little repairs of outward comforts Do not sleight these look upon them as the beginnings of greater things When Elijah sent his servant to go and look toward the sea whether he saw any sign of rain he at last brought him
store of water they are sensuall they must please their appetites and delight their palates The Apostle describes them so They serve not the Lord Jesus but their own bellies they must be supported with the affluence of outward things else they cannot hold out in profession Whereas the godly and true believers can live when the water is drain'd or dry'd away when outward things fail and are gone So the Prophet Habakkuk professes Chap. 3. ult Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines though the fields shall yeeld no meat and there be no herds in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and will joy in the God of my salvation A godly man will grow when all the world decaies to him he will rejoyce in God when all outward comforts fail him hypocrites must have sensuall supplies or they are lost A feigned love of spirituall things is ever joyned with a true love of worldly things Christ speaks of some who followed him more for the loaves then for the word And Judas followed his Masters bag more then his Master Fifthly Bulrushes or flags yeeld no fruit at all they only make a fair shew hypocrites how green so ever they are what shew or profession soever they make yeeld no fruit of holinesse Sixtly A bulrush or a flag withers sooner then any other herb that is then other herbs that are not seated so near the water And this agrees well with the hypocrite for when the hypocrite begins once to wither he withers quickly He never had any true life and he will not long appear to have any When one that hath made a fair profession begins to decay he decaies sooner than a meer civil man a civil man will hold out in honesty and justice a great while but a hypocrite gives over holinesse and godlinesse presently Besides God blasts and withers an hypocrite sooner than any other man because he hath abused and wronged God more then any other man When judgements come they fall first upon hypocrites The hypocrites in Zion tremble Isa 33. Trembling will take hold upon the prophane and openly wicked but trembling takes hold foonest upon hypocrites they have most cause to tremble who were confident without a cause False hope is the parent of reall fear and they who believe without repenting shall repent without believing Verse 13. So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shall perish So are the paths So that is thus it comes to passe Sic sane illis accidit usu venit talis est eorum conditio Drus this is the way and the end of all those who forget God The path of a man is taken two vvaies First For his state and condition Psal 1. The way of the wicked shall perish that is the vvhole state of a wicked man shall perish Secondly For his course and conversation Job 33.11 He putteth my feet in the stocks he marketh all my paths that is he takes notice of the vvhole course of my life all my conversation all my tradings and dealings are before God This path of mans course and conversation is two-fold There is an internall and there is an externall path The internall is that of the minde the minde hath it's course the heart hath a vvay Isa 57.17 He went on frowardly in the way of his heart The external path is that of outward actions That which we usually doe is our path Thus the actions and works of God are called the paths of God Job 40.19 Behemeth is the chief of the waies of God Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old Psal 77.13 Thy way O God is in the sanctuary that is thy actings and doings are seen there Our actions are compared to a path in two respects 1. Because we are frequent in them that which is a mans course he treads every day 2. They are called our paths because they lead us to same end every path leads us to some place or other Some actions lead to life and some to death some lead to heaven some to hell some to Christ and some to Satan to one of these ends we are travelling and journeying all the daies of our lives Of those that forget God To forget God imports these four things 1. Not to think of God we forget that which we minde not The first act of remembring is thinking The thief on the crosse prayed Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom that is think of me for good God is not in all the thoughts of a wicked man â—o obey or honour him and a wicked man is not in all the thought of God in this sense to blesse or pardon him 2. To forget God is to disobey God or not to doe the will of God Deut. 8.11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his Commandments As to remember God is to do the will of God Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth that is do the will of thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth so to forget God is to disobey God not to doe his will God is said to forget us when he doth not our will that is when we in prayer propose â—uâ—dâ—â—fe to God to doe them for us the not doing of those things for us into forget us David expostulates Psal 77.9 Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious He had praied much at the beginning of the Psalm with successe I cried unto God with my mouth even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me He puts up other requests which finding no present answer or sensible acceptance he cries out Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious Now as when the Lord doth not our will he is said in Scripture to forget us so when we do not the will of God we indeed forget him 3. To forget is lightly to esteem to sleight the Lord. That which a man highly esteems he keeps in his memory and treasure it up there and when a man forgets a thing Oblivio affert contemptum especially when he wilfully forgets it he disrespects it he sleights and contemns it Jer. 30.14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee that is thy lovers care not for thee they sleight and esteem lightly of thee When a man comes not at one whom he loves he is said to forget him Jer. 2.32 Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire A maid hath a great esteem of her ornaments especially of her wedding ornaments and therefore she is often thinking of them it may be she can hardly sleep the night before for thinking of the rich garments yea the bracelets and bables she is to wear upon the wedding day Can a bride forget her attire Will she throw these by the walls as we speak or cast them at her heels Yet saith the Lord My people have forgotten me daies without number
thing but truth and beauty in it Hypocrites cannot be distinguisht by the out-side of what they do their lewdnesse is under a cover Some tell us that the Hebrew word for an hypocrite may be derived from another which signifies a cloud Nebulo à nebâ—la qui men laciis suis nebulaÌ„ quandam tenebras objicit the wickednesse of such is wrapt up in a cloud whence the latine word for a crafty dishonest man imports one who casts a cloud or a mist before his dishonesty So that it is hard to make this discovery till effects and issues make it Only God looks quite thorow all clouds and coverings he sees what is in the heart though man cannot God sees his contrivances are only to serve his turn and attain earthly ends Animaâ—culum illud valde imbecâ—llum ma liciosum atque meditabunduâ— potiâ—s quam pruâ—ens domicilium aedificat in quo â—e tutum existimat Bol. 5. The hypocrite like the spider thinks himself safe and out of harms way when once lodg'd in this profession He is ready to boast that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it So much for the similitude Now follows the application of the similitude in the fifteenth verse Verse 15. He shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand he shall take hold of it but it shall not endure Bildad goes on to bring down his similitude to this particular Thus the spider doth and thus the hypocrite the spider leans upon his house there he dwels and so the hypocrite he leans upon his house there he dwels and rests himself The word which we translate lean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niâ—â— innifâ— est reâ—inotus fuit incidâ—uit toâ—is viribus per Mâ—taphoraÌ„ considit is often used in the old Testament to note the vitall act of faith the act of recumbency Faith in the vitall act of it is a resting upon another Now false faith imitates true faith that will be resting and leaning Faith whether true or false cannot stand alone it must have a lean-to He leaneth upon his house It noteth leaning upon a staff or upon any stay 1 Sam. 1.6 Saul leaned upon his spear being weary in the battell And Prov. 3.5 Lean not to thine own understanding Wise men men of deep reach and judgement lean to their own understandings their wits are their props Isa 10.20 The remnant of Israel shall no more stay themselves upon him that smote them but they shall stay upon the Lord or they shall lean upon the Lord the holy One of Israel in truth 2 Sam. 22.19 they prevented me in the day of my calamity but the Lord was my stay God prevents his people with mercy and their enemies prevent them with unkindenesses but the love of God out-runs the malice of man His love staies up those whom malice would cast down The Lord was my stay And hence the Noun of this Verb in the Hebrew signifies a staff because we use a staff to lean and rest the body upon Isa 3.1 Behold the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water The stay of bread or the staff of bread because bread is that upon which the life of man leans or depends as we depend or lean upon a staff Scita est Metaphora â—um fulcimentum paniusurpat pro pane fulciente sâ—â—nificans foris vim illam panuÌ„ accedere Vt enim gressus senum reguntur baculo ita panis dicitur habere â—acu um Mol. in Isa 3.1 Bread is elegantly called a staff because bread supports the life of man as a staff doth the body It implies this also that the power vertue and strength by which bread doth sustain us comes from without The staff of bread he doth not call the bread it self a staff but he saith there is a staff of bread the bread must have a staff of blessing from God or else it cannot be a staff of strengthening to us as the bread is the immediate staff of our bodies so the blessing of God is the immediate staff of the bread the bread leaneth upon the blessing of God as we lean upon the bread As an hungry man leans upon his bread so an hypocrite leans upon his house He shall lean upon his house That 's his stay But what is his house He shall lean upon his house The house of this hypocrite it is two-fold or he hath two houses He hath a worldly house and he hath a spirituall house He hath one house made out of earthly materials and another made out of heavenly materials Domum impij vocat bona facultates ejus quibus homines se fulciant juxta illud opes divitis arac ejus valida Drus He hath an house made out of worldly materials and so some interpret this place He shall lean upon his house that is upon his riches upon his relations upon his greatnesse upon his friends upon his correspondencies upon the estimation that he hath abroad in the world upon his reputation with his neighbours at home These framed and put together are a house which the hypocrite builds for himself upon these he rests and that 's a truth the world is an hypocrites support the house upon which he leans The money in his chest upholds him not faith in his heart his goods please him more then goodnesse He easily believes that he is in the favour of God because he hath so much favour among men That 's one house Bildad might aim at this because Job was a man of a full and vast estate the richest and greatest of all the men in the East as if he had said Job thou hast leaned upon thy outward abundance upon thy sheep and oxen upon thy children and servants and now thou findest all but a spiders web swept away in a moment Yet I conceive he means rather a house built of heavenly materials And there are three sorts of heavenly materials out of which the hypocrite builds his house 1. Gifts he hath knowledge and understanding in the word and waies of God the gift of prayer the gift it may be of tongues of prophecy and preaching These are excellent materials and upon these he builds his trust that he is in a good estate The second sort of materials are holy duties he praies he hears he fasteth and he gives alms and the like These he doth and out of these materials he builds his house very strongly he hopes Thirdly He hath finer stuff then all this to build his house of he buildeth upon supposed graces he can tell you he hath faith he hath love he hath patience he hath humility and he hath sorrow for sinne he can count all these things and out of these he buildeth himself an house of speciall confidence such a house as he doubts not will stand all windes and weathers he hopes to stand safe in
judgement under the roof and goodly fabrick of this house Out of these three sorts of materials spirituall gifts spirituall duties and supposed spirituall graces upon all these and out of these he buildeth and thinks he hath made an house that shall stand for ever The point I shall give you taking in those three sorts of materials is That gifts duties and supposed graces are the stay and the staff the house and the strength of hypocrites Upon these they lean and in these they secure themselves they rest upon this bottom for eternity Hence they even dare to plead with God himself about it Mat. 7.22 Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and done many great wonders They trusted upon Have we not prophesied Have we not praied Have we not done wonders They thought those sufficient materials to build them a tower which should reach heaven it self who can doubt but they who do such things as these shall do well The gift of prophecy the power to cast out devils and work miracles sound high and make a great noise Yet at last this tower of their confidence proves but a Castle in the air or a spiders web How confident were they who could plead thus with God He hath opened the secrets of heaven to us and do you thinke he will shut the gates of heaven upon us We have preached we have been instruments of saving others and shall not we be saved ourselves We have cast out devils and shall we be cast to the devil We have not walked in an ordinary tract of Profession but we have traded in wonders and done miracles we have amazed the world with reports of the great things we have done is all this nothing Thus they plead with Christ as if he were bound to save them by the law of these services yet Christ tels them Depart from me I know you not Surely thought they God will fetch his fewell for those everlasting burnings from among the rude Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost or debauched drunkards adulterers c. not from among us Were it not a wonder greater then any we have wrought if we who have wrought great wonders should not be admitted One of the Ancients represents them in such an amazement What means this strange unexpected answer from Christ Depart c. Must we depart who have lived so near thee Must we be damned whom thou hast thus honoured The Apostle Paul Rom. 2.17 speaking of the hypocriticall Jews discovers such a confidence Thou restest in the Law as a man resteth in his house there he sleeps is quiet so these in the Law there they were quiet that is in the priviledges and outward profession of the Law or in a literall and outward obedience to the Law The Jews built their house upon or with legall righteousnesse Thou restest in the Law Tibi applâ—u lis quod legem scriptam acceperis quòd frequenses in lectione auditione legis he speaks both by way of narration and likewise by way of redargution He tels what they did and how ill they did in doing so Paul rejects this as refuse stuff as hay and straw as drosse and dung as confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 c. Those things which acted or enjoyed are spirit being trusted to are flesh So Prayer is flesh ordinances are flesh the righteousnesse of the Law is flesh yea Grace it self trusted to is flesh The duties which Christ hath appointed are the house of the hypocrite but Christ himself is the house of the upright He would be found in him Phil. 3.9 not in duties or inherent graces Saints desire that much grace may be found in them but they dare not be found in graces they would ever be acting graces but never thrusting to them Secondly Observe An hypocrites hope is high and strong that his estate is good now and that he shall receive good at the last He leaneth upon this house Some are without hope in the world of whom we may speak as the Apostle of an heretike Tit. 3.11 they are condemned of themselves Some men have the sentence of condemnation in their own hearts But there are others as you see here who have great and strong confidences in themselves who live and die with this confidence too This they do upon the former witnesse As the Apostle John speaks concerning the witnesse which the Saints have for heaven There are three which bear witnesse c. and these three are one So there are three which bear witnesse to the hypocrite and these three are one they agree in one to deceive as the other to give assurance First The world that giveth many a man a witnesse and letters testimoniall that his estate is good his neighbours say so they flatter him and cry peace peace to him Secondly Satan applauds him the devil gives him his good word and tels him that certainly his estate is very good Thirdly His own heart will seal to all he shall have the witnesse in himself as it is spoken of the true believer So that the hypocrite having such witnesses a witnesse within himself a certificate under the hand of Satan and letters commendatory from the world all this must needs give him strength of hope that his house shall stand for ever But see the issue He leaneth upon his house What then It shall not stand The word signifies to stand firmly and strongly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stetit subsist it mansit or to continue standing He thought that the materials which he had brought together and the hopes which he had raised upon them would have been as Mount Zion that cannot be removed but he leaneth upon it and it shall not stand Whence observe All that an hypocrite trusteth unto shall deceive him at the last It shall not stand Their webs shall not become garments Neither shall they cover themselves with their works Isa 59.6 The language is proverbiall importing highest disappointment Who would weave a web if he knew he should never have a garment by it Or work hard when himself must go naked Jer. 7.1 2. the Lord sends to the people by his Prophet Say to this people Trust not to lying words that is words which will deceive and fail you you trust and lean to them but they will fall away from you What were those words Even that they had a goodly house to lean to they cried The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord but I hope that 's a strong house as well as a beautifull a man may lean upon that upon the temple of the Lord and do well No The temple of the Lord leaned upon will be but a spiders web God gave the Jews a temple to worship him in and many of them worshipped the temple We adore every duty we depend upon and give the Ordinances of God the honour of God
free grace of God to trust upon these are the two pillars of the Temple that support our hopes and the one is truly called Jachin established and the other Boaz strength The hypocrite hath a Temple an house and two pillars upon which he makes these inscriptions Vpon his worldly estate he writes Jachin Established Vpon his spirituall estate he writes Boaz Strength but he will be deceived in both They shall not endure When a wicked man begins to fall nothing shall support him As it was said of Haman in regard of his outward honour If these men be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt fall utterly So though when an hypocrite sees his house falling he takes fast hold of it and endeavours to support it yet it shall not stand fall it shall Vbi semel corruerit impius non erigetur Merc. The righteous fals and rise again he fals seven times in a day and yet is raised up again Prov. 24.16 but when an hypocrite begins to fall he falleth down down for ever It is said of the righteous Psal 37.24 Though he fall he shall not utterly be cast off for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand but when the hypocrite falleth he shall be utterly cast away for his duties only hold him by the hand he hath only somewhat of himself to support himself with therefore though he take hold of it It shall not endure JOB Chap. 8. Vers 16 17 18 19. He is green before the Sun and his branch shooteth forth in his garden His roots are wrapped about the heap and seeth the place of stones If he destroy him from his place then it shall deny him saying I have not seen thee Behold this is the joy of his way and out of the earth shall others grow THe context of these four verses holds forth to us the third similitude by which Bildad illustrates the condition of an hypocrite The similitude is explained in the 16 17 and 18. verses and applied in the 19th The hypocrite was first compared to a rush or a flag Secondly to a spiders web But now to a goodly tree This third similitude grants the hypocrite the best of his condition and puts him in the fairest posture that can be imagined and yet all proves naught his root is but rottennesse and his blossome shall go up as the dust or his branches shall be cut down and his root stubbed up It is as if Bildad had said If you thinke I have spoken too little and too low or have debased the hypocrite more then was meet by comparing him to a poor rush or a flag and his estate to a spiders web then take him in his highest notion let him be looked upon as a green flourishing tree before the Sunne fastening his roots and spreading out his branches yet you shall see at the last destruction is his end Behold this is the joy of the hypocrite That 's the summe and the generall sense of the words Three thingt are held forth in this similitude concerning the hypocrite First His outward happines and flourishing estate in the 16th verse He is green before the Sun and his branch shooteth forth in his garden Secondly His hurtfulnesse or the anoyance which he doth to his neighbours and brethren shadowed out in the 17. verse His roots are wrapped about the heap and he seeth the place of stones Thirdly We have his ruine or cutting down his destruction or pulling up in the 18th verse If he destroy him from his place then it shall deny him saying I have not seen thee His flourishing estate begins in the 16. ver He is green before the Sun The word green signifies moist juicy or sappy proper to trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Madere humidū succosum esse So Mr Broughton translates He is juicefull before the Sunne And others He is full of sap In which sense the word is used Chap. 24.8 of this book They are wet with the showres of the mountains or moist and sappy receiving in many showres from the mountains A tree green juicy and full of sap is in the height of his strength and beauty Juice and sap is to the tree as bloud to the veins and marrow to the bones of a man and therefore as a young man in the prime and strength of his age is described by having his veins full of bloud and his bones full of marrow so a tree is described in it's greatest verdure by having his root and branches full of sap and moisture The hypocrite may be such a flourishing tree He is green before the Sun Before the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew is Before the face of the Sun The word Shemesh the Sunne signifieth a Minister or servant because the Sun is the great servant of the world and ministreth those benefits of light heat influence This by the way should have kept the Nations from adoring it as a God which both in name and nature was their servant But what means this Before the Sun 1. Some take before the Sun to be only this openly conspicuously and in the sight of all for to do a thing before the Sun is to do it without covert or secrecy 2 Sam. 12.12 Thus the Lord threatneth David after that sin of privacy committed with Bathsheba Thou didst it secretly Ante solem i. e. palam in oculis omnium but I will do this before all Israel and before the Sun So the hypocrite is green before the Sun that is he flourisheth in the eye view and sight of all men He hath fair leaves and branches of outward profession in the Church and of outward prosperity in the world 2. Before the Sun that is as a tree in Summer when the Sunne returns to us or turns upon us In the beginning of the spring the Sun returns having travell'd furthest off from us it comes to the verticall point and turns about to us again So that before the Sun or the Sun looking towards us is a description of the spring And so it is as if he had said As a tree when the Sunne cometh towards it in the Spring and shines hot upon it in the Summer makes a fair shew So the hypocrite is very green joyfull full of contentment whilest he hath the Sun of prosperity shining upon him whilst those warm raies of outward comforts heat and nourish him so long he is green and flourishing 3. Before the Sun that is according to others before the Sun shines too hot upon him before the Sun scorches and withers him Antequam se◠veniat Bibl. Reg Ante exortum ardorem solis i. e. antequā o◠inardescens cum adurat q. d. priusquā à Domino puniatur visitatur Ardor est ira Domini Merc. as if he had said The hypocrite is a green tree till the heat comes upon him till the Sun ariseth in his strength but assoon as the heat of the
among numbers a chief number a captain number and is therefore put for all great numbers or for the greatest numbers that can be imagined to say one of a thousand is as much as to say One amongst all One is not a number it is but the seed principle or beginning of number Aunity hath a seminall vertue in it all numbers are made out of ones but one it self is no number So that to say One of a thousand is to put the greatest and the least number in opposition it is as much as to say a man cannot answer God in any thing that ever he did in the whole course of his life 2 Pet. 3.8 One day is with the Lord as a thousand years Vnitas huic numero opposita pro nihilo habetur and a thousand years as one day When he saith a thousand years he means all years all time put together is but as one day to the Lord. A day was the first distinction of time the first perfect time that was created was a day now put a thousand years together it is but as one day to the Lord All times and one time are all one to him who inhabits eternity In Psal 90.6 it is a thousand years are but as yesterday which notes all time past as Peter notes all time to come is but as one day One of a thousand referred to a person notes a choice excellent man among all men Job 33.23 If there be an interpreter one among a thousand one choice man amongst many or amongst all He that rightly expounds the text of a troubled conscience and interprets the minde of God to such a soul is a chief the flower of a thousand a man of men Christ Cant. 5.10 is called the chiefest of ten thousand the Hebrew is a Standard-bearer such are choice men elect of the multitude Christ is the elect of all the multitudes in the whole world bring all Armies of men together or an Army of man-kinde chose amongst them all and you cannot finde such another as Christ is he is the choice of ten thousand that is the choice of all the thousands that are in the world He cannot answer him one of a thousand He cannot answer Some referre it only to the person He that is one man of a thousand men is not able to answer God Secondly We may referre it to the matter to the objections or charges that shall be brought against him he cannot answer to one thing of a thousand So M Broughton as if he had said If God brings many charges or laies many articles against him he is not able to satisfie God or give a good account in one Vilem hominum conditionem judex contemnet Polychron Tantum non est homo ut Deus eum sua responsione dignetur Vatabl. Illud non poterit idem erit quod nolet vel per transpositionem verborum poterit non respondere Thirdly Some referre it to God himself If he that is man should contend with him he would not answer him one of a thousand that is God would not answer him one of a thousand as if he had said the matters will be so triviall and so sleight the charges that a man can bring against God or the objections he can make will be so easie that the Lord will not vouchsafe to answer one word of a thousand Some men will plead priviledge to some charges and all their answer shall be they may chuse or it is at their liberty whether they will answer or no. Here he would not referred to God is as much as he needs not he is no way obliged to answer he may claim priviledge Further when arguments are poor and empty a man will say in dispute These things are not worth answering or of a book there is not one page that is worth a confutation it carries its own confutation Such a sense may be made out here God will not dishonour himself by contending with so weak an adversary as man or by answering such simple arguments Rogatus homo in judicio divino haesitabit aestuabit obmutescet But rather as before referre it to man He cannot answer him one of a thousand that is if God come to question man to lay such and such matters to his charge or object against him poor creature he must shut his mouth put up his books he hath nothing to say he must hide his face for he cannot answer him one of a thousand So in the 14th verse of this Chapter How much lesse shall I answer him and chuse out my words to plead with him Hence observe First That there is in man a spirit ready to contend against God himself If he contend with him or if he plead with him which supposes that there is such a principle of pride in the heart of man The heart of man is very full of quarrels and contentions with man but fuller of quarrels with God himself The great controversie between God and man is whose will shall stand Gods will or mans God directs man one way and man contendeth he will go another way There is a natural unanswerablenes between the heart of man every thing that God doth or speaks hence it is that man cals God so often to answer There is a contention first about that work of God the foundation-stone of all the works of God his decrees and counsels While the Apostle Rom. 9.20 stops such mouths he shews how ready they are to open O man Who art thou that repliest against God Thou wilt say wherefore doth he complain Thus man begins to contend But O man who art thou that thou shouldest dare to reply upon God Wilt thou be venturing to question the righteous God Must he be accountable to thee for what he did before thou hadst a being Secondly What contentions are there continually about the rules which God gives man to order his life by Man thinks this is an unreasonable rule that 's a hard rule and a third is an unprofitable rule how many rise up against the Law to which they should submit and would shift off obedience to the rule by complaints against it The carnall minde or the minding of the flesh is enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 Words importing highest opposition and that irreconciliable It is not it cannot be subject the minde is never subject to the Law till it be changed into the Law Christ saith that one iota or title of the Law shall not passe till all be fulfilled it is as true that not one iota or title of the Law can be fulfilled by us till our carnall mindes passe away Paul found just as much stubbornnesse and contrariety against the will of God remaining in him as there was of a carnall minde remaining in him Rom. 7. As man desires not the knowledge of the will of God Job 21.14 and secretly wishes that he were ignorant
and prospered That is did ever any man so weary out God by lengthening this warre that God was as it were forced at last to offer him terms of peace So it happens sometimes with men Ab aequipollente pacem aliquis pugnando obtinere potest licet enim eum superaâ—e non possit tamen assiâ—uitate pugnae eum fatigat ut ad pacem reducatur Aquin. Quis permansit aut perstetâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sep. with Nations and Kingdoms They not getting peace by victory but being spent and tired out with warre begin to thinke of treating Did ever any one put the Lord to offer a treaty with articles of peace to save himself from further trouble They who have not strength enough to overcome may yet have power enough to vex and weary their adversary But God can neither be vanquish'd by force nor vext with our policies into a peace with man Thirdly Others give this sense Who ever held out or was able to persist in a war against the Lord The wicked shall not stand before God in the day of judgement much lesse in the day of battell Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battell I would go thorow them I would burn them together Isa 27.4 The most steely and and flinty spirits in the world can no more stand before God then briars and thorns can before a flaming fire The Lord soon breaks and destroies all opposing power And so there is a figure in the words for man doth not only not prosper but he is undone and crusht for ever by contending with God Shall man prosper in a warre with God No it shall end in his own ruine and utter destruction Whence observe That nothing can be got but blows by contending with God The greatest Monarchs in the world have at one time or other found their matches but the great God never found his match Hoc est signum evidens quod fortitu lo Dei omnem humanaÌ„ fortitudinem exoedit quia nullus cum eo paceâ— habere potest resist endo sed solum humiliter obediendo Aquin. Vicisti Galilae Pharaoh contended with him but did he prosper in it You see what became of him at last he was drown'd in the red sea Julian contended with Christ he scoffed at him he came up to the highest degrees he sate in the chair of the scorner and in the tribunall of the persecutour but what got he at last When he was wounded and threw up his bloud toward heaven said he not O Galilean thou hast overcome I acknowledge thy power whose name and truth I have opposed Christ whom he had derided and against whom he hardened himself into scorns and scoffs was too hard for him All that harden themselves against God shall be worsted Gather your selves together O ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Isa 8.9 Gather your selves together against whom Gather your selves together against the people of God and ye shall be broken in pieces Why Emanuel the Lord is with us If no man can prosper by hardening himself against the people of God because the Lord is with them how shall any man prosper by hardening himself immediately against God If Emanuel will not let any prosper against his people certainly he will not let any prosper against himself Therefore Prov. 28.24 Solomon laies it down directly He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief and Prov. 29.1 He shall be destroyed and that without remedy there is no help for it all the world cannot save him A hard heart is it self the forest of all judgements and it brings all judgements upon us A hard heart treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 As a hard heart is Satans treasury for sinne so it is Gods treasury for wrath The wals of that fiery Tophet are built up with these stones with their hard hearts who turn themselves into stones against the Lord. Then take heed of hardening your selves against God You know the counsell which Gamaliel gave Act. 5.39 Refrain from these men and let them alone c. See how tremblingly he speaks lest you be found even to fight against God as if he had said take heed what you doe it is the most dreadfull thing in the world to contend with God he speaks as of a thing he would not have them come near or be in the remotest tendency to Man will not meddle with a mortall man if he be too hard for him how should we tremble to meddle or contend with the immortall God! Christ Luk. 14. warning his Disciples to consider afore-hand what it is to be his disciples gives them an instance of a King What King saith he going to make warre against another King sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that commeth against him with twenty thousand Now I say to you if any such be here that have hearts steel'd or harden'd against God who challenge God the field and send defiance to heaven O sit down sit down consider whether you with your ten thousand are able to meet God with his twenty thousand that 's great odds half in half but consider whether one single simple man can stand against his twenty thousand whether a man of no strength can stand against infinite strength whether you who have no wisdom are able to stand against him that is of infinite wisdome Can ignorance contend with knowledge folly with wisdome weaknesse with strength an earthen vessel with an iron rod O the boldnesse and madnesse of men who will hazard themselves upon such disadvantages He is wise in heart and mighty in power who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered And as God is so powerfull that no wicked man in the world can mend himself by contending with him so neither can any of his own people If they harden themselves against God they shall not prosper To harden the heart against God is not only the sin of a Pharaoh of a Senacherib and of a Julian but possibly it may be the sin of a believer the sin of a Saint And therfore the Apostle Heb. 3. gives them caution Take heed lest any of your hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin and whose heart soever is hardned against God that man good or bad shall not prosper or have peace in it It is mercy that God will not give his own peace or let them thrive in sin Grace prospers not when the heart is hardened joy prospers not nor comfort nor strength when the heart is hardned the whole state and stock of a beleever is impaired when his heart is hardened And if the Saints harden their heart against God God in a sense will harden his heart against them that is he will not appear tender hearted and compassionate towards them in reference to present comforts he will harden himself to afflict and chasten when they harden themselves to
shalt become a plain The Prophet is assured that all the power and strength which opposed it self against the reformation and re-edification of Jerusalem should be laid levell with the ground Per montes intelligit regeâ— qui si ut moÌ„tes firmitate â—o hore perstant Râ—â— Dav in Ps 14â— 5 So we may interpret Psa 144.5 He toucheth the mountains and they smoke the meaning is when God doth but lay his hand upon great men upon the mightiest of the world he makes them smoke or fune which some understand of their anger they are presently in a passion if God do but touch them Or we may understand it of their consumption A smoking mountain will soon be a burnt mountain In our language to make a man smoke is a proverbiall for destroying or subduing And besides there are mountains in this figurative sense within us as well as without us The soul hath a mountain in it self and it is an act of the great power of God yea of an higher and greater power of God to remove inward than it is to remove outward mountains Isa 40.4 The Prophet fore-shewing the comming of Christ and the sending of the Baptist to prepare his way tels us Every mountain and hill shall he made low Christ did not throw down the outward power of men who withstood him he let Herod and Pilate prevail but mountains and hils of sinne and unbelief in the soul which made his passage into them impassible he overthrew These mountains of high proud thoughts the Apostle describes 2 Cor. 10.14 Casting down imaginations and every high thing and bringing into captivity every thought every mountainous thought to the obedience of Christ These are metaphoricall mountains the power of sinfull men without us and the power of sinne the pride of our own hearts within us It is a mighty worke of God to remove these mountains But these are not proper to the Text for the instances which follow being all given in naturall things shew that those here intended are naturall mountains Taking mountains for earthly materiall mountains it is doubted how the Lord removes them There are different opinions about the point Some understand it of a naturall motion * Montes naturae sua generabiles sunt corruptibiles additione partium generanâ—ur detractione partiuÌ„ corrumpuntur Aquin Caj Minimè mirandum est fi quaâ— terrae partes quae nunc habitantur olim mare occupabat quae nunc pelagus sunt oâ—im habitabantur sic campos montes par est invicem commutari Sâ—â—b l 17. Philosophers disputing about mountains and hils conclude that they are subject to generation and corruption by the addition of many parts they are generated that is kneaded or gathered together and become one huge heap of earth and by the detraction falling and crumbling off or taking away of these parts they are removed again Thus we may expound that Job 14.18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought Yet this cannot be the meaning of Job here For though we grant that doctrine of the Philosophers that there is a generation of mountains and so a corruption of them yet that corruption is so insensible that it cannot be put among those works of God which raise up the name of his glorious power * Divina poteâ—tia in â—aâ—â—longa segni montium remotione non se praebet valdâ— mirabileÌ„ cuâ— remo fere 〈◊〉 qui eam rem videat Pined That which fals not under observation cannot cause admiration Slow and imperceptible motions make small impressions either upon the fancie or understanding That here spoken of is quick and violent and by it's easie representation to the eye causeth wonder and astonishment in the beholders And so it imports a removing them by some violent motion Thus the Lord is able to remove and hath removed mountains sometimes by earthquakes sometimes by storms and tempests sometime those mighty bulwarks are battered with thunder-bals discharged from the clouds Psal 97.5 The hils melted like wax at the presence of the Lord. Hils melt down when he appears as a consuming fire Psal 104.32 He looks upon the earth and it trembleth and he toucheth the hils and they smoke Those rocky mountains are as ready to take fire as tinder or touch-wood if but a spark of Gods anger fall upon them God by a cast of his eye as we may speak can cast the earth into an ague-fit he makes it shake and more tremble with a look He by a touch of his mighty arm hurls mountains which way he pleaseth as man doth a Tennis-ball We read Isa 64.1 How earnestly the Prophet praies O that thou wouldst rent the heavens and come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence Where he is conceived to allude to Gods comming down upon Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law Exod. 19. which is said To melt from before the Lord God of Israel Judg. 5.3 Some understand it of that day of Christ when he shall come to judge the world others of that day when Christ came in the flesh to save the world then the mountains were levell'd according to the preaching of the Baptist but rather the Prophet being affected with the calamitous condition which he fore-saw the Jews falling into entreats the Lord to put forth himself in some notable works of his providence which should as clearly manifest his presence as if they saw the heavens speaking as of solid bodies renting and God visibly comming down then those difficulties which lay in the way of their deliverance and looked like huge mountains of iron or of adamant would presently dissolve like waxe or ice before the Sunne or fire The Prophet Micah describes the effects of Gods power in the same stile Chap. 1.3 4. Behold the Lord cometh forth out of his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth and the mountains shall be molten under him Ex quo hoc loco non absurde colligitur fuisse proverbium ad significandum maximam olique Deo convenietem potentiam Bold and the valleys shall be cleft as wax before the fire and as the waters which are poured down a steep place So to remove mountains is used proverbially Job 18.4 Shall the earth be forsaken for thee or shall the rock be removed out of his place that is shall God work wonders for thee or God will alter the course of nature as soon as the course of his providence To say God can remove mountains is as much as to say he hath power to doe what he will and the reason is because mountains are exceeding great and weighty bodies mountains are firmly setled now to remove a thing which is mighty in bulk and strongly founded is an argument of greatest strength The stability of the Church is compared to the stability of mountains Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but
and the pillars thereof tremble This is a second instance but in higher expressions of the same power of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e terram universam Sept. Which shakes the earth out of her place He had said before God removeth mountains Mountains are great bulky bodies but no mountain is so great as the Globe of the whole earth Now saith he the Lord doth not only shake mountains some great parts of the earth but if he pleaseth he can take up the whole earth and throw it out of its place as a man would take up a little ball and throw it into the air He shakes the earth out of her place The word which we translate to shake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non significat motum naturalem sed commotionem quandaÌ„ ex metu trepidationem tremorem Didacus Astunica putat hunc locum illustrari posse ex sententia Pythagoricorum existi mantium terraÌ„ moveri natura sua Copernieus signifies a violent motion of the minde caused either by fear Deut. 2.25 or grief 2 Sam. 18.33 we read of a trembling heart from both Deut. 28.25 It is also applied to civill shakings and commotions by the troublesome spirits of men Prov. 30.21 For three things the earth is disquieted And to unnaturall shakings of the earth by the power of God 2 Sam. 22.8 c. So in the text Some expound this of a naturall motion Those men have surely a motion and turning in their brains who tell us that there is a continued motion of the earth that it turns and never stands still they would ground the motion of the earth upon this Scripture translating thus Which moveth the earth in her place But the text tels us that the earth hath pillars and not wheels Pillars are made for rest not for motion Further This text speaks of it as of an act of Gods anger therefore no ordinary act appointed in nature and the word notes a violent motion not a naturall But we need not stand to refute this motion As when some denied all motion a Philosopher to prove it rose up and walked So when any affirm or give reason for this motion we may shew their senses that the earth stands This shaking then is extraordinary the Lord who made the earth firm upon pillars can make the earth move as if it went on wheels This he doth first by earthquakes these shake the earth as it were out of her place and make it tremble Histories are full and many mens experience can give instances of such terrible shakings of the earth This earthquake is not meant here for there is a reason in nature for that Philosophers dispute much about it and tell us when there is a strong vapour included or imprisoned in the bowels of the earth that vapour seeking vent maketh a combustion there and so the earth shakes This indeed shews the mighty power of God but it is in a naturall way whereas the text seems to imply somewhat more somewhat beyond the learning of Philosophers and Naturalists Besides the text saith He shaketh the earth out of her place Whereas an earthquake shakes the earth in her place and causes it to tremble upon the pillars thereof But did God ever shake the earth out of her place We must understand the text conditionally We have not any instance that the Lord hath actually done so but this supposition may be put The Lord can remove mountains and shake the earth not only in but out of her place We finde such conditionall expressions often put in Scripture not as if the things ever had been or ever should be done but if the Lord will he is able to doe them Amos 9.5 The Lord God of Hosts is he that toucheth the land Terrificam capitis concussit terque quaterque Caesariem cum qua terraÌ„ mare sidera moâ—it Ovid. Met. and it shall melt that is if the Lord doe but touch the land he can melt it As the three children cast into a fiery fornace had not so much as a garment or a threed about them touched with it because the Lord forbad the fire to burn So if the Lord bid a spark but touch us it shall melt and consume us as if we were cast into and continued in a fiery fornace As a word made so a touch shall mar the world when God will yet he hath not done thus unto this day So in the text He shakes the earth out of her place imports what God can not what he hath or will do Note from it That the Lord is able to doe greater things then ever he actually hath done He hath not put the earth out of her place the earth is where it was but he can displace it God hath never acted any of his attributes to the height for they are infinite he never acted power so high but he is able to act it higher He hath never acted mercy in pardoning so farre but he is able to act it further a greater sinner then ever yet was pardoned may be pardoned A greater enemy then ever was overcome may be overcome He hath runne with foot-men and they have not wearied him and he is able to contend with horses in a land of peace he was never wearied and he knows how to wade thorow the swellings of Jordan It is comfortable to consider that the Lord cannot only doe the same things again which he hath done but he hath never done to the utmost of what he is able to doe he can out-doe all that he hath done as much as the shaking of the whole earth out of her place is more then to remove a mountain yea or a mole-hill of earth And the pillars thereof tremble We have the pillars of heaven Chap. 26.11 here of the earth The pillars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Columna erecta a stando dicta The word in the originall signifies to stand upright to be erect because pillars doe so There are two sorts of pillars upon which there is a different interpretation of the word There are first Supporting pillars And Secondly Supported pillars Or there are pillars for ornament and pillars for strength We set up pillars or pinacles upon the tops of great buildings for ornament and they are supported pillars We may call mountains such pillars for as when some stately palace is built great pillars or pinacles are set upon the towers and battlements so the Lord having framed the earth hath set up mountains as great pillars for the adorning of it He shaketh the earth and the pillars thereof tremble it is true of these upper pillars the mountains they tremble But I take it rather to be meant of supporting pillars under-pillars which bear the frame above and are as the bases or under-props of the earth Psal 105. Who laid the foundation of the earth the earth hath a foundation the Hebrew is He hath founded the earth upon her basis alluding to a building
Further There are Church-pillars as well as State-pillars men of eminency in knowledge and learning in parts and piety These are pillars of the Church of God So the Apostle cals James and Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 2.9 As the Church it self is the pillar of truth so some particular members are pillars of truth bearing it up and holding it forth as pillars doe the Laws or edicts of Princes and Common-wealths As these pillars are of Gods setting up so of Gods bearing up In great shakings of the earth Common-wealth-pillars tremble and Church-pillars tremble yea they would fall did not the Lord sustain them with his hand From all learn the instability of the creature If that which is the basis or foundation of all outward comforts be so easily shaken and tost up and down what are the comforts themselves If Kingdoms and Common-wealths totter who can stand fast When the Saints feel the world shake and tremble under them their comfort is They have received a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Neither man nor devils have any power to shake it and God will not shake it nay with reverence we may speak it the Lord cannot shake that Kingdom for it is his own he cannot doe any thing to his own wrong or dishonour Earth may but heaven shakes not neither shall any of the pillars thereof tremble for ever We have seen two acts of the mighty power of God first in removing those mountains those great massie parts of the earth Secondly In shaking the whole masse of the earth Now the thoughts of Job grow higher and he ascends from earth to heaven and brings an instance of the power of God there in the 7th verse Verse 7. Which commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth up the stars And the instance which he makes in the heaven stands as heaven doth to earth in a direct line of opposition to that which he gave about the earth The earth in all the parts of it is a setled fixed body â—â—cut de natura terrae est immobolitas qâ—â—es ita de naturâ coeli ut semper moveatur Aquin. and therefore the power of God is clearly seen in causing it to move but the Sunne is a moveable body a creature in continuall motion and therefore the power of God is clearly seen in checking and stopping the motion of it It cals for as strong a hand to make the Sunne stand still as to shake and remove the earth The staying of that which naturally cannot but move and the moving of that which naturally cannot but stand still require a like power and that which stands as the earth doth or moves as the Sunne doth requires an Almighty power to move or stay it Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not Which commandeth the Sunne He describes God in the posture and language of a King giving out commands He commandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixiâ— illud dicere est cum potestate imperandi God is the Soveraign of the Sunne Yet the word in the Hebrew is no more but he saith or he speaks to the Sunne so Mr Broughton translates He speaks to the Sunne that it riseth not We clearly to the sense He commandeth the Sun because the Word of God to the creature is a Law or a Command upon the creature He commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not The phrase implies an ordinary or a common event But when was there such a thing as this How rare are such events I may ask Did the Lord ever command the Sunne that it should not rise Or did ever any day appear when the Sun did not appear we may answer four or five waies First Non ad factum sed ad Dei potentiam refertur qui si velit possit vicissitudinem ortus occasus solis tollere Olymp. Some conceive Job speaks only of what God can doe as in the former instance not of what he ever did He never actually gave out his command to the Sunne that it should not rise but he hath power to doe it if he pleaseth Many things are spoken of the power of God as presently done which onely are things possible for him to doe That 's a good interpretation of the place Secondly We may carry it further for when he saith It riseth not we need not take it strictly as if the Sunne were staid from making day at all but it may note any stop or sudden disappearing of the Sunne The Sunnes rising is the Suns appearing Non oritur sol tantum est non apparet nam vâ—tas solis apparitio quedam est Bold and when the Sunne disappeareth or is hidden it is to us as if the Sun were not risen Thus God hath actually more then once given out a command to the Sun not to rise Lavater in his comment upon this place reports that in the year 1585. March 12th such a darknesse fell upon the earth that the fowls went to roost at noon as if it had been Sunne setting and all the common people thought the day of judgement was come That of the Prophet is true in the letter as well as in the figure Amos 4.13 He maketh the morning darknesse And Chap. 5.8 He turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night The holy story records one famous act of God commanding the Sunne to stand still Josh 10.12 When Joshua was in pursute of his enemies he praied that the day might not hasten down Sunne stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sunne stood still c. Joshua speaks as if himself could command the Sunne Sunne stand thou still he talks to the Sunne as to his servant or childe stand still It was indeed at the voice of Joshua but by the word and power of God that the Sunne stood still So the Text resolves There was no day like that before it or after it no day so long as that that the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man So then the Lord hearkned to the voice of a man and then the Sâ—â—â—â— hearkened to the voice of a man First the Lord hearkned and then the Sunne hearkned that is by a command from God at the request of a man the Sunne stood still Thirdly It may be understood of ordinary eclipses which are disappearings of the Sunne and though they come in a course of nature and are by naturall light fore-seen many years before they come yet there is somewhat in them which should fill us with high thoughts of the power of God And though an eclipse of the Sun be no miracle yet God once made and can again make a miraculous eclipse When Christ the Sun of righteousnes was shamefully crucified the Sun in the heavens as ashamed to look upon that act as from man of prodigious cruelty and injustice hid his face and from the sixth hour that is Dionysius Areopagita from
cals it a light matter in regard of common apprehension and observation The Sunnes motion is naturally forward and though it should mend it's pace many would not much regard it but all would stand and wonder at a retrograde motion or at the Sun going backward Hence Hezekiah cals it a light matter for the Sunne to goe forward comparatively to it 's going backward And from either the Lord would teach Hezekiah that the creatures will doe what he bids them even the Sunne will move miraculously at his Word How great a rebuke will it be to man if he move not at the command of God and as God commands Shall the Lord say to the Sunne Rise not and it riseth not and shall he say to man Swear not and he will swear pray and he will not pray shall the Lord have better obedience from creatures without life then from man who hath not only life but reason or from Saints who have not only reason but grace They who have grace give not such universal obedience as things without life for though there be a part in them active to obey yet there is a part in them backward to all obedience Let it shame us that there should be any thing in us who have life reason and grace resisting or not readily complying with all the commands of God when the Sunne which hath not so much as life obeies his voice He commandeth the Sun and it riseth not Thirdly Observe from the manner of this speech That The Lord hath a negative voice upon the motion of all creatures He commandeth the Sunne and it riseth not It is a royall Prerogative that the Lord commands the Sunne to rise but that the Lord hath a power to stay the Sun from rising lifts up his Prerogative to the highest In all disputes about power his is resolved to be greatest who hath the negative voice which checks and supersedeats all others This is the Prerogative of God he can stay the motion of the Sun and of man The Sun dares not do his office to the day nor the stars to the night if the Lord say No. The Sun is described Psal 19.5 like a bridegroom comming out of his Chamber drest and prepared and as a Giant rejoycing to runne his race but though the Sunne be thus prepared and drest and ready yet if the Lord send a writ and a prohibition to the Sunne to keep within his chamber he cannot come forth his journey is stopt Thus also he stops man in his neerest preparations for any action If the Lord will work who shall let it Isa 43.13 That is there is no power in heaven or earth which can hinder him But if the Lord will let who shall work neither Sunne nor stars nor men nor devils can work if he forbid them The point is full of comfort God tels Abimelech in the case of Sarah Abrahams wife whom he took into his house I know that thou didst it in the integrity of thy heart but I with held thee and I suffered thee not to touch her Gen. 20.6 And when Laban pursued Jacob with hard thoughts against him and strong resolutions to deal harshly with him The Lord gave a negative voice Gen. 31.24 Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Laban had not the use of his own tongue He could not speak either good or bad Not good or bad Was there any hurt for Laban to speak good to Jacob And the story tels us that Laban spake many words and some bad enough to Jacob charging him with a double theft First for stealing himself away vers 27. Wherefore didst thou steal away from me Secondly for stealing his Idols vers 30. And now though thou wouldest needs be gone because thou longest sore after thy fathers house yet wherefore hast thou stoln away my gods Foul language all though God charged him not to speak a bad word to Jacob. For answer know We must restrain that restraint to the point of bringing Jacob back again Thou shalt not speak either good or bad to him to stop or turn him from his way thou shalt use no threatnings to bring him back to thee no nor any promises or allurements thou shalt make no offers of better entertainment to winne him to thy service which was the thing he so much desired Good and bad are the two terms of all that can be spoken and where the utmost extreams of speaking are forbidden all speaking to that purpose is forbidden When the ancient people of God were few in number yea very few and strangers in the land when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people one would thinke that all the world would have been upon them but here was their protection God had a negative voice Psal 105.15 He suffered no man to doe them wrong Many had as we say an aking tooth at the people of God their fingers itcht to be dealing with them and the text shews four advantages the world had against them First They were few Secondly Very few Thirdly Strangers Fourthly Unsetled What hindered their enemies It was the Lords negative voice He reproved Kings for their sake saying Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harm We see an instance of this Gen. 35.5 when Jacob and his family journeyed the terrour of God was upon the Cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sonnes of Jacob They had a minde to pursue after them to revenge the slaughter of the Sichemites but God said Pursue not and then they could not pursue they must stay at home And when his people the Jews were safe in Canaan he encourages them to come up freely to worship at Jerusalem by this assurance No man shall desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year Exod. 24.34 God can stop not only hands from spoiling but hearts from desiring Our appetite whether concupiscible or irascible is under his command as well as our actions The Prophet asserts this by way of question Lam. 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not That is if the Lord doth not concurre if the Lord vote against the saying or command of any man in the world what he saith shall never come to passe We should consider this to help our faith in these times God hath a negative voice upon those counsels and conclusions which are carried with one consent of men And the wrath of man shall either turn to his praise or all that is beyond that he will stop the remainder of wrath namely so much as remains over and above what turns to the praise of God shalt thou restrain Psal 76.6 The sword is in motion amongst us even as the Sunne and the sword seemeth to have received a charge to passe from one end of the Land to the other yet a counter-command from God
like a curtain God took the vast matter folded together and spread it as a curtain tabernacle or tent And the * Hîc Dolapum manuâ— hîc saevus tendebat Achillis Virg 2. Aeneiad Iuxta hortos tendâ—bat Suct in Galb c 12. de Germanâ—rum Cohorte Et milites tendere omnes extra vallum jussit Tac l 13. Latine word which carries the interpretation of this in the Hebrew is frequently applied by ancient Authours to the pitching of tents in warre In this third sense we are specially to understand the Text Alone spreadeth out the Heavens And so this spreading is either an exposition of the nature of the heavens Gen. 1.8 The Lord said Let there be a firmament the Hebrew is * CoeluÌ„ sive firmamentum vocaâ—ur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eo quid est expansum extensum super terram Solus sine cujusquam auxilio Let there be an expansion or a stretching forth These heavens are so much spread forth that they are called a thing spread forth and so the text is a description of the heavens in their first Creation Or it may referre to the words going before and so these are a reason to shew that God can command the Sunne and seal up the stars why He spreadeth forth the heavens that is the heavens are all of his making and at his disposing he set the Sunne there and put the starres there he fashioned the orbs in which they are placed and therefore he can stay the Sun and seal the starres And as he thus spreadeth out the heavens so which is more observable He spreadeth them out alone When a piece of hangings or the like of a large extent is to be spread forth one man cannot doe it many hands are put to that work Instrumentum creationis creatura esse non potest It is an axiome in Divinity That no creature can be an instrument in Creation this stretching forth of the heavens is an act of Creation therefore he alone doth it there is none to help him Yet we finde that God had some other with him when he stretched out the heavens though it be here attributed to him alone and though Elihu expostulates with Job in this point Chap. 37.18 Hast thou with him spread out the skie which is strong and as a molten looking-glasse Elihu would bring down the thoughts of Job which he conceived were too much lifted up by shewing that God did this alone Solus quia nemo extra ipsum cuÌ„ ipso sed una cuÌ„ iâ—so illi qui in ipso per identitatem substantiae sunt verbo enim Domini firmati sunt coeli spiritu oris ejus omnis virtus eorum Solum enim divinitas sacit quae ut una ita sola Job saith he didst thou hold one part of this great Curtain or Canopy of heaven in thy hand and God another and was it so spread out between you No neither man nor angel was his helper who then was with God in this work Solomon tels us Prov. 8.27 When he prepared the heavens I was there when he set a compasse upon the face of the depth Who was that I wisdome was there Jesus Christ was there Christ was he by whom God prepared and stretched forth the heavens No creature was there only the uncreated creating Sonne of God God created alone that is without the help of any creature but he created all things by the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Observe from hence First The heavens are as the royall tent and pavilion of the Lord. He spreadeth them out The Lord is often exprest comming out of the heavens with warlike preparations There his tent is pitcht and he sitteth there as a great Commander in his pavilion to give out Orders to his Armies He hath an host in heaven and therefore he hath a tent in heaven or rather heaven is his tent The Lord hath his way in the whirlwinde and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet Nah. 1.3 God pitches his battell in heaven The stars in their courses fought against Sisera He fought from heaven from thence he discharged his great Artillery his Cannons thundered and lightened against the enemies of his people He hath also his store-houses for ammunition his Magazines there Job 38.22 Est allâ—so ad armamentaria publica ubi armorum ma hinarum tormentorum ingens apparatus reconditur B l. Quicquid habeÌ„t telorum armamentaria coeli Juven Sat. 13. Hast thou saith God to Job entred into the treasures of the snow Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have reserved against the time of trouble the day of battell and warre He speaks of heaven as of a great store-house where he hath his arms his powder and ball all his warlike provision laid up against the day of battell Heathens have spoken such language calling storms and tempest hail and thunder The weapons and engines of the Armory of heaven Secondly In that he saith He stretcheth out the heavens alone observe That the Lord needs not the help of any treature to doe his greatest works He hath power and he hath power in himself to doe what he hath a will should be done let all the creatures in the world stand still yet God can carry his work forward What work is like this the stretching forth the heavens There cannot be a work of so much difficulty under heaven as the spreading forth of the heavens He who did that alone what can he not doe alone Though men will not though men cannot help the Lord can and will alone Isa 59.16 He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessour no man to do no man to speak in that businesse not a man appeared what then Doth the Lord say well seeing there is no man to do I also will let it lie No Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him and his power sustained him he did it alone Paul speaks of himself that at his first appearing before Nero all men forsook him not a man would own him but saith he The Lord stood by me 2 Tim. 4.15 This is a great encouragement to us in great affairs and businesses in the greatest straits and difficulties of the times if men forsake and desert the Lord alone can doe all for us if men have not power to doe what they have will to doe nor will to doe what they have power then remember He that stretcheth out the heavens alone can order our works alone compose our differences alone conquer our enemies alone God alone is infinite greater stronger wiser then all creatures together God can be now as he will be hereafter all in all unto us God is enough for us without any creature yea God and all that he hath made cannot do more than God
but I have not set them for Prophets If any presume to declare or resolve what shall be done I resolve to punish their presumption I take delight to frustrate men who delight in this and to befool them who would be thus wise This is my name The God that stretcheth out the heavens alone and that maketh diviners mad Great disappointments enrage and some men lose their reason when they lose the credit of doing things above reason Because they cannot be as Gods to fore-tell good or evil they will not be so much as men He makes the diviners mad The Law was peremptory and severe against them Deut. 18.9 There shall not be found amongst you any one that useth divination or is an observer of times why not an observer of times may we not observe times and seasons May we not look up to the heavens and consider their motions Yes we may observe times holily but not superstitiously as if some times were good others bad some lucky others unlucky as if the power of God were shut up in or over-ruled by his own instruments and inferiour causes this is dishonourable unto God and thus the Jews were forbidden to use any divination or to observe times The heavens and stars are for signs but they are not infallible signs They are ordinary signs of the change of weather Mat. 16.2 3. They are ordinary signs of the seasons of the year Spring and Summer and harvest and winter they are ordinary signs of a fit time to till and manure the ground to plow sowe and reap The earth is fitted and prepared for culture by the motion of the heavens The heavens are at once the Alphabet of the power and wisdom of God and of our works we may read there when to do many businesses Gen. 8.22 While the earth remaineth seed-time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease Those seasons shall continually return according to the time of the year measured by the Sun Moon and Stars Thus they are signs of ordinary events And God sometimes puts the sign of an extraordinary event in them Mat. 24.29 Immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken which some understand allegorically others literally of strange apparitions and impressions in heaven either before the destruction of Jerusalem or the day of judgement So Act. 2.19 20 c. Thus God puts a sign in them of extraordinary events But shall man from them prognosticate and fore-tell extraordinary events as when there shall be famine and pestilence war and trouble in Nations This the Lord abhorreth The counsels of God about these things are written in his own heart what is man that he should transcribe them from the heavens But if men will say they are written there God will blot out what they say and prove theirs to be but humane divinations yea that they were received from hell not written in heaven Isa 47.13 I will destroy the signs of them that divine let now the Astrologers the star-gazers the monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble they shall not be able to deliver themselves It is good to be a starre-beholder but a wicked thing to be a starre-gazer that is to look upon the stars so as if we could spell out the secret providences of God and read future events in the book of those creatures It is our duty to look upon the heavens as they declare the glory of God but it is a sin to look upon the heavens as if they could declare the destinies fates and fortunes of men All which vanities are largely and learnedly confuted by M Perkins in his book called The resolution of the Countrey-man about Prognostications Now that the successe of every creature is in God not in the stars we may see first in the order of the creation God created the earth and commanded it to bring forth fruit upon the third day but the lights in the firmament were made the fourth day The earth can bring forth without the midwifery or help of the heavens God himself made the earth fruitfull without yea before the stars were made Philo Judaers de opificio munâ—i Upon which one of the Ancients gives this observation Surely saith he the Lord in his providence made the earth fruitfull in all its glory before he put the stars in the heavens to the intent to make men see that the fruitfulnesse of the earth doth not depend upon the heavens or stars God needs neither the rain of the clouds nor the warmth of the Sun to produce these effects He that made all second causes to work in their ranks can work without the intervention of any second cause And because the Lord fore-saw men would dote much upon second causes and venture to prognosticate by the heavens the fates of men and the fruitfulnesse of the earth therefore he made the earth fruitfull before he made Arcturus or placed those constellations in the heavens Secondly The providence of God works under the decree of God His providence is the execution of his decree Therefore we must not bring the decrees down to providence but we must raise providence up to the decrees Thirdly The heavens and those heavenly bodies Arcturus c. are but generall causes there are speciall causes besides of the earths barrennesse or fruitfulnesse of tempests at sea and troubles at land and the Lord is able to invert all causes to work beyond causes without causes and against causes So that nothing can be infallibly fore-told from the positions conjunctions or revolutions of those heavenly bodies Lastly Observe That it is our duty to study the heavens and be acquainted with the stars In them the wonderfull works of God are seen and a sober knowledge in nature may be an advantage unto grace Holy David was such a student Psal 8.3 When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained Consideration is not a transient or accidental but a resolved and a deliberate act Shall we think that God hath made those mighty bodies the stars to be past by without consideration Shall men only pore upon a lump of earth and not have their hearts lifted up to consider those lamps of light Shall man make no more use of the stars then the beasts of the earth do namely to see by them When I consider thy heavens saith David Heaven is the most considerable of all inanimate creatures and more considerable then most of the animate and Davids when when I consider the heavens notes not only a certainty that he did it but frequency in doing it Some of the Rabbins tell us that when Isaac went out into the field to meditate Gen.
malis conficiunt Pined Significat derisionem quae fit externo corporis gestu LXX vertunt per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pisc in 1 Cor. 14.21 How God laughs at this triall The word notes derision or scorn Psal 2.4 He that sitteth in heaven will laugh there he uses the ordinary word for laughter and he will have them in derision That 's the word in the text So that properly and strictly it signifies to scorn and deride and that either by words or gestures as putting forth of the finger shaking the head or gnashing the teeth which are Scripture expressions of highest scorn by gesture But how shall we fit this to the businesse in hand Will the Lord thus scorn and deride at the triall and probation of the innocent The Vulgar was it seems so much straitned to make out the sense that he reads it negatively If the scourge slay suddenly he will not laugh at the triall of the innocent Others though they put not in a negation formally and in terms yet they doe it equivalently and therefore they render it by an interrogation If the scourge slay suddenly Will he laugh at the triall of the innocent No he will not that 's their meaning the Lord will not sleight or neglect the triall of the innocent though he destroies them yet he will not deride them But we and most of the learned Hebritians keep close to the affirmative If the scourge slay suddenly he will laugh at the triall of the innocent Suppositum verbi ridendi daemon est qui gaudet videns homines diuturnis malis cruciari Cajet There is a diâ—â—â—te whom we are to understand by this He for some taking this laughing and deriding in the broadest sense think it too low and dishonourable to be ascribed unto God and therefore they carry it down low enough ascribing it to the devil If the scourge slay suddenly then the devil laugheth to see the upright tried He makes merry with the sorrows of the Saints the devil hath no great cause how much minde soever he hath to laugh considering his condition but the meaning is that which gives the devil most content is to see righteous persons vexed And that 's a truth As there is joy in heaven when good men sorrow for sinne so there is a kinde of joy in hell when good men are enwrapt with the sorrows of suffering Others make the antecedent to He a wicked man such are within one degree of Satan his children If the scourge slay suddenly Impius justum subsannat malis implicitum then the ungodly who yet thrive and prosper rejoyce and make sport at the triall of the innocent See what these good honest innocent men have got they thought by their prayers and fastings by their zeal and strictnesse to exempt themselves from these common afflictions they presumed they should be spared though all the world were consumed but see they are destroied as well as others they smart under the lash as well as we their neighbours whom they looked upon as the only whipping stocks when a scourge should come That wicked men laugh and deride the innocent under affliction and jeer them with Where is your God now what 's become of all your praying and fasting Where are the hopes and confidences the priviledges and protections ye talked of is a truth But thirdly We need not ease the text thus nor relieve it out of this difficulty by fastening the interpretation upon wicked men Let us take the relative to be God himself and see how we can make the sense out with a saving to his honour If the scourge slay suddenly He that is the most holy and gracious God laugheth at the triall of the innocent How so First I premise this God doth not laugh or deride properly at the afflictions of his people No the Lord is a tender a gracious and a mercifull father to his people at all times and most tender of them when they are in their afflictions when they are in their sorenesse and in their sorrows he is more tender then the most tender-hearted mother Isa 49.15 Can a mother forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Will a mother laugh and deride a poor infant when it lies sprawling and wants her help No much lesse will God laugh at his people therefore as laughing noteth hard-heartednesse or unnaturall harshnes of spirit the Lord doth not laugh at his afflicted Saints it is against his nature against his practice and all experience What is it then he laughs at First Positively thus Job would here expresse that the Lord carries himself in outward things with an equall hand both to the good and to the bad as was touched before The Lord laugheth at and derideth the wicked Prov. 1.28 I will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh The carriage of God to his own people is such as if he did mock and laugh at them also Dicitur ridere quia sic judicaÌ„t hominum vulgus He that laugheth and derideth at a mans affliction doth not regard what he suffers he gives him no help nor delivers him out of his sufferings Nay a man that laugheth at another in affliction will lay more affliction upon him Even thus in regard of outward dispensations God deals with his own people that is when innocent ones are in affliction and cry unto him Ridere dicitur cum contemnere videtur orationem postulantis opem he makes as if he did not hear or regard them but lets them lie crying it may be day after day in their pains and wants yea sometimes in stead of easing them he laies more afflictions upon them poor souls since they sought the Lord they finde an encrease of their sorrows God seems to deal with them as Pharaoh did with the Israelites in Egypt who crying to him for release of their burdens are answered only with Ye are idle ye are idle let more work be laid upon these men Exod. 5. Or like Rehoboam who threatned his people to make their yoke heavier while they petitioned he would make it lighter and told them of scorpions while they complained of whips David gives us this in his own experience Psal 77.2 3. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not or my hand was stretched out in praier and bedewed with tears my soul refused to be comforted David sought for comfort but his troubles encreasing he could not take in the comforts administred I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed If any thing in the world can ease a troubled heart thoughts of God can Thus David once relieved himself When the people talked of stoning him he encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 Yet sometimes God seems to think of us least when we
trials of the Saints They are occasions to shew forth their vertues and their graces They give proofs both to God and the world what manner of men they are Tried ones are precious ones many others are so but these appear what they are they have shewed their metall All true faith is good but tried faith is best 1 Pet. 1.7 That the triall of your faith that is that your tried faith being much more precious then of gold that perisheth may be found unto praise c. Prudens futuri temporis exitū Caliginosa nocte premit Deus Ridetque si mortalis ultra Fas trepidat c. Horat l 3. Car Od. 29. Besides these two interpretations I shall adde for a close two more which may further illustrate the meaning of this laughter ascribed to God at the triall of the innocent First or Thirdly He laughs at the fears and sad fore-casts of his people who not being able to look thorow second causes and see the ends of things in their beginnings presently judge all 's lost the Church must be ruin'd and the Saints undone because thus tried Now God knowing the end of all actions not only at their beginning but from the beginning yea from eternity he looking thorow the blackest clouds and darkest nights upon the issues of all things derides the simple conjectures of men about them The very Heathens have given us such a notion of God in laughter Secondly or Fourthly God laughs at the laughter and derides the joies of wicked men who see his innocent ones tried For they say in their hearts and it may be with their tongues Happy we who have scaped such a scouring we would not have been in their coats for a world better die then live to bring our selves into such troubles Or thus Now the day is ours we have prevailed These men are catcht and entangled we shall doe well enough with them now The Lord hearing such language at the triall of the innocent laughs to thinke how those wretches shall see themselves deceived when they see these who were fallen rising again or God by their fall raising others and setting his King upon his holy hill of Sion Lastly As God laughs at the triall of the innocent so let the nocent and impenitent remember and tremble at it that God will laugh at the approach of their torments and mock when their fear commeth when their fear commeth as a desolation and their destruction as a whirlwinde Job having thus shewed how the innocent are afflicted shews in the next verse how the wicked are exalted from both he infers that there can be no judgement made of any mans inward state whether he be innocent or wicked upon his outward state whether he be prosperous or afflicted The innocent are under the scourge and the wicked are upon the throne and who doth these things but God himself that 's the sum of this 24th verse Verse 24. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof if not where and who is he The earth is given into the hand of the wicked The earth Earth may be taken strictly for the element of earth as it is opposed to fire water and air Not so in this place But more largely earth is put for all earthly things as Psal 115.6 The heaven of heavens is the Lords but the earth hath he given unto the children of men that is he hath divided all earthly comforts as a portion or inheritance among men their lot falleth there Thirdly Earth is put for the inhabitants or people of the earth Psal 100.1 Praise him all ye earth so the Hebrew which we translate Praise him all ye people of the earth Isa 24.4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away that is they who dwell on the earth Fourthly By the earth we may understand speciall Countries or Nations tracts or parts of the earth Fiftly The earth is put for earthly minded men and for the false Church Revel 14.3 The Saints are redeemed from the earth that is God hath fetcht them out from amongst false worshippers and impure ones he hath rescued them from the world of Idolaters and from the superstitious multitude In this place earth is to be understood in the second third or fourth notion namely for all earthly comforts or for the Provinces and Kingdoms of the earth or for the inhabitants and people of the earth These are given into the hand of the wicked Given The Lord makes as it were a deed of gift of these things unto wicked men So in the 15th of this book ver 19. Vnto whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed among them which some expound of the righteous No stranger passed among them that is none came in to invade them Or as others render it No strange thing that is no unjust thing came in amongst them they had the earth in their own power and rightfull possession Nihil alienum sc injustum Jun. To be given noteth two things or there is a double act of giving There is a gift by providence and a gift by promise When the Lord is said to give the earth into the hand of the wicked we are to understand it of that common providentiall gift whereby he disposeth of all things to all men no man hath any thing but by the gift of God Thus wicked Jeroboam had the Kingdome of Israel given him and so had hypocriticall Jehu for four generations They served the providence of God and the providence of God exalted them Act. 17.26 He hath made of one bloud all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation that is he hath as it were chalked out and drawn a line where the bounds and habitations whither the dominions and possessions of such men shall be extended and where they shall be confined That 's a gift of providence There is a speciall gift of promise peculiar to believers Ro. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him to die for us how shall he not with him also freely give us all things that is all worldy things or we may take in whatsoever else concerns our spirituall estate besides Christ All the things of Christ yea and all worldly things come in to the Saints as a gift by Christ who is himself the greatest gift that ever man received or that God could bestow How shall he deny us any thing when he hath given us him who is above all things 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Whether Paul or Apollos or the world all is yours for ye are Christs Believers enjoy earthly things by an heavenly title Christ is their conveiance In this sense the earth is not given to the wicked the Lord gives them nothing in Christ or for Christ as a Saviour in the Covenant of Grace Christ as a Lord hath bought the wicked 2 Pet.
Daies-men sequestres and Critiques tell us that as the Daies-man is expressed by a word in the Hebrew whose root signifies to rebuke because a Daies-man had power to rebuke and reprove him that had done the wrong So he is called sequester in the Latine from a word which signifies to follow because of a power committed to him that which way soever he should state and determine the businesse between the parties they were bound to follow and submit to his award or because he was supposed a man of such wisdom faithfulnesse and integrity that both parties might safely follow him Hence he was called sequester that is one whom they must or might follow and abide by his sentence To assure which the parties usually ingaged themselves under penalties of valuable damage to the busines in question to stand to his arbitration There are five things by which we may more distinctly understand Jobs meaning belonging to a Daies-man or an Vmpire 1. He must be agreed upon and chosen by both parties for unlesse he be accepted by both of them he can have no power to determine for or against either of them 2. He must hear both sides speak and alleadge what they can for themselves before he determines 3. He must beat out the matter by interrogatories and questions he must not stay upon the bare narrative of the persons 4. He must have power to conclude and determine of the differences betwixt them 5. Both parties must be bound at least by promise Talis judex vocatur compromissarius quasi ex compromisso à litigatoribus sumpto to stand to the determination which he shall make Such a one is a Daies-man among men who is also called a Compromiser and his work the Compromising of a matter because as he is elected by a the mutuall consent so confirmed by the mutuall promise of those who are at variance to reconcile them and take up their differences Now saith Job as there is no Judge so there is no Daies-man betwixt me and God That might lay his hand upon us both Some understand the words upon us both of Job and his friends There is not a Daies-man betwixt me and my friends not one that can judge and consider of my innocency and their charge as if he had said Though I will not plead it out with God yet I dare referre the controversie betwixt you and me to an equall umpire I dare go to the triall of my innocency with you but I see no Daies-man you are all parties in the businesse and I know of none that will stand between us indifferently and unprejudiced But the text refers clearly to God There is no Daies-man none to arbitrate the matter between God and me None to lay his hands upon us both To lay on hands is diversly used in Scripture The hand signifies all power Hence to lay the hands is to put forth power and to do so is taken some times in an ill sense and sometimes in a good sense First In an ill sense and so to lay the hands is to strike or smite even to death Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the childe upon Isaac that is do not slay him We have the same expression Gen. 37.22 when Reuben pleaded for Joseph that he should not be murthered Shed no bloud but cast him into this pit and lay no hand upon him that is do not destroy him This laying on of the hands notes any violent act either proceeding from holy zeal or justice as in Nehemiah who threatens the prophaners of the Sabbath If ye doe so again I will lay hands on you or from malice as in the chief Priests who sought to lay hands on Christ the Lord of the Sabbath Luk. 20.19 And Christ prophesying what the condition of his Disciples and of believers should be what usage they should finde in the world tels them Mat. 21.12 They shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you Thus Haman thought scorn to lay his hands on Mordecai alone Esth 3.6 He had a design to take revenge upon the whole Nation of the Jews Secondly To lay on the hands is taken in a good sense and so I finde it used three waies 1. In benedictions Mark 10.16 Christ took up the young children in his arms and laid his hands upon them and blessed them As under the Law Levit. 1.4 and Chap. 4.15 The people or the Elders laying their hands upon the beast which was to be offered in Sacrifice intimated the laying of all their sins by faith upon Christ of whom that Sacrifice was a type So Christs laying his hands upon those children implied the bestowing and pouring out of mercy upon them in the pardoning of their sins and the furnishing of them with the graces of his Spirit The same action used by the Apostles in the name of Christ had the same signification and effect When Peter and John came to Samaria and saw what work the Word had made among that people They laid their hands on them and they received the holy Ghost Act. 8.17 Paul likewise laid his hands on the Disciples at Ephesus and they received the holy Ghost Act. 19.6 It was used also as a sign of healing Mark 16.18 They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover And Mat. 9.18 the Ruler saith unto Christ My daughter is sick but come and lay thine hands on her and she shall be healed Some interpret the Rulers desire of this sign to be as a sign he had faith so also that his faith was weak The Centurion concerning whom Christ testified I have not found so great faith no not in Israel desired Christ but to speak the word only and his servant should be healed Mat. 8.8 As a word is the proper object of faith so faith acts most properly when it rests and lives upon a word only Signs are mercies to the weak and they are witnesses of our weaknesse Signs are but crouches and spectacles to help the lamenesse and dimsightednesse of faith But to our text 2. Laying on of hands was used in the ordination or solemn setting of a man apart unto an office The children of Israel that is some of the chief of them under the Ceremoniall Law laid their hands upon the Levites Numb 8.10 which was either a testification that they gave up all carnall and worldly interests in them and bequeathed them wholly unto God or an approbation of their office and of the Levites ministration in it on their behalf The same Ceremony for the matter was continued in the sending forth of Gospel-officers Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery was Pauls counsell to Timothy in reference to himself 1 Tim. 4.14 And in reference to others 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly on no man And Paul and Barnabas being immediately designed by God for a speciall work of the Ministery to which they were called
the displeasednesse or irksomnesse of our mindes All burdens upon the body are light compared with those which reach the soul Three things weary and load the soul First The filth and guilt of our own sins I will sprinkle you saith the Lord Ezek. 36.31 with clean water c. What 's the effect of this It follows Then shall you remember your own evil waies and loath or be weary of your selves it is this word because of all your abominations As if the Lord had said before I change your hearts ye sinne and are not wearâ—â— of your sins nay ye make a sport of and dally with them But when I shall work that great change upon your hearts your opinion and apprehensions of sin will change too nothing will be so bitter or burdensome so unpleasant or wearisome to your souls as sinne Fools make a mock of sin they who are truly wise mourn and groan under the sense and weight of it Secondly The unsutablenesse and perversenesse of other mens manners or dispositions weary the soul The righteous soul of Lot was vexed from day to day in seeing and hearing the unrighteous deeds of the debauched Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 The soul of God is said to be wearied by such courses of the sons of men Psal 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved or wearied with that generation The Lord as we may speak with reverence was even weary of his life he had such a troublesome people to deal with they grieved him at the heart as the old world did Gen. 6.6 and were a heavy burden to his Spirit That 's the Apostles language in his description of that peoples frowardnesse and of Gods patience towards them Act. 13.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He suffered their manners fourty years in the wildernesse which some render He bare them as a burthen the continuall murmurings and unbelief of that people were to the Lord who is yet above all passion as a heavy weight is to a man or as the peevishnesse and unquietnesse of a sucking childe is to the nurse as our translatours conceive the Greek word should rather be Thus also he reproves the same people by the Prophet Isa 43.24 Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities And Christ though by another word speaks the same thing of his own Disciples Mark 9.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem dâ—â—untur translatitiè qui volentes onus subeunt sub eo perdurant when the man possest with an unclean spirit being brought to them they could not cast him out How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you I am wearied with your unbelief O ye of little faith The Disciples were still so slow of heart and came so short of a Gospel-spirit that Christ professeth He was burthened even with them How long shall I suffer you The il manners of all are a wearinesse to the good but theirs most who are neerest to them Which is also the reason why a godly man is wearied most of all with the corruption of his own heart for that is nearest to him of all Now as our own sins and the il manners of others weary the soul so Thirdly The pains and troubles which are upon the body often cause such grief of minde as is an extream wearinesse to the soul That 's the meaning of this text My soul is weary of my life That is my life is filled with such outward troubles as fill my inward man with trouble and weary my very soul Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exsententia R. David R. Mardoc significat excidere aut succidere Excisa est anima meaâ—n me Pag. Vatao c. Aâ—um est de vita mea en mar or vel perinde ac si mortuâ—s pâ—are sum Secondly The word is translated by divers of the learned Rabbies To cut yea to cut off as with a sword or any other edged instrument These render Jobs minde thus My soul is cut off in me or My soul is cut off from my life As if he had said My daies are at an end I am ready to die the threed of my life is cut I am but a dead man While life continues soul and body are as it were one peece but death divides them or the recourse of night and day runs the threed of time thorow our lives till our web longer or shorter be finished and then the threed is cut To which similitude Hezekiah alludes in his mourning death-bed song as he supposed Isa 38.10 12. I said in the cutting off of my daies c. Mine age is removed from me as a shepherds tent I have cut off like a Weaver my life he will cut me off with pining sicknesse or from the thrum which being woond about the beam the Weaver having finished his work cuts the web off from it The same word in the Hebrew signifies pining sicknesse and a thrum because of the thinnesse and weaknesse of it My life saith Hezekiah is spent I am at the very last cast the yern of time is all wrought off therefore my life is ready to be cut off I am a borderer upon death and to be numbred among the dead rather then among the living Such a sense this reading gives the text of Job My soul is cut off from my life Denotat displicentiam qua homo interius tabescit prae doloru sensu Propriè significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. remputidaÌ„ quae nauseaÌ„ parit aversari Thirdly The word signifies a reluctance or displicency of spirit arising from the sight and sense of that which is very loathsome filthy and of an evil savour It answers the Greek work rendered Abomination Matth. 24.15 The abomination of desolation he means the Romans who being Idolaters their worship was abominable and who being Lords of the world their power was formidable and laid all countries waste and desolate which opposed them or which they had a minde to oppose And so when Job saith My soul is weary of my life his meaning is represented thus My soul refuses to inhabit or to act so filthy a body as mine My soul loaths to dwell or stay any longer in this nasty lodging As David Psal 120.5 speaks of his wearinesse in dwelling amongst wicked men because of their morall filthinesse or the pollution of their mindes and waies Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshec that I dwell in the tâ—nts of Kedar So Job seems to speak in reference to the naturall pollution and filthinesse of his own body Woe is me that I sojourn in such a diseased body and dwell which yet will not die in such a dying carease The noble tenant my soul is wearie of staying in such a stinking and filthy habitation and I perceive for I have moved him hitherto in vain the great land-lord will neither repair it nor as yet let it fall As then a man who lives in an ill or incommodious
way might be cleared to him Secondly observe A godly man may be long in the dark about the reason of Gods dealing with him He labours alwaies to give an account of his own heart and waies to God but he is seldom able to give an account of the waies of God toward him The way of God both in mercy and in judgement is in the sea and his foot-steps are not seen As there is much of the Word of God which a sincere heart after many praiers and much study is not able to give a reason of so also are there many of his works The text of both is dark to us till God make the Comment and he sees it best sometimes to make us call and call wait and wait before he makes it There was famine in the Land of Israel three years year after year and yet David knew not the cause doubtles he did often examine his own heart look into the Kingdom to see what might be a provocation there but saw nothing till after three years he enquired of the Lord who answered It is for Saul and for his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 It is more then probable that David had enquired of the Lord before that time A holy heart especially one so holy as Davids was can hardly let personall affliction be a day or an hour old without enquiring of the Lord about it And shall we think that David let this Nationall affliction grow three years old before he enquired of the Lord about it surely then this enquiry after the end of three years was that grand and most solemn enquiry by Vrim and Thummim appointed as the last resort to God in cases of greatest difficulty and concernment till David used this means he found no resolution of that case why the Lord contended with his Kingdom by famine year after year Neither had Iob got resolution when he thus complained why the Lord contended with him by sore diseases and mighty terrours day after day But because it might yet be wondered at by some how he durst adventure to put up such a request to God he argues further in the next verse that the state wherein he was seemed to necessitate him to it and to prompt or put that request into his mouth Ne cui mirum videatur istud a me postulari res ipsa huc me adegit absit enim a me ut tibi placere posse existimem vioâ—eÌ„tam cujuspiam oppressionem Bez. As if he had said My condition cries aloud to me that I should cry aloud to God Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me For farre be it from me to think that the Lord delighteth in oppression in breaking the work of his own hands or in maintaining the works of wicked men wicked Iudges use to doe so whom God will never encourage as with a light shining from heaven by his example Farre be it from me to thinke so dishonourably of God and therefore I am thus importunate to know the reason of his dealings with me and what his thoughts are concerning me Verse 3. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good c I am sure it is not it is not pleasing unto thee to oppresse to despise the work of thy hands thou delightest not to shine upon the counsel of the wicked Nequaquam probat alioâ—um iniquam vim multò minus ipse alios opprimit Sanct. Thou canst not endure any of these evils acted by man much lesse wilt thou act them thy self Thou who art just even justice it self canst not love oppression thou who art mercifull even mercy it self wilt not despise the work of thine hands thou who art holy even holinesse it self how shouldest thou delight in wicked men Thou art of purer eies then to behold iniquity and approve of it What blasphemy then is it to imagine that thou dost practise it Thy justice thy mercy thy holinesse are such as cannot admit the taint of these aspersions Omnes vias injustitiae quibus terreni julices corrumpi jus pervertere solent a Domino conator amoliri Merc. Interrogatio sensum reddit omninâ— contrarium me â—uaquaÌ„ probas c. Sanct. So then in this third and fourth verse Iob reckons up those waies by which earthly men corrupt ot pervert justice and he removes them all from the Lord. Some men do but God doth not oppresse Some men do but God doth not destroy the work of his hands Some men do but God never doth shine upon the counsel of the wicked Is it good to thee that thou doest oppresse c These interrogations we see are vehement negations they flatly and peremptorily deny what they seem doubtingly to enquire The sense is It is not good unto thee yea it is evil in thy sight to oppresse c. Thou hatest oppression Ab absurdis argumentatur quae in Deo minimè sunt tameÌ„ cogitari possunt ab infirmitate humana Jun. wrong dealing shall not dwell with thee Iob puts these questions not as if he questioned whether it were good to the Lord to oppresse or good to destroy the work of his hands and to shine upon the counsel of the wicked These were no points of controversie with him nor did he seek resolution about them Yea he therefore begs a reason of the Lord wherefore he was so oppressed becaase he knew it was not good unto Him that he should oppresse Is it good unto thee The Hebrew signifies three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bonum triplex denotat 1. Vtile 2. Iucundum 3. Honestum First That which is profitable Secondly That which is pleasant Thirdly That which is just right or honourable any thing tendâ—ng to reputation And there may be this three-fold sense of it in this place 1. Is it good unto thee that is Numquid tibi proderit Vatab. comes there any advantage unto the Lord by oppressing Surely none What profit is there in our bloud 2. Is it good unto thee that is Is it pleasing or delightfull Is the Lord taken with the afflicting of his people I know he doth not willingly afflict the children of men 3. Is it good unto thee that is Doest thou reckon it thine honour to lay thy hand severely upon thy poor creatures No it is thy glory to passe by a transgression Now seeing it it not good unto thee any of these waies seeing thou hast no gain or profit by it no joy or delight in it no glory or honour from it Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me That 's still the burden of this mournfull Song Is it good unto thee That thou shouldest oppresse The word which we translate to oppresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat opprimere aliqueÌ„ verbu aut factis Numquid loâ—uÌ„ tibi videtur si calumnieris me Vulg. signifies a
not what your selves are To doe so is a sin and a sinne in respect of the body very common Many are ashamed to be seen as God hath made them few are ashamed to be seen what the devil hath made them Many are troubled at small defects in the outward man Few are troubled at the greatest deformities of their inner man they call for no repairs for no fresh colours to be laid on there many buy artificiall beauty to supply the defects of naturall who never had a thought of buying without money spirituall beauty to supply the defects of supernaturall The crookednesse and distortions the blacknesse and uncomelinesse of the soul are most deplorable yet are they little deplored we are called every day to mend and cure them we are told where and how we may have all set right and made fair again and yet the most stirre not or not to purpose God will not know any body at the last day unlesse his souls be mended by grace and some do so mend their bodies by art that God will not know their souls at that day Depart from me I know you not will be all their entertainment ye have mended your bodies till ye have mar'd your souls Besides What can the man do that cometh after the King saith Solomon Eccles 2.12 The work of the wisest among men is beyond the correction of an ordinary man Much more may we say What can the man doe that cometh after God The work of the most wise God is beyond the correction of the wisest among men They who thus come after God to mend his work lest they should be despised will but make themselves more despicable There is more worth in the very defects of Gods work then in the perfection of mans We may use means to help many bodily infirmities but they who are discontent with Gods work are quickly proud of their own and will one day be ashamed of their own Secondly Consider how Job argues Is it good that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands Hence observe It is an argument moving the Lord to much compassion to tell him that we are his work as we are creatures and his work especially as we are new creatures When we are under such afflictions as threaten to ruine us 't is seasonable to tell the Lord he made us David strengthens prayer upon this argument Psal 138.8 Forsake not the work of thy own hands All men love their own works many dote upon them Shall we think God will forsake his See how the people of God plead with God in greatest distresse Isa 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and we all are the work of thine hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord. Wilt thou be angry with thy work Lord be angry with the works of wicked men and destroy the work of Satan Doe not destroy the work of thine own hands thy people are thy work Hast thou not formed them for thy self They will shew forth thy praise That invitation to prayer Isa 45.11 seems to intimate that this plea hath a kinde of command upon God Thus saith the Lord the holy One of Israel and his maker Ask me of things to come concerning my sonnes and concerning the work of my hands command ye me while ye come to me under that notion that these are the work of my hands I cannot deny you Doe but name this and it is a law upon me ye may have any thing of me or doe any thing with me while ye speak for the work of mine hands Hence when the Prophet had put the Jews from that plea they were a lost people and their case was desperate This is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa 27.11 As if he had said Ye were wont I know to come to God with this motive of mercy when he afflicted you Lord thou didst make and forme us therefore have mercy upon us but this shall prevail no more He that made you will not have mercy on you He that formed you will shew you no favour There is but one argument stronger then this among all the Topicks of prayer and that never fails namely that God hath redeemed us or that we are his redeemed ones God bestowed much cost upon us in the work of Creation and therefore under that title he can hardly cast us off but he hath bestowed so much cost upon us in the work of redemption that he will never cast us off Further The Scripture makes frequent use of this argument to represse the pride and presumption of man and to stop his mouth when he begins to question and call God to account about any of his dealings with why is it thus Or why am I thus Thus the Prophet silences the murmurings both of mans heart and tongue Isa 45.9 10. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker shall the clay say to him that fashioned it Why hast thou made me thus And when the Apostle found unquiet and bold spirits busied in contesting with God about his eternall counsels in chusing some and rejecting others in shewing mercy to some and hardening others he stops them with Who art thou O man that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Remember thou art the clay and he is the Potter That we are the work of Gods hand moveth his compassion towards us and represseth our presumption against him We must not proudly dispute it out with him for we are the vvork of his hands and we may humbly plead with him not to despise the work of his hands or to Shine upon the counsel of the wicked God is light and he hath light but he hath none for wicked men or for their counsels To shine upon the counsel of the wicked notes three things Impiorum consitia illustrare idem est quod juvare illorum caeptis ac conatibus favere First To favour or delight in them Secondly To succour or assist them Thirdly To make them prosperous and successefull David praying against his enemies saith Let their way be dark and slippery Psal 35.6 And when the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwinde he questions Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Job 38.2 As to darken waies and to darken counsel is to hinder and trouble them so to shine upon waies and counsels is to help and favour them The Sunne is the candle of the world and Sunshine is the comfort of the world The Psalmist praies in this language Thou that dwellest between the Cherubims shine forth that is help and favour us so it is expounded in the next verse Before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasses stir up thy strength and come and save us Psal 80.1 2. Thou wilt light my candle was Davids confidence
as thou pleasest to doe thy work in Why then doest thou deal thus severely with me as if thou were afraid thou shouldest over-slip thy day or want a season to deal with me in Again When he saith Are thy daies as mans daies it may referre to the changes which happen in the daies of man Deo nihil affert novi crastina dies the daies of man are sometimes fair and sometimes cloudy sometimes he hath good daies and sometimes he hath ill daies therefore he must take his time and lay hold upon his opportunity He must make his hay while the Sunshines who cannot command the Sun to shine But the daies of the Lord are like himself alwaies the same alwaies alike There are no changes of time to him who is himself unchangeable Lastly Are thy daies as the daies of man Aâ—iam suarum miseriarum causam excludit à Deo q.d. si non esset firma Dei voluntas atque benevolentia erga suos sed innata illi esset inconstantia nihil mirum esset si me queÌ„ quondam ingentibus beneficiis cumula vit odio prosequatur Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may have reference to man himself man is as mutable a creature as his time is and man is mutable not only in his condition but in his affection now he loveth anon he hateth now he rejoyceth anon he sorroweth now he esteemeth anon he rejecteth now he imbraceth anon he contemneth Lord saith Job I know thou art not in thy daies as man is in his Where thou art once a friend thou art alwaies a friend whom thou lovest thou lovest for ever Thy affections are as unchangeable as thy nature There is a difference in the later clause of the verse for whereas he saith in the first Are thy daies as the daies of man In the second he saith Are thy years as mans daies The daies of God in the first part are the same with the years of God in the second But man hath not years ascribed to him in the second The time of man is so short that it is reckoned by the shortest compleat time a day And when David computes the longest date of mans life he doth not say The years of man are threescore years and ten but the daies of our years are threescore years and ten Psa 90.10 There is yet another difference in the originall about the word man In the first clause the Hebrew word for man was Enosh here it is Geber which signifies a strong man a mighty man a man of the most masculine spirit and strongest body of the most vigorous abilities and greatest probabilities to live long A man of brasse and heart of oake rather then of clay and dust of the earth Lord Thy daies are not only not as the daies of Enosh a weak sickly man but Thy years are not as the daies of Geber as the daies of the mightiest and healthiest of the strongest and stoutest among the sons of men Observe hence more distinctly the difference between the daies of God and the daies of man First Gods day is the day of eternity Mans daies are but daies of time God is said To inhabit eternity Isa 57.15 that is he is fixed in eternity he is without beginning and without end yea his daies are without succession of daies All the daies of God are but a day Not only are a thousand years to him as one day but eternity is to him as one day All that God doth is said to be done to day Thou art my sonne to day have I begotten thee Psal 2.7 yet he speaks say some of the eternall generation of the Son or as it referreth to the resurrection of Christ so the Apostle expounds it Act. 13.33 God cals that time To day though it came a long time after all is present with God Past and to come in relation to God is neither past nor to come all is now or to day That was not past to God which never had beginning the eternall generation of his Son nor was that to come to God which was alwaies before him The temporall resurrection of his Son To day have I begotten thee is the most proper stile for God Tempus est mensura hominum habens principium finem aeviternitas est Angelorum principium habeus sed non finem aeternitas est propria Deo nec principiuÌ„ habens nec finem Some distinguish thus between these three Eternity Eviternity and Time Eternity is that which is peculiar unto God his are the daies of eternity Eviternity is proper to Angels and spirits which have a beginning but shall have no end Time is the portion and lot of man who hath had a beginning and shall have an end Time is the measure of those things which actually corrupt and change Eviternity is the measure of things incorruptible and unchangeable not in themselves but by the appointment of God Eternity is peculiar to God in whom it is absolutely impossible any change should be Time hath continuall successions eternity a constant permanency eviternity partakes of both Hence The second difference Mans daies are moveable the daies of God move not Aeternitas est quae nihil habet mutabile ibi nihil est praeteritum quasi jam non fit nihil futaruÌ„ quasi nondum fit quia â—oÌ„ est ibi nisi est Aug. in Ps 101. Erat erit nostri temporis fluxaeque naturae segmenta sunt Aeternitas est semper immutabile esse Thirdly Mans daies being past cannot be recalled Gods day is ever within his call for that which is past is as much present to him as that which is present and that which is to come is as much present to him as that which is Mans day was is and shall be Gods day alwaies is his name is I am It was and it will be are divisions and fragments morsels and bits of time eternity is an It is This teaches us First That God hath time enough to do his work in His daies are not as mans daies He needs not hasten his work lest he should loose his opportunity who is possessed of eternity And Secondly This by the way sheweth us the infinite happinesse and unconceivable blessednesse of God His daies are not as mans daies one of mans daies carrieth away one comfort and the next a second This day brings one comfort and the next a second and so he looseth or receiveth his comforts by daies and by daies by the fluxes and refluxes of time God hath all his happines in eternity that is he hath all at once Time neither bringeth nor carrieth away from God He enjoyeth as much at this present what he ever had as what he hath at this present and he enjoys as much what shall be as he doth what is present he enjoyeth all at once because he seeth all at once God hath not one thing after another but all together Eternity is the longest and the shortest it is
longest in duration and the shortest in fruition not that the enjoyment of any thing there is short but because in the shortest enjoyment there is all Every moment of eternity being filled with all the blessednesse of eternity Thirdly This shews the reason why the Lord taketh such leisure to do his work he doth not precipitate or thrust on his designs because he may take what time he will God hath all time at his command Men bear sway and rule over persons and places God only ruleth times Man hath not one day in his power not only not the day to come but not the day present Go to now saith the Apostle James chap. 4.13 14. ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow Nor indeed doth any man know whether he shall be on the morrow or on all the day wherein he is God can boast of to morrow that is of eternity or of all time to come Man cannot boast of tomorrow that is of the next day no nor of the next time to come of the same day Hence it is that man must hasten lest he misse his season When David had Saul at an advantage 1 Sam. 24.5 they about him advise him to make use of it and not to let it slip Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee c. Sr having such a day take hold of it if you let this go you may never see such another Time is no part of the dominion of Kings So likewise Abishai counsels David upon the same advantage 1 Sam. 26.8 God hath delivered thy enemy into thine hand this day let him go this day and probably thou shalt never have the like day again Now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once and I will not smite him the second time I can dispatch him at one time and possibly thou shalt not have a second time In a good work it is good yea t is best to do our work at once and not to expect what we may or may never have a second time when we have a time To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts He hath much hardnes but no wisdom in his heart who hopes to do that good to morrow which he resolvs to neglect untill to morrow A wise man may hope to do that to morrow which he cannot do to day but it is highest folly to resolve upon a neglect of any duty this day upon a hope of doing it next day It is said Revel 12.6 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth because the devil is come down having great wrath why so angry because he knoweth that his time is but short When the devil knows he hath but a little time he will do as much work as he can and do it presently he sees all will scape out of his hands else Only the Lord hastens not neither needeth he to hasten his work at any time upon this ground because he hath but a short time He can take what time he will and make his day as long and his daies as many as himself pleaseth for the acting of his counsels whether to punish or to shew mercy And hence it is that he delaieth till wicked profane spirits wonder yea scoff at his delay and think surely the Lord will never do any such thing as he hath threatned or promised because he staieth so long before he doth it wheras indeed to him that inhabiteth eternity deferment is no delay though to us it seem so whose times are measured out by inches and hours by moments and by minutes Those profane wretches Isa 5.19 call the Lord and provoke him to action Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it The Lord appears slow and slack to many men but the Lord is not slack as some men count slacknesse 2 Pet. 3.9 Men think he is slack when he is only patient and themselves ignorant That a thousand years to the Lord are but as one day God doth not measure time by our pole nor cast it up by our Arithmetike Eternity doth not only like the unjust steward bid us write fifty for an hundred but one for a thousand and which bears the disproportion of divers hundreds in every one of that thousand one day for a thousand years Time is not only a small thing but nothing unto God Mine age saith David is nothing unto thee Psal 39.5 And if all Nations before him are as nothing if they are counted to him lesse then nothing Isa 40.17 Then not only the age of one man but the ages of all men added together are before him as nothing and are counted to him lesse then nothing Surely he cannot want time to do all things before whom all times are nothing He cannot want time to pour out his judgements and to empty the vials of his wrath upon wicked men nor can he want time to fulfill his promises and to make good every word of blessing which he hath spoken to or concerning his own people Wicked men Doe not ye hope Godly men Do not ye fear God will not doe what he hath said because he hath not already done it He hath not lost his time or season because he hath not accepted that which ye thought to be the time or season Christ warns his Disciples Joh. 9.4 to make haste about their work for the night namely of death cometh wherein no man can work while you have the day do your work for I know what day yours is your day will be gone and the night will come then you can work no more But Gods day fears no night what ever comes he can do his work The Preacher gives the same counsel upon the same ground Eccles 9. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might lay hold upon the fore-lock of time why There is no wisdom or counsel in the grave whither thou goest When thou diest there is an end of all thy working time doe thy work well for thou canst not recall a day of thy life to mend thy work in neither canst thou work at all in that night of death The Lords day knows nothing of a grave nor is his Sunne acquainted with going down if he seem slack to his work or slack at his work this day and the next c. yet he hath another day at his call and after that another and another all which are to him but one day Therefore he takes or leaves defers or hastens comes or goes at pleasure Are thy daies O Lord as mans daies Are thy years as the daies of men I know they are not But why doth Job make so many of these negative queries The next words will answer Verse 6. That thou enquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sinne Here
's the reason of those former Questions As if he had said Lord surely thou needest not search and examine me in this manner seeing it is neither thus nor thus with thee It is not good to thee to oppresse or to despise the work of thy hands thou hast not eyes of flesh or daies of man That thou enquirest after mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat non tam verbis interrogatione quam actionibus summa studio aliquid inqu rere non raro de poena nece procuranda accipitur The originall signifies an enquiry two waies 1. By word 2. By actions By somewhat done or by somewhat spoken And it signifies both to do and speak with great intention and heat of spirit The word is also applied to those enquiries which are made by torture when the party is suspected for concealment of the matter under enquiry Which way of examination is called by the Latines the bringing of a man to question That last engine which was invented to support the tottering state of Rome wherein poor souls are put to extream tortures to force confessions or self accusations that I say is called the Inquisition and the Judges Inquisitours because inquisition or enquiry according to the word of the text is there made after the iniquities of men after their supposed heresies and hereticall practices against the Romish Church Job seems to allude to such waies of examination why doth the Lord enquire after my iniquity by fore judgements and terrible afflictions by strong pains and mighty terrours At lowest the word signifieth a diligent search or a scrutiny with utmost industry even such as they use who maliciously hunt for the precious life The Lord saith to Moses return into Aegypt for all the men which sought thy life are dead Exod. 4.19 it is this word So 1 Sam. 22.23 abide thou with me saith David to Abiathar fear not for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life When revenge makes a search it is a diligent search malice hath a piercing eye and enquires narrowly That gracious promise is thus expressed Jer. 50.20 In those daies the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found Job complains here Thou enquirest after mine iniquity there the promise is In those daies the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for or enquired after and it shall not be found that is suppose the iniquity of Israel should be sought after suppose there should be an hue and cry sent out after the sin of my people yet saith the Lord it shall not be found why what hinders the finding of it or where shall it be hid The next words resolve the doubt It shall be hid in the pardoning mercies of God I the Lord will pardon those whom I reserve The Lord would give such a full and free pardon of sin that what search and enquiry soever should be made after it there should not be so much as any scar or mark not so much as any print or stain left to be a witnesse of their sin or a plea for their condemnation Answerable to that Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Job speaks as if God were so farre from hiding his iniquity in a pardon when it came to be searched for that himself searched for it as if he were resolved not to pardon it Wherefore is it that thou enquirest after mine iniquity and searchest after my sin Both parts of the verse meet in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est inquirere in peccatorem per testes judiciartam questionem Pined Quaerere not at scientiam Dei denotat animadversionem vindictam Darash à Bakâ—sh distingui potest si illud in revocatione ad animum hoc inscrutatione occultorum ponamus Coc. The word Darash in the later being often applied as the former to a judiciary search Yet some distinguish them strictly thus the former to signifie an enquiry by recalling to memory or the examining of our selves Thou enquirest after mine iniquitie that is thou askest thy self whether thou hast not observed some iniquity in me Thou doest as it were rub up thy memory and take an account of what is laid up there concerning me Memory is the store-house or treasury the record or register of the soul Books are a memory without us and memory is a book within us Then the other word signifies searching by examination of the suspected party in either of those waies before explained The Lord tels the Jews whose wickednesse was grown immodest and rose a step beyond hypocrisie that he needed not search after their sins In thy skirts is found the bloud of the souls of poor innocents I have not not found it by secret search Ier. 2.34 as noting that the Lord doth sometimes make a secret search and that there are some who hide their sins some who sit close upon and cover them as Rachel did the stolne Idols when Laâ—an came to search Jacobs stuff that there are some who make excuses and apologies for them to these the Lord comes with a secret search for their iniquity The word in Jeremy signifies digging I have not found it by digging some put their sins under ground only deep digging can finde these out Job enquires of the Lord why he made such a searching after his iniquities why he was so curious in looking into every corner Sententia plana est non est necesse ut in peccata mea curiofiùs inquiras cum Deus sit cui not a sunt perspecta omnia etiam interiora cordis Bold and behinde every door to finde out the rubbish of his life seeing the closest sin is as open to his eye as the Sun at noon-day and besides God knew that Job had no close sins no darling beloved sin in his bosom no sweet morsels of any forbidden fruit under his tongue He tels the Lord as much in plain terms in the next words Thou knowest that I am not wicked As we use to say to a man that makes a busie search after any thing either in a place or about a person where there is no probability that it should be found or when we suppose the party searching cannot have the least ground of perswasion that the thing is there or with him In such a case I say a man will answer why do ye make such a search ye know what ye look for is not here ye know well enough I have it not ye have some other end in this Thus Job speaks here Lord why doest thou search for mine iniquity Thou knowest well enough that I am not wicked there is certainly somewhat else in the winde Shew me wherefore thou contendâ—st with me Take a note or two from these words That thou enquirest after mine iniquity c. First God knoweth us before he searcheth us Job professes of himself as
wickedly So we must understand that of the Apostle John 1 Epist 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil Thirdly To be wicked is ordinarily opposed to our being just and so Thou knowest that I am not wicked is Thou knowest that I am not condemned or cast at thy bar for a wicked man I am not condemned but justified in thy sight In which sense the word is used in that prophetique curse against Judas who betraied Christ Psal 109.7 When he shall be judged let him be condemned so we render it the Hebrew is elegantly translated thus Exeat improbus When he shall be judged let him go out wicked that is let him go out from before the bar and tribunall of his Judges a condemned man or Improbus justus verba sunt forensia Drus Let him proceed wicked Let that be his title and his honour wicked and just are judiciary or Court-terms equivalent with justified and condemned Some joyn these words with the verse going before Dost thou search into mine iniquity that thou maist know whether I am wicked As if he had said Lord thou needest not make enquiry about this thing for as I am not wicked so thou art not ignorant thou hast not afflicted me because I am wicked nor hast thou searched me because thou art ignorant Thou knowest that I am not wicked Hence observe First That the Lord knows the state of every man and of every thing exactly The foundation of God stands sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and he knoweth them that are not his not his by the grace of election and regeneration for all are his by the right of creation and dominion Thus he knows all the fowls of the mountains and the beasts of the field are his Psal 50.11 David gives this glory to God in his own case Psal 139.1 O Lord Thou hast searched me and known me God did not search him to know him but he searched him and knew him The knowledge of God was not a consequent but a concomitant of that search or it is spoken in opposition to man a man may search his neighbour and yet not know him There are depths and turnings in the heart of man which no man can reach or finde out but God hath a threed which will lead him into all and thorow all the labirynths a line which will found all the depths of man Hence David makes a particular of the knowledge of God God knew him in all that he was and in all that he did Thou knowest my down-lying and my up-rising and thou art acquainted with all my waies God is the Judge of all men therefore he knows all men Heb. 4.13 There is no creature which is not manifest in his sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things are naked and open before him with whom we have to doe The Apostle by two metaphors in these words teaches us that as the out-members and lineaments of the body together with their beauty or deformity are clearly seen when the body is naked and uncloathed that as the bowels and intrals of the body together with their soundnesse or diseases are perfectly discovered when the body is dissected or cut up by the hand of a skilfull anatomist even so are we in all we do and in all we are perfectly known or as the same Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5.11 manifest unto God even manifest with as much clearnesse to the knowledge of God as the light is to the eye of man He knows 1. Our persons 2. Our actions 3. He knoweth the manner of our actions 4. He knoweth with what hearts we act 5. He knoweth not only the means we use but the ends we propose in every action 6. He knoweth what we have been as well as what we are And 7. He knoweth what we will be as well as what we are or have been He knoweth what we have done as well as what we do and he knoweth what we will do as well as what we do or have already done He seeth all creatures in the glasse of his own counsels thorow and thorow His eye hath thorow lights in all parts of the world and in the hearts of all men in the world And seeing man cannot be hid from God it is the vainest attempt for any man to think of hiding himself from God yet that 's not only the attempt but the hope of many who while they do what they would not have seen please themselves with this conceit that they are not seen in doing it or that they can secure what they have done from being seen We learn'd this of our first parents in whom the first thing that appeared next their shame after they had sinned was the hiding of their sinne Man loveth to draw a curtain between God and himself to raise up artificiall darknesse and to walk in thick clouds as he vainly hopes undiscovered Again Doth God know us then let us labour to know our selves God knows who are wicked many are wicked and know it not It is a wofull mistake when we think our selves to be in a good estate and God knows us to be in a bad estate It is a wrong to God and our selves when God knows us to be in a good estate and we think our selves to be in a bad estate but it is farre worse when we think our estate good and God knows it to be bad We should be acquainted with our condition lest we like Laodicea flatter our selves into an opinion that we are rich and clothed and have need of nothing when God knows we are poor and naked and wanting all things Secondly Observe from the elegancy of the Hebrew expression It is upon thy knowledge that I am not wicked God knoweth all things in and of himself This gives glory to God and lifteth him up above the creature in the fulnesse of his knowledge Men who have the greatest knowledge and vastest comprehensions of things yet have not that knowledge in and from themselves they fetch it in by borrowed helps and glad they can have it so too It costs man a great deal of travell and study to make himself master of a little knowledge Job 12.12 With the ancient is wisdom and in length of daies is understanding Some indeed get wisdom and understanding and are owners of a vast stock and treasure of knowledge but when but how When they are old when they have had long experience and have studied hard for it With the ancient is wisdom and in length of daies is understanding Thus men get knowledge But mark what is said of God in the next words vers 13. But with him meaning God is wisdom and strength He hath counsel and understanding With him it is and he hath it The Lord doth not grow more knowing by years nor doth his understanding mend by the multitude of daies though he be the Ancient of daies yet it is not his antiquity
in the state of innocency had an immortality by the gift of God yet with condition that he did submit to that rule which God gave him to live by Doe this and live Adamus habuit potentiam non moriendi non impotentiaÌ„ moriendi Adamus peccans non solum potuit mori sed non potuit non mori Quicunque dicit Adamum primuÌ„ hominem mortalem factum ita ut sive peccaret sive non peccaret moreretur in corpore hoc est de corpore exiret non peccati merito sed necessitate naturae Anathema sit Concil Melivit Can 1. was the law of Adams life Adam had not an impossibility to die but a possibility not to die This was the state of immortality in the state of innocency Man had not fallen into the grave if he had not fallen into transgression His life was made as long as his obedience if he had not turned from God he had not returned to the earth Death was convaied in by sin and our possibility not to die was not only lost but changed into a necessity of dying So then man is brought to dust not because his nature was subject to corruption but because sin hath corrupted his nature When he abused the liberty of his will he was subjected to this necessity against his will By an irreversible ordinance of heaven It is appointed unto men once to die Heb. 9.27 Iob speaks to that point of Gods law concerning man Thou hast made me as the clay and thou wilt bring me into the dust again Thus the words are taken as an assertion of the power and priviledge of God to unmake and pull down man whom he had made and set up If we read the words by way of interrogation or admiration so Iob seems to intend them as an allay to mitigate the present severity of the Lords proceeding with him Thou hast made me of the clay but a while ago and wilt thou bring me into the dust again O spare me a little before I go hence and shall be seen no more It will not be long before there must be an end of me O let me have a more comfortable being and breathing while I am here When Satan provoked the Lord against Ierusalem to destroy it the Lord answered Zech. 3.2 Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire As if he had said unto Satan Art thou moving me to throw this people into that fire of affliction out of which they were so lately snatcht Ierusalem was in the fire but awhile ago and shall I cast it in again Iob pleads in the same form though not in the same matter I was clay but the other day and Lord shall I to dust again to day Let we see some quiet daies before I see the end of my daies Gild over this clay of mine with the shinings of thy face upon me before thou renderest me dust again I have more then once had occasion to touch this argument and shall therefore passe it here Iob having thus set forth his naturall constitution in the matter of it as he was made of clay goeth on to describe himself more distinctly first in his conception of his whole body secondly in the formation and delineation of his parts Verse 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milke and crudled me like cheese Lacti simile initio semen postea admirabili Dei opere non secus ac caseus conerescit con solidatur ut membra paulatim conformari incipiant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notat reiliquâ—dae concretioneÌ„ coagulationem vel condensationem Under the modest shadow of this verse that great naturall mystery of mans generation and conception is contained The former word signifies not only the pouring forth of liquids but the melting and dissolving of the hardest mettals iron brasse c. that they may be fitted to run or be poured forth Ezek. 22.21 22. And as this signifies the softning and melting of that which is hard so the next word which we translate crudled signifies the hardening or thickning of that which is soft and fluid Moses useth it in describing the miraculous dividing of the red sea Exod. 15.8 The flouds stood upright as an heap and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea The Prophet Zephany useth it for the setlednesse and resolvednesse of a people in sinne Chap. 1.12 The Lord saith he will punish the men that are setled we put in the margin curded or thickned on their lees I might from these proprieties of the originall words illustrate that secret of mans originall But forasmuch as the Spirit of God hath drawn a curtain and cast a vail of metaphors over it therefore I intend not to open or discover it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arist de gen Animal c. 20. Ancient Philosophers have spoken of these naturall operations in a like language and under these similitudes I shall only say in generall that these two expressions First Thou hast poured me out as milk secondly And crudled me like cheese are appliable to that speciall contribution which God hath charged upon each parent towards that great work the continuation of their own kinde Miseret atque etiam pudet aestimantem quaÌ„ sit frivola animantium superbissimorum origo Plin. l. 7. c. 7. and the raising up of a posterity in their place to serve himself and their generation Learn hence Fitst That man hath reason to be humbled at the meannes and manner of his original What hath he to be proud of in the world who that he might be prepared for his coming into the world was poured out as milk and curdled as cheese Let not man be high minded whose beginning was so low and homely Learn secondly Our naturall conception is from God Men in a strict sense are called The fathers of our flesh Nihil de genitoribus aut seminibus nascitur si ea non operetur Deus August in Psal 118. and God the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 Yet God hath the chief title to the father-hood of our flesh as well as the sole title to the fatherhood of our spirits Thou hast poured me out as milk and thou hast crudled me like cheese here is no mention of his father none of his mother but as if the Lord had wrought all by an immediate power he ascribes the whole effect to him Thou hast poured me out as milk c. We are also his off-spring as the Apostle tels the Athenians out of their own Poets Act. 17.28 Thirdly This gives caution to all whom the Lord hath called or shall call to the state of marriage to be holy in that estate Marriage is honourable Heb. 13.4 and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge no wonder if God have a respectfull eye to the undefiled in that relation and a revengefull eye upon the defilers of it seeing as his own authority instituted it so his own power acts so
The greatest wonders of creation are unseen God hath packt many rarities mysteries yea miracles together in mans chest All the vitall instruments and wheels whereby the watch of our life is perpetually moved from the first hour to the last are locked up in a curious internall cabinet where God himself prepared the pulleys hung on the weights and wound up the chime by the hand of his infinite power without opening of any part As our own learned Anatomist elegantly teacheth us in the Preface to his sixth book Fourthly The dimensions proportions and poise of mans body are so exact and due that they are made the model of all structures and artificials Castles Houses Ships yea the Ark of Noah was framed after the measure and plot of mans body In him is found a circulate figure and a perfect quadrat yea the true quadrature of a circle whose imaginary lines have so much troubled the Mathematicians of many ages Fifthly In every part usefulnesse and commodiousnesse comelinesse and convenience meet together What beauty is stampt upon the face What majesty in the eye What strength is put into the arms What activity into the hands What musick and melody in the tongue Nothing in this whole fabrique could be well left out or better placed either for ornament or for use Some men make great houses which have many spare rooms or rooms seldom used but as in this house there is not any one room wanting so every room is of continuall use Was ever clay thus honoured thus fashioned Galen gave Epicurus an hundred years to imagine a more commodious scituation configuration or composition of any one part of the body And surely if all the Angels in heaven had studied to this day they could not have cast man into a more curious mould or have given a fairer and more correct edition of him This clay cannot say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou Or this work he hath no hands Isa 45.9 The Lord hath made man so well that man cannot tell which way to be made better This work cannot say He that wrought me had no hands that is I am ill wrought as to say you have no eyes you have no ears are reproofs of negligence and inadvertency both in hearing and seeing So when we say to a man Surely you have no hands our meaning is he hath done his work either slothfully or unskilfully But this work of mans body shall not need to say unto God he hath no hands he hath given proof enough that hands and head too were imploied about this work Let us make it appear that we have hands and tongues and hearts for him that we have skin and flesh bones and sinews for him that we have strength and health and life and all for him seeing all these are also derived from him as appears in the next words Thou hast granted me life and favour Job having thus described the naturall conception and formation of his body descendeth to his quickning and preservation When God had formed man out of the dust of the earth he then breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living soul and thus when God hath formed man in the womb given him skin and flesh bones and sinews then he gives life and breath and all things necessary to the continuation of what he hath wrought up to such excellent perfections Our divine Philosopher teacheth us this doctrine Verse 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit This verse holds out to us the great Charter of God to man consisting of three royall grants First Life Secondly Favour Thirdly Visitation The bounty of God appears much in granting life more in granting favour most of all in his grant of gracious visitations Thou hast granted me life c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vitas fecisti Mont. Vitam disposuisti mihi Sep. Quasi debito loco ordine The letter of the Hebrew is Thou hast made or fitted for me life and favour The soul is the ornament of the body life the lustre of our clay Thou hast not thrown or hudled my life into my body Thou hast put it in exquisitely and orderly The frame of the body is an exquisite frame but the frame the faculties and powers the actings and motions of the soul are farre more exquisite The inhabitant is more noble then the house and the jewell then the cabinet As the life is better then meat and the body then artificiall raiment Mat. 6.25 So the life is better then the body which is to it a naturall raiment Thou hast granted me life c. Life is here put metonymically for the soul of which it is an effect as the soul is often put for the life whereof it is a cause We translate in the singular number life the Hebrew is plurall Thou hast granted me lives But hath a man more lives then one Some understand Job speaking not only of corporall but spirituall life as our naturall life is the salt of the body to keep that from corrupting so spirituall life or the life of grace is the salt of the soul to keep that from corrupting Secondly Thou hast granted me lives that is say others temporall life and eternall life Thirdly Lives may be taken for the three great powers of life Man hath one life consisting of three distinct lives For whereas there is a life of vegetation and growth such as is in trees and plants and a life of sense and motion such as is in beasts of the earth fowls of the air and fishes of the sea And a life of reason such as is in Angels whereby they understand and discourse these three lives which are divided and shared among all other living creatures are brought together and compacted into the life of man Whole man is the epitome or summe of the whole Creation being enriched and dignified with the powers of the invisible world and of the visible put together under which notion we may expound this Text Thou hast granted me lives a three-fold life or a three-fold acting and exercise of the same life Thou hast granted me lives Observe hence Life is the gift of God With thee is the fountain of lives the well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vena vitarum or the vein of lives Psal 36.9 The Psalmist alludes either first to waters which flow from a fountain and so doth life from God Or secondly To metals With thee is the vein of lives as all minerall veins the veins of gold and silver of lead and iron c. lie as it were in bank in the bosom and bowels of the earth so doth life in God There is not the lest vein of this quick-silver in all the world but comes from him Or thirdly The Psalmist alludeth to the veins of the body which as so many rivers and rivolets derive their bloud from tha◠red-sea the liver God hath a sea of life in himself
q d. in me jam seme◠mortuo pene confecto Merc. my pains know not only no period but no pause I have storm upon storm grief upon grief here much and there much I am all waies and everywhere again afflicted though already half-dead with affliction Whence observe God doth often renew the same or send new afflictions upon his choisest servants One would think that light should follow darknesse and day succeed the night that though sorrow continue all the night yet joy should come in the morning that after wounding we should have healing and after sicknesse health So they promised themselves Hos 6.1 Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will binde us up yet many have felt wounding after wounds and smiting after blows darknesse hath stept after darknesse and their sorrow hath had a succession of greater sorrows It was a speciall favour to Paul when Epaphroditus was restored Phil. 2.27 He was sick nigh unto death but saith he God had mercy on him and not on him only but on me also and why Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow God would not do what some of his enemies thought to do adde affliction to his bonds therefore he healed Pauls helper and kept him alive in whom he so much delighted Sorrow upon sorrow is a mournfull bearing yet many a precious Saint hath born that coat The promise to the Church is That her peace shall be as a river and her prosperity as the waves of the sea Isa 66.12 When the Church shall come to her full beauty and attain a perfect restauration then her peace shall be a continued peace she shall have peace upon peace everlasting successions of peace a river being supplied and fed with a constant stream the waters that flow to day will flow again to morrow peace like a river is peace peace or perpetuall peace Sions peace shall not be as a land-floud soon up and as soon down again but as a river and which yet heightens it her prosperity shall be as the waves of the sea If the winde do but stir upon the face of the sea you shall have wave upon wave waves rolling and riding one upon the back of another Such shall be the prosperity of Zion on earth for a time and such it will be for ever in heaven there peace shall be as a river to eternity and prosperity as the waves of the sea joy upon joy and comfort upon comfort riding and rolling one upon the back of another As it shall be thus with the peace of the Church at last so it may be with the afflictions of the Church or of any member of the Church at present Their afflictions may be as a river and their sorrows as the waves of the sea coming on again and again renewed as often as abated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mirabilis sis in me Again Thou shewest thy self wonderfull or marvellous against or upon me Both renderings are consistent with the originall Marvellous upon me That is thou dost not punish or afflict me in an ordinary way Marvels are not every daies work Thou takest a new a strange course to try me such afflictions as mine have no parallel such have scarce been heard of or recorded in the history of any age Who hath heard of such a thing as this thou seemest to design me for a president to posterity Mirificum fit spectaculum homo qui tam dira patitur tam constanti invictoque animo or to shew in my example what thou canst do upon a creature Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me As Moses speaks concerning Korah Dathan and Abiram when they murmured and mutined against him and against Aaron If these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up then c. The Lord to manifest his extream displeasure against those mutineers did as it were devise a new kinde of death for them If these men die the common or the ordinary death of all men then the Lord hath not sent me These men have given a new example of sinne and surely God will make them a new example of punishment Iob speaks the same sense Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me thou wilt not be satisfied in afflicting me after the rate or measure of other men All the Saints should do some singular thing and many of them suffer some singular thing The Apostle assures his Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but that which is common to man Iob seems to speak the contrary A temptation hath taken me which is not common to man Further These words Thou art marvellous upon me have reference to God who sent those afflictions as well as unto the afflictions which he sent As if he had said Lord thou actest now besides thy nature and thy custom thou art mercifull and thou delightest in mercy Thou art good and thou doest good how or whence is it then that thou art so fierce against me and pourest out so many evils upon me I could not knowing thee as I do have beleeved though it had been told me that thou wouldest have been so rigorous and incompassionate if a professed enemy had done this he had done like himself and had been no wonder unto me But now as thou hast afflicted me till I am become a wonder unto many so thou O Lord art become a wonder unto me and to all who hear how thou hast afflicted me Meek Moses made himself a wonder when he broke out in anger Every man is wondered at when he doth that which he is not enclined to doe or not used to do Is it not a wonder to see the patient God angry the mercifull God severe the compassionate God inexorable Thus saith Iob Thou shewest thy self marvellous upon me Hence observe First That some afflictions of the Saints are wonderfull afflictions As God doth not often send his people strange deliverances and works wonders to preserve them so he sends them many strange afflictions and works wonders to trouble them And as many punishments of sin upon wicked men so some trials of grace upon godly men are very wonderfull The Lord threatneth the Jews Deut. 28.59 that he would make their plagues wonderfull he would make strange work among them And he saith of Ierusalem I will wipe it as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it up-side down or wiping it and turning it upon the face thereof 2 King 21.13 To see a great City handled like a little dish or a strong Nation turned topsie turvy as we say or the bottom upwards is a strange thing It is an ordinary thing to see cups platters turned up-side down but it is not ordinary to see Kingdoms and Nations
think we lived but a little here all the sorrows of this life will be swallowed up in the next and so will our sudden parting with this life Thirdly The clearest sense of these words Are not my daies few is that they are the ground of a petition for the mitigation of his troubles As if he had said Lord I have but a while to live in the world my daies are few therefore doe not think much that I should have a little comfort and refreshing in these my daies Consider my life is short O that thou wouldest slack thy hand and yeeld me some ease and comfort in this short life He had used this argument at the seventh Chapter verse 16. Let me alone for my daies are vanity Paucitas dierū i. e. paucissimi dies Abstracta significationem incitant acuunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imminutionem decrementumque significat q d nunquam crescit sed descrescit ad angustias majores indies reducitur in perpetua consumptione evanescit Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quanti aevi ego Mont. here Let me alone for my daies are few The fewnesse of our daies is one of the vanities of our daies Are not my daies few The Hebrew is Is not fewnesse of daies mine Yes That 's my portion Abstracts often encrease and sometimes they diminish the sense Here the sense is diminutive as if he had said My daies are so farre from many that they are fewnesse it self Mine are not encreasing and growing but declining and abating daies My daies are going down they are brought into a lesser and a narrower compasse every day The Chaldee renders Are not my daies ceasing My daies fade and wear out every day Shew me how short my life is closer to the originall how soon ceasing I am or as others What or of what quantity mine age is how transitory how temporary I am Cease then and let me alone Some read it in the third person Therefore let him cease from me and let me alone we in the second Cease then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deponat à me sc flagellum aut supplicium Deponat exercitus suos procul à me Jun. and let me alone Job looks upon himself as one besieged and straitned with afflictions Now saith he I beseech thee raise thy siege and draw off thy force from me or if thou wilt not make a finall peace with me yet grant me a cessation let me have a truce for a limited time let me not have such continuall alarms or be forced to stand armed continually Let me rest saith the Septuagint Issachar stooped to burdens because he desired rest Some are so burdened that they cannot rest how much soever they desire it Job desires God to give him rest because his daies were few Hence observe First It is an argument moving the Lord to forbear sending us many troubles because we have but few daies Thus David praies Psal 89.47 Remember how short my time is wherefore hast thou made all men in vain Lord I have but a few daies and shall my daies be nothing but clouds and darknesse The same argument is used Psal 39. ult O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more I shall soon be gone let me have some ease while I stay here Observe Secondly That except the Lord withdraw his hand nothing in the world can give us ease Cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort as if he had said If thine hand be upon me in vain do friends comfort me creatures offer me their help in vain Cease then and let me alone From the matter of his argument Observe The life of man is short It is a common theame and every man thinks he can declaim upon it and speak to it but there are very few can live to or act by it A multitude of instructions arise to us from the fewnes of our daies And did men know indeed that their daies are few their evil deeds would not be so many and their good would be more Again That mans daies are so few yeelds us not only many instructions but many wonders Is it not strange that we who have but a few daies in our lives should have so many afflictions in our lives That we should have few daies and many sorrows Is it not strange that we should have few daies in our lives and many cares about our lives Many cares and few daies yea many cares upon one day Thou art carefull about many things saith Christ to Martha Is it not strange that we should have so few daies and so many sins Few daies and innumerable sins so many sins as no man can number them and so few daies that a childe may number them And is not this a wonder above all the rest that we should have but a few daies and yet be gravell'd and puzl'd so as we are in numbring them A little humane learning will serve to number our daies but we need a great deal of spirituall learning to number them A little study in the Mathematicks will do it but we need more then study experience in Divinity before we can do it and yet neither study nor experience can do it unlesse God himself be our Tutor He only can teach us so to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome We shall commence fools at last if we have not one wiser then the wisest upon earth to teach us this truth That I may take comfort a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roboravit confortavit respiravit vires collegit The word which we translate to take comfort signifies such comfort as they finde who being heated extreamly and extream thirsty come to drink at a fountain of sweet waters The Vulgar readeth it Let me alone that I may mourn a little yet taking in the former sense He seems thus to explain himself If the Lord would let me alone I would go and ease my self with complaining the waters of my head the fountain of mine eyes would be a refreshing to my wearied soul Sorrows are sometimes joyous and moderate mourning gives the minde a reviving But rather Take it in the generall Let me alone that I may comfort my self and that these sorrows may abate I desire to rally and recollect my scattered thoughts a while and so take in somewhat of the sweetnesse of this life before I die Si dolorem amov re non vult respirandi locū aliquem spacium concedat Merc. Cease from me for some refreshing saith M. Broughton I do not expect much Lord let me have some before I go whence I shall not return Here observe one common principle of nature Man desireth his own good A well-being as well as a being What is there in life for nature to prize if there be nothing but sorrow in it Secondly Observe That great sufferings make us very modest in our demands Job was in