many long answers but Elihu the Moderator was forced to tell them ye have not answered sufficiently Lastly Elihu having heard all their answers and finding that they did not reach a proofe against Job nor answer his reasonings and replyes he speaks himselfe Hence note When we have weighed all duely and find that others have not done the deed we must not dissemble our judgements nor flatter them in their faulty answers Elihu would not doe so and the reason why he would not is layd downe in the next words Vers 13. Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome God thrusteth him downe not man In the former verse Elihu shewed his owne disappoyntment while he waited upon others I attended unto you saith he to Jobs three friends and behold there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words Then followes Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome c. In which words Elihu proceeds with his Preface that he might the more fairely fall into discourse with Job for having told Jobs friends that he had waited in vaine for satisfaction from their answers or replyes they having not convinced him either by solid reason or by Authentick Authority and testimony that he was so bad as they judged him to be He adds this I affirme Lost ye should say we have found out wisdome That is lest ye should say it boastingly and cry victory against his afflicted man The word is often used in Scripture to signifie saying with boasting or speaking in pride of spirit The Baptist Math. 3.9 tells the Pharisees Thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father his meaning is doe not speake of your pedegree boastingly nor proudly that ye are Abrahams children will doe you no good unlesse ye are good like your father Abraham and doe as he did So here Rem acu tetimuâ— ipsum cardinum in quo tota controversia vertitur de Jobo Drus Lest ye should proudly say we have found out wisdome we have found the mystery of the whole matter we have found out the key which unlocks this secret or as Mr Calvins translater wittily as well as truly expresseth We have found out the beane in the Cake we say Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome That is that which will surely prove us wise men and gaine us the reputation of wisdome among all wise and knowing men What their speciall resolve was which they counted widome followes in the close of the verse according to our reading God thrusteth him downe not man But before I deale with that conclusion I shall briefly note two things from those words Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome First Man is very apt to speake boastingly to have high thoughts and then to utter great words of himselfe Man is a proud piece of flesh and a small matter will make him shew his pride and spread his plumes like that naturally-painted bird if not explicitely in words yet his spirit will swell and be puft up with towring conceits of himselfe The Prophet Habakkuk describes this temper Chap. 2.4 He that is lifted up his spirit is not upright in him A proud spirit is alwayes a false spirit They who thinke highly of themselves thinke themselves higher then they are And 't is a great argument that man is naturally very proud because God hath given so many stops and checks to his pride or hath made so many provisions against it The very contrivance of the work of Redemption in that way by the hand of Jesus Christ had this great designe in it For as the chiefe designe in reference to man was his salvation that was the ultimate end as to man so there was another designe in it why God would save man that way which the Apostle layeth downe 1 Cor 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his sight While God intended to give man glory he took a course to cut off all glorying from man God would not set up man againe to worke is owne salvation lest he should be proud of his workes Though we are now called to work out our owne salvation Phil. 2.12 yet it is wholly wrought by another and we are there commanded to work out our owne salvation with feare and trembling not with presumption and boasting Againe How apt is man to boast of any good he doth seeing he is not ashamed to boast sometimes when he doth evill and of that which is evill even of the lusts and lustings of his evill heart Psal 10.3 The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire And what good is there in the desire of a wicked mans heart He as such can desire nothing but what is worse then nothing sin or vanity and yet he boasts of it Yea man is ready to boast not only of evill done but of his ability to doe evill They in the Prophet boasted that they were mighty to drinke wine and men of strength to mingle strong drinke Isa 5.22 How doe some please themselves that they are in power only because that gives them an advantage to oppresse whom they please or all those with whom they are displeased David saw that spirit ruling and raging in spirefull Doeg whom he therefore checks Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O mighty man The Apostle found those Phil. 3.19 who gloried in their shame That is in sinfull practices even making their belly their God whereof they ought to be ashamed The Prophet spake of their like long before Isa 3.9 They declare their sin as Sodome they hide it not As if it had been their ornament and their honour their beauty and bravery to be wicked But especially if bad men doe that which is good they boast of it A carnal man may for the matter doe good yea he may have a zeale for God Jehu said Come see my zeale for the Lord 2 Kings 10.16 But Jehu desired more to have his zeale for the Lord seene then to be zealous for the Lord. And so his was indeed zeale for himselfe not for the Lord. The Pharisees did many good things but they could not foâ—beare boasting in the good they did They doe all saith Christ who knew not only what they did but with what heart to be seene of men or to have prayse with men Yea not only are evill men ready to boast of the good they doe but the temptation lies hard also upon godly men to doe so their hearts are often unduely transported as with the thoughts of their gifts parts and graces so with what they doe through the gift of grace Our very graces much more our outward priviledges may be an occasion of boasting Pride and boasting are weeds which grow up from the best and richest soyle 'T is rare to see any man rich in gifts and graces and poore in spirit poverty of spirit is the purest and truest riches of grace Secondly As to the particular here spoken of Lest ye should say we
of their Countenance testifieth against them that is they look proudly though which should lay them in the dust they live very lewdly yea they are proud of their lewdness Thirdly How often doth pride bud in apparell in vaine fashions and new-fangled attires in the affected adornings and trimmings of a body of clay What are these but the buddings of pride yea the flaggs and banners of pride Some are as proud of their gay dresses as the Peacock of his feathers We commonly say Fine feathers make fine birds but how foolish are those birds that are proud of Feathers Secondly There is pride of heart or pride budding in the spirit of man which doth not shew it selfe only the mind swels within When men have high thoughts of themselves though they doe not as the Apostle Jude hath it speake great swelling words of vanity yet they have great swelling thoughts of vanity then pride buddeth in their spirits their minds swell and the mind will swell more then the tongue The tongue swells mightily but the heart much more The spirit of a man may lift up it selfe on high when the man looks very demurely Hab 2.4 Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him If the soule be lifted up the man falls He that is high-minded cannot be upright in his minde It may be questioned Whence it cometh to passe that the soule of man is so much and so often lifted up with pride What causeth this swelling and heaving of his spirit I answer First Some are proud of their birth either that they are borne of great men or that they are borne of good men The Baptist admonished the Jewes of this piece of pride Math 3.19 Thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father As if he had sayd I well perceive what makes you as we speake proverbially stand so much upon your pantafloes and talk within your selves at such a rate of your selves is it not because you are of Abrahams stock But I say unto you let not your heart swell with these thoughts we are Children of Abraham for God is able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham that is God will not want a people though he should lay you aside and entertaine you no longer for his people Secondly Others are proud of riches yea they boast of the multitude of their riches Psal 49.6 Even they who desire to hide their riches as much as they can yet cannot but tell the world they are proud of their riches so proud that they slight and contemne all men that have not as much riches as they O what rejoycings have most rich men over their riches Hezekiah a great King and a Good man a rare conjunction had much of that upon his spirit Isa 39.2 when Ambassadours came from Babylon He was glad of them and shewed them all his treasure He affected they should see what a rich King he was and what masses of Gold and silver as well as what multitudes of men were at his command Thirdly Many are proud of their honours and powers in the world They are high-minded because they are set in high places 'T is a dishonour to some great men that they have not truely great spirits And 't is the temptation of all great men to have proud spirits Fourthly Not a few are proud of their bodyly perfections and strength many a soule is defiled and deformed with pride by the bodyes beauty and fairenesse many look not after the beauty of holinesse while they doat upon the beauty of their owne comelinesse they see themselves in their beauty till they are proud of it and care not which should be our greatest care and shall be our greatest priviledge Isa 33.17 to see the King in his beauty As some trust in their spirituall beauty Ezek 16.15 so others over-weene their corporall both are the effects of pride and the first is by so much the worse of the two by how much it riseth from a better object Fifthly Many are proud of their naturall parts proud of their gifts proud of their wit proud of their memory proud of their eloquence and abilities of speaking As knowledge it selfe puffeth up 1 Cor 8.1 so doe all those endowments which serve either for the getting or expressing of our knowledge Gifts and abilities whether naturall or improved and acquired doe not more fit us for service then tempt us to and unlesse grace worke mightily taint us with pride Sixthly As many are proud of what they have so others are proud of what they have done they are proud of their actions their spirits swell with the thoughts of their owne workes Some are so wicked that they are proud of their evill workes The Apostle saith They glory in their shame Phil 3.19 David complain'd of many Psal 4. who turned his glory into shame but these turne their shame into glory that is they are proud of that for which they ought to be ashamed Now if some are proud of the evill of the mischief which they have done how easily may we grow proud of the good which we have done proud of our duties proud of our righteous deeds proud of our charitable deeds to men proud of our prayers to God proud of our zeale for God as Jehu was who sayd Come and see my zeale for the Lord. The heart of a good man may soone have too much to doe with what he hath done his thoughts may quickly worke too much towards and upon his owne workes But as for hypocrites and selfe-seekers who doe good to be seene of men they cannot forbeare seeing it themselves and surely that sight of the eye cannot but affect the heart with pride Seventhly Pride riseth often from the successe of what is attempted and done men are proud of victories The Assyrian is described Isa 10.13 14. triumphing and insulting because he had put downe the nations as a valiant man And Hab 1.16 we have the Chaldeans sacrificing to their net and burning incense to their drage because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous that is they boasted of and gloried in their great atchievements in warre so it seemes to be explained in the next words v. 17. Shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nations Eighthly Pride springeth out of the very mercies and salvation of God Thus 't is sayd of Hezekiah 2 Chron 32.25 after he had received two great mercies First deliverance from a great enemy and Secondly from a great sicknesse He rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up How lifted up not in thankfulnesse for he rendred not according to the kindnesse but in pride and high-mindednesse for presently it is said v. 26. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart Ninthly The heart is lifted up and waxeth proud with Church-Priviledges Some say they are in the Church or they are the
the spirit of the Almighty gave him understanding for the Government which he was called to for whereas before he had only a private spirit taken up about cattel and the affaires of husbandry then God gave him a spirit of prudence and valour a spirit of wisdome and magnanimity a Noble and an Heroicall Spirit befitting the Governour of so great and populous a kingdome both in peace and warre Every Calling is a mystery much more the Calling of Kings and Supreame Magistrates It was said to Imperiall Rome Tu regere im perio populos Romane memento Hae tibi sint artes Doe thou remember to Rule Nations and Kingdomes let these be thy arts This Art the Spirit of the Lord gave Saul even knowledge and skill to rule and governe yea he had a gift of Illumination not only for government but for prophesie he was found amongst the Prophets and when v. 11th they asked wondering Is Saul also amongst the Prophets As if they had said How strange and unheard of a thing is this that Saul should be furnished with the gift of prophecy and joyne himselfe with the Prophets They who before were acquainted with his person and manner of education were even amazed at the sight And while they were surprized with this amazement one of the same place as it seemes wiser then the rest Answered and said but who is their father ver 12. That 's the speciall word for which I alledge this text What Saul among the Prophets is it not strange that he should be Inspired Then one Answered and said who is their father As if he had said Doe not any longer stand wondering at this thing but consider who is the father of Saul as a Prophet as also the father of all these Prophets Saul was the son of Kish as to naturall descent but he had another father as he was a Prophet and so all these Prophets had besides theit Fathers as men one and the same father as Prophets Therefore wonder not that ye heare Saul prophecying for all these whom ye heare and see prophecying have not these gifts by birth from men nor by industry from themselves but from God who is a free agent and inspireth whom he pleaseth The same God who by inspiration hath freely bestowed those gifts upon the other Prophets hath also inspired Saul with a gift of prophecy The Spirit of God is his father in that capacity as well as the father of these other Prophets And hence that Scripture runs in the plurall number who is their father Unlesse God give power from above the understanding is darke the memory unfaithfull the tongue stammering It is light from on high that teacheth the skill of prophecy Solomon had the greatest measure of understanding of any meere man since the fall of man and of him it is said 1 Kings 4.29 God gave Solomon wisdome and understanding exceeding much and largenesse of heart even as the sand that is on the sea-shore Solomons heart had been as narrow as another mans if the Inspiration of the Almighty had not widened it When Moses was so sinfully modest as to excuse his Embassie to Pharoah supposing himselfe not fitted for such an undertaking Exod 4.10 11. O my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue God presently put the question to him Who hath made mans mouth c. As if he had said Cannot he give words into thy mouth who gave thee a mouth cannot he act thy organs of speech who made them Now therefore goe and I will be with thy mouth Est deus in nobis sunt et commercia caeli sedibus aethereis spiritus iste venit Ovid. and teach thee what thou shalt say The Inspiration of the Almighty shall give thee understanding Heathen Poets have boasted of their â—â—ptures and inspirations The people of God have a promise of the Spirit to lead them into all truth and to helpe them in maintaining those truths From this generall that the furniture of the understanding is the gift of God or by Inspiration of the Almighty take these hints by way of Coralary First If a right understanding flow from the Inspiration of the Almighty then pray for an understanding pray for the Spirit Ye have not because ye aske not saith the Apostle James 4.2 God gives wisdome but he gives it to them that aske it Jam 1.5 If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not God upbraideth us not either with our want of wisdome or with the abundance of wisdome that he is pleased to supply us with and give out to us When Solomon was put to his choice what to aske he said Give thy servant an understanding heart God gave Solomon wisdome but Solomon asked it first All good things are shut up in promises and the promises are opened to give out their good things when we pray Prov. 23.5 When thou Cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God To pray well is to studâ—e well because by prayer light comes in from on high to make studies successfull and the worke to prosper in our hand As the Almighty breatheth downe on us so we must breath up to the Almighty To expect and not to pray is to tempt God not to trust him Secondly Doe not onely pray for wisdome but use meanes and be industrious for the obtaining of it The gift of God doth not take off the diligence of man God doth not worke in us that we should sit still Prov. 2.4 Then shalt thou know wisdome when thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure And where is this treasure to be had Surely in the mines of Scripture and in all those Appoyntments wherein God hath promised to meete his people to shine upon them and give them the knowledge of his wayes in Jesus Christ Thirdly Be thankfull for any gift of knowledge for every beame and ray of light be thankfull It is God who commands light to shine out of darknesse and that God who at first commanded light to shine out of darknesse dayly shineth into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Fourthly If understanding be from Inspiration then they who have received much understanding must be caution'd against two evills First not to be proud nor high minded that our gifts come from on high should make us very low in our owne eyes What hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it These are the Apostles soule-humbling and pride-mortifying questions or expostulations rather 1 Cor. 4.7 You that have received the greatest gifts whom the Inspiration of the
interpretation Non est hoc opus ullius hominis ut Iobum depellat a sua sententia sed divina planè virtute opus est Cum tamen deus humano ministerio utatur gratiose ad perficiendas res hujusmodi absit ut mihi arrogarem quod deus sermone meo effecturus est Iun wherein Elihu is supposed making a great discovery of his humility as not daring to undertake Job himselfe but going about it in the strength and power of God As if he had said 'T is a worke above or too hard for man to put Job off from that opinion wherein he is setled To doe this is a worke worthy of God nor can it be done by any power but that which is properly divine And seeing God is graciously pleased to use the ministery of man for the bringing about such workes of Grace farre be it from me that I should arrogate and assume that to my selfe which God is pleased to work by my word We may paralel this speech of Elihu with two oâ—her places of Scripture which will give light to it First Gen. 42.16 And Joseph answered Pharoah saying It is not in me but God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace When Pharoah proposed to him his Dreames of the seven leane kine and of the seven thin ears of Corne Joseph professed it was not in him to expound them but only in God and that God would doe it he waâ— confident God shall give to Pharoah an answer of peace I owne no wisdome in or of my selfe enabling me to resolve this question or to open this secret If ever I doe it 't is God who doth it not I unlesse he reveale the secret unto me I cannot reveale it unto thee Thus also spake Daniel Dan 2.27 When all the wise men of Babylon were foyld and gravell'd at the Kings proposall The secret which the King hath demanded cannot the wise men the Astrologers the Magicians and the South-sayers shew unto the King They cannot doe it it is not put by way of interrogation cannot they doe it but they cannot by way of negative assertion how then can it be done or who can doe it He answers But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets and maketh knowne to the King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter dayes As if he had said As thy Magicians cannot so I will not undertake to reveale the secret but God both can and will He will surely doe it yea he is now doing it the text speakes as of a present act He maketh knowne to the King c. Thus according to the exposition before us Elihu sai h here Lest ye should say we have found out wisdome I tell you plainly I will not undertake him and I am much assured ye cannot therefore Let God thrust him downe let God deale with him and conquer him not I not you not man not any man If God will use me as a poore instrument to doe it I am ready but the whole efficacy and power must be from himselfe This carrieth a profitable and a holy sence every good man ascribes the effect of all that he speaks in perswading others for good to the power of God God must convert the sinner not man not the preacher God must humble the proud not man God must cast him downe from his high thoughts or cast downe the high thoughts that are in him not man God must soften and breake the hard heart not man in a word 't is God who both thrusteth man downe by a gracious work of repentance and selfe-abhorrence and rayseth him up by a powerfull worke of faith and holy confidence in Jesus Christ when man hath done his best he can doe noâ—hing effectually only God can Whatsoever good man doth God doth it in him and by him Hence those creature-abasing and Christ-exalting questions 1 Cor 3.5 Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every man Paul puts a slight upon himselfe and a slight upon all instruments that the whole power might be of God as he concludes v. 7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease God only thrusts man downe from his vaine and carnal state God only lifts him up unto a blessed and a heavenly state This you see is an improveable interpretation as the words are supposed spoken by Elihu But I rather referre them to Jobs friends being collected or gathered up by Elihu as the issue of their whole discourse with Job God thrusteth him downe and not man This is it that you meane saith Elihu this is the top of your wisdome the flower and Creame the summe and substance of all your arguments All that ye have sayd is reducible to this one position God thrusheth him downe not man and therefore he is a wicked man This is the wisdome which ye glory to have found Now though we take the words as the summe of what Jobs friends had spoken collected and drawne together by Elihu yet there is some variety in opening the sence of them I will but touch a little at what is offered by severall Interpreters and stay upon that which I conceive most proper to the place First Some conceive that in these words an account is given why Jobs friends gave over speaking or why they stood silent either resolving to speake no more or presuming they had spoken all Elihu de amicorum Jobi silentio conquerenti sic respondent Fecimus de industria non oportet hominem exagitare Jobum setis est quod a deo exagitetur Vatabl Cum deus propellat eum nihil ultra necesse est ut ab homine impugnetur ut afflicto insuper addaturafflictio quia satis est quâ—d deus eum ob sua peccata persequatur Rab Levi. As if they had said We have found out and concluded among our selves that 't is most adviseable for us or our wisest way to say no more you possibly thinke we can say no more but we doe industriously forbear to say any more why should we trouble him any further God troubleth and vexeth him enough God thrusteth him downe therefore let not man And therefore we thinke it our wisdome having sayd this to forbeare and give him over for we will not adde affliction any longer to the afflicted So that as the Apostle speaks concerning the repenting Corinthian 1 Epist. Cor. 2.6 7. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow so Jobs friends according to this Exposition are brought in speaking the same sence Sufficient to him is that punishment which hath been inflicted on him by one even by God so that contrariwise we ought rather to comfort him lest he should be swallowed up with evermuch sorrow Secondly
and obscurely and they give the reason of it because in flattering there is a hiding of what men are and a shewing of what they are not The word signifieth also to give a nicke name or a by-name and so the sence is I will not give secret reflections nor gird at any man upon the by Jobs friends had done so sometimes though they after spake explicitely and directly enough Further the word signifies the giving of any additionall title Thus I finde it used in the Prophet Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords speaking how persons shall flow into the Church and another shall call himselfe by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sirname himselfe by the name of Israel He shall sirname himselfe that 's the word here used he shall take up that title that illustrious title he shall list or enroll himselfe among the people of God and thinke it his honour and glory to sirname himselfe by the name of Israel The word is so used againe Isa 45.4 For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by thy name I have sirnamed thee though thou hast not knowne me It is spoken of Cyrus I have given thee a glorious title God did not only name Cyrus but gave him a sirname he called him Cyrus my servant and Cyrus mine anoynted Thus the word signifies to give a title or a sirname now there are sirnames or titles of two sorts First disgracefull and reviling ones justly given to but commonly by vile men Secondly Honorable and advancing ones And these are of two sorts First Such as are true and well deserved many by the great acts which they have done have purchased sirnames Alexander King of Greece for his Warlike valour and successes was called The Great And among The Romans Scipio after his victories over the Carthaginians in Africa was sirnamed Africanus The Romane Histories supply sundry examples of this kind And when in Scripture Paul is called an Apostle Peter an Apostle They well deserved these honorable Titles because as they were meerely of Grace immediately called and sent of God to publish and plant the Gospel all the world over so they laboured aboundantly in it and by their ministery subdued and conquered the world to the faith and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly There are also titles and sirnames which are meere pieces of flattery there being no worth in the person that may justly deserve them 'T is not sinfull to give titles but as we translate to give flattering titles unto men We should call men as they are and as they deserve I will call a spade a spade saith Elihu he that is good I will call him good and he that is bad I will call him bad and that which is ill done I will say it is ill done Let me not give flattering titles unto men Hence observe Flattery is iniquity to give flattering titles unto men is to transgresse the Law of God Some will not give true and due Titles to any man The most truly honorable persons and highest Magistrates shall have nothing from them but Thou and Thee Jacob a holy and a plaine man yet called his owne brother My Lord Esau Gen. 32.4 Gen 33.8 Luke The Evangelist called Theophilus Most excellent Luke 1.3 And Paul stiled Festus Most Noble Acts 26.25 Now as they erre upon one extreame who will not give true titles so doe they on the other who give which Elihu here disclaimes flattering titles There is a two-fold flattery First In promises Secondly In praises Some are full of flattery in promises they will tell you of great matters which they will doe for you yet meane no such thing Thus Psal 78.36 The children of Israel dealt with God when in the time of their straights and calamities they promised to doe great and good things they would turne to the Lord and serve him Neverthelesse saith the text they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him c. Thus many upon their sick-beds or in a day of trouble what promises will they make How deeply will they engage for duty if God will restore them how holy and zealous and upright will they be they will leave their former ill courses and yet all is but flattery they really intend it not 'T is flattery in promises to God when there is not a purpose in the heart to doe what we say but only to get our ends upon him And we deale no better many times by one another men in streights will promise any thing and when they have gained enlargement performe nothing Secondly There is a flattery in praises and that 's here professed against This flattery in praising hath a double respect First To the actions of men 'T is flattery to call that act good that is nought Multi sunt qui vitia virtutibus vicinis honestare contendunt vitium omne palliant adumbrata nomenclatura è vicino subjectae virtutis Basil in Psal 61. that just that is unrighteous To put titles of vertue upon those things that are vicious to call that which is indeed a covetous act a thrifty one and to call that act which is cruell just at most but strict or severe this is to flatter men in what they doe Secondly There is a flattery of persons as to what they have and are when we speake more of them then is in them when we speake highly of them who are low in all abilities and attainments How grossely doe they give flattering titles who blow up very Ideors with a conceit of their learning who extoll fooles for wisdome and commend the wicked as vertuous yea recommend them as patternes of vertue We should give honour to all men to whom it belongs but we are not to flatter any man for that belongs to no man Rom 13.7 Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour There is an honour that belongs to men with respect to their degrees when none belongs to them with respect to their qualities He that is very honorable as to his place may not deserve any honour as to his worth yet he must be honoured as much as his place comes to And as there is an honour due to those that are above us so there is an honour due to those that are our equalls yea to those that are our inferiours and below us The Apostle gives that direction more then once we have it first Rom 12.10 Be kindly affectionate one to another in honour preferring one another The people of God should be so farre from an ambitious affectation of preheminence above others that they should fâ—eely and really not as many doe complementally give others the preheminence and offer them the upper place or hand The grace of humility doth not
only forbid us to exalt our selves above our betters but it also in many cases bids us set our selves below those whose betters we are One of the Ancients hath made three degrees of this kind of humility The first is when we make our selves inferior to our equals The second when we make our selves but equal to our inferiors The third when we make our selves inferior even to our inferiors and lesse then those who are lesser then we Of this third sort of humility the Apostle speakes againe in that serious admonition to the Church Phil 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory but in lowlinesse of minde Let each esteeme other better then himselfe As it is good to judge according to truth the worst of our selves and the best of others so it is good to have a better opinion of others then of our selves So then the poynt lyeth not against giving honour to any man or to men of all sorts but only against the giving of undue honour to any Of that the Apostle speakes Gal 1.10 If I yet please men I should not be the servant of Christ that is if I should please men by flattery smoothing them up in their sins or errors I could not be the servant of Christ They that were the strick observers of Christ could not but observe this in him that though he came to save man yet he was farre enough from pleasing that is humoring any man Luke 20.21 And they asked him saying Master we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly neither acceptest thou the person of any but teachest the way of God truly Yet caution is to be used here For some goe so farre to the other hand that while they thinke they ought not to flatter or pleaâ—e they care not how they slight or disrespect the persons of men and in stead of so bearing as they ought to give undue titles they will not as was toucht before give so much as those that are due that 's a sin in defect as the other is in excesse And they sin much more who while they refuse to give flattering titles aâ—e free to give reviling titles There are these two gâ—eat tongue-evills among men Some give flattering titles others give reviling titles detracting calumniating and biting titles it is as dangerous not to forbeare the one as to be free and forward in giving the other and therefore we should take heed of both these extreames that our speech may have an equall respect to truth both while we praise and while we reprove Vers 22. For I know not how to give flattering titles Nescio cognominare i. e. Blendiri Bez It seemes to have little vertue in it or matter of commendation not to give flattering titles when we are not able or know not how to give them To heare one that is as we speak a meere Countryman or a clowne say I will not give flattering titles speakes not his praise at all because 't is supposed he at most can but speake sence or true English but to heare a learned man or some Great Courtier say I will not give flattering titles this is something this shewes that his honesty masters his ability and that his conscience is too strong for his parts How is it then that Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles Had not Elihu wit and skill words and language at command to give them Was he so coursely bred that he could not reach them I answer Those words I know not may have a three-fold interpretation First I know not is I have not made that piece of knowledge my study I have not set my selfe to learne the art of flattery nor to gaine the skill of carnal Courtship Thus I know not to doe it is I have not set my selfe to doe it I have not made it my businesse or my ayme to doe it A good man hath or at least desireth no skill in that which is evill or not his duty how much soever any man knows to flatter yet we may say he knows not to flatter who abhorreth flattery And can say as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4.20 He hath not so learned Christ that is he hath heard no such lessons nor received any such instruction in the schoole of Christ Thus Elihu saith I know not to give flattering titles And doubtlesse 't is best being an Ideot or a bungler at the doing of that which is not good or as the Apostle saith some are to every good work to be reprobate to every evill work and word How knowing are they who can say in truth they know not how to lie or flatter c. I dare not say with the Papists that ignorance is but I am sure this nescience is not only the mother of devotion but a great poynt of devotion it selfe And in this sence every godly man and only a godly man knoweth not how to doe evill For as the wicked may have the Theory of good workes and know what it is to pray what it is to heare the word of God yet they have no skill they are not studied nor fitted for the practise of those workes So a godly man may know in speculation what it is to doe wickedly and how to doe it as well as the most wicked man in the world yet he is not at all disposed nor ready for the practise of any wickedness As nature makes us reprobate to good so grace to evill workes The Prophet saith of a bad sort of men Jer 4.22 They are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no knowledge Were they an ignorant people No the meaning is they had not set themselves to learne the doing of that good which they knew theirs were not sins of ignorance but of wilfulnesse and perversnesse So on the other hand 't is the commendation of the people of God They are wise to doe good but to doe evill they have no knowledge I know not to give flattering titles Secondly As to know a thing or person imports the allowance and approbation of it Psal 1.6 The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is he approveth it Psal 101.4 I will not know a wicked person that is I like him not I regard him not I will never give him testimony he shall neither have my hand nor my heart So not to know a thing or person notes our disallowance and distast of either in this sence Christ will say to those great knowing professors Luke 13.27 I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me c. Thus here when Elihu professeth I know not to give flattering titles his meaning is I like not yea I cannot abide to doe it I may be as much skilled as any man to speake high words possibly I could Court it as well as others but I have no heart to doe it yea it is the abhorrence of my soule to doe it A good man doth not approve the doing of evill and
truth there be nothing They had which may be a fifth step of this wickednesse a secret hope that he would halt and give them occasion of insulting Peradventure say they he will be inticed peradventure we shall catch him in this snare this was their hope and if attained their joy Which makes a 6th step of this wickednesse For so David describes his enemies Psal 38.16 17. They rejoyce when my foot slippeth for I am ready to halt or as we put in the margin for halting There is a double halting a halting by transgression and a halting by affliction that I conceive David chiefly spake of in that place because he presently adds in the close of the 17th verse And my sorrow is continually before me He shewes his enemies possessed with the same evill spirit and in the same posture Psal 35.15 In mine adversity or in my halting they rejoyced The same word is used in this Psalme for adversity which we had in the 38th for halting This is as true of evill men as halting is taken in the other notion for sinning The wicked are as if not more ready to rejoyce at falls or halts by sinning as at falls or halts by suffering In both these cases as David found in this 35th Psalme v. 15. the very abjects will teare the best of men as they did David and not cease But what doe they teare their flesh if they can but to be sure and so 't is meant there their good names and reputation by slanders and accusations O how contrary is this practice and that joy to the spirit of the Gospel The Apostle tells us the Grace of charity utterly abhorres it 1 Cor 13.6 Charity rejoyceth not in iniquity It neither rejoyceth in doing iniquity it selfe nor to charge others with iniquity Seventhly which is the highest step Some rather then faile will forme and frame occasions against others they will forge or fancy them in their own braine and then accuse their brethren as if they had been acting what themselves have been imagining Such the Apostle Peter speaks of 1 Pet 3.16 where admonishing Saints to much strictnesse and exactnesse in walking he gives this account why they should doe so That whereas they speak evill of you as evill doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ They who have not so much as a shadow of truth will make something out of a lie they will falsely accuse and strongly impeach knowing that if they doe so some of the dirt at least will disfigure the faces and stick upon the skirts of those who are impeached Thus I have given seven degrees of this wickedness every one of which plainly discover and all put together mightily aggravate the sinfullness of this sin the seeking of occasions against any man whosoever much more against any good man And therefore which was the second poynt proposed for the clearing of this truth you see how great a matter of charge was brought by Elihu against Job when he saith Job hath sayd He that is God seeketh occasions against me Hence note Secondly To charge the Lord with a willingnesse to breake with us either upon no occasion or to seeke an occasion that he may is exceeding sinfull and dishonourable to his Majesty neere to Blasphemy How sinfull is it that we who give the Lord so many occasions against us that he needs not seek any should yet say he seeketh occasions against us The people of Israel as it appeares intimated at least that God had broken with them or sought occasion to doe it this word is used in that text Numb 14.34 while the Lord to shew how ill he resented such thoughts and jealousies of him tells them According to the number of the dayes in which ye searched the Land even forty dayes each day for a yeare shall ye beare your iniquities even forty yeares and ye shall know my breach of promise or as read in the margin my Altering of my purpose As if he had said Ye shall know whether I have sought occasion against you Cognoscetis confractionem meam si dici possit latinè irritationem non a verbo irrito sed ab adjectivo irritus q.d. videbitis ut ego omnia aâ—â—a vestra per hos quadraginta annos irrita faciam conatus ac instituto impediam Merc whether I have frustrated your hopes and endeavours these forty yeares in the wilderness or no ye shall know whether I have done any thing to breake and entangle you or whether all this hath nor proceeded from your owne frowardness and unbeliefe The Lord who searched their hearts and saw the utmost scope of their complaints found this evill thought lying at the bottome of all that he surely had put them upon all those difficulties or brought them into those straites on purpose to breake with them And therefore he saith Ye shall know my breach of promise Ye shall see one day or at last whether I have kept covenant and stood to my engagement or you whether I have sought an occasion against you or you have given me occasion to deale with you as I have done So that when the Lord sayd Ye shall know my breach of promise his meaning was ye shall know that I have kept my promise to you exactly or to a tittle and that ye only have been the promise-breakers 'T is infinitely below the nature of God to seeke occasions against the creature And 't is strange that the Jewes had any the remotest suspition of him as doing so after they had heard of those glorious stiles and titles in which he proclaimed his name Exod 34.6 The Lord the Lord God gracious and mercifull slow to anger abundant in goodnesse and in truth pardoning iniquity transgression and sin What can be speld out of this name that should yeild the least shaddow of a jealousie that the Lord would seeke occasions against them A good Prince desires to finde many good subjects who deserve to be rewarded but it troubles him to finde any who deserve to be punished or whom he is necessitated to punish Now what is the goodnesse of the most benigne and gracious Princes in the world to the graciousnesse and benignity of God! Againe his precious promises evidence the unworthinesse of such a surmise all which are full of mercy and goodnesse and patience and pardon and tendernesse to poore sinners so farre is the Lord from seeking occasions to charge any one with what is not that he seekes all the wayes and occasions he can to doe good and to extend compassion to those who have done amisse He even labours to deliver poore soules from their dangers and from their sins How farre is he then from desiring to find them tripping and sinning or from urging sin hardly harshly or causlesly upon them yea all the experiences of Saints bring in witness against this blasphemous apprehension They will tell us from what they have found and felt that when
all their ordinary faylings and transgressions As the Lord is so holy and of such pure eyes that he cannot behold any sin the least iniquity to approve of it Habak 1.13 so the Lord is so gracious and so full of compassion that he doth not severely take notice of nor look upon the lesser sins of his people David exalts the name and glory of God at large for this Psal 103.8 9 10. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger plenteous in mercy he will not alwayes chide They are alwayes chideing that are alwayes spying faults in children servants or relations they who take notice of every little fault shall finde chiding-worke enough in a family But the Lord will not alwayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him A father doth not enquire into much lesse punish every neglect of his child I will spare them saith the Lord Mal 3.17 as a father spareth a son that serveth him If a father seeth or is well perswaded that his son hath a heart to serve him he will not curiously spy out the faults of his service but saith to his child It is well done or at least I take that well which thou hast done Yea the Lord is so farre from a strict inquiry after such faults that he passeth by great transgressions Mic 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Though Asa 1 Kings 15.14 was not through in the reformation the high places were not removed yet the Lord did not charge this upon him for presently it followeth in the sacred Story Neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect with God all his dayes Yea though Asa did fall into severall sins afterwards imprisoning one of the Prophets and oppressing some of the people and in his sickness seeking to the Physitians and not to the Lord yet the Lord did not charge these acts upon him He was so farre from a strict inquiry after his lesser sins that he tooke no notice of those greater sins but saith His heart was perfect all his dayes So in the case of David the Lord would not see many of his sins he would not blot David nor burden his owne memory with them but passed an Act of Oblivion upon them for ever Sarah Gen 18.12 spake very unhandsomely when the Angel came to her and told her she should have a son yet the Apostle 1 Pet 3.6 referring to that story gives Sarah a very high testimony or commendation for one good word that was mingled with a great many ill or undue ones yea and actions too for she laughed Notwithstanding all which Peter sets her as a patterne for all good women professing the Gospel to imitate He would have them be in subjection unto their owne husbands even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose daughters ye are saith he as long as ye doe that which is well That one word which she spake well is recorded yea reported to her praise and all that were ill are buried in silence forgotten and covered The Lord hath respect to a little pure gold though mingled with a great deale of dross and ownes a little good Corne though a great deale of chaffe be in the same floore or heape Surely then he will not bring our infirmities and slips to account against us while our hearts are upright with him Thus you see what matter of charge there was in these words when Job sayd God sought occasion against him when he had given none or that he had only given some smaller occasion and yet God dealt with him as an enemy But did Job ever say That God sought occasions against him or tooke notice of his lesser sins so severely I answer Though some acquit Job wholly of this charge and recriminate Elihu with this accusation as a slander yet Job had spoken words which might give occasion to charge him thus as was shewed also concerning those former speeches I am cleane from transgression I am innocent there is no iniquity in me though Job had not spoken these or such like words with that scope and spirit as Elihu might seeme to alledge them yet he had given Elihu cause enough to say so while he spake more of himselfe then came to his share considering that he was a sinfull man and more then did become him in his condition being an afflicted man Upon both which accounts it had better becom'd him to have been much in humbling himselfe rather then at all in justifying himselfe Now as Job had spoken words which might beare out Elihu in his former charge Secundum veritatem neutruÌ„ diuit Job in sensu quem imponit in Elihu so we finde severall speeches or complaints concerning God which may justifie him in this As for instance Chap 14.16 17. For now thou numbrest or numbring thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch over my sins As if he had sayd thou watchest me so strictly so narrowly that I cannot in the least step awry but presently I am observed and shall be sure to heare of it Yea my transgressâ—on is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquity that is thou keepest the memory of my sins thou dost not passe them by but hast them ready by thee When chast Joseps wanton mistresse disappoynted in her lust was resolved to seeke an occasion of revenge she layd up his garment by her untill her Lord came home Gen 39.16 To lay up the evill deed of another presageth ill to him And therefore when Elihu heard Job speaking thus might he not say Job hath sayd God seeketh occasions against me yea which is more as it followeth in the verse under hand And counteth me for his enemy These words having been insisted upon somewhat largely from other passages of this Booke Chap 13.24 19.11 Chap. 30.21 In all which places Job spake this complaint sometimes expressely alwayes Equivalently I shall not here stay upon the explication of them only for as much as Job having sayd That God took hold of small occasions given or sought occasions not given is presently charged further by Elihu with saying He counteth me for his enemy From this Connection of the former with the latter part of the verse Note To seek or take easie occasions against another is an argument that we beare no good will to him or It is a signe we look upon a man as an enemy when we are apt and ready to seeke or take occasions against him There are two things which we are very ready to doe towards those we beare no good will unâ—o or whom we account our enemies First to diminish the good which they doe to speak lightly of
twice at once that is I heard it speedily and I heard it believingly as soon as ever the word came to me I received it and I received it not only with my eare but with my heart That 's a blessed way of hearing and they who heare so at first speaking may well be sayd to heare that twice which God speaketh once But how sad is it that God should speake twice thrice yea foure times and yet not be heard so much as once When Job was brought upon his knees Chap 40.5 he said Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Job began to be sensible of that which Elihu was working him to that he had been too forward yea too forward with God Job began to see his error and recanted it I have spoken once yea twice but I will proceed no further 'T is good that after once or twice sinning or failing we yet say we will proceed no further O how deplorable is mans condition when the Lord shall say I have spoken once yea twice but now I will proceed no further I will speake no more And this usually comes to passe when men are dull and slow of heart to understand what he speaketh which as naturall men alwayes so godly men often are as it followeth in this text He speaketh once yea twice Yet man perceiveth it not That is apprehendeth not sometimes that God is speaking to him and he seldome understandeth what God is speaking to him There is a little varietie in the exposition of this latter clause of the verse The word man not being expressely in the Hebrew and therefore we finde it put by our translaters in a distinct character the text runs only thus God speaketh once yea twice he perceiveth it not This hath occasion'd the vulgar latine interpreter to referre this last clause of the verse to God also giving out the sence thus God speaketh once and a second time he doth not repeate it Semel loquitur deus et secundò id ipsum non repetit Vulg. As if here were a warning given that all should attend the very first motion of Gods voyce to them For he speaketh once and doth not repeate the same But I shall not stay upon that because I see not how the Hebrew word by us rendred to perceive can with any tolerable significancy be rendred to repeate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice intendit oculos prosperit animadvertis viderit Semel loquitur deus et secundo illud non considerat Scult yet there is a second rendring of the text in the same tenour giving a genuine sence of that word which is very profitable and proper enough to the scope of the place God speaketh once and he doth not consider upon it a second time That is when God speaks or decrees to give forth any thing he doth not take it into consideration againe or review and bring it about upon second thoughts as men often doe yea it is their duty though it be a duty arising from their frailty so to doe Men ought to consider often and review their owne words as well as their works But saith Elihu according to this reading God speaks once and doth not consider of it againe for he hath the measure and compasse of all things so fully in himselfe that he needs not turne backe his thoughts upon any of his determinations as if there could be a mistake or any error in them This is a very glorious truth highly advancing the name of God above every name among the best of the children of men And it ariseth clearely from the text leaving out the suppliment which we make of the word man Yet according to the opinion of the most and best expositers yea according to the clearest scope and tendency of the text that word man is rather to be supplyed God speaketh once yea twice And man perceiveth it not 'T is common in Scripture to leave such words unexpressed as must necessarily be understood And therefore I shall only insist upon our owne translation Yet before I proceed to that I shall touch upon another reading of these words as referring unto man which doth not so much carry a reproofe of mans dullnesse as a commendation of Gods goodnesse thus God speaks once yea twice Loquitur deus semel et duabus vicibus ad eum qui non consideravit eam Pisc if man perceiveth it not As if he had sayd If man be so weake and darke so dull and slow of apprehension as not to perceive Gods minde at his first speaking yet God is usually so gracious and condescending as to speake twice or a second time even to that man This reading doth exceedingly exalt and set forth the goodnesse and graciousnesse of God and we have frequent experience of it that when God speakes once and findes creatures dull of hearing he speakes a second time Our reading gives in these words as a charge of mans darknesse and slownesse to apprehend the meaning of God speaking to us either in his word or works God speakes once yea twice Yet man perceiveth it not The Hebrew is man seeth it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non viderit illud sc homo quod deus loquitur Verbo hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elihu utitur sexies Job ter Zophar semel Videtur isto verbo diligens et clara significari speculatio et observatio curiosa Coc. There is an eye in the understanding the mind of man heholdeth the sence of words even as his bodily eye beholdeth the colours and dimensions of any materiall object Yet the eye of mans mind is so bleared and dim-sighted that though God speak once yea twice he seeth he perceiveth it not That is he doth not clearly perceive it Elihu makes use of this word six times Job thrice Zophar once in all which places they intend an exact observation and through speculation of the matter which they treate upon either in the affirmative or in the negative here as a rebuke to man Elihu makes use of it in the negative man perceiveth it not Hence note Man of himself cannot perceive the mind of God in spirituall speakings or God speakâ—ng about spirituall things The propheticall Sermons are called visions The vision of Isaiah the son of Amos which he saw Isa 1.1 yet when they preached them to the people many of them saw nothing their visions were to the people as parables or darke sayings Man in generall falls under a twofold consideration first as unconverted or carnall and in that state he perceiveth not at all when God speaks once and twice yea thrice he perceiveth nothing And that proceeds from a double ground First from the naturall pravity of his heart and the blindnesse of his mind Of such the Apostle saith Eph. 4.18 They have their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse
evill purposes God himself must come to withdraw and fetch him off or otherwise he will be driving them on The heart of man naturally hath no other purposes but evill purposes and upon them it is set as I may say to purpose that is he will effect and bring them about if he can When Moses reproved Aaron concerning the golden Calfe which he had made at the instance and violent importunity of the people Aaron answered for himself Exod. 32.23 Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe they are bent to it they have such a mind to it that there 's no turning them from it they will hear no reason nor take any denyall when the fit is on them There is a setting of the heart of man continually upon evill the wind blowes that way and no other way the wind sits alwayes in that bad corner till God turneth it There are two gracious acts of God spoken of in Scripture which doe exceedingly shew forth the sinfullnesse of man every act of grace doth in its measure aggravate the sinfullnesse of man and alwayes the higher grace acteth the more is the sinfullnesse of man discovered especially I say in this twofold act of grace The former whereof consists in drawing the latter in withdrawing there is a gracious act of God in drawing the sinfull sons and daughters of men to that which is good Man is drawne First into a state of grace or goodnesse by this he is made good He is drawn Secondly to acts of grace or goodnesse by this he doth good Of the former Christ speaks Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him that is no man can beleeve for by faith we come to Christ except he receive power from on high God draweth the soul to Christ and that 's a powerfull act of divine drawing though not a compulsory act and as God must draw man into a state of grace which is our union with Christ by the Spirit in beleeving so he draweth him to the acting of his graces Of this latter the Church speaketh to Christ Cant. 1.4 Draw me and I will run after thee These gracious drawings shew that we are not only utterly unable but averse to the receiving grace and so becoming good while we are in a state of nature as also that we are very backward to doe that which is good even when we are in a state of grace Now as God acts very graciously in drawing man to good so Secondly in withdrawing him from evill from those evill purposes and evill practices to which all men are so easily yet so strongly carried The Prophet Jer. 2. 23 24. elegantly describes the exceeding forwardnesse of that people to evill while he compareth them to the swift Dromodary traversing her wayes and to the wild Asse in the Wildernesse that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure or the desire of her heart in her occasion who can turn her away As the wild Asse set upon her pleasure in her occasion when she hath a mind to it will not be turn'd away such is the heart of man That other Prophet Isa 5.18 telleth us of those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cart rope that is they set themselves with all their might to doe mischief When men are thus vainly bent upon vanity 't is a mighty work of God to withdraw them from their work When what men are purposed to doe they are fastened to it as with cords and cart-ropes what but the power of the great God can withdraw them from it Whence note Secondly Vnlesse God did withdraw and fetch us off from sin we should run on in it continually When man is in an evill way he hath no mind to returne till God turneth him let come on 't what will he will venture 'T is only through grace that the heart either abstains or returns from evill David saith Psal 18.23 I have kept my self from mine iniquity David kept himself from his iniquity yet he was not his own keeper It was by the power of God that he kept himself from that sin to which he was most prone even from that sin to which his own corruptions and the Devills temptations were alwayes drawing him David had some speciall iniquity to which his heart was inclined more then any other and from that he kept himself being himself kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Of our selves we can neither keep our selves from doing iniquity nor leave off doing that iniquity which we have once done How can man withhold himself from sin while sin hath so great a hold of him yea the Mastery over him Thirdly Note God is graciously pleased both to withdraw man from doing evill and to draw him to repentance when he hath done evill Between these two the grace of God is daily working in and towards man and it worketh for the effecting of both many wayes First by his word and that in a fourfold consideration First by the word of his command he every where in Scripture forbids man to doe any evill and bids him repent of every evill which he doth Secondly by the word of his threatnings they are as thunderbolts to deterre him Thirdly by the word of his promises they are divine alluremenrs sweetly yet effectually to entice him Fourthly by the word of his perswasions they are full of taking arguments to convince and win him Secondly God withdrawes man from sin and drawes him to repentance when he hath sinned by his works First by his works of Judgment they break him to these duties Secondly by his works of mercy they melt him into these duties Thirdly God withdraws man from sin and drawes him to repentance by his patience and long-suffering Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance As if the Apostle had said O man if thou knowest not the meaning of Gods patience towards thee and that this is the meaning of it thou knowest nothing of the mind and meaning of God towards thee Fourthly The Lord withdraweth man from evill purposes by seasonable counsells David was going on in a very bad purpose 1 Sam. 25. and God stirred up Abigail to meete him and by good counsell to withdraw him from his purpose This David acknowledged vers 32 33. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me As if he had said I was fully purposed to revenge my self upon Naball and had not surely left a man of his house alive by the morning light if thou hadst not met me therefore blessed be God who hath sent thee and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed bloud and hast by thy good counsell withdrawne me from that evill
signifies Eminency or Excellency because men are usually proud of that wherein they are eminent and excell there lyes the temptation to pride And therefore as a man should turne away his eyes from a beautifull harlot lest she should ensnare him so God hides mans owne beauties eminencies and excellencies even his best workes from him lest he should be proud of them and so goe a whoring after them or as God did with the body of Moses he not only buryed him but hid him for 't is sayd Deut 34.6 No man knoweth of his sepulcher to this day and 't is well conceived that the reason why God hid his sepulcher was lest the people of Israel should be drawne aside to some undue or superstitious veneration of him So God hideth by some meanes or other that which is most eminent in us from us lest it should draw us aside to some undue estimation of it and so prove but matter or fewel for pride to kindle upon Thus the Lord hideth pride from us when he hideth that from us which considering our corruption may probably make us proud And the originall word here used to signifie the man from whom God hideth pride 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a neere cognation to this notion about hiding pride it selfe Man is twice exprest in this verse yet not by the same word The first word notes man in the weaknesse of his constitution an earthly man This second notes man in the powerfulness of his condition a strong man a mighty man an eminent man a man with all his furniture in the fullness of his earthly glory and greatness when man hath much naturall power much civill power with the various additions and ornaments of both these powers upon him then man is in greatest danger to be proud then God hideth pride from man And who can hide pride from such a man but God alone Men commonly blow up such men with pride by great applauses and such men have mostly great thoughts and high apprehensions of themselves and are very forward to discover which is the greatest discovery of their weakness their owne pride God only hideth pride from man that is he makes it not to be as well as hinders i'ts appearing that which is hidden is as if it were not The word is used in that sense Job 3.10 Because he did not hide sorrow from mine eyes Sorrow is hidden from us when the matter of sorrow is so taken away that we sorrow not at all To hide pride is to take away the matter and occasion the incentives and motives of pride whatsoever is a nurse of pride or doth encourage the pride of our hearts that 's to hide pride from man Againe We may take this word pride in a large sense as Comprehending all sin He withdraweth man from his purpose and hideth pride that is sin of all sorts from man and doubtlesse there is pride of one kinde or other in every act of sin There is a heightening of the spirit against God some dissatisfaction with the mind and will of God and thence a setting up of our will against the will of God in every sinner especially in bold and wilfull sinners Such sinners would not let the will of God stand but desire that their own may This is pride This in some degree is mingled with every sin and pride leads to all sin therefore in Scripture sometimes an humble or meek man is oppos'd not only to a proud man in speciall but to a wicked man in generall Psal 147.6 The Lord lifteth up the meek he casteth the wicked down to the ground Where the wicked man in the latter part of the verse stands in opposition to the meek or humble man in the former part of it Nor can it be denyed but that as pride is in it selfe a very great wickedness so it gives a propension and fitnesse for the doing of all manner of wickednesse And thus take it in the largest sense 't is a truth that God hideth pride that is every sin from man otherwise he would soone shew forth any sin as much as pride But I rather keep to that strictnesse of Interpretation here as pride is oppos'd to humilitie which is not only a choyce grace but the ornament of all those graces which are hidden in the heart and held out in the life of a gracious man And thus the Lord by exercising man with dreams and visions in his affliction doth first stop and check the very purposes of evill that they come not to act and when man hath brought to passe or acted any good purpose he keeps him from ostentation He hideth pride from man It being the Lords designe to hide pride from man by those fore-named dispensations Observe First Man is naturally much disposed and very prone to pride Those things which Children are apt to abuse or hurt themselves with their parents hide from them They will hide edge-tooles from them lest they get a wound by medling with them They will hide fruit from them lest by eating overmuch they get a surfet Thus the Lord our tender father often hides all the means and occasions of pride from the eyes of his children because they are so ready to boast and lift up themselves in pride Man as was shewed at the 13th verse of the former Chapter is a proud piece of flesh and hath much proud flesh in him The Prophet saith Ezek 7.10 Pride hath budded pride hath a roote and it brings forth fruit There is a two-fold pride or pride of two sorts First secret unseene pride or pride of heart Secondly open visible pride or pride of life In allusion to the Prophets metaphor we may say there is pride in the bud and pride in the roote pride buddeth outwardly First At the tongue men speak proud words they speak boastingly and vaine-gloriously Psal 75.5 Speak not with a stiff neck that is speak not proudly Pride budded at the tongue of Nebuchadnezzar Dan 4.30 when he walked in his Pallace and said Is not this great Babell that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Here was pride budding at the tongue Secondly Pride buddeth also at the eye in scornfull lofty looks David profest that his heart was not haughty nor his eyes lofty Psal 131.1 The haughtiness of many mens hearts may be seene at those windowes of the body the eyes in lofty looks These are threatned with a downfall Psal 18.27 The Lord will bring downe high lookes that is proud men who looke highly And againe Isa 2.11 The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed downe Once more saith the Lord Isa 10.13 I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Asyria and the glory of his high lookes There we have pride in the roote a stout heart and pride in the fruit high lookes Isa 3.11 The shew
Christ to declare to man this righteousness for his uprightness And that hence it is as Elihu proceeds in the next verse to assure the sick man that God is and will be gracious to him Vers 24. Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going downe into the pit I have found a ransome These words hold out the generall issue and fruit of the labours and good counsell of that messenger or Interpreter dealing with the sick man and shewing him his uprightness There are three distinct interpretations which run quite through this verse and they arise from a different apprehension about the antecedent in this pronoune He then he is gracious unto him He who is that All the Popish interpreters refer it to the Guardian-Angel sent to attend on this sick man Then he the Angel will be gracious and he will say deliver him But as I then layd by that opinion that the messenger was an Angel properly taken so I shall not stay upon that which is a consequent of it here Secondly Severall of our Protestant interpreters referre this he to the Messenger or Interpreter to the Prophet or any spiritually wise and holy man sent of God to assist and help the sick man in his distresse Some are so positive in this opinion that they deny the text any other reference Hoc de nuncio dicitur non de deo aptè enim tribuitur nuncio etinterpreti voluntatis dei ut miscreatur hominis in summo vitae discrimine constituti Merl Et de gratia eum alloquutus dixerit redime cum nec desceÌ„dat in soveam expiatione quam inveni Jun Summa orationis quae apud deum pro afflictis habenda est Jun This is to be understood of the Messenger saith one and not of God And I grant 't is sutable to the business of the messenger who comes to comfort and instruct the sick man that he should pitty and compassionate him in that disconsolate condition and likewise pray for him according to the tenour of these words in the text or to the same effect O Lord God be gracious to him and deliver him let him not goe downe to the pit for the ransome sake which I have found As if Elihu had sayd When that faithfull messenger shall have declared the benefits and grace of God to the afflicted man then pittying his afflicted soule he shall pray for him O God deliver him from death and condemnation from the pit and from destruction for I have found and shewed him a ransome by which his soule may be delivered and his sins pardoned In the 19th Chapter of this Booke at the 27th verse Job useth this word in his application to his friends for their pitty to him and more favourable dealing with him Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me As if he had sayd The hand of God presseth me sore O let not your hand be heavie upon me too This exposition carrieth a great truth in it and is not at all inconsistent with the letter of the text yet I shall not insist upon it but adhere rather to a third which makes the antecedent to this He to be God himselfe Then he is gracious That is when the messenger hath dealt with the sick man when he hath opened his condition to him and shewed him his uprightness or how he may stand upright before God or what his righteousnesse is before God and hath brought his heart to an unfeigned sorrow for his sin and to the actings of faith upon the promise then God is gracious and then he gives out the word for his restoring and orders it to be presently dispatcht away to him saying deliver him unloose him unbind him let him not goe downe into the pit I have found a ransome Taking this for the generall sence of the Text I shall proceed to open the particulars Then he will be gracious or then he will have mercy upon him as Mr Broughton translates Then and not before till then the Lord lets his bones ake and his heart tremble till then he suffers him to be brought so low that he is reckoned among the dead but then though not before he sheweth himself gracious unto him When a poor man is reduced to the utmost extreamity then is Gods opportunity then is the season of mercy and the Lord therefore lets us be at the lowest that we may be the more sencible of his goodness in raising and lifting us up The Lord suffers many as Paul spake of himself 2 Cor. 1.9 to have the sentence of death in themselves that they may learn not to trust in themselves but in him who raiseth the dead We seldome give God either the glory of his power by trusting him or of his goodnesse by thanking him for our deliverances till we are brought to the last cast as we say or to such an exigent as leaves no visible meanes in probabillity no nor of possibility to escape And when 't is thus with us then he is gracious Secondly Then he is gracious that is when the man is doubly humbled when the mans heart is graciously broken when the man is growne into an abhorrence of himself and of his sin or loathes himself for his sin as much as he loathed his meat as 't is said in the former verse when his heart is thus taken quire off from all that is below in the world and gathered up beleevingly to Jesus Christ in the word of promise Then he is gracious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misertus gratificatus gratia prosecutus fuit ex gratia donavit benesecit The Originall word hath many comfortable significations in it yet all resolvable into this one he is gracious It signifies to pity to have compassion tenderly to regard to bestow grace to doe good there is enough in the bowells of this word to bear up the spirit of the sickest body or of the most troubled soul It is said Gen. 6.8 Noah found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was the only man that held out the grace of God in that age him only did God find perfect or upright in his Generations Gen. 6.9 and Noah only was the man that found grace or favour in the eyes of the Lord in that generation Gen. 6.8 God was gracious to him and his when the whole world periâ—hed by water That proper name John is derived from this word when God gave Zachary and Elizabeth a Son in their old age he also directed how he would have him called ye shall call his name John which name as we may well conceive was assigned him either because God did very graciously and favourably bestow that gift upon his Parents in their old age and so shewed them much favour a child at any time is a great favour from God especially in old age or secondly because John was to open the Kingdome of Grace to preach the
Gospel and to prepare the way for Christ by whom grace and truth came The Baptist was as it were the loop and button between the legall and the Gospel dispensation therefore his name might well be called John And there is frequent use in Scripture of the Adverb which comes from this Verb to signifie injuries received without desert or undeservedly Ps 7.4 Yea I have delivered him that without cause was mine enemy or that was mine enemy gratis And again Psal 35.7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause have they digged for my soul Yet more as the word signifies the doing of good gratis or when there is no desert so any injury done gratis or when no provocation hath been given the party so to doe Now as all the mischief which the wicked plot against or doe to the people of God is undeserved and floweth meerly from their malice so all the good which God doth for his people is undeserved and floweth purely from the fountaine of his free grace or from his compassions which faile not And surely the Lord deserveth highest praises from man for any good he doth him seeing what he doth is gratis or undeserved Further This Hebrew word Chinnam answers the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred freely Rom. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratis i. e. ejus gratia Bez We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ How can unjust men deserve justification Therefore Mr Beza translates We are justified gratis that is by his grace Againe When it is said then he or the Lord is gracious it may be taken two wayes First as to be gracious implyeth the intrinsecall graciousness of his nature or that mercifullness and kindness which dwells in the heart of God and which indeed is God for the graciousnesse of God is the gracious God thus God is alwayes and altogether gracious he is infinitely and uncessantly gracious Secondly when it is said he is gracious it may note only the graciousness of his acts and dispensations thus as I may say the Lord is gracious ad hinc et nunc as he sees cause at this time he is gracious and not at that time that is he puts forth acts of grace now and not then The Lord puts forth acts of grace both according to the pleasure of his own will without respect to any thing in man as also without respecting what man is or doth according to his pleasure And thus we are chiefly to understand it here then he is gracious God is gracious in his nature alwayes and alwayes alike gracious but he is not alwayes alike gracious in his dispensations or in giving forth acts of grace he is gracious to man according to his secret will as he pleaseth but he is gracious according to his revealed will as man pleaseth him Hence Observe first The first cause and spring of all our mercies is the graciousnesse of God Or All our mercyes flow out from the grace of God That 's the fountaine yea that 's the Ocean which seeds and fills all the Channels of mercy which stream to us as our happiness in this world and for our everlasting happiness in the world which is to come All is of grace fundamentally or because the Lord is and will be for ever gracious Thus the Lord spake to Moses Exod. 33.19 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious My mercy shall flow our when and to whom and where I please And the proclamation which he made of himselfe in all his royall Titles runs in the same straine Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity If we consider God first in doing us good Secondly in forgiving us the evill which we doe Thirdly in delivering us from the evills which we now suffer Fourthly in delivering us from the feare of future sufferings all is from grace and from free grace He doth us good though we are undeserving any good that 's grace yea he doth us good though we are ill deserving and that 's more grace He doth all for us through grace First in spiritualls and Secondly in temporalls not only doe the good things of eternall life but the good things of this present life flow from grace unto his own people Not only the health of their souls but the health of their bodyes not only deliverance from hell but deliverance from sickness also flow from his free grace in Jesus Christ Therefore of all their mercies and salvations both as to the foundation and top-stone of them the people of God must cry as the Prophet Zachery Chap. 4.7 foretells the people of God should say of that longed for deliverance when that great mountaine should become a plain before Zerubbabell grace grace unto them That is grace hath begun them and grace alone will maintaine continue and perfect what it hath begun As there is nothing in us except our misery which moves the Lord to begin so there is nothing in us but our inability which moves the Lord to perfect what he hath begun He seeth we cannot and therefore he will perfect what he hath begun and all this he doth that he may exalt his own name and perfect the praise of his free grace towards us More distinctly that all comes from grace or from the graciousness of God may note these five things to us First not only that God doth all for his people freely or without desert But Secondly that he doth all things willingly or without constraint for his people Thirdly that he doth all things forwardly for his people He doth very much unaskt and unsought and he is not much askt or hardly drawne to doe any thing for his people Though he hath said of some things I will be sought unto or inquired after that I may doe them for you Ezek. 36.37 yet his mercies are never forced nor wrested from him by intreaties but flow from a principle of love naturally as water out of a fountain Fourthly he doth all rejoycingly even with his whole heart and with his whole soul Mercy pleaseth him and he is pleased with occasions of shewing mercy 't is no burden to him to doe us good mercy proceeds from his nature and therefore he delighteth in mercy Mic 7.18 yea to be mercifull is his nature and therefore he cannot but delight in it Fifthly graciousness being the very nature of God implyeth that he will do us good liberally and constantly or that as the Apostle James speaks he giveth liberally and upbraideth not he doth not upbraid us with our poverty who receive nor doâ—h he upbraid us with the riches of the gifts which himself bestoweth And because they flow from his nature therefore he doth not in the least empty himself how much soever he fills the creature with his gifts or goodness Some men
upon the matter even exhaust and undoe themselves by liberallity unto others and they who give most or have most to give cannot alwayes give It is said in this Book Chap. 37.11 By watering he wearieth the thick cloud that is God commandeth the cloud to give raine so long that it hath not a drop more to give but is quite spent Springs or fountaines are never wearied or spent with watering because their waters come as freely and as fast as they goe God is an everlasting spring of grace and goodness He is not wearyed nor emptyed by what he giveth out to or doth for the creature because all floweth from his naturall graciousnesse as from a fountaine Then he is gracious I would urge the second reference of that word then a little further It was shewed before that it might refer First to the extreamity of the sick man Secondly to the sick mans humiliation or the right disposure of his spirit to receive renewed acts of grace and favour from the Lord. Hence observe Secondly God usually dispenseth or giveth out acts of grace when we repent and turne from sin Si aegrotus ille monitis illius nuncij paruerit ac proinde resipuerit tum c. Pisc when we believe and lay hold upon the promise Then he is gracious It is said Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious The Lord hath alwayes a gracious disposition a gracious nature he alwayes hath a store and a stocke a rich stocke and store of mercy by him but he doth not alwayes give it forth no he waits to be gracious that is he waits till we are in a fit frame till we are in a due temper to receive his grace And because as to the dispensings of grace God waits to be gracious therefore many retard and hinder their owne good they are not yet in a frame to receive their vessell is not yet seasoned to hold mercy The Lord waited to be gracious to David after his grievous fall and therefore he did not give Nathan a Commission to say Thy sin is done away till Davids heart was broken and had said 2 Sam 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord But when once that word fell from him then Nathan declared how gracious the Lord was to him As soone as David said I have sinned that 's an act of repentance presently Nathan said the Lord hath done away thy sin that 's an act of grace When did Ephraim heare a word of comfort from God The Prophet tells us Jer 31.18 19 20. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe that is mourning over and bewayling his sin saying thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoake We have him there also praying Turne me O Lord and I shall be turned c. Upon this how graciously how meltingly did the Lord speak Is Ephraim my deare son is he a pleasant child since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still or in remembring I remember him my bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Now I will manifest my grace and acquaint him with my goodness The Lord was very gracious to Saul afterwards Paul he sent Ananias to him with a message of mercy as to restore the sight of his bodyly eyes so to assure him that he should be an instrument in the hand of Christ to open the eyes of many and a chosen vessel to beare his name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel Acts 9.15 But when was this message delivered him the text tells us v. 11. For behold he prayeth the man is in the dust he is brought upon his knees his spirit is broken that word he prayeth comprehends the whole worke of a gracious soule as to his humiliation and returning to the Lord. In the parable of the prodigall Son his father is represented abundantly gracious to him but he did not signifie it he did not send the ring not the rich robe to him when he was abroad in a strange Country among harlots drinking and wasting his estate time and strength vainely we read of no acts of grace to him then but when being pinched with famine and hunger he came to himselfe and began to bethink himselfe of coming back to his fathers house and that he had brought himselfe by his own folly to beggery and want and husks when he was upon these termes or resolves to goe home to his father and cast himselfe at his feet as unworthy the name or priviledge of a Son then his father ran to meete him fell on his neck and kissed him then he put on the ring and cloathed him with the robe then he killed the fatted calfe and made a feast for him All which sceane of mercy doth but hold out this one word in the text Then he is gracious There are two sorts of gracious acts of God First some are acts of absolute grace or of preventing grace These are put forth upon and exercised towards the creature before there is any the lest preparation in the heart to draw them out or invite the bestowing of them Thus the grace of God in election is absolutely free there was no prevision of any qualification in man moving God to elect him And so that wonderfull act of grace in which election first descends and discovers it selfe effectuall vocation is absolutely free God calls a sinner when he is in the heat and hurry of his evill wayes pursuing his lusts in the height of his pride and in the hardness of his impenitent heart Now if when God first calleth a sinner there is nothing in him but sin What can move God to call him but free grace A third absolute act of grace is justification God doth not justifie a sinner for any thing that he finds or sees in us As to us 't is altogether free He justifieth the ungodly Rom 4.5 when that wretched infant was in its blood which expresseth a miserable uncleane poluted condition then was a time of love Ezek 16.8 then was God gracious What loveliness was there in that infant representing the best of men in that fallen naturall estate to draw out the love of God nothing at all yea she was altogether unlovely yet then saith God thy time was the time of love or then was the time of putting forth love in her conversion and vocâ—tion Then I sayd unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live And because the thing might seeme not only strange but even impossible that the heart of God should be towards such a wretched one for good the word is doubled yea I sayd unto theâ— when thou wast in thy blood live These acts of absolute free grace are the glory of the Covenant of grace for if the Covenant should hold out acts of Grace only upon our pre-dispositions when should we receive any act of grace The promise is not of this tenour I will pardon them when
breath bloweth away sickness if he doe but speak to a disease to a feaver to an ague to a dropsie to a consumption O killing malady spare him thou hast done enough any disease might prevaile to death did not God say spare him hold thy hand not a blow more not a fit more O killing malady Death it selfe much more sickness heareth the voyce of God And it may be said to heare him because it doth that which they who have the power of hearing ought to doe that is it obeyeth or yeildeth to the voyce and command of God will no longer afflict the sick man Diseases may be said to deliver a man from death the pit when they depart from him Yet Secondly I conceive this warrant for the deliverance of the sick man is given out to the messenger or interpreter to the one among a thousand that visiteth him in his sickness He having been with him and dealt with his conscience he having brought him into a good frame the Lord is gracious Sequestrem illum Jubebit ei renunciare impetratum esse sibi liberationem Bez and in answer to his prayer sets it upon his heart that he shall recover and warrants him to tell him so which is declaratively to deliver him from going downe to the pit This act of mans delivering the sicke is like that act of man pardoning the sinner John 20.23 that is 't is ministeriall or declarative not originall nor Authoritative The interpreter doth not deliver him but tells him God will We have the Psalmist speaking thus after his supplication and prayer made to the Lord for a sick State or Nation or for a sick Church that 's his scope Psal 85. Wilt thou not revive us againe that thy people may rejoycâ— in thee v. 6. Surely thou wilt and he expresseth his confidence that God would v. 8. I will heare what God the Lord will speake for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints When he had prayed he would harken for news or for a message from heaven whether or no the Lord would order him to speak peace to those for whom he had been praying and say deliver them from going downe to the pit Thus did the Prophet Habakkuk I will stand upon my watch and set me upon my tower and see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved Chap 2.1 In the next verse The Lord answered and sayd write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it And what was the answer surely deliverance for having sayd in the end it shall speake and not lye v. 3. he concludes v. 4. The just shall live by his faith Believing deliverance he shall at last be delivered from the pit of captivity and live Here in the text we must suppose this messenger had prayed and having prayed he did not neglect his prayer but was hearkning what the Lord would say Elihu was confident the Lord would give a gracious answer though not by an immediate voyce or revelation to his eare yet by an assurance of the mercy given into his spirit When that good king Hezekiah was not only sick unto death but had received an expresse message from the Lord Set thy house in order for thou shalt dye and not live 2 Kings 20.1 'T is sayd at the 2d verse He turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord saying c. And at the 4th verse The word of the Lord came to Isaiah the Prophet saying turne againe and tell Hezekiah the Captain of my people Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy father I have heard thy prayer I have seene thy teares behold I will heale thee c. Here God gave a word formally and put it into the Prophets mouth Goe deliver him from going downe to the pit And though the Lord doth not thus now in such an explicite and open way nor may we expect it yet there is a virtuall saying of this word from the Lord and that sometimes mightily imprest upon the hearts of those who have prayed and sought unto him for the sick man whereby not by an ungrounded vaine confidence but by a scripturall holy confidence comparing the promise with the mans condition they are enabled to tell him The Lord hath delivered thee from going downe to the pit And he shall as certainly be delivered as if the Lord had sent an expresse from heaven to tell him so Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him from going downe to the pit Hence observe First Death is a going to the pit a going to destruction Thus it is ordinarily with all who dye to the pit they goe Many dye and goe downe to the bottomless pit all who dye may be sayd to goe to the pit To goe to the bottomless pit is the circumlocution of eternall death as to goe to the pit is the circumlocution of temporall death Secondly Forasmuch as the man being sick the Lord gives out this word deliver him from going downe to the pit Note Sickness hath in it a tendency unto death The sick stand as it were upon the borders of the grave Some not only put death farr from them in health but in their sickness untill they are even dead they scarce thinke themselves dying It is good for us in our health and best strength to be looking into the pit and considering upon what grounds of comfort we can descend into the grave How much more should we be thinking of and looking into the pit when we are in a languishing and dying condition Thirdly Observe The word and work of deliverance is from God alone Then he will be gracious and say deliver him from going downe to the pit God can and God only can deliver from death no creature in heaven or earth can speak this but by commission from God none can open this secret till God interpret it Deliverance is the Lords salvation and the word of salvation from sickness as well as of salvation from hell comes out from the Lord. But is it not sayd Pro 11.4 Righteousness delivereth from death I answer when it is sayd Righteousness delivereth from death The meaning is God delivereth the righteous from death He delivereth them from the sting and terror from all that which is properly called the evill of corporall death and he delivereth them wholly from the least touch or shadow of eternall death And this righteousness which delivers from death is not our own but the righteousness of Christ made ours by the appoyntment of God and received as ours by faith 'T is neither any righteousness wrought in us nor any righteousness wrought by us but that righteousness which is wrought for us which delivereth from death and that delivereth us from death because God saith of such a righteous person deliver him as often from temporall death or going downe to the pit of the grave so alwayes from
eternall death or going downe to the pit of hell Fourthly In that this word deliver him is given to the messenger Observe God conveighs deliverance and mercy to us by men like our selves He will have the creature beholding to the creature for his mercy though mercy come freely and only from himselfe God delivereth the sick and the sinner in such a method that we may owne though not stay in his messengers as the instruments of his favour God who can doe all things by himselfe will not doe many things but by meanes He saith to the messenger Deliver him from going downe to the pit You will say How can a Minister or a Messenger deliver the sick from going downe to the pit I answer as was touched before he delivers him by declaring to him the minde of God by acquainting the sick with the promises of deliverance and by pressing him to believe and rest upon them by assuring him that as God is able to performe the promise so he is faithfull and willing to performe it yea that he hath given some tokens for good that he will deliver him from going downe to the pit Thus the worke of Gods free grace mercy and power is oftentimes attributed to instruments and second causes because they have their place and use in the bringing about the purposes of God for the good of his people Hence some men are called Saviours And Saviours shall come up on mount Zion Obad v. 21. No man can save either from temporall or eternall destruction He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death Ps 68.20 yet saith the Prophet there shall come Saviours that is God will rayse up worthy men principall men as another Prophet cals them Mic 5.5 who shall destroy Zions enemies Thus Paul admonisheth Timothy Take heed to thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue in them for in so doing thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee 1 Tim 4.16 The Apostle James Chap 5.20 speakes the same thing He which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins And the same Apostle faith as to the case in the text at the 15th verse of the same Chapter The prayer of faith shall save the sicke Though none can save yet many are means of our salvation And the Lord is pleased to honour those who are the meanes of any salvation so farre as to say They save It is indeed the duty of all to ascribe the all of every worke and piece of salvation and deliverance to God only When the people stood wondering at Peter and John after they had healed the lame man Peter answered Acts 3.12 Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why looke ye so earnestly on us as if we by our own power or holiness had made this man to walke The God of Abraham c. hath glorified his Son Jesus As if they had said Therefore doe ye also glorifie him not us for delivering this lame man Though God is pleased to put much honour upon man by speaking of what himselfe doth as if man had done it yet he will not give the glory of what he doth to any man nor may any take it God saith to the messenger deliver him from going downe to the pit but woe to that messenger who saith when he is delivered I have delivered him from going downe to the pit Thus we see the spring of the sick mans recovery it is from the graciousness of God and we see the meanes of it God gives a warrant to his messenger saying Deliver him from going down to the pit But what is the procuring or meritorious cause of this deliverance As the Text hath shewed us the first moving cause The grace of God so it shewes us the meritorious cause by which his deliverance is procured Things are so ordered in the Covenant of grace that though the Lord acts with infinite freeness yet he hath appointed and ordered a way in which alone he will doe what he freely doth This is expressed in the last clause of the verse Fer I have found a ransome But where did God find it certainly in his own bosome in his own heart Jesus Christ came out of the bosome of the Father there he was God found him in and with himself God did not find the ransome by chance nor did he find it by advice and consultation with others but he found it in himself in his own infinite wisdome and goodness that is he contrived it he invented i◠there This rare this most excellent thing a ransome is the Lords own invention I have found it I know how to doe this man good I know how to save him and doe my own honour and Justice no hurt no wrong my honour is saved Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotet expiationem aut redemptionem tum etiam pretium quod pro redemptione offertur Significat etiam cooperire linire aut operire bitumine quasi pristinam faciē rei alicujus aut immunditiem abscondere quod elegantèr refertur ad ab stertionem peccati Pined my Justice is satisfied in doing it I have found a ransome The word here rendred a ransome signifies in the Verb to cover or to hide that which before lay open that it appeare no more Grace brings another face upon things a new face I may say upon our souls The covering of sin elegantly denotes the pardon of sin And what reason have we to be thankfull and rejoyce when sin our soul durt and deformity is covered We have very foul faces I meane outward conversations and more foul souls or inward inclinations till the Lord is graciously pleased to put a covering upon them If we cover our own sins we shall have no mercy but if the Lord once cover our sins he cannot deny us mercy that being it self our greatest mercy and the fruit of his great mercy The Mercy-seat so famous in the Mosaicall Poedogogy is exprest by this word which properly signifieth a Covering The Mercy-seat was it self a Covering of pure gold laid over the Arke in which Arke the Law was put Exod. 25.17.21 Thou shalt put the Mercy-seat above upon the Arke and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee And as the dimensions of the Arke were two Cubits and a halfe in length and a Cubit and a half in breadth so the same were the dimensions of the Mercy-seat Vers 10.17 which figured that as the Mercy-seat fully covered the Arke wherein the Law was so Christ should fully cover all our sins which are transgressions of the Law The righteousness of Christ is as long and as broad as the Law and so our sins being covered with that shall never appeare against us Therefore also from above this Mercy-seat between the two Cherubims the Lord said vers 22. I will meete thee and I will
price I have found a ransome I am well paid saith God for mans deliverance This ransome every poor soul may plead before the Lord for his deliverance both from sickness death and hell He that hath nothing to offer to the Lord as indeed the best have nothing of their own worth the offering and if they offer any thing of their own of how much worth soever it may seem to be it will not passe nor be accepted he I say that hath nothing of his own to offer yet may tell him he shall be well paid he may tell God he shall have more by saving him then by damning him If he damne him he shall have but his own blood the blood of a creature for satisfaction but if he save him he shall have the blood of his Son the blood of God as a ransome for his salvation Thirdly Observe Though the Gospel was not clearly and fully revealed in those elder times yet it was then savingly revealed How doth the grace of God shine forth in mans deliverance by a ransome in this Scripture Here is nothing said of deliverance from sickness by medicines but by a ransome and if they knew that deliverance from a disease must come in by a ransome how much more that deliverance from damnation must come in that way The old Patriarkes had the knowledge of Christ to come and not only was there a knowledge of him to come in that nation and Church of the Jewes but the light scattered abroad the Land of Vz had it Job had it as hath appeared from severall passages of this Booke Elihu had it as appeareth by this Fourthly Observe Not only our eternall deliverances but even our temporall deliverances and mercies are purchased by the blood of Christ A beleever doth not eate a bit of bread but he hath it by vertue of the purchase of Christ Christ hath bought all good for us and Christ hath bought us out of all evill Christ hath not only purchast deliverance from hell and salvation in heaven for us but he hath purchast deliverance from a sick bed and freedome from bondage to men for us Zech. 9.11 As for thee also saith the Lord by the blood of thy Covenant that is the Covenant which I have made with thee I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water that is from the Babylonish captivity The Jewes were delivered from corporall slavery as well as spirituall by the blood of Jesus Christ and so are the Covenant people of God to this day The blood of the Covenant serves to all purposes for the good things of this life as well as of that which is to come Nothing else can do us good to purpose or deliver us from evill but the blood of Christ Ps 49.7 8. They that trust in their wealth boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give to God a ransome for him In some cases as Solomon saith Prov. 13.8 The ransome of a mans life are his riches As a mans riches doe often endanger his life all the fault of some men for which they have suffered as deep as death hath been only this they were rich so a man by his riches may redeeme his forfeited or endangered life he may buy off the wrath of man and so ransome his life by his riches But all the riches in the world cannot buy his life out of the hand of sickness though a man would lay out all his substance and spend all that he hath upon Physitians as the poor woman in the Gospel did yet that could not doe it We need the blood of Jesus Christ to help us out of a sick bed and from temporall sufferings as well as from hell and everlasting sufferings And the more spirituall any are the more they have recourse to the blood of Christ for all they would have whether it be freedome from this or that evill or enjoyment of this or that good Therefore First When we hear of a ransome let us remember that we are all naturally captives Here is a ransome for our souls and a ransome for our bodies we are ransomed from hell and ransomed from death surely then we are through sin made captives to all these Secondly In that the ransome is exprest by a word that notes hiding or covering it should mind us that Jesus Christ by his blood which is our ransome hath covered all our bloody sins and surely the blood of our sins will appeare not only to our shame but to our confusion unlesse the blood of Christ cover them Thirdly We may hence infer The Lord shall be no looser by saving the worst of sinners His Son hath taken care for that he hath undertaken to see his Honour saved and his Justice satisfied Fourthly In all your outward afflictions and sicknesses apply to the blood of Christ for healing for helpe and deliverance Fifthly Being delivered from going down to the pit from death by sickness blesse Christ for his blood We are rescued from the arrest of death from Deaths Sergeant sicknesse by the blood of Christ And remember that as Christ ransomes us from going downe to the grave when we are sick so Christ will ransome us from the power of the grave when we are dead Hosea 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Which though it were primarily meant of the deliverance of the Jewes out of Babylon where they seemed to be not only dead but buryed yet the Apostle applyeth it clearly to the ransoming of the body dead indeed and laid in the grave by the power of Christ at the generall resurrection 1 Cor. 15.54 For then shall be brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed up of victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory Yea Christ hath ransomed all those from going down to the pit of hell who take hold of his ransome by believing See that you have an interest in this ransome else you will never have deliverance from going downe to that pit We read not all the Scripture over of any ransome to deliver those who are once gone downe to that bottomlesse pit They that are in the grave shall be ransomed and recovered by the power of Christ but they that goe into hell shall never be ransomed from thence Take hold of this ransome that ye may have full deliverance both from sickness leading to death here and from hell which is the second death hereafter JOB Chap. 33. Vers 25 26. His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall returne to the dayes of his youth He shall pray unto God and be will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness IN these two verses Elihu proceeds to shew the perfecting of the sick mans recovery the foundation of which was layd in the Lords graciousness
to him spoken of in the former verse and the declaration of it in that word or warrant which went out from God to the messenger about his deliverance from going downe to the pit This mercy or recovery in the full extent of it hath a two-fold respect First to his body Secondly to his soule The mercy as it respects his body is layd downe in the 25th verse His flesh shall be fresher then a childes he shall returne as in the dayes of his youth The mercy which respects his soule or the state of his inward man is layd downe in the 26th verse He shall pray unto God and be will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto him his righteousness In this recovery of his soule-state we may further consider First the causes of it First The Instrumentall cause prayer He shall pray unto God Secondly The principall or efficient cause of it together with the first moving cause The kindness of God He will be favourable unto him Secondly The consequence of this his renewed soule-state He shall see his face with joy Thirdly The matter wherein this joyfull state doth consist in the close of the 26th verse For he will render to man his righteousness So much for the scope and parts of these two verses which shew the blessed issue which God gives this distressed and sick man from his afflictions and sorrowes Vers 25. His flesh shall be fresher then a childes By flesh he meanes the naturall flesh of the body this flesh shall be fresh yea fresher and not only fresher then it was before he fell sick in his man-hood but then it was in his child-hood fresher then a childes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mollitur recreatus fuit alibi quam hic non legitur Ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod virentem significat ac vegetuÌ„ ut cap 8. 16. et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod syriacè significat crescere q. d. revirescet plantarum more et germinum Merc The word which we render comparatively fresher signifies to wax soft or tender 'T is no where read in the whole Bible but here Grammarians say it is compounded of an Hebrew word which signifies to be greene or flourishing Chap 8.16 and of a Syriack word which signifies to increase and grow as a plant we render it as noting the man mending apace as some sick men upon recovery doe in his strength and health He shall be fresh-coloured who before was pale and wan he shall be full-fleshed who before was fallen and leane so that when he saith His flesh shall be fresher then a childes 'T is an Elegant hyperbolical expression to shew his perfect recovery from that mortal sickness to health As if he had sayd God will restore him so that there shall be no scarr nor print no dregs nor appearance of his former disease seene upon him We know how tender and soft how delicate and faire the flesh of a little child is how sweete his countenance is how full of good blood his veines are how healthy and strong as to his time his whole body is Thus it shall be with this sick man His flesh shall be freshâ—r then a childes he shall be as if he were new-borne or entred a second time upon the stage of this world Our spirituall estate of renovation by Christ is set forth as a youthfull or child-like state as to the purity and perfection of it Eph 5.27 Christ shall present us to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing The Church hath her sin-spots and wrinckles now in her militancy but when Christ shall present the Church at last triumphantly to himselfe then as himselfe was ever without spot or wrinckle so shall the Church be Her flesh shall indeed be fresher then a childes being perfectly recovered out of her spirituall sickness Notat perfectissimum sanitatis modum qui nullum transacti morbi vestigium relinquit Mert And thus in proportion Elihu assures the penitent sick man that when his peace is renewed with God and his spirit set right for God his very flesh shall be without spot or wrinckle fresher then a childes The latter part of the verse beares the same sence He shall returne as in the dayes of his youth That is he shall not barely recover his health and get upon his leggs againe as we say he shall not meerely escape death and the grave but he shall have an addition of bodily ability he shall as it were be young againe As sickness makes a young man look old so recovery from sickness makes the old man look young That 's to returne to the dayes of his youth Hence Note First Bodily beauty health and strength are the Gift of God He gives them and takes them away at pleasure or having taken them away he can give them backe when he pleaseth He kills and he makes alive he bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up as Hannah sayd in her Song 1 Sam 2.6 How low soever a man is brought by sickness either proper or metaphoricall the Lord is able to rayse him up againe We read v. 21. in how pitifull a plight the sick man was how rather like a carkasse then a living man he lookt His flesh was consumed that it could not be seene and his bones which were not seene stood out as much as to say He was nothing but skin and bones yet when in that case all hopes were gone and all natural helps fayled it was no hard matter with God to cure him When the skill of the Physician and the vertue of medicines fayle the power of God fayleth not As it is in reference to those outward dangers and desperate exigents which we meete with in this world by enemies and persecutors when we look upon our selves as dead men when all hope of deliverance seems past gone then the Lord alwayes can and often doth deliver The Apostle gives us his experience of it 2 Cor 1.9 10. We had the sentence of death in our selves he spake not thus in regard of sickness but of trouble and persecution As if he had sayd The malice and wrath of our enemies was such that we thought we should never escape We had the sentence of death in our selves but providence suffered it to be so that we should not trust in our selves but in God who rayseth the dead As it is I say in such dangers so in dangerous deadly sicknesses when a poore creature hath the sentence of death in himselfe when he makes no other reckoning but to dye as good King Hezekiah sayd of himselfe in his sickness Isa 38.13 I reckoned till morning that as a Lyon so will he breake all my bones from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me yet then as in his case so in many cases the Lord stretcheth forth a healing hand and takes the sick man up againe to continue in
the land of the living Secondly From the way of expressing this in allusion to a childe or a youth Note God he can quickly make the greatest changes in nature either for the better or for the worse He can turne youth into old age and old age into youth That is he can make a young or a healthy man weake as an old man and an old or sickly man strong as a young man and as it is with naturall so with politicall bodyes as with persons so with nations A nation that is flourishing in its youth heate strength and glory rich and full of peace and plenty God can bring an oldness upon it and cause it to decline every day The Prophet spake of the state of Israel in this notion Hos 7.9 Gray haires are here and there upon them and they perceive it not they thought ttemselves to be in a very youthfull flourishing condition as a state but the Lord brought gray haires that is they were decaying withering weakning and became a decrepid nation And when a nation is gray-hayred old and withered he can make it youthfull he can recover the honour and power of it and cause the dread of it to fall upon the neighbouring nations round about He turnes a land into a wilderness which before was as the Garden of God And he can change that land into a Garden of God which now is a desolate wildernes The unchangeable Lord is visible and glorious in all these changes The health and strength both of the body politick and naturall are at his dispose He can bring a decay upon what is built and repaire what is decayed whether in nations or persons When the earthly house of this Tabernacle is ready to drop downe into the grave and crumble into dust God by a word speaking repayreth it to as much beauty and strength as when the first stone being layd the top-stone was set up When Naaman had once submitted to and obeyed the Prophets counsell which at first he despised washed in Jorden His flesh saith the text 2 Kings 5.14 came againe like unto the flesh of a little childe The holy Psalmist charged his owne soule to praise the Lord and all that was within him to blesse his holy name Psal 103.1 5. Who had satisfied his mouth with good things so that his youth was renewed as the Eagle This renovation of his youth may be understood three wayes First as to his naturall state or bodyly strength Secondly as to his civill state or worldly successes as to his honour and kingly renowne Thirdly as to his spirituall state or the hightning of his gifts graces and comforts 'T is probable David had found a declension in all these and at last through the goodness of God and his blessing upon him the renewing of them all from that oldness to a youthfullness againe like that of Eagles We find the same allusion in the Prophet Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up as with Eagles wings Some Naturalists say the Eagle reneweth her strength by sucking blood when her stomack is so weake that shee cannot seed upon the flesh of her prey Saints indeed renew their strength as the Eagle while by faith they sucke the blood of Jesus Christ and they get cure of their owne weaknesses while they believingly lay hold upon his strength Thirdly We heard in the former verse of a divine warrant issued out for this mans recovery Then he is gracious to him and saith deliver him Here we have the warrant executed His flesh shall be fresher then a childes Hence observe The commands and warrants of God are effectuall they shall be obeyed and made good to man If God say deliver him from a sick bed he shall be delivered I will worke saith the Lord Isa 43.13 14. and who shall let it for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought downe all their Nobles or barrs as the margin reads it I will have it done I will breake all those Nobles who are as barrs in the way of my peoples deliverance So when the Lord sends his warrant for the delivering of a sick man he will break all those barrs and bands by which diseases and sicknesses hold him as a prisoner in his bed Nothing can stand against the word of God as by a word speaking he gave the creature a being when it had none The Lord only spake the word Let there be light let there be a firmament c. and it was so Thus also the word or warrant of God reneweth a wel-being to those with whom it is worst or a comfortable life to those who are compassed about with the sorrowes of death The word of God prevailes over all or is effectuall to every purpose Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Further In this restoring of the sick we have a shadow of the resurrection The raysing of a dying man from his bed is like the raysing of the dead from the grave The spring of the yeare is a shadow of the resurrection because then the earth returnes to her youth and is fresh as a child In winter all things are dead and desolate their glosse and beauty is gone but then cometh the spring and all revives againe the face of the earth looks fresh corne and grasse trees and plants flourish and put forth their buds and blossomes Now what the spring of the yeare is to the body of the earth the same is the returne of health to the body of man In both we have an exemplar of the resurrection as also in the regeneration or new birth of the soule by the power of the holy Ghost For till then we are like old sickly men in the old man yea we are dead But no sooner doth the Spirit bring us forth by a second creation into the life of the new man but we become in spirit fresh like Children our youth returnes to us againe that is we returne to that state wherein we were first created and set up by God in righteousness and true holiness yea into a better and surer state then that Man through grace is not only as he was in the first day of his creation but better He returnes to the day of his youth and receives such a youth as shall never decay into old age yea the older he is in nature the younger that is the stronger and more beautifull he shall be in grace He shall according to that promise Psal 92.14 still bring forth fruit in old age he shall be fat and flourishing This renewed youthfullness and flourishing condition of the restored sick man in spiritualls is specially and fully set forth in the next verse For Elihu having shewed the recovery of the sick mans body he proceeds to the recovery of his soule which eminently returnes to the dayes of its youth both in the puttings forth of or exercising the grace of God
Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Acts 8.24 But we read not that he prayed for himself The prayers of others are rarely beneficiall to any unlesse they either pray or have a desire to pray for themselves Elihu represents the sick man praying for himself he shall pray Vnto God There 's the object of prayer Hence Note Prayer in sicknesse and in all other cases must be directed unto God and to him only Divine addresses are fit for none but God For First none are worthy of this honour but God Prayer is so great a part of that honour and worship which is due to God that it is often put for his whole worship Mine house saith the Lord Isa 56.7 shall be called an house of prayer for all Nations Secondly none can heare that is answer prayer but God there is no help to be had but in him As it is his glory to be prayed to and such a glory as he will not part with to any other so it is in vaine to pray to any other In vaine is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of Mountains that is from the greatest worldly Powers truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Jerem. 3.23 God only was David's Hills Psal 121.1 2. I Lift my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my helpe what these hills were himselfe explaines in the next verse My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth Baals Priests called upon Baal they cryed Baal hear us but saith the Text thâ—re was neither voyce nor any that answered 1 Kings 18.26 It is not only sinfull but senceless to pray to any other then God alone That popish Doctrine of invocation to Saints and Angells is not only a will-worship but folly and dotage Fourthly He shall pray c. Hence Observe If we would have any mercy from God we must ask it God is ready to give but he looks to be intreated and he will be intreated What God hath promised to doe for us his doing of it must be obtained by prayer Working prayer worketh the promises to their issue yea prayer worketh the prophecies whether of salvation upon Sion or ruine upon Babylon to their issue Promises and prophesies are the express will of God and shall certainly be fullfilled in their season yet if we desire their fullfilling we must pray that he would fullfill them and 't is a token for good that God is about to fullfill them when the hearts of his people are drawne out much in prayer for their fullfilling There are some mercies in the promises rightly called preventing mercies they come upon us before we ask such is the mercy of out vocation conversion or turning to God we are naturally so far from praying while we are in the state of nature that we are continually blaspheming or dishonouring the name of God but as for persons converted who are eminently called heires of the promise that is of the good in the promise if they will have any good out of a promise they must aske it When the Prophet had declared many prophesies of good and great and glorious things which God would doe for his people he concludes with this direction from the Lord. Ezek. 36.37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them As if the Lord had said I will not doe these things unasked as you looke I should doe these things for you so I look you should pray unto me that they may be done A promise was made to Abraham Gen. 22.17 that his seed should be multiplyed as the Stars of Heaven now might not Isaac his Son have said God hath promised me children what need I pray for them but Isaac knew better he knew that the promise was to be brought to the birth by prayer therefore he entreated the Lord that he might have children Fifthly from these words He shall pray compared with the next and he that is God will be favourable to him Observe The Lord is ready to hear when we pray ready to give when we ask As prayer is honourable and delightfull to God so fruitfull to man Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find Math. 7.7 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him Prayer shall not be lost nor vanish into aire There was never any faithfull prayer lost though the prayers of many have not been answered in kind that is they have not had the very thing they asked for yet they have had an answer to their prayers and though prayer be not alwayes answered in our time yet there is a time wherein all faithfull prayers shall be answered one age reaps the fruit of those prayers which another age hath sowne The seed time is one age the harvest in another Latter Generations get good by the prayers of the former Though we who pray see not the fruit of it yet many shall find the fruit of it and how often doth the fruit of prayer appear presently how often doth the answer come in upon the very putting up of the request Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while as they are yet speaking I will hear While the word is in their mouth the mercy shall be put into their hand While the Church Acts 12.5.16 was praying Peter came in among them As if God had said there 's your prayer What the Propâ—et Elisha said 2 Kings 6.33 of the messenger sent to apprehend him Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him The same may we say somtimes of this messenger holy and fervent prayer is not the sound of the mercy prayed for at the very heels of it Thus close doth Elihu put the sick mans prayer and the answer of God he shall pray unto God And he will be favourable unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vehementer velle ac delectari Merc That is he shall have a gracious and a speedy answer he will be favourable unto him or he will accept him as Mr. Broughton renders 'T is a very comfortable word it notes not only to wish well to or to be at peace but to be well pleased with another yea to be delighted and take pleasure in him 'T is not barely to be appeased and reconciled to lay down wrath and displeasure conceived against a man but it notes much sweetness of spirit towards him and full content or complacency in him Psal 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his people they are as the joy of his heart he will beautifie the meek with salvation he will not only save them but adorne them with salvation they shall not only be delivered after they have layen among the pots Psal 68.13 from the blackness and filth of their adversity but they shall have a beauty put upon them or as it followeth in that Psalme last
we labour as much for the favour of God as ever any of the sons of ambition laboured for the favour of Princes or regard with the Kings of this world No man ever plotted or flatter'd and crouched so much to the Kings of the earth for favour as we doe to God for favour herein we labour We make it our business to be accepted with him if God once accept a man you may turne him loose he will shift for one How compleately happy the condition of such a favourite is will appeare yet furtber in opening the next clause of this verse And he shall see his face with joy When once God is favourable to a poor sinner then he shall be used or dealt with like a favourite Great Favourites stand in the presence of Princes and frequently see their faces Whomsoever any man favours he freely admits to his presence and takes delight in his company Thus Elihu speaks of Gods Favourite He shall see his face with joy There is a twofold interpretation of these words tending both to the same spirituall sence Videbit deus faciem ejus cum laetitia i. e. hilaritèr cum intuebitur vultu laeto et facili eum respiciet cum ante vultum iratus avertebat Merc First Some by the Antecedent He understand God himselfe and by his face the face of the humbled sick man and so the sence of this assertion he shall see his face with joy is plainly this God will look cheerfully and smilingly upon the face of this poor suppliant God will look upon him as we doe upon friends whom we favour and have much respect for Friends may see content and joy shining in or stampt upon our faces when we look them in the face The content which we take in seeing the face of another is visible in the smiles and joyes of our own faces As when we look sowrely angryly sorrowfully sullenly upon a man when darkness is seen in our faces and clouds gather in our brows ready to dissolve into a storme this speaks we beare him no good will or rather that we bear him much displeasure So when we looke pleasantly upon a man doth it not say that we are highly pleased with him To be sure when God is at peace with a repenting sinner he no longer frownes upon him nor turns his face from him as an enemy but entertaines and welcomes him as a friend which is directly opposite to Jobs apprehension of God at the 10th verse of this Chapter Behold he findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy This is a sweet soul-reviving and ravishing truth God beholds the face of his people with joy he beholds them smileingly cheerfully delightfully David calls it The light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 Et videbit homo faciem dei cum jubilo Merc Secondly and I rather conceive that to be the meaning of the place most relate the He to the sick man who having been upon his knees humbling himself before God and finding God favourable to him he then seeth his face that is the face of God with joy God fills his soule with a great deale of peace comfort and sweetness in his approaches to him Before possibly if he did but think upon God he was troubled as Asaph found Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled To a man in great trouble especially in trouble of mind the very thoughts of God who is our only help in trouble may be troublesom but when he is set right and restored to the favour of God or God being again favourable unto him he beholds his face with abundance of joy Here are yet two things to be opened or two Queries may be made and answered for the clearing of these words First What is meant by the face of God Secondly what is meant by seeing his face To the former query I answer First the face of God is the essentiall being or perfect Majesty of God of which himself saith to Moses Exod. 33.23 My face shall not be seen Secondly the good will and favour of God is his face Ps 80.3 Cause thy face to shine that is be good to us and we shall be saved Thirdly the face of God in Scripture is put for any manifestations of God to man God manifesteth himself in wrath to some men Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe evill Facies dei iram quandoque favorem notat Drus That is he is angry and greatly displeased with them He manifesteth himself in love to others and all such are said either as in the Text to see his face or as other Texts express it to have his face shining upon them God is a spirit he hath no face properly but as the face of a man is that by which he is knowne if a man hide his face we know not who he is though we see all the other parts of his body he is a concealed man so that whatsoever it is by which God is clearly knowne that in Scripture language is called his face And hence Thirdly the worship and holy ordinances of God are called the face of God Gen. 4.14 because they are great manifestations of God or because God is manifested in his Ordinances in his word and worship who and what he is After a sick man through the help of God is recovered he goes into the congregation to give thanks and then he may be said to see the face of God because there be exhibits the signs of his presence doth as it were shew his face There as in a glass we behold the face of God that is the discoveries of his holiness of his love goodness The face of God is seen in his works as the Apostle teacâ—eth us Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and godhead much more in his word and Ordinances and above all in Jesus Christ is God seen and manifested Jesus Christ is the face of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 The light of the knowledge of the glory of God shineth to us in the face of Christ Thus the face of God is beheld in the face of Christ There we may see how holy how just how good and mercifull God is all this glory of God appeareth to us in the face of Christ who is the highest manifestation of God Here in the Text by the face of God we are to understand any demonstration of Gods favourable presence in which sence of the word Aaron was to blesse the children of Israel Numb 6.25 The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and give thee peace That is the Lord manifest himself to thee in wayes of grace and peace in favour and in mercy David prayed in the same
is sayd he will render unto man his righteousness we are not to understand it of righteousness in kinde but of the reward or fruit of his righteousness For here Elihu speaks of a person already righteous or at least of him who had repented of and turned from his unrighteousness So that to returne or render unto man his righteousness is to returne the mercy promised to those that are righteous Reddet justitiam i. e. praemium justitiae Drus For as iniquity or unrighteousness is often put for the punishment of unrighteousness so equity or righteousness is often put for the reward of righteousness or for that which God according to his righteous promise returnes unto a righteous person Thus we may understand Elihu here As if he had sayd God dealt with this man before as with a sinner or he afflicted him for his sin But now he will deale kindly with him as with a righteous person and removing his affliction and taking his hand off from him he will render his righteousness to him he will not reckon with him for any former unrighteousness From this notion of the word Observe God usually deals with men as they are and according to what they doe If a godly man sin he shall smart for it and if a sinner return and repent God will shew him kindness Though the mercy and kindness which God shews to a returning sinner be not for his returnings or repentings yet 't is according to them The favour which God sheweth any man is for Christs sake or for what Christ hath done and suffered but it is according to what himselfe hath done or suffered David experienced this himselfe Psal 18.20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes c. That is as I have been a righteous and just person so the Lord hath dealt with me And he gives the rule with respect to all others v. 25. With the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure c. That is Thou wilt be such to men in thy dispensations as they are in their conversations and dispositions in the frame and bent of their hearts and lives And as it followeth v. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted or humble people but wilt bring downe high lookes that is those that are proud and high-minded The Prophet holds out the same truth in way of direction Isa 3.10 Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings that is they shall have good for the good they have done or according to the good which they have done Rom 2.10 Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile If any object But may it not be ill with men that doe good and are good doth the Lord alwayes render to man according to his righteousness I answer It is well at present with most that doe well look over all the sons of men and generally ye shall find that usually the better they are the better they live Secondly I answer It shall be well with all that doe well in the issue and for ever This truth will abide to eternity God will render unto man according to his righteousness Secondly We may take the word righteousness Justiam quam ei confert in Christo reputans eum pro justo Jun for the righteousness of justification Mr Broughton inclines to that sence He will restore unto man his justice And presently adds by way of glosse Justice is Christ It is Christs Justice or righteousness that is restored to man Christ is indeed The Lord our righteousness Jer 23.6 And thus severall others of the learned expound these words He will render unto man his righteousness That is he will bestow upon him or restore to him righteousness in Christ he will account him righteous though he hath no righteousness of his owne which will hold in Gods account Elihu I grant calleth it Mans righteousness his righteousness yet we may well understand him calling it so not because it is wrought by but because it is imputed to or bestowed upon man as his righteousness That is ours which is freely given us so is righteousness in justification by faith in Christ We have no righteousness wrought in us or by us for that purpose but we have a righteousness wrought for us and freely bestowed upon us for that purpose which is therefore truely called mans righteousness But some may question how can it be sayd that God doth render or return to man this righteousness that is the righteousness of justification Can this righteousness be lost can a person justified fall out of a justified state I answer The righteousness of justification which is true also of the righteousness of sanctification as to the substance and being of it cannot be lost But it may be lost as to the comfortable enjoyments and fruits of it or as to our apprehension of it And the Lord is sayd to returne to man the righteousness of his justification not as if the grace it selfe were lost or taken away from him but because the sight and sence of it the sweetness and joy of it Non enim ablata justitia redditur sed ablatae justitiae sensus Coc the workings and effects of it having been lost are now restored to him againe When the Lord by his Spirit gives the soule a cleare and fresh evidence of it or reneweth the testimony of his Spirit with our spirits that our sins are forgiven and that we are justified beloved and accepted in Christ then the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness otherwise neither the faith by which this righteousness is applyed nor the righteousness it selfe which is applyed to us by faith is at any time lost or removed Only in this sence as in many other Scriptures so in this the Lord is sayd to render unto man his righteousness both of sanctification and justification For when a beleever through sin hath blotted his own evidences and God hath left him under the darkness of his own spirit for his negligent unwatchfull unworthy walking or when the Lord hideth his face to try him what he will doe whether he will trust in his name while he walketh in darkness and seeth no light when I say after withdrawings for either of these reasons or for any other the Lord gives him in a renewed evidence of his love then he is sayd to render unto man his righteousness It is in this case as with a man that labours under some strong and dangerous disease which taketh away his sences and leaves him halfe dead we say the man is gone yet he recovers his speech returnes and his spirits revive and then we say his life is rendred to him or he is brought back from the grave we have fetched him againe not that his life was quite taken away for he was not a carkasse in
going into the pit and his life shall see the light Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man To bring back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living WE had the blessed issue of the Lords dealing with the sick sinner in the former verse Now in the two first verses of this context we have the same case and issue put in generall with reference to any man And in the two latter Elihu recapitulates or summes up the whole matter and then applyeth it to Job personally and particularly in the three last verses of the Chapter He looketh upon men c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspexit intentis et fixis oculis intuitus est The word notes a strict beholding and fixing both of the outward and inward eye that of the mind with that of the body T is here after the manner of men attributed to God He marks and animadverts upon men how it is with them or how they stand disposed and affected Yet there is a difference among interpreters who is the antecedent to the word He. He looketh upon men The doubt or question is to whom this relative pronowne He hath respect whether to God or to the sick man lately spoken of Some understand it chiefly of the sick man recovered He looketh upon men That is the sick man looketh upon those about him Qui hoc modo afflictus fuit resipiscens intuetur homines et diciter Drus and saith I have sinned and perverted that which is right As if being raised from his sick bed he should raise himselfe up to give glory to God by confessing and acknowledging before men that he had sinned in perverting the rule of righteousness given him to walke by and had found by dear-bought experience that it profited him not The Italian translater saith He afterwards shall turne himselfe toward man and say c. That is Fructum alium miserecordiae domini in afflictum subjungit quod ille liberatus et culpam suam coram caeteris hominibus agnoscet et dei miserecordiam in se confitebitur ut alios aedificet c. Merc he shall preach Gods grace to sinfull man and propose himselfe an example of it magnifying the grace of God to him and acknowledging his owne vileness They who insist upon this exposition render the 28th verse as the continued speech of the sick man making it out to this effect I have sinned and perverted that which â—as right yet he hath delivered or will deliver my soule from going into the pit and my life shall see the light It must be granted that to look upon or behold man is in Scripture a descriptive periphrasis or circumlocution expressing a man recovered from some dangerous deadly sickness And therefore when Hezekiah thought his sickness was to death and his case desperate He thus bemoaned himselfe Isa 38.11 I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world But saith Elihu the sick man being perfectly recovered talkes with and looks upon men And the first discourse he issueth is a confession of repentance for his iniquity I have sinned I have perverted that which was right and it profiteth not And his next is a confession of praise for his recovery He hath delivered or I am assured he will deliver my soule from going downe to the pit and my life shall see the light This is a profitable exposition and much insisted upon by some very learned interpreters and therefore I shall make a little improvement of it by this briefe observation It is our duty being recovered from sickness to confess and make knowne the goodness of God and our sinfulness to those that are about us There is a three-fold confession First of faith that we believe what God hath revealed and promised to doe for us Secondly of prayse that we thankfully acknowledge what God hath done for us according to his promise Thirdly of repentance that we are heartily sorrowfull for and bewayle what we have done against the command of God We should be ashamed to sin before men but let us not be ashamed to confesse our sinfullness and in some cases our speciall sins before men Though we neither impose nor extort particular confessions from men as the Papists doe yet it is good for men who have been under the afflicting hand of God and have had great experience of his mercy in raising them up to declare what God hath done both for soule and body that others may be bettered by their experiences But I shall not stay upon this because our translation which is cleare and safe runs another way making the antecedent to this he to be God He that is God looketh upon men and saith If any say I have sinned and have perverted that which is right and it profited me not Then as it followeth He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light The sence of the context in Generall is plaine God looketh upon men and if he seeth them penitent he will have mercy upon them and deliver them or give them that which is better then bodily deliverance More distinctly He looketh upon men It is the work of God at all times to look upon men and he looketh so upon all men as if he had but one man to look upon His look upon men is not a bare look but a considering and an observing look He so looks upon men that he looks through them He looks upon them and takes notice what they are how it is with them what they are doing and at what they are driving He looks upon them to consider both the frame of their hearts and the course of their lives yea his looking is an expecting he so looketh upon man as looking for somewhat from man or as desiring to see somewhat in him Though God hath no need of us nor of any thing we can doe yet he looketh waiteth or hath an expectation of somewhat to be done by us He looketh upon sick men to see how they take it with what patience they beare affliction what the workings of their hearts are what their repentings what the actings of their faith such things as these the Lord looketh for from most men mostly from men under the rod under sad sorrowfull dispensations And the words following shew what it is expressely which the Lord looketh for Yet before I open them note in generall God loves to see occasion of doing good to man What we love to doe we love the opportunities of doing it The Lord is good and he loveth to doe good and therefore he is expressed as one troubled when he wants as one pleased when he hath the occasions of doing it We may take up that sence eminently from that most patheticall wish Psal 81.13 14 15 16.
O that my people had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my wayes I should soone have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves but their time should have endured for ever I should have fed them also with the finest of the wheate c. As if the Lord had sayd How glad should I have been if my people had been but fitly qualified to give me occasion of removing all evill from them and of doing them all manner of good The holy Prophet speakes the heart of God in the same readiness Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you As if he had sayd The Lord expects your reformation that he may not proceed in rigour against you or as some conceive rather he only delayeth his putting an end to your troubles till ye are humbled expecting a seasonable time to shew you that mercy in bestowing of which he will exalt and advance his owne name and honour when once he seeth you fitted and duely prepared to receive it The Lord saith David Psal 14.2 looked downe from heaven upon all the children of men to see if there were any did understand and seek God There he is represented looking downe from heaven to see if any did understand as here he looketh upon men to see if any doe repent saying I have sinned c. The Lord often yea alwayes looketh downe upon Nations Cities and people to see if any have a right understanding of him or a will with upright affections to him The Lord at this day is looking upon the sick and looking upon the sound to see if there are any who are going on faithfully in a right way or repenting that they have gone wrong He looketh upon men And if any say I have sinned c. In this latter part of the verse we have the matter expressed which the Lord looketh upon men for 't is repentance and godly sorrow for sin If any say I have sinned That is if any repent When the Lord saith If any say I have sinned he doth not meane it of a bare saying so but if any say so laying his sin to heart if any say so from a true sence of the evill of sin if any say so burden'd with sin and tasting the bitterness of it if any shall say I have sinned and say it thus then c. The word which we translate sinned notes a mistake of our ayme or way As if it had been sayd If any man say I have gone besides the line and done besides the rule Sin is in all men a missing of the mark and a stepping out of the right path it is also in very many as 't is expressed in the next clause a perverting of that which is right If any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curvus obliquus contortus perversus Latini dicunt curvos mores The word implyeth more then ordinary sinning more then sins of infirmity which arise from ignorance and mistake even those which are committed with a resolvedness of spirit and purpose of heart or they imply not those sins which a man falls into unadvisedly and unawares but those which he commits upon deliberation and in the eye of the Law that shewing him plainly what is right and that he ought not to pervert it So then in strictness of sence to pervert that which is right is to be willingly yea wilfully unrighteous The Church making a graduall confession of her sin by three steps puts this word in the midst Psal 106.6 We have sinned with our fathers we have committed iniquity 't is this word or done that which is crooked and perverse we have done wickedly Cain the first man born sinned thus Gen 4.13 My punishment is greater then I can beare so we render or as we put in the margin mine iniquity is greater then can be forgiven Cains sin was a perversness he knew he perverted that which was right in slaying his brother So that here we have the confession of sin with the aggravation of it a notorious sin The penitent person doth not only say I have sinned but I have sinned greatly or I have perverted that which was right To sin and to pervert that which is right are materially the same only the latter intimates the manner how a sin is committed namely when we would not be ruled by the Law but accommodate the Law as if it were a leaden or lesbian rule to serve our lusts so perverting that which was right that we might countenance and embolden our selves in doing wrong If any aske What is right Surely right is First The Law Secondly that which is done according to Law The statutes of God are right rejoycing the heart Psal 19.8 The word of God is right and the rule of right yea it is a ruling right To pervert that which is right or to pervert the law of righteousness is to act against the light and convictions of conscience which will be our Judge One of the latine interpreters useth a harsh and course word to presse this by yet full and proper to the scope Peccavi et rectum torrificavi Cajet Praevaricatus sum à probitate Tygur I have tâ—rtified or writhed and bended that which was right Another renders it I have prevaricated from that which was right Our word gives the sence fully enough I have sinned and perverted that which was right Hence note First Sin must be confessed The Lord looks for it He looketh upon men to see whether any will say I have sinned He will have their sin out of their own mouths When Nathan brought the parable home to David and sayd Thou art the man he presently fell into confession I have sinned 2 Sam 12.13 But some may say Is this confession of sin sufficient to say I have sinned I answer First a generall confession of sin or that we have sinned is not sufficient unlesse we are also willing and ready to confesse before the Lord all our particular sins Some are ready enough to say they have sinned who yet will scarse be brought to acknowledge any particular sin yea many say Peccatores se esse plerique confitentur etiam qui se vel peccasse non credunt Greg l. 24. Moral c 12. they are great sinners who know not how or in what they have sinned not what it is to sin Therefore barely to say I have sinned is not a Gospel confession of sin I answer Secondly Though a generall confession is only expressed in this and many other Scriptures yet a speciall confession is intended The prodigal Son Luke 15.19 sayd I will returne to my father and I will say to my father I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son He did not
againe Gen 12.11 It came to passe when he was come neere to enter into Egypt that he said unto Sarah his wife Behold now I know that thou art a faire woman to look upon Read Psal 132.6 Ezek 30.9 Luke 1.32 In the present text it may have all these intendments for is it not a wonderfull thing that God should be gracious to poore creatures is it not strange that he should take so much paines with and exercise so much patience towards them Secondly Lo God worketh all these things He is ready to doe them he waiteth to be gracious or to magnifie his grace in doing them Thirdly Lo God worketh all these things is not this a matter of great consideration ought we not to sit downe and weigh it well Fourthly Lo all these things worketh God certainly God hath and will work all these things this is a truth out of all question a truth of which there is no doubt to be made As the Apostle saith 1 Tim 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh So I may say without controversie great is this mystery of Gods manifesting himselfe to frayle flesh and doing all these things here spoken of awakening the consciences of men by dreames and working upon them by grievous sicknesses sending an interpreter one of a thousand to declare unto man his uprightness and at last delivering his soule from going downe into the pit Lo all these things worketh God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operatus est egit perfecit usurpatur etiam pro gubernatione rerum creatarum There is somewhat peculiar in that expression he worketh The native sence of the word implyeth First a willing worke not forced or constrained Secondly a full and compleat worke not an essay or offer not a worke begun only but carried on to perfection The wicked are called workers of iniquity Psal 5.5 because they are free and ready to sin they have a strong tyde and bent of spirit to doe evill and they doe it not to halves but throughly they doe not only begin or nibble at the baite a little as a good man often doth but greedily swallow it downe hooke and all they are fully in it and doe it fully they make a worke of it and so are workers of iniquity The Lord doth good as the wicked doe evill All these things worketh God He worketh them willingly he worketh them compleatly Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us Thou art the Author and finisher of them We are invited Psal 46.8 to come and behold the workes of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth The building workes and the desolating workes of God whether respecting persons or nations are perfect workes Lo all these things worketh God Hence note What ever good we see wrought among or for the children of men God is the worker of it As he over-ruleth the evill which is done and both sendeth and ordereth the evill which is suffered so he is the worker of all the good that is done God worketh it all either immediately by himselfe or mediately by second causes and what instrument soever is set a worke yet the worke as to the matter and manner of it as also to the result and issue of it is the Lords He was the worker of all that hath been spoken of in the former context though we reade of a messenger of an interpreter yet the work was Gods 'T is sayd Gen 39.22 The keeper of the prison committed to Josephs hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there he was the doer of it Not that he did every thing with his own hand in the prison but he gave the rule and ordered all that was done Much more may I say of the Lord whatsoever is done in the world especially among his people God is the doer of it All goes through his hand Lo all these things worketh God Further From the prefix Lo. Observe The workes and dealings of God with men are wonderfull those especially which he worketh for the humbling of a sinner and for the delivering of a soule from going downe to the pit The breaking of the heart the raysing of it by faith the renewing of its peace and comfort are wonderfull works of God And the reason why we wonder no more at them is because we consider so little of them Hence againe from the word Lo. Note The workes of God are to be deeply considered to be stayed upon We must not passe them by lightly whether they be towards our selves or others God hath made his wonderfull workes to be remembred saith David Psal 111.4 or to be considered that 's the designe of God in his works he hath made them for that end that they should be remembred and attended to or they are such as cannot but be remembred they leave their markes and memorialls behind them God sets such a stamp of his power wisdome justice and goodness upon his workes that they will not be forgotten And as his outward providential workes are such so his spirituall workes are much more such The godly-wise understand them so they have a criticall eye in discerning those invisible workes of God with a poore soule in reducing him from sin and bringing him to himselfe David calleth all the godly to the consideration of those workes in his owne case Psal 66.16 Come and heare all ye that feare God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule What God doth for our bodyes is very considerable but what he hath done for our soules can never be enough considered nor admired Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The originall is twice thrice so we put in the margin and render it often-times in the text Some expound it of those three distinct wayes in which God dealeth with man before described The Septuagint are expresse for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schol. All these things worketh the strong God three wayes with man Which the Scholiast exemplifies in the three wayes here noted by Elihu First awakning him by dreames and visions Secondly troubling him by sicknesses and afflictions Thirdly teaching him by Prophets and Interpreters Yet I conceive the text doth not strictly recapitulate those three severall wayes before spoken of in these words twice thrice but only shewes us that God useth all these wayes or any other as his wisdome shall thinke fit many times or oftentimes for the producing of those blessed effects Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man Twice thrice is a double certain number put for any single uncertain number And it only teacheth or assureth us that God debateth with the sons of men in all or any of these wayes oftentimes or more then once If they doe not answer his call or purpose which they
soule or body he gives him a new life he brings him in one respect back from the grave and in another from hell As a sick man he is brought from the grave and as a sinner he is brought from hell Great deliverances are a kind of new creation And fresh blessings are to us as fresh beings Take these two inferences from it First How should they who have been under great outward afflictions praise the Lord when they are delivered They who having had the sentence of death in themselves should look upon themselves when restored as men raised from the dead And how should sinners praise the Lord when he hath reconciled them to himselfe and pardoned their sins In doing this for them he delivereth them from wrath from hell and from eternall death Let such praise the name of the Lord and say as in the text He hath delivered our soules from the pit Secondly Let such live unto God having received a new life from God They that have received a new temporall life from God ought to dedicate it unto God how much more they that have received new spirituall life They that have received it indeed cannot but dedicate it unto God This negative mercy calls aloud for all that we are or have to be given up to God but that positive mercy which followeth calleth yet lowder for it And to be enlightned with the light of the living Nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sumitur pro quibuslibet hominibus hac vita fruentibus sed pro diviâ—ibus potentibuâ— vivere est vigere valere Sunt qui ad futuram vitaÌ„ referunt sed id sâ—nam quidem Allegoricè intelligi postquam ad literam de hac vita intellecteru Merc Take it for temporall spirituall or eternall life all these ends are accomplished in those mercifull workes of God to poore sinners some restraine the text to the light of this temporall life others enlarge it to the light of spirituall and eternall life We are enlightned with the light of the living When the comforts of this life are restored much more are they who are restored to the comforts of their spirituall life and so to the hope of eternall life By the living we are not to understand those who are barely on this side the grave and yet breath in the ayre or who have only a weake shadowed spirituall life which they scarce know of or perceive The living here are they that live comfortably and prosperously both as to soule and body Thus 't is sayd in that Prophecy of Christ Psal 72.13 He shall live and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba prayer also shall be made for him continually and dayly shall he be praised Christ lives to purpose he lives as a Prince in power and dignity yea he is the Prince of life It was more then a sensitive or rationall life which Davids faith was assured of when he sayd Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live his meaning was I shall live honourably and triumphantly declaring with joy the workes of the Lord. Thus here To be enlightned with the light of the living is to enjoy a comfortable life or to live happily Hence note A troubled state is a dark state sickness and sorrow whether inward or outward are darkness They are darkned with the darkness of the dead whose life is wrapped up in anguish and sorrow Secondly Note The designe and purpose of God in all his ordinances and providences towards his people is for their good All that hath been sayd before emptieth it selfe into these sayings To keep back his soule from the pit and to be enlightned with the light of the living The Lord hath no eye in these workes to his owne gaine but mans good The Lord doth not willingly grieve nor afflict the children of men Lam 3.35 He taketh no pleasure in it abstractly considered nor doth he look for any profit by it Much lesse doth he it as it follows v. 36. meerely to crush under his feete all the prisoners of the earth All that he expects by it as to himselfe is to be glorified by all for himselfe is above all and therefore designeth himselfe in all yet the glory which God hath by man is only the manifestation of his glory not any addition to it The benefit which God aymes at in afflicting man returnes to man He would have man bettered by affliction and as soone as man is bettered by affliction every thing shall goe better with him and he shall be delivered from affliction Rom 8.28 All things worke together for the good of them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose And as all things worke together for the good of them who are the called according to his purpose so it is the purpose of God that all things should worke together for their good and that is not a successless purpose Indeed every rod upon the backs of the wicked hath a voyce in it to call them from the pit of death and destruction and to be enlightned with the light of the living but God makes this call effectuall to all his elect none of whom shall perish with the world So that a godly man should be so farre from judging himselfe dealt with as an enemy as Job in his extremity did when he is most sorely afflicted that indeed he may see the love and fatherly care of God in it All the providentiall dispensations of God worke to glorious ends Sometimes for the outward good of his people in this life alwayes for good as to their spirituall and eternall life Therefore lay aside hard thoughts of God whatsoever hard things he is a doing or you are suffering The wayes in which God leads us may possibly be very darke yet they run to this poynt to keep us from the pit of darkness and that we may be enlightned with the light of the living Thirdly Note Man would undoe himselfe both for here and for ever if God did not worke wonderfully for him and powerfully keep him from destruction All these things God worketh twice and thrice to keep our soules from the pit man left to himselfe would run head-long upon mischiefe in this world upon eternall misery in the world to come Nothing but the hand of God can hold man from ruining himselfe The heart of man is so set upon sin that he will rather loose his soule then leave his lust and will rather dye then that shall 'T is as easie to stay the motion of the Sun or to turne back the course of nature as to stay or turne back the naturall motion or course of the heart in sinning An almighty power must doe the latter as well as the former So that if the Lord did not put forth more then mercy even mercy clothed with power no man could be saved should God wish us never so well and tell us what good he hath layd up for us if we
at the second verse of the former Chapter First and chiefly 't is applyed or attributed to God himselfe Rom 8.33 It is God that justifieth God puts man into a state of justification he justifieth his person so fully that none can of right lay any thing to his charge much lesse condemne him upon any charge layd against him Secondly Man justifieth God Luke 7.29 30. And all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John God himselfe who is the Judge of all men is condemned by many men and when things are at worst he alwayes hath some to justifie him Man justifieth God when he honoureth God taking his part and owning both his power and his righteousnesse in whatsoever he doth It is impossible God should be unjust and God is pleased to say we justifie him when we maintaine his wayes as just and righteous Thirdly Man justifieth himselfe when he is either lifted up proudly in the thoughts of what he is or hath done well Luke 18.11 or when he upon good grounds can maintaine that to be well done which he hath done Fourthly Man justifieth man when he either consents to or approves of what he hath done or spoken whether it be good or bad he that approves of a man justifies him though the man be unjust Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination unto the Lord. Let a man be never so wicked and doe never so wickedly some through ignorance of his wickednesse and others through love to and liking of his wickednesse being such themselves will approve of him and give him their good word But as Christ speaks Math. 11.19 Wisdome is justified of her children that is the true lovers and followers of wisdome having a right knowledge and estimation of her worth will stand by her and speake for her when slighted by the blind and unknowing world And as this is true of declarative wisdome so especially of Christ who is essentiall wisdome His children highly prize and justifie him while the world condemns and contemns him In this fourth sence Elihu is to be understood here I desire to justifie thee that is to give testimony unto thee or subscribe thy certificate that thou art worthy of commendation Though Elihu was a man of a very warme and keene spirit full of fire and mettle yet he discovered a very honest bent and a well governed intention towards Job in saying I desire to justifie thee for 't is as if he had said It would not please me at all to see cause of further censure but it would please me fully to see cause of approving and acquitting thee Therefore doe but state thy case and make out the merits of it and I shall yield so soon as I see cause So then Elihu did not carry himself in this business first as a party or as one that had taken a side and was resolved to hold it as some doe right or wrong because he had appeared in it Nor Secondly was he hurryed by passion or intemperance of spirit Nor Thirdly was he hood-winkt by prejudice or fore-stalled by his opinion against the person Nor Fourthly was he engaged by love to contention or hopes of victory Nor Fifthly was he purposed to suppresse smother or keepe downe the truth Nor Sixthly had he any desire to asperse Job and make him appear black Nor Seventhly had he a mind to grieve the man or burthen him with accusations but declared a cleare candor and much melting compassion towards his afflicted Antagonist hungring and thirsting yea even longing for a just occasion to justifie him Verbum justificare sumitur pro justitiam exercere justè ac recte procedere q. d. statui apud me juxta aequitatis leges tecum agere Bold Some I grant expound this word justifie as used here by Elihu in a very bare and barren sence as if it implyed only thus much I will doe thee right or I have no mind to doe thee wrong but surely the word is much more fruitfull and beares the signification of a great willingness in Elihu to render Job as faire as possibly he could or as his cause would beare to all the world he waited to understand so much of him and by him as might enable him to say he had neither spoken nor done any thing amisse Hence note First A good man is glad to see any mans cause or case prove good or better then he thought it The Apostle giving severall Characters of Gospell love or charity saith 1 Cor. 13.6 It rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth As charity rejoyceth not in the doing of iniquity so neither doth it when others are found to have done iniquity But it rejoyceth much when any who are either suspected or charged with iniquity are upon due tryall found cleare and acquitted Paul wished that all who heard him had been not only almost but altogether such as he except his bonds Acts 26.29 It is a great argument that a man is good and just when he heartily wisheth that he who hath given occasion to others to think ill of him may at last appeare better then they thought him Secondly note A good man seekes not victory but truth and the good of those he deals with When he contends earnestly with others he desires as earnestly that truth may gaine by that contention Where a spirit of strife uncharitableness possesseth the minds of many men they love to be vexing trampling upon those they deale with rather then helping and enforming them This evill spirit is the familiar of this age That which the Apostle spake Phil. 1.15 of not a few who had the name of Gospel Ministers some preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerely the same may be said of many disputers and polemicall writers they doe it enviously they doe it out of love to strife and contention not out of love either to truth or to those with whom they contend and strive this is a bad spirit a spirit far unlike that which ruled in Elihu who wished that the sharpest reprehensions he gave Job might end in his justification There should be such a spirit in man contending with man as there is in God contending with man who doth not thunder against sinners because he would have them perish or delighteth in their destruction but doth it first to awaken them secondly to humble them thirdly to convert them fourthly to justifie them and lastly to save them for ever I write not these things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.14 to shame you but as my beloved sons I warne you As if he had said I intend not to asperse you or throw dirt upon you but only advise you to wipe off the dirt that is cast upon you or to keep your selves out of the dirt I would either be
we chuse it as wel as doe it that is unlesse our hearts close with it and pitch upon it Solomon Prov 1.29 chargeth the simple for not chusing what was good they did not chuse the feare of the Lord. By the feare of the Lord he meanes the true worship of the Lord or any worke of obedience by which we testifie a holy feare of him possibly they might doe the feare of the Lord possibly they worshipped the Lord they prayed to him and heard his word but they did not chuse the feare of the Lord they did not sit downe and judge that best or most necessary but tooke it up by accident or by custome or for company because they saw others doe it It will not turne to our account to be found doing good unlesse we chuse to our selves that which is good Our elections are more eyed by God then our actions and the setting of our hearts then the work of our hands Thirdly From the latter branch Let us know among our selves what is good Note First There 's nothing worth our knowing but that which is good Whatsoever hath a morall or a spirituall good in it is worthy to be knowne the truths the workes the wayes of God are the most desireable good things to be studied and knowne Psal 4.6 There are many will say who will shew us any good What 's their good Corne wine oyle gold silver houses lands c. these are their good and these are all their good but though a godly man knoweth that these are good things and blesseth God for any portion in them yet that which he call's his good and the good is of a higher nature We commonly call worldly things our goods but we mis-call them if we call them our good The Favour of God is our good grace is our good faith and love and hope and righteousnesse are good above all God himselfe is good and to know and enjoy him in Christ through the Spirit is our chiefest good here and will be all our good hereafter Let us know what is good From the Comparative sense of the words Let us know what is good that is if there be a better to be had let us know that Observe It is not enough for us to have the knowledge of good things but among good things the best are to be sought out to be knowne and attained to This was a speciall branch of the Apostles prayer for the Philippians Phil 1.10 That ye may approve the things that are excellent or the things that differ in excellency Some are contented to sit downe in the lowest forme of Christs Schoole if they have but any thing which they may call good or true right and sincere they looke no further any thing satisfieth them which will serve turne to keep them from perishing they have no holy aspirings nor godly covetous desires after the best things and the best of the best God is willing and hath promised to give us not only good things but the best things Psal 81.16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee 't is a mercy to have wheat but the finest of the wheat and honey out of the rock not ordinary honey but the best honey the purest honey are greater mercies We by our sins deserve that God should as the Prophet speakes Isa 30.20 give us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction that is either that he should give us adversity in stead of bread and affliction in stead of water or that he should feed us with the coursest bread with huskes and bran and give us bitter waters the waters of Marah to drinke yet he in mercy gives us pleasant bread and wel-tasted water yea were we better he would give us the best bread the finest of the wheat and our cup should be sweeter to us then the sweetest honey The reason why we have not of the best is because we are no better Yea God now gives us not only good things but the best of good things even himselfe his Son and Spirit who are best of all O how excellent is this loving kindness therefore let us not only look after good things but the best of good things to honour God and lift up his name to the highest in this world Let us labour to know and doe the best things and give God our best services and purest praises even the male of our flocke the first-borne the strength of our whole soules To these highest attainments Elihu perswades those wise and knowing men promising to joyne with them in that search Come let us beat out the business with diligence that we may at last chuse Judgement and know among our selves what is good what is best JOB Chap. 34. Vers 5 6 7 8 9. For Job hath said I am righteous and God hath taken away my Judgement Should I lie against my right my wound is incurable without transgression What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men For he hath said It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himselfe with God THe Preface hath been dispatcht the context of these five verses containes the whole charge or bill of complaint drawne up by Elihu against Job consisting of many particulars This charge is double The first part whereof is contained in the 5th and 6th verses the second in the 7th 8th and 9th verses In the first charge he alledgeth foure things against Job two in the 5th verse and two in the 6th The two things alledged against him in the 5th verse are First That Job insisted too much upon his owne righteousness Job hath said I am righteous Secondly That he reflected too boldly upon the righteousness of God yea that upon the matter he had accused God of unrighteousness or injustice God hath taken away my Judgement Vers 5. For Job hath said I am righteous That 's the first charge Job hath said Elihu gathers up and collects those passages of Jobs complaint which he found most faulty and layeth them as we say in his dish Job hath said we may well remember and he cannot deny it for he hath said it not once only but often not lightly but seriously and assertingly I am just or righteous that is I have sufficiently shewed my innocency and the equity of my cause but I am not permitted to declare and hold it forth in such a way as I would before my Judge yea the Lord proceedeth with me not in the ordinary way of Justice but being above law afflicts me at his pleasure though I am innocent This is the summe of what Job said as often as he hath sayd I am righteous The first particle which we render for imports Vocabulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia certitudinem et firmam asseverationem hic importat q.d. profecto equidem
gall and the fruit of righteousness into Hemlock Right done is sweete and wholesome but right denied is bitter as Gall and banefull like Hemlock Secondly When Judgement is defer'd stopped or delayed then 't is taken away for a time To have judgement long delayed is alwayes next degree to the deniall of it and sometimes delay is more cruciating and grievous then a deniall Thirdly A mans judgement is sayd to be taken away when the ground or cause of Gods proceeding with him in judgement is hid or unmanifest Judgement as to us is not when the reason of it doth not appeare to us or when we see not the reason of it To feel Judgement and not to see the cause of it turnes it into a torment we say commonly Things that appeare not are as if they were not When the reason or ground of our sufferings is not understood 't is as if we suffered without any ground of reason When Job complained God hath taken away my Judgement we are not to understand him as if Elihu intended it in the first or grossest sence that God had subverted his judgement or had done him wrong Elihu could not suspect he had any such blasphemous opinion of God for that had fullfilled the Devills prophecy of him He will curse thee to thy face But when he sayd God hath taken away my Judgement he meant it according to the two latter interpretations either that God deferred long to restore him and answer his prayer or that God had hid from him the reason of his dealing with him so that he could not make it out how or why he was so sorely and grievously handled Job knew well his owne innocency but he did not well consider Gods soveraignty which alone answers enough for him how much soever he in this world afflicts the innocent And therefore for as much as God held him long in that sad condition and in the meane time hid his judgement or the reason of it from him this was Jobs grievance and the burden of it pressed him to cry out God hath taken away my Judgement In this he was too bold with God and therefore he justly fell under this censure of Elihu As if he had sayd It doth not at all become thee O Job as a creature as a man much lesse as a new creature or as a godly man to cry out as thou hast done that God hath taken away thy Judgement because he doth not give thee an account nor tell thee why he judgeth thee therefore humble thy selfe that ever thou hast sayd and take heed thou say it no more God hath taken away my Judgement Hence note First God sometimes lets the goodness of his most precious servants lâ—e in the dark He goeth unusuall wayes with many of his choycest servants he doth not alwayes declare their right nor deale with them according to the ordinary rule in giving good to them that are good as not alwayes evill to them that are evill the Lord is at his liberty in these present distributions he is supream and hath power over all flesh and so keepes their judgement in the clouds or a secret to himselfe Secondly Note The Lord sometimes is pleased to defer and delay to doe his servants right And thus he takes away their Judgement Though he hath a purpose to give it them yet he doth not presently give it them at last he will make even with all men each man shall have his judgement he will reward every one according to his worke and the righteous shall without doubt have a good reward Thirdly Note When God doth either hide or defer the Judgement of a godly man it doth very much affect yea and afflict his heart We are usually much afflicted with any dark dispensation upon many accounts especially upon this because it makes us obnoxious to every mans censure When God takes away our judgement we fall under the hard judgements of men And to lie under the ill opinions of men unvindicated or unrighted is no easie burden We have that promise Psal 37.6 He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noone-day The righteousness and judgement of a good man may be in a mid-night darkness as to man and till that be brought to the light of other mens knowledge himselfe hath sometimes little light of comfort Fourthly Note It is sinfull to complaine and to be troubled as if God had not done us right because we see it not done or because he deferrs to doe it In this Job was most faulty he uttered many passionate speeches about what God had done because things were not brought to an issue nor his condition stated and cleared up either to the world or to himselfe This troubled him more then the extremity of his paine or the greatest of his troubles How stiffely Job stood upon it that his Judgement was taken away will appeare yet further in the next words which Elihu makes further matter of accusation Vers 6. Should I lie against my right my wound is incurable without transgression In this verse we have two other parts of the Inditement brought against Job neere of the same nature with the former wherein he yet more vehemently urgeth his owne integrity and cryeth out both of the greatness and causelessness on his part of his present sufferings More distinctly Elihu in this verse chargeth him First That he did over-eagerly maintaine his owne cause Should I lie against my right Secondly That he spake of God as dealing over-harshly with him My wound is incurable without transgression These things saith Elihu thou hast also sayd Should I lie against my right We read the words as a Question others read them as a direct proposition There is a lie in Judging me or In judicando enim me mendacium est Vulg There is a lie against my right The word which we here translate right is the same which we translate Judgement in the former verse And when he saith There is a lie against my right It is as if he had plainly sayd I am falsely charged I am wrongfully accused I am not such a man as I am supposed nor have I done those things whereof I am suspected Every false accusation brought against a man is a lie against his right Secondly Others read it thus Super judiâ—ium meum faciam mentiri i. e. falsi arguam hominem qui volet mâ—cum contendere Cajet Item Chald I shall make liers against my right that is whosoever stands up to prove any thing against me as you have done saying I am wicked unrighteous or hypocriticall I shall be able to prove him a lier But neither the Grammaticall signification of the words will fairely beare this sence nor doth it well correspond with the former verse In judicio meo mentior Pisc Probarem si mentiri hoc sensu de persona dici inveniretur nam de re usurpari certum est Drus Thirdly Thus I lie
infinitely righteous in his being or nature therefore he cannot but doe that which is righteous to doe an unrighteous act were to offer violence to himselfe to destroy himselfe Againe God doth not worke by a rule without him as men doe and therefore men often goe beside the rule and doe amisse or act unrighteously because the rule is one thing and they are another the rule is without them but God himselfe is the very rule of all things and hence it followeth undeniably that every thing is righteous and just which he doth even because he doth it 't is enough to prove that right which is done if we can prove God hath done it The proud Monarch Nebuchadnezzar was at last brought to this confession Dan 4.34 35. At the end of the dayes namely of his seven yeares banishment to the beasts I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high c. Who doth according to his will there is the rule with him in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say unto him what dost thou Which is true upon a double account First as to his soveraignty and dominion he is supreame Lord and none can give him a check or countermand Who may say unto him what dost thou Secondly with respect to his righteousnesse As he can doe what he will so he will doe nothing yea he can doe nothing but what is right or what he may Who can say unto him thou hast done amisse Who can see a fault in any of his workes If God hath done a thing there is no query to be put about it whether it be right or no for he is righteousnesse it selfe Abraham useth another argument to shew that God can doe no unrighteousnesse Gen 18.25 Shall not the Judge of all the earth doe right God saith he is the Judge of all men therefore he neither will nor can doe wrong to any man Abraham did not plead there as if he doubted that God might goe wrong unlesse he by his intercession did take him off but he brings an argument whereby he was assured that God would doe right yea could not but doe right He is the Judge of all the earth So Rom 3.6 assoone as the Apostle had sayd Is God unrighteous that takes vengeance I speak as a man he subjoynes God forbid how then shall God judge the world God is Judge of all the world and the universality of his power puts him above all possibility of error in the exercise of his power The very reason why God doth not cannot exercise his power beyond or besides the limits of justice is because his power is altogether unlimited Fourthly Elihu here speakes of God under the notion of a Judge Shall he doe wickedly shall he commit iniquity Hence note It is an abomination for Judges to doe unjustly Judges have justice as it were in their keeping they have the charge of justice is it not an abomination for the keepers or protectors of Justice to violate it Elihu having thus denied unrighteousnesse or any iniquity in God proceeds to the proofe of it To deny had been enough in this matter but he gives a demonstration as severall have been held out already in prosecuting the former observation so the following text holds out another Vers 11. For the worke of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to find according to his waye As if he had said God doth every man right therefore he is righteous and there is no iniquity in him Elihu having denyed any unrighteousness to be in God here sheweth how he exerciseth righteousnesse The worke of a man shall he render to him The work of a man is here put for the reward issue or fruit of his work God doth not render every mans work to him in kind that is the thing it selfe which he hath done but the work in its result and reward That which God returneth to a man according to his work may be called a reward in a fourfold respect First because it hath in it the benefit of a reward to the worker Secondly because it is given in answer to the work done Thirdly because God hath given his people leave yea a command to beleeve and waite for good fruit to themselves when they doe good works Fourthly because it is proportion'd to the work or duty performed For as good is returned for good so great good is returned for great good done Though the greatest good that ever was or can be done by a meere creature doth not deserve by any intrinsick worth the least good at the hand of God Thus saith the Spirit Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from hence forth they rest from their labours and their works follow them not the workes which they did but that which is by promise due to them for those workes The Prophet assureth us Isa 32.17 The work of righteousness is peace we cannot understand it as a direct predication but peace is the fruit or issue of the worke of righteousness or as the latter part of the verse clearly expounds it The effect of righteousnesse shall be quietness and assurance for ever Which as it is most true of the righteousness of Christ who is our peace Ephes 2.14 and our Peacemaker through the blood of his cross Col. 1.20 So it is true of mans righteousness the work whereof is by promise crowned with the blessings of peace both spirituall and corporall temporall and eternall The work of a man Shall he render unto him The word signisies a full retribution it signifies also in the Noune peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddero ad pacem pertinet quae loquutio significat perfectam debiti alicujus perso lutionem Bold because when accounts are fully returned or rendred all is setled and quiet when a man upon account is discharged he hath a quietus est that is an acquittance wherein he may be quiet none can legally molest or trouble him That which God will returne to all men they must and shall rest in though that which he will render to man for his evill works unrepented of will give him no rest The work of a man shall he render unto him The word is very generall he doth not say this that or ' tother worke but the work which is as much as an universall every work of a man his good works and his bad works his open works and his secret works his great and lesser works there is not the least graine of a mans works that shall be unanswered or un-returned to him and when the Text saith the work of a man c. we are not to take works in an exclusive sence either first as to words as if God would render to man his works but not his words mans words will come to an account as well as his works they must
be answered for whether good or bad Math. 12.36 37. For every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned that is it shall be rendered to thee according to thy words or as thy words have been so it shall be with thee Nor secondly are we to take the works of a man exclusively or in opposition to his thoughts as if God would render to man what he hath acted outwardly but not what he hath acted inwardly or would passe by his thoughts We must give an account of our thoughts which are the spring of our works as well as of our words which are the publishers and proclaimers of them God shall bring every work saith Solomon Eccl. 12.14 to judgment and every secret thing the most secret whispers of the tongue and the most secret plottings contrivings devisings designings yea the simple and single thinkings of the heart These are not only the moulds and principles of every work but every one of these is a work and all of them the whole work of the inner man whose work or what is wrought there is chiefly as well as only under the inspection and eye of God Againe The work of a man shall he render unto him c. He doth not say the works of another man shall he render to any man but the work of a man shall he render to him he that doth the work shall have the reward the works of one man shall not be rendered to another but every mans own works shall As the faith of another man shall not help us if we have no faith Abrahams faith who had a mighty faith will doe us no good if we have no faith of our own so the good works of another man shall doe us no good if we have none of our own And as not the good works so the evill works of others shall not be rendered to us The hurtfull works of others shall not hurt us if we doe no hurt I grant we may partake of the evill works of others yea we may make other mens works our own either by consenting to them before they are done or by approving them after they are done or by not reproving them when we have opportunity In these and many other cases we may make other mens evill works our own and so farre as other mens works are our own God shall render them also unto us Hence that caution given by the Apostle to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddainly on no man neither be partaker of other mens sins keep thy self pure They that partake in any of those wayes mentioned before or in any other way of any mans sins may also quickly partake of his punishment Thus John heard a voyce from Heaven Rev. 18.4 saying come out of her that is out of Babylon my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Not only is that work ours which we doe but that also may be ours by participation which others do And by what title soever a work becomes any mans the worke of the man shall God render unto him And he will cause every man to find according to his wayes This latter part of the verse containes the same thing with the former in another cloathing of words In semita virt inveniet eum Some read the Text thus and he will find every man in his way let man goe in what way he will God will meet with him That 's a truth God will meet or find a man in a good way to incourage guide assist and reward him And God will meet or find a man in an evill way to stop oppose and punish him God will find every man in his way and man shall find God to him according as the way is wherein he findeth him We render very well and fully to the sence he will cause every man to find according to his way I find an Interpreter over-curiously distinguishing between a mans work and his way which doubtlesse here in effect Cajetanus are the same yet there may be a graduall difference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 via actiones significat quatenus ad finem diriguntur Quemadmodum via initur metae et termini causa Emphaticè via dicuntur actiones ad certum finem directa Coc work being taken for this or that particular act and way for a continued course either good or evill Againe The way of a man may be considered in association with his ends Every man goeth such or such a way for some speciall end no man takes a step in any way without a purpose nor doth any wise or good man take a step in any way without a good purpose Yet there is finis operis an end or issue of the work as also finis operantis an end proposed by the worker And oftentimes that proves to be the end of a work which was not the end purposed by the worker The end of a mans work or way proves sometimes better and sometimes worser then he proposed Possibly a man may not find according to that end of his way and work which he intended not whether good or evill But assuredly whatsoever good or evill end a man proposeth to himself when he enters upon his work or way God will cause him to find accordingly So that when Elihu saith God will cause every man to find according to his way he intimates that God will not only render to man according to the matter of his work or outward path of his way but well considereth every mans scope and intendment or what he would have his work issue in and causeth him to find as he findeth that to be As the end which man proposeth to himselfe hath a great influence upon his way so upon his account with God about it This is a good sence God will cause every man to find according to his way both as his way is taken for the matter or course of his actions as also sor the scope and design of them Hence Observe First Every man shall have according to what he hath done Our receivings will be according to our layings out whether good or evill God is so farre from doing any man wrong that every man shall have his due reward Psal 62.12 Also to thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his work And lest any should hope to escape the evill which at least some of their evill works deserve by the secrecy of them that hope is quite dashed because God is the searcher and seer not only of our works but of our hearts Prov. 24.12 Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth the soul doth not he know it what followes and shall not he render to every man according to his works Solomon speaks in that place
of such as make excuses to shift themselves off from acts of charity they will say we know not whether it be so with him or no possibly he may not be in such want as he pretendeth Take heed of these cloaks of covetousnesse and pitifull pleas to save your purses from shewing pity to the poor for saith Solomon Will not God search it out and render to every man according to his worke The holy Scripture abounds in this poynt Read Jer. 32.19 Ezek. 33.10 Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 1 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 22.12 But some may say how doth God render to every man his work Is it not said He justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.5 Are the works of an ungodly man rendred to him when he is justified I answer it is one thing what God will do through free grace and another what he will deale out in strictnesse of Justice The Apostle speaks in that place of the free grace of God to sinners not of his Justice against sinners Secondly though God justifieth the ungodly yet he never justifieth ungodlinesse or though he justifieth a man who hath done many evill works yea all whose works are evill yet he never justifieth nor rewardeth the work of an evill man Thirdly God acts according to justice and righteousness where he justifieth the ungodly he doth not shew favour to the ungodly in his own wrong Acts of grace from God are not opposite to his Justice much lesse doe they contradict or overthrow it He doth not justifie an ungodly man in himselfe or meerly considered in his ungodlinesse but he justifieth him in the righteousness of another even of Jesus Christ who hath given full satisfaction to the Justice of God with respect to the ungodly whom he justifieth Lastly we may say that God renders the work of an ungodly man to him when he justifieth him for though then he hath not done nor ever can doe any works which deserve the justification of his person yet God doth render to him according to that present work of faith in closing with the promise and the work of Christs righteousnesse therein tendered to him and applyed by him for his justification Further that other Scripture seems to lye in the way of this observation Psal 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins or rewarded us according to our iniquities How then doth God render every man his work I answer as before Acts of mercy do not cross acts of justice When the Lord doth not deal with any man according to his sins it is because he hath freely pardoned his sins and he doth not reward a man according to his iniquity because his iniquities are done away thus he deals with all his own people who are received to favour through Jesus Christ but no wicked man no impenitent person in the world shall have cause to say that God hath not dealt with him according to his sin or hath not rewarded him according to his iniquity There may be some present stops of Justice through the patience of God to wicked men their works are not alwayes presently rendered into their bosomes but they shall God will render to every man according to his work one way or other one time or other The full rendering to all men according to their works will be at the great day in this world the godly doe not somtimes receive according to their good works nor doe the wicked according to their evill works Good men are often rewarded with shame and reproach with want and poverty with banishment and imprisonment with tortures and with death in this present world but the Lord will have a time to render to them according to their workes though at no time for their works so look upon wicked men and their workes they goe often unpunished at the present yea many of them prosper greatly as I have had occasion to shew more then once in opening this Book they have their good things many good things in this life but the time will come when God will render to the wicked their work and they shall be forced to say that he hath caused them to find according to their wayes Take two or three inferences from this generall truth If God will render the work of a man to him Then First Godly men have great encouragement to doe good yea to abound in doing good workes That 's the Apostles argument 1 Cor 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmoveable in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord that is the Lord will render to every man his labour Hence also that of Solomon Eccl 11.1 Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes Charities done in faith as an holy offering to God produce a sure encrease To give with a right heart to the poore is the best way of growing rich For God will render to man according to that work And as it may incourage to doe good so to doe it against all discouragements We must not only doe good when the Sun shines when it is faire weather with us and all men applaud us but though men frowne and scorne though which Solomon reports as one of the great vanities of this world Eccl 4.4 For a right worke a man be envied of his neighbour let us not hold our hand from doing good though we are opposed and checkt though we are traduced and slandred though we are mis-interpreted and have the foulest glosses put upon our fairest workes though men call our zeale madness and our circumspect walking hypocrisie yea though we are persecuted and suffer the worst of evills though men cast stones at us as they did at Christ for his good workes yet let us not be deterred from doing good For howsoever men deale with us or what rendrings soever we find from the world yet God will render to us both according to the rightnesse of our worke done and according to the uprightnesse of our hearts in doing it Let this provoke us not only to doe the Lords worke but to doe it with much patience and perseverance for in due time we shall reape if we faint not where there hath been sowing there will be reaping and where the seed time hath been with teares the harvest or reaping time shall be with joy Secondly This is a dreadfull doctrine to evill workers Some as the Apostle calls the Cretians out of their owne Prophet are evill beasts slow bellyes and as they are slothfull or slow bellyes at doing good so they are very free and forward very quicke lively and nimble beasts in doing evill O how should evill workers tremble at this Scripture To every man will God render according to his worke as a cup of cold water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not be lost but have a reward and the giver fully payd for it Math 10.42 so not any the least evill worke impenitently continued
in shall be unpunished Further God will not render to man according to the opinion he hath of himselfe A bad man and the worst of his workes may be good in his owne conceit He may flatter himselfe in his owne eyes untill his iniquity be found to be hatefull Psal 36.2 But God will render unto man according to what his workes are in truth Secondly God will not render to man according to the thoughts which others have of him and of his work some are high in the opinion not only of the world but of some Good men they have a name to be alive while they are dead and their workes dead workes but God will render to man according to that cleare certaine and infallible knowledge which himselfe by whom actions are weighed 1 Sam 2.3 hath of them Thirdly God will not render to man according to his good meanings when his workes are evill many will confesse they have done amisse but they had good intendments in it A right end will not excuse us if our way be wrong There is no pleading of meanings against commandements nor will sincerity of intentions cover the deformity and irregularity of actions The Apostle pronounceth a fearefull doome against those who sayd Rom 3.8 Let us doe evill that good may come whose damnation is just Fourthly As God will not render according to a mans good ends if his worke be evill so remember God will not render to man according to his good workes if his ends are bad Therefore consider your end when you enter your way and begin your worke Pro 21.27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with an evill mind that is when he hath some bad end in doing it A wicked mans sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord at the best but much more when he hath base designes in his sacrifices or holy services Herod sayd to the wise men Math 3.8 Goe and search diligently for the young child and when ye have found him bring me word againe that I may come and worship him also It was a good worke to enquire after Christ and worship him but his end was to destroy him Jezebel pretended a holy fast but her end was to feast her selfe with revenge upon innocent Naboth The best workes of hypocrites will have an ill returne because they doe them with an evill mind There are three sorts of good workes which will never turne to a good account First Those good works which are done but for a season temporary good workes or the good workes of temporary professors such as are described Math 13.5 7. by the 2d and 3d grounds who bring forth for a while but afterwards fall away such good workes I say shall not have a good reward If your goodness be as the morning cloud and as the early dew it passeth away it will doe you no good He that endureth to the end shall be saved and none but he Math 10.22 Christ exhorts the Church Rev 3.11 Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crowne They loose the good workes they have done who hold not out in doing them It will not advantage us to begin in the Spirit if we end in the flesh Secondly Those good works which are trusted to or boasted of will never make a good returne Though a man should continue doing good all the dayes of his life yet if he buildeth his hope upon it his hope shall be cut off and his trust that is what he trusteth to shall be a spiders web that is weake like that because like that woven out of his owne bowels he shall leane upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure Job 8.14 15. you and your workes will perish together if you depend upon your workes Good workes trusted to are as dangerous to the soule as evill workes persevered in Thirdly Those good workes which are done for base ends to serve men or to compasse a worldly interest shall have no reward from God but that which shall be upon every soule that sinneth and repenteth not anguish and tribulation JOB Chap. 34. Vers 12 13. Yea surely God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement Who hath given him a charge over the earth or who hath disposed the whole world ELihu proceedeth in the proofe of this poynt the vindication of the righteousnesse of God with a strong asseveration Vers 12. Yea surely There is a mighty force of affirmation in the originall words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irgons est in origi-nali assertionu vis we may parallel them with those assertive speeches frequently used by our Saviour Jesus Christ in the Gospel Amen Amen Verily verily I say unto you Yea surely is as much as verily verily as if Elihu had sayd There is no question to be made of what I affirme that God is righteous or will not doe wickedly as the Apostle writ to Timothy about the great mystery of the Gospel God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim 3.16 without controversie great or as the word imports confessedly on all hands great is the mystery of Godlinesse so here Elihu might speak to Job This is a truth beyond dispute or controversie an unquestionable truth and such a truth that if once confessed will quickly determine all the Questions which are depending between you and me There are some Master-truths ruling truths such a one is this in the text Yea surely or undoubtedly God will not doe wickedly Hence note It becomes us to grow up into highest confidences about the truths of God especially about the truth and Justice of God We should not be as meteors hanging in the ayre speaking with hesitation possibly it is so peradventure it is true but as the Apostle directs the Collossians Chap. 2.3 We must labour to grow up unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding as there is a full assurance of faith in believing of hope in waiting or expecting so also of understanding in apprehending the things of God We should be in a sense Masters of truth and then we are so indeed when truth hath fully mastered us and prevailed upon both our judgement and affections and we are led captive by light to the love and obedience of it We have cause to bewayle those much more have they cause to bewayle themselves who are but Scepticks or Questionests in Religion never coming to a poynt nor able after a due making up of their thoughts to say Thus it is and by this we will abide as Elihu did in the then present case delivering himselfe confidently yea surely or verily verily God will not doe wickedly To cleare the meaning in this Negative assertion we must take in the highest affirmatives of the holinesse and Justice of the righteousnesse truth and faithfulnesse of God For it sounds like a flat and low commendation of God to say
charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah who is there among you of all his people The Lord his God be with him and let him goe up God hath charged me saith Cyrus or he hath made that my businesse a businesse incumbent upon me to build him a house in Jerusalem that is to further the worke to give the Jewes leave to build the Temple of Jerusalem God hath charged me with this great trust and I am willing to answer it The same thing is recorded almost in the same words Ezra 1.2 Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he hath Charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah God giveth Princes their Charge supreame soveraigne Princes yea he giveth inferiour Princes and Magistrates their Charge but saith Elihu Who hath given him a Charge Certainly no man There is yet a twofold reading of this former part of the verse both considerable First Thus Who for him hath visited the earth As if it had been sayd Hath God set any to visit or to look to the earth for him as if himselfe stood by and did nothing God useth the power of man he sets up Magistrates to worke for him but he never puts the worke out of his owne hand nor doth he need any hand to helpe him in that worke though he useth many and though he saith By me yea for me Kings reigne yet we may say with Elihu in the notion now exprest Who for him hath visited the earth that 's a good reading Secondly Who over him doth visit the earth Is God any mans Vicegerent is he a Lord Deputy or a Viceroy No there is no man visits the earth over him for as we render clearely Who hath given him a Charge over the earth As if he had sayd If God be an unjust Judge is there any superiour Judge to whom we may appeale for remedy or redresse of our injuries Who over him visiteth or who hath given him a charge over the earth That is over the inhabitants of the earth or over the affayres of the earth The Earth by a Synecdoche of the Continent for the matter contained is here put for all persons and transactions over the face of the whole earth Who hath layd that great Charge the disposall of all things and people in the earth upon God surely no man on earth no Angel in heaven nor all of them put together How should God derive a governing power from them who derive their very power of being from him He governes in his owne right not by commission or deputation We have the same poynt affirmed at the 36th Chapter of this Booke v. 23d Who hath enjoyned him his way God knoweth and taketh his owne way no man sheweth much lesse commandeth him his way Who hath given him a Charge over the earth Or who hath disposed the whole world This Question as the former containes a Negation no Creature none besides God hath disposed of the whole world or of all of the world Mr Broughton renders Who hath setled all the dwelt land The word which we translate disposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit arto cura et ordine quod est disposuit signifies to place with a kind of art exactly orderly carefully Who hath thus disposed the whole world There is a double disposition of the world First In Creation who hath disposed joynted and put the whole world in frame who hath marshall'd the severall parts of the world as they now stand like the Host of God The world as created is expressed in the Greek by beauty and order before God perfected the creation all was a confused heape without forme and voyd But that rude indigested matter was drawne forth in the severall works of that six-dayes Creation into a most beautifull forme and order Thus God once disposed all the world by Creation Secondly God dayly disposeth the world by providence And that 's the disposure which this text especially speakes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orbù habitabilis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant i. e. hâ—mines degentes in orbe habitabili Pisc Who hath disposed in a providentiall way the whole world The word rendred world properly signifies the habitable world we find it opposed to the wildernesse or desert Isa 14.17 where few or none inhabite That word is very significantly used here for the world because the habitable part of the world or where men inhabite are the stages on which the providences of God appear and act most eminently convincingly Who hath disposed of the habitable world which the Greekes call The house of abiding Mr Broughton The dwelt land that is the land wherein men dwell Againe As the earth before is put for the inhabitants and occurrences of the earth so whatsoever passeth or is brought to passe in the world is here called the world Who hath disposed the whole world He that made the whole world disposeth of the whole world providence followeth Creation But some may say Is this a good Argument to prove that God is just because he hath the supreame power over all the world Will it follow that he administreth all things rightly because he hath a right to administer all things There seemes but little of Argument in this may some say many have a great deale of power who abuse it and they that have most power usually abuse it most and make it but a servant to their lusts and passions therefore how is it a proofe that the Lord is righteous and will doe no iniquity because he hath the power of all things in his hand or is Lord over all I answer This is a strong argument and as I remember a good Author calls it a peremptory argument which can have no deniall The Lord is righteous because he is Lord over all he is not King of some corner of the World he is not King of the whole World by election or vote of the World he is not chosen at all much lesse as many have been by evill means and wicked combinations God is the supreame governer of all the world by naturall right not choyce yet not as some Princes are by naturall right of succession inheriting after a mortall father but by the naturall right of creation himself being the father of that world over which he is a governour The Originall of Gods power is stated in himself The eternall being of God and his supreame authority are inseparable Yea God is not only thus supreame in administring Justice but he is the summe or fullnesse of Law and Justice and therefore cannot pervert it He whose power and goodnesse gave the world its being how should he act any thing which is not good in the exercise of his power over the World Jnjustice is the breach of a Law but how can God break a Law who is the source and fountaine of all
heed we be not found disobeying Secondly Seeing God hath the Charge of all the earth we should as readily submit to his dispensations works and dealings as to his commands The Jewes of old complained Ezek 18.29 The way of the Lord is not equall They did even tell him to his face his wayes were not equall and therefore they would not submit The Church in captivity spake well Lam 3.28 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not evill and good that is whatsoever the Lord hath pronounced to doe or hath done concerning us is morally good and not evill though it be penally evill and not good Eli spake wel also to this poynt 1 Sam 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemes good in his owne eyes yet the thing which God was about to doe was such v. 11. as at which both the eares of every one that heard it should tingle To have the heart quiet while the eares tingle is pure submission And any unquietness or murmurings at the dealings of God whether respecting our persons or our familyes Churches or Nations are in some degree rebellions against the soveraigne power of God Thirdly If the Lord be supreame and have the charge over all the earth then let us set him up as supreame in all things let his ends be above our ends let us designe God in all we doe He who is over all ought to be honoured by all All our actions as so many lines ought to center in his honour who is the Center of power Of him and through him and to him are all things saith the Apostle Rom 11.36 Because all things are of him creating them and through him governing them therefore all things should be to him that is all persons should in all things they doe yea in all things that are done ayme at and designe his glory as the Apostle expressely concludeth the verse before cited To whom be glory for ever Thirdly Whereas it is sayd Who hath given him a Charge over the earth or who hath disposed not a part or parcell or canton or corner of but the whole world Observe The power of God is an universall power It is extended throughout the world to every patch and inch of it What David saith of the Sun Psal 19.6 His going forth is from the end of heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof The same may we say of the circuit of Gods power there is nothing hid from nor set beyond it There is a four-fold universality of the power of God First In regard of persons Psal 97.9 Thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted farre above all Gods that is above the Kings and powers of the earth whom the Scripture calleth Gods If God hath a power over the Kings of the earth then surely over the people of the earth yea God is not only exalted and farre exalted above this or that God or King but above them all This is a supremacy with utmost universality Secondly His power is universall as to places and nations some places claime priviledge and are exempt from the jurisdiction of Princes if obnoxious persons get thither they are free from the course of the Law There were Cities of refuge among the Jewes and Sanctuaries in the dayes of old among us where evill-doers could not be toucht But the power of the Lord reacheth all places even to the hornes of the Altar Psal 83.18 Thou whose name alone is Jehovah art most high over all the earth Thirdly His power is universall as in all places so over all things it extends to the starrs of heaven and to the fowles of the ayre to the beasts of the earth and to the fishes of the Sea to whatsoever moves in this world they are all at the command of God if he doth but speake they run and execute his will Fourthly His power is universall in reference to time 't is never out nor shall ever end he is King immortall and King eternall his Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome The power of God is an universall power in all these considerations His power of Governing is of the same extent as his power of creating was that which he created at once he governes alwayes He did not set up the fabrick of this world and then leave it to it selfe but he preserveth and ordereth all things in it The wel-being the orderly being of the creature is as much of God as the being of it Some say God made the world at first and set all the wheeles of it a-going but now things goe on by chance by fortune or by accident at least particular events are not under his government but come to passe as the wisdome or folly of men is most active in the production of them I answer to set up blind fortune and chance yea or the wit and policy of man as governing the world is to set up other Gods in the world if chance and fortune or the wit of man governe any part of the world then they had a part in making the world If you divide one power you divide the other For those invisible things of God his eternal power and God-head are as much or as evidently seene in the things which are done as in the things which are made 'T is true indeed God useth many hands in governing ordering and disposing the things of this world The Princes of this world are eminently his hand but God doth not use any power in governing this world Non eget alienis adjutorijs ad regendum mundum qui non eguit ad fatiendum Greg Lib 24. Moral ca. 26. to diminish his owne nor doth he withdraw his owne power what power soever he useth 't is his power that acts effectually and gives successe in the acting of all power It was sayd to that King who prided himselfe in what he had done in the world Shall the Axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith or shall the saw magnifie it selfe against him that shaketh it Isa 10.15 As if the Lord had sayd to that proud Assyrian Prince Dost thou looke upon thy selfe as if thou didst all and governedst all thou art no more in the governing the world though the chiefe earthly Governour of all the world then an Axe is in the hand of him that useth it And though the artificer cannot doe his worke without an Axe though he cannot divide his Timber without a saw yet I the Lord am able to doe my worke without thee At best and most men are but instruments in the hand of God and he serves his owne turne by men not to signifie that he cannot worke without them nor that his worke is done either with more ease to himselfe or more successe as to it selfe by their helpe he is not so weake as to need helpe nor is at all strengthned by the helpe he useth but only to shew that as he
deus omnium judicio est in justitiae damnare sustines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest exponi validū num justum et potentē eum qui simul et justus et potens est damnare audes sed malo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exponere per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multum valde q.d. eum qui summe justus est audes damnare de eo queri quasi tibi sit iniquior Rab Sel Merc as the word imports Wilt thou condemne him that is most just Here are two words in the Hebrew we put them together and so render them by a superlative most just Some translate Wilt thou condemne him that is strong and just that is strongly just mightily just God is full of strength and might so full that he and he only is Almighty yet his might never exceedeth right nor his strength his justice Strength and justice are commensurate in God And while he is so strong that he can doe what he will he is so just that he will doe nothing but what is righteous Further I find others joyning the word strong with the word condemne As if Elihu had sayd Wilt thou so confidently and pertinaciously condemne the just God To condemne God though but a little to passe the easiest sentence of condemnation upon him is bad enough but wilt thou strongly condemne him We render clearely to the scope of the place Wilt thou condemne him that is most just Hence note First God is most just or altogether just He is strongly just mightily just as he is strongly mercifull putting forth a power in pardoning sin and shewing mercy so he is strongly just or altogether just The rule given to Judges by Moses speakes thus Deut 16.20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow We put in the margin justice justice shalt thou doe that is thou shalt doe pure Justice nothing but Justice or justice without the least mixture tincture or if it be possible without the least shadow of injustice I may say justice justice is God that is he is altogether just strongly just everlastingly and unchangeably just God is just under a three-fold notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor First As to be just is taken largely importing a person accomplished with concurrence of all perfections and vertuous qualities In that sence I suppose the Apostle useth the word 1 Tim 1.9 The law is not given for that is to terrifie or condemne a just man that is for a man who is holy and good Thus God is altogether just for he hath all the lines of perfection of holinesse and goodnesse centring in him he is not only just and vertuous but justice and vertue it selfe Secondly To be just imports the keeping of promises and the performance of our word He is a just man who when he hath spoken you may know what to have of him and where to have him Some give words and you can get nothing of them but words that 's injustice because our words binde us and should be as lawes to us A man may chuse whether he will make promises but when he hath promised it is not in his choice whether he will performe or no his word bindes him In this sence God is altogether just Whatsoever word you have had from God and he hath given us many comfortable words for every condition God is a just God and will performe it to a tittle That Glorious and everlasting witnesse is borne to him by dying Joshua Josh 23.14 And behold this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your soules that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to passe unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof In this sence God is sayd to be not only mercifull but just in forgiving our sins 1 John 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse If we confesse our sins spiritually and believingly deeply humbly and affectionately if we confesse thus he is just to forgive why because he hath given a promise to forgive those who make such confessions of sin And thus 't is in any other promise he keepes his word he keepes touch with man he will not fayle nor come short in the least therefore he is altogether just Thirdly He is just in the strictest acception of justice giving every one his due It is possible for a man to be just in neither of the two former notions he may neither be vertuous in his actions nor a keeper of his word as a man yet he may be just as a Magistrate just as in a cause committed to his determination But God is just in all these three considerations of a just man and therefore he is eminently or altogether just And I conceive the latter of the three is chiefely intended here God is most just that is he never did nor ever will give an undue or an undeserved sentence upon any man I might shew distinctly that God is just and how just he is First in rewarding those that doe well Secondly in punishing those that doe ill And that because he doth it First by a law Secondly by a law published Thirdly by a law possible our inability of keeping the law is consequentiall to the giving of it man hath drawne it upon himselfe though now he cannot performe it at all yet God is just in punishing because he sins against a law that he had a power in his head or representative to have fullfilled Fourthly God is just because the penalties which he inflicteth slow from a right and just law as the Apostle speaks Rom 7.12 The law is holy and just and good and therefore all the awards that are grounded upon it must needs be just too Fifthly he punisheth justly because he never punisheth but upon proofe and evidence yea he will make every mans Conscience a witness against himself or condemne him out of his own mouth Sixthly he punisheth justly because he punisheth impartially neither feare nor hope nor favour can divert him Isa 27.11 Jer 22.24 Seventhly he doth not only punish in a proportion to the law but often in a proportion to the sin and that not only to the measure of the sin but to the manner of the sin as that cruel king Adonibezek confessed when himselfe was cruelly dealt with his thumbs and great toes being cut off Judg 1.7 As I have done so God hath requited me As if he had sayd God is just not only because he hath punished me in measure according to my sin but after the very same manner in which I sinned he hath as it were hit my sin in the eye of all beholders what I have done may be seene by what I suffer Note Secondly To condemne God who is most just is the highest poynt of injustice Wilt thou
man Thus if we take the wayes in that distinction of internal and external the eyes of God are upon them Secondly Take the wayes of man as differenced in their kinds as they are either good or evil the eyes of the Lord are upon both They are saith Solomon Prov. 15.3 in every place beholding the evil and the good that is the evil wayes and the good wayes of men But saith not the Prophet Habbak 1.14 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil Which may seem at first reading to imply that God doth not behold the evil wayes or actings of men I answer if we distinguish the word behold we shall soon reconcile these Scriptures To behold is either to discerne what is before us or to behold is to approve what is before us There is a seeing of knowledge and there is a seeing of contentment now when the Prophet saith the Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evil his meaning is he doth not he cannot behold evil with contentment or approbation otherwise the Lord beholds evil even all the evil in the world both good and evil are before him who is himself only and altogether good His eyes are upon the ways of Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not only upon the wayes of this or that man but of every man let man be what he will for a man let him be a great man or a mean man let him be a rich man or a poor man let him be a wise man or a fool let him be an ignorant or a knowing man let him be a holy or a prophane man let him be a subtle or a simple man his eyes are upon him Those things which difference men among themselves make no difference at all among them as to the eye of God His eyes are upon the wayes of whomsoever you can câ—ll man And he seeth all his goings This latter clause of the verse is of the same sence with the former therefore I shall not stay upon the opening of it The Scripture often useth Synonoma's and repeats the same thing in other terms to shew the truth and certainty of it and surely the Spirit gives a double stroke here to strike this truth home into our hearts and fasten it in our mindes He beholdeth the wayes and he seeth alâ— the goings of man The word translated seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a very curious or critical sight as was opened before Again these latter words say he seeth All his goings Where we have the universal particle exprest which was only understood in the forme And though these two words wayes and goings may be expounded for the same thing yet in this conjunction we may distinguish them by understanding the word wayes for the constant course of a man's life and the word goings for his particular and renewed motions in those wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incedore cum pompa propriè deambulare The Original word rendred goings signifies somtimes going with much caution yea with a kinde of state or pomp yet frequently any ordinary going Now when Elihu asserts The Lord seeth all his goings we may sum up the matter under these five considerations He seeth First Where he goeth what his path is Secondly He seeth whether he is going what he makes the end of his journey or travel Thirdly when he goeth or sets out what time he takes for every undertaking Fourthly how far he goeth the Lord takes notice of everystep what progress he makes in any business good or bad Fifthly he seeth in what manner he goeth with what heart with what mind or frame of soule he goeth Thus distinct and exact is the Lord in beholding the wayes and in seeing all the goings of man Hence note First Surely the Lord is a God of knowledge If we could conceive a man to have his eyes in all places and upon all persons an eye upon all hearts and an eye in all hearts as wel as an eye upon all hands you would say this man must needs be a knowing man especially if he have such an eye as the eye of God is a discerning eye a distinguishing eye a trying eye an eye which seeth to the bottome of whatsoever it seeth Hannah sayd this in her song 1 Sam. 2.3 Speak not so proudly let not arrogancy come out of your lips for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed 'T is not a slight superficial knowledge which God hath of things or persons by him actions are weighed and so are the Actors God puts all into an even ballance and he will weigh both persons and actions to a graine yea every word and thought shall goe into the ballance It was said to that great Monarch Belteshazer by a hand-writing upon the wall Thou art weighed in the ballances The Lord weighed that great King he weighed all his power and the exercise of it and he that weigheth Kings will not leave the meanest subject unweighed by him actions are weighed We many times passe over our actions without consideration and never take the weight of them at least we never weigh them in the Sanctuary ballance If they will beare weight in the ballance of the world we presume they will in Gods ballance also But as the Lord is a God of knowledge otherwise then man is so by him actions are weighed otherwise then by man It is said of Idolls Psal 115.15 They have eyes and see not but we may say of the Lord Jehovah the true God the living God he hath properly no eyes yet he seeth and his faculty of seeing is infinitely above that which himselfe hath planted in man The Atheist while he is about the worst work in the world the breaking in pieces of the people of God and afflicting his heritage while he is slaying the widow and the stranger and murdering the fatherlesse while he is I say at such kind of worke as this he saith Psal 94.7 The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it But what saith the Psalmist to him and such as he v. 8 9. Vnderstand ye brutish among the people he that formed the eye shall not he see Those words of the Prophet to King Asa 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole earth are an allusion to a man who having a desire to know much or to see all in the world runs up and down travels from place to place from Country to Country for information The Lord would have us know that he knoweth every thing as exactly as they who run from place to place to see what 's done in every place It is prophecyed of the latter times Dan 12.4 Many shall run too and fro and knowledge shall be increased that is many shall be so graciously greedy of knowledge that they will refuse no labour nor travel to attaine it They will run too and fro to inquire and search for it they
will not thinke any time or labour lost if they may but gaine that precious commodity by it called true knowledge or the knowledge of the truth And that expression of running too and fro may wel be expounded they shall by discourse and arguing beare out the truth In discoursing the mind runs too and fro faster then the feete can in travelling In discourse we run from poynt to poynt from reason to reason from objection to objection from question to question till we come to solid answers and conclusions and so knowledge is increased The Lord is surely a God of knowledge whose eyes run too and fro without motion and see the bottome of all things without discourse or argumentation Secondly Note The Lords knowledge of man never abateth he is alwayes observing and alike observing what men doe and what men are The best the most waking men have their slumbrings and sleepings but the Lord neither slumbreth nor sleepeth his eyes are upon the wayes of man And when the Scripture saith The Lord doth neither slumber nor sleepe we may understand it in a twofold reference First as to the protection of his people Psal 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep that is he watcheth over them so uncessantly so unweariedly that no danger can approach them without his knowledge Secondly he never slumbereth nor sleepeth as to the observation and consideration of all people he never takes his eye off from the wayes of man Thirdly Note The Lords knowledge or sight of mans wayes is universall and everlasting The All-seeing God seeth all our wayes and he seeth them alwayes And he seeth them all alwayes by one act The Lords view or prospect of things is not successive one after another but conjunctive all at once The Lord hath a large eye and an everlasting eye yea is all eye He knows all things First past or that have been Secondly present or that are Thirdly future possible or that shall be Thus saith the Lord in the Prophet Isa 46.10 I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done And upon this read the Lords challenge of all the Idolls in the world Isa 41.21 22 23. Let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider them and know the latter end of them or declare us things to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are gods As if the Lord had sayd if ye can tell us all that 's past or any thing that is to come as I can then ye may take the honour of God otherwise ye are but lyes and vanities Againe the Lord knows all things First without distraction and secondly he knows all things with clearest distinction it is no more trouble to the Lord to see all things then to see one and he seeth all things as if he had but one thing to see From the consideration of this knowledge of God let me give foure or five inferences for instruction First which is most naturall to the text if the Lords eyes be upon the wayes of man if he seeth all his goings then all the Lords Judgements are right The Judges of this world may have a principle of righteousnesse in them and we may call them just and righteous Judges yet all their Judgements are not alwayes right For as some men are so ignorant that they know nothing at all so there are none so knowing as to know all things the clearest sighted Judges doe not see all that may concerne them in giving Judgement even among them some may be blinde and many blinded some are blinde and cannot see much others are blinded and will not see all that they see they are blinded possibly with bribes and gifts with hopes or feares with passions and prejudices And how cleare-sighted and honest-hearted soever any are yet they cannot see all somewhat may lye out of their sight Hence it cometh to passe that a just Judge may doe that which is unjust he cannot see quite through every matter though he set himselfe to search the matter before he giveth Judgement But as the Lord is all righteousnesse in his principle and beares an everlasting love to righteousnesse so he hath a cleare sight of all things and persons and therefore he must needs give a righteous Judgement concerning all things actions and persons Though he overthrow nations he is righteous though he overthrow Princes he is righteous because he seeth into all things and proceedeth upon certain knowledge of every mans case and condition He cannot erre in Judgement who hath no error in his Judgement nor any deviation in his will Secondly If the Lords eyes are upon all the wayes of men then certainly sinners whose wayes are evill shall never goe unpunished For if he have a principle of righteousnesse in him and an eye to see all their unrighteous wayes they cannot escape his justice Say to the wicked woe to him for he shall eate the fruit of his doings Isa 3.11 The righteous God knoweth the unrighteousnesse of man and therefore woe to the unrighteous man Thirdly Take this conclusion Then no godly man no good man shall goe unrewarded or loose the reward of that good which he hath done The Lord is righteous and he seeth every one that doth right or the righteousnesse of every mans way and it is his promise to reward the righteous therefore they shall be rewarded This is matter of strong consolation and great encouragement to all that are righteous If the Lord seeth all they doe nothing which they have well done shall be lost in the dark or lie in the dust God will bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their just dealing as the noone day And as the knowledge which God hath of their wayes assureth the righteous that they shall be rewarded for so that they shall be assisted and protected in their doing righteousnesse The Prophet makes that inference in the place before-cited 2 Chron 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the earth what followeth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them or as we put in the Margin strongly to hold with them whose heart is perfect towards him The Lord is alwayes strong and alike in strength his hand is not shortned at any time that he cannot save yet he doth not alwayes shew his strength but as he is strong so he will shew himselfe strong for the perfect or upright in heart that is he will act his strength to the utmost for the safety and assistance of those whose hearts are perfect with him So then as they that are good and doe good shall be rewarded for the good they have done so they shall be protected in the dangers and evills they incurre while they are doing good Another Prophet speakes both these inferences from this principle of the knowledge or
that man is apt to nourish himself in those vain hopes that he can hide himself from God or that he shall be hid from God I may cast the foolish presumptions of men about this thing into four sorts First Some hope to be hid in the croud or that they shall not be taken notice of among so many Secondly The eyes of others are so darkned that their sins are hid from themselves yea they take their vices for vertues their evil acts for good and because they see no evil in what they do they are perswaded or presume God doth not Thirdly Many are never so well pleased as when they are flattered or when others not only hide the sinfulness of their wayes from them but commend and extol them as vertuous and praise worthy And because their evil ways appear good to some men they cannot be convinced that there is any evil in them appearing to God Lastly As all impenitent sinners put their sins out of their own sight so nothing pleaseth them more then this imagination that they shall never come into the sight of God Surely the Lord would never urge this matter so often upon the children of men if it were not so But let sinners consider what they will do and what will become of them seeing as it is impossible that they should be hid so it will be most intollerable for them them to appear and stand before God in the day of judgement Psal 1.5 All must come to judgment and appear at the Bar but it will be an inexpressible grief to appear and not be approved or to appear and then be condemned Therefore be wise and hide your selves where you may be hid do not attempt to hide your selves which is the attempt of most sinners where you cannot be hid They who will needs hide themselves in that darkness and shaddow of death here spoken of shall be cast into utter darkness and abide for ever in that infernal valley of the shaddow of death in which there is no ease to be had and from which there is no release to be got Darkness and death will be the portion of those sinners in the next world who have studied to shaddow their sins with any kinde of darkness in this JOB Chap. 34. Vers 23 24 25. For he will not lay upon man more then right that he should enter into judgement with God He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead Therefore he knoweth their workes and he over-turneth them in the night so that they are destroyed IN the 23d verse being the first of this context Elihu further justifyeth the severest proceedings of God with man He that layeth upon man no more then is right may be justified in whatsoever he layeth upon him But God layeth upon man no more then is right Therefore c. The Assumption is expresse in the text Vers 23. For he will not lay upon man more then is right The text strictly rendred is He will not lay upon man more Our translaters supply the words then is right to determine what that more is which God will not lay upon man The words have a two-fold sence First Some interpreters render them as a direct deniall of any power seated in or liberty given unto man to plead capitulate or to come in judgement with God Elihu charging it upon Job that he had not done well in taking or using such a liberty to complaine about his condition addeth here according to this interpretation God neither hath nor will indulge man a liberty as he hath not given him a just cause to complain as if he had don him wrong Quia non ultra unquam ponet deus super virum i. e. potestatem homini nunquam faciet ut de se ille queri possir Merc Neque enim ultra in hominis potestate est ut veniat cum deo in Judicio Vulg And if man when God hath once declared his mind and published his sentence should make his defence or offer to produce his reasonings against it the Lord will not suffer it he will not permit man to proceed in such a way seeing the sentence of God and what he doth upon it is alwayes just and the right stands ever on his side as well as the soveraignty is ever vested in him Master Broughton translates the whole verse to this sense Therefore it is not for man ever to purpose to enter into judgement before the Omnipotent there is no appeale from God nor will he admit sinners by any artifices or delayes to interrupt the progresse of his justice Secondly The words as we render them carry both an assertion that God is just and a demonstration of it For he will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgement with God that is man hath no cause to enter into judgement with God if God should give him leave and let him be at his liberty in that poynt for God will not lay upon man more then is right There is another supply of a word which also beareth a good sense and suites wel with this exposition thus Non imponet ei amplius quam ferro possit Drus God will not lay upon man more then he can beare or hath strength to beare that he should enter into judgement with him if we reade the text so then that of the Apostle 1 Cor 10.13 is a cleare exposition of it There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it A temptation or affliction common to man is but such as man may beare God will not overburden his people he knoweth what flesh and blood as also what Grace can beare As a man would not lay such a weight upon a childe as would burthen a man we lay a childs burthen upon a child and a mans burthen upon a man so the Lord measures and weighs out his judgements in proportion to every mans strength he will not lay upon him more then he is able to beare That 's a good sense and hath a cleare reason in it why man should not complaine of what God layeth upon him it being only proportionate to his strength But I shall rather prosecute the text according to the supply given in our translation which makes the reason why all such complaints should be forborne and silenced to be this because the sufferings of man are never proportion'd beyond his desert He will not lay upon man more then right That is more then he hath deserved or is equitable in his case whatsoever is layd or imposed upon man beyond right he hath cause to complaine of and may traverse the Judgement or desire another hearing yea he may appeale to some higher Judge if there be any
worldly wise men they were the mighty the great men of the world and they are commonly very considering men as well as very considerable men they are knowing men as well as men much known they are men of counsel and sit in councel to debate difficult matters and of greatest outward concernment these things they could consider exactly and weigh them to a grain but they would not consider any of God's wayes Hence Note There is nothing so little regarded by ungodly men as the wayes of God are Though they have wisdome and ability to understand and consider earthly things yet they will bestow none of it upon the things of heaven Christ rebuked Martha when he saw her so busie about worldly business Luke 10.41 Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things one thing is needful Martha had some care about the one thing needful but because not so much as she should Christ gave her a gracious check and reproof for it How much more may Christ come and rebuke the men of the world ye are careful about many things ye are wife considering men about your profits and preferments those ye can think of all night long but there is one thing needful my wayes my word my commandments are to be considered what account can ye give of or concerning them Farther this non-consideration of the wayes of God is brought as a charge as a high charge against those mighty men not only were they bad men who did not consider the wayes of God but this was a part yea I may say the whole of their badness that they did not consider the wayes of God Hence Note Not to consider the wayes of God is in it self a very great sin The omission or non-performance of what is good is as sinful as the commission or doing of that which is evil Not to do good is to do evil especially when it is the not doing of such a good duty as opens a way to the doing of all evil Should we suppose a man not chargeable with the breaking of any commandment of God yet if we could charge him that he did not consider the commandments of God this were the breaking of all the commandments For as they are all to be considered that we may keep them so if we consider them not we cannot keep them 'T is the description of a godly man Psal 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Meditation is nothing else but consideration A godly man meditates or considers day and night what the Law or Word of God is not that he thinks of nothing else but the Law of God day and night for then he must throw off his Calling but the meaning is this he is very sedulous and watchful of all opportunities both night and day to get and keep his heart up in holy meditation and why is he so much in holy meditation 'T is surely that he may be much yea alwayes in holy action and when it may be said of a man that his meditation is not in the Law of God neither day nor night or that he never considers the wayes of God this is an undeniable evidence that he neither keeps in the way or observes any one line or letter of the Law at any time It is our sin and that no small one not to consider our own wayes how much more is it sinful not to consider the wayes of God! To consider our own wayes is a great part of our work If we consider not our own wayes they will soon be crooked wayes The Prophet adviseth the Jewes Hag. 1.5 Consider your wayes the Text is Set your heart upon your wayes that is ponder your wayes as if he had said the reason why your feet are so often in bad wayes is because your hearts are so seldome upon your wayes Now if not to consider our own wayes be so sinful and subjects us to every sin then much more is it sinful not to consider the wayes the word and truths of God and much more doth the neglect of this lead or lay us open and obnoxious to every sin This neglect is not only a special sin in it self and an effect of sin but the general cause of all other sins What sin is not or may not be found in the wayes of those men who consider not the wayes of God Lastly Observe Sin makes men stupid and transforms them into fools He that is not a considering man is a weak and a foolish man every wise man is a considering man and the more a man is versed in consideration the more wise he is and the wiser he grows The wicked man is often called a fool in Scripture and he deserves no better a title when he is called so he is both served and called in his kinde Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God The thoughts of the heart are the sayings of the heart and sin hath made a wicked man so much a fool that as he knowes not how to say any thing of God which is honourable with his tongue so all that his heart can say that is think of God is that God is not which as it is the highest blasphemy so the deepest piece of folly and irrationallity that ever was hatcht in the heart of man Sin makes dull-heads it stupifies the soul sinners consider not that at any time which is their interest as much as their duty to consider of at all times the wayes of God as taken for the wayes wherein man ought to walk towards God Again If we take the wayes of God in the second notion for the wayes wherein himself walks towards man usually called his works or the wayes of his providence Note It is the mark of an ungodly man not to consider the works and providences of God how God walketh towards him or what he doth in the world Isa 1.3 I have nourished and brought up children that is I have done for my people as a father for his children but what follows My people doth not know Israel doth not consider They consider not what I have done for them as well as not what I have spoken to them they consider not how I have nourished and brought them up as well us not how I have instructed and given them counsel and from this neglect God infers vers 4. Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers c. they quickly proceed to the doing of all evil against God who consider not of the good which God doth or hath done to them Read this sin the not considering of the works of God with the sinfulness of all the works of those unconsidering men Psal 28.4 5. Isa 5.11 12. The Scripture makes frequent mention how extreamly ill the Lord takes it at the hands of men when his works are not considered by them when they regard not the operation
Advocate Therefore you that dare not wrong the mighty for fear they should crush you be much more afraid to wrong the poor for God is their avenger and how easily can he crush you Lastly This is matter of comfort to the godly poor to the humble and meek they may look for help from God in all their afflictions and hard usages they meet with in this world from the hands of men when men even eat them up as bread and ride over their heads as if they were but dirt they may appeal to heaven and there have audience they may râ—fer their cause to God and be righted He that is their Redeemer is mighty and he will plead their cause The expectations of the poor shall not perish for ever Psal 9.18 that is it shall never perish JOB Chap. 34. Vers 29. When he giveth quietness who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only THis verse is an argument or proof of what Elihu affirmed in the former that God heareth the cry of the poor He doubtless heareth the cry of the poor when he stops or takes away the cry of the poor when he sets the poor in a quiet state or settles them in peace in such a peace as their proud and wrathful oppressors shall not be able to disturb Thus the Lord dealeth graciously in reference both so persons and Nations that cry unto him and that 's an undeniable argument that he heareth their cry the cry of distressed persons the cry of distressed Nations Vers 29. When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only The first part of the sentence rendred when he giveth quietness is but one word in the Hebrew we had it before chap. 3.13 where Job supposeth if he had died in his infancy then should he have been still and been quiet he should have slept and been at rest The grave is a silent and quiet abiding place the dead are quitted of all worldly unquietness And at the 26th verse of the same chapter Job saith I was not in safety neither was I quiet that is secure yet trouble came So then as this word notes the quietness of the dead who have no sense of trouble so it notes such a quietness of the living as hath no fear of trouble When he giveth quietness or as Master Broughton translates when he maketh rest who c. The Italian version is if he sendeth home in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quievit in Hiphit quiescere fecit c. As if it had been said If he by his soveraigne sentence freeth out of slavery and oppression as he did the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt c. If he commandeth rest and quiet then as it followeth Who can make trouble Or as Master Broughton renders who can disturb Who can disease those to whom God gives ease or oppresse those to whom God gives protection The words bear the signification of a divine challenge like that Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us or like that vers 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Let us see the man or the devil that can charge the elect and prevail Such is the Emphasis of the present 〈◊〉 When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble Where is the man high or low great or small that can do it Further the word which we translate make trouble hath a threefold eminent signification in Scripture First It signifieth to be wicked or to do wickedly thus we read it at the 12th verse of this chapter Surely God will not do wickedly He that is altogether holy and righteous doth all things holily and righteously The same word signifieth to do wickedly and to make trouble because to do wickedly bringeth trouble often upon others alwayes upon the doers Secondly it signifieth to condemn thus we translate at the 17th verse of this chapter Wilt thou condemn him as one that hath done wickedly who is most just The same word may well signifie to do wickedly and to condemn because they who do so are worthy to be condemned In this sense also we translate it in that famous Prophesie of Christ Ipso enim concedente pacem quis est qui condemnat Vulg. Isa 50.9 He is near that justifieth me who shall condemn me or make me wicked and unrighteous Thus some render the minde of Elihu in this place if he giveth peace or quietness who can condemn Thirdly The word signifieth as we render to trouble molest or vex so we translate 1 Sam. 14.47 where 't is said of Saul that he fought against all his enemies on every side against Moab and against the children of Ammon and against Eâ—om and against the Kings of Zâ—bah and against the Philistines and whither soever he turned himself he vexed or troubled them The word may be taken in these three significations with a subserviency one to another for he that is wicked or doth wickedly deserveth to be condemned or men are condemned because they do wickedly and he that is condemned by a righteous sentence is punished and cannot but be troubled a legal sentence of condemnation brings a legal penalty upon the person condemned we translate clearly to the sence of the Text who can make trouble when God giveth quietness for here the word is not opposed to well doing or acquitting but to quietting and pacifying when he giveth quietness who can make trouble And when he hideth his face who then can behold him The face of God by a well known Hebraisme very frequent in Scripture signifieth the favour of God Master Broughton reads when he hideth favour The favour which we bear to others is most visible in the face and therefore the face may well signifie favour David over-looking all the good things of this world prayed for a good look from God in this expression Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance or of thy face upon us that is shew us favour or be favourable to us And as the greatest good of Saints in this world so all the good of the next world is comprehended in this one word Psal 16.11 In thy presence the text is in thy face that is in the full enjoyment of thy benigne and gracious presence is fulness of joy In like sense the word is used Psal 21.6 Psal 67.1 So then to hide the face is to withdraw favour and kindness love and respect more distinctly this phrase of hiding the face hath a three-fold importance or may hold out these three things First a distaste either against persons or things we turn away our face from him or that which we do not like or is displeasing
make trouble Hence observe First The quietness or peace of nations is the peculiar gift of God Whosoever hath or enjoyeth quietness 't is Gods work but most eminently when nations enjoy it Of nationall quietness the Lord spake by his Prophet Isa 45.7 I forme the light c. I make peace I the Lord doe all these things As naturall so civill light is of Gods forming as spirituall so temporall peace is of Gods making And the Church was confident he would be their peace-maker Isa 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us Some read it as a prayer Lord doe thou ordaine or command peace for us we as a profession of their faith and hopefull if not full assurance that the Lord would ordaine peace for them The Lord gives out an order or makes an ordinance in heaven when he pleaseth for the peace both of Churches and nations here on earth And the Church there had this good ground of their assurance that he would doe it even their former experiences of his great power and goodness in doing much for them as it followeth for thou hast wrought all our workes for us As if they had sayd Lord those gracious preservations which thou hast heretofore given us in trouble and deliverances out of trouble strengthen our faith both in praying that thou wouldest and in believing that thou wilt now at this pinch ordaine peace for us To doe so is a mighty and a mercifull worke of God and we may consider it two wayes First As the giving of quietnesse to a nation is the restoring of peace or the setling of them in a quiet state after they have been torne and troubled with warres and tossed with continuall tempests of trouble possibly for many yeares together To bring peace out of warre and quietness out of unsetledness is a worke worthy of God Psal 46.9 He maketh warres to cease to the ends of the earth that is all the world over The end or ceasing of warre is quietness And to assure us that the Lord can make an end of warres the Psalmist in that place sheweth us the Lord spoyling all the implements or instruments of warre He breaketh the bow and cuts the speare asunder he burneth the chariots in the fire Here are three great instruments of warre the bow the speare the chariot all which are sometimes comprehended under that one word the sword which is the most knowne and universal instrument of warre Now when neither sword nor bow nor speare nor chariot are to be had we need not feare warre And therefore that great promise of peace runs in this tenour Mic 4.2 They shall beat their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then presently followeth nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learne warre any more There must needs be peace when the art of warre is layd by as uselesse and shall be learned no more That will be a blessed time indeed when the art military shall be out of date and being it selfe the greatest interrupter of learning shall be learned no more When Souldiers shall turne Husbandmen and Vine-dressers beating their swords into plow-shears and their speares into pruning hooks then we shall have peace and put away the remotest feares of warre When a man casteth away his sword we may very well conclude he intends to be quiet Thus the Lord gives quietnesse to nations which have been engaged in warre by causing warres to cease Secondly He gives quietnesse to nations by continuing their peace when warres are ceased for unlesse the Lord give a check to the lusts and passions to the wrath and rage of men plow-shears are quickly turned into swords and pruning hookes into speares To preserve peace is the Lords worke as much as to give peace It requires the same or as great a power to keepe our peace as to make it Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta â—ueri to keepe it out of the hand of the sword as to get it out of the hand of the sword When the king of Assyria threatned Jerusalem with a siege the Lord preserved their peace and sent Hezekiah word Isa 37.33 He shall not come into this City nor shoote an arrow there nor come before it with shields nor cast a banke against it for I will defend this City to save it The continuance of peace and quietnesse is a continuall giving of it Warres returne after peace as clouds returne after raine unlesse the Lord prevent and forbid them And have not we of this nation reason to acknowledge this double mercy First Was not the end of our late unnaturall warres the gift of God was it not he that made our troubles to cease from one end of the nation to the other yea throughout the three nations If the Lord had not given the sword a check or counter-mand if the Lord had not called in the commission which he once gave the sword it had been devouring flesh and drinking blood to this very day We read as it were a dialogue between the Prophet and himselfe concerning the sword Jer 47.6 7. O thou sword of the Lord sayd the Prophet being grieved for the slaughter and desolation which the sword had made even in a strange land how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy selfe into thy scabbard rest and be still Himselfe answers himselfe how can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon and against the Sea-shore there hath he appointed it I spake to the sword of quietnesse saith the Prophet But alas how can it be quiet how can that sheath it selfe in its scabbard and not in the bowels of men seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon As if he had sayd I see no entreaties can perswade the sword to rest and quietness till it hath fully executed the command of God and done his work though it be very bloody work even the making of it selfe drunke with blood The Lord can make the sword quiet it will hearken to no voyce but his if the Lord give a charge for the sword to returne into the sheath then it will and if not it will not The sword raged in these nations till the Lords work and will was done and then that had done And as we have reason to acknowledge that the Lord hath commanded the sword back into its sheath and given us peace out of warre so Secondly That he hath continued our peace since the warre When he giveth quietnesse who then can make trouble Note If God will give those nations quietnesse where it was not or continue it where it is there is no power on earth can stop or interrupt it Who can make trouble where he ordaineth peace Balaam was forced to this confession when he would have troubled the people of Israel and went from mountaine to mountaine to seek divination I cannot curse whom the Lord hath blessed why not said
Balak I will give thee a good fee if thou wilt no saith Balaam Numb 23.20 The Lord hath blessed and I cannot reverse it We may put this query When he giveth quietnesse who can make trouble especially to three sorts of persons First To politick men some presume they can trouble nations and shake the surest foundations of peace with the engine of their braine with their wit and subtlety Yet this engine proves uselesse and unserviceable to that end where the Lord gives quietnesse Ahitophell was as an oracle of God for wisdome in his times and he stretcht his braines upon the tenters to make trouble but God sayd there should be peace and therefore as David prayed his wisdome was turned into foolishness There is no wisdome saith Solomon the wise Pro 21.30 nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Secondly We may put the question who can make trouble to mighty men their power the strength of their Armies and arme cannot doe it Senacharib came with a mighty host to disturb Israel but he could not make trouble he could not so much as shoot an arrow against Jerusalem when the Lord forbad it Thirdly We may put the question who can make trouble to magicall men or sorcerers They cannot doe it by their wicheryes and enchantments by their closest correspondencies with the devill himselfe This was Balaams conclusion who it seemes traded that way to doe mischiefe Numb 23.23 Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time it shall be sayd of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought When God is resolved to give a people quietnesse though the devill would he cannot disturbe them We need not feare witches or magicians who correspond with hell to trouble the earth if God say there shall be peace neither policy nor power nor witchery can prevaile against the purpose of God Then happy are that people who have the Lord for their God Psal 144.15 what can a people desire more to make them happy then to have the Lord for their God if we consider these two things First God hath a negative voyce upon all the counsells of the wisest men in the world if he saith it shall not be it cannot be whosoever saith this or that shall be Lam 3.37 Who is he that saith and it cometh to passe when the Lord commandeth it not if he gives not his assent nothing can passe into a law The Lords single negative stops the affirmative votes of all men joyned in one Secondly The Lords power is paramount He can effect what he willeth whether men will or no. That 's plaine in the text If he give quietnesse who can make trouble To come a little nearer This day this fifth of November which we solemnize in a thankfull remembrance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder treason is a very great confirmation of this truth Who is there that was alive at that day as severall here I know were yea who is there that hath heard of that day of the substance and circumstances of the matter and manner of the Gunpowder treason but can tell us that a Popish party at home with their correspondents abroad intended to make trouble in this nation surely there was a purpose to make trouble in the nation that day if ever there were a purpose to make trouble in any nation What did they leave unattempted to promote the trouble of this nation Counsels were joyned for a conjunction of forces to trouble this nation The men ingaged in that plot may properly be called Trouble-makers It was their business or their designe to trouble the waters that themselves might fish in those waters of trouble We may with respect to their purpose though God prevented it graciously truly say to them what Ahab sayd falsly to Elijah These were the men that would have troubled our Israel they would have made trouble in every way and in every thing wherein trouble could be made by men Would it not have made trouble to destroy the King the chiefe Governour of these three nations with his royall issue in one day Would it not have made trouble to blow up the representative of the nation the Parliament in one day Would it not have made trouble to put the whole body of the people into a confused heape without a head in one day Would it not have made trouble in the nation to have seene Papal power with Popish Doctrine and worship brought in againe upon us within a few dayes Would it not have made trouble to have seene poore soules imprison'd persecuted and consumed to ashes for their conscientious witness-bearing to the truths of the Gospel Would it not have made trouble to have lost our civil liberties and to have had a yoke of spirituall Bondage layd upon our necks by worse then Egyptian task-masters Would it not have made trouble to spill the blood of thousands Was it not an attempt to make trouble to attempt all these things which would probably that I say not certainly have been the issue of that plot if it had succeeded Let us therefore praise the Lord who was pleased to prevent it and sayd it shall not be They did every thing to make trouble but make trouble they did every thing but prosper in their designe They took secret counsell they took oaths yea they took the Sacrament to assure the secrecy of those counsels and oaths All this they did towards the making of trouble yet they could not God sayd at that time let England be in quietness and therefore only those Romish Emissaries and incendiaries could not make trouble Againe If we consider the present season wherein we live 't is a confirmation of this truth God hath given us quietnesse for some yeares and hath he not preserved this quietnesse hitherto against all those both persons and things that would have made trouble if God had not confirmed our peace we had been in trouble long before this time but yet our peace continueth yet it continueth and is it not wonderfull that it should continue if we consider First The sins of the nation which are the seed of trouble especially those two generall sins first unthankfullnesse for our peace Secondly our ill improvement of it How have many abused their peace to nurse up their pride wantonness and vaniy and being delivered from the feare of men have even cast off the feare of God! what just cause is there that we should loose that peace which we have used so ill and have almost turned into a warre with God himselfe yet hitherto the Lord hath given England quietness and none could make trouble Secondly If we look upon the divisions both in opinion and affection that are found among us is it not a wonder that yet we have peace if God had not given quietnesse doubtlesse these differences of which we are so sadly full had filled us with trouble long before this time Thirdly While
men at once to rule over them and entangle them with the snares of those sufferings which are most proper to their sins And thus 't is conceived Elihu answers those expostulating demands which Job puts chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power Here are three questions First Why do they live they are not worthy to breathe Secondly Why become they old they deserve to be cut off in their youth and not to live out half their dayes Thirdly Why are they mighty Why do they command all who use their might only to do mischief Elihu answers these questions in a word God giveth power into the hands of evil men because of the sins of the people As if he had said if at any time you see the wicked in great power and prosperity 't is a signe the people are very wicked and God will punish and scourge them by the hands of such for their wickedness This is a truth and much is said by some Interpreters for the making of it out from the Text but taking it as 't is given I shall only give you two Notes from it First Bad Princes are set up by the permission yea disposition of God He makes evil men to reigne The same power which brings wicked men into the world sets wicked men high in the woâ—ld It is of God that any wicked man hath a place in the wo ld and it is of God that any wicked man gets into the high places of the world All the Kings of Israel from first to last were stark naught Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu reges constituuntur apti his qui in illo tempore ab ipsis regnantur Irene l. 5. c. 24. and very wicked yet they were all of God's setting up though their own ambition or the satisfying of some lust put most of them upon aspiring to get up In the first book of the Kings chap. 11.29 30 31. Ahijah the Prophet finding Jeroboam the first and worst of them in the way caught the new Garment that was on him and rent it into twelve pieces and he said unto Jeroboam take thee ten pâ—eces for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel behold I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten Tribes to thee This Jeroboam was so bad a man that he was not content to sin alone but made Israel to sin yet even him did God set up and sent a Prophet to him to tell him so How unholy soever men are in their place and how unjust soever in the exercise of their power yet the holy and just God for reasons known to himself placeth them in power Secondly Observe God permits wicked Princes to reigne as a punishment of the reigning sins and wickednesses of the people The power of wicked Princes is the punishment of a wicked people Quidam reges ad utilitatem subjectorum dantur conservationem justitiae quidam autem ad poenam Dei justo judicio in omnibus aequaliter superveniente Irene l. 5. c. 25. Some Princes and Magistrates are given as a blessing for the protection peace and profit of a Nation and for the exaltation of righteousness in it Others are given as a curse for the vexation trouble and impoverishing of a Nation The Lord takes this fully upon himself Hos 13.11 I gave them a King in mine anger c. Angry providences are the fruit of sin God gave Saul in anger he gave Jeroboam and the rest of the Israelitish Kings in anger and as he gave them in anger so he took them away in wrath The sins both of Princes and people produce mutual ill effects towards one another First The sins of the people are the cause somtimes why good Princes are immaturely or suddenly taken away from them Josiah that good King was removed very early for the sin of Judah Pharaoh Necho had never slain him had not the people been unworthy of him Hence that of Solomon Prov. 28.2 for the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof He means not as I conceive many together but many successively that is good Princes go quickly off the stage one after another for the transgression of the people of the land But as it followeth in the same verse by a man of understanding knowledg the state thereof shal be prolonged Our Translaters render these latter words in the plural number as the margin hath it by men of understanding wisdom shall they likewise be prolonged that is when there are many godly wise and understanding men in a Nation God blesseth them with long-lived and aged good Kings or Governours Secondly Whole Nations or a people are somtimes punished for the sins of their Princes Jer. 15.4 the Lord tells the Jewish state he would bring all that evil upon them for the sin of Manasseh Regum lapsus poena populoruÌ„ est sicut enim eorum virtate servamur ita eorum errore periclitamur Quid enim possit habere corpus reipublicae capite languido The sins of Princes prove oftentimes the sufferings of the people As both by and for their goodness and vertues a people are blessed so by and for their evills errors and vices a people are endangered yea sometimes ruined When the Head of a Kingdome or Common-wealth is sicke the Body is seldome well Thirdly The sins of a people bring destruction both upon their Princes and themselves together and wrap all up in one ruinous heape as Samuel threatned the people of Israel 1 Sam 12.25 If ye still doe wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King He speakes not a word of any sin in their King but tells them that their wickednesse may bring destruction not only upon themselves but upon him also Fourthly which is the poynt in hand the sins of a people cause the Lord to set evill Princes over them When once a people refuse the sweet and easie yoke of Christ or say we will not have this man to rule over us he in Judgement sends such to rule over them as shall lay heavy yokes upon them indeed God useth some Princes as his staff to support a people and as his shield to defend a people yea as his Sun to cherish and influence them with aboundance of mercies He useth others only as his sword to wound them or as his scourge to correct them for their sin Vterum fert civitas haec timeo autem ne pariat virum CorrectoreÌ„ malae insolentiae vestrae Theogn Cur Domino Phocam imperatorem constituisti responsum datum quiâ— non inveni pejorem Cur superbis non es creatus Episcopus quod dignus sacerdetio sis sed quod civitas tali digna erat Episcopo Anast Deus quibusdaÌ„ malis tanquam carnificibus usus est ad sumendum de aliis paenas quod verum esse de plerisque tyrannis arbitror Tale medicamentum fuit Argentinu Phalaru
Rom. 11.34 Who hath been his Councellor As God had none to counsel him concerning his eternal purposes so we must not adventure to counsel him as to his daylie providences or dispensations either toward our selves or others the true rule of our life is to yeild our selves to be ruled by God He will recompence it whether we chuse or whether we refuse And not I. As if he had said If thou wilt struggle with the will of God thou mayest but I will not God will go his own way and do as he sees good say thou what thou canst or howsoever it please or displease thee And for mine own part I dare not entertain or give way to a thought of prescribing to him in any of these things what he should do no nor be unsatisfied with much less censure what he hath done Therefore if thou canst acquit thy self of this crime and accusation which I have laid to thy charge as thou didst theirs who spake before do it say what thou canst for thy self Hence Note He that sees another do amiss ought to take heed of doing the like himself Again As these words and not I refer to the word recompence He will recompence whether thou chuse or whether thou refuse the meaning of them may be conceived as if Elihu had thus bespoken Job If thou dost smart for thy pride and the height of thy spirit if God pay thee home for it do not lay the fault upon me I have given thee counsel to direct thee better I desire not thou shouldest come under such a handling but certainly God will do it When we have declar'd the minde and will of God in the severity of his judgements upon sinners it is good for us to say God will do it and not we The Prophet Jeremiah chap. 17.16 having warned them of an evil day addes Nor have I desired the woful day Lord thou knowest it Jeremy had spoken woful things against that people but saith he I have not desired that woful day though I have prophesied of it So Elihu seems to speak he will recompence and not I though it be not in my minde yet I assure thee 't is the mind of God Yet further Some read these words with the former as an Interrogation or rebuking question made by God himself What Should you chuse and not I Election or choice is my priviledge not thine thou must not think to prescribe to me Verba Dei per Mimesmesse puto Merc. I will chasten and afflict as I think fit or according to my own will not according to thine Thus he brings in God speaking to Job thou findest thy self much aggrieved and complainest that thou art afflicted more then is meete It should seem then that I must do what thou thinkest fit not what I think fit my self Surely thou must give me the rule how much how long and in what manner I must correct both thy self and others Should you chuse and not I How uncomely Therefore speak what thou knowest Here Elihu gives Job time to reply as he had done at the 33d chap. vers 5. as if he had said If thou knowest any thing against what I have spoken or art able to make any objection against it speak if thou thinkest I have not spoken right shew me my errour and spare not Hence Note First When we have declar'd what we judge to be the minde of God in any case we should give others liberty of speaking their minds also This is my opinion speak what thou canst against it we should speak 2 Cor. 1.24 Not as having Dominion over the faith of others but as helpers of their joy The Ministers of Christ must speak as Servants to not as Lords of the faith of others Elihu did not carry it as a Lord over the faith of Job but left him to make good his own opinion and practise if he could Secondly Note Knowledge is the fountain of Speech We need no other light to speak by then that of reason the understanding should feed the Tongue we must not speak at a venture but keep to Rule and take our ayme The Apostle Paul tells us of some who make a great noise but know not what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim 1.7 they speak they understand not what and vent what they can give no account of Speak what thou knowest Thirdly Note We should speak when called what we know Knowledge is a Talent and must not be hid in a Napkin if thou know better then I speak pray speak do not hide thy knowledge As Elihu would have Job speak in his own case so he inviteth others to speak about his case as it followeth in the next verse Vers 34. Let men of Vnderstanding tell me c. In this 34th verse Elihu turns his speech to Job's friends again presuming of or not questioning their consent to what he had said being confident that himself was in the right and that they were wise enough to apprehend it He was perswaded that all wise men either were or upon hearing the matter would be of his minde and that therefore what Job had spoken was very defective of wisdome as he concludes in the thirty-fifth verse Let men of understanding tell me c. He appeales to Jobs friends or any other men of understanding let them saith he Consider what I and he have spoken Viri cordis i. e. cordâ—ti cor notat fapientiam et carere cor dicitur qui descipit Cum Jobo non putat amplius producendum esse colloquium Quare viros vocat intelligentes Sanct. Et vir sapiens audit i. e. audiet me et mihi acquiescet in hoc Merc and give their judgement impartially concerning the whole matter in debate between him and Job Let men of understanding tell me c. The Hebrew is men of heart the heart is the seat of understanding according to Scripture language there we read of a wise heart and of an understanding heart and it saith of a foolish or indiscreete person he hath no heart he is a man without a heart Ephraim is a silly dove without a heart Hos 7.11 that is he doth not understand Mr Broughton translates Sad men of heart will speake as I and the wise person that heares me As in the former part of the verse Elihu called for speakers so in the latter he calleth for hearers Let men of understanding tell me And let a wise man hearken to me or as some render a wise man will hearken to me The word rendred hearken signifies more then to heare even to submit to obey a wise man will hearken to me that is he will assent to and consent with me he will vote with me and declare himselfe to be of my mind In that Elihu appealed to wise and understanding men Note First It is not good to stand to our owne Judgements altogether in dealing with the Consciences of others Let wise men let men of understanding
there is store of sin in the multitude of words They that will be speaking much slip much Job saith he multiplyeth words against God There is a multiplying of words against God two wayes First directly Secondly by way of reflection or rebound Elihu could not say Job had spoken nor could he presume he would speak one word much lesse multiply words against God directly He knew Job was a godly man but he asserts he had or feared he might multiply words against God reflectively that is speak such words as might cast dishonour upon God such words as God might take very ill at his hands and interpret as spoken against himselfe Hence note They who speake unduely of the wayes and proceedings of God with them in this world speake against God himselfe The business of Elihu in all this discourse was to hold forth the evill frame of Jobs heart signified by the intemperance of his language under the dealings of God God had afflicted and chastned Job he had multiplyed wounds upon him and Job in the heate of his spirit and bitterness of his soule making many complaints about the workings of God with him is charged with multiplying words against God We may speak against God before we are aware yea we may speake many words against God when we thinke we have not spoke one word against him While we speake impatiently of the proceedings of God in the world and murmur at his dispensations to our families or persons what doe we but multiply words against God we speake much for our selves to God yea I may say we highly commend our selves to God when we submit to his doings and say nothing but in a silent admiration adore his dealings and waite for a good issue of them Aaron proclaimed both his humility and his faith in holding his peace when the Lord slew his two sons Nadab and Abihu strangely with fire for offering strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not Lev 10.1 2 3. But how many are there who proclaime their pride and unbeliefe by not being able to hold their peace under the afflicting hand of God when his hand scarce toucheth them or when he doth but lay the weight of his little finger upon them in comparison of that heavy stroake which fell upon Aaron We are in much danger of sinning when at any time we speake many words or as Elihu speaketh multiply words he is a rare man that speaketh many words and but some amiss Now if to multiply words at any time even when we are most composed exposeth us to error in our words how much more when our tongues utter many words in the bitterness and discomposure of our spirits And as to speak amisse in any matter is to sâ—n against God so to speak much amisse of our sufferings or of the severest providences of God towards us is to speak much or to multiply words though nor intentionally yet really and indeed against God O then forbeare this multiplication of words lest you multiply sins Speak but little unlesse in the praise of God take heed how you speak of what God is doing to others or doing to your selves Let your words be few and let them be weighed for God will weigh your words and you may heare from him in blowes what he heareth from you in words 'T is a dangerous thing to be found speaking words against God yet this may be the case of a good man whose heart is with God and whose heart is for God even while he hath a general bent of heart to lay himselfe out in speaking and doing for God he through passion and temptation may be found speaking against God What we speake discontentedly of the wayes or works of God is a multiplying of words against God himselfe Thus I have given out and finished my thoughts upon the Preface which Elihu made to lead in his discourse with Job as also upon two stages of his discourse with him Job sits silent and answers him not a word which Elihu perceiving takes liberty to urge him further with two distinct discourses more contained in the three Chapters following which if the Lord give life and leave may be opened and offered to the readers use and acceptance in convenient season A TABLE Directing to some speciall Points noted in the precedent EXPOSITIONS A ABraham a threefold gradation in his name 13 Acceptance with God is our highest priviledge 429 Accepting of persons wherein the sinfullness of it is 119 120. To accept persons in prejudice to the truth is a high offence 121. Some speciall wayes wherein we run into this sin 124 125. 630. God is no accepter of persons 631 Account God giveth no account to man 253. All men must give an account to God 254. 322. God will call all men to account 664 Accusations not to be taken up hastily or meerely by heare-say 195 196 Addition of sin to sin proper to the wicked 828. It is very dangerous to make such additions 830 Adversity a night 688 Affliction must not be added to the afflicted 90. The afflictions of some men more eminently from the hand of God 91. These afflictions which are most eminently from God seeme to beare the greatest witness of the sinfullness of man 91. Foure grounds of it 92. Yet it is no concluding argument 93. Godly men most afflicted seven ends God hath in afflicting them 93 94. What use we should make of it when we see godly men much afflicted 94. In affliction it is better be found bewayling our sin then reporting our innocency 208. We hardly keepe good thoughts of God when we are afflicted and suffer hard things 223. Afflictions put a double restraint upon us 224. How affliction carrieth in it matter of disgrace 225. God speaks to us by affliction 340. Nine designes of God in afflicting man 343 344. Times of affliction must be times of confession 450. Afflictions designed for the good of man 472. No pleading of our innocency or righteousness for our freedome from affliction 515 516. The Lord takes liberty to afflict them greatly whose sins are not great 529. We must not complaine of the greatness of our affliction how little soever our sins are 529. In affliction we should speake humbly and meekely to God 789. The hand of God must be acknowledged in our afflictions 791. Affliction or chastning must be born 791. What it is to beare affliction shewed many wayes 792 793. We must pray for the taking away of an affliction while we are willing to beare it 794. What it is to be exercised under affliction 796. The sin and danger of breaking out of an affliction 801. Who may be sayd to breake from or out of an affliction 801. Affliction tryeth us 852. How it may be lawfull to pray or wish for affliction to fall upon others 852 Alexander the Great his speech to a Souldier of his owne name 12 Amazement what 103 Anarchy the worst of national judgements 746 Angels good or bad
cannot 736. Two reasons why not 736 737. A wonder that the peace of our Nation is continued foure considerations why 738 739. Peace of particular persons twofold from God 748. Peace personal of believers how it comes from the Father Son and Spirit 749. The peace of believers how an insuparable peace 750. Two demonstrations of it 752. Peace of believers in what sense perfect 753 How we are tenants at will for our peace with respect to God 756. Peace holding our peace or silence what it may signifie 478. A twofold holding of our peace 479. In three cases especially we should hold our peace 480. It is a great poynt of prudence to know when to hold our peace 481 People troubled and in a tumult described 642 643 Perfection three reasons why God calls us to it though we cannot attaine it in this life 514 Perishing twofold 596 Perseverance is our best or our worst 828 Phantasie the power of it in sleepe 281 Pit and deliverance from it what 457 Princes what they ought to be 624 Promises of God alwayes performed 676 Provocation doth not excuse yet somewhat abate a sin committed 206 Pharisaei Shechemitae why so called 766 Phocas the prayer of a good man about him how answered 785 Poore men of two sorts 631. Poore men are as much the worke of God as the rich 633. It is the Lord who makes men poore or rich 634 The fall of a poore man oppressed makes a loud cry 721. What cryes of poore men are not heard by God 722. 'T is dangerous medling with Gods poore 723 Pope his great cheate put upon the world 67 Power men in power caution'd 584 585 Princes and people their sins produce mutuall ill effects towards one another 784 Pronounes how the sweetness of the Gospel lyeth in them 849 Prayer good things must be asked of God 57. Endeavour must be joyned with prayer 58. There are but two restrictions upon the grant of whatsoever we pray for 148. Prayer how a battaile fought in heaven 178 Strong prayer 422. Sickness is a speciall season for prayer 423. God only the object of prayer 424. We must aske mercy if we would have it 424. The Lord is ready to heare and give when we pray 425. Till the person is accepted his prayer is not 428. Length of prayer not disapproved by Christ if other things be right 763. We must pray for the removing of our affliction while we beare it chearefully 794 Pride man naturally proud 83. God hideth pride from man two wayes 304. Pride why put for all sin 305 Man very prone to pride 306 Pride shews it selfe three wayes 306 Eleven things named of which men are proud 307 308. Five conceits as so many rootes of pride discovered 311 312. Pride is a vile and odious sin shewed upon six considerations 313 314. Great wise and rich men most subject to pride 316 Pride the greatest sin for foure reasons 316. God by various meanes gives check to pride 317. Foure pride-subduing considerations 318 Seven meanes to cure man of pride 320 321 Protection from sin the best protection 200 Proud men scornfull and contentious 537 Property our property to any thing makes us love it the more 849 Providence a continued creation 165 Not to consider the workes of providence is the marke of an ungodly man 715 Punishment of sin in this life is not equall to sin 452. Humbled sinners confesse their greatest punishments lesse then their sin 453. The justice of God in his punishments shewed seven wayes 617. Wicked shall not be unpunished 663. No man ever punished by God beyond desert 676 677 678 Purposes of evill man is very forward to them 298. Vntill God withdraw him he will goe on in them 300 Five wayes by which God withdraweth men from evill purposes 301 It is a great mercy to be hindred in evill purposes 302 Q Questions which are unprofitable 44 Quietness of the dead and living what 725. Quietness opposed to warre Vide Peace 732 R Ransome who and what our ransome is 405 406. The deliverance of sinners by a ransome is the invention of God 407. God is to be highly honoured for this invention 409. That we are ransomed should mind us of five things 413 Reason we ought to heare reason whosoever speakes it 71 Rebellion when a sin may be called rebellion 857 Redemption the benefit of it set forth two wayes 459 Repentance a truely penitent person is resolute against sin 826. Continuance in any knowne sin is inconsistent with true repentance 827 Reproofe there must be proofe before there can be reproofe 79. Negative reproofes more easie then affirmative 229. Reproofe to be tempered with meeknesse 230. Reproofes should be given with plainness 230. Reproofe to be taken with humble silence 549. A good man will take reproofe with patience 846 Resurrection shadowes of it 420 Revenge the highest acts of revenge from God are but the awards of justice 92 Rewarding if the Lord should not reward those that serve him he were unrighteous 556. Righteous shall not be unrewarded 663 Rewards both good and evill such as men are and according to what they doe 438. What God renders to man according to his worke is called a reward in a fourefold respect 560 Rich and poore men of two sorts 631 What rich men are not what are regarded by God more then the poore 632. How men make themselves and how God makes them rich 634 Right what it is 448. What it is to pervert right 448 Righteous there are three sorts of righteous persons 4. How a man in a good sence may be righteous in his owne eyes 5. How being righteous in our owne eyes is hatefull both to God and good men 8. A justified person is righteous 440 Righteousness how it delivers from death 403. Righteousness twofold 437. Why the same word in the Hebrew is used to signifie Almes and righteousness 437. Righteousness how it cannot be lost 439 440. Severall sorts of righteousness 514 Most dangerous to be proud of or trust to our owne righteousness 516 Running with God and in the wayes of his commandements what it implyeth 544 S Scorners are the worst sort of men 536 Scorning two wayes taken 534 Seales a threefold use of sealing 294 Sealing of instruction what it is 294 295 Senators why so called 37 Season to be observed for speaking 106 Such speake to most advantage 108 Season to hit a right season of speaking very advantageous 36. Season the danger of neglecting it 268 269 Selfe-love a bad glasse for any man to see himselfe in 311 Service of God to account it unprofitable how sinfull 546 Shadow of death what it signifieth in Scripture 667 Shew-bread why so called 435 Sick persons should be wisely minded of death 361. They should pray and desire prayers 423. A sick man being recovered should report the goodness of God to him 445 Sicknes three expressions gradually setting it forth 336. Sickness comes not by chance nor only from naturall causes 341.