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
for an answer but could not attaine it they pumpt hard but the water would not come God hid the thing from their eyes so then they had not found any answer because after all their search they could not nor should it seeme strange to us that they could not At best we know but in part here and till God by his Spirit teach us we know nothing at all So that I say it should not seeme strange to us that these wise and good men could find no answer for Job but that which follows seemes strange even to amazement that though they could not yet which how also could they answer to their owne consciences had condemned Job What condemne a man and not answer him 't is worse then to condemne a man and not heare him Possibly he that is condemned unheard may yet deserve a condemnation But if we condemne a man unanswered he certainly as to us is condemned undeservedly And therefore this course of proceeding if any is liable not only to suspition whether it be right but to condemnation as utterly unrighteous Though it may be a good mans case not to find an answer yet surely a good man will not condemne when he cannot answer But it may be demanded Did Jobs friends indeed find no answer before they condemned him we have heard of their answers all along No sooner had Job ended his former speeches but they presently answered Chap. 4.1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Chap. 8 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said Chap. 11.1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said yea they all three answered Job a second time and two of them a Third how then could Elihu justly say they found no answer and yet had condemned Job For answer to this objection I say They answered Job but they did not answer sufficiently The vulgar latine translation puts this glosse which is more then the rules of translation allow into the text rendring the originall thus Ed quòd non invenissent responsionem rationalem Vulg Because they had found no rationall answer and yet had condemned Job They did not find out nor hit upon the right answer Improper and insufficient answers how many soever of them we heape up against any mans argument are no answers they are not worthy to be called answers That only is an answer which carrieth a conviction in it which reacheth the state and strength of the question or removeth the objection In this sence Jobs three friends had found no answer and yet had condemned Job The Hebrew is they made him wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept posuerunt eum esse impium or condemned him as a wicked man So the Septuagint they had no answer for him and yet concluded him wicked we say they had condemned Job and the reason of it is because to condemne a man is to leave him under a supposal of wickednesse and to stigmatize or brand him for a wicked man All the wicked shall at last be condemned and none ought to be condemned nor are any condemned justly now but the wicked He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Pro. 17.15 There is a very elegant transposition of the words in the Hebrew we may render the text thus He that justifieth the wicked and wickedeth the just c. The law of Moses gave an expresse rule against this perversion of Judgement in termes quite crosse to those in Solomon Deut 25.1 If there be any controversie between men and they come unto Judgement that the Judges may Judge them then they shall justifie the righteous and condemne the wicked Which you may render thus They shall justifie the just and wickedise the wicked that is they shall declare the just man just and the wicked man to be wicked That man either really is or is accounted wicked who is cast in his cause and condemned That was a dreadfull sentence the Scripture Acts 1.20 shewes it fulfilled upon the traytor Judas when he is judged let him be condemned Psal 109.7 we put in the margen let him goe out guilty or wicked In this sence Jobs three friends when they condemned him cast him as a wicked man though they had nothing to answer the plea which he made for his owne integrity We must not conceive any such wickednesse in them Damnarunt pro impio etsi nulla in eum crimina probare possent quibus ille suam vitam contaminassent Merc that they were resolved to condemne him right or wrong yet they held their conclusion against the light and reason of all his premises and though they could prove no ill against him yet vehemently suspecting him they concluded he was an ill man and so condemned him Hence note first Some will proceed to condemne both persons and opinions though they can give no reasonable account why they condemne either We read Isa 56.10 of dumbe doggs that cannot barke that is who know not what to speake oâ— say to purpose There are many who in this sence cannot barke yet they will bite and when they have no answer they will condemne and usually dumbe doâ—gs that cannot barke have the sharpest teeth and are best at biting or they are better at condemning then at answering As some finde an answer where there is none that is when such reasons are layd before them as are unanswerable yet they will not give over answering but still seek a knott in a rush and draw the saw of contention aâ—well without end as without cause so others cannot find an answer where it is yet when they cannot answer they can censure and condemne him for wicked or perverse whom they cannot prove so 'T is much easier to say a man is faulty then to find â—â—â—ault yet they who have a mind to find faults are seldome to seeke for somewhat or other which they call so Note secondly To condemne opinions or persons when we cannot answer them is a practise justly condemnable 'T is unjust as was intimated before to condemne a man before he is heard For though possibly a man unheard may have justice when he is condemned yet all agree 't is injustice to condemne him when he is not heard Now if it be injustice to condemne a wicked man before he is heard how unjust is it to condemne a man in whom we can find no wickednesse after we have heard him Thirdly From the manner of the phrase here used Note To condemne a man is to render him wicked Condemnation as was shewed is due only to the wicked and if an innocent be condemned he is reputed wicked and receives punishment as guilty As that sentence of condemnation which proceeds out of the mouth of God against impenitent sinners and evill doers bindes the guilt of their evill deeds upon them and delivers them up to punishment so he that condemnes his brother fastneth guilt upon him and speakes him deserving
prerogative but with a respect also to our spirituall which is the best profit and for our good Now among the good things which God aymeth at in afflicting any man this is nor the least the purging out of his evills And therefore when we cannot ascribe the chastisement of man to man but to God alone 't is a witness against him at least it drawes a suspition upon him of some great sinfulness lodged in him or sinfull wayes walked in by him Thirdly Observe It is no Concluding argument against any man that he is wicked because God afflicts him immediately or how much soever the hand of God appeares in an affliction 't is no concluding argument against the afflicted 'T is one principall scope intended by Elihu in this discourse to shew that there were other causes reasons of Gods afflicting Job or any man else besides him And that we should not make Conclusions that the greatest sufferers are the greatest sinners For first though indeed God threatneth to punish the wicked who wilfully transgresse his Law yet he afflicts many without respect to wickednesse Secondly though God threatens the wicked only or chiefely at least yet he reserves a liberty to try the innocent yea as Job saith in the 9th Chapter He laughs at the triall of the innocent And therefore the most innocent are most tryed I have had occasion more then once to shew why they are most or so much tryed First for the exercise of their faith Secondly for the improvement of their patience thirdly to humble them Fourthly sometimes to set them up for examples to others as the Apostle James speaks Chap. 5.10 Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience The Prophets have suffered affliction and God hath let them suffer that they might be patternes of suffering and 't is so in many other instances Fifthly God doth it to mortifie their corruptions Sixthly to prevent future transgressions he hedgeth up their way with thornes Seventhly to discover or gaine a testimony of their sincerity They serve Christ to purpose who can suffer while they serve and bleed under his crosse while they sweat under his yoke Surely then there is no concluding against any man that he is a son of Behal or hath cast off the yoke of Christ because Christ burdeneth him with his crosse Yet this was the great Maxime which Jobs friends insisted upon He must needs be a wicked man because the Lord had thrust him downe not man But when we see good men thrust downe by the hand of God there is a better use to be made of it then to judge them and that is to be watchfull over our selves lest we put a rod into the hand of God to chasten us or a sword into his hand to wound us For as Christ spake Luke 23.33 If it be thus done to the greene tree what shall be done to the dry If Christ suffered so much who was a greene flourishing fruit-bearing tree what may we who are dry and barren trees Or take the meere sons of men some of them comparatively to others are as greene trees flourishing in grace and holinesse who yet are under sore affliction and if this be done to a greene tree what shall be done to those who are but dry barren fruitless trees yea trees that bring forth evill fruit The Apostle 1 Pet. 4.17 gives a sutable caution If Judgement begin at the house of God he does not say at the Temple of Idolls But if it begin at the house of God what will the end be of those that obey not the Gospel Let others looke to it when they see God afflicting his people when they see God bringing such troubles into his owne house what troubles may they expect who are indeed but a den of theeves and whose houses are yea who themselves are as a Cage of uncleane birds Thus we see the great argument disproved which Jobs friends used to prove him wicked because God did thrust him downe not man And saith Elihu this is it you say and boast of as your wisdome but indeed you have not convinced Job no not by this What you have taken for a demonstration is but a fallacy And though I might wave mine owne trouble in shewing that it is so because I am not the man but ye are the men to whom Job hath shaped his whole discourse yet I cannot forbeare to doe it only I promise you I will not tread in your steps nor take up your method in doing it That 's the summe of the words which follow Vers 14. Now he hath not directed his words against me nei-neither will I answer him with your speeches In this verse Elihu speakes Negatively in two things First He tells us that Job had not spoken professedly nor directly to him Secondly he tells us how he would not deale with Job that is not as his friends before had done Now he hath not directed his words against me As if Elihu had said I confesse I have not been at all spoken to all this while unlesse in common with all the Auditory and therefore might well enough looke upon my selfe as unconcern'd in this matter The word here used to direct hath a great elegancy in it and may be an allusion First to an Archer who aymes at or directs his arrow to the marke Secondly to a Warrier especially a Commander in warre who sets his men in battel array against the enemy As if Elihu had said Job hath not aymed at me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digessit disposint ordinavit verbum bellicum de acie ordinanda dicitur Merc nor hath he ordered or set his words in order to opprsse me Job hath not drawne up his forces nor set himselfe in array against me but against you And so perhaps that hate and bitterness of spirit which you have contracted by this long-continued debate with Job hath given you occasion prudently to withdraw and forbeare the entertainment of any further discourse with him Yea possibly ye are now fallen into a deep contempt of him as a man forsaken of God and therefore to be no more dealt with by man But there is not the like reason for me to forbeare speaking with him seeing as he hath not at all opposed me so I am not at all disturb'd in my owne thoughts about him nor is my spirit imbittered with any unidictive motions against him and shall therefore enter the lists of this disputation with a peaceable and quiet minde or rather I shall being a person every way unprejudic'd doe my best endeavour to moderate and compose this great difference between you Now he hath not directed his words against me c. Hence note First Our words should be well ordered They should be drawne up like a wel disciplin'd Army in ranke and file Confusion in words is as bad as confusion in things Some heape up words but they
purpose Lastly consider God withdraweth man from his sinfull purpose all or any of these wayes by putting forth his mighty power with them For his word alone his works alone his patience alone the counsell of man alone would not doe it if God did not stretch forth his own arme in and with these meanes for the doing of it Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it Numb 22. Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God And though the Lord sent his Angell to be an adversary to him in his way vers 22. so that his Asse turned out of the way into the field yet Balaam went on in his purpose yea though the Angell standing between two walls caused his Asse to turne so suddenly that she crusht Balaams foot against the wall vers 25. yet Balaam went on in his purpose Once more though the Angell went further and stood in a narrow way where there was no way to turne to the right hand nor to the left so that the poor Asse fell down under him v. 27. and speaking as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 2 Epist 2. with mans voyce rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings could not withdraw him from his purpose And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angell that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evill purposes who yet will not be stopt He speaks to them in the ministry of his word he speaks to them in his works he spreads their way with roses he hedgeth up their way with thorns he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them he sends sharp afflictions upon them to withdraw them from their evill projects and purposes yet on they goe like Balaam unlesse he send more then an Angell even his holy Spirit to withdraw them Lastly Elihu reports it as a speciall favour of God to withdraw man from his purpose Whence note It is a great mercy to be hinder'd in sinfull purposes and intendments Disappointments are acts of grace when we are acting against grace If God stop us from doing evill not onely by his word but by blowes or by a hedge of thorns yea if he stop us by a drawn sword it is a great mercy Though God throw us to the ground as he did Saul afterwards Paul when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints Acts 9. let us count our selves exalted and rejoyce in it more then in any worldly exaltation 'T is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evill purpose though by our owne poverty and outward misery The doing of that which is sinfull is worse then any thing that can be done to us or endured by us as a stop against sin Sin hath death in it sin hath wrath in it sin hath hell in it sin hath Devill and all in it therefore to be kept from sin let it be by what means it will if by paines and pining sicknesses if by reproaches and disgraces yea if by death we have cause to blesse God The greatest and sorest Judgement which God powres upon sinfull men is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins To be suffered to goe on and prosper in sin is the worst of sufferings the last of Judgements the next Judgement to hell it selfe and an infallible signe of an heire of hell Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne Councel Psal 81.11 This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinfull people He sayd a little before Israel would none of me when God wooed them they were so coy they would have none of him and then said he goe on take your fill of sin I give you up to your owne hearts lusts The Lord did not say I gave them up to the sword to the famine or to the pestilence but to their owne hearts lusts and to walke on in their own way That person or people may be sure God hath purposed evill against them whom he will not withdraw from their evill purposes The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is exprest and summ'd up in this Rom 1.26 28. He gave them up to vile affections he gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe things which were not convenient A naturall man left to himselfe will soone doe such things as nature it selfe abhorreth and blusheth at The same dreadfull doome is denounced Rev 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still I will not withdraw him from his way let him goe on and perish let him goe on and sink downe to the pit of perdition for ever As St. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church given up or left to not in great sufferings of all sorts Here is the patience of the Saints So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort especially if to sinnings of all sorts we may truely and sadly say Here is the wrath of God 'T is therefore a great mercy if God will any way withdraw man from his sinfull wayes and purposes especially when he taketh such gentle wayes as dreams and visions counsels and instructions to withdraw man from his purpose and as it followeth in this verse to hide pride from man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit imponendo aliquid quo tegas The word which we render to hide is to hide by casting a covering a vayle a garment or any other thing over what we desire should be hid Prov 12.23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge it is this word he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth he puts a vayle upon his own abilities as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there rather then reveales them unnecessarily or uncalled 'T is the foolish man or he that hath but a shew of wisdome who loves and affects to be shewing it But to the text The word is used also to note that gracious act of God his pardoning the sin of man Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered God covers our sins in the riches of his grace by the perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Now there are two wayes by which God hideth pride from man First by pardoning it Secondly preventing it Here to hide pride from man properly is not to pardon it when acted but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it and that 's a high act of grace and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly or from shewing his pride in his doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superbia excellentia The word rendred pride
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
it is that God delivereth man while 't is said by Elihu he keepeth back His soul from the pit Some expound the word soul in this former part of the verse in opposition to life in the latter part of it and his life from perishing by the sword Soul and life are sometimes taken promiscuously or indifferently for the same thing yet there is a very great difference between soul and life the life is nothing else but the union between soul and body but the soul is a spirituall substance distinct from the body while remaining in it and subsisting it self alone when separate from it That bond or knot which ties soul and body together is properly that which Elihu speaks of in the next words And his life As God keeps back his soul from everlasting destruction so his life from temporall destruction Though the soul be most precioua yet life is very precious skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Chap. 2.5 'T is therefore no small mercy for God to keep back a mans life From perishing by the sword The sword is put sometime for warre that being the principal instrument of warre some insist much on that sence here as if the words contained a promise of being kept from perishing by the sword of an open enemy But the sword is here rather put for any kind or for all kinds of hurtfull evills what ever doth afflict vex or destroy may be called the sword Nomen gladii hoc in loco generalitèr denotare puto quicquid pungit percutit torquet cruciat vel affilgit Bold The text strictly in the letter is thus rendred and his life from passing by or through the sword we say from perishing by the sword which passing by the sword is not to escape the sword but to fall by the sword Thus 't is said of that idolatrous King Ahaz 2 Kings 16.3 He caused his sons to passe through the fire the meaning is not that he delivered them out of the fire but consumed them in the fire for he made them passe through the fire to Molech which was a sacrificing of them to that abominable idoll It is also said 2 Sam. â—2 31 when David took Rabba and destroyed the Ammonites he made them passe through the brick-kilne not to save them but to consume them Some conceive that this brick-kilne through which David made those captive Ammonites to passe was the fire or furnace of Molech that infamous Idoll of the Ammonites with whose bloody and most cruell devotions the apostatizing Jewes or people of God were in after times ensnared And if so then they might see God turning their sin into their punishment and declaring his fiery wrath against them in that by which they had declared their foolish and abominable zeale But that which I quote their punishment for is only the forme of its expression He made them pass through the brick-kilne Transire in gladium est idem quod incidere in manus et tela hostium et cadere in bello Gladius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatur quasi missite telum Drus that is perish in it Thus here and his soul from passing by the sword is rightly translated from perishing by the sword The word rendred sword signifies also any missive weapon or weapon cast with the hand especially a dart so Mr. Broughton translates and his life from going on the dart The generall sence of this verse is plainly this The Lord withdraweth man from his purpose and hides pride from man that so he may in mercy preserve him from perishing both in body and soul or that he may keep him not only from the first but from the second death which is the separation of the whole man from the blessed presence of God for ever 'T is a great favour to be kept from the pit where the body corrupts or from the sword that wounds the flesh but to be kept from that everlasting woe which shall overwhelme the wicked in that bottomlesse pit or lake of fire and brimstone this is the highest favour of God to lost man This is the pit this the perishing from which saith Elihu the Lord keepeth back the soul and life of man First from the emphasis of the word he keepeth back importing that God as it were by strong hand or absolute authority and command keepeth the soul of man from the pit Note Man is very forward to run upon his own ruine even to run upon eternall ruine if the Lord did not hold stay and stop him Man would tumble into the pit at the very next step if God did not keep him The way of man naturally is downe to the pit and all that he doth of his own self is for his own undoing And as he is kept back from the pit so as the Apostle Peter hath it 1 Epist 1.5 he is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Secondly considering the season signified in the former verse that when man is going upon an evill work or walking in the pride of his heart God is keeping him from the pit Note While man hath sinfull purposes and pride in his heart all that while he is going on to destruction both temporall and eternall Every step in sin is a step to misery and the further any man proceedeth on in sin the further he wanders from God and the further he wanders from God the neerer he comes to misery As the further we goe from the Sun the neerer we are to the cold and the further we go from the fountaine the nearer we are to drought so they that hast to sin hast to sorrow yea to hell Solomon saith of such they love death There is no man loves death under the notion of death there is no beauty no amiableness in death but all they may be said to love death who love sin and live in it Every motion towards sin is a hasting into the armes and embraces of death sinners wooe and invite death and the grave yea hell and destruction Thirdly note The warnings and admonitions which God gives to sinfull man whether waking or sleeping are to keep him from perishing to keep him from temporall to keep him from eternall perishing This is the great end of preaching the Gospel the end also of pressing the terrors of the Law both have this aime to keep man from perishing When man is prest to holinesse and when he is represt from the wayes of sin 't is that he may not perish for ever God hath set up many ordinances he hath imployed many instruments to administer them many thousands goe up and downe preaching to the world and crying out to the sons of men repent and beleeve beleeve and repent and why all this cry but to keep souls from the pit and their life from perishing by the sword The Apostle Jude exhorts to save some with fear and of others to have compassion that is terrifie some that
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
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
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
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
he will not doe wickedly for so it may be sayd of every honest man He will not do wickedly but seeing in this Negative commendation given by man to God as in all the Negative commandements given by God to man all affirmatives are to be understood what can be sayd more to or more sound out his praise and glory then this God will not doe wickedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est aliquando impium pronunciare condemnare aliquando vero impiè agere vel iniquè quippiam facere Merc The word here used for doing wickedly signifies two things First to pronounce any person wicked and Secondly to doe any thing which is wicked both these often meete together For in many cases to pronounce a person wicked is to doe a wicked thing he that condemneth a just person pronounceth him wicked and what thing can be done more wickedly then that Some take the word in that sence here as a deniall that God either hath done or ever will condemne the innocent There are two things wherein men doe very wickedly with respect to the persons of men both which the Lord abhorres First when they condemne the innocent Secondly when they acquit or cleare the guilty The former way of doing wickedly is chiefly removed from God here by Elihu as the latter is directly and expressly by himselfe Exod 34.7 The Lord the Lord c. that will by no meanes cleare the guilty To pronounce a guilty person innocent or an innocent person guilty if ignorantly done is a great piece of weaknesse and if knowingly done is a great piece of wickednesse Yet because the latter part of the verse speakes particularly to cleare God from wrong Judgement therefore I conceive we may better expound this former part of it more largely as a generall deniall of any evill act whatsoever done by God Surely God will not doe wickedly Neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement The Almighty who hath power to doe what he will hath no will to doe this evill He will not pervert Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detorquobit curvabit The word signifies both to pervert and subvert as also to bow wrest or put out of order to mingle or blend those things together which should be for ever separated or as we say to mingle heaven and earth yea heaven and hell together so doe they who mingle good and ill right and wrong together To pervert Judgement is to doe all this for then which Abraham assured himselfe was farre from God Gen 18.25 The righteous are as the wicked that is the righteous fare as ill as the wicked or the wicked fare as well as the righteous But the Almighty will not pervert Judgement that is the right which belongs to any man and therefore he will-doe every man right We had the same position in termes Chap 8. 3d and we have had this whole verse equivalenâ—ly in the 10th of this Chapter where Elihu sayd Far be it from God that he should doe wickednesse and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Here only one verse intervening Elâ—hu reports and repeats the same matter againe but it is no needlesse or vaine repetition for which Christ reproved the prayer of the Heathens Math 6.7 there are many repetitions in Scripture but not one vaine one how often soever the same truth is repeated there it hath its weight and use not only as it is still a truth but as it is a truth repeated And therefore I shall give a threefold reason why this truth is here againe repeated which will also lead us to a fuller improvement of it First Because this truth is as it were the hinge upon which the whole controversie between Job and Elihu is turned Job was unsatisfied because he was so ill handled and therefore Elihu tells him often that God is righteous and that he will not wrong any man Hereby giving Job to understand that God had done him nothing or done nothing to him but right Such grand swaying controling truths should be often and can scarce be too often repeated Secondly Elihu repeated this againe because 't is such a truth as no man can too much no nor enough weigh and consider the value and worth of it Now that which cannot be too often nor too much thought of cannot if rules of prudence be observed be too much or too often spoken of There is scarce any man who hath not sometimes at least indirectly and obliquely some hard thoughts of the proceedings of God either in reference to himselfe or to others Nor is there any thing that we have more temptations about then that surely we are not in all things rightly dealt with and that the dispensations of God are not so even as they might These sinfull suspicions are dayly moving and fluctuating in the heart of man and therefore this opposite principle ought to be fastened and fixed there to the utmost that the will and workes of God are all just and righteous yea that his will is the rule of all righteous workings or that as whatsoever is done in this world is done by the disposure of God so God though the thing be evill and unjust is just and good in the disposure of it Therefore unlesse we resist or contradict the will of God we must say whatsoever comes to passe comes righteously to passe because it comes to passe by the determinate will and counsell of God Thirdly Elihu repeates this assertion that he might the more commodiously make his transition or passage to the matter following and prosecute it with greater successe And therefore I shall not stay longer upon those words only Note First This great truth that God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert Judgement convinceth those not only of injudiciousnesse but of wickednesse who though they are ready to acknowledge in generall God is just yet as to those particular providences which concerne them or wherewith themselves are pincht doe not cannot acquiesce and rest in the will of God with freedome and satisfaction That which is just should not displease us though in it selfe it be very bitter and unpleasant to us Secondly This truth is a ground of comfort to all the people of God who are under heavy pressures from this evill world or who receive little reward or incouragement as to sense from the good hand of God Such are apt to say with the kingly Prophet Psal 73.13 14. Verily in vaine have we cleansed our heart and washed our hands in innocency for all the day long have we been plagued and chastened every morning David was under a temptation when he was under hatches he could hardly perceive it worth the while to take paines in cleansing and washing either heart or hand while God was so constant and frequent in correcting and chastening him with so heavy a hand Yet David soone after recovered out of this temptation and concluded the Psalme with this particular assurance v. 28. It is
mighty God Isa 9.6 called himselfe a worme and no man in his humiliations for the redemption of lost man Psal 22.6 What are the mightiest men but wormes to God who is so mighty that if he say the word wormes become their Masters The mighty Giants are before God but pigmy's punyes or children The Prophet gives a good warning Jer 9.23 Let not the mighty man glory in his might Let him not glory in the might of his arme Let him not glory in the might of his armes or Armies though man have an Army of mighty men about him yet let him not glory in them no nor in the might of his power or authority If any man useth his might against God what is his might unto God Psal 58.1 Why boastest thou O mighty man that thou canst doe mischiefe If a man be mighty and have a mind to doe mischiefe with his might especially if he boasteth in his might because he can doe mischiefe with it he is not only sinfull but weake and foolish There is no greater morall weakness then to boast either of naturall martiall or civill strength Could any of the mighty men of this world stand before the might of God they had somewhat to boast of Read the word of the Lord against the mighty Isa 2.10 Behold the Kings and Captaines of the earth trembling before the presence of the Lambe Rev 6.15 and then judge how weake the strongest are before the Lord All ages are full of teaching examples that there is no might to his who is Almighty Secondly Note What ever God will doe he can easily doe it He can effect it with a looke with a cast of his eye he can doe it with a breath of his mouth he can doe it with a word It is said Exod 14.24 God looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and through the cloud and troubled the host of the Egyptians and tooke off their Chariot wheeles that they drave them heavily To looke upon them was an easie thing God did not give them a stroake with his hand but only a looke with his eye and that overthrew them Thirdly Note God can do the greatest things alone He can subdue the mighty though none come forth to his help against the mighty they are cursed who do not help the Lord against the mighty when they set their might against the Lord Judg. 5.23 Curse ye Mero◠saith the angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not forth to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty But though it be the sin of man not to help the Lord against the mighty yet the withdrawing of their help doth not hinder the Lord in his purpose against the mighty For He taketh away the mighty without hands Though men stir not though angels should not stir to his help yet his own arm can bring either salvation or destruction It is said of the Lord Isa 44.24 He stretched out the heavens alone there was none to help him to unfold that vast canopy of heaven he stretcht out the heavens alone As in the Creation he made all alone so in Providence he can act and effect all alone It is a great glory to God that he hath many instruments to help him many tongues to speak for him many hands to work for him but it is a greater glory to God that he needs none to help him none to speak or work for him In this the glory of the Lord infinitely outshines the glory of all the mighty Kings and Princes of the earth They have done and can do mighty things but not without hands and therefore they have the hands of thousands at command for them 't is not their place to put their hand to the work 't is enough that they give commands and orders 't is the duty of others to execute all their righteous commands and fulfil their orders But the Lord hath not only a commanding power but an executing power too in himself though no hand move yet his affairs stand not still God and all creatures put together are no more then God alone without any creature Many are useful but none are necessary unto God Take two inferences from it First This is matter of terror to wicked men though they see no hand in the world against them much less any able to match them least of all to check them yea though they see all hands for them yet this is no security to them this is no assurance of one hours safety seeing the Lord taketh away the mighty without hand and he usually doth it when they see not which way any hand can reach them It is the conclusion of one of the Ancients upon this place in reference to a mighty oppressour He is invisibly pull'd down Invisibilitèr rapitur qui visibiliter rapiebat Gregor who did visibly pull down He ruined others with hands but himself shall be ruin'd without hand he saw him whom he took away but he shall not see him who takes him away Let them who live without fear of any hand remember the Apostles admonition Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God who takes away the mighty without hand Secondly This is matter of wonderful comfort to all that fear God and trust upon him whether Princes or people whether mighty men or mean men What though ye see no hand for you yet 't is enough if he be for you who saves you without hand The protecting and saving power of God is as great and as effectual as his destroying power is yea he oftner saves without hand then he destroyes without hand As the Kings of the earth so the great King of heaven and earth loves to deal his favours and bestow his rewards immediately with his own hand but usually afflicts and punisheth by the hands of others That 's a most pregnant Scripture to this purpose Hos 1.7 where the Lord promiseth to save Judah But Judah might say I am in a very low condition and no help appears Therefore he addeth I will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by Bowe nor by Sword nor by Battel nor by Horses nor Horsemen Judah shall be saved though there be no hand to save them I will save them saith the Lord by the Lord their God I will do it immediately And the Lord doth not only say in the affirmative he will save them without hand but he saith also in the Negative that he will not save them with hands But I will not save them by Bowe nor Sword nor Battel nor Horses nor Horsemen there shall be no appearance of these helps I have heretofore destroyed you by Sword and Bowe by Horses and Horsemen but I will have all the honour and thanks of your salvation to my self Though the Lords people have neither horses nor horsemen though they are as
But if what is awarded against him be right according to Law and sutable to Justice let the sentence be what it will let him be able to beare it or no much more if he be able also to beare it as in this case it is he hath no cause at all to desire a review of it Thus it is saith Elihu in all the dealings of God with man He will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgement with God To enter or goe into judgement as the word is is either to begin or renew a sute and to desire the hearing of the cause againe God makes no faulty Judgements why then should any cause determin'd by him come to a second hearing there may be reason enough among men to heare a cause againe but what God resolves needs not be reviewed much lesse reversed Here then Elihu meets with those frequent complaints of Job under his afflictions and likewise with those his severall motions and earnest petitions to have his cause heard afresh as if God had prest him too sore or at least had not done him right in suffering him to be so sorely prest by men Thus Elihu seemes to say God never gave any man any just cause to plead his cause over againe with him nor hath he given thee O Job any cause to desire it of him 'T is true carnall men yea and sometimes godly men when as Job here they are greatly afflicted are ready to thinke and say they are over-severely dealt with But the reason of Elihu stands good and firme against all these thoughts and sayings For he will not lay upon man more then is right Hence note God never wronged nor will wrong any man There are two speciall cases in which God never did nor ever will wrong man First he will not wrong man by denying him that reward which he hath freely promised no man shall serve God for naught he shall not say God hath promised but he hath not performed The experience of his people seale to the truth of his promises as wel as their faith imbraceth it That hope of man which is anchored in a promise of God never miscarried not made any man ashamed Secondly God will not wrong man by laying upon him a greater punishment then he hath threatned The Magistrate cannot be charged with laying more punishment upon an offender then is right if he punisheth him not more then the Law alloweth There may be a great deale of severity I grant in punishing up to the rigor of the Law but there is no unrighteousness in it The Mosaical law allowed of forty stripes now if they had layd forty-one upon any offender they had layd upon him more then was right because they exceeded the Law and to have layd full forty stripes which was the utmost they could by Law had been severe therefore they usually abated one stripe at least Hence the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor 11.24 Of the Jewes five times received I forty stripes save one if they had given Paul forty stripes they had done no wrong as to the Law though one had been too many for and a wrong to him who had not broken their law Seeing the Lord lays no more upon the worst of sinners then the law alloweth he doth not lay upon man more then right Yea not only the chastisements which the Lord layeth upon his owne servants but the greatest punishments which he layeth upon the worst of the wicked in this world are much lesse then might with Justice be inflicted This was Ezra's humble acknowledgement before the Lord Ezra 9.13 And after all that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasse seeing that thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve The punishment that was upon the people of Israel was exceeding great in so much that Daniel saith in his prayer Chap 9.11 12. Vnder the whole heavens hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem yet Ezra speaking of that very dispensation saith Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve In this life the greatest of our punishments are lesse then the least of our sins Every sin or transgression of the Law deserves eternall death therefore in this life the greatest punishments that fall upon sinners are lesse then their sins As the least mercies which God bestoweth upon them are greater then the greatest of their deservings That was Jacobs free confession Gen 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of or I am lesse then all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant So the greatest punishments that fall upon them in this life are lesse then the least of their sins And in the next life where sinners shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe running over and that for ever yet then they shall not have one graine more either of weight or measure then they have deserved The Lord layeth upon no man in this life so much nor in that to come more then is right Hence it followeth Secondly Man hath no cause to complaine of God or God hath not given any man any cause to complaine whatsoever his sufferings are Why should he complaine who hath but his right As God hath not given any man a liberty to complaine so he hath not given any man just occasion or a true reason to complaine If the burden of punishment be heavy upon any man let him thanke his own sin or selfe for it he hath but his due from God We are often cruel to and wrong our selves God is usually mercifull and never but just to us yea how great soever any affliction is 't is a mercy that 't is no greater and God can quickly make it greater how great soever it is and still be just As he never doth more then he may so he never doth so much as he can in punishing us The Lord hath more in the treasures of his wrath then yet he hath powred upon the worst of sinners Nor indeed can the most capacious vessels of wrath hold all his wrath 't is as himselfe is infinite Cain sayd My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen 4.13 yet God could have made his punishment greater then it was Therefore Jeremy confessed Lam 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Whatsoever is lesse then utter consumption hath some mixture of compassion in it every punishment hath somewhat of compassion in it except that of everlasting damnation O then let all flesh feare and tremble to enter into Judgement with God to complaine or take offence at any of his proceedings with them There are foure things considerable in God which should stop all mens mouths from daring to doe so First He is most powerfull there is no escaping out of his hands Secondly He is most wise and seeth quite through all that man hath done with his hand
yea all that hath been contrived in his heart Thirdly He is most just and will not be taken off from doing less neither can he be provoked to do more then is right to any man Fourthly How should man fear to enter into judgement with God seeing his judgments are past finding out they are as the Scripture saith a great deep we are not able to fathome them therefore wo unto those that complain of or murmure against them we should alwayes pray with David Psal 143.2 Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified and we should alwayes be afraid to enter into judgement with God for he will not only justifie but magnifie himself and his works in the sight of all men living We should be so far from entring into judgement with God which many do when they think they do it not that we should continually beg him not to enter into judgement with us for we are not only unable to stand before him but must certainly be broken before him as it followeth Vers 24. He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead As Job had often complained of his own troubles so he had somtimes of the prosperity of wicked men or that God suffered them who were not worthy to live yet to live in pomp power and pleasure Thus he expostulated the matter chap. 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are mighty in power c. We may conceive Elihu removing that stumbling stone and answering him in these words while he telleth us what work the Lord often maketh in the world in those his lesser and particular dayes of judgement among the mighty of the world He not only striketh and woundeth troubleth and vexeth them but breaketh them yea breaketh them in pieces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est ictibus subigere mollire The words are a comparison between the mighty a potters vessel of whom David saith Psal 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt not only give them a knock or a crack but dash them in pieces as a potters vessel and he can break them so small that there shall not be found in the bursting of them as the Prophet speaks Isa 30.14 a shâ—rd to take fire from the hearth or to take water withal out of the pit Thus the Lord shall break in pieces not the poor and weak and mean but Mâ—ghty men Or as some render He shall break in pieces many men Hieronymus interpretatur multos the Hebrew word refers to both quantities to great in bigness and great in number but because we have their innumerableness mentioned distinctly in the next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad utramque quantitatem refertur sed malo fortes Merc. it is best to render the word by greatness in power or might here For least any should think God could break only a few mighty men therefore it is said he shall break in pieces mighty men in all the notions of might the mighty in corporal strength the mighty in civil strength power or authority yea martial mighty men if they stand in his way and hinder his work Without number All these God breaketh in pieces like a Potters vessel as if they were but a swarm of flies and sweeps them away in a moment As if he had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita ut numerus eorum investigari non possit Pisc Certo numero contineri non possunt quos propter peccata Dei justitia conteret Aqui. God will give innumerable examples of his infinite power and unbyass'd justice in destroying the wicked he hath and will destroy so many of them that no man knoweth how many he hath destroyed or will destroy There is another reading of the words Our Translators put it in the margin of our Bibles He shall break in pieces mighty men without searching out which may have a two-fold interpretation First He shall break them in pieces and no man ought to search or enquire into his doings or say unto him as that mighty Monarch confessed Dan. 4.35 What doest thou And thus it answers what was said in the former verse They shall not enter into judgement with God Some have a priviledge at Sea to pass without searching no man must enquire what they carry or what their lading is surely when the Lord breaketh mighty men no man may search into his doings or enquire into his actions further then for his own instruction and admonition that he may answer the purpose of God in them and give him glory Secondly He will break them in pieces without searching that is Deus cui omnia nota sunt non opus habet in facta hominum inquirere Drus without any formal examination or usual wayes of Process at least without any known to us The Lord needs not to stand searching as men do to finde out matters against the mighty to frame articles or to bring in his Bill of Attainder against them God needeth not search to know because he knoweth all things without searching and therefore may justly break men in pieces without this kinde of searching or He will break them in pieces without inquisition that is without shewing cause why God doth not alwayes publish the reasons of his proceedings his judgements are often secret though never unjust We render well He will break in pieces mighty men Without number That is how many soever they are or though they are innumerable yet he will break them in pieces as one man Thus the word is used chap. 5.9 chap. 9.11 In both which places the Reader may finde the extent and emphasis of this expression without number further explained only consider that these mighty men without number may be taken two wayes First Collectively as combined by leagues or as marshall'd by orders into an Host as if he had said though an Army of them be gathered together even a numberles Army yet the Lord can break them in pieces Isa 8.9 Associate your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces Secondly We may take these mighty men singly or personally Thus the Lord breaketh in pieces mighty men without number one after another one at this time and another at that time how many of them soever arise up one after another to oppose him to oppress his people or to do wickedly they shall surely be broken Mr Broughton renders to this sence He bruiseth mighty men without end he doth not break them without end as having no end in breaking them but as without end notes his breaking them endlesly or for ever If men will sin without end he can break them without end he can renew destruction as fast as they renew transgression Hence Observe First God can easily ruine the mightiest men of the world He can break them
in pieces as an earthen vessel with an iron rod and how soon is that done Both the holy Scriptures and humane Histories abound with such examples What a number of mighty men inhabited the old world There were Giants in the earth in those days Gen. 6.4 yet God overthrew them all by a flood they sank like lead in those mighty waters What mighty men inhabited Canaan before the children of Israel came to possess it The searchers of the land brought in a report that they were but as Grashoppers to them they had Cities walled up to heaven yet the Lord broke in pieces all those mighty men Sihon the King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan and when David came to the Crown he in Gods strength destroyed the rest of them What mighty men were they that sate upon the Throne of the four Monarchies They had in their dayes the rule of the whole world yet the Lord brake them in pieces First the Assyrian then the Persian the Grecian and the Roman Monarchs were also broken in pieces This was revealed to the golden head in a dream Dan. 2.35 Then was the Iron the Clay the Brasse the Silver and the Gold broken in pieces and became like the chaffe of the Summer threshing floor The mighty men of Israel when they sinned mightily the mighty men of the ten Tribes yea the mighty men of the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin God brake in pieces his own mighty people could not stand before him when they corrupted themselves and would not be made clean God breaketh mighty men as easily as they break his commandments And usually when mighty men come to that height of sinning to sin or break his Commandments with ease he commands them for his own ease as he is pleased to speak Isa 1.24 to be broken in pieces To sin with ease is a sure signe of a hard heart yea of a prophane heart He was a mighty man of this temper whose breaking in pieces the Lord threatned in such wrathful Rhetorick by his holy Prophet Ezek. 21.25 26 27. And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end thus saith the Lord God Remove the Diadem and take off the Crown this shall not be the same Exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturn overturn overturn and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is and I will give it him What breaking words are here Even a treble overturn denounc'd against the mighty Thus said the blessed Virgin while her soul was magnifying the Lord and her Spirit rejoycing in God her Saviour Luke 1.52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree Secondly In that he breaketh in pieces the mighty without nmuber Observe 'T is no matter to God either how mighty or how many the wicked are I have heretofore spoken of the multiplyed acts of Divine Justice and of the unwearied out-goings of his powerful providence to abate the pride of man and therefore I shall not stay upon it but only caution the mighty ones of the earth in the words of the Psalmist upon this point exprest in the very words of this Text for God having said to his Son to whom he had given the Nations for an inheritance Psal 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron and in case of their non-submission to his Scepter dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel he presently adds ver 10. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way Yet though God be often at breaking work he is not alwayes at it for when he hath broken in pieces mighty men without number he as it followeth in the Text will Set others in their stead We may suppose these words given in upon a two-fold account First To shew the absoluteness of the power of God as well in setting up as in casting down Secondly To shew that we need not be dismayed nor discouraged when we see God breaking in pieces some or many mighty men for he can finde out others to supply their room Ne ex hoc credatur deperire humani generis status addit stare facit alios Aquin. and fill up the breaches which he hath made He sets others in their stead The force of the Hebrew is He shall make others to stand and that 's more then barely to set another in the stead or place of those that are removed and broken God is able not only when many fall to raise up others but he can also establish and settle those whom he raiseth up That 's the meaning of Elihu when he saith And set others in their stead Elihu doth not determine who or what these others are God may make his choice where and of whom he pleaseth in what family or tribe he pleaseth to set up in the place of those mighty men whom he at any time is provoked to break in pieces The words are plain Note only two things from them First God hath as absolute a power to set up as to pull down when and whom he pleaseth Psal 75.6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West Nor from the South but God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another The same Soveraignty of God is asserted Dan. 4.17 To the intent that the living may know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of men God somtimes setteth up those that are base in their conditions or manners for a scourge or punishment somtimes he setteth up those that are base in their state or condition being either men of meanest birth or men laid lowest by affliction Psal 113.7 8. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people No man is so poor but the Lord can enrich him no man so low but he can raise him up He can bring a man from a dunghil to a Palace and from the dust to a Throne Saul was cast down God broke him in pieces though a mighty man and set up David in his stead He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds from following the Ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his Inheritance Psal 78.70.71 When God pull'd down Haman the great favourite of Ahasuerus who had plotted to advance Mordecai to the gallows and ruine the whole seed of the Jewes God did not only break him and his plot but really advanced Mordecai into greater favour and confidence with his Prince then ever Haman had before Secondly Note from the force of the word to make
confusion in his temporal punishments upon others Thus he threatned his owne people for their confidence in Egypt and contempt of his holy word Isa 30.13 This iniquity shall be unto you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant And he shall breake it as the breaking of a potters vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth or to take water withall out of the pit that is ye shall be made utterly uselesse and unserviceable That piece of a vessel is of no use which will not serve for either of those little uses the taking of a little fire from the hearth or a little water out of the pit And if God sometime breake his owne professing people thus small for their sins how small will he breake his professed enemies read for this the last breaking and down-fall of Babylon Rev 18.21 22 23. Therefore take heed how you fall into the Lords hand for he can not only break you in pieces but break you to powder he can break you to destruction The Lords purposes and the effects of them his works are never without effect for good or evil for the better or for the worse JOB Chap. 34. Vers 26 27 28. He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others Because they turned back from him and would not Consider any of his wayes So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted ELihu having in the former words shewed the impartiall vengeance of God upon the wicked proceedeth to shew two things further about it in these words First The manner of it v. 26. He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others Secondly The causes grounds or reasons of it in the 27th and 28th verses why doth God strike them it is because they turned back from him and would not Consider any of his wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percussâ—t volam ad volam adversas manus collisit Significat aliquid cum sono deijcere vel coÌ„plodere unde aliqui de ejectione ignominiosa cum sibilis exponunt Alij volunt peti metaphoram à vesica vento turgente quae pede compressa cum sonitu rumpitur Scult Pro improbis complosit eos Tharg In loco improborum complodit eos Jun So that they cause the Cry of the poore to come unto him their impiety in turning from God and their iniquity in oppressing the poor provoked the Lord to strike them as wicked men in the open sight of others Vers 26. He striketh them as wicked men The word which we render strike specially notes the striking of one hand against the other our hands clasht or struck together make a sound or noise Thus some Interpret the word here He strikes them with an Ignominious sound Many rejoyce and clap their hands when they fall They are destroyed with shouting Others take the metaphor from a bladder filled with winde which being cast on the ground and stampt upon with the foot breaks with a noise or gives a crack in the breaking Wicked men in all they thinke and purpose and doe are but wind and when they break they break like bladders which have nothing of solidity only breath and fume in them Such an Elegancy there is in this word hitting the vanity and vacuity or emptiness of wicked men all their filling being but like that of a bladder which puffes them up but never makes them wise or solid men Further I find this word used for striking in a three-fold sense First For striking with sorrow and shame such was that of repenting Ephraim Jer 31.19 Who when he thought on his wayes was ashamed and smote upon his thigh Secondly For striking with scorne and derision Lam 2.15 All that passe by clap their hands at thee they hisse and wagge their head at the daughter of Jerusalem Thirdly There is also a striking with anger and indignation Thus Balak being vext because he could not have his purpose to bribe Balaam to curse the people of God Smote his hands together Numb 24.10 and the Lord himselfe is exprest expressing his angry indignation against his owne people the Jewes by this gesture Ezek. 22.13 Behold therefore I have smitten my hands at thy dishonest gaine c. There is then a speciall Emphasis in the smitting or striking here intended besides the generall meaning of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extinâ—it autem impios Sept Pro impijs strinxit eos Bold i. e. vinculis funibusque ligare fecit eos tanquam impios atqueâ—â—a spectandos palam deduci et proponi Bold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causalis est propterea quod impij sunt illud quasi saepe non similitudinem sed veritatem significat et idem valet quod utpote c. The Lord destroyes wicked men in such a manner that all who behold it are filled with the admiration of his righteousnesse and with a detestation of their lewdnesse The Septuagint say He hath Extinguished wicked men As if they were but smoaking firebrands or the stinking snuffe of a candle Another renders it He binds them the word signifying also to bind or straightenâ— The Lord brings forth evill men as it were bound hand and foot to Judgement We say clearely He striketh them and that in no ordinary way but As wicked men So we translate yet the particle which we render as may here according to its frequent use else-where carry in it a reason He strikes them because they are wicked so some read the text not as we by way of similitude how God striketh them but as giving an account why God striketh them even because they are wicked men Mr Broughton saith For the wicked he maketh plentifull riddance of them which hath a good sense in it but takes somewhat too great a liberty with the original text And because the reason of this striking is held forth in the verses following it is more distinct to say he strikes them not because they are wicked men but as wicked men that is as wicked men use to be strucken or as they use to be proceeded against in a way of Justice God striketh the mighty men of whom he spake before as common offenders or malefactors Though they are great on earth yea though they are in title Gods upon earth yet God strikes them as the basest of wicked men they shall not only dye as 't is sayd Psal 82.7 or fall like one of the Princes but they shall dye like the worst of men like wicked men Hence note First They that doe like the wicked shall be dealt with by God as the wicked how high or mighty soever they are in this world And as they who are openly wicked shall be dealt with as wicked men though they be high in the world so
they that are really wicked shall be dealt with as wicked men though they make a high profession of godliness in the Church even them will God strike also as wicked men Christ speakes of some Math 7.22 who made a lâ—â—d profession of religion with whom yet he dealt as with wicked men Depart from me saith he I know ye not ye workers of iniquity Though God doth not deal alike with all wicked men yet he deales with them all like wicked men There is not one wicked man in the world but he shall be dealt with according to his kind that is as a wicked man and shall have that for his portion which is the portion of their Cup who are wicked As the Godly so the wicked whether prophane or false and hypocriticall shall be esteemed and handled by God like themselves or as they are Secondly From the first word as it is taken causally upon which many insist Note The reason why wicked men â—ne stricken is because they are wicked Were not men wicked they should never feele such stroakes from the hand or rather iron rod of God If any smart and are ruin'd they may thank themselves for it that is their sins for it their sufferings are the fruits of their sin The Prophet told the sinfull Jewes so Jer 4.18 they had an affliction upon them which did reach even to the heart God made their hearts ake he struck them to the heart but why did he so the answer is Thy sin and thy doings have procured those things to thee c. He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others Locus videntium locus patens frequens celebris omnium oculis expositus Par Importat visionem paradigmaticam et exemplarem Merc These words are a further description of the manner how God strikes the wicked he doth it openly or as we put in the margin In the place of beholders that is in such a place and in such a manner that all may behold it we say He strikes them in the open sight of others that is he punisheth them in an exemplary way or that they may be an example of warning unto others For The place of seers or of beholders is some open and eminent place oppos'd to a Corner as Paul sayd pleading his cause before king Agrippa Acts 26.26 This thing was not done in a Corner no it was done as upon the house-top even in the place of beholders The Lord will not have to doe with wicked men only in a Corner He will have witnesses of his doings with them There shall be enow to take notice how he handles them therefore he often takes open vengeance on them in the frequent assembly and concourse of many beholders both approving and reverencing yea adoring the impartiall equity of the supreame Judge and his care of humane affaires So then the words are an allusion to the execution of Common malefactors who dye by the Judgement of the Magistrate such being condemned and sentenced by the Judge are not put to death in the prison or in a hole but are taken out and carried to some noted place of execution or a Scaffold is purposely erected where a multitude of spectators are admitted to come and behold the Tragedy When our Lord Jesus Christ who to deliver us from our transgressions was numbred with transgressors when he I say was crucified The Evangelist saith Luke 23.35 The people stood beholding and the Rulers also with them derided him Christ himselfe was strucken as a wicked man in the place of Beholders And so have many thousands of his faithfull witnesses The wicked deale with them often as the Lord dealeth sometimes with wicked men they are brought forth from prison to death and executed in the open sight of others All things in this world come alike to all no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them Eccl 9.1 2. The Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe and his fellow-Apostles to shew the publick disgrace which they were put to saith We are made a spectacle to the world to Angels and to men 1 Cor 4 9. The Greeke is we are a Theater to the world c. As if he had sayd all see how we are used And as bloody persecuters make the faithfull servants of Christ a spectacle so Christ will at last make wicked men a spectacle to the world to Angels and to men Thus it is prophecied Isa 66.24 that all flesh who come to worship before the Lord shall goe forth and looke upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against him c. They shall be stricken in the place of Beholders or Seers Some expound that word Seers Videre saepe significat cum voluptate aliquid spectare Scult as implying more then ordinary seers or more then barely such as see what is done namely such as are delighted and pleased with what is done yet not as it is a suffering of paine by man but as it is an act of Justice from God Hence note God oftentimes doth Justice upon sinners openly The Judgements of God are of two sorts Some are secret others are manifest he can doe execution upon men when none see it nay he doth the severest executions upon some men when they themselves doe not see it that 's the sting and severity of the Judgement that they have not so much as any sence of the wrath of God when the full vialls of his wrath are powring out upon them But many of the Judgements of God are open As he striketh some so secretly that none can see it so others so visibly that all may see it Thus the Lord commanded Moses Numb 25.4 when Israel had joyned themselves unto Baal-peor Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the Sun By the heads of the people we may understand either the capitall offenders those who were most active and ready in that wickednesse or their principall Rulers who in stead of stopping them from or punishing them for those offences gave way to them or at least wincked at them These must be hanged against the Sun that is as Elihu speakes here in the open sight of others or in the place of seers Thus they were made an example of caution that all might see and feare and doe no more presumptuously Read the like executions of divine Judgement threatned 2 Sam 12.11 12. Isa 26.11 John in the Revelation Chap 15.4 prophecyeth of the Saints triumphing at the fall of Babylon and singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe saying Great and marvellous are thy workes c. for thy Judgements are made manifest God hath now stricken Babylon his great enemy in the open sight of others his Judgements were right before they are alwayes right but till then not manifest David saith Psal 9.16 The Lord is knowne by the Judgement which he executeth now if the Lord be knowne by the Judgement which
he executeth then the Judgement which he executeth must be knowne it must be an open Judgement and such are very many of the Judgements of God they are acted as upon a stage And I may give you an account in three particulars why the Lord will sometimes doe Justice in the place of beholders or in the open sight of others First That there may be witnesses enow of what he doth and so a record of it kept at least in the minds and memories of faithfull men for the generations to come Secondly The Lord doth it not onely that he may have witnesses of his Justice but also that his Justice and the proceedings of it may have an effect and a fruit upon those who did not feele it nor fall under it This was the reason why the Lord threatned to punish Jerusalem in the sight of the nations Ezek 5.5 6 7 8 14 15. Jerusalem dicitur medium terrae ut pote quae su in quarto climate ideo autem urbem in medio mundi constitutam et quisi in loco videntium elegit deus ut sicut beneficia ita et supplicia eorum omnibus essent conspicua Pined Thus saith the Lord God this is Jerusalem I have set it in the midst of the nations and Countryes that are round about her God is sayd Psal 74.12 To work salvation in the midst of the Earth that is in Jerusalem or among his people who were placed as it were in the Center and middle part of the world not that Jerusalem stood exactly in the midst of the world but because many Nations stood about it that might well be called a City standing in the midst of the nations and therefore it is added v. 8. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I am against thee and will execute Judgement in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations God would execute Judgement in Jerusalem a City placed in the midst of the nations that as the nations had taken notice of the extraordinary favours benefits deliverances and salvations which God wrought for Jerusalem so they might also take notice of his judgements and sore displeasure against them Jerusalem was not seated in some nooke corner or by-place of the world but in the midst of the nations that both the goodnesse and severity of God towards them might be conspicuous And that the nations round about seeing the sufferings of that people for their sin might feare and tremble to sin as they had done for if Jerusalem the seate of instituted worship and Gods peculiar people were not spared when they provoked God their neighbours might well conclude surely we shall not be spared As the Lord himselfe argued it against those uncircumcised nations Jer 25.20 Behold I will bring evill upon the City that is called by my name and should ye goe utterly unpunished Certainly no! If God punish his own people in the sight of the heathenish nations when they doe wickedly what then are heathen nations to expect who doe nothing but wickednesse And this by the way may give the Alarme and be a very awakening consideration to all the Churches and people of God at this day throughout the world If God did strike Jerusalem of old that is his people there as wicked men even in the open sight of others if the Lord was so wroth with his people that he polluted his inheritance and gave them into the hand of the Chaldeans Isa 47.6 If he forsooke his house and left his heritage and gave the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of her enemies Jer 12.7 and sayd v. 9. Mine heritage is to me as a speckled bird the birds round about her are against her yea if he in the close of that verse invited the worst of men under the name of beasts to spoyle them Come ye assemble all the beasts of the field come to devoure Now I say If God struck his ancient people the Jewish Church as wicked men by wicked men in the open sight of others O let the Gentile Churches take heed lest they also be stricken after the same manner Many Churches in Germany and else-where have been stricken so already in this last age let the remnant both there and else-where remember themselves and give glory to God before he cause such darknesse to come upon them and strike them also as wicked men in the open sight of others God lets some sinners suffer or punisheth them openly both because he would have all others take notice that he dislikes what they have done as also because he would not have others doe the like lest they be made like them both in the matter and manner of their sufferings 'T is a favour as well as our duty to be taught by other mens harmes and to be instructed by their stroakes to prevent our own And as the Lord strikes some wicked men openly that others may feare and not doe the like so that they who have done the like may be humbled for and repent of what they have done God doth not alwayes powre out the same Judgements upon all those that have done the same wickedness the whole world would be in blood if he did so but he takes here and there one that the rest bethinking themselves and with repenting Ephraim smiting upon their thigh may prevent the Lord from smiting them at all especially from striking them as wicked men in the open sight of others It is sayd Rev 11.13 that after by a great earth-quake the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slaine of men seven thousand the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven And surely the reason why after one man hath been chastised or stricken others take their turnes too is because they did not take warning by his chastisements and sufferings Did we but mind the scope of God in punishing any openly the striking of one might save hundreds or thousands from being stricken but because men are so secure and so slow to take warning by what God doth to others therefore they are called forth one after another to suffer and feel his heavy hand in their own persons Thirdly God strikes some wicked men in open view or in the place of beholders for the comfort of his own people and for their encouragement Psal 58.10 11. The righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance not that he shall be glad of the vengeance purely as it is a hurt or a suffering to the creature but the righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance of God as it is a fulfilling of the threatning of God against the sin of man and an evidence of his own holiness Psal 64.9 10. God shall shoot suddenly at the wicked all that see them shall flee away that is they that see how God deales with them shall get away least ruine overtake them or they shall flee away which is their best course from such courses
hide his pleased face or withdraw his favour who can behold him confidently or come to him with hopes to speed Fierce Abner sayd to Asael 2 Sam 2.22 Turne thee aside from following me wherefore should I smite thee to the ground I could easily doe it and he did it presently how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother As if he had sayd I can have no confidence to come to Joab thy Generall if I should kill thee Guilt of evill done to others drawes a jealousie that others will do evill to us especially they who are neerely concern'd in the evill which we have done we cannot hold up our face to or behold them with expectation of acceptance and favour to whose neere relations we have been unkind or injurious Thus if God hide his face who can behold him either with confidence or with comfort Some referre the relative him who can behold him to man not to God as if the meaning of Elihu were this if God hide his face from any man all men will hide their faces from him too no man will looke kindly upon such a deserted person Quis favorem ei exhibebit a quo deus vultum averterit Drus or give him a good look he shall have but frownes from men from whom God withdraweth his favour that 's a truth He that is out with God cannot keep in long with men Usually all sorts disowne him that is forlorne and forsaken of God As when a mans wayes please God because then God is pleased with him his enemies shall be at peace with him Pro 16.7 so when God is displeased with a man his very best friends shall turne enemies to him Yet I conceive the text carrieth it rather the other way referring to God himselfe If God hide his face who can behold him that is who can confidently behold God or draw neere to him with comfort And so it generally comes to passe or thus it is Whether it be done against a nation or against a man only As if Elihu had sayd What I have affirmed that when God giveth quietness no man can make trouble or when he hideth his face no man can behold him is appliable to whole nations as well as to particular persons This is an extensive truth a truth of large concernment and therefore a truth of necessary and important consideration That which may be any mans or all mens case should be studyed by every man Whether it be done against a nation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The particle which we render against signifieth also for We find it so translated Psal 32.6 and at the 36th verse of this Chapter Now to doe a thing for a nation or for a person notes the doing of it with respect to or in favour of either Thus we commonly speake in our language pray doe such or such a thing for me To this sense some render here whether it be done for a nation or for a man only So Mr Broughton whether it be done for a nation or for an earthly man alone But whether we read for or against the generall truth is the same The word and power of God in sending good or evill upon nations or persons in acting for or against them is uncontrouleable and irresistible Further to cleare the text that word in the close of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trio significat simul pariter solum rendred only signifieth sometimes together Ezra 4.3 sometimes alike Psal 34.15 and sometimes as we understand it alone or only whether it be done against a nation or a man together or against a man only or alone the matter is alike or the same to God Many or one make a great difference among men in any matter but they make no difference with God he can deale with whole nations in wayes of Judgement or mercy as well as with single persons yet because of the opposition which the text makes between one man and a nation it is most sutable to translate it either only or alike not together Thus we see how the Spirit of God by Elihu hath made a double application of the fo mer part of the text when he giveth quietness who can make trouble c. in this latter first to a nation secondly to a person If the text were not thus exprest it might be thus expounded and improved without any streine at all to it But forasmuch as the Spirit of God hath told us distinctly that this great truth concernes nations as well as persons This Lecture was preached upon the Fifth of November 1658. therefore we have a cleare ground besides the great usefullness of it to speake to the words in both their references And this present memorable day as also their native order leades me specially to speake of them first under a National consideration When he giveth quietness to a nation who can make trouble or disturbe the peace of it And the text may well respect that national blessing peace because the word translated giveth quietness signifies such quietness primarily as is opposite unto warre sedition and tumult in a nation Josh 11.23 And the land rested from warre it is this word so Judg 3.11 The land had rest forty yeares Judg 3.30 And the land had rest fourscore yeares 2 Chron 14.1 In his dayes the land was quiet ten yeares Zech 1.11 And behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest in all these places we have the word here rendred quietness in opposition to warre who knows not how great an unquietness warre makes wheresoever it comes and by a like analogie the word is sometimes rendred to be silent Warre is full of clamour Isa 9.5 Every battell of the warrier is with confused noise Not only is it so in some battells but saith that Scripture 't is so in all battels Every battel of the warrier is with confused noise What a noise is there in an Army especially when joyning battell with another Army what beating of drums what sounding of trumpets what neighing of horses what clashing of armour what groanings of the wounded When God gives quietness or peace there is none of this noise none of this confused noise of the warrier Hannah saith in her song 1. Sam 2.9 The wicked shall be silent in darkness that is either they shall be destroyed and thrust into their graves where there 's nothing but rottenness and stench darkness and silence or they shall be so affrighted confounded with the horror and darkness of those miseries which shall come upon them while they live that they shall not have a word to say the mouth of iniquity shall be stopt In this manner the wicked are silent in darkness but the Lord can make his people silent in light that is he can give such quietness as shall at once silence the noise of warre and all their own complaints When he giveth quietness this blessed silence to nations who then can
wicked Princes til at last they were carried into captivity by the common enemy These the like are the woful effects of Gods hiding his face from a Nation from all which we may well conclude with Elihu in the Text who then can behold him who can bear his wrathful presence when his face or favourable presence is hidden from us To shut up this point I shall only adde that because these hidings of Gods face are gradual as was shewed before therefore they are little taken notice of as the Prophet complained Hos 7.9 Gray hairs are here and there upon them and they know it not that is they are in a declining condition gray hairs are the signes of old age Eorum mihi videtur idoneus sensus omnino Gormanus qui hanc libertatem dei sive pacem concedendi sive condemnandi vel turbandi ad tyrannos tantum coardat eos qui impiè vivunt Sanct. which is the declension of mans life he alludes from the body Natural to the body Civil or Politick they are I say in a declining weakning spending condition yet they lay it not to heart And that 's a sore if not the chiefest judgement of God upon a Nation when hiding his face he hides his judgements from them and gives them up to hardness of heart to blindness of minde and a spirit of stupidity that they see not nor take notice of their own danger nor the departure of God from them which is the cause of it And still the more God hideth his face from a Nation the more miserable they are and withal the more insensible of their misery So much from that consideration of the Text as to a Nation When he giveth quietness who can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him Whether it be against a Nation Or against a man only As this verse respects a man only or a single person it is expounded two or three wayes First Of Oppressors and wicked men as if he had said When God will give a wicked man quietness or prosperity in his sinful way who can make his estate troublous or trouble him in his estate He shall be quiet while the will of God is to suffer him to be so and if God once hide his face from him that is Si deus pacem tribuat impiis quis illius providentiam arcana iudicia coâ—d mnare aud bit Gregor Philip. declareth displeasure against him who can behold him that is who among the mightiest of wicked oppressors can lift himself up against or stand before God Secondly The words are expounded of the oppressed or of godly men as if he had said when God is minded or resolved to give peace and quietness to any of his faithful servants who can hinder him or trouble them and when he is pleased for reason best known to himself to leave any of his faithful servants in darkness and withdraw the light of his countenance from them who among them can behold him that is bear or endure his angry appearances Quum ipse tranquillat sc miseros afflictos quis inquietabit cum abscondit faciem sc ab improbis quis contemplabitur eum i. e. quis improborum aversanti Deo ausit obsistere Jun. A third expounds the former part of the verse according to the second Exposition of the whole verse concerning the oppressed or afflicted godly if God will give them quietness who can give them trouble And the latter part of the verse of Oppressors if he hideth his face from wicked and unjust men who can behold him Further Some who take this sence do not understand it as an act of God hiding his own face but as an act of God hiding the face of the wicked Oppressor as if it had been said When God hideth a wicked mans face and wraps him up as a condemned man or when by the command of the Magistrate after his legal tryal his face is covered being ready to seal the warrant for his execution Hamans face was covered as soon as the Kings word went out against him then who can behold him Some insist much upon this interpretation in allusion to the custome of those times when condemned malefactors had their faces covered and indeed when God wraps up the oppressors face as a condemned man who can behold him that is who can hold up his face against God or resist him in this work of justice But I intend not to prosecute the personal consideration of the Text under these distinct notions but shall only take up the general sence When he giveth quietness to a man who can make trouble and when he hideth his face from a man who can behold him I shall only adde Master Broughton's gloss upon the whole verse when for the poor he kills the mighty none can stay him and when he hideth his favour none can finde it Hence Observe First The quietness or peace of any man of every man is of the Lord. If God will have a wicked man live in quietness to it shall be and God hath given and doth often give them quietness I have seen the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green Bay tree Psal 37.35 David spake this from a good witness the sight of his eye I saith he have seen the wicked in much outward pomp and splendour and as the outward peace and quietness pomp and splendour of the wicked is from God so also is both the outward and inward peace of any godly man First The outward peace or the peace of a godly man in his outward estate is of the Lord Psal 4.8 I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou only makest me to dwell in safety that is thou O Lord wilt watch over me in the night and not suffer me to be surprized by any sudden danger and therefore I will quietly repose my self upon thy gracious promises and throw off those cares and fears which as thorns in the pillow would not suffer me to rest when I lye down in my bed the Lord is my safety even the rest of my body In the 5th chapter of this book ver 23 24. Eliphaz telleth us how the Lord secures the outward condition of a good man and gives him such quietness that even the very beasts of the earth shall be in league and the stones of the field at peace with him and he shall know or be assured that his tabernacle shall be in peace Secondly The inward peace the soul peace the spiritual peace of a godly man is much more from the Lord John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth so give I unto you as if Christ had said I will not deal with you after the rate of the world that is either deceitfully and falsly or rigorously and unjustly I will not give you such measure as the world gives you nor in
readings I will not offend or I will not corrupt meet in the same sence for to corrupt our wayes is to offend and to offend is to corrupt our wayes to do any evil is to corrupt our selves or others So then Non tantum in Piel sed in Kall videtur usurpari pro corrumpere Zech. 11.7.14 Job 34 31. De Dieu in loc the meaning plainly is this I will corrupt my way no more the man in affliction must say to God in a deep sence of and sorrow for his former sins offences and corruptions I will offend I will corrupt no more Now comparing the former counsel with this Observe First Chastisement is for amendment The evil of affliction is brought upon us that we may take heed of and turn from the evil of sin that 's intimated by the connexion therefore to go on offending while God is chastening is to add rebellion to our sin It was the brand of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the Lord whereas being in distress he should have said to the Lord I will trespass no more Note secondly When God chastens us we should promise amendment We should tel God we will him offend no more we wil grieve him no more we will provoke him no more we will dishonour him no more the least sin once committed is too much therefore we should engage to sin no more But it may be question'd can any man make such a pâ—omise or take such an engagement upon himself when under chastisement that he will offend no more Is that degree of perfection attainable in this life to offend no more How then is this meet to be said unto God I will offend no more Must we promise things that we cannot perform Is there any man chastened that offends not again saith not the Apostle James in many things we offend all Is it then meet to say this unto God I will offend no more Is it not sinful to make a promise not to sin I answer First by way of concession No man may promise what ever his chastisements are that he never will sin at all any more no man can make any such promise neither is that the meaning here but he that is under the chastening hand of God may and must promise that he will not commit such or such a sin any more especially not such a sin as he most suspects to have brought the chastisement upon his back we may make promises against particular sins though we cannot promise we will never sin Secondly We may promise when we are under the chastening hand of God that we will offend no more in such a manner as we have offended formerly so foolishly so vainly so negligently we may and must promise to be more watchful that we sin not the same sin again either for matter or manner Thirdly When chastened we may say unto God absolutely we will offend no more with respect to the purpose of our souls that is we must lay aside all purposes of committing any sin yea we may we must tell the Lord 't is the desire and purpose of our souls 't is our ayme and shall be our endeavour to offend no more The ayme of every true believer is not to sin though in this world it be not the attainment of any 1 John 2.1 My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not As if the Apostle had said I would fain wynde up your hearts to such a pitch that you may not sin at all But if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father I know you cannot but sin yet let it be your care not to sin and your prayer to offend no more And how should we bless the Lord if we could live without sin and be for ever rid of it we should wish a thousand times more to be quit of sin then affliction thus we must say unto God we will offend no more Fourthly though we cannot promise or take up such a resolution absolutely nor in our own strength yet we may and ought in the strength of Christ or to the utmost of that strength and grace which he gives out and bestoweth upon us I shall have occasion to speak further to this poinâ— from those words of the 32d or next verse which are of neer alliance both as to matter and form with these here If I have done iniquity I will do no more Only before I pass from this rendering of the Text in hand take two Notes more In that Elihu telleth the penitent person he ought to say unto God I will not offend any more Note First A truly humbled and repenting soul is as careful to avoid the act of sin for the time to come as to be freed from the guilt of sin past This holy care is a sure argument of a good conscience A wicked wretch may be desirous to have former offences pardoned but he hath not any unfeigned purpose not to offend any more and usually he hath no sooner cast up his sin by a seeming penitent confession but he returns with the dog to his vomit by a fresh commission of his sin Sorrow for sin yeilds no comfort if not accompanied with a care not to sin Christ was not so rigid to the woman taken in Adultery as her accusers were yet he saith to her John 8.11 Go and sin no more as if he had said thy case will be sad though now thou hast escaped or got rid of thy accusers it thou tradest on in this wicked way And when David prayed for purging the sin past he also prayed for establishing by the free Spirit of God against such-like temptations in time to come Psal 51. as if he had said Lord I do not ask pardon that I might take liberty to offend again but I desire thy confirming and preventing grace that I may offend no more Secondly From the extensiveness of this engagement to which Elihu directs the penitent person I will not offend any more neither in one kinde nor other Note He that is truly humbled for any one sin will to his utmost avoid every sin He saith I will not offend any more He that loves God cannot live in the doing of any one thing which God hates but as he expects good out of all the promises so he hath respect to all the commandments whosoever hath so would not offend in any thing any more Further as this latter clause is translated I will corrupt no more Note First Sin is a corruption We shall do well to look upon sin in all its notions to make it loathsom to us this is one notion of it sin corrupts every thing and person it hath to do with First Sin is the corruption of our nature the whole mass of mankinde and the whole of every man is leavened by it Secondly Sin is the corruption of our conversation and of our way Gen. 6.11 12. God
and messengers of his word with his Spirit he will impower them from on high and so we shall learn his Statutes and understand his wayes David ascribes even his skill in Military affairs to Gods teaching Psal 144.1 Blessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hand◠to war and my fingers to fight God only teacheth a man powerfully to be a good Souldier Surely then it is God only who teacheth us to be good Christians to be Believers to be holy He hath his seat in heaven who teacheth hearts on earth Secondly As these words hold out to us the temper of an humble sinner Note A gracious humble soul is teachable or is willing to be taught As it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel to be apt to teach that 's their special gift or characteristical property so 't is the peoples duty and grace to be apt to be taught to be willing to be led and instructed naturally we are unteachable and untractable As we know nothing of God savingly by nature so we are not willing to know we would sit down in our ignorance or at most in a form of knowledge To be willing to learn is the first or rather the second step to learning The first is a sight of our ignorance and the second a readiness to be taught and entertain the means of knowledge Thirdly The words being the form of a Prayer Note It is our duty to entreat the Lord earnestly that he would teach us what we know not It is a great favour and a mercy that God will teach us that he will be our master our Tutor Now as we are to ask and pray for every mercy so for this that God would vouchsafe to be our Teacher Psal 25.4 5. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Lead me in thy truth and teach me David spake it twice in prayer Lead me and Teach me Lead me on in the truth which I know and teach me the truths which I know not So he prayeth again Psal 119.26 Teach me thy Statutes make me to understand the way of thy precepts David was convinced that he could not understand the Statutes of God unless God would be his Teacher though he could read the Statutes of God and understand the language of them yet he did not understand the Spirit of them till he was taught and taught of God and therefore he prayed so earnestly once and again for his teaching When Philip put that question to the Eunuch Acts 8.30 Vnderstandest thou what thou readest He said how can I except some man should guide me Or unless I am taught Though we read the Statutes of God and read them every day yet we shall know little unless the Lord teach us Solomon made it his request for all Israel at the solemn Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.37 Teach them the good way wherein they should walk God who is our Commander is also our Counseller Fourthly From the special matter wherein this penitent person would be taught which is plain from part of the latter verse If I have done iniquity Note A gracious heart is willing to know and see the worst of himself He would have God teach him what iniquity he hath done David was often upon that prayer Psal 139.24 Search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any wicked way in me Lord shew me my sin as I would not conceal my sin from thee so I would not have my sin concealed from my self A carnal man who lives in sin though possibly he may pray for knowledge in some things and would be a knowing man yet he hath no minde that either God or man should shew him his sin He loves not to see the worst of himself his dark part he as little loves to see his sin as to have it seen But a godly man never thinks he seeth his sin enough how little soever he sins he thinks he sins too much that 's the general bent of a gracious mans heart and how much soever he sees his sin he thinks he sees it too little And therefore as he tells God what he knows of his sin so he would have God tell him that of his sin which he doth not know That which I know not teach thou me If I have done iniquity I will do no more There are two special parts of repentance First Confession of sin whether known or unknown This we have in the former part of the verse That which I see not teach thou me There is the confession of sin even of unknown sin The second part of repentance is reformation or amendment a turning from sin a forsaking of that iniquity which we desire God would shew us we have this second part of repentance in this latter part of the verse If I have done iniquity I will do no more But why doth he say If I have c. Had he any any doubt whether he had done iniquity or no every man must confess down right that he hath sinned and done iniquity without ifs or an's Solomon having made such a supposition in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.46 If they sin against thee presently puts it into this position for there is no man that sinneth not The Apostle concludes 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Therefore this If I have done iniquity is not to be understood as if this or that man as if he or any man might be without sin but when the penitent is brought in saying If I have done iniquity h◠meaning is First What ever iniquity I have done I am willing to leave it to abandon it I will do so no more Secondly Thus If I have done iniquity that is if I have done any great iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perverse agere if I have acted perverseness or perversly as the word signifieth I will do so no more to do iniquity is more then barely to sin As if he had said though I cannot promise that I will sin no more yet Lord if thou dost discover to me any iniquity any gross sin or perversenesse I will do that no more I will engage my self against that sin with all my might and to the utmost of my power by grace received I will keep my self pure from every sin If I have done iniquity Hence Note First A godly man hath a gracious suspition of himself that he hath done evil yea some great evil that he hath done amiss yea greatly amiss though he be not able to charge himself with this or that particular iniquity He knoweth he hath sinned done evil though he knoweth not every evil he hath done nor how sinfully he may have sinned he doubts it may be worse with him then he seeth Possibly he hath done iniquity Job in reference to his children chap. 1.5 had an holy suspition that in their feasting
man of wickedness nothing but wickedness altogether wicked The Lord looking downe from heaven upon all the children of men in a state of natureâ— sayd There is not one that doth good no not one Take any wicked man he hath no good in him no not one good thought in him he is a man of Iniquity he is meere wickedness till he be changed till his heart be broken by Godly sorrow till he be united unto Christ by faith and through the Spirit I know this expression is used severall times in Scripture to note those men who are sinners of the first forme being not only sinners in their state but in the highest degree of activity Thus Antichrist is called The man of sin 2 Thes 2. And when the Prophet saith Isa 55.7 Let the man of iniquity turne from his evill way he meanes the worst of men Yet this is a truth every man in an unconverted estate is a man of iniquity he hath no goodness nothing of God in him he bears only the Image and impresse of the devill upon him Christ told the Pharisees who were high in reputation with the world for good men John 8.44 Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe The naturall man is so sinfull that he is meerly sin And sometimes a godly man speakes and doth as if he were so too Job spake like men of Iniquity Elihu proceedeth more fully to declare both the reason why he would have Job further tryed and likewise what he meant by his answers for wicked men Vers 37. For he addeth rebellion or trespass to his sin Nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intelligitur peccatum ex errore commissum Nomine vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scelus propriè rebellio Here are two words sin and rebellion the first which we render sin signifies sin in common the least transgression of the Law it is sin the least vaine thought of the heart the least idle word of the tongue is sin but every sin is not rebellion that hath many speciall markes or brands rather upon it To rebell is to sin with a high hand to rebell is to sin with a stiff neck to rebell is to sin with obstinacy and resolvedness of will he addeth rebellion to his sin But did Job rebell indeed I conceive the rebellion which Elihu chargeth Job with is not rebellion in a strict but in a qualified and comparative sense As if he had said Job sinned before but now his sin is heightened we see him now in words rising up against God complaining of his justice or as if he had dealt unjustly with him What he did in the time of his prosperity those slips falls which he had then weighed nothing as laid in the ballance with the intemperate speeches which he hath uttered in the day of his trouble He addeth rebellion unto his sin So we render as respecting what he was and had done before Others render it potentially not indicatively Let Job be tryed unto the end because of his answers for wicked men for otherwise he may adde rebellion to his sin we know not whether his corruptions may carry him if suffered to goe onne This is a more favourable reading of the text not as a charge of naturall but feared rebellion against God As if he had sayd I see the mans spirit is so entangled that if he be not well and wisely dealt with possibly he may come to adde even rebellion unto his sin and whereas he sinned before out of ignorance or imprudence he may shortly sin out of contumacy and perverseness Hence Note First There are sins of severall degrees Every man sinneth he that saith he hath no sin or doth not sin there is no truth in him 1 John 1.8 But every mans sin is not rebellion every man doth not rise up to that height and degree of sinning If any shall enquire when is a mans sin rebellion I answer First That mans sin grows to be rebellion whose will is much in it He that will sin rebells The Apostle Paul saith Rom 7.19 The evill which I would not that I doe This is the case of every godly man at his best he doth those evills which he would not this is not rebellion because the will of a godly man is changed and turned off from sin he can say the evill which I would not doe that doe I. Rebellion is the doing of that evill which we would Secondly In rebellion or in rebellious acts of sin there is much of the understanding as well as of the will that is a man seeth cleerely what he doth is sin or that the rule is against him to rebell is to sin against the light It is sayd in the 24th Chapter of this booke The wicked are of them that rebell against the light that is they cannot abide the light he means it there of the naturall light the adulterer and the thiefe cannot indure Sun or day-light it is much more true of mysticall light if he hath any light of knowledge he resists and rebells against it It s great rebellion to resist the receiving of light offered but 't is greater rebellion to resist light received sins against knowledge are rebellious sins Thirdly A rebellious sin is a sin against reproofe admonition and warning when we have been often told of such a sin and admonished of such an evill course and yet we will goe on in it here is rebellion such a man hath not only light in his understanding that what he doth is sinfull but this light hath been brought home to him and wrought upon him by reproofe counsell and admonition here is still greater rebellion Therefore in the proceeding of the Church spoken of Math 18. when an offending brother hath been reproved and told of his fault first in pâ—ivate by a particular brother then by two or three then by the whole Church if after all these admonitions and reproofes he doth not repent he is to be cast out as a rebel and accounted as a heathen or a publican Lastly As 't is rebellion when we sin as against the reproofes of man so against the providences of God and those of two sorts First When we sin against the favourable providences of God I meane those which are outward when God bestows many mercies and comforts upon us when he gives us health and riches in the world and fullnesse of all things then to sin against him is rebellion Deut 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked and rebelled against the Lord and lightly regarded the rock of his salvation When we have received many and great mercies then to grow vaine and wanton and nourish our selves as in the day of slaughter this is rebellion against God Secondly When the providences of God have broken us by this evill or that evill when we are broken in our estates broken in our names broken in our relations broken with sickness after sickness and yet persist in
to stand The Lord can establish those whom he setteth up The Lord doth not only set up but keep up whom he pleaseth Though they are weak whom he setteth up yet he can keep them up though they whom he setteth up are opposed by the strong yet he can keep them up He can make a shrub stand fast though opposed by a Cedar and a reed to stand firm like a rock though opposed by an Oak Thirdly Note The Lord taketh care of the Government of the world He is not for breaking work only he is for setting and setling too God will not let the body of a people perish for want of a head but when in judgement he hath broken one in pieces he in mercy sets up another Mighty men are like pillars which bear the weight of a whole Commonwealth or Kingdom God rarely deals with Nations as Sampson did with the house wherein the Philistims were assembled who at once pull'd away the pillar and pull'd down the house but if he pulleth away one pillar he puts in another that the house may stand God will not leave the world without rule or rulers when he takes with one hand he gives with another when Judas the Traytor was broken Christ found out a better man Matthias to set in his stead And when the whole Nation or Church of the Jewes was broken and rejected God called in the Gentiles and set them up for a Church and people to himself in their stead and which is the greatest instance of all when Jesus Christ was taken from the earth when he left the world who was the mighty one he was first broken in pieces for our sins and afterwards taken away yet he gave a supply and left us another in his stead I will not leave you comfortless saith he John 14.18 I will come unto you though not till the great day in person yet every day in the gifts and graces of my Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14.16 Again John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth God sent the Spirit in Christ's stead he doth that for us which Christ did for us while he abode on the earth and therefore the holy Spirit is not unfitly call'd the Vicar of Christ here on earth he feeds the flock of Christ he looks to his people he teacheth he comforteth them in Christ's stead And thus in Nations when God breaketh one Governour he sets up an other in his stead he will not leave Nations without guides and leaders nor suffer the staff of Government to be utterly broken which is the greatest plague that can come upon any people From the whole verse take these tree deductions First There is a vanity and an uncertainty at least the vanity of uncertainty in all worldly greatness and powers God blasts and breaks them as he pleaseth The most substantial things on earth are but as a shaddow or like the Land-sea's continually flowing and ebbing One is cast down and another is exalted one is broken and another is set up yea the same man who was lately exalted and set up may quickly be cast down and broken There is no assurance to be had of the best things here below but only this that we cannot be sure of them and 't is good for us that we cannot be sure of the best things here below both because we are so apt to say It is good for us to be here where yet our best things are not to be had as also because by this consideration we may be provoked to look after and make sure of better things then any are here enjoyed even those best things which are under hope Secondly Great examples of God's judgements are to be eyed and marked Why doth Elihu call Job to this consideration but that he might be humbled and give God glory it is not for nought that God breaks in pieces the mighty ones of the earth 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things have hapned unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come As all those things among the Jewes were Types so all that God doth to this day upon the Princes and Powers of the world Nunquam culpam suam reprobi nisi in poena agnoscunt Greg. lib. 25. Moral cap. 9. are but as types and ensamples they are for admonition that we should consider those sins which have brought such judgments upon men such breaking judgements and avoid them some will never see sin in it self but in the judgments of God all may see what sin is when mighty men are broken in pieces what will God do with the rest if they sin against him and provoke the eyes of his glory Zenacharib that proud Prince who invaded the land of Israel in the time of Hezekiah being broken in pieces by his own bowels his sons slew him it was ordered to be writ upon his Tomb In me intuens pius esto Herod lib. 2. Let every one that seeth me learn to fear God and not to defie him as I have done The breaking of the powers of the earth should exceedingly exalt the fear of God in our hearts Quicunque celsa dominatur aula me videat tu Troja nunquam documenta dedit sors majora quam frogili loco starent superbi Senec. in Troad de Hecuba Act 1. Sc. 1. It is better to learn wisdome by the punishment of others then by our own Thirdly If God will break the mighty though many yea though innumerable This is comfort to the people of God when they are opprest and broken by oppressors let them remember God is able to break their oppressors though they rise up like Hydra's heads one after another read the whole fifty and second Psalm as also the 39th and 40th verses of the 107th Psalm as a clear proof of this Elihu having shewed what sad breaches God makes upon mighty men makes a fourth inference in the words following Vers 25. Therefore he knoweth their works and he overturneth them in the night so that they are destroyed For as much as God breaketh them it is an argument that he knoweth what they are and what they have been doing There is a threefold reading of these words First Some read them as implying God's making others to know their works God maketh the secret sins of men visible Propterea facit ut nota sint facta ipsorum Bez. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognoscit aliqui exponunt faci cognoscere sc facit ut ab omnibus eorum scelera cognoscantur Merc. by his visible judgements Wrath seen may give us a sight of sin Some insist much upon this exposition and 't is a truth the Lord by his judgments brings to light and doth as it were spread open as in the face of the Sun the wickedness and wicked deeds of
mighty men that all may know his judgements are deserved by their works he makes their works known Secondly Others render He maketh them know or acknowledge their works The Lord at last by sore and severe judgements will extort confessions from the worst of them he will make the mighty acknowledge that their works have been nought and their wayes perverse In Scripture the same word signifies to know or to confess and acknowledg Thus here he makes them to know or to acknowledge what their works have been Thirdly Rather take it as we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non significat notum facio quod sciam sed tantum cognosco ideo transtuli cognoscit Drus of Gods act in taking notice of all they had done Therefore he knoweth their works As if Elihu had said these mighty men of the earth thought themselves under covert or that the Lord took no notice of them nor of their works their works were done in the dark and they supposed the Lord could not pierce into them but he will make it appear that he knew their works when he maketh his justice appear in punishing them for their works Hence Note We have an assurance that God knoweth the works of all mon because he punisheth all wicked works or the works of the wicked so punctually and exactly He punisheth many of them here and will punish them all hereafter when we see him breaking the mighty men of the world 't is a proof that God was in their Cabinet counsels and saw what was done there we may conclude he knew their works though men knew them not he could never lay his judgements so exactly upon them as he doth if he did not know their works That God knows the works of all men is a point I have met with before and therefore pass from it here And he overturneth them in the night There are several readings of this clause First Some thus Therefore the Lord knoweth their works and turneth into night that is he turneth their prosperity into adversity he bringeth trouble and affliction upon them they lived before in a day of prosperity in a day of power and worldly greatness but he turneth them into night Secondly Or as others thus He turneth the night that is he changeth the night into day Simul atque mutavit noctum c. Jun. i. e. Lucem protulit qua revelantur omnia in judicio ejus Id. he takes away the dark and close covers of their sins and makes them as manifest as the light Now as the Apostle saith Eph. 5.13 That which maketh manifest is light If God were not light he could not bring to light the hidden things of darkness nor manifest the counsels of the heart Thirdly thus Therefore he knoweth their works and when the night is turned he destroyeth them that is they are destroyed and perish as soon and as easily as the day takes place of the night or as soon as the night is turned into day so soon doth the Lord destroy them he can quickly make an end of them he can destroy them with the morning light We render and I judge that best He overturneth them their persons in the night and so Elihu points at the season or time of Gods breaking and overthrowing them he doth it in the night We may take it strictly as in the case of Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. 12.29 as also in that of Belshazzer Dan. 5.30 or in the night that is suddenly unexpectedly Though a man be destroyed in the day yet if it be done suddenly he looking for no such matter we may say it was done in the night because then men are most secure This way of expressing an unlookt for evil the coming of in the night was opened at the twentieth verse therefore I shall not stay upon it He overturneth them in the night So that they are destroyed Elihu said before He shall break in pieces mighty men Here he saith they are destroyed that is they shall be broken to purpose or throughly God doth not break them in pieces for correction but for destruction there are great breakings upon the persons and estates of some men and yet it is but for correction others the Lord breaketh for utter ruine as here so that they are destroyed The Original word signifieth to destroy as it were by pounding in a Morter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrivit atirivit contudit and the same word is used to signifie a contrite heart a heart broken by godly sorrow under the sense of sin They are destroyed or as it were ground to powder you may break a thing into many pieces yet not grinde it to powder or dust as corn in a Mill or spice in a Morter but these saith Elihu are not only broken to pieces but beaten to dust that 's the strength of the word which we render they are destroyed Hence Note What God hath a mind to do he can do it certainly and will do it throughly He breaks men in pieces so that they are destroyed and brought to dust When the Prophet declares the breaking of the four Monarchies it is said Dan. 2.35 They shall be as the chaffe of the Summer threshing upon the Mountains if the Lord will destroy the mightiest they shall certainly be destroyed as Balak said to Balaam I wo◠that whom thou cursest are cursed as if he had said thou canst curse effectually if thou wilt set thy self to it 't is not in the power of all the Balaams in the world to effect a curse though they pronounce a curse 't is only in the power of the Lord to curse effectually he can bless whom he pleaseth and they are blessed he can curse whom he pleaseth and they are cursed Thus as Ephraim lamenting his sin and sorrow confessed Jer. 31.18 Lord thou hast chastised me and I was chastised God paid him home as we speak if we chastise a childe he is chastised but when Ephraim saith thou hast chastised me and I was chastised his meaning is I was greatly and effectually chastised that is first In a literal sence I found thy hand heavie upon me it was a sore affliction that I was under Secondly In a spiritual sence Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised that is my heart was humbled and broken under thy chastisements in either notion we see the effectualness of the Lords work Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised And therefore Ephraim invited the Lord to another work Turn me O Lord and I shall be turned if thou wilt but turn thy Spirit upon this hard heart of mine it will be effectually turned it will be not only broken for sin but from sin As if he had said I have received reproofs and counsels from men and they have not turned me but Lord if thou wilt reprove and counsel me I shall be turned thus the Lord carrieth his work home to conversion in his spiritual dealings with some and to
up to Satan or a putting him into the very power of the devill for a time 1 Cor 5.4 5. it is the end or designe which makes this lawfull our business in the ministry and in all Church-administrations is to put soules out of the power of Satan to rescue them out of the hand of the devill to recover those that are led Captive by him at his will yet saith the Apostle Deliver such a one unto Satan put him into the devills hands for what end For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This makes the prayer or act of the Church lawfull because the intendment is the destroying of that which ought to be destroyed or to destroy that in man which will be the destruction of man his flesh his lust his pride his covetousnesse his wantonness For the destruction of this flesh deliver him to Satan that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thus we may pray and wish for affliction upon others but 't is a prayer which must be managed with a great deale of caution lest our prayers to God in that kinde be found ill wishes to men That which Elihu had in his thoughts when he desired Job might be tryed to the very end was that he might be prevented from going on in the way wherein he was to the end Yea I conceive a man may pray for afflictions upon himselfe rather then he should goe on in a course of sin or when he findes that other wayes and means which God hath used with him have not been effectuall to subdue his corrupt heart to mortifie his lusts and to bring him off from a course of sin but that as it is sayd in the next verse he is in danger of adding rebellion to his sin A godly man had much rather that God should make him poore sicke weake and nothing in this world then let his corruptions have dominion over him He desires rather God should take the world quite out of his hand the◠that the world should get into his heart or be as fuel to feed and enflame his lusts Thus Elihu desired that Job might be tryed Bono ipsius optat hoc non odio aut malevolentia Drusi because tryalls by affliction are for our purging refining and bettering Love was the roote of this wish nor hatred or ill will Let Job be tryed to the end Why we may take the latter part of the verse for a reason why as wel as for the matter about which he would have him tryed Because of his answers for wicked men Propter responsiones communes cum hominibus improbis Bez Tanquam unus è numero virorum vanorum Pisc Let him be tryed concerning those words which he hath spoken in common with or after the manner of vaine men He hath spoken words wherein he seemes to comply with wicked men to say as they say to consent with them and to be of their opinion this was charged upon him directly by Elihu at the 8th verse of this Chapter What man is like Job who drinketh up scorning like water which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity and walketh with wicked men that is though Job in his conversation or carriage of his life hath not yet in this discourse he hath strengthened the hands of wicked men or confirmed them in their opinion speaking so much of the heavy pressures of God upon him and desiring to often to come to a hearing as if he had some wrong done him We are not to understand these words of Elihu Because of his answers for wicked men As if he charged Job to doe so directly or as if he had formally taken upon him to plead or advocate the cause of wicked men we are not I say to understand him so grossly nor had it been true to say that Job opened his mouth or spake thus for wicked men but his meaning is he hath spoken such things as in common apprehension seeme to comply with the opinions of wicked men or with the speeches which they use when they are like him in a troubled condition Or againe Because of his answers for wicked men that is that he may acknowledge the answers he hath given are not such as doe become a godly man but rather savour of such a spirit as unbroken proud persons hold forth in the time of their affliction who are never pleased with but alwayes complaining at divine dispensations Lastly These words Because of his answers for wicked men may possibly have this sence Because he hath spoken such things as may serve the turne of wicked men for answers or as if he would instruct them what to answer when at any time they are under the hand of God He may be sayd to answer for another man who any way prompts him how or what to answer And while a good man speakes amisse in any case he teacheth yea and encourageth bad men to speake so too Yet I rather incline to the first interpretation that Elihu would have Job tryed because his answers were such as it might be judged he had taken wicked men for his patterne in giving them and not as if in them he had given a patterne to wicked men Hence note First A good man may sometimes act the part of a wicked man or he may speak like wicked men as if he were one of them Though his state be as different from the state of wicked men as light is from darknesse or as sweet from soure or white from black yet as to some actions or speeches he may beare a resemblance to them Good men and bad men doe as I may say enter-common in many things a wicked man whose heart is nought who is yet in an unregenerate estate for I meane not by a wicked man him only that is flagitious a murderer a whoremonger a drunkard but a wicked man is any one that is unregenerate whose heart is not yet changed Now I say a wicked man may speak and doe many things like a godly man he may heare the word and pray and performe outward duties which are like and are take them materially the same which godly men performe Thus he enter-commons with godly men and this is the case of all hypocrites who make a pretence of religion when they have no acquaintance with the power of it And thus through temptation and in some very burthensome afflictions a godly man may speak as a wicked man such hasty rash provoking speeches may passe from him as proceed from the ungodly only here is the difference those evill speeches or actions proceed from the state of the one and only from the temptation of the other Secondly From the phrase or forme of speech in which the originall expresseth wicked men The words are Men of wickedness or iniquity As if it had been sayd the worst of wicked men This shews us what man naturally is he is a